Martial Artist Lee Gwak Episode 39
Episode 39(Dragons and Tigers gather (2))
Novel- Martial Artist Lee Gwak
A bitter smile played on Lee Gwak’s lips.
Dan Li Yeon was one of the few people who knew about his relationship with Geum Yul Seon. He honestly wanted to avoid attracting her attention and becoming the focus of her interest.
Mok Seon Wol asked Dan Li Yeon.
“Do you know him?”
“A little!”
Mok Seon Wol’s eyes flickered at Dan Li Yeon’s answer. Her intuition as a woman told her that there was more to their relationship.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Leader Lee Gwak.”
“Neither did I. Now that you two have met, I will take my leave.”
“Leader Gwak!”
“Yes?”
“Never mind. Please be careful on your way back.”
“Thank you!”
Lee Gwak bowed to both women and then turned to leave. Dan Li Yeon watched his retreating figure intently.
Suddenly, Mok Seon Wol teased him with a mischievous smile.
“You’re going to burn a hole in his back with that look. Why, do you like him or something?”
“No, it’s not like that. He just seems… strange.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s hard to explain. He seems normal at first glance, but something about him is annoying.”
“Hmm!”
At Dan Li Yeon’s words, Mok Seon Wol found herself nodding involuntarily. She had felt a similar sense of intrigue.
For a while, the two women couldn’t take their eyes off the direction Lee Gwak had left.
＊＊＊
Lee Gwak left the outer hall and walked silently down the street.
He was a little disturbed by his unexpected encounter with Dan Li Yeon, but he tried not to think about it too much. However, once a mind is disturbed, it is not easy to calm it down.
He thought about going back to the inn, but he didn’t feel like drinking, so he just walked home.
It was late at night, so the walk home was quiet, even eerily quiet. Especially since his house was near a slum, it was completely deserted at night.
When he reached an empty lot after passing through the slums, he suddenly looked up. Something had been tugging at his senses for some time, and it suddenly became stronger as he entered the lot.
Lee Gwak stopped and looked around. A cold voice emerged from the darkness.
“You have good instincts.”
Three figures emerged from the shadows.
Their faces swollen and bruised, they were the same three berserk demons who had been thrown out of the inn by Mok Seon Wol.
The third demon’s dislocated arms seemed to be snapped back into place.
Lee Gwak’s brow furrowed slightly at their appearance.
“What brings you here?”
“What brings us?”
Their faces twisted unpleasantly, especially that of the First Demon, which was still swollen from their earlier disgrace.
Humiliated by Mok Seon Wol, they had lost all face and could no longer show themselves to the Jade Heaven Alliance.
Eventually, they gave up on joining the Jade Heaven Alliance. However, they couldn’t just leave because their anger hadn’t subsided. And then they found Lee Gwak alone outside.
The Outer Hall martial artist who had dared to confront them at the inn.
Without any discussion, they unanimously agreed to take out their frustration on Lee Gwak.
It was a cowardly move, but the Berserk Three Demons, their pride deeply wounded, had no luxury of noble thoughts.
“Did you just ask what’s going on?”
“Yes, I did.”
“After going with that Mok Seon Wol bitch, you have become bold. You dare to argue with me?”
“…”
“Enough talk, come here. You’ll be the one to soothe our anger today.”
The first demon shamelessly declared, a statement so embarrassing that anyone else would have wanted to hide. But the second and third demons agreed.
“Ho-ho! Don’t worry, we won’t kill you.”
“Just break an arm or a leg.”
Lee Gwak’s eyes narrowed.
These were three people who were considered powerful in the Jianghu, people who enjoyed wealth and fame. He hadn’t expected their minds to be so narrow, so he could only sigh.
“So you want to take out your anger on me because you were defeated by Lady Mok? That’s not only cowardly, it’s despicable.”
“How dare you!”
In an instant, the first demon let out a roar and charged forward.
Lee Gwak’s words had pierced his heart like a dagger. He had decided to smash Lee Gwak’s hateful face with one blow by concentrating his energy in his fist.
