The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 55

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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 Martial Emperor, Chapter 55

Chapter 55 — Wang Ji-gyeong’s Extraordinary Proposition

Shrill! Shrill!
A signal horn sounded from beyond the forest. At once, the masked assailants abandoned their attack and bolted into the trees.
Crack!
“Argh!”
Cheol Mu-ok gave chase.
In moments, one masked attacker’s upper body separated from the lower.
“Enough. Leave it.”
At Yi Hwan’s word, Cheol Mu-ok turned back.
The aftermath of the battle looked like hell itself. Not a single corpse remained intact. Even the guards who had lived by the sword found it difficult to meet the sight with steady eyes.
Yi Hwan gave a final order.
“Tend to the wounded first.”
Two guards were dead, two others gravely injured.
Wang Ji-gyeong’s eyes trembled at the ghastly scene. In mere days, this had happened twice. Both times his life had been spared, yet the terror that had seeped into his very bones would take long to wash away.
Whoosh!
The rain still fell in heavy sheets.
Yi Hwan turned to Wang Ji-gyeong.
“What will you do? Shall we wait for the rain to pass at that estate, or return to the city?”
“Back to the city.”
Wang Ji-gyeong finally stepped outside.

* * *

Wang Ji-gyeong had returned to the city at last.
To his surprise, the inn he entered was operated by the Song Family.
Wang Ji-gyeong rented the entire top floor.
It cost an enormous sum, but for Wang Ji-gyeong it posed no difficulty.
Wang Ji-gyeong drank at a table with Yi Hwan.
Unable to shake his fear, he begged that Yi Hwan remain close by his side without straying even a moment.
Meanwhile, the guards’ eyes as they looked upon Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok had changed markedly.
Especially toward Cheol Mu-ok, who had displayed such fearsome martial prowess, they harbored undisguised awe.
Slam!
Wang Ji-gyeong struck the table, venting his fury.
“The Hwang Yong Trading Company — these dogs! What am I to do with them?”
Glug.
Yi Hwan silently refilled his empty cup.
“Why me? Of all people, why?”
Wang Ji-gyeong struggled to contain his rage.
“Are there not only two paths? Fight, or surrender.”
Yi Hwan emptied his cup and continued.
“To fight, you must have the Crown Prince’s Palace at your back. As for surrender — well, you simply hand over the foundation your father built to the Hwang Yong Trading Company and lie flat. That’s hardly difficult.”
“Bah! Surrender? Preposterous!”
Gulp! Gulp!
Wang Ji-gyeong drained the bottle.
Yi Hwan spoke carefully.
“Then shouldn’t you go to the Song Family at once and make your petition? From where I stand, there’s no way forward except to leverage them and forge a connection to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
“Of course. I’ll secure a connection to the Crown Prince’s Palace by whatever means necessary.”
“But there’s something we must address first.”
“What is it?”
Yi Hwan drained another cup and spoke evenly.
“The guard detail needs reinforcement. In just a few days there have been two ambushes. It’s quite possible the next will come from opponents on an entirely different level. Should Sang San Hyeol-do move himself, I cannot guarantee your safety with our current strength.”
“……!”
Wang Ji-gyeong’s face, flushed with anger, went rigid.
“Why wasn’t Sang San Hyeol-do captured?”
“I tried. The Hwang Yong Trading Company got to him first — handed him vast sums of silver and even threw in a woman. Had I known sooner that he prefers women to rice, I’d have taken him myself.”
Was he disappointed?
A thin muscle twitched in Wang Ji-gyeong’s face. He drained his cup like water and continued.
“I see. I’ll have to hire stronger guards, no matter the cost.”
‘Of course. This is exactly how it should unfold.’
Inwardly amused, Yi Hwan sent a Mental Transmission to Cheol Mu-ok.
[Pick three men from your lineage and have them ready.]
[Understood.]
Yi Hwan turned to Wang Ji-gyeong and spoke.
“I think rest would serve us well tonight.”
“You must stay in the room adjoining mine.”
“Very well.”

