The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 177

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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 Martial Emperor, Chapter 177

Chapter 177 — The Return Home (4)

Ju-tae spoke up, clearly baffled.
“If we let them live and send them away, they’ll come back with reinforcements!”
“That won’t happen.”
Yi Hwan drove his sword into the ground.
Thunk!
“I made sure they’d think we were targeting the Empress. They’re far more likely to simply leave. How could they dare attack us—we whose identities remain unknown, who’ve just slaughtered those they trusted—when they don’t even know who we are?”
Go-mi nodded in agreement with Yi Hwan.
“Indeed. Besides, we’re on Zhao soil, so as you say, it’s far more probable the Empress will prioritize her own safety.”
“Then you mentioned her intentionally?”
“Yes. Men of great ambition are cautious until they’ve seized what they desire. An Empress dreaming of power beyond the throne itself—all the more so.”
Everyone assented to Yi Hwan’s conviction.
Yi Hwan checked his Dantian. The pain that had vanished was returning now, faintly. He’d pushed himself too hard in an imperfect state—an internal injury had taken root.
But he’d had no choice.
For the Empress to feel the danger and proceed to Yen as intended, he had to demonstrate overwhelming force. Had he failed to do so, she would surely have gathered every remaining subordinate and come after them, exactly as everyone had feared.
“See to the wounded first.”
“Yes.”
The clash had ended in mere moments.
A stranger watching might have called it a one-sided victory for Yi Hwan’s side, but the truth was otherwise. The enemies had been formidable, and everyone but Yi Hwan bore minor wounds.
Rip!
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae tore cloth from the dead to bind their injuries.
Yi Hwan turned to Go-mi.
She bore no external wounds, but she’d taken a light internal injury.
Hwa-ryeong was in the same condition—though hers was the worst. Afraid her identity would be exposed, she couldn’t deploy her full martial technique, and had taken both minor lacerations and internal damage.
Papa tended to her.
“Bear the heat, child.”
Hwa-ryeong grimaced against the pain as Papa’s Qi Healing washed over her, yet still managed her thanks.
“Thank you, grandmother.”
“You hid your technique even in grave danger. A young woman of remarkable spirit.”
“If I’m exposed, I can’t help the Fourth Prince any longer. So I just gritted my teeth and endured. I did well, didn’t I?”
“You did. Very well indeed.”
A smile played at Papa’s lips.
Though Hwa-ryeong spoke carelessly at times and often ignored propriety, Papa found her endearing.
Papa’s own sect had once harbored a disciple of similar spirit—one she had treasured like a precious gem, who lost her life during the escape of Zhao Guang.
‘A child who reminds me of you walks among us now.’
Meanwhile, the two Hwang Po-in were in shock.
‘Who in the world are these people…….’
They had faced the Empress’s bodyguards directly and knew intimately how formidable they were. Yet Yi Hwan’s group had defeated them in the briefest span of time.
More astounding still: eight men lay dead, and not a single member of Yi Hwan’s side had fallen.
The two Hwang Po-in could not tear their eyes from Yi Hwan, who commanded the group.
‘What exactly is that man’s identity?’
Then Yi Hwan issued orders to Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae.
“You two ride ahead at once—one to the Crown Prince Faction, one to the Gold Guard. Announce my survival. And make clear that none are to breathe a word of this fact until I myself reveal it.”
“Understood.”
Yi Hwan gave several more instructions.
Shortly after, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae departed first, and the party resumed their journey.

