Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 351
We lost all our site content, but I will work on re-uploading it manually, you can support us from here: https://ko-fi.com/novelgate
Episode 351
Where there is a breeze, a storm is bound to follow (1)
The Hundred Eyes Fortress was swarming with flies
They had flown in from all directions, drawn by the scent of the dead.
Seok Yi Cheon and the outer hall martial artists splashed water to wash away the blood that remained on the walls and floors. However, it was impossible to clean the entire vast fortress completely.
Traces of blood that couldn’t be completely wiped away remained, and flies buzzed above them.
“Phew! I can’t do this anymore.”
Even Seok Yi Cheon, who was usually so resilient, finally gave up.
As Seok Yi Cheon leaned against a wall and sat down, the other outer hall martial artists, as if they had been waiting, also sat down to rest.
Their faces were visibly tired.
They had been inside the Hundred Eyes Fortress for about two days, but all they had done during that time was to remove corpses and clean.
Even as they were cleaning, elite troops from the Jade Heaven Alliance kept entering the fortress.
So far, the Jade Heaven Alliance hadn’t gained much from the war with Dragon Heaven Valley. Hundred Eyes Fortress was their first significant achievement, and the newly entering martial artists were full of energy.
They entered like victorious generals, contrasting starkly with the exhausted Seok Yi Cheon.
It wasn’t just the contrast that weighed on him.
The very fact of being on the battlefield was draining his spirit.
“Phew! I really have to quit when I return to the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
Seok Yi Cheon shook his head slowly.
He always said he’d quit this kind of work anytime, but he couldn’t because of the members he cared about.
His team members also persistently urged him not to retire, and above all, Seok Yi Cheon couldn’t bring himself to leave them.
His team members were inexperienced. If they were sent to the battlefield, they were perfect targets to be cut down by blind swords. That’s why he had been delaying his retirement, but now he couldn’t put it off any longer.
His team members had shed their rookie status, and more importantly, Seok Yi Cheon’s heart had reached its limit.
His spirit was like a teacup full of cracks, on the verge of shattering.
He was utterly fed up with the battlefield.
He wanted to leave Jianghu as soon as possible and live quietly somewhere.
He wasn’t the type to indulge in entertainment, so he had carefully saved up his pay. With the considerable amount of money he had accumulated, it seemed not a bad idea to buy some land in a quiet mountain village and live as a farmer.
Just then, someone tapped Seok Yi Cheon on the shoulder and spoke.
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
“Huh?”
It was Go Cheon-gwang.
He plopped down beside Seok Yi Cheon and said,
“I called you several times, but you didn’t respond.”
“Did you?”
“Yes! What on earth are you thinking so deeply about? I’ve never seen you look so serious before.”
“Well…”
After hesitating for a moment,Seok Yi Cheon eventually shared his troubles with Go Cheon Gwang.
Go Cheon Gwang silently listened to his story. After Seok Yi Cheon finished speaking, Go Cheon Gwang sighed softly.
“Phew! It seems you and I have the same concerns.”
“You too?”
“Yes! I’m also fed up with this life. I’m tired of cleaning up after others, and I’m sick of seeing people’s blood.”
“Ah! Neither you nor I are cut out for the martial world.”
“That’s right.”
The two of them sighed almost simultaneously.
Still, sharing their inner thoughts, which they hadn’t told anyone else, made them feel a little better.
Go Cheon Gwang asked, “So when are you going to tell the members? The 17th squad relies on you a lot.”
“Well, I’ll have to tell them when we return to the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
“They will be very disappointed.”
“I hope they understand. When will you tell them?”
“I have to think about it a bit more. I’ve grown quite attached to the members, and they aren’t as experienced as the 17th squad yet…”
“You must be having a hard time.”
“Well, that’s life, isn’t it?”
“Yes! Life is tough.”
Seok Yi Cheon used a tone of resignation.
His face looked particularly aged today.
Go Cheon Gwang thought it was time to change the subject.
“By the way, have you heard about our squad leader?”
“Our Squad leader? Gwak?”
“Yes!”
“No, what have you heard?”
Seok Yi Cheon shook his head.
He had been isolated for so long that he was out of touch with the outside world and hadn’t heard any rumors about Lee Gwak.
