Martial Artist Lee Gwak
Chapter 35: The Thread of Fate Leads to Unpredictable Places (1)

Light Novel: Volume 2 Chapter 10

Manhwa: Chapters 35-36

Episode 4. The Thread of Fate Leads to Unpredictable Places (1)

Lee Gwak looked back and forth at the two people sitting in front of him with a frown.

Nam Woo-gyeong was emptying his cup, and Lim Sobo was busily eating with her chopsticks. They were sitting in Lee Gwak’s house.

Nam Woo-gyeong looked around the house and commented,

“Nice! Had I known it would turn out like this, I would have bought it myself.”

“You’ve seen this house before?”

“I’ve seen it a few times in passing, but I didn’t like it back then because it was so rundown. But now that you’ve fixed it up, it looks quite good.”

“If Uncle had bought it, he probably wouldn’t have fixed it up like this. It’s only because Brother did that it’s been repaired to this extent.”

“You underestimate me too much. If I set my mind to it, this is nothing.”

“Why don’t you try then?”

“Forget it. I have no reason to set up a house in the Jade Heaven Alliance’s front yard.”

“Haven’t you been hanging around long enough to get attached?”

“Enough of that.”

Since they arrived, the two hadn’t stopped bickering. Lee Gwak sighed.

He hadn’t expected his house to become open to the public like this.

The two casually took their seats and sat and chatted, as if they had been coming here for a long time.

“Phew!”

Lee Gwak shook his head and took a drink.

It looked like he might have to give up on the comfort of being alone this evening.

“Lee Gwak!”

Suddenly, Nam Woo-gyeong called out to him.

“Yes?”

“I like you. From now on, call me big brother.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve taken a liking to you. From now on, I’ll consider you my brother. So, treat me like one too.”

“……”

Lee Gwak blinked at Nam Woo-gyeong’s sudden announcement, not understanding how the conversation had taken this turn.

Just then, Lim Sobo’s eyes lit up. The Nam Woo-gyeong she knew was not the kind of person who would open up to just anyone. In fact, even he hadn’t opened up to her, despite her persistent attempts to visit him constantly for the past four years.

‘Is there something special about Brother Gwak?’

The Lee Gwak she knew was surely an ordinary member of the Outer Hall. His demeanor had become a bit more intense recently, but there seemed to be no reason for Nam Woo-gyeong to take special notice of him.

Nam Woo-gyeong extended his cup to Lee Gwak.

“If you consider me your brother, then pour me a drink.”

“……”

Lee Gwak alternated his gaze between the cup and Nam Woo-gyeong. Nam Woo-gyeong didn’t avoid his gaze.

At that moment, Lee Gwak saw it.

The intense will hidden in Nam Woo-gyeong’s cynical eyes.

I don’t know what it was, but it was so strong that it didn’t seem like it could ever be broken. It was overwhelming.

Lee Gwak finally spoke,

“I don’t know if the word ‘brother’ is something simple that can be sealed with a drink for you, but for me, it’s not.”

“……”

“To me, a brother is someone I’ve known for a long time, who can share everything with me, who will never betray me no matter the circumstances, who can bleed with me even though we don’t share the same blood, and ultimately, someone for whom I could willingly give my life. Do you consider yourself such a person?”

Lee Gwak’s voice was very low. Yet, it resonated clearly and distinctly.

‘Hic!’

Lim Sobo sucked in an involuntary breath, that was how strong and impactful Lee Gwak’s voice was.

Until now, she had considered the man before her as merely ordinary. She had never dreamed he would show such a side at this moment. That’s why it felt even more intense.

Lee Gwak hadn’t planned on speaking so strongly. Like Ki Jinhwi, who had recently joined Squad 13, he could have just casually agreed to be brothers. But Nam Woo-gyeong clearly wanted more than that. Hence, Lee Gwak felt the need to draw a clear line.

Lim Sobo looked at Nam Woo-gyeong nervously. She knew him to be a person who wouldn’t tolerate such words from a mere Outer Hall warrior.

‘Gulp!’

Lim Sobo swallowed dryly without realizing it.

She was worried about how to calm Nam Woo-gyeong down if he got angry.

Despite appearing shabby, Nam Woo-gyeong was the head of the Hao clan. If he bore ill will, there would be no place in this world where Lee Gwak could stretch his legs and rest in peace. From then on, all hell would break loose.

Nam Woo-gyeong seemed surprised by Lee Gwak’s response and just stared at him for a moment. But then he burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! You’re right. True brothers should indeed be like that. Perhaps I thought too lightly of it.”

“Phew!”

Relieved that Nam Woo-gyeong’s reaction wasn’t as bad as expected, Lim Sobo let out a sigh of relief.

“I won’t force you to be your brother anymore. Instead, I’d like to offer you a cup of apology. Will you accept it?”

“Gladly.”

Finally, Lee Gwak accepted Nam Woo-gyeong’s cup.

Nam Woo-gyeong smiled broadly and filled the cup to the brim. Lee Gwak drank it without hesitation.

‘He definitely has a connection to the Red Flower Pavilion.’

It was the same taste of the drink he had at the Red Flower Pavilion a few days ago.

Lee Gwak wiped his mouth with his sleeve and handed the cup back to Nam Woo-gyeong.

“Now pour me a drink.”

“Yes!”

Nam Woo-gyeong drank the full cup without hesitation. Lim Sobo murmured as she watched him.

“Che! Boring.”

Despite her words, a look of relief flashed across her face. She was so relieved that Lee Gwak hadn’t come to any harm.

Part of her wondered what Nam Woo-gyeong had seen in Lee Gwak to make him want to be his sworn brother.

‘What did he see in Brother Lee Gwak? Did he see something that I didn’t?’

The question grew in Lim Sobo’s mind.

