Kang Sogun

"Hmm."

Cho Hagyeong opened his eyes with a light groan.

He had lost consciousness in the pitch-black darkness, but when he opened his eyes, he was in a warm room.

Surprised, he tried to get up, but someone stopped him.

"Young Master, you must rest for now."

It was Hwang Oh.

"Uncle Hwang, where am I?"

Hwang Oh had taken care of the Cho siblings since they were young.

Although he was a team leader of ten in the Jang General's residence, the title of "uncle" was more familiar to the Cho siblings.

"This is the Kang Residence of Duke Kang of the state."

"Why am I here?"

"Young Master Kang Hui came to find you himself."

"Young Master Kang Hui?"

Cho Hagyeong was bewildered.

Cho Hagyeong had also been Jang Seonbaek's messenger along with Cho Haran. Naturally, he knew Kang Sogun.

Just then, Kang Sogun came in.

Cho Hagyeong recognized Kang Sogun and tried to get up.

"Stay as you are."

Kang Sogun examined Cho Hagyeong's injuries.

It was easier for Kang Sogun to treat Cho Hagyeong's internal injuries than Cho Haran's broken thigh bone.

The Golden Elixir True Art was excellent for treating internal injuries.

Cho Hagyeong's internal injuries were almost healed.

Hwang Oh was moved and cupped his fists to Kang Sogun.

"Young Master Kang has also saved my life."

Hwang Oh had received a life-saving grace from Cho Gangrip and had followed him for decades. Since he had watched the Cho siblings be born and grow up by his side, he had half the heart of a father.

Kang Sogun informed him that Cho Haran was also staying at the Kang Residence and that Cho Gangrip's body had been laid to rest.

Cho Hagyeong sobbed upon hearing of his father's death. And he stood up, saying he had to go see Cho Haran, but Hwang Oh stopped him.

"I just went. She just fell asleep, so let's go see her later."

Cho Hagyeong sat down on the bed again.

Kang Sogun suddenly asked.

"Is Bang Ilok related to the tragic affair of Seonbaek's family?"

Kang Sogun asked bluntly.

He was worried that he would not trust him and would change the subject like Cho Haran.

Cho Hagyeong knew more about the friendship between Kang Sogun and Jang Seonbaek than his younger sister.

He had also watched from the side how much Jang Seonbaek had grieved when Kang Sogun had gone missing.

"I heard you went missing after being chased by the enemy, but you have returned alive."

"I returned too late."

Although Kang Sogun answered briefly, Cho Hagyeong could read the regret contained in it.

Cho Hagyeong lowered his head.

"We also could not protect the Jang family when they were in trouble."

The moment the Jang family was framed as traitors, the Cho siblings were traveling as messengers, delivering military orders on the northwestern front line.

Hearing the news, they had rushed with their father, Cho Gangrip, who was also inspecting the front line, but by then, the entire Jang family had been framed as traitors, and they had become fugitives instead.

"We went around the north and infiltrated the capital, and then came to Nanjing. In the capital, I heard that the ones who had slandered General Jang were Bang Yeonso and Bang Ilok."

The Cho family was the information source of the Jang family. Although their martial arts were not outstanding, their skill in handling military information was outstanding, and General Jang Hong had trusted them.

Kang Sogun nodded as if he had guessed.

Cho Hagyeong gritted his teeth.

"Perhaps all this trouble is because of that bastard Bang Ilok's affair."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do you know who is by that bastard Bang Ilok's side?"

Kang Sogun also knew. It was Jang Seonbaek's lover, Yang Chaewan.

The reason Kang Sogun had dealt with Bang Ilok so harshly at the inn that day could not be said to be only because he had ignored the Kang Residence.

Seeing his friend's lover with another person, Kang Sogun's heart had been greatly shaken.

"That bastard had been after Yang Chaewan for a long time."

Cho Hagyeong was convinced that Bang Ilok had plotted the downfall of Jang Seonbaek's family to get Yang Chaewan.

'If it were that simple, it would be better.'

