Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 72

Nine Dragons Chronicle (72)

Lady Yi-ran, the wife of Bloodhand Ruthless, Na Seong-gi, who had taken over the Blood Demon Sect’s hideout in Henan Province, sat facing a peculiar man.

“So, you’re saying there’s a possibility that the Nine Dragons Strongest from Shanxi Province killed the Sect Leader and my two sons?”

“It’s just a possibility.”

“What makes the Branch Leader think so?”

The person sitting across from her was none other than Chae Min-gung, the Hao Clan’s Branch Leader from Henan Province. He had been commissioned to find the one who killed Bloodhand Ruthless, Na Seong-gi, and was discussing potential suspects.

Even when Na Seong-gi was alive, she hadn’t known the full extent of his pursuits or plans. However, connecting him with the Nine Dragons Strongest seemed odd, as there was no known prior connection or animosity between them, so she pressed for clarification.

“Dongseo Dok from the Yeongcheon Merchant Group, one of the Ten Great Merchant Groups, met with Sect Leader Na Seong-gi several times.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“During those meetings, Dongseo Dok likely discussed the Nine Dragons Pavilion, which is currently under construction in Shanxi Province.”

“Nine Dragons Pavilion?”

“Yes. It’s intended to be the first legalized gambling house in the Central Plains. They are also constructing a brothel on approximately ten thousand square feet of land, boasting the largest size in the Central Plains with five stories.”

“Hmm….”

“Rumor has it that both the Hwamyeong Merchant Group and the Yeongcheon Merchant Group coveted that Nine Dragons Pavilion.”

“So, Dongseo Dok asked him to seize the Nine Dragons Pavilion?”

“That’s right. Otherwise, the Blood Demon Sect’s warriors wouldn’t have ventured into Shanxi Province, nor would they have crossed the walls of the Nine Dragons Stronghold.”

Lady Yi-ran’s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of crossing the walls of the Nine Dragons Stronghold.

“Now that you mention it, the warriors who left the sect haven’t returned yet.”

“They likely all perished after crossing the walls of the Nine Dragons Stronghold.”

“Died?”

“Judging by the fact that the Nine Dragons Stronghold remains untouched, it’s highly probable that the warriors who went to eliminate the Nine Dragons Strongest were defeated instead.”

Lady Yi-ran was a martial artist herself.

She was currently fulfilling her role as the mistress of the Blood Demon Sect, but she originally hailed from the White Horse Temple, a prominent unorthodox sect in Shandong Province.

She was the daughter of Yi Cheon-guk, the leader of the White Horse Temple, and had been trained in martial arts since childhood. Moreover, the White Horse Temple held such sway in Shandong Province that, except for the Shandong Evil Clan, no other sect could effectively challenge their activities.

“Are you suggesting the Nine Dragons Strongest came for revenge?”

Lady Yi-ran, well-versed in the ways of the martial world, inquired, and Chae Min-gung replied.

“Yes. And just two days after the Sect Leader’s death, the Nine Dragons Strongest was reportedly seen not in Henan Province, but in Jiangsu Province.”

“Jiangsu Province?”

“We haven’t been able to definitively determine why he went to Jiangsu Province, but we can certainly speculate.”

“How so?”

“He infiltrated the Blood Demon Sect on a rainy night….”

Lady Yi-ran pondered as she listened to Chae Min-gung’s words.

“…He might have gone to Jiangsu Province to establish a false alibi for his movements.”

“Is it possible to travel from here to Jiangsu Province in two days?”

Lady Yi-ran asked, skeptical.

“If he is a master of exceptional lightness skill [Qinggong, a martial art focusing on agility and speed], it is certainly possible. And if he infiltrated the Blood Demon Sect silently and assassinated the Sect Leader, the elders, and your two sons, he might indeed be highly skilled in footwork and lightness techniques.”

“I understand. I will look into that. Is there anyone else?”

“Chief Manager Na Joong-gi has been meeting with the leaders of various unorthodox sects in Henan Province recently.”

“Chief Manager?”

“Yes. I don’t know his intentions, but judging from his actions, they don’t seem benevolent.”

Lady Yi-ran’s thoughts deepened.

