The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 165

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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 Undefeated, Episode 165

Chapter 165 — The Pursuit

A glittering city marketplace stretched out in every direction.
Yi Hwan and Papa slipped into a shabby inn on the fringe of the district.
The street was decrepit and ancient, so far removed from the bustle of the city center that barely a soul wandered past. An old woman who had been nodding off at the counter looked up to greet them.
“Welcome, travelers.”
“A boiled chicken and a bottle of wine, if you please.”
“Of course, of course.”
Yi Hwan and Papa chose a table with a clear view of the street outside. Yi Hwan spoke first.
“You came here deliberately, then?”
“This place was where the Crown Prince’s followers used to gather. That old woman there was one of them. She simply didn’t recognize me because of my disguise.”
In truth, it had been Papa who altered their destination from the Firefly Village to this inn.
Yi Hwan nodded silently and surveyed the interior of the establishment. Cobwebs hung thick in every corner—evidence that the innkeeper rarely saw paying customers.
Just then, the old woman returned with the wine.
Her hunched back and weathered face would never have betrayed a martial artist to an untrained eye, but Yi Hwan had sensed from the moment they entered that she was a Martial Artist versed in the Inner Qi Art.
“I’ve just lit the fire. It will take a moment.”
“No rush. Take your time and cook it well.”
“Yes, yes.”
The old woman withdrew.
Yi Hwan asked again.
“Is there a reason you haven’t revealed Papa’s identity to her?”
“I cannot trust her yet.”
“You fear betrayal, then.”
“Many have already turned traitor. The ambush by Seo Nam Wang’s faction—that succeeded because someone inside leaked information beforehand.”
It made perfect sense.
There is no wound more painful than betrayal. Papa continued.
“I will stay the night and gauge their true hearts. If I’m convinced they can be trusted, I’ll summon the other Martial Artists then.”
“They’ll need to be useful.”
“There are capable people among them. Provided they haven’t fled or defected.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Have a drink.”
Papa uncorked the wine bottle and poured into Yi Hwan’s cup. The liquid splashed softly.
“Drink with me.”
“I do not drink alcohol.”
“If you don’t want to arouse suspicion, at least pretend to drink. That old woman could have switched sides.”
“……Very well.”
Yi Hwan gazed out the window.
A spark flickered in his eyes when he caught sight of a band of armed soldiers moving swiftly past, all of them fully equipped and clearly heading somewhere urgent.
‘What’s happened?’
Two men entered the inn just then.
They were ordinary strongmen of the sort you’d see anywhere in the marketplace district. The moment they sat down, they began to grumble.
“The air on the streets is damn tense. Cursed times!”
“There’s been a murder spree, they say. Dozens dead in just a few days. And yesterday a prisoner escaped from the Military Camp—apparently a good number of soldiers were killed in the chaos too.”
“That’s really happened?”
“What do you expect when you’re cooped up in some brothel all day? Ears get dull. Tch, tch, tch.”
“So that’s why there are soldiers everywhere trying to catch the killer?”
“The Black Dragon Guild Leader was targeted too. In his own residence, no less. Everyone’s in an uproar. It’s an open secret that the Guild Leader funds Seo Nam Wang’s ventures.”
“Damn! If the Black Dragon Guild Leader went down, the killer must be a master of extraordinary skill!”
“Has to be.”
Papa, listening to the strongmen’s conversation, sent a Mental Transmission to Yi Hwan.
[If the Black Dragon Guild Leader is dead, this is no small matter. As they said, the Guild provided financial support to Seo Nam Wang.]
[Your people may have moved. If they understand the purpose of the Heaven and Earth Martial Arts Tournament, I certainly wouldn’t sit idle either.]
[I pray that is the case.]
Papa felt emboldened.
If the forces supporting Jo Gwang had orchestrated these incidents, then there was still hope. Throughout the journey here, she had harbored only one fear—that they had all scattered to the winds.
‘I pray they have not lost their resolve.’
