Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 197

The Perdan Kingdom

Thud! Thud! Thud!…

The first-floor dining area of the Seochang Inn, where Hwa-rin had rented a room to rest, was a chaotic mess after the warriors’ brawl.

It began when those in blue uniforms attacked those in red, and innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire. Over a dozen guests inside the inn were killed or severely injured, bleeding and collapsing onto the floor.

Despite the casualties among the ordinary people, the fight between the blue and red factions showed no signs of stopping.

Hwa-rin, disturbed from her rest in her second-floor room, came out to investigate the commotion and saw two groups locked in a fierce battle.

“The ones in blue uniforms seem to be from the Tang family. Who are those in red?” she wondered.

Hwa-rin tilted her head, observing the fight from the second floor.

“If the Tang family is disregarding the lives of ordinary people, it means those in red must have done something to seriously offend them, or the tide of war is turning against the Tang family.”

The fight between the Tang family warriors and those in red seemed evenly matched, making it difficult to determine which side had the upper hand.

“Isn’t this inn going to collapse? I wonder if I should wake up Hyuk-jin and find somewhere else to stay.”

Just then, a man in red armor spotted Hwa-rin and, without hesitation, used a table as a springboard, leaping towards her.

Hwa-rin casually waved her hand at him, as if swatting away a fly. The gesture created a powerful gust of wind that sent him flying backward.

Thud!

He crashed into the wall before collapsing to the ground, his screams and expression contorted in pain.

“Cough!”

Spitting out blood, he looked up at Hwa-rin, who was leaning against the second-floor railing, watching the fight.

The swiftness of his defeat at Hwa-rin’s hands shocked everyone in the inn, and the fighting momentarily ceased.

“Don’t mind me. Carry on,” Hwa-rin said in an indifferent voice, sending a clear warning with a look that dared them to continue. “I have no intention of intervening unless you try to attack me.”

Even so, those fighting on the first floor hesitated. A faint smile appeared on Hwa-rin’s lips, and those who saw it felt a chilling fear, a reminder of death itself.

“Not fighting? Shall I kill you then?”

At Hwa-rin’s words, they exchanged glances before those in red surged forward, attacking the Tang family warriors.

As a result, the fight resumed. Although they seemed to be watching Hwa-rin’s reaction at first, as the battle intensified, they became oblivious to her presence and fought with desperate abandon.

Watching this, Hwa-rin concluded that those in red were definitely not from any of the orthodox sects [established and recognized martial arts schools].

“Since no sects in Sichuan would dare to provoke the Tang family, these must be warriors from other provinces, or perhaps from the frontier regions or even overseas.”

Hwa-rin closely observed the martial arts of those in red and narrowed her eyes slightly, feeling like she had seen that swordsmanship somewhere before.

“Where did I see that?”

Hwa-rin looked like she was on the verge of remembering, but the memory remained elusive, causing her frustration. Then, after a moment, her expression brightened.

“Ah, I saw it in the Perdan Kingdom.”

The Perdan Kingdom was a kingdom beyond Xizang [Tibet], with territory in the desolate desert. They had built a large city in an oasis where water could be found, and many people lived there.

The cities formed in these oases had coalesced into a nation, the Perdan Kingdom.

Many such tribal states were located around the Perdan Kingdom, and among them, the Perdan Kingdom was the largest and most powerful.

The people of the Perdan Kingdom were greatly influenced by the harsh desert environment, and the men were known to be rough and combative. Looking at those in red, they seemed a little milder than the men of the Perdan Kingdom she had encountered.

“Back then, I couldn’t tell if I was eating rice or chewing sand,” she mused, recalling the gritty meals.

Hwa-rin smiled brightly, recalling the time when she had gone to the Perdan Kingdom on a mission.

At that time, she had faced situations frightening enough to make her tremble, but now they were just memories.

“Do they need something from the Central Plains [China proper]? Even merchants from the Perdan Kingdom rarely come to the Central Plains.”

