Episode 421

Learning how to rise from defeat (2)

Lee Gwak’s eyebrow twitched.

 

“What did you say?”

 

“I said I came for revenge. Avenging my husband is my rightful duty.”

 

“Duty?”

 

“Yes! My duty. I’m his wife. If not me, then who else would avenge him?”

 

Geum Yul-seon’s eyes were already bloodshot.

 

Lee Gwak stared into her eyes for a moment before shaking his head.

 

“This is beyond you. Just go back.”

 

“I know. I know I’m no match for you, Oppa.”

 

A misty dampness clouded Geum Yul-seon’s bloodshot eyes.

 

Lee Gwak had defeated Yong Cheon-myeong, the successor of the Jade Heaven Alliance. He was an unparalleled master, so formidable that not even Ja-Hong Cheon dared to take him lightly.

 

It was nearly impossible for Geum Yul-seon to seek revenge against Lee Gwak with her own strength.

 

She had trained in martial arts after marrying Yong Cheon-myeong, but only at a self-defense level.

 

Geum Yul-seon knew this too. But she still came willingly to seek revenge.

 

Drip.

 

A tear fell from her bloodshot eyes.

 

How did we end up like this?

 

A wave of sorrow swept over her.

 

Looking back, the person she had loved the most in her life was Lee Gwak. The memories of being with him remained her happiest.

 

But she had abandoned Lee Gwak and chosen Yong Cheon-myeong. And that choice had led to this tragic situation.

 

Now that there was no turning back, her heart ached even more. Still, she bit her lip to pull herself together.

 

Geum Yul-seon spoke with determined eyes.

 

“I know I can’t face you alone.”

 

“Yulseon.”

 

Lee Gwak heightened his senses. Immediately, he detected the presence of others hidden around the inn.

 

As expected, Geum Yul-seon had not come alone.

 

‘The Jade Heaven Alliance’s delegation?’

 

The delegation from the Jade Heaven Alliance he had seen at Mount Wudang numbered only a few dozen at most. But the sheer number of presences he sensed now suggested that the delegation had dispersed their forces in advance and hidden them.

 

‘Was it Joo Shin-yoon’s doing?’

 

Lee Gwak thought of Joo Shin-yoon, the inner court lord of the Jade Heaven Alliance and the leader of the delegation.

 

He had expected that Joo Shin-yoon would make a move,  but he didn’t expect it would happen right after the Wudang Sect’s opening ceremony. And certainly not by manipulating his former lover Geum Yul-seon.

 

Joo Shin-yoon was chillingly ruthless.

 

He knew exactly how to strike at a person’s most painful vulnerabilities.

 

If he were involved, today’s events would not end easily.

 

Lee Gwak stood up and spoke to Geum Yul-seon.

 

“Leave. I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

“I’m sorry, Oppa!”

 

At that moment—

 

Thud!

 

The faint sound of tearing flesh echoed as Jin Yul-seon’s body shuddered. Blood gushed from her mouth and nose.

 

Caught completely off guard, Lee Gwak’s eyes widened.

 

Before him, Jin Yul-seon collapsed, bleeding.

 

“Yul-seon!”

 

Lee Gwak hastily caught her falling body.

 

Her upper body was already drenched in blood—she had severed her own heart meridian.

 

“Why?”

 

Lee Gwak’s pupils trembled as he held her.

 

He couldn’t understand why Geum Yul-seon, who had come for revenge, would take her own life.

 

Once the heart meridian is severed, not even a divine physician can save you.

 

In Geum Yul-seon’s fading eyes, Lee Gwak’s reflection shimmered.

 

“O…ppa…”

 

With great effort, she reached out and touched his face. Her blood smeared across his cheek.

 

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

 

“This… is… my… revenge…”

 

Her voice grew weaker.

 

Lee Gwak clenched his teeth,  watching the life fade from her.

 

No matter how broken their bond had become, she was the woman he had once loved for years. Watching her die in his arms tore at his heart.

 

A moment later, Lee Gwak gently laid her on the floor.

 

It seemed Geum Yul-seon intended to haunt him for the rest of his life by dying this way.

 

In the past, before he met Han So-cheon and had children, he might have fallen into that trap.

