Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 227
The Daughter Seeks Her Father, and The Father Recognizes His Daughter (2)
Emotions of all kinds crossed Lee Gwak’s face.
In the distance, the red city walls were visible. It was Siege Fortress, his destination. Five days after leaving Xichang, he had finally arrived here.
“Is that the Siege Fortress?”
Cheol Gwang Woo’s mouth gaped open at the imposing sight of Siege Fortress.
In terms of size, there was no reason for Cheol Gwang Woo to be surprised. He had experienced the vastly larger Jade Heaven Alliance Alliance firsthand. However, the Siege Fortress had a weighty presence that Jade Heaven Alliance lacked.
Perhaps it was the accumulated blood and souls of those who had died defending it.
The sight and atmosphere of Siege Fortress moved Cheol Gwang Woo deeply. He trembled without realizing it.
The heavy air and atmosphere unique to the Siege Fortress might be burdensome to others, but to him, who had mastered the Vajra Demon Shadow Technique, it brought a strange pleasure. It felt like a good match.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, brother.”
The two of them walked towards the Siege Fortress.
As they approached, the guards at the main gate of Siege Fortress looked wary. Cheol Gwang Woo’s massive size was intimidating.
“Stop there.”
They halted at the command. The oldest guard stepped forward and asked,
“State your identities and purpose of visit.”
“My name is Lee Gwak.”
“Lee Gwak?”
“I am the sworn brother of Seo Jong Myeong, the leader of the Shadowless Squad. Could you inform him that Lee Gwak is here?”
“Are you really an acquaintance of the leader?”
“What reason would I have to lie when it will be found out quickly?”
Lee Gwak’s calm answer made the guard nod.
He instructed his subordinate to inform Seo Jong Myeong of Lee Gwak’s visit.
Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo waited, examining the city walls. The countless scars and bloodstains etched into the walls told of the many battles the siege fortress had endured.
Lee Gwak felt his heart race unusually. It was beating more fiercely than usual.
He thought it was due to the impending meeting with Seo Jong Myeong.
At that moment,
“Lee Gwak!”
Someone from inside the Siege Fortress called out and ran towards him.
A smile spread across Lee Gwak’s face.
“Squad Leader!”
The man running towards him was Seo Jong Myeong.
Wham!
“You bastard, you’re alive.”
Seo Jong Myeong hugged Lee Gwak tightly.
“And so are you, Squad Leader.”
“You’re the Squad Leader, I’m the master.”
“Hahaha!”
Lee Gwak laughed heartily at Seo Jong Myeong’s joke, and Seo Jong Myeong laughed along with him.
After a moment, Lee Gwak introduced Cheol Gwang Woo to Seo Jong Myeong.
“This is my sworn brother.”
“I am Cheol Gwang Woo. Feel free to speak comfortably, as you are my brother’s brother.”
“Haha! Nice to meet you.”
Seo Jong Myeong gave Cheol Gwang Woo a hearty smile.
The uncomfortable feeling from the unexpected visit of the Shadow Chasing Squad was gone.
Seo Jong Myeong put his arm around Lee Gwak’s shoulder.
“How have you been? Why didn’t you contact me if you were alive?”
“There were reasons. I’ll explain in detail inside.”
“Sure. Let’s talk over a drink. Hey, big guy, can you handle your drink?”
“Haha! I can’t get enough of it.”
“Is that so? The local liquor is quite strong, so be prepared.”
“I look forward to it.”
“You won’t be disappointed. I guarantee it.”
The guards at the main gate were surprised by Seo Jong Myeong’s cheerful demeanor.
He had never shown such a face to them in the past few years.
“Who is this person?”
“He must be someone close to the leader.”
Since Siege Fortress was far removed from the Jianghu, rumors about Lee Gwak hadn’t reached there yet. This left everyone puzzled.
Seo Jong Myeong led Lee Gwak and Cheol Gwang Woo to his residence.
His residence was the mansion that once belonged to the Invincible Spear Jang Gwang, the former commander of the Siege Fortress.
It was the largest and most intact place in Siege Fortress, now Seo Jong Myeong’s residence.
