Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 162

Giving with One Hand, Taking with the Other(3)

“Woo Mun Pae has a very fierce temper. Perhaps because he was recognized as a genius early on and fought hard to secure his position as the Next Alliance Leader, he tends to look down on everyone. That’s why he often makes such mistakes.”

After putting some distance between themselves and Woo Mun Pae, Seop Yu-saeng shared his thoughts.

“He’s still the same.”

“Still the same?”

“I happened to see him once before. Even then, he was just like now, with an air of arrogance, as if nothing in the world could possibly scare him.”

“People hardly change. Once a character is set, it often follows them for life.”

“That seems to be the case.”

Lee Gwak nodded in agreement with Seop Yu-saeng’s observation.

That had been the case with most of the people he had ever met and experienced. Good people were often good to the end, and those with evil tendencies remained so.

Though Lee Gwak had only seen him once before, the impression Woo Mun Pae left was so strong that he still remembered it vividly. And Woo Mun Pae hadn’t changed a bit since then.

Shaking his head slightly to clear his mind, Lee Gwak knew he wouldn’t be staying on Haenam Island for long. As soon as the Sea Martial Festival was over, he planned to leave, making further encounters with Woo Mun Pae unlikely. So there was no need to dwell on it.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing much.”

“Look at you zoning out… I’m a bit hungry, let’s go get something to eat”.

“That sounds good.”

“I know a good place near the harbor. Let’s go there.”

Seop Yu-saeng patted Lee Gwak on the shoulder and led the way. Lee Gwak quickly caught up and walked beside him.

The harbor was quieter than yesterday, as most people had gone to watch the Martial Sword Troupe’s martial arts competition.

This allowed them to secure the best seats in the inn, offering a clear view of the harbor.

Seop Yu-saeng called over a waiter and ordered some snacks and drinks.

“The liquor in this place is also exceptional. You’ll definitely fall in love with the flavor once you try it”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“It would have been nice if Hae-in could join us.”

Suddenly, a shadow fell over Seop Yu-saeng’s face.

“Who’s Hae-in?”

“My sister. She left home a few years ago, and I still have no clue about her whereabouts.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright! It’s been a long time, and I’ve gotten used to it.”

Despite his claims of being fine, Seop Yu-saeng’s eyes told a different story.

A dark shade had settled on his usually easygoing face.

Lee Gwak looked out the window, feeling unnecessarily heavy-hearted.

More ships had arrived since his entry into Haenam Island. Despite the harbor’s size, there were ships that hadn’t found space to dock and were floating on the water.

Lee Gwak found the sight of these ships quite beautiful. As darkness fell, the ships lit their lanterns, creating a breathtaking scene with their reflections breaking upon the water’s surface.

Seop Yu-saeng’s voice then brought Lee Gwak back from his reverie.

“You’re quite unique, you know?”

“Me?”

“Yes, truly remarkable.”

Turning his head, Lee Gwak saw Seop Yu-saeng resting his chin on his hand, observing him closely.

“What’s so remarkable?”

“Several things. One of them is your demeanor.”

“How so?”

“Usually, when people face someone stronger than themselves, they shrink back or adopt a defensive posture. But you, you show none of that. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Woo Mun Pae or myself, who is somewhat renowned in the Jianghu. Naturally, people radiate a certain aura that pressures others, especially if they’re skilled in martial arts. But you don’t seem to react to that aura at all.”

Seop Yu-saeng’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

If Lee Gwak’s martial arts were noticeably strong, there would be nothing strange about his confidence. A strong martial artist naturally has confidence in their skills.

A martial artist’s presence, influenced by their internal energy, is usually hard to conceal.

Though the nature of their internal energy can vary, certain characteristics typically emerge.

The problem was that Seop Yu-saeng couldn’t feel any strong presence from Lee Gwak. It was as if looking into a void, where everything seemed unclear.

If someone’s martial arts were weak, it would be obvious, and if they were strong, it meant they were exceptionally good at concealing their abilities.

The issue for Seop Yu-saeng was that he couldn’t determine which category Lee Gwak fell into, which made him even more curious about which type of person Lee Gwak really was.

“There is much that is strange,”

Lee Gwak responded as if it was nothing significant, but Seop Yu-saeng’s gaze did not waver from him.

If not for the arrival of the innkeeper with their food and drink, Seop Yu-saeng might have continued to probe Lee Gwak with his gaze. However, the aroma of the wine diverted his attention, signaling his stomach’s impatience.

Putting aside his interrogation, Seop Yu-saeng grabbed the bottle.

“Let’s have a drink.”

“Sure.”

They filled their cups and exchanged drinks.

As Seop Yu-saeng had assured him, the liquor here was indeed delicious. Although strong, it left no aftertaste and the fragrance lingered in the mouth as if it were a fine wine.

After a few drinks, Seop Yu-saeng became noticeably quieter, simply staring out at the sea and drinking in silence.

Lee Gwak recognized a familiar emotion in Seop Yu-saeng’s gaze – a longing and reminiscing look, similar to what he had seen in his own reflection in the mirror.

‘Is he missing his sister?’

Quietly, Lee Gwak sipped his drink, not wanting to disturb Seop Yu-saeng’s mood.
Suddenly, flames leapt up near the harbor. The flames were intense enough to light up the darkening sky.

Although it was far away from Lee Gwak’s place, the intense heat seemed to indicate that it was no ordinary fire.

When Lee Gwak frowned, Seop Yu-saeng muttered.

“If it’s in that direction, it’s where the workshops are concentrated.”

“Workshops?”

