Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 46

Nine Dragons Chronicle (46)

While Hwa-Rin was eating at the inn, warriors from the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild stormed in and attacked him without warning.

Reacting instantly to the intense, lung-crushing murderous intent, Hwa-Rin flung the chopsticks he was holding at the lead attacker.

*Swoosh!*

The chopsticks, flying like streaks of light, pierced the neck of the first man and then struck the heart of the one directly behind him.

With a single move, Hwa-Rin had killed two warriors. The remaining, enraged warriors of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild surged toward him.

A normal person might have been overwhelmed by their aggression, but Hwa-Rin remained unfazed. He calmly pulled more chopsticks from the container and hurled them at the advancing men.

The chopsticks, leaving Hwa-Rin’s hand, spread out like a fan, each aimed with deadly precision.

Hwa-Rin showed no mercy to those who threatened his life or were deemed enemies. This ruthlessness stemmed from the survival instincts he had honed in the military, where hesitation meant death.

*Thwack… Thwack… Thwack… Thwack…*

The chopsticks, leaving long afterimages in the air, pierced the vital points of the warriors rushing toward Hwa-Rin – foreheads, necks, and hearts.

The force of the impacts lifted the warriors off their feet, flipping them over before they crashed to the ground.

In an instant, more than ten warriors lay dead on the inn floor.

The innkeeper, fearing the worst, rushed over, his words tumbling out in surprised stutters at the carnage before him.

“Hic.”

“I apologize for the mess. I unintentionally dirtied your inn. I will speak to the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild about covering the cleaning fee and the cost of the damaged items.”

“U-um, sir, are you alright? Here…”

“I am fine. Please return to the Hwa-Myung Inn and tell them to clean up these bodies. Tell them if they don’t hurry, I will personally visit and kill everyone inside.”

“Understood…”

“Just relay the message. If more come to kill me, I will simply kill them as well.”

The innkeeper, speechless, hurried back to the Hwa-Myung Inn.

After the innkeeper left, Hwa-Rin reached for the food on the table, but realizing he had no chopsticks, he seemed to give up and put the bowl down.

“I should have saved one chopstick.”

Looking regretful, Hwa-Rin rose from his seat and slowly walked towards the entrance of the inn.

As Hwa-Rin stepped outside, a group of people rushed over from the Hwa-Myung Inn.

Seeing them, Hwa-Rin smirked and casually sat on the doorstep.

The group from the Hwa-Myung Inn, seeing Hwa-Rin’s relaxed posture, hesitated and stopped a short distance away.

“Why did you kill these people?”

A man with a bulging belly and a mustache that seemed about to curl up at the ends stepped forward and addressed Hwa-Rin. Judging by his clothes, he likely held a high position within the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild.

“That question is getting old. What is your name?”

“Na Dae-Yong.”

“Your position?”

Na Dae-Yong was taken aback by Hwa-Rin’s directness, but knowing he was dealing with a ruthless man who had slaughtered over ten people without blinking, he answered obediently.

“I am the branch manager of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild. You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Why did I kill them?”

“Yes.”

“It’s simple. They tried to kill me, and I had to kill them to survive.”

Na Dae-Yong’s expression twisted at Hwa-Rin’s blunt answer.

“I initially tried to stay at your inn, but they said it was fully booked, so I came here. But your warriors blocked me from staying here as well.”

“There are other inns, are there not?”

“This is Seokchwi Mountain [a mountain known for its strategic importance]. How many inns do you think there are at the entrance? And when I inquired, they said that you forced the inns not to accept guests. Is that not true?”

“The guild has important matters today…”

“That is your business. What about the people who are passing through here to get to the Great Plains? What crime have they committed? They came to relieve their fatigue from the day, but they have to turn back and rest in another town, and then come back again?”

Na Dae-Yong was at a loss for words.

