The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 122

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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 122

Chapter 122 – The War Has Already Begun

A few days later.
Yi Hwan’s party, having climbed to within a day’s journey of the Northern Military Unit, entered the marketplace district of a city.
Though modest in size, the marketplace’s splendor—lined with inns end to end—was second to none among ordinary cities.
Yi Hwan rented the entire top floor of an inn.
Wanting to give everyone a proper rest and meal for once, he ordered lavishly of the most expensive dishes and spirits.
After a brief interval, as the main course began in earnest and an hour or so had passed, two armored generals entered the inn.
All eyes turned to them.
“Are you by chance the Prince of the Martial Spirit who came from the Imperial Capital?”
The title “Prince of the Martial Spirit” had been bestowed upon Yi Hwan by the Emperor at his birth. In those days, the Emperor had cherished Yi Hwan’s biological mother dearly.
“I am. But where have you come from?”
Cheol Mu-ok inquired in turn.
The two generals stood at attention and offered a military salute to Yi Hwan.
“Salute!”
Yi Hwan set down his chopsticks and regarded the two generals calmly.
“You’ve come from the Northern Military Unit?”
“Yes, sir! We have been waiting for your arrival under the orders of the General-in-Chief!”
“Then sit.”
“That is not necessary! We shall return once you have finished your meal!”
“It is fine—just sit.”
“…Yes, sir!”
As Song Cheon-mu brought two chairs from a nearby table, the generals took their seats.
“You cannot have spirits, but do eat something.”
When Yi Hwan personally offered them chopsticks, the generals could not refuse and extended both hands to accept.
“There is no need for formality before me—eat freely and have a cup of wine as well.”
“Thank you!”
“Thank you, Prince!”
Yi Hwan set down his chopsticks and brought a wine cup to his lips. Go-mi refilled his empty cup.
Glug-glug.
Yi Hwan deliberately refrained from speaking so the generals could eat properly. Only after some time had passed did he ask what was on his mind.
“How fare the movements of Zhao Kingdom’s forces?”
“The troops that were stationed there have recently doubled in number. We have also received intelligence that numerous Martial Artists have joined their ranks.”
“How does that compare to the Northern Military Unit?”
“In terms of sheer force size, they number slightly more than twice our own.”
“The General-in-Chief must be greatly concerned.”
“Not at all! The General-in-Chief and all the commanders under him possess the confidence that they could repel even ten times the enemy forces!”
“It is fine—lower your voice a little.”
“…Yes, sir.”
The two generals were as rigidly disciplined as raw recruits. Yet neither was of low rank.
From this alone, Yi Hwan could discern the quality of the Northern Military Unit’s discipline.
‘So Gwak Chung-mu, the General-in-Chief of the Northern Military Unit, truly is a soldier through and through—the discipline is impeccable.’
Gwak Chung-mu held renown as one of Yen Kingdom’s fiercest and most capable commanders, with a reputation as a brilliant tactician. There had once been rumors he would ascend to Grand Commandant, but for some reason he had remained with the Northern Military Unit ever since.
From the bearing of these two generals alone, one could well imagine what the Northern Military Unit under his command was like.
One of the generals ventured to ask carefully.
“When will the remaining forces arrive?”
“This is all of them.”
“…Pardon?”
“You thought I would come with a grand procession, then.”
“We had assumed at least two hundred or more would arrive, and prepared the barracks accordingly.”
“Think of us as one against a hundred.”
“Understood, sir!”
“Finish your meal. I must go up and rest first.”
“I shall also retire upstairs to rest.”
Jo Gwang and Papa rose as well.
Both had disguised themselves completely—their clothing and faces were utterly transformed. Should it be revealed that Jo Gwang was traveling with Yi Hwan, the Southwest King of Zhao Kingdom might dispatch an army to the Northern Military Unit; maintaining secrecy was paramount.
“Get some proper rest.”
“You as well, General.”
Yi Hwan stepped into his chamber.
He removed his outer robe and threw open the window. Snow was falling steadily, and the air bit cold against his skin.
‘Snow already. The north lives up to its reputation.’
After watching the flakes drift down for a moment, Yi Hwan’s gaze turned westward—not north.
If you traveled southwest from here far enough, you’d reach the Western Military Unit where Yi So had been assigned.
‘If the Empress made a deal with the Western King, she’d likely send her strongest forces to wherever Yi So is posted. But what truly troubles me is the assassins—the ones the Empress and Yi Tae-ji might send.’
Yi Hwan found himself thinking of Yi So.
He would arrange martial artists for Yi So’s protection, of course, but a battlefield was a place where anything could happen at any moment. The worry was impossible to shake.
‘Have I grown fond of him? Or is it instinct at work?’
Either way, thoughts of Yi So weighed on his heart.
He hadn’t even managed to see Yi So before departing the Imperial Capital.
‘He’ll endure. He has to.’
Whiiing!
Wind-scattered snowflakes brushed his face, melting with the chill. The touch of the snow jolted him from his thoughts.
Then the window of the adjacent chamber opened.
Creak!
Jo Gwang poked his head out.
Yi Hwan’s gaze fixed on him, and Jo Gwang spoke.
“Are you afraid?”
“Of war?”
Jo Gwang nodded silently. Yi Hwan offered a faint smile and continued.
“War doesn’t frighten me. What terrifies me is the thought of those I care for coming to harm.”
Jo Gwang hesitated for a moment, then broke his silence.
“Why have you been concealing your true strength? With abilities like yours, you could have secured a position as high as Guard Commander long ago, or so it seems.”
“There are circumstances I cannot disclose.”
Yi Hwan answered calmly, then posed his own question.
“I’ve heard that even in Zhao Kingdom, rumors spread of me being a puppet general. Has the Crown Prince heard tales as well?”
“There were rumors far worse than that.”
Heh.
Yi Hwan let out a quiet laugh.
When he’d first captured Cha Jung-gyeong, he’d picked up snatches of those rumors by chance.
“Can you watch me and the Northern Military Unit slaughter Zhao’s martial artists and still hold yourself together?”
“It won’t be easy, but what choice do I have? I’ll simply have to try.”
Yi Hwan had already understood that Jo Gwang was an honest man. That realization was slowly warming into something like respect.
“When you have the chance, practice imagining worst-case scenarios in your mind and rehearsing how to respond. One slip against Zhao’s martial artists could cost you your life.”
“Understood.”
“Then I’ll see you in the morning.”
Snap!
Yi Hwan closed the window and collapsed onto his bed.
Moments later, Jo Gwang closed his own window.
Snap!

