Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 471
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Episode 471
Blood and Tears Flow (3)
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Yang Gwang-baek’s face.
Until now, no one had ever dared to contradict his words. Even if someone didn’t know his identity, the mere force of his lion’s roar forced anyone to obey.
His roar carried a power that could overwhelm one’s very soul. Yet, Lee Gwak remained completely unaffected and killed Jeon Ma-ok.
That could only mean one of two things: Lee Gwak’s willpower was strong enough to withstand the roar, or his martial prowess rivaled that of Yang Gwang-baek.
‘Come to think of it…’
A familiar face caught his attention.
One he could never forget.
It was Seo Jong-myeong, the man he had personally subdued and imprisoned in the Endless Prison.
“How are you here? I heard the Endless Prison had already collapsed.”
His face was filled with suspicion.
Before coming here, he had heard from the Saintess that the Endless Prison had collapsed and all who were trapped inside had died. He had naturally assumed everyone was dead, so seeing Seo Jong-myung here was baffling.
“How did you survive? Are there other survivors?”
Unconsciously, Yang Gwang-baek’s voice rose.
The Endless Prison had held the previous Alliance Leader, Jin Gwang-hon. If Seo Jong-myeong had escaped alive, then there was a chance that Jin Gwang-hon had as well—and that would spell disaster.
Instead of answering, Seo Jong-myeong glanced at Lee Gwak. Yang Gwang-baek’s gaze naturally followed.
“And who might you be?”
“Lee Gwak.”
“Lee Gwak?”
For a moment, Yang Gwang-baek’s eyelids trembled slightly.
This was the man the current troupe Leader, Go Geom-wol, was most wary of, the martial artist with the greatest reputation in the current Jianghu.
His name had been mentioned more than any other during the Celestial Demon Troupe’s war against the Jade Heaven Alliance. In fact, the troupe regarded Lee Gwak as a greater threat than even the Jade Heaven Alliance’s leader, Ja Hong-cheon.
“What an honor. To meet the greatest martial artist in the world like this.”
“The honor is mine. I never expected to meet the legendary Elder Yang of the Celestial Demon Troupe in person.”
“You know of me?”
“How could I not know the master of True Demon Palace and the leader of the Ten Blood Demons, Elder Yang Gwang-baek?”
Lee Gwak replied calmly.
The moment Yang Gwang-baek appeared, Ki Jin-hwi had secretly informed him of the man’s identity through a sound transmission. Thanks to that, Lee Gak managed to remain composed.
In contrast, Yang Gwang-baek’s expression grew colder.
“I believe I’ve seen that man somewhere in the Demon Palace before.”
His gaze shifted to Ki Jin-hwi.
Yang Gwang-baek had a sharp memory—he recalled seeing Ki Jin-hwi briefly in the Demon Palace once. Ki Jin-hwi’s face paled at the recognition.
Just by seeing Lee Gak, Seo Jong-myeong, and Ki Jin-hwi together, Yang Gwang-baek had already pieced together the situation.
He spoke to Lee Gwak.
“You were the one who rescued them.”
“I did.”
“A surprise. I didn’t know you were close with Seize Fortress Lord.”
“But that’s not what you really want to say, is it?”
“You’re right! What happened to the previous troupe Leader?”
Yang Gwang-baek no longer hid his true intentions and directly asked about Jin Gwang-hon’s whereabouts. Jin Gwang-hon’s fate would determine the Celestial Demon Troupe’s future policies.
If he was dead, there would be no issue. But if he was still alive, the Celestial Demon Troupe could split into civil war.
As someone who loved the Celestial Demon Troupe more than anyone, Yang Gwang-baek could never allow that.
After briefly meeting Yang Gwang-baek’s gaze, Lee Gwak replied calmly.
“He is dead.”
“Dead? Did you confirm it yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Is that true?”
“I have no reason to lie to Elder Yang.”
“Thank you for your honesty.”
A look of relief crossed his face.
He didn’t believe Lee Gwak had personally killed Jin Gwang-hon—the man’s condition in the Endless Prison had been so poor that survival was unlikely.
This time, it was Lee Gwak who asked the question.
“Why have you come here, Elder Yang?”
“To kill those bastards with my own hands.”
Yang Gwang-baek’s gaze turned toward the Red Flame Squad.
Under his furious stare, the Red Flame Squad averted his eyes.
Yang Gwang-baek had only recently learned that Jeon Ma-ok and the Red Flame Squad had massacred several villages.
He was furious.
Though he served the Celestial Demon Troupe, he had never once killed an innocent person.
Even in evil, he believed there were lines not to be crossed.
Jeon Ma-ok and the Red Flame Squad had crossed those lines.
Their reasons didn’t matter.
There were countless others who suppressed their desires despite having far greater grievances.
They had slaughtered unrelated civilians just to vent their anger.
Though they held high ranks in the Troupe, Yang Gwang-baek could never forgive them.
He stopped Lee Gwak from killing Jeon Ma-ok, not to save him, but because he wanted to deliver the punishment himself.
Had Jeon Ma-ok not been killed by Lee Gwak, Yang would have done it himself. But now, the Red Flames Squad was no longer his concern.
With Jeon Ma-ok already dead, all his attention was focused on Lee Gwak.
A man who had witnessed the final moments of the previous troupe Leader, Jin Gwang-hon.
A man who could become the greatest obstacle to the Celestial Demon Troupe’s plans.
Now that fate had brought them together, he couldn’t simply let Lee Gwak go.
Especially since Lee Gwak was accompanied by Seo Jong-myeong, a man who could be considered a major criminal of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
If even one of them revealed what had happened in the Endless Prison, the troupe’s reputation would suffer irreparable damage.
