The Red Dragon Martial Emperor - Chapter 96

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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 96

Chapter 96 – The Road to the Imperial Capital (3)

While Mu Jeong Geomni and Mun Chi-yong pursued Yi Hwan separately, unexpected figures were moving toward Yen Kingdom.
The Yu Yeong Gok Master and his associates.
Once the withdrawal was decided, the Yu Yeong Gok Master headed straight for Yen Kingdom the very next day, taking only a handful of subordinates and reporting nothing to Cho Gwang.
His destination was the Imperial Capital of Yen Kingdom, where the last traces of the Soul-Severing Device had been found.
“We’ll rest in that city today.”
“Yes.”
The Yu Yeong Gok Master and his associates entered the market street of the city. After days of traveling without pause, their appearance was a sight—weathered and worn.
Even a master well-versed in inner strength would grow fatigued without proper rest.
Soon they entered an inn on the market street. The inn, which boasted the characteristic splendor of Yen, was crowded with patrons. Avoiding the raucous voices of already-drunk customers downstairs, the Yu Yeong Gok Master and his men climbed to the quieter upper floor.
Fortunately, the upper floor had many empty tables and was very peaceful. While his subordinates ordered food, the Yu Yeong Gok Master surveyed the market street through the window.
‘Yen Kingdom is truly a prosperous land.’
The splendor of the market street was a sight rarely seen in Zhao Kingdom. The bright expressions on the faces of passersby revealed much about how the people of Yen lived.
“……!”
It was when the Yu Yeong Gok Master’s eyes, scanning here and there, caught sight of the Blue-robed Assassins sitting in an inn across the street that a spark of interest flashed across his gaze.
The light in their eyes and their demeanor as they watched outside were unusual. But what truly captured the Yu Yeong Gok Master’s attention was not their unusual bearing, but the faint Dark Aura emanating from them.
He, who had mastered the Demon Art, could never miss such a presence.
‘Assassins?’
Then it happened.
The Blue-robed Assassins rose from their seats in unison. The Yu Yeong Gok Master’s eyes fixed on the face of the one walking toward their table.
He was speaking to the assassins, his expression betraying bewilderment. Seized by sudden curiosity, the Yu Yeong Gok Master drew upon his inner strength to sharpen his hearing to its peak.
Then voices began to reach him, faintly but distinctly.
“I received the dispatch and watched the market street all along, but I did not see the Crown Prince’s party enter. It seems they bypassed the city and went directly elsewhere.”
“Have you sent word to other places?”
“Yes. They report he has not appeared there either.”
“This is troublesome…….”
The Yu Yeong Gok Master’s eyes gleamed with recognition.
‘Crown Prince? Could they be referring to that Crown Prince of the Southern Military Forces?’
Then came the words.
“Since leaving the Southern Military Forces, he has spent every night in cities. But if he did not enter this one, could it be that he has grown suspicious?”
“We’ve communicated only through dispatch—how could he possibly suspect anything? Everyone, go out at once and search every inn on this market street thoroughly!”
“Yes.”
The Blue-robed Assassins hurried to their feet.
The watching Yu Yeong Gok Master became certain—at the mention of the Southern Military Forces, the Crown Prince they sought was Yi Hwan.
His intrigue deepened.
‘Hunters targeting the Crown Prince of Yen, appearing on Yen soil itself—how curious.’
The Yu Yeong Gok Master ran through the faces of all the martial artists from the Zhao Military Encampment in his mind. But he had never seen these faces before.
The first person he thought of was Papa—Mu Jeong Geomni.
‘Papa disappeared during the retreat. But her subordinates were not among these men.’
As he wondered who they could be if not Mu Jeong Geomni’s followers, the Yu Yeong Gok Master’s eyes widened slightly.
‘Papa!’
Figures were entering the market street.
Each wore simple clothes and a bamboo hat pulled low, but the Yu Yeong Gok Master recognized the wearer of one hat as Mu Jeong Geomni at once, identifying her by her build and gait alone.
‘What is that woman doing here?’
His eyes narrowed in puzzlement.
The Yu Yeong Gok Master watched Mu Jeong Geomni enter the inn where the mysterious Blue-robed Assassins had been. A moment later, she took a seat by the window and removed her bamboo hat. The face that was revealed looked like a completely different person.
Yet the Yu Yeong Gok Master was certain it was Mu Jeong Geomni. No matter how she disguised her face, he could not be fooled—not after watching her so closely for so long.
‘Papa never acts alone. If she’s here, it must be by special order from the Crown Prince. If that is the case, then the order must be…….’
His narrowed eyes widened once more.
‘Could it be to kill the Crown Prince of Yen?’
The Yu Yeong Gok Master knew well.
The depth of Crown Prince Cho Gwang’s rage toward Yi Hwan, Peng Wu-wei, and Jeong Cheon.
If the order had been to kill Peng Wu-wei or Jeong Cheon, there would be no reason for Mu Jeong Geomni to come all this way.
Moments later, when Mu Jeong Geomni’s party sat by the window, the Yu Yeong Gok Master rose from his seat.
“Move our table to that side.”
“Wasn’t it you who said the window side was better?”
“Papa is across from us. Don’t look back—move quickly in that direction.”
“……!”
Moments later, Yu Yeong Gok Master and his men had repositioned themselves to the spot farthest from the window. The angle made it impossible for anyone across from them to see this place.
“Why has Papa come here?”
“To kill the Southern Military Forces’ commander, I’d wager. No doubt the Crown Prince ordered it.”
“……!”
The men stirred with shock.
One of them spoke up.
“If that’s true, shouldn’t we help her?”
“Why should we grasp at a rope that’s about to rot through? We ignore her and focus on our own work.”
“……!”
“The Crown Prince is finished. The Western King will never overlook someone who harbors such treachery. And so, for the sake of Yu Yeong Gok’s future, we must sever all ties with him now. Mark my words.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Understood.”
There, in that unlikely place, Yu Yeong Gok Master declared his severance from Crown Prince Cho Gwang. But there was something he did not know.
Mu Jeong Geomni had been watching him all along.

