Kang Sogun

People called Gu Yeongang one of the ten great masters of the world.

Gu Yeongang did not acknowledge the ranking that the people of the martial world had set.

In the world, there were only the Four Heavenly Kings.

The Four Heavenly Kings.

Among them, the Yocheon Pavilion Master, Pung Gachae, had died.

Gu Yeongang thought that now his rivals were only two.

But unexpectedly, he had almost met with a disaster at the Three Blade Sect.

Gu Yeongang looked at Yeon Seongyeol's body and muttered to himself.

'If you had accepted my proposal, we could have unified the world together. Why did you refuse my offer?'

As Gu Yeongang was lost in thought looking at the bodies of Yeon Seongyeol and the others, the Divine Strategist Jo Gaeryang came in from the back of the main hall.

"The Heaven's Mandate Brigade Commander has finally died."

Wu Wonsong had been hit by a fatal spear strike. His breathing had been faint, and it seemed he had finally died.

Gu Yeongang silently nodded.

"How will you handle their bodies?"

Jo Gaeryang asked as he looked at the bodies of the sworn brothers of the Three Blade Sect, which were laid side by side in the training ground.

"He was the master of a sect. Give him a funeral befitting of that."

When he had rushed over with the main force of the Heavenly Martial Faction, he had intended to tear apart all the family members of the Three Blade Sect.

But even though they had had a chance to escape, the three brothers of the Three Blade Sect had waited for him.

Gu Yeongang, who had fought a fierce and bloody battle with them, had changed his mind.

He felt a desire to respect them as fellow martial artists.

Gu Yeongang looked at the backs of the three brothers of the Three Blade Sect being carried away by his subordinates and muttered to himself.

'I understand your intentions. But understand that I cannot do so.'

The reason the three had remained was to end it with their own deaths.

He wanted to respect the intentions of the three, but he could not.

The damage that the Heavenly Martial Faction had suffered was too great for that.

The one who had killed his son.

The bastard named Kang Sogun.

At his hands, not only his son but also over two hundred Heavenly Martial Faction warriors had met their fate.

Not only Unsal, Heukgwi, and Wu Wonsong, but also the Dark Heaven Brigade, the Heaven's Mandate Brigade, and even the Black Horse Brigade had been annihilated.

It was an unimaginable thing to be defeated like this by one person.

'That bastard, he's definitely not below the Four Heavenly Kings!'

Gu Yeongang gritted his teeth. If so, he had to catch him and kill him.

Jo Gaeryang said.

"The daughter of Sect Master Yeon is fleeing south across the Yangtze River with about fifty Three Blade Sect disciples. The Ghost Shadow Brigade is chasing them."

Jo Gaeryang paused for a moment.

Gu Yeongang looked at Jo Gaeryang.

It was rare for Jo Gaeryang to hesitate while speaking.

It also meant that he was not sure what Gu Yeongang wanted.

Gu Yeongang could not hold back and asked.

"What about the bastard named Kang Sogun?"

"His whereabouts are not certain. I think we need to look into it more."

"Not certain?"

Killing intent emanated from Gu Yeongang's eyes.

"According to my subordinates, he went to the eastern mountainous region alone."

"And?"

Jo Gaeryang explained.

The front of the Three Blade Sect had roads leading in all directions, as if it were a hub.

Kang Sogun had broken through the Heaven's Mandate Brigade that was encamped in front of the manor and had immediately attacked the Black Horse Brigade that was stationed in the west.

"If he had intended to go east, it would have been logical to go right after fighting the Heaven's Mandate Brigade. There was no reason to fight a bloody battle with the Black Horse Brigade, but it is strange that he fought and then went back."

It was the part that Gu Yeongang regretted the most.

Gu Yeongang had missed Kang Sogun because he had come down the northern road.

"That man has been staying at White Dragon Temple in Yueyang since last year. He met Yeon Hwasim and came to the Three Blade Sect. If the two have split up, I think it's right for him to go back to Yueyang."

"Then you mean he made it look like he was going east and then took a detour to Yueyang?"

"If he changes his path in the mountains, it's hard to chase him."

