Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 349
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Episode 349
It’s Not Easy to Tell Friend from Foe (3)
To create a Soul Forgotten Demon, a martial artist with excellent physical strength was needed first.
From childhood, they were trained in special mental techniques to make their bodies optimal for receiving drugs. Then, dozens of drugs were administered in stages.
The success or failure hinged on the first administration of the drug.
During this process, at least half died.
Those who survived developed resistance to the drugs, and two months later, received the next drug injection. With each administration, people died, and only those who survived all the drug injections became the Soul Forgotten Demons.
The surviving Soul Forgotten Demons possessed a body tougher than steel and monstrous regenerative abilities, but the cost was severe as they gradually lost their sanity, only obeying the commands of their master.
With reflexes and physical abilities surpassing those of ordinary martial artists, and a blind fighting spirit that didn’t fear death, the Soul Forgotten Demons proved to be the perfect tool.
Initially, Chuk Il-yeop was reluctant to use the Soul Forgotten Demons. However, he realized that he needed hounds like them to hunt people like Lee Gwak.
“Yes! It’s a hunt. A true big game hunt.”
Originally, the bow was created for hunting.
The perfect tool for humans to hunt beasts.
As time passed, it evolved for humans to hunt other humans, but its essence remained in the hunt. Chuk Il-yeop understood this essence of the bow.
“Phew!”
He took a deep breath.
His arrow aimed at Lee Gwak’s form.
Lee Gwak entered his field of vision.
Ssst!
Lee Gwak swung his blade.
The blade, which seemed to shorten the distance between them, instantly severed the neck of a Soul Forgotten Demon.
Even a body tougher than steel was useless against Lee Gwak’s blade.
Thunk! Thud!
The head separated from the body and rolled on the ground.
No matter how monstrous the regeneration of the Soul Forgotten Demons was, being beheaded rendered it useless.
Lee Gwak knew from experience that the best way to handle such inhuman beings was to decapitate them.
Ssst! Ssst!
As the Star Soul cut through the air, the Soul Forgotten Demons collapsed powerlessly.
Chuk Il-yeop widened his eyes.
“Beautiful.”
The movements of a man who had reached the pinnacle of bladesmanship were more beautiful than any master’s dance.
Chuk Il-yeop was also a man who had reached the pinnacle of archery. That’s why he understood how efficient and powerful Lee Gwak’s movements were.
His body trembled.
Not out of fear.
But because he could finally test his archery skills against such a man.
Lee Gwak was surrounded by Soul Forgotten Demons.
Although their numbers had significantly decreased, there were still many left. The Soul Forgotten Demons fearlessly charged at Lee Gwak.
They rushed at him like beasts.
Even as their arms were severed and their legs cut off, they clung to him like wild creatures, their appearance so terrifying it could haunt one’s dreams.
Lee Gwak cut them down, again and again.
Blood splattered in all directions, and the Soul Forgotten Demons littered the ground. Yet, like demons, they still tried to charge at him.
There was no trace of humanity left in their appearance.
‘They were once human too…’
All living beings, especially humans, have an innate desire to survive. It’s a fundamental, unbreakable law of nature. But these beings had lost even that basic instinct.
They were alive, breathing, and moving, but they could no longer be called human. As humans, they had died long ago, and what remained were mere shells—monsters.
Sssik! Sssik!
Lee Gwak’s blade, Star Soul, granted them peace.
Thwack!
Suddenly, Lee Gwak’s body shook.
It was an arrow shot by Chuk Il-yeop.
Lee Gwak’s pupils flickered slightly.
Even while fighting the Soul Forgotten Demons, he had not let his guard down against Chuk Il-yeop. It was obvious that Chuk Il-yeop would shoot an arrow while he was occupied with the Soul Forgotten Demons.
In fact, Lee Gwak had anticipated the moment Chuk Il-yeop would release the arrow. But he couldn’t dodge it because the arrow’s speed exceeded his expectations.
It was at least twice as fast and powerful as an arrow from the Heaven Piercing Great Bow. That’s why his reaction was slightly delayed.
Had he not twisted his body at the last moment, the arrow would have pierced his head.
