Episode 448

The Way of Sura Pierces the Heavens (2)

 

The damage to the Hao Clan was severe.

 

Sect leader Shim Wol, the elite assassination unit Death Reaper Squad, the Suzhou branch leader, and countless others lost their lives in Suzhou.

 

The destruction of the Suzhou branch was a huge loss, but the most devastating blow was the death of Shim Wol, the spiritual pillar of the Hao Clan.

 

Shim Wol had been the driving force that kept the Hao Clan standing through turbulent times. His death plunged many Hao Clan disciples into mourning.

 

Yet, the Hao Clan’s hope was not entirely extinguished.

 

Because the Hao Clan still had Nam Woo-gyeong.

 

Perhaps Shim Wol foresaw this tragedy; he sent a secret letter to each branch the day before his death, naming Nam Woo-gyeong as his successor.

 

Because of this, the transition of power proceeded smoothly without any chaos. Rather than falling part, the Hao Clan grew even more tightly knit under Nam Woo-gyeong’s leadership, forming a solid hierarchy centered around him.

 

The exact opposite of what Ja Hong-cheon had hoped for.

 

However, the Jade Heaven Alliance made no move in response.

 

Their leader, Ja Hong-cheon, had sustained serious injuries. And, four of their top experts from the Heavenly Martial Squad had been killed.

 

The series of events had dealt a heavy blow to the Jade Heaven Alliance.

 

Ja Hong-cheon had planned it all, with the full support of the Jade Heaven Alliance. Yet despite their efforts, their decisive strike failed.

 

What made it worse was that this had happened just as the Jade Heaven Alliance was gaining momentum.

 

They killed Namgung Jin-geom, leader of the Thousand Kingdom School, and hunted down and eliminated Eun Won-ho, the Merchant King of the Myriad Merchant Troupe.

 

Naturally, they had expected to succeed in killing both the Hao Clan’s leader and young master as well. But their plan failed.

 

Because of a single person’s intervention.

 

Lee Gwak!

 

But their plan had failed.

 

Because of one man’s intervention.

 

Lee Gwak!^[a]

 

He had appeared at the critical moment and saved Nam Woo-gyeong.

 

And he hadn’t just saved Nam Woo-gyeong’s life—he had also inflicted grave injuries on Ja Hong-cheong, forcing him to retreat.

 

After escorting Ja Hong-cheong to safety, the Heavenly Martial Squad returned with the alliance’s elite forces, but Lee Gwak and Nam Woo-gyeong were nowhere to be found in Suzhou.

 

The Jade Heaven Alliance desperately tried to suppress the incident.

 

If it became known that Ja Hong-cheong had personally led the operation and failed, his reputation would suffer irreparable damage. And reputation was the least of their worries.

 

If factions within the alliance began undermining Ja Hong-cheong’s authority, their future plans would be severely disrupted.

 

To prevent this, the Heavenly Intelligence Hall mobilized all its resources to keep the incident under wraps. But despite their efforts, their attempts were in vain.

 

No matter how skilled the Heavenly Intelligence Hall was, it couldn’t compete with the vast network of the Hao Clan.

 

There was no place in the world without Hao Clan disciples.

 

Everywhere they went, they spread the story of that day as if they had witnessed it themselves.

 

“Ah, let me tell you—Hero Lee completely overwhelmed the Alliance Leader! Ja Hong-cheon tucked his tail and ran!”

 

“I heard the Alliance Leader couldn’t even last ten moves against Hero Lee!”

 

“Ten moves? The way I heard it, he couldn’t even withstand three!”

 

The rumors snowballed.

 

Seasoned martial artists didn’t take the gossip at face value—they knew how easily stories became exaggerated. But that reasoning only applied to those within the martial world.

 

Ordinary civilians, with no connection to the Jianghu, swallowed the rumors whole.

 

Of course, this didn’t change the martial world’s dynamics or cripple the Vast Sky Alliance. But Ja Hong-cheon’s reputation had undeniably plummeted.

 

The prestige he and the alliance had painstakingly built was crumbling.

 

Now, people believed Lee Gwak was the closest to being the world’s greatest martial artist. Since he hadn’t definitively defeated Ja Hong-cheon, they couldn’t crown him outright, but they were certain he was at least his equal.

