Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 178
The Tiger Wears Sheep’s Clothing (2)
In the blink of an eye, Lee Gwak’s gaze swept over Cheol Gwang Woo.
Despite the rain of hidden weapons, Cheol Gwang Woo stood still, showing no reaction.
The sudden ambush was too rapid for Cheol Gwang Woo to react, but he wasn’t surprised or worried.
Ting-ting!
The numerous hidden weapons bounced off his body harmlessly.
Having mastered the Vajra Demon Shadow Technique, which made his body tougher than steel, Cheol Gwang Woo was unharmed by the barrage of weapons from the trap.
“A monster?”
The rat-faced man muttered in shock, unable to believe what he was seeing.
The traps installed here were meant to ward off intruders, simple in design but not lacking in power. The force behind the unleashed hidden weapons was formidable, comparable to the attacks of skilled martial artists.
“How could his skin be so tough?”
But the man’s astonishment was far from over.
He suddenly realized that Lee Gwak was nowhere to be seen.
Frantically searching, he soon spotted Lee Gwak.
“Oh, no!”
The moment he saw Lee Gwak, a scream-like exclamation burst from the rat-faced man’s mouth.
Lee Gwak was at the core where the mechanisms operated, a place hidden behind thick stone walls that no one could know about. Yet, Lee Gwak was staring directly at it.
It was a mystery how he had escaped the barrage of hidden weapons unscathed, but the fact that he was precisely targeting the core of the mechanisms filled the rat-like man with unease.
His ominous feeling soon became a reality.
Crack!
Lee Gwak struck the stone wall with his fist.
The impact caused the stone wall to crumble, revealing the hidden core of the mechanism.
Lee Gwak then thrust his fist into the midst of numerous interlocking gears.
Crash!
The gears shattered, sending fragments flying in all directions. Suddenly, the onslaught of hidden weapons ceased.
“How…?”
The rat-faced man stammered in disbelief.
The Hao Clan’s branch in Hwado was one of the few places exposed to the outside world. Thus, the Hao Clan took special care to guard it.
One of the security measures was the installation of these mechanisms. Despite their power, they were extremely well-hidden, yet Lee Gwak found and destroyed them in an instant.
The opponent was not only knowledgeable about traps but also possessed formidable martial skills.
The rat-like man, the branch leader of Hwado Branch, was renowned in the Hao Clan for his intelligence network. But he had no information about someone like Lee Gwak.
“You filthy rat…”
At that moment, Cheol Gwang Woo approached the rat-faced man with heavy steps. The already bear-sized man looked even more menacing as he scowled, causing panic to appear on the rat-faced man’s face.
He hastily retreated, shouting,
“Subdue them!”
A group of martial artists rushed out from within the branch.
“How dare you invade the Hao Clan.”
“Get them!”
They charged at Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo with killing intent.
Cheol Gwang Woo’s face showed irritation.
They had been let in after knocking on the door, only to be greeted by hidden weapons and now, martial artists attacking them.
The series of events fueled his anger.
His gaze turned to Lee Gwak.
“Brother!”
“Just don’t kill them.”
“Yes!”
With Lee Gwak’s permission, a vicious smile spread across Cheol Gwang Woo’s face. He had been suppressing his killing intent while traveling with Lee Gwak, and now he had a chance to unleash it.
“Woah!”
Cheol Gwang Woo charged at the Hao Clan martial artists like a wild buffalo.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
“Argh!”
With a sound akin to an explosion, the Hao Clan’s martial artists were sent flying in all directions, as if a massive buffalo had headbutted them.
Those who were lucky enough to be at the back and avoid Cheol Gwang Woo’s initial assault swung their swords at him.
Clang!
However, the sound of metal echoed loudly, but Cheol Gwang Woo’s body remained unscathed.
“What the?”
“What kind of body does he have…?”
Shock and fear appeared on the faces of the Hao Clan’s martial artists slashing at him.
At that moment, Cheol Gwang Woo grinned, baring his teeth.
“Now it’s my turn.”
The joy on Cheol Gwang Woo’s face was evident, as if he couldn’t help but enjoy himself.
The madness he had been suppressing because of Lee Gwak was beginning to surface. However, since his eyes hadn’t completely lost reason, Lee Gwak no longer paid him any mind.
Instead, Lee Gwak’s gaze turned to the rat-faced man, the branch head of the Hao Clan in Hwado.
