Kang Sogun

The people gathered there just wanted the meeting to end as soon as possible.

It was a situation like walking on a knife's edge. If one wrong word was exchanged, a war would break out immediately.

The combined forces of Zhu Gaoxu's soldiers and the private soldiers of the powerful families were about the same as the Imperial Guard. It was a situation where no one knew what would happen if a battle broke out.

The members of the powerful families just wanted to return to Nanjing and plan for the future.

Zhu Zhanji also decided to look for his next move and was about to retreat for today.

But as Bang Yeonso suddenly clung to Kang Sogun, everyone sent him unfavorable glances.

Bang Yeonso did not care. In the Nanjing government office, the Bang family enjoyed power no less than the emperor. Although the Ho family kept them in check, people considered the Bang family to be a cut above.

Bang Yeonso confirmed that the private soldiers of the Bang family had also arrived. The suspicious Bang Yeonso had placed his private soldiers near the venue of the shooting ceremony in case of an emergency.

But because of Zhu Zhanji's sudden action, he had almost been in danger.

'Do you think this country is yours?'

Bang Yeonso, having almost died, harbored a poisonous heart.

His intention was to capture Kang Sogun on the spot to avenge his son and at the same time to warn Zhu Zhanji.

Although the Kang Residence was a maternal relative of the imperial family, it was a family that had already been far from power. He thought that if the members of the powerful families responded all at once, he could capture him.

Bang Yeonso had that much power.

"Young Master Kang has deserted his military camp and has injured the captain of the guards who was enforcing the law. But today, he almost committed a crime against His Highness the Crown Prince."

"A crime?"

Zhu Zhanji had a lingering attachment to Kang Sogun. When they had played together in the empress dowager's palace when they were young, he had been an obedient younger brother.

Also, he knew that Kang Sogun was a master whom even the hall masters of the Great Righteous Martial Hall could not ignore.

Zhu Zhanji knew well that Kang Sogun was dissatisfied with the incident of General Jang Hong's family.

But he was thinking that someday he would stand by his side. If he could get Kang Sogun, he would be a great force in his reign as emperor.

"Didn't everyone see that he shot an arrow into the sky and almost injured His Highness the Crown Prince?"

Bang Yeonso said calmly.

"The act of putting His Highness the Crown Prince in danger cannot be overlooked."

"That's right."

The head of the Ho family chimed in. The Ho family, which had always been at odds with the Bang family as the two major powers of the Nanjing government office, supported Bang Yeonso for some reason.

Zhu Zhanji laughed loudly.

"Hahaha. Hwi and I are generals who fought against the enemies of the frontier together. We were just playing a game we used to play on the battlefield, but it seems we have surprised everyone."

Although Zhu Zhanji tried to laugh it off, Bang Yeonso bowed his waist again and said.

"If the law of the land is not properly established, the people will not listen. If there is a crime, even a maternal relative of the imperial family should naturally be punished."

Kang Sogun stepped forward.

"I don't know what crime I have committed."

A sinister light flashed in Bang Yeonso's eyes.

"First, you deserted your military camp without permission, and second, you injured the captain of the guards who was enforcing the law."

"Hmm. I see you are not adding the crime of beating the bastard named Bang Ilok, so it must not be a private revenge."

Kang Sogun muttered as if to himself. As Kang Sogun spoke informally to the old minister, everyone was uncomfortable. Even Zhu Zhanji was puzzled.

'How did Hwi's personality change so much?'

Kang Sogun took out a message slip from his bosom and threw it to Bang Yeonso.

Bang Yeonso, who had received the message slip, read it and his complexion changed.

The message slip was an order issued by the general of the Northeast Frontier Army.

「Centurion Kang Hwi led a hundred soldiers and fought against a thousand enemies and won. In the process, he was left behind in the enemy camp alone, but he fought hard and his merit in raising the name of the Ming army is great. Also, since his mind and body have been weakened by fighting in the enemy camp for a long time, he is ordered to return home.」

The chief steward of the Kang Residence, Mo Sang, was a meticulous person.

When Kang Sogun had returned, he had known that something was strange. He had sent a person to the Northeast Frontier Army and had received Kang Hwi's order to return home.

"Hmm, it seems there was a misunderstanding. But the second..."

"You mean the captain of the guards?"

Kang Sogun cut him off.

"He dared to cross the threshold of the Kang Residence without a formal official document and tried to interrogate me. Moreover, he suspected me of being behind the ambush on Bang Ilok. Not just the Kang Residence, but any family here would not have been able to tolerate such an insult."

The core of Kang Sogun's words was that Ho Geukgeom had come privately and had committed a discourtesy.

"Next time he comes with a formal official document, I will obediently tell him what I know then."

Kang Sogun stared at Bang Yeonso and smiled meaningfully.

"Is Bang Ilok alright? I gave him a lesson not to speak recklessly, but it seems he did not take it to heart."

"What do you mean by that? It is the parents who educate their children. How dare you..."

Bang Yeonso was excited and spat out the word "dare," but then flinched and swallowed it.

"So it is the law that the parents are responsible for the sins of their children. But I do not want to hold the elderly Grand Scholar responsible. But I want to ask if Bang Ilok was prepared to give up his own life when he tried to take someone else's."

At Kang Sogun's words, Bang Yeonso's complexion turned ashen. Bang Yeonso was not a person who could not guess what Kang Sogun's words meant.

"The Ho family is also the same. I want to ask if you were prepared for the consequences when you injured a person of the Ho family."

The vigorous Ho Ildo could not bear it and stepped forward. Although the head of the Ho family tried to stop him, it was already too late.