If he had the strength, he would have killed him on the spot, but the young man, who looked so young, was clearly a martial arts master who had effortlessly taken the lives of more than ten of the guild’s warriors.

“Where does such a dog-eat-dog situation exist? Would you do that if you were in my shoes?”

“But to kill people like this…”

“Then should I have died? Look, according to your logic, I was just stronger than the dead. What happens when a weakling tries to kill a strongling?”

Na Dae-Yong had no response.

“In a situation like this, if I were you, instead of raising my head and asking all sorts of questions, I would have bowed my head and begged for forgiveness.”

“What do you mean…”

“I am so angry right now that I want to beat you all to death.”

As Hwa-Rin’s murderous intent focused on Na Dae-Yong, the branch manager trembled as if he had a sudden fever. A chilling cold swept over his body, and he felt like he would freeze to death. His knees buckled involuntarily, bringing him to the ground, and his waist bent, making him appear to be bowing deeply to Hwa-Rin.

“Branch Manager!”

The members of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild were shocked by the sight and cried out to him, but the fierce energy emanating from Hwa-Rin seemed to be tearing Na Dae-Yong apart, leaving him helpless.

“Please forgive the guild for failing to recognize your eminence and for disturbing your peace with our rudeness.”

Everyone was bewildered by his sudden plea for forgiveness.

“If you would tell us what the guild should do to appease your anger, we will do it immediately.”

Like a frightened dog with its tail between its legs, Na Dae-Yong knelt and trembled, awaiting Hwa-Rin’s judgment.

“Clean up the dead in the inn and wipe away the spilled blood. Compensate for the damaged items, and compensate the innkeeper for lost business today.”

“We will take care of it promptly.”

“I will be resting at this inn, so if you have any complaints, feel free to come and find me at any time. You can try to stab me with a knife, or you can poison me, but I cannot be held responsible for what happens afterward, so keep that in mind.”

Hwa-Rin looked down at Na Dae-Yong and spoke, then called out to the innkeeper, who was standing far behind.

“Innkeeper, I will take a room.”

* * *

“So, fifteen warriors died?”

Hwa Jung-Soo, the head of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild, had arrived at the entrance of Seokchwi Mountain, expecting to oversee the arrival of the grain shipment and prevent further thefts. He was enraged to hear the unexpected news.

“I apologize. He was someone our warriors here could not possibly oppose, so there was nothing we could do.”

“Who is he?”

“He is resting at the inn across the street.”

“He did not reveal his identity?”

“The murderous intent he exuded was so overwhelming that I did not dare to ask.”

Hwa Jung-Soo could hear the tremor in Na Dae-Yong’s voice and sensed that pressing him further would only lead to more trouble, so he dismissed him for the time being.

“From what I gather, it seems we were in the wrong, but was it wrong enough to warrant the deaths of fifteen warriors?”

Even the most ruthless individuals rarely resort to such extreme measures.

“Either Branch Manager Na is withholding information, or we initiated the attack.”

The latter seemed more likely.

“I should meet him first.”

Hwa Jung-Soo considered how to approach the conversation and organized his thoughts before leaving the room.

Hwa Jung-Soo went alone to the inn across from the Hwa-Myung Inn, summoned the owner, and listened to a detailed account of the day’s events.

“The mercenaries we hired threatened him and tried to kill him first?”

“Yes. And after the guest killed them all…”

“You must have seen many martial artists in your time.”

“Yes, I have.”

“What is your impression? Does he seem more like a demonic figure [a villainous or morally ambiguous martial artist]? Or more like a righteous figure [a heroic or virtuous martial artist]?”

The owner tilted his head, considering the question.

“The decisiveness he displayed in his actions leans more towards a demonic martial artist than a righteous one. However, his words are reasonable and truthful, suggesting a connection to the righteous faction. It seems he is somewhere in between the two.”

“Someone in between…”

Hwa Jung-Soo disliked the term “someone in between.”

