Kang Sogun

"Didn't I tell you? Everyone has their own circumstances."

The Iron Fist Hero clasped his hands together, interlocked his fingers, and then cracked them.

"Let's have a proper go at it."

Kang Sogun operated the Golden Elixir True Art.

After the last rampage, the Blood Dragon Qi that had spread throughout his body was slowly fusing with the Golden Elixir True Art.

The Blood Dragon Qi, which had been trying to dominate his body for a long time, was somehow assimilating with his energy.

Although the internal energy accumulated through the Golden Elixir True Art was thick, it lacked the fierceness of the Blood Dragon Qi.

Conversely, although the Blood Dragon Qi had an explosive and powerful force, it was difficult to control.

As the Golden Elixir True Art and the Blood Dragon Qi fused, their strengths and weaknesses appeared at the same time. The advantage was that a profound and grand internal energy was being formed, but the disadvantage was that it was very slow.

The newly formed energy was neither the Golden Elixir True Art nor the Blood Dragon Qi.

Kang Sogun called it the Golden Dragon Qi. But the Golden Dragon Qi was not yet complete.

Above all, his body could not handle the internal energy.

Although Kang Sogun had not been lazy in training his body since he was young, it was difficult for him to properly operate the newly formed Golden Dragon Qi.

Although the Golden Dragon Qi had only reached the third star, his body had reached its limit and it was difficult to unfold it properly.

But with just that third star, Kang Sogun did not feel a lack of internal energy.

Kang Sogun put one hand behind his back, formed a hand seal, and then held the other hand diagonally in front of his chest.

It was the starting form of the Wudang Palm Art.

-Boom!

As the Iron Fist Hero took a step forward, the duel stage was shattered. A fierce qi wave spread in all directions, and the onlookers could not open their eyes.

Although the duel stage had been shattered into pieces, Kang Sogun had already escaped the aftermath. He slowly descended like a feather.

The Iron Fist Hero took another long step forward and thrust his twin fists.

His left hand aimed for Kang Sogun's face, and his right hand extended straight to strike his heart.

It was a truly honest form.

But the power and speed of the two fists were so violent and fast that they could be called ferocious. This pair of fists contained a momentum that would make the opponent not even dare to move.

Kang Sogun could not disregard the power of the two fists that seemed to be shooting like twin dragons.

He took a step back diagonally, swung the hand he had raised to wrap around the fist that was flying upwards, and let the fist that was coming in from below flow away.

The moment the fist's power was scattered, the Iron Fist Hero took another step forward and thrust his fists in succession.

The Iron Fist Hero's fists became faster and faster. To the onlookers, only the shadow of the fists could be seen between the two.

Although Kang Sogun was letting the fist's power flow away in the shadow of the fists, his movements were not large. While his clothes were caught in the fist's power and were shaking mercilessly, Kang Sogun's arms drew a circle according to the diagram of the Tai Chi.

"Hap!"

The Iron Fist Hero felt that the energy in Kang Sogun's two hands was unusual. A profound yet powerful energy was scattering his fist's power, so there were no successful attacks.

The Iron Fist Hero exploded the internal energy of his entire body and put it into his fist.

In an instant, it felt as if his fist had suddenly become three or four times larger.

"Fist qi!"

"Oh!"

People, as if possessed, did not take their eyes off the duel stage. They had never heard of or seen such a fight.

Kang Sogun's hands rotated quickly. As his two hands rotated quickly as if drawing a circle, they wrapped around the fist qi that had burst out from the Iron Fist Hero's hand and let it flow to the side.

The momentum of the fist qi was so strong that he could not let it flow far away. The fist qi stuck in the ground at a distance of half a foot.

-Boom!

The spot where the fist qi had fallen exploded, and dirt soared up to a height of thirty feet and then scattered in all directions.

Kang Sogun and the Iron Fist Hero were hidden by the dust and could not be seen.

As the dust cleared, the figures of the Iron Fist Hero and Kang Sogun standing opposite each other were visible.

"Good. Let's stop here."

The Iron Fist Hero had thought that only a master of the ten great masters could block his fist qi.

As Kang Sogun let his fist qi flow away, he felt a sense of respect for his opponent.

"Thank you for being lenient with your hand."

