Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 183

Making a Name at Another’s Feast (Part 2)

When Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo returned to the Red Moon Inn, it was already after sunset.

The guesthouse was quieter than expected because the people who had gone to Cheongunbi’s birthday feast had not yet returned.

Knock, knock!

Not long after the two entered their room, someone carefully knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

When Cheol Gwang Woo opened the door, a familiar face appeared.

It was Lee Won-chang, the head of Shenyang Escort Service.

“I’m sorry for visiting so suddenly at this late hour. I have something to discuss; may I come in for a moment?”

After hearing Lee Won-chang’s cautious words, Cheol Gwang Woo looked at Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak nodded, and Cheol Gwang Woo stepped aside. Lee Won-chang carefully entered during this time.

“Master…. Lee!”

Lee Won-chang hesitated for a moment. He was unsure how to treat Lee Gwak.

Until this morning, there was no problem in how he treated Lee Gwak. Although he had heard that Lee Gwak’s martial arts skills were strong, he couldn’t really grasp how formidable they were.

As far as Lee Won-chang was concerned, no matter how strong Lee Gwak was, he was just a hired vagrant. This allowed Lee Won-chang to interact with him comfortably.

However, the situation changed in the afternoon.

The martial prowess Lee Gwak displayed at the Cheong Family’s estate was shockingly beyond what Lee Won-chang had vaguely imagined.

One could interact comfortably with a martial artist to a certain extent, but not with someone like Lee Gwak, whose skills far exceeded his comprehension. Therefore, his tone was extremely cautious.

Lee Gwak seemed to see right through Lee Won-chang’s apprehension.

“Speak freely, Chief.”

“Phew! Alright, Master Lee.”

Lee Won-chang took a deep breath before answering. However, despite his words, his expression didn’t look relaxed at all.

“Master Lee, you need your rest too, so I won’t beat around the bush.”

“Please speak.”

“Haha! I’m sorry. Our company has decided to terminate the contract with you. In exchange, we will pay you the agreed amount plus a consolation fee.”

“Is it because of the Martial Sword Troupe?”

“To be honest… Yes. The martial prowess you’ve shown in defeating the Mad Dragon is truly remarkable. I would like to continue our contract with you. As someone in charge of transporting goods, I know how reassuring it is to have a martial artist like you with us. However, I cannot bear the wrath of the Martial Sword Troupe, should it ever come.”

“Hmm!”

“I’m sorry, Master Lee. You can call me a coward if you want. I’ll take any insult with composure.

“No, I fully understand your position, Chief.”

“I have no excuse.”

Lee Won-chang bowed his head in apology.

The Shenyang Escort Service was based in Leizhou, a place under the influence of the Martial Sword Troupe. Even as a powerful escort service, it could not survive if it fell out of favor with the Martial Sword Troupe.

Lee Won-chang took out a pouch from his bosom.

“I’ve put in a generous amount. I hope you safely reach your desired destination. Then…”

Like a guilty man, Lee Won-chang bowed his head and hurried out of the room.

What was left behind was the pouch he had set down.

Cheol Gwang Woo burst out in frustration belatedly.

“What is this? How can he break the contract like this?”

“He must have been afraid of the consequences.”

“Aren’t you angry, brother? After defeating the Mad Dragon, shouldn’t he be treating you with respect?”

“If only the world were that simple.”

Lee Gwak smiled bitterly.

Cheol Gwang Woo might be angry out of naivete, but Lee Gwak, who had experienced all kinds of situations, could understand Lee Won-chang’s heart. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t angry.

Lee Gwak picked up the pouch left by Lee Won-chang. It was quite heavy.

When he opened the bag, he found that it contained far more money than he had expected.

With this amount, it seemed they wouldn’t have to worry about traveling expenses on their way to the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Lee Gwak thought this might actually be for the best.

It may be more convenient to make a clean break with this money than to continue an uncomfortable association.

“Let’s go down for a drink,” Lee Gwak said, putting the money pouch into his robe.

