The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 163

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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 Empress, Episode 163

Chapter 163 — Disappearance

Whoosh!
The moment they crossed into Zhao Kingdom territory, rain began to fall. Yi Hwan and his companions sought shelter in a deserted shrine to escape the downpour.
Patter, patter.
Everyone settled into rest, drawing warmth from the crackling campfire.
After days of unbroken travel, exhaustion had claimed them all equally. Perhaps that was why.
Hwa Ryeong and Bi-wol’s female warrior had fallen asleep in one corner of the shrine, while Go-mi drew on Yi Hwan’s inner method to shake off her fatigue. Cheol Mu-ok, Ju-tae, and Papa, by contrast, remained alert and vigorous.
Yi Hwan sat with his back against the wall, eyes closed. Ju-tae let out a low chuckle.
“Can’t get used to it.”
“Used to what?”
“That face.”
As Ju-tae tilted his chin toward Hwa Ryeong’s freckled features, Cheol Mu-ok joined in the muffled laugh.
“Not drawing attention is good, though.”
“Yeah, but the more I look, the more I want to laugh.”
…….
A moment of silence fell before both men burst into laughter simultaneously.
They then turned their gaze to Papa. She was carefully roasting something over the campfire, a large chunk of meat suspended on a stick.
Disguised in a face mask, Papa’s presence appeared utterly ordinary—that of a middle-aged woman.
Ju-tae spoke up.
“How does it feel to be heading back to your homeland?”
“This humble servant’s homeland is at Your Highness’s side.”
Papa answered calmly, then drew a short sword and began scraping away the charred parts of the meat before cutting it into neat portions.
She sprinkled salt over the pieces and looked toward Yi Hwan.
“The meat is ready, Grand Prince.”
Yi Hwan opened his eyes.
Papa then produced a flask of wine from her robes.
“Was this prepared for me?”
“His Highness instructed me to present it to you, Grand Prince.”
Yi Hwan sat up properly and tossed a piece of meat into his mouth. The flavor was quite good, however it had been prepared. At that moment, Hwa Ryeong’s eyes opened.
“Meat.”
“Come sit here.”
“Is there enough for me too?”
“We’ll share, piece by piece.”
Delighted!
The female warrior stirred awake as well, and everyone partook of the meat, one portion each.
Yi Hwan turned to Papa.
“How many days remain until we reach the Imperial Capital?”
“At a brisk pace, we should arrive in three or four days.”
Yi Hwan nodded thoughtfully, took a sip of wine, then looked toward Bi-wol’s female warrior.
“May I see the face masks?”
“Of course, Grand Prince.”
The warrior retrieved four face masks. Yi Hwan picked one up and examined it.
“From today onward, we vanish without a trace from the eyes of Seo Nam Wang and the Empress.”
“Is this the disappearance you mentioned before?”
“Precisely. When we vanish, the Empress will believe Seo Nam Wang destroyed us, and Seo Nam Wang will believe the Empress did. Either way, should we fail to appear at the Martial Arts Tournament, Zhao Kingdom will not press the matter.”
“I see…….”
“So that was the meaning behind the disappearance you spoke of.”
Go-mi asked a question.
“Won’t they expose us the moment those two meet?”
“Men who dream of the throne don’t ask such questions. No matter how rotten their insides, their exteriors must remain spotless.”
“Then what are we to do?”
“Gather intelligence by any means available. In particular, Yue Zhou, map out the Imperial Capital and nearby cities with perfect accuracy. Hwa Ryeong will assist you.”
“I will.”
“Understood.”
Hwa Ryeong turned to Go-mi with a bright smile. Normally, Go-mi would have averted her gaze, but today she wore an awkward expression.
Yi Hwan turned to Papa.
“Papa, there’s somewhere you and I need to go first.”
“Yes, Grand Prince.”
“Everyone, pay careful attention to how you address me from today on.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
Ju-tae asked eagerly.
“Do we move right away?”
“When the rain stops.”
“……Yes.”
The rain still fell with a savage fury.
Shhhhhh.