And then it happened.
Swoosh!
The hissing sound in the First Demon’s ears was like thousands of snake scales rustling.
Suddenly, a tremendous force sent him flying backwards.
“What the…?”
He had no time to ask as his body was hurled through the air. The first demon, shot out like lightning, collided with the third demon, and both fell to the ground.
“What’s happening?”
The second demon, sensing the strange atmosphere, charged at Lee Gwak. At that moment, Lee Gwak’s left hand sliced through the air.
Swoosh!
Something long and black, like a viper, slashed at the Second Demon.
“Hmph!”
With a sneer, the Second Demon tried to grab the dark, long object. But it wriggled and wrapped itself skillfully around its forearm.
“Argh!”
She gritted her teeth in pain.
Only then did she notice what had entangled her wrist: a whip, elastic like a black snake, with a metal dart attached to its end.
“Meteor hammer? Impossible.”
The Second Demon tried to rip it off with her immense strength. But then Lee Gwak’s fingertips trembled subtly, and suddenly the meteor hammer tightened around the Second Demon’s forearm with tremendous pressure.
Zap!
“Ah!”
Flesh and muscle were ripped from her arm by the whip, spraying blood everywhere. Agonizing pain engulfed the Second Demon.
“Stop it!”
“Charge!”
The first demon and the third demon, regaining their senses, rushed to save the second demon. Despair filled their faces.
They had never imagined that this low-ranked martial artist could possess such power. This unexpected strength made them even more confused.
They unleashed their full power in a deadly strike.
Swoosh!
Their swords sliced through the air, sharply aimed.
At that moment, Lee Gwak shook the meteor hammer violently. The body of the second demon flew through the air like an uprooted tree, heading straight for the first demon.
The first demon tried to catch it using the technique of four ounces repelling a thousand pounds, confident in his ability to handle any formidable force. But that thought was shattered in an instant.
Lee Gwak, flying under the airborne Second Demon, resembled a swallow gliding over water, his body low and swift. The sight of Lee Gwak attacking was terrifying.
“That bastard… ugh!”
Thud!
At that moment, the first demon’s head snapped back, and the hilt of Lee Gwak’s sword struck it in a reverse grip.
Fortunately, the blunt end of the hilt prevented it from piercing his skull, but his consciousness faded. Lee Gwak’s knee then crashed into the first demon’s stomach.
Crack!
“Argh!”
The first demon collapsed, feeling as if his stomach was being ripped open. Lee Gwak’s elbow then hit his temple.
The first demon vomited blood and lost consciousness.
“Chan Seong!”
The second demon called out to the first demon, but he was beyond responding, merely twitching.
“You son of a bitch!”
The second demon, trembling with rage, looked for Lee Gwak. At that moment, the meteor hammer flew towards her.
Swoosh!
The second demon wielded her sword. Confident that her blade would easily sever the meteor hammer, she was shocked when its trajectory cleverly shifted, causing her strike to miss.
Thump!
“Ah!”
Suddenly, the second demon screamed, doubling over as the meteor hammer penetrated her left foot.
Lee Gwak swung his hand, and the second demon’s body was flung upside down into the air.
“Stop this!”
The third demon, previously sprawled on the ground, attempted to save the second demon. However, before he could fully react, the second demon crashed to the ground, landing on her shoulder and unable to lift her head.
The third demon roared at Lee Gwak.
“What are you?”
Doubt and fear filled his eyes.
He never imagined that a mere outer hall martial artist, whom he hadn’t even considered a human, could possess such immense martial prowess.
“What the hell are you?”
His desperate cries echoed through the night air. But Lee Gwak did not answer his question. No, he couldn’t.
Although he had sparred with copper statues countless times in the Steel Hell Blood Training Hall, this was his first real fight against a martial artist. Regardless of his martial arts skills, he was naturally nervous.
Lee Gwak concealed his trembling with silence, and hid his agitation with a sunken gaze.
