Martial Artist Lee Gwak novel - chapter 324

The Invisible Enemy, The Emerging Threat (3)

The old man holding the hammer was someone Lee Gwak knew.

It was Eun Gwang Ho, the most excellent craftsman Lee Gwak knew.

Lee Gwak wore a troubled expression.

He couldn’t understand why Eun Gwang Ho was here. Eun Gwang Ho was the brother of Eun Won Ho, the leader of the Myriad Merchant Troupe.

He was one of the most renowned craftsmen in the world, as well as a key figure of the Eun Family Forge. Naturally, the Myriad Merchant Troupe took great pains to protect him.

No matter how the Myriad Merchant Troupe had gone into hiding to escape the grasp of the Jade Heaven Alliance, it was unlikely they would leave Eun Gwang Ho in such a shabby workshop.

Lee Gwak momentarily sharpened his senses.

He was trying to see if anyone was secretly guarding Eun Gwang Ho, but he could not detect any protectors nearby.

Frowning, Lee Gwak asked,

“Elder, what brings you here?”

“And what are you doing here? No, never mind. Let’s talk inside.”

With that, Eun Gwang Ho grabbed Lee Gwak’s hand and tugged him inside.

Seeing this, Gam Il-so was startled.

It was the first time he saw the grumpy craftsman being so friendly to someone.

‘Who exactly is this craftsman?’

Gam Il-so looked curiously at the craftsman.

He too wanted to follow Lee Gwak into the workshop, but as soon as Lee Gwak entered, the workshop door closed firmly behind them.

Gam Il-so reluctantly turned away.

As soon as they entered the workshop, Lee Gwak asked again.

“Elder, how come you are in this place?”

“I left the Myriad Merchant Troupe.”

“What?”

Lee Gwak was briefly puzzled, then Eun Gwang Ho spoke with a bitter smile,

“Just as I said. I no longer have any ties with the Myriad Merchant Troupe.”

“What do you mean?”

“There was a difference of opinion between me and my brother over how to run the Myriad Merchant Troupe. My brother believes that we need to bolster our influence by supporting martial sects such as the Nine Dragons Clan, while I think it’s more important to maintain our purity.”

Because of the Jade Heaven Alliance, the Myriad Merchant Troupe had been forced to give up many things and go into hiding.

This had caused considerable debate within the Myriad Merchant Troupe.

One side argued for supporting other sects to put pressure on the Jade Heaven Alliance,  while the other side favored simply waiting out this turbulent era.

Eun Won Ho, the master of the Myriad Merchant Troupe, took the former stance, and Eun Gwang Ho the latter.

The two of them were unwilling to compromise and had a big argument.

Afterwards, Eun Gwang Ho left the Myriad Merchant Troupe and wandered the world alone, eventually settling here.

“So that happened.”

“When a storm blows, one must not stubbornly hold one’s head up. It is wiser to bow one’s head and wait for the storm to pass. A brief humiliation is nothing if one can endure it, but my brother and the leaders do not understand this. They’re unafraid because they have so much wealth.”

A shadow fell across Eun Gwang Ho’s face.

His brother, Eun Won Ho, and the senior members of the Myriad Merchant Troupe placed too much faith in the power of money.

They believed that with enough gold and silver, there was nothing they could not achieve.

However, there are certainly things in the world that even a great amount of money cannot do.

Eun Gwang Ho thought it would be better for the Myriad Merchant Troupe to keep a low profile and wait for an opportunity.

He looked at Lee Gwak.

“How did you come here? Did you know I was here?”

“No.”

Lee Gwak calmly explained how he had ended up here.

After hearing everything, Eun Gwang Ho nodded.

“You’ve been through a lot. Would you show me your blade?”

“Yes!”

Lee Gwak readily handed over his blade.

Seeing the crack in the blade, Eun Gwang Ho frowned.

“It’s a wonder it’s held out until now. Honestly, it’s strange that it hasn’t broken on you already.”

“Is it still repairable?”

“There’s no use trying to fix this. It would be better to craft an entirely new one.”

“I’d like that, but I don’t have time.”