It was Papa’s deepest wish.
Then the conversation among the strong warriors continued.
“They say most of the dead were poisoned. The Black Dragon Guild Leader especially—his face melted away until only bone remained. He fell victim to an extraordinarily potent poison.”
“What if they killed him and then scattered bone-dissolving powder on the corpse?”
“If it were bone-dissolving powder, the bones would have dissolved too, you fool.”
“True enough. Then it was definitely the work of someone who practices the Poison Art.”
“That’s the only conclusion. That’s what has everyone so unsettled. Think about it—the Martial Arts Tournament opens in just a few days. What happens if a master of the Martial World who wields poison shows up there and deliberately unleashes his craft?”
“Good heavens, just thinking about it makes my head spin.”
Yi Hwan turned to Papa with a question.
[Has Zhao Kingdom ever had a Martial World master who practiced the Poison Art?]
[First I’ve heard of it. The same is likely true of other kingdoms, but Zhao Kingdom strictly forbids the Poison Art. The Sichuan Tang Family suffered clan extermination by imperial decree for exactly that reason.]
It was true.
Yen Kingdom controlled poison just as rigorously as it did gunpowder. Even the slightest amount of poison in circulation was carefully monitored by the authorities, and anyone who dared violate the law faced severe punishment.
‘Are the descendants of that man properly maintaining their lineage?’
Yi Hwan called to mind the Poison King’s descendants, who had yet to appear.
With every kingdom enforcing such strict control over poison, their lives would have been harsher than anyone’s. It was possible their line had already been extinguished.
Yet now a Martial World master wielding poison had surfaced in Zhao Kingdom. And at a moment when all eyes and ears of the world were fixed on the upcoming Martial Arts Tournament.
‘If the Mad Demon’s descendants are still active, I would absolutely need his descendants…….’
Even in Yi Hwan’s own time, the Poison King’s presence had been absolute. When he moved with purpose, entire forces could be wiped out, which was why even enemies feared him more than they feared Yi Hwan.
‘Wherever you are, I hope you carry on his legacy.’
Yi Hwan recalled the Poison King, who had always greeted him with a bright smile, and drained his cup.
Clink.
The Old Woman Innkeeper arrived just then, carrying a boiled chicken and two bowls of rice.
“I’ve boiled another bird—just say the word if it’s not enough.”
“Bring another bottle of liquor.”
Yi Hwan and Papa began their meal.
In truth, since crossing into Zhao Kingdom territory, they’d had barely a proper meal while evading their pursuers. Today’s was their first meal of the day.
Papa tore off a chicken leg and placed it on Yi Hwan’s plate. When Yi Hwan met her gaze, she smiled faintly and spoke.
“I received orders to serve you well. And it is also my own wish.”
……
Yi Hwan started to say it wasn’t necessary, but stopped himself. Papa then poured liquor into his cup.
Pour.
“Shouldn’t you visit Ami Mountain?”
“I would like to, but it’s simply too far…….”
“There are no disciples active near the Imperial Palace?”
“There were quite a few, but they’re all dead. Their sacrifice allowed the Crown Prince to escape to Yen Kingdom.”
A glimmer of pain appeared in Papa’s eyes. Yi Hwan felt a pang of regret, as though he’d opened an old wound.
To lose one’s master’s disciples—it would be like losing one’s own blood.
After finishing their meal, Yi Hwan and Papa climbed to the second floor. There were only four guest rooms in total, and unlike the shabby ground level, they were kept remarkably clean.
Yi Hwan’s eyes sharpened when he saw the door handles.
All four handles were darkened and worn, yet they gleamed with a polished sheen.
“People have been coming and going here quite regularly.”
“I’ll look into it when the opportunity presents itself.”
Papa opened the door to the room where Yi Hwan would stay. It was the largest of the rooms and the interior was tidy enough.
“Get some rest too, Papa.”
“Yes. Sleep well, Grand Prince.”
“Your form of address.”
“……My apologies.”
Yi Hwan entered the room, stripped off his outer garment, and stretched out on the bed at once. As the softness of the mattress enveloped him, exhaustion suddenly crashed down upon him.

