The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 5

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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 Monarch: Episode 5

Chapter 5 — The Man Pursuing the Traces of Talkhongi

Yi Hwan opened his eyes slowly.
Song Hoe stood before him with an animated expression.
“What is it?”
“The Crown Prince has sent medicine! The Crown Prince himself, sir!”
“Is that really worth such excitement?”
“He will be the master of this land one day, sir. Of course it moves me! Come outside and see for yourself!”
Whoosh!
Yi Hwan emerged from the medicinal bath, wrapped a cloth around himself, and stepped into the main chamber. Song Hoe followed, unable to conceal his fervent emotion.
“The Crown Prince has been watching over the General! That cold Prince, and he chose to show such care for the General…….”
Song Hoe’s voice wavered with tears.
Cha Jung-gyeong regarded him with a look of pity.
‘A general carrying on like a concubine moved by royal favor. Tsk, tsk.’
Yi Hwan changed into fresh clothes and sat at the table. A teacup rested upon its surface.
Clink.
After taking a sip of tea, Yi Hwan fixed his gaze upon the basket sitting on the table. Inside, medicine lay wrapped in gold leaf.
‘Is there something in this that my memory does not account for?’
By all recollection, Crown Prince Yi So was a man of unparalleled coldness. When Yi Hwan departed the Imperial Palace for the Front Lines, Yi So had not even offered a farewell, like the other princes.
Yet this same man now sends medicine. Suspicion rose in him far more than gratitude.
“It is merely the charity of a man with power. So spare us the theatrics.”
“No matter what the General says, this Commander can only feel like dancing with joy.”
Yi Hwan began to speak but held his tongue. Song Hoe was genuinely happy now.
“Let’s have some food.”
“If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll have it brought at once.”
It was then.
“General, the Left General has come to call on you.”
A warrior’s voice carried in from outside.
Yi Hwan recalled the commander who had traveled with the Peng Family Warriors.
Song Hoe spoke up.
“What shall we do?”
“Tell him I’m exhausted.”
“But he only came to pay his respects. Perhaps it would be proper to receive him…….”
“That’s final.”

* * *

Hwang Ho sat across from Jeong Cheon.
The two engaged in a substantive conversation regarding operations. Near its end, Jeong Cheon spoke.
“According to reports from the soldiers, the General’s martial prowess is remarkable. It’s said that warriors from the Black Tiger Unit had their heads severed so easily by the General’s blade that it was almost pitiful.”
“Then he’s been concealing his martial arts all this time?”
“It appears so.”
“But why would he deliberately hide such skill? With strength like that, he could have come forward aggressively and earned military merit.”
“Perhaps he had no desire to return to the Imperial Palace? For the General, this blood-soaked battlefield might have been more comfortable than the capital. At least here he needn’t worry about the scrutiny he faced in the palace.”
Indeed, Yi Hwan had endured disrespect from numerous commanders throughout, yet had never openly expressed discontent.
This might have been due to a timid nature, but now, upon reflection, it was possible he had come to prefer this place over the Imperial Palace.
“Yes. That may well be true.”
Hwang Ho took a sip of the cooled tea.
Clink.
Jeong Cheon broached another matter.
“Peng, the Left General, has requested information regarding the Chao military forces. Specifically, he wishes to meet directly with the warriors who engaged the Black Tiger Unit in battle and hear their accounts firsthand.”
“He came to check the Black Tiger Unit, so it’s only natural. Since we gain respite from this, have all the information they request delivered to them.”
“Understood.”
Clink.
“Ever since the General recovered, something has felt amiss. We managed to get through this incident safely, but who knows what he might do next. Keep a close watch on him from now on.”
“Understood.”
After Jeong Cheon withdrew, Hwang Ho opened the window.
Cool air swept in, carrying the rich scent of the forest. Hwang Ho gazed across the Military Camp toward the barracks opposite.
It was where the Left General and the Peng Family Warriors were stationed.
‘They didn’t come merely to confront the Black Tiger Unit. If the Left General was sent to replace me, it would mean the Empress’s influence protecting Yi Hwang-ja has grown even stronger…….’
The Imperial Palace at present was centered on the Empress.
The Emperor, once called the Iron-Blooded Sovereign, had long since withdrawn from the forefront, and the Empress had taken his place in that role.
The Crown Prince’s birth mother had passed away not long after bearing him, and afterward the current Empress entered the Imperial Palace and gave birth to Yi Hwang-ja and the Third Prince.
The Empress showed particular affection for Yi Hwang-ja among her children, and as a result, men were gathering around him—such was the reality of the present court.
Many rumors circulated about the Emperor, but nothing had been confirmed as fact.
Hwang Ho thought of Crown Prince Yi So.
‘Hold firm, and hold firm still. No matter what anyone says, Your Highness is the Crown Prince of this realm.’
Crack!

