The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 182

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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 Conqueror 182

Chapter 182 — Beginning with the Gold Guard

Upon hearing Yi So’s words relayed through Go-mi, Yi Hwan’s first destination was the Song Residence.
There was no longer any reason to maintain the secret—he had to inform Yi Young that he was alive.
The Song Residence came into view in the distance. Go-mi, who had been at Yi Hwan’s side, asked carefully.
“When will you make your Palace Entry, my lord?”
“If we rush in the moment everything is decided, wouldn’t that look rather strange?”
“But….”
“We’ll choose an appropriate time and go in then.”
“Yes, my lord.”
As they drew near the main gate of the residence, two warriors who had been sweeping the path with brooms suddenly caught sight of Yi Hwan and gasped in utter shock.
“The, the Grand Prince!”
“The Grand Prince has arrived!”
One warrior cried out as he bolted toward the residence. The other remained where he stood and prostrated himself in a bow.
“Have I done something truly terrible?”
“It was a choice you had no choice but to make for the greater good. Her Ladyship will understand everything.”
Yi Hwan stopped in his tracks.
He saw Song Cheon-ho rushing out in a panic. The man hadn’t even put on his shoes.
“Grand Prince!”
Yi Hwan smiled faintly.
Song Cheon-ho’s eyes were already reddened.

* * *

“Brother….”
Tears streamed down Yi Young’s cheeks.
Yi Hwan’s heart ached. In just a month’s time, Yi Young had visibly grown ill.
“Did you think I would leave you behind and go first?”
“Sob!”
Yi Young collapsed and wept convulsively.
Even Go-mi’s eyes beside her grew slightly reddened. Unable to bear watching, she quietly turned her gaze elsewhere.
Yi Hwan took hold of Yi Young’s wrist. Though he was not versed in medicine, he could discern the flow of Vital Energy.
“Rest now.”

Yi Hwan let a measured flow of Vital Energy into Yi Young’s body, what she could bear. Color instantly rose to Yi Young’s cheeks.
“Now set aside all your worries and focus on recovering. And do not concern yourself with this brother any longer.”
The entire Song Residence became a flurry of activity.
Warriors and servants alike set down their work and hurried into the courtyard.
Among them were the warriors of the Sword King and the Blade King, who served as the Song Residence’s guards.
Song Cheon-ho stepped outside.
“Quickly now—prepare the cooking and ready the dishes!”
“Yes, my lord!”
The servants rushed frantically to the kitchen. The women grabbed rags and hurried to the annexes, while Song Cheon-ho went into the storehouse to gather the finest ingredients himself.
There was one who watched this vibrant Song Residence unfold.

* * *

‘A man said to be dead, returning alive.’
Yang Chan sat upon the roof of a Palace Hall that overlooked the Song Residence below.
He gazed at Yi Hwan through a window.
This was certainly a face he had never seen before. Yet it did not feel unfamiliar.
‘If that man is a Descendant of Dae-ya Fortress….’
Yang Chan’s eyes turned toward the courtyard. Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae stood there.
From the moment Yi Hwan had arrived, Yang Chan had been watching them carefully. From sight alone, he could not be certain they were descendants of the Three Kings.
Yet the atmosphere emanating from both of them was unmistakably extraordinary—apparent at a glance.
Yang Chan’s gaze returned to Yi Hwan.
Had it been up to him, he would have descended at once and demanded an answer: Were you truly a Descendant of Dae-ya Fortress?
‘If he truly is a Descendant of Dae-ya Fortress, and if he is the same man who engraved the Gold Horse Order in the Zhao Kingdom’s Imperial Palace…….’
Then the merciless fate that had persisted for two centuries might finally reach its end.
Yet the light in Yang Chan’s eyes as he regarded Yi Hwan remained glacial.
‘The fate your ancestors burdened upon me and my clan—you shall have to pay the price for that.’
Before him stood perhaps the very man who could end his fate, and yet Yang Chan felt only rage kindling in his chest.
It was fury at his own life, and pity for the ancestors who had died without ever escaping their doom.
Wheeeee!
The wind swept across, clawing at Yang Chan’s entire body as it passed. Yet he did not stir, only holding Yi Hwan in his gaze.
For now, he was deliberating.
How to stand before Yi Hwan.

