chapter 260

Time Flows Like a River, and the Jianghu Moves On (3)

Lim Sobo’s gaze followed where Lee Cheong was running.

Lee Cheong sprinted up the hill with the speed of a flying squirrel. Coming down the hill was a man who appeared to be in his early thirties and a young girl who looked about ten years old.

“Ah!”

Lim Sobo unconsciously let out a gasp.

The man descending the hill with the girl was none other than Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak’s appearance had not changed much. It seemed that even the three years that had passed had barely affected him.

If anything, Lee Gwak looked even more ordinary than before. The fierce look that occasionally flashed in his eyes was gone, and his sun-darkened face now gave off the impression of a simple country farmer.

“Dad!”

Lee Cheong threw herself into Lee Gwak’s embrace.

Lee Gwak patted Lee Cheong’s head while looking toward where Han So-cheon and the others stood. The moment he noticed Lim Sobo, his eyes lit up.

‘Sobo!’

Just as Lim Sobo had recognized Lee Gwak, Lee Gwak too recognized Lim Sobo.

“We have a guest.”

Lee Gwak smiled and quickened his pace, causing curiosity to flicker on Lee Soo-ah’s face.

‘Who is that?’

In the past three years, very few people had visited this remote mountain area. Thanks to that, Lee Gwak’s family had been able to live freely, away from the disturbances of the Jianghu.

Even though Lee Soo-ah had spent three years with Lee Gwak, she had never once seen Lim Sobo,

With one hand holding Lee Cheong’s and the other holding Lee Soo-ah’s, Lee Gwak walked towards Lim Sobo.

“Oraboni! It’s been a while.”

“How have you been?”

“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well. How about you, brother?”

“As you can see, I’m doing fine.”

“You look happy. I’m a bit envious.”

At Lim Sobo’s heartfelt words, Lee Gwak silently nodded. Then Lim Sobo introduced Buk Ri-seong, who was standing beside him.

“Oh, right! This is Master Buk Ri-seong, the Nine Shadow Demon Master. Please, greet him.”

“Greetings, Master Buk Ri-seong. I am Lee Gwak.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

Buk Ri-seong responded, glancing up and down at Lee Gwak with a condescending look. A hint of disappointment flashed across his face.

If one is a martial artist, the presence of a well-trained body naturally emits an aura, but Lee Gwak seemed to lack any such aura. Moreover, he didn’t appear to have reached the level of Return to Simplicity, where one’s martial arts become indistinguishable from the ordinary.

As a member of the Eight Great Martial Artists, Buk Ri-seong possessed exceptional martial skills and discernment. In terms of martial expertise, few in the jianghu could match him.

But in Buk Ri-Seong’s eyes, Lee Gwak appeared completely ordinary. Even if he were hiding his martial skills, it didn’t seem to be anything extraordinary.

‘It seems Sobo has overestimated him.’

Buk Ri-Seong crossed his arms and looked down at Lee Gwak, his posture clearly conveying his feelings.

Lee Gwak sensed this but paid it no mind.

He took a seat in front of Lim Sobo and asked.

“So, what brings you here? Only a handful of people know I’m staying here.”

“I got the information from Hao Clan.”

“Must be from Brother Nam Woo-gyeong.”

Lee Gwak’s retreat was in the mountains of Qilian Shan.

Although it appeared to be a low rolling hill, Mount Qilian bordered the outer territories and had a high altitude, with its main peak retaining snow year-round, even in summer.

It was so remote from Jianghu that even those who knew of Lee Gwak’s residence here found it difficult to visit more than once a year.

So much so that even Cheol Gwang-woo, who held great affection and respect for Lee Gwak, had not been able to visit once in the past two years.

Only a select few, including Cheol Gwang-woo and Nam Woo-gyeong, knew of Lee Gwak’s residence at Mount Qilian.