Lee Gwak approached him.
One step, then another.
Even though Lee Gwak was walking unguarded, the rat-faced man was strangely unable to move.
He felt a chilling sensation, as if he would be cut down the moment he moved even a single step.
The rat-faced man bit his lip to shake off the fear. The taste of blood as he bit down on the flesh inside his mouth somewhat alleviated his fear.
Lee Gwak then questioned him.
“Why did you attack us?”
“Weren’t you searching for the Master Woo?”
“What?”
“Do you think I don’t know that you’re pursuing Master Woo? Even if the Hwado branch is annihilated, I won’t reveal Master Woo’s whereabouts to you.”
“Is Brother Woo Gyeong being pursued by someone?”
“You’re despicable… Pretending you don’t know won’t help.”
The rat-faced man glared at Lee Gwak with a murderous look. Lee Gwak realized that the man had misunderstood his intentions.
“My name is Lee Gwak. Brother Woo Gyeong told me to visit him anytime.”
“Lee Gwak?”
The rat-faced man hesitated momentarily.
He recalled an order that had come down from the higher-ups of the Hao Clan long ago. It was a peculiar order given directly by Master Nam Woo Gyeong, so he still remembered it.
The order was that if someone named Lee Gwak came looking for him, he was to be brought to Master Woo Gyeong without question.
The rat-faced man cautiously asked,
“Are you really master Lee Gwak?”
“Yes. I met Brother Woo Gyeong in the slums of the Jade Heaven Alliance. You can verify my story by asking Cho Ha, a courtesan at the Crimson Flower Brothel\.”
“Damn it!”
The rat-faced man cursed, instinctively realizing the truth in Lee Gwak’s words.
Few knew that Nam Woo Gyeong had been in the Jade Heaven Alliance’s slums, and even fewer knew of the Crimson Flower Brothel’s connection to the Hao Clan.
“I misunderstood you. I thought you were tracking Master Woo Gyeong.”
The rat-faced man apologized.
“Is Brother Woo Gyeong being pursued?”
“Recently, someone has been inquiring about Master Woo Gyeong’s whereabouts. It’s clear their intentions are not good, so we’ve been on edge. My apologies.”
“So, that’s what’s been happening.”
Lee Gwak sighed with relief and looked at Cheol Gwang Woo, intending to stop him now.
But it was unnecessary.
“Ugh!”
“Spare us!”
The situation had already concluded.
The Hao Clan’s martial artists who had attacked Cheol Gwang Woo were all lying on the ground, each with broken limbs.
“Good heavens!”
The rat-faced man covered his mouth with both hands in shock.
While the martial artists of the Hao Clan present were not among the top martial artists of Jianghu, they were not so weak as to be beaten so miserably.
Lee Gwak gestured to Cheol Gwang Woo,
“Come here, that’s enough.”
“Yes! Brother.”
Cheol Gwang Woo responded and approached with heavy steps.
The rat-faced man involuntarily took a step back, overwhelmed by the imposing atmosphere.
Cheol Gwang Woo was fierce as a yaksha to enemies but obedient like a lamb to Lee Gwak.
The rat-faced man sighed,
“Phew! It’s only right to face the consequences for failing to recognize someone, but this is really…”
The repercussions of a single mistake seemed too great for him to even begin to address.
“Quickly call a physician to tend to the injured.”
After instructing one of the still-standing men to call a physician, the rat-faced man introduced himself to Lee Gwak.
“My name is Seo Yun-myeong, branch leader of the Hwado branch of Hao Clan. It’s late, but please, come inside.”
“I apologize for what happened to them. My brother’s hands are a bit too quick…”
“Phew! It can’t be helped. I brought this upon myself.”
Seo Yun-myeong sighed deeply.
Lee Gwak looked somewhat embarrassed, while Cheol Gwang Woo, having relieved his destructive urges, whistled while looking elsewhere.
Seo Yun-myeong invited them inside,
“Please, come in.”
He led them to his office.
The branch head’s room was not particularly luxurious or well-decorated. It was shabby and smelled musty, much like the other rooms used by the martial artists.
Lee Gwak took a moment to look around before sitting opposite Seo Yun-myeong. Cheol Gwang Woo stood behind Lee Gwak, still looking menacing.
