Episode 473

Everyone Makes Difficult Decisions (2)

Lee Gwak placed Star Soul into its sheath and looked down at Yang Gwang-baek’s body.

Yang Gwang-baek had been a truly formidable master.

If Lee Gwak had not first fought Jin Gwang-hon and gained enlightenment from that battle, he might have been the one lying dead on the ground instead of Yang Gwang-baek.

Lee Gwak knelt on one knee and gazed at Yang Gwang-baek’s body.

While the body looked intacked from the outside, but internally, the body had been crushed to a pulp.

“Phew…”

Lee Gwak let out a sigh and carefully prepared Yang Gwang-baek’s body for burial.

Though he had been an enemy, Yang Gwang-baek was a man worthy of respect.

He crossed Yang Gwang-baek’s arms over his chest and placed his sword atop them.

This was the best Lee Gwak could do.

A martial artist of Yang Gwang-baek’s caliber would surely be found soon by someone from the Celestial Demon Troupe.

Thud.

Just then, Seo Jong-myeong approached and placed a hand on Lee Gwak’s shoulder.

Lee Gwak looked up at him.

“You’ve worked hard,” Seo Jong-myeong spoke.

“Are you alright, brother?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Seo Jong-myeong’s face showed a mix of emotions as he looked down at Yang Gwang-baek’s corpse.

Yang Gwang-baek had been his sworn enemy.

Moreover, having been subdued and imprisoned in the Endless Prison by him, Seo Jong-myeong had every reason to resent him even more.

Yet, standing over Yang Gwangbaek’s lifeless body, all thoughts of vengeance vanished.

Only futility remained.

“If I’d realized sooner how fleeting human life is, I wouldn’t have clung so desperately to revenge. No matter how great one is in life, death is the end…”

Seo Jong-myeong’s gaze softened.

Seeing Yang Gwang-baek’s corpse had stirred many thoughts in him.

Lee Gwak nodded and stood up.

“Dad!”

Lee Soo-ah rushed into his arms.

Lee Gwak lifted her up and checked her over.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah! What about you?”

“I’m fine too.”

“That’s a relief.”

Lee Soo-ah hugged Lee Gwak tightly.

The warmth of her body in his arms made him smile.

Patting her back, Lee Gwak turned to Seo Jong-myeong and Ki Jin-hwi.

“Let’s go back now.”

“Agreed.”

“Yes, Captain! I want to get back, wash up, and rest.”

Ki Jin-hwi shuddered as if disgusted.

What they needed most right now was rest.

They quickly left the village and returned to where the Iron Order Escort Bureau was staying.

“Are you alright?”

The agency’s head, Ji Sang-il, was shocked to see them return covered in blood after leaving in good condition.

Lee Gwak stepped forward on behalf of the group.

“We’re fine.”

“You don’t look it. Those injuries seem serious.”

“Some rest and a wash will do the trick.”

“I see. I’ll tell the attendants to prepare a bath.”

“There’s no need. We can just rinse off at the stream.”

“I can’t allow that. If word spreads that I let Yi Gwak wash in a stream, I’d never be able to show my face in the martial world again.”

Upon hearing his real name, Lee Gwak bowed slightly.

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to deceive anyone.”

“I understand. A man of your status must attract all kinds of trouble if he uses his real name. Even I was thrilled to learn your identity.”

Ji Sang-il smiled warmly.

His heart was actually pounding with excitement.

Lee Gwak’s name carried weight.

Many in the Jianghu considered Ja Hong-cheon, leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance, to be the strongest. But some believed Lee Gwak would soon surpass even him.

Ji Sang-il was one of them.

Lee Gwak was an idol to many young martial artists.

His journey from outer hall martial artist to one of the greats in the Jade Heaven Alliance had inspired many.

He gave hope that maybe, just maybe, they too could become like him.

Unbeknownst to Lee Gwak himself, his presence had grown even larger.

