Kang Sogun

Kang Sogun placed the identification tag and military tag on the table and was lost in thought.

When he had returned to Nanjing from the northeastern frontier, his mother had passed away and his friend's family had been annihilated.

"Young Master. Why have you come only now? The mistress waited for you so much."

Mo Sang, the chief steward who had been guarding the empty Kang residence, poured out what had happened as if complaining as soon as the young master returned.

He said that his mother, Ju Ogyeong, had fallen ill after hearing the news that her son had gone missing in the land of the barbarians.

He said that the shock was great because she had raised her son alone after losing her husband early.

"Still, for her to pass away so suddenly, I thought the sky was falling."

As soon as his mother passed away, his friend Jang Seonbaek's family had fallen.

Three generations, including the old general Jang Yeonbo, his son Jang Hong, and his grandson Jang Seonbaek, had either died or gone missing.

Mo Sang glanced at Kang Sogun's expression and chose his words carefully.

"It is said that they were all executed on the battlefield, but it is not clear. There are also rumors that the two generals, Jang Hong and Jang Seonbaek, escaped alive."

He said that Kang Sogun's fiancée, Jang Yeongyeong, had escaped Nanjing, avoiding the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"I secretly sent people to find out, and it seemed she had gone to the northwestern battlefield."

It meant that she had gone to find her father and older brother.

'But why did the Eastern Depot, which was chasing the Three Tigers of Shandong in the Central Plains, have her red jade dagger?'

Kang Sogun tilted his head.

He had wandered the northern regions for three years in search of the whereabouts of the Jang Seonbaek and Jang Yeongyeong siblings. He had not been able to find even a trace, but he had come down after hearing a rumor that the siblings' father, Jang Hong, had fled to the south.

Jang Hong's tracks had been cut off in Yueyang.

Kang Sogun looked blankly at the identification tag and military tag on the table.

Had Jang Yeongyeong died?

Although there was physical evidence in the form of the red jade dagger before his eyes, his heart, which wanted to grasp at even a single straw, wanted to deny the fact.

It seemed he would have to find the Eastern Depot.

'Seonbaek, Yeongyeong. Are you alive?'

Kang Sogun muttered to himself.

Five years had passed without him realizing it.

The Jang family had been falsely accused, and even if the accusation was cleared, the dead could not come back to life.

He was not in a position to take revenge for the Jang family either.

The one who had executed the great general Jang Yeonbo's family was none other than his maternal grandfather and the emperor, Ju Tae.

Ju Tae had fallen ill on the northwestern battlefield this summer and had passed away.

Since the very person who had personally executed the loyal subject Jang Yeonbo had died, there was no way to hear the detailed story.

Did his maternal uncle, Ju Gochi, who had newly ascended to the throne, know the details?

But he could not go to him. Kang Sogun himself would have been on the list of criminals of the court as a general who had deserted the army without permission.

If the news that he was alive became known, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would come after him.

'Come.'

He no longer had a reason to avoid them. He had to confirm what the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot knew.

Kang Sogun decided to go to Nanjing. He was thinking of tracing Jang Yeongyeong's tracks once more.

***

The next day.

Early in the morning.

Creak!

With a loud noise, the main gate of the Three Blade Sect opened.

A gust of wind came out of the gate first.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

A person came out, riding a horse.

It was Kang Sogun.

He held the reins with his left hand and his right hand was behind him, holding a long spear upside down.

Inside the main gate of the Three Blade Sect, Cho Jihang and the Fire Heaven Brigade members were standing. They watched the back of the departing Kang Sogun.

A lone horseman.

It seemed that the Heavenly Martial Faction's Heaven's Mandate Brigade, which was encamped, was not visible in Kang Sogun's eyes.

The Heaven's Mandate Brigade members, who were blocking the main road about thirty feet from the main gate of the Three Blade Sect, moved busily.

"That man? Isn't he the culprit?"

"Block him for now. I will report to Commander Wu."

An Heaven's Mandate Brigade member ran like he was flying to the barracks in the back and reported.

"Commander! The enemy has appeared."

Immediately, Wu Wonsong came out, pushing aside the curtain of the barracks.

A crescent moon saber was in his hand.

"How many are there?"

Wu Wonsong asked as he looked towards the main gate of the Three Blade Sect.

