Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 85

Ninth Dragon Chronicles (85)

“What? The grain in Sichuan was stolen?”

Hwa Jeong-soo, the head of the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group, felt the blood rush to his head upon receiving the news that grain had been stolen from the grain collection point in Geumyang City.

He touched the back of his head with one hand, closed his eyes, and frowned.

“How… how could that much grain be stolen?”

“We had guards posted inside and outside the grain warehouse, but when we checked the warehouse this morning, it was completely empty.”

“What were the guys inside doing?”

“There was a black figure that came into the warehouse, and because he moved like a ghost, they were instantly subdued with pressure point strikes.”

“What about the guys guarding the outside? Didn’t they hear anything happening inside?”

“No. They didn’t hear anything at all.”

“Damn it, it must be the same guy who stole our grain in Gansu.”

“We think so too. So, we’ve doubled the security at the grain warehouses in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi provinces, and sent messenger birds to hire masters who can catch him to guard the warehouses.”

“When was the grain stolen?”

“Two days ago. If he went straight to Yunnan or Guizhou, he should be arriving at our collection point cities by now.”

“I understand. I’ll go to Guangxi Province, so you go to Guizhou and protect the grain.”

“What about Yunnan Province?”

“Send a messenger bird. Tell them to hire masters to guard the warehouse.”

“Understood. I’ll leave now.”

“Jeong-guk.”

Hwa Jeong-guk, the chief manager of the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group and the second son of the family, looked at his older brother, Hwa Jeong-soo.

“You must catch him. No matter how much money it takes, hire even the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim [martial arts world] to protect the grain.”

“I will.”

As Hwa Jeong-guk turned and left his room, Hwa Jeong-soo couldn’t contain his anger and slammed the desk hard with both hands.

“Damn it.”

Even if they protected the grain, it was still a problem.

They had to send grain to the Eight Route Marine Corps and numerous other clients, but they were already facing a significant shortage.

Sichuan was robbed, and Yunnan was half given up, so even if they protected the grain in Guizhou and Guangxi provinces, it was doubtful whether they could meet the supply volume for the Eight Route Marine Corps and the government.

“Who the hell is targeting our merchant group?”

Hwa Jeong-soo pondered and thought of one person.

“Dongseo Dok, that guy has always been interested in grain distribution… Is it his doing?”

If it wasn’t him, he couldn’t think of anyone else.

“I’ll have to put the Gu Ryong Guild matter aside for a while and deal with the immediate problem first. I’ll have to investigate that Dongseo Dok guy after protecting the grain.”

Hwa Jeong-soo got up from his seat and left his office.

“Saeng-bang!”

He came out of his office and looked for his third brother, Hwa Saeng-bang.

“Yes, 형님 [hyung-nim, older brother]!”

“I’m going to Guangxi Province, so take care of the work here.”

“I will. Don’t worry about here and go.”

“And have someone investigate the situation of the Yeongcheon Merchant Group.”

“The Yeongcheon Merchant Group?”

“Yes. Last time, the Yeongcheon Merchant Group handed over some of their mines to us and asked for a few of our grain trading partners.”

“Do you think they’re plotting something to take over us?”

“I’m going to investigate in many ways for now. But for now, he is the most likely suspect, so we should look into him first.”

“Understood. I will secretly use people to monitor Dongseo Dok, including his brothers and family members.”

“Okay, let’s talk in detail after I come back from Guangxi Province.”

“Be careful on your trip.”

* * *

Hwa-rin came down to Yunnan Province after robbing the grain of the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group in Geumyang City, Sichuan.

About 40% of the grain produced in Yunnan Province is purchased by the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group, and the remaining 60% is purchased by the people of Yunnan Province and other merchants, who then trade with their partners.

Although it is said to be 40% of the produced grain, the amount is not much different from the amount of grain produced in Guizhou and Guangxi provinces, because the largest granary in the Central Plains is in Yunnan Province.

About 70% of the grain produced in Yunnan Province is harvested from Jungjeon, Yujeon, and Hakjeon cities, and many merchants secure grain through transactions with farmers here.

The grain secured here is sent back to Sotong City, which is convenient for using the waterways of the Yangtze River in Sichuan, so all goods except for handicrafts consumed in Yunnan Province are transported to Sotong City, where they are sorted and transported to Hoju in Sichuan.

From Hoju in Sichuan, it is scattered to various parts of the Central Plains using the Yangtze River, and this system is very well established.

Hwa-rin rested for a day in Geumyang City before moving.

This place is not only a granary but also a place where other goods gather, so it is also a place where many goods can be easily obtained.

“Please lower the price a little. Didn’t you say you’d give it to me cheaply last time?”

Hwa-rin, listening to the merchants’ bargaining, went to the collection point operated by the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group.

Like Sichuan, a collection point was located on a large site, and there were quite a few other goods besides grain.

“By now, what happened in Sichuan must have reached Hwa Jeong-soo’s ears.”

Hwa-rin walked slowly along the wall of the collection point. It took about 700 steps to go around the wall once.

Dividing 700 steps by four comes out to about 170 to 180 steps, so it wasn’t just a little big.

“He’s probably thinking about and preparing various ways to catch me.”

He might set up a formation or hire masters to stop him, but it’s still good to be careful.

“Well, since I don’t have to go inside the house to steal, this time, if I attack and rob the grain when they transport it, they’ll go crazy.”

Hwa-rin decided that instead of taking the risk of going inside the collection point, he would steal the grain in the middle of their transport to Hoju in Sichuan Province to use the Yangtze River waterway. If he waited in Hoju and stole the grain coming up from Guizhou and Guangxi provinces, the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group would suffer great damage, and he would make a lot of profit by trading with the Eight Route Marine Corps with the grain from the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group.

