Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 389
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Episode 389
I have made up my mind, now I must go forward (3)
Lee Gwak gazed at the scene in front of him with deep, sunken eyes.
A fairly large lake stretched out before him, dotted with dozens of small fishing boats. Fishermen cast their nets, hauling in fish. Even in a time of war, people still had to make a living.
“Oraboni!”
Lim Sobo approached Lee Gwak’s side.
“Aren’t you going to rest a little longer?”
“I’m fine now. I’ve regained most of my strength.”
“That’s a relief.”
Lee Gwak smiled.
For the past few days, Lim Sobo had been seriously ill, burning with a fever so high that she could barely stay conscious. Because of her condition, Lee Gwak had decided to rest for a few days.
Lim Sobo’s face was still flushed, a sign that she still had a slight fever. But compared to when they first arrived, she was much better – at least well enough to move and think clearly.
She stared intently at Lee Gwak’s face.
His profound gaze and tightly pressed lips spoke of a man who was both cautious and stubborn.
Lim Sobo remembered the first time she saw him.
The Lee Gwak from back then wasn’t much different from the one before her now. Aside from his face and demeanor having matured slightly, he was essentially the same person.
She had never met anyone as unwavering as Lee Gwak. That was why she had decided to follow him.
She believed that someone like him would remain true to his principles no matter how his status changed or even if he became the most powerful figure in the martial world.
“Oraboni!”
“Hmm?”
“I have to go to the Jade Heaven Alliance for a while.”
“What?”
The unexpected statement made Lee Gwak frown slightly.
Lim Sobo was now the Alliance’s mortal enemy, and they were probably scouring the land to find her. He couldn’t understand why she would want to go directly into their territory.
Lim Sobo’s eyes turned cold.
“I have to reclaim Master’s legacy.”
“Legacy?”
“The Secret Court was always more influenced by Master than by the sect leader. No matter how much authority the sect leader holds, he can’t fully control the Secret Court.”
“I see.”
“It’s hard to explain. Among the four halls of the Jade Heaven Alliance, the Secret Court is fundamentally different from the other three. They’re more scholars than martial artists, which is why they were more loyal to Master than to the sect leader or the sect itself.”
The Secret Court was the most unusual of all the institutions of the Jade Heaven Alliance.
While the Inner Court, Main Court, and Outer Court were heavily influenced by Sect Leader Ja Hong-cheon, the Secret Court was absolutely under Yeo Joong Wol’s control. Most of its members had gathered out of admiration for him.
Because of this, Ja Hong-cheon had never been able to fully dominate the Secret Court and had instead tried to win Yeo Joong Wol over. But with his death, those efforts had come to nothing.
Lim Sobo was confident she could recruit the members of the Secret Court who had refused Ja Hong-cheon’s overtures.
She was Yeo Joong Wol’s only heir and knew the Secret Court better than anyone else.
“Fame, reputation, martial prowess—Oraboni already has all the qualities needed to become the supreme ruler of the Jianghu. The only thing he lacked was a reason and motivation to claim that position.”
No matter how strong one’s martial arts were, if the person himself had no ambition to rise, no one would rally behind him.
Great ambition drew people together and forged power.
Lee Gwak was not a man born with grand ambitions.
He cared more about personal safety than the complexities of the world. That’s why many admired him but never saw him as a unifying figure.
Lee Gwak himself had never desired to gather followers or become the leader of a faction.
But now, he had changed.
For some unknown reason, he had embraced the ambition to end this era of chaos.
For Lim Sobo, that was enough.
She could handle the rest.
Just as Lee Gwak had changed, so had she.
Back at the Sky High Castle, she had been unable to utilize even half of her abilities. The environment hadn’t supported her, and, more importantly, she hadn’t been proactive.
She had always believed that once Yeo Joong Wol joined them, everything would fall into place.
But now, the situation had changed.
Master Yeo Joong Wol was dead, and there was no one left to help her.
Now, she had to solve everything herself.
Something deep within Lim Sobo had shifted.
The change first appeared in her eyes.
Her gaze was colder and deeper than ever before.
