Before a Long Journey, There Are Many Worries (2)

“It’s been a long time! Brother!”

 

A handsome young man hugged Lee Gwak.

 

The young man, who resembled Lim Sobo, was none other than Lim Jimun.

 

There was no trace of childishness left on Lim Jimun’s face. Time had turned him into a fully grown man.

 

“It’s been a long time.”

 

“It really has. It’s been over ten years, ever since you left the Jade Heaven Alliance. What exactly happened to you during that time? The Sura Blade… that’s incredible!”

 

“It just… turned out that way.”

 

“You should’ve seen my face when sister told me the news. I nearly jumped out of my skin.”

 

Lim Jimun chattered on without stopping.

Lim Sobo watched him with a look of disbelief.

She was dumbfounded that her own brother, whom she hadn’t seen in years, chose to greet Lee Gwak before even acknowledging her.

 

It was only after a long conversation with Lee Gwak that Lim Jimun finally paid attention to Lim Sobo.

 

“Oh, Sister, you’re here too?”

 

“Took you long enough. I’ve been standing here the whole time.”

 

“It’s been a while. You look well—that’s a relief.”

 

Smiling, Lim Jimun walked over to her.

 

They had once been the same height, but now Lim Sobo had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze

 

Watching her kid brother—now towering over her—filled her with a strange mix of emotions.

 

“Welcome.”

 

“How could I not come when my sister called?”

 

“Thanks!”

 

“We’re family. No need for thanks…”

 

Lim Jimun smiled shyly.

 

No matter how close they were as siblings, conversations like this still felt a little awkward.

 

Trying to change the atmosphere, he called out to Lee Gwak in a loud voice.

 

“Brother! We can’t just stand around like this after seeing each other again after so long! Don’t you have any alcohol? We have to drink on a day like this!”

 

“Of course! We must!”

 

“Heehee!”

 

Lim Jimun laughed exaggeratedly at Lee Gwak’s response.

 

Lim Sobo then suggested an idea.

 

“Instead of just you two drinking, why don’t we hold a feast for all the members?”

 

“You mean a grand banquet?”

 

“Yes! I think it would be good for the unity of our sect. Of course, we can’t throw a grand opening ceremony like the Wudang Sect, but even just gathering everyone together would be meaningful, don’t you think?”

 

“That’s a great idea. Let’s do it.”

 

“I’ll take care of the preparations.”

 

Lim Sobo smiled brightly.

 

Throughout the winter, she and the other sect members had been working non-stop.

 

They also needed a break. So this feast would be a perfect opportunity.

 

With that, Lim Sobo hurried off to begin the preparations.

 

It was going to be a gathering of all the members of the Sect.

 

There was a lot to prepare. She would have to work fast if she wanted to have everything ready by the evening.

 

After Lim Sobo left, Lim Jimun’s face clouded over.

 

“I heard about Master Yeo Jung-wol.”

 

“I’m sorry. If I had arrived just a little earlier, I might have been able to save him.”

 

“You did your best. There’s no need to blame yourself.”

 

Lim Jimun forced a smile.

 

Yeo Jung-wol had been like a master to him as well.

 

 

Though not a formal disciple, he had followed Lim Sobo and received many lessons from the old man.

 

Especially in the knowledge of formations, almost everything he knew had been passed down from Yeo Jung-wol.

 

When Lim Sobo told him of Yeo Jung-wol’s death, he cried for a full day and night.

 

That was the day he truly understood what it meant to have his heart torn out.

 

He hid it from his sister, but even now the pain was raw.

 

Lee Gwak silently patted Lim Jimun’s shoulder. That alone was a great comfort to him.

 

Lim Jimun looked at Lee Gwak with a forced smile.

 

“How have you been, brother? Tell me your story.”

 

“You already know most of it, don’t you?”

 

There was hardly anyone in the Jianghu who was not aware of Lee Gwak’s exploits. News about him spread daily.

 

Lim Jimun had heard about Lee Gwak through rumors, but hearing it directly from him was a different matter.

 

“I want to hear it from you.”

 

“Well, then…”

 

Lee Gwak began to recount his journey after leaving the Jade Heaven Alliance.

 

“Ah!”

 

Throughout the story, Lim Jimun kept exclaiming in amazement.