Yang Gwang-baek spoke to the Red Flame Squad.
“You are already dead men. If you don’t die by their hands, you’ll die by mine.”
“……”
“You have no choice in the matter.”
At Yang Gwang-baek’s cold words, their body trembled.
They had always feared this day. Now that it had arrived sooner than expected, a cold dread settled in.
Aware of their guilt, they said nothing. Rebellion wasn’t an option.
Though they had succumbed to their desires and committed acts of slaughter, they were martial artists of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
They bowed, awaiting Yang’s judgment.
He raised his hand and pointed.
“Kill them.”
The Red Flame Squad looked where his finger was pointing: Seo Jong-myung and Ki Jin-hwi.
“Kill them, then take your own lives. That will absolve your sins.”
“We obey.”
It was an unjust command, yet none defied it.
If death was certain, dying while obeying orders felt more honorable.
The Red Flame Squad, seething with murderous intent, charged at Seo and Ki.
Seo Jong-myeong drew his sword, Bisa, and spoke.
“Good! I wasn’t planning to let this slide either.”
He had no intention of coexisting with the martial artists of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
Yang Gwang-baek turned to Lee Gwak.
“Had we not met, it would’ve been fine. But now that we have, I can’t simply let you go. You understand my position, don’t you?”
He spoke as though he already held Lee Gwak’s life in his hands.
Lee Gwak didn’t bother responding.
From the moment Yang Gwang-baek appeared, he had known a fight was inevitable.
His opponent was the highest elder of the Celestial Demon Troupe.
Naturally, he had the responsibility to uphold the Troupe’s discipline and the duty to punish those who opposed it.
There was no way he would let Lee Gwak leave alive.
Above all, Lee Gwak knew the Divine Demon Alliance’s darkest secrets.
Yang Gwang-baek had to silence him.
Knowing this, Lee Gwak had already accepted the fight as inevitable.
What left a bitter taste was how deeply fate kept tangling him with the Celestial Demon Troupe.
First, it was Jin Gwang-hon, and now, Yang Gwang-baek.
It felt like fate was pushing him into a showdown with Go Geom-wol.
Not that he had any intention of backing down, but the thought still weighed on him.
Yang Gwang-baek’s heart was heavy too.
He knew how Go Geom-wol felt about Lee Gwak.
To him, Lee Gwak was more than just a rival. They pushed each other to greater heights, their clashes driving them toward higher realms. Such a relationship was rare and precious.
As a martial artist who had already reached the pinnacle, Yang Gwang-baek understood just how blessed their dynamic was.
What a shame. That I must be the one to sever the life of the one who could elevate Geom-wol to greater heights.
But if he let Lee Gwak live, the consequences would be endless. As regrettable as it was, the chain of enmity had to be broken here.
And he was the only one in the Celestial Demon Troupe who could do it.
“Huu…”
The moment he let out a soft sigh, the air shifted.
Lee Gwak felt as though the air surrounding him had turned into swords filled with hostility. It felt as though there were hundreds or thousands of invisible swords aimed at him, each filled with killing intent.
Yang Gwang-baek was a martial artist who had mastered the pinnacle of swordplay.
Before becoming the lord of the True Demon Palace and leader of the Ten Blood Demons, he was a swordsman who had devoted his life to the martial path.
His nickname Single Moon Demon Sword was earned through countless battles.
Those who knew him called him The Sword Maniac.
A madman obsessed with the sword.
That was Yang Gwang-baek.
Shrrk!
When he drew his sword, the already oppressive air tightened around Lee Gwak like a stranglehold.
“Hah…”
Lee Gwak exhaled, and the oppressive air constricting him dispersed as if it had been a lie.
Impressive.
Yang Gwang-baek was secretly impressed by Lee Gwak’s ability to release his pressure in an instant. But his admiration was short-lived; Yang Gwang-baek’s actions were even faster.
A sharp sound rang out, though Yang Gwang-baek hadn’t moved.
It was Qi Sword. If sword qi required a physical blade as a medium, a Qi Sword was formed purely from intent.
Naturally, it was several levels above sword qi. In the current Jianghu, only Yang Gwang-baek could wield it so effortlessly.
Lee Gwak swung his blade.
Kang!
The Qi Sword shattered against the blade.
But Yang Gwang-baek’s assault had only begun.
He sent Qi Sword after Qi Sword.
Lee Gwak countered fiercely with his blade.
Puh-puh-puh-puh!
The sound of air bursting echoed rapidly.
To an uninformed onlooker, it would have looked as though Lee Gwak were slashing pointlessly at empty space.
But both men wore serious expressions.
They knew this was only the start.
Yang Gwang-baek was testing Lee Gwak’s capabilities through his movements, and Lee Gwak was gauging Yang Gwang-baek’s strength through the resistance in his hands.
Both were masters who had long surpassed human limits.
Even in their seemingly casual movements and calm breathing, countless calculations were at work.
Yang Gwang-baek kept launching his qi swords. He didn’t make any grand gestures; the will to move and shape qi was enough.
In contrast, Lee Gwak had to physically move to block them. At first glance, this seemed disadvantageous—after all, physical exertion should drain his stamina faster.
But Yang Gwang-baek, who was facing him directly, knew better.
Though Lee Gwak moved intensely, his motions were efficient, minimizing unnecessary movement. His stamina consumption wasn’t as severe as it appeared.
Conversely, Yang Gwang-baek, who wasn’t moving, was expending far more mental energy.
Qi swords require intense focus and willpower, so naturally, the mental toll is greater.
Puh-puh-puhk!
The air around Lee Gwak exploded repeatedly, yet not a single wound appeared on his body.