Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Traces of the Blood Demon
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The moonlight was particularly beautiful tonight.
It shone so brightly that the surrounding stars seemed dimmed.
Yi Hwan gazed at the night view of the city through the window, contemplating what lay ahead.
‘The Empress’s scheme failed completely. Rather, it ended up giving the Crown Prince the powerful wing of the Western Legion, and I’ve gained the hearts of the Northern Legion’s soldiers. In the end, she handed us a great gift.’
Looking back, it had been a dire crisis.
Had the Qin Kingdom not intervened, and if just a few more days had passed, the fate of the Northern Legion would have been uncertain.
‘Confirming the Crown Prince’s capabilities is another major gain.’
The Qin Kingdom’s involvement, thanks to Yi So’s scheme, had been the most crucial turning point in this war.
In truth, Yi So deserved the greatest credit for this victory. Of course, it could never be revealed to the world.
Whoooosh!
The moon and stars vanished as snowflakes began to fall.
‘You have my thanks too.’
Snow had played its part in this war as well. Without the heavy snowfall, the Zhao Kingdom’s army would have launched an all-out offensive from the start, and the numerically inferior Northern Legion might have been in grave danger.
‘Is this what they call turning disaster into fortune?’
It was then.
Clunk!
The window of the next room opened, and Go Mi poked her head out. Spotting Yi Hwan, her eyes widened.
“……You’re still awake?”
“Sleep won’t come.”
“Even so, you have a long journey ahead. Get some rest.”
Slam!
With those brief words, Go Mi shut the window. A wry smile tugged at Yi Hwan’s lips.
‘Am I still intimidating? Or is she thinking something else?’
Yi Hwan turned his gaze back to the night view of the city. Watching the snow fall over the streets brought a sense of peace.
After about an incense stick’s worth of time,
Yi Hwan’s eyes slowly shifted toward the inn across the street. They settled on the top floor, at the edge—a window.
A piece of cloth protruded from the half-open window, fluttering in the wind.
Yi Hwan stared at it for a moment before closing his own window.
Slam.
* * *
He was a man of utterly ordinary features.
With eyes devoid of emotion, he stared at Yi Hwan’s firmly shut window.
Nor was he alone.
Another man watched Yi Hwan’s window from the room next door. He turned to the first man and spoke in a flat voice.
“You should have been more cautious.”
“Do you think he spotted me?”
“Judging by his reaction, there’s a very high chance he did.”
“Even if he saw me, he’d probably suspect I’m just an assassin sent by the Second Prince.”
“Let’s hope so. Still, those companions of his make it hard to find an opening. We might end up trailing him all the way to the capital.”
“Even if that’s the case, we can’t act rashly. We’re under His Highness’s orders, and we must carry them out no matter what. If we fail……”
“Enough.”
Slam!
As his comrade closed the window and withdrew, a smirk formed on the man’s lips.
‘That guy’s still nagging like a mother-in-law no matter where we go.’
He turned his gaze back to Yi Hwan’s room.
The light was already out, and the window firmly shut.
A glint appeared in the man’s eyes.
‘The heir of Daye Fortress, appearing after two hundred years……’
* * *
The next morning,
Yi Hwan’s group set out early. Danri Mok, who had been up since dawn, grumbled.
“Can’t we at least get a proper night’s sleep before moving? What’s the rush this damn early?”
“Sleep on the way. A warrior should be able to sleep in the saddle without issue.”
“Is that even sleeping?”
Grumbling, Danri Mok soon gazed at the world as dawn began to break and let out a sigh of admiration.
“Dawn is always spectacular. Though the dawn in Yeon Kingdom seems especially red.”
Namgung Jang-cheon stared at Yi Hwan’s back.
‘Has he grown even more? His presence feels completely different from before.’
Yi Hwan from afar and Yi Hwan up close were like two different people.
Even the envoy, who hadn’t flinched before the Southwest King, had shown tension in Yi Hwan’s presence.
‘He’s definitely an intriguing man.’
Namgung Jang-cheon’s eyes then shifted to the backs of Cheol Mu-ok and Ju Tae.
‘With those two guarding the Great Prince, getting close would be impossible. And those young warriors aren’t ordinary either.’
Namgung Jang-cheon imagined himself as an assassin attacking Yi Hwan.
The conclusion: impossible.
Just then, Cheol Mu-ok’s shout rang out.
“We’re picking up speed now, so don’t fall behind!”
Thud thud thud!
They began to gallop.
Namgung Jang-cheon and Danri Mok brought up the rear. But as the distance grew, they couldn’t hide their bewilderment.
“Are our Qin horses that bad?”
“Zhao horses.”
“Ah!”
They were riding horses swapped in a Zhao city on their way back from meeting Jo Yun.
“Looking at how this beast runs, it feels like we got scammed by those Zhao merchants.”
“Probably.”
“Damn bastards!”
The envoys were falling behind too.
The gap with Yi Hwan’s group had already widened to nearly fifty paces.
Namgung Jang-cheon shouted.
“Please slow down a bit!”
Yi Hwan’s group eased their pace, closing the gap.
Namgung Jang-cheon said.
“Our horses are in poor condition; we can’t keep up. Please keep that in mind.”
Yi Hwan glanced at the One Pulse warriors.
“Switch horses.”
“Yes!”
Soon after, they resumed their swift pace.
