chapter 294

Even If You Cut One, Two Will Grow (1)

Lee Gwak stared at Go Chang-seon wordlessly. In response, Go Chang-seon raised his voice even more.

“Why aren’t you answering? Why on earth didn’t you kill her? Don’t tell me you’ve colluded with her?”

“Your words go too far.”

Lee Gwak finally spoke.

His voice was low and cold. Unlike his usual tone, the sound of it made everyone flinch. Even Go Chan-gseon, who had been raising his voice at Lee Gwak, was no exception.

Only then did Go Chang-seon realize he had crossed a line

There were lines that could be crossed and lines that were never to be crossed. And for someone as skilled in martial arts as Lee Gwak, those boundaries were especially clear and inviolable.

Go Chang-seon had momentarily lost his reason in anger and had spoken recklessly, but he hadn’t intended to offend Lee Gwak. Instead, he aimed to pressure him as much as possible to make him more cooperative with the Unsan Escort Agency. But his words had gone too far and had offended Lee Gwak.

Go Chang-seon couldn’t speak for a moment.

He was afraid of the way Lee Gwak was looking at him.

Usually, Lee Gwak’s eyes were very warm and friendly. He always treated those around him kindly. While Go Chang-seon intellectually knew to treat him with respect, part of him had perhaps underestimated him.

But upon seeing Lee Gwak’s eyes, he realized that he was someone who absolutely should not be taken lightly. His cold gaze pierced Go Change-seon’s heart like a dagger.

Without that usual gentleness in his eyes, Lee Gwak seemed utterly fearsome.

“I… I…”

For the first time, Go Chang-seon stammered.

He was also considered a master.

As the chief escort leader of the Unsan Escort Agency, he was someone who would be well-respected anywhere in the Jianghu. In fact, he had mastered martial arts befitting his position. Because of that, Go Chang-seon had great pride. But all of that was useless in front of Lee Gwak’s cold gaze.

Go Chang-seon couldn’t bring himself to continue speaking and swallowed dryly.

“There are things that should be said and things that should not,” Lee Gwak said.  “I thought driving them away was the best way to reduce Unsan Escort Agency’s losses. Even now, I don’t think it was the wrong decision. If you’re dissatisfied with my decision, I’ll withdraw from this escort mission.”

“N-no, that’s not it.”

The one to respond was Nam Woo-chang, the master of Unsan Escort Agency, who had hurriedly intervened after witnessing the tense standoff.

“The chief escort misspoke because his emotions were heightened. How could one keep their sanity when so many subordinates have shed blood in a single ambush? So please, Master Lee, calm your anger.”

Under normal circumstances, he would have unconditionally taken Go Chang-seon’s side.  That’s how much Nam Woo-chang trusted and relied on Go Chang-seon. But now it was a special situation.

They had already suffered an enemy attack and suffered significant losses in their escort agency’s strength. In such a situation, if they were attacked again without Lee Gwak, they would be helpless.

I can’t afford to lose this man. I must convince him to stay and escort us to the Nine Dragons Clan.

He felt sorry for Go Chang-seon, but as someone responsible for the safety of the entire escort agency, Nam Woo-chang had no choice.

He was not alone. Including the escort guards, escort leaders, wagon drivers, and the people remaining at the Unsan Escort Agency, he was responsible for well over a hundred people. For their sake, he had to keep Lee Gwak.

“Our escort chief must also be regretting it. What are you doing? My friend, hurry up and apologize.”

“I’m s-sorry. I lost control of my emotions and said things I shouldn’t have. It wasn’t my true intention, so please forgive me.”

Go Chang-seon seized the opportunity and apologized to Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak nodded lightly.

“I accept your apology.”

“Phew! Thank you. Then, Master Lee, please step back and rest for a while. We’ll handle cleaning up the situation.”

“Understood.”

Lee Gwak obediently stepped back.

Only then did Nam Woo-chang and Go Chang-seon sigh in relief.

Now that the urgent issue was settled, they had to deal with the situation. They mobilized the escort guards and wagon drivers who were still unharmed to collect the bodies and tend to the wounded.

Because it had happened so suddenly, there were many casualties. Even in the Jianghu, where death was a constant companion, the losses were staggering.

The dead were all their comrades. The faces of the escorts collecting the bodies were filled with despair. But they couldn’t let themselves cry freely.

No matter how many casualties there were, their job was to transport the goods to the destination. Until they completed the escort mission, they had to suppress their sorrow.

They couldn’t continue the escort mission with the bodies loaded onto the wagons. If they entered the Nine Dragons Clan, with wagons carrying bodies, there would be chaos.

