Kang Sogun

As soon as Yeon Hwasim was laid down, blood spread on the white mattress of the bed.

Kang Sogun examined Yeon Hwasim's injuries.

Blood continued to flow from the large cut. Although Wi Eunghwan had sprinkled golden wound medicine, the wound was so large that the bleeding had not stopped.

"Hmm."

Yeon Hwasim let out a faint groan mixed with pain.

Kang Sogun pressed her blood points and then the vital points around her wound and abdomen. Yeon Hwasim's twisted internal organs returned to their proper places.

Kang Sogun took out a needle and thread from his bundle and stitched the wound with a familiar skill.

After stitching the wound, he sat in a formal posture next to her and extended both his hands. A faint golden light flowed from the palms of his hands.

The energy of the Golden Elixir True Art entered Yeon Hwasim's abdomen and enveloped her internal organs. As the warm energy touched her, Yeon Hwasim's contorted expression slowly relaxed.

Kang Sogun continued to inject the Golden Elixir True Art.

The energy of the Golden Elixir True Art corrected Yeon Hwasim's entire body's meridians and drew the scattered energy to her dantian.

'Ugh!'

As the energy of the Golden Elixir True Art flowed into Yeon Hwasim's body, the suppressed blood dragon energy erupted.

The blood dragon energy, which had just tasted blood, ran wild along Kang Sogun's blood vessels as if it could not miss the opportunity.

-Thwack! Thwack!

Kang Sogun struck his own chest's vital points to control the rampage of the blood dragon energy and then continued to send the Golden Elixir True Art into Yeon Hwasim's body.

-Boom!

The blood dragon energy, trapped in the middle dantian, went into a frenzy.

Kang Sogun did not care and continued to match Yeon Hwasim's qi and blood flow with the Golden Elixir True Art.

When about an hour had passed, Kang Sogun opened his eyes.

His eyes were submerged in the blood dragon energy and were stained with blood.

"Hmm."

As the blood points that Kang Sogun had pressed while matching her qi and blood were released, Yeon Hwasim woke up.

In a daze, she saw blood-stained eyes looking at her.

"Aak!"

Yeon Hwasim, seeing Kang Sogun's two blood-stained eyes, screamed without realizing it and then fainted again.

Kang Sogun gave a bitter smile and sat in a meditative posture.

Kang Sogun had to circulate the Golden Elixir True Art for about an hour before he could put the blood dragon energy to sleep.

When Kang Sogun opened his eyes again, the bloody energy had subsided. But he could not hide the red qi that was flickering deep in his pupils.

***

Sim Mabaek was lying on the bed as if he were dead. Although he had taken the panacea that Jo Unryong had given him, his internal injuries were so deep that it was difficult for him to even move.

Wi Eunghwan looked at Sim Mabaek's bloodless face for a long time and then hesitated before opening his mouth.

"Big brother."

Jang Mugang looked at Wi Eunghwan.

"To Great Warrior Kang..."

Wi Eunghwan could not bring himself to continue.

Wi Eunghwan wanted to ask Kang Sogun to look at his internal injuries. If Jang Mugang would only allow it, he was prepared to even kneel before him.

It was Kang Sogun who had saved Yeon Hwasim, who had been on the verge of death. He thought that with that powerful internal energy, he might be able to pull Sim Mabaek one step closer from the brink of life and death.

Jang Mugang's complexion was grave, and he was silent.

"Big brother..."

As Wi Eunghwan called again, Jang Mugang sighed and said.

"It's not that I haven't thought about it. But there is something that bothers me."

"Brother Mabaek is about to die, what is so important?"

"Don't you find the energy he sprinkled strange?"

Wi Eunghwan flinched.

He had also been very surprised by the bloody energy that had poured out when Kang Sogun had swung his spear.

Since he had not seen energy many times, he could not say for sure, but it was a very ferocious energy.

There were also types of killing intent.

The bloody energy that Kang Sogun had poured out was overflowing with a cold qi, as if the resentment of countless vengeful spirits were gathered.

