The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 68

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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 Undefeated – Episode 68

Chapter 68 – Yi Hwan’s Self-Recrimination and Strategy

Returning to his quarters, Yi Hwan found Yi Huang-ja’s decision to send someone suspicious.
‘He can’t possibly suspect me.’
Even reviewing every detail, there was no way his identity could be exposed. So why?
The doubt dissolved quickly.
‘If someone is being targeted, it’s because of the Moon Lord. She’s the only one whose identity has been revealed.’
Then Yi Hwan turned the blame inward.
‘How could I overlook that…’
He’d overlooked protecting her identity. The complacent assumption that the Moon Lord of Bi-Wol was beyond Yi Huang-ja’s casual reach seemed to be the source of this trouble.
‘If she left the Imperial Palace on the same day as we did, by now she might have already arrived.’
“Mu-ok. Ju Tae.”
The door opened and Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae stepped inside.
“Did you find them?”
“Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“There are some people who need dealing with.”
Yi Hwan seized his Long Sword and headed out. Song Hoe and Song Cheon-mu, who had been conversing outside, sprang to their feet.
“Where are you headed?”
“I’ll be back shortly. If anyone asks, tell them I’m sleeping and ask them to return tomorrow.”
“Should the Guild Master also—”
“No need.”

* * *

Through the pitch darkness, figures approached the Southern Military Garrison.
Three in total.
All of them lean-limbed, each bearing a notably long sword.
“How much farther?”
“Almost there now.”
“Then let’s rest a moment. I need to attend to something and will catch up with you.”
“Understood.”
One of them disappeared into the forest to the left.
The other two settled onto a rock, twisting their bodies this way and that.
Crack-crack!
“My whole body aches from traveling without rest.”
“You’ve been neglecting your training. At this rate, your joints shouldn’t even creak over a distance like this.”
“That’s just a figure of speech, you idiot.”
Crack-crack!
“Anyway, why are they ordering us to kill the Moon Lord of Bi-Wol?”
“How should I know? We just do what we’re told. Still, they say she’s breathtakingly beautiful. It’d be a shame to kill her without… well, heh heh heh.”
“You want to have a little fun before we finish her?”
“If we get the chance.”
“That’s insane. You could end up losing your sword arm. That woman is no ordinary opponent.”
“She’s still just a woman when all’s said and done.”
Then it happened.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“What else, fool? Fireflies.”
In the direction where one of them had gone to attend to his business, five small pinpricks of light drifted lazily through the air.
“Fireflies in a deep mountain like this? Strange.”
To anyone’s eyes, they were unmistakably fireflies, so the two quickly lost interest.
Then it came.
Thud!
The sound of something crashing to the ground echoed out.
The two turned their gaze back toward where the fireflies had been, but the lights had already vanished.
“What was that sound just now?”
“That’s right.”
One of the black-robed figures called out in a low voice.
“Moon Lord!”
When there was no answer, he called again.
“Moon Lord! Are you there?”
Still no reply came.
“This can’t be right!”
Clang!
The two black-robed figures sprang to their feet, drawing their blades. Above their heads, the will-o’-the-wisps that had vanished earlier reappeared. But since they materialized directly overhead, neither of the black-robed men noticed a thing.
“Moon Lord!”
When he called again, the undergrowth rustled and a shadow rose from it.
“Who goes there!”
The two black-robed figures leveled their swords, their voices sharp and cold.
Yet the shadow advanced toward them in silence. The black-robed men sensed something was amiss and widened their stance, letting their blades fall into guard position.
Shing.
Blood Radiance kindled at the tips of their swords.
They exchanged a Soul Transmission.
[If the Moon Lord has fallen, we’re facing a master of extraordinary power. We strike first—no hesitation!]
[Understood!]
Whoosh!
The two black-robed figures launched themselves at the shadow rushing toward them like a thunderbolt. At the same moment, five pinpoints of light that had been drifting through the air plummeted straight down.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
One of the black-robed men staggered with a gasping cry. Fortunately, having avoided his vital points, he didn’t collapse at once.
But that was all the fortune he had left.
Flash!
A blade of light erupted from directly behind, severing the neck of the staggering man.
Crack.
“…!”
The remaining black-robed figure’s eyes widened in shock as he watched his companion’s head fly through the air. He wheeled desperately away.
He hurled himself eastward to evade the advancing shadow, having recognized in that instant that he could not stand against this foe alone. Flight was his only choice.
It was the wisest judgment made in a heartbeat. But even that would not save him.
Thud!
A dull impact, and blood sprayed from the black-robed figure’s head. He continued forward at full speed before smashing into a tree ahead and collapsing.
Boom!
Thump!
Two more shadows appeared over the fallen black-robed man.
Yi Hwan and Ju Tae.
Cheol Mu-ok approached from the side.
“Just as you said—they came to kill the Moon Lord.”
Yi Hwan stared down at the corpse, his gaze hardening.
“They died easily in the ambush, but they were far from weak. If we hadn’t overheard their conversation, things could have gone very badly.”
“Indeed. Especially the one caught defecating—he seemed to be a considerable master.”
Ju Tae let out a quiet laugh.
“Poor bastard. Of all the times to take a shit. Tsk, tsk.”
It is said among the Martial Realm’s masters that they are most vulnerable when answering nature’s call. Thus assassins often exploit that moment when targeting a master stronger than themselves.
“If they send replacements as time passes, shall we kill them all as they arrive?”
“That’s only a short-term solution.”
“Then…?”
“We find another way. A way for the Moon Lord to remain at my side without having to leave. First, dispose of the bodies.”
“Very well.”
Yi Hwan watched Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae drag the corpses into the forest, his expression grim.
‘I have no face to show the Moon Lord.’
Self-reproach washed over him again. He fell silent in thought for a moment, then something occurred to him and he called out to Cheol Mu-ok.
“Mu-ok!”
“Yes.”
“Sever that one’s head and bring it back to our camp.”
“To our camp, sir?”
“I have a use for it.”
“…Understood.”