It was because it was quieter than he had thought.

"He came out alone and seemed to be trying to leave the manor."

"One person?"

"Yes. It's the bastard who harmed the third young master."

Wu Wonsong took his crescent moon saber and got on the horse that was parked next to the barracks.

"Tell all the members. Kill everyone who leaves the manor."

Wu Wonsong had laid ambushes all around the Three Blade Sect.

"The enemy seems to be planning a diversionary tactic. Prepare for the enemy's surprise attack."

Wu Wonsong rode his horse towards the main gate of the Three Blade Sect.

He was confident that not even a single flying bird would be able to escape because he had also placed ambushes everywhere in the back mountain of the Three Blade Sect.

Wu Wonsong soon encountered Kang Sogun.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Kang Sogun slowly rode his horse as if he were in no hurry.

Fallen leaves were swept away by the wind that passed between the horse's hooves.

Wu Wonsong's gaze was fixed on the long spear that Kang Sogun was holding upside down.

'A spear?'

He was a man he could not understand at all.

The means by which he had killed Unsal was a dagger. Before that, when he had annihilated the Heaven's Mandate Brigade members, it was said to be with his fists and palms.

'Surely he's not proficient in all eighteen kinds of weapons.'

Wu Wonsong stood about ten feet away.

Behind him, about ten Heaven's Mandate Brigade members lined up and aimed their crossbows with arrows loaded.

Behind them, the Heaven's Mandate Brigade members with weapons gathered.

"Stop. You can't come out any further."

Kang Sogun did not stop.

"Didn't you hear? No one can leave this manor! Especially you, you can never leave."

Kang Sogun looked at Wu Wonsong and said calmly.

"Those who block will die!"

A low voice without any emotion.

He was the one who had killed Gu Yangun, Unsal, and dozens of Heaven's Mandate Brigade members.

The Heaven's Mandate Brigade warriors were overwhelmed by the eerie atmosphere.

"Do you mean to face the Heavenly Martial Faction's Heaven's Mandate Brigade alone?"

"I said those who block will die."

Kang Sogun's voice flowed out again as if repeating himself.

The late autumn wind swept past Wu Wonsong's waist. An eerie energy seeped in.

"I am the Heavenly Martial Faction's Heaven's Mandate Brigade Commander, Wu Wonsong. I would like to hear your esteemed name."

"..."

Kang Sogun did not answer.

Wu Wonsong frowned.

He had never met such a rude person.

He knew that this man was a master.

To catch this man, a considerable number of Heaven's Mandate Brigade members would be sacrificed.

In the meantime, Yeon Seongyeol and others might attempt to escape.

Even so.

'I can't let this man go!'

Wu Wonsong knew that he could not avoid a fight.

Wu Wonsong quickly ordered his confidant next to him.

"Request support from the Black Horse Brigade."

The Heavenly Martial Faction Master, Gu Yeongang, had sent a hundred members of the Black Horse Brigade as an advance party.

It meant that not a single person could leave the Three Blade Sect until he arrived.

"From the Black Horse Brigade?"

The confidant doubted his own ears at Wu Wonsong's words.

The enemy was one man.

The enemies in the Three Blade Sect, all combined, were only a few dozen.

The Heaven's Mandate Brigade had been replenished in the meantime and had a hundred-man formation. But to request the Black Horse Brigade.

In any case, an order was an order.

The confidant glanced at Kang Sogun and then threw himself back.

Wu Wonsong raised his crescent moon saber and aimed it at Kang Sogun.

"Fire!"

At Wu Wonsong's command, the crossbows of the lined-up Heaven's Mandate Brigade members flew.

Pew.

Kang Sogun extended his long spear and shook it from side to side.

Clang!

Ting!

The arrows hit the long spear and were deflected.

'As expected, it's useless. Where on earth did such a monster come from?'

There were not many masters who could deflect the powerful arrows shot from a crossbow.

Wu Wonsong found it strange that he did not know Kang Sogun.

Neigh!

Kang Sogun deflected the arrows and at the same time, he pulled the reins.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

The horse ran.

'Is he really going to fight us alone?'

Wu Wonsong was dumbfounded, but he had no time to think for long.

"Heaven's Mandate Brigade!"

"Yes!"

A loud response echoed.

"Catch that man! It's alright to kill him!"

