Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 23

Nine Dragons Chronicle (23)

“I’ve noticed more people watching me lately.”

Hwa-rin could feel that the eyes monitoring him, including those from the Nine Dragons Manor, had significantly increased.

“What should I do about this?”

It wasn’t as if their surveillance changed anything for him. It was just the discomfort of feeling other people’s eyes on him.

“There’s no reason to draw more attention by dealing with them. Should I just find out who they are for now?”

Hwa-rin went about his usual business, visiting the establishments run by the Nine Dragons Manor.

First, he went to the fabric store, where Danli Soso, who ran the store, looked extremely busy. She had started running the store alone but had gradually hired people, and now she had already hired five employees as shop assistants.

“You’re as busy as ever.”

Hwa-rin said as he entered the fabric store, and she bowed to him.

“Welcome, Manor Lord.”

“It used to seem like the store was spacious, but now it looks cramped.”

“Many people come to visit, so I’m always grateful to the customers.”

“A thought just occurred to me, how about expanding the fabric store to make it a bit bigger?”

“Expand?”

“Yes. If business is this good, wouldn’t it be more relaxing to work in a larger space than to work in a cramped one? The environment greatly affects one’s state of mind, so if it’s cramped and complicated, you might become more anxious.”

“Ah…….”

“And, although it’s not my place to interfere, it might be a good idea to slightly expand the fabric store and sell accessories that match the fabric, such as rings and pendants, or accessories that suit the customers’ dignity.”

Danli Soso listened to Hwa-rin’s words and nodded in agreement.

“That’s a great idea. I’ll have to think about it.”

“Please consider it. If you decide to expand, the manor will take care of the site and the construction for the expansion.”

“Really?”

“Of course, you know it’s not free.”

“Of course…….”

Hwa-rin smiled at Danli Soso.

“It benefits our manor if you are healthy. So, I hope you can maintain good relationships with your employees in a good environment and always enjoy your work.”

Hwa-rin could tell that Danli Soso was healthier than before.

“Thank you, Manor Lord.”

“Then, please continue your hard work. I have other places to visit.”

“Take care.”

As Hwa-rin left the fabric store, Danli Soso looked a little disappointed.

“Sister, what’s your relationship with the Manor Lord?”

An employee asked Danli Soso.

“What relationship? It’s the relationship between an employer and an employee. The Manor Lord opened the fabric store, I run the business, a portion of the profits goes to the Manor Lord, and I use the remaining profits to run the fabric store.”

As Danli Soso said, that was exactly their relationship. However, Danli Soso had good feelings for Hwa-rin, but she didn’t know what feelings Hwa-rin had for her.

Hwa-rin, walking away, could hear the conversation behind him, but he just walked indifferently.

“You should meet someone better than me, someone not stained with blood. That’s what Danli *Hyung* [older brother/male friend] would want too.”

Hwa-rin was walking along the streets of the market when the merchants greeted him.

The merchants no longer had their money stolen by the street gangs, so from their perspective, Hwa-rin was bringing them great benefits.

Also, rumors spread that he was taking in children begging on the streets, teaching them how to read, and teaching them martial arts, so the merchants felt favorably toward Hwa-rin.

Hwa-rin made eye contact with the merchants and greeted them before heading to the inn.

The mealtime was a little late, but the inn was full of guests.

The head chef’s cooking skills were excellent, and the servers were friendly and attentive to the guests, so the consumer psychology of wanting to go to an inn that was delicious and treated them kindly was at play, and it was always full of people.

The head chef and servers were also paid twice as much as other establishments, so they took it upon themselves to do their jobs well.

“Welcome, Manor Lord.”

“You seem very busy. Is it not too difficult?”

“It’s alright.”

“Tell the head chef to see me when he’s not busy.”

“Understood.”

The server went into the kitchen, and after a while, the head chef came out and bowed to Hwa-rin.

“You seem busy, do you need more people in the kitchen?”

“The current number of people is sufficient. Danli Hyukjin has a talent for cooking and often makes dishes well, so there are no major difficulties.”

“That’s a relief. What if you weren’t here, and Danli Hyukjin was in charge of making the food at this inn? Would you still not need more people then?”

The head chef looked at Hwa-rin.

He knew that Hwa-rin wasn’t saying this to kick him out, but he still felt a little hurt.

“That’s not true. If I, who am skilled in cooking, were to leave, then perhaps more people would be needed. At least two more people would be needed.”

“Then hire two people as kitchen assistants and teach them how to cook in addition to Danli Hyukjin.”

“Are you finding my monthly salary burdensome?”

Hwa-rin smiled brightly at those words.

“What are you talking about? You’re someone who will be with me for life.”

That relieved his hurt feelings.

“Then, why are you trying to hire people?”

“Are you aware that the main manor is demolishing the existing brothel and building a large building on a site several times larger?”

“Yes, I am.”

“When that building is completed and ready to start business, you will be in charge of the kitchen. Of course, you’ll be receiving an even higher monthly salary than now.”

“Ah…….”

Only then did he realize what Hwa-rin was thinking and felt relieved.

“I thought you were trying to get rid of me.”

“How could that be? I don’t know what other people think, but personally, I think you are the best chef in Sanyang, Sangnam, and Sangju, these three counties. The best chef in the three counties.”

Just as words can repay a debt of a thousand *nyang* [Korean currency], Hwa-rin’s encouraging words made the head chef’s shoulders lift with pride.

