Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 63
Hidden Perils in the Deep Sea (1)
Han So cheon was dashing through the streets outside the Jade Heaven Alliance.
Originally, she had hoped to lure the Dark Emissary to the Jade Heaven Alliance’s headquarters, as there were a number of high-level experts there. She had thought that with their strength, it would be easy to overpower the Dark Emissary.
Though the Dark Emissary was an elite assassin of unfathomable prowess, his strength lay in shadow combat and surprise attacks.
If she lured him into an open area like the main headquarters, she hoped to subdue him, despite the expected casualties.
But the Dark Emissary was a veteran of countless battles, he quickly saw through Han So cheon’s naïve intentions.
He drove her out of the Jade Heaven Alliance. Like a cattle herd, he had blocked all her escape routes, forcing her in one direction.
Left with no choice, Han So cheon attempted to use hidden weapons and traps, but none of her tactics worked against the Dark Emissary.
He was like a nightmare to any assassin.
Blood gushed from Han So cheon’s forearm. Just as she was about to flee in another direction, the Dark Emissary threw a weapon to warn her.
Biting down hard on her blood-red lips, she felt a sense of helplessness, knowing the Dark Emissary’s intentions but unable to do anything about it.
Suddenly, Han So cheon swung her sword fiercely.
Clang!
Sparks flew in mid-air as a hidden weapon dropped to the ground.
She had instinctively blocked the Dark Emissary’s attack. The longer she was pursued by the Dark Emissary, the sharper her senses became.
The tension beyond her limits had awakened her senses. Suddenly, the vague presence of the Dark Emissary felt distinctly clear to her..
Picking up the fallen weapon, she threw it back at him.
Seeing Han So cheon throw the weapon back at him, the Dark Emissary was filled with newfound admiration.
‘Such remarkable talent in this girl, blossoming even under pursuit,’
He realised that today’s events could be the beginning of the explosion of Han So Cheon’s talent.
He acknowledged that although she wasn’t a threat yet, she could become a dangerous entity in the future if she continued to hone her skills.
The Dark Emissary gave up on harassing Han So cheon any further. He was determined to end her life in one fell swoop, eliminating any chance of future trouble.
His tactics changed in an instant.
He drew a strangely curved sword from his waist. It curved sharply and resembled the full moon.
It was the Crescent Moon Blade
The Dark Emissary charged forward with the Full Moon Sword.
Han So cheon closed her eyes in the face of the oncoming attack.
‘Too late to rely on sight.’
She had to depend on her instincts.
Sparks flew in the air and Han So cheon’s body shook. He had blocked the Crescent Moon Blade for the first time.
Gripping her sword tightly, she recalled her time in the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall, where she trained blindfolded, cut off from all senses.
Summoning the memories and sensations from that time, Han So cheon swung her sword with renewed vigour.
Clang!
The Crescent Moon Blade and her sword clashed repeatedly.
Han So cheon’s movements became faster and more precise.
The fight with the Dark Emissary had caused her talent to blossom rapidly. However, the Dark Emissary’s expression as he looked at her was cold.
Despite her astonishing rate of improvement, she was still no match for him. He hadn’t even reached his full potential yet, merely demonstrating the artistry of the Crescent Moon Blade and the basic tactics of an assassin.
“Such a pity, girl! If you had been given a few more years, you would have certainly become a great threat. Perhaps even Heaven cherished your talent in its own way.”
A dark aura rose from the Dark Emissary’s Crescent Moon Blade.
It meant he was about to unleash his signature move, the Dark Shadowless Blade.
Swish!
The Dark Emissary had unleashed the Dark Shadowless Blade’s first technique, the Crescent Moon Strike..
At that moment, Han So cheon envisioned a giant moon rising in the night sky.
‘Oraboni!’
For some reason, when she saw the moon, she thought of Lee Gwak
Just when she thought she might never see his face again, tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks.
At that moment, the full moon that had floated in the air descended towards her with terrifying speed. Han So Cheon clenched her teeth and executed her most powerful technique.
Boom!
A massive explosion echoed, and a storm swirled around the area, sweeping Han So cheon off her feet. Her body was covered in blood.
She had been critically wounded by the Crescent Moon Strike.
From the beginning, she was no match for Dark Emissary.
Han So cheon collapsed to the ground, unconscious. But she didn’t crash down disgracefully because someone caught her mid-fall.
Dark Emissary’s face hardened.
He had put all his energy into the Crescent Moon Strike, intending to kill Han So cheon instantly, not just knock her unconscious.
Someone had intervened, cleverly dispersing his power. It was the man who had caught Han So cheon.
He gently laid Han So cheon on the ground.
“So Cheon!”
The man called out to her softly. It was Lee Gwak.
Lee Gwak’s eyes were filled with deep-seated anger.
He was not someone who easily lost his composure, but the sight of Han So cheon in a near-death state stirred a raging fury within him.
Today, Lee Gwak realised for the first time the immense anger inside him. He turned his gaze towards the one responsible for Han So cheon’s condition.