Not only was the distance vast, but there were too many dangers lurking on the roads between the Perdan Kingdom and the Central Plains. Usually, merchants from the Central Plains would sell goods in Xizang, and people from the Perdan Kingdom would come to Xizang to buy goods, or merchants from Xizang would go to the Perdan Kingdom to sell goods and buy what they needed.

When one of the Tang family warriors fell, bleeding, the balance of power, which had been tight, quickly shifted to the side of the Perdan Kingdom’s people.

“Kuaaa!”

Their attacks were bold and ruthless, showing no mercy.

As the balance of power collapsed, the Tang family’s people were quickly defeated.

After subduing all the Tang family’s people, they looked at Hwa-rin, their eyes seeming to plead for her to let them go.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t stand it when I get curious.”

When Perdan language flowed from Hwa-rin’s mouth, they flinched.

“Why were you fighting?”

At Hwa-rin’s question, they exchanged glances. This alone convinced Hwa-rin that they were Perdan people.

“The people you killed were warriors from the Tang family. They are the most influential family here in Sichuan. In your kingdom, they would be like a powerful noble family.”

“We are not at fault. They attacked us first.”

“Why?”

“They told us to hand over the Celestial Jade Treasure that we stole. But we don’t know anything about the Celestial Jade Treasure.”

“Celestial Jade Treasure? What is that?”

“We don’t know either. It seems they mistook us for someone else, but they tried to kill us, so we had no choice.”

Knowing that they were not lying, Hwa-rin asked another question.

“What brings you from the Perdan Kingdom to the Central Plains? It’s rare for people from the Perdan Kingdom to come to the Central Plains.”

They exchanged glances again and hesitated.

“I’m the only one here, so you can tell me. If your purpose becomes known to the world because of me, then you can come after me for revenge.”

“Who are you?”

“The Master of the Nine Dragons!”

At the mention of the Master of the Nine Dragons, they flinched. They had apparently heard the rumors that the Master of the Nine Dragons had fought against the massive organization called the Blood Evil Alliance.

After exchanging glances again, they finally spoke to Hwa-rin.

“One of the princesses from our kingdom went on a pilgrimage, but she was kidnapped on the way.”

“Princess? I believe there are three princesses in the Perdan Kingdom. Which princess are you talking about?”

“How do you know that?”

“Let’s skip that for now. Could it be the coltish third princess, Natalfsha?”

Their eyes widened. At the same time, their expressions changed in an instant.

Knowing the third princess’s name, they thought that she might be related to the person who kidnapped the princess.

“Lower your killing intent before I kill you all.”

Despite Hwa-rin’s warning, they did not lower their killing intent and asked in a cold voice.

“Did the Nine Dragons kidnap Princess Natalfsha?”

“Why would I kidnap that coltish kid? And I’m not interested in little kids who are not even ten years old.”

‘If that kid was kidnapped, it seems she didn’t go on a pilgrimage but secretly left the royal palace and ran into trouble,’ Hwa-rin thought.

Hwa-rin said with certainty, knowing Natalfsha well.

“Then how do you know the princess?”

“I know her because I met her a long time ago. I also know Pettusan, Alzamand, Narsha, Nafsha, I know them all.”

“Who are you to know the names of princes and princesses that are not known in the Central Plains?”

“Five years ago, you called me the Underworld King.”

At the word Underworld King, their eyes widened in surprise.

Although the name Underworld King was not well known in the Central Plains, it was known as a symbol of death and fear in the frontier, overseas, and even further in the Western Regions.

“Are you really the Underworld King?”

“I have no reason to lie.”

As she spoke, Hwa-rin pretended to take something from the air and flicked it with her finger towards the man who was speaking.

“Your kingdom’s king gave it to me.”

The man who saw what Hwa-rin had thrown looked back and forth between Hwa-rin and the seal in his hand with surprised eyes. Then, he respectfully bowed his head to Hwa-rin.

“It is an honor to meet the Underworld King, the benefactor of our kingdom. My name is Alshad.”

“Alshad?”

“I am in charge of guarding Princess Natalfsha as part of the royal guard.”

He handed the seal he received from Hwa-rin with both hands, and Hwa-rin used her skill of telekinesis to retrieve it.

