Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Light Novel: Volume 2 Chapter 9

Manhwa: Chapters 34-35

Episode 3. Everyone Has Their Own Story (3)

Thud!

Yeo Jung-wol quietly closed the room door and stepped outside.

His expression as he left the Inner Court was not very bright.

“Master!”

At that moment, someone ran up to Yeo Jung-wol.

It was a young girl who looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old.

Her exceptionally fair skin, delicate features, and most notably, her eyes shining like bright stars, were striking.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Yeo Jung-wol’s mouth.

“You might fall, Sobo.”

“Master!”

The girl threw herself into Yeo Jung-wol’s arms.

Yeo Jung-wol briefly hugged the girl for a moment, before setting her down.

“Such a big girl, yet still acting like a child.”

“Hehe!”

The girl looking up at Yeo Jung-wol with a bright smile was Lim Sobo.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Of course. Did everything go well with your trip?”

“He was completely stubborn.”

“Seems like things didn’t go well.”

“That’s right!”

Yeo Jung-wol sighed in exasperation.

Joo Shin-yoon did not accept his opinion in the end. Yeo Jung-wol had anticipated some resistance, but Joo Shin-yoon was more stubborn than expected, leaving no room to persuade him.

“Don’t be too disheartened. You already have a contingency plan in place, don’t you?”

“Contingencies are the next best thing. The best thing is to never have to use them.”

“Master!”

“Anyway, now that I’ve gotten a good idea of what the Inner Court’s leader is thinking, it’s not a complete loss.”

Yeo Jung-wol smiled broadly.

His eyes were shining more profoundly than ever.

“Sobo!”

“Yes, Master.”

“Is he still the same?”

“Totally stubborn, like a brick wall. It’s impossible to get through to him.”

Lim Sobo shook her head as if disgusted. Yeo Jung-wol then stroked her small head and said,

“People of the Hao clan tend to be like that. Especially him, being a key figure of the Hao clan, he is more cautious and tends to weigh things more carefully. If you want to convince him, you need time to earn his trust.”

“But it’s been over three years since we met him. Isn’t that enough time to change his mind? If not yet, it seems there’s no chance in the future.”

“It’s never easy for someone who’s been living in the shadows to find their way into the light.”

“But do we really need to involve the Hao clan? No matter how great they are, they are just a group of lower-class people. Our Jade Heaven Alliance’s intelligence is remarkable. I don’t really understand why we need to involve the Hao clan.”

Lim Sobo looked at Yeo Jung-wol with a puzzled expression. Yeo Jung-wol did not rebuke her, for her question was certainly valid.

“That was certainly the case a hundred years ago. Back then, the Hao clan only had vast intelligence but lacked substantial military power. However, the Great Heavenly Blood War brought significant changes for them, forcing them to cultivate their own armed forces. Although not widely known in Jianghu, they played a considerable role during the war.”

“Ah!”

“The Hao clan didn’t disband their military organization after the war but rather continued to support and nurture it. A hundred years have passed, so you can imagine how much power they have accumulated by now.”

“I see.”

“There’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”

“What is that?”

“The intelligence capabilities of the Jade Heaven Alliance are in no way comparable to those of the Hao clan. Especially their ability to cover even the grassroots level is something the Jade Heaven Alliance can’t match.”

“Is it that significant?”

“Yes! The Jade Heaven Alliance has several intelligence organizations, and we also operate independently in the Secret Court, but even with all of them combined, they still fall short of the Hao clan. Currently, no other sect can keep up with the Hao clan in terms of intelligence, especially with the Beggar Sect practically defunct. That’s why we must win him over, by any means necessary.”

“Hoo! Then I’ll have to be more diligent about traveling in and out of the slums then.”

“If I meet him, it would attract too much attention, so you need to draw him to our side.”

“I’ll definitely win him over.”

“Good!”

Yeo Jung-wol looked at his disciple, Lim Sobo, with an expression of pride. His disciple was more gifted than anyone else. Although she was still very inexperienced and lacking in many ways, time would take care of everything.

Until then, he wanted to keep her by his side and pass on as much knowledge as possible to her.

“Sobo!”

“Yes, Master.”

“Always pay attention to the lowest places. Remember that major changes in the world always start from the lowest levels.”

“Yes! I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lim Sobo clenched her small fist determinedly.

Yeo Jung-wol watched her fondly, then turned his gaze towards the sky. Even though it was broad daylight, he could feel a murky celestial energy.

* * *

“Aren’t you bored, squad leader? Stuck in this place all day.”

Feeling much more comfortable now, Ki Jinhwi lay on the ground, talking to Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak, who had been sharpening his sword, looked at Ki Jinhwi. Ki Jinhwi continued with a frustrated expression.

“You should go out and meet some women. I’m frustrated that you’re wasting your good looks in such a confinefd place. If I were as handsome as you, squad leader, I would have swept through all the ladies in the city.”contemporary romance

“I don’t really feel like meeting women yet.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“Goodness!”

Ki Jinhwi clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Lee Gwak returned to sharpening his sword.

He no longer had lingering feelings for Geum Yul-seon, but the wounds she had inflicted on him were not yet fully healed.

He wasn’t ready to meet other women yet.

He had only taken care of Han Socheon in Mount Shaohua to repay a debt of gratitude, but not because he had any special feelings for her. He assumed Han Socheon felt the same way.

