Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 214

There are those who are content with less 2

Neung Su-pyeong was an elderly man over eighty.

Even immense internal energy could not stop the passage of time. His once taut face was now full of wrinkles, and his once jet-black hair had long turned white. Though everything was eroded by time, his eyes still sparkled with the vigor of his youth.

Neung Su-pyeong, the Green Forest Scholar.

He was one of the key figures in the revival of the Green Forest.

With his extraordinary intellect and vision, he helped the Lord of Sky High Castle to achieve the prosperity it enjoys today.

Although he had retired from the front due to his age, his reputation in Sky High Castle was such that many remembered him.

Even the current leader of the Green Forest, Po Cheon Wol, treated him with utmost respect, akin to a father figure.

Neung Su-pyeong’s residence was a small mountain fortress about ten miles from Sky High Castle. The fortress, called Old Tiger Fortress, was a place Neung Su-pyeong had made for his later years.

Although it was called a fortress, most of those who stayed there were still children. They were sent to serve Neung Su-pyeong and hopefully learn a bit of his wisdom.

The children in Old Tiger Fortress were the future of Sky High Castle.

“Aren’t you going to run?”

“Try to catch me, slowpoke. Hahaha!”

“If you get caught, you’re dead.”

The children were playing tag in the fortress.

Although it was called Tag, their movements, which unfolded with the help of qigong, were reminiscent of the masters of the Jianghu.

“Ha-ha!”

Neung Su-pyeong watched the scene with a hearty laugh.

These were the children he had devotedly taught, and he felt a deep attachment to them. Watching the children play outside on a sunny day was his only joy in his later years.

After watching the children play for a while, Neung Su-pyeong stood up. He headed towards a modest wooden house, his dwelling.

For the residence of a Green Forest Scholar, it was humble, but Neung Su-pyeong was quite fond of it.

“No matter how splendid it is, if you have nowhere to put your heart, you will naturally wander outside. If it’s humble but your heart is in it, you can enjoy a comfortable life no less than in any grand mansion.”

Neung Su-pyeong smiled.

Living a leisurely life after retirement, he felt like he had become a sage. His mind seemed to work better now than when he was active.

Neung Su-pyeong opened the door and entered the wooden house.

Although it was still daytime, the inside of the wooden house was quite dark.

Neung Su-pyeong opened the door and entered the wooden house.

Neung Su-pyeong paused as he was about to light a lantern on the table, having spotted a black object sitting next to it.

“What is this?”

Focusing his internal energy to enhance his vision, Neung Su-pyeong could see the black object clearly.

The black object was a person. Someone was sitting quietly, blending into the darkness.
Neung Su-pyeong frowned.

The wooden house was his private residence. Not even the children he taught dared to enter. The presence of someone else secretly inside was not a good sign.

Neung Su-pyeong tried to maintain a calm expression as he spoke.

“Who are you to enter someone’s house without permission?”

“I’m sorry for that, Master .”

“Huh! You know who I am and still entered? You must have not come with good intentions.”
Neung Su-pyeong’s voice grew colder.

Neung Su-pyeong had experienced all kinds of situations in the Green Forest.

Just by looking at the visitor’s eyes, voice, and atmosphere, he could guess their intentions.

“Who sent you?”

“…”

“How cold. I may be old and have no regrets in life, but shouldn’t you at least tell me who sent you to kill me out of courtesy?”

“I’m sorry.”

The dark figure apologized again.

Neung Su-pyeong frowned.

‘A woman?’

Even though the voice was disguised, Neung Su-pyeong realized that the visitor was a woman.

The woman who had been sitting stood up and approached Neung Su-pyeong.

She was dressed in black martial attire and wore a black mask, making it impossible to see her
true face. However, her eyes, visible through the holes in her mask, were clearly visible.

There was no emotion in the woman’s eyes. Yet, Neung Su-pyeong somehow felt that her gaze was sad.

Neung Su-pyeong silently watched the woman draw her sword.

He became famous for his brilliant intellect, not his martial prowess. He knew only too well that no amount of fighting would save him from the hands of an assassin.

He felt nothing from the female assassin approaching him, even though she was clearly in front of him.

It was like looking at a ghost, which made it even more terrifying.

The opponent had clearly reached the pinnacle of what an assassin could be.

‘To think there was such an assassin in the world.’

A chill went down his spine.

There was no reason for an assassin of this caliber to be deployed just to kill him.

