Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Light Novel: Volume 1 Chapter 20

Manhwa: Chapters 23

Episode 7. Another Thread of Fate Connects (2)

Lee Gwak looked at the ragged man without saying a word.

His disheveled hair covered his face, making it impossible to guess his age. However, the man’s voice brimmed with vitality, suggesting he was young. But what caught Lee Gwak’s attention was not the man’s outward appearance.

The moment he saw the man, Lee Gwak felt an overwhelming pressure that made his head spin. The man exuded a raw, untamed aura, like a giant bear he had seen sometime during his childhood.

Feeling as if he would be attacked the moment he showed any vulnerability, Lee Gwak unconsciously adopted a cautious gaze. Then a grin formed at the corners of the ragged man’s mouth.

“Quite good!”

“What are you talking about?”

“You have good instincts for an Outer Hall martial artist! Such instincts will be of great help to you in life.”

“……”

“No need to be so guarded. I mean you no harm.”

Despite the ragged man’s words, Lee Gwak remained cautious. His instincts told him that it wasn’t yet safe to let his guard down.

“My name is Nam Woo-gyeong. What’s yours?”

“Lee… Gwak.”

“Nice to meet you, Lee Gwak. A word of advice, you’d better not get too close to that little demon. If you get mixed up with her, you will have your liver and gallbladder torn out.”¹

As Nam Woo-gyeong pointed his finger at Lim Sobo, Lim Sobo’s face turned red.

“Are you really going to keep talking nonsense? Just keep your word.”

“Didn’t I say I’d consider it? Go tell your master that.”

Nam Woo-gyeong scratched his ear with his little finger.

“Hmph! Fine. Just don’t regret it later.”

“Regret what?”

“Tsk! What bad luck!”

“If you’re unlucky, then stop bothering me, you little girl!”

“My name is Lim Sobo.”

“To me, you’re just a little girl. You’re not trying to seduce me, are you? Good grief! I’m not moved by young girls like you.”

“Hmph! Hmph!”

Lim Sobo only snorted in disbelief. Her demeanor was cute enough to make one want to bite her.

Nam Woo-gyeong waved his hand at Lim Sobo.

“Go on now. This isn’t a place for you to stay.”

“I’ll go even if you don’t tell me to.”

“Then go.”

“Tsk!”

Lim Sobo approached Lee Gwak.

“Let’s go, brother.”

“Huh?”

“Are you planning of staying here?”

“Not really, but…”

“Then let’s go.”

Lim Sobo grabbed Lee Gwak’s hand and pulled him along. Lee Gwak couldn’t take his eyes off Nam Woo-gyeong as he was being led away.

“Take care, Lee Gwak!”

Nam Woo-gyeong waved his hand.

Lee Gwak slightly nodded his head toward Nam Woo-gyeong.

As Lee Gwak and Lim Sobo disappeared from sight, Nam Woo-gyeong brushed back the hair that had been covering his face. His true face was revealed.

He appeared to be in his late twenties, and he carried a strange impression that made him looked both good and evil at the same time.

Nam Woo-gyeong muttered to himself,

“How persistent, Yeo Jung-wol.”

It was then. Someone appeared silently behind Nam Woo-gyeong’s back.

It was an old man with platinum blond hair and gray eyes. His face was close to that of a Westerner, but his skin and overall feeling were similar to the people of the Central Plains.

Anyone could see that he was of mixed Western heritage.

The old man spoke to Nam Woo-gyeong,

“I’m afraid we’ll have to change our base. As long as we stay here, Yeo Jung-wol will keep sending that young girl.”

“It will be the same no matter where we go. It’s impossible to escape his gaze, as long as we are in the territory of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

“Tsk! What a troublesome character.”

“Did you think he is called the best strategist in the world for nothing? There’s a reason he earned that title.”

“I suppose so.”

“That young girl is no ordinary clever one, either. Although not fully matured yet, her talents far exceed Yeo Jung-wol’s.”

