The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 48

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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, No Emperor Chapter 48

Chapter 48 — Ruthless and Cruel

“Wang Zhijing has many enemies, so he always travels with martial artists. Among them are two called the Black and White Two Swords — they’re supreme experts from the Heterodox Path, and Wang Zhijing relies on them absolutely.”
The Black and White Two Swords were formidable fighters with a fearsome reputation throughout the Northern Central Plains.
Born of the Heterodox Path and possessed of exceptional martial prowess and brutal temperament, the number of those who had died at their hands was beyond counting. That Wang Zhijing had stepped in each time to suppress these incidents had become an open secret.
“When he ventures out, he brings roughly twenty guards — all of them martial experts. The Black and White Two Swords lead them.”
“So removing the Black and White Two Swords is like cutting off the serpent’s head.”
“Exactly so.”
Go Mi drew a scroll from his breast.
“This is a map of Wang Zhijing’s residence. The red marks indicate suspected storage locations for his wealth.”
Lee Hwan found himself impressed anew.
He’d instructed Go Mi to gather more detailed information after settling on Wang Zhijing as the first target, yet here was a map of the residence itself in less than a day.
Go Mi asked, “Have you decided on a course of action?”

“Rough it out.”
“Shall I move with you?”
“No. Cheol Muok stays out of this. We’ll handle the bloodshed. Instead, focus on gathering intelligence about the others.”
“Understood.”
“Cheol Muok.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I’ll need you to call in your Ilmaek. My sister’s residence has many empty rooms, so house them there while we arrange permanent quarters and assign them to provide protection.”
“Understood.”
Lee Hwan interlaced his fingers and leaned back in his seat.
“Now we simply wait for the prey to move.”

* * *

Wang Zhijing was called a great man not because of his birth, but because of his wealth.
He plunged into any venture that promised profit — loan-sharking foremost among them — and over long years had accumulated a fortune of staggering proportions. Countless were those who had suffered losses and wept blood because of his schemes.
Using this wealth, Wang Zhijing had bribed numerous high officials, and wherever martial force was needed, he hired martial artists to brutally crush his opponents and dominate them utterly.
He did not hesitate to murder those who failed to repay borrowed money on time, and it was common for him to strip away entire fortunes if payment was even a day late.
Thus, in time, Wang Zhijing came to be called the Emperor of Darkness.
Yet even the Emperor of Darkness had things that did not go according to his will.

* * *

A massive frame with grease glistening across it, a bloated face round as a melon, and eyes so narrow and elongated that it was impossible to tell whether they were open or shut.
Wang Zhijing turned his teacup in his fingers, narrowing his eyes further still.
Clink.
“If it weren’t for that cursed princess, I’d handle this matter as I see fit. But it’s damned troublesome.”
“You mean the Song clan?”
“Yes. I went to press him for payment and assessed the situation — and found, to my surprise, that the household didn’t look ruined at all! Why would that be? The princess, of course.”
“What power does a princess have? She’s in the same position as other imperial bastards — cast out by the royal family. These rumors about the crown prince watching over them are lies. If it were true, he wouldn’t have allowed them to fall into ruin like this.”
“Nevertheless, she carries imperial blood. The reason they’ve managed to endure this long is precisely because of that fact. To the powerful and connected, a worthless princess means little — but to common merchants, the story is different.”
“True enough. But where did they get the money to purchase those two inns? According to our intelligence, there was no possible source of funds.”
“There’s an old saying — even when the wealthy are ruined, they have enough to live three more years. And these people were once second to none in the empire. Surely they possess that much.”
“But then they still owe us interest, don’t they? They were so eager to borrow, and now…”
As his subordinate’s voice rose, Wang Zhijing’s eyes narrowed even further.
“Interest compounds if not paid on time — that’s profit for us either way. The real issue is that we need to seize some portion of the markets the Song clan once dominated before the Hwangryong Trading Company strengthens its position further.”
“You mean to compete with the Hwangryong Trading Company?”
“Why not? But it seems you fear them.”
“With the Empress backing them, of course it’s frightening. To be honest, as far as I’m concerned, I’d rather not let a single hair of ours brush against the Hwangryong Trading Company.”
At that moment—
“My lord, a visitor.”
“Let him enter.”
Creak.
The door swung open, and a Yellow-robed Man stepped inside. His sharp features were marred by a sword scar that ran across his cheek—a detail that lent him an unsettling air.
“The carriage is ready. You should depart now.”
“Are the Black and White Two Swords prepared as well?”
“Yes. They await you outside.”
“Very good.”
Wang Zhijing donned his outer robe and stepped into the courtyard.
In the mansion’s grounds—the largest estate in the city—a single carriage stood surrounded by roughly twenty guards.
All of them carried an unmistakable air of danger, but two figures in particular commanded attention: middle-aged men clad in black and white robes respectively.
These were the Black and White Two Swords—masters from the Heterodox Path in whom Wang Zhijing placed absolute trust.
The others bowed deeply to Wang Zhijing, but the two swordsmen offered only a fist salute, their manner matter-of-fact. Wang Zhijing accepted this without complaint, as though such formality were beneath them both.
The Yellow-robed Man opened the carriage door.
“Please, board.”
Before ascending, Wang Zhijing turned to the two swordsmen with a smile.
“I rely on you both today.”
“Of course, Lord.”
A moment later, the carriage bearing Wang Zhijing crossed the main gate. Unlike a typical escort formation, the Black and White Two Swords moved at the rear.