The Iron Order Escort Agency’s attendants brought out large wooden tubs filled with water for the four of them to wash.

Thanks to that, they could clean off the blood in comfort.

When they were done, Ji Sang-il spoke carefully:

“One of our escorts will drive your carriage so you may rest and recover during the journey.”

“Thank you. I’ll gladly accept.”

Lee Gwak accepted his offer without hesitation.

Seo Jong-myeong needed medical attention, Ki Jin-hwi and Lee Soo-ah both needed mental and physical rest, and Lee Gwak himself needed time to reflect on the enlightenment he’d gained through battle.

The boy assigned to drive Lee Gwak’s carriage was about sixteen years old.

Still boyish, he couldn’t hide his excitement as he looked at Lee Gwak.

For a boy who dreamed of becoming an escort, Lee Gwak was an idol he had longed to see.

The reason he was assigned to Lee Gwak’s carriage was simple:

He was the most skilled at handling horses among the escort warriors.

Lee Gwak handed him the reins.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes! I’ll drive as smoothly as possible.”

The boy answered with flushed cheeks.

Lee Gwak patted his shoulder once before boarding the carriage.

“Let’s depart.”

Once everyone was aboard, Ji Sang-il gave the order.

The long procession filled the road as it moved away.

***

A group of about a dozen riders was traveling on horseback.

Each of them carried a weapon on their back or waist.

Since the war between the Jade Heaven Alliance and Celestial Demon Troupe had begun, there had been frequent movement of martial artists in small bands.

Many assumed these were just wandering martial artists.

They wore mismatched clothes, had no uniformity in gear, and looked unkempt, so no one paid much attention to them.

That allowed them to approach their destination easily.

“Phew…”

The man leading the group removed the wide-brimmed hat he had been wearing low over his face.

His stunning, decadent beauty didn’t seem of this world.

It was was Go Geom-wol, the leader of Celestial Demon Troupe, and the man plunging the world into chaos.

His companions were none other than the Ten Thousand Sword Corps, his personal guard.

They were young martial artists he had trained with utmost care, all possessing extraordinary sword talent and terrifying skill.

Go Geom-wol had refused the protection of many and brought only the Ten Thousand Sword Corps.

His destination was Dongting Lake, the base of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

He wasn’t the only one.

A significant portion of the Celestial Demon Troupe’s forces had dispersed and were moving toward Dongting Lake.

Because of this, the Jade Heaven Alliance hadn’t even detected their movements.

This was largely due to the shrinking of the Heavenly Information Hall after repeated failures and their fallout with the Hao Clan.

Simply put, reliable information no longer reached them quickly.

The Jade Heaven Alliance’s Inner Court Lord, Joo Shin-yoon, had tried to rebuild the intelligence network, but it was no easy task to restore a broken network.

Because of this, no one in the Jade Heaven Alliance noticed Go Geom-wol’s free movement.

Go Geom-wol looked around and spoke,

“The scenery is beautiful. Let’s rest here for a while.”

The landscape was stunning, with plenty of spacious rocks to sit on.

It was the perfect place for a short break.

“Understood.”

The Ten Thousand Sword Corps dismounted and surveyed the area.

Go Geom-wol sat alone on a rock, admiring the view.

A faint smile touched his lips.

Though the war with the Jade Heaven Alliance was in full swing, he was grateful for small luxuries like this.

The unit’s leader, Geum Han-gyeol, cautiously approached.

“Shall we prepare a meal?”

“No need. We’re close to our destination. No need for unnecessary work. Just sit and enjoy the breeze.”

“But how could we—”

Geum Han-gyeol looked flustered.

Go Geom-wol sighed inwardly at his subordinate’s excessive deference.

No matter how casually he treated them, Geum Han-gyeol and the Ten Thousand Swords Corps always maintained extreme formality.

It disappointed him that no one in the Celestial Demon Troupe treated him with familiarity.