“Tsk!”
Chuk Il-yeop clicked his tongue in disappointment.
He had failed to kill Lee Gwak with his first shot.
He nocked another arrow and aimed at Lee Gwak.
Snap!
As he released the bowstring, the arrow flew silently.
There was no sound of it cutting through the air.
Ghost Kill.
Like a ghost, it left no trace or sound.
By the time the target noticed, the arrow would already be embedded in their body.
This was the ultimate archery technique, achievable only with the Sinsal Bow, and it was now directed at Lee Gwak.
Lee Gwak grabbed a nearby Soul Forgotten Demon and used it as a shield.
Thwack!
The arrow pierced through the Soul Forgotten Demon’s chest and continued toward Lee Gwak.
Lee Gwak twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the arrow.
Even using the Soul Forgotten Demon as a shield was futile.
The arrow from the Sinsal Bow pierced through everything in its path, aiming solely for Lee Gwak.
Leaving the Soul Forgotten Demons behind, Lee Gwak charged at Chuk Il-yeop.
“Grrr!”
Behind him, the still-intact Soul Forgotten Demons pursued, but they couldn’t catch up to Lee Gwak.
“Huu! You demon!”
Chuk Il-yeop looked at Lee Gwak with a mix of fear and admiration.
The sight of Lee Gwak, having shaken off the Soul Forgotten Demons and charging at him, was terrifying. But at the same time, the thrill of hunting such a prey was undeniable.
Chuk Il-yeop steadied his breathing and nocked another arrow.
The distance between them was now only about ten paces.
If this attack failed, he would have no more chances.
He had to end it here and now.
“Good!”
The extreme sense of crisis sharpened all his senses.
Snap!
The arrow left his hand.
But that was just the beginning. In one breath, Chuk Il-yeop fired five more arrows.
The arrows flew without a sound.
Sssik!
At that moment, Lee Gwak swung Star Soul in front of him.
Even though he couldn’t see the arrows, he sensed their trajectory and defended himself accordingly.
But then something unexpected happened.
The arrows, which had been flying straight toward him, suddenly changed direction.
‘Curved shot ?’
The six arrows followed different trajectories.
Chuk Il-yeop had poured all his archery mastery into this single move.
Six Heavens Soul-Piercing Kill.
An absolute archery technique that uses six arrows in a single breath to slay an enemy. It incorporated the technique of guiding arrows with qi, so even the most skilled martial artist couldn’t block all six arrows.
A single hit would be fatal.
Chuk Il-yeop had calculated every possible escape route, leaving Lee Gwak with no way to dodge.
But then, something changed in Lee Gwak’s eyes.
Sssik!
Lee Gwak’s blade sliced through the air.
The first arrow was split in two, and the second arrow, coming from the side, was deflected.
Lee Gwak’s body violently rotated, and the third arrow was split vertically.
It was an unbelievable feat to behold.
Chuk Il-yeop’s eyes widened.
The fourth and fifth arrows were also blocked by Lee Gwak’s blade.
Now, only the last arrow remained.
Sssik!
But as the silver blade flashed, the last arrow was also split in two and fell to the ground.
“How?!”
Chuk Il-yeop hurriedly tried to nock another arrow, but by then, Lee Gwak had already closed the distance.
Sssik!
The Heaven Killing Blade pierced Chuk Il-yeop’s chest.
“Argh!”
Chuk Il-yeop coughed up blood and fell to his knees.
Lee Gwak pulled the blade from his chest and spun around.
He saw the Soul Forgotten Demons chasing after him.
They had already closed the distance, almost within reach.
Ssst!
Sssik!
Lee Gwak swung his blade in a wide arc.
The heads of the Soul Forgotten Demons, charging like demons, flew in all directions. Their headless bodies collapsed forward, still in their charging posture.
“Huu!”
Finally, Lee Gwak exhaled the breath he had been holding.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Having exploded all his condensed power in a single moment, he was left gasping for air, his muscles screaming in pain.
Gritting his teeth, Lee Gwak looked down at Chuk Il-yeop, who was now lying on the ground.
