Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 74

Guryong Chronicles (74)

Located in the very center of the Central Plains, Chunggyeong was often referred to as Cheonwon, meaning the ‘center of a Go board’ [a strategic game similar to chess, originating in East Asia].

Even within Chunggyeong, Namnyeong was the central city, one of the most developed in the Central Plains.

Three great clans had established themselves in Namnyeong: the Seomun Clan, which wielded the greatest influence in Chunggyeong, the Baengni Clan, and the Eulji Clan.

The Seomun and Baengni Clans were martial families, while the Eulji Clan was a merchant family.

Although the Eulji Clan was not listed among the Ten Great Merchant Guilds of the Central Plains, their wealth was so immense that even those guilds couldn’t ignore them. When quick funds were needed, the Eulji Clan was the first place they turned to.

Hwarin had journeyed from Sichuan to Chunggyeong. The Hwasan Sect had tasked him with keeping the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad in check, but after learning about the Jeongcheon Alliance’s plan through Haomun, Hwarin had no intention of merely checking or destroying the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad.

He intended to make the Jeongcheon Alliance, which had tried to use him, pay a fitting price as well.

When Hwarin entered Chunggyeong, many martial artists were already gathering there.

Centered around Chunggyeong, martial artists from the Hwasan and Jongnam Sects in the northern Seomseo Province, the White Tiger Corps, an elite unit of the Jeongcheon Alliance from the western Hobeok Province, and martial artists from the Divine Sword Gate, Geomseong Gate, and Namcheon Gate of Guizhou Province in the south, gathered in Namnyeong, the heart of Chunggyeong, at the Eulji Clan.

In addition, the Seomun Clan, one of the Ten Great Clans with the highest reputation in the Chunggyeong area, and the righteous martial artists of Chunggyeong also gathered around the Eulji Clan.

Hwarin, in disguise, mingled among them. So many martial artists had gathered from different regions that infiltrating them was easy.

‘The members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad must have infiltrated them secretly as well.’

Hwarin had helped the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad, who were being attacked by the martial artists of the Jeongcheon Alliance’s Sichuan branch and the righteous sects of the Sichuan martial world, to win in an unfavorable battle.

And he heard from them that the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad would attack and destroy the Eulji Clan, who had turned traitor.

Haomun had assured him that the righteous sects would not attack the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad, but if the Eulji Clan, who had turned to the righteous path, were attacked, the righteous sects could not stand idly by, so they would attack the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad and destroy them.

Having thought this far, Hwarin advised a member of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad, hoping for a mutually destructive outcome between the Jeongcheon Alliance and the Blood Alliance.

He told them that if they disguised some of the members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad as righteous martial artists and secretly infiltrated the Eulji Clan to wait, and then, when a fight broke out, they could immediately infiltrate the inner quarters, kill people, and create chaos from within, they could sufficiently destroy the Eulji Clan, and then he left.

Hwarin did not hear the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad’s answer, but he expected that some of the members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad would have disguised themselves as righteous martial artists and infiltrated the Eulji Clan.

“When will those guys come?”

The martial artists gathered around the Eulji Clan were discussing when the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad and the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad of the Blood Alliance would attack the Eulji Clan.

“I don’t know, but since the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad has joined the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad, they will attack soon.”

“I’m nervous.”

The experts were less nervous, but the lower-ranking martial artists were so stiff with tension that they doubted whether they could fight properly.

“If you have time to chat, loosen up your body. If your body is stiff, you’ll be perfect for getting stabbed.”

The lower-ranking martial artists could not enter the Eulji Clan, so Hwarin pretended to loosen up his body near the wall, using the Demonic Cult’s sorcery to amplify his hearing several times, concentrating to hear the stories coming from inside the Eulji Clan.

‘This isn’t it.’

Distinguishing between stories to listen to and discard and stories to remember, Hwarin gathered information that would be helpful to him.

―I heard that the Jeongcheon Alliance has sent additional Hyeonmu troops [Black Tortoise Troops, often associated with defense and resilience], so they will be waiting in Jade Flower Mountain and will strike the rear of the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad when the battle breaks out.