It’s said that at the peak of anger, one becomes eerily calm.
That was the state Lee Gwak was in now.
He looked at the Dark Emissary with an utterly calm demeanour.
Dark Emissary was noticeably surprised.
“Who are you?”
“Lee Gwak.”
“You know her, then.”
“…”
“That gaze says it all. Very close, aren’t you? Am I right?”
“…”
Lee Gwak didn’t respond again, but to the Dark Emissary, it was as good as a confirmation.
“I lost someone close to me because of her. My revenge is justified.”
“Just like your words, she is close to me. So, it’s just for me to protect her.”
“Are you willing to risk your life for her? Do you possess the strength to claim justice?”
“Does that matter?”
“It does. Only the powerful can prove their claims. That’s the law of the Jianghu I know,”
To the Dark Emissary, the Jianghu was synonymous with the path of supremacy. His strength enabled him to seek vengeance for Go Jin Rak.
Why take the circuitous route of dialogue when one can achieve their goals through force?
Lee Gwak stood up.
A million thoughts flashed through his mind, but he dismissed them all.
The man before him was not someone he could afford to face with a cluttered mind.
Just facing Dark Emissary felt like being struck by lightning, sending a tingling sensation throughout his body.
His black eyes showed no human emotion. As an assassin, he had naturally learned to block out emotions as he crossed countless lines of fire.
Dark Emissary was different from other martial artists Lee Gwak knew.
The most striking difference was his aura. Unlike other masters who exuded their presence, Dark Emissary’s was almost imperceptible.
Despite standing right before him, it felt like staring into an empty void. It was a unique aura only those who had built a tower of killings could possess.
“Huh!”
Lee Gwak realised the enormity of the presence he was facing.
It seemed absurd. Despite his desire for a simple life in the outer hall, he found himself repeatedly entangled with such formidable figures.
If fate existed, it seemed quite mischievous.
The Dark Emissary looked at Lee Gwak with a puzzled expression.
Life has weight.
The course of one’s life accumulates this weight, defines the person. The Dark Emissary had built a high tower of killing, a weight not easily borne by the young. Many martial artists crumbled under his overwhelming presence, only those with equal or greater life experience could withstand his gaze.
The level of martial arts was irrelevant.
Many with powerful martial arts lacked mental strength and determination. But Lee Gwak, seemingly ordinary, stood before him unperturbed.
It meant he had hardened himself through greater trials than his appearance suggested.
“It seems you haven’t lived an ordinary life either.”
The Dark Emissary tightened his grip on the Crescent Moon Blade.
He had never let his guard down just because his opponent looked ordinary. Moreover, he felt a strange sense of eeriness from Lee Gwak. This was no ordinary person. So without warning, he unleashed his Dark Shadowless Blade.
Swish!
The Dark Emissary disappeared from Lee Gwak’s view.
It was stealth at its finest.
His mastery of the Shadow Hiding Technique reached its pinnacle. Even the greatest martial artists couldn’t detect it.
The Dark Emissary used the technique to stealthily approach Lee Gwak from behind.
As he prepared to strike, his blade met air. Lee Gwak had drawn his sword and blocked the ambush.
‘How?’
The Dark Emissary was perplexed. His ambush was flawless.
Their eyes met, and Dark Emissary felt chills. Lee Gwak’s eyes were fixed precisely on his hidden position.
‘Can he see me?’
It was inconceivable. His technique was undetectable to anyone but fellow assassins.
Dark Emissary tried again, but once more, his attack was deflected by Lee Gwak’s sword.
He had to admit it.
‘He can see through my technique.’
How this was possible, he didn’t know, nor did it matter. The fact that his technique was exposed was what counted.
Lee Gwak’s eyes were tracking every movement of the Dark Emissary.
‘A nemesis to assassins.’
A shiver ran down his spine.
An intense sense of danger overwhelmed him.
Lee Gwak’s eyes followed his every move.
It was the Heart’s Eye.
The awakening of the sixth serpent had activated Lee Gwak’s Heart’s Eye.
Although the Dark Emissary’s technique was formidable, to Lee Gwak’s awakened sight, it was crystal clear.
His Heart’s Eye was the antithesis to all assassins.
There was no need to rely on hearing or other senses. His eyes saw it all.
Lee Gwak felt an intense sense of danger.
Although he had cultivated martial arts on his own, this was the first time he had ever fought a master like the Dark Emissary himself.
Every muscle in his body tensed, and his mouth went dry with tension. But regardless of these physical reactions, his mind was as clear as a mirror’s surface.
The influence of the Heart’s Eye.
But Lee Gwak knew, simply activating the Heart’s Eye was not enough to face the legend before him.
Dark Emissary ceased his Shadow Hiding Technique. Realising that hiding was futile, he decided to overpower Lee Gwak.
Swoosh!
The Dark Shadowless Blade was unleashed.
To counter the rapidly approaching Crescent Moon Blade,an even greater force was required.
‘Move!’
Responding to his call, the great serpent awakened.
The clash of blades resonated through the air.