Kang Sogun

No Ichil no longer hid his intentions.

"The story that a peerless master intervened in the fight between the Three Blade Sect and the Heavenly Martial Faction is rampant in the Wuhan and Xinyang areas."

"I didn't know the Great Righteous Martial Hall would be interested."

Kang Sogun took the words and looked at Jo Unryong.

It meant, "What is your intention in following me?"

Jo Unryong had followed out of a desire to win.

He had originally intended to visit the Three Blade Sect and have a match with Yeon Seongyeol's Heaven Returning Twelve Sabers.

Although it was a small sect, the Heaven Returning Twelve Sabers was by no means an unknown martial art.

Hearing that the Three Blade Sect was confronting the Heavenly Martial Faction, he had been staying in Xinyang, but he had unexpectedly heard the news of the Three Blade Sect's annihilation.

The rumor of a master that came with it.

He had followed the unbelievable rumor that he had single-handedly shattered the Heavenly Martial Faction's military brigades.

"I want to witness that saber once!"

Jo Unryong said honestly.

"Saber? I heard you use a spear."

No Ichil looked at Kang Sogun's spear and then at the saber next to him.

"Of course, I know that your condition is not good right now. I can wait."

Jo Unryong, as if he had decided to ignore No Ichil completely, only gave his attention to Kang Sogun.

No Ichil waited for Kang Sogun's answer with interest.

Kang Sogun only said a word after a long time.

"My saber is not a saber for dueling."

It was a refusal of the duel, meaning that it was a saber for killing enemies.

"My saber is also like that."

Jo Unryong agreed as if it were natural.

"Oh ho. Not a simple duel, but a life-or-death battle? That would be something to see. I can't miss this opportunity. I will be the witness of your duel."

No Ichil quickly took a seat.

Neither Kang Sogun nor Jo Unryong even answered.

No Ichil, feeling awkward, looked down the mountain and muttered.

"By the way, aren't those bastards cold? Are they going to be like that all night?"

Kang Sogun silently entered into qi circulation.

The energy of the Golden Elixir True Art slowly gathered in his dantian.

To circulate qi with a stranger next to him was the same as entrusting his life.

But Kang Sogun had no choice.

'He has guts.'

No Ichil, seeing Kang Sogun circulating his qi, muttered to himself. Then he also closed his eyes.

It was not to circulate qi, but to be on guard in all directions.

Grrr.

As people continued to appear, the tiger could not easily attack.

Nevertheless, it seemed it had no intention of giving up and crouched in that spot, waiting.

Hunting is waiting.

The killing demons in the darkness were also men who were accustomed to waiting.

***

The Heavenly Martial Faction Master, Gu Yeongang, had a huge grand master's chair, twice as large as the one Yeon Seongyeol had used, brought into the main hall of the Three Blade Sect.

The main hall was lit up like broad daylight with large bronze candles on all sides.

In that wide main hall were only Gu Yeongang and Jo Gaeryang.

Gu Yeongang, upon hearing Jo Gaeryang's report that the Azure Star Brigade Commander had died, had thrown the teacup he was holding. The teacup had missed Jo Gaeryang and had been embedded in the wall of the main hall.

Following the Heaven's Mandate Brigade and the Black Horse Brigade, the Azure Star Brigade had also suffered great damage.

Although he had smoothly taken over the Three Blade Sect, which was his original purpose, he had lost three military brigades to a strange bastard.

"It seems I have been too lenient all this time. To collapse one after another, unable to handle one bastard. For bastards like that to have prided themselves on being the military brigades of the Heavenly Martial Faction, they deserve to die."

"I have released the killing demons. That bastard will have no place to hide anywhere in the Central Plains."

Jo Gaeryang paused for a moment and then finished his report.

"It is not certain, but there is a report that the Great Righteous Martial Hall helped him escape."

Gu Yeongang's eyes flashed.

A light like a thunderbolt emanated from his eyes.

"The Great Righteous Martial Hall?"

"It was expected. Since it became known that you were leading the expedition yourself, of course they would have been watching."