“That’s all we’ve uncovered.”

“I understand. Thank you for the Branch Leader’s efforts.”

Lady Yi-ran handed him a box. The box was filled with money, appearing to contain no less than a thousand gold coins.

“Thank you. And please don’t think I’m being presumptuous, but I offer this as a word of caution.”

“Speak.”

“If you intend to seek revenge on the Nine Dragons Strongest of Shanxi Province, you must proceed with extreme caution.”

“Why is that?”

“If my earlier assessment is accurate, the Nine Dragons Strongest’s martial arts skills must be truly formidable. Even Sect Leader Na Seong-gi, a master of the highest caliber, was assassinated.”

Lady Yi-ran nodded.

“So, when contemplating revenge on the Nine Dragons Stronghold, you must carefully assess whether you can definitively eliminate the Nine Dragons Strongest. Even if you raze his estate and the Nine Dragons Pavilion to the ground, if he remains alive, the Blood Demon Sect will eventually be consumed by him.”

“We are not a weak sect that can be defeated by a single individual.”

“If that individual is a master who surpasses the highest level, and a master of assassination, the situation changes drastically.”

Lady Yi-ran had no immediate response to Chae Min-gung’s assertion.

“So, unless you have a guaranteed opportunity, acting rashly will not benefit the Blood Demon Sect. At the very least, ascertain the full extent of the Nine Dragons Stronghold’s power before making a decision, and if that power exceeds your expectations, it would be wiser to postpone the revenge for ten or twenty years.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

* * *

Daezuk County, located on the border between Sichuan Province and Chongqing, was named for its abundance of bamboo. Even just outside the city center, one could easily find lush bamboo forests.

There were figures running wildly through these bamboo forests, and others in hot pursuit.

Despite the considerable number of pursuers and pursued, the scene was surprisingly quiet.

Knowing their roles well, they were simply chasing and being chased, swiftly navigating the bamboo forest.

The moment they emerged from the bamboo forest, the pursued abruptly turned and attacked their pursuers.

Unlike other types of wood, bamboo forests present a high potential for unpredictable variables, so many martial artists actually dislike fighting in such environments.

When the pursued suddenly switched to offense, the pursuers had no choice but to fight back.

Clang! Clang!

The edge of the picturesque bamboo forest instantly transformed into a bloody battlefield.

These were the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad and the martial artists from Sichuan’s martial world who were hunting them.

Warriors supported by the Righteous Heaven Alliance’s Sichuan branch, along with masters from the Tang Clan, Qingcheng Sect, and Emei Sect, had joined the fray, and their numbers significantly outnumbered the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad.

Although the individual martial arts skills of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad were undeniably superior, they were severely outnumbered, forcing them to struggle against the overwhelming force.

“Don’t leave a single one alive!”

Tang Chun-mun, an elder of the Tang Clan, shouted, and a barrage of hidden weapons flew through the air, targeting the lives of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad members.

Clang! Clang!

In a situation where even deflecting the incoming hidden weapons was a challenge, the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad members gradually found themselves at a disadvantage due to the relentless attacks of the masters.

At that moment, a masked man intervened on the battlefield.

Clang!

He swiftly used his sword to gather the hidden weapons that filled the air, and then, with a spinning motion, redirected them back towards the Tang Clan warriors who had launched them.

It was a technique that utilized the principles of absorption and redirection, and those proficient in internal energy could execute it to some extent, but the masked man’s ability to gather and return so many hidden weapons was an extraordinary feat.

“Kuaaaak!”

The Tang Clan warriors, struck by their own hidden weapons, were momentarily stunned, but recognizing the nature of the battlefield, they resorted to using the remaining hidden weapons to attack the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad members.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

When the masked man repeated the same technique to return the hidden weapons to the Tang Clan warriors, they realized that hidden weapons were ineffective in the current situation and drew their respective weapons, joining the close-quarters combat.

With the threat of hidden weapons neutralized, the members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad unleashed their full potential to confront the enemies before them.

Swish… Swish… Swish….

The only change was the absence of flying hidden weapons, but the members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad fought with renewed vigor against the righteous warriors.

