The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 72

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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 Emperor, Episode 72

Chapter 72 — Arrival at the Red Water

‘I felt nothing at all.’
Go Mi pushed away from the wall.
Ju Tae stepped outside. Go Mi drew upon her senses, and a faint tremor reached her—indistinct, wavering.
But the aura was so subtle that she could barely distinguish whether it came from a person or a beast.
‘So that’s the difference.’
Though it spanned only a few breaths, it was a chasm in the Martial World that no amount of effort could bridge.
Yi Hwan asked, “How much internal energy do you have?”
“Roughly at the tenth rank, sir.”
For her age, it was far from weak—remarkable, even. She had never doubted her cultivation until now.
But Yi Hwan did not see it that way.
“You’ll need to cultivate further.”
Go Mi said nothing.
The door opened. Ju Tae entered.
Go Mi’s eyes traced the space behind him. It was empty.
“It’s done.”
Yi Hwan closed his eyes again, and Ju Tae returned to his place, leaning against the wall.
‘What does ‘done’ mean?’
Regardless of Go Mi’s doubt, time flowed on as if nothing had happened at all.
Rumble!
Crackle!

The sky after the rain hung clear and piercingly blue.
Beneath that blue expanse lay two corpses, desolate and still. They wore plain clothes and carried no weapons.
Go Mi’s gaze upon them held a curious quality.
“You seem confused,” Yi Hwan observed.
“No, sir. I understand. This is enemy territory, and in such a remote place, anyone armed would be a liability if discovered.”
“Good.”
“Sir?”
“Keep thinking like that.”

They resumed their journey.
Go Mi traveled at the rear.
After half a day’s travel, a city appeared.
The city, nestled beside a lake, was sizable, and its streets teemed with merchants and travelers alike.
The party entered the marketplace.
Days remained before reaching their destination, so they needed to gather jerky and dried rations for the road ahead.
“We’ll stop at an inn,” Yi Hwan said.
“Yes, sir.”
They passed through the marketplace and entered a grand, ornate inn. Despite the early hour, the common room bustled with patrons.
Yi Hwan settled the party on the quieter second floor and gazed out through the window at the marketplace below.
The people, their dress, the buildings—nothing differed from what he’d seen in the Yen Kingdom.
Yi Hwan studied Go Mi and asked, “Among the three kingdoms, which do you think is the most prosperous?”
“I cannot say with certainty, but based on available intelligence, the Jin Kingdom appears to hold the advantage.”
“Is it geography?”
“Yes, sir. The Jin Kingdom borders the sea, and trade with Haedong and the Wa Kingdom has flourished for generations. The wealth gained from such commerce is considerable.”
Yi Hwan nodded quietly.
The Jin Kingdom had been built in the heart of the Central Plains—the choicest territory. Though smaller in area than either Yen or Zhao, it possessed geographic advantages that more than compensated for size.
Militarily, its terrain favored defense against invasion, and war had rarely touched its borders.
Rich Country, Strong Army—the phrase seemed made for the Jin Kingdom.

Yen Kingdom, by contrast, had established itself at the heart of the Central Plains, yet the barren territories of Yao Dong and Yao Ning occupied its northeastern reaches, and its northern frontier—the very head of the kingdom—stood in constant confrontation with several powerful foreign peoples, draining its national strength far more severely than either rival.
Still, in recent years, by opening commercial channels with Haedong—a powerhouse of the east and itself wealthy—the kingdom’s fortunes had begun to improve gradually.
‘Did that man choose his heirs poorly?’
Yi Hwan recalled the late emperor of Yen, Yi Jeok.
Among the three emperors of the Three Kingdoms era, he had been the most outstanding. Thus Yi Hwan had once believed that Yen Kingdom would soon dominate the other two.
Yi Hwan posed a different question.
“Why does the Beggar Clan operate only in Zhao and Jin?”
Go Mi answered.
“The late emperor forbade the Beggar Clan’s activities in Yen. There was an incident where the clan’s leader was caught attempting to sell information gathered for nefarious purposes to Zhao Kingdom. It is believed they fled to Zhao and Jin to escape the sweeping crackdown that ensued.”
“Was the Official Martial Non-Interference Pact broken at that time as well?”
Go Mi’s eyes widened.
“You knew of the Official Martial Non-Interference Pact?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Ah… The Official Martial Non-Interference Pact was broken before that incident, but it is true the breach has worsened since then.”
The food arrived just then, interrupting their conversation.
They all began to eat. Having gone days without a proper meal, even Go Mi, who ordinarily ate sparingly, ate quite a bit.
Throughout the meal, Yi Hwan’s gaze drifted often toward the window. His eyes kindled when he spotted a column of people entering the marketplace.
Some fifty warriors in pale blue martial robes, each wearing a Hero’s Turban upon their head, were crossing the marketplace and moving westward.
Cheol Mu-ok spoke.
“The Namgung Clan’s warriors. Judging by their packs, they’re headed for the battlefield.”
Yi Hwan nodded silently, his gaze following their receding figures.
‘The robes haven’t changed at all, then or now. It seems only people change.’
That was when—
“Look there.”
Cheol Mu-ok pointed to the eastern end of the marketplace. From there, roughly a hundred armed figures in white robes were also moving in the direction the Namgung warriors had departed.
“The Danri Clan.”
“The Danri Clan?”
“Yes. They’re an up-and-coming martial clan, and rumor has it they possess strength comparable to the Namgung Clan. If they too are heading to the battlefield, the scale of this conflict has grown considerably.”
Ju Tae offered a remark.
“If Jin Kingdom is acting this way, then Zhao will surely call up more martial artists as well. At this rate, won’t this turn into an all-out war?”
Yi Hwan surveyed the people in the inn. Those enjoying their meal and conversation seemed utterly at ease.
‘They don’t seem worried at all. I suppose that shows how much faith they have in their country.’
Tap.
Yi Hwan set down his chopsticks and drank some cold water.
“If you’ve finished, let’s move on.”
“Yes.”
The group left the inn and resumed their journey.

