Martial Artist Lee Gwak novel - chapter 264
Due to some copyright issues. I changed some word such god= supreme-ruler. /diviné= supreme. And some Chinese words etc, all of this to avoid copyright *.*
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chapter 264
Chaos Reigns, Bandits Flourish (1)
The people who entered the inn were all clad in loose, dust-covered travel cloaks, indicating they had journeyed a great distance.
An elderly man at the front of the group removed his dusty hat and spoke.
“Phew! That was tough. Everyone, take a seat and rest.”
“You’ve worked hard too, Master Ban.”
“We’re not done with our journey yet, so don’t get too relaxed and drink only in moderation.”
“Yes, Master Ban!”
The elderly man was Ban Woo-yeom, the head of Sanghyeon Escort Agency. His face showed clear signs of exhaustion.
This was no surprise, as they were returning from a trip outside the Central Plains on an escort mission. Traveling outside the borders was far more physically and mentally taxing than escorting goods within the Central Plains. Normally, they would avoid such journeys if possible.
However, the ongoing war had drastically reduced the number of requests, leading to a significant drop in income.
They were no longer in a position to be selective about escort missions.
Because of this, Ban Woo-yeom accepted the job of transporting goods to areas he would typically avoid, beyond the Central Plains. Fortunately, they had been lucky enough to secure a return trip escort job, so they weren’t returning empty-handed.
Though his body was weary, his heart was content.
Ban Woo-yeom asked the innkeeper if there were any rooms available. Fortunately, there were enough rooms to accommodate all the escort guards of the Sanghyeon Escort Agency.
Relief finally appeared on Ban Woo-yeom’s face.
After ordering ample food and drink for everyone, he returned to his seat.
The head guard and the escort guards were all seated, chatting away.
“I’ve inhaled so much sand that my lungs feel clogged.”
“Phew! That desert wind was brutal. I never want to go back there.”
“As if we have a choice. We’re lucky to even have assignments to places like that.”
The escorts’ faces were marked with exhaustion, a reflection of how grueling the recent escort had been.
Ban Woo-yeom made his way past the escorts to the farthest seat, where a figure much smaller in stature sat.
He took off the straw hat that the person was wearing and asked, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
As the hat was removed, the face of a girl, who appeared to be around ten years old, was revealed.
Her skin was exceptionally pale, so white it was reminiscent of a snow-covered plain. Her face was also remarkably beautiful, and it was clear that in a few years, she would stir the hearts of many.
The girl’s name was Ban Seol-hwa.
She was Ban Woo-yeom’s granddaughter.
Ban Seol-hwa’s face was full of fatigue.
She was still too young to endure the harsh journey that even adults found taxing
Ban Woo-yeom didn’t want to bring his beloved granddaughter on such a rough journey. But circumstances didn’t allow otherwise.
Originally, Ban Woo-yeom had retired from frontline duties, intending to pass the escort agency on to Ban Seol-hwa’s father, his son. But a year ago, Ban Seol-hwa’s parents, who had gone on an escort mission, lost their lives in the war caused by the Jade Heaven Alliance.
Ban Woo-yeom didn’t even have the time to grieve properly. The livelihoods of the many people affiliated with the Sanghyeon Escort Agency depended on him.
Suppressing the pain in his heart, he resumed escort missions. But leaving Ban Seol-hwa, with no one to care for her, constantly weighed on his mind.
Ban Seol-hwa said she was okay, but Ban Woo-yeom was not.
Because of that, whenever he had to be away from the escort agency for a long time, he always took her with him. Only then could he feel at ease.
She also preferred accompanying her grandfather on escort missions rather than being left alone. It was less lonely that way.
Ban Seol-hwa looked around the interior of the inn with a tired expression.
Since they had stayed here on their way to the border, the interior was not unfamiliar. The atmosphere of the people inside the inn was also similar.
Somehow, the mood was heavy, making it feel even more gloomy.
In the past, those staying at the same inn would have exchanged drinks or shared information. But now, everyone kept to themselves, avoiding unnecessary misunderstandings.
Ban Seol-hwa thought to herself that the Jianghu seemed to be losing its vitality. Even in her young eyes, it was clear that the current state of the world was far from normal.
At that moment, two people caught her eye, standing out from the rest with a noticeably different air about them.
Unlike the others, they didn’t seem burdened or gloomy. On the contrary, they were full of energy and vitality. During her travels, Ban Seol-hwa hadn’t encountered people with such a lively atmosphere, making them feel all the more refreshing.
