Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 185
Some People Never Change (Part 1)
The meal at the inn was atrociously bad. Nonetheless, it was better than the food they had been eating while camping out, so they endured and finished their meal.
After finishing their meal, Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo entered the outbuilding.
The outbuilding was just as bad as expected. Apart from being detached from the main building, its dilapidated state was similar. However, being surrounded by a tall fence offered some privacy from outside gazes, and a spacious yard allowed for practicing martial arts, which was somewhat redeemable.
“It’s been a long day. Let’s rest here tonight.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“I’ll wash up first.”
“Okay!”
Lee Gwak walked towards the well located on one side of the outbuilding’s courtyard.
Having camped out for several days, his body was covered in dust. Lee Gwak stripped off his clothes and poured cold water over his head.
Splash!
The cold water made him instantly alert.
Suddenly, he recalled the conversation he had heard inside the inn.
‘Sura Blade…’
He had not expected to acquire such a nickname.
He knew rumors spread fast, but he couldn’t understand how the news had reached this place before him.
“Sigh!”
Lee Gwak shook his head and roughly dried himself off. By the time he got dressed and returned to the outbuilding, Cheol Gwang Woo was already snoring and sleeping.
Instead of waking him, Lee Gwak sat down at the table in the room. Unexpectedly, there were tea leaves and tea pots on the table.
He lit a small stove to boil water.
Soon, the bubbling sound of boiling water filled the room, and steam rose from the spout of the kettle.
Lee Gwak frowned as he reached for the kettle.
He sensed a stealthy presence outside.
“Brother!”
Cheol Gwang Woo, who had been sleeping soundly, snapped his eyes open and looked at Lee Gwak. He, too, had sensed the intruder.
“What kind of bastard dares…….”
“It seems we have a guest looking for us.”
Lee Gwak stopped Cheol Gwang Woo from releasing his killing intent.
The presence was stealthy, but there was no hostility or intent to kill. Instead, it seemed to be deliberately making its presence known to Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo, signaling its arrival in advance.
Lee Gwak called out towards the outside.
“Who is it that visits without permission at this late hour?”
“Excuse me, Master Lee Gwak. My name is Gong Pil Yu, head of the Lianzhou branch of the Hao clan. I’m here on urgent business, may I enter?”
“The Hao Clan?”
“Yes! It’s urgent.”
“Come in.”
There was a hint of urgency in his voice, so Lee Gwak allowed him to enter.
Upon his permission, the door immediately opened, and the visitor revealed himself.
He was an ordinary-looking man in his late forties, appearing extremely anxious.
He quickly made a formal bow towards Lee Gwak.
“Gong Pil Yu of the Hao Clan pays his respects to Master Lee Gwak.”
“Let’s skip the formalities. What’s the matter?”
“Master Lee Gwak, please, we need your help. The situation is dire and I have come to ask for your help, even at the risk of being impertinent”.
Gong Pil Yu knelt down to Lee Gwak.
“Why are you doing this?”
Lee Gwak hurriedly tried to lift Gong Pil Yu up, but Gong Pil Yu didn’t budge and instead bowed his head even lower.
“Please, I beg you, Master Lee Gwak. You’re the only one who can help our lord now.”
“Lord? Are you talking about Brother Woo Gyeong?”
“Yes.”
“What happened? Is something wrong with Brother Woo Gyeong?”
Lee Gwak asked urgently.
“Last night, not far from here, one of our branches was annihilated by unidentified enemies. Around two hundred people were killed without leaving any survivors.”
“What are you saying?”
“Lord Woo Gyeong was there at the time.”
“Does that mean Brother Woo Gyeong was caught in the disaster?”
“Fortunately, it seems he escaped from the branch, but he’s being pursued by the enemies. Unable to join us, he only managed to send a message seeking help.”
“Hmm!”
Lee Gwak let out a grunt.
Though not widely known, the strength of the Hao Clan was formidable. While it might lack the number of high-level martial artists compared to the Ten Great Sects, it compensated with overwhelming numbers.
