Kang Sogun

"He's an incredible man. A master of a level that could serve as the protector of a sect. Do you happen to know who he is?"

Jungrang asked Yeon Hwasim, who was beside him.

He had heard that Gu Yangun, the third young master of the Heavenly Martial Faction, was a rather outstanding talent. Yet, he was completely helpless in front of Jang Mugang.

However, Yeon Hwasim also knew nothing and could not answer.

Jungrang looked outside and continued.

"But there are too many of those Heavenly Martial Faction bastards. Even if that man is a master, it will be difficult for him to get us out easily. We must be prepared."

As the two entered the establishment, Jang Mugang gestured to them.

"Follow me."

Jang Mugang led the two to a warehouse behind the kitchen. It was a warehouse full of food ingredients.

When Jang Mugang opened a door on the floor, a staircase leading down to a basement appeared.

The basement was cool and smelled of fish. On one side, chunks of meat were hanging, and on the other, boxes of fish were placed.

When Jang Mugang moved a cabinet on one side of the wall, a gap large enough for one person to enter appeared.

"If you go this way, you'll find a ladder. Climb that ladder, and someone will be waiting for you."

Yeon Hwasim cupped her fists in a salute to Jang Mugang.

"I apologize for the trouble. I will not forget this kindness."

"Hurry and go. They will be here soon."

"Can you handle this alone, great warrior?"

Jungrang briefly thought about whether he should stay behind.

"Don't worry about useless things."

Jang Mugang pushed them from behind.

The passage was so low that they had to bend their waists, and so narrow that only one person could pass at a time.

After about thirty paces, a ladder leading up appeared. When they climbed the ladder, a wooden board blocked their way.

When Jungrang pushed the wooden board, light came in. When they went up, they were in the living room of a small house.

"I've been waiting."

A person was standing in the room. He had an impressive short, split mustache and a beard, and was dressed as a chef from the Crimson Dusk Inn.

"This way, please."

The chef led the two to the back door.

Outside the door was a narrow alley. The alley was clean, as if the rain from the previous night had washed away all the trash.

"If you turn at that corner, you'll find the main road to the west gate."

"The main road is likely to be conspicuous. Is there another way?"

The chef thought for a moment and then took the lead.

"Follow me."

The chef wound his way through the alleys.

"That is the west gate."

The tall west gate tower was visible. People were busily coming and going through the wide-open gate.

"Isn't there a small gate?"

Yeon Hwasim asked as she observed the soldiers guarding the west gate and the surroundings.

Each city had several small gates in addition to the main gates.

"If I were the pursuer, I would watch the small gates. It might be better to blend in with the crowd and leave through the main gate."

He looked ordinary, but the chef seemed to be a martial artist as well.

"Thank you. We'll take it from here."

Jungrang cupped his fists in a salute to the chef.

"Don't mention it. It's what I should do."

The chef looked at Yeon Hwasim carefully, urged her to be careful once more, and then left.

Jungrang looked at the gate and said.

"How about dressing as a woman instead? They will be looking for two men."

Yeon Hwasim thought it made sense. With that, the two went to a clothing store.

"We only sell women's clothes here."

The owner said as the two men entered.

"We know. Please show us some clothes. Is there a place to change?"

Yeon Hwasim chose her clothes and came out.

With her hair, as black as silk, washed and wearing a sun hat, she looked exactly like a young lady from a common household.

Jungrang wrapped Yeon Hwasim's sword in cloth and slung it on his back.

The two went to the gate. To anyone, they looked like an ordinary young lady and her escort.

A few guards guarding the gate were loitering around, but they didn't stop the people passing by.

'Damn it...'

As they left the gate, Jungrang felt eyes on them.

Two men sitting in a teahouse with a tent were looking this way.

'Just how many of them came?'

He felt like he understood why the Heavenly Martial Faction was called the number one faction in the martial world.

In addition to watching the inn, it would take a considerable number of people to watch all the gates.

Jungrang and Yeon Hwasim passed by nonchalantly, but the gazes continued to follow them.

***

Around the time Yeon Hwasim and Jungrang were leaving the gate, Gu Yangun gave a firm order to the Heavenly Martial Faction warriors gathered in front of the Crimson Dusk Inn.

