Martial Artist Lee Gwak novel - chapter 269

chapter 269 Forgotten but Not Gone (3)

There were many organizations in the Jade Heaven Alliance.

It was impossible for Lee Gwak to know all the members of every group. After all, he wasn’t in a position of significant importance, nor did he have an extensive network.

Most of the people he recognized were martial artists from the Outer Hall. But even now, with the frequent turnover, there were likely few people he still knew. Needless to say, he didn’t know anyone from other organizations.

In that sense, recognizing the person in front of him was almost a stroke of luck. The people who had blocked his way were under the command of someone he knew.

‘Jeon Ok.’

The subordinates Go Jeon-ok had commanded when he was in the Heavenly Intelligence Hall were right in front of Lee Gwak. They didn’t seem to remember Lee Gwak’s face, but he clearly remembered seeing them with Go Jeon-ok from a distance.

Heavenly Intelligence Hall was the organization responsible for gathering information for the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Even in normal times, they kept an eye on trends in Jianghu and gathered intelligence, but they were especially active in areas where conflict broke out, gathering information intensively.

The presence of Heavenly Intelligence Hall’s martial artists meant that this area was of special concern to the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Lee Gwak asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where are you going at this hour of the night?”

“No matter where I go, what does that have to do with you?”

Their faces froze at Lee Gwak’s cold words. As Lee Gwak had predicted, they were the martial artists of the Heavenly Intelligence Hall.

They were tasked with monitoring the movements of martial artists in Chaohu. Since this was an area where the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Thousand Kingdom School clashed, they wanted to catch any suspicious movements in advance.

“We are from the Jade Heaven Alliance. State your identity and destination.”

They demanded Lee Gwak reveal his identity as if it were natural. However, Lee Gwak had no reason to reveal his identity to them.

Because he knew that the moment he revealed his identity, the whole area would be turned upside down.

“I cannot do that.”

“Do you dare defy the Jade Heaven Alliance?”

“Since when has the Jade Heaven Alliance been so unreasonable?”

“Are you insulting the Alliance right now?”

The martial artists raised their voices.

A menacing aura emanated from them.

They had been on edge for days, unable to properly rest while carrying out their mission of rooting out the martial artists of the Thousand Kingdom School.

After losing the Crimson Lotus Manor, the Thousand Kingdom School had gone into hiding. If they had only hidden, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but they were launching surprise attacks, causing damage.

Their nerves were already on edge, and Lee Gwak’s defiance only made their anger boil over.

“You won’t like what happens if you keep this up.”

“If you keep this up, it won’t be good for you.”

They revealed their killing intent.

The area was already under the control of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Even if they killed and disposed of a few nameless martial artists, there was no one who would dare protest against the Jade Heaven Alliance. In fact, they had already killed and disposed of several people like that.

They exchanged glances.

They had no intention of continuing the conversation any longer.

Swish!

Without warning, they attacked Lee Gwak. But Lee Gwak’s reaction was much faster than their movements.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

With the sound of impacts, their heads snapped back.

Lee Gwak’s hand strikes had landed.

They collapsed to the ground without even being able to scream. They had fainted.

Even though he had subdued them in an instant, Lee Gwak’s breathing remained steady.

“Father?”

“Wait a moment.”

Lee Gwak woke up one of the fainted men.

“Ugh! You?”

He looked at Lee Gwak with a distorted face.

Although he wore a grim expression, fear was evident in his eyes.

Even though three of them had attacked simultaneously, they had fainted without even knowing what method the opponent had used. If the opponent had harbored malicious intent, they would have been dead already.

‘We messed with the wrong person.’

Only now did the man realize that their opponent was an unimaginably high-level master.

He had heard tales of dragons lurking in the mud, but never did he expect to encounter one.

“If you kill me, the Jade Heaven Alliance won’t let it slide. This area is controlled by the elite of the main court.”

“Who is in charge here?”

“What?”

“Who is leading the Jade Heaven Alliance here?”

“W-what are you saying?”

“It’s not just the Heavenly Intelligence Hall here, is it? What other organizations are here? Who is in command of the Heavenly Intelligence Hall and the others?”

When Lee Gwak accurately mentioned Heavenly Intelligence Hall, the man gasped involuntarily.

Many knew of Heavenly Intelligence Hall’s existence within the Jade Heaven Alliance, but very few knew the identities of its members. Yet, Lee Gwak had pinpointed them as Heavenly Intelligence Hall members with certainty.

