The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Red Dragon Martial Emperor, Episode 1

Prologue

Mount Hua.
Atop that peak, one of the Five Sacred Mountains, the emperors of three nations had gathered.
They had waged war across decades to determine the true sovereign of the Central Plains, and now they met in one place—all because of a single man.
Whiiiish!
A bitter wind swept across the summit with savage intensity, and the three emperors waiting for him wore expressions dark with barely restrained fury.
“Why is this man taking so long?”
Zhao Emperor Jo Bi raised his voice toward Yan Emperor Yi Jeok.
Yi Jeok answered calmly.
“The path here is treacherous, it seems. Let us wait a moment longer.”
Jin Emperor Yang Gwang-hyo, seated beside Yi Jeok, squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sigh.
“How are we to endure this humiliation? Ah……”
Whiiiish!
The wind grew fiercer still.
How long passed like this?
“He has arrived.”
A general standing some distance from the pavilion called out softly.
The three emperors’ gazes snapped toward a single point.
A lone figure was emerging along the path that led to the summit.
The Absolute Master of the Martial World, the Martial Emperor Yi Hwan, had arrived. And with his appearance, even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
The honor guards of all three nations placed their hands on their sword hilts. Yet none dared draw. Instead, pressed down by Yi Hwan’s overwhelming presence, they bowed their heads in silence.
Yi Hwan advanced toward the pavilion where the three emperors sat, moving with deliberate slowness. Though he approached emperors, not one of them dared demand he relinquish his blade.
Three figures followed in Yi Hwan’s wake. Bearing a sword, a broadsword, and a chain whip respectively, they came to a halt before the honor guards.
They were the Three Kings, called the shadow of Yi Hwan. As they blocked the way forward, the guards could scarcely breathe.
Screech.
“Relax.”
The Sword King’s smile as he spoke those words struck the guards as far more terrifying than any blade thrust at their necks.
Yi Hwan ascended the pavilion steps and spoke without ceremony.
“The road was difficult, so I am somewhat delayed.”
Audacious.
Who in all the realm would dare show such an attitude before emperors?
What was more astonishing was how the three emperors reacted. As though it were the most natural thing, they simply gestured for Yi Hwan to sit, and not a trace of displeasure crossed their faces.
Even Jo Bi, who had been irritable moments before, was the same.
Yi Hwan regarded the three emperors slowly.
“Have you reached a decision?”
Unexpectedly, Jo Bi stepped forward first.
“The Zhao Kingdom has chosen to accept your request.”
And with that, he withdrew something from his robe—a Jade Seal.
Yang Gwang-hyo’s face contorted with disbelief. Was this not the same Jo Bi who had been enraged just moments before?
Yi Hwan’s gaze turned toward Yang Gwang-hyo.
“The Jin Kingdom, too, will accept your request.”
Yang Gwang-hyo also produced a Jade Seal.
Last came Yi Jeok.
Unlike the other two emperors, he fixed Yi Hwan with a direct stare and spoke.
“How will you prove yourself to us?”
“Do I strike you as one who came to prove anything?”
……!”
“I came merely to determine whether you three would accept my request. If you accept, peace is assured. If not……”
Yi Hwan deliberately let his words trail off. There was no need to elaborate what came after.
At his brazen confidence, the faces of Yi Jeok and the other two emperors twitched faintly. Yet their lips remained pressed firmly shut.
Yi Hwan stared directly at Yi Jeok. Yi Jeok did not avert his gaze.
Yet that moment could not last long.
Clack!
Yi Jeok withdrew a Jade Seal and placed it upon the table.
“……I accept your request.”
Shortly after, the three emperors imprinted their Jade Seals upon four sheets of paper. Each then folded away his own copy.
Yi Hwan picked up his.
The text inscribed on the paper was brief. Yet its contents proved nothing short of seismic.
In essence, it decreed that henceforth the three kingdoms would recognize the Martial World as exempt from their jurisdiction and would refrain from all interference, while the Martial World in turn would abstain from meddling in the affairs of state.
The Mutual Non-Interference Pact.
For three kingdoms whose imperial courts had long viewed martial sects merely as instruments of war, this was truly an unprecedented upheaval.
Yi Hwan flicked the paper lightly between his fingers. Impossibly, it pierced through the fierce wind and flew with perfect accuracy to one of the Three Kings.
“On behalf of all the Martial World, I offer thanks for your resolution. I trust also that this oath sworn today shall be passed down to posterity. Then.”
Yi Hwan departed.
The three emperors remaining trembled with humiliation for a long while.
The Mount Hua Banquet.
In time, all the realm came to call that day by this name—a triumph beyond measure for the Martial World, a disgrace that the three kingdoms could never wash away.