“Ah! You said you needed to meet your wife and daughter.”

Eun Gwang Ho looked at Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak’s face was as gentle as ever. Even though gaining renown could lead one to arrogance, Lee Gwak had remained just as Eun Gwang Ho remembered him. It was rare for someone to remain so consistent.

Eun Gwang Ho generally did not trust people easily. Many had flattered him to obtain a weapon, only to change their demeanor once they had what they wanted.

Moreover, he did not want to give his masterpiece to someone unworthy.

Therefore, he only made weapons of adequate quality. That was enough. But seeing Lee Gwak, the craftsman’s blood boiled.

‘This man…’

If it was Lee Gwak, he would use the weapon he made properly.

He felt assured that Lee Gwak would walk a path that would not shame the weapon.

“Let’s do this.”

“What?”

“I have a few ready-made blades. Use one of those for now. They are made of good quality steel and crafted with care, so they should be quite usable.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Gwak bowed deeply.

A blade made by Eun Gwang Ho would be superior to any that could be obtained in the market.

For Lee Gwak, that was enough.

But Eun Gwang Ho hadn’t finished speaking yet.

“Use that Blade only until you rescue your wife and daughter. After you save them, come back here. By then, I’ll have a new Blade ready for you.”

“That won’t be necessary—”

“I want to do this. I know you’ll use my creation for a worthy cause.”

“Elder…”

“For me, crafting a Blade for the world’s greatest bladesman is a tremendous honor. So please allow me to do this for you.”

Eun Gwang Ho gave a warm smile.

An indescribable expression appeared on Lee Gwak’s face. Eun Gwang Ho took his hand.

His calloused, thick hands gently massaged Lee Gwak’s palm.

Eun Gwang Ho deeply imprinted the shape of Lee Gwak’s hand in his mind.

Lee Gwak, unable to pull his hand away, looked at Eun Gwang Ho.

“Thank you… I will use it in a way that does not disgrace your name.”

“That’s all I need.”

Eun Gwang Ho lightly patted the back of Lee Gwak’s hand.

His warmth was transmitted to Lee Gwak.

****

“Phew!”

The woman with her hat pulled low let out a small sigh. She had not removed her hat throughout the boat journey. The little girl beside her was the same.

The small girl beside her did the same, wrapping her face completely with a cloth, preventing other passengers from seeing their true faces.

“Mom!”

The girl whispered, holding the woman’s hand. The woman slightly bowed her head to look at the girl.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s a bit suffocating, but I’m fine.”

The girl, Lee Soo-ah, nodded.

The woman wearing the hat was Han So-cheon.

The two had been traveling south from Mount Qilian without a moment’s rest.

‘We haven’t shaken off the pursuer yet.’

A deep shadow crossed Han So-cheon’s eyes.

She had tried every trick—disguises, changing routes, and so on—to elude the one tracking them.Yet like a ghost, he had trailed them unceasingly. Because of that, Han So-cheon had not even been able to make contact with the Hao Clan.

Lee Soo-ah whispered,

“We can’t keep running forever, Mother!”

“I know.”

Han So-cheon nodded.

“I know.”

Han So-cheon nodded.

During their journey here, her senses had somewhat recovered.

She wasn’t as active as during her peak in the Jianghu, but she was able to perform some of her old techniques to a certain extent.

If it were the old days, this would have been enough to take a stand. However, now she had Lee Soo-ah with her, and she could not take such a risky gamble.

Han So-cheon said.

“Let’s make contact with Hao Clan. According to what I’ve found out, there’s a branch of Hao Clan here.”

“Okay!”

Lee Soo-ah nodded.

If they didn’t contact the Hao Clan now to report their whereabouts, they didn’t know when another opportunity might come.

That’s why, even while fleeing to this place, she focused on finding the location of the Hao Clan’s branch. Fortunately, this local branch was in a place many people knew about, making it relatively easy to find.

Thud!

At last, the small boat docked at the pier.

As soon as the boat was docked, Han So-cheon and Lee Soo-ah disembarked and headed toward the street where the Hao Clan branch was located.