Kang Sogun had also met a challenging opponent for the first time since the Yocheon Pavilion Master. Unlike the strange martial arts of the Yocheon Pavilion Master, the fist of the upright Iron Fist Hero was real.

"I hope we do not meet again."

The Iron Fist Hero stealthily looked at Zhu Gaoxu's side and then disappeared from the venue.

Kang Sogun looked around at the people. The people, without realizing it, felt a sense of fear and avoided his gaze.

What Kang Sogun and the Iron Fist Hero had just shown was a realm of heaven beyond heaven that could only be heard in the stories of storytellers. There was no one who dared to meet his eyes.

Kang Sogun also silently left the venue, got on his horse, and then disappeared.

"It was not the martial arts of a human."

After Kang Sogun had left, the sound of someone muttering was heard. Bang Yeonso's eyes, who had heard that sound, shone coldly.

***

Although he had let the Iron Fist Hero's fist qi flow away, he could not resolve the fist qi that had rushed in with it.

Kang Sogun had suffered a light internal injury and had to rest in his residence for several days.

As his internal injury recovered, Kang Sogun went to find Mo Sang.

"The chief steward is in the guest hall."

At the servant's words, he went to the guest hall, and the front yard was full of chests and boxes.

"What is all this?"

The chief steward, Mo Sang, who was opening and inspecting the boxes one by one, smiled brightly and said.

"It is a gift to celebrate the reopening of the Kang Residence."

"A gift?"

"What is the nature of the powerful families? They stick to the side with power. Now the reputation of the young master is great in the Nanjing government office."

As the rumor that the young master of the Kang Residence was a master who was on par with the Iron Fist Hero spread, the prestigious families that were somewhat famous in the Nanjing government office had sent gifts.

The power of the Nanjing government office was divided between the Bang family and the Ho family. The Bang family had strong power in the court, and the Ho family had many supporting prestigious families.

There were not a few prestigious families that could not fit in between these two. As the master of the Kang Residence had returned and had opened the main gate, they had sent all sorts of gifts.

What had been revealed at the shooting ceremony was that the crown prince trusted the Kang Residence and that Kang Sogun was a master of martial arts.

People gather where there is power, and the gathered people become power again and turn into authority.

The prestigious families that did not belong to the Bang family and the Ho family in the Nanjing government office were trying to create another power by putting the Kang Residence at the forefront.

"But it's not even a tenth of what it used to be."

Mo Sang smacked his lips as if he were disappointed.

"If you, Young Master, were to enter public office, the late Duke and Duchess who are in the afterlife would be very happy..."

Mo Sang was stealthily encouraging Kang Sogun to take a public office. There was a big difference between having a name in the government office and being a wild man.

Kang Sogun smiled and said.

"There will be a chance in due course. Has the cause of Captain Jin's death been revealed?"

"Ah, I was just about to tell you after finishing this work."

Mo Sang ordered the servants to move the gifts to the warehouse and then went to the inner courtyard with Kang Sogun.

After dismissing the servants, Mo Sang took out a document from his bosom.

"The doctor, after inquiring in all directions, has found out the cause of death."

Kang Sogun received the document and unfolded it. Mo Sang explained.

"It was an insect called the Blood Melting Grub."

"The Blood Melting Grub?"

"It is said to be so small that it is invisible to the eye. It is said to enter the lungs through breathing and to eat away at the internal organs."

"..."

"It is said to be an insect that can be seen in a remote area somewhere in the desert."

"Did you say the desert?"

Kang Sogun asked back. It was surprising that a poisonous insect from the desert had appeared in Nanjing.

Mo Sang gritted his teeth.

"It is a matter that has occurred over a period of ten years, from the Duke and Duchess to Captain Jin. It means that the culprit has been staying in Nanjing for quite a long time. It must be Bang Yeonso."

Mo Sang suspected the Bang family. Jin Uncho had been investigating Bang Yeonso, seeing him as the mastermind behind the dark current flowing in the court of Nanjing. That was why he had hidden the investigation of the Bang family separately.

Kang Sogun had a different thought from Mo Sang. He had read the record that Jin Uncho had left several times.

He could see that the Bang family and the Ho family were fighting over the power of the Nanjing government office.