* * *

The next day.
Yi Hwan and Go Mi sat across from each other.
Yi Hwan got straight to the point.
“Yi Huang-ja has his eye on you.”
“How did you find out?”
Yi Hwan told her about the Official Letter that Peng Wu-wei had received and what had happened the previous night. But Go Mi’s reaction was remarkably calm.
“So it was as I suspected.”
“You anticipated this?”
“Yes. I was the only one whose identity was exposed, wasn’t I? If Yi Huang-ja harbored resentment over what happened to the Yellow Dragon Guild, I considered the possibility that he might try to kill me.”
“I’m sorry. It was my mistake.”
“Not at all. To handle this properly, I needed the Secret Inspector’s authority, and a Secret Inspector cannot go about disguised in a Face Mask, can they? I’m quite all right with this.”
The more gracefully Go Mi responded, the sorrier Yi Hwan felt.
Yi Hwan looked directly at her and continued.
“It looks like you’ll need to die.”
“…… Pardon?”
“Yi Huang-ja won’t give up until he sees you dead. So get me a Face Mask of your own as quickly as possible.”
“You’ve already found a way to deceive Yi Huang-ja?”
“I have.”
“How will you deceive him?”
“You’ll understand eventually, so be patient with your curiosity.”
At those words, Go Mi’s eyes narrowed slightly. Then she spoke in a tone unlike her usual manner.
“You’re always like this.”
“Like what?”
“You’ll understand eventually, so be patient with your curiosity. Have you noticed this is a habit of yours?”
“When have I ever said that before?”
Just then, Cheol Mu-ok’s voice rang out from behind.
“It’s definitely a habit.”
“I agree.”
Ju Tae chimed in as well.
Twitch.
Yi Hwan’s brow furrowed slightly when Go Mi continued.
“Tell me now. Since this concerns my death, I believe I have the right to know.”
Yi Hwan took a sip of tea and then explained his plan. When he finished, Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae exchanged glances and smiled.
‘To think of something like this even at a time like this.’
‘Exactly. In any case, he’s certainly impressive. So let’s not doubt him anymore.’
Then Go Mi raised a question.
“It won’t be easy to deceive him based on build alone.”
But Yi Hwan’s answer made her eyes widen.
“That’s why I’ve kept just the head carefully preserved.”
“……!”
“Fortunately, one of them had a rather small head.”

