The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 103

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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 Emperor, Chapter 103

Chapter 103 — The Gold Guard’s Metamorphosis

As Yi Hwan made his way toward the Official Residence, others were entering the Marketplace District of the City.
Yu Yeong-gok-ju and his men.
They proceeded directly to a manor on the outskirts of the district. To the casual eye, it appeared unremarkable, but in truth it served as the base of operations for Zhao Kingdom spies working in the Imperial Capital of Yen.
Yu Yeong-gok-ju took a seat across from the man in charge.
“What brings you here without advance notice, Valley Lord?”
“I’ve come seeking someone.”
What manner of person warrants such a dangerous venture?”
“Intelligence reached me that a thief who stole the Crown Prince’s secret funds has entered Yen. I received orders to capture him, which is why I’ve come with all speed.”
Yu Yeong-gok-ju was lying.
This organization belonged to Zhao’s military apparatus, and he could not request its aid for personal purposes. So he had seized upon the Cha Jung-gyeong affair as cover.
“Did he not return to Sichuan? That was my understanding.”
“True. But there was an accomplice — a second conspirator. I’ve come to apprehend him.”
“Ah, I see. Then you’ve brought a Portrait Description with you?”
At this, Yu Yeong-gok-ju’s expression darkened.
“I have no portrait.”
“Then how do you propose to locate him?”
“His martial technique is highly distinctive. The phenomenon it produces is this…….”
Yu Yeong-gok-ju described the characteristics of the Talhon Technique, though he did not mention its name.
When he finished, the man in charge wore an uncertain expression.
“A wanderer employing a technique that produces three-colored light…… I’m not confident we can locate him on that basis alone.”
“Do your best, difficult as it may be.”
“Understood. I will mobilize every available intelligence asset. But I confess I’m puzzled — how did the Crown Prince’s forces suffer defeat against Yen? I heard His Highness commanded the army personally.”
Yu Yeong-gok-ju replied, his voice laden with calculated indignation.
“It was no defeat. Seonam Wang robbed the Crown Prince of his opportunity. Fearing that driving back Yen’s forces and seizing the neutral territory would strengthen His Highness’s position, he issued a withdrawal order under the guise of imperial decree.”
Slap!
The man in charge’s fury erupted.
“Seonam Wang is just the sort to do such a thing. His Highness must be gravely disheartened.”
“He is a man of resilience. He will recover soon enough. And precisely for that reason, the secret funds must be recovered at any cost.”
“Understood.”
A warrior arrived carrying tea.
The man in charge took a sip, then broached another matter.
“Recently, members of Yen’s imperial family and high officials have been assassinated with alarming frequency in the vicinity of the City. For safety’s sake, exercise caution in your movements — suspicion must be avoided.”
“I will.”
“Also, the Great General who commanded Yen’s Southern Military Unit is now in this City.”
Yu Yeong-gok-ju’s eyes flashed with sudden light.
‘So he’s reached here as well. Papa’s mission has clearly failed entirely.’
Yu Yeong-gok-ju hid his true thoughts and asked, “Is he near?”
“Half a double-hour’s walk on foot — not far. But his bodyguards are reportedly quite formidable, so I advise against any hasty attack should you encounter him. Should something happen to you, it could jeopardize us all.”
“I understand. I’ll exercise caution.”
“You must be weary from your journey. Rest this evening. We have two vacant rooms — use whichever you prefer.”
“Thank you.”

‘So that man is here in this City.’
His reason for coming was to find the one who wielded the Talhon Technique. So whether Papa proceeded with killing Yi Hwan or not had seemed immaterial.
But now, hearing that Papa had failed and that Yi Hwan was nearby, his thinking shifted entirely.
‘When I’ve completed my task and return, if I bring back the Great General’s head, I can cast out Papa and establish myself as leader of the Martial Artists. With that, neither Seonam Wang nor the Crown Prince would dare slight me again.’
A thin smile crept across Yu Yeong-gok-ju’s lips.
He felt as though he had been handed an unexpected gift.
‘Find the heir of the Sword King and deliver the head of the Yen Great General who dealt us such grievous wounds? Fortune smiles upon me this year. Hehehehe.’