* * *

‘Yu Yeong Gok Master—what brings him to this place?’
Mu Jeong Geomni’s eyes narrowed as she studied the inn across the way. She couldn’t see it now, blocked by the wall, but she had caught sight of Yu Yeong Gok Master and his men when they entered the inn.
‘His Majesty would never assign him a separate mission. So what possible reason would he have to come here alone?’
It was less a question than a suspicion—and a sharp one at that.
She had always distrusted Yu Yeong Gok Master. She believed he could betray them at any moment, and had repeatedly urged Cho Gwang not to place too much faith in him.
Throb.
A sudden headache struck. Mu Jeong Geomni grimaced and pressed her fingers to her temples.
‘I’ve lost his trail. Which means I’ll have to pursue him all the way to Yen’s Imperial Capital.’
She had lost Yi Hwan.
To carry out Cho Gwang’s orders, there was no choice but to journey to the Imperial Capital.
Even for Mu Jeong Geomni, the prospect was not welcome. Each kingdom’s capital maintained security on a different scale entirely, and no one could predict what masters might be stationed there.
“Papa, have some wine.”
“Thank you.”
Mu Jeong Geomni’s expression had grown serene once more. As one who cherished her subordinates above all, she made it a habit to mask her worries unless the situation truly demanded it.
That was when it happened.
From behind, a voice reached her ears—one that made them perk up.
“Hunters returning from north of the Official Road report seeing a group of people leading horses up into the mountains. They appear to be the commander’s party.”
“How long ago?”
“Half a time unit, perhaps.”
“Move out.”
Mu Jeong Geomni’s eyes flashed as she watched the Blue-robed Assassins hurry from the inn.
‘They’re the same ones who fought us at the inn.’
To think they’d been sitting just behind them all this time.
She drank a cold draught and rose to her feet.
“Everyone up.”

