Martial Artist Lee Gwak novel - chapter 301

chapter 301 The Fallen Dragon Dreams of Flying Again (1)

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Jin-moon. This is my son, Lee Cheong.”

“Haha! So you’re Brother Lee. Really pleased to meet you.”

Go Il-young burst into hearty laughter.

It was a bold laugh befitting his appearance.

Go Il-young asked, “Are you here to participate in the martial arts tournament as well, Brother Lee?”

“I’m not participating myself. Instead, my son will be.”

“Oh!”

Go Il-young looked at Lee Cheong with a feigned surprised expression. At that, Lee Cheong blushed slightly.

“Your martial arts must be exceptional. I’ve heard that the talents participating in this tournament are truly remarkable.”

“Not at all. I’m just doing it for the experience…”

“Great! It will be a good experience. But be careful. In tournaments like this, you never know what might happen. Everyone will probably come at you with fierce determination.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Good! Do your best so as not to tarnish your father’s honor.”

“Yes!”

Go Il-young’s smile deepened, seemingly satisfied with Lee Cheong’s response.

This time, Lee Gwak asked Go Il-young,

“Brother Go, have you been here long?”

“No, I also arrived just a short while ago. It’s my first time at the Nine Dragons Clan, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”

“I see.”

“By the way, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Please join me for the food I’ve ordered.”

“I’ve already imposed on you by taking these seats; I couldn’t possibly.”

“Not at all. I got carried away and ordered a bit of everything, so there’s too much food. I can’t eat it all by myself. Please don’t hesitate and join me.”

As Go Il-young insisted, it became difficult for Lee Gwak to refuse any further.

“Then we’ll gratefully accept.”

“Haha! No need to be formal. Aren’t we all fellow travelers under the same sky? Please, help yourselves.”

Go Il-young pushed the drinks and food toward Lee Gwak and Lee Cheong.

As Lee Gwak picked up his chopsticks first, Lee Cheong followed suit.

A cold glint flashed in Go Il-young’s eyes as he watched them.

Even from this brief interaction, it was clear how much Lee Cheong admired and respected his father.

How much love must he have received from his father to have such expressions and glances?

Go Il-young unconsciously clenched his hands under the table.

His own father had been a drunkard.

Whenever he drank, he lost control and frequently resorted to violence against his family. There wasn’t a day without bruises on Go Il-young’s body, and on some days, he was beaten so badly he was bedridden for days.

His arms and legs had been broken multiple times. Eventually, the abuse became so severe that he thought he might die if it continued.

That’s when he first stood up to his father.

His father staggered from a single punch. Seeing that, he realized.

That his father wasn’t as frightening as he had thought. In reality, he was a worthless human being.

Over time, his father grew old and shrunk, while he grew stronger and taller.

Before he knew it, his father had aged and shrunk, and he had grown much taller than his father.

He just hadn’t realized it because he was consumed by fear.

That change in perception took away his fear.

With fear gone, his father was no longer an object of terror to Go Il-young. Now, it was Go Il-young who became the source of fear.

He unleashed ruthless violence upon his father.

In the end, Go Il-young killed the father he had so feared and was reborn anew.

For someone like him, seeing such a harmonious father-son relationship brought back memories of his hellish past. He tried to ignore it, but like a moth drawn to a flame, he couldn’t resist his instincts and approached Lee Gwak and Lee Cheong.

‘What should I do?’

He imagined it.

Hurting Lee Cheong to bring despair to Lee Gwak. Or, tormenting Lee Gwak to scar Lee Cheong’s heart.

These dark fantasies were his little amusements.

At that moment—

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Lee Gwak’s low voice reached his ears.

Go Il-young shuddered for a moment. A strange chill ran down his spine.

Startled, he quickly looked up to see Lee Gwak staring intently at him.

Lee Gwak’s gaze wasn’t particularly sharp or piercing. It was an ordinary look you could see anywhere. But at this moment, that gaze was piercing Go Il-young’s eyes like a dagger.

‘What the…?’

Go Il-young bit his lip in surprise. But in the next moment, Lee Gwak’s gaze returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

‘Was it my imagination?’

But the goosebumps on his arms hadn’t subsided. The feeling just now was definitely not his imagination.

