Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 352
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Episode 352
Where there is a breeze, a storm is bound to follow (2)
In an instant, Baek Seo-mun’s eyes filled with killing intent.
Whoosh!
Without any warning, he unleashed a sword aura toward Mok Seon-wol.
Just as the crescent-shaped sword aura was about to engulf Mok Seon-wol…
Ssshhhk!
A long, snake-like object unwound from Mok Seon-wol’s waist and struck the sword aura.
Kwaaaang!
“Ugh!”
With a deafening roar, Baek Seo-mun let out a pained groan.
A trace of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Despite striking first, he had suffered internal injuries.
In contrast, Mok Seon-wol remained calm and composed.
Baek Seo-mun’s eyes shifted to the long object in Mok Seon-wol’s hand.
It was a snake belly sword, a flexible weapon made of thin, interlocking metal plates. Normally, it could be used as a whip, but when infused with internal energy, the plates would connect to form a sword.
Mok Seon-wol had not transformed it into a sword, instead using it as a whip. This was proof that she had not yet used her full strength.
“Tch!”
Baek Seo-mun gritted his teeth.
His pride had been wounded.
Even if his opponent was one of the Ten Lesser Skies, in his eyes, she was nothing more than a fledgling who had never experienced the battlefield. The fact that he had been pushed back by such a person struck a blow to his ego.
Just as Baek Seo-mun was about to attack Mok Seon-wol again…
Ssshhhk!
This time, Mok Seon-wol’s snake belly sword sliced through the air first.
Kwaaang!
Her attack left a deep gash in the thick walls of the Hundred Eyes Fortress. It looked as though a giant wolf had clawed the wall, leaving a deep, jagged scar.
Gulp!
The overwhelming display of power from Mok Seon-wol made the warriors on the fortress walls swallow hard.
Baek Seo-mun’s eyelids twitched.
He, too, was shocked by Mok Seon-wol’s strength.
If it came to a fight, he was ready. Even now, his fighting spirit burned fiercely. But he had to restrain himself.
His mission was to defend the Hundred Eyes Fortress, not to engage in a duel with Mok Seon-wol.
Baek Seo-mun spoke, infusing his voice with internal energy.
“There will be no further discussion.”
“……”
“If you refuse to withdraw, we’ll use our full force against you.”
In response to Baek Seo-mun’s threat, Mok Seon-wol remained expressionless and replied.
“Fine. I’ll retreat for today. But I assure you, you won’t be able to stay in that fortress for long.”
A fierce light erupted from Mok Seon-wol’s eyes.
Her gaze sent a shiver down Baek Seo-mun’s spine.
Mok Seon-wol turned around without further aggression.
She could feel the piercing stares of the Jade Heaven Alliance warriors on her back. . But Mok Seon-wol was not so weak-minded as to be shaken by their glares.
To others, it might have seemed like she had merely engaged in a pointless conversation with Baek Seo-mun before the clash, but Mok Seon-wol had actually gathered a significant amount of information.
‘This isn’t their full strength. The fact that they don’t care about casualties means they have a steady supply of reinforcements. There must be a main base somewhere nearby…’
When Mok Seon-wol mentioned the word “power,” Baek Seo-mun had flared up. There was no reason for someone with such authority to lose their temper.
This meant that there was someone above Baek Seo-mun with greater authority—someone with real power.
Baek Seo-mun was merely a gatekeeper guarding the fortress. Killing him wouldn’t resolve the situation.
The true commander had to be found and eliminated. Otherwise, the war here would never end.
When Mok Seon-wol returned to the Dragon Heaven Valley camp, a perfect military formation had already been set up.
Mok Seon-wol secretly summoned the Fifth Demon from the Ten Blood Demons.
“Fifth Elder, I want you to take ten elite soldiers to search the area.”
“A scouting mission?”
The Fifth Demon looked displeased.
He had been looking forward to the battle here, and being sent off alone to search took the wind out of his sails. However Mok Seon-wol was determined.