"If they helped him escape, doesn't that mean it's not just a matter of information gathering?"

"They attacked the Azure Star Brigade that was chasing the bastard, but judging by the number of people and their methods, it seems they were hastily assembled. It means they are not a proper support force."

"But they still helped that bastard, didn't they?"

Gu Yeongang's voice was low, but it carried the weight of a great mountain.

With that one word, it became a foregone conclusion that the Great Righteous Martial Hall was in league with that bastard.

"Unfortunately, we could not obtain certain evidence."

"Evidence? If the military strategist thought so, that is the most certain evidence!"

At Gu Yeongang's words, Jo Gaeryang did not dare to argue.

"Call Divine Martial and Dragon Slaying."

"If even they leave the faction...?"

The Divine Martial Brigade and the Dragon Slaying Brigade were the strongest forces that had been stockpiled in preparation for a battle with the Dragon Slaying Society or the Great Righteous Martial Hall.

Above all, if they came out, the defense of the main faction would be weakened.

"There are the old men. I didn't give them a seat just to eat rice."

"I understand."

"And tell Yangjo to hurry."

The Heavenly Martial Faction's eldest young master, Gu Yangjo, was now subjugating the southwestern region of the Central Plains, which the Yocheon Pavilion had controlled.

The southwestern region that the Yocheon Pavilion had controlled was geographically close to the Heavenly Martial Faction.

Therefore, neither the Dragon Slaying Society nor the Great Righteous Martial Hall could exert their power.

The sudden death of the Yocheon Pavilion Master had given wings to the Heavenly Martial Faction.

The reason the Heavenly Martial Faction had wanted to advance east but had been unable to do so was because of the Yocheon Pavilion, and that problem had been solved on its own.

'Heaven has given the Heavenly Martial Faction an opportunity.'

Jo Gaeryang did not doubt that the Heavenly Martial Faction would unify the martial world.

***

Around the time the dawn light spread, the bonfire also died down.

Kang Sogun stood up from his seat, slung his spear on his back, and took his saber.

No Ichil woke up from his light sleep and watched Kang Sogun.

Although his injuries were not light, it was unbelievable that he could move so normally after just one night of qi circulation.

As Kang Sogun set out on the road, Jo Unryong followed.

"A night of sleeping out is also a connection, but you're leaving without even a word of going together?"

No Ichil grumbled, packed his things, and followed.

As the three moved, the killing demons who were hiding below also moved.

"Are you going to take those bastards with you?"

No Ichil said, glancing at the killing demons.

"You block them."

Jo Unryong said a word and then busily chased after Kang Sogun.

"Young people these days have no sense of hierarchy. Tsk."

No Ichil clicked his tongue and followed.

The area near the summit of the mountain was frozen with snow, and the path was slippery.

After reaching the ridge of the summit, Kang Sogun took a direction to the south and went straight down.

It was a reckless descent, not a path, but just going straight down.

Since he was trying not to use lightness skill to save his internal energy, he had to just go down the slope.

"What is this, leaving a good path?"

No Ichil thought that he had probably followed him wrongly.

It would have been better to wait below.

'That man is one thing, but what on earth is that Jo Unryong doing?'

The identity of the third young master of the Dragon Slaying Society was by no means low.

Not much was known about the leadership of the Dragon Slaying Society.

Although the Great Righteous Martial Hall had made many efforts, there had not been much success.

They had only found out that the leader had three disciples, and that they were all masters.

He had only found out yesterday that the young ronin was Jo Unryong.

No Ichil had attached two of his fast-footed subordinates so as not to lose Kang Sogun.

The subordinates had reported that Kang Sogun had gone up the mountain after clashing with the Azure Star Brigade.

That report also included information about the young ronin who was following him.

He had said that every time the young ronin swung his saber to cut down three Heavenly Martial Faction warriors, a red light had flashed.

Hearing that, he had made a guess, and surprisingly, it was the Dragon Slaying Society's third young master, Jo Unryong.