“I just happened to hear that he played a major role at the Nine Dragons Clan.”
“At the Nine Dragons Clan?”
“Yes! What happened was…”
Go Cheon Gwang elaborately shared the story he had heard.
Seok Yi Cheon was completely engrossed in his tale.
His greatest pleasure was occasionally hearing rumors about Lee Gwak.
Although physically distant, his heart was always with Lee Gwak.
If he managed to retire safely and return to the Jade Heaven Alliance, living next door to Lee Gwak was his modest wish.
After hearing the whole story, Seok Yi Cheon exclaimed in admiration.
“As expected, Gwak is remarkable.”
He was as thrilled as if it were his own achievement.
The outer hall martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance took great pride in the fact that Lee Gwak had once been one of them.
Although their paths had diverged, Lee Gwak was still a hero to them, and Seok Yi Cheon was no exception.
He admired and boasted about Lee Gwak more than anyone else.
Lee Gwak’s heroic tales delighted him as if they were his own.
It was this expectation of meeting Lee Gwak again one day that allowed him to endure the bloody battlefield.
Seeing Seok Yi Cheon’s joyful expression, Go Cheon Gwang also smiled.
He didn’t say it, but he felt the same as Seok Yi Cheon.
Then it happened.
“Open the gates. Reinforcements are coming.”
Suddenly, there was a commotion near the gates.
Seok Yi Cheon and Go Cheon Gwang didn’t even look that way.
Elite troops had entered the Hundred Eyes Fortress almost every day, and they thought this would be no different. But this time was different.
“Brother!”
“Squad Leader Seok!”
Familiar faces appeared among the newly arrived reinforcements. They spotted Seok Yi Cheon and Go Cheon-gwang and approached them with happy expressions.
“Hey, what are you guys doing here?”
Seok Yi Cheon looked both happy and confused.
The ones who approached him were fellow Outer Hall Squad Leaders.
All seven squad leaders had arrived. Together with the three already stationed there, all ten Outer Hall Squads were now gathered in one place.
“What’s going on?”
“They sent us here from above.”
At the words of the newly arrived squad leaders, Seok Yi Cheon furrowed his brow deeply.
Never before had so many Outer Hall martial artists gathered in one place.
At most, two or three squads would gather, but this was the first time all ten squads had come together.
‘What’s going on? What’s happening?’
Seok Yi Cheon’s gaze turned toward the high watchtower of the Hundred Eyes Fortress.
***
Mok Seon Wol’s shoulders trembled.
She wasn’t the only one. All the martial artists of Dragon Heaven Valley looked at the Hwang Won plains with intense expressions.
By now, the vast plains that should have been shimmering with golden rice were completely blackened. The sight of black ashes scattering with the wind was reminiscent of hell.
To them, the scene before their eyes was even more horrifying than hell itself.
“How could this happen!”
“These vile bastards! Even in war, how could they burn all the crops?”
“I will never live under the same sky as the dogs of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
The Hwang Won plains wasn’t just a place where crops were grown. It was a place filled with such abundant energy that many warriors of Dragon Heaven Valley considered it a sanctuary for their hearts.
To see such a place turn to ashes in an instant, the rage they felt was beyond words.
Mok Seon Wol reached out and gently touched a tree that was barely holding its shape.
Crack!
As soon as her hand touched it, the tree crumbled into dust in an instant.
Mok Seon Wol wiped the black soot off her hands.
The black ash embedded itself deep into her skin like a brand.
“Jade…Heaven Alliance!”
Veins popped in Mok Seon Wol’s eyes.
Witnessing the tragedy of Hwang Won plains first hand had ignited her rage.
Before coming here, she had been quite composed, but at this moment, she couldn’t maintain her calm.
“Phew!”
Mok Seon Wol took a deep breath to steady her breathing and tried hard to suppress her anger.
Rash anger would only cloud her judgment. What she needed now was a clear-headed discernment and cold reason.
Woo Mun Pae approached her side.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m sorry. I just lost my composure for a moment.”
“No. Anyone who saw this scene would react just like you, Miss Mok.”
“Thank you.”
Mok Seon Wol genuinely appreciated Woo Mun Pae’s comfort.
At this moment, she honestly wanted someone’s comfort.
Mok Seon Wol steadied her mind and moved forward.
