Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 45

Gu Long Chronicles (45)

The Beginning of a Bad Relationship

“The one who ordered the hit on me was from the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild. Getting tangled with a major merchant guild is never a good thing.”

Both the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild and the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild spelled trouble.

Unexpectedly, Hwa-rin had met Lee Do-moon, leader of Salmak Valley, and managed to bring him under his command.

Hwa-rin valued their loyalty in waiting for Salhwang [a legendary figure or leader], so he passed on Salhwang’s martial art, the Dark Vein Three Skills, to Lee Do-moon. After settling his affairs in Salmak Valley, Lee Do-moon decided to join the Gu Long Stronghold.

“The Yeongcheon Merchant Guild’s primary business is mining, so if I cripple that, the local lord won’t stand idly by. But if I just ignore it, they’ll keep coming after me. Isn’t there a better way? Should I just… take out his sons?”

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!

Hwa-rin’s personality demanded he repay any wrong tenfold.

“That’s not a bad idea. If I eliminate his children one by one as payback for targeting me, he’ll eventually give up. First, I need to gather more intel on the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild through Mi-ok.”

Once Hwa-rin made that decision, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

“The people who went to the Travil Kingdom to purchase grain should be arriving at Seokchwi Mountain in two or three days.”

Hwa-rin wasn’t planning on just robbing the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild’s grain once.

“If I leave now, my timing will be perfect. I’ll get the information about the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild from Mi-ok first, then head straight to Seokchwi Mountain.”

Hwa-rin finalized his plans and immediately put them into action. He first visited Mi-ok to learn about Dongseo Poison [likely a person’s name or title], the head of the Yeongcheon Merchant Guild’s family, their relationships, and their business operations. Then, he set off for Seokchwi Mountain in Nyeongha.

Arriving in Euncheon City, the capital of Nyeongha, Hwa-rin grabbed a quick meal while eavesdropping on the conversations around him.

“I heard the trading city in Gansuk Province was completely destroyed.”

“Really? What happened?”

“I don’t know all the details, but apparently, people staying at the inns started stabbing the residents of the trading city.”

“Oh, dear!”

“It happened late at night, so the damage was extensive…”

Hwa-rin was taken aback by the merchants’ conversation but quickly regained his composure.

‘The information leaked.’

From the perspective of the border regions, Saeoe [Outer Regions], and the Saekmok Kingdom, the Central Plains’ Fierce Tiger Death Squad was a fearsome entity.

Since their location was compromised, many would try to ambush and eliminate the Fierce Tiger Death Squad.

“But were there any sects left in Saeoe capable of attacking the Fierce Tiger Death Squad?”

Hwa-rin paused, tilting his head in thought. Even if it was a force he didn’t know, he was certain that during his time with the Fierce Tiger Death Squad, he had dealt with all the organizations that had made a name for themselves.

“Well, it’s not my problem anymore since I’m no longer with them.”

Hwa-rin refocused his attention on the surrounding conversations.

Sometimes, the stories shared in places like this could turn out to be valuable information.

“Did you hear the latest?”

“What’s that?”

“The Demonic Cult and the Blood Demon Alliance are expanding their influence.”

“They’ve been doing that for ages.”

“Someone stole the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild’s grain shipment.”

“Grain?”

“Yeah. They made off with all the grain they were importing from the Travil Kingdom, forcing them to buy more.”

“Is that even possible? The amount of grain must have been enormous.”

“That’s what’s so strange. Rumor has it that the martial arts of the Fallen Religion, which was destroyed thirty years ago, have resurfaced in the Murim world [martial arts world].”

“The arts of the Fallen Religion?”

“That’s the rumor. Some say the Demonic Cult, the Blood Demon Alliance, and the Jeongcheon Alliance stole the Fallen Religion’s scriptures when they destroyed it.”

“Didn’t they thoroughly inspect everything back then? They claimed the Fallen Religion’s arts should be buried forever.”

“That’s what they said publicly, but they might have secretly taken the Fallen Religion’s arts for themselves. It’s on a completely different level from Taoism’s magic.”

Hwa-rin nodded, absorbing the information.

Like the sorcerers he had encountered previously, and with the Blood Demon Alliance also running a group composed solely of sorcerers, it was likely they had secretly acquired the Fallen Religion’s arts and were teaching them.

“It would be beneficial to recover those arts if I get the chance.”

Hwa-rin spent some more time listening to the local gossip before heading towards Seokchwi Mountain.

Hwa-rin arrived at a village at the foot of Seokchwi Mountain and stopped by the Hwamyeong Inn to inquire about available rooms.

“We’re fully booked. All the rooms are taken today, so you’ll have to look elsewhere.”

“Ah, really? I understand.”

From the clerk’s words, Hwa-rin deduced that the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild was indeed arriving at Seokchwi Mountain with their grain shipment today.

Hwa-rin attempted to secure a room at the inn across from the Hwamyeong Inn, giving him a clear view of their operations.

“Hold on, what brings you to Seokchwi Mountain?”

A man blocked Hwa-rin’s path at the entrance of the inn, questioning his intentions.

He appeared to be a martial artist, judging by the sword he carried, but his energy was weak, suggesting he was more of a bodyguard or a common thug than a skilled practitioner.

“Why do you ask? What business is it of yours whether I have business or not?”

The man bristled at Hwa-rin’s dismissive tone.

“You can’t stay at this inn unless you tell me exactly what your business is. So, turn around and leave.”

“Is this inn yours?”

“I have the innkeeper’s permission, so please find accommodation elsewhere.”

