Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 210
Returning Home, Yet No One to Welcome 1
Lee Gwak was confined within the Discipline Squad’s prison, but it was unlike any typical cell.
There were no iron bars, nor was there anyone watching over him.
A small room equipped with a cozy bed and facilities to meet basic needs was assigned to him as his cell.
Although his movements were restricted, he could live without any constraints within the room.
The Discipline Squad’s leader, Du Il Yeop, had to contemplate how to deal with Lee Gwak.
Initially, he intended to deal with the matter according to the Jade Heaven Alliance’s laws.
Regardless of the reason, causing a conflict with the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance was an unforgivable act. Thus, he pressured Lee Gwak with force.
However, the situation became complicated.
Lee Gwak was not someone that could be dealt with lightly.
He was a top-tier martial artist who had defeated the mad dragon Woo Moon Pae and Moon Gwang, and was on par with the Young Master Yong Cheon Myung. Applying the laws of the Jade Heaven Alliance to such a high-level martial artist risked backlash.
Indeed, the backlash had already begun.
For some reason, official complaints were filed from the Secret Court, and even Young Master Woon and Lady Dan exerted pressure.
Even Young Master Yong Cheon Myeong, who had clashed with Lee Gwak, seemed to want the issue to end without escalating further, which was communicated through Gu Mun-hoe, leaving Du Il Yeop with no options.
Du Il Yeop opened the door to the room where Lee Gwak was confined.
“Come out.”
“Am I being released?”
Lee Gwak, who was sitting on the bed, looked up at Du Il Yeop.
“You are being released.”
Du Il Yeop forced a smile, filled with a sense of defeat.
It was the first time since becoming the leader of the Discipline Squad that he felt so powerless.
Lee Gwak rose from the bed and stepped outside.
Du Il Yeop handed him his blade.
“Take it. It’s your blade. I found out that you have a house outside the outer hall. We have lifted the closure order, so you can use it again.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Go on then.”
Du Il Yeop waved Lee Gwak off.
He wished to disentangle himself from Lee Gwak further. The past few days had been enough of a headache.
Lee Gwak bowed to Du Il Yeop and left the inner court.
The first person to greet Lee Gwak outside was a beautiful woman dressed in black.
Among the many martial artists in the Jade Heaven Alliance, there was only one woman who favored such extreme black attire.
Dan Li Yeon, the Dark Martial Empress.
The third disciple of the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance, Ja Hong Cheon, and a woman rumored to be obsessed with martial arts, she approached Lee Gwak.
“May we have a moment to talk?”
“Of course.”
“Are you feeling alright? It seemed like you had suffered some serious internal injuries.”
“I’m fine now.”
Thanks to his continuous practice of the Eight Snake Arts during his imprisonment, his internal injuries were almost completely healed.
Dan Li Yeon smiled lightly.
“I’m glad to hear that. I was worried that our intervention might have worsened your injuries.”
“Why did you want to see me?”
Lee Gwak changed the topic.
“I’m curious.”
“Curious?”
“The squad leader of the outer hall has been missing for six years and returns as a top-tier martial artist. Wouldn’t anyone be curious?”
“…”
“There’s no need to be so guarded. Unlike my brothers, I hold no particular emotions or calculations towards you. I’m just curious how you achieved such a level of accomplishment in such a short time. No offense, but back then, you were just…”
“Ordinary.”
“That’s right. You were more ordinary than extraordinary. For such a person to return as a top-tier martial artist after six years, it’s bound to cause a stir.”
Curiosity filled Dan Li Yeon’s eyes as she looked at Lee Gwak.
If it were possible, she would have liked to challenge him to a duel right then and there. However, it was not appropriate to request a duel from someone who had just been released from confinement.
“I trained relentlessly under an excellent master.”
“If it’s not too much to ask, may I know who your master is?”
“I’m sorry, but my master prefers to remain anonymous.”
“Hmm!”
Dan Li Yeon showed a look of disappointment but understood. There were many eccentric masters in the jianghu who did not want their identities revealed.
An awkward silence fell between them.
Instead of forcing conversation, they began to walk away, only to be stopped by someone else.
“You’re here first, sister.”
“Brother?”
Approaching them with his hands clasped behind his back was Woon Dae Yon.
Dan Li Yeon’s expression slightly twisted upon Woon Dae Yon’s arrival, knowing his intentions.
“Are you here to recruit him?”
“Yes.”
Woon Dae Yon did not hide his intention.
He looked at Lee Gwak with intense eyes.
“Lee Gwak!”
“Speak.”
“I am different from my sister. I’m not curious about how you achieved such progress in a short time, nor will I ask.”
“What do you want?”
“Join me. I will offer you the best treatment. Whatever you desire, you will have it.”
“I have no intention of joining anywhere.”
“Are you rejecting my offer?”
A chilling light flashed through Woon Dae Yon’s eyes. Yet, Lee Gwak remained unphased.
Having faced Yong Cheon Myeong head-on, Woon Dae Yon’s gaze could not intimidate him.
“I am a disciple of the Mad Martial Sect. I have no plans to join any other sect.”
“Hmm!”
Woon Dae Yon, with his arms crossed, scrutinized Lee Gwak.
His displeasure was evident, but he did not express anger.
The opponent was a man of strong resolve, capable of facing Yong Cheon Myeong directly. A few threats were not going to make him bow.
“So you also refuse to join under senior brother?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Lee Gwak! Then, I forgive you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I forgive you for deceiving me, for causing disturbance within the Jade Heaven Alliance. In return, you must keep your promise never to join under senior brother.”
Without waiting for a response, Woon Dae Yon turned and walked away.
