chapter 222

Where the Heart Leads…(1)

Apart from Nam Woo-gyeong, Seok Yi-cheon was the only acquaintance who knew that Lee Gwak was leaving the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Although Seok Yi-cheon felt a twinge of sadness at the news of Lee Gwak returning to Jianghu, he soon masked his feelings with a nonchalant expression and offered his encouragement.

By now, Lee Gwak’s reputation had spread far and wide, putting him on par with the Ten Lesser Skies. Consequently, his influence in the Jianghu had grown significantly.

“Indeed! A big fish needs a big pond. Our little pond is too small for someone like you. You’ve made a wise decision. Explore the big world, and when it’s time to rest, come back. Until then, I’ll take good care of your home.”

Seok Yi Cheon  said this while patting Lee Gwak on the shoulder.

Due to the enormous influx of people into the Jade Heaven Alliance, the Outer Hall had been working almost non-stop. As a result, Seok Yi Cheon had hardly seen Lee Gwak’s face recently.

“Thank you.”

After thanking Seok Yi Cheon once more, Lee Gwak left the Jade Heaven Alliance. Following closely behind him, carrying a load on his back, was Cheol Gwang Woo.

“Hehe!”

Cheol Gwang Woo’s face was filled with a smile as he followed Lee Gwak.

The former Cheol Gwang Woo rarely showed much expression. However, recently, his face was almost always adorned with a smile, a change that began after he started reading the Buddhist scriptures.

Reading the scriptures had brought Cheol Gwang Woo peace of mind and helped him control his madness to some extent. He was very satisfied with this transformation in himself.

The two left Jade Heaven Alliance and headed towards Dongting Lake.

They planned to take a boat from Dongting Lake to leave the area. The docks of Dongting Lake were crowded with numerous boats.

Even today, many people were disembarking from boats at the dock. These were people arriving from outside to see the Heavenly Assembly.

While the boats coming in were full of people, those going out were almost empty, reflecting the current atmosphere of the place.

Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo pushed through the crowd and moved forward.

The boat they were to board was the Unmado riverboat, which had arrived at Dongting Lake two hours earlier. The crew of the Unmado riverboat was unloading cargo. Once all the cargo had been unloaded, the Unmado would take on passengers and set sail again.

As Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo waited for the crew to finish unloading,

“Well, if it isn’t Master Lee! What brings you here?”

A familiar voice suddenly rang out nearby.

Lee Gwak turned his head and saw a familiar face. He recognized him instantly.

“Merchant Leader Ahn.”

The person acknowledging Lee Gwak was none other than Ahn Yu-san, the leader of the Azure Maritime Company.

Ahn Yu-san approached Lee Gwak closely.

“Looks like you’re leaving?”

Ahn Yu-san guessed based on Lee Gwak’s attire.

“Yes!”

“Huh! I haven’t properly repaid you yet, and you’re already leaving.”

Regret was written all over his face.

He had been too busy with the affairs of the Myriad Merchant Troupe to think of meeting Lee Gwak again after their first encounter.

The boat Lee Gwak was to take had been chartered by the Myriad Merchant Troupe. The goods being unloaded were brought by the Myriad Merchant Troupe. Ahn Yu-san had come to personally oversee this and coincidentally met Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak responded with a smile.

“I have to leave due to some matters. Please take care until we meet again.”

“Wait a moment.”

Suddenly, Ahn Yu-san rummaged through his belongings.

After a brief moment, he pulled out a thick envelope from his pocket.

“Take this.”

“What is this?”

“It’s the money left after selling the items from the Nine Shadows Fleet. Take it.”

“I can’t accept this.”

“Don’t make me out to be someone who doesn’t know how to repay kindness. I’ve already shared enough with others. I need to give you your share to feel at ease.”

Ahn Yu-san forcibly handed the envelope to Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak, looking uncomfortable and unsure of what to do, was met with Ahn Yu-san patting his shoulder, saying,

“Just use it freely. I’ve converted it into promissory notes from the Myriad Merchant Troupe, which is highly trusted in the Jianghu. You’ll be able to use it anywhere without trouble.”

“But…”

“If you refuse to take it, I’ll throw this envelope into Dongting Lake.”

“Sigh! Alright, I understand.”

Lee Gwak eventually had no choice but to give in to Ahn Yu-san’s coercion.

Without even checking the amount, he tucked the envelope with the promissory notes into his clothing.