* * *

Two mounted figures trailed behind Wang Zhijing’s procession.
Lee Hwan and Cheol Muok.
Lee Hwan’s eyes fixed on the two swordsmen.
“Competent enough. They can contain their Qi—that much is clear.”
“The arrogance etched across their faces suggests we needn’t be overly cautious. Men of their sort typically overestimate their own strength.”
“Arrogance is dangerous, yes—but carelessness is worse. Much like what I see in you now.”
“…Yes.”
Lee Hwan and Cheol Muok kept their distance from Wang Zhijing’s party, of course with Lee Hwan wearing the Human Skin Face Mask.
Clop-clop! Clop-clop!
The road was crowded; the carriage could scarcely move faster than a walking pace.
Lee Hwan, unhurried, gazed leisurely at the countryside. Harvest season was in full swing, and the fields flanking the Official Road bustled with activity.
“When did you say the Ilmaek would arrive?”
“No later than tomorrow, I should think.”
“So soon?”
“All our members possess reliable Light Martial Arts. Several of the senior adepts are faster than I am.”
“Not bad at all.”
Whoosh!
A pleasant breeze swept across the plain. The azure sky, unmarred by a single cloud, seemed wasted on bloodshed. Yet fate had other plans.
Rumble!
The clear sky darkened in an instant, and thunder gave way to a torrent of rain.
Whooosh!
Wang Zhijing’s carriage accelerated.
Lee Hwan and Cheol Muok maintained their distance and pressed on behind.
Thud-thud-thud!
As fewer travelers clogged the road, their pace quickened. How long had they been riding when the weather turned?
The light drizzle swelled into a downpour, the wind now howling with violence.
‘The heavens favor us.’
Lee Hwan surveyed the path ahead.
A sharp bend in the road lay before them, where branches overhanging from the forest thrashed wildly in the storm.
“That place will do.”
“Yes.”
They abandoned their mounts and plunged into the forest.
Moving swiftly, they overtook Wang Zhijing’s party and reached their destination. Upon arrival, Lee Hwan and Cheol Muok wrapped cloth masks across their faces.
“For this plan to succeed, we must inflict a terror deeper than death itself. Show them no mercy. Be ruthless. Be merciless. Do not forget that.”
“Understood.”
Shing!
Lee Hwan and Cheol Muok drew their blades and waited for the carriage to arrive.
Crash!
Whooosh!
The downpour rendered visibility nearly impossible. Yet it impeded Lee Hwan and Cheol Muok not at all.
Thud-thud-thud!
At last the carriage came within striking distance.
Cheol Muok moved first.
Whoosh!
He rocketed into the air and came down vertically, cleaving one guard’s upper body in half.
Thud!
“Aaagh!”
“What—!”
“Ambush! Defend the carriage!”
“Argh!”
Another guard fell, sundered in two.
These were masters Wang Zhijing had hired at great expense, but Cheol Muok operated on an altogether different plane.
“How dare you!”
Black Sword leaped into the air.
His blade descended through the downpour as if about to split Cheol Muok’s skull clean open.
Clash!
Cheol Muok blocked the strike and retreated. White Sword had already closed to within arm’s reach.
That was when Lee Hwan moved.
He targeted not the men, but the carriage itself.
Whooom!
A resonant pulse of Qi tore through the rain and struck the carriage door with crushing force.
