Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 221
He and Him, the Fated Rivals…(3)
The Shadow Chasing Squad was an organization tasked with tracking down and eliminating or capturing criminals of the White Light Sect.
When the orders from the Lord were issued, the Shadow Chasing Squad would complete their mission by any means necessary, making them a feared entity within the White Light Sect.
Yoon Sa-pyeong was the leader of the Shadow Chasing Squad.
Having spent his life tracking and eliminating criminals of the White Light Sect, he naturally exuded a unique coldness and sharp presence.
Shadow Chasing Squad was composed entirely of masters in tracking and assassination. All its members possessed keen senses like hunting dogs, quick intellects, and formidable martial prowess.
No criminal had ever escaped their grasp for more than three days.
Three days was more than enough time to capture or kill a criminal.
Therefore, he thought it would be the same this time as well.
Three days was more than enough time to capture a mere six-year-old girl. It was obvious what a girl of that age would think. So, he took it lightly.
But his thoughts changed after four days.
‘Impudent Slut.’
Yoon Sa-pyeong gritted his teeth.
Four days had passed, yet they hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the young girl.
He had chosen the wrong direction from the start.
He had tracked the routes that a mere six-year-old might consider for escape.
Children instinctively seek places where people are.
Their immature bodies and underdeveloped selves naturally seek protection from someone,Yoon Sa-pyeong understood such instincts of children well, so he was confident he could complete the mission quickly when he received it.
But he was wrong.
Lee Soo-ah was different from the ordinary children he knew. Even after tracking for four days, he couldn’t find a trace of her.
Yoon Sa-pyeong discarded his prejudice that Lee Soo-ah was just a child and reconsidered from scratch.
Once he abandoned his prejudice, her path became clear.
After tracking for a whole day, he found slight traces she left behind. That was today.
Because of his prejudice, he had wasted a total of four days. It was the first humiliating incident he experienced since becoming the leader of the Shadow Chasing Squad.
“Did that little bitch choose this escape route by herself?”
Yoon Sa-pyeong shook his head.
No matter how brilliant a genius, there were always limits, and the limits of a child were even harder to overcome.
‘There must be someone advising Lee Soo-ah from behind. Once I capture her, I will find and kill the person behind her.’
A killing intent emanated from Yoon Sa-pyeong’s entire body. His annoyance had reached its peak.
Tracking Lee Soo-ah’s trail was not easy at all. But Yoon Sa-pyeong was confident he could capture her soon.
No matter how much of a genius she was, Lee Soo-ah was just a child. No matter how much martial arts she had mastered, her innate physical strength was not fully developed.
She might be holding out for now, but as the net tightened, her stamina would exponentially decrease without proper rest.
He led the Shadow Chasing Squad to pursue Lee Soo-ah at a rapid pace.
In fact, Yoon Sa-pyeong’s thoughts were exactly right.
“They’re getting closer.”
At some point, Lee Soo-ah felt the trackers closing in. A child’s intuition transcended the laws of the world to sense danger.
She didn’t think she could evade them for long anyway, but they were tracking her trail much faster than she had expected.
A sense of urgency appeared on Lee Soo-ah’s face.
No matter how bold and mature she was, she was still just a little girl.
She couldn’t help but be flustered by the unexpected situation.
“What should I do?”
Lee Soo-ah desperately racked her brain.
She was too young to roam the Jianghu alone. Naturally, she couldn’t avoid being noticed by others.
There would likely be quite a few people who remembered her. And by questioning them, it wouldn’t be hard to find her whereabouts.
While Lee Soo-ah was thinking desperately.
Thud, thud, thud!
Suddenly, she heard the sound of hooves.
It was the sound of at least a dozen horses galloping.
When Lee Soo-ah looked up in surprise, she saw dozens of riders approaching.
Their outfits were varied, and the weapons they carried were all different. Some carried large swords, while others wielded spears or axes.
At a glance, it was clear they didn’t belong to any martial sect.
The sects of Jianghu valued discipline and unity, and there was no such atmosphere among these riders.
Their free-spirited and rough appearance made them look like vagabonds.
“Whoa!”
The man leading the group spotted Lee Soo-ah and halted his horse. The others following him also stopped and looked at Lee Soo-ah.
“Hey, little miss. Where are your parents, and why are you wandering alone? It’s dangerous.”
The man at the front smiled, showing yellow teeth.
Despite the considerable distance, the stench reached Lee Soo-ah.
“Haha! A child wandering alone without parents?”
“She looks quite pretty. She’ll be quite a sight in a few years.”
“Boss, let’s take her with us.”