For the past three years, Lee Gwak had completely severed ties with the Jianghu and lived in seclusion on Mount Qilian. His daily life was simple and leisurely, mostly climbing the mountain with Lee Soo-ah and Lee Cheong.

“Is Brother Woo-gyeong doing well?”

“Sigh! He was fine when I last saw him, but honestly, I can’t say for sure how he’s doing right now.”

“Did something happen?”

“The last time I saw him, he was being pursued by the Jade Heaven Alliance. Of course, I don’t think he would be captured by their pursuit squad, but you never know with life.”

“The situation must be serious.”

“To be honest, yes. That’s why I came looking for you. Please help us. The current Green Forest and the Thousand Kingdom School needs your assistance.”

“What difference would my presence make?”

“Oraboni!”

“I’ve withdrawn from Jianghu a long time ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look around you. Do you see my blade anywhere?”

Lim Sobo quickly scanned the surroundings. Yet, nowhere could she find Lee Gwak’s blade, not even traces of martial arts practice.

“What’s going on?”

“Before I came here, I sustained severe injuries. They were so deep that I had to stop practicing martial arts to recover.”

“That’s…”

Lim Sobo’s eyes trembled slightly.

She had never expected that Lee Gwak would have such a reason. Now that she thought about it, something had been strange.

When Nam Woo-gyeong told her about Lee Gwak’s location, he had said it would be pointless to visit. She thought it meant it would be hard to change Lee Gwak’s mind, but it turned out he had his reasons for staying out of the martial world.

“So… have you recovered from your injuries?”

“To some extent…”

“And your martial arts?”

“Well…”

Lee Gwak trailed off, and Lim Sobo hung her head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I wish I could be more help. It must be difficult.”

“Haa…”

Instead of replying, Lim Sobo let out a deep sigh.

It was then that Buk Ri-seong, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.

“Who inflicted those injuries? I heard your martial skills were quite impressive.”

“It was a person called Go Geom-wol.”

“And who might that be? I’ve never heard of him.”

“He’s not well-known in the Jianghu since he doesn’t involve himself much. But if you ever encounter him, be cautious.”

“Hmph! Are you worried about me? Me, Buk Ri-seong, the Nine Shadow Demon Master? Nonsense. Don’t think I’m someone like you.”

“I apologize if I have offended you, Master Buk Ri-seong.”

“As long as you understand. Be careful. I’ll let it slide this time since it’s our first meeting, but if you disrespect me again, I won’t let it go.”

“I will be cautious.”

Lee Gwak bowed his head in apology, and only then did Buk Ri-seong’s hardened expression slightly soften.

Lee Gwak stood up and said, “It’s getting late, so you should rest here tonight and leave in the morning.”

“No need! I doubt there are proper accommodations here, and I don’t intend to spend the night in such a place. We will descend the mountain.”

“It could be dangerous if you travel at night.”

“Hmph! That may apply to someone like you, but for a martial artist like me, night is as clear as day. You need not worry.”

Buk Ri-seong rebuffed Lee Gwak harshly.

Lim Sobo looked troubled. Though she knew Buk Ri-seong had an explosive temper, she hadn’t expected him to be so blunt and insensitive.

At that moment…

“Don’t insult my father.”

The quiet Lee Soo-ah suddenly raised her voice. Buk Ri-seong blinked in disbelief, unable to comprehend it.

“What did you just say?”

“I said, don’t insult my father.”

“When did I insult your father? I’ve never done such a thing.”

“Ha! It’s shameful that you don’t realize it. You openly spoke words that could hurt my father and then claim you didn’t?”

“How is that an insult?”

“You’re denying it even after you’ve done it?”

“Well! How audacious!”

“I may be audacious, but I know you’re shameless.”

“What! Do you know who I am to speak such nonsense?”

Bang!

Buk Ri-seong slammed his palm onto the table, shattering it to pieces.

It was a sight that would frighten any ordinary child, but Lee Soo-ah was far from ordinary.