The annihilation of a Hao Clan branch was astonishing enough, but the fact that its lord, Nam Woo Gyeong, was being hunted by unidentified enemies was even more shocking.
“Have you sent forces to rescue Brother Woo Gyeong?”
“We’ve hastily assembled what we could, but they’re not elite, so I doubt they’ll be of much help.”
Though the Hao Clan did have its own high-level martial artists, they were mostly part of the main faction. The branches typically housed only a minimal number of martial artists, not enough to constitute significant force.
The situation was the same for Gong Pil Yu’s Lianzhou branch. With the Yangsan branch, where Nam Woo Gyeong had been staying, annihilated, the martial artists residing in the Lianzhou branch couldn’t be expected to provide substantial assistance.
As Gong Pil Yu pondered over this, a letter from Seo Yun-myeong, the branch leader of the Hwado branch, arrived that afternoon.
Seo Yun-myeong had briefly written about his meeting with Lee Gwak, the connection with Nam Woo Gyeong, and Lee Gwak’s martial prowess. It was sent as part of the Hao Clan’s efforts to share information between its branches.
Just as Lee Gwak arrived in Lianzhou, Gong Pil Yu set aside all other matters and hurried here.
Hearing the entire story, Lee Gwak’s expression hardened.
“Where was Brother Woo Gyeong last seen?”
“Does this mean you’ll help?”
“Brother Woo Gyeong is not a stranger to me either.”
“Thank you, Master Lee Gwak. I will never forget this kindness. Nam Woo Gyeong…”
Gong Pil Yu quickly relayed the information he had gathered.
***
Sssssh!
In the darkness of the forest, a black shadow moved silently. It blended perfectly with the darkness, moving without a sound.
Even in the dense darkness where one couldn’t see a hand in front of their face, the shadow was tracking signs left by someone.
Suddenly, the black shadow’s eyes gleamed.
It had found bloodstains on the ground.
The blood had not yet coagulated, a clear indication that it hadn’t been long since it was shed.
‘The target is nearby.’
Swish!
That’s when it happened.
Suddenly, someone burst through the underbrush.
The black shadow attempted to leap back in response, but the attacker was much faster.
“Chah!”!”
With a low shout, the attacker threw a punch, and a powerful blast of energy erupted like lightning, striking the black shadow’s chest.
Boom!
With a loud noise, the black shadow was sent flying backward. The chest caved in upon impact, and blood trickled from the area where the eyes should be.
It was killed with a single blow.
“Sigh.”
The one who had ambushed the black shadow let out a soft sigh and brushed back his hair, revealing a face where good and evil were ambiguously mixed.
It was Nam Woo Gyeong, the young master of the Hao Clan.
“Terrible…”
Nam Woo Gyeong shuddered as he looked at the black shadow that had died from his surprise attack. The fact that it didn’t scream even in its dying moment disturbed him.
Nam Woo Gyeong reached out and removed the mask the black shadow was wearing, revealing a face marred with scars.
It was a face he had never seen before.
This was one of the assassins who had attacked the Fragrance Pavilion, the Yangsan branch of the Hao Clan, where Nam Woo Gyeong had been staying.
In less than half an hour, two hundred people at the Fragrance Pavilion had lost their lives. It was the biggest disaster since Nam Woo Gyeong became the young master of the Hao Clan.
The assassins were terrifying.
They had silently killed the people in the Fragrance Pavilion. By the time Nam Woo Gyeong realized what was happening, more than half of the people were already dead.
In that moment of crisis, Nam Woo Gyeong chose to flee.
Others might have called him a coward, but Nam Woo Gyeong had no hesitation in his decision.
He was the young master of the Hao Clan.
His mind contained a multitude of information, including top-secret details that must never be exposed.
Nam Woo Gyeong’s life was not his own.
Therefore, without hesitation, Nam Woo Gyeong chose to escape.
Snow Flower, too, had fearlessly offered her own life to help Nam Woo Gyeong escape.