She decided to look into Lee Gwak more closely.

The housewarming ended late in the evening.

Lim Sobo returned to the inner city without any results, and Nam Woo-gyeong also left, slightly drunk.

He staggered back to the slum, looking as if he might fall at any moment. But the moment he reached the slum, he straight as if he had never been drunk. There was no trace of intoxication on his face.

At that moment, an old man with platinum hair and gray eyes appeared behind him without a sound.

“Master!”

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Why did you make such an offer to a mere Outer Hall warrior?”

“Because it’s interesting.”

Nam Woo-gyeong answered without a moment’s hesitation, causing a questioning look to appear on the old man’s face.

“What do you mean?”

“Lee Gwak has been to Mount Shaohua.”

“Just for that reason?”

“Before he went to Mount Shaohua, he was laid up for a year and paralyzed from the waist down. This was all because he was attacked by Gwan Il-hyeon, who came as a messenger from the Celestial Demon Union.”

“Hmm!”

“Imagine, a man couldn’t move for an entire year because of an unwarranted assault. And the Jade Heaven Alliance just looked the other way as he was left in that state. What must he have felt?”

The old man kept his mouth shut and listened intently to Nam Woo-gyeong’s words.

Nam Woo-gyeong turned around. He looked in the direction of Lee Gwak’s house, though it was obscured by other buildings.

“When everyone thought it was all over for him, he got up and went to Mount Shaohua.”

“Mount Shaohua?”

“Yes! The place where the Steel Blood Hell Training Ground was opened. He spent another three years there. And apparently, he was quite trusted there as well.”

“I can’t believe you would pay attention to Lee Gwak just for that reason.”

“A few days ago, I entertained the leaders of the Outer Hall at the Red Flower Pavilion, and among them was Lee Gwak.”

“Hmm!”

“He was with Choha. You know, she has a lot of experience with men and is skilled. She doesn’t easily give her affection to men, and she definitely doesn’t lie. But she lied that day.”

“About what?”

“She said she slept with Lee Gwak. But it was a lie.”

Choha did her best to lie, but watching her reaction, Nam Woo-gyeong realized she was lying.

“I was curious. A man who could make the experienced Choha fall head over heels and lie about it. What secret does he hold? What are his intentions?”

“So, did you find out?”

“He has mastered martial arts.”

“That’s obvious, being a warrior of the Outer Hall–”

“It was significant. The force of his energy was so strong that the floor stones, made of hard bluestone, sunk or shattered. As you know, bluestone is extremely hard and doesn’t budge unless significant internal energy is applied.”

“Hmm!”

“There were traces of martial arts all over the courtyard. Yet, I couldn’t determine his level of skill.”

“You mean…?”

“Yes. It’s clear he’s mastered martial arts, but to what extent, I couldn’t tell.”

“Hmm!”

The old man had an expression of disbelief.

His disciple and the head of the Hao clan, Nam Woo-gyeong, possessed exceptional insight. Even the most skilled martial artists could not hide their level of achievement, their skill, from his gaze. Yet here was a warrior whose skill level Nam Woo-gyeong couldn’t discern.

“Could he be a spy from the Celestial Demon Union? Or has he mastered some special martial arts?”

“Haha! That’s why I proposed that we become brothers. Once we stay close together, I’ll eventually learn more about him. But as you can see, I was flatly rejected. Me, Nam Woo-gyeong.”

“So, what will you do now?”

“Get closer to him.”

The old man tilted his head in confusion.

“If he’s going to be a problem, wouldn’t it be better to get rid of him early on?”

“Isn’t this more interesting? Who knows? He might become a powerful ally for us.”

“That’s not a funny joke. How much could a mere Outer Hall warrior have learned? Especially after lying bedridden for a year?”

“Yes! That’s why I’m quite confused yet curious right now. I want to know if it’s just my imagination, or if he is really hiding his true abilities?”

Nam Woo-gyeong chuckled mischievously.

* * *

Lee Gwak looked around the house.

Nam Woo-gyeong and Lim Sobo had left, but traces of their visit remained.

Lee Gwak silently cleaned and did the dishes. By the time he finished everything, it was late at night.

“Phew!”

It had been a hectic day.

He sat down on a wooden bench and stared blankly at the sky for a while.

The countless stars twinkling in the night sky filled his retinas.

He didn’t feel like doing anything else. Lee Gwak just sat there blankly for a long time.

It was almost half an hour later when Lee Gwak got up from the bench. He drew his sword and walked to the center of the courtyard.

The bluestone-paved courtyard was as good as any training ground. The courtyard was the area where Lee Gwak had put the most effort during the house renovation.

Swish!

Lee Gwak’s sword cut through the air.

The straight sword pierced through the mountain– Mountain Splitting Slash,

Raging waves pressed down the rock– Raging Tidal Force.

Striking without leaving a shadow– Shadowless Strike,

A blood-red dragon spewing fire– Blood Dragon Roar.

A single sweep scours away the demons– Lone Scorch Demon,

A dark shadow kills the phantom– Phantom Shadow Assassinate.

Iron blood shakes the heavens– Heaven Shattering Iron Blood,

Shattering all eight gateways– Eight Gateways of Destruction.

The eight techniques of the Eight Sects Sword Art flowed out as smoothly as unraveling a thread.

It was intense as lightning when it needed to be strong, and as gentle as a spring breeze when it needed to be soft.

The swordsmanship unfolded as he intended.

Previously, he had been stuck at the seventh technique, Heaven Shattering Iron Blood, and the eighth, Eight Gateways of Destruction, but strangely, they flowed out smoothly this time.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The still courtyard was whipped into a frenzy with the fierce sword wind.

Lee Gwak forgot everything else, focusing solely on the sword, and just like that, he was becoming one with it.

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