Chapter One—A New Life

The Southern Front of Yan Kingdom.
Some distance from the endless rows of barracks, a single pavilion stood alone in the compound.
In its courtyard sat a weathered commander, arms folded across his chest.
Beside the broad-shouldered man with his angular face and thick beard—who radiated raw toughness—a young warrior of barely twenty stood with his gaze repeatedly flicking toward the tightly sealed door.
The young warrior spoke hesitantly.
“The physician said consciousness had returned clearly, yet why does he still remain abed?”
“He awoke after ten days. Movement will take time, surely.”
“If he were so encumbered, he ought to have sent for the quartermaster at least. Yet even when we inquire after him, he offers no reply……”
“Enough.”
The commander closed his eyes.
Then two figures entered the courtyard. They were young officers in pale blue robes with a knife-edge presence, their armor stained with blood.
The young warrior poked the commander and bowed toward the officers.
“Welcome.”
The commander opened his eyes. He regarded the two officers in turn before rising slowly.
A sneer played at one officer’s lips.
“Awake, then?”
“Yes. He recovered consciousness yesterday.”
“Remarkable. To survive in such a state. The man’s lifeline must be as tough as steel wire.”
Twitch.
The commander’s eyebrow twitched like a caterpillar.
“You might choose your words more carefully.”
“Ah, ah, forgive me. It’s become a habit, you see. Still, for a prince to hold such rank, I suppose I was rather harsh? My apologies.”
Yet the sneer at his lips only deepened.
The other officer spoke.
“Might we see him?”
“That would be difficult at present.”
“Have you seen him?”
“I have not yet had the privilege.”
The officer narrowed his eyes and stared at the door. Then he turned away.
“Leave it be.”
“But he’s awake now—shouldn’t we offer our respects?”
“Since even the quartermaster hasn’t been received, let it wait.”
The commander watched the two officers recede through the main gate, his expression unmoved.
Yet deep within his dark pupils, a fierce heat burned and flickered.
‘Swine. Do they not realize the commander hears all?’
Then it came.
Creak.
At the sound of the door opening, the commander spun about as if struck by lightning.
A man poked his head through the gap.
His complexion was pallid, yet his features were so extraordinary they could soften a woman’s heart.
“Want to see me?”

