The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 149

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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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The Red Dragon Demonic Emperor, Episode 149

Chapter 149 — The Price of Instigation

Manhwa Palace.
The Empress’s gaze upon Hwa Ryeong held no difference from her usual composure, and Hwa Ryeong, who had just explained the full account to her, showed none either.
“If you had trusted me completely, you should not have sent them. The failure was theirs, not mine.”
If anything, Hwa Ryeong challenged her.
No one could have done such a thing before the Empress. But Hwa Ryeong could. She had always behaved this way.
As Hwa Ryeong, who needed to evade the Empress’s suspicion, she acted without the slightest deviation from her usual manner.
The Empress regarded her in silence.
For Hwa Ryeong, it was a suffocating moment.
“Are you hurt?”
It was the Empress’s first words.
“I sustained internal injuries, but I have nearly recovered.”
“It was not that I distrusted you, but that I could not trust the circumstances. If your heart was wounded by this, let it be soothed now.”
“Yes.”
Hwa Ryeong felt relief wash over her inwardly.
Yet even so, her palms were slick with sweat, and she kept her fists clenched without fully opening them.
“He headed straight for the Gold Guard Command Center, then?”
“Yes. Since he will have grasped that you mean to turn on him, he won’t easily enter the palace. The Grand Prince has no refuge but the Gold Guard Command Center until the Crown Prince returns.”
“Ha! And you think he’ll be safe there? Foolish talk.”
The Empress snorted coldly and lifted her teacup to her lips.
‘I’m exhausted to death.’
Clink.
“I will send the imperial physician shortly. Go and rest.”
“Yes. Then I shall take my leave.”
Hwa Ryeong bowed and turned at once.
“Wait.”
The Empress called her back.
Hwa Ryeong suppressed her anxious heart and looked back at the Empress.
Then something flashed through the air toward her.
Hwa Ryeong caught the object deftly.
“A Spirit Pill. It will aid in the advancement of your inner strength. Take it after receiving treatment from the physician.”
If she had thanked her immediately, she would not have been the usual Hwa Ryeong.
“By how much will my inner strength increase?”
“A full decade of cultivation should be readily achievable.”
Smirk.
Hwa Ryeong wore her characteristic smile.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Has your heart found peace now?”
“Quite enough. Then.”
Hwa Ryeong smiled broadly as she left the hall, but the moment she stepped outside, her smile vanished and a bead of sweat fell from her brow.
‘My heart nearly stopped.’
Hwa Ryeong headed straight to her quarters.
Her quarters lay at the edge of Manhwa Palace. As she opened the door and entered, the Female Warriors greeted her.
“Welcome back, Hwa Ryeong!”
“We’re relieved you returned safely, Hwa Ryeong!”
“I’m going to wash. Bring me some water.”
“Yes!”
Hwa Ryeong entered her chamber and stripped off her clothes carelessly. Then she opened the gold box the Empress had given her. Inside lay a single Spirit Pill that gleamed with brilliant radiance.
“A Spirit Pill that increases inner strength? Why all of a sudden?”
Suspicion came first — she had never received such a thing before. Hwa Ryeong examined the Spirit Pill from every angle.
Then a Female Warrior’s voice drifted in from outside.
“The water is ready.”
“Understood.”
Thump.
Hwa Ryeong placed the gold box in a drawer and went out.