‘This is it!’

Hwarin focused on the story coming from inside the inner garden.

―In order for the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad and the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad in Seorim to come to Namnyeong, they will have to pass through Jade Flower Mountain, so the Hyeonmu troops will detect their movements and follow them.

―If they attack, we should focus on defense and then, together with the Hyeonmu troops, surround and annihilate them all at once.

―That’s right. I shouldn’t say this, but we also need sacrifices.”

―Sacrifices?

―Sacrifices are inevitable in order to lure them deeper inside.

Hwarin narrowed his eyes as he listened to their conversation.

―We must use the martial artists waiting outside the Eulji Clan as bait to lure them in even deeper.

―Aren’t they going to enter the Eulji Clan anyway to destroy it?

―If the resistance is too strong, they might change their minds.

‘So-called righteous sects are thinking like this.’

―Are you saying that we should throw innocent lives to them?

―Master, if we don’t wipe them out this time, we will suffer more sacrifices. If we can save many lives in the future with a few sacrifices, shouldn’t we do that?

‘Those who would foam at the mouth if they were asked to sacrifice themselves and their clan are talking about sacrificing others and pretending to be righteous.’

Hwarin did not like this hypocrisy of the righteous sects.

‘But it’s not my place to interfere. I just need to make the guy who used me pay the price.’

―Have the people of the Eulji Clan been safely evacuated?

―Yes, they have been evacuated to the Baengni Clan’s safe house. And the people of the Baengni Clan are protecting them.

‘The Baengni Clan’s safe house? Where is that? I’ll find out later, but first, I need to inform the members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad who have infiltrated this place that the Jeongcheon Alliance’s Hyeonmu troops are waiting in Jade Flower Mountain.’

Hwarin secretly spread his inner energy into the air.

As Hwarin’s energy spread into the air, it spread among the gathered people, identifying the nature of their energy.

Those who master righteous arts are filled with righteous energy, those who master evil arts are filled with evil energy, and those who master demonic arts are dominated by demonic energy. This was a characteristic of martial artists who practiced martial arts.

In addition, those who mastered righteous, evil, and demonic arts at the same time felt stronger for a moment, but the energy in their bodies became mixed and turbid, making it difficult to reach the realm of ascension.

Hwarin used this to find those who harbored evil energy in their bodies.

It took quite a while, but as Hwarin expected, he was able to find several members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad hiding among the martial artists.

―Listen carefully.

Hwarin sent a telepathic message to the members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad he had found at the same time.

―I heard that the Jeongcheon Alliance’s Hyeonmu troops are hiding in Jade Flower Mountain. They will surround and strike the rear of the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad waiting in Seorim when they attack the Eulji Clan, so one or two of you should go to Seorim and tell the Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad coming to Namnyeong to deal with the Hyeonmu troops in Jade Flower Mountain first before coming to the Eulji Clan.

The members of the Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad who heard Hwarin’s telepathic message recognized that the voice of the telepathic message was the same as the voice of the masked man who had helped them, and they raised their eyes and looked around.

―There’s no need to make a fuss. It won’t be bad for you to listen to me, so I’m telling you this fact. The decision is yours.

Hwarin did not send them any more telepathic messages. He thought that if he did this much, they would judge and act.

“Then shall I go find out where the Baengni Clan’s safe house is?”

* * *

Namnyeong’s commercial district was divided into South Namnyeong below the Yangtze River and North Namnyeong above the Yangtze River, with the Yangtze River running through the center of Chunggyeong. South Namnyeong was slightly more developed.

This was because South Namnyeong was the upstream line for merchants using the Yangtze River’s waterways, and North Namnyeong was the downstream line.

The downstream line of North Namnyeong was the final stop in Hoju City, Sichuan, while the upstream line of South Namnyeong was a long journey passing through three provinces: Hobeok, Anhui, and Jiangsu. Therefore, many merchants used this upstream line of the Yangtze River, and the speed of development was faster in South Namnyeong than in North Namnyeong.