* * *

Wang Ji-gyeong and Yi Hwan climbed the stairs to their rooms.
Cheol Mu-ok and the guards remained below, drinking. One of them spoke.
“Thank you. We’re alive because of you.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Those who had resented Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok mere hours before now bowed their heads and stepped forward.
Cheol Mu-ok set down his cup and surveyed them all.
“Do you want to keep doing this work?”
“What choice do we have? We need money to survive, and there aren’t many places that pay as generously as this. Honestly, most people don’t much care for Martial Artists.”
“That’s true! I feel the same way.”
“So do I.”
The atmosphere grew heavier still.
Watching men who’d been swaggering so brazenly just moments ago now suddenly lose their spirit, Cheol Mu-ok felt a surge of compassion.
“You said you all came from the Unorthodox Sects?”
“Honestly, what does Righteous and Unorthodox even mean? We call ourselves Martial Artists, but the Martial World itself has practically ceased to exist, hasn’t it?”
“Who in heaven has the right to define what is Righteous and what is Unorthodox? Whether we eat Sword Rice or not, we all draw blood the same way.”
“Those who serve the powerful are called Righteous, and the rest are Unorthodox. What difference does it make? Damn it all.”
Words heavy with the weight of lived experience poured forth.
Cheol Mu-ok drained his cup in silence.
Tap!
“Want to know the best way to survive and keep doing this work?”
“Tell us!”
“What should we do?”
Cheol Mu-ok raised his hand and pointed upstairs.
“Listen well to what our leader says. That’s all it takes.”
“From what we’ve seen, you seem to be the stronger one?”
He chuckled softly.
“I’m not even close.”
“Really?”
Amazement rippled through the group.
Cheol Mu-ok brought his cup to his lips and wondered to himself.
‘Is my lord truly stronger than me?’

* * *

The downpour continued into the night.
Flooding broke out across the city due to the heavy rain that had fallen before the monsoon season had even begun.
Whoosh!
Yi Hwan stood by the window, watching the sheets of rain pour down. How long had he been standing there?
Yi Hwan quietly opened the window. A figure slipped through.
It was Go Mi.
[I’ve identified what you directed me to find.]
“You can speak aloud if you wish.”
Go Mi then continued in her normal voice.
“I tracked the movements of those staying at the Hwang Yong Trading Company Branch today. They moved toward the location where the fight took place. However, Sang San Hyeol-do did not participate.”
‘So it was them after all.’
Go Mi posed her question.
“Are you all right?”
“As you can see, I’m fine. But how is the Crown Prince doing?”
“He seemed to have recovered considerably. He’s been very eager to know where you are.”
“The time to meet will come soon enough.”
Yi Hwan issued his next instruction.
“Go to my sister and tell her that Wang Ji-gyeong is here. Have her drop by the inn tomorrow as if by chance. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Understood.”
“And regarding what I asked you about before—there’s no need to find separate quarters after all.”
He was referring to lodgings for the Do Wang Lineage members.
“Have you found suitable accommodations then?”
“A few will stay here with me, and the rest will lodge at my sister’s house. I’ll have peace of mind knowing they’re close to her.”
“I was worried about finding proper quarters, so I’m relieved. Is there anything else you need me to do?”
“From now on, I need you to investigate the trading routes and distribution channels controlled by the Hwang Yong Trading Company. Find out how they seized the Song Family’s markets, the volume of their transactions, how funds flow to the Crown Prince’s faction—everything you can gather. Leave no stone unturned.”
“Understood.”
Go Mi bowed her head and turned to leave.
“Dry off before you go?”
“It’s fine.”
Go Mi slipped through the window into the darkness. Yi Hwan watched her receding figure and allowed himself a small, wry smile.
‘Good that some things never change.’

* * *

Hwang Yong Trading Company Branch.
Sang San Hyeol-do’s face had turned cold as his subordinate delivered the report.
“They were beyond anything we could have managed. It wasn’t just their martial skill—their methods were so brutal that most of our men lost their will to fight from the very start.”
“What about the other one?”
“He never left Wang Ji-gyeong’s side. One of our men tried to exploit an opening and attack him, but that man killed him without mercy. It seems he’s the one leading them, just as you suspected.”
Sang San Hyeol-do sank deeper into his chair, his eyes gleaming.
“So they’re at least as formidable as the Black and White Dual Blades. No wonder they were so arrogant.”
“Their methods were even crueler.”
“Enough about their methods. Dead is dead, whether it’s clean or messy.”
“…Yes.”
“Where did Wang Ji-gyeong find such men anyway? I thought we’d already snapped up anyone worth having.”
“Should we investigate the innkeeper at the Sangchun Inn?”
“Don’t be foolish. Leave them alone. If something happens to the Sangchun Inn, it could affect our recruitment of new personnel.”
“Ah, I hadn’t considered that.”
“Now get out.”
“Then rest well.”
After his subordinate left, Sang San Hyeol-do’s thoughts turned to Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok, and his expression grew darker still.
‘I said the feeling wasn’t ordinary, and they turned out to be real players.’
Click-click.
The sound of knuckle joints cracking echoed from his interlaced fingers.
Then he bared his teeth in a bright smile.
‘I was getting bored with the Hwang Yong Trading Company having such smooth sailing. This is perfect. Things are about to get quite interesting. Hehehehe.’