“Places where damaged ships are repaired.”

Suddenly, Lee Gwak rose abruptly, driven by an ominous premonition.

“What’s the matter?”

Seop Yu-saeng looked at Lee Gwak through his alcohol-induced haze.

Lee Gwak, placing a few coins in front of Seop Yu-saeng, stated,

“I’ll go check it out first.”

“This man?”

“I’ll see you again.”

After nodding to Seop Yu-saeng, Lee Gwak exited the tavern. Outside, the flames burning more fiercely than before were now clearly visible.

Lee Gwak hurried towards the source of the fire.

“Oh no! What do we do?”

“Hurry and fetch water.”

“Damn it! Call more people. At this rate, everything here will burn down.”

When they arrived at the scene of the fire, people were frantically running around with buckets of water like a swarm of locusts. But the fire was so fierce that the buckets of water were not enough to put it out.

Ships are primarily made of wood, and the workshops, filled with wood and soaked in oil for waterproofing, fueled the flames even more.

Despite people’s efforts to douse the fire with buckets of water, the flames did not subside and instead grew even more intense.

“Ugh!”

“Oh no!”

Those trying to put out the fire were forced to retreat after being scorched by the intense flames. The fire was now engulfing the entire workshop.

A man nearby, holding a bucket, murmured in despair,

“Oh dear, what do we do now? Inside, there are ships waiting to be repaired and lodgings for the crew.”

Lee Gwak urgently asked him,

“There are people inside?”

“Yes. Ships that recently docked for repairs and lodgings for the crew are in there.”

“Is one of those ships from Azure Maritime Company?”

“Well, it seems like it, but I’m not sure…”

The man couldn’t remember exactly. It was rare for someone not directly involved with a workshop to know which ships were staying there.

Lee Gwak’s face turned grave. He grabbed the man’s water bucket, doused his head with it, and then darted towards the inferno engulfing the workshop.

“What are you doing?”

The man’s shout of surprise came too late; Lee Gwak had already disappeared into the fiery maw.

Just a single bucket of water was no match for the tremendous heat. Lee Gwak drew upon his internal energy to shield his body.

As Lee Gwak entered the workshop, he quickly scanned his surroundings. But all he could see were raging flames and thick black smoke; it was impossible to tell front from back.

Lee Gwak stopped breathing and closed his eyes, instead using his heart eye to scan the interior. He noticed a space where people were densely gathered, which seemed to be the lodgings.

Without hesitation, Lee Gwak dashed towards that area.

Boom!

The wall blocking his way burst open, revealing the lodgings.

Only then did Lee Gwak open his eyes, but his pupils shook at the sight.

“What is this?”

The people gathered inside the lodgings were already lifeless. They lay bleeding from wounds on their chests and throats, evidently murdered, not victims of the fire.

Lee Gwak recognized them as people from the Azure Maritime Company. He quickly examined them.

All had suffered fatal injuries and were beyond saving, but one was faintly breathing, though barely clinging to life.

Lee Gwak hurriedly lifted him.

“What happened?”

“You are…”

“My name is Lee Gwak!”

Lee Gwak pressed his hand against the sailor’s chest wound, but blood continued to seep through his fingers.

It was too late to stop the bleeding.

Lee Gwak looked sorrowfully at the sailor.

“Who did this? Who attacked?”

“They… attacked…”

“Was it the Nine Shadows Fleet?”

At Lee Gwak’s question, the sailor weakly nodded. His face was devoid of the vitality of the living.

With his last bit of strength, the sailor spoke,

“They took the master… Please save him…”

Ahn Yu-san, the owner of the Azure Maritime Company, and several others were not among the bodies. It appeared they had been kidnapped by the Nine Shadows Fleet.

“If he’s alive, I’ll definitely save him.”

“Thank… you…”

The sailor attempted a smile before his head drooped. He had passed away.
Lee Gwak’s eyes widened.

“Ah!”

The fire had already engulfed the lodgings and the bodies within. Lee Gwak wished to at least recover the bodies but it was too late. Focusing on just one person’s remains was impractical.

Lee Gwak’s gaze shifted towards the workshop’s innermost part, where the fire was most intense. It was evident this was the point of ignition.

As Lee Gwak emerged from the ignition point, the workshop’s back area, leading to the sea, became visible. A small boat was preparing to leave.

Lee Gwak approached the boat, and those on board, upon spotting him, widened their eyes in alarm.

“What’s this?”

“It’s him.”

Panic spread among those on the boat. Lee Gwak realized why they were alarmed. He had seen their faces during the attack on the Azure Maritime Company. They recognized Lee Gwak and displayed dismay.

They were remnants attempting to erase their traces, with looting as their method. Seeing the fire rage, they were about to casually escape, while the main force had long since fled with the Azure Maritime Company’s cargo.

Thud!

Lee Gwak lightly stepped forward, launching himself into the air and landing on the boat.

“Ah!”

“Die!”

The pirates on the boat, in a desperate bid, swung their weapons at Lee Gwak.

Whoosh!

A flash of lightning seemed to pass before the pirates’ eyes.

A chill ran down the spine of a pirate at the back as he instinctively closed his eyes.

Silence.

An eerie quiet had descended on the boat.

“What’s happening?”

The pirate who cautiously opened his eyes was met with a scene of horror. His companions lay dead, immersed in a sea of blood. The sight of those he had laughed and conversed with just moments ago, now silently deceased, filled him with immense fear.

Drip!

Urine trickled down his trousers.

The demon who had slain his comrades addressed him.

“Lead the way!”