Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Chapter 57: The Cycle of Gratitude and Resentment (1)

Light Novel: Volume 3 Chapter 7

Manhwa: Chapter 55

After parting with the Lim siblings, Lee Gwak went shopping.

He bought some rice, meat, and various other side dishes. He thought he had managed to buy just enough, but when he left the market, he found himself laden with bags.

The first thing Lee Gwak did when he got home from the market was to open the windows to ventilate the house. Then, he cleaned it.

He dusted, swept, and mopped the room.

“Phew!”

It suddenly occurred to him that cleaning might be harder than practicing martial arts.

After he finished cleaning, Lee Gwak lay on the platform bed and stared blankly at the sky.

The setting sun left the sky filled with stars, seemingly about to spill out at any moment. Lee Gwak blankly gazed at this scene.

As he looked at the endless sea of stars, suddenly, someone’s face popped in front of him.

“What are you doing?”

The person who suddenly showed her face was Han Socheon. She looked down at him with a curious expression.

Despite her appearing as silently as a stray cat, Lee Gwak wasn’t surprised. He just replied,

“Just watching the stars.”

“Stars?”

Han Socheon lay down beside him.

The sea of stars, filling the sky as if about to pour down any moment at her, entered her vision as well.

“How nice!”

“Indeed!”

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve really looked at the sky like this before.”

Since being assigned to the Hidden Blood Battalion, she hadn’t had a single day of rest or peace. Always walking the fine line between life and death, she never had the leisure to look up at the sky.

Han Socheon stared blankly up at the night sky. A tear briefly formed in her eyes before disappearing.

At that moment, Lee Gwak spoke.

“Have you had dinner?”

“Not yet!”

“Then, let’s eat.”

Lee Gwak immediately jumped up to his feet.

“Big brother?”

“I’ll prepare it. You should just continue lying down and rest.”

Without waiting for Han Socheon’s response, Lee Gwak headed to the kitchen.

Han Socheon could only watch his retreating figure, unable to say a word.

‘Big brother!’

Now that she thought about it, it was truly a strange relationship.

Lee Gwak was the first person she met in the Jade Heaven Alliance, where she drifted after losing everything, and he was also the one who became her mental and emotional support when she was pushed to her limits in the Steel Blood Hell Training Ground on Mount Shaohua.

Following Chul Geuk-jin, she was then assigned to the Hidden Blood Battalion, where she performed and completed countless missions. The brutal tasks that surpassed human limits wore down her humanity, eventually bringing her to her breaking point. That’s why she couldn’t sleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, the faces of those who had died by her hands haunted her. She then became afraid to sleep, so she spent countless nights tossing and turning.

When Han Socheon returned to the Jade Heaven Alliance, her insomnia had reached its peak, driving her into a mental corner. Having spent nearly a month without a proper sleep, she even contemplated suicide.

She sharpened her dagger and held it to her throat everyday. But just as the temptation to just end it all and find peace grew stronger, Lee Gwak suddenly came to mind.

She then remember the promise they made to each other long ago, and driven by a ‘what if’ thought in her heart, she sought out Lee Gwak. Then in his embrace, she found sleep for the first time in months.

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Every time she reached a low point in her life, Lee Gwak was always there. It was as if the heavens had prepared him as a gift for her as she struggle through life.

Han Socheon suddenly looked at her hands.

On the surface, they looked clean and unblemished. However, upon closer inspection, there were various small and large scars scattered all over.

And… the scent of blood that never fades away.

Han Socheon clenched her fists tightly.

She knew.

The scent of blood would follow her until her death.

‘I can’t let big brother be swept up in my fate.’

That was why Han Socheon secretly visited Lee Gwak without anyone knowing.

If others found out about her relationship with him, his fate would also undoubtedly become tumultuous.

“Haa…!”

Han Socheon suddenly sighed.

She felt that she was being selfish for having such thoughts.

If she truly cared for Lee Gwak, she shouldn’t have come here, even if it meant spending her nights in insomnia.

Numerous thoughts cluttered her mind.

It was when she was struggling to come to any conclusion—

“Let’s eat.”