* * *

A city in the northern reaches of Chao, bordering the realm of Yeon.
A man entered the Marketplace of this sprawling, magnificent city—so vast and splendid one could scarcely believe it lay so near the frontier.
Though war might erupt at any moment beyond the single mountain range separating them from Yeon’s territory, the Marketplace buzzed with vitality.
The city’s brilliance reflected the very prosperity that Chao had been enjoying of late.
The man who had entered the city made straight for the Inn.
The Inn overflowed with patrons, and the raucous shouts of intoxicated guests made it sound like a marketplace bazaar.
“Welcome, sir!”
“Do you have a quiet room?”
“As luck would have it, one just became available on the upper floor. Shall I show you there?”
“Yes, do.”
The man ascended to the fourth floor under Jeom-so’s guidance. Unlike the lower floors, the fourth floor was sealed off into separate chambers, making it remarkably quiet.
“Two bottles of wine and the finest appetizers you have, if you please.”
“Of course! Please have some tea while you wait just a moment!”
After Jeom-so withdrew, the man set down his sword and moistened his throat with the tea that had already been prepared.
Tap.
The man folded his arms and closed his eyes.
How long did he remain motionless?
“I’m here.”
“Come in.”
A single attendant entered.
The man finally opened his eyes.
“I have learned what you instructed me to investigate.”
“Speak.”
“There is a unit in the Chao military called the Black Tiger Unit, and one of them was the one in question. However, that man vanished during a battle two days ago.”
“Is he definitely the one who ambushed the Fourth Prince of Yeon?”
“Yes. I even confirmed his name—Cha Jung-gyeong. But he was the only one in the Black Tiger Unit who wielded the Talkhongi technique.”
“Vanished, you say……. Then he might well be dead.”
“According to what was confirmed, no corpse has been found. However, given how fierce the battle was, death in combat seems most likely at present.”
The man’s gaze darkened ominously—eyes that seemed to radiate the aura of absolute darkness.
“Continue to search until a body is confirmed.”
“Understood.”
Just then Jeom-so arrived with the wine first.
Cheon-po filled the man’s cup and brought up another matter.
“The Fourth Prince of Yeon, who was struck by the Talkhongi technique, has survived and recovered.”
The man’s eyes changed.
“But didn’t you say he was struck by the Talkhongi technique only days ago?”
“Precisely. Isn’t it astonishing? Even if it was the Talkhongi of some insignificant fool, to recover from such wounds and return to the battlefield in mere days—it’s extraordinary.”
The man’s gaze settled.
Cheon-po continued.
“Shall I investigate that one as well? Who knows? Perhaps we’ll uncover something.”
The man said nothing and drained his cup again. Only after emptying three cups did he speak.
“Do so. But remember—finding the missing Black Tiger Unit soldier comes first.”
“Understood. Oh, and this.”
Cheon-po produced a wanted poster.
“A wanted poster of the man called Cha Jung-gyeong. Commit it to memory, just in case.”
Shortly after, Jeom-so returned with the food, and the conversation ceased.

* * *

The next morning, the man left the inn. Cheon-po, with whom he had shared dinner the previous evening, was nowhere to be seen.
The man made his way out of the city and headed north.
He gazed toward the horizon.
Beyond the mountain range stretched before him like a curtain lay the territory of Yeon.

—Once you cross the mountain range, you’ll find a city where the families of Yeon’s warriors dwell. I shall await you there in two days.

