Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 167

Different paths, but not different intentions (2)

The sight of the martial artists collapsing like stalks of sorghum, split apart, was so surreal it seemed like something out of a dream.

Drip, drip!

Were it not for the sound of blood droplets falling from Lee Gwak’s blade to the ground, Gong Ji-sim and Dam Il-cheon might have taken even longer to snap back to reality.

“You, you?”

Gong Ji-sim’s beard trembled.

Thick veins bulged on the back of his hand as he gripped the staff.

Dam Il-cheon did not see it, but Gong Ji-sim had clearly witnessed Lee Gwak darting among his disciples, swinging his blade horizontally.

It was a simple horizontal slash, but not merely simple.

Lee Gwak’s horizontal slash was so fast that the martial artists couldn’t react in time. Even Gong Ji-sim couldn’t be sure to block it completely.

The trajectory was cunning and sharp, leaving no room for anyone but a master of equal skill to block.

With a single strike, Lee Gwak had bisected twenty martial artists. Such a feat was impossible without a profound understanding and mastery of the weapon.

Only then did Gong Ji-sim realize that Lee Gwak was far more formidable than he had imagined.

‘How could this be!’

His back was soaked with sweat from tension.

Snap!

At that moment, Lee Gwak lunged towards Dam Il-cheon.

Instead of targeting Gong Ji-sim, who seemed stronger in martial arts, he aimed for his disciple, Dam Il-cheon.

“Do I look like an easy target to you?”

Dam Il-cheon roared as he unleashed the Nine Life Stealing Sword.

Whoosh!

A sharp sword energy flew towards Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak dodged the sword’s energy, leaping into the air. And Gong Ji-sim cheered internally at the sight.

‘The kid’s martial arts are strong, but he’s inexperienced. To put himself at a disadvantage like this.’

In a fight between masters, leaping into the air to avoid an attack was almost taboo. Even the strongest martial artists could find their mobility severely limited in the air.

Gong Ji-sim swung his staff at Lee Gwak, and a cloud-like energy surged from the staff towards Lee Gwak.

Whoosh!

At that moment, Lee Gwak twisted his body in mid-air and swung his blade.

Clang!

The staff, made of millennium cold steel, collided with the blade, making a metallic sound. At the same time, Lee Gwak’s figure was thrown backwards. Without solid ground to stand on, he was at a disadvantage.

Gong Ji-sim and Dam Il-cheon both rushed towards Lee Gwak.

Dam Il-cheon unfolded the Nine Life Stealing Sword, and Gong Ji-sim used one of the Hainan Sect’s techniques, the Meteor Chasing Moon Sword, with his staff.

Although he couldn’t reveal his full strength due to circumstances, Gong Ji-sim had already reached the pinnacle. Despite possessing ordinary martial resources, he had achieved beyond his natural talent through relentless practice over the years.

Boom!

His staff emitted a sword qi nearly a zhang long. He had created sword energy with a staff.

This was the harmony created by powerful internal energy. With just a bit of enlightenment, he could break through the barriers in front of him and advance further. Then, even unleashing a sword’s aura wouldn’t be a dream.

Gong Ji-sim’s sword energy precisely targeted Lee Gwak’s vital points, perfectly supported by Dam Il-cheon’s Nine Life Stealing Sword.

The coordinated attack by the master and disciple was flawless. It seemed impossible for Lee Gwak to evade their attack by any means.

Lee Gwak knew that ordinary techniques wouldn’t be enough to overcome the current predicament.

Gong Ji-sim was a master worthy of vigilance.

Suddenly, Lee Gwak’s eyes changed.

Seeing his icy gaze, Gong Ji-sim felt that something was amiss. However, he believed in his martial arts.

If he showed fear against someone as young as Lee Gwak, it would belittle his years of experience.

Although Lee Gwak’s martial arts seemed exceptional, his sword aura had not yet manifested.

This meant that while his techniques might be mature, his internal energy was far inferior to his own. If that was the case, overpowering him with internal energy was the way to go.

Gong Ji-sim infused his entire internal energy into the swinging staff.

Clang!

A metallic sound erupted once again.

‘What?’

A look of disbelief appeared on Gong Ji-sim’s face. The sword energy, infused with his full internal energy, had been deflected by Lee Gwak’s blade.

