Episode 454

Good News and Bad News Come Together (1)

 

While Geum Gu-ho was meeting with Lee Gwak, his subordinates moved secretly to assess the strength of the Mad Martial Sect. However, they failed to gather any useful information.

 

Taking advantage of lax surveillance, they tried to slip out of the guest hall to collect intelligence. For some reason, however, they found themselves circling the building, unable to escape.

 

Only then did they realize that a highly sophisticated formation had been set up around the Guest Hall,a formation so subtle and intricate that they hadn’t even noticed it.

 

The formation around the Guest House was the work of Lim Ji-mun.

 

Because they trusted the formation he had laid out, the Mad Martial Sect didn’t bother to keep a separate watch on the martial artists from the Jade Heaven Alliance.

 

As a result, Geum Gu-ho and his subordinates returned empty-handed and disappointed.

 

“Hah!”

 

On the boat, Geum Gu-ho let out a deep sigh and looked back.

 

On the dock, he could see Lee Gwak and Lim So-bo standing.

 

He had expected it wouldn’t be easy, but he never imagined he would be rejected so decisively. The shock and emptiness he felt were immense.

 

“Sigh… It seems the time has come for each of us to fend for ourselves.”

 

Geum Gu-ho closed his eyes.

 

Part of him wanted to appeal to their past ties, to ask Lee Gwak and Lim Sobo for help out of sentiment. But their resolute expressions had left him speechless.

 

The boat carrying him gently drifted along the river, but a storm was raging in his heart.

 

***

 

Lim So-bo spoke to Lee Gwak.

 

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

 

“Regret what?”

 

“Not joining hands with the Jade Heaven Alliance. It was a chance to become incredibly wealthy.”

 

“Aren’t we already making plenty of money?”

 

“That’s on a completely different level.”

 

“Are we short on funds to run the Sect?”

 

“No, we have enough.”

 

“Then that’s all that matters. More wealth than that would be meaningless to me anyway. I wouldn’t even have a use for it.”

 

“That’s not how it works.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

 

 

“The more wealth you have, the better, especially if you’re leading a major sect.”

 

Lee Gwak chuckled at Im So-bo’s whining.

 

“But it’s not more important than people.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I have you, don’t I? You handle the finances well and manage everything smoothly. There’s no need for the Jade Heaven Alliance’s support.”

 

Lim So-bo scrunched her nose at Lee Gwak’s teasing remark.

 

“You might as well just tell me to drop dead. My head feels like it’s going to explode just thinking about managing the finances as it is.”

 

“If you find someone capable enough to replace you, I don’t mind handing it over.”

 

“I wish I had someone like that. Tch!”

 

Lim So-bo grumbled cutely.

 

Managing the finances of a major sect was no easy task.

 

Especially for a rapidly growing sect like the Mad Martial Sect ensuring smooth financial operations was even more challenging.

 

They had to predict the sect’s developmental direction and allocate funds accordingly, which required exceptional intelligence.

 

Because of this, Lim So-bo had been searching for a capable steward to oversee the finances and internal affairs, but she hadn’t found the right person yet.

 

“If it’s too much, why not ask Brother Woo-gyeong to help find someone suitable?”

 

“I’ve already asked him.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yes! There should be good news soon.”

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

“Aren’t you worried, Oraboni?”

 

“About what?”

 

“That I’m arbitrarily deciding on such an important position as steward?”

 

“If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have put you in charge as a strategist in the first place. I trust you, so I leave everything to you. Thanks to that, I can leisurely focus on martial arts and enjoy my free time.”

 

“Tch! You’re so annoying.”

 

Lim So-bo shot Lee Gwak a glare, but her expression wasn’t displeased.

 

Instead, she felt good about the trust Lee Gwak placed in her.

 

With his full support and faith, she had been able to grow the Mad Martial Sect according to her vision.

 

This was something she could never have dreamed of when she was a strategist for the Sky High Castle and the Thousand Kingdom School.

 

Because she had planned and built everything from the ground up, her affection for the Mad Martial Sect was deep.

 

She looked at every brick and stone with eyes full of love.