The two who had captured Ban Seol-hwa’s attention were none other than Lee Gwak and Lee Cheong.
Sensing Ban Seol-hwa’s gaze, Lee Cheong turned his head and met her eyes. Ban Seol-hwa’s face instantly turned red as Lee Cheong smiled at her.
Though his smile had no particular intent behind it, it made Ban Seol-hwa’s heart race. Having never experienced such feelings before, she found herself all the more flustered.
Fortunately, he soon looked away from her and focused on his meal.
‘Who is he?’ she thought.
She sneaked another glance at him.
He was smiling as he chatted with Lee Gwak.
Just then, her grandfather’s voice was heard.
“What are you looking at?”
“Ah, nothing.”
“Hmm! That boy seems to have caught your eye.”
Ban Woo-yeom’s gaze followed hers, landing on Lee Cheong.
“It’s not like that, Grandfather.”
“It’s alright. It’s only natural to be interested, especially when you’ve seen so few people your age.”
Since Ban Seol-hwa spent so much time traveling with Ban Woo-yeom, she hadn’t had the chance to make friends her age. Ban Woo-yeom always felt sorry about that.
Ban Woo-yeom stood up.
“Wait here for a moment.”
“Grandfather?”
Before Ban Seol-hwa could stop him, Ban Woo-yeom had already walked over to Lee Gwak’s table.
He bowed respectfully and greeted Lee Gwak.
“I am Ban Woo-yeom, head of the Sanghyeon Escort Agency. I apologize for interrupting your meal, but may I have a word?”
“It’s no trouble at all, Master Ban. What can I do for you?”
“If it’s not too much of a bother, may I sit with you for a moment?”
“Hm?”
“I have a granddaughter who often accompanies me on my travels. Unfortunately, she has no friends her age. I was wondering if I could introduce her to your son for a short while. Would that be alright?”
Lee Gwak looked over at Lee Cheong, who had slightly reddened cheeks.
Living in the mountains, Lee Cheong, too, had few opportunities to make friends his age. While Lee Soo-ah kept him company, there were times when Lee Gwak also felt a bit sorry for him.
Lee Gwak asked Lee Cheong, “Would it be alright if they joined us?”
“Well…”
“If you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to.”
After a brief moment of thought, Lee Cheong nodded.
“I think it’s fine.”
“Is that so?”
Lee Gwak turned to Ban Woo-yeom, and the elderly man let out a hearty laugh, calling Ban Seol-hwa over.
She approached cautiously, her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Hello, my name is Ban Seol-hwa.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Gwak, and this is my son, Lee Cheong.”
Ban Seol-hwa’s eyes shifted to Lee Cheong.
“H-hello!”
“Nice to meet you.”
Lee Cheong greeted her with a smile, which finally eased some of the tension in Ban Seol-hwa’s expression.
For a brief moment, an awkward silence hung between the two children. But it wasn’t long before they began to chat naturally.
Seeing this, a smile crept onto Ban Woo-yeom’s lips. Watching his only granddaughter smile after so long filled his heart with joy.
Turning to Lee Gwak, Ban Woo-yeom said, “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
“To show my gratitude, let me cover your meal here.”
“There’s really no need for that.”
“I insist. It would put my mind at ease. Please don’t refuse.”
“Well, if you insist… Alright.”
“Haha! Thank you for indulging an old man.”
When Lee Gwak reluctantly agreed, Ban Woo-yeom smiled brightly.
He ordered more food and drink from the innkeeper.
Even though Ban Woo-yeom had heard Lee Gwak’s name, he showed no reaction.
It had been three years since Lee Gwak last made waves in the Jianghu.
In the meantime, the world had fallen into chaos, and many horrifying incidents had occurred. Countless people had died, and morale was at rock bottom.
People were struggling just to find their own way. In such a situation, there weren’t many who remembered a martial artist who hadn’t been active for a long time.
The same was true for Ban Woo-yeom. After losing his son and daughter-in-law, he had been so busy managing the escort agency that he had no time to pay attention to outside news.
What he cared about were the current state of the Jianghu and the martial artists who were active, not someone like Lee Gwak, who had been forgotten. So even after hearing the name, he didn’t recall that this was the same man who had stirred up the Jianghu three years ago as the “Sura Blade.”
Lee Gwak poured a drink for Ban Woo-yeom and asked,”You must be returning from a journey.”
“We’re just back from a trip to Kunlun Mountain.”
