Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 198

Nine Dragons Chronicle (198)

While Hwa-rin was enjoying rice wine with fruit at the inn, a group of people hurried inside. They were members of the Righteous Sky Alliance and the Tang family.

They noticed Hwa-rin drinking alone and gave him puzzled glances, but they were preoccupied with more urgent matters and proceeded with their tasks.

Some carefully laid down the bodies and examined the wounds, while others spoke with the innkeeper and other patrons to gather information about what had happened.

The man who finished questioning the innkeeper approached Hwa-rin and said,

“Seeing you drinking here, where people have died, suggests you might know something about this incident.”

“I’m not unrelated. I woke up because of their fighting. That’s why I’m drinking alcohol I didn’t need to drink.”

“Did you witness the fight?”

The man asked politely.

“Of course, I saw them fighting, and I watched them die.”

“Are you suggesting you didn’t kill them yourself and are trying to blame someone else?”

Another person shouted, and Hwa-rin chuckled.

“It’s always the powerless ones who hide behind others and shout. And why would I kill them? You heard the story from the innkeeper.”

“They were clearly targeted, so I doubt you’re involved. But if you had helped, you might have saved their lives.”

“Then the ones fighting them would have died instead, right? Your side shouldn’t die, but the other side can?”

His challenging words caused the people’s expressions to darken.

“That’s how contradictory people are.”

Hwa-rin picked up his glass and emptied it.

“You have a death wish.”

Hwa-rin narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Hey, don’t hide behind others when you talk. Don’t incite trouble from the back.”

“What?”

“Alliance Lord Tang, please calm down for a moment.”

The man who had initially spoken to Hwa-rin addressed the person picking a fight, who seemed to reluctantly step back.

“If you had helped, or at least tried to mediate, wouldn’t you have been able to save many lives?”

“Why should I have?”

The man looked doubtful at Hwa-rin’s response.

“Shouldn’t you naturally help people in need?”

“What connection do I have to them? And did any of you mediate when I was in trouble? You threw me to the Blood Evil Alliance as bait to get back what was mine. And now you’re telling me to step up?”

At Hwa-rin’s words, the man’s eyes narrowed.

“Hey, Joo Hwa-rin!”

‘Joo Hwa-rin? Could it be…?’

Hearing Hwa-rin’s name, the man thought of one person.

Just then, Baek Gun-seong and the young masters of the Twelve Families entered the inn.

“Hey, I told you not to cause trouble.”

Baek Gun-seong called out, and Hwa-rin complained.

“I didn’t. I was sleeping here and woke up to these bastards fighting. So, I just watched the Tang family guys die. What trouble is that? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Baek Gun-seong glanced at the members of the Righteous Sky Alliance.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s as he says. But…”

“I am Baek Gun-seong, and these are the young masters of the Twelve Families.”

Baek Gun-seong’s introduction made the people in the inn flinch.

Although they were the next generation, their status was significant enough to wield influence in the Murim [martial arts world].

‘So, this is the Lord of the Nine Dragons Gate, Joo Hwa-rin.’

The man swallowed hard and bowed slightly to Baek Gun-seong.

“I never imagined I would meet the future leader of the Four Great Clans Alliance in a place like this.”

“You didn’t imagine it, you didn’t expect it. Did you think you would meet them in a place like this?”

“Here we go again.”

Baek Gun-seong stopped Hwa-rin, worried that his sarcastic tone would provoke a fight.

“I didn’t say anything wrong.”

Hwa-rin refilled his glass and downed it in one gulp.

“Please understand. He’s always like this. He doesn’t mean any harm with his sarcasm.”

Baek Gun-seong defended Hwa-rin, but the man’s eyes narrowed.

“I’ve heard that the Lord of the Nine Dragons Gate has been destroying many evil sects…”

The man’s eyes widened as something seemed to strike him forcefully.

“Ugh!”

The man, stunned by the impact, lost his balance and fell to the floor.

“This bastard wants to die. Who do you think I went through all that trouble for? Should I fight the Righteous Sky Alliance this time? I’ve been a little unhappy with the Zhuge Family anyway.”

Hwa-rin roared, and Baek Gun-seong looked helpless.

“Hyung [older brother/term of respect], shouldn’t we stop him?”

“When Hwa-rin gets angry, what can we do? Just watch.”

“This bastard!”

As the warriors of the Righteous Sky Alliance and the Tang family glared at Hwa-rin, an aura of death emanated from him, engulfing the surroundings.

Those with sharp senses felt Hwa-rin’s energy and experienced a chilling cold, as if standing in a blizzard without any clothes.

As the aura of death intensified, even those with dull senses felt the coldness of Hwa-rin’s murderous intent.

‘If you move, you die.’

The warriors of the Righteous Sky Alliance and the Tang family felt Hwa-rin’s murderous intent and felt as if they had met their natural enemy, paralyzed by fear and awaiting death.

The fear of death silenced the warriors of the Righteous Sky Alliance and the Tang family.

“Don’t run your mouth carelessly. Are you trying to create discord? Did the Zhuge Family tell you to do that? They stole the Divine Lightning Body Technique of the Fallen Paragon and modified it to create something called the Righteous Sky Lightning True Arts, right? And they use that technique to modify their heads and bodies to make them superior to ordinary people, so they think the whole world belongs to them?”

The mention of the Fallen Paragon’s technique, which had been destroyed thirty years ago, caused Baek Gun-seong and the others in the inn to look at him questioningly.

