Martial Artist Lee Gwak - Chapter 44: Walking Slowly, But Never Stopping (1)

Light Novel: Volume 2 Chapter 19

Manhwa: Chapter 44

Lee Gwak and Cheon-wol walked briskly through the streets.

Cheon-wol couldn’t take his eyes off the sword he still held in his embrace. Understanding the sentiment, Lee Gwak smiled.

Only those who have experienced it know how much it means to a warrior to have a sword of their own. Even if it’s a cheap one.

Just as Lee Gwak was reminiscing about the first time he received his weapon when suddenly a clear voice interrupted his thoughts—

“Brother?”

Suddenly, a crisp voice snapped Lee Gwak out of his reverie.

Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw a young girl walking towards him.

Lee Gwak recognized her immediately.

“Sobo!”

“It’s been a while, big brother.”

The girl who greeted Lee Gwak cheerfully was none other than Lim Sobo.

A fleeting glint flashed across Lee Gwak’s eyes for a moment.

He had asked Nam Woo-gyeong about Lim Sobo once during their drinking session. Nam Woo-gyeong had informed him that Lim Sobo was a disciple of Yeo Jung-wol, the genius strategist of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Lee Gwak already had a hunch that Lim Sobo was no ordinary girl, but he didn’t expect her to be a disciple of Yeo Jung-wol, making him quite surprised. However, he didn’t let on that he knew her true identity and continued the conversation casually.

“Where are you heading?”

“To see that devilish mister.”

“Who? Brother Woo-gyeong?”

“Eh? You’re already on brotherly terms with him?”

“It just happened that way.”

“Heh! That’s impressive.”

Lim Sobo looked at Lee Gwak with newfound interest.

Knowing how picky Nam Woo-gyeong was about making friends, Lim Sobo wore an expression that seemed both surprised and amused.

After observing Lee Gwak for a moment, Lim Sobo’s gaze shifted to Cheon-wol, who was still engrossed in the sword in his hand, not paying any attention to her.

Seeing Cheon-wol, who was not paying any attention to a pretty girl like herself, Lim Sobo slightly furrowed her brows.

“Who is that?”

“Oh, this guy here is Cheon-wol, a new member of our squad.”

“Cheon-wol?”

“Greet her, Cheon-wol. This is Lady Lim Sobo.”

Lee Gwak’s words prompted Cheon-wol to regain his senses and look at Lim Sobo.

‘Wow!’

Lim Sobo’s face turned bright red in an instant.

Cheon-wol’s face seemed to shine as he looked at her with an innocent expression. His features were so sharp and clear, it felt like one could cut themselves just by touching his face.

Although Cheon-wol was still somewhat preoccupied with his sword, he managed to greet Lim Sobo calmly.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Lim.”

“I’m Lim Sobo, but you can call me just Sobo. I’ll call you brother, too. Hoho!”

“What?”

“Let’s get along well. Since you’re Brother Gwak’s squad member, we’ll see each other often.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m quite close with Brother Gwak.”

Lim Sobo exaggeratedly punched Lee Gwak’s arm. Lee Gwak looked at her with an incredulous expression. Then, Lim Sobo winked at Lee Gwak, making sure that Cheon-wol did not see it.

‘Huh!’

Lee Gwak was taken aback by this unexpected side of Lim Sobo, but he couldn’t disrupt the mood and just swallowed his words.

“I have to go somewhere right now, but I’ll visit the Outer Hall next time. See you later, brother.”

“Huh? Yeah!”

Cheon-wol wore a perplexed expression at Lim Sobo’s overly forward behavior. Seemingly pleased by his reaction, Lim Sobo flashed a smile and then quickly ran off.

Watching Lim Sobo disappear swiftly from view, Chen-wol mumbled with a stunned look on his face,

“What was that? Who is that girl?”

“Yeah, I know…”

Lee Gwak said, shrugging his shoulders as he walked on. Cheon-wol quickly followed behind him.

When they got back to their quarters, everyone congratulated Cheon-wol for receiving his sword.

“Shouldn’t we have a drink on a day like today, squad leader?”

Go Cheon-gwang suggested and the others agreed with him.

“Of course, of course! It’s the day our youngest officially became a member, so we can’t let it pass without celebrating.”

“Let’s go to the tavern, squad leader. I’ll treat everyone today.”

Ki Jinhwi declared enthusiastically, leaving no room for refusal.

