Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 413
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Episode 413
A Feast Day Isn’t Always Joyful (1)
As evening fell, people began to fill the Clear Heart Pavilion.
The Mysterious Hero Hall and the Earthly Heaven Hall were already packed to the point where no more rooms could be accommodated.
Only the Celestial Hero Hall, the Earthly Hero Hall, and the annex remained.
Later that evening, Mok Seon-wol led the warriors of Dragon Heaven Valley into the annex. The Thousand Kingdom School and the Nine Dragons Clan followed, arriving one after another.
The Wudang Sect had a massive dining facility in the Clear Heart Pavilion with dozens of chefs on staff. Thanks to their efforts, the flow of food and drink never ceased.
The dining hall seemed to have been swept through once already, and it was now relatively quiet. Leftover remnants of food were still scattered across the tables.
It was a rather unpleasant sight, but Lee Gwak calmly sat at an empty table.
“Huff, huff! Welcome, sir!”
A boy who looked barely in his early teens came running over with a tray.
He didn’t seem to be a disciple of the Wudang Sect, but rather a local boy who was hired for a salary.
The boy hurriedly cleaned up the leftovers in front of Lee Gwak.
“Looks like you’re pretty busy.”
“Yes, sir! A lot of guests arrived all at once.”
The boy shook his head in exasperation and glanced up at Lee Gwak nervously.
Though Lee Gwak had spoken to him kindly, the boy remembered that he was still a martial artist invited by the Mount Wudang. Even though he was being paid to help with menial tasks, martial artists were always intimidating figures to ordinary folk like him.
Lee Gwak smiled.
“Take your time. No need to rush and make mistakes.”
“Yes! Thank you.”
“What food is available?”
“Right now, we only have boksamyang left.”
“Boksamyang?”
“Yes! It’s a stir-fry with pork, liver, and kidneys. It’s really delicious.”
“Then bring me Boksamyang and a bottle of wine.”
“Right away!”
After clearing the table, the boy dashed back to the kitchen.
The food arrived quickly, as it had already been prepared and only needed to be reheated.
Just as Lee Gwak smiled at the steaming Boksamyang before him—
“May I join you?”
A voice rang in his ears from right in front of him.
When he looked up, he saw a familiar face.
Lee Gwak stood from his seat.
“Taoist Jinghae.”
It was Jinghae, the first sword of Wudang.
Beside Jinghae stood Jingyun, another senior disciple, and a boy around fifteen or sixteen.
Jinghae clasped his hands in salute toward Lee Gwak.
“It’s been a long time, Great Hero Lee! Thank you for coming to Mount Wudang.”
“Since I was invited, it was only right to attend.”
“Did you come alone?”
“My sworn younger brother came with me, but he’ll likely arrive tomorrow.”
“Did Miss Lim come as well?”
Jinghae asked, his eyes full of anticipation.
It seemed he still hadn’t let go of his feelings for Lim Sobo.
Lee Gwak shook his head slightly.
“No.”
Disappointment flickered across Jinghae’s face. But he quickly composed himself.
“I see. May we join you?”
“There’s no need for the host to ask permission from the guest.”
“Thank you. Ah! This is my junior, Taoist Jingyun.”
Jinghae introduced the person next to him.
Jingyun bowed respectfully.
“It’s an honor to meet the renowned hero, Master Lee Gwak. As soon as I heard you had arrived, I begged my senior to let me join him. I’m truly honored to meet you in person.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Taoist Jingyun.”
“Thank you. And this is our youngest junior brother, Gyeongcheon. When he heard we were coming to meet you, he insisted on joining…”
“Disciple Gyeongcheon of the Wudang Sect greets Master Lee Gwak!”
The young Taoist, Gyeongcheon, quickly clasped his hands in greeting toward Lee Gwak.
Gyeongcheon’s eyes were brimming with curiosity as he looked at him.
Jinghae frowned slightly at Gyeongcheon’s enthusiasm. It was unbecoming for a Wudang disciple to act so overly excited.