"I've heard a story about a blood dragon that eats blood."

Jang Mugang continued.

"A blood dragon that eats blood?"

"It's an old legend that circulates on the battlefield."

Wi Eunghwan shook his head.

"I've never heard such a story."

"Because it's an old story. Now it's just an old story that the families of soldiers tell their children."

Jang Mugang and Sim Mabaek were from a family of soldiers that had been passed down for generations. On the other hand, Wi Eunghwan had said that he was the son of a farmer.

"A long, long time ago, in ancient times when the country had not yet been formed, the tribes lived peacefully in groups. Among them, the strongest tribe was the Yeong tribe, which was said to be ruled by a heavenly dragon that had descended from the sky."

***

In a world where the boundary between gods and humans had not yet been divided, the Yeong tribe served as the leader of several tribes.

The other tribes feared the strength of the Yeong tribe. There were also many tribes that came on their own and formed alliances.

One day, a war broke out in the world, and the Yeong tribe was surrounded and annihilated in a desolate valley due to the betrayal of an allied tribe. In that battle, over a million people died.

The chieftain, who had received the blood of the heavenly dragon and had ruled the Yeong tribe, had killed hundreds of thousands of enemies, but in the end, he was left alone.

He stuck his spear in the ground, transformed into a dragon, and ascended to the sky.

The dragon, stained with blood, circled the sky once and left a curse.

'I will surely return and wash the human world with blood!'

People had completely filled the valley where the Yeong tribe had been annihilated, but one day, a large tomb appeared in that place.

The tomb, whose builder was unknown, was also forgotten from people's memories as time passed.

***

"What a ridiculous story. To have killed hundreds of thousands of enemies alone."

Wi Eunghwan shook his head from side to side.

Jang Mugang gave a bitter smile. He had also considered it a strange story he had heard from his family elders when he was young and had not actually believed it.

"That's why I said it's a legend that has been passed down from ancient times. Anyway, a rumor circulated among the soldiers on the frontier that if you entered the Martial Tomb, you could obtain a divine art that could pacify the human world."

"A divine art?"

"It's because of the curse that the heavenly dragon left after transforming into a blood dragon stained with blood. The blood dragon left a divine art containing its energy for revenge, and the story is that the one who obtains it will wash the human world with blood."

"If there is such a martial art, I would also like to enter the Martial Tomb."

At Wi Eunghwan's words, Jang Mugang nodded.

"So many people wandered in search of the Martial Tomb. But no one knew where it was. In fact, it's not even clear if it exists. Nevertheless, all sorts of rumors circulated as if it really existed."

"Rumors?"

"There are various rumors. One of them is the blood dragon that eats blood. The truth is that the heavenly dragon was injured and could not ascend, so it degenerated into a blood dragon and is hiding in the Martial Tomb. In order for it to become a heavenly dragon again, it needs the blood of a million humans. So it spreads rumors to make people come and find it. It's said that it uses the blood of those who come as a sacrifice for its ascension."

Wi Eunghwan let out a hollow laugh.

"What a truly ridiculous story. Are you telling me this old story out of the blue because of the bloody energy that Great Warrior Kang showed?"

Jang Mugang, as if he also thought it was ridiculous, gave an embarrassed laugh and said.

"I don't know why the story of the blood dragon came to mind either. But when I saw Great Warrior Kang's bloody energy, the legend of the Martial Tomb came to mind without me realizing it."

"Well... that killing intent was really amazing."

Wi Eunghwan also chimed in. It was a killing intent that felt as if one's soul would be sucked in just by being grazed.

Jang Mugang nodded.

"You could say it's a killing intent that contains the resentment of millions of vengeful spirits. So..."

Jang Mugang trailed off.

"Are you thinking that it might be a demonic art?"

"It's difficult to see a martial art that contains such a killing intent as a righteous one."

Jang Mugang said evasively.

"There's no way Great Warrior Kang would have learned a demonic art..."

Wi Eunghwan was speaking but then closed his mouth.