"As you command!"

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Kang Sogun's horse gradually picked up speed, and at some point.

Kang Sogun jumped from the horse's back.

The way he flew with his long spear forward was as if a heavenly god were descending.

"Good! Come on!"

Wu Wonsong, who had lost the initiative, had no choice but to receive Kang Sogun's spear on the spot.

He tried to deflect the thrusting spear by swinging his crescent moon saber.

The moment the spear and the crescent moon saber were about to meet.

Woong.

Kang Sogun swung the spear in a large circle behind his head and tried to strike Wu Wonsong's upper body as if with a staff.

Even though he was in the air, the momentum of swinging the spear was as strong as if he were standing on the ground.

"Oh!"

Wu Wonsong hastily bent his body back and lay down on the horse's back, avoiding the spear shaft that was aiming for his upper body.

But.

Kang Sogun withdrew his spear and at the same time, he stepped on the head of Wu Wonsong's horse, shot up, and thrust the spear down.

The spear was about to be embedded in the heart of Wu Wonsong, who was lying on the horse's back.

"Ugh!"

Wu Wonsong let out a battle cry without realizing it and forcefully rolled his body to the side, getting off the horse's back.

As soon as Wu Wonsong rolled off the horse, he deflected his crescent moon saber and blocked his body.

Kang Sogun stood on Wu Wonsong's horse, holding a spear in one hand and his other hand behind his back, looking down.

Wu Wonsong's horse did not move at all.

It meant that Kang Sogun's movements were so light that the horse did not feel it.

'Th-this... disgrace.'

He had fallen from his horse in an instant.

"Save the commander!"

The Heaven's Mandate Brigade members, seeing that their commander was in danger, charged with their swords and sabers forward.

Kang Sogun stood on the horse's back and stared at the approaching Heaven's Mandate Brigade members.

"Everyone, get out of the way!"

Wu Wonsong pushed his subordinates back and threw himself at Kang Sogun.

***

"What?"

Yeon Hwasim was training in the training ground from early in the morning. Yeon Hwasim's Heavenly Star Sixty-Four Forms was changing day by day under Jungrang's guidance.

"Where did he go?"

Yeon Hwasim was so surprised by the words of Jungrang, who had come in a hurry, that she almost dropped her sword.

"He left the manor alone."

"What do you mean? His body probably hasn't even recovered yet."

"It seems he had a talk with the Sect Master."

Yeon Hwasim rushed to Yeon Seongyeol's residence.

"Father!"

She saw Yeon Seongyeol, who was busily heading towards the main gate. Yeon Seongyeol was even holding a saber in his hand.

"What do you mean, Great Warrior Kang is leaving?"

"I just received the report and am on my way."

Yeon Seongyeol also had a dumbfounded expression.

Early in the morning. Kang Sogun had come to see Yeon Seongyeol.

"I will be leaving."

Yeon Seongyeol was sad at the sudden news of his departure, but he could not stop him.

Right now, the Three Blade Sect was as good as a place of death. The path out of the Three Blade Sect was the path to life, so he could not stop him.

"Thank you. If it weren't for you, many lives would have been lost."

As Kang Sogun was turning around, Yeon Seongyeol caught him.

"Our situation is not good, but we can still treat a guest. If you need anything, please tell me."

Kang Sogun stopped for a moment, thought, and then said.

"May I have a horse and a spear?"

Yeon Seongyeol called the Fire Heaven Brigade Commander, Cho Jihang, and told him to prepare a horse, and then personally took him to the armory.

"As you know, our sect uses sabers. We don't have many spears, but this one should be to your liking."

Yeon Seongyeol drew a white spear that was hanging on the wall and handed it to him.

Kang Sogun hesitated for a moment and then accepted it.

It was a spear with an uncolored shaft.

But he could not ignore Yeon Seongyeol's sincerity.

"But I didn't know he would leave right this morning. And to go alone."

Yeon Seongyeol was also dumbfounded by Cho Jihang's message and was rushing to the main gate.

Since Kang Sogun was leaving, he had thought he would slip out under the cover of darkness.

If a master of that level put his mind to it, he would be able to slip past the Heaven's Mandate Brigade under the cover of darkness.

But.

He had opened the main gate and gone towards the enemy camp alone.

He had to see for himself what had happened.

(End of Chapter)