“There must be a main base nearby. If we don’t find them, we’ll be caught in a pincer attack from both sides.”
“Hmm!”
“The fate of Dragon Heaven Valley rests in your hands, Elder. You must find them.”
“Understood. I will find them without fail.”
The Fifth Demon, motivated by the weight of responsibility, left the tent with renewed morale.
Alone, Mok Seon-wol let out a deep sigh and muttered to herself.
“I need someone I can trust.”
***
Lee Gwak looked at the scene before him with a troubled expression.
A wide river blocked his path.
If it were day, he would have called for a boat, but it was night.
If the current were calm, he could have used his qigong or even swum across. But the rain from the previous night had made the current several times more treacherous.
Even for someone as capable as Lee Gwak, navigating such rapids in the dark was a daunting task.
“Sigh…”
In the end, Lee Gwak decided to spend the night by the riverbank.
He planned to cross the river as soon as day broke or the current weakened.
Lee Gwak lit a fire under a large rock and sat down, chewing on some jerky.
It was made by Bang Ye-in.
Taste-wise, it was better than any meat in the world. However, Lee Gwak couldn’t fully enjoy the taste, his mind too preoccupied with other thoughts.
His heart was in a hurry, but the journey was still long.
There’s a saying that the more you rush, the more you should slow down, but putting it into practice was far from easy.
“It’s still a long way to go,”
Lee Gwak suddenly let out a sigh.
As one’s martial prowess grows stronger, so too should one’s resolve. But he was still affected by external factors.
For a moment, he thought that if he could free himself from external influences, he might reach a higher realm. But Lee Gwak quickly shook his head.
Being unable to escape external influences is what makes one human.
Could someone who remains unshaken in any situation still be considered human?
Lee Gwak didn’t think so.
He had no intention of ever giving up his humanity.
Human emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure—all of it.
Rustle!
Just then, a sound broke Lee Gwak’s train of thought.
Lee Gwak raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound.
Shortly after, a group of people emerged from the darkness.
There were five of them, all carrying large bundles on their backs. They appeared to be merchants traveling through the area.
Upon seeing the firelight, they brightened and approached.
“We’re merchants trying to cross the river. We missed our boat and have no choice but to spend the night here. Would you mind if we joined you?”
They looked at Lee Gwak with pleading expressions.
“Go ahead.”
“Ah, thank you so much!”
When Lee Gwak readily agreed, the merchants looked relieved.
They gathered around the fire Lee Gwak had built, sitting close together.
Lee Gwak asked them…
“Is there a dock nearby?”
“If you go about ten li upstream, there’s a small dock.A fisherman operates there twice a day. If you miss it, you’ll have no choice but to spend the night like this.”
“I see.”
Lee Gwak nodded at the merchant’s friendly explanation.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Oh Gil-seong. As you can see, I travel with my companions to nearby cities to sell goods.”
“Nice to meet you, Oh Gil-seong. My name is Lee Jin-mun.”
“So it’s Lee Jin-mun. Pleased to meet you.”
Oh Gil-seong smiled and clasped his hands in a polite greeting.
Lee Gwak returned the gesture.
Oh Gil-seong cautiously asked,
“Have you already eaten, Lee Jin-mun?”
“I’ve finished my meal.”
“Then we’ll prepare our food. We were in such a hurry to catch the boat that we didn’t have time to eat properly…”
“Don’t mind me.”
“Thank you.”
Oh Gil-seong and the merchants busily began preparing their meal.
They took out a small pot, fetched water from the nearby river, then mixed in some ground grain from a small bag and boiled it.
After adding a few pieces of jerky, a hearty porridge was soon ready.
Their skills were quite proficient, suggesting they had done this many times before.
The merchants each took a bowl of porridge and sat down, carefully eating.
The portion wasn’t large, but they ate slowly, taking their time.
Lee Gwak observed them intently.
