chapter 321

When the Sky Changes, the World Changes as Well (3)

Lee Gwak focused his internal energy on his eyes, sharpening his vision. And the appearance of the flag became clearer.

It was a triangular flag, and the three characters “Green Heaven Society” were distinctly embroidered on it.

Lee Gwak frowned.

The Green Heaven Society had a bad history with him.

It couldn’t be a coincidence that their ships were blocking his path at this very moment.

The captain asked Lee Gwak.

“What should we do, Master Lee?”

“Keep going for now.”

“Understood.”

At Lee Gwak’s command, the captain nodded with a tense expression.

Lee Gwak still could not be certain of anything. He would have to get closer to gauge their intentions.

As the Green Heaven Society’s ships drew nearer, a menacing aura became palpable. Lee Gwak knew it was killing intent.

“Father!”

Lee Cheong, too, sensed the killing intent radiating from the enemy ship and tensed up.

Still watching from the front, Lee Gwak spoke.

“It seems they’ve been waiting for us.”

“Why are they targeting us?”

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

His gaze turned razor-sharp.

Coincidentally, the Green Heaven Society appeared and blocked the way just as he was rushing to Han So-cheon and Lee Soo-ah.

It couldn’t all be just a coincidence.

Lee Gwak thought so.

The ships of the Green Heaven Society that blocked the waterway and the ship Lee Gwak was on were getting closer.

In the center of the largest ship, a man in his late forties dressed in green robes was standing. He was looking down at Lee Gwak and the others from the highest point on the ship.

Lee Gwak recognized him at a glance.

It was Oh Cheol-geuk, the leader of the Green Heaven Society.

Oh Cheol-geuk still looked at Lee Gwak as if he owned the world, but Lee Gwak could read a streak of uneasy emotion hidden behind his eyes.

As Lee Gwak’s ship approached, Oh Cheol-geuk finally spoke.

“It’s been a long time, Master Lee!”

His voice, filled with internal energy, was clear.

After a moment of silence, Lee Gwak finally spoke.

“Indeed. And what brings you to block the waterway of the Jang River? Are you trying to stop me from passing?”

“Haha! It’s a coincidence.”

“A coincidence?”

“We received information that a criminal who committed a crime against our society is fleeing this way, so we blocked the waterway.”

“Since I have nothing to do with the Green Heaven Society, I should be able to pass.”

“I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible. We don’t yet know which ship the criminal is on, so we would appreciate your cooperation while our martial artists conduct a search.”

“Cooperation?”

Lee Gwak’s voice naturally rose. However, Oh Cheol-geuk continued calmly.

“Yes! Just stay where you are and wait.”

“How long should we wait?”

“Until we say it’s over.”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

“I’m sorry, Master, Lee! We have our reasons, so please understand.”

“What if I can’t understand?”

“I don’t think you would make such a foolish choice.”

Oh Cheol-geuk smirked.

About ten ships carrying around five hundred men were with him, all elite members of the Green Heaven Society.

Even if Lee Gwak was strong, he couldn’t handle these five hundred men—that was Oh Cheol-geuk’s thinking.

In truth, he didn’t want to stop Lee Gwak.

As solid as the Green Heaven Society’s forces were, Lee Gwak was a significant burden.

He had even hired the Black Death Squad to kill him once, and failed. That was how formidable Lee Gwak was.

If a fight were to break out, the Green Heaven Society would sustain heavy losses. As someone who sought to expand the Society, Oh Cheol-geuk wanted to avoid that.

Yet he had no choice.

The Green Heaven Society had a new master, and he had ordered Oh Cheol-geuk to hinder Lee Gwak’s path. That’s why Oh Cheol-geuk had come with more than ten ships to block his way.

Oh Cheol-geuk did not know the reason for this order—or, rather, he could not have refused even if he did know. That person had instilled in him a terror worse than death.

Oh Cheol-geuk addressed Lee Gwak.

“Just stay there quietly, and no one will get hurt or upset.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then your journey will become quite tiresome. Wouldn’t it be better to compromise rather than tire each other out?”

