Martial Artist Lee Gwak - Chapter 32: Everyone Has Their Own Story (1)

Light Novel: Volume 2 Chapter 7

Manhwa: Chapters 32-33

Episode 3. Everyone Has Their Own Story (1)

Lee Gwak was sitting in a cross-legged posture.

In front of him was a table set with bottles of liquor and side dishes, and Choha sitting right across from him.

Numerous emotions crossed Choha’s face as she looked at Lee Gwak.

The first thing Lee Gwak said after entering the room was,

“I’m sorry.”

The moment she heard those words, her heart sank.

She realized why Lee Gwak had followed her. Lee Gwak did not want to spend a one-night stand in the brothel out of coercion by others.

“Is it because you don’t find me attractive?”

“No, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

“Then why?”

“Because I didn’t want to spend a night with you under the coercion of someone other than my own will. I’m sorry for misleading you.”

“You seem like a special person.”

“No, I’m just an ordinary man.”

“No. You are special. More so than any other man I have met.”

Choha shook her head.

Lee Gwak didn’t know what to say, so he kept his mouth firmly shut. Then Choha, with a smile, said,

“We don’t always have to bond physically to connect. I would like to share drinks and talk with you throughout the night. Would that be fine with you?”

When Lee Gwak nodded wordlessly, a smile appeared on Choha’s face.

She forgot about the mission given to her and talked with Lee Gwak all night long.

‘This should be fine.’

In the morning, she would have to report on who she had spent the night with. But as long as she didn’t tell, no one would know that she and Lee Gwak hadn’t slept together.

Choha consoled herself with this thought as she continued her conversation with Lee Gwak.

Most of the talking was done by Choha, and Lee Gwak listened while sipping his drink.

Choha talked and talked, unaware of the time passing by. Maybe she had always been longing for the chance to share her life story with someone.

* * *

Lee Gwak suddenly looked back.

The Red Flower Pavilion, which had been brightly lit by red lanterns all night, was now in darkness. The brothel, engulfed in darkness, felt eerily desolate.

Lee Gwak knew Choha was awake. He could tell by her breathing, the tension in her muscles, and her unnatural expressions. Yet, he had pretended not to notice and left to avoid further complications.

Lee Gwak trudged toward the direction of his house. It was still before dawn, so the streets were deserted.

Since he couldn’t wait to get home and rest, he took a shortcut. He chose a path through the slums.

As soon as he entered the slums, a foul stench assaulted him. The streets were littered with uncleaned garbage.

Lee Gwak quickened his pace. He wanted to get out of the slums as quickly as possible. But a strange sight caught his attention.

In a large clearing in the middle of the slums, there was a large platform, and atop it, someone was drinking alone.

It was almost dawn, yet the man was still drinking, which made Lee Gwak think he must be a remarkable drinker. However, since it had nothing to do with him, Lee Gwak intended to pass by without a second glance.

“Hey, you there!”

But the man on the platform, who had been drinking, called out to Lee Gwak.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yes! You’re Lee Gwak, aren’t you?”

“Do you know me?”

A gleam of suspicion flickered across Lee Gwak’s face. The man then grinned and got to his feet.

“Ah, it is you! Lee Gwak. It was dark, so I wasn’t sure. Don’t you remember me?”

The man lifted himself off the platform and walked over to Lee Gwak. His features then came into clear view.

Everything from his disheveled hair, his shabby clothes, and to his shuffling gait were all unfamiliar.

“Who… are you?”

“Tsk! Don’t you remember?”

“……”

“You saw me here before, arguing with a young girl, didn’t you?”

“A young girl?”

“Lim Sobo! You don’t remember her?”

“Ah!”

Lee Gwak exclaimed as the memory came back to him.

He had stopped by this place before leaving for Mount Shaohua and he remembered seeing a man arguing with Lim Sobo here.

His name was undoubtedly…

“Nam Woo-gyeong?”

“Yes! Now you remember. You’re rather slow-witted, aren’t you?”

