Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 437
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Episode 437
A storm sweeps through the Jianghu (3)
Lim So-bo watched as Lee Gwak put on his windbreaker.
A flicker of unease appeared in her eyes.
She couldn’t shake the anxiety of Lee Gwak leaving the Mad Martial Sect at such a critical time. However, there was no one else who could go.
Cheol Gwang-woo, Lim Ji-mun, and Cheon Wol—all the available experts—were already tied up with their own tasks. She couldn’t afford to pull them away.
“Brother!”
“I’ll be back!”
“Yes!”
Lim So-bo nodded.
Though she was uneasy about Lee Gwak’s absence, it was something they would eventually have to overcome.
Lee Gwak’s absence weighed heavily on her, but this was something they would have to overcome eventually.
As he reached out, Star Soul, which was hanging on the wall, flew into his grasp. He fastened it to his waist and walked forward.
Lim Sobo called out to his retreating figure.
“Protecting the Hao Clan Leader is important, but what matters more… is you, Brother. So please, return safely.”
“Don’t worry.”
Lee Gwak answered without even looking back.
His pace quickened.
‘First, I need to find Brother Nam Woo-gyeong.’
Even Lee Gwak didn’t know exactly where Nam Woo-gyeong was.
He wandered the world like duckweed floating on water.
But Lee Gwak knew how to find him.
To make contact with him, Lee Gwak had to locate a Hao Clan branch first. Fortunately, there was a small one not far from here.
Nam Woo-gyeong had established it specifically to aid the Mad Martial Sect.
Most of the information the Hao Clan sent to the Mad Martial Sect came through that branch.
Lee Gwak took a boat from the Mad Martial Sect and headed to the Hao Clan branch.
“Master Lee! What brings you here?”
The moment the branch leader heard about Lee Gwak’s arrival, he came running out barefoot.
“Can you contact Brother Woo-gyeong right now?”
“You mean the Young Master? May I ask what this is regarding?”
The branch leader asked cautiously.
Lee Gwak told him of Lim Sobo’s suspicions.
Upon hearing everything, the branch leader turned pale.
“You mean… they’re targeting our Sect Leader? And the one behind it is the Jade Heaven Alliance Leader?”
“That’s just a suspicion for now.”
“It’s still just speculation.”
“But if Lady Lim said so, there must be some truth to it, right?”
The branch manager held Lim So-bo’s abilities in high regard.
Among the Hao Clan, he was the one who communicated with her the most. He knew firsthand just how sharp her mind was.
Her ability to deduce the truth from the barest scraps of information was almost eerie.
He couldn’t imagine Lim So-bo saying such a thing to Lee Gwak without solid reasoning.
“Come to think of it, Young master Nam is currently on the move to meet the Sect Leader…”
“What do you mean?”
“Recently, under his leadership, there have been discussions about reorganizing the Hao Clan. He’s personally delivering the finalized plans to Sect Leader Shim Wol for approval.”
“…”
Lee Gwak bit his lip at the branch manager’s words.
The Hao Clan Leader and the young master of the Hao Clan rarely met in person to avoid any unforeseen incidents.
Nam Woo-gyeong had always been extremely cautious about being in the same place as the Sect Leader.
“Where is Brother Woo-gyeong now?”
“I don’t know the exact location.”
“At least tell me the last place he was seen.”
“Lake Taiho. He mentioned heading there to meet the Sect Leader.”
“I’m sorry. For security reasons, only the branch manager in that area knows.”
The branch manager clenched his fists.
Even within the Hao Clan, Nam Woo-gyeong’s movements were top secret. Unless you were a branch manager along his route, you wouldn’t know his whereabouts. And by now, it was too late to find out—he was already too far away.
Even if they sent the fastest messenger pigeon to the Taeho branch, it would take at least five days to get a reply.
“I’ll send a warning to that branch immediately.”
“Tell them to locate the Sect Leader and Brother Woo-gyeong as quickly as possible.”
“Understood.”
“Do you have a horse?”
“We keep one in case of emergencies.”
“Perfect. Give it to me.”
“Are you going yourself, Master Lee?”
“This concerns Brother Woo-gyeong. Of course I’m going.”
“Thank you. Truly, thank you, Master Lee!”
The branch leader’s voice trembled.
The fact that Lee Gwak himself was taking action brought him some peace of mind.
Lee Gwak took the horse and departed from the branch.
