Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 365
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Episode 365
Even the Demonic Path Has Lines One Must Not Cross (2)
Lee Gwak and Mok Seon-wol walked together after leaving the secret grounds.
The two of them were silent.
Both were lost in their own thoughts.
Lee Gwak remembered his conversation with Mok Jin-myeong.
Mok Jin-myeong had suggested that Lee Gwak work with him. Although the attempt to marry his daughter to Lee Gwak had failed, they still decided to maintain a cooperative relationship.
For Lee Gwak, who had no power base, forming a cooperative relationship with the Dragon Heaven Valley was advantageous. The Dragon Heaven Valley, on the other hand, could benefit from the help of an absolute master like Lee Gwak.
While Lee Gwak felt lighthearted, Mok Seon-wol’s mind was still in turmoil.
She glanced at Lee Gwak.
Lee Gwak didn’t even give her a glance.
His complete indifference made her heart ache.
‘Father really shouldn’t have said unnecessary things and stirred up my emotions.’
If Mok Jin-myeong hadn’t said anything, Mok Seon-wol would have passed this moment without even realizing her own feelings.
If that had been the case, her heart wouldn’t have been shaken and her mind wouldn’t have been so confused. She couldn’t help but feel resentful towards her father.
Mok Seon-wol let out a sigh and shook her head slightly.
It wasn’t going to make her troubled feelings go away, but it did help clear her mind.
At that moment, someone approached the two of them.
It was an old man and a young girl.
The girl, who appeared to be around twelve years old, had her hair braided into two long pigtails, making her look incredibly cute.
On the other hand, the old man’s face was full of wrinkles, and his hair, eyebrows and beard were all white, giving him an almost sage-like appearance.
The old man burst out laughing when he saw Lee Gwak.
“Ha ha! Was it Lee Jin-moon? Your alias…”
“I apologize, Elder Yang! Back then…”
“No need! I understand. You didn’t want to reveal your true identity and attract unnecessary attention.”
The old man was Yang Su Cheon, one of the Eight Great Martial Artists. And the girl was his granddaughter, Yang Hye-so.
He and Lee Gwak had met on his first day in Taegang.
At that time, Lee Gwak had used the alias Lee Jin-moon to introduce himself.
“Do you have any idea how shocked I was when I found out you were the Sura Blade, Lee Gwak? However, thanks to you, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I’m not sure how to repay you.”
Lee Gwak shook his head at Yang Su Cheon’s words.
“I didn’t do it expecting repayment.”
“Maybe so, but as someone who has just entered the Dragon Heaven Valley, I can’t just let it slide. If not for you, the Dragon Heaven Valley would have been trampled by the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Martial Sword Troupe, and who knows what would have happened to Hye-so.”
He cherished his granddaughter dearly.
If anything had happened to her while he was away fighting the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Martial Sword Troupe, it would have haunted him forever.
For this reason, Yang Su Cheon’s eyes were filled with warmth when he looked at Lee Gwak.
“I swear on my honor. If you ever need my help, I will come to your aid no matter where you are, even if it’s to the ends of hell.”
“Elder Yang…”
“No matter what path you take, I will be by your side.”
Yang Su Cheon was sincere.
The resolute look in his eyes spoke volumes about his feelings.
Lee Gwak looked into his eyes for a moment, then nodded.
“Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. I’ve taken up too much of your time. You should get going.”
“Yes! I’ll see you again.”
As Lee Gwak bowed, Yang Su Cheon laughed heartily before turning away.
Yang Hye-so, who had been silently following Yang Su Cheon, suddenly spoke to Lee Gwak.
“I’ll see you again, Ajusshi!”
“Sure!”
“Next time, you have to introduce me to Su’a.”
Lee Gwak smiled.
It was endearing that she still remembered him mentioning he had a daughter around her age.
“Su’a will be happy to meet you too. I’ll definitely bring her next time.”
“Okay!”
Yang Hye-so smiled brightly.
Lee Gwak looked at her with a smile on his face.
Mok Seon-wol spoke up.
“Huixiao seems to like you a lot. She’s not the type to smile so easily.”
“Is that so?”
“Since coming here, you’re the first person besides me who’s made her smile like that.”
“It’s probably because I promised to introduce her to my daughter. She’s at the age where she’d want friends her own age.”
“Now that you mention it, I’d like to meet your daughter, Lee Soo-ah
as well…”
“You’ll see them soon.”
Lee Gwak couldn’t help but smile as he thought ofLee Soo-ah.
In contrast, a faint shadow fell over Mok Seon-wol’s face.
Lee Cheong and Lee Soo-ah had a charm that drew people in. Anyone who saw the two children would inevitably be captivated.
Among them, the memory ofLee Soo-ah was particularly strong in Mok Seon-wol’s mind.
The thought of Lee Gwak having children made her inexplicably gloomy. She quickly changed the subject.
“What are you planning to do now? If nothing’s urgent, why not stay in Yongtian Valley for a while? If you say you’ll stay, every martial artist in the valley would welcome you with open arms.”
