Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 456
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Episode 456
Good News and Bad News Come Together (3)
Lee Soo-ah’s hair was still damp, clinging softly to her skin.
Cheon Man-geum stared blankly at her glistening face before snapping back to his senses.
“I-I’m fine.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Of course. I just tripped because I was distracted for a moment.”
As if he hadn’t been sprawled on the floor just moments ago, Cheon Man-geum sprang to his feet. He dusted off his clothes, bowed deeply to Lee Su-ah in gratitude, and then, as if nothing had happened, hurried toward the kitchen.
Lee Su-ah watched his retreating figure for a moment before returning to Lee Gwak’s table.
“Dad!”
Her voice carried clear irritation.
She had just witnessed Cheon Man-geum being kicked by the Middle Aged Man firsthand.
Lee Soo-ah plopped in the seat across from Lee Gwak, her face twisted in frustration.
Lee Gwak smiled faintly at her.
In the past, Lee Soo-ah would have lashed out at the man without a second thought. But this time, she held back.
It wasn’t because she had become less righteous, nor because she feared getting caught up in unnecessary trouble.
Punishing the middle aged man would have been child’s play for her.
Though the man’s bodyguards glared fiercely, their martial skills were far inferior to Lee Soo-ah’s. If she had wanted, she could have taken them all down in under thirty seconds. But she didn’t.
She now understood that helping Cheon Man-geum in such a way would not benefit him.
She was just a passerby, but Cheon Man-geum would have to continue working here for a long time. If she intervened and then left, he would bear the full brunt of the aftermath. She had matured enough to realize that unless she could take responsibility to the end, it was better not to interfere at all.
Still, although she understood rationally, her heart refused to accept it, leaving her furious.
Lee Gwak watched her with a faint smile.
Her pouting lips looked adorable to him. The fact that she was even wrestling with such thoughts was proof of how much she had grown.
He felt both proud and nostalgic about her growth.
If she had matured this much, then adulthood couldn’t be far off. Once she became an adult, she would leave his embrace. The passage of time felt bittersweet.
Lee Gwak reached out and placed his hand on Lee Soo-ah’s head. She gave him a puzzled look but didn’t pull away.
Whoosh
A gentle breeze flowed from his palm, instantly drying her damp hair. As her hair fluffed up, the crinkled expression on her face softened slightly.
“You’ve grown up so much, my daughter!”
“Did you think I was still a child?”
“Well… I thought you’d charge in without thinking again.”
“Were you surprised?”
“Very.”
“Hehe!”
Lee Soo-ah grinned at his response.
“You did well.”
“I did, right?”
“Absolutely! Sometimes, it’s better to pretend you didn’t see anything. If you can’t take responsibility to the end, it’s better to swallow your anger than to make things worse by acting impulsively.”
“Ugh! I know that in my head, but my heart still won’t calm down.”
Lee Soo-ah let out an uncharacteristic sigh.
At that moment, Cheon Mang-geum returned from the kitchen, limping and carrying alcohol, sweet-and-sour pork, and beef noodles.
“Here’s your order.”
Despite the pain he must have been feeling, Cheon Man-geum didn’t lose his smile.
Lee Soo-ah asked in a low voice,
“Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“Where you got hit.”
“Oh! I’m fine. It happens all the time. And between you and me, I exaggerated when I fell earlier.”
“Why?”
“That way, the person who hit me feels too guilty to say anything else. It’s a little trick I’ve picked up working here for so long. Hehe!”
Cheon Man-geum whispered conspiratorially, glancing at the middle aged man.
His comical expression made Lee Su-ah burst into laughter despite herself.
Cheon Man-geum stared blankly at her smiling face.
In all his life, he had never seen a woman as beautiful as Lee Soo-ah.
To him, she looked like a celestial being descended from the heavens.
‘How can someone this beautiful exist?’
At that moment, a fierce ambition ignited in his heart for the first time.
‘I will succeed no matter what. One day, I’ll marry someone as beautiful as her.’
It was the moment a boy who had lived day by day without any goals felt his heart burn with passion.
Lee Gwak, who had been silently observing Cheon Man-geum, suddenly pulled out a gold nyang from his pocket and held it out to him.
“Take it.”
“T-This is too much!”
Cheon Man-geum waved his hands in refusal.
A single nyang of gold was enough to support a family of four comfortably for at least a year. It was an exorbitant amount for a mere inn attendant.
Lee Gwak smiled gently at his stunned expression.
“It’s not a gift. Consider it payment for taking good care of us while we stay here.”
“Y-You’re really giving this to me?”
“Yes.”
Lee Gwak pressed the gold into Cheon Man-geum’s hand.
The cold weight of the metal confirmed it wasn’t a dream. It was the first time he had ever held such a fortune.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Cheon Man-geum bowed repeatedly to Lee Gwak.
“No need to thank me. It’s just fair compensation for your work.”
“No one has ever given me this much money before. I’ll repay this kindness someday. I promise.”
“If you make a fortune later, come find me at the Mad Martial Sect. We’ll make a proper deal then.”
“Then… are you the Great Hero Lee Gwak of the Mad Martial Sect?”
Instead of answering, Lee Gwak simply smiled.
Realizing his guess was correct, Cheon Man-geum looked at Lee Soo-ah with awe.
Lee Soo-ah smiled back at him, as if to say, ‘Good for you.’
That image was seared into his heart.
Lee Gwak spoke again.
“You should go now. The other guests must be waiting.”
“Yes! If you need anything, just call for me anytime.”
Cheon Man-geum bowed deeply to Lee Gwak before hurrying back to his duties.
He carefully tucked the gold into his pocket.
‘With this as my seed money, I’ll definitely succeed.’
A grand ambition blossomed in the young boy’s heart.