* * *

Without intending to, they soon found themselves catching up to the Namgung and Danri warriors ahead on the road. Since the Official Road was crowded with many others heading west besides them, there was no particular cause for concern.
There was something else that caught Yi Hwan’s attention.
A group of Beggar Clan members. Dressed in rags that unmistakably marked them as Beggar Clan, they too were heading westward.
‘They were truly formidable once.’
Heaven’s Number One Beggar Gang.
In Yi Hwan’s era, they were known by that name. The Beggar Clan had dominated all intelligence networks across the realm with overwhelming numbers, enjoying an era of prosperity, and had rendered distinguished service in Yi Hwan’s unification of the world.
‘Do they know the reason for the Fall of Dae-ya Fortress?’
It was a question he had harbored for some time.
If the Beggar Clan had been operating in Yen Kingdom, he would have gone to them long ago.
‘I’ll need to look into it when the opportunity arises.’
The weather was clear. Perhaps because it was the day after rain, snakes appeared frequently along the Official Road.
This caused women throughout the area to cry out in alarm.
The delighted ones were the Beggar Clan members. They caught every snake that appeared and placed them in the bamboo baskets hanging from their belts. Watching them, the group couldn’t help but smile.
Whether in the past or now, the Beggar Clan remained perpetually poor, and securing three meals a day remained their foremost concern.
“Ah!”
Go Mi started in alarm and stepped aside. A viper had appeared.
When Ju Tae flicked the viper away with the hilt of his sword, Go Mi finally relaxed.
Yi Hwan smiled faintly.
‘In moments like this, she’s unmistakably a woman.’
Yi Hwan found this side of Go Mi rather endearing. She had always presented herself with such rigidity. Sometimes he even felt sorry for having brought her to the Southern Army Corps on a whim.
‘I’ll repay this kindness later.’
Yi Hwan steadied his breathing and continued forward, taking in the scenery around him. Though the forest and sky remained unchanged, the quiet of his mind transformed the journey into something like a leisurely excursion.
‘Not bad at all.’
It was a supremely peaceful moment.
They were passing through the heart of enemy territory, yet no one suspected them, and so there was nothing to guard against.