“Yes, Brother.”

At the mention of drinks, Cheol Gwang Woo laughed as if he had never been angry before.

It was late at night, but there were quite a few people drinking in the restaurant on the first floor.

“Look! That’s the guy who defeated the Mad Dragon.”

“Really. They were staying here?”

“Is that big guy next to him the one who fought with the Purple Shadow Goddess, Gu Ok-rin?”

“Wow! He really is huge.”

People whispered to each other as they saw the two men coming down the stairs.

Most of them had witnessed Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo’s fight at the Cheong Family Estate.

Lee Gwak’s victory over the Mad Dragon, Woo Mun Pae, was remarkable, but Cheol Gwang Woo, who fought on equal terms with Gu Ok-rin, one of the world’s most renowned female martial artists, was also a formidable presence.

They dared not look directly at Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo, bowing their heads and whispering among themselves.

“Damn it! It’s so noisy.”

Cheol Gwang Woo, irritated by their voices, scowled. His fierce expression made the onlookers quickly turn their heads away.

Lee Gwak sighed softly amidst the noisy atmosphere.

‘Being famous isn’t always a good thing.’

***

The next morning, Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo left the Red Moon Inn.

Outside they saw the escorts and porters from the Shenyang Escort Service getting ready to leave.

“Ahem!”

“Hmm!”

The escorts, upon seeing the two, deliberately looked away.

Throughout their journey to this place, they had treated Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo as if they were invisible.

The two men they had underestimated turned out to be formidable martial artists. Still, their pride wouldn’t let them bow down to them now.

So they chose to ignore them entirely.

The only person who approached them was the head escort, Du Yeo-gwang.

“Ha ha! Master Lee Gwak.”

He offered an awkward smile.

“Master Du”

“Ahem! I heard from the head that you will be traveling separately.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That’s really unfortunate. Anyway, since we’re parting ways, I hope we can greet each other warmly if we meet again. If I’ve caused any inconvenience during the escort journey, I apologize. Hmm hmm!”

Du Yeo-gwang covered his mouth with his hand, coughing deliberately.

The opponent was a martial artist who had defeated Woo Mun Pae. Holding a grudge against such a person could lead to endless consequences.

It was important to part ways without leaving any hard feelings. That was Du Yeo-gwang’s way of handling situations.

“There was nothing uncomfortable during the escort journey. On the contrary, thanks to the head and you, the journey was comfortable. Thank you for that.”

“If that’s the case, I’m relieved. I’ll be leaving now. Mr. Lee Gwak and Mr. Cheol, take care.”

“Safe travels.”

Du Yeo-gwang walked hurriedly towards the escort, seemingly indifferent to Lee Gwak’s farewell.

“Really! If he’s going to apologize, he should do it properly, not in such a lukewarm way.”

Cheol Gwang Woo grumbled as he watched Du Yeo-gwang’s retreating figure.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes, Brother.”

Cheol Gwang Woo, despite his complaints, followed Lee Gwak without any further words when he spoke.

Suddenly, Cheol Gwang Woo seemed to remember something and asked.

“Where are we going?”

“Now that we’re no longer riding with the Shenyang Escort Service, we need to prepare various things for our journey since we’re on our own.”

“Ah!”

Lee Gwak led Cheol Gwang Woo to the market.

They had to prepare for a long journey without the help of the Shenyang Escort Service.

They might need to camp out at any time, so it was necessary to prepare essential items in advance.

Fortunately, Lee Gwak had plenty of experience camping out and knew exactly what to prepare for a long journey.

After purchasing various items, they had quite a bit of luggage. While the weight might have been burdensome for an ordinary person, Cheol Gwang Woo easily carried it on his back without much effort.

Lee Gwak then considered buying horses at the horse market as it would be more convenient for their long journey. However, they were unable to find a horse suitable for Cheol Gwang Woo’s size and eventually gave up on the idea.