* * *

Peng Wu-wei hurried toward Yi Hwan’s residence, his subordinate Song Hoe in tow.
As he entered Yi Hwan’s quarters, the grave atmosphere gave him pause.
Peng Wu-wei asked his captain, Song Hoe.
“Why is the mood so heavy?”
“Come to the rear courtyard. The General-in-Chief is waiting for you there.”
‘What’s happened that the atmosphere is like this?’
Peng Wu-wei made his way to the rear courtyard with a puzzled frown. There he found Yi Hwan sitting in a chair with his eyes closed and an austere expression, and before him lay two corpses covered in white cloth and a small object.
‘What are these? These bodies…?’
Peng Wu-wei sensed at once that something grave had occurred.
“Have you found them?”
Yi Hwan opened his eyes.
In that instant, Peng Wu-wei recoiled as if a blade had pierced straight through his eyes. In all his time with Yi Hwan, he had never seen such a frightening gaze.
“Uncover the cloth.”
“Yes.”
Cheol Mu-ok pulled back the cloth that had been covering the corpse.
Yi Hwan then turned to Peng Wu-wei and asked.
“Do you happen to know who these men are?”
Peng Wu-wei examined the bodies. Then he shook his head.
“I’ve never seen them before. But what is this about? And why are these bodies lying here?”
“Mu-ok.”
“Yes.”
Cheol Mu-ok this time lowered the cloth that had been covering a small object on the table.
In that instant, Peng Wu-wei’s eyes widened.
“Gasp!”
What lay on the table was Go Mi’s severed head.
“How in heaven’s name did this happen, General-in-Chief!”
“Bring the Moon Lord inside.”
“Yes.”
Cheol Mu-ok cradled Go Mi’s head carefully and stepped inside. He cast a fleeting glance at the stunned Peng Wu-wei and smiled faintly.
Yi Hwan continued.
“Someone killed the Moon Lord, severed her head, and hung it from a tree. These men were loitering nearby when my bodyguards spotted them. One managed to escape. So I’m asking you.”
“…….”
“You truly don’t recognize any of these faces?”
“How dare I deceive you? I swear these are people I’ve never seen before!”
“Didn’t Yi Huang-ja mention sending men? That’s why I believe these are his. What do you think, General?”
“Why would Yi Huang-ja kill the Moon Lord of Bi-Wol? The head of the Secret Inspectorate is someone no one can touch without His Majesty’s word!”
“A sane man wouldn’t covet the throne when a Crown Prince stands before it. All will be revealed in time. For now, deploy your troops to chase down the one who fled. He’s wounded, so he can’t have gone far. As for Bi-Wol, I’ll keep only a skeleton crew and send the rest back to the Imperial Palace. Take note of that.”
“Understood.”
Yi Hwan called out to Peng Wu-wei as he turned to leave.
“General.”
“Yes.”
“Only by catching this man can we learn who was behind the Moon Lord’s death. You must capture him without fail.”
“I will spare no effort!”
Shortly after Peng Wu-wei departed, Go Mi walked out into the rear courtyard. Already she wore the face of an entirely different person.
Yi Hwan smiled faintly.
“How does it feel to be a ghost?”
“Not pleasant. I’ll keep only the subordinates skilled in Face Mask craftsmanship and send the rest away.”
“Are they trustworthy?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll send word to the Crown Prince Palace by Official Letter explaining everything. The subordinates who return must believe you are dead.”
“Understood.”
Go Mi turned to leave.
“Where are you going? You need to stay here until all your subordinates have departed.”
“……!”
Go Mi stopped short and turned back around.
Yi Hwan rose from his seat and stretched broadly before heading inside.
“Let’s have something to eat.”
Ju Tae asked.
“What shall we do with these bodies?”
“They are the ones who killed the Moon Lord. Sever their limbs before as many witnesses as possible, then burn them.”
“Understood.”

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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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