* * *

Seo Nam Wang Zhao Yun’s face darkened with rage.
“With all those troops deployed, and you haven’t even found a trace of them!”
“Because it’s a single person who moves so unpredictably and mysteriously…….”
“Silence!”
“…….”
Crack.
The tea cup shattered in Zhao Yun’s grip. Normally, he never allowed himself to appear so agitated—what had provoked such a display?
The reason lay in a series of brutal murders that had unfolded over several days. Among them, Hei Long Fang Zhu, slain mercilessly in his own residence, was someone who had been providing Zhao Yun with considerable financial support.
For Zhao Yun, who desperately needed those funds, it was a devastating blow.
“Those who would obstruct me before the great convention—it must be their handiwork. Whatever it takes, we must root them out entirely! Do you understand!”
“Yes!”
“What are you doing standing around! Get out there and find the murderer!”
“Yes!”
Those who had been in the hall hurried out. But one person remained.
He spoke quietly.
“We should strengthen security around the convention grounds. If an incident occurs where delegates from every kingdom are gathered, the consequences could be severe.”
“This must be the work of those who follow Jo Gwang?”
“That seems likely.”
We have some time yet, so postpone the security enhancements for now and commit all forces to finding them. Given the gravity of the situation, send our most skilled masters as well.”
“Understood.”
The middle-aged man left.
Alone, Zhao Yun sank deep into his seat and let his gaze grow cold.
‘Perhaps this is fortunate. This is my chance to root out Jo Gwang and all his followers—to eliminate them completely.’
That was when the middle-aged man returned. But he was not alone.
“Come, make your report.”
“Yes.”
A warrior bowed before Zhao Yun and opened his mouth.
“After examining the bodies, we found that all of them died from poison. In particular, Hei Long Fang Zhu—his head dissolved and vanished entirely.”
“Did you say poison?”
“Yes.”
Both Zhao Yun and the middle-aged man looked genuinely startled.
A head melted away to nothing. Neither had ever heard of a poison capable of such a thing.
In that instant, Zhao Yun’s eyes changed.
‘Could it be… could the Heir of the Poison King have appeared?’
Shiver.
A chill ran through his entire body.
The Heir of the Poison King—still shrouded in mystery, yet to Zhao Yun, a far more fearsome and dreadful presence than any tangible enemy.
Of course, he himself had attained the realm of Ten Thousand Poisons Invulnerability, so there should be nothing to fear in facing the Heir of the Poison King.
But.
‘If they were to deliberately rush into the convention grounds…….’
It was inevitable that an unimaginable tragedy would unfold.
And that would mean his carefully laid plans to win the people’s hearts and strengthen his position would come to nothing.
The middle-aged man spoke in a grave tone.
“For someone to suddenly appear wielding poison—I have an ill feeling about this. Until now, there has been no martial artist in Zhao Kingdom who uses poison arts.”
“Are there no martial artists wielding poison arts in Yen or Jin?”
“In the past thirty years, no martial artist using poison has appeared in either of those kingdoms. That being said, I believe it wise to prepare ourselves under the assumption that this might be the Heir of the Poison King. If the heirs of the Sword King and Blade King have emerged, what prevents the Heir of the Poison King from doing the same?”
At this, Zhao Yun thought of Yi Hwan.
“Yi Hwan—have you been watching him closely?”
“Yes. I’ve assigned several men skilled in concealment to track him. I was planning to report back soon, but he crossed into our territory a day ago.”
“You said a day ago?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Zhao Yun’s eyes flickered with calculation.
-The poisoning incident happened two days ago. If the culprit truly is the Heir of the Poison King, then Yi Hwan has nothing to do with it. The timeline doesn’t match.
-No, wait. They might have sent the Heir of the Poison King first to sabotage the Martial Arts Tournament.
-But someone using poison doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the Heir of the Poison King. Am I overreacting?
A tension pulled tight across his mind.
His thoughts tangled like knotted thread, so Zhao Yun drank down a bowl of cold water in one gulp.
He set it down hard.
“If necessary, I’ll handle this myself and root out the threat. Whether or not they’re the Heir of the Poison King, anyone who uses poison must be eliminated on sight.”
“And how many guards does he travel with?”
“That’s… seven in total, including himself.”
“Seven men?”
“Yes.”
“It’s absurd. Even setting myself aside, the Empress of Yen has her eye on him, yet he moves about with merely seven men.”
“Perhaps he’s demonstrating his confidence?”
“To whom? To me? Or to the Empress of Yen?”
“It could be both.”
“Let him cross the Gate of the Afterlife and regret it then. Until further orders, don’t intervene. Just shadow him in secret.”
“Understood.”
Zhao Yun rose from his seat.
“I’m retiring. Don’t seek me out unless it’s urgent.”
“Rest well.”
Zhao Yun disappeared behind a wall.
The middle-aged man watched his retreating silhouette until the wall closed, then exhaled slowly and sat back down.
‘The problem right now isn’t removing Yi Hwan.’
The middle-aged man’s attention sharpened on the emergence of someone wielding poison. Even if they weren’t the Heir of the Poison King, poison posed an undeniable threat—during the tournament, a poison attack on an indiscriminate crowd could cause catastrophic casualties.
If high-ranking officials from Yen or Jin were to fall to poison, the retaliation would be beyond containment.
‘If they’re planning something, they’ll target the tournament grounds for certain.’
As the middle-aged man’s expression grew heavier, a warrior burst into the hall in alarm.
“What is it?”
“The Fourth Prince of Yen has vanished without a trace.”
“What!”
“We confirmed that he crossed into our territory and entered a shrine in a remote location, but we lost track of him after that.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw.
The middle-aged man’s brows knitted sharp as blades, his eyes burning with fury.
“These incompetent fools! Seven men moving together and you lost them? How is that possible!”
“Please don’t be overly concerned. We’ve mobilized all nearby forces. We’ll find him soon.”
“Hah….”
The middle-aged man tilted his head back, then fixed his gaze on the wall through which Zhao Yun had departed. The command to shadow him in secret still echoed in his ears.
He should report this at once.
But Zhao Yun hated nothing more than being disturbed during rest. So the middle-aged man hesitated.
‘The Empress of Yen must have eyes on him too. Have they also lost his trail?’