Unbeknownst to her, she now bore a striking resemblance to Yeo Joong Wol.
Countless plans to establish Lee Gwak as the leader of a sect were forming in her mind.
The most crucial part was absorbing the Secret Court.
The method was already prepared.
The only thing left was the will to execute it—and just like Lee Gwak, she had steeled her resolve.
“Oraboni! You said you’re a guest of the Hao Clan, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Can you connect me with the Hao Clan?”
“Of course.”
At Lee Gwak’s answer, Lim Sobo’s eyes lit up.
One of her greatest frustrations while in the Jade Heaven Alliance had been her inability to freely utilize the intelligence network of the Heavenly Intelligence Hall.
Because of this, Yeo Joong Wol and Lim Sobo had gone to great lengths to establish a connection with the Hao Clan. But all their efforts had fallen apart when Ja Hong-cheon declared war on the Nine Sects.
The Hao Clan’s intelligence network was far more extensive and sophisticated than the Heavenly Intelligence Hall, especially in recent times.
If blades and swords were the weapons of martial artists, then for Lim Sobo, intelligence was her weapon.
“Then I’ll leave that to you.”
“A little further ahead is the Hao Clan’s Qinghe branch. I’ll introduce you to the branch leader.”
“Thank you. And Oraboni, you have something else to do.”
“Go on.”
“You know of the Zealous Justice Clan, right?”
“Of course.”
Lee Gwak nodded.
The Zealous Justice Clan was one of the Ten Great Sects, the first to disappear when the Jade Heaven Alliance ignited the war.
Caught off-guard by the sect’s attack, it had vanished into the annals of history without even putting up a proper fight.
Afterward, the territory once ruled by the Zealous Justice Clan became a no-man’s-land.
Numerous minor factions rose to claim dominance, but none managed to fully absorb the Zealous Justice Clan’s domain.
The Nine Dragons Sect, one of the Ten Great Sects, had tried to take over the region but was too busy dealing with internal strife after making an enemy of the Hao Clan.
“Establish the Mad Martial Sect in the Zealous Justice Clan.”
“You mean formally founding a sect?”
“Exactly.”
Lim Sobo answered without hesitation.
“Understood.”
Lee Gwak could roughly guess her reasoning, so he agreed immediately.
“There’s no need to start big. Even a single-room house is enough. What matters is the signboard with your name and the Mad Martial Sect. Just the symbol that a martial artist like you has set your resolve is sufficient and I and time will fill in the rest.”
Lee Gwak didn’t press her for details.
A strategist like Lim Sobo never acted without certainty. If she was proposing this, it meant she had already calculated everything in her mind.
Lim Sobo’s eyes gleamed as she watched Lee Gwak nod silently.
“What a ruler needs isn’t trivial calculations. It’s grand resolve, unshakable determination, and unwavering consistency. Without even realizing it, Brother has already met the conditions to become a ruler. Filling in the rest is my duty.”
The Mad Martial Sect, a name Lee Gwak had once casually mentioned in memory of his master, Gwang Noh-ya, had now taken shape in Lim Sobo’s mind.
Lee Gwak stopped by the Hao Clan’s Qinghe branch and introduced Lim Sobo to the branch leader.
After instructing the leader to treat her as he would himself, he left. Cheol Gwang-wooand Cheon Wol-woo naturally stayed with Lim Sobo, leaving Seok Yi-cheon as Lee Gwak’s sole companion.
Lee Gwak and Seok Yi-cheon traveled north.
Their destination was the far northwestern edge of the Jianghu—the former headquarters of the Zealous Justice Clan.
Fortunately, Seok Yi-cheon knew the way and volunteered as Lee Gwak’s guide.
“Achoo!”
Seok Yi-cheon sneezed, his nose running. The mucus froze almost instantly.
He was wearing thick undergarments, a cotton outer robe, and even a bearskin coat, yet the biting wind still seeped through the gaps in his clothing.
Seok Yi-cheon suddenly turned to look at Lee Gwak.
Unlike his own heavy attire, Lee Gwak wore his usual clothes with only a windproof cloak draped over them. Having reached a level where cold and heat no longer affected him, the bitter winter posed no threat.
