Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Light Novel: Volume 1 Chapter 18

Manhwa: Chapter 21-22

The banquet continued, and Lee Gwak stood on guard outside the Qingming Hall. Until the banquet ended, he stood still like an old tree, unmoving.

Seok Yi-cheon and Gok Chae-bong looked at Lee Gwak with pity. Knowing well how much he loved Geum Yul-seon, their pity grew even more.

The two wanted to comfort Lee Gwak somehow, but they couldn’t find the words.

“Hoo!”

They could only heave a soft sigh and watch over him.

Time passed slowly, and the banquet finally came to an end.

Lee Gwak spoke to Seok Yi-cheon and Gok Chae-bong,

“I will go inside first.”

“Ah, alright.”

“Go safely.”

Lee Gwak walked away, leaving their voices behind.

Normally, he would have gone back to his quarters and practiced martial arts alone, but he didn’t feel like doing that today.

Lee Gwak went out of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

It was his first outing in two years.

Though he had only stepped out beyond the wall, the air felt different.

It felt as though the shackles that had bound his body were loosened, lifting his gloomy mood ever so slightly.

After walking a bit, a vast lake spread before his eyes.

The immense lake, indistinguishable from the blue sky, was Dongting Lake.

Lee Gwak walked along the shore of Dongting Lake alone.

Countless people passed by him.

There were those who came to enjoy the water, vendors selling their wares, and men and women who appeared to be lovers. They came from all walks of life. But none of them caught Lee Gwak’s eye.

Arriving at a reed field with few people, he stood motionless like a forgotten tombstone, gazing at Dongting Lake.

The sunlight shattering against the calm surface of the water was blinding his eyes, yet Lee Gwak stared at it, unblinking.

A cool breeze blew in. Swallows could be seen riding the wind, flying close to the surface of the water.

Lee Gwak found himself envious of the swallows.

With them having wings, they could go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

Suddenly, Lee Gwak looked behind him.

In the distance, he could see the gigantic Jade Heaven Alliance. Surrounded by high walls, the Jade Heaven Alliance looked like an impenetrable fortress.

That towering wall served not only to keep enemies out but also acted like an iron fence that prevented those inside from leaving.

He hadn’t realized it before, but now maybe because his feelings have changed, he found the walls stifling.

His body had the power to leave the Jade Heaven Alliance whenever he wanted, but his mind was still bound there.

Whether he liked it or not, he had already been a part of the organization for nearly a decade, countless ties had already become intricately intertwined. It would be no easy task to cut them all off for the sake of a single person, Geum Yul-seon.

He needed a little more time.

Time to sort out his own mind.

“Sooner or later…”

Just as Lee Gwak was muttering,

“Sooner or later what?”

A strange woman’s voice came from behind him.

In an instant, Lee Gwak felt the blood in his entire body turn cold. He had not sensed anyone’s presence, but he heard a voice come from behind him.

Lee Gwak slowly turned around, and then a woman in all black came into view.

Her hair and her clothes, even the veil that was covering her face were pitch-black.

The moment he saw her, Lee Gwak felt all the hairs on his body stand up.

Her entire body exuded an overwhelming aura. It was the kind of momentum that only those who had ruled over others for a long time could possess.

Lee Gwak cautiously asked,

“Who… are you?”

“And who might you be?”

“I am Lee Gwak.”

“And your affiliation?”

“The Outer Hall.”

“Hmm! So you’re a martial artist of the Outer Hall?”

“Yes.”

The woman’s eyes lit up at Lee Gwak’s answer.

Her black gaze, as if piercing through everything, was intimidating, but Lee Gwak managed to keep his expression calm.

“You still haven’t told me who you are.”

“My name is Dan Li-yeon. Do you happen to know my name?”

“Are you not the third disciple of the sect leader?”

“That’s right.”

The woman was indeed Black Martial Empress Dan Li-yeon.

An embarrassed expression naturally appeared on Lee Gwak’s face.

Dan Li-yeon was a woman of high status whom Lee Gwak could not even dare to look up to.

She was a genius who had been chosen by Ja Hong-cheon to become his disciple because of her innate talent, genius, and exceptional martial arts.

She had the qualities to become an absolute master, with a talent and fanatical dedication to martial arts that was in no way inferior to Yong Cheon-myeong and Woon Dae-yeon, the first two disciples Ja Hong-cheon accepted.

Dan Li-yeon had a completely different starting point from him. So, Lee Gwak couldn’t understand why she was standing in his way now.

“So what brings Lady Dan Li-yeon here?”

“Because of you, Lee Gwak.”

“What?”

“I saw you talking to Lady Geum.”

Lee Gwak’s face stiffened.

“What’s the problem with that?”

“It wouldn’t be a problem if it were any other woman, but because it’s Lady Geum, it is.”

“What do you mean?”

“My eldest senior brother had already set his eyes on Lady Geum. He will never allow anyone else to lay a hand on the person he has shown interest in.”

At Dan Li-yeon’s words, Lee Gwak frowned.

“So what are you trying to say?”

“There’s no need for you to be so hostile to me, I’m just trying to give you some advice. If you don’t want to be ruined, then keep your distance from Lady Geum. That’s all that I want to say.”

“I’ve already cut off my ties with her.”

“That’s good, then.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Lee Gwak said, trying to contain the anger that was rising inside him. Dan Li-yeon looked intently at him.

He was a mere warrior of the Outer Hall.

As a disciple of the alliance leader, his status was nothing compared to hers. Normally, Dan Li-yeon would never have paid attention to someone like him. But because of Geum Yul-seon, she had stumbled upon Lee Gwak and found him intriguing in many ways.