 

Lee Gwak asked her,

 

“The fact that the Jade Heaven Alliance reached out to us means their situation isn’t good, right?”

 

“Exactly. According to Hao Clan’s intelligence, the frontlines have been pushed all the way to the vicinity of Tianzi Mountain.”

 

“Mount Tianzi? That’s…”

 

“Only about seven hundred li from Dongting Lake, where the Jade Heaven Alliance is based. For them, the fire has reached their feet.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Lee Gwak’s gaze darkened.

 

Though he had calmly rejected Ja Hong-cheon’s proposal, the situation still weighed on him. If the Jade Heaven Alliance were completely crushed or suffered a major defeat against the Celestial Demon Troupe, the aftermath would be hard to handle.

 

But, he had refused for Lim So-bo’s sake.

 

Not long ago, she had told him:

 

“Right now, the Jade Heaven Alliance is being pushed back, but they haven’t revealed their full strength yet. They’re still holding back. We need to force them to show their hidden cards.”

 

Lim So-bo and the strategists of Intelligence Hall were all originally from the Jade Heaven Alliance’s secret court. Because of this, they knew the alliance’s strength better than anyone.

 

If they rashly joined hands with the Jade Heaven Alliance while it was still hiding its power, they risked being used and betrayed.

 

 

 

That’s why Lim So-bo and the Intelligence Hall strategists repeatedly emphasized the importance of not forming an alliance too hastily.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Lee Gwak let out a deep sigh.

 

Even at this very moment, the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Celestial Demon Troupe were fiercely fighting a war. He didn’t dare to guess how many people would be swept away and killed in their war.

 

Lim So-bo looked at Lee Gwak with pity.

 

“I wish he could live a little more comfortably.”

 

She wanted to tell him to lay down all his burdens and live freely. But she knew better than anyone that it wasn’t possible.

 

For a while, the two walked in silence.

 

Then, a voice shattered their peace.

 

“Sect master!”

 

Someone urgently called out to Lee Gwak as they approached.

 

It was Cheong Un-san, the Bamboo Elder.

 

“What is it?”

 

“A letter has arrived for you, Sect master.”

 

“For me?”

 

“Yes! It was delivered by a messenger falcon from a place called Black Market. I’ve never heard of it before, so…”

 

“Black Market?”

 

Lee Gwak’s eyes sharpened.

 

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Cheong Un-san cautiously asked,

 

“Do you know of it?”

 

“Yes. Please give me the letter.”

 

“Here…”

 

Cheong Un-san handed over the letter tied to the falcon’s leg.

 

As Lee Gwak read it, his eyelids trembled slightly.

 

Noticing Lee Gwak’s expression, Lim So-bo cautiously asked,

 

“What’s wrong, Oraboni?”

 

“It seems I’ll have to go out for a while.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Someone I know is desperately asking for help.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Lee Gwak handed her the letter without saying more.

 

She read it carefully.

 

There wasn’t much explanation, just a request asking Lee Gwak to come quickly to a certain place.

 

At the end was a small signature: Suwol.

 

“Suwol…?”

 

“She’s a merchant affiliated with the Black Market.”

 

“Black Market… wasn’t that the underground merchant group formerly run by White Light Sect?”

 

“Yes. After the White Light Sect collapsed, they’ve been trying to survive independently.”

 

“Why would someone from there contact you?”

 

Lim Sobo frowned.

 

 

The hasty handwriting suggested that it was written quickly.

 

Lee Gwak thought of Suwol.

 

She was deeply connected to Ki Jin-hwi.

 

If it weren’t about him, there was no reason for her to reach out to Lee Gwak like this.

 

Something must have happened to Brother Jin-hwi.

 

Ki Jin-hwi had been chasing Gyeong Chu-wol, who stole the family’s secret techniques, and hadn’t been heard from in years. Lee Gwak had been wondering about him.

 

Lim Sobo asked quietly, “You’re going, aren’t you?”

 

“I have to.”

 

“I knew it.”

 

She sighed, as if she had expected it.