 

He might have spent a lifetime haunted by her, destroying himself.

 

But not now.

 

He would mourn her, yes—but he would never torture himself over it.

 

Hoo…

 

Lee Gwak let out a deep breath and stood up.

 

After calming himself, he looked toward the inn’s entrance.

 

“You can come out now.”

 

His eyes were now bloodshot.

 

At that moment, the door opened, and someone stepped inside.

 

It was none other than Joo Shin Yoon, the Inner Lord of Jade Heaven Alliance. His eyes were as clear as glass.

 

He strolled casually toward Lee Gwak as if he were out for a walk.

 

With a look of feigned regret, he glanced at Geum Yul-seon’s body.

 

“Tsk. She really went through with it. Giving up her life for revenge. Truly, a woman’s grudge drives her to do the unthinkable.”

 

“You ordered her to do this, didn’t you?”

 

“Ordered? No, no. I don’t bother with such troublesome things. I merely gave her some advice.”

 

“Your poor advice got an innocent woman killed. But don’t think this will shake me.”

 

“I know.”

 

“…”

 

“I’ve been studying you. Your habits, thoughts, relationships—everything. I probably know you better than you know yourself.”

 

“And what’s your point?”

 

Lee Gwak’s voice dropped.

 

He forced a calm expression, but inside, he was seething with rage.

 

For a moment, the air around them grew still, as if his anger had frozen its flow.

 

Joo Shin-yoon noticed but remained unfazed.

 

“You seem angry.”

 

“…”

 

“As you should be. Even if you buried the past, watching a woman you once loved that deeply die before your eyes… who wouldn’t be angry? Even the most iron-willed man would waver.”

 

“If you think you’ve achieved your goal, you’re mistaken. I won’t falter so easily.”

 

“Your heart is stronger than I expected. Still, no matter. That’s all accounted for.”

 

“Accounted for?”

 

“Didn’t I say? I might know you better than you know yourself. No matter how you act, it’s all within my expectations.”

 

“Then you must know what I’ll do next.”

 

“You’ll draw your blade and attack.”

 

“You’re thinking of drawing your blade and striking me down.”

 

“Showing up here today was your biggest mistake.”

 

Lee Gwak didn’t deny it.

 

Rage filled his heart. Only Joo Shin-yoon’s death could quell his fury.

 

His hand gripped the hilt of Star Soul.

 

But Joo Shin Yoon didn’t even blink. Instead, a cold smile played on his lips as he continued.

 

“Do you know why she didn’t hesitate to kill herself? Just to make you suffer?”

 

“…”

 

“Women aren’t that simple. And I don’t waste my efforts on trivial schemes. When I make a move, I ensure tangible results. That’s the kind of person I am.”

 

Suddenly, Lee Gwak’s eyebrows trembled.

 

His entire body felt strangely lethargic.

 

Joo Shin-yoon’s smile grew colder.

 

“Far to the north, beneath the sea, lives an interesting creature called the Horned Whale.  It looks like a whale, but with a large horn on its head. If you refine that horn in a special way, you can extract a rare substance called Sun-Cutting Acid.”

 

“…”

 

“Wonder why it’s called that? It completely shuts down a person’s internal energy for a full day once it enters the body. It’s not a poison, so resistance to toxins won’t help, and there’s no antidote. You just have to wait out the day.”

 

“You’re saying I’ve been poisoned with Sun-Cutting Acid?”

 

“For Sakilsan to activate, it needs a medium—human blood. It reacts through the blood and is absorbed by the body.”

 

“Blood?”

 

Only then did Lee Gwak remember Geum Yul-seon’s blood on his face.

 

“So Yul-seon…?”

 

“That’s right! Before coming here, she took the Sun Cutting Acid. And with her death, she activated it. All for revenge… Impressive, isn’t it? Her obsession with vengeance?”

 

Only now did Lee Gwak understand why Geum Yul-seon had taken her own life so readily.

 

She didn’t end her revenge merely by tormenting him emotionally; her true goal was to destroy him entirely, even at the cost of her own life. To some extent, she had succeeded.

 

Lee Gwak silently gazed at her lifeless body.

 

Even in death, she seemed to smile faintly.