He knew loneliness was the fate of those at the top, but he still wished for at least one person who could act naturally around him.

Of course, he knew that wish would never come true.

Go Geom-wol had complete control over the Celestial Demon Troupe.

Leading the war against the Jade Heaven Alliance with overwhelming advantage, all martial artists revered him.

To them, he was akin to a god.

Treating him casually was unthinkable.

Contemplating absolute power and the solitude that came with it, Go Geom-wol gazed at the scenery.

The towering peaks, the white clouds draped over the mountains, the songs of nameless birds, and the gentle breeze all brought him peace.

He smiled, savoring the moment.

Just then—

Whoosh!

A sharp sound cut through the air.

Looking up, he saw a massive hawk diving toward him.

“The Blood Sky Hawk? Why?”

Geum Han-gyeol looked puzzled.

The Blood Sky Hawk was only used for urgent messages within the Divine Demon Union.

Geum Han-gyeol extended his arm, and the hawk landed on his forearm.

A small tube was tied to its leg, containing a message.

Geum Han-gyeol hurriedly handed it to Go Geom-wol.

As Go Geom-wol read it, his eyes flickered with surprise.

“The Saintess is coming?”

“What? Why would the Saintess come?”

“Exactly. She says to wait here—she’ll arrive soon.”

“The Saintess is coming to see you in person?”

Geum Han-gyeol looked bewildered.

He knew Gu Mun-hye had left with the Moon Shadow Six Fairies, but he didn’t know their exact destination.

They had moved in absolute secrecy.

Go Geom-wol’s expression hardened.

He knew where Gu Mun-hye had gone.

She came back too soon. If she was rejoining them this early, something must have gone wrong.

‘What happened?’

An unusually strong sense of unease gripped him.

Suppressing it, he waited for Gu Mun-hye.

She arrived half a day later with the Moon Shadow Six Fairies.

“Huff… Huff… I’m sorry. It was urgent, so I had to stop you.”

Gu Mun-hye and the Moon Shadow Six Fairies were panting, their faces flushed.

After descending from Mount Kongtong, Gu Mun-hye had first tried to locate Go Geom-wol’s whereabouts.

But his route was a closely guarded secret, known to very few.

Tracking him down had taken considerable time.

Just half a day before arriving, she had received shocking news.

So shocking she didn’t want to believe it.

She agonized over whether to tell Go Geom-wol.

But she had made her decision.

‘I must tell him everything. He is the supreme leader of the Celestial Demon Troupe. I cannot hide even a single thing from him.’

As Gu Mun-hye bit her lip—

“Where is Jin Ryeong?”

Go Geom-wol asked first.

He didn’t miss the flicker in Gu Mun-hye’s eyes.

“Tell me honestly.”

“Jin Ryeong… is dead.”

“Dead?”

Go Geom-wol’s gaze sharpened.

He knew better than anyone how skilled the Moon Shadow Six Fairies were.

“Who could have killed her? Don’t tell me… Lee Gwak?”

“Y-Yes… He killed her.”

“Lee Gwak? How? Did he appear at Mount Kongtong?”

“That’s… right.”

At Gu Mun-hye’s strained reply, Go Geom-wol frowned.

He could guess what had happened without further explanation.

“And the Master?”

“He’s… probably dead.”

“Why ‘probably’? Why not certainty?”

“Because I buried Lee Gwak alive with him.”

“You collapsed the Endless Prison?”

“There was no other way at the time. I’m sorry.”

“Huu…”

Go Geom-wol let out a deep sigh.

The fact that his master had been buried alive in his final moments shook him to the core.

“Then Lee Gwak is dead too?”

“I thought so… until I heard he killed Elder Yang.”

“Elder Yang? You don’t mean—?”

“Yes. He died by Lee Gwak’s hand.”

At Gu Mun-hye’s final words, Go Geom-wol clenched his eyes shut.