Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 424
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Episode 424
Learning how to rise from defeat (4)
It felt as though every sword was aimed at Joo Shin-yoon with hostility.
Joo Shin-yoon believed he had deflected the blades at random, but even that was within Lee Gwak’s calculations.
It was because Lee Gwak had adjusted his strength so that Joo Shin-yoon would have no choice but to deflect them in a specific direction.
Shiver—
Joo Shin-yoon’s body trembled involuntarily.
Lee Gwak’s sheer improvisation, envisioning and executing such a maneuver in an instant, left him uneasy.
Swish!
Lee Gwak moved swiftly, continuously kicking swords toward Joo Shin-yoon.
Each time Joo Shin-yoon deflected a sword, Lee Gwak used the opening to attack. . His hit-and-run tactics were so fast that Joo Shin-yoon couldn’t even gather his thoughts.
“You bastard!”
Furious, Joo Shin-yoon summoned his qi barrier for defense, but Lee Gwak didn’t approach—he only kept launching blades.
Even for a martial artist of his level, repeatedly deploying a qi barrier was exhausting. It consumed a massive amount of internal energy.
Feeling his energy being drained rapidly, Joo Shin-yoon had no choice but to withdraw it.
His face twisted with rage.
He never imagined he’d be dragged into a brawl like this with Lee Gwak.
He’d envisioned the Loyal Sword Squad easily eliminating Lee Gwak, who’d been poisoned by Sun Cutting Acid and had lost his internal energy. However, the idea of fighting Lee Gwak himself was far from the plan.
As Joo Shin-yoon retracted his defensive qi, Lee Gwak closed in at a terrifying speed.
Crack!
Even while advancing, Lee Gwak didn’t forget to kick up a sword embedded in the ground and send it flying.
It was the same repetitive tactic, almost to the point of irritation. But Joo Shin-yoon still couldn’t find a way to respond effectively.
Not having experienced real combat in a long time, he was failing to react properly in the moment.
His anger was about to boil over.
He couldn’t believe he was being overpowered like this by someone whose energy flow was blocked, which only made his fury worse.
“You Bastard”
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Joo Shin-yoon unleashed the most powerful technique of the Frost Moon Sword Art—Frozen Moon Over Ice Sky.
Though the move consumed an enormous amount of energy and left him severely drained afterward, his rage toward Yi Gwak overrode any hesitation.
Whoooosh—!
As he swung his sword, the sword qi exploded outward.
Shards of sword qi scattered toward Lee Gwak.
Each fragment was lethal—a mere graze would inflict severe injury, and a direct hit would be fatal.
There seemed to be no escape from the downpour of sword qi.
Those watching from nearby assumed Lee Gwak would retreat.
That’s what he had done until now.
If his internal energy had been intact, a direct clash wouldn’t have been an issue. But in his sealed state, colliding head-on with the sword energy fragments would be suicide.
Joo Shin-yoon thought so too.
He had already prepared to counter Lee Gwak’s expected retreat. But in that moment, Lee Gwak’s reaction defied all expectations.
Thud!
Lee Gwak lunged straight into the heart of the storm.
“Huh? What—?”
“Danger!”
The martial artists of the Jeongong Escort Agency and the Hao Clan shouted in alarm.
To them, Lee Gwak appeared to be a moth diving into flames.
But his gaze was resolute.
While others saw only a path of death, he saw a path of survival.
It was a path he would never have noticed if his internal energy had been intact.
With his energy sealed, all his senses had sharpened to an unprecedented degree, allowing him to perceive that one narrow opening—a path as thin as a needle’s eye.
Lee Gwak threw himself into it.
Sssk—!
The fragments of sword qi grazed past him.
His shoulder split open, and a long gash tore across his side. But Yi Gwak didn’t even register the pain.
He was too focused on racing down that path of survival.
Thump!
Finally, Lee Gwak burst through the storm of sword qi and appeared right before Joo Shin-yoon.
“You—?”
Lee Gwak could see the shocked expression on his face.
His eyes widened, his lips parted, and he was so surprised that he didn’t even try to block Lee Gwak’s attack.