“I only saw you once, three years ago. It’s strange that you still remember.”

“Tsk! With such a poor memory, how will you survive in the harsh Jianghu? Remembering and recognizing people’s faces is one of the secrets to staying alive in Jianghu.”

Lee Gwak sighed at Nam Woo-gyeong’s words.

Most people don’t remember someone they’ve only met once, especially if it was a fleeting encounter years ago.

It was not strange that Lee Gwak did not recognize Nam Woo-gyeong immediately. In fact, it was Nam Woo-gyeong who was abnormal for recognizing him from afar at a glance.

“Why are you drinking alone so miserably?”

“Well, I just got back from work and had nothing else to do, so I thought why not? Want to join me?”

“No, thank you.”

“Come on, have a drink.”

Nam Woo-gyeong shook the bottle of liquor he was holding.

“I’ve practically been up all night drinking. I’ve already had enough. I need to go back home and rest.”

Lee Gwak declined politely, but Nam Woo-gyeong did not seem to care.

“Hmm, you smell like a brothel. Did you drink at a brothel? Which one, the Red Flower Pavilion?”

“How did you know?”

A hint of wariness tinged Lee Gwak’s voice.

The name of the brothel he had stayed in was indeed the Red Flower Pavilion.

Nam Woo-gyeong’s eyes twinkled in the darkness.

“No need to be on guard, man! What other decent brothel is there around here but Red Flower Pavilion? I just took a guess. But have you moved up in the ranks? That place is pretty expensive. It’s not a place a low-ranking warrior of the Outer Hall could normally afford.”

“I’m now a squad leader.”

“Really? You’ve moved up.”

Nam Woo-gyeong’s eyes sparkled in the darkness, and Lee Gwak did not miss the change.

‘Is he related to Red Flower Pavilion?’

Lee Gwak became curious about Nam Woo-gyeong’s identity.

“Now that you’ve moved up, let me buy you a drink.”

“……”

“You don’t need to look at me with such fishy eyes. I’m just lonely, that’s all.”

“Then I’ll have just one drink.”

“Heh! One drink becomes two, and two become three quickly enough. Sit down.”

Lee Gwak sat down on the platform following Nam Woo-gyeong.

Nam Woo-gyeong handed a cup to Lee Gwak.

“Take it!”

“Yes!”

Nam Woo-gyeong poured a full cup of liquor into Lee Gwak’s cup, then filled his own until it overflowed.

“Drink up!”

“Yes!”

Lee Gwak brought the cup to his lips, then a strong aroma assaulted his nose.

A flash of realization sparkled in Lee Gwak’s eyes.

It was the same scent as the liquor he drank at the Red Flower Pavilion. It was not a drink that a shabbily dressed man like Nam Woo-gyeong could easily acquire.

Lee Gwak was convinced that Nam Woo-gyeong was related to the Red Flower Pavilion. However, he kept his thoughts to himself and calmly drank.

Nam Woo-gyeong also emptied his cup and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

“Ah! That’s the way. Only worth drinking if it’s this good, right?”

“It’s good.”

“Heh! You seem to know your liquor. So, what has happened that you have become a squad leader?”

“I just got lucky.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“Heh! Well, congratulations then.”

“Thank you.”

Nam Woo-gyeong silently observed Lee Gwak after his indifferent response. Although Lee Gwak found his gaze somewhat burdensome, he did not look away.

Nam Woo-gyeong changed the subject.

“What about that young girl?”

“Who? Ah, you mean Lim Sobo?”

“Yes!”

“That was the last time I saw her, here in this place. I haven’t seen her since.”

“Why haven’t you seen her if she’s in the city? Did she go away somewhere?”

“It would be strange to keep meeting up when we weren’t close, to begin with, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s true. Anyway, she’s a troublesome girl.”

“What do you mean?”

“Forget it, she just comes looking for me every now and then.”

“Why?”

“I wish I knew.”

Nam Woo-gyeong took another drink. Lee Gwak watched him silently.