He viewed such individuals as opportunists who prioritized their own interests, aligning themselves with whichever side offered the most advantage at any given moment.

“Do you know who he is?”

“I did not ask. My heart was pounding and my liver was shaking, so how could I dare to open my mouth?”

“I see. Is he in his room?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Then inform him that I would like to speak with him for a moment.”

“Me?”

Hwa Jung-Soo glared at the owner, prompting him to lower his head and head off to find Hwa-Rin’s room.

The innkeeper, standing in front of Hwa-Rin’s room on the second floor, carefully called out to Hwa-Rin.

“Sir.”

“What is it?”

“Hwa Jung-Soo, the head of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild, has asked me to inform you that he would like to see you for a moment.”

When there was no response after a moment of waiting, the owner’s heart began to race.

“I understand.”

The tone of Hwa-rin’s voice changed.

“He is on the first floor now.”

“I know, so tell him to wait a little longer since he is already waiting.”

“I understand.”

Fearing further demands, he quickly answered and hurried to the stairs, went downstairs, and informed Hwa Jung-Soo, who was sitting at a table, that Hwa-Rin would be down shortly.

“I understand. Bring me some tea.”

“I understand.”

Hwa Jung-Soo waited for Hwa-Rin to descend, and just as the owner was bringing the tea, Hwa-Rin came down from the second floor.

“Are you the one who wanted to see me?”

“Did you kill fifteen of our people?”

Hwa-Rin stared at Hwa Jung-Soo, took a breath, and answered.

“That’s right.”

Hwa Jung-Soo was momentarily taken aback by Hwa-Rin’s impudence.

Hwa Jung-Soo was older, but they were not part of the same social circle, and they had never met before. Hwa-Rin’s lack of deference simply because of age did not sit well with him, so Hwa-Rin responded in kind.

“Did you come to argue about that again?”

“Ahem!”

Hwa Jung-Soo cleared his throat and asked.

“Was it really necessary for a master like you to kill them?”

“Then should I have died instead?”

“If you had simply given them a proper scolding, the lives of fifteen people could have been spared.”

Hwa-Rin smirked at Hwa Jung-Soo’s words.

“Then you live that way. I will live by killing those who try to take my life and my possessions.”

Hwa Jung-Sou’s eyebrows twitched.

“Do you have no compassion?”

“I do. But I do not show compassion to those who seek my life. If you are going to say things like this, you should just go back.”

Hwa Jung-Soo’s face turned red at Hwa-Rin’s arrogant attitude. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions before asking.

“Do you know who I am?”

“I heard you are the head of the Hwa-Myung Merchant Guild. What good do you think that will do in this situation?”

Hwa-Rin made an expression as if he was dumbfounded by the question.

“If I wanted your life, you…”

“Look, worry about your own life right now. Do you think it would be faster for you to hire warriors with money and send them after me, or for me to kill you right here?”

Hwa Jung-Soo, who had been suppressing his anger at Hwa-Rin’s dismissive attitude, finally exploded and unleashed his murderous intent.

The moment Hwa Jung-Soo jumped up from his seat, a surge of energy erupted from Hwa-Rin’s body, completely overwhelming Hwa Jung-Soo’s murderous intent.

“Heok!”

As Hwa Jung-Soo gasped in surprise, Hwa-Rin had drawn his sword, and its tip was already touching Hwa Jung-Soo’s neck.

“I told you a little while ago. I do not spare those who seek my life.”

Hwa Jung-Soo had kept his abilities hidden until now, but he had learned some martial arts and techniques and believed he could handle most martial artists. He had been confident in his abilities.

But the young man before him was far beyond his capabilities.

‘He is someone I cannot defeat with the martial arts and techniques I have learned.’

“If you harbor such clumsy murderous intent one more time, your head will truly fly off then.”

Hwa-Rin sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

“What is your name?”

Hwa-Rin, who was about to return to the second floor, stopped, turned back, and asked.

“Why do you need to know?”