* * *

Whoooosh!
A fierce gust swept the mist aside.
In its wake, a horrific scene lay exposed in all its brutality.
Hundreds of corpses sprawled across blood-soaked earth. Whether enemy or ally could not be discerned—the sight itself spoke of how ferocious the battle here had been.
In the heart of that devastation stood Namgung Jang-cheon.
Steam rose from his body, and blood dripped steadily from the sword hanging heavy at his side.
“Haah.”
Namgung Jang-cheon breathed out, his gaze falling on the corpse of an enemy at his feet.
A figure wrapped in a dingy gray robe from crown to heel—a Demon Being from Ghost Valley. Namgung Jang-cheon’s eyes grew heavy with the weight of understanding.
“So they’ve summoned even the Demon Beings of Ghost Valley.”
He had set out to find those who had brutally slaughtered the scouting soldiers, only to encounter the Demon Beings instead.
They proved stronger, crueler, and more fearless than rumors suggested. As a result, nearly all the troops that had accompanied him lay dead.
What weighed most heavily on Namgung Jang-cheon’s heart was that among dozens of enemy soldiers, there had been only two Demon Beings.
“Young Master!”
Several masters of the Namgung Clan came running up.
They checked his condition first, and finding no signs of injury upon him, they continued with relief.
“The enemy will be upon us soon! We must withdraw at once!”
Namgung Jang-cheon raised his gaze to the west of Red Water. Mist still clung to that direction, with only the distant mountains visible in hazy silhouette against it.
It was then.
Shreee! Shreee!
A signal horn cut sharply through the mist.
It announced the enemy’s arrival.
“Please, Young Master, we must go!”
Namgung Jang-cheon turned at last.
Not long after they vanished, figures entered the field of carnage.
They were soldiers of Zhao Kingdom led by Hwangbo Tae-jin, the master of the Hwangbo Clan. As he surveyed the area, a frown etched itself across his brow.
“We were just a step too late.”
“Bodies of the Namgung Clan are visible, sir!”
A senior officer cried out.
“Confirm whether Namgung Jang-cheon is among them!”
At this command, Hwangbo Tae-jin let slip a faint smile.
“He’s not the sort to die in a place like this.”
That was when.
“Master, there’s something here you should see.”
Hwangbo Tae-jin made his way toward a middle-aged officer. There lay the corpse of a Demon Being.
Hwangbo Tae-jin examined the body’s wounds at once, and his eyes grew cold with knowledge.
“Namgung Jang-cheon was here.”
“How can you be certain?”
“The wounds on the corpse bear the mark of frost. This is the unmistakable trace of a martial art passed down only to the direct disciples of the Namgung Clan.”
Hwangbo Tae-jin turned his gaze southeast.
The mist was thinner there than to the west, allowing his sight to reach quite far. Yet nowhere could he see the forces of Jin Kingdom.
‘A pity. I wish we had arrived sooner.’
Hwangbo Tae-jin turned without hesitation.
Though his resentment toward Namgung Jang-cheon remained, he had no desire to risk venturing deeper into such peril.
“We withdraw.”

* * *

“That is Red Water.”
Cheol Mu-ok pointed to the landscape below.
Yi Hwan and his company now stood at the summit of a mountain. From this vantage, they could see at a glance the lake shrouded in heavy mist. The breeze that drifted up carried with it the scent of blood—a sign that the battlefield was very near.
“What do we do now?”
Yi Hwan decided he could no longer conceal his purpose and revealed why he had come to this place.
“The truth is, I came here to investigate Ghost Valley. It’s quite important, so I’ll find lodgings first and then figure out my approach.”
Go Mi couldn’t understand.
Ghost Valley was shrouded in mystery, and even she, despite her reputation as an information broker, knew almost nothing about it. Yet he had come all the way here, to a place where war was raging, just to investigate Ghost Valley.
‘Could there be some connection between the Great Young Master and Ghost Valley?’
As Go Mi stood bewildered, Yi Hwan headed down the mountainside. She followed at his heels, watching for an opening to ask why he needed to investigate Ghost Valley.
[Do you believe Ghost Valley is connected to the Fall of Dae-ya Fortress?]
Cheol Mu-ok asked through Soul Transmission.
[They existed from that era. If they are descendants of Ghost Valley from back then, I might find the answer I’m looking for.]
[Understood.]
“First, let’s find a place to stay. Try to find somewhere as close to the lake as possible.”
“Won’t that be too close to the battlefield?”
“The closer, the better.”
“Very well.”
They all descended the mountain.
Following Yi Hwan, Go Mi frowned slightly. She was now certain that he was hiding something from her.
‘Just now, I’m sure I saw him communicating through Soul Transmission.’
Go Mi felt a sudden irritation rising within her.
‘He always does this.’
This time, she decided not to let it slide.
“Great Young Master.”
“What is it?”
“Are you hiding something from me? No—it seems like you are hiding something.”
“I’m not. There’s nothing like that.”
“Then tell me the real reason you came here.”
“Didn’t I say I wanted to look into Ghost Valley?”
“Is that all?”
“Yes. That’s all.”
Go Mi stopped walking. Yi Hwan stopped as well.
“This is really too much!”
Go Mi voiced her frustration for the first time. Now that she’d decided to confront him, everything she’d been holding back came rushing out.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you told me from the beginning what your real purpose is? Then at least I’d have time to prepare myself!”
“That’s… well…”
“That’s enough!”
With a sharp turn, Go Mi hurried down ahead of him.
Yi Hwan stood flustered.
‘What—she was happily following along this whole time, and now suddenly she’s upset?’
Yi Hwan looked at Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae with bewildered eyes. But both men subtly avoided his gaze.
Their thoughts aligned on one point:
‘That’s exactly what I was thinking.’
‘Fair enough to be frustrated, really.’

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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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