 

Moreover, Lee Gwak was in his early thirties, making him the youngest of the world’s supreme masters.

 

Naturally, his potential for growth was the greatest.

 

For this reason, more and more people began to quietly regard him as the strongest in the world.

 

However, the Mad Martial Sect stopped accepting outsiders. They feared enemy spies might sneak in and that further expansion would be too much to handle.

 

Instead, they focused on strengthening their inner circle.

 

They poured all their energy into training the disciples they had already accepted.

 

After the recent incident, the Mad Martial Sect could no longer grow in secret as they had before.

 

They might soon be caught up in the Jianghu’s bloodshed, so Lim Sobo devoted himself entirely to training the disciples.

 

After these events, the Jianghu entered a period of calm.

 

Ja Hong-cheon had gone into seclusion upon returning to the Jade Heaven Alliance, and the alliance itself had no choice but to pause its activities.

 

***

 

Lee Gwak lifted his robe slightly and examined his side.

 

The gaping wound had fully healed, leaving behind a large scar that looked like a thick earthworm crawling across his skin. It still throbbed painfully.

 

Ja Hong-cheon’s sword had wounded more than his flesh; its qi had invaded his body, inflicting severe internal injuries.

 

Because of this, Lee Gwak spent months in seclusion, focusing solely on healing through cultivation.

 

After long hours of recovery, his face was pale and gaunt.

 

His cheeks were sunken, and dark circles shadowed his eyes.

 

That gave his once plain face an even sharper, more hardened look.

 

“Hah…”

 

Lee Gwak exhaled tiredly and rose from his seat.

 

Creak—

 

When he opened the door and stepped outside, intense sunlight struck his eyes.

 

He squinted, waiting for his vision to adjust.

 

Having been in the dark for so long, it took time to readjust to the light.

 

Eventually, his eyes adapted, and the scenery around him came into view.

 

Everywhere he looked, blue waves rolled endlessly.

 

He was on a massive ship.

 

A ship floating in the middle of the ocean.

 

“You’re finally out.”

 

The one who greeted Igwak was none other than Nam Woo-gyeong.

 

His face was tanned a deep brown from the sun.

 

After setting down a bamboo fishing rod, Nam Woo-kyung approached Lee Gwak.

 

“Are you alright, Gwak?”

 

“I wasn’t too badly hurt to begin with. What about you? Are you fully recovered now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“It took longer than expected. Then again, you were wounded by Ja Hong-cheon himself, so it’s impressive that you’ve recovered this quickly.”

 

“How much time has passed?”

 

“Exactly four months since that incident.”

 

“Already that long?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Nam Woo-gyeong’s face was just as gaunt as Lee Gwak’s.

 

He had been under immense mental strain.

 

While Lee Gwak focused on healing, Nam Woo-gyeong had only partially treated his wounds before dedicating himself to handling the aftermath.

 

He had to calm the shaken Hao Clan disciples after Shim Wol’s death

,and then he had to restructure the entire organization.

 

Though there had been a plan in place, reforming a clan with over ten thousand official members was no easy task. Still, there was no time to delay.

 

The Suzhou branch had been nearly annihilated by the Jade Heaven Alliance. There was a shared sense that the Hao Clan needed to change.

 

So Nam Woo-gyeong pushed through the reformation with relentless drive.

 

The biggest obstacle wasn’t internal resistance. It was the Jade Heaven Alliance.

 

Fearing future repercussions, the alliance continuously sent elites to track Nam Woo-gyeong down. In response, he boarded a large ship and took to the sea.

 

He moved to a place they would never think to look.

 

If he had been alone, he might have simply relocated to another safehouse on land. But there was someone he had to protect Lee Gwak.

 

Had he been alone, he might’ve fled to another hidden location. But there was someone he had to protect.

 

Lee Gwak.

 

His injuries were too severe for the Hao Clan’s healers to treat. Healing himself was the only option.

 

To keep Igwak safe, he had to hide him completely from the Jade Heaven Alliance. So, Nam Woo-gyeong came up with the idea to live at sea.

 

He only came ashore to meet with key Hao personnel in small boats. Otherwise, he spent nearly all his time on the ship.