Gu Yeongang thought for a moment and then said.

"That bastard did go east. Release all of the Heavenly Star Brigade and chase him."

"What?"

Jo Gaeryang was puzzled.

Gu Yeongang silently closed his eyes.

Jo Gaeryang was a rather outstanding strategist.

But like all strategists, he was too confident in his own head.

He did not understand the psychology of a martial artist, especially a master like himself or Kang Sogun.

'A master does not bother to hide his path.'

If there is no one to stop him, why would he bother to go back?

Jo Gaeryang would not understand the path of a martial artist even if he died and came back to life.

***

He climbed up to the main road from the valley, using the rocks.

Since he had come up along the valley, the place where he had tied his horse was about thirty feet below.

Kang Sogun held his spear at an angle and slowly went down the road.

Even though the road was covered with fallen leaves, he made no sound as he stepped.

He stopped for a moment when the horse came into view.

Darkness had already fallen on the road and was coiled in various places.

Somewhere in the darkness, killing intent was crouching.

One, two, three... a total of five.

His left leg and arm were uncomfortable whenever he moved. His right side was also difficult to use the spear properly because the sword wound on his side was deep.

Snort.

The horse recognized Kang Sogun first and snorted.

Kang Sogun slowly went down the road.

The bastards were ambushing around the horse.

Two in the valley, two on the slope above the main road. And one in the bushes by the roadside.

'Which one will attack first?'

Kang Sogun, who was calmly approaching the horse.

But his nerves were extremely sensitive and on edge.

The ones in the valley moved first.

They shot up, and one threw a shuriken while the other swept at his legs with a large saber.

There were no words. They approached in silence like the darkness.

It was a clever attack.

To avoid the shuriken and escape the range of the large saber's attack, he had to show his back to the one hiding in the bushes.

Kang Sogun moved exactly as the enemies had calculated. Then the one in the bushes jumped out and tried to strike his back with a large saber.

To avoid this, he had to move one or two more steps diagonally.

The ones on the slope jumped down and struck with their sabers. One aimed for the head and the other for the arm holding the spear.

There was no battle cry, no roar, no warning. There was only the will to kill.

The fluttering of the figures moving in the darkness was like watching a well-choreographed pantomime.

The ones who had jumped out from the valley attacked again.

The moment the attacks of the five were about to tear Kang Sogun's body apart at once.

Thud!

Kang Sogun struck the ground with his spear shaft and shot up into the air.

The enemies, having momentarily lost their prey, looked up as if in a frenzy.

Swish!

A red jade dagger was embedded in the face of one of them.

He lifted the spear that had struck the ground and struck up at the chin of the one next to him.

Crack! Thud!

With the dull sound of a bone cracking and a head bursting, Kang Sogun twisted his body in the air, spun his spear, and thrust.

Swish!

As he moved violently, the wound on his side tore, a flash of pain passed, and the spear hesitated. In the moment of hesitation, the enemy deflected the spear blade and escaped.

Thud!

Kang Sogun landed on the ground.

At the dull sound, he could see the enemies' ears perk up.

He could see them exchanging glances.

The enemies had noticed that Kang Sogun was injured.

They circled outside the range of the spear's attack and did not approach.

Knowing that time was on their side, their movements became leisurely.

Kang Sogun pulled out the red jade dagger from the face of the fallen enemy.

Then the bastards retreated a few more steps. They were trying to get out of the range of the dagger's attack.

His side felt as if it were soaked with lukewarm water. It seemed the stitched wound had torn and was bleeding again.

Kang Sogun held his spear at an angle and went towards the horse.

Swish!

A shuriken flew.

It was not aimed at Kang Sogun, but at the horse. Kang Sogun extended his spear and lightly swung it.

Ting! Ting!

Sparks flew in the darkness, and the shuriken was deflected.

The spear that had deflected the shuriken suddenly moved like a thunderbolt.

Clang!

A shuriken floating in the air was hit by Kang Sogun's spear and flew towards the man in front.

"Kuh!"

The shuriken that had flown suddenly was accurately embedded in the man's neck.

At the same time, Kang Sogun's spear split the darkness.