But it was difficult to see it as the dark current of the court that his father had mentioned. The power struggle of the powerful families was not a matter of yesterday or today.

"It has been several years since Captain Jin has been investigating the Bang family. But is there a reason to use his hands now?"

Kang Sogun was somehow bothered by the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard that he had ordered to be investigated.

That was the only new task that Jin Uncho had been given. But the evidence to connect the two was too thin.

"Captain Jin acted very carefully. But in the end, he was exposed to the Bang family."

Mo Sang answered.

But Kang Sogun considered all possibilities.

"First, we need to find out if there have been similar deaths in the past ten years. If we know who has been hit by this technique, we will be able to get an outline of the culprit."

"Since we have revealed the cause of our master's death, there are people who can investigate."

Mo Sang was meticulous. As the two were talking, Mo Sang's trusted subordinate approached in a hurry.

"What is it?"

"A message has come from the capital. It is said that the emperor has passed away."

***

The emperor had passed away less than a year after ascending to the throne. The attention of the whole world was focused on the crown prince, Zhu Zhanji.

The crown prince, who had been staying in Nanjing, hurriedly left for the capital.

"Shouldn't you go? If you do not attend the state funeral as a member of the imperial family, the whole world will curse you."

Mo Sang wanted Kang Sogun to go to the capital and to participate in the state funeral. He had a calculation that if the crown prince ascended to the throne as emperor, he might give an important position to Kang Sogun, with whom he had been close.

Kang Sogun was silent.

'It's clear he's going back and forth.'

Mo Sang could not understand Kang Sogun at all.

As he was stamping his feet in frustration, an unexpected guest came.

It was the Fifth Hall Master of the Great Righteous Martial Hall, Shangguan Qingyou.

"Young Master Kang, you must have been surprised by my sudden visit."

In Kang Sogun's mind, Yeon Hwasim and Jungrang naturally came to mind. Had something happened to them?

"I was also very surprised when I learned of Young Master Kang's identity. If you had revealed your real name sooner, there would have been no trivial misunderstanding."

Shangguan Qingyou was sorry for having pressured Kang Sogun and for having made him leave at the Shangguan Residence in Luan.

"Don't mind it. But what brings you here?"

"Actually, I have come to find something."

"To find something?"

"You will know that there are ten halls in the Great Righteous Martial Hall. The world also knows it so. But there is one more hall that people do not know. The Great Righteous Martial Hall was originally the Eleven Halls."

Shangguan Qingyou looked at Mo Sang. Mo Sang said instead.

"The Great Righteous Secret Hall, the late Duke of the state was actually the hall master of the Great Righteous Secret Hall."

Kang Sogun was bewildered.

His father had been the son-in-law of a princess and a close associate of the emperor. But for him to be the hall master of the Great Righteous Secret Hall.

"The Great Righteous Secret Hall is in the court. It is not known who is a member of the secret hall. Only the Duke of the state, who was the hall master, knew."

Kang Sogun looked at Mo Sang. It seemed Mo Sang was not a simple chief steward.

"I am also a member of the secret hall, but my role was to assist as the chief steward of the Kang Residence. Since the secret hall should not be revealed to the world, the Duke of the state handled all matters himself. What I know is only a very small part."

Kang Sogun was inwardly surprised by the sudden fact. Various thoughts came to mind. But for now, dealing with Shangguan Qingyou was the priority.

"Did you say you had something to find?"

"Because the Duke of the state suddenly passed away, the secret hall has literally gone dormant. To move the secret hall again, we need the organization chart and the list."

Shangguan Qingyou, who had heard the news that the master of the Kang Residence had returned, had come to retrieve the Great Righteous Secret Hall.

As the emperor had passed away in succession and the crown prince, who could still be said to be young, had ascended to the throne, a fierce power struggle was sure to occur.

Moreover, it was a situation where it was as clear as looking at a fire that the Prince of Han would start a rebellion.

For the Great Righteous Martial Hall, which was protecting the imperial family, the secret hall was an absolutely necessary situation.

Kang Sogun thought for a moment and then said.

"Unfortunately, I cannot be of help. I do not have the list of the secret hall."

Shangguan Qingyou's complexion hardened.

(End of Chapter)