It was not speculation but certainty.

Unless he already knew their identities, he couldn’t have said that.

“Who are you? How do you know about Heavenly Intelligence Hall…?”

“I was the one who asked the questions. Who is it? Who is leading this operation?”

“I, I can’t tell you that.”

The man clamped his mouth shut.

The lifeblood of an intelligence organization was keeping secrets. And he was familiar with the workings of such organizations.

He showed a resolute will not to open his mouth under any torture.

“Hah!”

Lee Gwak let out a low sigh and grabbed the man’s wrist.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, a groan escaped the man’s mouth.

From the wrist that Lee Gwak held, he felt an alien energy.

It was like a small snake tearing through his acupoints.

“Ughhhh!”

His groans grew louder.

He was skilled at enduring pain, but the sensation of his insides being torn by a snake was unbearable for any human.

Pop! Pop!

All over his body, veins bulged out like worms.

In the end, the man could not endure the pain and opened his mouth.

“A-ah, it’s the Dark Moon Pavilion Master. The Dark Moon Pavilion Master is commanding this place.”

“Dark Moon Pavilion?”

“Yes. Please…”

“Is Jeon-ok still the master of the Dark Moon Pavilion?”

“How did you… Aaaah! Yes. Please…”

The man pleaded.

Only then did Lee Gwak release his hand from the man’s wrist.

The man foamed at the mouth and lost consciousness. But Lee Gwak didn’t pay attention to him.

“Jeon-ok came here?”

A deep crease formed between Lee Gwak’s brows.

He never imagined he would hear Go Jeon-ok’s name here.

Lee Gwak once again thought that his ties with Go Jeon-ok were very persistent.

“Hah!”

A sigh came out naturally.

At this point, it was not a connection but a bad fate.

Lee Gwak shook his head and stood up.

***

Because he already knew the location, finding the Hao Clan’s branch was not difficult.

The Hao Clan’s Chaohu branch was disguised as a warehouse near the port.

When he spoke the password at the warehouse entrance, a member of the Hao Clan opened the door.

“Please come inside.”

Lee Gwak took Lee Cheong’s hand and entered the warehouse.

At that moment the door closed and torches were lit all around.

“Ugh!”

In the dazzling light, Lee Cheong hurriedly covered his eyes with his hands. But Lee Gwak looked around without even blinking.

Inside the warehouse, numerous martial artists were surrounding them with weapons. Even from their shabby appearance, it was easy to guess that they were martial artists of the Hao Clan.

They were aiming their weapons at Lee Gwak and his son, remaining vigilant. Even though they had given the password, they didn’t fully trust them.

A middle-aged man who seemed to be the eldest among them came forward and spoke.

He was Yoo Gang-ui, the head of the Chaohu branch of the Hao Clan.

“Please reveal your identities.”

Yoo Gang-ui’s gaze toward Lee Gwak and his son was full of suspicion.

Currently, in Chaohu, not only the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Thousand Kingdom School but also martial artists from numerous sects have gathered.

In the hellish ecosystem where countless martial artists were entangled, the Hao Clan was a powerless existence at the very bottom.

Both the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Thousand Kingdom School targeted the Hao Clan to efficiently obtain information. Naturally, the Hao Clan had no choice but to suspect everything to protect themselves.

Yoo Gang-ui clearly showed his intention to act if necessary. That was how desperate he was.

Lee Gwak opened his mouth.

“My name is Lee Gwak.”

“The Sura blade?”

“Yes.”

“Are you really Grand Master Lee Gwak?”

“That’s right.”

“Then this child is?”

“Lee Cheong, my son.”

“That matches.”

Only then did Yoo Gang-ui release his wary gaze.

Someone might impersonate Lee Gwak, but knowing the name of his son as well was nearly impossible.

Yoo Gang-ui and the heads of the Hao Clan’s branches knew that Lee Gwak had twin children and that their names were Lee Cheong and Lee Soo-ah.

“Everyone, lower your weapons. He is indeed Grandmaster Lee Gwak.”

At Yoo Gang-ui’s words, the Hao Clan members withdrew their weapons.

He first apologized to Lee Gwak.

“I’m sorry for suspecting you initially. But the situation is too dire, so we had no choice.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Hah! Both the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Thousand Kingdom School are pressuring the Hao Clan to get information. Several of our brothers have already lost their lives.”

