The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 156

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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 Emperor, Episode 156

Chapter 156 — The Road to Palace Entry (1)

The Forbidden Area of the Imperial Palace.
Go-mi and Hwa Ryeong met again. Hwa Ryeong spoke first.
“What did the Grand Prince say?”
“He said to come whenever I wish.”
“Tell him I’m grateful.”
“Has the situation gotten worse?”
“It’s the worst it could be.”
…….
Hwa Ryeong gestured as if pressing both hands against her chest, then continued.
“I’ve been ordered to recruit the Prime Minister. Apparently the old man is a lecherous fool who fancies women with large chests. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
“So what will you do? Will you really follow the order?”
“Have I lost my mind?”
“You’re going to defy the Empress’s command?”
“Of course I am. But I’ll pretend to obey while gathering more intelligence. Besides, thanks to this, I’m free to move about the Manhwa Palace as I please—I can slip away anytime if things look dangerous. And if the Empress wants the Prime Minister, shouldn’t we make a move too? If we can’t turn him, shouldn’t we eliminate him instead? I could handle that if you’d like.”
“We’re already preparing for that, so don’t go off on your own. But listen—the fact that the Empress gave you such an order means she doesn’t trust you, doesn’t it? Maybe it would be better if you stepped back now…….”
Hwa Ryeong laughed softly.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Spare me the wordplay. I’m saying this because I think you might actually be useful to the Grand Prince.”
“Don’t worry. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. In any case, give my thanks to the Grand Prince. That’s all for today.”
Hwa Ryeong turned to leave.
Go-mi watched her receding figure for a long moment.
Then Hwa Ryeong glanced back.
“Let’s have a drink together sometime.”
“We’ll see.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Goodbye.”
Hwa Ryeong slipped out of the Forbidden Area. Go-mi’s eyes narrowed as she watched her disappear into the distance.
But today, at least, Hwa Ryeong seemed pitiful.
The Seduction Scheme is the most shameful thing an ordinary woman can face. For someone like Hwa Ryeong, with her fierce pride, it must be even more so.
‘But why does she seem so bright?’

* * *

The next morning.
Yi Hwan sat across from an envoy of the Jin Kingdom.
Before departing, the envoy had come to pay his respects, and Yi Hwan offered him authentic Dragonwell Tea from the Song Residence.
“Your conversation with the Empress went well?”
“Yes. Thanks to your kindness, I was able to conclude matters safely and prepare for my return.”
Yi Hwan did not ask what they had discussed. It would have been discourteous, and besides, the man would never have answered.
“Fortunately, the war has not escalated further. I sincerely pray for the souls of those warriors who lost their lives on the battlefield, Grand Prince.”
“Thank you.”
For a moment, various pleasantries were exchanged.
Namgung Jang-cheon and Dan Ri-mok, who sat beside them, drank their tea without taking their eyes off Yi Hwan.
They had sensed it before, but today Yi Hwan seemed to loom even larger and more formidable in their perception.
Namgung Jang-cheon, who knew Yi Hwan to some degree, could not help but be struck anew.
‘Only after seeing him several times have I truly grasped how remarkable this man is. If we had faced him back then at the Southern Military Unit…….’
Namgung Jang-cheon shuddered inwardly at the outcome he dared not even imagine.
At that moment, Yi Hwan’s gaze fell upon Namgung Jang-cheon.
“Haven’t we met before?”
……!
Namgung Jang-cheon nearly choked. But he suppressed his alarm and replied calmly.
“Perhaps my face is too ordinary to remember, sir.”
“That face is anything but ordinary.”
…….
‘Could it be…….’
Namgung Jang-cheon’s heart quickened.
But Yi Hwan soon turned to the envoy.
“I trust your journey home will be without incident.”
“Thank you, Grand Prince. Then we shall take our leave now.”
Shortly after, the Jin envoys departed from the Gold Guard Command Center. Yi Hwan saw them out to the main gate.
And how much time had passed? A group of riders came galloping in.
Cheol Mu-ok spoke.
“They appear to be messengers from the Imperial Palace.”
True to his word, they were indeed messengers from the Imperial Palace. They conveyed the Empress’s order that Yi Hwan was to enter the palace in two days’ time for an important conference, then departed.