“Thank you, Leader Ahn. I will make good use of it.”

“Ha ha! That’s all I need to hear.”

Ahn Yu-san smiled contentedly.

He felt as though he had shed a heavy burden he had been carrying in his heart.

Lee Gwak bowed in farewell to Ahn Yu-san.

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

“May luck be with you on your journey, Master Lee.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Gwak turned and headed towards the Unmado River boat.

Ahn Yu-san silently watched Lee Gwak’s retreating figure. Beside him, a representative from the Myriad Merchant Troupe approached.

The man with a notable goatee was Mok In-sang, a key figure dispatched to Jade Heaven Alliance from Myriad Merchant Troupe.

Mok In-sang was the leader of Divine Eye, the intelligence organization of the Merchant Troupe.

While Ahn Yu-san dealt with Myriad Merchant Troupe’s business, Mok In-sang gathered information within the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Mok In-sang murmured as he watched Lee Gwak board the boat.

“Sura Blade, Lee Gwak. He doesn’t look particularly outstanding at a glance. It seems one cannot judge a person by their appearance alone.”

“Hm!”

Ahn Yu-san responded with a hum instead of words.

Though both were from the Myriad Merchant Troupe, Mok In-sang was somewhat of a burden to Ahn Yu-san.

As is often the case with those in intelligence, Mok In-sang was difficult to read, which inevitably made Ahn Yu-san feel uneasy, despite their cooperation.

“It’s quite remarkable.”

“What do you mean?”

“The key figures of our Myriad Merchant Troupe all feel favorably towards this martial artist named Sura Blade. I already know of three people: Lee Shin Chung, the leader of Golden Sword Pavilion; Eun Gwang Ho, the master of Silver Iron Workshop; and yourself, Leader Ahn. I can’t help but pay attention to someone who commands such regard.”

“Hmm!”

Mok In-sang chuckled at Ahn Yu-san’s humming response.

“So, can’t you share some information with me?”

“What kind of information?”

“Oh, come on! When I looked into Sura Blade’s actions, I noticed they overlap quite a bit with yours, Leader Ahn. I’m not asking for much, just how you met. You can share that much, can’t you?”

Mok In-sang’s words caused Ahn Yu-san’s expression to stiffen.

As Lee Gwak’s reputation grew, many were turning their attention towards him. Mok In-sang was just the beginning, and soon, more people would seek to learn about Lee Gwak.

‘Maybe it would have been better not to involve myself in the affairs of the Myriad Merchant Troupe.’

Ahn Yu-san sighed softly.

***

The boat carrying Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo left Dongting Lake.

When they arrived, the boat had been filled with people and cargo, but now it was nearly empty when they departed.

Thanks to this, Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo almost had the entire deck to themselves.

Leaning against the railing and looking back at the Jade Heaven Alliance, Lee Gwak suddenly felt someone’s gaze and turned his head.

Standing tall and elegant on a distant hill overlooking Dongting Lake was a figure. Though the shape was faint due to the distance, Lee Gwak recognized him immediately.

‘Go Geom-wol.’

The distance between them was over ten li. Yet, Lee Gwak recognized Go Geom-wol, and Go Geom-wol gazed back at him.

A tingling sensation ran down Lee Gwak’s spine.

―”We will meet again. Travel well until then.”

Go Geom-wol’s voice resonated in Lee Gwak’s mind as if it were a lie.

It was the technique known as Thousand-Li Transmission, which could theoretically transmit sound up to a thousand li if one’s internal energy was sufficient. Go Geom-wol had used this legendary technique.

Yet, Lee Gwak was not surprised and simply nodded in response without a word.

“What are you looking at, Brother?”

Cheol Gwang Woo, puzzled, looked at Lee Gwak since he could see nothing.

“It’s nothing.”

“Is that so?”

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

“Regret what? Leaving the Hao Clan? Not at all.” Cheol Gwang Woo answered firmly.

His response, devoid of any hesitation, brought a smile to Lee Gwak’s face.

“Thank you for accompanying me on this difficult journey.”

“Ah, stop saying things like that. It’s natural.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll go inside the cabin first. I need to read some Buddhist scriptures.”

“Alright!”

Cheol Gwang Woo, looking a bit shy, went into the cabin.

Left alone, Lee Gwak gazed at the Jade Heaven Alliance for a long while. He only moved again after the silhouette of Jade Heaven Alliance had disappeared beyond the horizon.