Lee Gwak’s blade came toward him like a flash of lightning.
Thud!
“Gah—!”
The moment the blade pierced his shoulder, Joo Shin-yoon screamed. At the same moment, Lee Gwak’s left fist smashed into his face.
Crunch!
His nose was crushed, front teeth shattered.
His tongue was so mangled he couldn’t even scream.
Lee Gwak yanked the blade free and twisted his waist. Like a spinning top, Joo Shin-yoon’s body whirled, and the blade carved across him.
“Ugh!”
Even in his stunned state, Joo Shin-yoon managed to stumble backward, barely avoiding a fatal blow. But not completely—a deep gash split open his neck and chest.
Blood sprayed everywhere, but he couldn’t even think to stop the bleeding.
Lee Gwak was already charging at him like a demon.
Swish!
His blade was aimed at Joo Shin-yoon’s throat.
There wasn’t even time to raise a sword.
“Damn it!”
Joo Shin-yoon used his qigong technique to escape.
Though his mind was hazy, the technique still worked.
His body shot backward, as though yanked by an invisible string.
Lee Gwak chased immediately. The difference between someone who could use internal energy and someone who couldn’t was stark.
The distance between them widened rapidly.
Just then—
“Kuh—!”
Joo Shin-yoon suddenly stumbled and fell. His foot had caught on a belt lying on the ground.
Thud!
He crashed to the ground awkwardly.
‘No way—’
He realized that Lee Gwak had left the belt there on purpose.
‘How many steps ahead did he plan?’
At this point, it was almost frightening.
Joo Shin-yoon felt his body stiffen.
Meanwhile, Lee Gwak had already closed the gap, gripping his blade in a reverse hold before driving it straight toward Joo Shin-yoon’s chest.
“No—!”
“Stop him!”
The warriors of the Loyal Sword Squad rushed to save Joo Shin-yoon. But Lee Gwak was far faster—there was no way they could intercept him in time.
Sssk—!
Lee Gwak’s blade was moments away from piercing Joo Shin-yoon’s heart.
‘This can’t be happening!’
Realizing he couldn’t dodge the strike, Joo Shin-yoon clenched his teeth and widened his eyes in desperation.
Just before the blade struck—
BOOM!
With a sudden boom, Lee Gwak’s body was thrown backward, as if hit by a sledgehammer. Someone had swooped down on him.
Thanks to that, Joo Shin-yoon narrowly escaped death.
“Who—?”
Joo Shin-yoon scrambled to his feet and looked at his savior.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
A woman in black, dressed like the Loyal Sword Squad.
With jet-black hair and a veiled face, she was shrouded in darkness.
An overwhelming aura of dominance radiated from her.
Joo Shin-yoon instantly recognized her.
She was dressed in black, just like the Loyal Sword Squad.
Her hair was as dark as ink, and her face was half-covered by a black veil, making her appear entirely shrouded in darkness.
An overwhelming aura of dominance radiated from her.
Joo Shin-yun instantly recognized her.
“Princess… how?”
She wasn’t supposed to be here.
When Joo Shin-yoon had left for this mission, he had heard she was still in seclusion.
That meant she ended her seclusion shortly after he left.
Ignoring Joo Shin-yoon’s question, the woman walked straight toward Lee Gwak.
“Guh—!”
The unexpected ambush had left Lee Gwak severely wounded.
His left arm hung limp, the shoulder dislocated by the surprise attack.
Using his blade as a crutch, Lee Gwak barely managed to stand.
Pain racked his body, but Lee Gwak gritted his teeth and glared at the woman.
Even with her face half-covered, he recognized her instantly.
“Dan… Li-yeon!”
“Long time no see, Grandmaster Lee!”
Her eyes gleamed sharply behind the veil.
Cold yet ferocious, her gaze sent a slight shiver down Lee Gwak’s spine.
Not out of fear, but because of how unfamiliar she seemed.
The woman he knew had never had such a razor-sharp glare.
Dan Li-yeon!
The Dan Li-Yeon he once knew did not have such sharp eyes.
Dan Li-Yeon!
The one who ambushed him was none other than the Dark Martial Empress, Dan Li-Yeon.
