Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 366
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Episode 366
Even the Demonic Path Has Lines One Must Not Cross (3)
Winter came early to Mount Sohua.
While the southern part of the Jianghu was still in the throes of autumn, an early winter chill had already settled over Mount Sohua.
The abundant leaves had fallen off and the thin branches were beginning to show.
“Haap!”
“Eiit!”
In a large clearing halfway up Mount Sohua, two children were engaged in a fierce battle.
They appeared to be around ten years old, a boy and a girl. Despite their different genders, their features were strikingly similar.
Whoosh!
Though their frames were small, the intensity and force in their movements were extraordinary. With every move, sharp sounds of air being sliced echoed around them.
The children clashed violently.
They attacked each other as if they were mortal enemies.
The boy’s sword carried a formidable destructive power, while the girl’s small fists were imbued with a powerful qi.
Bam!
The air exploded from their collision.
As they collided, the very air seemed to burst with a shock wave. In the span of just two breaths, they had exchanged dozens of blows before quickly jumping apart.
Both of their faces were flushed red. Despite gasping for breath and sweat dripping from their bodies, smiles tugged at the corners of their mouths.
The girl spoke first.
“Wow! Cheong, you’re amazing. When did you improve so much?”
“You’re the amazing one, Sis. I thought I’d nearly caught up to you, but there’s still a gap.”
“Are you teasing me? You haven’t even been learning martial arts seriously for that long. If you surpass me already, how do you think that makes me look?”
“You think so?”
Scratching his head, the boy—Lee Cheong—smiled sheepishly. The girl raising her voice before him was Lee Su-ah.
Hands perched on her hips, Lee Soo-ah looked exasperated. It had only been a few months since Lee Cheong began learning martial arts from Lee Gwak. Yet, for some reason, during that short time, his abilities soared so rapidly that he was already threatening her level.
“This won’t do. I need to visit my Master again and learn more.”
“Master? You mean Uncle Muk?”
“Yes!”
If Lee Cheong had continued Lee Gwak’s teachings, then Lee Soo-ah had learned from Muk Cheon-gwang
.
Muk Cheon-gwang had laid the foundations of Soo-ah’s skills before leaving with Dan-su-rin.
He had told her before leaving that if she ever hit a wall in her training, she should come find him.
“Do you know where he is?”
“Of course.”
“If you ever go to see Uncle Muk, I want to come too.”
“You too?”
“Yes! I want to learn from Uncle Muk as well.”
“Greedy! Isn’t it enough learning from Dad, and now you want to learn from my master too? You might burst from all that learning.”
“Hehe! Just let me see him once.”
“Alright! I’ll be generous. Let’s go together.”
“Thanks!”
With Soo-ah’s approval, Cheong grinned broadly, and seeing him smile, Soo-ah chuckled too.
The two had been on Mount Sohua for over a month now.
During that time, they had been regularly challenging the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall with Han So-cheon.
Whenever Han So-cheon entered the training hall, she would remain inside for at least two or three days, while the two children could only endure for one day.
The training hall pushed humans to their limits, and they would quickly become exhausted. When that happened, they would leave and spar to loosen up.
Lee Soo-ah suddenly looked up at the sky and said, “Ah! I miss Dad.”
“Me too!”
“Do you think Dad is doing well?”
A look of longing appeared in Lee Soo-ah’s eyes.
It hadn’t been long since they parted, but she already missed Lee Gwak.
Mount Sohua, where the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall was located, was far from the secular world, so they had no news of Lee Gwak.
Cheong comforted her, “Dad is doing well.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
Reassured by Cheong’s confident reply, Soo-ah smiled.
That’s when it happened.
“What a coincidence?”
A strange voice suddenly rang out.
Cheong and Soo-ah were startled and immediately took a defensive stance.
They had been on Mount Sohwa for a month, but no one had ever come looking for them.
The two figures were coming up the ridge.
The moment Lee Cheong saw their faces, his expression brightened.
“Ah!”
“Do you know them?”
Seeing Lee Cheong recognize them, Lee Soo-ah asked.
“Yes! I’ve met them once with Dad.”
“Really?”
Only then did Lee Soo-ah relax her guard.
Lee Cheong bowed to the approaching figures.
Lee Cheong of the Mad Martial Sect pays his respects to Madam Ja of the Mount Hua Sect.
“Moun Hua?”
Lee Soo-ah was surprised and looked closely at the approaching figures.