“I appreciate the offer. But I plan to leave soon. There are matters with the people I’m traveling with.”
“If they’re willing, we wouldn’t mind them staying in the Dragon Heaven Valley either.”
“They’ve already made their decision, so there’s nothing I can do.”
“I see… Then there’s no helping it. When do you plan to leave?”
“I’ll leave tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
Mok Seon-wol’s voice trembled slightly. She had unintentionally revealed her emotional turmoil.
Lee Gwak stared at her intently for a moment.
Under his intense gaze, Mok Seon-wol’s eyes wavered.
“Miss Mo!”
“Yes!”
“You are a good person. I’m sure you’ll meet a good man who suits you. Please don’t dwell on your father’s words.”
“I…”
“I might not get the chance to say goodbye before I leave, so I’ll say it now. I hope we can meet again someday. Until then, I wish you peace and health.”
Lee Gwak clasped his hands in a salute to Mok Seon-wol, then turned to leave.
Mok Seon-wol stood still, staring blankly at Lee Gwak’s retreating figure.
***
The Celestial Demon Troupe stood towering in the middle of a vast plain.
Bathed in the crimson glow of the setting sun, the Celestial Demon Troupe loomed like a crouching beast, exuding an overwhelming presence.
Like any city, there was a slum on the outskirts of Celestial Demon Troupe. The difference here was that Celestial Demon Troupe’s slums were inhabited primarily by the worst of criminals.
If the Celestial Demon Troupe had truly wanted, they could have eradicated those slums at any time. But the Celestial Demon Troupe deliberately left them untouched.
Although the Celestial Demon Troupe pursued the Demonic Path, they did not tolerate crime within its borders. Those who committed crimes in the Celestial Demon Troupe and were cast out settled in the slums, where they preyed on those weaker than themselves.
Jin Gwang-hon, the previous lord of Celestial Demon Troupe, knew all this yet chose to leave the slums as they were. The law of survival of the fittest already reigned supreme across the Jianghu, and the Celestial Demon Troupe took that philosophy even further.
Jin Gwang-hon was not merciful enough to care for those who couldn’t keep up. Under his indifference, parasitic criminal gangs began to thrive in the slums, fighting among themselves for dominance practically every other day.
Because of that, there wasn’t a single day free of bloodshed there.
Though the slums always carried the faint stench of blood, today it was far worse.
Bodies littered the streets and the blood they had spilled soaked the ground. The whole street was covered with the dead.
It was a horrible scene, as if hell itself had descended upon that place.
At the center stood hundreds of martial artists dressed in black uniforms. They were the ones responsible for turning the slums into a sea of blood and death.
Each of them radiated a menacing aura, and their silence made the scene even more chilling.
Among them was a man with a decadent, otherworldly beauty.
With an expressionless face, he gazed at the corpses strewn across the streets. It was Go Geom-wol.
Go Geom-wol’s gaze was fixed on a middle-aged man who was leaning against a wall, gasping for breath.
The man, clutching his deeply split abdomen, barely managed to look up at Go Geom-wol.
“Ugh… Why is the Celestial Demon Troupe doing this to us…? We’re also part of the sect…”
The man was one of those who had ruled over the slums of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
Wang Cheol, known as the Iron-Blooded Demon, was like a god of death in the slums. Everyone feared him and bowed their heads to avoid provoking his temper.
But even his fearsome reputation was useless before the true ruler of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
In an instant, all the power that Wang Cheol had built up over twenty years in the slums was completely destroyed.
Not just Wang Cheol’s organization, but all the forces leeching off the slums were eradicated by Go Geom-wol’s subordinates.
Those Go Geom-wol brought with him were all the elite of Sinmaryeon.
No matter how powerful the forces leeching off the slums claimed to be, they couldn’t compare to Sinmaryeon’s elite.
They ruthlessly swept away those who preyed upon the slums.
Wang Cheol asked Go Geom-wol.
“What have we done wrong to deserve this? Even the previous ruler didn’t touch us…”
“Your very existence is your crime.”
“What…”
Go Geom-wol’s indifferent answer made Wang Cheol’s eyes tremble violently.
Go Geom-wol was denying their very existence.
‘Sect Leader!’
A middle-aged man standing behind
At the center stood hundreds of martial artists dressed in black uniforms. They were the ones responsible for turning the slums into a sea of blood and death.
Each of them radiated a menacing aura, and their silence made the scene even more chilling.
Among them was a man with a decadent, otherworldly beauty.
With an expressionless face, he gazed at the corpses strewn across the streets. It was Go Geom-wol.
Go Geom-wol’s gaze was fixed on a middle-aged man who was leaning against a wall, gasping for breath.
The man, clutching his deeply split abdomen, barely managed to look up at Go Geom-wol.