Lee Gwak’s voice reached her.

In that moment, the complex thoughts cluttering her mind were washed away.

As if by magic.

Lee Gwak walked over to where Han Socheon was lying on the platform bed, carrying a tray of food with him.

The dishes were made from the ingredients he had bought at the market that day. They were simple, but filled with Lee Gwak’s care and effort. Lee Gwak set the table on the platform bed.

“You’ve been waiting a long time, let’s eat.”

“Big brother!”

“What is it?”

“Nothing!”

Han Socheon smiled weakly and picked up her spoon.

“This looks delicious.”

“Eat a lot. I made plenty for you.”

“Okay!”

Han Socheon nodded.

Lee Gwak also smiled and began to eat.

Clatter!

For a while, only the sound of the chopsticks clinking against the bowl echoed.

Han Socheon really enjoyed the food.

When she returned from a successful mission, she would be rewarded with a rare treat. But none of the food she had eaten then had ever tasted as good as what Lee Gwak made now.

Han Socheon chewed every bite of everything Lee Gwak had made. Seeing her, Lee Gwak asked,

“Do you want another bowl?”

“Yes!”

Lee Gwak scraped the remaining rice from the rice cooker for her.

That night, Han Socheon fell asleep in Lee Gwak’s embrace again.

Hoo! Hoo!

Only her labored breathing and soft snores echoed in the room.

* * *

When Lee Gwak woke up the next day, he felt his arms empty again, but he wasn’t startled because he had already experienced this once.

He quietly got up and went outside.

There was no sign of Han Socheon anywhere in the house.

Lee Gwak drew water from the well, cleaning himself up thoroughly before heading out. Although it was still early morning, the streets were already bustling with people.

Lee Gwak blended in with the crowd as he made his way down the street. His destination was Nam Woo-gyeong’s house in the slums, but when he arrived at Nam Woo-gyeong’s house, the person who greeted him was someone entirely different.

It was an elderly man with platinum blonde hair and ash-gray eyes, Hui Yan.

Hui Yan’s eyes lit up upon seeing Lee Gwak coming into the house.

“You must be Lee Gwak.”

“Do you know me?”

“Woo-gyeong is my disciple. It would be strange if I didn’t know about the new sworn brother he has made.”

“Hmm!”

“You’ve come to see Woo-gyeong, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then you’ll have to wait. Woo-gyeong is currently meeting with an important guest.”

“Okay.”

“Sit there and wait. I’ll bring out some tea.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“Just wait a moment.”

Hui Yan did not accept Lee Gwak’s refusal for an answer.

Lee Gwak ultimately had to sit and wait in the spot offered to him.

‘A master!’

Lee Gwak’s eyes rippled.

Just locking eyes with Hui Yan’s ash-gray gaze was enough to make his entire body tense and react instinctively.

Although Lee Gwak could not ascertain the exact level of Hui Yan’s martial prowess, it was clear that among the warriors Lee Gwak had encountered so far, Hui Yan belonged to the very top tier.

Whether or not Hui Yan was aware of Lee Gwak’s tense gaze, he personally prepared the tea set.

He placed a kettle filled with water on the stove and set the teacups on the table. His movements in handling the tea leaves, which he had selected and dried himself, were highly refined, naturally exuding the grace of a true master.

His eyes were as sharp as a well-honed sword, and his hand gestures were as graceful and elegant as if he were unfolding a sword technique.

‘It is said that when a martial artist reaches the peak of their cultivation, all of their action in daily life becomes a form of technique.’

Lee Gwak thought Hui Yan had reached such a realm.

Hui Yan sat opposite Lee Gwak and carefully brewed the tea.

Swizzle!

A fragrant aroma spread from the tea poured into the cups.

Though Lee Gwak was ignorant about tea, he could sense that the tea Hui Yan was brewing was not ordinary.

“This is the hard-to-find Mao Feng Tea from Huangshan. Drinking it will clear your mind.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Gwak carefully brought the tea to his lips. The clear tea was a light yellow hue, offering a delightful fragrance that filled his mouth.