Oh Cheol-geuk was trying to persuade him gently.

He thought it was a reasonable offer.

It would only slightly delay Lee Gwak, and he would be carrying out his orders. But Lee Gwak’s response completely betrayed his expectations.

“Who are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“The person who gave you that order…”

“I am the leader of the Green Heaven Society. No one can give me orders.”

“But why do your eyes look so uneasy? When I saw you before, your eyes showed no hesitation. You looked like you could handle any hardship. But now, your eyes are different.”

Lee Gwak’s calm voice struck Oh Cheol-geuk’s heart like a dagger. His gaze, seemingly piercing everything, made Oh Cheol-geuk shout involuntarily.

“Shut up! What do you know? Just listen when I’m speaking kindly.”

Oh Cheol-geuk’s eyes were suddenly bloodshot.

At last, the pent-up side of his nature rose to the surface.

This revealed more to Lee Gwak.

Someone had instructed Oh Cheol-geuk to block his path. This person was likely connected to the attack on Mount Qilian.

Lee Gwak looked at Lee Cheong.

“Dad!”

Lee Cheong nodded.

Lee Gwak would prefer not to fight without good cause, but they couldn’t simply let it go.

If there really was a mastermind behind this, he had to find out. Otherwise, they would have to keep fighting endlessly.

Lee Cheong, who had grown significantly through the martial arts tournament at the Nine Dragons Gate, not only in martial arts skills but also in mental strength, held his sword and spoke.

“Don’t worry about me.”

The martial artists on the Green Heaven Society’s ship drew their weapons.

Swords, blades, spears, harpoons and all sorts of hidden weapons were aimed at the ship carrying Lee Gwak.

It was an intimidating sight.

Anyone in the world would feel cowed before the killing intent emanating from five hundred martial artists. But Lee Gwak had a reason he could not retreat.

No threat in the world could stop him from reaching his family.

“Sigh!”

It was the moment Lee Gwak let out a soft sigh.

“Attack!”

At once, the Green Heaven Society’s martial artists loosed their arrows.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

A hundred arrows zipped toward Lee Gwak’s ship.

At that moment, Lee Gwak stretched out his left hand forward.

Whooom!

A powerful qi surged from Lee Gwak’s palm, forming a dome-like barrier. The arrows, which had been hurtling toward them with fearsome momentum, struck the energy field and dropped weakly into the water.

“Ugh!”

“What the—!”

The Green Heaven Society martial artists looked bewildered.

Krrrrk!

Their vessels began to rock violently beneath their feet.

Despite the turmoil in the river, the ship Lee Gwak was on remained still.

At that moment, Lee Gwak clenched the palm he had kept extended. The ship Oh Cheol-geuk was on started to drift towards where Lee Gwak was.

“Insane!”

“Good heavens! Using Sky-Grasping Technique to pull a ship?”

The martial artists of the Green Heaven Society were stunned.

The disbelief in their bulging eyes was palpable. The martial prowess Lee Gwak displayed was that shocking.

At that moment, Oh Cheol-geuk shouted.

“Don’t panic and attack. He’s just a man. No need to shrink back from just this.”

He was just as startled. But he couldn’t afford to be dazed forever.

Although Lee Gwak’s martial prowess was shocking, no one was injured yet.

The martial artists of the Green Heaven Society quickly composed themselves to attack Lee Gwak.

Pop!

At that moment, Lee Gwak leaped from his ship towards the one Oh Cheol-geuk was on.

“Don’t let him board.”

Seeing this, Oh Cheol-geuk screamed in horror.

Whiz whiz whiz!

The martial artists of the Green Heaven Society shot arrows and various hidden weapons at Lee Gwak, but they were not enough to stop him.

Ting ting ting!

With a single swing of his blade, Lee Gwak knocked down the arrows and hidden weapons.

Thud!

Lee Gwak landed on the deck of Oh Cheol-geuk’s ship.

His target was only Oh Cheol-geuk.

Lee Gwak charged across the deck towards Oh Cheol-geuk, but he had to overcome the numerous martial artists to reach him.

“Uwaaa!”

“Kill him!”

