Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 150

The World is Vast Yet Narrow (3)

Novel- Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Huge waves the size of houses relentlessly crashed down, and gales raged wildly. It seemed as if the entire sea was in a frenzy.

Amidst this, the boat carrying Lee Gwak rocked violently, swept up by the giant waves as if it would capsize at any moment.

“Secure the anchor over there. If it goes over, we’re done for.”

“Tie the ropes tightly so they don’t come loose.”

“A big wave is coming from the right. Everyone, brace for impact.”

The boat was in complete chaos.

The captain shouted orders at the top of his lungs, and the crewmembers scurried about like grasshoppers, jumping here and there to follow commands.

Boom!

A massive wave hit, rocking the boat severely. Crewmembers tumbled across the deck, swept up by the wave. However, no one fell into the sea. Everyone was tied to the boat by ropes around their waists.

“There’s water leaking into the bottom. You two, grab a hammer and planks and head down.”

“Yes!”

At someone’s shout, two crewmembers hurriedly went down to the bottom.

Then someone yelled out in urgency.

“This is bad. The sail rope has come loose. If it stays like this, the boat will capsize.”

The rope holding the sail had come undone, flapping in the wind. The sail, filled with wind, was facing the wrong direction. At this rate, the boat capsizing was only a matter of time.

“Shit!”

“Ugh! Pull the rope.”

Five crewmembers clung on, pulling the sail rope. However, the sail filled with wind made the rope immovable.

“Grrr!”

“Damn it!”

The crewmembers strained with veins bulging on their foreheads, but the sail rope wouldn’t budge.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a violent wind struck the sail. As the sail spun around, the crewmembers holding the rope were thrown to the deck.

“No!”

The captain cried out in despair.

If things continued like this, the boat capsizing was inevitable.

That’s when it happened.

Someone jumped in and grabbed the rope.

It was Lee Gwak.

The rope that five men couldn’t budge moved when Lee Gwak exerted his strength. The sail, connected to the rope, gradually returned to its proper place.

Only then did the captain breathe a sigh of relief.

“Phew!”

Once the sail was secured, the boat, which had been rocking dangerously as if about to flip over, regained its balance.

The captain wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Lee Gwak, who had grabbed the sail rope.

Lee Gwak stood firm on the deck as if he had roots, pulling on the rope without moving an inch.
The captain and Lee Gwak’s eyes met in the air.

Though Lee Gwak had stepped in to help in the crisis, he knew nothing about the boat.
Lee Gwak asked the captain.

“How much should I pull the rope? Please give me instructions.”

His voice cut through the storm and reached the captain’s ears clearly. However, the captain, unaware of this fact, answered.

“Ah! Just pull it about two feet more and then secure it.”

“Understood.”

Lee Gwak nodded and followed his instructions.

As he pulled on the sail rope, the rocking boat definitely stabilized.

The captain cursed at the crewmembers who were still lying on the deck, unable to get up.

“You lazy bastards! Get up now.”

Only then did the crewmembers stagger to their feet and follow the captain’s orders. Their faces bore both relief and astonishment.

They were astonished because Lee Gwak alone was managing the sail rope, which not even their combined strength could budge.

Having grown so familiar with him to the point of forgetting, Lee Gwak was a martial artist. And martial artists possessed strength far superior to ordinary people.

Lee Gwak adjusted the sail rope as the captain instructed. With the effort Lee Gwak put in, the rest of the crew was able to make repairs.

As a result, the ship did not capsize and was slowly able to escape the storm’s influence.

“Phew! I thought I was going to die.”

“Shit! I really thought I was a goner. Ha, ha!”

The crewmembers lay sprawled across the deck, gasping for air. Their bodies felt too heavy to move, like cotton soaked with water.

“Everyone worked hard. Damn you all!”

The captain, who had been haranguing the crew like a demon, now soothed them with a softer tone.

The captain walked past the crewmembers lying around to where Lee Gwak was. Even though Lee Gwak had been holding the sail rope alone, he showed no signs of fatigue.

The captain couldn’t hide his admiration at the sight of Lee Gwak.

‘Incredible. Do all those who practice martial arts possess such strength?’

There were many martial artists on the ship of the Azure Maritime Company to protect the merchants. However, they never lent a hand in operating the ship.

Even as the ship rocked violently enough to be capsized by the storm, they did not show their faces outside. The captain didn’t know if it was because they trusted him so much, but it still felt somewhat disappointing from his perspective.

The captain expressed his gratitude to Lee Gwak.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to safely escape the storm.”

