Kang Sogun

"And I would like to know who the superiors of these two are."

Jin Uncho took the identification tag and military tag and examined them. The identification tag belonged to a man named Shin Igi of the Eastern Depot, and the military tag belonged to Mak Busim of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

They were the ones who had been killed by Yeon Seongyeol while chasing the Three Tigers of Shandong in the past. Although it might have nothing to do with it, since Shin Igi of the Eastern Depot had the red jade dagger, there would be a clue to find out Jang Yeongyeong's whereabouts.

Jin Uncho put the identification tag and military tag in his sleeve.

"It is a sensitive time. The number of watching eyes has increased significantly."

As the rumor that the crown prince had gone missing on his way to Nanjing spread, the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were on high alert.

Jin Uncho said in a whisper.

"Among the powerful families of Nanjing, there is a saying that the political situation is so chaotic that it is impossible to know who is an enemy and who is a friend. You must be careful."

"Don't go too deep, I just need to know their affiliation and superior."

Kang Sogun added, concerned for Jin Uncho's safety.

Just then, a great commotion broke out on the street outside with a scream.

When Kang Sogun looked out, several people were attacking two sedan chairs. A man and a woman were riding in each sedan chair, and they were a young couple.

The attackers were wearing masks. They knocked down the guards and approached the sedan chairs.

The man who appeared to be the husband grabbed his wife's arm and threw himself to one side. He was trying to defend only the front with his back to the wall.

There were four guards in all, but one had fallen in the assassins' surprise attack, and three were blocking the masked assassins.

The servants who had been carrying the sedan chairs also stood in front of their masters, and they looked like people from a famous family.

The passersby were busy screaming and running away. In the midst of that, the curious ones were watching from a corner.

No other person came into Kang Sogun's eyes.

'Yang Chaewan?'

Kang Sogun recognized who the young beautiful woman was. At the same time, he felt a pain as if his heart had been stabbed with a knife.

'Hahaha. This is Miss Yang. Later, you will have to call her sister-in-law.'

Jang Seonbaek's words seemed to ring in his ears.

It was Jang Seonbaek's lover, Yang Chaewan. It was the first time he had met someone related to the Jang family since his return.

Yang Chaewan, as if she had felt his gaze on her, looked towards where Kang Sogun was. Their eyes met for a moment.

Then the man followed Yang Chaewan's gaze and looked towards Kang Sogun.

The young man's face was revealed in the light of the lantern. The man, who had a rather handsome appearance, had an air of nobility.

Jin Uncho stealthily turned his body to avoid the man's gaze and muttered as if to himself.

"It's Bang Ilok."

"Bang Ilok?"

"He is from the Mun family of Nanjing. His father is a civil official of the court. The power of the Bang family is great in Nanjing."

Although Jin Uncho was a constable, he showed no sign of catching the assassins. Rather, his tone was quite sarcastic.

Bang Ilok's shout was heard from outside.

"You audacious bastards! To try to harm a person on the main road!"

"Is there a better place than the main road to punish a traitor!"

Surprisingly, one of the masked assassins was a woman.

The woman was wearing a mask, so her identity could not be known.

-Clang! Clang!

The sound of weapons clashing echoed loudly.

"Since they failed to kill Bang Ilok on the first move, the assassins will fail."

Jin Uncho also said as if muttering, watching the situation outside the window.

When Kang Sogun looked, the guards were being pushed back one after another, but Bang Ilok was calm.

One of the masked assassins disposed of a guard and finally approached the Bang Ilok couple.

-Swish!

As the assassin's sword thrust, Bang Ilok swung his fist. A strong fist wind arose, and the assassin's sword was deflected.

Bang Ilok's fist hit the assassin's chest directly.

"Kuh!"

The mask was stained red, and it was clear that he had suffered an internal injury from one fist.

'Shaolin fist art?'

Kang Sogun recognized Bang Ilok's one fist. It was definitely a proper Shaolin fist art.

"Although he is a descendant of a literary family, Bang Ilok is a master of the Shaolin fist art. It is said that he surpasses the first-rate masters of the martial world."

Jin Uncho had not stepped up because he knew Bang Ilok's martial prowess.

"The guards will be here soon. The assassins will all be caught."

Jin Uncho explained one by one as if it were his duty.

As expected, the sound of a whistle was heard from afar, and the guards rushed in.

There were four assassins in all, and when their comrade was injured and the guards rushed in, they tried to flee.

Two of the masked assassins supported their injured comrade and threw themselves forward.

As the last one was guarding the rear and was about to throw himself forward, Bang Ilok shouted loudly.

"Shouldn't you leave one behind?"

Bang Ilok threw himself forward and thrust his fist at the assassin who was guarding the rear. The assassin hastily brought down his sword to block, but the momentum contained in the fist was powerful.

-Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, the assassin tumbled like a kite with its string cut.

The woman among the masked assassins who were supporting their comrade and crossing the wall saw this and was about to cross back, but the fallen masked assassin cut his own throat with his sword.

"Father!"

The masked assassin woman let out a short scream. The comrade next to her tried to drag the masked assassin woman and flee.

"Hmph! Do you think you can escape?"

Bang Ilok jumped into the air and spread his hands.

-Swish!

Small prayer beads flew and covered the backs of the fleeing masked men.

The masked assassins swung their swords at the prayer beads.

-Clang!

With a loud sound, the prayer beads were deflected. The skill of the masked assassins was also not to be taken lightly, and they were not simple assassins.

"Go quickly!"

The masked assassin woman sent the injured comrade and the comrade who was supporting him first and blocked the rear.

"You evil villain!"

At the woman's shout, Bang Ilok smiled slyly.