* * *

[Grand Prince.]
At Papa’s voice, Yi Hwan’s eyes opened. Outside the window, darkness had already fallen thick.
‘Just how long was I asleep?’
He gestured faintly with his hand, the door swung open of its own accord, and Papa stepped inside.
“You must have been quite exhausted. You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“How much time has passed?”
“About a double hour.”
Yi Hwan was incredulous. No matter how tired one was, to fall into such oblivious sleep for an entire double hour in the very heart of enemy territory—it was unthinkable.
“I’d advise you to change locations.”
Yi Hwan was about to ask why when he noticed blood smeared on Papa’s fingers, and his brow furrowed.
“She’s changed sides, then.”
“Yes. And I’ve confirmed that this place is where they hunt down martial artists loyal to the Crown Prince. Seo Nam Wang’s men will arrive soon—we must hurry.”
Yi Hwan threw on his outer robe and stepped into the corridor. A door at the end of it stood open. As he descended and peered inside, he saw the Old Woman Innkeeper collapsed on the floor, bleeding.
‘To have slept so deeply while all this was happening.’
Yi Hwan felt the absurdity of it anew.
“Do we have anywhere to go?”
“No. This place was our only hope.”
Despair rang clear in Papa’s voice. Yi Hwan started to comfort her but moved down the stairs instead.
That was when it happened.
Creak!
The sound of the ground floor door opening echoed through the inn.
[Out through the window!]

* * *

Yi Hwan watched the inn from the roof of the building across the way. Through the window of the room where the Old Woman Innkeeper lay dead, he glimpsed figures cloaked head to toe in Blood Robes. Despite the considerable distance between them, the dense demonic qi they radiated was palpable and clear.
[The ones called the shadows of Seo Nam Wang.]
[You have no more detailed information on them?]
[They are wielded only by Seo Nam Wang himself, so everything about them remains shrouded in mystery.]
‘Could they be Descendants of the Blood Demon?’
That was his first guess.
If they were ones so favored by Seo Nam Wang, the likelihood of them being Descendants of the Blood Demon was strong.
‘Should I kill them first and ask questions later?’
As Yi Hwan deliberated, Papa urged him on.
[We must leave at once, Grand Prince.]
Yi Hwan pushed the thought aside.
[We head for the meeting place.]
[Yes.]

* * *

He was supposed to meet Go-mi and her company a day later. But Papa’s schedule had been thrown into disarray, forcing Yi Hwan to make for the meeting place a day early.
The two of them pressed through the darkness toward the appointed spot. As they went, they saw security checkpoints being established throughout the city.
Yi Hwan’s brow narrowed as he recalled the murder he’d heard about at the inn.
“We should lie low for a while before moving on.”
“That way, then.”
Papa pointed to the left side of the city.
“It’s where retired military commanders gather to live. They won’t bother setting up checkpoints there.”
Reluctant to cause unnecessary trouble, Yi Hwan headed in the direction Papa had indicated.
They had to slip past two more security checkpoints before reaching that quarter. Soon after, Yi Hwan and Papa came to their destination and climbed around the back of a palace hall as grand as the Imperial Palace itself.
It was a thicket of bamboo.
Yi Hwan settled onto a spot thick with fallen leaves, while Papa sat down a short distance away.
Yi Hwan stared at Papa’s heavy, sinking expression and spoke.
“I’ll find a way to gather your comrades, so stop this.”
“That woman was our only contact. Now there’s no way for us to reach them at all.”
“Is this the person you always are—one who gives up so easily?”
……
“For the Crown Prince’s sake, don’t falter now.”
“I apologize. My emotions overcame me, and I’ve shown you weakness. Forgive me.”
Papa bowed her head and bit her lip firmly.
Whoosh!
Whissssh!
Wind swept through the bamboo forest, shaking it.
Leaves caught in the gust spiraled upward, obscuring Yi Hwan’s vision.
That was when it happened.
In a heartbeat, Yi Hwan caught sight of something moving beyond the curtain of leaves—figures clad in Blood Robes, identical to those he’d seen at the inn.
They were diving straight toward the spot where he and Papa stood.
“We’ve been found.”
Papa sprang to his feet.
“Follow me.”
Whoosh!
Papa bolted northward, and Yi Hwan gave chase, glancing back over his shoulder.
Five of them in all.
Each moved with superb Lightness Technique, pursuing with flawless precision.
‘How did they track us?’
He retraced his steps in memory but found no trace that could have betrayed their location.
Papa suddenly changed direction. As Yi Hwan followed, he drew the Sword Lock.
Click.

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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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