There were many people on the street, so they couldn’t freely use their qigong. Instead, they hurriedly walked.

It didn’t take long to reach the slums where the Hao Clan branch was located.

Han So-cheon’s eyes sharply scanned the slums.

She could see that people were looking at her warily. This was normal in the slums.

Normally, Han So-cheon would have come here covertly, avoiding the eyes of others. But now, she had no choice.

Han So-cheon entered the Hao Clan branch she had previously identified with Lee Soo-ah.

“Who are you?”

At the sight of a mysterious woman and a small girl, the Hao Clan’s guards at the entrance eyed them warily.

Han So-cheon quickly said.

“My name is Han So-cheon. I’ve come with a request for the Hao Clan.”

“Han So-cheon?”

The guard frowned in thought. Then, realizing who she was, he gasped in surprise.

He quickly shut the branch’s door and said.

“Are you the wife of Lee Gwak, the Grandmaster?”

“How did you know?”

“There has been an order across the entire branch to locate Mrs. Han.”

“What?”

“Lee Gwak has become a guest member of our clan.”

“My husband?”

“For more details, please speak with our branch chief.”

The guard led Han So-cheon and Lee Soo-ah to where the branch chief was located.

Upon meeting Han So-cheon, the branch chief too was greatly surprised.

“It’s fortunate. We’ve been very worried.”

“Can you contact my husband?”

“Of course. As soon as we heard that you were attacked on Mount Qilian, Lee Gwak, along with your son, headed to this area. He is currently about seven hundred li away in Gaiyang, so if we send a message, he will know immediately.”

“Then please send the message right away.”

“Understood.”

The branch chief nodded and hurriedly wrote a letter.

A look of exhilaration crossed his face.

He was pleased to be able to fulfill the order issued by the Hao Clan across all branches.

If Han So-cheon safely meets Lee Gwak, his efforts would undoubtedly be highly recognized.

This could likely lead to a promotion and a transfer from this remote village to a larger, more vibrant city like the capital, which was his sole desire.

The branch chief tied the letter to the leg of one of the messenger hawk available at each branch.

Only then did relief appear on Han So-cheon’s face.

She had been incredibly anxious during their journey here.

The fact that Lee Gwak had already set out from Mount Qilian after hearing about the incident brought her a profound sense of relief.

Lee Soo-ah’s eyes sparkled.

‘Dad is not far from here.’

She trusted her father more than anyone else in the world.

Just knowing that Lee Gwak was on his way already made her feel secure.

The branch chief took the messenger bird to the window.

“Hurry and deliver this message to Gaiyang.”

Flutter!

The branch chief released the messenger bird.

The bird vigorously flapped its wings and soared into the sky.

Bang!

Suddenly, with a loud explosion, the messenger bird burst mid-air.

Blood splattered everywhere, and feathers scattered chaotically.

“What?”

The branch chief blinked.

The incident had happened so suddenly that he momentarily couldn’t grasp the situation.

At that moment, Han So-cheon shouted.

“It’s dangerous!”

“What?”

Slash!

At that instant, a fountain of blood erupted from the branch chief’s neck.

The branch chief fell to the ground, his eyes wide open in shock.

“Soo-ah!”

Han So-cheon quickly grabbed Lee Soo-ah’s hand and darted outside.

Boom!

Right after that, something massive struck the room they had been in.

The wooden room burst apart, and a large man emerged.

As soon as Han So-cheon saw his face, her eyes trembled.

‘Je Mu-hyeok’

The man with a bear-like stature and a formidable appearance was Je Mu-hyeok, who had been tracking them from Mount Qilian.

Je Mu-hyeok glared at Han So-cheon and Lee Soo-ah.

“Caught you, bitch!”

Irritation filled his face.

If things had gone according to plan, he would have finished everything on Mount Qilian and been reassigned elsewhere. However, due to Lee Soo-ah’s fire arrow, he had lost track of the mother and daughter and wasted several days.

This was a significant loss for him.

It was the first time he had spent so much time without any gains, which only fueled his anger.

“Today, I will definitely cut off your breath.”

Je Mu-hyeok advanced toward the mother and daughter.