“It doesn’t seem like you’ve come just to kill this old man. There must be another sacrifice. Are you planning to assassinate all the key figures of Sky High Castle?”

At that moment, the assassin’s sword pierced his throat. Neung Su-pyeong died without resolving his questions.

The assassin pulled the sword from Neung Su-pyeong’s throat.

Strangely, not a single drop of blood stained the jet-black surface of the sword.

“Sigh!”

The assassin exhaled and sheathed her sword.

Despite having been an assassin for a long time and killing many, murder never became familiar to her.

She stood motionless like a statue, staring at her hands. No blood was visible, but she saw her hands soaked in blood through her eyes.

Overwhelming self-loathing washed over her. Yet, she forcefully suppressed it.

‘I must not waver. If I hesitate, Cheong will die.’

Her mission was just beginning.

To complete her task, she needed to move quickly.

She left the Old Tiger Fortress without leaving any trace.

Neung Su-pyeong’s body was discovered the next day.

His death caused an uproar in Sky High Castle.

Po Cheon Wol, the absolute leader of the Green Forest, was furious and ordered the murderer to be captured at all costs.

The Green Forest began to move. But this was just the beginning.

Successive deaths of key figures occurred in other sects as well, such as the Zealous Justice Clan and the Thousand Kingdom School. All victims were close to their respective leaders.

Their deaths set the Ten Sects in motion.

Timely, an invitation was sent to them.

It was an invitation to the Heavenly Gathering.
***

As the door to the inn opened, a young man and woman entered.

They appeared to be in their early twenties. The man had handsome features and was dressed splendidly, while the woman was beautiful and lightly dressed.

The moment they entered, the people inside the inn couldn’t take their eyes off them. Most of the gazes were fixed on the woman, such was her standout beauty.
Her stunning appearance carried a dignity that even gave off a noble air.

The man looked around the inn and spoke.

“It seems there are some seats available here. Sister, find us a spot and wait. I’ll check with the innkeeper if there are any rooms available.”

“Okay.”

The woman, responding, found a seat.

Meanwhile, the man asked the innkeeper about room availability. Fortunately, there were still some rooms left, so the man settled the account.

Before arriving here, they had visited several inns, all of which were fully booked.

Sitting down, the man spoke again.

“It looks like the other sects have already reserved inns. If this continues, finding accommodation for the elite of our sect will be problematic.”

“Everyone is quick on their feet. I thought we were the first to arrive.”

“Yeah.”

The man gave a wry smile.

His name was Peng Sooyoon.

He was a promising disciple of the Thousand Kingdom School, one of the Ten Sects. The woman accompanying him was Namgung Yeonhwa.

She was also a disciple of Thousand Kingdom School. The difference between them was that she was born into the direct lineage of the Namgung family.

Snow Sword Flower, Namgung Yeonhwa.

Her father was Namgung Jin-geom, the Supreme Leader of the Thousand Kingdom School, known as the Dark Heavenly Lone Star.

Namgung Jin-geom was the most powerful expert in the history of Thousand Kingdom School and played a pivotal role in its rise as one of the Ten Sects.

Namgung Jin-geom was a prodigy who had inherited the secret sword techniques of the Namgung family, which had been destroyed a hundred years ago. His achievements were said to pierce the heavens.

Namgung Jin-geom had two children; One was Namgung In, the Invincible Sword, a member of the Ten Lesser Skies, and the other was Namgung Yeonhwa.

Namgung Yeonhwa had entered the Jade Heaven Alliance on the secret orders of her father, Namgung Jin-geom. Peng Sooyoon was assigned by Namgung Jin-geom to guard her, worried about her safety.

Peng Sooyoon was a descendant of the Haobei Peng family, which was destroyed around the same time as the Namgung family. His martial prowess and talent had earned him the favor of Namgung Jin-geom.

Many descendants of the Five Great Families had found their place within the Thousand Kingdom School.

Neung Su-pyeong felt a special pride in the surname Peng, a sentiment that was often evident in his demeanor. At times, this pride could come across as arrogance.

Namgung Yeonhwa was aware of this, but chose not to comment, understanding his feelings as she herself was particularly proud of the Namgung surname.

Leaning her chin on her hand, Namgung Yeonhwa scanned the inn. Her beauty was so captivating that it drew discreet glances from the people inside.

A smile played on her lips—a smile of amusement.