Namgung Jang-cheon and Danri Mok exchanged wide-eyed stares of astonishment.
“What the hell is this ridiculous sight?”
“…….”
The warriors who had switched to their horses were keeping up without issue.
One of the envoys’ words pierced their hearts.
“When we get back, I’ll have to relearn horsemanship from scratch.”
“…….”
* * *
Yi Hwan rode relentlessly at the lead.
The others followed, puzzled by his urgency.
How far had they gone?
Yi Hwan veered off the main road onto a side path.
Cheol Mu-ok cried out in surprise.
“Going that way will add at least two days to reach the capital!”
“I know.”
But Yi Hwan did not stop.
How much farther did they ride? The dense forest ended, revealing a narrow, deep ravine.
At the ravine’s entrance, Yi Hwan reined in his warhorse.
Neigh!
With the Qin envoys and Namgung Jang-cheon arriving last, everyone gathered at the entrance.
Yi Hwan said.
“There are pursuers. We’ll catch them here.”
“How many?”
“At least two.”
“Two? Then why are we running?”
“We’re not running; we’re luring them in to capture them. So quit talking and hide the horses first.”
“……Understood.”
Everyone led their mounts into the ravine. Yi Hwan handed his horse to a warrior and surveyed the surroundings at the entrance.
Go Mi, having hidden her horse first, approached.
“Where did these pursuers start tailing us from?”
“Northern Legion.”
“……Why didn’t you say anything until now?”
“They weren’t ordinary. If we noticed and acted, they’d sense it. That’s why I couldn’t warn you ahead.”
“If they’ve been on us since the Northern Legion, it’s more likely they’re from the Southwest King than the Second Prince.”
“That’s how it seems.”
Soon, everyone gathered again.
Yi Hwan assigned hiding spots and spoke to the Qin envoys.
“The envoy group waits inside the ravine.”
“Understood, Great Prince.”
* * *
As Namgung Jang-cheon and Danri Mok entered the ravine, they glanced back at Yi Hwan and the others.
“Shouldn’t we help?”
“Better not meddle. The Great Prince doesn’t seem to need our help anyway, so it works out.”
“But…….”
“Just follow.”
“…….”
Danri Mok shrugged and trailed the envoys. Namgung Jang-cheon watched Yi Hwan heading to the left side of the entrance, narrowing his eyes slightly.
‘I thought he was just a reckless tyrant, but he has this meticulous side too. I wonder who’s pursuing him and why.’
“Hurry up! What are you doing?”
“Coming.”
At the envoy’s urging, Namgung Jang-cheon withdrew his gaze and turned away.
* * *
They wore yellow and blue robes.
The pair who had watched Yi Hwan at the inn last night had trailed at a distance, only to panic when Yi Hwan’s group suddenly sped up.
The gap widened in an instant, and they lost sight.
But following the horses’ tracks, they persisted until reaching the ravine’s entrance where Yi Hwan’s group had entered.
“They went into the ravine?”
“Why ditch the main road for a side path? Did they notice us?”
“You’re not about to blame last night’s mistake on me again, are you?”
“If they sensed us and deliberately turned here, I can’t ignore your responsibility.”
Tch.
“That’s always your problem. You overthink everything. They didn’t notice; this must be a shortcut. You should know it leads northeast toward Yeon’s capital if you follow it up.”
“…….”
Unfortunately, the blue-robed man knew little of Yeon’s geography. The yellow-robed man, having passed through once or twice, knew the route somewhat.
He already knew it would add a day or two.
‘If things go wrong, I could take the blame. If he reports it.’
“That could be.”
As the blue-robed man conceded, the yellow-robed man inwardly sighed in relief. He urged calmly.
“If your doubts are cleared, let’s move. If we lose them again, we’ll be sniffing the ground like hounds.”
In the end, the blue-robed man dropped his suspicions and entered the ravine.
* * *
Yi Hwan watched the two enter the ravine, narrowing his eyes slightly.
‘Are those two all there is?’
He had spotted them at the inn last night.
Having closed his window and watched through the gap for quite some time, he remembered their faces clearly.
‘If they’re here to kill me and only sent two, they must be elite. So why the blunder last night? Or do they have another goal?’
Last night, the yellow-robed man had made an amateurish mistake no assassin should.
‘Interrogate them, and something will come out.’
Yi Hwan silently drew his sword. He waited for the yellow- and blue-robed men to draw closer.
Whoooosh!
A wind blew in from the ravine’s rear, shaking the forest. Perfect conditions for Yi Hwan.
It was then.
Rustle!
The forest to the left shook, and a large wild boar burst out. Coincidentally, it charged straight at the two men.
Shing!
The yellow-robed man swung his drawn sword at the oncoming boar.
Flash!
A streak of crimson light erupted, bisecting the boar and vanishing. It died without even a squeal, meeting a gruesome end.
The yellow-robed man feigned surprise. Then he stomped the boar’s head mercilessly.
“Scared me there, you piglet.”
Thud!
He wiped the blood from his sword on the brush and sheathed it.
Clang!
Patter……
Yi Hwan, watching, felt his eyes tremble.
That crimson light when the boar was cleaved.
It was no mere demonic art trace.
‘Blood Demon Qi……’
The trace of the Blood Demon, Yi Hwan’s era’s most formidable foe.