Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 170
New Bonds Are Entwined(2)
Cheol Gwang Woo rampaged like a mad bull.
His massive size was a terrifying weapon in itself.
Bang!
“Aaagh!”
Struck by Cheol Gwang Woo’s huge frame, a vagrant screamed as he was thrown away. As if hit by the horns of a bull, his body was horribly crushed.
“Die!”
Crash!
A vagrant who approached from behind Cheol Gwang Woo stabbed his sword into his back. However, the sharp sword could not penetrate Cheol Gwang Woo’s muscles and bounced off.
“What brute strength!”
The vagrant’s eyes shook with fear.
Not a scratch was on Cheol Gwang Woo’s back, only a red mark remained.
“He must have trained in external martial arts.” The vagrant exclaimed.
In the Jianghu, there existed external martial arts that could toughen a human’s flesh to be as hard as iron.
Well-known examples included the Golden Bell Cover and the Iron Cloth.
The commonality of these martial arts was the use of a special cultivation technique followed by stimulating the muscles and bones. The more stimulation and pain endured, the harder the human body becomes, eventually as durable as iron.
The vagrant thought Cheol Gwang Woo must have trained in such external martial arts, as the characteristics were evident in him.
Clang! Clang!
The vagrants continued to strike with their swords, but to no avail. Their attacks could not leave a mark on Cheol Gwang Woo’s body.
The more he was attacked, the more wildly Cheol Gwang Woo rampaged. His wide-open eyes seemed to have lost all reason.
Despite his iron-like body, his techniques were poor. But his sheer size meant even slight movements created tremendous destructive power.
“Argh!”
“Damn it!”
The casualties among the vagrants increased.
As the situation escalated to this extent, those who had been merely observers now felt compelled to intervene.
Killing intent appeared on the face of Seok Mo-sam, one of the renowned masters in the vagrant market.
“Move aside!”
Seok Mo-sam, known as a master swordsman in the vagrant market, was nicknamed “Evil Spirit”. He was so famous that there was hardly anyone in the vagrant market who didn’t know who the Evil Spirit Seok Mo-sam was.
“How dare a child cause chaos in the vagrant market.”
Swoosh!
Seok Mo-sam drew his sword.
A subtle red light danced around his blade, signifying the manifestation of his sword qi.
It was common knowledge in the Jianghu that no external martial arts, no matter how
formidable, could withstand the force of sword qi.
The Soul Killing Demon Sword practiced by Seok Mo-sam was known in the Jianghu for its deadly efficiency.
Seok Mo-sam aimed to cut down Cheol Gwang Woo with his Soul Killing Demon Sword, restoring the dignity of the vagrant market.
“Chaaat!”
With a strange battle cry, Seok Mo-sam leaped into the air, launching his sword attack.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!
The sword enveloped in the sword qi split into dozens of blades.
Like jabbing with skewers, Seok Mo-sam’s sword qi stabbed at Cheol Gwang Woo’s entire body.
Clang clang clang!
Metallic sounds erupted continuously. Yet, not even a small scratch appeared on Cheol Gwang Woo’s body.
“Insane!”
Seok Mo-sam’s eyes widened in disbelief.
He had not expected his sword qi to be incapable of inflicting even a single wound.
Only then did Seok Mo-sam realize that the external martial arts mastered by Cheol Gwang Woo were different from the ordinary.
“Wooaaah!”
Apparently, being hit by the sword qi hurt quite a bit, as Cheol Gwang Woo, eyes rolling back in rage, charged at Seok Mo-sam.
Seok Mo-sam hastily employed his qigong to dodge Cheol Gwang Woo’s attack. Fortunately, his footwork was excellent, allowing him to easily deflect Cheol Gwang Woo’s assault.
As Seok Mo-sam slipped away like an eel, Cheol Gwang Woo became even more frenzied. Any semblance of reason had completely vanished from his eyes.
“I’ll kill you all.”
Boom!
A single punch from him cracked the ground.
“Whoa!”
“This crazy guy!”
The vagrants’ faces turned pale at Cheol Gwang Woo’s overwhelming power. The more he lost his reason, the stronger he seemed to become.
Slash!
“Aargh!”
A vagrant caught by Cheol Gwang Woo had his shoulder torn out. The vagrants’ eyes widened in disbelief at his monstrous strength.
To them, Cheol Gwang Woo no longer seemed human. They only hoped someone would step forward to subdue this madman, as they themselves lacked the courage to do so.
Boom!
A building used by the vagrants for resting collapsed under Cheol Gwang Woo’s charge.
Having lost all reason, Cheol Gwang Woo was now heading towards where the merchants had taken refuge. Even Seok Mo-sam and the vagrants dared not stop him.
“Aaah!”
“Save us!”
Panic erupted among the merchants. They tripped over each other trying to escape, causing chaos. Those trapped beneath screamed for their lives, while those on top flailed helplessly.
Seeing the situation escalate, Lee Gwak could no longer just watch.
“Sigh!”
Lee Gwak exhaled deeply and blocked Cheol Gwang Woo’s path.
The vagrants thought he was crazy. Or rather, they were relieved, thinking that now someone else would bear the brunt of Cheol Gwang Woo’s fury.
Lee Gwak spoke to Cheol Gwang Woo.
“Stop this now.”
“Woooaah!”
Instead of responding, Cheol Gwang Woo charged at him with terrifying momentum.
‘He’s completely lost his reason.’
Though expected, the situation was more severe than imagined.
Cheol Gwang Woo’s madness grew like a snowball with time. Although he was expelling his rage externally, eventually, it would consume him too.
He had to be subdued before it was too late.
Whack!
Lee Gwak’s palm struck Cheol Gwang Woo’s chest, but it wasn’t enough to stop his charge.
