Martial Artist Lee Gwak novel - Chapter 272

The End of a Bad Relationship is Only Lonely (3)

Lee Gwak gave me a puzzled look.

‘You?’

“Yes! I’ll go.”

Lee Cheong answered confidently.

Lee Gwak shook his head.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Dad!”

“I can’t send you to such a dangerous place.”

“But realistically, I’m the only one here who can approach Crimson Lotus Manor without raising suspicion. No one would suspect a child like me.”

“Cheong-ah!”

“Dad! Please let me help. You trust me, don’t you?”

“Mmm!”

“I know what you’re worried about. But you also know how quick-witted I am.”

Of course, Lee Gwak was well aware.

He knew that Yi Cheong had an extraordinary mind and was well-versed in various strategies.

Three years ago, it was Lee Cheong who safely got Lee Soo-ah out of White Light Sect, and it was on his advice that they headed to Dragon Heaven Valley when White Light Sect’s heaven and earth net was closing in.

Lee Cheong possessed judgment and insight that were beyond his years. He had even learned martial arts from Lee Gwak.

In this sense, few were as ideally suited to gathering information as Lee Cheong. However, a father’s concern for his child made Lee Gwak hesitate.

Sensing his father’s feelings, Lee Cheong persuaded him in a gentle voice.

“If it seems dangerous, I’ll come back right away.”

“Hmm!”

“Just as I trust you, please trust me too.”

“Sigh!”

Lee Gwak let out a deep sigh.

They say parents can’t win against their children, and he found himself in just that situation.

“Fine! But you must be careful. There’s no need to get too close to Crimson Lotus Manor, so if it seems dangerous, come back immediately.”

“Don’t worry.”

Lee Cheong smiled brightly. But Lee Gwak couldn’t erase the worried expression from his face.

After getting his father’s permission, Lee Cheong changed into his ragged clothes. In an instant, he became an ordinary boy who could be seen anywhere.

To avoid suspicion, he even entrusted Lee Gwak with the blade he never let go of.

“I’ll be back.”

“Be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

With a smile, Lee Cheong left the hut.

“Don’t worry, Leader. Cheong is a smart kid; he won’t be in any real danger.”

Ki Jin-hwi tried to reassure him, but the hardened look on Lee Gwak’s face didn’t ease easily.

***

Leaving the hut, Lee Cheong headed towards Crimson Lotus Manor. He already knew its location from Yoo Gang-ui, so there was no problem.

His face was slightly flushed.

Until now, he had always been under Lee Gwak’s care. Even if he did nothing, Lee Gwak took care of everything, so he never had to act proactively.

So while his body was comfortable, his mind was uneasy.

He hadn’t followed Lee Gwak just to be a travel companion. He wanted to gain experience in the Jianghu and be helpful to his father. Investigating the movements of Crimson Lotus Manor was a good opportunity for him.

As Yoo Gang-ui had said, the atmosphere around Chaohu was grim.

In every alley, martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance were spread out, searching for something.

“Search over here. They couldn’t have gone far.”

“Those rat-like bastards! How dare they attack last night. Search quickly.”

The faces of the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists were filled with killing intent.

At their fierce aura, passersby were terrified and shivered.

“Hey, you there, come here.”

“Me? Are you talking to me?”

“Yes, you!”

The person singled out by the martial artist looked tearful.

He was a fisherman making a living in Chaohu, on his way to work.

He hesitantly approached the martial artists.

“What’s the matter?”

“What’s that hanging at your waist?”

“Sorry?”

“Didn’t you hear me? What’s that hanging at your waist?”

“That’s…”

The fisherman, on the verge of tears, began to stammer.

Thud!

At that moment, a martial artist kicked the fisherman’s abdomen. In extreme pain, the fisherman couldn’t even scream and collapsed on the ground.

The martial artist forcefully took the long object hanging from the fisherman’s waist.

It was a cheap machete wrapped in cloth, typically used by the fisherman to process large fish.

However, the martial artist, ignorant of this, responded aggressively.

“What is this?”

“Ah, that’s for preparing fish…”

“Who prepares fish with such a big knife? Be honest. Are you a spy from the Thousand Kingdom School?”

“N-no, I’m not.”

“Not? What do you mean not? This bastard is suspicious.”

The martial artist’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Due to the attack last night, the nerves of the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists were on edge.

Tension from last night’s attack had the Jade Heaven Alliance members on edge, making them hyper-vigilant and quick to assume the worst. To them, the fisherman’s every action looked suspicious.

“Be honest. Why does a fisherman carry a machete? What’s your relationship with the Thousand Kingdom School?”

“I have no relationship. Ugh!”

Brutal violence was inflicted upon the fisherman who was trying to explain.

He couldn’t even resist and soon was covered in blood. The martial artists dragged the unconscious fisherman away.

The people on the street looked on in horror.

Such scenes were happening all over the Chaohu.

Anyone who acted even slightly suspiciously or appeared out of place was immediately arrested. But the martial artists’ killing intent was so intense that no one dared protest.

Lee Cheong’s expression hardened.

He had somewhat expected this, but the scene before his eyes was far beyond acceptable.

‘How could they do this?’

He tried hard not to let his expression show.

He forced himself to maintain a calm face and continued walking.

Fortunately, the martial artists didn’t pay much attention to a young boy like him. His appearance was too ordinary, and he looked thoroughly frightened.

On the way to Crimson Lotus Manor, he witnessed similar scenes multiple times.

In the process, he also faced danger.