Now was the time to show overwhelming strength.
A talkative person could never intimidate an opponent.
Lee Gwak silently approached the Second Demon.
The second demon, retreating, tripped over the prostrate body of the first demon.
“Ugh!”
It was a mistake she would never have made under normal circumstances.
Lee Gwak seized the opportunity.
The meteor hammer in his hand sliced through the air at a terrifying speed.
Whoosh!
The black serpent seemed to fill the sky, writhing. In the midst of it all, the second demon was lost.
There was no way out. She lost her balance and fell, feeling as if she was being sucked into the ground, as if she had fallen into an ant hell.
The meteor hammer didn’t miss this chance.
Pummel!
It struck her body dozens of times in rapid succession. Ultimately, the Second Demon collapsed without even a scream, her body drenched in blood, resembling a bloody figure.
“Phew!”
Only then did Lee Gwak let out a soft sigh and draw back the meteor hammer. The three-zhang-long weapon quickly disappeared into the sleeve of his left arm.
This was the first real battle where he had used his hidden Invisible Puncture Art. Lee Gwak was satisfied to know his rigorous training had not been in vain.
He was no longer a powerless dog.
The wolf’s fangs he possessed were sharp and strong enough to tear apart the high-ranking martial artists of the jianghu.
Lee Gwak approached the fallen Second Demon.
The Second Demon looked up at him with bloodshot eyes.
“You… you are not just an outer hall martial artist. A master like you cannot merely be an outer hall member… Ah, I see! You must be a hidden master of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
She convinced herself after blurting out the words.
Indeed, Jade Heaven Alliance often secretly placed masters in various organisations, known as secret warriors.
These warriors blended into organisations, always ready for emergencies. In a crisis, they were to escape and report to the Jade Heaven Alliance for a strategic response.
The Second Demon thought Lee Gwak was one of Jade Heaven Alliance’s secret warriors. It was the only explanation that made sense, from Lee Gwak’s bold actions at the inn to the martial prowess he displayed.
Her already pale face turned ashen.
If Lee Gwak truly was a secret warrior, meddling with him could provoke Jade Heaven Alliance’s retaliation. Even if they came at the invitation of Outer Court’s leader, meddling with a secret warrior could not go unpunished.
“We will leave this place and never bother the Jade Heaven Alliance again. Please, just spare our lives.”
“Will you truly never return here?”
“Yes, we’ll never return. And I’ll never reveal your identity as a secret warrior.”
Lee Gwak realised that the Second Demon had misunderstood his identity.
He knew about the secret warriors, but he understood that they were not assigned to the outer hall. They were believed to operate only in the inner court or higher.
Lee Gwak didn’t want to correct this misconception. It was beneficial to him.
“You may leave.”
Lee Gwak stepped aside. The Second Demon struggled to her feet, trying to help the other two men leave.
As Lee Gwak silently watched them depart, there was a sudden movement.
Swoosh!
Three flashes of light appeared.
“Argh!”
The three, supporting each other, collapsed with a cry. Lee Gwak rushed towards them in alarm.
Each had a sharply honed dagger deeply embedded in their chests.
“Co…couldn’t you have spared us?”
The Second Demon looked resentfully at Lee Gwak, thinking that he had thrown the daggers, and then breathed her last.
Lee Gwak looked briefly at their corpses before turning his gaze towards the source of the daggers.
“In the Jianghu, mercy is necessary, but only to the right people. These men were never ones to keep promises.
A voice emerged from the darkness, hardening Lee Gwak’s expression.
He recognized the voice.
‘Nam… Woo gyeong!’
The figure stepping out of the shadows with a mischievous smile was none other than Nam Woo Gyeong.
His approach, usually casual and smiling, now exuded a sense of intimidation. His usual frivolous demeanour was nowhere to be seen.
“How did you…”
“The slums are my territory. Everything that happens here reaches my ears.”
“…”
“Lee Gwak!”
“Yes!”
“We seem to have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”
Nam Woo Gyeong smirked.