Even after learning that she was a disciple of the alliance leader, his attitude did not change significantly. He was polite but not servile, courteous but never excessive. That’s why he caught her eye even more.

‘What a spirit for a martial artist from the Outer Hall. It’s a pity though. That such a man is only rotting in the Outer Hall.’

His physique and skeleton were not bad either. In particular, his upper and lower body was well balanced, making it quite advantageous for learning martial arts.

‘If I had found him earlier, I would have had him stay in the Inner Court and gotten him to train properly in martial arts.’

Dan Li-yeon clicked his tongue.

In learning martial arts, timing was essential. At the latest, one should begin studying around the age of ten to ensure that they would be able to master the art properly. Once over twenty, their muscles would stiffen and the flow of their qi would be partially blocked, making it unlikely for them to achieve mastery in martial arts.

Although Lee Gwak’s physique appeared excellent, given that he looked over twenty years old, it was already considered too late for him to properly train in martial arts.

Dan Li-yeon cleanly gave up any lingering feelings for Lee Gwak. Instead, she decided to offer him some additional advice.

“You said you’re in the Outer Hall right now, right? The Outer Hall will soon be dispatched outside for a mission. If you find the Jade Heaven Alliance suffocating, being dispatched there might not be so bad.”

“What?”

“Then please take care of yourself.”

Dan Li-yeon’s eyes, which were revealed above the veil, seemed to curve upward for a moment, and then she shot into the sky.

Swoosh!

Like the swallow Lee Gwak had seen earlier, she flew into the sky and disappeared towards the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Stunned by her flight technique, which was on a different level, Lee Gwak stared in the direction she disappeared for a while.

It was long after sunset when Lee Gwak returned to his quarters.

There was not a trace of anyone in the residence. Seo Jong-myeong had yet to return either.

Lee Gwak sat down on his bed, staring at the ground for a while.

His mind was strangely empty and he couldn’t think of anything. In that blank state, Lee Gwak looked straight ahead.

How much time had passed?

Suddenly coming to his senses, Lee Gwak took out his sword and walked out to the courtyard in front of his quarters.

He couldn’t think of anything, and he didn’t want to move either. However, his body was moving regardless of his will.

It was his usual practice time. At this time of day, he was always practicing martial arts, and now his body was moving according to memory.

Swoosh!

His sword cut through empty air.

Starting with the Mountain Splitting Slash, followed by the Raging Tidal Force and Shadowless Strike, he unfolded those techniques in succession.

Zzz!

A faint light emerged from the darkness, illuminating the surroundings. Sword qi was imbued in Lee Gwak’s sword.

Unaware of such a fact, Lee Gwak executed the Eight Sects Sword Art.

He completed from the first form to the eighth form in an instant.

The blue sword qi radiating from his sword was ripping through the darkness. However, Lee Gwak, who was executing the Eight Sects Sword Art, remained oblivious to such a fact.

It was much later when Lee Gwak stopped his sword dance.

His internal energy was nearly exhausted, and he was in a state of collapse. Yet, Lee Gwak stood tall, breathing heavily.

Although he stopped the Eight Sects Sword Art, the five snakes did not easily calm down. They were circling around his entire body before converging at the tip of his sword.

In that instant, a flower bloomed at the tip of Lee Gwak’s sword.

It was a qi flower, a flower made of qi.

Normally, the creation of a qi flower required the exquisite manipulation of energy and enlightenment, but Lee Gwak was unaware of that.

Lee Gwak’s mind had pictured a flower, and the Eight Snakes Art had created that flower for him.

Lee Gwak stood blankly, staring at the flower he had created.

The flower, made of qi, flickered as it struggled to maintain its shape.

Swoosh!

Lee Gwak swung his sword like a flash of lightning, cutting the flower into two. The flower, which was barely maintaining its shape, split into two pieces and disappeared without a trace.

“Goodbye.”

Lee Gwak closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, there were no complicated thoughts on his face.

* * *

“We will leave the Jade Heaven Alliance in a month.”

Those were the first words Seo Jong-myeong said to Lee Gwak upon returning in the morning.

“What do you mean? Leave?”

“We are going on a mission outside the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

Lee Gwak’s face visibly tightened at the unexpected words.

“Could you explain it in a way I can understand?”

“That’s all you need to know.”

“Hmph!”

“We won’t be able to return to the Jade Heaven Alliance for at least two years if we go this time. So, it’s best to say your farewells in advance if you have anyone to say goodbye to.”

“Two years?”

“Yes!”

At Seo Jong-myeong’s reply, Lee Gwak sighed softly. He remembered what Dan Li-yeon had said.

Lee Gwak realized that Seo Jong-myeong was a much bigger figure than he had thought. This was because Seo Jong-myeong managed to obtain information that only high-ranking individuals like Dan Li-yeon could access.

That meant that his true identity was no less significant than that of Dan Li-yeon.

Understanding Lee Gwak’s expression as one of reluctance, Seo Jong-myeong spoke as if to comfort him,

“Don’t make such an unhappy face. There will still be quite a few people from the Outer Hall who will be dispatched, so you’ll see some familiar faces. You won’t be too lonely.”

“I understand.”

“There is still plenty of time left, so prepare to leave in the meantime.”

“Yes!”

Lee Gwak did not ask for a reason. He knew that even if he did ask, Seo Jong-myeong would not provide an answer.

Although Seo Jong-myeong was nominally his squad leader, he was a person from an entirely different world. The more he tried to delve into it, the more troublesome it became for himself.

Lee Gwak made a wish.

That wherever he would be dispatched, he hoped to be able to live as quietly as he did now.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes:

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