Crack!
“There’s another assassin! Protect the Lord!”
“Stop him!”
Black Sword abandoned Cheol Muok and rushed at Lee Hwan. Before he could reach him, two guards fell to Lee Hwan’s blade, their necks severed. Through the ruined door, Lee Hwan could see Wang Zhijing huddled in terror.
Their eyes met for an instant, and Lee Hwan’s gaze blazed crimson.
“Gasp!”
Wang Zhijing gasped as if the wind had been knocked from his lungs. It was a look so terrifying that anyone would have recoiled in horror.
Flash!
A streak of light hurtled toward Lee Hwan.
Black Sword had unleashed a Sword Net.
Lee Hwan twisted his waist and slipped through the net. It tore through a tree behind him.
Crack!
Lee Hwan ignored Black Sword and lunged at Wang Zhijing inside the carriage, but the other guards blocked him. Black Sword dropped in front of Lee Hwan and attacked with the One Sword, Two Severings technique.
Clash!
Blades struck blades, scattering sparks. The impact sent rain scattering in all directions.
Lee Hwan used the recoil to slice through another guard’s waist, then surged toward Wang Zhijing again. But the guards formed a barrier, and he could not break through.
Black Sword’s eyes grew heavy and intent.
‘This man… he’s deliberately keeping himself by that door.’
At first he hadn’t noticed. But as they exchanged blows, he realized Lee Hwan was deliberately holding position at the front of the shattered carriage door.
What was stranger still was the sense that although he seemed to be targeting Wang Zhijing, he wasn’t fighting with his full strength.
‘What is he after, this one?’
“Argh!”
A death cry split the air.
“…!”
Black Sword’s eyes went wide as saucers. He watched in horror as White Sword’s neck and body separated, and the headless corpse toppled.
“Brother!”
“No!”
At the same moment, a cry of shock burst from Wang Zhijing’s lips. He had seen White Sword’s death unfold before his eyes. For Wang Zhijing, who had placed absolute faith in White Sword’s prowess, it felt as though the heavens were collapsing.
Lee Hwan smiled coldly.
‘Now it’s your turn to go.’
Lee Hwan’s blade cut through the empty air. At the same moment, five streaks of white light descended toward Black Sword’s head.
Because Lee Hwan’s blade was so impossibly fast, Black Sword never even registered the five beams of light. It proved fatal.
Crash!
Black Sword’s sword blocked Lee Hwan’s attack. But blood sprayed from his head.
Splatter, splatter, splatter, thud!
“Gack!”
With a choked cry, Black Sword stiffened like a log, then toppled backward.
“Black Sword!”
A wail of anguish tore from inside the carriage—Wang Zhijing’s voice.
Lee Hwan exhaled roughly.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
Anyone could see they were exhausted from fighting.
Cheol Muok came flying back. He too was breathing hard. But both their eyes gleamed cold and sharp.
[This is enough. We withdraw.]
[Understood.]
Bang!
Lee Hwan and Cheol Muok bolted straight into the forest. Not before hurling one final taunt.
“Villain Wang Zhijing! Next time, I will cut off your head!”

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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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