* * *

The next morning.
Yi Hwan and his company set out for the Northern Military Unit, escorted by the two generals.
Snow had accumulated overnight, though fortunately not enough to impede the movement of the horses.
Song Cheon-mu, riding at the rear, took in the landscape of the north—starkly different from anywhere he’d known—while struggling to calm his racing heart.
‘I will not become a disgrace.’
He recalled Song Cheon-ho and Yi Young, who had sighed with worry for him the day before he left, and drew a quiet breath.
‘Have no fear. I will do everything in my power to aid the General. And I swear I will return alive to your side.’
Whiiing!
The wind grew stronger. Snow swirled with it. Within an hour, a full blizzard had set in, turning the world white and featureless.
The two generals leading the way looked back and called out.
“Don’t worry—the snow will stop soon!”
Ju-tae muttered under his breath.
“This doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon.”
The general chuckled.
“It should let up in about half an hour. The weather here is rather temperamental.”
The officer’s words proved eerily accurate. True enough, after roughly half an hour had passed, the snow simply ceased as if it had never fallen, and the sun broke through the clouds.
Ju-tae clicked his tongue.
“Like some moody girl throwing a tantrum.”
Jab!
Cheol Mu-ok drove an elbow into Ju-tae’s ribs.
[Go-mi’s right behind you.]
[……!]
Ju-tae, who’d just felt an odd prickling at the back of his neck, laughed sheepishly.
Their pace of travel was painfully slow.
In conditions like these, horses tired far more quickly than usual. Once exhausted, they required time to recover, so careful management of their stamina was essential.
“We rest here.”
Yi Hwan issued the order and drew water to drink.
Jo Gwang and Papa took positions at his side. Ever since departing the Imperial Capital, Jo Gwang had remained constantly at Yi Hwan’s flank.
Yi Hwan fixed his gaze on Papa.
[Don’t tense up more than the Crown Prince himself. Remember—Papa is the only one who can protect him. Keep your body and mind at peak condition at all times.]
[I will remember it.]
Papa had no reason to fear the coming war. What gripped him was something else: the assassins who might strike at Jo Gwang from any shadow, any moment. From the Imperial Capital to here, he had not once allowed the tension in his mind to slacken.
Yi Hwan had marked that burden.
Papa’s heart clenched.
‘Thank you, my lord.’
Meanwhile, the others busied themselves clearing accumulated snow from the forest so the horses could graze on the grass beneath.
Whoooosh!
Swish!
A scene unfolded as wind-driven snow swirled upward like mist.
Ju-tae let out a gasp of wonder.
“Beautiful. This place has its own charm.”
“Marveling at this, after wandering across the realm?”
“Snow is like that. You see it every year, yet every time your heart quickens.”
As Ju-tae’s eyes grew misty and distant, Cheol Mu-ok’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Remembering your first love, are you?”
“Does it look that way?”
A soft chuckle.
Ju-tae smiled enigmatically and said nothing more. Sensing there was a story to tell, Cheol Mu-ok refrained from pressing further. Meanwhile, the two officers from the Northern Military Unit kept their eyes on Yi Hwan’s calm profile, exchanging Soul Transmission.
[He shows no signs of tension whatsoever.]
[He’s the man who led the Southern Military Unit and routed the great armies of Zhao Kingdom. Put aside those idle rumors of the past.]
[This is the first time I’ve laid eyes on him in person, so it feels unreal. Still, the General-in-Chief seemed deeply concerned. Fearful that some misfortune might befall His Highness, he hoped His Highness would bring many Martial Artists with him. Yet here we are with barely this handful of people…….]
[Let us trust in what His Highness said—that he stands as One Against Hundred.]
It was then.
From beyond the forest, a warrior of the Sword King Il-maek descended like wind and brought word to Yi Hwan.
“Suspicious figures have appeared ahead.”
Yi Hwan turned to the two officers and asked.
“Have our reconnaissance patrols ventured this far south?”
“No, sir. This area lies south of the unit’s line and remains unpatrolled. We’ll send officers ahead to investigate.”
The two officers sprang to their feet.
Yi Hwan gave orders to Ju-tae and Cheol Mu-ok.
“Go with them.”
“Yes.”
The two officers, Ju-tae, Cheol Mu-ok, and the warrior from the Sword King Il-maek plunged swiftly into the forest.