A beautiful middle-aged woman and a delicate, pretty girl were walking side by side.
It was Ja Seol Gyeong, known as the Unrivaled Lone Sword, one of the Eight Great Martial Artists, and her disciple, Hong Chae-yeon.
The name Mount Sohua itself was derived from its location next to Mount Hua. Therefore, it wasn’t strange for martial artists from the Mount Hua to visit Mount Sohua.
However, after the Great Heavenly Blood War, Mount Hua closed its doors, and for the past hundred years, no one from the sect had visited Mount Sohua.
It was no wonder Lee Soo-ah was tense.
If Mount Hua claimed this place as their own and demanded they leave, a conflict would be inevitable.
Lee Soo-ah tried to hide her tension and bowed to Ja Seol-gyeong.
“Lee Soo-ah pays respects to the Lady Ja of Mount Hua Sect.”
“Nice to meet you both.”
Ja Seol-gyeong’s eyes brightened with a smile.
Lee Cheong’s gaze turned to Hong Chae-yeon, who was standing beside Ja Seol-gyeong.
“Long time no see.”
“Yeah!”
Hong Chae-yeon nodded slightly.
They had met once before at the Nine Dragons Clan, so they were somewhat acquainted. However, the problem was Lee Soo-ah, who was standing beside them.
“Ooh!”
She suddenly let out a gasp.
“Why?”
When Lee Cheong glared at her, Lee Soo-ah looked away, pretending nothing happened. But Lee Cheong knew exactly what her actions implied.
“It’s not like that.”
“Who said anything?”
“We’ll talk later.”
“Heehee!”
Amused by Lee Cheong’s reaction, Lee Soo-ah stuck out her tongue and laughed.
Ja Seol-gyeong’s eyes sparkled as she watched the two.
‘Huh! I thought only Cheong was talented, but his sister seems just as impressive. Grand Master Lee is truly blessed with children. How did both kids end up with such talent…’
For the first time, Ja Seol-gyeong felt envious of Lee Gwak.
The rise and fall of a martial sect ultimately depended on its people.
The prosperity of the Jade Heaven Alliance was due to its first leader, Cho Yeon-un, and Mount Hua’s ability to preserve its strength amidst this turbulent world was largely due to the legacy of the Fist Demon, the greatest martial artist of all time.
However, time was relentless, and even the legends of the greatest martial artists gradually faded into the past.
The Jianghu was changing rapidly, and those who couldn’t adapt would be left behind.
And Mount Hua Sect was no exception.
No matter how long the Mount Hua Sect’s history spanned or how impressive its accumulated strength was, if it couldn’t adapt to change, it would eventually decline and disappear from the world.
The key was talented disciples.
If they could nurture talented disciples, they could revive the sect. Otherwise, they would inevitably decline.
In that regard, Ja Seol-gyeong was deeply intrigued by the two children standing before her.
If she could take them as disciples, the Mount Hua Sect could quickly reopen its doors and regain its former glory.
The problem was that Lee Cheong and Lee Soo-ah were no ordinary children.
They were Lee Gwak’s children.
Lee Gwak’s current reputation was like the sun in the sky, to the point where even the leaders of the Seven Great Sects couldn’t treat him lightly.
No matter how tempting it was, they couldn’t recklessly approach the children. If they mishandled the situation, they risked making an enemy of Lee Gwak.
Ja Seol-gyeong quietly suppressed her desire and spoke, “A disciple of Mount Hua mentioned that someone had visited Mount Sohua. Since it has been empty for quite some time, we came to see who the visitors were. After all, this is the territory of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Ah! I see. I’m sorry. We didn’t know we needed permission from the Mount Hua Sect.”
“It’s understandable. Are the two of you the only ones here?”
“No. Our mother is inside training.”
“Mother?”
Ja Seol-gyeong’s eyes lit up.
She knew Lee Gwak had married a woman named Han So-cheon. But she knew nothing about Han So-cheon.
The faint sound of moving mechanisms could be heard from the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall. A sound so faint that ordinary people wouldn’t notice it, but it was clear to Ja Seol-gyeong’s ears. It was proof that Han So-cheon had entered.
Han So-cheon entering the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall to train meant that she would be staying here for a while.
Originally, it was absolutely forbidden to use the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall without the permission of the Mount Hua sect. However, considering her relationship with Lee Gwak, Ja Seol-gyeong decided to let it slide.
