The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 128

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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 Sovereign, Episode 128

Chapter 128 – The Reason He Showed His Strength

Yi Hwan approached Gwak Chung-mu’s side.
Gwak Chung-mu, who had witnessed Yi Hwan’s true power with his own eyes, could not hide his shock.
“Are you satisfied now?”
“……!”
“From this moment, have the martial artists assigned to me dispersed among the commanders. The generals won’t fight at full strength if they’re intimidated, will they?”
“Are you certain that will be wise?”
“Do I need to show you more to convince you?”
“No. If you command it, I shall obey without question.”
It was the moment Yi Hwan’s intention—deliberately displaying his power before everyone—had struck home.
Shortly after, the martial artists who had been guarding Yi Hwan dispersed to various positions. As they joined the fray, the commanders became far more aggressive in their assaults.
“Hah!”
Yi Hwan exhaled a long breath, then swept his gaze across the field once more, searching for the enemy’s martial artists.
Just then, Gwak Chung-mu’s cry reached his ears.
“My Lord!”
Yi Hwan turned to look at him.
But Gwak Chung-mu suddenly burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha! Thank you for coming to our aid!”
‘Out of nowhere?’
At Gwak Chung-mu’s unexpected display, Yi Hwan gave a wry smile.
“I didn’t come because I wanted to.”
“Even so, I am grateful! Now then, let us finish this once and for all! I shall lead the charge!”
“Very well.”
Gwak Chung-mu charged toward the enemy lines.
The commanders and martial artists surged forward in his wake. Yi Hwan turned his attention to Hwa Ryeong.
She was at that very moment severing an enemy general’s head.
The martial artists surrounding the enemy general rushed at her, but they could not break through her guard and fell spraying blood.
‘Even concealing her true strength, she shows enough skill to warrant a certain arrogance before me—I suppose I should acknowledge that much.’
Hwa Ryeong was formidably strong.
More remarkable still was the way she achieved optimal results with minimal force and movement. It was an extraordinarily refined technique that only a master of Yi Hwan’s caliber could ever perceive.
Just then, Hwa Ryeong’s gaze found his, and their eyes met.
“Give it your all.”
At Yi Hwan’s words, Hwa Ryeong simply smiled.
Yi Hwan soon turned his attention elsewhere.
Aaahhh!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Under the Northern Military Unit’s relentless assault, the enemy began to flee. Those whose escape routes were cut off threw down their weapons and surrendered en masse. The battle was rapidly approaching its end.
‘There is no need for me to step in further.’
Yi Hwan wiped the blood from his blade onto his sleeve.
Click!
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae approached.
Both were drenched in blood from head to foot. Yi Hwan first sought out Go-mi.
She stood directly behind him.
“Are you well?”
“Yes, I am fine.”
Go-mi felt a bitter emptiness. Throughout the battle, she had scarcely engaged in combat. Whenever she moved to strike, Yi Hwan cut down the enemy first, leaving her drawn blade useless.
Ju-tae gestured to his left arm.
“I’ve taken a slight cut!”
“It will heal with food.”
“Ah, yes.”
Yi Hwan looked toward where Gwak Chung-mu stood.
Several enemy generals knelt before him. Scattered pockets of enemy resistance throughout the field were swiftly collapsing toward their end.
It was, truly, an overwhelming victory.
Yi Hwan scooped up a handful of snow and put it in his mouth, muttering to himself.
“A promising start.”
“The way they fell so easily suggests our side achieved complete surprise. They never anticipated an attack like this.”
“Zhao has always been the aggressor. They likely thought nothing would happen unless they made the first move themselves. And the snow has piled up so thick.”
“The Martial Artists from Zhao stationed here were far weaker than expected.”
“Same reasoning. If they’d considered this position important, they’d have stationed stronger fighters here.”
“Their main camp will be different, surely?”
“Of course.”
Yi Hwan climbed toward where Gwak Chung-mu stood.
Gwak Chung-mu and the other generals bowed deeply to him.
“An overwhelming victory, sir!”
“By now the enemy will have dispatched reinforcements from their main position. Wouldn’t it be wise to withdraw?”
“What should we do with the prisoners?”
“Do we have sufficient space in the camp to hold them?”
“Even if we’re short on space, we can make room.”
“There’s no need for that.”
Yi Hwan studied the enemy officers who had surrendered, then shifted his gaze toward where the ordinary soldiers stood.
Roughly a hundred or so?
‘Fear may be a terrible weapon, but mercy is no less powerful.’
Having reconsidered, Yi Hwan turned back to Gwak Chung-mu. “Do we have enough material to construct a tent enclosure for them?”
“Yes, sir. We have sufficient supplies.”
“Then take them with us. We cannot execute those who have surrendered.”
“Understood.”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae exchanged glances, their eyes widening. They had been utterly certain that Yi Hwan would order their deaths.
[Why is he doing that?]
[He must have his reasons.]
Boom-boom-boom!
The drum signaling the retreat sounded.
As they withdrew, Yi Hwan no longer had Martial Artists surrounding him as bodyguards.
Meanwhile, Hwa Ryeong could not tear her eyes from Yi Hwan’s receding figure.
‘In a single battle, the generals—even the Crown Prince—have come to recognize him. This is more dangerous than any martial technique…….’
Hwa Ryeong, who had laughed with amusement at Yi Hwan’s formidable strength, now saw something shift in her gaze. It grew heavy for the first time.
Unease had seized her. The possibility that she might not attain what she wanted.
“Give me something to drink.”
“Here.”
Hwa Ryeong drained the cup her subordinate offered in one gulp. The wind behind her carried the scent forward, and it reached Go-mi’s nose as she moved ahead.
She turned to look at Hwa Ryeong.
Their gazes locked once again.
[Remember: during an operation, only the general is permitted to drink.]
At Go-mi’s icy Sound Transmission, Hwa Ryeong held up both hands in mock innocence, flashing a bright smile.
[I didn’t know. I’ll be more careful from now on.]
Go-mi turned her head away.
The smile vanished from Hwa Ryeong’s lips.
‘Keep acting reckless and I’ll kill you first.’