Inside, familiar faces from the Shadowless Squad greeted them. They looked at Lee Gwak curiously, unable to remember him, but interested to know who he was since Seo Jong Myeong welcomed him so warmly.
Seo Jong Myeong instructed them,
“Tell the kitchen to prepare a table with drinks.”
“Yes, leader.”
“We’ll drink all night, so those who wish can join us inside.”
“Wow!”
The Shadowless Squad cheered in unison at Seo Jong Myeong’s unexpected words.
There was a shortage of everything in this place.
Food was scarce, and liquor even more so.
Seo Jong Myeong had a good supply of liquor, but he rarely shared it, so they were always left wanting. But now, with the promise of abundant drinks, they couldn’t help but be delighted.
“Whoever he is, I’m on his side from now on.”
“Of course! How could we neglect the benefactor who bestows us with liquor? Let’s go inside and drink up the leader’s liquor.”
“It’s a feast!”
The Shadowless Squad rushed into Seo Jong Myeong’s room.
Soon, a cook brought out simple food and a barrel of liquor.
“Whoa!”
“Liquor!”
The Shadowless Squad and Cheol Gwang Woo shouted in unison. They looked like beasts roaring at the sight of prey.
“Drink to your heart’s content.”
“Thank you for the food and drink.”
“Hahaha!”
At Seo Jong Myeong’s declaration, Cheol Gwang Woo and the Shadowless Squad eagerly raised their cups.
Lee Gwak also raised his cup and asked Seo Jong Myeong,
“Is it alright to be so generous? Things don’t seem too well.”
“Things are always bad. But we need to let loose when we can. Otherwise, we can’t breathe.”
“True.”
“How did you find this place?”
“I stopped by the Jade Heaven Alliance. There, I heard that the Squad Leader was here.”.”
“I told you, I’m the Master.”
“Yes, Master…”
“I see. And you look fine.”
“Sorry?”
“Didn’t you meet the Young Master of Jade Heaven Alliance?”
“I did.”
“And you’re still intact?”
Seo Jong Myeong looked Lee Gwak up and down with a fresh sense of wonder.
Having been part of the envoy to the Celestial Demon Troupe, Seo Jong Myeong knew better than anyone about Lee Gwak’s conflict with Yong Cheon Myeong. And he knew that Yong Cheon Myeong never forgot a grudge.
Yong Cheon Myeong wouldn’t have left Lee Gwak alone after being scarred by him. Yet, Lee Gwak was unharmed, which meant something unexpected had occurred, or Lee Gwak’s martial arts were formidable enough to withstand Yong Cheon Myeong’s threat.
The former seemed more likely, but the latter couldn’t be dismissed either.
Lee Gwak was an unpredictable figure.
Seo Jong Myeong patted Lee Gwak’s shoulder.
“It’s a relief you’re alive.”
“I’m glad you’re alive too, leader.”
“Ha!”
Seo Jong Myeong smiled faintly.
Lee Gwak also smiled and raised his cup.
It was just cheap liquor, but it tasted better than any fine wine he had drunk in Jianghu.
As the drinks flowed, some of the Shadowless Squad’s martial artists began to recognize Lee Gwak and were greatly surprised.
In the past, they might have looked down on him for being an outsider, but they vividly remembered Lee Gwak’s incredible martial prowess against Yong Cheon Myeong, so that didn’t happen.
Instead, they welcomed Lee Gwak.
While his impressive martial skills played a part, the shared sense of belonging and common journey they had all walked together strongly bonded them.
“Wow! Look at this guy. He’s downing the drinks! Is there anyone who can match this bear of a man?”
“I won’t lose. Bring more drinks.”
“Alright! Let’s go.”
Some of the martial artists, encouraged by the sight of Cheol Gwang Woo guzzling down drinks, boldly stepped up. They tried to match his pace, but the results were disastrous.
“Ugh!”
“Blegh!”
Some became completely inebriated, while others vomited everything they had eaten. Seeing this, the other martial artists laughed, and even Cheol Gwang Woo chuckled.
“What a mess.”
Seo Jong Myeong muttered as he observed the scene, though he didn’t seem displeased.