“That much?”

“She was not simply arguing with me. She was continuously observing my reactions and the situation around her. Though it appeared she was being led by me, all her actions were actually calculated. She’s as sly as a fox.”

“Quite the headache. Not only do we have to worry about Yeo Jung-wol, but now there’s his disciple too.”

“That’s true.”

Nam Woo-gyeong nodded.

“How about that Lee Gwak? The young girl seemed to be quite friendly with him.”

“I’m not sure. At first glance, he appears ordinary, but upon closer inspection, that’s not the case.”

“What do you mean?”

“His eyes were unusually clear and deep for an Outer Hall warrior. And he was quite calm. The way he doesn’t easily reveal his emotions was impressive.”

“Should we investigate his relationship with Lim Sobo? They seemed quite close.”

“It could be a smoke screen from the young girl. However, it wouldn’t hurt to look into it.”

“I’ll proceed with it, then.”

“Be careful. It wouldn’t do us any good to get caught by Yeo Jung-wol.”

“Of course.”

The old man nodded and disappeared without a sound.

Left alone, Nam Woo-gyeong suddenly burst into laughter.

“Heh! This place is really interesting!”

* * *

“Who was that guy earlier?”

“Who? That perverted old man?”

“Yeah!”

“Just a thief who walked into someone else’s house without permission and sat down.”

“A thief?”

“Either that or a trespasser.”

Lim Sobo replied with a nonchalant expression.

“Then why didn’t you chase him away?”

“He’s not a simple person to deal with. And he’s quite crafty.”

“…….”

“It’s unnerving to keep him away, but having him close also feels uneasy. He’s a troublesome tenant, you see. That’s why my master is also concerned.”

Lim Sobo rattled on, even saying things that weren’t asked. However, she didn’t say anything critical, and Lee Gwak also didn’t inquire further.

Lee Gwak felt it too. That Lim Sobo, who was chattering beside him, was no ordinary person.

He wanted to know more, but he also didn’t want to get unnecessarily entangled with her.

At that moment, his cheek twitched. It was because Lim Sobo had stopped walking and was intently staring at one side of his face.

“What’s the matter?”

“You seem to have changed a lot.”

“Like what?”

“Just the atmosphere around you, and even the depth in your eyes.”

Lim Sobo’s eyes were shining like shooting stars. Feeling burdened by her twinkling gaze, Lee Gwak deliberately avoided making eye contact.

“Is that so? I can’t tell.”

“You’ve definitely changed.”

“How can you be so sure? We’ve only met once, and that was a whole year ago.”

“I never forget what I see once. I remember it as accurately as if I have a picture in my head. Even my master is no match against me when it comes to memory.”

“Hmm! So you’re from a lineage of geniuses as well.”

“Hehe! I’ve heard that often since I was young. Anyway, where have you been all this time, brother? I haven’t seen you anywhere.”

“I was tied up with some work in the Outer Hall.”

“What work?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?”

“It’s in my nature, hehe!”

Lim Sobo stuck out her tongue cutely.

Though she was barely twelve years old, her beauty was already noticeable. Given a few more years, she’d be a young woman capable of making many men’s hearts flutter.

However, Lee Gwak felt no excitement at seeing Lim Sobo like this.

Not only had he just severed his ties with Geum Yul-seon, but he was about to leave this place soon for a mission outside. With that in mind, he had no desire to continue his relationship with Lim Sobo.

Lee Gwak moved forward in silence. Then, Lim Sobo quickly followed him.

“What was it that happened?”

“……”

“I won’t tell anyone else, so just tell me.”

Just as Lee Gwak was about to shake his head in exasperation at Lim Sobo’s persistence,

“Sister, are you fooling around here again?”

Suddenly, a cheerful boy’s voice suddenly called out.

Lim Sobo’s face instantly crumpled.

“You, nagger!”