After a fierce engagement with Zhao’s surprise assault force, the Western Military Unit had pushed its troops to the border itself.
Crown Prince Yi So was there.
Whooooosh!
Though far south of the Northern Military Unit, the Western Front was battered by a vicious snow squall. Yi So stood beside Gwan Ji-baek, gazing toward enemy lines with a darkened expression.
“A single surprise attack shouldn’t be the limit of their assault. Why is it so quiet?”
“Not a single scout we sent out has returned, sir. It appears the enemy may be lying in wait in those mountains.”
Yi So surveyed the vast mountainous expanse, now rendered a pristine white. Once Yen territory, it had been lost to Zhao decades past—and the silence that hung over it now was far too profound.
“Have the other fronts engaged yet?”
“Communications have been severely hampered by the heavy snow. Even command doesn’t have word from the other sectors. And the distance is too great to send a messenger…….”
“I heard the enemy forces facing the Northern Military Unit are among their finest soldiers…….”
Yi So was thinking of Yi Hwan.
His worry had deepened upon hearing that Yi Hwan had taken fewer than fifty attendants with him. His one small comfort was that Gwak Chung-mu, the general commanding the Northern Military Unit, belonged to neither the Empress nor Yi Hwang-ja’s faction.

Of course, that didn’t make Yi So an ally either.
“Do not worry yourself, Your Highness. You are a man of great strength, and there is no hardship you cannot overcome.”
“Hmmm…….”
A long breath escaped Yi So’s lips.
That was when it happened.
Two commanders approached from behind.
“Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“The General-in-Chief and the other senior commanders have reached a decision to launch a counteroffensive. It seems the assault will commence roughly half a day from now.”
“Half a day from now? They mean to launch a surprise attack under cover of night?”
“Yes.”
Yi So could not comprehend it.
No matter how well-trained the soldiers were to endure the bitter cold, an assault under darkness carried immense risk. If the enemy was prepared, even a single miscalculation could lead to irreversible defeat.
“The General-in-Chief is counting on you to lead a unit personally, Your Highness.”
At those words, fire flashed in Gwan Ji-baek’s eyes.
“What? Did the General-in-Chief truly say such a thing?”
“He said that if you were to lead the troops yourself, the morale of the entire unit would be greatly elevated…….”
Gwan Ji-baek turned to Yi So with an angry face.
“Your Highness! This is a trap set by the Empress to endanger you! You must refuse!”
To everyone’s surprise, Yi So remained calm.
“Did the other commanders agree as well?”
“Opinion was divided equally.”
A bitter smile played at Yi So’s lips.
“Then at least half the commanders opposed it. I was afraid they all sided with the Empress, but it seems not everyone has fallen in with her.”
He turned to Gwan Ji-baek.
“Let us meet with the General-in-Chief.”
“There is no need to meet him! Simply refuse, Your Highness!”
“How can I do that? Come, follow me.”
Yi So set off immediately toward the command center, Gwan Ji-baek following close behind with rage flushing his face crimson.
‘So the General-in-Chief and his faction have finally revealed their true intentions.’
In truth, nothing untoward had occurred until now. All the commanders, including the General-in-Chief, had treated Yi So with formal courtesy at the very least, and they had arranged for him to lodge in the safest location. Thus Gwan Ji-baek had allowed himself to relax his vigilance somewhat.
‘Villainous wretches…….’
Shortly after, Yi So entered the command center.
Two commanders rose from their seats and bowed deeply—the General-in-Chief of the Western Military Unit and his deputy.