* * *

Yi Hwan fixed his gaze on the man before him.
The man’s name was Song Hoe, bearing a resemblance to that ancient general of Wei—a figure of formidable reputation.
A native of the Huashan Sect, one of the great orthodox schools, he was the sole subordinate trusted by the one who had been this body’s master.
“Water.”
“Of course. Just a moment, please.”
Yi Hwan watched Song Hoe’s retreating figure as he went to fetch water, his eyes growing distant.
‘Annihilation……?’
A day ago, Yi Hwan had awakened from Eternal Sleep.
He had closed his eyes after his Heavenly Lifespan had run its course, yet he had opened them again in a body wholly intact. One thing alone was certain: he had been given a new life in an entirely different age, in an entirely different body.
Anyone facing such circumstances would have been bewildered, and Yi Hwan was no exception.
After the confusion came shock.
The collapse of Daye Fortress—all that had been his world.
That very place, which had been called the Greatest Power of All Ages and which he had once observed the realm alongside, had fallen—and he had learned of it through the memories now residing in this body.
A day of confusion and devastation.
And yet those memories held no trace of why, nor of who had brought it to ruin.
‘What in Heaven did we do wrong to deserve this…….’
And there was one thing more.
The pact obtained by coercing the emperors of three kingdoms had crumbled to dust.
The Martial World sects that had once gathered beneath the banner of Daye Fortress had in this current age become nothing more than hunting dogs of the three kingdoms—implements of slaughter, both killing and killed.
His crowning achievement had been rendered worthless.
“Here you are.”
Yi Hwan wet his throat with the cold water Song Hoe offered.
Clack.
“Do you know why Daye Fortress fell?”
“…… I beg your pardon?”
Song Hoe’s expression clouded with confusion.
For the first time since awakening ten days ago, and the first question he asked was about why Daye Fortress had been destroyed. It was all the more puzzling given that Yi Hwan was someone who had never shown interest in the history of the Martial World.
“I’m asking you a question.”
“That is… something even I do not know, sir.”
“And yet you claim to be of the Huashan Sect?”
“My generation knows only that Daye Fortress was once a power that dominated the realm. The same is true of the elders of my school.”
“Surely among the Martial World sects there must be texts recording the history of the Martial World?”
“To my knowledge, not only my school but no other sect has any record written about Daye Fortress.”
“Fools, all of them.”
……
Song Hoe felt something odd wash over him.
The Yi Hwan standing before him seemed to have become an entirely different person.
‘That fierce gaze and this chilling aura like a blade’s edge—what on earth is this?’
For until now, Yi Hwan had been an endlessly gentle and warm-hearted man. True, he had earned a reputation for weakness born of excessive clemency, but this was different.
Yi Hwan spoke again.
“What of the Imperial Palace? Even if the Martial World has kept no record, might the Palace not possess one?”
“By all accounts, I would imagine the Imperial Treasury holds all the historical texts. Though whether it contains records specifically about Daye Fortress, I cannot say with certainty.”
The Imperial Treasury.
Over the course of a long history, precious treasures discovered throughout the ages had accumulated across generations—the imperial storehouse of wonders.
It was said to house all manner of secret arts and divine weapons, precious medical texts and miraculous elixirs, and lastly, historical records chronicling all the histories of the realm.
Even if nowhere else held such records, the Imperial Treasury might well preserve a history that told the truth of Daye Fortress.
‘Tsk. That place is barred even to the Crown Prince…….’
According to the memories of this body, the Imperial Treasury was a place only the Emperor himself could enter.
It was a forbidden sanctum where even the Crown Prince was denied entry, so there was no possibility that Yi Hwan—merely an illegitimate imperial son—would be granted access.
‘First, I must reclaim my strength, then I can consider my options.’
Clack.
Yi Hwan finished the remaining water and raised another matter.
“When that one took the blade, I’m asking about——”
“Whom…… do you speak of, sir?”
Yi Hwan caught himself and rephrased.
“When I took the blade, did you see it as well?”
“Yes. Two enemies launched a surprise attack. I and the soldiers nearby rushed forward desperately, but…… I am deeply sorry. We should have kept better watch around you…….”
“I’m not asking you to shoulder blame. Just answer my questions properly.”
“Very well. Please ask what you will.”
“When the enemy attacked me, didn’t something like bloodred heat shimmer rise up?”
“Yes, my lord. A shimmering mist rose up, moving like a living serpent, and several of its strands wrapped around your body. Then you collapsed, bleeding.”
‘So it was as I thought.’
Yi Hwan’s gaze grew distant.
This was the third reason that had weighed on his mind the night before.
‘Bloodred heat shimmer rising… that’s unmistakably Soul Severing Qi. The Sword King’s technique. Compared to his, it was barely a fraction of the power, but it was Soul Severing Qi.’
Soul Severing Qi was the secret art of the Sword King, one of the Three Kings who had once been called Yi Hwan’s shadow.
The thought of the Sword King, who had been more loyal than anyone, weighed heavy on his heart for a moment.
‘When I left this world, the Three Kings still stood.’
Whether Daye Fortress fell after the Three Kings passed, or whether they met their end as the fortress fell, he could not recall.
But one thing was certain: someone in the Zhao Kingdom who wielded Soul Severing Qi had tried to kill him.
‘The Sword King’s descendants may exist in Zhao. No—his techniques couldn’t have been stolen by anyone else, so they must be his bloodline. I’ll start by finding him.’
If the Sword King had descendants, they might know something about the fall of Daye Fortress.
Just as Yi Hwan finished gathering his thoughts, a young warrior’s voice drifted in from outside.
“My lord, the military physician has arrived.”
Yi Hwan spoke to Song Hoe.
“Tell him to leave, and you go too. I’m going to rest for a day—don’t let anyone in.”
“General Hwang’s officers came by earlier. The general himself may arrive this evening.”
“Should I concern myself with a general’s moods?”
…….
“Send him away if he comes.”

