chapter 312

Not Everything Goes as Planned (3)

“Brother!”

“You made it out safely.”

Nam Woo Gyeong welcomed Lee Gwak with joy.

Seeing Lee Gwak’s face, the tension on Nam Woo Gyeong’s face finally eased. Although he believed that Lee Gwak would make it out safely, he had been worried.

Lee Gwak looked at Nam Woo Gyeong for a moment before turning his gaze to Lee Cheong.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

Lee Cheong smiled.

His face was still flushed with excitement.

It was understandable, as Lee Cheong had watched the duel between Gyeong Un-cheon and Lee Gwak closer than anyone else. By witnessing their fight more vividly than others, he had gained a lot.

Sometimes, simply observing others’ battles could be enlightening, especially when it was a duel between absolute masters.

“How about you, Father? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Lee Gwak nodded calmly. Only then did Lee Cheong look relieved.

At that moment, the head of the Hao Clan’s local branch opened the door to the main room and stepped inside.

“Young Master, you’re safe!”

“Thanks to your help. I appreciate it!”

“I merely did what I could. It’s all thanks to master Lee Gwak here.”

“How are things outside?”

“A Heaven and Earth net has been spread around the center of the Nine Dragons Clan.”

“As expected.”

Nam Woo Gyeong’s eyes sharpened.

Being humiliated at the very headquarters of the Nine Dragons Clan had severely damaged the face and honour of Gyeong Un-cheon and the Nine Dragons Clan. They would surely use any means necessary to capture or kill Lee Gwak to restore some of their lost honour. Therefore, it was only natural to spread a Heaven and Earth net

Nam Woo Gyeong was not worried.

For the network to function effectively, seamless communication and a solid surveillance network were necessary. However, as long as the Hao Clan interfered, it was impossible for them to gather proper information.

The Hao Clan could not defeat the Nine Dragons Clan by force, but they could make them uncomfortable. Nam Woo Gyeong was planning to show the power of the Hao Clan to the Nine Dragons Clan from now on.

Then the branch leader cautiously spoke.

“After your disappearance, the clan leader was very worried. You are ordered to return to the main sect immediately as soon as you escape the Nine Dragons Clan.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! You must return immediately.”

The branch leader emphasized the word “immediately.”

“Sigh! Can’t be helped.”

Nam Woo Gyeong sighed.

He was a free-spirited man with no care in the world, but he couldn’t refuse his master’s order.

Nam Woo Gyeong looked at Lee Gwak.

Gwak!”

“Yes!”

“I’m sorry, but can you escort me?”

“To the Hao Clan?”

“Yes!”

The branch leader was taken aback.

“Are you planning to bring master Lee to the main sect?”

In the hundreds of years of the Hao Clan’s history, they had never allowed an outsider into their main faction.

Nam Woo Gyeong shrugged.

“What can I do? Right now, Gwak is the only one who can protect me here.”

“But…”

“The clan leader will understand. I will explain everything, so don’t worry, branch leader.”

“Phew!”

At that, the branch head let out a sigh. He, too, knew there was no alternative.

Nam Woo Gyeong was physically weakened from being tortured by the Nine Dragons Clan. If they ran into a pursuit squad right now, he’d stand little chance of escape.

Looking resigned, the branch leader said:

“Do as you must.”

“Don’t worry. They won’t kill Gwak just because he enters our headquarters.”

“No one would dare harm Master Lee. The real problem is you, Young Master. The Clan Leader might be enraged.”

“That’s a risk I’ll have to take. But I can assure you, the Clan Leader won’t be angry in the slightest.”

Nam Woo Gyeong gave a cold smile.

Eternal principles do not exist. As the world changes, principles must change as well.

Nam Woo Gyeong believed that now was such a time.

The order of the Jianghu, which had been fixed for over a hundred years, was rapidly changing.

Currently, only the Nine Dragons Clan was targeting the Hao Clan, but as time passed, who knew which clan would secretly attack them.

It was crucial to prepare before it was too late.

For the survival of the Hao Clan, certain actions had to be taken.

Nam Woo Gyeong looked at Lee Gwak.

“I ask you, please escort me.”

“I will do so.”

“Thank you. It looks like I’m in your debt once again.”

“You owe me nothing.”

“No. I will never forget this favor for as long as I live.”

Nam Woo Gyeong firmly grasped Lee Gwak’s hand.