The masked man also engaged the righteous warriors, but his swordsmanship was so simple and clean that it appeared as if he was merely wielding his sword rather than executing complex martial arts techniques.

“Die!”

As a sword aimed for his heart, the masked man sidestepped and moved his own sword.

After inflicting a deep cut on the waist of the attacker, he turned to face another warrior.

The masked man dispatched his opponents with a single, decisive movement, never needing to strike the same person twice.

Swoosh!

Then, when the Tang Clan warriors launched hidden weapons, he invariably gathered and returned them.

The situation, which had been overwhelmingly in favor of the righteous warriors, was reversed by the arrival of the masked man.

As numerous righteous warriors fell victim to the masked man, Tang Chun-mun declared.

“It seems we must deal with that individual!”

Tang Chun-mun addressed the masters of the Qingcheng, Emei, and Righteous Heaven Alliance’s Sichuan branch, and they immediately converged on the masked man.

Seven of them surrounded and attacked the masked man, all of whom were masters at the elder level of their respective sects. Among them were also the leaders of small and medium-sized sects.

The masked man took a deep breath as he surveyed the seven masters who had encircled him, and then pointed his finger towards the air.

Gooong….

A distortion rippled through the air where he pointed, creating a dark void, and those who witnessed it frowned.

“Sorcery?”

The masked man reached into that space and retrieved something. It was a flute with a crimson glow. As the masked man channeled his internal energy into the flute, blades extended from it, leading the seven men to believe it was merely a concealed weapon.

As they observed the masked man facing them with a long sword in one hand and a short sword in the other, Tang Chun-mun initiated the attack.

Although Tang Chun-mun attacked first, the others moved in unison with his assault.

Clang!

The masked man deflected Tang Chun-mun’s sword and attempted to counterattack, but as a sword filled with killing intent thrust from behind, he twisted his body and blocked the attack with his short sword.

Sensing killing intent from the left, he moved his long sword to deflect the incoming blade before fully regaining his balance, and then straightened his posture.

The seven masters relentlessly pressed the masked man, and his situation appeared precarious.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Only the sound of clashing weapons filled the air. Elsewhere, the righteous warriors and the members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad continued their fierce battle, risking their lives.

‘It’s the Seven Stars Sword Formation.’

The masked man realized that the seven masters were attempting to exhaust him by employing a coordinated sword formation, the well-known Seven Stars Sword Formation.

Of course, the Seven Stars Sword Formation they were using was not comparable to the one employed by the Wudang Seven Swords of the Wudang Sect, but its power was still considerable, given that it was a sword formation executed by masters.

‘Fortunately, there is no pressure emanating from the sword formation itself.’

The attacks utilizing the sword formation persisted, but fortunately, there was no palpable pressure or oppressive force from the formation itself.

If they had been trained to synchronize their movements and exchange internal energy, the masked man might have been significantly challenged, but if it was simply a coordinated attack, he was confident he could overcome it.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The masked man had been deflecting their attacks for some time, but then he launched a counterattack, his movements becoming incredibly swift.

“Heot!”

Having observed their movements and anticipated their attacks, he could now predict who would be targeting him next. The masked man, who had been primarily defensive, moved preemptively and attacked, surprising his opponent and causing him to gasp.

Clang.

Caught off guard, the opponent instinctively defended, but he couldn’t fully regain his balance.

The masked man, without even glancing at the sword aimed at him from behind, deflected it and then hurled the short sword he was holding towards the one who had lost his footing.

“Keoeok!”

The short sword, traveling at lightning speed and piercing his heart, circled in the air and returned to the masked man’s hand, signaling the start of his relentless counterattack.

His movements were no longer simple, but slightly erratic.

This was partly intended to deceive his opponents, but also to prevent others from easily targeting him.

As the masked man approached Mu-jin, an elder of the Qingcheng Sect, and struck down with the sword in his right hand, Mu-jin raised his sword to block it.

At that moment, the short sword in his left hand pierced his exposed abdomen.

“This sword is…!”

Mu-jin recognized the identity of the short sword that had pierced his abdomen at the moment of his death.

“Yo… You are.”

Mu-jin couldn’t finish his sentence and succumbed to his death, and the masked man ignored his dying words and moved towards another target.