General Jang Hong was a pillar of the country. He was not a person who would fall for the petty scheme of such a trivial human.

But Cho Hagyeong's assertion also had a point. At least if several forces had united and had plotted a conspiracy, the Bang family could have been one of the axes.

"For now, focus on recovering your body. Your younger sister will probably not wake up until evening."

Kang Sogun stood up from his seat and came out.

As he was returning to his residence, the chief steward, Mo Sang, ran with an urgent face.

"Young Master, there is a big problem. You must flee quickly."

Mo Sang seemed to be on the verge of losing his breath.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard has come to capture you, Young Master. They have flocked to the main gate now and seem to be about to attack at any moment."

Mo Sang tried to grab Kang Sogun and go towards the rear courtyard. It was the place where there was a secret passage leading outside.

Kang Sogun stopped Mo Sang.

"Shouldn't we at least hear the reason why they have come?"

***

In a small mountain village, the smoke of cooking dinner was rising.

"It's truly peaceful."

Yeon Hwasim, who was sitting on a hill and looking down at the mountain village, muttered.

The battlefield, which had been like hell, where blood had splattered and flesh had been cut the night before, seemed like a dream.

Jungrang was silently wiping his sword by her side. Although it was a good sword, it had been chipped in several places during the fierce battle. It seemed it would not be able to be used for long.

Jungrang put his sword in its scabbard and drew Yeon Hwasim's sword. It was also chipped in several places.

"If it's chipped, it will break easily. We need to change the sword first."

Jungrang said after examining Yeon Hwasim's sword.

"You should rest too, older brother."

Yeon Hwasim was amazed by Jungrang. Jungrang was constantly doing something.

He did not neglect to guard his surroundings and took care of his weapons and hidden weapons.

At night, he trained. She could not tell when he slept.

It was a side of him she had not known when he had been a guard of the Three Blade Sect. It seemed the habits he had learned while living as a ronin had come back to life.

At Yeon Hwasim's words, Jungrang looked down at the mountain village. It was similar to the village where he had grown up.

Jungrang's heart was heavy.

It was a small village on a low mountain quite far from Hefei. Around the village, the martial artists of the Great Righteous Martial Hall were hiding and were on guard.

As Yuk Ilcheong had said, the encirclement was several layers thick. The Great Righteous Martial Hall had been able to break through the encirclement and escape Hefei City only at dawn.

Yeomga had lured Yuk Ilcheong's soldiers with his subordinates. And a few masters had escorted Zhu Zhanji and had hidden in this mountain village.

'Because of this, those people may be harmed.'

It was the common people who were harmed in the fight of those who pursued power.

Jungrang's hometown had been annihilated by a mere county magistrate who had framed it as a den of thieves. It was nothing for the powerful to wash this small village with blood in a time of turmoil.

"Since the Great Righteous Martial Hall has officially intervened in the affairs of the court, it is extremely dangerous to stay here."

Jungrang decided to leave the Great Righteous Martial Hall. Although No Ichil had guaranteed Yeon Hwasim's safety, he would now be busy taking care of his own situation.

"I'm worried because Great Warrior Sim's injuries are deep."

Although Yeon Hwasim had the same thought, she hesitated because of Sim Mabaek.

No Ichil had moved Sim Mabaek, who had been resting at the Jeongha Martial Hall, to this mountain village in advance.

This place was not just a simple mountain village, but it was clearly a place connected to the Great Righteous Martial Hall.

Yeon Hwasim and Jungrang could not leave Sim Mabaek behind. But if they took him, it was doubtful whether Sim Mabaek could endure the journey.

"They say internal injuries are more dangerous than flesh wounds, and it's true. To think that a master like Great Warrior Sim has not yet gotten up."

"They say it's because the Blood Flute's internal energy is strange."

Jungrang stood up from his seat and said.

"We can't leave Great Warrior Sim behind. Let's take the opportunity and escape together."

As the two were coming down to the mountain village, they saw two people sitting on a rock in the valley.