Meanwhile, the branch leader sent a carrier pigeon toward the last known location of Nam Woo-gyeong.
Fwoosh!
But the pigeon didn’t fly far before an arrow struck it down.
A man holding a bow picked up the fallen bird.
He was a martial artist from the Jade Heaven Alliance’s Heavenly Intelligence Hall.
His mission was to monitor the movements of the Mad Martial Sect and the nearby Hao clan branches.
He retrieved the message tied to the pigeon’s leg and read it.
“Incredible. They figured it out from just circumstantial evidence?”
His expression grew serious.
He had been monitoring the Mad Martial Sect and the surrounding Hao Clan branches precisely in case something like this happened.
“Lim So-bo! How did we let someone like that slip by…”
He clicked his tongue.
He had known of Lim So-bo’s brilliance, but he hadn’t realized just how terrifyingly sharp her intuition was.
“If we’re not careful, the Alliance Leader’s plans could be seriously disrupted. I must report this to the Hall Master immediately.”
There was no reason to stay any longer.
He moved swiftly to contact the Heavenly Intelligence Hall.
***
Lee Gwak rode at a breakneck pace.
He wanted to go even faster, but unfortunately, the horse provided by the Hao Sect wasn’t suited for long distances.
After riding for less than half a day, the horse was already showing signs of exhaustion.
“At this rate, the horse will collapse before I reach my destination.”
He needed a solution.
The best option was to switch to a boat.
If timed right, he could reach Lake Taeho faster by boat than on horseback.
To do so, he needed to reach a major river.
Fortunately, just about four hours ahead, there was a port large enough to accommodate such vessels.
Lee Gwak spurred his horse, but its speed didn’t increase—in fact, it was slowing down by the minute.
It had reached its limit.
“No choice, then.”
He abandoned the horse and switched to his Qigong.
Pop!
Pat!
Kicking off the saddle, he launched himself into the air.
Like the wind itself, Lee Gwak dashed forward at an incredible speed.
He ran at full speed for nearly two hours without resting. Even for someone like Lee Gwak, his entire body was soaked wet.
In the distance, he finally saw the dock.
But the boat had already departed and was moving down the river.
‘No!’
If he missed this one, there was no telling when the next boat would come.
Lee Gwak pushed himself even harder.
Shwooo!
Lee Gwak arrived at the dock in a flash, and used his momentum to leap forward.
His body became a blur as he soared across the river.
“What the—?”
“Whoa!”
The people on the dock gaped in shock as Lee Gwak flew toward the boat.
He landed gracefully on the deck, as light as a feather.
“Gasp!”
The crew members, who had been busy working, recoiled in shock. A normal person jumping from the dock to a ship several jang away? Impossible.
An elderly sailor cautiously approached him.
“Who, who might you be, sir? What business do you have aboard our vessel…?”
“Sorry. I didn’t have time to buy a ticket. I’ll pay right away.”
“O-Of course!”
The old man replied politely.
Had it been anyone else, they would’ve been thrown overboard—but this was a martial artist.
Someone strong enough to leap a dozen jang in one bound.
The old man didn’t have the courage to refuse someone like that.
He and the other passengers looked at Lee Gwak with fear in their eyes.
Few could welcome a mysterious martial artist who had suddenly landed on their ship.
Understanding this, Lee Gwak paid the fare and went into the cabin.
“Phew!”
He let out a breath of relief.
Now that he was on board, he had done all he could. All that remained was to wait for the ship to reach Taeho safely.
Lee Gwak sat down and began circulating his internal energy.
After a full cycle, his mind and body stabilized somewhat.
Despite the eased fatigue, he stayed in the cabin to rest.
He only stepped outside after night had fallen.
The ship was still sailing, lit by lanterns.
Though nothing of the landscape was visible, the tranquil atmosphere had drawn many passengers outside.
Some were chatting, others leaned on the railing in silence.
No one recognized Lee Gwak, allowing him a peaceful moment in the open air.
‘Hyung…’
He thought of Nam Woo-gyeong.
Nam Woo-gyeong was incredibly important to him.
He trusted that Nam Woo-gyeong would take care of things, but he still felt uneasy because he was so important to him.
Lee Gwak’s faint sigh was scattered by the wind.
“Are you worried about something?”
A voice asked from beside him.
Lee Gwak turned to see a scholarly-looking man in his mid-to-late thirties.