****
Rumors that the Nine Dragons Clan had been utterly humiliated spread like wildfire.

Naturally, the Nine Dragons Clan tried to contain these rumors. However, it was impossible to silence ten people’s mouths with just two hands.

That day, countless martial artists from various sects had gathered at the Nine Dragons Clan, and they all vividly witnessed the battle between Lee Gwak and Gyeong Un-cheon.

The Nine Dragons Clan tried to prevent them from leaving, but amid all the chaos, many had already slipped away.

They went to inns or taverns, loudly recounting what they had seen.

“It was truly an earthshaking showdown—who would’ve imagined? Gyeong Un-cheon, the sect master of the Nine Dragons Clan, fighting Lee Gwak, the ‘Sura Blade’? It was like the sky fell and the earth trembled.”

“During that duel, Lee Gwak swung his blade once, and the arm of Eun Mu-yeong flew off.”

“Didn’t Lord Gyeong also suffer a wound from Lee Gwak’s blade and have to retreat?”

“It was incredible. Lord Gyeong was strong, but Lee Gwak was on another level.”

Those who witnessed the fight between the two spread the word eagerly to others, and the rumor snowballed.

Gyeong Un-cheon and the Nine Dragons Clan saw their reputation plummet, while Lee Gwak’s fame soared to the heavens.

Now, the nickname “Sura Blade” was justifiably on par with the Seven Sect’s Leaders.

No one spoke of Lee Gwak merely as a rising star anymore.

He was recognized as one of the top masters in the Jianghu.

People said that the Sura had manifested in the mortal realm, wielding his blade.

The Nine Dragons Clan, having been disgraced by Lee Gwak, deployed a “Heaven and Earth Net” around Nine Dragons Nest and the surrounding region in an effort to kill Lee Gwak and restore their honor, since they could no longer contain the spread of rumors.

A radius of three hundred li around Nine Dragons Nest was sealed off by this Heaven and Earth Net. Not only the Nine Dragons Clan but also several allied sects cooperated in creating a rock-solid surveillance network that not even an ant could slip through.

Yet Lee Gwak’s trace was nowhere to be found.

It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

For ten days, the Nine Dragons Clan maintained the Heaven and Earth Net in hopes of locating Lee Gwak.

They tried hard to preserve the blockade, but the cooperating sects were already exhausted. They only went through the motions of upholding the Heaven and Earth Net and showed no real enthusiasm.

If the Nine Dragons Clan’s prestige had remained as high as it was ten days ago, those sects would not have been so indifferent. But at present, the clan’s fame and authority had hit rock bottom.

Even the colossal funds they had received through their arrangement with the Myriad Merchant Troupe could not restore their fallen prestige.

It was almost impossible to believe that this was the same Nine Dragons Clan that had, until quite recently, seemed unstoppable.

There was yet another problem.

Eun Mu-yeong, who was supposed to lead the next era of the Nine Dragons Clan, had lost an arm to Lee Gwak. And it was his right arm, the one he used to wield his sword.

Eun Mu-yeong had become a cripple, and the Nine Dragons Clan had suddenly lost its heir.

Cracks were appearing in the once-solid structure of the Nine Dragons Clan.

***

Gongcheong Hall was a small martial arts school located in Guxian county, about four hundred li from the Nine Dragons Clan. It had only around thirty disciples in total.

Because their numbers were so small, they held little influence in the area. As a result, very few people even knew about Gongcheong Hall outside the immediate region. Nevertheless, it was a legitimate martial arts establishment—and thus it was responsible for watching one portion of the Heaven and Earth Net the Nine Dragons Clan had established.

Their assigned section of the net was minimal: a stretch of remote hills far removed from the net’s central area.

Their mission was straightforward—if Lee Gwak showed up here, they were to quickly fire a signal flare. The moment the flare burst in the sky, martial artists stationed nearby would come running, turning this place into the central axis of the Heaven and Earth Net.

A man in his early forties wearing a scholar’s robe was Yoo Sam-ui, the headmaster of Gongcheong Hall.

The disciples of Gongcheong Hall were dispersed throughout the mountain to monitor the area, while Yoo Sam-ui alone remained near a stream by the mountain.

After scanning the surroundings, Yoo Sam-ui spoke.

“You can come out now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a rustling sound was heard and three men emerged from the bushes.

The three men were Lee Gwak, Lee Cheong and Nam Woo Gyeong.

