Kang Sogun

Jang Mugang couldn't tell what great interests were at stake in a small sect like the Three Blade Sect, but he didn't bother to ask.

Yeon Seongyeol said to Cheok Muryang and Hwang Uichae.

"I have arranged this meeting today to reveal my decision to you. I will organize the business of the Three Blade Sect and leave. Let those who want to leave, leave, and those who want to follow, follow."

Cheok Muryang's expression was full of dissatisfaction. Yeon Seongyeol sighed and said as if to persuade him.

"The Heavenly Martial Faction has taken control of Hubei and is expanding its power to the Hunan and Henan regions. When the wind is strong, one must know how to lie down."

When a hegemon appears, small sects must bow down.

If the Heavenly Martial Faction had come to negotiate on a reasonable level, Yeon Seongyeol would have agreed.

But it was difficult to accept because their intention to swallow everything of the Three Blade Sect, along with his daughter, was so obvious.

The Heavenly Martial Faction had thought that if they could just get Yeon Seongyeol's only daughter, the Three Blade Sect would fall into their hands.

Yeon Seongyeol looked at Jang Mugang and said.

"I did not build the Three Blade Sect alone. If it weren't for Muryang and Uichae here, the Three Blade Sect of today would not exist. Everything of the Three Blade Sect must be divided into three."

Jang Mugang could understand Yeon Seongyeol's predicament.

Because the Three Blade Sect was not entirely his own, Yeon Seongyeol could not grant the Heavenly Martial Faction's demands.

"Brother! Do you think I'm doing this because of the property! I'm disappointed!"

Cheok Muryang roughly put down his wine cup and stood up from his seat.

"Oh dear. Man. What are you doing in front of a guest?"

"Second Brother! You know that's not what the big brother means!"

Hwang Uichae stopped him.

Jang Mugang, who was watching the three bicker, suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hahaha."

Yeon Seongyeol and the others looked at Jang Mugang.

"I'm sorry. I was impressed by the friendship and chivalry of the three of you. Our brothers also decided to die on the same day and at the same time, and it seems the three friends of the Three Blade Sect are also like that. It is a great honor to know such people."

Jang Mugang took the wine bottle and filled each of their cups to the brim.

"Even if the enemy attacks tomorrow, I want to get drunk to my heart's content tonight! Let's drink!"

"Haha. It seems the host and guest have switched places. I'm sorry for this in front of a guest."

Yeon Seongyeol laughed and accepted the toast. Cheok Muryang and Hwang Uichae also drank the wine in one gulp.

Yeon Seongyeol said to Cheok Muryang.

"Muryang! I have made up my mind. Don't mention it anymore. The lives of the three hundred disciples of the Three Blade Sect and their families are at stake. Is this manor and business more important than people's lives? A new manor can be built, and a business can be started again. No, it is enough if we can eat three meals a day."

Yeon Seongyeol's words touched the hearts of Cheok Muryang and Hwang Uichae.

"I know that a man born as a man would rather die fighting the enemy than be humiliated. But the lives of you and your families are more important to me than my face or my property."

"Brother!"

Cheok Muryang shouted in righteous indignation, tears streaming down his face.

"You have suffered a lot following a lacking person like me all this time. Blame me for working you without even getting you married."

Yeon Seongyeol's heart was also heavy.

Yeon Seongyeol took out a document from his bosom and handed it to Jang Mugang.

"What is this?"

"Since you have made an enemy of the Heavenly Martial Faction, it will be difficult to return to the Mohong Inn."

When Jang Mugang opened it, it was a large sum of money that could buy an inn anywhere.

Jang Mugang returned the bill.

"You don't have to do this."

"If you don't accept it, I won't be able to sleep with my two feet stretched out. Thank you again. The alcohol has suddenly gone to my head, so it's hard for me to stay any longer."

Yeon Seongyeol forcibly entrusted the bill and left.

"Great Warrior Cheok! I can't accept this."

Jang Mugang handed it back to Cheok Muryang, but Cheok Muryang suddenly stood up and cupped his fists in a salute.

"Saving Hwasim is no different from saving my brother. Saving my brother is saving my own life. This mere money is nothing. Please accept the will of us three brothers."

Cheok Muryang poured the wine and proposed a toast.