* * *

Gold Guard Command Center.
Yu U-seong was the first to greet Yi Hwan upon his return, and before Yi Hwan had even recovered from his journey, Yu U-seong laid bare a startling fact.
“Vice Commander Son Young has fallen during an operation.”
“What?”
Yu U-seong’s account was this:
Vice Commander Son Young, who had led the Gold Guard in Yi Hwan’s absence, had perished while conducting a sweep against the demonic creatures. The Imperial Palace had sent someone to replace him—someone who appeared to be aligned with the Empress.
“They didn’t promote anyone from within the Gold Guard? They sent someone directly from the Palace?”
“Yes. It was decided by the court, so there was nothing we could do about it.”
“Bring them here.”
“They entered the Palace yesterday and haven’t returned yet.”
“So it’s only suspicion that they’re aligned with the Empress, then?”
“Yes, but one thing seems certain. Several people have seen them going in and out of Manhwa Palace.”
Yi Hwan leaned back in his chair, his gaze growing dark.
‘As if waiting for the Vice Commander to fall, they sent their own person. It’s likely the Vice Commander fell to the Empress’s hand, not to demonic creatures at all.’
The thought weighed heavily on him.
Son Young had been one of the few people Yi Hwan truly trusted in the Gold Guard.
Yi Hwan took a sip of tea.
Clink.
“What of other matters?”
“Commanders across all regions have been replaced en masse. The garrison commander has also received orders to return to the western territories—he was set to depart tomorrow.”
This was the moment suspicion became certainty.
So the Empress had taken advantage of his and the Crown Prince’s absence to seize control of the Gold Guard.
‘She must have been certain I was dead.’
Yi Hwan finished the remainder of his tea and fixed Yu U-seong with a steady gaze before speaking.
“You’re to assume the position of Vice Commander, effective immediately.”
“You mean me, sir?”
“What? Don’t you want to?”
“Not at all! It’s only that my transfer has already been decided—”
“Ignore it.”
“Understood! I will do my utmost to serve in place of Commander Son!”
“Send word to all the newly arrived commanders to assemble in the Command Center at once.”
“You’ve only just returned, sir. Shouldn’t you rest?”
“I’m fine. Go now.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yu U-seong left.
Cheol Mu-ok spoke up.
“Shouldn’t we eliminate all the commanders aligned with the Empress?”
“That’s why I called them to assemble.”
Ju-tae asked.
“Shall we kill them all?”
Yi Hwan fixed Ju-tae with a hard stare.
“You really do solve everything the same way, don’t you? Just kill whoever displeases you and be done with it.”
“Isn’t that the fastest and most certain method? You need only give the order, and I’ll—”
“It’s truly incomprehensible.”
“What is, sir?”
“How you inherited the position of Sword King. Even the Sword King himself wasn’t as crude as you.”
“Sir?”
Yi Hwan felt a twinge of regret.
“The Sword King, who was as renowned as the Lord of Dae-ya Fortress, surely wouldn’t have been as reckless as you are.”
“Ah, I see.”
Cheol Mu-ok stepped forward.
“Please forgive him. His temperament has always been a bit… lacking, but it will improve in time.”
“Send word to my sister that I’ll visit her soon. And get some sleep—wake me when the commanders have gathered.”
“Understood.”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae left.
Yi Hwan went directly to his quarters, undressed, and lay down on his bed.
Exhaustion washed over him.
But sleep would not come. Seo Nam Wang lingered in his thoughts, refusing to fade.
‘To stand against the Blood Demon’s influence that has swallowed an entire kingdom, I too must build my power. For that, should I first drive out the old fox?’
Yi Hwan drifted into sleep amidst such scattered musings.

* * *

“Grand Prince.”
At Cheol Mu-ok’s voice, Yi Hwan opened his eyes.
“The commanders have all assembled.”
“Tell them to wait.”
“Understood.”
Yi Hwan dressed and stepped into the courtyard.
As he washed his face, something padded softly toward him from behind.
“Meow.”
It was a cat with fur white as snow.
‘Where did this cat come from?’
It was not a cat from before.
Yi Hwan bent down to look at the cat.
“What are you?”
Ordinary cats do not approach people, yet this one pressed its face against Yi Hwan’s leg with its tail held high.
Purr, purr…….
“A curious creature.”
Yi Hwan lifted the cat into his arms.
In truth, two hundred years ago he had once kept a cat. Looking at it now, this one seemed to be the spitting image of that cat from long ago.
“Could you have been reborn as well?”
Purr, purr…….
“What am I thinking now?”

* * *

The commanders gathered in the Command Center.
As Yi Hwan was slow to appear, they grew restless. One commander turned to Yu U-seong and spoke.
“Shouldn’t you go in and inform him?”
“He will be out shortly.”
Half a double-hour has already passed. Summon busy men and then what—do nothing? Tsk, tsk.”
“The Grand Prince has no injuries, I trust?”
“He is in excellent health.”
“A pity.”
“Mind your tongue.”
Perhaps it was Yu U-seong’s overly calm demeanor that rankled, for the commander was about to say something sharp when—
Click.
The door opened and Yi Hwan stepped out, a white cat cradled in his arms.
All rose from their seats and bowed.
Yi Hwan surveyed the commanders with measured deliberation before taking his place. The commanders sat as well.
“Vice Commander.”
“Yes, Grand Prince.”
“Shall we review the personal records of these men first?”
“I have them here.”
Yu U-seong placed a prepared ledger on the table.
One commander spoke to Yi Hwan as he unfolded the roster, his tone confident.
“General Yu is not Vice Commander, Grand Prince.”
“Ah, I appointed him to the position today.”
“The Vice Commander is a general appointed by the court, a separate position. Did General Yu not mention this to the Grand Prince beforehand?”
“I did mention it.”
Snap.
Yi Hwan struck the table lightly.
“Quiet.”
Yi Hwan directed an order to Ju-tae.
“Lock the door.”
“Already done.”
The generals exchanged glances, eyes widening. Yi Hwan continued.
“From this moment on, if anyone raises their voice or I judge them to be disrespectful, I’ll handle it my way. Let that sink in.”
His tone and manner had shifted so completely that the generals finally grasped that something had gone terribly wrong.
Then one of them stepped forward.
“Grand Prince! We are generals appointed by the Imperial Palace! Show us at least the courtesy due our station!”
“Mu-ok.”
Cheol Mu-ok seized the general by the throat.
Crack!
“Drag him out quietly.”
As Cheol Mu-ok hauled the general away like a dog, the other officers turned pale.
“Since it seems you don’t yet understand who I am, let me make one thing clear: if you trust the Empress and act up, I’m the sort of man who can fabricate charges to take your head. If you doubt me, feel free to test it.”
“……!”
“Sit quietly until I’ve finished reading this.”
The room fell silent as a tomb.
Yi Hwan read through the documents Yu U-seong had handed him with deliberate calm. Watching him, Yu U-seong felt a decade-old knot of tension finally dissolve.
‘Serves them right, you wretches.’
After a moment, Yi Hwan looked up and tilted his head toward the assembled generals. “Who is General Yeom Hong-bo?”
“I am, sir.”
One of the generals answered.