* * *

The next day.
Mun I-jong entered Manhwa Palace. Since no prior appointment had been made, Mun I-jong waited a long time for the Empress to appear.
‘So the wretch was alive…….’
Yi Hwan had appeared.
Though Mun I-jong had not seen him directly, the Hongwol warriors keeping watch around the Song Residence had confirmed it—so there could be no doubt.
Steam rose from the teacup, condensing into dew upon Mun I-jong’s beard.
Yet the Empress still did not appear. Another half a time period passed, and then the door opened, casting a long shadow across the floor.
It was the Empress.
“What brings you here?”
“I have come to report a matter of urgency.”
The Empress seated herself and looked down upon Mun I-jong. He at once informed her that Yi Hwan had returned.
“The Fourth Prince has returned.”
“What……!”
“My men witnessed him entering the Song Residence yesterday with perfect clarity.”
Tremble, tremble.
The Empress’s eyes shook violently.
Had she been struck with shock? She said nothing, her gaze trembling for a long moment.
“By elevating the authority and role of the Gold Guard, we have effectively given the Fourth Prince wings.”
At Mun I-jong’s words, the Empress’s face flushed a deep crimson. Considering that she so rarely betrayed her inner thoughts, the shock must have been considerable.
Indeed, for she had even proven it with the Jade Seal, and now it was a situation from which she could not withdraw even if she wished to. To refuse it now would be to reject not merely the Emperor, but the very foundation of the state itself.
The Empress’s fury finally erupted.
“How! How could this be!”
Bang!
The armrest of the chair snapped, and splinters scattered onto the floor before Mun I-jong.
Mun I-jong did not lift his bowed head.
He had not yet spoken the words he truly wished to say. And so he waited for the Empress’s temper to settle.
The Empress remained silent for a long time.
Unable to wait any longer, Mun I-jong quietly raised his head and opened his mouth.
“Would it not be wise to eliminate the Fourth Prince before he spreads his wings on the Gold Guard’s newfound strength?”
“Speak your mind!”
“If Your Majesty will aid me, I shall personally cut off that man’s breath.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Mobilize the Shadows of Manhwa Palace.”
Writhe.
The light in the Empress’s eyes shifted.
“How do you know of that?”
“The Hongwol of old was the organization His Majesty held most dear. Therefore, my knowledge of Manhwa Palace comes directly from His Majesty, so I pray you do not be displeased.”
The organization Mun I-jong had mentioned was classified among the highest of state secrets. Even Yi Tae-ji, the Second Prince whom the Empress cherished so dearly, did not fully know of their existence.
Mun I-jong bowed his head once more and awaited the Empress’s answer.
The silence did not last long.
The Empress’s sharp, cold voice pierced Mun I-jong’s ears like a dagger.
“If you fail, I shall sever your head with my own hand.”
“I shall surely present that man’s head to Your Majesty.”
Mun I-jong’s forehead touched the floor. A grim smile spread across his lips.
He had wished Yi Hwan truly dead. But he had returned alive.
To say he was not disappointed would be a lie. Yet now, at last, a true opportunity for vengeance had been granted.
‘So in the end, I’ve killed you by my own hand.’

* * *

Gold Guard Command Center.
Yu U-seong, who had been leading the Gold Guard in Yi Hwan’s absence, felt his eyes redden.
“I’ve been believing you would survive.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“The tears just come. Heh heh.”
Watching Yu U-seong’s expression—neither quite weeping nor quite laughing—Yi Hwan patted his shoulder and settled into a chair. After so long away, the simple act of sitting felt unfamiliar.
“Has anything happened?”
“We’ve had some trouble.”
“What kind?”
Yu U-seong wiped his eyes and continued.
“A few days ago, two high-ranking generals came to the command center on behalf of the Second Prince. During their efforts to win over several of our officers, a clash broke out and casualties resulted. I didn’t know it at first, but a later investigation revealed they were from the Yeongho Clan.”
“Is that where those wounds came from?”
“Yes.”
Blood marks were visible along Yu U-seong’s cheek and neck.
“Are there any dead?”
“Yes. Two killed, and three badly wounded.”
“Where are they now?”
“They won’t know the Grand Prince has returned, so they’re likely holding a drinking feast at their quarters with the officers they’ve already turned.”
Yi Hwan glanced back at Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae.
“Bring them here.”
“Yes.”
“If they resist, you have my leave to make an example of a few right then and there.”
“Understood.”
Yu U-seong left with Cheol Mu-ok and Ju-tae. Yi Hwan leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together.
Go-mi spoke carefully.
“Perhaps it would be best to use this opportunity to cleanse the Gold Guard from within. Start with the officers who’ve been corrupted.”
“I was already thinking the same thing.”
The reply was flat, but Go-mi felt it instinctively all the same. A bloodbath was coming—one no one in the Gold Guard would be able to withstand.
A moment later.
Commotion erupted outside.
“Walk straight, you bastards!”
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
Crash-bang!
Following the sound of something breaking, the door swung open and two generals covered in blood stumbled in. Ju-tae wiped the blood from his hands on one of the generals’ clothes as he spoke.
“These are the ones, Grand Prince.”
Yi Hwan regarded the two generals without expression.
Ju-tae pressed his foot down on their knees.
“Kneel!”
Thwack!
Thud!
Both generals dropped to their knees.
“So you’re from the Yeongho Clan?”
…….
“You won’t answer?”
Thwack!
Ju-tae’s kick sent one general sprawling forward, his nose and lips split open.
Drip-drip-drip!
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“You were inciting the other officers on the Second Prince’s orders, is that it?”
…….
Thwack!
Ju-tae’s boot drove hard into another general’s back. The officer contorted with pain and cried out urgently.
“Y-yes! We only followed orders!”
“Whether you followed orders or not, you still seduced the officers—you have to admit that much, don’t you?”
……Yes.
“You’re admitting you committed murder as well?”
“That was… a matter of circumstances…….”
“So you’re saying you didn’t kill them?”
“We did kill them, but…….”
“That’s enough. Stop.”
Yi Hwan turned to Yu U-seong.
“Vice Commander.”
“Yes, Grand Prince!”
“Assemble all the generals at the Training Grounds immediately.”
“At once, sir!”