“Okay, fine. Let’s meet at the corner shop after our shift ends.”

“Haha! Sounds good.”

“I’m already looking forward to dinner.”

The ‘corner shop’ that Lee Gwak was a new, modest tavern that had recently opened. They called it a corner house because it didn’t have the usual signage and was located on the corner of the west end of the street.

At that moment, Ki Jinhwi said,

“By the way, squad leader, I have something to take care of. Will it be alright if I step out for a while and meet you directly at the corner shop later?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Thank you, squad leader! See you tonight.”

Ki Jinhwi said, thanking him before heading out. Then, Seok Yi-cheon grumbled,

“Where’s he off to now? Meeting a widow or something? He always has to make such a fuss about leaving. Ugh!”

Since everyone knew how close Seok Yi-cheon and Ki Jinhwi were in Squad 13, they all smiled at his comment.

After finishing their duties for the day, Squad 13 gathered at the corner shop to celebrate Cheon-wol. And with that, Cheon-wol officially became a member of Squad 13.

* * *

Lee Gwak received a call and entered the Outer Hall pavilion.

The long table in the pavilion was empty. But Lee Gwak was unfazed and took his seat. The seat he took was the furthest one, at the very end of the table.

As he sat and waited, familiar faces began to appear.

“Ah, you were here first.”

“Long time no see.”

Those acknowledging Lee Gwak were the squad leaders of the other squads. Lee Gwak stood up and greeted each of them. Being the youngest, he had to rise a dozen times to greet them.

“But why has the Hall Leader summoned us all?”

“Yeah, does anyone know the reason?”

Like Lee Gwak, the other squad leaders were also in the dark about the reason for their gathering.

Boom!

Just then, the Hall Leader, Maeng Hee-cheon, opened the door and walked in.

All the squad leaders promptly stood up and greeted Maeng Hee-cheon.

“Greetings, Hall Leader.”

Maeng Hee-cheon nodded and took his seat at the head of the table. Only then did the squad leaders sit back down.

“Everyone is here. I’ve called all the squad leaders together today because of an event that will take place soon.”

A puzzled look flashed across the faces of the squad leaders, but none of them dared to speak hastily. They were well aware of Maeng Hee-cheon’s dislike for being interrupted.

Maeng Hee-cheon’s piercing gaze swept across the squad leaders one by one.

“The Jianghu Grand Conference will soon be held at our alliance.”

“……”

The room, already quiet, seemed to grow even more silent to the point where even breathing seemed to cease.

The squad leaders’ faces showed signs of agitation as they heard the words ‘Jianghu Grand Conference.’

“The Alliance Leader and the senior leaders have decided to unite the forces in all of Jianghu in this upcoming grand battle against the Celestial Demon Union. Soon, messengers bearing letters personally written by the Alliance Leader will be dispatched to visit the factions of Jianghu.”

It was an invitation sent in the name of the Alliance Leader.

Even the most powerful factions, the Ten Supremes, wouldn’t be able to ignore an invitation sent in the name of the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance. Whether they liked it or not, they had to respond and attend the Jianghu Grand Conference.

“This Jianghu Grand Conference will be the first that will be held in a hundred years. Many notable masters and sect leaders, or their equivalent representatives, will be attending. It’s the largest gathering of outsiders since the foundation of the Jade Heaven Alliance, so everyone needs to be extremely vigilant. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“The fact that the Jianghu Grand Conference is taking place is still a secret, so don’t mention it to your subordinates. Only the squad leaders should be aware.”

“Understood.”

“The responsibility for the external defense of the Jade Heaven Alliance lies with our Outer Hall. So, don’t forget that if any unfortunate incident occurs, we will be the ones to blame. Make sure to check your assigned areas thoroughly and strengthen the guards.”

Maeng Hee-cheon paused briefly and looked at the squad leaders with a fierce gaze. The squad leaders waited tensely for his next words.

“If word gets out about the Jianghu Grand Conference, the Celestial Demon Union will try everything to disrupt it. If they manage to penetrate our defenses and infiltrate the main faction, it could lead to a major disaster, so be extremely cautious.”

“Yes!”

The squad leaders unanimously replied, and Maeng Hee-cheon nodded, seemingly pleased with their response.

Given the importance of the matter, Maeng Hee-cheon reiterated,

“For now, keep this information among yourselves only. Understood?”

“Yes!”

“Good. All of you may leave now.”

“Yes!”