* * *

The Crown Prince’s Palace in the Imperial Capital of the Yan Kingdom.
He appeared to be in his late twenties.
Against white silk as pure as snow stood a man with sword-straight brows and obsidian eyes that gleamed beneath them—a striking figure indeed.
It was Crown Prince Yi So.
“He’s awake?”
“Yes. He awakened a day ago, we’re told.”
“His condition?”
“Fortunately, his life is not in danger, but we should observe him for a time before drawing conclusions.”
Hmm…….
Yi So’s eyes held an unreadable light.
“That will do. You may leave.”
“Yes.”
Yi So walked to the window and threw it open.
Beyond it, the nested palaces sprawled in solemn grandeur. His gaze fixed on the piercingly blue sky.
‘They said his wounds were severe, yet he endured remarkably well.’
Then a thick voice came from beyond the door.
“Your Highness, General So has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
A commander entered through the door.
Radiating an aura fierce as a tiger, he bowed his head to Yi So and opened his mouth.
“What is it?”
“The Habuk Peng Clan has placed itself under the Second Prince.”
“What?”
Yi So’s eyes turned sharp. The shift transformed his entire presence.
“It appears the Empress has made her move.”
Yi So’s gaze grew heavy.
The Habuk Peng Clan placing itself under the Second Prince was far more than a simple recruitment of a martial sect.
General of the Left Peng Mu-wi.
With the Habuk Peng Clan now under the Second Prince’s command, the General of the Left himself had effectively pledged his allegiance to the Second Prince.
“General Peng and the Peng Clan’s warriors have headed toward the Southern Front.”
“They move swiftly.”
Yi So’s gaze sank deeper still.
“Why send the General of the Left to the Southern Front at this moment?”
“I made inquiries here and there, my lord. On the surface, it appears to be a move against the Zhao Kingdom’s Black Tiger Corps. But that’s merely the pretext—there are rumors that soon the Empress will summon General Hwang back to the Imperial Capital and give command of the Southern Front to the General of the Left instead.”
“You heard this from the general’s household?”
“Yes.”
Yi So pressed his lips together and fell silent for a moment. But the silence did not linger.
“Find out what dealings your brother had with the Peng Clan. If any unlawful transactions are discovered, report them at once.”
“Understood.”
“And send medicine to the Southern Front. Tell the physicians to prepare something with exceptional restorative properties.”
“Has the general awakened?”
“Yes. So it would seem.”
“Understood. I will see to it immediately.”
As the officer departed, Yi So turned his gaze back to the window.
The sky that had been clear moments before was darkening.
‘Darkness is gathering where you are. But darkness can never overcome light—not ever. Endure. Survive. Return when you have built merit and become someone no one dares dismiss. Then I will stand with you.’