While he was merely in a bit of pain, Chuk Il-yeop was critically wounded.
“How… did you do it?”
Even in such a state, Chuk Il-yeop asked. He was curious how Lee Gwak had countered his Six Heavens Soul-Piercing Kill.
“I used the Heart Eye.”
“Heart Eye?”
Chuk Il-yeop’s eyes widened at Lee Gwak’s unexpected reply.
He had never dreamed that his opponent would have mastered the Heart Eye.
“Heart Eye, huh… Ha!”
Chuk Il-yeop burst into a hollow laugh.
He knew the Heart Eye was powerful, but he had not expected it to detect all six arrows he fired in an instant.
Chuk Il-yeop muttered with a bitter expression.
“So, you were never someone I could have defeated.”
Lee Gwak snapped the arrow embedded in his left shoulder and twisted out the remaining piece.
Excruciating pain surged through him, but Lee Gwak showed no sign of it.
He was relieved to have subdued Chuk Il-yeop with such an injury, given how critical the situation had just been.
Though he had activated the Heart’s Eye at the critical moment to read the arrows’ trajectories, blocking or deflecting them was another matter entirely.
Had Lee Gwak been less skilled or even slightly slower, he would have been the one lying on the ground.
That’s how deadly Chuk Il-yeop’s archery was.
Chuk Il-yeop was dying.
Lee Gwak’s blade had severed his heart meridian completely. Not even the divine physician could save him now.
Chuk Il-yeop looked up at Lee Gwak and said,
“Do not look at me with such pity. Do not pity me. I have not failed.”
“What?”
A puzzled light appeared in Lee Gwak’s eyes.
Chuk Il-yeop’s trap had failed, and he himself was on the verge of death. Yet, he insisted he had not failed.
Chuk Il-yeop smiled.
His teeth and gums were stained with blood, giving him a grotesque appearance.
Lee Gwak asked,
“What do you mean you haven’t failed?”
“My mission was to draw you out.”
“What?”
“That’s right. My mission was a success simply by bringing you here. It would have been better if I had killed you, but it doesn’t matter that I didn’t.”
Only then did Lee Gwakrealize what Chuk Il-yeop was saying.
‘The mission was to lure me away from Taegang. If I had been at Taegang, I would have been a hindrance.’
In other words, something was happening at the Dragon Heaven Valley and Taegang, and Lee Gwak being there would have interfered.
It was clear that a master like Chuk Il-yeop had been deployed specifically to draw Lee Gwak to this place.
Lee Gwak’s expression hardened.
Seeing this, Chuk Il-yeop showed a satisfied look.
Although he could not escape death, seeing Lee Gwak so flustered seemed somewhat compensating.
Lee Gwak asked,
“What is Woo Mun Pae plotting?”
“Hehe! How would I know? I didn’t care, and I didn’t ask. The only thing I cared about was you. My only regret is not seeing the pinnacle of archery.”
Chuk Il-yeop glanced at the God Killing Bow lying beside him.
Though he hadn’t reached the pinnacle of archery, he thought it wasn’t so bad to meet his end at the hands of a master like Lee Gwak.
The God Killing Bow contained his life’s insights.
Even if he died, his insights would live on through whoever obtained the bow. Even if they were lost, it didn’t matter.
Chuk Il-yeop’s eyes slowly closed.
That was his end.
“Huu…”
Lee Gwak let out a soft sigh and straightened his back.
After briefly surveying his surroundings, he approached the bodies of the Soul Forgotten Demons.
He knew he had to return to Taegang as soon as possible, but there was something he needed to confirm first.
Lee Gwak carefully unwrapped the white cloth tightly bound around one of the Soul Forgotten Demons’ faces.
When the cloth was fully removed, the hidden face was revealed.
The moment Lee Gwak saw the face, his pupils shook.
He hurriedly checked the faces of the other Soul Forgotten Demons.
After confirming the last one, Lee Gwak bit his lip.
“How… did they end up like this?”
Azazar
Shit, are they outer hall members? Does this mean that Sword Martial Troupe and Jade Heaven Alliance work in pair?