“Why did that kid come to the Central Plains only to be kidnapped? Was she kidnapped in the Central Plains?”

“We do not know. We have come to the Central Plains following the princess’s trail.”

“Then it’s possible that the kid came to the Central Plains on her own.”

“Impossible. She doesn’t know anything about the Central Plains, and the third princess has never left the royal city.”

“So she was kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

Hwa-rin thought for a moment, nodded, and then asked.

“Then what’s the story with this Celestial Jade Treasure? The Tang family’s people said you took it.”

“We don’t know. We only came to the Central Plains following the princess’s trail, and we have never stolen anyone else’s belongings.”

“So the Tang family’s people were mistaken?”

“That’s their problem. We really don’t know what the Celestial Jade Treasure is.”

“Okay. I believe you. Just be quiet for a moment.”

Hwa-rin listened to Alshad’s words and organized her thoughts.

‘They came to the Central Plains to find Natalfsha, and the Tang family mistakenly thought they stole the Celestial Jade Treasure. Recently, the ones targeting treasures are the Small Thunder Sound Temple and Busan Palace. Busan Palace is looking for the Immortal Flower Jade Pendant, so it doesn’t seem to be the Celestial Jade Treasure. Then is it the Small Thunder Sound Temple? Is the Celestial Jade Treasure one of the treasures of the Small Thunder Sound Temple? Even so, can the Small Thunder Sound Temple commit robbery against the Tang family?’

When Hwa-rin thought this far, one person came to mind.

‘If it’s the Master of Hao Gate [a specific sect], Amheunsinyeong, he has the ability to infiltrate the Tang family and take things.’

“How long have you been in the Central Plains?”

“It’s been five days.”

‘Then did Amheunsinyeong steal the Celestial Jade Treasure and frame them?’

Considering the information network of Hao Gate, it was entirely possible.

“Okay. You guys go find that kid. And it would be better to change those clothes. You’ll attract too much attention as you are.”

“What about them?” Alshad asked, gesturing to the subdued Tang warriors.

“I’ll take care of it, so run away before more people gather.”

They decided to follow Hwa-rin’s advice, bowed their heads, and left the inn.

Shortly after, people entered the inn, found the luggage that had been left behind by those who had run away, and left the inn again.

“They’ll spread the rumor that there was a fight between the Tang family’s warriors and the Perdan people. If the Celestial Jade Treasure is a treasure of the Small Thunder Sound Temple, it must also contain a strange energy.”

Hwa-rin was about to go into her room but turned around and went down to the first floor, thinking that she was now fully awake.

With a few gestures, she cleaned the area where she would sit and took a seat.

“Hey, innkeeper!”

When Hwa-rin shouted loudly, the innkeeper only slightly poked his head out from the kitchen.

“Bring me some hwachae [Korean traditional fruit punch] and a bottle of wine.”

“Hwachae and wine?”

“You have to do business to make up for the losses. Will the Tang family compensate you, or will the people who ran away come back and compensate you?”

“Ah… I guess so.”

“Bring out the wine and hwachae, and first, organize the usable tables and chairs on one side and move the broken ones to one side. And if you have any cloth, gather the corpses on one side and cover them up.”

Hwa-rin ordered the innkeeper around as if she were the owner of the inn.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you moving? Are you not going to do business today?”

Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]

Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]

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Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] In a tempestuous night, amidst the clash of steel and the roar of thunder, a palace estate becomes a battleground. Blood spills as palace guards relentlessly hunt intruders, their mission shrouded in deadly secrecy. A desperate cry pierces the storm—a palace maid's plea for her son, Zhu Hualin, the emperor's hidden ninth child. Born under a veil of scandal, Hualin's very existence is a threat, marked for elimination by the ruthless Empress. Witness a mother's ultimate sacrifice as she ignites a saga of intrigue, resilience, and concealed destinies. Plunge into this captivating prologue, where mercy is a dangerous currency, and the fate of a secret prince hangs precariously in the balance. Years drift by, and the question looms: will Zhu Hualin rise as a tyrannical force, or will he embrace wisdom and justice to become a true ruler?

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