* * *

Yi Hwan closed his eyes and placed both hands over his lower dantian.
‘An abandoned prince, yet raised on plenty from childhood. Remarkable.’
Whoosh!
Hot breath flowed past his lips, carrying with it the murky qi from deep within his body.
‘Yet his internal strength remains far too shallow to contain my full power. First, I must use the cultivation method to gather the scattered energy drifting through his body and consolidate it into one.’
Yi Hwan began the Secret Heart Method.
His Internal Energy Cultivation Method was no ordinary practice—it was the extraordinary technique that had once allowed him to ascend to the seat of Absolute Master over all the Martial World, and it possessed miraculous efficacy in advancing one’s cultivation.
After roughly half an hour, Yi Hwan opened his eyes and exhaled slowly.
“Whoosh!”
Flash!
His eyes shone with brilliant light, entirely transformed from moments before. Yet just as quickly, they returned to their natural state.
‘This should be enough. I could survive anywhere in this world now.’
The power that had drifted scattered through the body was considerable when gathered.
Of course, it was still nothing compared to what he had possessed in his previous life, but at least it meant he would no longer fall to common assassins as he had before.
Yi Hwan collapsed onto the bed.
Thoughts came flooding in.
‘Ruin? What in the world have those fools been doing to let it come to this?’
His loyal subordinates came to mind.
Thanks to them—his friends, his family—he had achieved the imperishable legend of unifying the Martial World.
He had believed they would be able to lead Daye Fortress onward even after his death. Yet now: ruin.
Thud-thud.
As emotion surged and his head throbbed, Yi Hwan steadied his breath. Then he called for Song Hoe.
“Come in.”
Song Hoe entered.
Yi Hwan asked without preamble.
“Have you ever heard of the Three Kings?”
“The Three Kings of Daye Fortress, sir?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you ask about the Three Kings…?”
“Are any of their descendants active in this age?”
“To my knowledge, no descendants of the Three Kings have appeared in the past two hundred years.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes, sir. Quite certain.”
Yi Hwan narrowed his brow.
What catastrophe had occurred that everything connected to him had vanished without a trace?
‘Tch. This prince has nothing of value. If he had something—anything—it might have helped in pursuing the one who wielded the Soul Severing Qi.’
The body’s original owner, the Fourth Prince, possessed no power base of his own. The powerful families who might have supported him, the relatives by marriage that every prince dreamed of—none of that was real for this one.
There was only the Dragon-Tiger Army, the unit he commanded, but those were imperial troops, not private forces, so they hardly counted as a true power base.
Suddenly Yi Hwan thought of someone, and his brow furrowed.
‘That pedantic scholar created something quite extraordinary.’
Zhao Kingdom, Jin Kingdom, and Yan Kingdom—the three powers that had divided the world and prolonged their war for so long—maintained their precarious balance.
Yet maintaining that balance required endless conscription to sustain their forces.
It was for this reason that the founder of Yan Kingdom established a law.
All imperial and noble members of illegitimate descent, unless there was compelling reason otherwise, were to be sent to the front lines to set an example for the common people.
Yi Hwan’s presence on the battlefield now was precisely because of this law. Of course, the law was written such that even legitimate sons could be sent to the front when circumstances demanded—but in the world of power, such circumstances rarely came to pass for them.
And the founder who had crafted this law was none other than Yi Jeok, the Emperor of Yan Kingdom, the man who had suffered humiliation at Yi Hwan’s hands on Mount Hua two hundred years ago.
At that time, Yi Jeok’s Yan Kingdom, unlike the other two nations, was freshly founded and rode a wave of momentum that pierced the heavens themselves—yet before Yi Hwan, he was nothing but a corroded blade.
A soft laugh escaped him.
‘Have I become his descendant, then?’
“Why are you smiling?”
Tap.
“I should rest now. You may go.”
“Sleep well.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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