Suddenly remembering something, Lee Gwak searched his clothing and found the envelope given by Ahn Yu-san.

The moment he opened the envelope, Lee Gwak’s eyes widened in shock. Inside was an astonishing amount of money, far beyond his imagination.

Even at a rough count, it exceeded ten thousand nyang in gold. The envelope contained notes in denominations of one thousand and one hundred nyang.

Had he known the envelope contained such a tremendous sum, he would have never accepted it. Ahn Yu-san must have known this, which is why he insisted on giving it to Lee Gwak.

While grateful for Ahn Yu-san’s kindness, the enormous amount also felt burdensome. But with the boat already departed, it was too late to return it.

“Sigh!”

Lee Gwak sighed and tucked the envelope with the promissory notes back into his clothing.

The river wind felt quite chilly. Lee Gwak followed Cheol Gwang Woo into the cabin.

The boat carrying Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo smoothly sailed upriver, allowing them to spend ten days in relative comfort.

The place where they disembarked was Yibin.

It was where the Jinsha River, Minjiang River, and Dadu River converged to form the Yangtze.

From here, they would have to travel on foot.

“Finally, we’re off the boat. Ugh!”

Cheol Gwang Woo stretched, loosening his stiff body.

After ten days of travel by boat, every muscle in his body yearned for movement. Despite the deck’s ample space, the lack of opportunity to practice martial arts and the constrained movements had him feeling restless.

While Cheol Gwang Woo twisted and stretched to loosen up, Lee Gwak looked around.

Having visited this place once before as part of the diplomatic mission, the surroundings were not unfamiliar to him.

“Brother, let’s have something delicious today. Hehe!”

Cheol Gwang Woo displayed a childlike charm, surprising given his large frame.

For the past ten days, they had only eaten dried provisions and unknown porridge on the boat. The amount was too small to satisfy Cheol Gwang Woo’s appetite. Yet, he had never once complained.

“Alright. Whatever you want, I’ll buy it. Find us an inn.”

“Really?” Cheol Gwang Woo’s eyes widened, his lips curving into an uncontrollable smile.

Cheol Gwang Woo excitedly led the way. His enthusiasm was palpable. If he had a tail, Lee Gwak mused, it would surely be wagging vigorously.

Cheol Gwang Woo scoured inns, inspecting their food and asking people for recommendations.

Finally, he chose the Paradise Inn.

“This place is supposed to be amazing. They say the food here is so good it could take you to paradise, hence the name.”

Cheol Gwang Woo confidently entered the Paradise Inn.

True to his word, the inn was filled with delicious aromas that tantalized the senses.

Guests were sweating profusely as they devoured their meals, their faces flushed from the spicy or hot dishes, attesting to the inn’s local fame.

However, Cheol Gwang Woo’s face fell.

Despite bringing Lee Gwak here confidently, he couldn’t find a single seat.

“Damn…”

As Cheol Gwang Woo stood unsure of what to do, Lee Gwak noticed something and walked confidently toward a window-side table.

Cheol Gwang Woo blinked in confusion at Lee Gwak’s sudden action.

Lee Gwak approached a table where a woman sat alone and greeted her.

“It’s been a while.”

“Who? Oh?”

The woman, initially focused on her meal, looked up at Lee Gwak. After a brief moment of confusion, her eyes widened in recognition.

“Oraboni?”

The woman, recognizing Lee Gwak, stood up with a delighted expression.

At first glance, she appeared ordinary, but her expressions were rich with vitality and liveliness.

“Wow! How long has it been? Six years, right?”

“Yes! How have you been?”

“I’ve been well. But I’m more curious about how you’ve been, oraboni. Hmm!”

The woman, Bang Ye-in, scanned Lee Gwak from head to toe with curiosity.

Though six years had passed, she hadn’t changed a bit. If there was any difference, it was that she had matured even more, exuding the aura of a woman.

Lee Gwak introduced her to Cheol Gwang Woo, who was still standing there somewhat dazed.

“Say hello, this is Miss Bang Ye-in from Bang Clan’s Inn”

“Oh, um, nice to meet you. I’m Cheol Gwang Woo.”

Cheol Gwang Woo blushed and quickly bowed.

“Hehe!”

Bang Ye-in laughed merrily at Cheol Gwang Woo’s reaction, causing his face to redden even further.