Buying a carriage was also not feasible. They couldn’t find a carriage large enough for Cheol Gwang Woo, and custom ordering one would take too much time.

In the end, they decided to give up on acquiring horses and simply proceed on foot. Walking was, after all, less hassle and more peaceful for them.

The two left Hwado and headed north.

Although parting ways with the Shenyang Escort Service made their journey more arduous, their spirits were high.

Both were seasoned walkers, possessing endurance far superior to most.

They did not complain of fatigue even after walking all day.

Throughout their journey, Cheol Gwang Woo constantly asked about martial arts.

They discussed martial arts while walking during the day and rested at night through camping.

Thanks to this, Cheol Gwang Woo’s understanding of his Vajra Demon Shadow Technique deepened day by day.

“Hehe!”

Suddenly, Cheol Gwang Woo chuckled.

He felt incredibly happy at this moment, traveling with Lee Gwak.

Even though they had camped out the night before and the night before that, it hadn’t been hard at all. They had gotten used to camping out by now.

The only problem was food, as what they had brought from Hwado was nowhere near enough.

They supplemented their diet by hunting wild boar and deer.

Thanks to this, Cheol Gwang Woo had actually put on more weight than when he was traveling with the Shenyang Escort Service.

Today, too, Cheol Gwang Woo had a large wild boar slung over his shoulder.

While Lee Gwak started a fire, Cheol Gwang Woo skillfully butchered the wild boar.

It only took him about two hours to bleed the boar, skin it, and cut it into edible pieces.
Cheol Gwang Woo skewered the well-prepared meat and placed it over the fire. Soon, the meat began to cook, releasing a tempting aroma that filled the air.

“Hehe!”

Cheol Gwang Woo waited eagerly for the meat to cook completely, rubbing his hands together as if he were a puppy waiting for its food.

Lee Gwak lay on the ground, looking up at the night sky.

Countless stars adorned the night, creating a dazzling spectacle. The sea of stars stretching from one horizon to the other filled Lee Gwak with a strange emotion.

He suddenly remembered a conversation with his master, Gwang Noh ya.

[People say that there’s a star governing each person’s fate. For instance, those under the influence of the Heavenly Slaughter Star are destined to drench the world in blood, while those under the Purple Micro Star are destined to stop the rampage of such beings.]

[What do you think, Master?]

[My thoughts, you ask?]

[Yes! I’m curious about your thoughts, not what others think.]

[Ha! It’s all nonsense. If there really were stars that governed fate, wouldn’t that make human life meaningless? A person’s fate is determined by themselves, not by some stars. And among the countless stars in the night sky, how can anyone be sure which one governs their fate?]

Gwang Noh ya always emphasized the importance of human will.

Even if there was a predetermined fate, he believed it could be changed by one’s will.

During the six years they spent together, Gwang Noh ya taught Lee Gwak a great deal. His teachings helped Lee Gwak grow not just in martial arts, but also spiritually.

Suddenly, Lee Gwak missed him.

He wanted to hear his master’s gruff voice.

He wished to see his face again and even be scolded by him, even if it meant getting hit.
Lee Gwak reminisced about Gwang Noh ya for a while, with his eyes closed.

What brought him back to reality was Cheol Gwang Woo’s loud voice.

“Brother! The meat is ready.”

Stirred by Cheol Gwang Woo’s excited voice, Lee Gwak got up.

“Come, Brother.”

“I’m coming.”

“The meat will burn.”

“Got it.”

Lee Gwak rose and walked over to the fire.

Cheol Gwang Woo handed him a skewer with meat on it.

“Here, Brother.”

“Alright. You eat too.”

“Yes! Hehe!”

Cheol Gwang Woo opened his mouth wide and took a big bite of the meat.

Watching Cheol Gwang Woo chew the meat, Lee Gwak thought about how curious the concept of fate is.

The absence left by his master seemed to be filled by Cheol Gwang Woo now.

Lee Gwak murmured quietly.

“It seems emptiness is destined to be filled.”