 

She knew Lee Gwak couldn’t turn down a friend in need. The problem was that when he was gone, the rest of them, including herself, had to cover for his absence.

 

Though he didn’t appear to be involved in much, his presence alone brought stability to the Mad Martial Sect.

 

His absence wouldn’t cause a stir among the disciples, but as someone running things behind the scenes, Lim Sobo couldn’t help but worry.

 

“We have no choice. But you must contact us regularly through the Hao Clan.”

 

“I will.”

 

“And please try not to get involved in Jianghu’s affairs. If you do, it might be seen as the Mad Martial Sect’s intervention, and we’ll be dragged into the bloodshed.”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Are you leaving right away?”

 

“I’ll see my wife and children first, then depart.”

 

“All right. Please be safe.”

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll return as soon as I can.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Lee Gwak parted ways with Lim So-bo and returned to his residence.

 

His home was surprisingly humble for the leader of a major sect, just a small house with a spacious courtyard.

 

Lim So-bo and the leadership had wanted Lee Gwak’s family to move into the Main Lord’s residence, but Han So-cheon preferred this place.

 

She liked small, cozy homes over unnecessarily large ones.

 

“Oraboni!”

 

Han So-cheon smiled as Lee Gwak entered the courtyard. She was sitting comfortably on a chair and basking in the sunlight.

 

Since returning from Mount Sohua, her expression had softened considerably. Looking at her now, no one would guess she was once a fearsome assassin.

 

Lee Gwak walked over to Han So Cheon’s side, and Han So Cheon gently leaned her face against his chest. Lee Gwak gently stroked her hair.

 

Suddenly, her expression shifted slightly.

 

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

 

Lee Gwak hadn’t said a word, but Han So-cheon instantly sensed his thoughts.

 

At Mount Sohua, she had reached a new realm.

 

The level she attained was arguably the pinnacle for an assassin.

 

In the current Jianghu, no assassin had reached a higher state than her. Having lived her life as an assassin, she knew this better than anyone.

 

But the realm she had reached wasn’t the end.

 

At Mount Sohua, she had glimpsed a massive wall.

 

She didn’t know what lay beyond it, but she could vaguely sense it.

 

If she crossed it, she would enter a realm that no assassin had ever reached before. However, she chose not to challenge it.

 

With a lifetime of effort, she might one day find a way to overcome it—or even break through.

 

Doing so would undoubtedly open a new path for assassins. But she feared that, in the process, she might cease to be human.

 

Her training at Mount Sohua had been to become stronger for Lee Gwak’s sake, not to transform into something inhuman.

 

Though necessity had driven her to master assassination techniques and reach unimaginable heights, she didn’t want to live her whole life as an assassin.

 

So, when faced with that immense wall, she chose to step back.

 

‘I don’t want to live as the God of Death.’

 

She wanted to remain Han So-cheon, standing by Lee Gwak’s side.

 

She wanted to stay as the woman he loved.

 

And so, she didn’t regret her decision.

 

Though she had chosen to remain human, her training at Mount Sohua had granted her intuition surpassing human limits.

 

Thanks to that, she could now read Lee Gwak’s thoughts just by sensing his aura.

 

Lee Gwak took her white hand and said,

 

“Something seems to have happened to Brother Jin-hwi.”

 

“Then of course you have to go.”

 

Han So-cheon answered without hesitation.

 

She knew exactly what Ki Jin-hwi meant to Lee Gwak.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t be. If you had refused to go, I would’ve pushed you to.”

 

Han So-cheon looked up at him with a soft smile.

 

Her eyes were filled with absolute trust as she gazed at him.

 

“Take care of the sect while I’m gone.”

 

“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, not a single uninvited soul will set foot inside.”

 

“I trust you.”

 

“Take Soo-ah with you, if possible.”

 

“Soo-ah?”

 

“I don’t know who she takes after, but staying too long in the Mad Martial Sect has made her restless. Still, if she can be useful, that’s enough, she won’t be a hindrance.”

 

Lee Gwak nodded.

 

“I will.”

 

He pressed a gentle kiss to Han So-cheon’s forehead.