Lee Gwak smoothly rotated in place, deflecting Cheol Gwang Woo’s momentum.
Boom!
Unable to control his force, Cheol Gwang Woo crashed into a wall. The stone wall crumbled like a sandcastle, yet Cheol Gwang Woo was unharmed.
Rising, Cheol Gwang Woo scanned for Lee Gwak, his eyes flickering wildly.
The people nearby shuddered as they felt a black aura emanating from his body. But Lee Gwak knew it wasn’t an illusion.
‘Madness has become tangible…’
This was a phenomenon even Lee Gwak had never seen before.
Cheol Gwang Woo, still emanating madness, charged again. Lee Gwak didn’t back down and rushed towards him.
Swoosh!
His body dipped low, like a swallow skimming water. He executed the Revolving Steps.
Thud!
A blade thrust targeted at Cheol Gwang Woo’s solar plexus. Given that sword qi couldn’t leave a mark on Cheol Gwang Woo’s body, a mere thrust wouldn’t impact him either. Instead, it only aggravated Cheol Gwang Woo’s rage.
Without attempting to remove the thrust, Cheol Gwang Woo raised his arms like logs.
As Cheol Gwang Woo was about to bring his arms down on Lee Gwak’s head,
Woong!
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, Cheol Gwang Woo spat out blood.
This was due to the internal energy Lee Gwak had transmitted through the blade jabbed into Cheol Gwang Woo’s solar plexus.
Lee Gwak had utilized a type of powerful internal martial arts technique with his blade jab.
No matter how excellent the external martial arts, it was impossible to train the internal organs to the same extent. Cheol Gwang Woo was no exception.
“Kwahk!”
Rattled internally, Cheol Gwang Woo let out a bizarre scream before collapsing.
“Sigh!”
Exhaling, Lee Gwak hoisted Cheol Gwang Woo’s massive form onto his shoulder. Carrying him was akin to lifting a huge boulder, given Cheol Gwang Woo’s weight.
With Cheol Gwang Woo over his shoulder, Lee Gwak approached the remaining vagrants. As Lee Gwak advanced, the vagrants stepped back apprehensively.
‘A master.’
Even the seasoned vagrants, who had weathered many a storm, couldn’t subdue Cheol Gwang Woo as Lee Gwak had. He was clearly of a different caliber.
Feeling the pressure of a superior martial artist approaching, they couldn’t help but feel nervous.
“Do you know where his home is?” Lee Gwak asked.
“That… It’s…”
“Where is it?”
“The last house in the upper village.”
The vagrant blurted out almost involuntarily.
“Thank you.”
After expressing his gratitude, Lee Gwak turned to leave, intending to take Cheol Gwang Woo home.
“Wait!”
There were those who blocked Lee Gwak’s path, including one person in particular: the Evil Spirit Seok Mo-sam.
Seok Mo-sam’s gaze was fixed on Cheol Gwang Woo, slung over Lee Gwak’s shoulder.
He said to Lee Gwak, “You may go, but leave that man behind.”
“Hasn’t this gone far enough?”
“A murder has happened in the vagrant market; there must be accountability. Bae Mu Sang, whom he killed, was close to me. So, naturally, I have the right to avenge him.”
Seok Mo-sam’s eyes flickered with killing intent.
Lee Gwak silently regarded him.
Having boldly stepped forward, Seok Mo-sam had instead suffered a blow to his pride by failing to leave even a scratch on Cheol Gwang Woo with his renowned Soul Killing Demon Sword.
Glaring at Lee Gwak with malice, Seok Mo-sam believed Lee Gwak would surely accept his proposition. However, Lee Gwak’s response was completely unexpected.
“I will awaken him then.”
“What do you mean?”
“Settling scores with someone unconscious is rather absurd, don’t you think? Therefore, I’ll wake him. Once he’s conscious, you can seek revenge or kill him as you please.”
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard by Lee Gwak’s response, Seok Mo-sam couldn’t hide his astonishment.
He doubted his ability to handle Cheol Gwang Woo once he regained consciousness. How could he subdue or kill someone whom not even his sword qi could harm?
He glared at Lee Gwak with fearful eyes. However, even the gaze of a recognized master in the vagrant market didn’t affect Lee Gwak.
The so-called rules of the vagrant market were nothing more than empty threats to those with weaker martial arts. To a master like Lee Gwak, who stood outside the market’s power, those rules held no sway.
Lee Gwak had no intention of handing Cheol Gwang Woo over to Seok Mo-sam.
He had clearly seen how Bae Mu Sang had provoked Cheol Gwang Woo. Provocation was one thing, but one must also bear the consequences in the Jianghu.
Lee Gwak didn’t believe Cheol Gwang Woo was at fault. This belief was evident in his gaze.
Ultimately, Seok Mo-sam had no choice but to grind his teeth and step back.
Lee Gwak looked at the other vagrants. They either bowed their heads or turned away to avoid his gaze.
“May I go now?”
Lee Gwak asked, but no one answered. Not that he needed their permission. It was merely a formality.
Lee Gwak, carrying Cheol Gwang Woo, walked away.
Despite the enormous weight, Lee Gwak moved effortlessly out of the vagrant market.
Those in front of him made way. Merchants watching were visibly impressed.
Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo quickly disappeared from view.
“Amazing! To subdue that madman so easily.”
“Indeed. The young man who even the Evil Spirit couldn’t handle was subdued in an instant. Truly a formidable master.”
The merchants murmured excitedly.
The emergence of a new young master was always a topic of interest.
Then, one merchant murmured, “But what’s his name?”
“…”
Only then did the merchants realize they didn’t know the name of the young master who had captivated their attention.