* * *

Two days later.
Yi Hwan set out for the Imperial Palace accompanied only by Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae. The fair weather of recent days had given way to rain since morning.
Inside the carriage, Yi Hwan sat in lotus position and began his Mental Cultivation. At once the interior filled with scorching heat, and sweat soon drenched his face.
After roughly an hour had passed, Yi Hwan opened his eyes and exhaled slowly.
“Hah……”
His expression was dark.
At some point, progress had ceased entirely. He had searched for what the problem might be, but found no answer whatsoever.
Today was no different.
‘If he had inherited the Blood Demon’s advancement flawlessly……’
He thought of Zhao Yun.
If Zhao Yun had inherited the Blood Demon’s advancement perfectly, the odds were high that Yi Hwan could not stand against him now.
Bump!
Yi Hwan opened the window.
The rain lashed in, cooling his overheated face.
That was when—
“My lord, the Third Prince’s carriage is moving ahead of us.”
At that report, Yi Hwan leaned further out and saw a single carriage and dozens of riders moving toward the Imperial Palace.
It was unmistakably Yi Seong-ji’s carriage, which he had glimpsed at the Imperial Palace before.
“I’ve no taste for such tiresome matters. Don’t follow too closely.”
“Understood.”

* * *

Inside his carriage, Yi Seong-ji played Go with his master, Gong Ya-yun. Despite the swaying vehicle, the stones on the board remained still as thousand-pound boulders.
Gong Ya-yun watched Yi Seong-ji with pained eyes, noting a concentration unlike anything he had shown before.
‘He has become a completely different person since that day his face was scarred.’
Indeed it was so.
From that day onward, Yi Seong-ji’s presence had shifted unmistakably. Where once he had swayed like a willow bending in spring breeze, now he stood barren as a dead tree in the midst of a snow-covered wasteland.
What worried Gong Ya-yun more was that his words had grown sparse, creating a gulf in communication. Even before their game of Go today, he had attempted conversation, but Yi Seong-ji would not engage.
“Your move comes slowly, Master.”
“Ah, yes.”
Gong Ya-yun picked up a stone and placed it on a section of the contested group that was being fiercely hunted.
Click.
“That move hardly befits a master.”
“It is unavoidable if we are to preserve the group.”
At that moment—
“Sire, the Fourth Prince’s carriage is following behind us.”
At the voice coming from outside, Yi Seong-ji set down his stone and opened the window.
Bump!
About a hundred paces back, a single carriage trailed behind. Yi Hwan’s carriage was recognizable at a glance, having been seen once before at the Imperial Palace.
Yi Seong-ji’s brow narrowed slightly.
‘Bringing only two bodyguards.’
Gong Ya-yun observed Yi Hwan’s carriage through the opposite window and spoke.
“The Fourth Prince’s confidence reaches toward the heavens. To venture forth with merely two attendants in such circumstances—”
“There will be others in places unseen.”
“Shall we meet him?”
“No. My brother will not welcome me. We shall meet at the Imperial Palace.”
Click.
Yi Seong-ji closed the window and took his seat.
Gong Ya-yun sat back down as well.
The two resumed their Go game and exchanged not a single word until it was finished.