“Who are you calling nagger? You’re the one nagging!”

The boy, who looked younger than Lim Sobo, retorted as he approached.

The boy, too, did not look ordinary like Lim Sobo. The boy bowed his head slightly towards Lee Gwak and said,

“I apologize on behalf of my sister if she has been bothering you.”

Lee Gwak recognized that the boy was Lim Sobo’s younger brother. His appearance remained the same as it had been a year ago, albeit faintly.

‘Was his name Lim Ji-moon?’

For a moment, Lee Gwak couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

Had his memory always been this good?

To remember the name of a child he had only seen once a year ago?

Definitely not.

He had always been told he had a good memory, but it was not this good.

‘Is it because of the Eight Snakes Art?’

It was the only possibility Lee Gwak could think of right now.

He had no idea that the Eight Snakes Art, which he had learned by accident under unavoidable circumstances, could have such a great effect.

Lee Gwak felt renewed gratitude to Han Socheon, who had given him the Eight Snakes Art. But now that he came to think of it, Han Socheon hadn’t visited him even once since then.

‘Is she doing well?’

She must be diligently practicing her martial arts in the sect by now. He hoped she was doing well.

Just then, Lim Ji-moon looked at Lee Gwak and said,

“You’re the guy I saw once before, right?”

Like Lim Sobo, Lim Ji-moon also seemed to have an exceptional memory.

“You’re not getting beaten up anymore, are you?”

“Ah, you’re the older brother from back then?”

Only then did Lim Ji-moon clearly remember Lee Gwak. That alone showed how good his memory was.

Lim Ji-moon’s face turned red.

“Of course! So much time has passed. Those guys are no match for me now.”

“Heh! Of course. If you can’t even handle that, you wouldn’t be worthy of being Lim Sobo’s sibling.”

“Anyway….”

Lim Ji-moon shook his head disapprovingly as he looked at Lim Sobo. Even though she was his sister, he just couldn’t get used to her arrogance.

“Stop nagging and follow me.”

“Why?”

“Because master is looking for you. He says that you’re not coming even though he’s waiting.”

“Tch! He only looks for me when he needs an errand done, and now he’s making a fuss because I’m not showing up?”

“That’s because you often drift away to other places, isn’t it?”

Lim Ji-moon looked at Lim Sobo with a dumbfounded expression. Then, Lim Sobo pretended not to hear, scratching her ear with her little finger.

Something seemed to surge within Lim Ji-moon, making his face turn red again. However, he suppressed his anger and bid farewell to Lee Gwak.

“Brother, we have to go now. See you next time.”

“Okay!”

“Let’s go, you witch!”

Lim Ji-moon grabbed Lim Sobo’s hand and dragged her along.

Lee Gwak watched their retreating figures for a moment before heading to his own quarters.

“Phew!”

As soon as he returned to his room, Lee Gwak let out a soft sigh. He felt inexplicably tired.

However, he didn’t rest even for a moment and took out his whip and spike.

He carefully connected the whip to the spike, turning it into an excellent meteor hammer.

A smile appeared on the corner of Lee Gwak’s mouth.

For something hastily made, it was quite satisfactory. Both the texture and the weight felt perfect in his hand.

Lee Gwak cautiously began to swing the meteor hammer.

He was used to using a sword, but this was his first time using a meteor hammer. Naturally, he was clumsy.

The meteor hammer was a weapon that was easy to launch but difficult to retrieve. If he didn’t control the force correctly, he was bound to get hurt while trying to pull it back.

Naturally, Lee Gwak was clumsy with the weapon and ended up with minor injuries all over his body. Still, he didn’t give up.

Swoosh!

In the courtyard, the long shadow of the meteor hammer danced like a snake.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes:

Thank you for reading!

1. You will have your liver and gallbladder torn out. This is a korean saying or expression that means to give everything to someone. Liver and gallbladder are important organs so it means everything.

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