“You should have been careful about who you messed with. I’ll have to find out when they ship it and then plan the job. Fortunately, those guys are in Myogang, so I can get help from them.”

Hwa-rin smiled slyly after making a suitable plan and left the collection point.

* * *

The Honse Tribe, which has established itself in the border area between Yunnan Province and Myogang, was once the second-in-command in Myogang.

This was because there was the Maracheon Tribe, which was called the absolute ruler and monarch of Myogang.

The Maracheon Tribe was an absolute monarch in Myogang and had the powerful power to control all the tribes of Myogang.

Was that why? The Maracheon Tribe was wiped out by the attack of the Mengho Sasahyeol Cheondae [a powerful group/organization] of the Central Plains, and the Honse Tribe took over the position held by the Maracheon Tribe after a fierce inter-tribal struggle.

In the end, it was the Mengho Sasahyeol Cheondae who helped the Honse Tribe rise to this position, and Hwa-rin was at the center of it.

When Hwa-rin appeared in front of the Honse Tribe, they trembled like aspen trees in the cold wind, as if they had met the King of the Underworld, and bowed their heads before him.

“It’s nothing like that. I just wanted you to help me.”

Hwa-rin was talking to Wadakan, the chief of the Honse Tribe, but Wadakan couldn’t even look Hwa-rin in the eye because of the fear that Hwa-rin had shown him a long time ago.

“What is it?”

“Just give me twenty tribesmen with excellent martial arts skills.”

“Twenty people?”

“Yes. Of course, I’m not asking for help for free. I’ll give you appropriate compensation.”

“What are you going to use them for…?”

“That’s for me to know and not for you to worry about.”

“Ah… I understand. I will select twenty people and send them to you now.”

“Yes. And send them dressed as Central Plains people who speak the Central Plains language well.”

As Hwa-rin spoke and 찍자 [jjikja, Korean word meaning to 찍다 (jjikda) which means to 찍다 (to stamp, to mark, to take (a photo))] a dot in the air with his finger, a space pocket was created, and the space pocket spat out sacks of grain.

“Three hundred sacks of grain.”

Wadakan was surprised to see the sacks of grain piled up in an instant.

“I think this is enough to buy their abilities. So, send me capable guys. If even one of them is incompetent and dies, I’ll come and wipe out your tribe.”

“Ah, I understand. I will send you the best warriors of the tribe.”

He was terrified and trembling, unable to even speak properly, and hurriedly hit his head on the floor.

The martial arts and cruelty that Hwa-rin had shown them were deeply engraved in the minds of the Honse Tribe, making them unable to even resist.

“Send them to Waryong Inn in Yeonseo-hyeon, Yunnan Province.”

“I will send them without delay.”

* * *

A cart loaded with grain from the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group’s collection point left the collection point to go to Sichuan.

Each cart seemed to be loaded with at least thirty sacks of grain. Not just one or ten, but as many as a hundred carts left the collection point, creating a spectacle in itself.

There were a hundred carts loaded with grain, and the number of martial artists mobilized to escort them seemed to be at least two hundred.

Among them were escorts and head escorts belonging to the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group, as well as mercenaries and martial artists hired from outside.

The person in charge of these people was Lee Cheon-soo, the head of the collection point, but in reality, it was Bae Yun-geol, the head of Tongcheon Hall, who had 맡긴 [matgin, entrusted] the transportation request this time.

Bae Yun-geol, the head of Tongcheon Hall, was one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim and was such a great master that he was said to be 뛰어난 [ttwieonan, outstanding] enough to fight 천군 [cheongun, a large army] without losing.

He was riding leisurely on a horse at the head, and Lee Cheon-soo was looking around with a wary gaze beside him.

“You don’t have to worry so much. No matter how bold they are, they won’t attack in the middle of the city.”

“Then?”

“If they’re going to attack, it’ll be after they leave the city. So, you can relax until then.”

“Ah, I understand. I trust in 윤걸 님 [Yun-geol nim, respectful title]. Recently, there is an organization that is targeting our group and stealing grain. Whether they are remnants of the 배교 [baegyo, heretical cult] or not, they are using 술법 [sulbeop, magic/sorcery] to steal grain without a trace, and our group is suffering greatly because we are helplessly 당하고 [danghago, being victimized].”

“Don’t worry now. Now that I’m here, they won’t be able to touch the grain of the Hwa Myeong Merchant Group anymore. And I’ll smash their base too, so rest assured now.”

Bae Yun-geol was confident. That’s because he was one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim, a master who was 넘어 성급 [neomeo seonggeup, beyond compare] and making a name for himself throughout the Central Plains.

“I only trust in 윤걸 님 [Yun-geol nim, respectful title].”

The Hwa Myeong Merchant Group’s grain transportation, which had left the collection point, was going smoothly.

As the cart loaded with grain left Sotong City and entered the vast field, Bae Yun-geol opened his mouth.

“From now on, you must be 정신을 바짝 차려야 [jeongsineul bbatjak charyeoya, be very alert]. Move while maintaining tension until you arrive at Yeonseo-hyeon, the next city. Escorts, mercenaries, and martial artists maintain the formation and say something without delay if you find anything suspicious.”

At Bae Yun-geol’s words, the martial artists moved in an orderly manner.

“You, narrow the gap more.”

Whether they had appointed a leader to guide the martial artists in the middle, several martial artists properly 잡다 [japda, took/secured] the positions of the escorts or mercenaries.

“Start for Yeonseo-hyeon while maintaining the gap and formation.”