The idea that sword energy could be bounced off by mere metal was beyond his comprehension. But Lee Gwak shattered his understanding completely.

With a sharp whoosh, Lee Gwak’s blade targeted the only gap left by the sword energy’s deflection – Gong Ji-sim’s armpit.

Gong Ji-sim hastily attempted to retreat using his footwork, but Lee Gwak’s charge was much faster than his retreat.

Thud!

Lee Gwak’s blade plunged into Gong Ji-sim’s side.

“Argh!”

A fiery pain elicited an involuntary groan from Gong Ji-sim. However, true to his status as a supreme master, he suppressed the pain and swung his staff.

“Master!”

Seeing Gong Ji-sim in danger, Dam Il-cheon swung his sword to save him.

Clang, clang, clang!

Metallic sounds burst forth continuously.

As the fierce battle ensued, the faces of the master and disciple twisted fiercely.

Lee Gwak’s swordsmanship was unlike any other they knew.

Without employing blade qi or blade aura, the force and solidity of his attacks were beyond imagination. It felt not like facing a blade but colliding with a massive hammer, the shock transmitted up their arms.

Moreover, it was eerily formidable.

The trajectory of Lee Gwak’s blade was unlike any martial arts they knew.

It seemed not to use any special forms, yet it was sharp and ghostly penetrated their defenses.

“Damn it!”

“Argh!”

They exerted all their strength to fend off Lee Gwak’s sword. But no matter how much they deflected or repelled, Lee Gwak’s sword followed a bizarre trajectory, targeting their vital points again.

‘What kind of swordsmanship is this…’

Gong Ji-sim and Dam Il-cheon’s eyes shook.

It didn’t seem like the swordsmanship of a human. It was as if a demon proficient in the blade was attacking them.

Ssshh! Ssshh!

Continuous slicing sounds echoed.

The figures of the three combatants were obscured by the silver streaks created by their weapons, becoming invisible to the naked eye.

“Ugh!”

Moments later, someone screamed and was flung away.

It was Dam Il-cheon, the weakest in martial arts among them. A large gash had appeared on his abdomen, slicing through muscles and even spilling his innards.

It was a fatal wound beyond recovery.

“Il-cheon!”

Gong Ji-sim cried out for Dam Il-cheon, but he could not respond, kneeling on the ground.

“Cough!”

Dam Il-cheon attempted to hold his abdominal wound closed with both hands, but he could not contain the spillage of guts and blood seeping through his fingers.

‘How did I end up here…’

A look of despair appeared on Dam Il-cheon’s face.

He didn’t want to die.

He was so close to becoming a disciple of the Martial Sword Troupe, a dream he harbored. To die now felt incredibly unjust. But soon, the light faded from his eyes.

“Master…”

Thump!

Dam Il-cheon collapsed to the ground.

“Aaah!”

Gong Ji-sim screamed in agony.

Losing his reason to the death of his disciple.

Everything Gong Ji-sim had done was for his disciple. Even though he contributed to the revival of the Martial Sword Troupe from the shadows, he wished for his disciple to thrive honorably in the limelight.

Losing such a disciple right before his eyes made him lose all reason.

Gong Ji-sim glared at Lee Gwak with bloodshot eyes.

“For my master and the Martial Sword Troupe, I endured for decades. I gave up everything to revive the alliance centered around the Haenam Sect. My disciple was the only consolation in my life. But you’ve destroyed everything. My dreams and my disciple… I will never forgive you. Even if it means sacrificing everything”

Gong Ji-sim’s aura changed. He was attempting to draw upon his congenital qi.

Unlike the postnatal internal energy formed later, congenital qi is a natural energy one is born with. Once expended, it can never be replenished, and depleting all congenital qi results in death.

Gong Ji-sim knew this well. But he had no choice left. Continuing to live held no meaning for him.

Even if it meant dying, he was determined to kill Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak stood still, looking at Gong Ji-sim.

He understood Gong Ji-sim’s rage, but that didn’t mean he would forgive him.

Lee Gwak imbued his blade with killing intent.

The technique for subduing and the technique for killing were different.

Even if it was the same form, the moment it was filled with extreme killing intent, Lee Gwak’s swordsmanship finally revealed its true nature.

Lee Gwak extended his blade towards Gong Ji-sim.

A simple thrust.