“So you wish to entrust me with the command of a unit?”
“Forgive us, Your Highness, but the commanders earnestly wish for you to lead the assault personally and raise the morale of the military unit. As General-in-Chief, I had no choice but to respect their wishes, and I beseech you to understand this.”
“Then have you determined the size of the force to be deployed in the counteroffensive?”
“In a surprise operation, mobility is paramount. We have therefore decided upon ten thousand elite soldiers.”
Gwan Ji-baek could contain himself no longer.
“Ten thousand against an enemy numbering two hundred thousand?! General-in-Chief, do you truly believe this makes sense?!”
“Step back, Ji-baek.”
Yi So rebuked him sharply.
Then he turned to the General-in-Chief and spoke with firm resolve.
“Very well. I am a prince of this realm, and if it is for the sake of raising the military’s spirit, there is nothing I cannot do. However, I will take twenty thousand elite soldiers with me. See that they are prepared by the time of the assault.”
“Your Highness!”
“Step back, I said.”
Gwan Ji-baek was trembling with fury, as if he might draw his blade at any moment. Yet Yi So maintained an expression of perfect composure, whatever thoughts occupied his mind.
The General-in-Chief bowed his head.
“I shall obey your will, Your Highness. I will have twenty thousand elite soldiers prepared.”
The General-in-Chief then handed Yi So a map.
“I have drawn the enemy’s defensive positions in detail. The areas marked in red have relatively weak guard posts—use those to advance.”
“I shall keep it in mind.”
Yi So took the map and left the command center.
Gwan Ji-baek followed close beside him, struggling to suppress his emotions.
“How could you accept this when you know it is the Empress’s plot?”
“Someone had to take the field. Today was always going to be that day. Calm yourself.”
“……!”
Yi So’s eyes grew cold and sharp.
“This counteroffensive will not be against the enemy, but against the Empress herself. See that all who came with us are prepared.”
“What do you mean…….”
“I’ll explain as we go. Move quickly.”
“……Yes, understood.”
Gwan Ji-baek rushed ahead first.
Yi So watched his receding figure and clenched his jaw.
‘This will not unfold according to the Empress’s wishes. Not one officer in the Western Military Unit will dare raise their head before me ever again.’
Then it happened.
“Your Highness!”
A general rushed in—the officer responsible for gathering intelligence from each unit.
“A military letter has arrived from the Northern Military Unit.”
“Is that so?”
Yi So immediately unfolded the letter the general handed him. It was from Yi Hwan, and the opening contained nothing but words of greeting and concern.
A smile spread across Yi So’s face.
‘As expected, you’re holding your own. I’ll bear up just as steadfastly as you, brother.’
Yi So tucked the letter into his robes.
Ordinarily he would have burned such correspondence, but this letter he wished to keep close.

That evening,
Yi So led ten thousand elite soldiers into a surprise attack. The faces of the generals who came to see him off—the Crown Prince among them—bore differing expressions.
But most wore the satisfaction of those who had gotten what they wanted.
They were those who backed the Empress and Yi Tae-ji, of course. Meanwhile, most of the generals departing with Yi So favored his cause.
They had long harbored friction with the Crown Prince’s faction. Perhaps for that reason,
the Crown Prince’s face, as he watched Yi So and the warriors depart, bore unmistakable signs of relief.

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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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