The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 124

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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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Enemy Dragon and Martial Emperor Episode 124

Chapter 124 — The World Frozen Still by Blizzard

Days later, the Blue-Eyed Woman returned.
The Empress studied her with eyes bright with anticipation.
“Did you find him?”
“I regret to inform you that even the generals close to the Fourth Prince knew nothing of Cho Gwang’s whereabouts. I found no witnesses either.”
“What!”
“But there is one place left to search.”
“Where!”
The Blue-Eyed Woman answered quietly.
“What if the Fourth Prince took Cho Gwang to the Northern Military Unit? If you would permit me, I should like to go there myself and investigate.”
“Foolish. The Fourth Prince could never take him to the Northern Military Unit. War is about to break out—why would he bring the man to such a dangerous place!”
“Everyone would think as you do, Your Majesty. Perhaps the Fourth Prince has done precisely the opposite of what all would expect.”
“……!”
The Empress’s eyes shifted.
The woman asked quietly.
“If Cho Gwang is there, what should be done?”
The Empress answered without a moment’s hesitation, her voice cold as steel.
“If he is there as you say, then of course he must die. Besides, Zhao Kingdom’s Southwest King would want nothing more.”
“Then grant me leave.”
“Go. Find Cho Gwang and take his head. And…….”
The Empress’s voice trailed away, but her eyes had grown bright with a faint, murderous gleam. As Yi Hwan’s face surfaced in her mind—that mocking smile directed at her—the gleam deepened.
“If you can dispose of that one as well, all the better.”
“Understood.”

* * *

Whiiiiing!
The blizzard continued until the ultimatum was delivered.
Yi Hwan gazed out through a window crusted thick with frost and murmured calmly.
“A blizzard of this magnitude—we needn’t worry about war for at least several days.”
“Indeed. Even if the blizzard stops today, it will take at least ten more days for the snow to melt.”
At Cheol Mu-ok’s words, Yi Hwan raised the teacup he held to his lips.
Steam rose and fogged his vision white.
“A full-scale engagement would be difficult, but strikes by martial artists are entirely possible. For those assassins who have reached the highest level, such snow might actually prove advantageous.”
Cheol Mu-ok nodded in agreement at Yi Hwan’s words.
A blizzard like this posed no obstacle to top-level assassins whatsoever. Rather, it would aid concealment and ambush.
Ju-tae asked a question.
“What if we move first?”
Yi Hwan shook his head.
“Wait. If we strike first, it might give rise to talk later.”
“But it was Zhao who issued the declaration of war, was it not? Is there truly any need to concern ourselves with justification?”
“Don’t give the Empress an opening.”
“…….”
“That woman will seize upon any pretext we offer and do who knows what with it. So restrain yourselves, no matter how eager you grow.”
Ju-tae scratched his head.
“I hadn’t considered that.”
At that moment, Song Cheon-mu’s voice drifted in from outside.
“General, Go-mi has arrived.”
“Send her in.”
Bang!
Go-mi stepped through the opened door.
The blizzard was so fierce that even across that short distance, snow had piled thickly on her hair.
Yi Hwan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her face.
“Your complexion suggests you didn’t come from the barracks. Did you slip into enemy territory last night?”
“Yes. I’ve just returned.”
Go-mi brushed the accumulated snow from her hair and took her seat. Ju-tae quickly prepared tea.
“The blizzard seems to have kept the enemy from moving their forces. We also confirmed that some of their troops moved south several days ago.”
“Beyond the ten thousand? You’re saying more forces slipped away?”
“Yes. We captured one of them and interrogated him. He said roughly that many more had already departed. However, he didn’t know their destination.”
“Hmm.”
Clink.
Yi Hwan set down his teacup, his gaze darkening.
“Then the military strength on both sides is nearly equal…”
“Numerically speaking, yes.”
Cheol Mu-ok answered in a grave tone.
“We must assume those additional forces likely descended toward the Western Front where the Crown Prince is stationed.”
“We should assume as much.”
Yi Hwan turned to Cheol Mu-ok with orders.
“Go to the General-in-Chief and find out whether the Central Army has sent reinforcements to the Western Front.”
“Understood.”
Cheol Mu-ok left at once.
Yi Hwan brought the teacup back to his lips.
Clink!
Ju-tae spoke.
“The Central Army is under the control of the Empress and Yi Hwang-ja. Isn’t it more likely they won’t send reinforcements to the Western Front?”
“Almost certainly they won’t. The Empress may have already issued orders preventing it.”
“Then shouldn’t we seek another way?”
“There is no other way at present. The snow has made it impossible for other units to send reinforcements at all. Meanwhile, the enemy has already concentrated their forces on the Western Front before the snow accumulated. Right now, we’ve lost all physical means to act.”
Those speaking and listening alike fell into profound silence, their faces darkening. Go-mi’s in particular grew heavier still.
Ju-tae continued.
“Later, the Central Army under Yi Hwang-ja could use the snow as an excuse. They could say they couldn’t send support because of the weather.”
“Precisely. That’s exactly it.”
Yi Hwan rose from his seat.
He threw open the window.
Whoooosh!
The blizzard lashed in fiercely.
‘If Zhao Kingdom’s Southwest King devised this entire operation with the weather in mind, then we are in a position where we can only suffer the blow we see coming.’
Yi Hwan gazed westward.
The vast mountain region had transformed into a world of pure white because of the blizzard. To rescue Yi So, they would have to cross that terrain—but even attempting it was now impossible. The weight of this realization pressed down on Yi Hwan’s chest.
And there was one more thing.
‘If I pull forces from here, the Northern Military Unit becomes vulnerable. The enemy has surely calculated that into their plan as well.’
Knowing this yet having no way to act filled him with mounting rage.
Crack!
The chill radiating from Yi Hwan’s body froze the windowpane, then spiderwebbed it with fractures.
‘So far, we’ve been completely outmaneuvered. Perhaps Cho Gwang engaged an opponent he never had a hope of defeating from the start…’
He had never before faced such a situation. Everything had always flowed as he wished, and he had orchestrated perfect outcomes.
But now there was no move he could make.
‘I must find a way. Somehow.’