Without warning, Hwa-rin threw a punch at the man’s face.

*Kwadadaang!*

The force of the blow sent him staggering backward, and he fell to the ground. Hwa-rin approached the dazed man and delivered a sharp slap to his cheek.

*Jjaaaak!*

The resounding crack echoed inside the inn, and the occupants rushed out to see what was happening.

“What’s going on here?”

Several men, presumably his colleagues, emerged and confronted Hwa-rin with hostile expressions.

“Do you think rushing out here like this will accomplish anything?”

“Did you do this?”

A man stepped forward, confronting Hwa-rin aggressively.

“What if I did?”

“Do you have a death wish?”

As Hwa-rin raised his hand, a sharp striking sound echoed through the air. The aggressive man flew backward, crashing into a table before collapsing on the floor.

*Cheeeeeng!*

Seeing this, his colleagues drew their swords.

“Drawing your swords in front of me means you’re willing to die, right?”

Instead of being intimidated, Hwa-rin confidently issued a threat, causing the men to hesitate and assess the situation.

“Who are you?”

“Who am I? Before I answer that, shouldn’t you tell me why you’re controlling this place?”

“That’s…”

In an instant, Hwa-rin vanished from sight. A moment later, a dull thud was heard, and the man behind him doubled over like a shrimp, screaming in agony.

“Put away your weapons. Otherwise, I’ll kill you all right now.”

At Hwa-rin’s threat, they exchanged glances before slowly sheathing their swords.

“We’re vagrants hired by the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild. We’re tasked with turning away unwanted guests.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know. We’re just following orders.”

“Then I shouldn’t be beating you guys up; I should be beating those guys up.”

Hwa-rin sat down at a table and questioned them further.

“Are you only controlling this inn?”

“I think they’re controlling the entire surrounding area.”

“Then where am I supposed to rest?”

“We don’t know; we’re just doing what we’re told.”

Hwa-rin nodded.

“Then you have to die. It’s common to die while following orders.”

Hwa-rin reached out, and a sword materialized in his hand.

“Heo-eot!” [Exclamation of surprise]

The vagrants, startled by the sudden appearance of the weapon, hesitated, looked at each other, and then turned and fled.

Seeing them run, Hwa-rin chuckled and called for the innkeeper.

“Did you call, warrior!”

“I need some simple food and a room. Can you provide that?”

“Of course. However…”

“Tell me.”

“Afterward, I’m not responsible for anything involving the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild.”

“So be it.”

“Please be careful. The Hwamyeong Merchant Guild is a powerful organization. They employ quite a few skilled martial artists.”

“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry, just bring me some food.”

The innkeeper bowed to Hwa-rin and hurried to the kitchen to prepare the meal.

The Hwamyeong Merchant Guild had told the cook to take a break since they weren’t accepting guests, but now that Hwa-rin had arrived, the innkeeper was eager to showcase his culinary skills for the first time in a while.

“Is the innkeeper a cook? He’s working hard.”

Hwa-rin, unaware of this fact, simply thought the innkeeper was a diligent person.

After a short while, a group of people stormed into the inn.

Wearing swords and light armor emblazoned with the characters ‘Hwamyeong’ on the left chest, they looked ready for a fight.

“Are you the one responsible for this?”

A man with a sharp, intimidating gaze questioned Hwa-rin, who looked up at the intruders.

“I just wanted to rest for a day and leave. Why are you making things so difficult?”

Hwa-rin replied to the man.

“If you tell me what I did wrong, I’ll listen and comply. What exactly did I do wrong?”

Hwa-rin’s question left the man dumbfounded.

“Clearly, this place is closed. I told you to find accommodation elsewhere. Didn’t you hear me?”

“Why are you closing a perfectly good inn? And this inn doesn’t belong to you. Are you compensating them for their losses?”

“What!”

“Don’t you realize you’re oppressing and threatening the powerless, abusing your influence and damaging their property?”

“I’ll kill this guy right now…!”

As the man flared up and drew his sword, Hwa-rin chuckled.

“I told you earlier. Drawing a sword means you don’t care about dying.”

Hwa-rin rose from his seat and approached them.

“Why don’t we take this outside and avoid disrupting other people’s businesses?”

Hwa-rin walked past them and exited the inn. Seeing this, the man assumed Hwa-rin was backing down, and a sly grin spread across his face.

Once outside, Hwa-rin turned to face the men.

“Okay, I came out as you wished. Now what are you going to do? I’ll forgive you if you leave one arm behind and retreat at this point.”

At his words, the subordinates burst into laughter.

“According to your logic, the powerful oppress and threaten the powerless, so don’t be too upset when we do the same.”

As soon as Hwa-rin finished speaking, he curled his fingers and flicked them at the man in front.

The finger flick traveled at an impossible speed and pierced the forehead of the man who had threatened Hwa-rin.

Simultaneously, Hwa-rin snatched the sword from the dead man’s hand and swung it at the remaining men.

*Skeok, skeok, skeok…* [Sound of cutting flesh]

As he moved through the group, blood sprayed, and men fell with each step he took.

They didn’t even realize how they had died, staring at Hwa-rin in disbelief as they looked at their deeply cut chests before collapsing.

Hwa-rin, having cut down more than a dozen martial artists in an instant, tossed the sword to the ground and re-entered the inn.

“Oh, customer!”

The innkeeper, startled by the scene, rushed out to ask if Hwa-rin was alright, but Hwa-rin was so composed that the innkeeper doubted his own eyes.

“Prepare the food first, and tell them to go to the Hwamyeong Inn and clean up the bodies.”