* * *

Generals began arriving at Yi Hwan’s official residence.
It was his first formal meeting as commander of the Gold Guard. Normally such meetings were held in the Gold Guard Headquarters within the Imperial Palace, but Yi Hwan had summoned the generals here instead.
The assembled generals waited for Yi Hwan to arrive. In the meantime, questions rained down on Vice-Commander Son Young.
“Why hold the meeting here rather than at Gold Guard Headquarters?”
“From now on, all meetings will be held here. Such is the Commander’s will.”
“Does this mean you intend to close the Gold Guard Headquarters within the palace?”
“You’d best ask the Commander directly about that. Even I don’t have that information.”
“Aren’t you the Commander’s second-in-command? Then surely you should know at least that much!”
The outburst hung in the air.
But Son Young answered calmly.
“My apologies. I haven’t been briefed on it yet.”
The generals grew restless. Most of the complaints came from generals loyal to Yi Hwang-ja, whereas those aligned with the Crown Prince Palace chatted among themselves with noticeably lighter spirits.
One general posed a question to another.
“I heard there was an unfortunate incident on the way back from leaving the city. Is the Commander unharmed?”
“Yes. The Commander’s bodyguards proved so formidable that they subdued the threat without difficulty.”
“Are the Commander’s bodyguards martial artists?”
“Yes. Frighteningly strong ones at that.”
Son Young deliberately emphasized the word “frighteningly” for effect.
‘So I trust you gentlemen won’t get out of line before the Commander. Not again.’
Creak.
The door swung open, and Cheol Mu-ok, Ju-tae, and Go-mi entered one after another. Unusually, all three wore armor.
Cheol Mu-ok spoke to the assembled generals in a solemn tone.
“The Commander enters. All stand.”
Clang! Clang!
The generals rose in unison.
Yi Hwan entered next. The generals clasped their fists and bowed their heads. Out of respect for the indoor setting, they dispensed with the military salute.
“You’ve all heard the news, so I’ll dispense with formalities and proceed directly to the matter at hand.”
Yi Hwan continued without pause.
“All Martial Artists assigned to each unit are to report here within two days. Not a single one is to be absent.”
A general spoke up.
“Might I ask the reason?”
“There’s something I need to verify. The details will be communicated to each unit later. And—”
Yi Hwan turned toward Go-mi and continued.
“This person will henceforth oversee all intelligence operations of the Gold Guard. Should she visit your units and request access to intelligence records, all of you are to comply without question.”
The assembly stirred with unease.
Such a measure was unprecedented in Gold Guard history.
“Might I ask the reason for implementing such a measure?”
Yi Hwan fixed his gaze on the general who had asked. Go-mi’s Soul Transmission reached his mind.
[He’s one of Yi Hwang-ja’s men.]
“Must I explain every detail and circumstance?”
In an instant, Yi Hwan’s tone and gaze turned cold. Yet the general did not back down.
“This is simply unprecedented, so I was curious about the objective. I believe we have earned the right to know at least that much.”
“You’re not trying to obstruct me for Yi Hwang-ja’s sake, are you?”
“…I beg your pardon?”
“A jest.”
Yi Hwan’s expression softened at once, and he addressed the gathered generals.
“As you all know, a series of assassinations targeting imperial relatives and high officials has been occurring near the Imperial Capital. Yet despite the efforts of the East Guard, the Gold Robed Guard, and even the Gold Guard itself, we have found neither hide nor hair of the perpetrators, squandering time and manpower all the while.”
Yi Hwan locked eyes with Yi Hwang-ja’s general and posed a question.
“What do you think the reason for that failure is?”
“That would be…”
Caught off guard, the general could not answer. Yi Hwan addressed them all.
“Anyone may speak. Tell me what you think the reason is.”
As the generals exchanged glances with none willing to speak, a young officer seated at the lowest rank stood up.
“Might this lowly officer presume to offer a word?”
“By all means.”
“I believe one cause is the absence of communication between the various agencies. There was an incident some time ago in the Northern District of the City where a former official was assassinated. At that time, the Gold Robed Guard had advance knowledge of the perpetrators’ movements. Yet instead of sharing this with other agencies, they attempted to handle it independently and ultimately let them escape. The problem is that this has happened quite frequently, and it remains unresolved to this day.”
Yi Hwan nodded silently.
