The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 172

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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 172

Chapter 172 — Resourcefulness Revealed

Late in the evening.
Go-mi stood at the open window, gazing northward across the marketplace. Yi Hwan had not yet returned.
‘He left without a word.’
Had Cheol Mu-ok not mentioned it moments ago, she wouldn’t have known Yi Hwan had gone at all. And now Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae were out searching for him, fretting that he was taking too long.
Whoooosh!
The wind grew steadily stronger.
The marketplace district, which had bustled with crowds until late, now lay eerily silent.
Scrape.
Hwa Ryeong descended from the bed and dragged a chair to sit beside Go-mi.
“Don’t worry. He’s a strong man.”
“…….”
Hwa Ryeong rose abruptly.
“Let’s have a drink while we wait.”
“Where are you going?”
“To find some liquor.”
“The place is closed. Where will you find any?”
“I’ll search the kitchen.”
Hwa Ryeong smiled mischievously and left the room.
Go-mi did not try to stop her. In a mood like this, a drink might help.
She turned her gaze back to the north side of the marketplace.
“……!”
Her eyes brightened when she spotted figures entering the marketplace.
But Go-mi’s expression soon darkened with disappointment. They were just drunken customers who could barely walk straight.
‘Why did he go to the Zhao Kingdom Imperial Palace of all places?’
The fact that it was the Zhao Kingdom’s palace made her worry all the more. A moment later, Hwa Ryeong returned carrying two bottles of liquor and some simple appetizers.
The two women each took a bottle and settled themselves on the windowsill.
Hwa Ryeong stared at Go-mi intently and asked.
“Was this your dream from the beginning?”
“No. It just happened to turn out this way. And you?”
“As a warrior, I wanted to rise to the highest place. I believed that by serving the Empress well, I could achieve that. But now it’s all ruined.”
“You can continue your dream by serving the Grand Prince.”
“But there’s someone whose presence makes it seem impossible.”
Go-mi brought the bottle to her lips, a puzzled look crossing her face.
“Are you talking about me?”
“Yes.”
Glug, glug!
Go-mi wiped her mouth and spoke.
“I’m an administrator, not a warrior. So I’ll never stand in the way of your dreams.”
“Is that so?”
Go-mi smiled faintly.
She had never found Hwa Ryeong’s tilted head so endearing before. Come to think of it, this was the first time they’d had such a long conversation.
Go-mi turned her gaze back to the north side of the marketplace. Hwa Ryeong fell silent as well, looking in the same direction.
Whoooosh!
Debris swept by the wind scattered haphazardly across the marketplace, which had become desolate beyond measure.
“It was so crowded until late…….”
Hwa Ryeong murmured as she brought the bottle to her lips, when suddenly she furrowed her brow.
“What is it with that man?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s someone in the inn across the street watching us.”
Hwa Ryeong raised her chin, pointing to a window in the opposite inn. It was the room where Yang Chan stayed.
“He’s probably just someone who can’t sleep, like us. Don’t worry about it.”