“Where did you hear such false rumors?”

“How do you know if they’re false or true? Have you checked?”

The man was speechless.

“Look at this. You tried to create discord between me and them by mentioning the evil sect. There’s a difference between ‘ah’ and ‘uh’ [subtle nuances in speech], and once you say something, you can’t take it back; you have to take responsibility.”

Hwa-rin looked at the man and smiled faintly.

“I’m in a position to take responsibility, but do you think you can handle that responsibility?”

The moment the man saw Hwa-rin’s smile, he felt an intense heat, as if he were burning to death.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that with that intention.”

“If not, shut your mouth, just investigate the case, and get out.”

Hwa-rin’s threat silenced the man.

‘This guy is stronger and more dangerous than the rumors suggest.’

* * *

“But what’s this about the Zhuge Family stealing and learning the Fallen Paragon’s secret technique?”

After the warriors of the Tang family and the Righteous Sky Alliance left, Hwa-rin and the young masters of the Twelve Families sat around in the inn, drinking and talking.

“I told you, it’s dangerous to speak based only on circumstantial evidence. Think about it. Did the Zhuge Family create something called the Righteous Sky Lightning True Arts about twenty or twenty-five years ago and perform the Great Law on their family members, including Zhuge Tak?”

“I’ve heard that too.”

“Then, if the Righteous Sky Lightning True Arts existed before that, the current Zhuge Family should have surpassed the Namgung Family. They have good minds, good bodies, are suitable for learning martial arts, and lack nothing. Don’t you think?”

“Hmm…”

“But the Fallen Paragon was destroyed, and exactly five years later, they came out with something strange called the Righteous Sky Lightning True Arts and performed the Great Law on Zhuge Tak, and now he’s the chief manager of the Righteous Sky Alliance.”

“That makes sense.”

“So, I said that so you wouldn’t make up stories based on untrue circumstances. I’m not saying that the Zhuge Family stole the Fallen Paragon’s secret technique.”

“So, you’re saying that the Zhuge Family didn’t steal the Fallen Paragon’s secret technique. You’re just speculating.”

“That’s right. But the people who heard my words today will probably think deeply about it.”

“Hmm…”

“And rumors will spread secretly.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“And when the rumors reach the ears of the person in question, many people will already believe the unsubstantiated rumors and say this and that. That’s incitement, and it’s one way to brainwash ignorant people.”

“But Hwa-rin, how do you know that so well?”

“I learned it in the military. To go on missions, you have to learn and master various things, and besides destroying the enemy, there are cases where you incite the people to divert their attention before being投入 [thrown/invested] into the mission.”

Come to think of it, Hwa-rin had learned and mastered many things even in the Fierce Tiger Death Squad.

“Amazing.”

“There’s nothing amazing about it. It’s just things you have to do to survive.”

“But Hwa-rin.”

Seeing Baek Gun-seong’s eyes, he nodded, knowing what he was going to ask.

“I don’t know. Don’t ask me; go ask the Tang family. And if you’re not going to drink, go to sleep.”

“Hyung, please tell us about the military.”

“The military? Why would you listen to the most boring story in the world? There are guys who talk 허황하게 [exaggeratedly/falsely] after going to the military, right? That’s all lies.”

“Really?”

“Of course, what’s the military like these days? Unless it’s a unit with a really special purpose, it’s just the same as how we live.”

“Still, it’s the military, so it can’t be the same, can it?”

“Of course, it’s different. Freedom is somewhat restricted in the military. I mean, it’s gotten that much better. His Majesty the Emperor has created a strong military and a strong nation, so there are no kingdoms invading. So, except for training in preparation for emergencies, soldiers live just like us.”

“One of the hyungs around me always brags that he was 투입 [deployed] into all sorts of operations and fought in the military.”

“People who have really fought a lot and 넘긴 [passed/survived] the brink of death a few times don’t brag. Why? Because they’re sick of it. And what’s so great about killing people that you brag about it?”

Listening to him, they nodded in agreement.

“More than that, the Murim world is uneasy, so be careful. Don’t neglect your martial arts training. And this time, it seems like it could be more dangerous than you think, so refrain from acting alone and listen to Gun-seong.”

“You know something.”

“Even if I do, I’m not going to tell you. There’s such a thing as fairness. Don’t you think?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Tomorrow, rumors will spread throughout the Murim world that I’ve changed my mind and sided with the evil sect.”

“Why?”

“Because the people of the Righteous Sky Alliance and the Tang family saw me with you today.”

“Of course, I had to 봉문 [close the doors/isolate] by the Alliance…”

“That’s right. So, rumors will spread that I stuck with you to survive.”

The young masters of the Twelve Families looked confused by Hwa-rin’s words.

“That’s how politics is.”

Lee Seo-won explained.

“If I don’t have power, I have to borrow the power of others, and to do that, I have to form a consensus with others.”

“Is that similar to incitement?”

“That’s right. But this is based on facts, so it’s a little different from incitement. What’s clear is that Hwa-rin was with us, and we’re drinking together like this, so in their eyes, it might be seen differently from what we think.”

“Ah…”

“You two must be having a hard time too. Trying to take care of these kids.”

“They’re not kids. They just lack experience.”

“That’s what a kid is. People with a lot of experience aren’t called kids, no matter how young they are.”

“Then what do you call them?”

“Old souls.”