The Unsan Escort Agency gathered the bodies nearby and covered them with stones to prevent the animals from desecrating them.

They decided to retrieve the bodies on the way back and bring them to the Unsan Escort Agency.

Watching the escorts collecting the bodies, Lee Cheong couldn’t say anything.

He had witnessed the death of Cho Ryu-jin, to whom he had become attached, just a short while ago. Yet, only a few days later, he was facing such a tragic scene again, and his heart felt heavy.

As Lee Cheong’s eyes reddened, Lee Gwak’s hand touched his head.

Lee Gwak stroked Lee Cheong’s head and said,

“This is Jianghu.”

“Father?”

“To live in the Jianghu, you need firm resolve and courage. If you live in this world, you’ll see such scenes countless times.”

“……”

Lee Cheong bit his lip hard.

At first, he didn’t understand why Lee Gwak was saying such things. But after thinking about it, he seemed to understand.

Lee Gwak was asking.

Do you have the courage to live in Jianghu?

Are you prepared to stand alone in this hellish world?

Lee Cheong couldn’t answer for a moment.

Even in his silence, Lee Gwak didn’t say anything else. He just watched quietly.

As always, Lee Gwak intended to respect Lee Cheong’s choice.

At that moment, Lee Cheong’s tightly closed lips opened.

“I will become a martial artist. Like you, Father…”

The father could feel the determination of the boy.

***

As the sun dipped over the western mountains, the Unsan Escort Agency arrived at Pingyin County.

Pingyin County was a fairly large city located along a major road. It had many large inns, so whenever the Unsan Escort Agency passed through the area, they would always enter Pingyin County and stay for a day.

“Phew!”

Upon arriving at the inn they frequently used, the escorts and wagon drivers breathed a sigh of relief.

“Everyone has worked hard. We’ll stay here until tomorrow, so the wagon drivers should fix the broken wagons, and the escorts should pay special attention to guarding the goods.”

No matter how much they lived by the sword and in a place where death was commonplace, people of the Jianghu were still human. The death of their comrades had greatly shocked the escorts mentally. Although the schedule was tight, they needed at least a day’s rest to reorganize.

Nam Woo-chang approached Lee Gwak.

“We’ll stay here until tomorrow, so master Lee, please rest well.”

“Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, we could prevent greater damage.”

Nam Woo-chang was very courteous.

Knowing Lee Gwak was a remarkable martial artist was one thing, but witnessing his prowess firsthand was entirely different. Naturally, Nam Woo-chang’s demeanor shifted; his respect for Lee Gwak deepened.

It was his honest desire to have him not only accompany them to the Nine Dragons Clan but, if possible, to recruit him into the Unsan Escort Agency. But he knew well that rashly bringing up such words could have the opposite effect.

If he truly wanted to recruit Lee Gwak, he had to get closer to him over sufficient time.

“I need to go check on the broken wagons, so I’ll excuse myself first.”

Nam Woo-chang withdrew.

They had temporarily repaired the wheels to get here, but to travel a long distance, they needed proper repairs.

Even though they were staying for a day, it didn’t mean they could truly rest. There were many things Nam Woo-chang had to personally check.

After Nam Woo-chang left, Lee Gwak looked around the room.

It was a large room that could accommodate three or four people sleeping at the same time. They had given such a room for Lee Gwak and his son. It was how much they were treating him with utmost respect.

At that moment, Lee Cheong asked with a curious expression.

“But isn’t it okay for us not to guard the goods? The escorts are guarding the goods.”

“Because we are vagrants.”

“Does that mean they can’t fully trust us?”

“Exactly. It’s not easy to trust the temporary vagrants completely. For precious cargo like this, the escorts prefer to guard it themselves, even if it’s exhausting.”

The world was harsh.

Placing too much trust in others, or relying on them entirely, was dangerous.

The Unsan Escort Agency didn’t trust the temporarily hired vagrants. So when it came to guarding the goods, they did it themselves, no matter how tired they were.

“Thanks to that, we can rest comfortably. Isn’t that great?”

“Hehe! That’s true.”

Lee Cheong nodded.

The two unpacked their luggage in the room and then went down to the dining hall on the first floor.

“Over here!”

“Come on down!”

When they entered the dining hall, Chae Il-yeon and Seol Cheon-bok waved at them. Sung Jae-kyung and Dam Myeong were also sitting together.

On the table were half a dozen dishes and bottles of liquor. Their faces were red, indicating they had already had a drink.

Lee Gwak and Lee Cheong sat in the seats they were invited to.