* * *

Those who had barely escaped collapsed to their knees before the Empress.
The Empress narrowed her gaze.
“You failed?”
“They were Masters of a caliber we could not hope to match. My deepest apologies!”
“So eight died, and only you two returned alive?”
“……Yes.”
The commander threw his forehead against the ground, crying out.
Thud!
“They were a different faction from those who attacked us before. They have Your Majesty in their sights. We cannot know where else they lie in wait, so you must cross the mountains at once!”
“A different faction?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The commander spoke of the two survivors of Hwang Po-in’s men whom Yi Hwan had captured. In truth, they had sallied forth believing Yi Hwan’s group to be accomplices of Hwang Po-in, only to meet this fate.
The Empress had believed the same, ordering all of them eliminated before departing to wait here at leisure. But with only two returning alive, she was left speechless with frustration.
‘These wretches have stumbled upon masters beyond their capacity to handle.’
The emergence of this new enemy unsettled the Empress far more than the loss of eight men.
Then it happened.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, for failing to serve you to the very end! May you yet achieve the Great Undertaking of a prosperous and powerful realm!”
The commander raised his hand to his Heavenly Spirit Blade. It was clear he intended to take his own life to atone for his failure.
Crack!
The commander’s face snapped to the side.
“How dare you seek death on your own whim!”
“……!”
“Your reckoning will come when we return home. Now lead the way forward!”
“Yes!”
As everyone prepared to resume their journey, the Empress fixed her gaze westward, her eyes growing cold.
‘Is there another faction hunting me besides the Crown Prince Palace?’
She had been certain this attack was the work of the Crown Prince Faction. And so if they returned home, she was prepared to deploy her most secret trump card, held in reserve for the final moment, even if it meant ending all pretense with the Crown Prince Faction once and for all.
‘Could it be…….’
A face flickered unbidden into her mind.
But the Empress quickly shook her head.
‘No. That child could never be capable of such things.’
The face she had recalled belonged to Yi Seong-ji, who had come to Manhwa Palace drenched in blood and turned away in bitter resentment. Even now, the light in his eyes at that moment still often troubled her.
‘Can I truly claim it is impossible? There is no law that says that child harbors no ambition.’
Flash!
The Empress’s eyes gleamed with cruel clarity for an instant.
‘The throne belongs to the Second Prince, come what may. That is the natural order and the will of Heaven. Should he dare to transgress this, not even kinship will stay my hand from absolute punishment.’
The Empress possessed a fatal weakness: once suspicion took root, she could never uproot it. The greatest victim of this tendency was Hwa-ryeong. Yet the Empress remained entirely unaware of this.
“Your Majesty, we should depart.”

* * *

The Crown Prince Palace of Yen Kingdom.
Crown Prince Yi So’s face had grown rigid as stone. Before him sat Gwan Ji-baek, his expression grave as he continued his report.
“We have deployed every intelligence network at our disposal, yet Fourth Prince Yi Hwan’s whereabouts remain shrouded in mystery.”
Yi So squeezed his eyes shut.
Since learning that Yi Hwan had vanished without trace, he had lost sleep with worry. This was the fifth report in as many days that all of his intelligence networks laid throughout Zhao Kingdom had failed to find him.
His fragile hope crumbled, and despair seized him.
Even news that a great earthquake had struck Zhao Kingdom and the martial world tournament had been cancelled barely registered in his mind.
“Do not lose hope, Your Highness. The Fourth Prince is stronger than most. He will surely return to your presence as dignified as always.”
Gwan Ji-baek’s comfort was of no avail. Yet with no other option but to wait and trust, Yi So forced down his despair and spoke again.
“We must send an envoy to Zhao Kingdom. Regardless of our enmity, when an unprecedented natural calamity befalls them, we ought to observe the minimum courtesies, should we not?”
“Have you chosen who will go as envoy?”
“Surely someone of the rank of a ministry director would be fitting.”
“I fear they will refuse. Watching the Empress’s dominance, each of them is far too eager to save their own hide.”
“If they will not go, they will be compelled.”
Resolve settled in Yi So’s eyes. Gwan Ji-baek met that gaze and bowed his head.
“Understood, Your Highness. I shall make preparations at once.”
“Ji-baek.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Yi So fixed his gaze upon Gwan Ji-baek and continued.
“By any means necessary, we must find the youngest prince’s trail. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As Gwan Ji-baek rose to take his leave, a general entered.
“It has been confirmed that the Empress has crossed the Western Border and entered our territory.”
“Has there been any word of the youngest prince?”
“……Yes.”
Yi So’s face darkened once more, when another general entered the chamber.
“Your Majesty, a messenger from the Fourth Prince has arrived.”
“What?”
Yi So and Gwan Ji-baek exchanged startled glances. Cheol Mu-ok, who had entered behind the general, bowed deeply toward Yi So.
“I greet Your Majesty.”
“Where is my youngest—where is the Fourth Prince?”
[Please dismiss the others first, Your Majesty.]
At Cheol Mu-ok’s Soul Transmission, Yi So gestured for the two generals to leave, keeping only Gwan Ji-baek. Once they had withdrawn, Cheol Mu-ok finally conveyed word of Yi Hwan’s survival.
“The Fourth Prince is unharmed. However, he has asked that this remain secret until circumstances permit him to come forward personally.”
“He is truly safe?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A long breath escaped him.
Yi So slumped into his chair, head tilted back. Gwan Ji-baek beamed with relief and turned to Cheol Mu-ok.
“When might we expect to see him?”
“He did not specify a date.”
Yi So asked another question.
“Has he suffered any wounds?”
“No. The Fourth Prince and all those with him remain unharmed.”
“Good, good. That is all that matters. Ha!”
Yi So laughed aloud for the first time. Watching him, Cheol Mu-ok understood something clearly.
‘His Majesty truly cherishes his lord in his heart.’