Nam Woo Gyeong approached Yoo Sam-ui.

“Thank you, Brother Yoo. It must’ve been a heavy burden, helping us like this.”

“I am a disciple of the Hao Clan—it’s the least I can do. There’s no need to thank me, Young master.”

Yoo Sam-ui smiled gently.

Nam Woo Gyeong returned his smile.

Watching them, Lee Cheong looked puzzled. He didn’t understand their exchange at first, but then quickly grasped its meaning.

So the head of Gongcheong Hall is actually a disciple of the Hao Clan?

When most people hear “Hao Clan,” they usually think of beggars or the poorest classes—that was the common prejudice.

That was the case for Lee Cheong as well, which is why he was even more surprised.

The Hao Clan has more influence than I ever imagined.

A chill ran through Lee Cheong’s body.

A hundred years ago, after suffering devastating losses in the Great Heavenly Blood War,

the Hao Clan sought many changes. One of those changes was to sponsor talented members so they could establish independent branches.

Gongcheong Hall was one such branch founded by a newly independent disciple.

While Yoo Sam-ui ran Gongcheong Hall like any other martial arts school—training disciples in exchange for tuition fees and sending them off to pursue their own careers (often with escort agencies, or as armed guards for merchants)—these disciples sent him regular intel. Even as the master of Gongcheong Hall, he never forgot his identity as a disciple of the Hao Clan.

When the Nine Dragons Clan’s Heaven and Earth was raised, Yoo Sam-ui willingly took part, leading his men to help Nam Woo Gyeong escape.

Yoo Sam-ui spoke again:

“You must hurry, Young Master. If you travel another fifty li from here, you’ll come to a river. I’ve arranged a boat there for you. Once on the water, it’ll be much easier to shake off the Nine Dragons Clan’s pursuit.”

“You’ve done so much for me, Brother Yoo

“I’m only sorry that this is all I can do.”

Yoo Sam-ui clenched his teeth.

The fact that Nam Woo Gyeong, the young master of the Hao Clan, had suffered at the hands of the Nine Dragons Clan infuriated him.

Nam Woo Gyeong took Yoo Sam-ui’s hand.

“This is more than enough.”

“Please be on your way. If you delay, someone may notice.”

“Understood.”

Turning his gaze to Lee Gwak, Yoo Sam-ui spoke:

“Grandmaster Lee, please take good care of our Young Master.”

“Do not worry.”

“I’m placing all my trust in you.”

Yoo Sam-ui bowed his head low, offering the deepest courtesy he could.

Lee Gwak gave a slight nod.

Then Nam Woo Gyeong, standing beside him, spoke up:

“Let’s go, Gwak! Yu-suk will handle things here.”

“All right.”

The three mounted their horses.

After exchanging a brief bow with Yoo Sam-ui, they rode off.

Yoo Sam-ui watched Lee Gwak’s silhouette grow smaller in the distance, then murmured:

“May you become a guiding light in these troubled times…”

Reverence shone in his eyes as he looked at Lee Gwak.

The Nine Dragons Clan had tried to suppress the rumors, but it was futile.  Everyone who needed to know already knew about Lee Gwak’s raid on the Nine Dragons Clan.

They knew that he had defeated Gyeong Un-cheon, the sect leader of the Nine Dragons Clan, and cut off the arm of his disciple Eun Mu-yeong.

It was something no other martial artist had ever accomplished—and Lee Gwak had done it alone.

No martial artist could help but admire Lee Gwak.

There were many in the Jianghu who supported and followed Lee Gwak with their hearts.

Yoo Sam-ui was one of those people.

He stood there in a daze until the three disappeared from sight.

A moment later, he resumed his vigilant watch with a nonchalant expression as if nothing had happened.

Right around that moment, a group appeared in the area he was guarding. Approaching on horseback, they were martial artists of the Nine Dragons Clan, the very backbone of the Nine Dragons Clan.

Leading them was the leader of Cloud Dragon Hall, Go Il-yeong.

Go Il-young asked Yoo Sam-ui:

“Seen any suspicious movements?”

“None whatsoever.”

“Keep your eyes wide open.”

“Don’t worry, sir. Not even an ant will slip by on my watch.”

“We’re all relying on you, Master Yoo.”

“If I detect anything at all, I’ll fire the flare immediately.”

Yoo Sam-ui responded with a look of firm resolve.

Go Il-yeong looked at him with a trusting gaze.