* * *

The next day.
Lee Young and Song Cheon-ho stopped by the inn. A few members of Song Cheon-mu and Cheol Mu-ok’s lineage came along as their escort.
Word reached Wang Ji-gyeong immediately.
Having just finished breakfast and begun his tea, Wang Ji-gyeong hurried downstairs.
Lee Young, who had been helping with work in the kitchen, stepped outside at the mention that Wang Ji-gyeong was asking for her.
Wang Ji-gyeong bowed his head.
“What a pleasant surprise to meet you here again, madam.”
“What brings you to this place, sir?”
“Ah, the rain fell so heavily last night that I decided to stay for the evening. But I’m curious—why does the mistress of the inn work in the kitchen with her own hands?”
“Can an owner just sit idle? Of course I help. And I hope your room was comfortable.”
“The accommodations were of the highest quality. Thanks to that, I was able to sleep soundly for the first time in a while. The liquor and the cuisine were also excellent—I think I’ll be visiting often from now on.”
“I’m grateful for your kind words. Well then, I should be going.”
Wang Ji-gyeong called out to Lee Young as she turned to leave.
“Might I trouble you for a moment? I’d like to finish a discussion we didn’t quite conclude yesterday.”
“I’m rather busy at the moment…….”
“It won’t take long, madam.”
Lee Young’s brow furrowed delicately for a moment before she nodded.
“Very well, then.”
“Thank you, madam. Shall we move upstairs where it’s quieter?”

* * *

Lee Young and Wang Ji-gyeong sat facing each other across a table. Yi Hwan took a seat at a separate table slightly distant, while Song Cheon-mu and Do Wang Lineage positioned themselves behind Lee Young.
Lee Young struck first.
“Let me be clear — I won’t hear anything related to the Crown Prince’s Palace.”
Wang Ji-gyeong was not the sort to retreat at such words. No — he had to turn Lee Young’s heart around, one way or another.
Yi Hwan watched Wang Ji-gyeong and smiled inwardly.
‘He’ll have to make a bold play.’
Wang Ji-gyeong pressed his lips together, then spoke.
“I will forgive not only the interest but the principal as well. Moreover, I will invest one million silver taels unconditionally in whatever enterprise you wish to undertake, madam. The repayment period will follow your wishes entirely.”
“……!”
Even Lee Young’s resolute eyes wavered slightly. One million silver taels invested unconditionally? And she could set the repayment period herself, while the interest on both her existing debt and the new investment would be forgiven?
It was a proposal so extraordinary that no one could fail to be astonished. Even Yi Hwan hadn’t anticipated anything to this degree.
‘Yesterday’s gambit was more effective than I thought. Hehehehe.’
Yi Hwan studied Lee Young.
Then Lee Young asked a question.
“Why should I accept the honorable one’s terms?”

Refuse three times. Accept on the fourth.

Lee Young was faithfully following the contents of the letter Yi Hwan had sent her.
Wang Ji-gyeong spoke.
“I am well aware that you are suffering hardships because of the Hwang Yong Trading Company. Therefore, I dare to say this.”
Wang Ji-gyeong took a breath and continued with determined conviction.
“Allow me to become your sword and shield, madam. If you and I share the same purpose, we will surely be able to turn back the tyranny of the Hwang Yong Trading Company!”
His resolute resolve, combined with perfectly chosen words and tone, and moreover an unprecedented offer — Lee Young could not refuse, no matter how strong she was.
At least, this was Wang Ji-gyeong’s conviction.
“I’ll need to think it over.”
“……!”

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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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