Thud!

The man on the left was pierced by the spear.

The surviving man turned and fled.

Kang Sogun picked up the saber that the fallen man had dropped and threw it.

Whirl!

"Aargh!"

The saber that had flown like a windmill was embedded in the back of the fleeing man.

Kang Sogun retrieved his spear and got on his horse.

Then he slowly went down the road in the direction the enemy had come from.

Before long, he heard the sound of horses snorting.

Five horses that the bastards had ridden were tied in the forest next to the main road.

Stab!

Kang Sogun stabbed and killed four of them without hesitation.

Then he took one and ran up the mountain path again.

Neigh!

Kang Sogun pulled the reins and ran.

Thump, thump, thump.

The horse ran down the dark mountain path.

***

Yeon Hwasim woke up to an unfamiliar sound.

The sound was heard regularly.

Creak, creak.

It was the sound of the oar that was adjusting the direction of the boat, but Yeon Hwasim could not tell what the sound was or where she was.

'Where am I?'

She remembered that her father, Yeon Seongyeol, had suddenly pressed her acupoints.

Yeon Hwasim shot up.

It was a dark and narrow space.

As the surroundings came into view, Yeon Hwasim realized that she was in a boat.

"Are you awake?"

Jungrang's voice was heard from the darkness.

"Jungrang?"

Yeon Hwasim called in a low voice.

"It seems she's awake."

The voice coming from outside was Jang Mugang's.

Jungrang lifted the cloth that covered the cabin.

Faint moonlight came in. Jungrang was guarding Yeon Hwasim's feet.

"What happened? Where's my father?"

"The Sect Master... remained."

Jungrang said.

Yeon Hwasim's heart sank.

"Remained?"

"All three of them... remained to have a showdown with Gu Yeongang."

Jungrang told her what had happened.

Yeon Hwasim jumped up.

"I have to go!"

"It is the Sect Master's will!"

Jungrang's voice was cold.

Yeon Hwasim went outside without caring.

The boat was not very big.

The Three Tigers of Shandong were leaning against the side of the boat and looked at Yeon Hwasim.

"Ah...!"

Yeon Hwasim could only stand there in a daze.

The river, illuminated by the moonlight, shone white.

The river was wide.

In Yeon Hwasim's eyes, which were desperately looking around, the boatman rowing at the back came into view.

"Take the boat to the shore!"

Yeon Hwasim shouted.

Just then, a large hand grabbed Yeon Hwasim's shoulder.

"Calm down, Miss Yeon."

Jang Mugang, who had come at some point, said as he patted Yeon Hwasim's shoulder.

"The three of them sacrificed themselves for you and the disciples. Please understand their intentions."

Yeon Hwasim collapsed with a thud.

Tears burst out.

Yeon Hwasim wailed silently.

The boat went down the Yangtze River, following the moonlight.

***

The Heavenly Star Brigade Commander, Go Gyeongyeom, frowned deeply.

The scent of blood was thick on the dark mountain path.

"They are all dead."

A scout came running and reported.

'He's a really amazing bastard. They said he was injured... was that not true?'

"How long has it been?"

"Judging by how the blood has dried, it seems to have been about two hours."

'Two hours! He couldn't have gone far!'

Go Gyeongyeom called a messenger.

"The bastard is crossing over to Xinyang. Report to the Faction Master."

The messenger got on his horse as if flying and soon ran down the mountain.

"We will chase the bastard!"

Go Gyeongyeom and the fifty members of the Heavenly Star Brigade ran down the dark night road.

The torches held by the martial artists flowed down the mountain path like meteors in the night sky.

Had they run for about half an hour?

The scout who was ahead suddenly stopped his horse.

Go Gyeongyeom grabbed the hilt of his sword.

"There is a horse."

Go Gyeongyeom went forward and saw a masterless horse standing on the main road.

"Cunning bastard!"

It seemed he had abandoned his horse in the middle and taken a mountain path. It was a difficult task to catch a bastard who had hidden in the mountains at night.

"Go back and check if there are any side paths."

The martial artists with torches illuminated both sides of the main road and went back the way they had come.

(End of Chapter)