Only then did Go Il-young realize that the man before him was not an ordinary person.

Lee Gwak asked again, “What’s made you smile so brightly?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just having some silly thoughts.”

“I’m curious about these thoughts.”

“Haha! Really, it’s nothing special.”

Go Il-young waved his hand dismissively and laughed. But his eyes were cold, unlike his jovial expression. And Lee Gwak continued to stare at him.

‘Malice!’

He sensed ill intentions emanating from Go Il-young.

***

Crash!

A pale fist struck a large boulder.

The fist tore open, and blood splattered everywhere.

The woman’s face contorted for a moment.

An unfamiliar pain swept through her entire body.

Her delicate eyebrows knitted tightly, and she bit her lip hard to suppress the groan that was about to escape.

“Are… Are you alright, Young Miss?”

A maid hurried over in alarm. But the woman coldly shook off the maid’s hand.

“Let go!”

“But if we leave it like this, your injury…”

“What’s the big deal about an injury when I’ve lost my martial arts?”

At the woman’s cold words, the maid shrank back.

An expression of pity appeared on the maid’s face.

The woman had once shone more brilliantly than anyone.

She had transcended the limitations of being a woman and was recognized as one of the greatest talents in the Jianghu. In fact, her martial prowess was in no way inferior to the Ten Lesser Skies.

That’s how she earned the title “Dark Martial Empress.” But the chaotic winds stirred up by the Jade Heaven Alliance turned her into the “Blood Martial Empress.”

The Blood Martial Empress, Dan Li-Yeon.

The woman who couldn’t even break a simple boulder and whose hand was torn apart was none other than Dan Li-Yeon.

Her wounds hadn’t fully healed yet, and her complexion was pale. But the problem wasn’t the physical wounds.

She could simply call a physician to treat her wounds. Even pain so severe that she wanted to die was something she could endure. She could replenish her depleted internal energy with elixirs.

For Dan Li-Yeon, enduring that level of pain was nothing. The problem was her vitality.

She had no strength left in her body.

Even breathing brought immense pain. It was as if she was about to die.

It was a symptom of the exhaustion of her innate qi.

The aftereffects of using the Great Art of Potential Amplification were tormenting Dan Li-Yeon.

Now, she was worse than an ordinary person who had never learned martial arts.

Even taking a deep breath was painful. No, just being alive made her miserable.

Though she was breathing fine, she was dying.

That’s how terrifying the Great Art of Potential Amplification was.

Dan Li-Yeon’s expression twisted horribly.

She had anticipated this level of aftereffect.

The problem was that even after using the Great Art of Potential Amplification, she couldn’t defeat Lee Gwak. Instead, she was miserably defeated and sent back to the Jade Heaven Alliance in disgrace.

That fact made her feel unbearably humiliated.

‘I’ll probably never be able to use martial arts again.’

When she used the Great Art of Potential Amplification, she thought she didn’t care what happened. But the thought of not being able to use martial arts and dying in such a pathetic state made her seethe with anger.

“Ahhhh!”

Unable to contain her rage, she let out an angry scream.

At that moment.

That’s when it happened.

A cold voice came from behind her.

When Dan Li-Yeon turned her head, she saw a familiar face.

“Elder… Brother!”

The man looking at her with an icy expression was none other than her senior brother, Yong Cheon-Myeong.

“Have you come to mock me? If so, mock me all you want. As you can see, this junior sister is nothing more than a cripple. A pathetic being who can’t even break a rock, whose bones break, and whose hands tear apart.”

“Was he that strong? Strong enough to defeat you even after you used the Great Art of Potential Amplification?”

“He is strong. Honestly, he might be stronger than you, Senior Brother.”

“Kuh! You must have lost your mind. How dare you utter such nonsense.”

“Is it really nonsense? Look at me, Senior Brother. Do you feel nothing even after seeing me lose everything?”

Dan Li-yeon spread her arms wide, as though she had given up on everything. Her defeated appearance made Yong Cheon-Myeong’s expression twist slightly.

Dan Li-Yeon had been more confident than anyone.

She had never shown signs of intimidation, even in front of him.

She was not only strong in martial arts but also mentally resilient.