The martial artists protecting Oh Cheol-geuk charged at Lee Gwak all at once.

Swish!

A whirlwind of blades tore through the cramped deck.

Dozens of killing intents and dozens of swords converged on Lee Gwak. It was a grim scene—enough to unsettle any martial artist—yet Lee Gwak remained calm.

He could see Oh Cheol-geuk hiding behind the numerous martial artists charging at him, looking somehow anxious and diminished.

Lee Gwak had witnessed that look many times before: individuals who had relied on their status and martial power, only to crumble into despair once their pillars of support collapsed.

Oh Cheol-geuk believed he was different. But in Lee Gwak’s eyes, he was no different from the others.

Lee Gwak lunged towards Oh Cheol-geuk. Five swords flew towards him, the attacks led by the front five men.

Lee Gwak casually swung his blade.

The sight of metal cutting through metal as if it were slicing through butter seemed surreal.

The martial artists, suddenly weaponless, blinked blankly, their bodies stiff as trees from the shock.

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted in the middle of the deck. It was Lee Gwak striking the deck with his palm.

“Waaaah!”

“Ugh!”

About ten martial artists were flung in all directions, splashing into the water.

But this was just the beginning.

Boom!

Once more, with another explosion, about ten martial artists were sent flying into the air.

They crashed into the Jang River below.

“Save me!”

“Ugh!”

In an instant, the river was full of flailing martial artists.

Fortunately, they survived, but not everyone was lucky enough to have such fortune.

Sssht!

“Ugh!”

Lee Gwak’s blade penetrated the chest of a Green Heaven Society martial artist.

He collapsed, spewing blood.

He was one of Oh Cheol-geuk’s closest and most vicious martial artists. He had unleashed a deadly attack on Lee Gwak, only to face a brutal counter.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

Screams continued to resonate across the deck.

“This can’t be happening!”

Oh Cheol-geuk’s eyes trembled.

There was no one left standing on the deck.

Lee Gwak was known to be strong, but Oh Cheol-geuk had never imagined him to be so overwhelmingly powerful.

His elite martial artists from the Green Heaven Society had barely held on for a moment before all were downed.

“We have to save the leader.”

“Connect the ships.”

Martial artists from other ships of the Green Heaven Society moved to rescue Oh Cheol-geuk. However, with as many as nine ships, they tangled and collided, creating chaos.

“Useless!”

Oh Cheol-geuk bit his lip in frustration.

He had never really trusted his subordinates, but he had not anticipated they would be of so little help.

Lee Gwak walked towards him, blade extended.

He did not even appear out of breath-—a sight that seemed hardly human.

“Whether it’s him or you…”

A blaze of fury surged within Oh Cheol-geuk.

He hated Jin Woo-seon, who had suddenly appeared to subdue him and take over the Green Heaven Society, but he despised Lee Gwak even more for refusing his offer and drawing his blade against him.

His ambitions to elevate the Green Heaven Society beyond its historical heights had crumbled like a castle of sand.

“I will kill you.”

Oh Cheol-geuk heightened his internal energy to its peak and charged at Lee Gwak.

Swish!

The folding fan at his waist snapped open.

It was the Ten-Direction Fan—every rib forged from ten-thousand-year cold steel, a weapon of sorcery.

Oh Cheol-geuk swung the Ten-Direction Fan at Lee Gwak.

Whiz whiz whiz!

The fan blades, crafted from millennial cold iron, became lethal hidden weapons as they flew at Lee Gwak.

Oh Cheol-geuk was confident this strike could at least severely wound Lee Gwak, if not kill him. But his confidence shattered the next moment.

Clang!

The millennial cold iron fan blades were deflected in every direction by Lee Gwak’s bare hands.

Suddenly, anger gave way to fear, and his rationality returned.

“shit!”

Oh Cheol-geuk turned to flee, but Lee Gwak was much quicker.

Thud!

Lee Gwak’s sword pierced through Oh Cheol-geuk’s thigh, pinning him to the deck.

“Aaaaargh!”

Oh Cheol-geuk’s scream belatedly filled the deck.