The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 89

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Red Dragon Martial Emperor, Episode 89

Chapter 89 — Papa’s Resolve

The battle was decided.
Yet still, across the line between life and death, warriors clashed in desperate combat.
Jang Su, who had led the vanguard, and the Blood Ghost and Black Tiger Unit that guarded him, locked in a savage struggle against Ju Tae and the martial artists of the Habuk Peng Clan, pressing down upon them with unrelenting force.
Though the Zhao Kingdom held numerical advantage, Ju Tae and the Peng warriors exploited their geographical position to overwhelm the odds stacked against them—like autumn leaves scattering before the wind.
“Argh!”
“Ahhhhh!”
The Black Tiger Unit, that terror of the Yen army, had already suffered near-total annihilation, and the Blood Ghost, their superior formation, swiftly lost all fighting spirit.
Flash!
Ju Tae’s blade swept through the neck of the Blood Ghost warrior who had stood at Jang Su’s side to the very end.
Thud!
“Gasp!”
As the handful of remaining Black Tiger soldiers began their flight, the battle lurched toward its final moment.
Shudder, shudder……
The Zhao Kingdom general trembled uncontrollably, unable to accept the reality before him.
Already stripped of all fighting will, he could not even summon the thought of resistance as Ju Tae approached.
“Shall we take him alive, sir?”
A Peng warrior asked, and Ju Tae shook his head.
“What use is capturing such a worthless fool?”
Slice!
Ju Tae cut through the general’s neck without mercy. Before the severed head could strike the ground, he caught it in his palm.
Remarkably, not a single drop of blood fell from the severed edge. The cut surface had frozen pure white.
The Peng warriors did not flinch at the terrifying power of his Dark Technique. They had witnessed firsthand throughout this fierce battle the overwhelming might Ju Tae wielded.
Though casualties lay among them, it was a victory verging on the miraculous in its completeness.
Ju Tae swept his gaze slowly across the Peng warriors and spoke.
“You all fought brilliantly.”
“Only because you led us, sir!”
“We are grateful!”
“Say rather that we fought well together. Now, bind his body to a horse and send it back toward the enemy lines!”
“At once!”
The headless general was hoisted onto a mount. All watched as the horse galloped westward.
Though they had achieved an overwhelming victory, the Peng warriors could not quite feel it in their bones—their breathing remained ragged, their hearts still racing.
Ju Tae turned first.
“Let us return to camp.”
“Yes!”

* * *

Zhao Gwang’s face had flushed crimson.
The destruction of the vanguard. It was a catastrophe he had never dared imagine.
Survivors straggled back one by one.
But their total number barely reached the hundreds. For Zhao Gwang, watching them return, his heart burned black with anguish beyond measure.
‘How did it come to this……’
After confirming the situation through the survivors, Papa spoke in a somber tone.
“We have fallen completely into the enemy’s stratagem. We gravely underestimated the ability of their General-in-Chief, Peng Wu-wei. According to the survivors, our forces essentially threw themselves into the trap the enemy had so carefully laid.”
Twitch.
Zhao Gwang’s eyes narrowed to slits.
The despair that had gripped him transformed into a fury he could no longer contain.
Then it came.
Thud-thud-thud!
A single horse and rider approached.
All eyes fixed upon it, and horror and anguish seized them. They had recognized the corpse—it was the headless body of the vanguard commander.
“These……”
Zhao Gwang’s eyes erupted with lethal fire.
To sever the head and return the body was a clear mockery, an unmistakable provocation.
Zhao Gwang turned to one of his commanders.
“Full advance!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Push forward!”
“All forces, advance at full speed!”
Thump-thump-thump!
The Zhao Kingdom army resumed its assault.
Not long after, the corpses of their own soldiers began to come into view across the open ground.
Yet there was no fear in the face of this carnage—only rage and hatred, each man steeling himself for vengeance. Zhao Gwang was no different.
He called out coldly to the martial artists around him.
“Whoever brings me the head of Peng Wu-wei will receive a great reward!”
From the very beginning until now, Yi Hwan’s name had never once entered the minds of Zhao Gwang or any of the Zhao Kingdom’s commanders.