He had kept his subordinates on a tight leash under the pretext of defending the frontline, but he knew there were times when he needed to let them loose. He judged that now was such a time.
The timing was perfect.
“Nice!”
“Indeed.”
He exchanged drinks with Lee Gwak.
Their faces had long since turned red. Though they could easily dispel their intoxication by using their internal energy, they chose not to.
They fully savored this moment.
“Hahaha!”
The laughter of men echoed around them.
The drinking party ended much later.
By then, more than half of the Shadowless Squad was completely incapacitated. The remaining half staggered around, barely able to keep their balance.
Only after sending them away did Seo Jong Myeong finally catch his breath.
He climbed up the city walls of Siege Fortress with Lee Gwak.
Inside the Siege Fortress, only a few places were still lit. The rest was shrouded in deep darkness.
Leaning against the parapet, Seo Jong Myeong spoke.
“What happened? Seeing you drinking with me, you don’t seem like a ghost. What happened to you?”
“The truth is…”
Lee Gwak told him everything, leaving out only the part about his master, Gwang Noh-ya.
He recounted his fight with Go Geom Wol, his fall from the cliff, being saved by a mysterious figure, his return to Jianghu, and everything that happened at the Jade Heaven Alliance.
Seo Jong Myeong had many questions, but he listened to Lee Gwak without interrupting once.
When Lee Gwak finally finished, Seo Jong Myeong let out a long-suppressed sigh.
“Phew! It’s hard to believe. But I have to believe you. You’re not one to lie.”
“…”
“Besides, the fact that the Celestial Demon Troupe’s young master is within the Jade Heaven Alliance… How is that even possible?”
Killing intent flickered in Seo Jong Myeong’s eyes.
He had dedicated his entire life to fighting the Celestial Demon Troupe. To him, the fact that the Celestial Demon Troupe’s young master resided in the heart of Jade Heaven Alliance was hard to accept.
If anyone other than Lee Gwak had told him this, he would have dismissed it as nonsense. But it was Lee Gwak who said it. Even if he couldn’t trust anyone else, he had to trust Lee Gwak.
In his heart, he wanted to lead the Shadowless Squad immediately and annihilate the young master of the Celestial Demon Troupe. But he knew he couldn’t do that.
“Is he that strong?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Stronger than Yong Cheon Myeong?”
“Yes!”
“Phew! It’s hard to believe. How can someone like that not be known in Jianghu?”
“He is different.”
“Different?”
“I can’t explain it in words, but he’s unlike any Celestial Demon Troupe martial artist you’ve ever seen.”
“Hmm!”
A groan escaped Seo Jong Myeong’s lips.
He felt stifled.
The Celestial Demon Troupe had raised a giant like Go Geom wol, but the Jade Heaven Alliance had achieved nothing but internal strife over succession.
“Aren’t you going back to the Jade Heaven Alliance?”
“That place isn’t for me. I don’t belong in political battles.”
“Leader.”
“Let’s drop that subject. What are you planning to do now? Are you still going to search for that girl, So Cheon?”
“Yes!”
“Even the Hao Clan and the Jade Heaven Alliance couldn’t find any information about her. She might not even exist in this world.”
“I’ll still search for her.”
“Phew!”
Seo Jong Myeong sighed quietly at Lee Gwak’s unwavering answer.
Finding one person in this vast Jianghu was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
He wanted to tell him to give up, but seeing Lee Gwak’s resolute lips, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
No matter what he said, Lee Gwak wouldn’t listen. And he wouldn’t give up.
Thump, thump!
Seo Jong Myeong silently patted Lee Gwak’s shoulder.
Lee Gwak smiled faintly. But soon, he turned his gaze towards the darkened Siege Fortress.
In the pitch-black darkness, moving lights could be seen.
Seeing Lee Gwak’s puzzled expression, Seo Jong Myeong explained,
“It seems the martial artists of White Light Sect are searching the slums. They asked for cooperation in capturing a criminal from the White Light Sect .”
“A criminal…?”
“Yes! Those who never showed their faces during the war come seeking help only at times like this.”
Numerous lights moved noisily.
Lee Gwak felt strangely uneasy watching them.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the moving lights for a long time.