Kang Sogun Chapter 92

Cho Hagyeong lowered his head.

He felt hopeless.

His father, Cho Gangrip, was dead, and the General Jang's residence was gone, so he had nowhere to stand now.

His na was on the list of traitors, and the Nanjing Bang Residence was also chasing him, so he had nowhere to go.

Cho Hagyeong thought for a mont and then said.

"I'll have to go to the frontier battlefield and live as a ronin."

The identification tag system was being strengthened day by day, so he could not live in a large city and had to go to the distant frontier.

Kang Sogun, who had been listening quietly, went into the inner room and then ca out with a small pouch.

"Can you help with my work for a while?"

The Cho siblings and Hwang Oh all nodded their heads.

"That is sothing you don't even need to ask. What is it?"

"You may have to risk your life."

Cho Hagyeong and the others stood up and formally cupped their fists.

"It is a life that Young Master Kang has saved. We will jump into a pit of fire if we have to."

"First, take this. You have to be able to go around openly to do your work, right?"

What Kang Sogun handed over was an identification tag.

Kang Ha, Kang Ran, and Jang Oh.

He had asked the chief steward, Mo Sang, to have them made in advance.

The Cho siblings and Hwang Oh were people of the General Jang's residence. Unless they wanted to, Kang Sogun could not take them in.

That was why he had been holding onto it and had only now taken it out.

"You two are the descendants of a distant relative from my father's hotown. In terms of generation, you are my younger siblings. Jang Oh is the uncle of that family's maternal side. Since it has all been arranged in the Kang family's household register, you are of a status that you do not need to worry about."

Kang Sogun told the three of their new identities.

The Cho siblings and Hwang Oh were moved.

It had been over six years since the General Jang's family had been frad as traitors. During that ti, they had always been chased and had lived, but now they had obtained a new identity.

Above all, the fact that they had been entered into the Kang family's household register had a great aning.

It ant that they were people of the Kang Residence. Their status had changed.

"When everything is revealed later, you can find the Cho surna then."

The three all knelt.

"My lord!"

Kang Sogun waved his hand.

"No, you should call properly."

Cho Hagyeong and the others looked at him with puzzled eyes.

"It is right to call older brother."

"..."

"Do I now have a younger brother and a younger sister? Uncle Jang?"

Kang Sogun smiled at the bewildered Jang Oh and called him Uncle Jang.

***

A secluded mountain valley.

In a narrow valley, a few houses were built roughly with grass and trees.

The fact that they were hastily built showed that they were temporary residences.

Among them, a rather large wooden house was filled with people.

Although it was a rather spacious interior, it looked cramped because there were quite a few people. The faces of the people who had gathered were sweating because of the heat.

With his back to the wall, the new Dragon Slaying Society Master, Yeom Gichang, was sitting.

There was no table. With a suitable space left in the middle, people were sitting or standing in two or three layers with their backs to the walls on all sides.

Although there were so many people, a heavy silence flowed in the interior.

Finally, a middle-aged martial artist at the center of the group occupying one wall opened his mouth.

It was Im Seungbaek, who was in charge of the elder position.

"Society Master. Have you made up your mind?"

From his restrained speech and actions, it was clear that he was from a military family.

As Yeom Gichang was silent, Im Seungbaek urged him.

"Now the Dragon Slaying Society must share its fate with the Prince. I do not want the position of the Society Master. I am just asking you to hand over the command of this operation."

Yeom Gichang finally opened his mouth.

"The Dragon Slaying Society is ford by many sects coming together. Since the survival of each sect is at stake, it is right for the council of elders to preside over it."

A nacing killing intent flashed in Im Seungbaek's eyes, but it soon disappeared.

"Haha. It should be so in normal tis, but now we are facing a war. It is a big deal that the Society Master is still young and inexperienced. It is truly frustrating that you do not know that the command system must be unified in a rapidly changing battlefield."

Im Seungbaek's tone was very rude.

"Elder Im! Please be polite."

The master of the Gojuk Sect, who was from a small sect that supported Yeom Gichang, stepped up with a displeased look.

Although the Gojuk Sect did not have many disciples, the martial arts of each individual were outstanding, and the Gojuk Sect Master was also a master who had reached the peak.