* * *

The Southern Army command tent.
Yi Hwan and his generals discussed their next moves. Whenever Yi Hwan laid out his strategy, the commanders simply nodded in agreement.
By annihilating the enemy’s vanguard, Yi Hwan had silenced any lingering doubts about his stratagems.
Peng Mun was no exception.
Watching Yi Hwan’s peculiar composure, Peng Mun found himself wrestling with another question.
‘How could someone of his caliber have lived for so long under the stigma of being a puppet general?’
His doubt soon gave way to relief.
‘If our forces win this war, the Crown Prince’s position will be far more secure—doubly so, regardless of what becomes of the general.’
With the Crown Prince Palace’s standing strengthened, Peng Mun would no longer need to resent Peng Wu-wei’s choice to reject Yi Hwang-ja’s hand. That decision would then safeguard the clan’s own prosperity, and so Peng Mun could allow himself a measure of reassurance.
[Do you believe my words now?]
Peng Wu-wei’s sound transmission broke through Peng Mun’s reverie.
Peng Mun had no desire to make a show of overconfidence.
[The war is not yet over. I will watch it through to the end, so don’t get ahead of yourself.]
[Ha, ha, ha.]
Then it happened.
Creak!
The door opened and Ju Tae stepped inside.
Every eye in the room fixed on the severed head he carried in his hands.
Yi Hwan asked calmly.
“The enemy’s vanguard commander?”
“Yes.”
“Display it where the enemy can see it clearly.”
“Understood.”
After Ju Tae withdrew, Yi Hwan rose from his seat at once.
“The enemy will need time to advance further, so everyone should eat something while you can.”

* * *

Yi Hwan’s quarters were laid out with an unexpectedly lavish spread. It was a meal the cooks had been preparing since morning for him. Go Mi nearly laughed aloud.
A feast of such luxury in the face of critical crisis? They had crushed the enemy’s vanguard perfectly, yet the true danger was still to come.
At least, that was Go Mi’s assessment.
Yi Hwan turned to Go Mi and spoke.
“If you want to fight well, fill your belly first.”
“Yes.”
Go Mi nodded and mulled over his words for a moment.
‘That’s right. You can’t fight on an empty stomach. Let’s eat.’
Go Mi wielded her chopsticks more eagerly than anyone else, and she didn’t refuse the wine either.
Midway through the meal, Yi Hwan asked Cha Jung-gyeong a question.
“Can you fight?”
“Zhao Kingdom no longer occupies a place in my heart. Do not worry.”
“I’m asking about your physical condition.”
“…I am in perfect health. Training has only made me stronger.”
“Then that’s settled.”
He turned his gaze to Song Cheon-mu.
Song Cheon-mu, who had not yet entered battle, sat with quiet resolve burning in his eyes.
“Where have they posted you?”
“The Yong Ho Army.”
The Yong Ho Army, which Vice-Commander Song Hoe had agreed to lead, carried the primary duties of support and supply, so they were positioned in the dead center of the military camp.
Thud.
Ju Tae entered. A martial artist from the Peng Clan followed in his wake.
Ju Tae introduced him to Yi Hwan.
“He’s been invaluable to us in this campaign. I thought it would be good if we worked together going forward, so I brought him to pay his respects.”
“Is that so?”
Yi Hwan’s eyes swept over the entire frame of the martial artist. The man held his breath without thinking.
“Bring him a meal as well.”
“Thank you, General!”
A servant placed a dish before the Peng Clan warrior, who bowed his head.
“I’m grateful for this generous meal!”

* * *

Hwang Bo Tae-jin and Hwang Bo Se-ga had been stationed at the rear. From the start, Zhao Gwang had not assigned separate duties to Hwang Bo Se-ga.
It was because they were known to be allied with the King of the Southwest. Hwang Bo Tae-jin watched the darkening mass of soldiers flowing past him, a bitter smile playing at his lips.
“He excludes us outright for being political enemies, and now the Crown Prince’s fortunes have turned grim. Thirty thousand troops lost without even a proper fight. What a spectacle.”
“Having tasted bitter medicine, won’t he ask for our help now?”
“He’s a man of pride—he survives on it. Only if he’s defeated again might he consider it, but not before. Well, we lose nothing by sitting this out.”
That was when it happened.
Yu Ryong-gok-ju approached from the front lines.
Another bitter smile curled at Hwang Bo Tae-jin’s mouth.
“Am I wrong in my thinking?”
“Is he coming to ask for help?”
“Though it makes no sense that someone who should be at the Crown Prince’s side would travel all the way to the rear to find me.”
Hwang Bo Tae-jin met the approaching Yu Ryong-gok-ju’s gaze with steady eyes.
“His Highness requests your presence.”
“He’s giving us a mission, then?”
“You’ll have to ask him directly.”
At this cold response, Hwang Bo Tae-jin pressed further.
“Why didn’t Yu Ryong-gok take the vanguard? If you’d been there, the outcome might have been different.”
“We followed His Highness’s command.”
Yu Ryong-gok-ju turned away first.
Hwang Bo Tae-jin fell into step beside him.
“At least tell me what we’re to do next.”
“You’ll have to ask His Highness directly.”
Snort.
Having flashed a bitter smile at Yu Ryong-gok-ju, Hwang Bo Tae-jin strode forward. Yu Ryong-gok-ju cast a warning at him.
“You’ll need to control that expression and that look in your eyes when you stand before His Highness.”
“I’ll bear that in mind.”