* * *

Boom!
Crack!
The rain that had seemed like a passing shower grew increasingly violent. Combined with fierce winds, trees began to snap and topple in quick succession.
“If trees and earth start collapsing onto the Official Road, we’ll have a real problem. If we’re late, the Empress will lose her temper.”
“We can only hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae scanned the road ahead intently.
Since the Official Road was a single path, a landslide blocking it would mean missing the appointed time for Palace Entry.
“Still, why are so many of them rushing to the Imperial Palace for such a simple visit?”
“Once you’ve experienced it once, you can’t help but be cautious. I hear the damage to his face was quite severe.”
“It must have been the Second Prince’s doing.”
“Possibly.”
“If it was the Second Prince, do you think the Empress knew beforehand?”
“Who can say?”
“Could you at least try to sound a bit more thoughtful in your answers?”
“I shall.”
Tsk!
That was when it happened.
Rumble!
A distant roar echoed from ahead.
Ju-tae, who had been snorting steam through his nose while glaring at Cheol Mu-ok, widened his eyes.
“What? That’s the sound of a landslide, isn’t it?”
“This is troublesome.”
Rumble!
Crack-crash!
The roaring continued for some time.
“Did the Third Prince make it through safely?”
“We’ll know when we get there.”
Thud-thud-thud!

* * *

“My lord, the road is blocked.”
Yi Hwan, who had dozed off, opened his eyes at Cheol Mu-ok’s voice.
When he opened the window, he saw earth and timber piled before the Official Road like a massive grave. Yi Hwan made his way toward Yi Seong-ji and his party, who had gathered ahead of the debris.
It appeared the landslide had struck just before they could pass through.
“The carriage cannot navigate an alternate path, my lord.”
“Then we walk.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Yi Hwan stepped out of the carriage.
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae descended from the driver’s seat. The three left the carriage on the Official Road and entered the side path.
There was no problem abandoning the carriage.
The Gold Guard flag would ensure that whoever found it would report it to the Gold Guard.
Just then, a warrior from Yi Seong-ji’s party came running over.
“His Highness asks that you travel together with him.”
Yi Hwan did not answer, but fixed his gaze on where Yi Seong-ji stood. The man was looking back at him at that very moment.
“Tell him we’ll see each other at the Imperial Palace.”
“But His Highness wishes for you to accompany him, Grand Prince.”
“Tell him I have some matters to think through, and I’d prefer to travel in silence.”
“Understood.”
The warrior turned and left.
Yi Hwan strode into the forest. Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae followed in his wake.
Whoosh!
Whistle!
The weather was far from ordinary. At the threshold of early spring, he had never witnessed downpour of this intensity.
Yi Hwan pushed through the forest, swaying in the fierce wind, making his way toward the Imperial Palace. Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae followed behind, keeping watch over their surroundings. If assassins were targeting Yi Hwan, weather like this was ideal for them—and a nightmare for him.
How much farther had they traveled?
The ridge ended, giving way to a vast shrubland. The terrain was so barren, and so close to the Imperial Capital, that both farming and hunting were forbidden here—making it virtually untouched wilderness, devoid of any human passage.
“My lord, the Third Prince and his party are climbing up behind us.”
It seemed they, too, had chosen to go on foot.
“Pay them no mind. We continue.”
“Yes.”
Whoosh!
Whirlwinds spiraled up from the shrubland in all directions.
Soil and vegetation surged fifty paces high before scattering across all quarters—a spectacle powerful enough to make one feel the raw force of nature.
Flap! Flap!
The long robes snapped as though they might tear.
The wind was so fierce that without using inner strength, one could barely walk at all.

* * *

Yi Seong-ji stared at Yi Hwan’s retreating figure ahead, his eyes growing cold.
‘Why does he avoid me?’
The answer ended in a bitter smile.
‘Of course. He’s allied with the Crown Prince now, so it’s only natural he’d view me as an enemy. After all, I am the Empress’s son.’
Now Yi Hwan had become, by universal acknowledgment, the Crown Prince’s most formidable ally and strength. That also meant he was a formidable threat to the Empress and Yi Tae-ji.
‘That fragile one has grown quite impressive. But do not think to stand against me. I am not the sort of man this world knows, younger brother.’
A flicker of cold light passed through Yi Seong-ji’s deepening gaze.

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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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