* * *

Yi Hwan moved with Papa.
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae had meant to come along, but after arranging a meeting point, they followed Go-mi’s lead instead.
The rain poured down in sheets.
It showed no sign of letting up.
With thick fog rolling in as well, conditions were perfect for losing any pursuers.
Papa spoke.
“Shall we go to her first?”
He meant Jo Gwang’s lover. Yi Hwan shook his head.
“We meet her last. The Crown Prince and Papa might trust her, but I don’t. If we meet her first and she has a change of heart, she might inform on us. Then we’re in danger.”
“My thinking was too shallow.”
Papa understood perfectly. He would have done the same, even if he were Yi Hwan.
Whoosh.
The wind howled.
But the wind began to blow harder still.
Yet Yi Hwan pressed on without pause, heading west. Papa followed close behind, watching carefully for any sign of pursuers.
How long had they been moving?
The Mountain Terrain gave way, and the edges of a city began to emerge. Papa spoke.
“That city hosts many martial artists permanently stationed there. It would be wise to avoid it.”
“Is there some particular strategic reason so many martial artists are gathered there?”
“The Seo Nam Wang cultivates them deliberately in that city. His Majesty’s retreat—all of it stems from the masters he’s collected there.”
“It seems there are quite a few experts among them.”
“Experts, yes—but the numbers are nearly three thousand strong.”
Three thousand was a staggering figure indeed.
Yi Hwan stared at the city for a moment, then changed course. Papa followed and spoke.
“If we cross one more mountain, we’ll come to a small settlement where we can rest for a time.”
“That place is safe, then?”
“It’s Shifting Cultivator Village—the government’s reach barely extends there.”
“Then we’ll go there.”
“Yes.”
Papa served him with genuine sincerity.
Perhaps it was only natural.
‘Nothing must happen to the Grand Prince. Not for his sake alone—for our lord’s.’

* * *

There were those who pursued the path Yi Hwan and Papa had taken. Perhaps twenty of them.
All of them bore keen, bright eyes and prominent sun-point acupoints bulging from their temples.
They moved with sharp attention to their surroundings, following precisely the path Yi Hwan and Papa had traveled.
After roughly half an hour, the one leading at the front suddenly flashed his eyes and cried out.
“They went that way!”
He pointed in an entirely wrong direction. Yet the others believed his words as if carved in stone. For in the art of pursuit and tracking, this man possessed unparalleled skill.
Then why did he point in the wrong direction?

Leave a trail going a different way. Leave enough traces that they won’t find it easily. That’s how we’ll throw them off.

It was an order Yi Hwan had given to Cheol Mu-ok and the others.

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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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