Kang Sogun's martial arts were so high for his age that it was hard to believe common sense.

If it were not a demonic art, it would be difficult to achieve such an accomplishment. And if it were not a very powerful demonic art.

Wi Eunghwan had stopped speaking because he had realized that he himself had been suspecting that Kang Sogun's martial arts might be a demonic art.

"If Great Warrior Kang's internal energy source is a demonic art, we can't ask him to help Mabaek."

At Jang Mugang's words, Wi Eunghwan also silently expressed his agreement.

Although a demonic art showed rapid achievement, it was unstable, and in most cases, one would fall into qi deviation or become a demon.

One would either become a cripple by falling into qi deviation or, even if one managed to escape, one would have to live as a demon craving blood, having lost one's reason, so the martial world prohibited demonic arts.

The higher the achievement of the demonic art, the higher the possibility of that happening. Also, if one injected the internal energy obtained from a demonic art into another person, it could clash with their original internal energy and could be dangerous instead.

"Since he saved Miss Yeon from death, it probably isn't a demonic art."

Although Wi Eunghwan said it, he was not sure.

The thought that saving a person who was already dead was itself a demonic art had flashed through his mind.

"We'll know if we watch Miss Yeon. If it's a demonic art, there will surely be aftereffects."

As the two were talking about this and that, there was a sign of human presence from outside the door, and No Ichil came in.

No Ichil, who had come in with a grave face, respectfully cupped his fists to Jang Mugang and Wi Eunghwan.

"I am ashamed. I will take responsibility for Brother Sim's injuries."

No Ichil could not even sit down.

The Jeongha Martial Hall was the core military force of the ninth hall of the Great Righteous Martial Hall. Nevertheless, an enemy had intruded, and as a result, Yeon Hwasim and Sim Mabaek were hovering between life and death.

No Ichil, who had guaranteed their safety, could not raise his head.

"No. It is no one's responsibility for a martial artist to meet a powerful enemy and face death, so Brother No does not need to blame yourself."

"That's right. If you do that, our second brother will be ashamed instead. Please don't worry too much."

Jang Mugang and Wi Eunghwan rather tried to comfort No Ichil.

'As expected, the Three Tigers of Shandong are magnanimous. If I don't make friends with such people, who on earth will I make friends with?'

No Ichil was moved and said.

"I have called a famous doctor, so he will arrive soon. Please bear with it for a little while."

"We are grateful for Brother No's consideration."

As Jang Mugang and Wi Eunghwan stood up in droves, cupped their fists, and expressed their gratitude, No Ichil rather had no face to stay any longer and left the room.

As soon as he came out of the room, he burst into a rage.

'Even if it's an emergency signal, to bring all the martial hall guards?'

The master of the Jeongha Martial Hall, the ninth hall master, Hyeong Uncheon, was a man of integrity and was his most compatible sworn brother. But now, that simple integrity was just resentful.

No Ichil, who had come out of the residence of the Three Tigers of Shandong, stopped in front of a secluded building.

It was the place where Kang Sogun was staying.

Although he was ashamed to face the Three Tigers of Shandong, No Ichil had even less face to see Kang Sogun.

He sighed deeply and then opened his mouth.

"It's me. Is Great Warrior Kang there?"

Screech.

The door opened on its own. It was as if a cold chill were flowing from inside the door.

No Ichil took a breath and then entered the door.

Kang Sogun was sitting at a writing desk in the front of the room, looking at something.

No Ichil knew that it was the information about the Heavenly Martial Faction that he had given him.

Kang Sogun, who had come out after treating Yeon Hwasim, had asked No Ichil for information about the Heavenly Martial Faction.

Normally, he would have naturally refused, but since the situation was what it was, No Ichil had handed over the information about the Heavenly Martial Faction that he had collected.

As No Ichil approached, he said.

"The Heavenly Martial Faction is a vast sect. You should assume that the known military power is only thirty percent."

Kang Sogun silently nodded as if in agreement and then asked out of the blue.

"What kind of person is the Divine Strategist?"

(End of Chapter)