* * *

Yi Hwan emerged from the Zhao Kingdom Imperial Palace and walked along the empty Official Road.
‘I knew it was reckless.’
He’d taken an internal injury.
It had been reckless from the start—draining all his martial power to carve the Gold Horse Command into the palace wall as a warning to Zhao Yun. Then, while in that depleted state, he’d killed an opponent he absolutely could not afford to underestimate, and the internal injury had followed.
‘If all this effort yields nothing…….’
When he’d carved those characters, he’d had no choice but to make them as deep as possible. Any shallower, and instead of inspiring caution, they’d only invite ridicule.
“Hah—”
Yi Hwan worked his Mental Cultivation as he walked.
He could feel his ravaged insides gradually mending, though it would take considerable time before he was fully healed.
How much farther had he walked?
He sensed movement behind him. Turning, he saw figures in pursuit.
Yi Hwan quickly darted into the forest. Once there, he suppressed his presence and watched those who chased him.
Three blue-robed martial artists.
They deployed a Lightness Technique of considerable skill—dust rising visibly in their wake as they passed.
‘If I’m spotted, I’m in trouble.’
Could he handle them in his current state? Even if he killed them, he’d sustain serious damage himself.
So Yi Hwan’s only hope was that the blue-robed men would simply pass by.
That was when it happened.
Bang! Bang!
The sound of a beast’s roar split the air.
Yi Hwan’s eyes darkened as he saw the massive four-legged creature rushing toward the blue-robed men.
‘Black Leopard?’
It was unmistakably Black Leopard.
The beast charged straight at Yi Hwan’s hiding place, barking savagely.
‘Damn it.’
Roaarrr!
Black Leopard lunged at Yi Hwan with fangs bared.
Then a single voice rang out.
“Come back!”
At the call, Black Leopard spun its body in mid-air and landed on the ground.
Whoosh!
The three blue-robed martial artists landed directly in front of Yi Hwan.
Shing!
A blade slid from its sheath, already wreathed in crimson light.
“Are you going to cower like a rat?”
Yi Hwan rose slowly to his feet.
He then climbed onto the jagged rock that loomed beside him.
“Persistent, aren’t you?”
Yi Hwan forced himself to appear calm as he drew his inner strength. A sharp sting shot through his Dantian.
‘I need to buy time.’
Shing.
Yi Hwan slowly unsheathed his sword.
The blue-robed men held their distance, hesitant to attack. They had seen the depth of the characters carved into the palace wall and understood that Yi Hwan outmatched them.
“Impressive. So the descendants of Blood Demons are ambitious enough to devour an entire kingdom?”
“Two hundred years ago was different. Our Sovereign is superior even to the first Blood Demon.”
“Is that so? The Blood Demon himself would leap from his grave to hear that. But tell me—can the three of you alone truly stop me?”
“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”
“If you want to capture me, go tell Seo Nam Wang to come himself. This is a perfect opportunity to end two hundred years of blood debt.”
Yi Hwan deliberately prolonged the exchange.
Fortunately, the blue-robed men were equally cautious, wary of him. The effect of carving the Gold Horse Command so deeply was already showing in their hesitation.
But there was a larger reason.
They had to eliminate Yi Hwan at all costs, so they were buying time for their comrades to arrive. If they’d been confident they could dispose of him alone, there would be no reason to engage in conversation.
One of the blue-robed men spoke.
“Is the Fourth Prince of Yen your puppet?”
It was then that Yi Hwan displayed quick wit.
“An odd question. Why would you think the prince of Yen is my puppet?”
“Don’t you know him?”
“Wait.”
Yi Hwan cut the man off. He then responded with feigned surprise.
“Did the Fourth Prince of Yen perhaps learn the martial techniques of our Dae-ya Fortress? Is that why you’re asking if he’s my puppet?”
“……!”
It was a perfect performance.
The opponent flinched for a moment. He’d hurled the question certain that Yi Hwan before him and the Fourth Prince of Yen were in league—yet the Yi Hwan in front of him seemed not to know him at all.
If that were the case, he should never have asked such a question.
Another blue-robed martial artist, realizing too late what had happened, sent a look warning him to stop.
“Now I see what’s going on.”
Yi Hwan laughed easily. He turned to the floundering opponent and continued.
“I never imagined our lineage would produce someone from the imperial house. Truth is, we searched high and low through both Jin and Zhao kingdoms and couldn’t find him anywhere—so we finally crossed over into your Zhao. We’ve even established quite a convincing foothold here.”
“You’ve taken root in our Zhao Kingdom?”
“Your legal system is such chaos compared to the other two nations that it’s ideal for martial artists like us. Of course, for you it’s rather unfortunate, wouldn’t you say? Now that Zhao Yun and the rest of you have been exposed as Blood Ghost Descendants, we can keep a close eye on you from nearby.”
“How did you identify us?”
“There are always ways.”
Yi Hwan lied with perfect composure, but at some point his eyes narrowed subtly. He’d caught sight of two shadows approaching stealthily behind the blue-robed martial artists.
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae.
‘Resourceful ones.’
Yi Hwan sent out a mental transmission at once.
[Let one of them live. But make sure he doesn’t realize you’re deliberately sparing him.]
[Understood.]
Yi Hwan stretched deliberately. And to make matters more certain, he lied again.
“The killer you’ve been hunting—do you happen to know who he is?”
“Is he another of your allies?”
“A valued subordinate of mine. He’s the descendant of the Poison King—the one your ancestor, the Blood Demon, feared most.”
“……!”
Everyone stiffened. Those who were descendants of the Blood Demon couldn’t possibly not know what the Poison King represented.
Yi Hwan, watching their faces, raised one hand.
“Do you understand why I’m revealing something this important? It’s because it’s an utterly vital secret.”
“You intend to slaughter us all and leave no trace?”
“Precisely. Quite sharp, aren’t you? Hehehehe.”
“Fat chance.”
“Is that so?”
Before Yi Hwan’s words had even finished, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae moved.
“Ah!”
The blue-robed martial artists suddenly sensed a powerful force erupting from behind and spun around like lightning, assuming their stances.
Crack!
But before they could even set themselves, one head burst like a melon. A grotesque death without even time for a scream.
Another blue-robed martial artist had his chest pierced through by Ju-tae’s sword.
Thud!
“Gasp!”
At the same moment, the blue-robed martial artist who’d been conversing with Yi Hwan kicked off the ground and launched himself upward. His direction was northward, toward the Imperial Palace.
Yi Hwan laughed and called out loudly enough for the fleeing martial artist to hear.
“Don’t let him escape. He has to die!”
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae threw themselves in pursuit.
Yi Hwan sheathed his drawn blade and landed lightly back onto the Official Road.
Growwwwl…….
But the Black Leopard remained.
One of the dead must have been its master. The Black Leopard crouched low toward Yi Hwan, baring its fangs and tensing every muscle.
‘Should I kill it?’
Conflict arose within him.
Yi Hwan had always been fond of cats. Even now, the snarling black leopard before him was nothing but a cat with an oversized frame.
“There’s no need to kill a creature that can’t speak.”
Whoosh.
Yi Hwan ignited a flame at his fingertips. As a substantial blaze erupted, the Black Leopard—which had been on the verge of charging—let out a growl and began backing away step by step.
Then the flame left Yi Hwan’s fingertip and flew toward the Black Leopard. When it detonated before the beast with a “bang,” the Black Leopard at last slunk away into the darkness.
A short time later, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae returned.
“Did you handle it properly?”
“Have no worries. We chased him frantically before turning back, so there’s no way he’ll suspect. But what exactly happened?”
“I’ll explain at the inn.”
Yi Hwan turned back first.
As Ju-tae followed, Cheol Mu-ok collected the swords of the dead.
“Why that?”
“Just to be safe.”
Ju-tae sent a mental transmission this time.
[Doesn’t the lord’s complexion look a bit pale?]
[Yes, it does seem so.]
[Did something happen at the Imperial Palace?]
[He’ll explain at the inn. Let’s go.]