But Im Seungbaek was also a master who had surpassed the peak. To be honest, there was no one in this place who caught his eye.

'Hmph! These bastards are definitely thinking of sothing else. For a pig raised for a feast to refuse to die.'

Im Seungbaek snorted inwardly, stood up, and then said.

"You must give a clear answer by tomorrow."

Im Seungbaek left with the group that followed him.

Then the Gojuk Sect Master and a few other elders chattered away.

"It's clear that they are thinking of using us as cannon fodder."

"Who was it that raised the Dragon Slaying Society this much, and now they are trying to take it over? He's the sa as Zhu Yuanzhang in the past. As expected, the bloodline doesn't go anywhere."

The Gojuk Sect Master said to Yeom Gichang.

"Sect Master Yeom, the Fire Dragon Sect is the mainstay of the Dragon Slaying Society. We will support you, so you must never give up the authority of the Society Master."

Yeom Gichang silently nodded.

After the Gojuk Sect Master and his faction left, only Yeom Gichang and Jang Yeongyeong were left in the wooden house.

Jang Yeongyeong was still wearing a face veil.

"Did you et the old people?"

"Yes. Society Master."

Yeom Gichang suddenly sighed. The atmosphere between the two changed.

"Yeongyeong, I wanted you to leave with them."

"Don't say that."

"The Dragon Slaying Society is entering a place of death. It is the right thing for you to take care of your own body."

"..."

Yeom Gichang was Wu Mungeuk's great disciple. He had served Wu Mungeuk for a long ti and was able to grasp his intentions.

Wu Mungeuk had entrusted the temporary Society Master position to Yeom Gichang and had hoped that the council of elders would appoint a new Society Master.

But the council of elders had re-elected the still young Yeom Gichang as the Society Master.

The reason was that the Fire Dragon Sect was the largest sect in the Dragon Slaying Society.

Yeom Gichang thought that the reason Wu Mungeuk had entrusted the Fire Dragon Sect to Jo Unryong was perhaps because he had predicted this situation.

Wu Mungeuk had seen that the Dragon Slaying Society had no future.

This was sothing that not only Yeom Gichang but also all the mbers of the Dragon Slaying Society knew.

"I am in a position where I must share my fate with the Dragon Slaying Society. There are many traps hidden in this great undertaking. So I hope you will be on your guard and seek a way to live. I want to rest for today."

The Flower of the Society of the Dragon Slaying Society, Jang Yeongyeong, silently ca out of the wooden house.

Although early sumr had passed, the narrow valley did not have many trees and looked barren.

Jang Yeongyeong thought that her heart was like that.

'Not a single blade of grass can grow.'

Jang Yeongyeong looked back at the wooden house.

Yeom Gichang would be sitting, bearing his own fate.

An unknown pain flashed through her chest.

Yeom Gichang was her savior.

When she was on the verge of death, being chased by the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Yeom Gichang had happened to pass by and had jumped in to save her.

Yeom Gichang had entrusted her to the Buddha Mother, and the Buddha Mother had taken her as her disciple.

Although Yeom Gichang did not have outstanding martial talent, he was a person who was deep in thought and considerate of others.

It seed that Yeom Gichang had feelings for her. But since she had sothing she had to do, she was in a position where she could not think about matters between n and won.

No one knew her hidden heart. Even the Buddha Mother did not know.

But since she had to be in the Dragon Slaying Society for an opportunity to co, she had also sent away the Cho siblings.

'I hope Sect Master Jo cos back soon.'

The Fire Dragon Saber, Jo Unryong, was training in martial arts with the twelve saber guests of the Fire Dragon Sect.

Although it was ti for him to co, there was still no news.

If he ca, he would be able to suppress Elder Im Seungbaek's faction.

***

Im Seungbaek, who had returned to his own thatched hut, dismissed the people and poured himself a glass of wine.

'They say that people are different when they enter and when they leave, and these bastards are exactly like that.'

The Dragon Slaying Society had started from Wu Mungeuk gathering the sects that had been annihilated by the imperial family.

But without the support of the Prince of Han, they would not have been able to dream of the current prosperity.