"It is a great honor to know a hero like Great Warrior Jang. The skill of handling two kitchen knives is truly demonic."

Cheok Muryang, Hwang Uichae, and Jang Mugang hit it off and drank all night.

Kang Sogun was sitting in the pavilion by the pond in the annex, polishing the red jade dagger.

It was the red jade dagger that Yeon Hwasim had given him.

It was a dagger that had been polished and polished until it shone, but in Kang Sogun's eyes, he could see the blood of the Three Masters of Yocheon and Unsal.

This dagger should not be stained with the blood of a wicked person.

Suddenly, someone's smiling face came to mind.

'I don't think there is anyone in the world who can block your dagger art.'

Jang Seonbaek had said so after seeing his dagger art.

He was Jang Seonbaek, who had roamed the enemy camp of a million at the age of eighteen.

Since he had said it, it probably wasn't far from the truth.

He had constantly learned martial arts to defeat Jang Seonbaek. He had looked up all the martial arts books he could find and had even stayed up all night learning spear and staff arts, saying that he should be able to use the eighteen kinds of weapons freely.

It was because Jang Seonbaek had done so.

Then he had fallen for dagger art.

The only things Jang Seonbaek had not learned were dagger and hidden weapon techniques.

One day, he had gotten into an argument with Jang Seonbaek.

"A man can't use a dagger, can he?"

"You'd better not underestimate dagger art."

"Alright. Shall we have a match?"

They were two people who had fought countless times since they were young and still had not been able to settle the score.

Kang Sogun's dagger could not pierce Jang Seonbaek's saber.

But Jang Seonbaek's saber was also split in two by Kang Sogun's dagger.

'I don't think there is anyone in the world who can block your dagger art.'

The image of Jang Seonbaek letting out a laugh with a look of disbelief was vivid.

A while later, Jang Seonbaek had brought the Blue and Red Twin Daggers and given them as a gift. One of the Blue and Red Twin Daggers was the red jade dagger in his hand.

'Yeon Hwasim said it was a family heirloom, but what happened?'

The owner of the red jade dagger was a woman he knew well.

He knew better than anyone because he had personally handed her one of the Blue and Red Twin Daggers he had received from Jang Seonbaek.

Kang Sogun was curious about the circumstances under which this dagger had left its owner's possession and ended up in the Three Blade Sect.

Nevertheless, he could not ask.

He was afraid of the truth he would face.

He might have to kill a few people here.

As Kang Sogun was polishing the dagger and lost in various thoughts, someone approached.

"Are your injuries alright?"

A clear and calm voice.

It was Yeon Hwasim.

Yeon Hwasim had matured quite a bit in a few days.

As her childishness disappeared, she looked even more beautiful. A strange charm emanated from her face full of sorrow.

Yeon Hwasim sat next to Kang Sogun, looking at the dagger he was polishing.

Yeon Hwasim looked down at the pond. The late autumn pond was cold just by looking at it.

Fallen leaves covered half of the pond water.

After looking at the pond for a while, she looked at Kang Sogun, who was still polishing the dagger. It was as if he were caressing it.

Yeon Hwasim felt strange as she saw Kang Sogun polishing the dagger so preciously.

Although their meeting had not been long, she knew that he was not a person who would be attached to worldly objects.

As Yeon Hwasim looked back and forth between herself and the dagger, Kang Sogun suddenly opened his mouth.

"This dagger is called the Blue and Red Twin Daggers. It might have had another name before that."

"Ah! You know the history of this dagger?"

"There is another dagger exactly like this one. But instead of a red jade, a blue jade is embedded in it."

Yeon Hwasim tilted her head.

"We only had that one in our house. Where could the blue jade dagger be?"

Before leaving the house, Yeon Hwasim had gone to the treasury to find something valuable.

She needed a gift for Kang Sogun.

Since Yeon Seongyeol was a frugal person, there were not many valuable things.

She couldn't carry anything bulky, and she couldn't just hand him something like gold.

Then she had found the dagger in a wooden box and had taken it with her because it looked precious.

Yeon Hwasim had considered it a family heirloom because it was among the family treasures, and had said so.

"I have it."

At Kang Sogun's words, Yeon Hwasim was startled.

"You have the blue jade dagger? Then were you the original owner of this dagger?"

Kang Sogun shook his head.