She had never once despaired in the face of any trial, and seeing her so broken was a great shock to Yong Cheon-Myeong as well.

“Was he really that formidable?”

“Whatever you think, he is beyond that. Forget that he was once the outer Hall leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance. If you hold such prejudices, you’ll never be able to defeat him.”

“Hmm!”

Yong Cheon-Myeong crossed his arms.

He had a disbelieving expression toward Dan Li-Yeon’s words.

No matter how renowned Lee Gwak had become, to him, Lee Gwak was nothing more than the outer hall squad leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance. Even though many years had passed, he still remembered him as he was back then.

It was a matter of pride.

Acknowledging Lee Gwak felt like denying his own existence. So he couldn’t acknowledge Lee Gwak. No, he didn’t want to.

Even if it made him seem petty, it didn’t matter. Admitting Lee Gwak’s strength felt more painful than death to him.

Dan Li-Yeon’s delicate brows furrowed deeply. Just by looking at Yong Cheon-myeong’s expression, she could tell what he thought of her words.

Dan Li-Yeon changed the subject instead of trying to persuade him.

“By the way, what brings you here? Surely, as busy as you are, you didn’t come just to watch your junior sister’s miserable state.”

“Master is calling for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes.”

At Yong Cheon-Myeong’s indifferent reply, Dan Li-Yeon bit her lip.

Since returning to the Jade Heaven Alliance as a cripple, her master Ja Hong-Cheon had not visited her even once. He hadn’t even offered a word of consolation.

Because of this, resentment toward Ja Hong-Cheon had piled up in Dan Li-Yeon’s heart like a towering mountain.

Dan Li-Yeon felt abandoned by her master and had given up on everything. But now, being summoned by him stirred complex emotions within her.

“If you wish to continue living miserably until the end, you don’t have to go. But if not, it’s best to answer the Master’s call.”

“Understood.”

“Wise choice.”

“I’ll go.”

Dan Li-yeon walked away from Yong Cheon-Myeong.

Each step was a struggle.

Her legs trembled, and she was out of breath.

The fact that she had become a cripple was unbearably miserable. Before she knew it, her cheeks were stained with tears. Yet she persevered and kept walking.

She could feel Yong Cheon-myeong’s gaze on her back. She didn’t want to show any more weakness in front of him. Though her body and mind were broken, her pride remained intact.

A distance that would have taken her a mere moment in the past now took her almost half an hour to traverse.

Dan Li-Yeon paused to catch her breath in front of the Blue Heart Hall, Ja Hong-Cheon’s residence. Only after some color returned to her pale face did she compose herself and enter the Blue Heart Hall with a deliberately calm expression.

Inside the training ground of the Blue Heart Hall, Ja Hong-cheon stood, like a towering mountain.

It was thanks to his overwhelming presence and leadership that the Jade Heaven Alliance could wage war against the Seven Sects.

Dan Li-Yeon bit her lip gently.

Until now, she had resented and feared Ja Hong-Cheon. Her feelings were close to hatred. That’s why she hadn’t sought him out when she returned to the Jade Heaven Alliance as a cripple. But now, seeing his back like this, she felt tears welling up.

Dan Li-Yeon gritted her teeth. Her lips were cracking and bleeding, but she didn’t care.

At that moment, Ja Hong-Cheon turned around and looked at her.

“Ma…ster!”

Her voice trembled uncontrollably.

Ja Hong-cheon looked at her with indifferent eyes, devoid of sympathy. His cold gaze pierced her heart like a dagger.

Feeling utterly wretched, Dan Li-Yeon clenched her fists tightly. Her fingernails dug into her palms, causing blood to flow, but she didn’t even feel the pain.

After staring at her impassively for a moment, Ja Hong-Cheon finally spoke.

“You’ve lost everything.”

“Master! I…”

“It was a valuable experience. Sometimes, such misery becomes the driving force that makes a person stronger.”

“But I’ve already exhausted my innate qi…”

“What if there’s a way to restore your innate qi?”

“I would even sell my soul. Is there a way?”

“There is.”

Dan Li-Yeon trembled as if struck by lightning.

Her resentment toward her master vanished instantly. She was ready to offer everything—her soul, her very being—for the chance he offered.