Thin lips, narrowed eyes cut like slits—the very picture of a schemer.
“According to this report, you led the launch of the Purification Movement. What exactly is this campaign?”
“It is a reform initiative—a form of self-cleansing—aimed at eliminating the corruption and misconduct that have infected the Gold Guard and rebuilding it as an organization renewed in purpose.”
“Noble words.”
“I’m grateful for your favor, Grand Prince.”
“Yet the report notes that since launching this Purification Movement, incidents undermining organizational cohesion have proliferated.”
Yi Hwan turned to Yu U-seong. “Explain.”
“Sir.”
Yu U-seong began carefully. “Warriors have begun work stoppages demanding higher pay with increasing frequency. The previous Vice Commander attempted to persuade them by citing budget constraints, but to no avail. Several units in the eastern sector remain on strike even now, and the unrest spreads rapidly to other commands. As for what befell the previous Vice Commander—he went in person to deal with demon beasts after the officers and soldiers in his district refused to mobilize, and……”
“Who was responsible for that sector?”
“General Yeom Hong-bo.”
Yi Hwan’s gaze fixed on Yeom Hong-bo again. Despite the sharp, icy atmosphere, Yeom Hong-bo did not look away.
“Did you examine the Gold Guard’s financial condition before making these demands?”
“That is not a matter for my concern.”
“If you’re going to demand a pay increase, shouldn’t you at least understand the financial situation first? Or not?”
Yi Hwan’s tone and eyes hardened again.
“Regardless of financial circumstances, the warriors have the right to demand and advocate for better treatment. Therefore, I remained true to principle.”
Yeom Hong-bo’s answer was resolute.
Yi Hwan leaned back in his chair, settling into silence for a moment before he spoke again.
“Are you aware that Gold Guard warriors and front-line soldiers receive equal pay? The same applies to those who fought against Zhao Kingdom in this war.”
“I am Gold Guard. I serve only the Gold Guard’s interests. Should I ever be reassigned to the front lines, I would then dedicate myself wholly to those soldiers’ welfare.”
“Is that so?”
Yi Hwan took a sip of water, then locked eyes with Yu U-seong as he spoke.
“Issue orders for all those who participated in the strike to gather at the Command Center within three days. Anyone who is late or absent will be marked as a deserter.”
“Understood, sir.”
“General Yeom will remain at the Command Center until then.”
“I have pressing administrative duties that would make that difficult.”
“Does it sound like I’m asking?”
“……”
Tap.
“The generals assembled here today will reconvene in this place three days hence at the same hour. Dismissed.”

* * *

Cheol Mu-ok asked quietly, “Do you believe he harbors treacherous intentions, sir?”
“This is the Empress’s scheme to fracture the Gold Guard’s unity. Agitation always seeks the weakest point, and in this case, soldiers’ meager pay was exactly that. He found the crack and exploited it well.”
“So if the unity crumbles and problems arise, she means to place the blame on you.”
“It’s a contingency for my having come back alive.”
Yi Hwan tilted his head back and continued, “She cannot allow the Gold Guard to remain loyal to me.”

“Even if that weren’t the case, timing matters. No matter how righteous the cause, you cannot possibly condone such actions while Zhao Kingdom wages war against us, and demonic beasts rampage near the Imperial Capital itself.”
“What will you do when they all gather in four days’ time?”
“Send every last one of them to the Northern Military Unit so they can learn just how safe and comfortable their lives have been. It’s fortunate, really—we’ll have mountains of post-war business to handle anyway.”
“But is it not forbidden by law to deploy the Gold Guard to a military camp?”
“A temporary dispatch for educational purposes raises no legal issues whatsoever. Call it a kind of spiritual reeducation.”
“Ah, there is such a method, then.”
Cheol Mu-ok smiled broadly.
Ju-tae, however, was not one to sit idle.
“It is unfortunate. They should have been sent while the war was still raging.”

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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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