Having been chased out by Jang Mugang, he was filled with rage.

"Capture those two! The chef who calls himself the inn owner is a master. You can kill him."

In broad daylight in the middle of Yueyang, he brazenly ordered a murder.

The Heavenly Martial Faction warriors blocked the roads on both sides of the inn and prevented people from entering.

About ten warriors armed with swords and sabers lined up in front of the inn's door.

Bang Geon gestured with his eyes to two warriors and said in a low voice.

"Open the way."

The two warriors who received Bang Geon's order ran forward, kicked down the inn's door, and rushed inside.

Crash!

"Argh!"

As soon as the two entered, they were thrown out.

Jang Mugang came out through the wide-open inn door. Standing guard at the door, Jang Mugang was holding two kitchen knives.

"That's him! Kill him!"

Gu Yangun, who had been humiliated by Jang Mugang, gritted his teeth and urged the warriors on.

The warriors rushed towards the inn's door, windows, and the second-floor railing.

As a warrior who had leaped powerfully landed on the second-floor railing, a spear shot out from inside.

"Ugh!"

The warrior was stabbed in the shoulder by the suddenly appearing spear and fell.

Then, a man came out with a spear and stood firm on the railing. He had an impressive short, forked mustache and was also dressed as a chef.

The warriors who were trying to climb through the windows also hastily retreated from the hidden weapons that flew out from inside.

"The enemy is in ambush. Make full use of your protective gear."

The expression of Heaven's Mandate First Team Leader Bang Geon, who was commanding the attack in front of the inn, was grave.

'To think a mere inn chef is such a master.'

The warriors of the Heaven's Mandate Brigade, the vanguard of the Heavenly Martial Faction and a source of fear for martial artists, were completely powerless.

Once again, the Heaven's Mandate Brigade warriors charged like a tide, but the result was the same.

The large chef guarding the door sent three men flying at once, and the spear blocking the second floor licked at the warriors who flew up like a snake's tongue.

On the lower floor, hidden weapons poured out as soon as they approached the windows, making it difficult to even think of getting close.

'To think such masters are hiding in Yueyang?'

In this unexpected situation, Bang Geon wanted to retreat for now. There was nothing more dangerous than fighting an unknown enemy.

The plan was for the first team to break through the front, the second team to enter through the lower floor windows, and the third team to enter through the second-floor railing, but not a single team had managed to get a single member inside.

On the contrary, about ten people had already suffered moderate to severe injuries. And even that was because their opponents had deliberately spared them.

If they had used killing techniques, four or five of them would have already been sent to the afterlife.

"What are you all doing! You can't even enter the inn?"

Gu Yangun blamed the warriors even though he was watching the situation himself.

He urged them to fight, believing only in the pride that thirty members of the Heaven's Mandate Brigade were enough to wipe out a small sect.

Just then, a flashing object flew towards Gu Yangun.

Swish!

"Be careful!"

Bang Geon shouted, and two of Gu Yangun's escorts extended their swords to strike the flying dagger.

Clang.

The dagger was fast, and the force behind it was heavy.

One escort's sword missed, but the other escort was able to strike it from behind. Surprisingly, the dagger continued to fly even after being hit on the back by the escort's sword.

"Hah!"

Gu Yangun also tried to spin his sword to deflect the dagger, but it was already too late.

Just as the dagger was about to embed itself in Gu Yangun's face.

A stream of energy rushed in from somewhere and twisted the dagger's path.

The dagger grazed the side of Gu Yangun's head.

Gu Yangun's face turned pale. A handful of hair cut by the dagger scattered.

"Kekeke. So there was a master guarding in the shadows. But can you block the second dagger as well?"

A voice was heard from beyond the inn window where the dagger had flown from.

The tone suggested that he was not afraid of the consequences of killing the third young master of the Heavenly Martial Faction.

Gu Yangun felt a chill run down his spine and goosebumps rise as he hid behind his escorts.

"Third Young Master! This is impossible. We need to regroup."

Bang Geon approached Gu Yangun and said.

Gu Yangun couldn't contain his anger at being defeated again after being humiliated inside the inn.