One of the martial artists had called out to him. Fortunately, he responded calmly and got through safely, but his heart was still pounding.

As Yoo Gang-ui had said, the area around Crimson Lotus Manor was scorched earth. Not only the manor but nearby houses were destroyed or burned.

The smell of burning bodies was mixed in the smoke.

He sensed that many people had died.

At that moment.

“Hey, kid!”

A martial artist guarding the Crimson Lotus Manor gestured to him. He felt a sudden fear but approached with a forced calm expression.

“You, what are you doing?”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

He put on a thoroughly frightened expression.

The martial artist clicked his tongue at his pitiful look. No matter how on edge they were, they couldn’t show killing intent towards a child.

To the martial artist, he was just a frightened, pitiful boy.

“Where’s your home?”

“It’s the fifth house on the right if you turn at that corner. The one with the faded blue door.”

He calmly mentioned a house he had noted earlier. The slight suspicion on the martial artist’s face faded.

Even though the martial artist didn’t know the house, he believed a child couldn’t describe a lie in such detail.

Moreover, it was unthinkable that such a young child would lie in this situation. So he believed him.

“Don’t wander around here and get into trouble. Go home quickly.”

“Yes!”

He answered in a deliberately dejected manner. But even then, he glanced sideways at the interior of Crimson Lotus Manor through the door gap.

At that moment, voices from inside leaked out.

“Hurry up and repair this place. Since it’s the main axis of the formation, we need to restore it.”

“They might attack again, so move quickly.”

Pretending not to hear, he hurriedly moved on. He could tell without looking that the martial artist was watching him.

Until he turned the corner, he acted as frightened as possible. But as soon as he was out of sight, he hurried his pace.

He passed the house he had falsely described earlier without stopping.

In a short time, he had gathered much information. Among them, the biggest gain was the last words he overheard.

‘They used a formation to block the Thousand Kingdom School’s attack.’

There was a master of formations in Crimson Lotus Manor.

That must be why the attack failed. But it didn’t seem to be just that.

As he passed by the Crimson Lotus Hall, Lee Cheong had caught a faint scent of poison in the air. Although it was mostly dissipated and no longer harmful, it had still made his head spin slightly.

The way back to the hut where Lee Gwak waited was not easy either.

“They must be hiding somewhere nearby.”

“Search carefully. They couldn’t have gone far.”

The martial artists were searching every nook and cranny, looking for someone.

He was stopped several times and had to state his destination. Each time, he responded appropriately.

Fortunately, his flawless performance didn’t arouse suspicion. But his heart continued to race.

“Phew!”

Lee Cheong sighed with relief as he entered a quieter street where the martial artists were no longer in sight.

He was now close to the hut where Lee Gwak was staying.

Finally, he felt he could relax a little. There were no martial artists in sight.

His steps became slightly lighter.

This allowed him to take in his surroundings. Suddenly, something strange caught his attention.

Most people would have walked right past without noticing, but Lee Cheong’s sharp eyes didn’t miss it.

‘A formation?’

At the dead end of the alley, there were artificial traces. It was definitely a crude illusion formation.

Despite his youth, Lee Cheong was highly knowledgeable in formations and strategies. That’s why he could easily recognize it.

It was likely that whoever the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists were searching for had set this illusion.

He furrowed his brows.

‘What should I do?’

Lee Gwak didn’t want him to get involved in dangerous matters. In fact, he felt the same. But he couldn’t just pass by.

“I’ll probably die young because of this curiosity. Sigh!”

With a sigh, Lee Cheong walked toward the formation.

After ensuring that no one was around, he began to dismantle the array.

It was so poorly constructed that it wasn’t difficult to break. The fact that it had lasted this long was a miracle in itself.

Where the illusion disappeared, there was a woman leaning against the wall, gasping for breath. Her face had turned black.

‘Poison?’

She was clearly suffering from a severe case of poisoning.

Lee Cheong approached her cautiously and examined her condition. She was so far gone that she didn’t even notice him.

Her state was critical.

He didn’t know how she had made it this far, but if left like this, only death awaited her.

As he looked around for any identifying items, he noticed a sword lying nearby. The hilt bore the engraved characters “Thousand Kingdom School”.

“This woman is from Thousand Kingdom School.”

Judging by her attire and presence, she was likely a high-ranking member.

“Sigh! I guess I have no choice.”

Lee Cheong decided to take a risk.

Fortunately, the hut wasn’t far from here.

It was a risk worth taking.

Once he made up his mind, Lee Cheong didn’t hesitate.

Though young, he had learned martial arts. After opening his third gate, his skills had grown rapidly.

While he was still no match for Lee Soo-ah, he was already stronger and more skilled than most martial artists his age.

“Ugh!”

With a grunt, Lee Cheong lifted the woman onto his back.

She felt heavier since she was unconscious. But he didn’t show much strain.

After confirming that no Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists were nearby, he quickly made his way back to the hut.

Fortunately, he encountered no martial artists along the way and reached the hut safely.

“Dad!”

Lee Cheong called out as he entered the hut, and Lee Gwak rushed out in response.

He felt relieved that his son had returned safely but showed a puzzled expression upon seeing the woman on his back.

“Who is that?”

“She seems to be a martial artist from the Thousand Kingdom School. I found her collapsed and poisoned near the Crimson Lotus Hall.”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief. Lay her down.”

“Yes!”

The moment Lee Gwak saw her face, his expression hardened slightly. It was a face he had seen once before.

“Namgung Yeon-hwa.”