“Kunlun?”
“You’ve heard of it, I see. Well, how could you not? It’s the place where the Kunlun Sect, known as the sect of immortals in ancient times, is located.”
Lee Gwak’s face lit up with interest.
“Is the Kunlun Sect still there?”
“Of course. Although it’s incomparable to its heyday, they are still maintaining their lineage.”
“Is that so?”
Lee Gwak’s face showed a hint of curiosity.
The Kunlun Mountains were at the end of Qinghai Province. Not only was it far, but the road was so rough that most people couldn’t even think of going there.
Though it existed, it was practically unreachable, which is why most people only knew it by name. This added to the Kunlun Sect’s mystique.
Although he wasn’t that curious, since he had never interacted with them, he wondered what kind of sect the Kunlun Sect was.
Ban Woo-yeom raised his cup and said, “The Kunlun Sect now has barely thirty disciples.”
“Only thirty?”
“Perhaps even fewer. But from what I know, that’s all there are.”
“I see.”
“Because it’s in such a remote location, they struggle to find talented disciples. That’s why they’ve dwindled to such small numbers. Still, they seem to live quite comfortably. I saw them purchase dozens of spiritual herbs, each worth thousands of gold, in one go. Thanks to that, we received a generous reward for transporting them.”
The Sanghyeon Escort Agency had been struggling financially until recently. But this transaction had provided a substantial fee, easing their financial burdens significantly.
As if that weren’t enough, the Kunlun Sect had requested them to transport goods back to the Central Plains, meaning the Sanghyeon Escort Agency wouldn’t be returning empty-handed. To them, the Kunlun Sect was practically a savior.
After a few rounds of drinks, a slightly tipsy Ban Woo-yeom couldn’t stop talking about how impressive the Kunlun Sect was, to the point where Lee Gwak’s ears felt like they were about to fall off.
But Lee Gwak listened attentively, showing no sign of irritation.
After rambling for some time, Ban Woo-yeom suddenly looked sheepish, realizing he had been talking too much.
“I apologize. I’ve been rambling on about my own matters. I’m getting old, and it seems I’ve become quite the talker. How embarrassing!”
“No need to apologize. It’s been interesting to hear.”
“By the way, where are you headed? Judging by your appearance, it seems like you’re on quite the journey.”
“We’re heading toward Lake Chao.”
“Lake Chao? That’s near the Thousand Kingdom School. Are you going there for business?”
“No, we’re just visiting an acquaintance near Lake Chao.”
“In that case, you should be careful. I’ve heard rumors that the Jade Heaven Alliance is concentrating their forces in that area.”
“What?”
“The war has been dragging on, and there are rumors that the Jade Heaven Alliance is preparing a major offensive against the Thousand Kingdom School. The merchants we deal with are hesitant to send supplies to that area, so you should be aware of that.”
Ban Woo-yeom glanced at Lee Cheong and Ban Seol-hwa.
Seol-hwa, who had been gloomy throughout their trip, was now smiling brightly.
Whatever Lee Cheong had said during their conversation, it had filled Ban Seol-hwa with joy. Her smile hadn’t faded since.
Ban Woo-yeom felt grateful to Lee Cheong for making his granddaughter smile and didn’t want him heading into danger.
“If you don’t have to leave right away, maybe you could delay your trip a bit…”
“I’d like to, but it won’t be possible.”
It wasn’t just anyone butKGi Jin-hwi who was injured. If he arrived too late and couldn’t see him, it would remain a lifelong regret.
No matter how dangerous Chao Lake was, or even if it was engulfed in war, he had to go.
Seeing the unshakable resolve in Lee Gwak’s eyes, Ban Woo-yeom realized no words would dissuade him.
So, he gave up trying to change his mind and made a different suggestion.
“In that case, why not travel with us to Heyang?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a three-day ride from here to Heyang, where we have a boat waiting. If you ride with us, you can take the boat along the Yangtze River to Zhengzhou in five days. From there, you can ride another five days to Lake Chao. You could be there in under two weeks.”
Ban Woo-yeom’s proposal would save Lee Gwak at least ten days compared to his original plan.
Lee Gwak asked Ban Woo-yeom, “Why are you offering this to someone you just met today?”
“Haha! Would you believe me if I said it’s because I want to see my granddaughter smile a little longer?”
Ban Seol-hwa was smiling so brightly that she looked radiant.
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Grootygroot
The Grandpa wants to put the two kids on a “SHIP”.🌚