* * *

Word of the Empress’s safe return reached Gong-yun’s ears as well.
Sitting in the Pavilion by the Lake with his closest attendants, sipping tea, Gong-yun received news that the Empress had crossed safely into Yen territory. A meaningful smile played at his lips.
“By now the poison must be working well in her veins. When suspicion turns its arrow toward the Crown Prince Faction, what lies ahead will be most entertaining indeed.”
“Might they not suspect us as well?”
“That will not happen. A person’s mind always turns first to the most immediate threat—the Empress will certainly suspect the Crown Prince Faction above all.”
“If that proves true, we need only sit idle and enjoy the Fisherman’s Profit.”
“We sacrificed those fine youths for precisely this. For their sake, we must ensure the Empress and the Crown Prince Faction fight all the more fiercely.”
“If you move directly, it will certainly come to pass.”
Clink.
Gong-yun took a sip of tea, then his brow furrowed slightly.
“But the Fourth Prince’s fate must be confirmed soon…”
“Since crossing into Zhao, his whereabouts have been untraceable. My assessment is that either the Empress or the Southwest King has him in hand.”
“It matched everyone’s expectations. Yet he responded foolishly to the Southwest King’s invitation—even if he lost his life, who could he blame? Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“If the Fourth Prince vanishes, the Crown Prince Faction loses the Gold Guard as good as. Whether that benefits the Empress or us remains unclear.”
“Regardless, the disappearance of so formidable a competitor can only gain us ground. He was far from the lightweight common talk suggested. Did you not witness it yourself?—how unbowed and arrogant he stood before your lord, showing not a trace of deference.”
Gong-yun raised the cup to his lips.
Clink.
His gaze drifted beyond the Lake toward the forest. There lay the Closed Retreat where Yi Seong-ji had entered seclusion. Gong-yun recalled Yi Seong-ji as he had been before that retreat, and smiled vaguely.
‘Two assassination attempts awakened your lord’s ambition. In that sense, perhaps we should thank the Empress and Yi Hwang-ja? They removed the greatest obstacle to our enterprise. Hehehehe.’
Whoooosh!
Clink!
Suddenly a gust of wind struck hard, toppling the teacup. The spilled tea soaked Gong-yun’s robe.
Gong-yun’s narrow eyes twitched slightly. A nameless unease crept through him.
“I shall fetch cloth.”
“Never mind. Cloth can be changed. Let us return to my quarters.”
Gong-yun turned toward his quarters. After a few steps, a branch suddenly snapped and fell, as if to strike him down.
Crack!
Snap-crackle!
He sidestepped lightly, but as he looked down at the fallen branch, his eyes grew cold.
‘What ill-omened sign is this?’

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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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