It aligned precisely with the gaps Yi Hwan had identified in the Gold Guard. Go-mi’s voice flowed through the Soul Transmission.
[There is a commander named Yu Woo-sung who oversees security in the western region. He’s a typical soldier with an upright disposition, and he is known to lean toward neither the Crown Prince Palace nor Yi Hwang-ja.]
Yi Hwan marveled at this.
‘She investigated even this.’
Yi Hwan fixed his gaze on Yu Woo-sung and posed the question.
“To address exactly such blind spots, I’m thinking the command headquarters should consolidate all intelligence and notify each unit when incidents occur. What are your thoughts on this approach, Commander?”
“I agree.”
Yi Hwan swept his eyes across the other commanders before continuing.
“I haven’t arranged this gathering to seek your approval. My will is thus—you are all to follow my command.”
“With respect, this does not seem a matter for the Great General to decide unilaterally. Please remember that the security of each unit hangs in the balance.”
So it was him again.
Yi Hwan fixed his gaze upon the commander once more.
“You’re talking nonsense. As the head of the Gold Guard, I’m requesting information about my subordinate units—how does that jeopardize unit security? Are you saying your unit doesn’t belong to the Gold Guard?”
“……!”
The commander fell silent in an instant.
Only after hearing Yi Hwan’s rebuttal did he realize his own misstep. But words already spoken cannot be taken back.
“It is my principle that anyone may speak freely before me, so I’ll overlook this for now. But if you resort to sophistry again, I will not be so lenient.”
The commander eventually said nothing more and took his seat.
Yi Hwan immediately issued a warning to all the commanders present.
“From this moment forward, anyone discovered hoarding information not reported to superiors will face punishment, regardless of rank. Keep this in mind.”
The meeting ended shortly after.
As everyone withdrew, Yi Hwan summoned Yu Woo-sung.
“Come here.”
“Yes, Great General.”
Yu Woo-sung sat across from Yi Hwan.
Yi Hwan asked him.
“You oversee security in the western region?”
“I do.”
“Does your unit have someone trustworthy?”
“What do you mean by that…….”
“I’m asking if there is someone capable of leading your unit in your stead.”
The commander’s face shifted slightly. To ask so suddenly about his replacement—it was unsettling.
Though he might have been flustered, Yu Woo-sung answered with composure.
“My deputy commander would be more than capable of leading the unit.”
“Is he here?”
“Yes. He’s waiting outside.”
Yi Hwan turned to look at Go-mi.
Go-mi nodded and went out immediately. Shortly after, she returned with a commander.
Yi Hwan gazed at the commander. His eyes shone with the same clarity as Yu Woo-sung’s.
“From today onward, you will take charge of security in the western region.”
“……Yes?”
The deputy commander’s eyes widened in shock, and Yu Woo-sung’s expression grew heavy. He believed he was being demoted.
Yi Hwan continued, turning to Yu Woo-sung.
“You, Commander Yu, will work with me from today forward. You’ll be handling quite important duties, so I will request the Crown Prince Palace to elevate your rank immediately. A higher rank will prevent other commanders from looking down on you.”
“……!”
“Can you help me?”
“I will follow your command.”
Yu Woo-sung was taken aback.
His deputy commander, meanwhile, had tears welling in his eyes. Yu Woo-sung had just received the promotion every commander dreamed of.
Yu Woo-sung soon recovered his composure and spoke carefully.
“May I ask what the mission entails?”
Yi Hwan took a sip of tea. Then, fixing his gaze on Yu Woo-sung, he answered briefly.
“The metamorphosis of the Gold Guard.”
“…….”
“For now, I intend to cut away the diseased flesh that rots and crumbles. Those who suffer from the political disease of abandoning the military’s true purpose will be my first target.”
Yu Woo-sung’s eyes changed.
He spoke now in a tone entirely different from before.
“You speak in earnest?”
“I do.”
“Within the Gold Guard, there are many commanders with excessive ties not only to Yi Hwang-ja but to the Crown Prince Palace as well. Will you cast them out too?”
It was a bold question. He surely knew that the Crown Prince Palace was behind his appointment.
Yet Yi Hwan was inwardly satisfied.
‘Eyes never lie, do they.’
Yi Hwan answered calmly.
“You worry I’ll be partial because the Crown Prince Palace sent me here? That’s your concern?”
“I beg your pardon, but yes.”
‘With this much nerve,’
Yi Hwan smiled faintly.
“If you think I’m being unfair, you’re welcome to leave whenever you wish.”

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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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