* * *

Whoooosh!
The mountain wind blew fierce and hard.
Trees and brush swayed violently in its grip, packed so thickly that every one seemed to bend in the gale.
Yi Hwan and his companions moved, searching for shelter from the wind. Finding a small cave halfway up the mountainside, they slipped inside.
“I’ll build a fire.”
Yeo Mu-sa set about kindling a flame.
Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae took up watch at the cave entrance, while the rest settled around the fire and quieted their hunger with dried rations.
Song Cheon-mu passed around wine he’d been carrying.
“Please, Commander.”
Yeo Mu-sa hung a branch over the flames to roast the dried meat. But Yi Hwan shook his head.
“The smell will carry too far. Eat it as is.”
“……Yes, Commander.”
‘Why does that girl talk like that?’
Gomi cast a puzzled glance at Yeo Mu-sa, then turned to Yi Hwan.
“There might be witnesses, so it would be best to rest briefly and then leave right away.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
When Yi Hwan agreed so readily, Gomi had nothing more to say. She leaned her back against the cave wall and chewed on dried meat. Yi Hwan took a few swallows of wine before tossing the bottle to Cheol Mu-ok.
“Thank you.”
Yi Hwan leaned against the wall and studied Song Cheon-mu.
“Are you keeping up with your Inner Method cultivation?”
“Yes. I’m practicing whenever I have spare moments, but my progress isn’t advancing as quickly as I’d hoped.”
“Once you reach a certain level, the changes will accelerate from there. Don’t grow lazy.”
“Yes!”
Yi Hwan shifted his gaze to Gomi.
Their eyes met, and Gomi swallowed the dried meat she’d been chewing before speaking.
“I’m working hard at it too.”
“What kind of progress?”
“I’ve begun to feel subtle changes in my Energy Center. As for my inner strength, I’m not quite sure.”
“What do you mean by changes in your Energy Center?”
“When I channel my inner strength, I feel the power transferring to my blade faster than before.”
“Impressive.”
“Am I doing well?”
“At your pace, you could almost be called a prodigy.”
……!
Gomi’s eyes widened. In all her years, she’d never heard herself called a prodigy.
“Once we reach the Imperial Capital, you’ll advance to the next stage. Keep that in mind.”
“What is the next stage?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.”
Just as Gomi was about to ask more, Yi Hwan leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
‘I knew she was sharp, but I didn’t realize she had this much talent for the martial arts. Teaching her is going to be worthwhile.’

* * *

Yi Hwan dreamed.
A nightmare.
When he opened his eyes, everyone was staring at him.
“Are you all right?”
“Water.”
Yi Hwan drank the water Song Cheon-mu handed him, then asked, “How much time has passed?”
“A little over half a Double Hour.”
‘I thought I’d just dozed off for a moment, but already….’
Yi Hwan brushed himself off and got to his feet. The others had already finished preparing to depart.
Yi Hwan felt oddly embarrassed.
“Wake me next time.”
“Yes.”

They had to lead the horses by hand until they crossed the mountain, so their pace was necessarily slow.
Whooosh!
The mountain wind began to blow harder.
Occasional whirlwinds swept through, startling the horses into panic. And the rain had made the ground slippery, slowing their advance even further.
How long did it take?
Once the group crested the mountain, they began descending rapidly along the ridge.
Several time periods had passed when it happened.
Behind them, a flock of birds suddenly rose into the sky.
Flap-flap!
Yi Hwan’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.
“We’ve been caught up with.”
“There seem to be more of them than we anticipated.”

“There might have been witnesses. Have everyone draw their swords beforehand.”
“Yes.”
Clink-clink-clang!
Whoosh!
They all drew their blades and tightened their formation with meticulous precision. Yi Hwan positioned Gomi and Yeo Mu-sa at the center. Gomi had insisted she was fine, but it made no difference.
“Maintain this formation and move down at full speed.”
Everyone quickened their pace. But the terrain still wouldn’t allow them to ride horses, so they couldn’t reach their true velocity.
Ju Tae, moving at the rear, called out one final report.
“They’ve closed to within thirty zhang. Approximately twenty of them.”
Cheol Mu-ok spoke up.
“We can go back and handle them.”
“Don’t bother. Just keep moving.”
As Yi Hwan descended, his eyes swept the terrain ahead with knife-sharp precision. If they were going to be caught soon, he needed to find ground that favored a fight against superior numbers. Everything depended on choosing the right place.
Just then, a suitable location caught his eye.
“We’ll head there.”
Everyone altered course toward the spot Yi Hwan indicated.
That was when the Sound of Piercing Air shrieked out.
Screeeech!
Ju Tae and the Sword King’s warriors all raised their Sword Barriers in unison.
Spark-spark-spark-bang!
Projectiles ricocheted in every direction amid showers of sparks. One of them grazed past Yi Hwan’s side.
Yi Hwan’s arm moved in that same instant.
Snap!
A projectile was now clenched in his hand.
Yi Hwan examined the blade and spoke to everyone.
“The projectiles are coated with poison. Stay sharp.”
“Yes.”
Whoosh!
Yi Hwan drew his sword.
He abandoned the technique of converting his Gongryeok into five beams of light for a coordinated strike. Under observation like this, such a method would lose both its power and its chance of success.
Yi Hwan spoke one last time toward the forest.
“Come at us with everything you have. That’s the only way either of us draws another breath.”

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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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