“The best chef in the three counties?”

Hwa-rin nodded, and a smile spread across the head chef’s face.

“So, although it may be a little troublesome, please teach Danli Hyukjin well.”

“Understood.”

“And if you need anything, please tell me from time to time.”

“I will.”

The head chef went back, and Hwa-rin called the person in charge of managing the inn.

“Among the mattresses and pillows used in the inn’s rooms, those that are discolored or smelly should be sent to the laundry in a timely manner to ensure hygiene.”

“Understood.”

“You shouldn’t spend money recklessly, but if you have the means, repair the inn’s facilities and replace anything that is old.”

Hwa-rin also talked about the points that needed improvement at the inn.

“I will keep that in mind and change things one by one as the situation and conditions allow.”

“Please do so, and pick one of the smartest servers and teach him your job as manager.”

“My job?”

“Yes. You will be going to the newly constructed brothel with the head chef to take charge of a section there.”

“Ah, understood.”

* * *

As night fell, Hwa-rin went to the brothel where the person watching him was resting.

“Do they get paid a lot to watch me? To be able to indulge in women every night, they must be getting paid more than a penny or two.”

Hwa-rin stealthily climbed over the wall of Osong House.

“Hmm…….”

He spread his energy to monitor Osong House and found that there were more people trained in martial arts than he had thought.

“Besides the people in the guest rooms, there are people among the workers who are trained in martial arts?”

Hwa-rin could guess what kind of place Osong House was.

“I didn’t know because I wasn’t interested and didn’t come here often.”

When he came to threaten the gang from the large faction in the past, he didn’t investigate this place in detail or even care about it because he was focused on them, so he didn’t know what kind of place Osong House was.

They often use such brothels as bases, and judging from the people here, it doesn’t seem like an assassin sect, and it’s likely to be a branch of the Hao Gate.

“Why is the Hao Gate digging into my background? Is it because of the Black Serpent Clan and the Crimson Tiger Gate?”

He thought that there would be no reason for them to dig into his background unless it was because of that incident.

“Then, instead of catching the guy watching me and asking him, I should catch the owner of this place and ask.”

Hwa-rin knew that the Hao Gate was digging into his background, so he didn’t catch the small fry and went directly to find the owner of Osong House.

Since it was night, there were a few customers visiting, and the women were selling their liquor, laughter, and bodies for those customers.

The moans of the women and the lewd laughter of the men created a strange harmony.

Miok, the owner of Osong House, was suddenly attacked by a mysterious man in her room.

It happened so quickly that she didn’t even have a chance to use her hands properly.

“What kind of place is this?”

The person who subdued her was none other than Hwa-rin.

“It is the Sanyang County branch of the Hao Gate in Seoseong Province.”

“What is your position?”

“I am the branch leader.”

Miok answered Hwa-rin’s questions truthfully.

“What do you do here?”

“I report the events happening in Sanyang, Sangnam, and Sangju counties to the headquarters, and I also help to monitor the changes in Jongnam and Hwasan to expand our reach.”

Hwa-rin confirmed that the Subjugation Art was working properly and asked why they were digging into his background.

“After the Nine Dragons Manor was established, the Black Serpent Clan and the Crimson Tiger Gate were destroyed…….”

Hwa-rin listened to Miok’s words and thought it was plausible.

“So, you think I’m a mole sent by the Ten Great Merchant Guilds?”

“We are investigating with all possibilities open. The movements of the Demonic Cult and the Evil Sects are unusual these days, and among the Ten Great Merchant Guilds, there is a guild that is trying to expand its power by aligning with them…….”

Hwa-rin was able to hear a little about the current state of the *Murim* [martial arts world] from Miok.

“What about the movements of the Orthodox Sects?”

“They have not shown any movements yet. However, we believe that they are also moving secretly.”

“That’s right. Then, tell me everything you know about the current state of the Murim.”

“The Murim was like a calm lake after the Demonic Sect was destroyed thirty years ago. But now, thirty years later, the Demonic Cult, the Evil Sects, and the Orthodox Sects, which have accumulated some power, are confronting each other for their own interests…….”

The story about the Murim flowed smoothly from Miok’s mouth, and Hwa-rin was able to make some judgments about the current Murim after listening to the story.

“They are keeping each other in check, but a great Murim war won’t break out anytime soon.”

“That’s what we believe. If the Demonic Cult moves, the Orthodox-Evil alliance will be formed, and if the Blood Evil Alliance moves, the Orthodox Heaven Alliance will block the Blood Evil Alliance, and both sides will bleed, giving the Demonic Cult a chance to profit, so they are currently just watching each other.”
Hwa-rin was able to infer to some extent what would happen in the future.

The Demonic Cult can be said to be a common enemy, so the Orthodox and Evil factions will unite to strike the Demonic Cult first, and then the remaining Evil Sects and the Orthodox Sects will fight, or they will acknowledge each other’s territories and accumulate power again before the two forces fight.

‘It will take at least ten years.’

Hwa-rin solved all his questions and released the Subjugation Art he had cast on Miok.

“The Subjugation Art will wear off after an hour. You will think that you fell asleep for a while and then woke up.”

As Hwa-rin finished speaking, Miok closed her eyes in her seat, and Hwa-rin sat in Miok’s room for a while to organize his thoughts.

“I need to strengthen my internal affairs a little, as the Chief Manager said.”