* * *

The Western Military Unit.
Crown Prince Yi So sat in his quarters sharing tea with Gwan Ji-baek. The situation was anything but leisurely, yet he had no choice but to feign composure.
The General-in-Chief and the other senior commanders worshipped the Empress as if she were heaven itself, so even in their own camp, he had to proceed as though standing in enemy territory.
Such signs had been present from the very first day.
The General-in-Chief of the Western Military Unit shared only the barest minimum of information with Yi So, withholding anything truly important. Even when Yi So directly requested it, nothing changed.
‘They will pay for this someday. I will see to it.’
As Yi So swallowed his rising fury, Gwan Ji-baek spoke heavily.
“The blizzard will likely keep the enemy immobilized for some time.”
“No doubt.”
Yi So suppressed his anger and sipped his tea.
Clink.
“A few of our scouts have gone out for reconnaissance. Wait a little longer, and we’ll soon have information on the enemy’s movements.”
“What we need to worry about now isn’t the enemy—it’s those here. They’re our own, yet aren’t they far more dangerous than the enemy itself?”
“Don’t be overly concerned. Whatever backing those men have from the Empress, they won’t dare move recklessly when tens of thousands of martial artists are watching.”
“I can only hope it arrives. By the way, has the Northern Military Unit sent a reply?”
“Not yet. It’s possible the dispatch hasn’t reached us because of the blizzard.”
“Yes, that could well be.”
Yi So set down his teacup and walked to the window, pushing it wide open.
Whoosh!
A world dressed in pure white unfurled before him in solemn grandeur. Yet to Yi So, it felt like a prison from which there was no escape.
“I never expected the Empress would play this card…….”
Gwan Ji-baek shook his head.
Yi So’s eyes grew cold and sharp.
“If this war truly stems from a deal with the Zhao Kingdom’s Southwest King, if warriors’ sacrifice has become merely a tool to drive me out and seize the throne, then I shall never forgive it.”
Crack.
His teeth bit into his lip until it turned a bloodless blue.
That was when it happened.
“Your Highness, we have returned from reconnaissance.”
A voice drifted in from outside. Gwan Ji-baek jumped to his feet and opened the door.
Two warriors entered and bowed their heads to Yi So, who turned to face them and asked,
“What have you learned?”
“We examined the enemy’s main encampment. The enemy’s forces appear to number at least one hundred thousand more than reported. The cavalry appears to number at least fifty thousand.”
“What?”
Yi So’s expression shifted.
According to the intelligence he had received since arriving here, the Zhao Military Forces facing the Western Military Unit numbered approximately one hundred fifty thousand. If they had swelled by another one hundred thousand, their numbers would far exceed twice that of his own forces.
And cavalry, the most devastatingly powerful force in large-scale battle, numbering fifty thousand no less.
“The Southwest King has prepared well to capture me.”
Gwan Ji-baek could say nothing. There were no words of comfort he could offer.
That was when it happened.
“Your Highness! A commander named Yong Hyeon has come to see you.”
“Show him in.”
A commander entered.
Early thirties, perhaps. He carried himself with an air of impressive gravitas that evoked images of the legendary general Zhang Fei of ancient Shu Han.
He bowed to Yi So and immediately spoke.
“I have received intelligence that approximately one hundred thousand reinforcements have been added to the Zhao Military Encampment. I felt it necessary for Your Highness to know, and have rushed here to inform you.”