Even to his eyes, it was a losing battle. Still, he hesitated to give the order to retreat.

"If the undefeated Heaven's Mandate Brigade retreats today, how can I show my face?"

Bang Geon clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at the third young master of the Heavenly Martial Faction, who had been raised in luxury.

When the Heavenly Martial Faction entered the struggle for supremacy in the martial world and defeated numerous enemies, the contributions of the first young master, Gu Yangchao, and the second young master, Gu Yangsu, were great.

Gu Yangun, who had to watch because he was young, had a strong desire for victory.

As soon as he came of age, he went around poking his nose into everything more than anyone else.

In Bang Geon's eyes, he was a brat who could die at any moment. But it wasn't the time to worry about when Gu Yangun would die.

They were all about to die now.

Grind.

Gu Yangun gritted his teeth.

At Bang Geon's advice, the second and third team leaders also pulled their men back and only looked at Gu Yangun.

"If we break the encirclement, the enemies might escape. We will reorganize our protective gear here, bring archers, and attack again."

"This is the middle of Yueyang. There is a limit to controlling the streets. The authorities won't be able to turn a blind eye indefinitely."

Bang Geon advised again.

"Don't worry about what comes after! Have you forgotten the spirit of the Heaven's Mandate Brigade, which would rather die than retreat?"

'Son of a bitch.'

The spirit of the Heaven's Mandate Brigade, the vanguard of the Heavenly Martial Faction, was something that was intentionally created and spread to instill fear in their enemies.

In fact, in numerous battles, the Heaven's Mandate Brigade had been defeated, retreated, and even been annihilated a couple of times.

Nevertheless, the Heaven's Mandate Brigade was called undefeated thanks to the deliberately spread rumors.

Even if all thirty members of the Heaven's Mandate Brigade died today, they would still be called the undefeated Heaven's Mandate Brigade in the martial world.

Just then, someone ran from the end of the street and prostrated himself.

"Reporting to the Third Young Master. The man and woman we were tracking have left through the west gate. We are currently tailing them."

Bang Geon inwardly rejoiced. An escape route had appeared. Gu Yangun would no longer be able to be stubborn.

"It seems there was a secret passage in the inn. That's why those bastards were holding out and buying time. If we fight a decisive battle with them here, we will be falling into the enemy's trap."

Gu Yangun cupped his fists in a salute towards somewhere.

"Thank you for saving my life. I must chase the enemy, so I would appreciate it if you could watch this inn."

"Ahem."

A clearing of the throat was heard. It meant he understood.

Gu Yangun glared at the inn and gritted his teeth.

"You rat-like bitch! Pulling such a trick! Bang Geon, quickly reorganize your men and follow me. We'll deal with this inn later."

Gu Yangun and his four escorts ran through the alley.

***

The man who had been following the small path went to the side of the road and left a mark on a tree.

He was an extremely fast man. He left the mark and then stopped on his way back. It seemed he thought something was strange.

Jungrang, who was hiding behind a rock, quickly jumped out.

As if he had been waiting, the man ran without looking back.

Jungrang didn't chase the enemy and ran in the direction Yeon Hwasim had gone.

Yeon Hwasim would be on her way to White Dragon Temple.

It was a small path along a mountain cliff.

The small path split into two at the river. One was a path down to the river, and the other was a path up to White Dragon Temple.

Jungrang sat on a rock in the middle of the fork in the road. He intended to face the enemy here.

Jungrang was lost in thought as he looked at the small path he had come from.

He didn't know why Yeon Hwasim was going to White Dragon Temple.

She had only said it was very important, but Jungrang felt that she herself was not sure.

It had been more than a year or two since he had been escorting Yeon Hwasim. He had watched her since she was young. He could tell what Yeon Hwasim was thinking just by looking at her expression.

Jungrang's heart was heavy as he sat on the rock.

The Heavenly Martial Faction, one of the Four Great Powers of the world.

Jungrang knew well that more than one or two sects had fallen at their hands. That's why he felt regretful.

'Sect Master! I'm sorry. For not being able to be of help.'

Jungrang had made up his mind to share life and death with the Three Blade Sect.

(End of Chapter)