"Hah!"

A cliff of about thirty feet appeared where the slope was cut off.

Kang Sogun looked down blankly and then threw himself forward.

"Is he crazy?"

No Ichil hastily followed and looked down the cliff.

Kang Sogun was falling with his arms wide open.

When he reached the bottom, he could be seen swinging his saber to cut a tree branch and then landing with the rebound.

"Is-is that even possible?"

Jo Unryong also looked down for a moment as if he were dumbfounded, then gritted his teeth and threw himself forward.

It was a kind of pride that if Kang Sogun could do it, he could do it too.

No Ichil clicked his tongue.

"Crazy bastards. Stop it, I can't do that."

No Ichil pulled a vine that had grown up to the top of the cliff and tied it to the base of a nearby tree. Then he went down the vine, as fast as a monkey.

When he went down the cliff, Kang Sogun was already gone.

No Ichil hastily went down to the south and saw Jo Unryong limping in front.

It was clear that he had sprained his ankle while trying to follow Kang Sogun.

"Kehehe. That's what happens when you recklessly follow what others do."

As Jo Unryong looked back at No Ichil, a killing intent was in his eyes.

"I don't want to kill you right now, so watch your mouth, will you?"

"An adult is speaking, you should listen. Did Wu Mungeuk teach you that?"

Wu Mungeuk was the name of the Dragon Slaying Society Master.

-Swish!

It seemed as if Jo Unryong's hand had gone to his waist, and a red light flickered.

No Ichil was surprised and hastily retreated, rotating his body.

It seemed as if No Ichil's hand had touched the bundle on his back, and a sword was drawn out.

No Ichil's sword blocked Jo Unryong's saber.

-Clang!

-Papapak!

Three strands of red saber qi flew from the front and the left and right.

No Ichil retreated and spread his sword horizontally.

A cold sword light poured towards Jo Unryong's upper body.

"Hmph!"

Jo Unryong withdrew his saber and slashed as if cutting the sky.

-Clang!

The sword and the saber clashed again.

No Ichil somersaulted twice in the air and landed far away.

"Kuh, that bastard's temper."

Although Jo Unryong had known that No Ichil was a considerable master, he was inwardly surprised after fighting him directly.

He had used all his strength, but he felt that No Ichil had not used his full strength.

Nevertheless, the moment the sword and the saber clashed, he had almost dropped his saber due to the heavy force he had received.

Jo Unryong was a martial artist who pursued the ultimate of the saber.

He had a heart of contempt, considering No Ichil as a spy of the Great Righteous Martial Hall.

But after clashing with him and realizing that his martial arts were unexpectedly high, he realized that he was not a simple spy.

He naturally abandoned his heart of contempt and asked with courtesy.

"I heard that the Great Righteous Martial Hall is composed of ten halls. I heard that each of the hall masters is a master, and it seems you are one of the ten hall masters."

Jo Unryong had been proud that there were not many in the world who could receive his saber.

In order to protect his pride, No Ichil had to be one of the ten hall masters.

No Ichil did not answer and said as he examined his sword.

"I almost damaged my sword. It's worth calling the Fire Dragon Saber a peerless treasure saber."

Jo Unryong stood blocking the way as if he would not move a single step if he did not hear an answer.

Seeing his presence, No Ichil sighed.

"Let's just say I have the qualifications to call Wu Mungeuk's name."

It meant that he was acknowledging that he was one of the ten hall masters of the Great Righteous Martial Hall.

Jo Unryong slowly raised his Fire Dragon Saber.

"What kind of fight are you going to have with a weak ankle? I'll deal with you later. Let's follow that man first. We'll lose him at this rate."

No Ichil proposed a compromise.

Jo Unryong thought for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright! But you must have a life-or-death battle with me."

"Hah, well now."

No Ichil let out a hollow laugh as if he were dumbfounded and then threw himself forward first.

Following him, Jo Unryong displayed his unique lightness skill.

Although he occasionally staggered because his sprained ankle was uncomfortable.

(End of Chapter)