Lee Gwak watched his departing figure with a dazed look.
When Woon Dae Yon’s figure had disappeared, Dan Li Yeon sighed softly beside him.
“Phew! I’m sorry, Master Lee. Brother wasn’t like this before, but he’s been quite impatient these days…”
Before the war with the Celestial Demon Troupe, Woon Dae Yon’s prospects were not inferior to Yong Cheon Myeong’s. However, as Yong Cheon Myeong made significant contributions towards the end of the war, a substantial gap began to form between them.
That’s probably when the impatience started to show on Woon Dae Yon’s face.
Previously, he was very skilled at hiding his emotions, but now, he openly displayed intense feelings. It was a sign that he was psychologically pressured.
Yong Cheon Myeong, who he thought was on a parallel path, was moving far ahead of him, while his own steps were slow. That’s why he often showed his impatience on his face lately.
It would have been unimaginable in the past.
Lee Gwak realized that the power struggle within the Jade Heaven Alliance was fiercer than he had anticipated.
“Why does the Alliance Leader allow this power struggle to continue?”
“The master believes that only the strong can become the leader. It doesn’t matter who wins. Whoever overpowers the other and proves their strength will be chosen as the next leader.”
“What about you, Miss Dan Li? Do you have no desire to challenge for the leadership?”
“No.”
Dan Li Yeon was adamant.
What she desired was strength, not something like being the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance.
Yong Cheon Myeong and Woon Dae Yon approached her wanting to recruit her, but she declared that she would not side with either of them.
Dan Li Yeon suddenly looked up at Lee Gwak’s side face.
His firmly closed lips were striking.
Six years ago, he seemed just ordinary, but now he looked extraordinary.
She suddenly asked, “What are you planning to do in the future?”
***
After leaving the Jade Heaven Alliance, the first place Lee Gwak headed to was the house he used to live in.
Lee Gwak tore off the boards that had been nailed across the door. The planks, deeply embedded with nails, fell away under his strong grip.
The door opened easily once the boards were removed.
Lee Gwak surveyed the interior of the house.
When he had come here at night, he thought it was badly damaged, but seeing it in daylight revealed an even more disastrous state.
It was so disastrously damaged that it was hard to decide where to start repairing.
“Sigh!”
Lee Gwak let out a brief sigh. But soon after, he began to move.
The first thing he did was clean the interior of the house.
He put out broken furniture and household items outside. Then, the damaged parts became more visible.
After thoroughly checking the damaged parts, Lee Gwak went outside.
He went to a nearby lumberyard to buy wood.
Lee Gwak, having loaded a cart full of wood and tiles, started the repairs upon returning home.
He covered the holes in the roof with wood and laid tiles on it.
Fixing the house was not an easy task. It wasn’t something to be done alone. But for Lee Gwak, it wasn’t too difficult.
He had excellent craftsmanship and was a person of great patience.
There was no rush.
When tired from repairing, he rested, and when he felt recovered, he picked up the hammer again.
He didn’t set a deadline to finish the repairs.
Sometimes, he would stop working and take a long nap, and at other times, he would devote himself to repairs as if obsessed.
Occasionally, Nam Woo Gyeong and Cheol Gwang-woo would come by, but seeing Lee Gwak immersed in his work, they quietly turned away.
When a few days had passed, Lee Gwak’s house was no longer a disreputable ruin.
New tiles were placed on the roof, and the collapsed walls were neatly repaired. Although not luxurious, it had transformed enough not to be disregarded as shabby.
Lee Gwak then bought new household items.
He brought in simple furniture and purchased various kitchen utensils.
After arranging the furniture and finding places for the cooking tools, it felt like a place where people could live.
“Sigh!”
Lee Gwak lay down on the newly made porch, looking up at the sky.
The once-blue sky was now tinged with a red hue. The sun was setting.
Suddenly, someone’s head popped into his view, blocking his sight.
“What are you doing?”
The one speaking in a somewhat brusque voice was Nam Woo Gyeong.
“Brother?”
“Now it finally looks like a house fit for living.”
“Wow! The house is unrecognizable. Your craftsmanship is really amazing.”
Nam Woo Gyeong was accompanied by Cheol Gwang Woo.
Cheol Gwang Woo looked around the transformed house, exclaiming in admiration.
Lee Gwak sat up from the porch.
“What brings you here?”
“If you’ve repaired the house, you should have a housewarming party.”
“Really?”
Lee Gwak made a slightly incredulous face, when someone’s voice intervened.
“Were you planning to skip the housewarming party? Normally, for such occasions, everyone gathers and has a lively time together.”
“Sobo?”
The owner of the voice was none other than Lim So Bo.
Behind her, Lim Ji-Moon stood with a shy expression.
“How did you guys?”
“We heard there was a housewarming party, so we came for the food.”
Lim So Bo nonchalantly sat down next to Lee Gwak. She and Lim Ji Moon were carrying plenty of food.
Then, a group of people burst through the door, their hands also filled with food.
Lee Gwak’s eyes widened as he recognized their faces.
“Include us too.”
“It’s been a while, leader.”
“Ha-ha! We came too.”
Each of them said something as they entered the house. These were none other than Seok Yi-Cheon and the former members of the 13th squad.
While Lee Gwak was still reeling from their unexpected arrival, Cheon Wol approached him.
“I let them know. It’s okay for us to join, right?”
“Of course, it is.”
Lee Gwak nodded and stood up.
With a whoosh!
Lee Gwak embraced the members of the 13th squad warmly.
They hugged each other, speechless for a moment.
Even without words, a multitude of emotions passed between them.
That night, they laughed, talked, ate, and drank until the morning.