For a brief moment, Seok Yi-cheon wore an envious expression. But it didn’t last.
He knew better than anyone else that greater martial prowess didn’t necessarily mean a better life. The weight of Lee Gwak’s life was just as heavy as his strength.
Seok Yi-cheon knew that he could never live like Lee Gwak.
“Huh?”
Just then, he felt something cold touch his cheek.
Looking up, he saw white snowflakes beginning to fall heavily from the sky.
“Tsk. Winter’s really here now.”
Seok Yi-cheon clicked his tongue.
He already knew how harsh winters could be in the Zealous Justice Clan’s territory. Once true winter set in, the current cold would seem like nothing.
Lee Gwak glanced at him with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“Of course!”
“If it’s too much, you can turn back.”
“Hmph! Forget it. Who else is going to follow you around and take care of you?”
“Brother, you…”
“Gwak”
“Guo!”
“Yes! Brother.”
“After everything that’s happened, I’ve made a decision. Do you know what it is?”
“…”
“Heh. No matter what happens, I won’t leave your side. So don’t ever say that to me again.”
“Yes!”
Seok Yi-cheon looked satisfied with Lee Gwak’s response—but only for a moment.
“Achoo!”
He sneezed again.
“I should probably teach Brother a suitable martial art.”
The techniques Seok Yi-cheon had learned were all from the Jade Heaven Alliance’s outer hall. That level of skill wouldn’t even make him a first-rate martial artist let alone reach higher realms.
Lee Gwak resolved to create a martial art tailored for Seok Yi-cheon.
Once they settled in the Zealous Justice Clan’s territory, they wouldn’t have much to do for a while anyway.
The world was now blanketed in white. Snow piled thickly on Lee Gwak and Seok Yi Cheon’s heads.
“Looks like we’ll have to stay at an inn tonight.”
“Yes.”
Lee Gwak nodded.
He could sleep outdoors without issue thanks to his strong internal energy, but Seok Yi-cheon would freeze to death.
Spending the night outside in this cold would be madness.
Fortunately, Seok Yi-cheon remembered a place where they could stay.
“About ten li north of here, there should be a village. If I remember correctly, it’s called Heishi Village.”
He had stopped there once before.
Relying on his memory, Seok Yi-cheon pushed forward.
Crunch. Crunch.
The snow now reached their ankles.
Grumbling, Seok Yi-cheon pressed on diligently.
A large tree appeared ahead.
It was one he remembered.
“Once we pass that tree, the village should be…”
Seok Yi-cheon’s words trailed off as his eyes widened.
Lee Gwak’s brow furrowed deeply.
Instead of a village, only ruins lay before them.
Seok Yi-cheon stared blankly.
“What in the…?”
“It seems they were attacked.”
Lee Gwak examined the marks left in the ruins.
Amidst the snow-covered wreckage, the scars of weapons were clearly visible.
He traced the marks with his fingers.
“These are recent.”
Beside the weapon marks were dark bloodstains, so thick that even the white snow couldn’t conceal them.
“What the hell happened here?”
Seok Yi-cheon shuddered.
Lee Gwak suddenly walked toward a clearing in the ruins, drawn by a strong scent of blood.
“Dear heavens!”
Seok Yi-cheon, who had followed without thinking, covered his mouth. The sight before him made his stomach churn.
There were newborns, elderly people, and strong adults—all villagers.
Some were even people Seok Yi-cheon remembered vividly.
“Who could commit such a monstrous act?”
His shoulders trembled with rage.
“Ugh…”
Just then, Lee Gwak’s sharp ears caught a faint groan.
It was so weak that only someone of his level could have heard it.
Lee Gwak quickly dug through the pile of bodies. The sound was coming from beneath them.
Seok Yi-cheon hurried to help.
After moving over a dozen corpses, they uncovered a boy of about fifteen or sixteen.
His abdomen had been slashed open.
At a glance, he looked like just another corpse.
Lee Gwak pressed his ear to the boy’s chest.
A faint heartbeat.
“He’s still alive.”