* * *

Woo Mun-sul was the strategist of Seo Nam Wang Zhao Yun.
Having grown up alongside Zhao Yun since childhood, even Zhao Yun held him in particular affection.
His face twisted hideously—Woo Mun-sul, who had earned the title of Zhao Yun’s shadow for never leaving his side, contorted with barely restrained fury.
“So you alone survived?”
“Yes. The opponent was formidable, so we were waiting for reinforcements to arrive, but then a separate group suddenly appeared and ambushed us, and…….”
The blue-robed martial artist bowing before him was the one Yi Hwan had spared and sent back.
“I’ve uncovered crucial intelligence.”
“You’ll need to provide information important enough that I won’t hold you accountable for failure.”
“That man knows nothing of the Fourth Prince of Yen. Moreover, he said he’s established himself in our Zhao Kingdom. Given that he’s been watching the lord and us up close, it must be somewhere not far from the Imperial Capital.”
“What! How did you learn that?”
“To buy time until my comrades arrived, I deliberately attempted conversation, and in the course of it, he clearly stated as much. He also said he’d come through Jin Kingdom and Yen Kingdom before crossing into our Zhao Kingdom.”
Woo Mun-sul’s brow furrowed deeply. If true, it was the worst-case scenario.
‘To think he’d establish himself in a place so close to us.’
In fact, ever since seeing Yi Hwan at the Northern Military Unit, both he and Zhao Yun had suspected that the Dae-ya Fortress master’s descendants had taken root in Yen Kingdom.
“And there’s something even more important.”
“Something more important?”
“The beast that killed the Black Leopard Pavilion Master was a descendant of the Poison King.”
“……!”
“He stated clearly—the murderer behind these killings is a Poison King descendant and serves under him. Because this fact had to be conveyed to you by any means necessary, I had no choice but to abandon my comrades and flee.”
Woo Mun-sul’s face hardened like stone. The moment he’d long dreaded—the emergence of the Poison King’s descendants—was upon them.
‘This means we can no longer guarantee the safety of the Martial Arts Tournament.’
The world seemed to darken before his eyes, and Woo Mun-sul remained silent for a long time. The blue-robed martial artist watched his expression and broke into a cold sweat.
After a brief silence, Woo Mun-sul spoke.
“You didn’t foolishly reveal any unnecessary information thinking you’d captured him, did you?”
“How could I? I made absolutely certain not to leak any of our secrets, so please don’t worry.”
Woo Mun-sul placed a hand on the blue-robed martial artist’s shoulder.
“You’ve done well.”
“I’m sorry. If we’d responded properly, we could have captured him for certain…….”
“Which is why.”
“……Sir?”
Crack!
Woo Mun-sul’s two hands seized the blue-robed martial artist’s throat. An instant later, as bones crackled and splintered, the breath left his body where he stood.
Thud.
“Since you’ve brought me such precious intelligence, I’ll ensure your family is cared for to the end. That is the price of your life—do not resent me for it.”
Speaking coldly, Woo Mun-sul stared for a moment toward Zhao Yun’s quarters, then turned away.
‘It’s best I tell him in the morning.’

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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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