* * *

Ten men.
They were moving along the mountainside from west to northeast.
One of the officers spoke to Ju-tae.
“Our forces would never descend from that direction. These must be Zhao men.”
“If they’re from Zhao, they’ve already crossed the border and begun reconnaissance operations.”
“The terrain here is treacherous enough that small groups can move virtually undetected. That’s why our own forces conduct reconnaissance in similar small units.”
Ju-tae nodded silently, then turned to Cheol Mu-ok.
“We kill them?”
“That’s the way.”
Cheol Mu-ok rose to his feet and addressed the generals.
“Hold your position here.”
“We’ll go with you.”
“No. Wait here, and if anyone tries to flee in this direction, I’ll leave the finishing blow to you.”
“……Understood. Be careful.”
“No need for caution. You stay with these men.”
“Yes.”
Whoosh!
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae bolted into the forest.
The two generals repositioned themselves where they could see the mountainside clearly, while the warrior from the Sword King Il-maek stood guard at their side.
“Will those two be enough? These men could be Martial Artists from the Zhao Kingdom.”
“True enough.”
One general glanced back at the Sword King Il-maek’s warrior. His expression soon turned bewildered.
The warrior was gazing elsewhere. Following his line of sight, the general spotted two rabbits playing in a clearing at the forest’s edge. The warrior was smiling as he watched them.
‘What is this? He doesn’t look concerned at all.’
“They’re beginning.”
At one general’s words, the other general and the Sword King Il-maek’s warrior drew near.
Ju-tae and Cheol Mu-ok had just launched their assault.

* * *

Whoosh!
Hiss……
From beyond the forest where snow swirled viciously, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae emerged.
The faces of the two generals watching them mingled astonishment with admiration.
They had witnessed everything from start to finish.
The time it took Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae to kill those suspected of being enemy scouts had been scarcely more than an instant. It was slaughter—butchery.
What was more astonishing was that they had brought one back alive.
“Take him away.”
“Yes!”
Cheol Mu-ok, having handed the captive to the Sword King Il-maek’s warrior, turned to the two generals.
“Let’s head back.”
“Are you two……all right?”
“It’s not my blood—don’t worry yourself.”
“……Yes!”

* * *

Yi Hwan regarded the man moaning in agony, blood pouring from him, with cool indifference.
From the severed stump where his arm had been wrenched away, blood streamed relentlessly, staining everything around him crimson.
“Ju-tae.”
“Yes.”
“Drag him into the forest and extract information from him. If he cooperates, kill him without pain.”
“Understood.”
Ju-tae dragged the captive into the forest. Not long after, he returned alone.
“He was of low rank—nothing worth salvaging from him.”
Yi Hwan rose without expression, brushing off his clothes.
“We move on.”

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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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