With the funds of the Prince of Han coming in and the Buddha Mother bringing the people who followed her, the Dragon Slaying Society had been able to grow rapidly.

Im Seungbaek was more annoyed with the Gojuk Sect Master than with Yeom Gichang.

'I saved the bastards who would have disappeared if I had left them alone, and now they think they are so great and hold their heads up high?'

It was difficult for an annihilated sect to take in disciples. Who would want to enter as the successor of a completely ruined sect?

But the Buddha Mother had sent the children of the people who followed her as the disciples of the annihilated sects.

Each sect had accepted many disciples and had taught them with all their heart. Now the disciples of the large sects exceeded a hundred, and even the small sects had twenty or thirty.

But as the number of disciples increased, the thoughts of the sects changed.

They had lost their original intention of overthrowing the imperial family and were busy taking care of their own sects.

Yeom Gichang was representing them and was being lukewarm about this great undertaking.

Since the Prince of Han was urging him, Im Seungbaek was anxious.

Im Seungbaek drank the wine bottle in one gulp and then made up his mind.

'You are finally digging your own grave. I can't delay any longer.'

Im Seungbaek made up his mind and called his trusted subordinate.

"Tell the Thousand Guest House to eliminate Yeom Gichang. You must leave a trace that it was an assassin sent from the Great Righteous Martial Hall."

"Yes, my lord!"

The trusted subordinate received the order and disappeared.

***

The Nine Dragon Shoals.

The river water, as if nine dragons were gathered and galloping, flowed quickly.

A huge tent was set up on the riverbank.

The Prince of Han, with his large physique, was sitting in the grand master's chair placed in the tent.

On the right seat, the Heavenly Martial Faction Master, Gu Yeongang, was sitting.

Around them, the masters of the Prince of Han's residence and the Heavenly Martial Faction masters stood in a line.

"Who on earth did you invite that you asked to et in a place like this?"

The Prince of Han was now treating Gu Yeongang completely as a subordinate.

Although the Heavenly Martial Faction Master was inwardly displeased, he said with a light smile in his eyes.

"He is not a person that Your Highness does not know. He is a very young master."

"Haha. A young master. Which young pup would dare to face the ten great masters of the world, Faction Master Gu?"

The Prince of Han knew that the Heavenly Martial Faction had suffered considerable damage because of a young master called the Blood Demon.

But he pretended not to know to save Gu Yeongang's face.

Rather, Gu Yeongang said honestly.

"That person killed my youngest son. So I ordered my subordinates to catch him, but I was greatly embarrassed."

"Ah, you an that person called the Blood Demon? I have heard the rumors about him. They say he is a master who can face a hundred."

"In my opinion, he is a master who can ably face ten thousand."

"Hoho... is he one of the ten great masters?"

"I don't think he is lacking. Until recently, I had three rivals. Among them, the Yocheon Pavilion Master died. Now there are two left, but because of him, there are three again."

"Oh. You an Faction Master Gu has three rivals?"

"The Flying Heavenly Sword, Shangguan Wuying! Everyone considers him the head of the ten great masters. The second is the Soul-Stealing Demonic Palm."

"The stories of the masters of the martial world beco more and more interesting the more I hear them. Then does it an that the rest of the ten great masters are not Faction Master Gu's rivals?"

"That is also sothing that is actually unknown. In fact, the absolute masters can only be judged by fighting each other directly."

Although he said so, from his attitude, it seed he did not have them in mind. He could feel his confidence.

'Hmph! The ten great masters? Do you bastards think you are the emperor? If I really send ten thousand soldiers, any bastard will surely die.'

The Prince of Han inwardly found it ridiculous that the people of the martial world were talking about the ten great masters.

"Ah, there he cos."

A small boat was coming up from the lower reaches of the river.

A person was standing at the bow of the boat with a spear held at an angle. The appearance of his hair, which was tied back and fluttering in the wind, flowed with a noble dignity as if he were a heavenly general who had descended from the sky.

"Hmm. His prayer is amazing."

The Prince of Han showed interest.

Gu Yeongang stood up from his seat and went outside the tent.

"Young Master Kang! Welco!"

The one who had co on the small boat was Kang Sogun.

(End of Chapter)