Gyeongcheon was the youngest among the first-generation disciples, a prodigy who received the affection of all the elders. His talent was so exceptional that the elders had chosen him for advanced training at an early age. In terms of pure martial prowess, he was said to be no less than Jinghae.
Because of this, there were even rumors among the elders that they were still arguing over who would officially become Gyeongcheon’s master.
His talent was truly rare.
Not only the elders, but also his senior brothers adored and cherished him.
Gyeongcheon’s eyes sparkled.
While helping his senior brothers prepare for the opening ceremony, he had heard Lee Gwak’s name most often.
Life in the secluded Taoist temple was always the same.
The grueling training repeated day after day, monotonous and tedious.
The young boy dreamed of escaping that routine, listening to tales of heroes from the Jianghu and fantasizing about them.
Among those stories, Lee Gwak’s life had deeply moved Gyeongcheon.
The tale of a low-ranking martial artist who rose to become one of the Jianghu’s absolute masters was something any dream-filled boy would naturally admire.
“It’s an honor to meet you, your performance in the Dragon Heaven Valley was truly amazing, and I’m really…….”
Gyeongcheon excitedly rambled on, but Jingyun quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
“You rascal! This isn’t the place for you to speak.”
“Mmph! Mmph!”
“We agreed you’d just greet him quietly and leave, didn’t we? If you keep talking, I’ll send you away. Be quiet, understand?”
Gyeongcheon, on the verge of tears, nodded weakly. Only then did Jingyun remove his hand.
Lee Gwak smiled and said to Gyeongcheon,
“I’m glad to meet you too, little brother. When we have time, let’s chat properly.”
“Yes!”
Gyeongcheon’s face brightened instantly.
Jinghae shook his head at his junior’s immature behavior, then spoke to Lee Gwak.
“May I join you for a moment?”
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
With Lee Gwak’s permission, Jinghae sat down.
The pungent aroma of the Boksamyang on the table made him wrinkle his nose for a second. Taoists typically avoided heavily spiced food, and this dish was particularly intense.
Lee Gwak picked up a bottle of wine and asked,
“Would you like a drink?”
“Apologies. With the Gate Opening Ceremony approaching, I must stay focused. Drinking would be unwise.”
“I understand.”
Lee Gwak did not press further and instead filled his own cup to the brim.
The amber colored liquid sloshed in the cup.
Without hesitation, Lee Gwak brought it to his lips.
Though it was not as good as the liquor he had tasted at the inn recommended by Lim Ji-mun, it was still quite decent.
“Not bad.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“I can see how much effort Wudang has invested. You must have worked hard.”
“What work? The juniors handled most of it.”
Jinghae gave all the credit to his juniors.
Indeed, his juniors did most of the hands-on work. But that didn’t mean he didn’t do anything.
He had personally traveled across Jianghu, delivering invitations to key figures. Though there were unexpected conflicts along the way, he managed to deliver every invitation and achieve his goal.
Perhaps because of that, he had a satisfied look on his face.
Lee Gwak spoke to him.
“Now, all that remains is to open the gates and spread your wings. I sincerely congratulate the Wudang Sect on this new chapter.”
“It’s too early for congratulations. There are still trials to overcome.”
“Trials?”
“Yes! As the saying goes, great endeavors must be met with corresponding trials.”
“Trials, huh…”
Lee Gwak repeated the words, sensing something ominous in them.
Jinghae stared intently at Lee Gwak’s face. His gaze was so intense that even Jingyun, sitting beside him, coughed awkwardly.
Only then did Jinghae retract his piercing stare.
They sat across from each other, separated only by a table. There was no way Lee Gwak hadn’t noticed Jinghae’s gaze.
Glug glug!
Lee Gwak poured more wine into his empty cup and said:
“I hope you overcome the trials safely.”
“With enough effort, anything can be overcome.”
“True. But you’ll need a lot of effort.”
“I believe no one can surpass me in effort. I’m someone who believes in the power of hard work.”
“So do I.”
While Jinghae’s voice carried determination, Lee Gwak’s tone was calm and collected.
Jingyun’s brow twitched.
Does he know something?
An ominous feeling passed over him for a moment.