The men on horseback chattered noisily.
Their faces were full of greed.
‘They’re from the Green Forest, but not from Sky High Castle.’
From their conversation, Lee Soo-ah deduced their identity.
Even within the Green Forest, Sky High Castle had strict rules and identity. They would never have such a conversation about a child.
This meant these men were not from Sky High Castle.
‘Vagabonds? No, they’re more like bandits.’
Most of the Green Forest was under the control of Sky High Castle, but not all. The bandits led by the man in front of her belonged to the latter category.
The man’s name was Jeok Ung-cheon, and the bandits he led were known as Wild Wolf Squad.
They didn’t settle in one place but roamed around looting. They were returning from a raid on a nearby village.
Despite having just plundered, the Wild Wolf Squad was not satisfied. The sight of Lee Soo-ah, who looked like she would grow into a rare beauty in a few years, sparked their greed.
They could either keep her or sell her for money.
Either way, there was nothing to lose.
Jeok Ung-cheon made a decision.
“We will take this girl to Western Forest.”
“Is our next destination Western Forest? It’s near the Siege Fortress, so it feels risky.”
“Haha! Because it’s near the Siege Fortress, we can plunder with ease. They’ll all think it’s the work of the Celestial Demon Troupe.”
“As expected of the leader! To think that far ahead.”
The Wild Wolf Squad cheered and praised Jeok Ung-cheon.
With a smile on his face, Jeok Ung-cheon looked at Lee Soo-ah.
“Girl, what will you do? If you resist, I will find and kill your father and mother.”
“I will go with you.”
“Oh!”
Jeok Ung-cheon’s eyes gleamed at Lee Soo-ah’s calm reply.
Surrounded by dozens of rough men, she showed no sign of fear. Instead, she seemed to think it was fortunate. Her demeanor made him uneasy.
‘What is this girl?’
Ordinarily, a child would cry or be terrified in this situation. This meant the girl was either not normal or had something hidden that prevented her from fearing the Wild Wolf Squad.
“What is your name?”
“Lee Soo-ah! My name is Lee Soo-ah.”
“Lee Soo-ah?”
Jeok Ung-cheon had her placed on a riderless horse.
Lee Soo-ah thought it was rather fortunate.
‘If I escape near Western Forest, I can quickly reach the Siege Fortress.’
It was far more beneficial to ride a horse using them than to walk. Given the Wild Wolf Squad’s size, even the White Light Sect’s pursuers might not easily attack them.
“Haha! Let’s go.”
“Move out!”
The Wild Wolf Squad burst into laughter and left the place. However, they didn’t know.
After they left, some time later, the pursuers appeared.
They were none other than the Shadow Chasing Squad, who had been tracking Lee Soo-ah.
“She rode a horse from here. Judging by the tracks on the ground, there are at least dozens with her.”
“Indeed, there was someone aiding her. Otherwise, there’s no way a young girl could escape so meticulously.”
A chilling aura appeared in the eyes of Shadow Chasing Squad leader Yoon Sa-pyeong.
***
Lee Gwak’s words made Nam Woo-gyeong furrow his brow deeply.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes!”
The sudden, out-of-the-blue announcement of departure surprised Nam Woo-gyeong. But he soon relaxed his expression.
“It makes sense.”
He knew Lee Gwak’s nature better than anyone.
Lee Gwak preferred tranquility over bustle and valued a modest daily life over widespread fame.
Currently, Jade Heaven Alliance was too chaotic. In fact, it was more like a cauldron of confusion rather than mere busyness.
Rumors of the Ten Great Sects meeting spread like wildfire, although no one knew who had leaked the information first.
As a result, Jade Heaven Alliance was crowded with the martial artists of the Ten Great Sects who had come for the preliminary preparations for the assembly, as well as people who came to see them.
This caused not only the Jade Heaven Alliance but also the Hao Clan to be on high alert.
Nam Woo-gyeong was busy working with Lim So-bo to identify those entering the Jade Heaven Alliance. For the Hao Clan, whose primary goal was intelligence gathering, this was an opportunity they couldn’t afford to miss.
Because of this, he had been working day and night, barely having any time to meet Lee Gwak.
“So, where are you planning to go?”
“I’m thinking of going to the Siege Fortress.”
“Siege Fortress? Why?”
Nam Woo-gyeong’s face crumpled.
Although the war with the Celestial Demon Troupe was in a lull, Siege Fortress was still in a state of high tension.
If war broke out, the first clash between the Jade Heaven Alliance and the Celestial Demon Troupe would be near Siege Fortress. Hearing that Lee Gwak intended to go to such a dangerous place, Nam Woo-gyeong was already worried.