“Ugh… Why is the Celestial Demon Troupe doing this to us…? We’re also part of the sect…”
The man was one of those who had ruled over the slums of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
Wang Cheol, known as the Iron-Blooded Demon, was like a god of death in the slums. Everyone feared him and bowed their heads to avoid provoking his temper.
But even his fearsome reputation was useless before the true ruler of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
In an instant, all the power that Wang Cheol had built up over twenty years in the slums was completely destroyed.
Not just Wang Cheol’s organization, but all the forces leeching off the slums were eradicated by Go Geom-wol’s subordinates.
Those Go Geom-wol brought with him were all the elite of Sinmaryeon.
No matter how powerful the forces leeching off the slums claimed to be, they couldn’t compare to Sinmaryeon’s elite.
They ruthlessly swept away those who preyed upon the slums.
Wang Cheol asked Go Geom-wol.
“What have we done wrong to deserve this? Even the previous ruler didn’t touch us…”
“Your very existence is your crime.”
“What…”
Go Geom-wol’s indifferent answer made Wang Cheol’s eyes tremble violently.
Go Geom-wol was denying their very existence.
‘Sect Leader!’
A middle-aged man standing behind Go Geom-wol looked on with a pained expression.
He was Jung San-wi.
He was the head of the Nine Heavens Pavilion, one of the organisations of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
He had always been loyal to Go Geom Wol, and even more so after Go Geom Wol forcibly retired Jin Gwang-hon and ascended to the position of sect leader.
Previous sect leaders had not cleaned up the slums because there was no need. Leaving them alone had little impact on the sect, and even if they were cleaned up, it was certain that someone else would rise like a poisonous mushroom to torment the slums.
It was far better to leave them be and let them fight among themselves.
Go Geom Wol could have done the same.
He could have left them alone and let them tear each other apart.
But Go Geom Wol boldly drew his sword. And in one stroke, he swept away those who had parasitized the slums.
‘My lord!’
Jung San-wi looked at Go Geom Wol’s back.
Go Geom Wol was cleaning up internal problems before waging a great war. Dealing with the parasitic forces in the slums was part of that.
If Wang Cheol had committed any crime, it was fighting for dominance in the slums just after Go Geom Wol became sect leader. And that had provoked Go Geom Wol’s temper.
He could have sent his subordinates to handle it. But Go Geom Wol acted personally. He even stained his own hands to root out all those who had infested the slums.
It was an unprecedented move that no previous sect leader had ever made.
“Damn… it!”
Wang Cheol’s head fell with a thud.
He was dead.
Go Geom Wol looked at Wang Cheol’s corpse with eyes devoid of any emotion.
At that moment,
“Sect Leader!”
Suddenly, one of the sect’s martial artists rushed to him.
“What is it?”
“There’s something here you need to see personally.”
The expression on the subordinate’s face suggested the seriousness of the matter, so Go Geom Wol nodded quietly.
“Lead the way.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
The martial artist led the way, followed by Go Geom Wol, Jung San-wi, and the martial artists of the Nine Heavens Tower.
They arrived at a shabby hut in the slums.
Once inside, a secret passage led underground. After walking for a while, they arrived at a massive underground cave.
“Hmm!”
“I never knew there was a place like this.”
No one had expected such a huge underground cave near the Celestial Demon Troupe, so everyone was shocked.
Go Geom Wol frowned.
It wasn’t just the existence of the cave that bothered him.
It was the traces left in the cave.
Signs of brutal battles were scattered everywhere.
“Was this a fighting arena?”
“Yes! They captured people and ran a fighting arena for gambling. When we searched, we found countless corpses of those who had died here.”
The martial artist who had first discovered the place answered.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
At Go Geom Wol’s command, the martial artist led them to where the corpses were.
It was a massive burial ground.
Countless corpses were piled in layers.
The lower layers contained older corpses, while the upper layers held those who had died more recently.
Go Geom Wol’s gaze deepened.
Even demons had a code, a line they must not cross.
Those who had lurked in the slums had abandoned even the most basic principles of humanity.
They had kidnapped people from the slums or elsewhere, forced them to fight, and gambled on the outcomes.
This could not have happened without the protection of the Celestial Demon Troupe’s higher-ups.
“Track down everyone involved in this place.”
“Understood!”
Jung San-wi and the martial artists of the Nine Heavens Tower knelt in unison and responded.
“Ugh…”
At that moment, a faint groan reached Go Geom Wol’s ears.
The groan was coming from within the mountain of corpses.
Go Geom Wol began to dig through the corpses himself.
“Sect Leader! Why dirty your hands? We’ll handle it.”
The martial artists tried to stop him, but Go Geom Wol ignored them and cleared the corpses himself. He then discovered two boys buried beneath the pile.
The boys, clinging tightly to each other, looked no different from the other corpses.
Their bodies were covered in large wounds, and maggots swarmed over their rotting flesh. Yet, they were still alive.
It was unclear what their relationship was, but they held onto each other, clinging stubbornly to life.
Go Geom Wol pulled them out of the pile of corpses and said,
“Save them.”