With a pitying expression, Lee Soo-ah continued, “Does it really matter who you are?”

“Ah…”

“Growing old doesn’t make one an adult. A true adult is someone who listens to others, observes the humble, and thinks deeply. Are you such an adult?”

“…”

For the first time, Buk Ri-seong was at a loss for words.

His eyes bulged, his beard quivered, but no words came out.

Lee Soo-ah’s question, “Are you an adult?” struck him deeply.

Ever since earning the title of Nine Shadow Demon Master, no one had ever questioned him like this.

Everyone else always tried to please him, but Buk Ri-seong had never had to pay attention to others. Over time, he had grown accustomed to looking down on others.

Lee Soo-ah was shaking his old values to their core.

‘This audacious child….’

Lee Soo-ah met his gaze without flinching.

Even seasoned martial artists couldn’t bear to meet his gaze directly, but this young girl did not look away.

‘This child…’

Only now did Buk Ri-seong realize that Lee Soo-ah was no ordinary talent.

It wasn’t just her boldness.

Despite her small frame, her body showed perfect balance and sturdiness. Given her bold nature and clear eyes, she seemed incredibly intelligent.

Buk Ri-seong glanced at Lim Sobo.

Up until now, he had considered Lim Sobo the most gifted individual he’d met. Her intelligence was such that she had significantly increased the strength of Thousand Kingdom School and Sky High Castle.

The only regret was that Lim Sobo showed little interest in martial arts. If she had been interested, Buk Ri-seong would have gladly taught her all his techniques.

He thought he’d never meet a talent greater than Lim Sobo, but seeing Lee Soo-ah challenged his assumptions.

He felt an affection for the girl’s unyielding spirit.

“Child.”

“My name is Lee Soo-ah.”

“Yes, Soo-ah! Would you consider learning martial arts from this old man?”

“Pardon?”

“If you come with me, I’ll teach you incredible martial arts.”

“Hah!”

Lee Soo-ah sighed, seemingly at a loss.

“Sir.”

“Yes, go on.”

“Shouldn’t you apologize first?”

“Ahem! I apologize. I didn’t think before I spoke, so I hope you weren’t hurt by it.”

Buk Ri-seong offered a half-hearted apology to Lee Gwak. Lee Soo-ah’s eyebrows shot up.

“Properly.”

“I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize. Please think of it as the foolishness of an old man.”

It was a much more respectful apology than before.

Lee Gwak smiled and responded.

“I’m not hurt, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you!”

Only then did Buk Ri-seong’s expression brighten. He quickly turned back to Lee Soo-ah.

“Is that satisfactory?”

“Hmph! It’s still not enough, but I’ll let it slide this once.”

“Then will you come with me?”

“Why should I?”

“If I apologize, surely….”

“I never said I’d go with you. Why would I leave my parents to follow an old man I’ve never even met?”

“If you come, I can teach you martial arts.”

“My dad is already teaching me well.”

“You should learn proper martial arts, not just any kind.”

“I’m learning proper martial arts.”

Lee Soo-ah glared at Buk Ri-seong, who turned to Lee Gwak for help.

“Please convince her. Your daughter has incredible potential. It would be a waste for her talent to wither in this secluded mountain.”

His voice was filled with desperation.

Buk Ri-seong desperately hoped Lee Gwak would agree, but Lee Gwak’s response was unexpected.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Soo-ah is smart enough to make her own choices. I won’t force her into something she doesn’t want.”

“Ah!”

“I’ll prepare dinner, so please stay and eat. Excuse me.”

Lee Gwak stood and walked toward the house.

“Hehe!”

Lee Soo-ah’s laughter echoed across the clearing.

Han So-cheon closed her eyes, and Lee Cheong shook his head.

“Seriously, there’s no stopping her.”

But even Lee Cheong’s lips curled into a smile. He didn’t like Buk Ri-seong either.