After scanning the surroundings and confirming no one was in sight, the man launched himself toward the mountain range.
His Qing Gong, soaring like a bird through the air, transcended even the Immortal Level.
As he reached the foothills of the mountain range, he halted his movement. A group of warriors had emerged from where the forest began.
They were Chao soldiers conducting reconnaissance around the mountains.
“Halt!”
The man stopped in his tracks.
The warriors encircled him.
“This is no place for civilians to enter. If you were a citizen of Chao, you’d know that.”
“I am no citizen of Chao.”
“What did you say?”
“I am a ronin with no nation of my own, wandering freely. Let me pass.”
“Whether you’re a ronin or a Yeon spy will be revealed under interrogation. Drop your sword and surrender! If you resist, this place will become your grave!”
Whoosh.
A blade pressed against the man’s throat.
Yet the man’s eyes remained unchanged as he fixed his gaze upon the leader of the group.
“Let me pass.”
Had the leader sensed something extraordinary in the man’s bearing?
The leader flinched and withdrew his blade.
Clang!
“You’re a martial artist.”
“A ronin, as I said.”
“Silence! What are you all doing? Seize him at once!”
At the leader’s command, two warriors reached out to grab the man’s arms.
In that instant, the man glided past them like wind-scattered paper, moving toward the leader.
“Wha—!”
Shock burst from the lips of both warriors.
A flash of light followed, and the leader’s head separated from his body, tumbling to the ground.
Thud!
“Ahhh!”
“Gahhh!”
All recoiled in horror.
The man walked toward them, and as the warriors dared not resist, parting to either side, he passed through their ranks and entered the forest.
“Bother me further, and you’ll all die.”
……

* * *

A darkened room, its windows covered with cloth, lay shrouded in pitch-black shadow.
Sweat dripped from Yi Hwan’s face as he sat in lotus position, absorbed in meditation.
Acutely aware of his depleted internal energy, Yi Hwan had devoted himself entirely to cultivation, confining himself to his quarters.
This was already his second day of such practice.
Throughout this time, he had not stepped foot outside his chamber, nor had he permitted any visitors.
Yi Hwan’s quarters were warm with the heat radiating from his body.
“Exhale!”
Yi Hwan opened his eyes with a long, slow breath.
For a moment, a flash of essence light gleamed in his gaze before fading.
‘Two days of continuous practice—it truly does yield proper results.’
Yi Hwan stepped outside.
Cha Jung-gyeong, who had been dozing in a slouch, rubbed his eyes and rose.
“Where is the Vice-Commander?”
“He went out a short while ago.”
“Where to.”
“He’s hardly the sort to tell me his whereabouts, is he?”
“Go fetch some cold water.”
Cha Jung-gyeong headed toward the back courtyard.
Yi Hwan pushed the window wide open.
Whoosh!
A cool breeze swept across his feverish skin, bringing relief.
Yi Hwan’s gaze swept across the military camp, and his brow furrowed slightly as he caught sight of figures emerging from the barracks across the way.
Peng Family Warriors.
Behind them, the Left General stepped into view. Song Hoe’s words echoed in Yi Hwan’s mind.

—There’s been talk that the Left General, sent by Yi Hwang-ja, will take command of this garrison in place of General Hwang.

Yi Hwan recalled Yi Hwang-ja.
According to the memories within this body, its original owner feared Yi Hwang-ja with an intensity that bordered on terror.
And understandably so—the scars of relentless torment from childhood were etched into memory like an indelible brand, refusing to fade.
More than once, he had nearly died because of Yi Hwang-ja’s cruelty, yet every offense was forgiven solely because Yi Hwang-ja carried the stamp of the legitimate line.
Perhaps the reason this body found the blood-soaked battlefield more comforting than the glittering Imperial Palace was the simple fact that it could put distance between itself and Yi Hwang-ja.
‘If you treat me as you did before, I’ll have your head cut clean from your shoulders.’
As Yi Hwan turned this thought over in his mind with icy clarity, he suddenly caught himself. The mere recollection of Yi Hwang-ja kindled a fury that rose up swift and overwhelming.
‘Am I beginning to absorb his emotions?’

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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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