"If you lack strength, it is common to give up your life, but is being hit once such a big deal to the Ho family?"

"Haha. Then isn't the Kang Residence the same? If you lack strength, you have no choice but to be hit, right?"

Ho Ildo had grown up preciously and had learned martial arts from the prestigious Namgung family of the sword, so there was nothing in the world that he was afraid of.

Ho Ildo had received great trust from the young master of the Namgung family, the Azure Sky Martial Dragon, Namgung Ak.

Who was the Azure Sky Martial Dragon? He was a martial artist who had risen to the rank of the ten great masters at the young age of thirty-five.

In Ho Ildo's eyes, Kang Hwi was just a general of the frontier. His intention was to thoroughly humiliate Kang Hwi, who had insulted the Ho family, on the spot.

Zhu Zhanji thought to himself.

'Do they not know who the Blood Demon that is shaking the martial world is? These powerful families are running wild, trusting only in their own power, so they will be greatly injured.'

Zhu Zhanji had intended to kill the members of the powerful families even if he had to use force on this spot today.

As Zhu Gaoxu suddenly appeared and interfered, his mood was uncomfortable, but the situation was leading to a clash between Kang Sogun and the powerful families of the Nanjing government office.

There was nothing bad for Zhu Zhanji. If the powerful families from the local magnates, who were holding the power of the Nanjing government office, were weakened in any way, it was a gain for him.

Zhu Zhanji stepped forward and said.

"Today's shooting ceremony has been ruined. But we cannot go back leaving a grudge."

Zhu Zhanji said to Ho Ildo and Kang Sogun.

"If the Ho family and the Kang family are fighting with their pride on the line, I will be the guarantor."

Ho Ildo quickly cupped his fists to Zhu Zhanji.

"It would be an honor if His Highness the Crown Prince were to preside over the duel."

'You are digging your own grave.'

Zhu Zhanji sneered inwardly and said to Kang Sogun.

"They are challenging the Kang Residence. What will you do?"

Kang Sogun sighed lightly.

"I cannot leave those who despise the Kang Residence as they are."

"Hahaha! Good, good! To be able to see a duel of vigorous young men by chance. This is truly interesting."

Zhu Gaoxu also stepped forward and encouraged the duel. He wanted to confirm Kang Sogun's martial prowess himself.

The shooting platform suddenly turned into a duel stage.

Kang Sogun looked at Ho Ildo's side and saw that he was surrounded by a group of young masters.

"Besides the Ho family, is there anyone else who wants to challenge?"

Kang Sogun said to the young masters of the members of the powerful families.

"If there is a chance, I will also try to challenge."

There were people who wanted to stand out in any place. Moreover, these were young masters who had grown up in their respective families, not knowing how high the sky was.

Looking at Kang Sogun, they could not even believe the fact that he had been a centurion.

If a master of martial arts, the temples on both sides would bulge, and his internal energy could be guessed. But Kang Sogun had an ordinary impression.

So a few young masters who were confident in their martial arts stepped forward.

Jo Jungye was also about to step forward, but his father, the Minister of Personnel, Jo Ok, grabbed his collar. As Jo Jungye looked back at his father, it was a sign not to step forward.

Jo Jungye sat down with a dissatisfied expression.

"I will give you no chance to return. I will punish that arrogant person severely."

Ho Ildo said to the young masters who had challenged Kang Sogun.

"Don't do that, everyone come up."

Kang Sogun said, going up to the shooting platform that had become a duel stage.

"What an arrogant bastard!"

"He is bringing death upon himself!"

"Since he has subdued Bang Ilok, he must have a move."

Opinions were divided below the duel stage.

Ho Ildo went up to the duel stage as if flying with his sword.

"Pick up your weapon!"

Ho Ildo shouted gallantly, seeing that Kang Sogun was empty-handed.

"Do you want to die? If a weapon is in my hand, you will die."

Kang Sogun waved his hand. It meant that he did not even need a weapon.

Ho Ildo's complexion turned red.

'This bastard, I will kill him.'

Although it was a place where the crown prince was officiating, since a sword has no eyes, it was nothing to kill him by feigning a mistake.

Ho Ildo had always been mentioned as a rival to Bang Ilok among the powerful families of Nanjing.

Since one was a lay disciple of the Shaolin Temple and the other was a disciple of the Namgung family, it was worth being a topic of conversation.

But the two had never actually fought.

Ho Ildo had always wanted to prove that he was a cut above Bang Ilok, but he had had no opportunity.

But Kang Sogun had suddenly knocked down Bang Ilok. So he had a calculation that if he subdued Kang Sogun, it would naturally be proven that he was above Bang Ilok.

Ho Ildo intended to imprint that the Ho family was above the Bang family with this one move and also to avenge Ho Geukgeom.

So he hardened his heart.

"Hehe. As expected, the young master of the Kang Residence is arrogant. Good!"

Ho Ildo took a step forward and drew his sword. The way he held his sword diagonally was the starting form of the Namgung family's Azure Dragon Sword Art.

Kang Sogun had also heard so much about the sword art of the Namgung family that his ears hurt.

The ultimate learning of the Namgung family, the Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art, was passed down only to the direct bloodline. But the Azure Dragon Sword Art was also considered to be an ultimate learning comparable to the Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art.

The reason Namgung Ak's nickname was the Azure Sky Martial Dragon was because he had defeated countless masters with just the Azure Dragon Sword Art.

-Swish!

Ho Ildo took a step forward and then narrowed the distance with Kang Sogun in an instant.

(End of Chapter)