"I don't know why you call me an evil villain."

"Heaven knows your sin, I know it, and the earth knows it. The day will come when that sin is revealed to the whole world!"

The masked assassin woman's gaze turned to Yang Chaewan, who was on one side. A venomous energy poured out from her eyes.

"When that day comes, you two, along with that lewd bitch, will have your limbs torn apart and your heads hung outside the city gate!"

It was truly a heinous curse.

As Yang Chaewan heard those words, she staggered and then collapsed.

When his wife collapsed, Bang Ilok shouted.

"What are you doing? Not attending to the mistress."

The servants and guards rushed in, put Yang Chaewan in a sedan chair, and disappeared.

Bang Ilok turned to the masked assassin woman and gritted his teeth.

"You bitch will not die a peaceful death."

The masked assassin woman, having bought a moment of time and confirming that her comrades had disappeared, retreated. She was trying to flee.

"Do you think you can escape from my hands?"

As the masked assassin woman threw herself forward, Bang Ilok followed and thrust his fist.

The masked assassin woman's lightness skill was nimble, and she avoided the fist and increased the distance.

As Bang Ilok waved his hand again, the prayer beads flew.

The masked assassin woman thrust her sword and deflected the prayer beads, but one bead struck her thigh.

"Kuh!"

A short groan erupted from the masked assassin woman's mouth.

As Bang Ilok approached, the masked assassin woman took something out from her bosom and threw it.

-Boom!

Black smoke rose, and Bang Ilok hastily retreated.

"That's a smoke bomb used by the southern pirates, I don't know how that woman has it."

Jin Uncho explained the situation in a still muttering voice.

The black smoke soon cleared, but the masked assassin woman's tracks also disappeared.

Bang Ilok shouted at the guards who had just rushed in.

"For an assassin to run wild on the main road! How on earth are you guarding! Hurry up and chase the assassins!"

Bang Ilok's authority was great, and even the guards could not help but follow.

On the main road where a chaotic battle had taken place, people began to come and go again, and a moment later, it was bustling as if nothing had happened.

As Kang Sogun and Jin Uncho were tilting their wine cups again, the first floor of the inn became quiet for a moment.

Soon after, Bang Ilok walked up the stairs.

As Bang Ilok appeared, the second floor also became quiet. The people on the second floor had all seen the recent battle. Since the person involved had appeared, they could not help but be nervous.

Bang Ilok looked around the second floor and then walked towards Kang Sogun and Jin Uncho.

"Constable Jin must have had an interesting sight."

Bang Ilok's tone was quite quarrelsome.

Bang Ilok had not forgotten that his wife, Yang Chaewan, had looked towards the inn and had been surprised for a moment before the fight had properly started.

He had come to confirm who was there that had surprised his wife, and seeing Jin Uncho, he had approached.

'He's a very cautious man.'

Kang Sogun glanced at the approaching Bang Ilok and then turned his gaze to the window.

He did not want to reveal himself. Right now, Kang Sogun's appearance looked like a martial world wanderer. Even those who had known him in the past would not be able to recognize him.

Bang Ilok was very agitated from the recent fight.

"The constable of Nanjing just watched as a commoner was in trouble. And yet you eat the country's rice. How can we trust the authorities and live like this?"

Kang Sogun frowned. Bang Ilok was deliberately picking a fight.

"I don't know what Young Master Bang is talking about. I was just having a drink with a junior I met after a long time. I'm flustered that you suddenly appeared and are pushing a person."

Jin Uncho also did not like Bang Ilok, and his words were not kind.

"Is that so? Who is this person? How welcome and great a person is he that the constable could not even get up from his seat when an assassin was running wild on the main road?"

Jin Uncho's complexion turned cold.

"I don't know what you've been through to be like this. Young Master Bang's martial prowess is above mine, so even if there had been something, how could a mere constable have intervened?"

"Hmph! You admit that you have neglected your responsibility. I will take you to the Nanjing government office and question you about today's incident."

Jin Uncho stood up from his seat and looked around at the guests on the second floor and said.

"Everyone? What on earth happened outside? Do you know?"

The people avoided Jin Uncho's gaze. Although they were afraid of Bang Ilok, they also had to avoid incurring the resentment of the constable of Nanjing.

"Oh, the wine is out. Let's get up now."

The people murmured, stood up, and flocked down to the first floor.

Now, only Kang Sogun, Jin Uncho, and Bang Ilok were left on the second floor.

"Jin Uncho, I knew you were digging behind my back. Even if the assassin today was related to you, I would believe it. It seems we have to see the end today."

"You keep saying things I can't understand. I knew that the power of Young Master Bang's family was so great that a mere constable was not even in your eyes, but I didn't know you would go so far as to slander me."

It seemed there was another bad relationship between the two.

Bang Ilok smiled sinisterly.

"Jin Uncho, you lived as a dog of the Kang Residence and then belatedly entered the Nanjing government office and are acting as a constable, so it seems you look down on the whole world."

At Bang Ilok's words, a retort came from another place.

"A dog of the Kang Residence?"

Kang Sogun, who had been avoiding his gaze until now, slowly turned his head and looked at Bang Ilok.

Bang Ilok looked down at Kang Sogun as if he were dumbfounded and sneered.

"Were you also a dog of the Kang Residence?"

-Thwack!

"Aargh!"

Bang Ilok suddenly covered his face and retreated. The guards behind him quickly stepped up and aimed their swords.

When Jin Uncho was startled and looked, a chopstick was embedded in Bang Ilok's cheek.

Kang Sogun slowly stood up from his seat.

"The Kang Residence you mentioned, it must be the Kang Residence on Dongjing Road, right?"

(End of Chapter)