Cheon Man-geum wasn’t naive enough to flaunt his sudden fortune. He kept secret the fact that Lee Gwak had given him money and focused on his work.
After watching him for a moment, Lee Gwak turned to Lee Soo-ah.
“Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”
“Okay!”
The two began their meal.
Lee Soo-ah started with the beef noodles, while Lee Gwak sampled the grilled meat.
Both dishes were greasy but delicious, bringing satisfied smiles to their faces.
Lee Gwak sipped his liquor while eating, and Lee Soo-ah alternated between the noodles and meat.
The inn’s liquor was cheap and harsh, burning the throat with just one sip. Still, Lee Gwak was content.
Life couldn’t always be luxurious.
There would be times when he’d have to make do with worse liquor or food. That’s why he appreciated these small moments of happiness.
But not everyone shared his outlook.
“What kind of garbage is this? You expect me to eat this trash?”
It was the middle-aged man again.
For some reason, he was verbally abusing the poor waiter. The innkeeper was nowhere to be seen, leaving the staff to endure it alone.
At least Cheon Man-geum had the gold in his pocket to ease his burden.
What was just a small act of kindness to Lee Gwak had become a lifeline for the young worker.
Lee Gwak hoped Cheon Man-geum would endure this ordeal well.
Fortunately, the man’s tantrum soon ended.
Cheon Man-geum retreated, looking exhausted, and peace seemed to return to the inn, until the man’s son, a young man, smirked at Lee Soo-ah.
The boy whispered something to his father and pointed at Lee Soo-ah. The man nodded, his drunken eyes glazing over as he stared at her.
“Dad!”
Lee Soo-ah frowned, sensing their gazes. Though young, she knew exactly what those looks meant.
Screech—
The man pushed his chair back and stood up. He strode over to Lee Gwak and Lee Soo-ah’s table.
He was of average build, but his face was pudgy, as if coated in layers of greed.
He addressed Lee Gwak directly.
“Greetings.”
“Who are you?”
“Ahem! I am Gong Yu-cheol of the Gong Family Manor.”
“And?”
“Since we’re staying at the same inn, I thought it’d be nice to share a table. Consider it fate. Of course, we’ll cover the bill.”
Gong Yu-cheol puffed out his chest, looking down at Lee Gwak and Lee Soo-ah.
His face was filled with the expectation that Lee Gwak would naturally agree.
The Gong Family Manor was located about three hundred li away and was a prominent family. They had grown rapidly by taking advantage of the recent chaos in the martial world.
Gong Yu-cheol was a shrewd man with extensive connections, dealing with various sects to expand his influence.
As a result, the Gong Family wielded near-absolute power in their domain. This had led Gong Yu-cheol to subconsciously look down on others, just as he was doing now.
He fully expected Lee Gwak to accept his offer. But the response he received shattered his expectations.
“I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.”
“What?”
Gong Yu-cheol bristled at the unexpected refusal. But Lee Gwak continued calmly.
“I’d like to spend some quiet time with my daughter. Sharing a table wouldn’t be possible.”
“Are you rejecting Gong Yu-cheol’s invitation?”
“My apologies.”
“Hah! Unbelievable!”
His face turned red in an instant. Unaccustomed to being flatly refused, he couldn’t control his expression.
As Gong Yu-cheol struggled to contain his anger, his son, Gong Woo-yeol, stepped forward.
He glared defiantly at Lee Gwak.
“How dare you reject my father’s offer?”
“I already apologized to your father.”
“Do you even know who he is? How dare you refuse him? You bitch! We were being nice because she’s pretty, but you’re really pushing it.”
Gong Woo-yeol’s words were so vulgar they were hard to listen to.
Lee Su-ah, who had been silently enduring, felt her face contort in anger.
Finally, she snapped.
“That’s enough.”
“What? How dare a woman interrupt—!”
Thud!
Lee Soo-ah slammed her palm on the table, making Gong Woo-yeol flinch backward.
She looked up at him and said coldly,
“You’re spitting in the food.”
“What?!”
His face flushed.
“You bitch—”
Swish!
He instinctively swung at her.
Swish!
Without thinking, he swung his hand at Lee Soo-ah. His temper had gotten the better of him.
Snap!
But his wrist was caught midair by Lee Soo-ah’s small, pale hand.
“W-What the—?”
Gong Woo-yeol’s face turned beet red.
He tried to pull free, but her grip was immovable. Though he had a violent temper, he had no martial training whatsoever. There was no way he could overpower Lee Su-ah.
Seeing this, Gong Yu-cheol shouted in alarm.
“Let go of my son’s arm right now! How dare you—!”
Twist!
Lee Soo-ah flicked her wrist, sending Gong Woo-yeol spinning through the air before crashing onto the floor.
“Aaaagh!”
He landed flat like a frog, stunned and wide-eyed.
“Hmph!”
Sua scoffed.
Already furious over his abuse of the servers, she had no qualms about using force.
Gong Yu-cheol lost it.
“You dare harm my son?!”
He barked at his bodyguards.
“What are you doing? Teach them a lesson!”
“Yes, sir!”
They jumped to their feet, ready to attack.
Bang!
Lee Gwak slammed his palm on the table. The impact sent a pair of chopsticks flying into the air.
With a flick of his wrist, Lee Gwak sent the chopsticks shooting toward the bodyguards.
Ping!
The chopsticks shot forward with terrifying force, hurtling straight toward the bodyguards.
Startled, the guards raised their weapons to block them.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
“Guh!”
“Ugh!”
They had thought they were just ordinary chopsticks, but the force contained in them was beyond anything they could have imagined.
Their armor was pierced and their internal organs were shaken violently. The bodyguards tumbled to the floor, groaning in agony and pale with shock.
“We messed with the wrong man.”
That single, terrifying realization echoed in all their minds at once.