* * *

The generals gathered at the Training Grounds of the Command Center.
Excluding those deployed on operations, there were roughly fifty of them.
The moment Yi Hwan appeared, the generals could not hide their shock.
“Uproar!”
“The Grand Prince has returned!”
The atmosphere split sharply between those who cheered and those who did not. The generals were startled anew when they saw the bloodied generals from the Yeongho Clan being dragged forward.
Yi Hwan forced them to their knees before the assembled generals.
“All of you who sided with these men — step forward now.”
The generals stirred uneasily. Yet no one stepped forward willingly.
“If you want a chance at forgiveness, I suggest you come forward at once.”
That was when it happened.
One general hesitated, then stepped forward. Once the first moved, several others followed. Among them were generals who had been shoved out by their comrades.
Scrape.
Cheol Mu-ok drew his sword and lowered it.
“Kneel. Begin.”
Crack-crack-crack!
The generals, sensing the gravity of the moment, fell to their knees as one.
Yi Hwan swept his gaze across them all before speaking in a measured tone.
“For a military organization to endure, discipline must be maintained above all. Whoever compromises it shall find no mercy.”
Slide.
Yi Hwan unsheathed his sword.
The two generals from the Yeongho Clan were seized by terror. But that moment was mercifully brief.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Two heads fell to the ground.
The kneeling generals trembled violently. Yi Hwan addressed them all in a stern voice.
“From this day forward, whoever damages the discipline and morale of this army shall meet the same end. Do you understand?”
“Yes!”
The generals’ response rang out as sharp and unified as new recruits.
Yi Hwan fixed his gaze upon the kneeling generals.
“Be ready to depart by dawn tomorrow and assemble here once more.”

* * *

Ju-tae asked, “Shouldn’t we have their heads removed as well, sir?”
“Fear grows stronger when tempered with corresponding mercy.”
“But what do you mean by——”
Cheol Mu-ok seized Ju-tae by the neck and asked, “Send them to the Northern Military Unit?”

“The Southern Military Unit.”
Yi Hwan gave his orders directly.
“Send a dispatch to General Peng at once. Write the details yourself.”
“Understood, sir.”

The Southern Military Unit.
An official dispatch lay unfolded in the hands of General-in-Chief Peng Wu-wei.
“Since they’re expendable, treat them like dogs?”
That’s what was written in the dispatch.
Jeong Cheon asked.
“What does that mean, sir?”
“Read it for yourself.”
After a moment, Jeong Cheon confirmed the dispatch’s contents and smiled faintly, as if understanding something.
“It seems the Grand Prince is sending us fools.”
“I was upset when he sent those men caught up in some Purification Movement business to the Northern Military Unit, but this works out perfectly. Now I’ll show them just how much more terrifying we are than the North.”
Peng Wu-wei, who had been spending idle days since the war ended, suddenly blazed with renewed purpose.
‘How dare they rot our Grand Prince from within? They’re all dead men, every last one of them.’

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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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