“Oh, and leader of Squad 13, stay behind.”

Lee Gwak looked puzzled as he was singled out. The other squad leaders glanced at him curiously as they left.

Once alone, Maeng Hee-cheon spoke to him,

“Squad Leader Lee.”

“Yes!”

“Do you know of Master Ma Duwon from the Creation Pavilion?”

“Yes, I know of Master Ma.”

“How so?”

Maeng Hee-cheon’s tone sharpened slightly, but Lee Gwak responded calmly.

“I once assisted him with some tasks at Mount Shaohua.”

“Hm, is that why?”

“Why do you ask?”

“There was a dispatch request from the Creation Pavilion, and they specifically requested for your presence.”

“Me?”

“Yes, so you are to go to the Creation Pavilion tomorrow.”

“Then, what about the defenses of the outer perimeter?”

“Your squad will be exempt from its duties until the end of the Creation Pavilion assignment. There are only a few of you anyway, so it won’t be a problem even if your squad is gone.”

Maeng Hee-cheon’s words carried a subtle disregard for Squad 13.

Given that the squad leader was new and the members were few, it was inevitable.

Under the current circumstances, it was not easy to recruit members, so the squad could only operate with a small number for the time being.

Maeng Hee-cheon thought this situation worked out well.

If another squad had been chosen, it would have created a significant personnel gap that would have put a huge strain on the entire Outer Hall, but Squad 13’s absence wouldn’t be noticeable due to its small size.

“Ma Duwon is a very important person in Creation Pavilion. Assist him well and make sure no complaints arise.”

“Understood.”

“Dismissed!”

Maeng Hee-cheon gestured, and Lee Gwak bowed before leaving.

Outside, Lee Gwak paused momentarily before heading towards Creation Pavilion. He decided to visit Ma Duwon while he was at it.

Lee Gwak had to prove his identity several times while passing through the main gate of the Inner Court to the Creation Pavilion. Even though he had been there several times before, there were no exceptions.

By the time Lee Gwak arrived at the Creation Pavilion, he was already quite exhausted, but he didn’t feel bad. He knew the importance of his assignment to the Creation Pavilion.

The man guarding the Creation Pavilion once again asked him the reason for his visit.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m Lee Gwak, leader of Squad 13 from the Outer Hall. I’m here to see Master Ma.”

“Ah, you must be the one that Master Ma requested. Please come inside.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Gwak bowed slightly to the guard and entered Creation Pavilion. Having been there before, he easily found Ma Duwon’s room.

“I’m Lee Gwak from the Outer Hall. May I enter?”

“Come in!”

At Ma Duwon’s permission, Lee Gwak cautiously opened the door. Inside, he saw Ma Duwon seated, but his physical condition was not normal.

His right arm was in a splint with a white cloth tied around it. It was clear that he had been injured.

“What happened?”

“I got hurt while working on a mechanism. Damn it!”

“Are you okay?”

“They said I shouldn’t move my arm for a while. That’s why I called you.”

“Me? What for?”

“I need you to be my hands and feet for a while. You’ve heard about the Jianghu Grand Conference, right?”

“Yes!”

“We’re going to do a thorough check of the Jade Heaven Alliance’s trap mechanisms before the conference. You just need to follow me and do as I say. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Lee Gwak nodded, but his questions weren’t entirely answered.

“Are you in charge of taking care of the formations as well?”

“No, they’ll be taken care of by another person.”

“Who?”

It was then.

“May I come in?”

A young voice called from outside.

A smile tugged at Ma Duwon’s lips.

“They’re here!”

Upon Ma Duwon’s approval, the door opened, and a young man and woman entered the room.

The pair consisted of a still-youthful boy and a mature woman in her early twenties. Lee Gwak, who had been looking at them indifferently, suddenly showed a flicker of interest.

“You are?”

“Oh? Brother!”

The boy’s eyes met with Lee Gwak’s.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes:

If there are any errors, whether it be grammatical, spelling, translation, or website-related issues, feel free to let me know. (´◡`) Anyway, thank you for reading!

1. Jianghu Grand Conference. Raws: 강호대회의(江湖大會議).
   • 江湖 jiānghú – rivers and lakes / all corners of the country / remote areas to which hermits retreat / section of society operating independently of mainstream society, out of reach of the law / the milieu in which wuxia tales play
   • 大 dà – big; large; great / older
   • 會議 huìyì – meeting / conference

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