The middle-aged man and woman in scholar's and palace attire were the seventh hall master of the Great Righteous Martial Hall, the Fallen Scholar, Yu Mungwang, and the eighth hall master, the Seven Beauties, Ban Yeowol.

The two looked to be in their forties. When Jungrang and Yeon Hwasim learned that they were actually three or four years older than No Ichil, they were very surprised.

The two were sitting on a rock and circulating their qi, and they looked like immortals who had transcended the secular world.

As Jungrang and Yeon Hwasim came down from the hill, Yu Mungwang opened his eyes. A ray of light flashed from his eyes and then disappeared.

Yu Mungwang looked at Jungrang and spoke.

"For your age, your study is amazing. May I ask who you learned from?"

Jungrang cupped his fists in a salute.

"I greet the seventh hall master of the Great Righteous Martial Hall, Great Warrior Yu. I was in a hurry last night and did not recognize you."

Yu Mungwang waved his hand.

"I do not like such empty formalities. A friend who fits my heart is what is important. With your sword art, you are more than enough to be my friend."

"I have no separate master. I just learned by looking at a sword manual and took a step forward with the help of a master."

"Is that so? It is truly amazing that you have reached that level on your own."

Yu Mungwang looked back and forth between Jungrang and Yeon Hwasim and said.

"That young lady must have learned the same sword. But the swords of the two of you are the same yet different."

Yu Mungwang could not ask about the origin of the sword art. Asking about the martial art origin of another was one of the taboos of the martial world.

Yu Mungwang changed the subject.

"Seeing the two of you together, it is like seeing a pair of mandarin ducks. The way you care for each other is also deep, so it is truly good to see."

Yu Mungwang had seen Yeon Hwasim and Jungrang helping each other in the fierce battle last night.

It was not an easy thing to risk one's own danger and save another in a fierce battle where life and death were at stake.

Jungrang cupped his fists again and said.

"Thank you for your kind words. But I think you have misunderstood a little. We two are sworn siblings."

Yu Mungwang was slightly surprised and disappointed.

"Is that so? I have made a big mistake by misunderstanding. I just thought the two of you looked good together..."

"My husband is meddling in other people's affairs and giving advice again. I have told you several times not to meddle in the affairs of men and women."

Ban Yeowol, who had been sitting on a rock a little away, opened her eyes, flew up, and said.

"I'm sorry. This person considers the love between a man and a woman to be the highest value in the world, so he often does the strange thing of trying to match up everyone he sees."

Yu Mungwang and Ban Yeowol were a married couple.

Jungrang smiled and said.

"Please don't mind. And I don't think the friendship of siblings is inferior to the affection of a man and a woman."

"Haha. Good, good. A truly rare pair."

Yu Mungwang laughed loudly. Then Ban Yeowol chided him.

"What on earth did you hear? I have already revealed that they are sworn siblings."

"Sworn siblings can become mandarin ducks, and so on. Is there a set path for fate?"

"Honey!"

Ban Yeowol got angry.

"If you tease the young people without any sense of propriety, there will be no dinner tonight."

"Haha, well now. I apologize."

Yu Mungwang immediately backed down.

"But you two don't seem to be people of our hall."

Yu Mungwang and Ban Yeowol had come in during the chaotic battle and had fled in a hurry, so it was clear that they had not heard about Yeon Hwasim and Jungrang.

Jungrang performed the proper etiquette again and said.

"The junior of the martial world, Jungrang, and his sister, Yeon Hwasim, greet the seniors."

"How did you two get caught up in the affairs of our hall?"

"While being chased by the enemy, we received a life-saving grace from the tenth hall master, Great Warrior No, and are temporarily taking refuge."

"Hoho? So you were No Ichil's guests."

Yu Mungwang was a person who was as curious as No Ichil.

"With your level of martial arts, there shouldn't be many enemies you can't handle. It seems your enemy is a master."

"That enemy... is actually not one person, but a faction."

"A faction?"

"It is the Heavenly Martial Faction."

At Jungrang's words, Yu Mungwang flinched in surprise and looked at the two again.

"How did you come to be at odds with the Heavenly Martial Faction?"

(End of Chapter)