Lee Gwak only wished for her safety. He hoped she would survive to the end and one day leave the Jade Heaven Alliance to lead a happy life.

Shing!

Having finished sharpening, Lee Gwak placed the sword back in its sheath and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“You should have joined the Heavenly Intelligence Hall, not the Outer Hall.”

“Huh! What do you mean?”

“Since you can’t stand being curious, you would have been better off joining the Heavenly Intelligence Hall. Their job is to dig into others’ affairs and gather information.”

“Hehe! Is there such a place? Still, I like it here. The squad leader is great, and so is Yi-cheon. Let’s stay together for a long time.”

Lee Gwak shook his head at Ki Jinhwi’s banter and stepped outside.

‘What a strange person.’

That was Lee Gwak’s assessment of Ki Jinhwi.

Lately, there had been several people like Ki Jinhwi around. A notable example was Nam Woo-gyeong.

People who entered the Jade Heaven Alliance with a purpose or loitered around its vicinity. Although their exact intentions were unknown, it was evident they harbored ulterior motives.

After the union of the five snakes, Lee Gwak’s intuitive powers had improved tremendously. While he couldn’t pinpoint others’ exact intentions, he could sense when they were putting up mental barriers.

“Ah, big brother!”

Suddenly, a youthful voice pierced Lee Gwak’s ears.

Turning his head, he saw a young girl waving at him. Although it had been a long time since he last saw her, her face was vividly etched in his memory.

“Sobo!”

“That’s right! I wasn’t sure if it was you from a distance.”

Lim Sobo approached him with a light step.

“Hoo!”

Lee Gwak let out a soft sigh.

Lim Sobo, smiling brightly at him, was also one of those enigmatic figures.

“Why are you staring off into space?”

“When did I ever do that?”

“Hmm! You exactly have that kind of expression.”

She tilted her head, puzzled.

“Where are you headed?”

“I’m on my way out. And you, brother?”

“Me too!”

“That’s great. Let’s go together then. Hehe!”

Lim Sobo walked alongside Lee Gwak.

Despite it being almost four years since they last met, Lim Sobo was as friendly as if they had seen each other just yesterday. Lee Gwak didn’t mind her friendliness.

Together, they walked out of the main gate of the outer city.

“Where are you going?”

“Do you remember that man we saw together before?”

“Who? Nam… Woo-gyeong?”

“You still remember?”

“I ran into him by chance not long ago.”

“Really?”

Lim Sobo’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t imagined that Lee Gwak would meet Nam Woo-gyeong again.

“Anyway, it’s because my house is nearby.”

“It’s really unpredictable, how fate works. Who would have thought you’d meet that man again.”

“That’s true. Who knows if we’ll meet again now that he’s moved close by.”

“You live near the slums?”

“Sort of, it just happened.”

Lee Gwak shrugged his shoulders.

Lim Sobo looked at him with a newfound interest.

Four years was not a short time. It was long enough to forget someone, yet strangely, Lee Gwak remained clear in her memory.

Surely, her exceptional memory played a part, but it seemed there was something about Lee Gwak that captivated her attention.

‘Come to think of it, he seems more distinctive than before.’

When she first saw Lee Gwak, his face was more blurred than now. His presence had been weaker, but whatever had happened in the meantime, his appearance and gaze seemed stronger.

‘Surely he said he was with the Outer Hall.’

Lim Sobo thought she should look into Lee Gwak at some point.

No matter what the reason, it was never easy for a person to change and have such a transformation.

As they talked, they soon arrived near the slums. Lee Gwak intended to part ways with Lim Sobo there, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Hey, why are you walking with that little girl?”

The owner of the wary voice was Nam Woo-gyeong.

Lee Gwak didn’t panic and answered,

“We met by chance.”

“By chance?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm! It seems like a little fox spirit has attached itself to you.”

At that moment, Lim Sobo flared up.

“Who are you calling a little fox spirit?”

“You’re not asking because you don’t know, are you?”

“Heh! Do you think I’m coming here because I like you?”

“Then don’t come if you don’t want to. Why are you bothering people like this?”

“Well, why don’t you just give me a straight answer then?”

“I thought I already give you an answer.”

Nam Woo-gyeong wore an annoyed expression, but Lim Sobo didn’t care and stared straight back at him.

That’s when Lee Gwak spoke up.

“Then I’ll head home now, and you two can continue your conversation.”

“Home? You live around here?”

“I just moved here a while ago.”

“Aren’t you going to have a housewarming?”

“What?”

Lee Gwak looked at Nam Woo-gyeong with an incredulous expression.

Their relationship amounted to just a few encounters. Of course, he once got a drink from him, but they weren’t close enough to invite him for a housewarming. Just as he was about to refuse outright, Lim Sobo interjected.

“Right! If you’ve moved, you should have a housewarming. Let’s do it today.”

“What?”

Lee Gwak looked at Lim Sobo, wondering if he was hearing things. But seeing her grinning face, his expression crumpled.

Nam Woo-gyeong then smiled and opened his mouth.

“It’s been a while since we’ve agreed on something, little girl! I’ll buy the drinks.”

“Great. I’ll buy the food.”

“Do you have the money for that?”

“Hmph! Don’t underestimate me because I’m young. My purse are always full.”

Lim Sobo pulled out her purse and shook it, making a jingling sound.

“Hey, don’t make decisions without me.”

Lee Gwak’s voice urgently interjected between them, but neither paid him any attention.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes:

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