"The owner of this dagger is someone else."

Kang Sogun raised his head and looked straight at Yeon Hwasim.

Even if it was a frightening truth, he had to know what he had to know.

"I need to know how this dagger became a family heirloom of the Three Blade Sect."

Kang Sogun's eyes were cold.

Yeon Hwasim felt her mind go blank.

She felt as if she were the one who had stolen the dagger.

'What on earth is going on?'

Yeon Hwasim suddenly felt anxious.

What if she became enemies with Kang Sogun over the dagger?

The Three Blade Sect could be covered in blood even before the Heavenly Martial Faction came.

The image of the Heaven's Mandate Brigade being annihilated at White Dragon Temple came to Yeon Hwasim's mind.

It was a terrible scene that she still couldn't believe, as if it were a dream.

Yeon Hwasim stood up, putting strength into her trembling legs.

Her voice trembled.

"I'll find out."

"How will you find out?"

"Since it was in the treasury, my father would know..."

Yeon Hwasim stopped talking and closed her mouth.

What if her father had harmed the owner of the red jade dagger and taken it?

Yeon Hwasim's heart pounded, and her chest churned.

Her head was so dizzy that she couldn't stand any longer.

Yeon Hwasim staggered and stood, holding onto a pillar of the pavilion.

"Miss!"

Jungrang, who had appeared at some point, stood next to her.

"Ah, I'm fine, Jungrang."

Yeon Hwasim waved her hand, saying she was fine, but Jungrang couldn't help but support her.

Her complexion was as pale as a sheet of paper.

'They only exchanged a few words?'

Jungrang glared at Kang Sogun.

He was not Jungrang, who would hesitate to draw his sword even if the one who was toying with Yeon Hwasim was a supreme master.

Kang Sogun just looked down at the dagger.

Although they had only talked for a short while, he could tell that Yeon Seongyeol was a bright and upright person.

If he asked, he would tell the truth.

Kang Sogun stood up from his seat.

"I will ask Sect Master Yeon directly."

"No. No. I gave it to you, so I will ask first and tell you."

Yeon Hwasim blocked his path.

Kang Sogun looked at Yeon Hwasim blankly and then nodded.

***

Yeon Hwasim had to stand in front of her father's office for a long time to calm her churning heart.

"Is something wrong?"

Yeon Seongyeol, who happened to be coming out of his office, saw Yeon Hwasim and asked. Her expression seemed unusual.

"I have something urgent to tell you."

Hwang Uichae followed behind. Hwang Uichae was in charge of disposing of the Three Blade Sect's property.

"Let's take care of it as soon as the sun rises tomorrow."

Seeing that his daughter's expression was unusual, Yeon Seongyeol sent Hwang Uichae away.

Yeon Seongyeol, who had taken Yeon Hwasim into his office and sat opposite her, asked.

"What is it that you can't say?"

Yeon Hwasim hesitated and then opened her mouth.

"Father, I'm sorry. I took a family heirloom from the treasury and gave it to someone."

"A family heirloom?"

Yeon Seongyeol tilted his head.

The Yeon family didn't really have any family heirlooms.

"I'm talking about the dagger with the red jade that was in the wooden box in the treasury."

"Aha! That dagger? That's not our family heirloom. It was something I obtained by chance."

Yeon Seongyeol smiled at his daughter's confession of stealing the dagger.

She still seemed like a child to him.

"So who did you give it to?"

"I gave it to Kang Sogun, and he asked about the history of the dagger."

"The history of the dagger?"

"He said the dagger is called the Blue and Red Twin Daggers, and that Kang Sogun is the owner of the blue jade dagger. He said he knows the owner of the red jade dagger well and wants to know the circumstances under which it came into our Three Blade Sect."

"!"

Yeon Seongyeol's face hardened gravely.

"He is the owner of the blue jade dagger and is looking for the owner of the red jade dagger?"

Yeon Hwasim felt her heart drop as she saw her father's face.

The feeling was not good.

Yeon Seongyeol broke the silence and said. His voice was cracked.

"Tell him that I will tell him the history of the red jade dagger myself in three days."

"Could it be..."

"Just tell him that. I will take care of the rest."

As Yeon Hwasim tried to ask for the details, Yeon Seongyeol cut her off.

(End of Chapter)