Ja Seol-gyeong’s gaze shifted to Hong Chae-yeon.
Hong Chae-yeon couldn’t take her eyes off Lee Cheong and Lee Soo-ah.
Although she was young, her status within the Mount Hua sect was quite high. That’s why the other disciples didn’t dare to approach her.
Ja Seol-gyeong thought this was good.
‘If handled well, Chae-yeon could gain both a friend and a rival.’
Just then.
Lee Soo-ah approached Hong Chae-yeon and extended her hand.
“Hi, I’m Lee Soo-ah. And you are?”
“Hong Chae-yeon!”
“Nice to meet you!”
Lee Soo-ah’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Hong Chae-yeon.
***
In the inn’s courtyard, Lee Gwak sat alone, looking up at the night sky.
Tonight, the stars seemed exceptionally clear. The sight of countless stars forming the Milky Way was truly magnificent.
‘Are they doing well?’
Lee Gwak smiled as he thought of Han So-cheon and the children.
The only reason he could navigate through the murky and unpredictable world of Jianghu was because of his family.
Even though they were far apart, just thinking about them gave him strength.
“Guo!”
At that moment, the door of the inn opened, and Seok Yi-cheon stepped out.
Behind Seok Yi-cheon, Go Cheon-gwang followed.
“Brothers!”
“Enjoying your moment of peace? It must be hard to be away from your family.”
The two men approached Lee Gwak. In their hands, they carried simple snacks and a bottle of liquor.
As Lee Gwak smiled, they brought chairs and sat down across from him.
They handed Lee Gwak a cup and filled it to the brim with liquor.
Seok Yi-cheon poured drinks for himself and Go Cheon-gwang, then spoke.
“I can’t remember the last time we had such a leisurely drink. We used to drink so much in the past.”
“To think that we can sit here and drink like this again feels like a dream. Thank you so much. For saving us. We will never forget this kindness.”
Lee Gwak shook his head at Go Cheon-gwang’s words.
“What kindness is there between us? I’m just grateful that both of you are safe.”
“Thanks to you, we survived, but so many others died.”
Go Cheon-gwang clenched his fist.
Far more lives were lost than saved, and most of them were close to him.
He had lost so many of his comrades in a single day.
And it was all because they had been abandoned by the Jade Heaven Alliance.
No matter how weak Go Cheon-gwang’s power was, he couldn’t just let it go as if nothing had happened.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere around Go Cheon-gwang, Lee Gwak cautiously asked.
“What do you plan to do?”
“First, we plan to stick together. We don’t have any grand plans like forming a sect or anything. But if we unite, we might get a chance to take some revenge on the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
“But the Jade Heaven Alliance is…”
“I know. They’re too strong. Even if we, insignificant as we are, join forces, we won’t be able to do much. It’s just our wish. So don’t worry too much. We won’t do anything reckless.”
Go Cheon-gwang smiled faintly.
Lee Gwak thought his smile looked incredibly sad.
Go Cheon-gwang was a quiet man.
Even when he was under Lee Gwak’s command, he silently followed orders and never strongly voiced his own opinions, showing how mild-mannered he was.
Gathering his comrades and leading them like this was out of character for him. Yet, he had resolved to lead them because the shock of being betrayed by the Changcheon Alliance was that great.
Now, Go Cheon-gwang and the outer hall martial artists trusted no one easily. Their distrust of people had reached its peak.
Lee Gwak earnestly advised them.
“Brother! Please be careful.”
“Don’t worry about us. Don’t concern yourself with our worries, and follow the path you desire. We will survive in our own way in this jianghu.”
“Whew!”
“Still, it’s a relief that you’re here. If it weren’t for you, we would have lost all faith in the world.”
The eyes of Go Cheon-gwang and Seok Yi-cheon, as they looked at Lee Gwak, were filled with unwavering trust.
When they were in crisis, Lee Gwak had come to them without any conditions. And he had fought for them.
For them, Lee Gwak was their faith. They also wanted to stay with Lee Gwak. But they knew that would only burden him. So they decided to stand on their own.
Lee Gwak’s gaze turned to Seok Yi-cheon.
“Brother, do you feel the same?”
“I want to stay with you. I’ll make sure I don’t get in your way.”
“Brother?”
“Just let me stay with you. Can I follow you around?”
“Of course.”
Lee Gwak readily agreed.