“It’s nothing. We’re all on the same boat, so we should help each other.”

“How good would it be if all martial artists thought like you?”

“…”

Since the captain’s voice carried a hint of complaint towards other martial artists, Lee Gwak could only offer an awkward smile without responding.

“Thanks to you, we didn’t lose any cargo and safely made it through the storm. I’ll make sure to report this to the head and ensure you’re rewarded.”

“There’s no need for that. Being given passage on this ship is enough for me.”

“The value of the cargo on this ship exceeds thousands of gold. If we had lost even one, our merchants group would have suffered a great loss. It’s only right that we reward you for helping us preserve the cargo.”

The captain was determined to reward Lee Gwak. Finding it hard to refuse further, Lee Gwak chose to remain silent.

“In any case, don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything.”

After saying a few more words to Lee Gwak, the captain returned to his place.

Even though they had escaped the storm, there was still much work left to do. The crew needed to be rallied to tidy up the chaotic deck, and the cargo stored inside had to be checked for any damage.

The captain directed the crewmembers to their respective tasks. Watching the captain’s actions, Lee Gwak couldn’t help but admire him.

He was showing why he was fit to hold the responsibility of a captain. Lee Gwak realized that anyone responsible for the lives of many needed to have such leadership qualities.

“Phew!”

Lee Gwak sighed and sat on the railing.

He had exerted unexpected effort, but he didn’t feel tired.

His internal energy was too strong to feel fatigued from just this much. Even after the eighth gate had opened, using his internal energy never depleted it. Such an amount of effort left no mark on him.

Then, someone approached Lee Gwak. It was Ahn Yu-san, the head of the Azure Maritime Company.

He sat down beside Lee Gwak and said,

“I heard from the captain. We escaped the crisis thanks to you?”

“It was nothing.”

“The captain said it would have been a big problem if not for you. Thank you! I didn’t realize there was such trouble since I was inside.”

“It was just part of the fare, so you don’t need to worry too much about it.”

“How could I not? I’m someone who distinguishes clearly between personal and business matters. Thanks to you, we avoided a great loss, so I must at least take care of your travel expenses.”

“That’s…”

“Don’t you say you were penniless? You’ll need money when you return to Jianghu. Don’t worry; I won’t give so much that it becomes a burden.”

“Alright.”

Only then did Lee Gwak reluctantly agree.

Ahn Yu-san smiled and asked,

“How was it? Was it a good experience?”

“It was a valuable experience.”

“Is that so? That’s good to hear.”

Ahn Yu-san nodded his head.

Different people react differently to the same situation. Some shudder at it, while others consider it a good experience.

To Ahn Yu-san, Lee Gwak seemed to be the latter.

‘Such a person continuously develops by taking experiences as nutrients. I’m not sure to what extent his martial arts skills are, but he’s bound to make a name for himself in the Jianghu.’

A desire suddenly arose in him.

“Would you be interested in working with our trading company?”

“With the Azure Maritime Company?”

“Yes. If you decide to join us, I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of. Being associated with the Azure Maritime Company, you’d be able to see more countries and gain more significant experiences.”

Lee Gwak’s eyes flickered slightly.

Ahn Yu-san’s offer was very tempting.

Had he stayed only in the Jianghu, he would have lived his whole life without knowing such a world existed. Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he wanted to explore the world beyond Jianghu.

Experiencing a broader world would surely bring many gains, and Lee Gwak could grow even more. However, he had responsibilities to fulfill.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m afraid it will be difficult for now.”

“May I know the reason?”

“I have someone I need to find.”

“If it’s just a matter of finding someone, I could take care of that for you…”

“I’m sorry. It’s not something I can entrust to someone else.”

“Hmm!”

Ahn Yu-san narrowed his eyes in surprise at Lee Gwak’s refusal, but his expression was not displeased.

“I understand! If you ever change your mind, feel free to visit the Azure Maritime Company. You’ll always be welcome.”

“Thank you just for saying so.”

“It’s no empty talk. Well, you must be tired, so you should rest too.”

Ahn Yu-san patted his waist and stood up.

Lee Gwak gave a light nod to him as he walked away.

***

After encountering the storm, the journey was smooth.

The waves were calm, and the weather was pleasant. Thanks to that, the crew members had a bit more leisure.

Lee Gwak was able to learn a lot thanks to the captain’s consideration.

He learned how to maneuver the sails, tie knots to prevent the ropes from loosening, and navigate the vast sea with nothing in sight.