Perhaps feeling the weight of Lee Gwak’s gaze, Oh Gil-seong cautiously said,
“If you’re still hungry, would you like some of the leftovers?”
“No, please go ahead. You must be hungry, but you’re eating so slowly.”
“It’s a habit. No matter how much I try to eat quickly, it’s hard to break.”
“Among martial artists, those who have mastered extreme control over their bodies often eat like that.”
“What?”
“Assassins who must remain hidden for long periods without moving, or those who need extreme patience to gather information, eat small amounts slowly to fully digest their food.”
“Who are you?”
In an instant, Oh Gil-seong’s expression changed.
The other merchants reacted similarly. Their hands slipped into their robes.
As Lee Gwak had guessed, they were not ordinary merchants.
They were warriors from the Heavenly Intelligence Hall of the Changcheon Alliance.
The Heavenly Intelligence Hall was the primary intelligence gathering organisation of the Changcheon Alliance. They were always deployed in advance to collect information for every operation the alliance conducted.
They had always operated in total secrecy, rarely being exposed. They thought this time would be no different, but unexpectedly, the ordinary-looking man in front of them had seen through their disguise immediately.
Swish!
The disguised martial artists from the Heavenly Intelligence Hall drew small daggers from their robes.
The tips of the daggers gleamed black, coated with deadly poison.
They pointed the daggers at Lee Gwak and demanded,
“Who are you?”
“So it is the Heavenly Intelligence Hall.”
“You?”
From Oh Gil-seong’s reaction, Lee Gwak confirmed his suspicion.
He had found it strange from the beginning.
It was common for small-time merchants to carry their own goods and travel for trade. It was also understandable for five of them to move together.
The problem was how easily they had approached him.
Merchants are generally wary of strangers—especially those who can’t afford a hired guard. Their caution usually borders on paranoia, and in times of chaos like these, even more so.
Yet, these merchants had approached him, a lone man by a campfire, far too easily. It suggested they were confident in their own strength.
What made Lee Gwak most suspicious was the way they prepared their meal.
The five of them had precisely measured just enough grain powder for one meal and prepared it with extreme efficiency. This was not something ordinary merchants would do.
Lee Gwak had seen such behavior only once before—when he traveled with the Yunshan Escort Agency on his way to the Nine Dragons Clan. But these merchants were even more systematic and efficient.
They were clearly accustomed to highly controlled situations.
Moreover, the calluses on their hands and the muscles on their bodies were far from those of ordinary people.
Lee Gwak had guessed they were either assassins or part of an intelligence organization. However, their gait and demeanor were far from that of assassins, so he concluded they were intelligence operatives
The only intelligence organization operating covertly in this area was the Heavenly Intelligence Hall.
A look of confusion flashed in Oh Gil-seong’s eyes.
He hadn’t expected their cover to be blown in a place like this.
Under normal circumstances, he would have attacked Lee Gwak without a second thought. But an inexplicable unease held him back.
His instincts were warning him.
The reason he had survived until now was precisely because he had always heeded such warnings.
Instead of rashly attacking Lee Gwak, Oh Gil-seong carefully observed him.
A tall man with an ordinary face.
His appearance gave no clue as to his identity.
Next, his eyes fell on the blade. But even the blade looked ordinary.
From Lee Gwak’s appearance and weapon alone, it was impossible to guess his background.
So, Oh Gil-seong tried to recall if there was any renowned bladesman who matched the man before him.
‘An ordinary appearance, an ordinary sword, and a swordsman active in this area…’
Suddenly, a man came to mind. And with it, a certain operation.
The operation he recalled was an extremely dangerous one—to lure a man from Taegang and eliminate him.
Oh Gil-seong looked at the man before him again.
Tremble!
His eyelids twitched involuntarily.
There was no concrete evidence that the man before him was the target of the operation from the previous day. But he felt an inexplicable certainty.
Oh Gil-seong trusted his instincts.
He quickly stepped back and shouted,
“Retreat! This man is Lee Gwak.”