 

That beautiful smile, which had once shaken his heart to its core, was now lost to him forever.

 

 

 

Despite having been poisoned by the Sun Cutting Acid, Lee Gwak did not resent Geum Yul-seon. He believed it must have been her only choice. Joo Shin Yoon, however, was another story. Lee Gwak could never forgive him.

 

Lee Gwak clenched his teeth and glared at Joo Shin-yoon.  In response,  Joo Shin-yoon smiled faintly.

 

His plan to use Geum Yul-seon had been set in motion long ago. He knew that no matter how cautious Lee Gwak was, he wouldn’t block an approach from a former lover.

 

Moreover, Lee Gwak carried a psychological debt toward Geum Yul-seon. Whether he admitted it or not, killing her husband couldn’t have left his conscience untroubled.

 

Joo Shin-yoon had exploited that weakness, steadily brainwashing Geum Yul-seon over time.

 

Manipulating a grieving young widow was child’s play for him.

 

The real challenge had been timing.

 

Joo Shin-yoon hadn’t planned to set Geum Yul-seon in motion until he arrived here in motion. Causing trouble during the Wudang Sect’s opening ceremony would have been too risky.

 

More importantly, since the Wudang Sect also seemed to have plans for Lee Gwak, there was no need for him to act first. But after witnessing Lee Gwak single-handedly defeat the First Sword of Wudang, his mind changed.

 

The Wudang Sect had been humiliated by Lee Gwak—surely they would tolerate some retaliation from the Jade Heaven Alliance within their own territory.

 

Right now, the Loyal Sword Squad from the Inner Court is stationed in Sipyeon.

 

The Loyal Sword Squad was the Inner Court’s most powerful force, capable of erasing an entire martial sect in the blink of an eye.

 

The inn where Lee Gwak was staying had been completely surrounded by them.

 

It was a scaled-down version of the “Heaven and Earth Net”—the “Lesser Heavenly Net.”

 

A vicious killing intent flashed in Joo Shin-yoon’s eyes.

 

“You’ve slipped away like a slippery eel until now, but today, there’s no escape. This place will be your grave, Lee Gwak!”

 

Whoosh!

 

At that moment, black-clad martial artists entered the inn.

 

Members of the Loyal Sword Squad.

 

Among them, a middle-aged man was exuding an especially fierce aura—Goo Shin-chung, the leader of the Loyal Sword Squad.

 

Shing!

 

As Goo Shin-chung drew his sword, the rest of the squad followed suit.

 

He spoke to Lee Gwak.

 

“Now that you’ve been poisoned with the Sun Cutting Acid, you can’t use your internal energy. Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be.”

 

“Harder?”

 

“I’m saying I’ll give you a painless death if you don’t resist.”

 

Goo Shinc-hung’s eyes glistened with bloodlust.

 

Lee Gwak had long been a thorn in the side of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

 

The damage he had inflicted on the Jade Heaven Alliance was beyond measure.

 

His very name had become taboo within the alliance.

 

The thought of killing Lee Gwak with his own hands excited him.

 

Goo Shin-chung barked an order.

 

“Bring him to me. If he resists, cut the tendons in his arms and legs.”

 

“As you command!”

 

The martial artists of the Loyal Sword Squad advanced with murderous intent.

 

Confident in the poison’s effects, they moved without hesitation.

 

Finally, they stood right before Lee Gwak.

 

“Kneel.”

 

One of the martial artists swung his sword at the backs of Lee Gwak’s knees, intending to cripple him as ordered.

 

Then—

 

Sssshk!

 

A bone-chilling sound ripped through the air, unlike anything anyone expected.

 

The moment they heard it, even Goo Shin-chung and Joo Shin-yoon instinctively recoiled, as if a blade had brushed against their necks.

 

Goosebumps shot down their necks and spines.

 

Joo Shin-yoon looked at Lee Gwak in disbelief.

 

The warriors who had swung their swords at Lee Gwak collapsed like sandcastles.

 

Drip. Drip.

 

Fresh blood trickled down Lee Gwak’s blade—the blood of the Loyal Sword Squad’s warriors.

 

Joo Shin-yoon muttered in shock.

 

“How…?”