Hundred Eyes Fortress was visible in the distance.
“Everyone, stop and wait here.”
At Mok Seon Wol’s command, the troops halted in unison.
She spoke to the elite martial artists accompanying her.
“If we all go, they will attack. So, I will go alone and speak with the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance who has taken over Hundred Eyes Fortress.”
“It’s dangerous.”
Go Il-cheok, the leader of the Ten Blood Demons, looked at Mok Seon Wol with a worried expression.
The Ten Blood Demons were among the strongest in Dragon Heaven Valley. They could wipe out an ordinary clan in a day.
For them, Mok Seon Wol’s safety was of utmost importance.
“We should rather go, sweep them out, and retrieve the fortress. It would minimize casualties.”
“That’s one way. But then we won’t understand their intentions.”
“Intentions?”
“Why exactly the Hundred Eyes Fortress? To us, it’s a key base to protect the Hwang Won plains, but for them, it’s not. By seizing the fortress and entrenching themselves, they’re isolating themselves, which is a bad move. They surely know that.”
“You mean they have a hidden agenda?”
“Definitely. So, we need to talk to them first to understand their motives.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“If you come along, they’re more likely to attack than talk. You are one of the strongest in Dragon Heaven Valley, after all.”
“Hmm!”
Considering Mok Seon Wol’s words reasonable, Go Il-cheok swallowed his objections.
“Tell them to set up a military camp while I’m gone.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Be extra careful. Remember, you are not alone.”
“I understand.”
Mok Seon Wol nodded.
She then headed straight for Hundred Eyes Fortress.
As Mok Seon Wol walked alone towards the enemy stronghold, the faces of the Dragon Heaven Valley martial artists were filled with worry.
Ignoring everyone’s gaze, Mok Seon Wol approached Hundred Eyes Fortress.
As she appeared, the martial artists on the walls of Hundred Eyes Fortress became alert.
“Stop!”
“Stand in your place and identify yourself.”
They were ready to attack at any moment.
Mok Seon Wol looked up at them for a moment before speaking.
“My name is Mok Seon Wol.”
“What! The Dark Moon Fairy?”
Immediate reactions burst forth.
The martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance occupying Hundred Eyes Fortress were on high alert for her as she was one of the most feared opponents.
There was a flurry of activity on the wall.
Soon, numerous troops appeared on the wall, aiming their weapons at Mok Seon Wol, ready to attack.
Mok Seon Wol slightly raised her hands to indicate she had no intention of attacking.
“I’m not here to fight. I want to talk to the person in charge here.”
There was quite a distance between her and the wall where the guards were stationed. They had to shout at the top of their lungs to be barely heard. Yet, Mok Seon Wol’s soft voice strangely penetrated into the ears of the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists.
It was a testament to the depth of Mok Seon Wol’s internal energy.
The faces of the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists showed tension.
If Mok Seon Wol chose, she could easily sweep away the troops on the wall in an instant.
At that moment, a middle-aged man with a long scar on his neck and cheek climbed up to the wall.
Among the many martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance, the only man with such deep scars on his neck and cheek was Ban Cheon Sang, the leader of the Demon Squad.
Ban Cheon Sang looked down at Mok Seon Wol and spoke.
“I am Ban Cheon Sang, the leader of the Demon Squad of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
“Are you the person in charge here?”
“That’s right.”
“The Hundred Eyes Fortress is one of the key bases of Dragon Heaven Valley. If you withdraw now, we won’t attack.”
“Ha! You think I would give up a fortress we took with so much effort just because of a few words? If that was the case, we wouldn’t have started the war.”
“If we clash, there will be numerous casualties on both sides. Are you okay with that?”
“Casualties can be replenished. Do you think I would be swayed by such a trivial threat?”
“So, you intend to go through with this to the end?”
“There cannot be two tigers on the same mountain. Let me warn you instead. Surrender now. If you surrender peacefully, I’ll guarantee the autonomy of Dragon Heaven Valley.”
“Is that within your power to decide?”
Mok Seon Wol’s face showed a disdainful expression
Azazar
So many red flags for outer hall members, are they going to be sacrificed to lure the Dragon Heaven Valley in?
The only thing I didn’t get – why do they start the numbering of squads with 10?