“Did the General-in-Chief order you to tell me?”
“No, he did not.”
“If he learns you’re doing this, he won’t be pleased with you.”
“I am unconcerned with such matters. I serve only as a soldier of the realm, fulfilling my duty to His Majesty and to Your Highness.”
A faint smile touched Yi So’s lips.
It was the first time. Since his arrival, no high-ranking commander had shown him such loyalty.
“I shall never forget your devotion. Now go, before your loyalty is discovered. If you truly wish to serve me, you must conceal your allegiance.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The commander withdrew.
Gwan Ji-baek spoke, a touch of excitement in his voice.
“It is because commanders like him exist that the General-in-Chief cannot act as he pleases. I shall gradually gather more such commanders under your banner.”
Yi So nodded silently and donned his outer robe.
“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”
“Will you dine outside, Your Highness?”
“Today I wish to eat with the warriors.”
“I shall attend you.”
Leaving the barracks, Yi So headed straight toward the western quarter of the encampment. The accumulated snow made it nearly impossible for ordinary men to walk, but Yi So’s stride was unfaltering.
As he emerged, nearly ten elite warriors appeared like ghosts.
Martial artists who had come with Yi So to the Western Front. They closed ranks around him in an impenetrable formation the moment they revealed themselves.
Whoosh!
Snowflakes swiftly blanketed Yi So’s hair white. He walked neither fast nor slow toward the western quarter of the encampment.
Warriors passing by lowered their heads to him, and among them was the commander who had delivered the intelligence.
Shortly after, Yi So stopped before a building from which smoke rose in thick plumes. It was the kitchen that prepared meals for the warriors stationed near the barracks where Yi So stayed.
The encampment was so vast that there were dozens of such places.
Yi So stepped inside.
“Attention!”
The warriors preparing meals all snapped to rigid attention and offered a military salute. Since it was not yet time for distribution, the interior was completely empty.
“Could I have something to eat?”
“Your Highness, how could you ask to dine in such a humble place…….”
“No. From today onward, all meals will be taken here. Do not have them brought to the barracks separately. This is an order from the Crown Prince—obey it.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Yi So claimed a spot in a corner of the hall.
Gwan Ji-baek sat at the same table, while the martial artists arranged themselves on three sides, leaving the wall behind Yi So clear.
Shortly after, soldiers arrived with food.
“Bring the same fare as what the soldiers eat.”
……
Yi So transferred the roasted chicken and meat dishes from the table onto his own plate. The soldiers who had already been served stood bewildered, holding their portions of chicken and meat as they withdrew.
Within moments, more soldiers began filing in.
The soldiers who had entered noisily caught sight of Yi So and hastily performed a military salute.
Thud.
As the salutes continued without pause, Yi So’s expression shifted subtly. Then it dawned on him.
‘I overlooked the fact that my presence here makes things difficult for them.’
He smiled ruefully and turned to Gwan Ji-baek.
“I was shortsighted. Starting tomorrow, it would be better to take meals in the barracks.”

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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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