Sijeon, which could be said to be the best commercial district in South Namnyeong, had numerous stores on both sides of a long main street, doing business with the people who came and went.

Behind Sijeon was a marketplace, and behind this marketplace were residential houses where people lived.

Hwarin left the Eulji Clan and was walking through the Sijeon street in South Namnyeong.

After using the Demonic Cult’s secret technique on a member of the Baengni Clan at the Eulji Clan to find out about the Baengni Clan’s safe house, he came here immediately.

Passing through the Sijeon street and entering an alley, he came to the marketplace. Passing the merchants who were opening stalls and entering the alley, he came to a wide road again, but this place was quiet, unlike the atmosphere of Sijeon or the marketplace.

The people passing by were not merchants but seemed to be people living here, and their actions seemed calm.

‘After passing through the marketplace and entering the residential area, it was the sixth manor to the right of the dark blue tiled house.’

Hwarin stepped aside and slowly walked down the street, looking for the dark blue tiled house.

“I guess that’s the house.”

After finding the dark blue tiled house, Hwarin looked for the sixth manor to the right.

It was not a large manor, but it looked quite large.

Hwarin looked around and, when he saw no one, disappeared from the spot in an instant.

Hwarin, who had entered the manor like the wind, entered the inner garden of the manor, avoiding people’s eyes.

The manor was divided into an inner garden and an outer garden with a wall in the middle, but there was no separate detached house.

If there was a detached house, the people of the Eulji Clan were likely to be in the detached house, but since there was no detached house, the people of the Eulji Clan were likely to be in the inner garden, that is, the main house.

Hwarin entered the inner garden and hid under the wooden floor of the central building.

Going deep inside, Hwarin’s figure could not be seen from the outside.

“How long do we have to stay here?”

“It will only be a few days.”

The men with thick voices were talking, and listening carefully, they seemed to be father and son.

The fact that the two men’s voices were flowing out of the room meant that there were only people from the Eulji Clan in the inner garden of this safe house.

“I’m afraid that many martial artists will die because of our family.”

“Sooya, in the lawless world of martial arts, wealth without martial power cannot become mine. So you should focus on learning the martial arts that your father has obtained for you, avoiding the eyes of others.”

“But because of us…….”

“Do you think they are dying for our clan?”

Euljisu did not answer.

“They will demand that much life value from us. Not the kind of money that can be repaid in a year or two, but a large sum that our family will have to repay for the rest of our lives.”

“Such a law…….”

“That’s why you need to have power.”

“Do you know why your father left the Blood Alliance and came to the Jeongcheon Alliance?”

“You said that the Blood Alliance demanded half of the main family’s assets.”

“There’s more.”

“What is it?”

“It’s you.”

“What do you mean by me?”

“It means that they will take you hostage and use the main family’s money as if it were their own.”

Listening to their conversation, Hwarin thought that a demonic faction was likely to do that.

“Then doesn’t the righteous faction do that?”

“They wouldn’t ask for money like the demonic faction. Perhaps if we give a certain amount of money to the Jeongcheon Alliance’s operating funds every year, they won’t ask us for anything more.”

Listening to the two men’s conversation, Hwarin thought of the Blood Alliance as a group of thugs with only a large size.

‘I came here with the intention of killing all the people of the Eulji Clan, but in a way, they are also victims, so I can’t bring myself to do it. I’ll leave them and go to Jade Flower Mountain to see the situation.’

“Then you mean we have to earn money for the rest of our lives and give it to the Jeongcheon Alliance’s operating funds?”

“That’s right. But we may also receive help from the Jeongcheon Alliance. So don’t worry about this matter. Think of it as a kind of transaction. And you should work hard to learn the martial arts that your father has obtained for you and develop your strength.”

“Can I escape from their shadow by learning martial arts alone?”

“It’s hard to do it alone. But if we continue to learn martial arts for generations, there will surely be someone among our descendants who will despise the world, and when that happens, we won’t have to be mindful of the martial artists anymore.”