“We’ve already ordered food, so let’s eat together. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine.”

Lee Gwak nodded

“How can your martial arts be so strong? I didn’t know that Master Lee’s martial arts were so powerful.”

Chae Il-yeon’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Lee Gwak.

In the Jianghu, the strong were respected.

Lee Gwak was a strong man worthy of respect.

Chae Il-yeon looked at Lee Gwak with admiring eyes. At that, Sung Jae-kyung

poured a glass of liquor into his mouth and said,

“He’s married, you know.”

“So what?”

“No, I just meant…”

When Chae Il-yeon glared at him, Sung Jae-kyung turned his head away and avoided her gaze.

Seeing the two bickering, Seol Cheon-bok made a dumbfounded expression. But only for a moment.

He soon looked at Lee Gwak with an expression of admiration.

“I knew you weren’t an ordinary martial artist, but I didn’t know you possessed such a level of martial arts. It’s shameful that I couldn’t recognize a master even with my eyes open. I apologize.”

“It’s nothing.”

Seol Cheon-bok’s gaze turned to Lee Cheong.

To think I offered to introduce this boy to a new master when he has a father like Lee Gwak.

If only he could turn back time, he wanted to go back and stop himself from saying such words.

The master he intended to introduce, the head of the Bokho Martial Arts Hall, certainly possessed great martial arts, but he couldn’t compare to the Lee Gwak in front of him.

Others hadn’t been able to see clearly due to the confusion, but he had seen clearly how Lee Gwak subdued the leader of the attackers.

He hadn’t even drawn his blade.

Lee Gwak had subdued the enemy leader with only his bare hands.

It was an extraordinary martial prowess that Seol Cheon-bok couldn’t even dare to dream of.

‘How can such a person still be unknown? He must be hiding his identity.’

Seol Cheon-bok had been a vagrant for many years. Because of that, his knowledge was extensive, but he had never heard the name Lee Jin-mun.

If someone possessed martial arts of Lee Gwak’s caliber, no matter how much they tried to hide it, they couldn’t help but become famous. The fact that Seol Cheon-bok didn’t know him was evidence that he was hiding his real name.

He wanted to ask outright about his true identity, but Seol Cheon-bok suppressed his curiosity with effort.

One of the secrets to his long survival in the Jianghu was suppressing unnecessary curiosity. He knew from long experience that needless curiosity only shortens one’s lifespan.

Seol Cheon-bok pretended to be calm and interacted with Lee Gwak as if nothing was amiss.

The others were the same. However, there was a subtle tension among them.

Having witnessed Lee Gwak’s martial prowess with their own eyes, it wasn’t so easy to treat him as casually as before.

Lee Gwak sensed the atmosphere as well.

Only Chae Il-yeon was treating him the same as before, trying to ease the tense mood. But there were limits to her efforts alone.

In the end, Lee Gwak and Lee Cheong finished their meal briefly and went up to their room.

Perhaps tired, Lee Cheong fell asleep as soon as he lay down on the bed.

Lee Gwak sat down in the chair and looked at Lee Cheong’s sleeping face.

Although Lee Cheong had not been in Jianghu for long, he had already gone through numerous experiences. Lee Gwak believed these trials would ultimately help Lee Cheong grow stronger.

It was at that moment.

— “Master Lee.”

A voice suddenly reached him from outside.

Unperturbed, Lee Gwak rose from his seat and opened the window.

In the darkest corner of the street below, he saw a shadowy figure watching him.

‘Suwol.’

The black shadow was none other than Suwol.

Lee Gwak leaped and approached her.

Su-wol clasped her fists and greeted Lee Gwak.

“Thank you for sparing me earlier.”

“I hope you weren’t interrogated because of me.”

“That much I have to endure. After all, you saved my life.”

Suwol gave a bitter smile.

Having failed to complete her mission and retreated, she couldn’t avoid interrogation. She would probably be punished when she returned to headquarters. That’s why she came to see Lee Gwak. Once she returned, she wouldn’t have any chance to talk to him.

“How is Jin-hwi oraboni? Is he doing well?”

“He’s currently chasing someone named Gyeong Chu-wol.”

Lee Gwak briefly told her about Ki Jin-hwi’s recent activities.

After hearing everything, a dark shadow fell over Su-wol’s face.

“To think such a thing happened… I hope you will continue to look after oraboni, Master Lee. I want to do it myself, but as you can see, I’m tied to the Black Market…”

Su-wol let out a deep sigh.

Lee Gwak asked her,

“What kind of person is the Black Merchant Lord?”