“Lee Gwak!”

“Yes!”

“Never mind.”

It seemed like Nam Woo-gyeong had something to say but then he brushed it off.

Just then, a gust of wind blew past Nam Woo-gyeong and Lee Gwak. Lee Gwak caught a whiff of a metallic blood scent.

‘Has this man also waded through a battlefield?’

Lee Gwak sipped his drink in silence.

The drinking session ended quickly.

As the bottle emptied, Nam Woo-gyeong got up without any hesitation and told Lee Gwak to come by again.

Lee Gwak responded formally with “I will,” and returned home.

“Hoo!”

He was tired.

Lee Gwak lay down in his room and fell asleep immediately.

His house, surrounded by high walls, served as a perfect resting place. Even after sleeping for barely an hour, he felt refreshed.

After a quick wash, Lee Gwak headed to the Jade Heaven Alliance.

No matter how late the night was, he had to go to work. Upon arriving at the Outer Hall, Seok Yi-cheon greeted him.

“Gwak! I’ve been assigned to your squad.”

“Already?”

“Yes! As soon as I came in, they told me to go to your squad.”

“That was quick.”

“It is. Heh! I’m counting on you, squad leader!”

“We’ll be busy for a while since we are short on squad members. Be prepared.”

“I’m ready for whatever comes.”

“Let’s do our best.”

“Sure!”

The two men shook hands.

Now, Lee Gwak had a squad member too. Although it was just one person, the fact that he had someone to lead and be responsible for weighed heavily on his heart.

“It’s really nice to be working with you again.”

“I feel the same.”

“So, what’s our duty going to be? Isn’t it a bit much for just the two of us to guard the main gate of the Outer Hall?”

“We’ll likely have almost no guard duty at the Outer Hall until we get more members.”

“Who said that? The Hall Leader?”

“Yes! That’s what he said last night.”

“Wow, hit the jackpot. Looks like I’ll get to rest for a few more days. Heh!”

“We still need to be on standby, though. You never know what might happen.”

“Of course, we should. But it’s nice to be able to rest in the quarters, right?”

Seok Yi-cheon laughed heartily.

Lee Gwak also smiled pleasantly.

The two sat on the platform in front of their quarters, chatting away. Lee Gwak had almost lived in this place until just a few days ago.

Naturally, everything was familiar. However, he strangely felt a sense of alienation. Lee Gwak found his own feelings curious.

“By the way, how’s the house you recently got?”

“It’s good.”

“Heh! You’ve truly made it big. Now that you already have a house, all that’s left for you is to meet a girl to your liking and get married.”

“……”

“Are you still hung up on Lady Geum?”

“No.”

“Good! Never keep a woman like that in your heart. You will only get hurt.”

“Don’t worry.”

Lee Gwak smiled.

He no longer had any lingering feelings for Geum Yul-seon. But, he wasn’t ready to meet someone else either.

For now, he just wanted to live this way, uninhibited, and while didn’t know when his feelings might change, he didn’t want to force the flow of his heart.

After advising Lee Gwak for a while, Seok Yi-cheon, apparently tired, went into his room. Left alone, Lee Gwak took out the sword he was carrying on his waist.

Shring!

As he unsheathed the sword, its worn surface was revealed.

The sword had missing teeth in several places, indicating that it was in poor condition. It was a testament to how hard he’d used it while he was at Mount Shaohua.

Lee Gwak took out and set the whetstone down by the well and began sharpening the blade.

Shick! Shick!

The sound of the sword being sharpened echoed around the quiet well.

Lee Gwak forgot everything else.

The night with Choha, the drinks shared with Nam Woo-gyeong.

All he saw was the sword blade becoming sharper.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Before, he had merely maintained his sword out of habit. But now it was different.

It was as if he could hear the sword whispering to him.

Sharpen me here.

Then I’ll become perfect.

Lee Gwak complied with the whispers of the sword.

Shick! Shick!

Only the sound of the sword being sharpened reverberated, carried by the wind around the quiet well.

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