When Lee Gwak looked at him, the man smiled sheepishly.
“Ah, forgive me for speaking out of turn. My name is Won Yu-sul. I saw you cross the river earlier. This is my first time seeing a martial artist up close, so I couldn’t resist greeting you. Might I know your esteemed name?”
Lee Gwak hesitated briefly.
Normally, he would have introduced himself honestly, but this was a critical mission to save Nam Woo-gyeong. Revealing his identity now was too risky.
After a moment of thought, he replied:
“I am Lee Jin-mun.”
“Ah! So it’s Master Lee! It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Likewise, Master Won.”
“Haha! Thanks to you, I’ve had quite the spectacle today. A man flying through the sky,you must be a renowned martial artist in the jianghu.”
“I’m not that famous. There are many far greater experts in the Jianghu.”
“Though I’m just a scholar who knows nothing of martial arts, even I can tell your skills are extraordinary.”
Lee Gwak found the attention uncomfortable.
Normally, he wouldn’t mind, but he was pressed for time and emotionally strained right now. Forming bonds with strangers was the last thing on his mind.
Still, he responded politely.
Won Yu-sul kept talking enthusiastically.
“By the way, the place I’m headed to—it’s a martial arts sect as well.”
“Is that so?”
Lee Gwak showed genuine interest for the first time.
A scholar, invited by a martial arts sect? Naturally, he was curious.
Seeing his interest, Won Yu-sul scratched his head shyly.
“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure if it counts as a martial arts sect. I’ve been invited to a newly established manor, but the person who sent the invitation was a martial artist. So I just assumed it might be connected to the jianghu.”
“Could you tell me the name of this manor?”
“Well, the thing is…”
“You don’t have to answer if it’s uncomfortable.”
“No, it’s not that—it’s just that the name is so… grandiose. The Heavenly Martial Manor. Doesn’t it sound overly impressive? I’ve never heard of an manor with such an extravagant name before.”
“Heavenly Martial Manor.”
Lee Gwak’s eyes narrowed.
It was a name he had heard just a few months prior.
He remembered Ahn Yu-san from the Azure Maritime Company mentioning that he was delivering stone materials to the Heavenly Martial Manor.
Once was a coincidence, but when the same name was mentioned twice in different places, it could no longer be dismissed as a coincidence.
“Could you tell me why you were invited to that Manor?”
“Ah! The lord and lady of the manor have lived abroad for a long time, and they requested that I tutor their son.”
Won Yu-sul’s face was filled with pride.
Though Lee Gwak had no prior knowledge of him, Won Yu-sul was actually a highly respected scholar.
His academic achievements were so renowned that many students followed him, but the problem was his extreme poverty.
He had devoted himself entirely to scholarship, never accumulating wealth, and as a result, lived in poverty.
Recently, he had been struggling with debt, and his life had grown even more difficult until a man who introduced himself as the steward from the Heavenly Martial Manor, personally sought him out and asked him to become the manor lord’s son’s tutor.
The offer was generous, and the steward’s attitude was so respectful that Won Yu-sul accepted. Now, he was on his way to the Manor, leaving his hometown behind.
Lee Gwak asked,
“You said you were invited by the Steward. Do you know his name?”
“I don’t, actually. He only asked to be called Steward Jin.”
“Steward Jin?”
“The strange thing is, he always covers his face with a veil. He said it was due to burns he suffered as a child. He told me he’d come to meet me when I disembark, so if you’re curious, you could see him then.”
“No, it’s fine. I was just asking out of curiosity.”
“Haha! I see.”
After that, the two continued their conversation for a long time.
Azazar
Hm… another ambush it seems? I’m just curios what Ja Hong-Cheon is going to do if he loss even more of his top-tier martial artists to Lee Gwak and Go Geom Wol launch a strike on the Jade Heaven Alliance which he is currently preparing for? It would be a disaster. He has already lost Yong Cheon-myeong who was an absolute master on par with eight great martial artists along with all Soul Forbidden Demons that were strong enough to hold top experts of Dragon Heaven Valley, two main squads of Internal Court have been massacred, the part of Secret Court that his old fried was leading. Yes, he got himself an upgraded Dan Li Yeon, but that alone doesn’t feel the gap, especially if he loses even a part of his Heavenly Martial Corps
BTW What the hell has happened to the second disciple? Was there any mention of him since the 3 years timeskip? Is he dead?