Nam Woo Gyeong opened the dead assassin’s mouth. The tongue, which should have been there, had been cut off at the root.
“So that’s why there was no scream. Terrible…”
Nam Woo Gyeong grimaced.
This meant that even if they captured these people, it would be impossible to extract secrets from them.
That’s when it happened.
Shrill!
Suddenly, a sharp whistle echoed in the night sky.
Simultaneously, a killing intent concentrated on the location where Nam Woo Gyeong was.
“My whereabouts have been exposed.”
He didn’t know how many assassins were pursuing him, their presence was that discreet.
Their sole purpose was him.
The determination to kill only Nam Woo Gyeong vibrated through the air, tangible in its intensity.
“It’s terrifying, the Blood Rain Assassins. To counterattack so boldly.”
There was no concrete evidence that those who attacked Fragrance Pavilion were the Blood Rain Assassins, but Nam Woo Gyeong’s intuition was certain they were. No one else would dare to confront Nam Woo Gyeong and the Hao Clan so audaciously.
Nam Woo Gyeong quickly left his hiding spot, a deep shadow casting over his face.
“Perhaps this place will be my grave today.”
The enemies tracking him were relentless.
Facing those who disregarded their own lives in pursuit, Nam Woo Gyeong was uncertain how long he could preserve his own.
Yet, Nam Woo Gyeong didn’t give up.
Regardless of the outcome, he had to struggle as much as he could.
After Nam Woo Gyeong vanished, dozens of black shadows appeared at the location. They were the Blood Rain Assassins, pursuing Nam Woo Gyeong.
They showed no emotional disturbance even at the death of their companion. Their eyes, devoid of life, were like those of wooden puppets, merely searching for Nam Woo Gyeong’s traces.
One of them pointed in a direction. Exactly where Nam Woo Gyeong had disappeared.
They immediately began their pursuit.
A storm of blood was about to sweep through the unnamed mountains.
***
Lee Gwak paused briefly to survey his surroundings.
The night sky, once only dark, now swirled with red hues as dawn approached from the east.
“Brother!”
That’s when Cheol Gwang Woo called out toLee Gwak.
In the direction Cheol Gwang Woo pointed, a body lay sprawled on the ground, a thick scent of blood still emanating from it.
Lee Gwak approached the body for a closer look.
The corpse still felt warm, suggesting death had not been long ago.
“It seems we’ve come to the right place.”
Lee Gwak lifted his gaze to look around.
He and Cheol Gwang Woo had been chasing Nam Woo Gyeong’s trail all night, sprinting with all their might. Initially, a guide provided by Gong Pil Yu accompanied them.
Nam Woo Gyeong hadn’t fled aimlessly. Even while being hunted, he left behind subtle traces.
The guide from the Hao Clan had skillfully discovered these faint traces. However, near this area, he was exhausted and fell behind.
It was remarkable that the guide could lead Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo this far, considering his internal energy and stamina.
Feeling they were nearing Nam Woo Gyeong, Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo left the guide behind and hurried ahead.
Lee Gwak turned from the corpse and followed the remaining traces on the ground.
Even without the guide, tracking wasn’t difficult. Corpses were left in various places.
Lee Gwak grew anxious.
Blood was clearly visible on a weapon presumed to belong to the corpse.
Nam Woo Gyeong was undoubtedly injured.
This certainty grew as they discovered another body.
“Brother!”
They couldn’t afford to waste any more time, or Nam Woo Gyeong’s life might truly be in danger.
Lee Gwak closed his eyes and used his Eight Snakes Art.
Whoosh!
A giant serpent seemed to unravel and coil around his entire body, causing his Qi sense to explosively expand.
The first thing he heard was the faint chirping of birds.
Tzrr tzrr!
The sound of unidentified insects and movements was perceptible.
His Qi sense extended further.
“Where?”
The sounds of animals fleeing and a faint vibration, the clash of metal, and someone’s ragged breathing were felt.
Lee Gwak opened his eyes.
“Ten li to the north.”