She looked like a thunderbolt ready to explode.
“Hah…”
Lee Gwak exhaled deeply and straightened his back. A wave of pain surged through him.
Not only was he injured externally, but also internally.
The unexpected attack had been devastating.
Suppressing the pain, Lee Gwak stared at Dan Li-yeon.
Her eyes were filled with killing intent. The woman he once knew had never been like this.
She had always been calm and in control of her emotions, no matter the situation. But now, there was no trace of that person left.
Lee Gwak spoke.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Lady Dan.”
“It’s the Alliance’s business. And I have a debt to repay you.”
“Hah… How did you recover?”
Dan Li-Yeon had once become crippled after pushing her internal energy too far to fight Lee Gwak. But now, there was no sign of that damage.
“Thanks to my master, I recovered. And now I’ve been given the chance to repay the debt.”
She began gathering her internal energy.
She knew Lee Gwak had been poisoned by the Sun Cutting Acid.
The old her would never have exploited such a weakness or resorted to ambush tactics. But after her defeat and the humiliation of being reduced to a cripple, her mindset had changed.
There was no need to consider an enemy’s circumstances.
Winning by any means necessary was all that mattered.
Only those who survived to the end could make their voices heard in the Martial Jianghu.
She had learned that lesson the hard way—the martial world never gave the weak a chance to speak.
She never wanted to return to those days. To ensure that, Lee Gwak had to die.
Lee Gwak gripped his blade tightly, his breathing ragged.
He was already at his limit.
The strike he had landed on Joo Shin-yoon earlier had drained the last of his strength. Now, he barely had the energy to move. But he wouldn’t just sit still and accept death.
Lee Gwak raised his blade and pointed it at Dan Li-yeon.
No matter how hopeless the situation, surrender was never an option.
That’s how he’d always lived.
Even in the depths of despair, he clung to the last of his willpower and endured.
This was no different.
He didn’t think about the outcome; he would simply hold on as long as he could. It was all he could do.
As Dan Li Yeon gathered her energy to strike—
“Stop!”
“What do you think you’re doing in the territory of the Wudang Sect?!”
A sharp voice echoed from afar.
Joo Shin-yoon’s expression changed completely.
The Wudang Sect!
Martial artists from the Wudang Sect were rapidly approaching.
This was the Sipyeon, the inner grounds of Mount Wudang. Of course, they would intervene once they heard of it.
That’s why Joo Shin-yoon had intended to kill Lee Gwak quickly and escape. But the fight had dragged on far longer than expected.
The Wudang Sect wouldn’t let the Loyal Sword Squad cause such a ruckus in their domain without consequences.
It was only a matter of time before they arrived.
But Dan Li-yeon didn’t care.
To her, the only thing that mattered was killing Lee Gwak right now.
Whoosh—!
She shot toward Lee Gwak like an arrow.
“Stop!”
Boom!
At that moment, accompanied by a clear, ringing voice, a powerful internal energy struck Dan Li-yeon. Despite taking a direct hit, she remained completely unscathed. She had countered it with her own palm strike at the last moment.
Her eyes snapped toward the one who had attacked her.
Her eyes grew even frostier.
“Mok Seon-wol!”
“Yeon…”
The one looking at Dan Li Yeon with pity was none other than Mok Seon-wol of Dragon Heaven Valley.
Dan Li-yeon’s killing intent flared even hotter.
“Move aside.”
“I can’t.”
Mok Seon-wol shook her head.
The two had once been close friends. But after the Jade Heaven Alliance began its conquest, they had drifted apart.
Seonwol’s eyes wavered under the force of Dan Li Yeon’s killing aura.
“What happened to you? You weren’t like this.”
“People change. Move.”
“I can’t let you.”
Mok Seon-wol shook her head again, drawing her internal energy.
Just as Dan Li Yeon was about to strike—
“You must fall back, Lady Danli!”
Joo Shin-yoon grabbed her wrist.
“I can’t.”
“We’ve missed our chance. Unless you’re confident you can kill her in one blow, we must retreat.”
If they delayed any longer, they’d be surrounded by the Wudang Sect.