 

Lee Gwak’s tale went on for a long time after that.

***

 

As darkness fell, a pile of dry wood, stacked like a hill, stood at the center of the Mad Martial Sect’s training grounds.

 

Thud!

 

Someone threw a torch onto the woodpile, and flames roared to life with frightening intensity.

 

The blaze lit up the training grounds as if it were broad daylight.

 

“Waaah!”

 

There was something about fire cutting through the darkness that stirred people’s emotions. Even hardened warriors, who had fought their way through the harsh Jianghu, found their emotional armor melting in front of the roaring fire.

 

 

 

Long tables stretched out, laden with a feast of delicacies. In the kitchens, dozens of cooks worked tirelessly, and young children scurried about, carrying food.

 

The children carrying food were all orphans, wandering the region after losing their parents. Lim Sobo had taken them all in as disciples of the Mad Martial Sect.

 

Though they hadn’t yet been assigned proper masters or formally trained in martial arts, they were undoubtedly the future of the Mad Martial Sect.

 

Only when these children grew up to become competent martial artists would the Mad Martial Sect truly be considered a complete sect.

 

About four children, each around ten years old, came struggling under the weight of a huge jar. The jar was so large that even an adult could fit inside, and it was filled to the brim with alcohol.

 

“Sake’s here!”

 

“Now we’re talking!”

 

The cheers that erupted were even louder than when the food was brought out.

 

Ever since the Mad Martial Sect’s founding, they had been working tirelessly for months.

 

Being a new sect, the rules were strict, and the recruited martial artists rarely had a chance to relax.

 

After the fall of Zealous Justice Clan, the entire region had been thrown into chaos.

 

The Nine Dragons Clan had tried to take over, and countless sects fought bloody battles for dominance.

 

Defeated sects were dismantled completely.

 

Disciples who lost their homes wandered the Jianghu or begged to join other sects, where they were often treated poorly.

 

Those without exceptional martial prowess suffered quietly, while the talented ones tried to start new sects of their own.

 

Chaos bred more chaos, and hellish days continued.

 

The emergence of the Heavenly Fate Sect only poured fuel onto the fire.

 

Without Lee Gwak’s timely intervention, the nightmare might have lasted even longer.

 

Afterward, the Mad Martial Sect quietly sent scouts to recruit promising martial artists from the region.

 

Many martial artists realized it was better to join the Mad Martial Sect than risk moving elsewhere.

 

Above all, their sect master was the famed Sura Blade, Lee Gwak.

 

He was an absolute master, said to be unmatched under the heavens whenever he wielded his blade.

 

The difference between a sect with such an absolute master and one without was immense. And as time passed, that difference would only grow, eventually becoming an insurmountable gap.

 

Knowing this, many martial artists willingly pledged themselves to Mad Martial Sect.

 

They believed that under Lee Gwak’s leadership, this hellish world could be saved.

 

The martial artists led by Lim Sobo and Cheong Un-san rigorously trained the new recruits.

 

Unlike established sects like the Wudang Sect, which had a wealth of organized martial arts for disciples to study, the newly formed Mad Martial Sect lacked such resources

 

So, the advisors changed their approach.

 

If they couldn’t teach exclusive martial arts, they would maximize what the recruits already knew.

 

Fortunately, they were exceptionally skilled at this.

 

With ample resources at their disposal, creating an extreme training program and facilities was effortless.

 

Thanks to this, the martial artists who joined the Mad Martial Sect trained to their limits every day.

 

During this time, they hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol.

 

The training was so grueling that they couldn’t even think about drinking, and the sect didn’t provide any either.

 

This was the first time in months they were finally allowed to drink.

 

Naturally, they were excited.

 

Their eyes sparkled with anticipation as they looked toward the head table.

 

Slightly elevated above the other seats, the head table was reserved for the sect leader, Lee Gwak, and the leadership. If Lee Gwak had not insisted that it remain modest, it would have been much higher—other sects often placed their leaders on towering platforms to be revered by all.

 

“What kind of person is the sect leader?”

 

“You don’t know the Sura Blade? His bladesmanship is godlike.”

 

“That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking about his character.”

 

“According to rumors, he seems decent. But you never know. People can be very different from their reputation.”

 

The martial artists whispered among themselves.