Cheol Gwang Woo still didn’t trust the Hao Clan members who had attacked them unprovoked, maintaining a fierce expression.
“You mentioned someone is pursuing Brother Woo Gyeong?”
“Yes. Recently, there’s been an increase in people inquiring about the young master’s whereabouts. My nerves have been on edge, and your visit just happened…”
“Do you know who is tracking Brother Woo Gyeong?”
“They are like ghosts. We thought our network would quickly find them, but they’ve managed to erase their tracks. We’ve been struggling to track them down.”
“Hmm.”
“Still, we are putting all our efforts into the search and should be able to find them soon.”
Lee Gwak nodded at Seo Yun-myeong’s words.
Hao Clan’s intelligence capabilities were unparalleled, unmatched by any other sect including the Jade Heaven Alliance. If the Hao Clan couldn’t find them, it was accepted that no other sect in the world could.
Although Lee Gwak was somewhat concerned about the people tracking Nam Woo Gyeong, he wasn’t overly worried.
Nam Woo Gyeong, as the young master of the Hao Clan, possessed formidable martial arts skills.
In the current Jianghu, there weren’t many who could challenge him. Only those with martial arts skills of at least the level of ‘Ten Lesser Skies’’ could possibly harm him.
“Is it possible to know where Brother Woo Gyeong is now?”
“It is not possible to know where the young master is at the moment. He moves unpredictably and does not stay in one place for long.”
“Hmm!”
As Lee Gwak looked troubled, Seo Yun-myeong quickly added, “If I inform the branches of Hao Clan that you are here, the young master will come to find you later.”
“I am currently accompanying a mission from the Shenyang Escort Service and cannot stay here for long.”
“Are you talking about the escort service run by Lee Won-chang?”
“That’s right.”
“If it’s not too much to ask, how did you come to accompany the Shenyang Escort Service? From what I know, you were supposed to be dead six years ago.”
“Do you know that much?”
“Wouldn’t Hao Clan be interested if the young master is interested in someone? Of course, we would pay attention.”
Lee Gwak was a person of insignificant presence.
Unlike the newly prominent young martial artists he wasn’t famous, so most sects paid little attention to him. But the Hao Clan was different.
If Nam Woo Gyeong was interested in someone, it was only natural for him to keep an eye on them. Thus, they had been consistently interested in Lee Gwak’s whereabouts.
Hao Clan had concluded that Lee Gwak had fallen behind during a mission six years ago and perished in the Celestial Demon Troupe. The news had reportedly caused Nam Woo Gyeong great sorrow..
Lee Gwak was supposed to be dead six years ago. Now that he was alive and well, Seo Yun-myeong couldn’t help but be curious.
“I fell behind during the mission and ended up living in another country.”
“You mean you were in a foreign country, not Jianghu?”
“That’s right.”
Lee Gwak did not share the detailed circumstances.
Although he trusted Nam Woo Gyeong, it didn’t feel right to reveal everything to the Hao clan, a sect that thrived on information.
Hao Clan graded information and sold it to other sects.
Even if Lee Gwak was an acquaintance of Nam Woo Gyeong, the moment his information reached them, it would be valued and potentially sold.
Seo Yun-myeong sensed Lee Gwak’s hesitation.
‘This person knows well about the nature of our organization.’
After all, having spent years with Nam Woo Gyeong, it would be strange if he didn’t know.
Although he felt regret, Seo Yun-myeong decided to stop probing into Lee Gwak’s past for now.
The opponent was a master beyond his estimation. There was no need to stir trouble unnecessarily.
There was plenty of time, and many opportunities to learn about him would come.
Lee Gwak stood up and spoke,
“I should go now. If you manage to contact Brother Woo Gyeong, please tell him that I will be moving with the Shenyang Escort Service for a while.
“Understood.”
Seo Yun-myeong responded politely.
Having met countless people, Seo Yun-myeong was confident in his ability to judge people.
However, even with his expertise, he could not even guess the extent of Lee Gwak’s martial arts skills.
Cheol Gwang Woo, who had beaten Hao Clan’s masters like dogs, seemed to be wary of Lee Gwak.
That fact alone was enough to suggest that Lee Gwak was a much higher level master than him.
‘A tiger not feeling out of place in sheep’s clothing, this person is truly fearsome.’
Seo Yun-myeong’s attitude towards Lee Gwak became even more respectful.