Lee Gwak answered calmly.
“I want to see Brother Jong-myeong.”
“Jong-myeong? Seo Jong-myeong? You mean the leader of Shadowless Squad?”
“Yes! I heard he’s still in Siege Fortress.”
Although unintentional, Seo Jong-myeong’s kindness had allowed Lee Gwak to practice martial arts comfortably at Mount Sohua.
When he went to the Celestial Demon Troupe as part of the delegation, Seo Jong-myung’s affection for him was genuine. He sincerely cared for and protected Lee Gwak.
Thus, Lee Gwak regarded Seo Jong-myeong as his benefactor.
Having returned to Jianghu, he had met everyone else but hadn’t met Han So-cheon and Seo Jong-myeong.
While Han So-cheon’s whereabouts were unknown, it made no sense for Lee Gwak not to go to Siege Fortress when he knew Seo Jong-myeong was there.
Go Geom-wol had the most influence on his decision.
Go Geom-wol advised him to act according to his heart, and Lee Gwak’s heart was now urging him to leave the stifling Jade Heaven Alliance and head to Siege Fortress.
That’s why he decided to go to Siege Fortress.
Seeing Lee Gwak’s firm resolve, Nam Woo-gyeong gave up on trying to dissuade him.
“You must have your reasons, so I won’t say more. But be careful. The circumstances leading to the Heavenly Assembly are suspicious.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Heavenly Assembly is only happening because key figures of the Ten Great sects were assassinated. If they hadn’t been killed, would those proud leaders have ever thought of gathering together?”
“You think there’s a hidden plot?”
“Every event in Jianghu has its own schemes. It’s just a matter of scale.”
“Hmm.”
“I think the ones who assassinated the key figures are the Blood Rain Assassins. They’ve been quiet for a while now…”
Nam Woo-gyeong had narrowly escaped death due to his bad blood with the Blood Rain Assassins. His expression hardened just at the mention of them.
“Doesn’t that put you in danger, Brother?”
“If I’m still their target, yes. But this time, I won’t go down so easily.”
Nam Woo-gyeong displayed confidence.
The most powerful force in the Hao Clan, the Death Squad, was already stationed here, and his master, Hwaian, the strongest in the Hao Clan, was also on his way.
In terms of martial strength, no sect entering the Jade Heaven Alliance could surpass them.
Lee Gwak nodded in relief.
Bang!
Cheol Gwang Woo burst through the door and entered.
“I’m going to Siege Fortress as well.”
“You too?”
“Yes! Who else will accompany Brother Gwak if not me?”
Cheol Gwang Woo pounded his chest with his large hand as he answered, causing Nam Woo-gyeong to look disappointed.
Having Cheol Gwang Woo by his side was immensely reassuring.
Aside from his strong martial skills, his loyalty never wavered once he gave his heart. With proper guidance, he could become a trusted protector of the Hao clan.
Nam Woo-gyeong had often suggested that Cheol Gwang Woo join the Hao Clan, but every time, Cheol Gwang Woo declined, saying he needed to serve Lee Gwak.
While Cheol Gwang Woo liked Nam Woo-gyeong as an elder brother, his true loyalty was solely to Lee Gwak.
Nam Woo-gyeong felt regretful about this, but he soon grumbled with a nonchalant face.
“Fine! Go on. All of you go. Hmph! You all plan to have fun while leaving me behind here alone.”
“If you’re jealous, why don’t you come with us, Big Brother?”
“No thanks.”
“You’re not sulking, are you?”
“Do you think I’m like you? Sulking?”
“Hehe!”
“You remember everything I taught you, right?”
“How to contact and deal with Hao Clan?”
“Exactly! Don’t forget and keep in touch regularly. If you need anything, just say it’s my order and they won’t refuse.”
“Yes! Don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried about Gwak, but you worry me.”
“Hehe!”
Despite Nam Woo-gyeong’s scolding, Cheol Gwang Woo couldn’t stop smiling. He was simply delighted at the prospect of venturing out into the Jianghu again with Lee Gwak.
Lee Gwak’s smiling face slightly hardened. Something had come to mind.
“Brother!”
“What?”
“Be cautious of the person accompanying Jade Dragon”
“Jade Dragon? You mean Jin Woo-seon? Why should I be cautious of the one with him?”
“Just be careful and try not to get involved.”
“What are you…?”
“Just remember what I said.”
“Fine, I got it.”
Nam Woo-gyeong answered, somewhat bewildered.