“Hmm!”

“What brings you here, Grand Master?”

“I received a letter sent from this place.”

“A letter?”

“It said that my acquaintance was seriously injured.”

“Ah! You mean Master Ki Jin-hwi. Yes, we sent such a letter to the main branch.”

“Where is he now?”

An urgency was evident in Lee Gwak’s voice.

“He is currently in our safe house.”

“How is his condition?”

“Well…”

Yoo Gang-ui made a troubled expression.

“Is he in bad shape?”

“Not that, but… If you see him yourself, you’ll understand why I’m like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, let’s move to the safe house. I’ll explain while you meet Master Ki.”

“Hmm!”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Lee Gwak’s face hardened.

‘Brother!’

***

The Crimson Lotus Manor had been cleaned up, but only on the surface.

The once beautiful back garden, which had been the pride of the Crimson Lotus Manor, had been reduced to ashes. Even now, sparks remained, and smoke billowed from various places. The martial artists of Jade Heaven Alliance, who had taken control of the Crimson Lotus Manor, had burned the bodies of thousands of martial artists here.

There were unspoken rules in the Jianghu.

One of them was not to desecrate the bodies of the dead. No matter how bitter the enmity, leaving the bodies intact was the honorable way of the Jianghu. However, the martial artists of the Dark Moon Pavillion, who had taken control of Crimson Lotus Manor, showed no such respect.

Go Jeon-ok opened the window and gazed indifferently at the backyard, now reduced to ashes.

It had been his decision to burn the bodies of the martial artists.

The battle with the Thousand Kingdom School had dragged on tediously, and many lives had been lost within the Jade Heaven Alliance. Because of this, the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance had developed a deep hatred for the Thousand Kingdom School.

They needed a sacrifice to console their anger.

It was at that moment.

“Heh, what a fantastic smell.”

A voice that sounded like the cawing of a crow came from behind.

Go Jeon-ok furrowed his brow and turned around.

There stood a figure dressed entirely in a black robe that stretched from head to toe. The hood of the robe was pulled down so low that nothing could be seen except the mouth and chin.

With a voice as rough as a crow’s caw, the figure continued to speak.

“When I think about it, you’re quite something? Burning so many corpses like this.”

“Let’s be clear—it was what you wanted, wasn’t it?”

“Even so, I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it. Heh, I made the right choice picking you. Thanks to you, there’s quite a bit of energy here.”

Go Jeon-ok’s face twisted at his words.

He was accustomed to hiding his emotions, but whenever he faced this man, his feelings would surge uncontrollably.

Such was the extent of the man’s unsettling presence.

He knew nothing about him—not even his name or true face.

Go Jeon-ok referred to him as Gal-no.

Gal-no had secretly approached Go Jeon-ok one day.

The moment he saw him, he instinctively realized that he was of a similar kind to himself. Like ink dropped into water, Gal-no blackened and assimilated him.

By the time Go Jeon-ok regained his senses, Gal-no was already by his side.

Gal-no wielded extremely mysterious magic arts.

His unimaginable abilities were of great help to Go Jeon-ok.

Thanks to him, Go Jeon-ok had risen rapidly within the Jade Heaven Alliance and had now become the most trusted person of the Young Master, Yong Cheon-myeong.

It was all thanks to Gal-no. However, Go Jeon-ok never fully trusted him. He could never grasp what lay behind Gal-no’s mask.

There was nothing more dangerous than a person whose motives were unknown. Because Go Jeon-ok was of the same nature, he both trusted and remained wary of Gal-no.

“What is it? You weren’t supposed to show yourself in front of others.”

“It’s about him. You still haven’t found him?”

“Just a little longer. I’ve deployed my men to search every corner of Chaohu. There should be news soon.”

“Hurry it up. He may not wake easily from the curse of the Hundred-Day Dream, but we must make sure to finish the job so there are no loose ends.”

“Hmph!” Go Jeon-ok snorted in annoyance.

Gal-no’s commanding tone grated on him.

At that moment—

“Master! You need to come out here for a moment,” a subordinate called from outside.

When Go Jeon-ok turned his head, Gal-no had already disappeared, as usual. It was nothing new, so Go Jeon-ok didn’t react with surprise.

Opening the door and stepping outside, he saw three men kneeling in submission, waiting for him. They were the martial artists of Heavenly Intelligence Hall, whom he had brought to gather intelligence.