It was a plain thrust, but the moment it was executed by Lee Gwak, it was no longer simple.

“Please show mercy, warrior!”

Just as Lee Gwak’s sword clashed with Gong Ji-sim’s staff, someone’s voice rang out.
Clang!

“Aah!”

Following a scream, Gong Ji-sim was flung backward.

His staff, made of millennium cold steel, snapped in two and flew away, while Gong Ji-sim writhed on the ground, bloodied.

Lee Gwak’s complexion wasn’t great either. The moment the voice was heard, he had forcibly suppressed his energy, causing blood to rush to his throat.

Lee Gwak forcefully suppressed his urge to retch and looked up. Someone was descending between him and Gong Ji-sim.

It was a person Lee Gwak knew.

The most beautiful woman Lee Gwak had seen on Haenam Island, Sa Yeon-hee. She was the one who had shouted for him to show mercy.

Upon landing, Sa Yeon-hee immediately saluted Lee Gwak.

“Thank you, warrior Lee Gwak, for heeding my difficult request.”

“Why?”

Lee Gwak asked, to which Sa Yeon-hee sighed and replied.

“Killing him now wouldn’t solve everything completely.”

“…”

“I’m embarrassed to say, but the man you’ve just defeated is, in a personal sense, my sworn brother.”

“Sworn brother?”

“Sigh! It’s complicated, but there was one disciple of the Martial Sword Troupe’s leader, Yu, who was unknown to me. He was expelled before I was even born, and I had no idea such a person existed.”

Upon her return to the Martial Sword Troupe, Sa Yeon-hee began a thorough investigation into the past. She couldn’t understand why Yu Mun-sang would go to such lengths to take care of the Nine Shadows Fleet by smuggling out secret manuals.

Digging persistently into the past, she eventually uncovered the existence of Gong Ji-sim, an unknown entity.

Sa Yeon-hee looked at Gong Ji-sim with complex emotions in her eyes.

She had never imagined that the founder of the Nine Shadow Fleet would be a martial artist from the Martial Sword Troupe, let alone someone who would be considered her sworn brother.

At the same time, anger surged within her.

Her anger was directed at Yu Mun-sang, who had even used his own disciple.

“To rectify the wrongs that have been done, we absolutely need him.”

“What will you do?”

“I plan to take him and publicize the matter.”

“Publicize?”

“Yes! I will call a council of elders and hold the leader accountable for his crimes.”

“Is that possible?”

“It won’t be easy. But I must do it. If no one brings up this issue, the same mistakes will be repeated forever.”

Determination filled Sa Yeon-hee’s face.

One of the reasons the Sword Sect was founded was to check the nearly absolute power of the leader.

Unchecked power inevitably leads to corruption. Therefore, Hae-wol, the founder of the Martial Sword Troupe, granted the Sword Sect the authority to call a council of elders to hold the leader accountable.

Of course, summoning the council didn’t mean the leader’s guilt could be immediately pursued. Most of the current elders in the Martial Sword Troupe were practically Yu Mun-sang’s underlings.

Gaining their cooperation was as difficult as plucking stars from the sky. Yet, it was a task that needed to be done, and Sa Yeon-hee was fully prepared to tread this thorny path.

Lee Gwak stared intently at Sa Yeon-hee, who did not avoid his gaze.

“You’re serious.”

“I am.”

“Why choose such a difficult path?”

“Because it is my duty.”

“Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

“Getting further involved will only put you in danger. And, to be honest, I don’t want to expose the Martial Sword Troupe’s ugly truths to you any more than I already have.”

As Sa Yeon-hee revealed her intentions.

Crack!

Suddenly, a sound like a watermelon being smashed was heard.

The startled pair looked to see Gong Ji-sim, who had regained consciousness, striking his own Tianling Point. The Tianling Point, located at the crown of the head, could endanger one’s life with even a slight impact.

“Brother!”

Sa Yeon-hee rushed to Gong Ji-sim. She wanted to save him, but with the Tianling Point shattered, survival was impossible.

“Why make such a choice…”

A look of sorrow filled her eyes. Then, Gong Ji-sim weakly looked at her.

“Everything I did was for the Martial Sword Troupe…”

That’s why Gong Ji-sim had chosen death for himself.

Having lost his disciple, he saw no reason to continue living.