From what he had gathered, Lee Gwak was not an easy opponent. If he had been, he wouldn’t have survived all his hardships.
That calmness in Lee Gwak’s response was all the more troubling—it was the calm of a seasoned master.
There’s always a difference between someone who has been through blood and fire and someone who hasn’t.
Jingyun’s senior, Jinghae, was certainly strong.
He was strong enough to carry the Wudang Sect’s expectations on his shoulders.
In terms of pure martial prowess alone, he might not be inferior to Lee Gwak. He might even surpass him.
Unlike Lee Gwak, who had mastered martial arts of unknown origin, Jinghae had trained in the martial arts of the Wudang Sect—a prestigious sect with a long history.
These were the same martial arts that had dominated the Jianghu for centuries.
It was hard to imagine Jinghae losing to Lee Gwak. Yet, the unease lingered because Lee Gwak exuded the calm confidence of a true master.
Even alone in the Wudang Sect’s territory, he was as relaxed as if he were in his own home. In contrast, Jinghae’s expression lacked that same composure.
Without realizing it, Jingyun clenched his fists.
And so the empty exchange between Lee Gwak and Jinghae dragged on.
***
Gyeongmyeong stood guard at the entrance of the Wudang Sect, his face filled with exhaustion.
It couldn’t be helped.
Just today, he had personally escorted dozens of distinguished guests through the gates. If he counted those under his juniors’ guidance, the number easily surpassed a hundred.
He had personally escorted representatives from the Dragon Heaven Valley, Thousand Kingdom School, and the Nine Dragons Clan.
As a result, he was utterly drained.
But he couldn’t rest yet.
Even though it was late at night, there was still a line of people trying to enter the Wudang Sect.
Though unlikely, there was still a chance that someone on the list might arrive, so Gyeongmyeong couldn’t leave his post at the sect’s entrance.
The tedious hours dragged on.
“Yaaawn!”
Finally, Gyeongmyeong couldn’t hold back a yawn.
It was time to close the gates.
There were still many martial artists lingering nearby, unwilling to give up, but he couldn’t accommodate everyone’s circumstances.
Gyeongmyeong turned to the second-generation disciples and said,
“It seems everyone who was supposed to arrive today has come. Let’s close the gates.”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
The second-generation disciples brightened.
Though they didn’t show it, they were just as tired.
Just as they hurried toward the gates—
“Elder Uncle[a]! Over there…!”
One of the second-generation disciples suddenly pointed down the mountain.
A glint of tension appeared on Gyeongmyeong’s disciples.
There was no way people giving off that kind of aura were ordinary martial artists.
Gyeongmyeong spoke to the second-generation disciples who were about to close the gate.
“Don’t close it just yet.”
“Yes!”
They, too, sensed that something was unusual about the newly arrived group, so they stopped their actions.
Gyeongmyeong narrowed his eyes and stared at the approaching group.
‘Who are these martial artists?’
There was nothing on them that indicated their identity.
Usually, when martial artists of this size visited, they would carry a flag bearing their sect’s name to announce who they were—but these people had nothing of the sort.
Soon, they arrived before Gyeongmyeong.
Now that they were closer, the pressure they gave off was overwhelming.
Gulp.
Gyeongmyeong swallowed dryly without realizing it. But he tried his best to keep a calm expression as he spoke.
“May I ask where you’ve come from and your affiliation?”
Swish!
At that moment, the man leading the black-clad group pulled a red envelope from his robe and handed it to Gyeongmyeong. It was an invitation from the Wudang Sect.
As Gyeongmyeong accepted the invitation without much thought, his eyebrow twitched violently.
It was because of what was written on it.
“Jade… Heaven Alliance?”
[a]Im assuming this word is Sasuk. The word they use for people one generation above them. Though there are very young first generation disciples like GyeongCheon in this chapter and they being called as ”elder uncle” by 25y old second gen disciples will be quite weird…. so i think either keep the original Sasuk word or maybe translate as ”senior brother” I know that’s actually Sahyung but it will be fine i think.
Azazar
OK, the shit is going to get real now…