She was accustomed to such reactions from people. Wherever she went, she attracted attention. Initially, the stares felt like insects crawling on her skin, but over time, she began to enjoy them.

Her gaze, sweeping the inn, suddenly stopped at a man seated by the window.

While everyone else was looking at her, this man was the only one gazing outside, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, not deliberately ignoring her but genuinely absorbed.

A look of intrigue appeared on her face.

The man looking out the window had a unique aura. He wasn’t strikingly handsome, but there was something about his melancholy appearance that kept drawing her gaze.

“Hmm!”

Peng Sooyoon’s gaze followed Namgung Yeonhwa’s to where she was looking.

A flash of light passed through his eyes, but Namgung Yeonhwa didn’t notice.

Peng Sooyoon asked casually, “Are you interested in that man?”

“No.”

“Hmm! He seems to be a martial artist as well. How about we introduce ourselves?”

“There’s no need.”

Namgung Yeonhwa shook her head. A smile returned to Peng Sooyoon’s lips.

Just knowing that Namgung Yeonhwa’s interest in the man was not personal was enough to lift his spirits. However, he was still curious about something.

Peng Sooyoon stood up and approached the table where the man was seated.

“Brother!”

Namgung Yeonhwa called out, but Peng Sooyoon, undeterred, continued towards the man’s table.

Noticing the approach, the man looked up at Peng Sooyoon. Peng Sooyoon then greeted him with a polite fist salute.

“Greetings. My name is Peng Sooyoon. It appears you are also from Jianghu. Let’s exchange names.”

“I’m Lee Gwak.”

Greeting with a fist salute, the man identified himself as Lee Gwak.

Peng Sooyoon smiled at the introduction.

“So, it’s you, Sir Lee. It’s a pleasure to meet you here.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Are you by chance affiliated with the Jade Heaven Alliance?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then, did you also receive an invitation?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Invitation?”

“Hmm! I see.”

The faint smile on Peng Sooyoon’s face disappeared, replaced by a look of contempt.
Recently, invitations had been sent to the Ten Sects, issued in the name of Ja Hong Cheon, the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

The invitations proposed a meeting of the sect leaders to discuss the affairs of the Jianghu.

Normally, even an invitation from Ja Hong Cheon wouldn’t easily motivate the leaders of the Ten Sects to act. However, the recent series of assassination attempts had enraged them and sparked suspicions that perhaps the Celestial Demon Troupe was stirring again.

It was unprecedented for the leaders of the Ten Sects to gather in one place, but the current state of affairs in the Jianghu made it a significant possibility.

Given the stature of these individuals, a lot of groundwork was needed for the leaders of the Ten Sects to make a move.

The Ten Sects sent people ahead to scout out the Jade Heaven Alliance and secure accommodations for their elites. Although the Jade Heaven Alliance would prepare their accommodations, the Ten Sects also wanted to establish their own space.

Namgung Yeonhwa and Peng Sooyoon were sent on such a mission, carrying special invitations as proof that they were esteemed guests of the Jade Heaven Alliance. Peng Sooyoon had inquired about the invitation, suspecting that Lee Gwak might be part of the advance party sent by one of the Ten Sects.

Lee Gwak appeared to be completely unaware of the invitation, meaning he was not a martial artist affiliated with any of the Ten Sects.

Therefore, there was no reason for him to remain there any longer.

“It seems I was mistaken. Enjoy your time, Sir Lee.”

Peng Sooyoon turned to leave.

Lee Gwak frowned as he watched Peng Sooyoon. But Peng Sooyoon ignored his gaze and snorted as he walked back.

Suddenly, the inn’s door burst open, and someone entered.

A beautiful woman dressed in black martial attire entered, radiating a powerful aura.
Peng Sooyoon instantly recognized her identity.

‘Dark Martial Empress, Dan Li Yeong.’

In the Jade Heaven Alliance, the only female martial artist fanatically fond of wearing black was Dan Li Yeon.

Such was her preference that even her nickname was the Dark Martial Empress.

Peng Sooyoon smiled, thinking that the Jade Heaven Alliance recognized their talent and had sent her to meet him and Namgung Yeonhwa.

“With respect, Miss Dan, I am from the Thousand Kingdom School…”

However, Dan Lian didn’t respond to Peng Sooyoon and walked straight past him towards Lee Gwak.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

Dan Li Yeon sat down in front of Lee Gwak and spoke.

Peng Sooyoon blinked in surprise at the scene.