* * *

Hwang Bo Tae-jin bowed deeply before Zhao Gwang. Zhao Gwang’s gaze as he looked at the bowing man was no different from his usual demeanor.
He couldn’t reveal his true feelings before a political rival, so he made a show of composure. Yet the Martial Artists around him, beginning with Papa, had eyes as cold as winter ice.
They were allied with the King of the Southwest, who had taken everything from Zhao Gwang—there was no warmth to be found in their stares.
“I will assign a mission to your house.”
“Please give your command, Your Highness.”
“Join the second wave of the vanguard. Yu Ryong-gok will support you. You must bring all your strength to bear and tear through the enemy’s first defense line. Can you do this?”
“For Your Highness, for our homeland, I will give my utmost.”
Hwang Bo Tae-jin accepted without hesitation. Even though he had fallen from the Crown Prince’s position, he had not lost the strength and influence to refuse an order.
In any case, here and now, Zhao Gwang was the absolute arbiter of life and death for the army.
“Once you break through, bring the entire force forward.”
“I shall obey your command!”
Hwang Bo Tae-jin bowed once more and withdrew. Zhao Gwang watched the receding figure disappear toward the rear, his eyes growing distant.
“Will they truly give their all in this fight?”
Papa answered.
“Have no fear, Your Highness. If we lose this war, the King of the Southwest will also suffer greatly, so they will certainly do their utmost.”
“Papa.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“When the war is over, kill them. And send people to their territories so they can never take root again.”
“Understood.”
As Papa bowed her head, a flicker of sadness crossed her eyes.
‘He’s trying so hard to seem composed, but his anxiety runs deep. Before the real fighting begins, I must settle his nerves.’

* * *

The rain had ceased, and the moon and stars emerged.
Within sight of the Southern Army’s main camp, the Zhao Kingdom forces settled into their final rest.
Papa, who had never strayed from Zhao Gwang’s side, met with four figures at a distance from him this night.
Each wore a dark or white cloak, and all of them exhaled the heavy stench of death.
Papa spoke.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, Papa.”
“His Highness is deeply anxious. You must ease his mind.”
“Yes, Papa. We will bring you the head of Peng Wu-wei and present it to His Highness.”
“I will bring the head of Jeong Cheon.”
“If you fail, I will not see you again. Go.”
“Yes.”
Whoosh.
They vanished like wisps of smoke into the darkness.
Papa’s eyes flashed as she stared into the shadows beyond. Yu Ryong-gok-ju had revealed himself behind her.
“You watched?”
“It was unintentional, Papa.”
“Say nothing of this to His Highness.”
“Of course.”
Yu Ryong-gok-ju asked a question.
“Why send only four? Shouldn’t more have been sent to raise the chances of success?”
“I wish to preserve His Highness’s pride.”
“Victory should be the priority. If we lose, nothing remains.”
Whoosh.
“You dare counsel me?”
Blood-red light blazed in Papa’s pupils.
In that instant, Yu Ryong-gok-ju’s eyebrows and beard froze white with frost. It was the terrible power of the Dark Technique.
Yet Yu Ryong-gok-ju’s gaze did not waver.
“Please do not misunderstand. I speak only for His Highness’s sake.”
“Remember: you and yours already fastened the first button wrong.”
Papa, radiating chill, turned and walked back toward Zhao Gwang. Yu Ryong-gok-ju watched her receding form, his eyes gleaming with calculation.
‘That petty pride cost him the Crown Prince’s seat, and still he does not see. When this war ends, the hand I hold may belong to a different master. You should know that, Papa.’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————