The martial artists of the Azure Maritime Company looked at Lee Gwak with expressions of incomprehension.

In Jianghu, it was natural to receive better treatment the stronger one’s martial arts were. The same applied to the group’s martial artists. They were employed by the Azure Maritime Company because they had mastered powerful martial arts.

Their only duty was to protect the Azure Maritime Company from external threats. They didn’t need to do anything else.

Naturally, mingling with the crew was beyond their imagination.

Their status was simply different.

Despite having participated in numerous business trips, no martial artists among the group had ever been close to a crew member. To them, Lee Gwak’s friendly interaction with the crew was as perplexing as an odd behavior.

Lee Gwak would casually call the humble crewmembers “brother” and share drinks with them. Such actions made the group’s warriors frown. It seemed as if a martial artist had lost all semblance of pride.

“Tsk! What is he doing?”

“Exactly.”

Their faces were clearly displeased.

They had heard about Lee Gwak helping the crew during the storm. Thanks to him, the ship safely navigated through the stormy area. However, they didn’t regard Lee Gwak as a significant martial artist. They believed they could easily do the work of a few crew members if they wanted to.

They mocked and ostracized Lee Gwak.

The fact that they hadn’t spoken to Lee Gwak during the journey was proof of this.

Lee Gwak was aware of this but didn’t mind.

He had no intention of mingling with the group’s martial artists, and he felt more at ease with people like Mok So-pung. At least they didn’t show any pretense when interacting with Lee Gwak.

“Was this how to tie the knot?”

Lee Gwak practiced tying knots with a ship’s rope.

Knowing how wasn’t enough. He had to repeat the practice until it became second nature.

The floor was littered with the lines he had practiced knotting on.

‘You’re really something, brother. Have you already mastered knot tying?’

Approaching Lee Gwak, Mok So-pung picked up a line and shook his head in disbelief.

Learning to tie knots used for ships was by no means easy. It was simply astonishing that Lee Gwak seemed to have mastered the knots so effortlessly, whereas he himself had been scolded
countless times before learning them.

‘I just practiced and it worked out.’

‘It must be because you’re a martial artist, you have a unique sense of touch. It took me three days of painful practice just to learn this simple knot.’

‘It’s all thanks to you teaching me well.’

‘Hehe!’

Mok So-pung smiled contentedly at Lee Gwak’s flattery.

He really liked Lee Gwak. Despite being skilled in martial arts, Lee Gwak was not arrogant like a typical martial artist and always humbled himself.

This was why Mok So-pung felt increasingly attached to him, despite knowing they came from different worlds.

“We’ll arrive at Haenam Island in a few more days”

“Haenam Island?”

“Do you know it? Well, you are from Jianghu, so of course, you do. Haenam Island, what’s it called? Martial, Martial Sword Troupe?”

“The Martial Sword Troupe?”

Martial Sword Troupe was one of the Ten Sects.

The place was rebuilt by the old Haenam Sect as the core, virtually from the ashes left by the Celestial Demon Troupe in southern Jianghu. It was also called the Martial Sword Troupe because it was located in the south of Jianghu.

Martial Sword Troupe had the nature of an alliance in the southern Jianghu, and the leader had traditionally been selected from the Haenam Sect.

The current Leader, Martial Emperor of the South Sea, Yu Mun Sang, was also from the Haenam Sect. He was one of the eighteen strongest people in the world and one of the top experts in the Southern Sea Martial World.

Mok So-pung replied.

“Yes! That’s the place. We’ll stay there for a day before entering the central plains”

“Not much longer then”

“If nothing goes wrong, we should arrive in about three days. You can wait and take our ship to enter the central plains, or you can change ships at Haenam Island and go directly. Choose wisely.”

“Understood”

It was then that Lee Gwak nodded.

‘There are ships approaching.’

A sailor on lookout suddenly shouted.

Naturally, Lee Gwak and Mok So-pung’s gaze turned in the direction the sailor was pointing.

Mok So-pung’s expression changed instantly.

The approaching ships had an ominous appearance.

The ships were sleek and painted black, reminding one of black sharks. The sleek design allowed for fast sailing, but it was disadvantageous for voyaging into the open sea because it was greatly affected by waves.

As far as Mok So-pung knew, there was no trading company that operated such a type of ship. And they certainly did not operate four ships at once.

“What the? It looks like a ghost might come out of that ship…”

Mok So-pung was startled and stopped mid-sentence as a certain assumption crossed his mind.

“Could it be the Nine Shadows Fleet?”