 

Though it had been several months since they joined Mad Martial Sect, this would be the first time Lee Gwak appeared publicly before them.

 

Until now, he had remained secluded, polishing the martial arts of Pi Jin-ui and Jo So-hye. As a result, most people had never seen him in person.

 

For many present, this was their first glimpse of Lee Gwak. Their faces were filled with curiosity and anticipation.

 

Lee Gwak was an absolute martial artist standing at the pinnacle of the Jianghu.

 

Opportunities to see such a master were rare—even for members of his own sect.

 

Some might even boast about this memory to their children in the future.

 

As their excitement peaked, the doors opened, and a group entered.

 

“It’s the sect leader!”

 

“That’s the Sura Blade?”

 

“Wow!”

 

A stir rippled through the crowd.

 

At the forefront was Lee Gwak himself.

 

With a gentle smile, he walked forward.

 

There was no intensity in his gaze, no pretense of solemnity or weight.

 

He smiled at those who met his eyes and returned greetings to those who acknowledged him.

 

His behaviour shocked the martial artists.

 

It was vastly different from what they had imagined an absolute master would be like.

 

“I had no idea the sect leader would be so down-to-earth.”

 

“Right! I thought the Sura Blade would be terrifying.”

 

“Is it because he came from the outer hall of the Jade Heaven Alliance?”

 

They felt a strong sense of connection with him.

 

Because he stopped to personally greet so many people, Lee Gwak arrived at the head table quite late. Yet he never once showed annoyance.

 

Following behind him, Lim Sobo and Cheong Un-san couldn’t hide their admiration.

 

‘As expected of my brother. He’s winning people’s hearts so naturally.’

 

Moving people through authority was easy. But inspiring true loyalty from the heart was anything but. Yet by humbling himself, Lee Gwak effortlessly earned their devotion.

 

Finally, Lee Gwak reached his table. Instead of sitting down right away, he surveyed the crowd gathered in the training ground.

 

There were many.

 

Lim Sobo had told him that the number of disciples of the Mad Martial Sect had exceeded four hundred today.

 

Four hundred.

 

Far from a small number.

 

Back in the Jade Heaven Alliance, he had only commanded a little over ten subordinates.

 

Managing ten had been burdensome enough – now he was responsible for the lives of over four hundred.

 

His decisions would determine their fates. And that number would only grow.

 

Such was the weight of leading a sect.

 

A position where one had to worry not just for oneself, but for countless others.

 

Only now did he truly feel that immense burden.

 

It was something he had steeled himself for when founding the Mad Martial Sect, but facing it head-on was overwhelming.

 

‘Brother!’

 

‘Elder Brother!’

 

‘Sect Leader!’

 

Cheol Gwang-u, Lim Sobo, Cheon Wol, Lim Jimun, and the four hundred pairs of eyes were fixed solely on him.

 

He had to say something to them.

 

Lee Gwak’s gaze briefly turned to the night sky, which was blazing with light.

 

The crimson-stained heavens filled his vision.

 

His eyes pierced through the red hue, seeing the true spectacle beyond—countless stars, shining like jewels, embedded in his heart.

 

Suddenly, a smile touched his lips.

 

It struck him that the disciples gathered before him were like those stars.

 

Not all could shine brilliantly.

 

Some emitted dazzling light, while others were so faint they barely stood out against the darkness. Yet they all shared one thing — they shone, even if only to varying degrees

 

Lee Gwak wanted to protect that light, to keep it from being extinguished. But he knew better than anyone that it was impossible. Still, he made one promise to himself.

 

‘I will never stand in a place safer or more comfortable than yours. When you march into the jaws of death, I will always be at the forefront.’

 

It was a vow to himself—one he didn’t voice aloud.

 

True oaths were made to oneself, not others.

 

Instead , Lee Gwak spoke different words.

 

“I am Lee Gwak, leader of the Mad Martial Sect. Until now, I’ve been too busy to properly speak with you all. That’s why I’ve prepared this gathering today. Your task is simple: eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves.”

 

“Wahhh!”

 

The martial artists erupted in cheers.

 

Just as Lee Gwak had said, they ate, drank, and celebrated long into the night.

 

Lee Gwak and the leadership blended in among them, talking and sharing in the festivities.

 

And so, time passed.