 

He picked up fishing to pass the time and had become quite good at it.

 

Lee Gwak asked Nam Woo-gyeong,

 

“How is the Mad Martial Sect?”

 

“They’re doing well. I discreetly informed Little Fox of your situation, so don’t worry.”

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

“She’s handling things much better than expected.”

 

“She always had talent.”

 

“Bringing out that talent is the mark of a true leader. Without you, Sobo wouldn’t have flourished like this.”

 

Lee Gwak smiled sheepishly and changed the topic.

 

“What’s the state of the Jianghu?”

 

“Calm.”

 

“Quiet, you mean?”

 

“Yeah. Thanks to you.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Because you injured Ja Hong-cheon, the Jade Heaven Alliance has stopped all external operations. This gave the Thousand Kingdom School and the Myriad Merchant Troupe some breathing room.”

 

Just four months ago, the Thousand Kingdom School and the Myriad Merchant Troupe were in a desperate state after losing their leaders. Had Ja Hong-cheon remained active, they would have suffered irreparable damage. But thanks to Lee Gwak’s intervention, they gained time to regroup.

 

They each appointed new leaders, Namgung Jin and Eun Il-myeong, and began rebuilding.

 

“That’s good news.”

 

“Indeed. We’ve bought time. As long as nothing major happens, this state should last a while.”

 

Nam Woo-gyeong’s eyes gleamed sharply.

 

Even aboard the ship, he had a complete grasp of the Jianghu’s situation. The newly reformed Hao Clan had an even more extensive and efficient intelligence network.

 

With this improved system, Nam Woo-gyeong could monitor events across the world without leaving his seat.

 

Yet even he looked at Lee Gwak with admiration.

 

‘This guy is incredible. He’s changing the Jianghu.’

 

He had recently received news that the leader of the Martial Sword Troupe had changed.

 

The Southern Sea Martial Emperor, Yu Mun Sang, was defeated and forcibly dethroned by her sworn sister, Sa Yeon-hee.

 

No one knew how it had happened, but it was true. And Sa Yeon-hee held a deep admiration for Lee Gwak.

 

So did Mok Seon-wol of Dragon Heaven Valley.

 

Having been handed most of her father’s authority, Mok Seon-wol now held real power.

 

She, too, was favorable toward Lee Gwak. Namgung Jin of Thousand Kingdom School also trusted him.

 

Lee Gwak had become a spiritual leader to many.

 

If he moved, they would likely follow. Nam Woo-gyeong, as leader of the Hao Clan, was also ready to support him at any time.

 

Though Lee Gwak had no desire to wield influence, many were already changing because of him.

 

‘The world will soon revolve around Igwak.’

 

Nam Woo-gyeong had decided to be part of that change.

 

He owed Lee Gwak an immeasurable debt, and he believed it was the best path for the Jianghu.

 

Lee Gwak was a towering tree.

 

Though he stood still, thinking he did nothing, many found shelter and survival under his shade.

 

Nam Woo-gyeong asked him,

 

“So what now?”

 

“I must return to the sect.”

 

“You’ve been gone a long time.”

 

“Yes. I know Sobo is doing well, but I still feel uneasy.”

 

“Of course. If a sect leader can leave for months and feel no concern, they don’t deserve the role.”

 

“That’s why I need to return to land.”

 

“Right now?”

 

“I’ve spent too long on this ship. I miss the ground beneath my feet.”

 

“Haha! Fair enough. I’ll speak to the captain right now.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“No need to thank me. Just wait here a moment.”

 

Nam Woo-gyeong left to speak with the captain.

 

Lee Gwak stood alone, looking toward the distant shore.

 

The land was faintly visible on the far side of the horizon.

 

After four long months at sea, he dearly missed the land. He missed his family, too.

 

Clack!

 

The ship began to move.

 

It was turning, heading toward land.

 

The sails caught the wind and billowed wide as the giant ship picked up speed.

 

Nam Woo-gyeong returned to Lee Gwak’s side.

 

“We’ll reach the shore by sunset.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Lee Gwak nodded.

 

It had been so long since he last stood on solid ground.

 

To say he felt no excitement would be a lie.

 

His heart, carried by the wind, was already racing toward the Jianghu.