Just as Hui Yan said, the tea cleared his mind. Lee Gwak also found the taste incomparably deeper than the cheap tea he had been brewing and drinking before.

“A good tea can awaken your spirit and make you reflect on yourself. In that regard, Mao Feng tea truly deserves to be called a fine tea.”

“I think so too. It really does have a deep flavor.”

Seemingly pleased with Lee Gwak’s response, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Hui Yan’s lips. But his smile vanished too quickly for Lee Gwak to notice.

“Would you like another cup?”

“Thank you.”

Lee Gwak held out his teacup to Hui Yan, who tilted the teapot to pour more tea.

Chirrup!

Only the sound of tea pouring echoed in the quiet room.

Just then, Lee Gwak’s expression stiffened slightly. A tremendous amount of weight had flowed through the teacup he was holding.

Lee Gwak realized then that Hui Yan was testing him.

How should he react?

A thought suddenly flashed through Lee Gwak’s mind.

He considered hiding his martial prowess but then remembered that Nam Woo-gyeong already knew he was highly skilled in martial arts to some extent. Therefore, not reacting at all might actually arouse more suspicion.

Lee Gwak summoned his internal energy to counter the force Hui Yan was sending into his body through the teacup.

A flicker of interest appeared in Hui Yan’s eyes, sensing Lee Gwak’s robust energy through the teacup.

Hui Yan then deliberately injected more energy into the teacup as a test. Lee Gwak’s face immediately flushed red. It was clear that he was enduring with all his might.

Hui Yan increased his input of energy even more. In response, Lee Gwak also heightened his energy to counteract.

Crack!

The teacup in Lee Gwak’s grip trembled.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the surface of the teacup. This was due to the battle of internal energy being fought by the two men through the teacup.

Clank!

With a muted explosion, the teacup eventually burst apart. However, the tea that had filled the teacup did not scatter, it floated in the air instead, maintaining its original shape. Hui Yan’s formidable energy had prevented the tea in the cup from dispersing and falling to the ground.

Just then, the tea that floated in the air in the shape of a teacup flowed back to the teapot.

“Hmmm, it seems the teacup is not strong enough. Just wait a moment. I’ll fetch you a new one.”

“……”

Lee Gwak did not respond. He simply glared at Hui Yan with a flushed face.

Seeing Lee Gwak’s appearance, Hui Yan smiled lightly. He assumed that Lee Gwak lacked the energy to respond because he was busy controlling his disturbed energy.

‘Not bad. With such internal energy, he shouldn’t be too far behind the late-stage martial artists of Jianghu.’

Hui Yan thought that Lee Gwak’s martial arts were quite good.

For a mere martial artist from the Outer Hall to reach this level without a proper master was certainly commendable.

There were occasionally such individuals.

People who, even without anyone’s explicit guidance, grew up on their own based on their exceptional martial talent.

They were the so-called geniuses.

These individuals often built their own unique realms, constructing impregnable fortresses that many in Jianghu, filled with countless talents, could only despair at.

The current Jade Heaven Alliance and Celestial Demon Union were also the results of such geniuses. However, Hui Yan did not consider Lee Gwak to be of the same caliber as those geniuses.

Because his limits were clear.

First and foremost, Lee Gwak was already old. While his internal energy was certainly quite formidable, there was a visible limit to his growth. His muscles had already hardened with age, so it was unreasonable to expect him to grow any further.

Most of the geniuses who had made a name for themselves in Jianghu had showcased their talent in their early to mid-teens. There were hardly any who have risen to prominence later in life, at an older age like Lee Gwak.

So in Hui Yan’s opinion, Lee Gwak’s current achievements were the maximum he could reach.

‘What a pity! If only I had met him ten years earlier, I could have taught him properly.’

Hui Yan clicked his tongue and turned away. However, he didn’t particularly feel regret. Just confirming that Lee Gwak was not a threat to Nam Woo-gyeong was satisfaction enough for him.

So, he didn’t see it.

Lee Gwak releasing the breath he had been holding back.

It wasn’t just Hui Yan’s internal energy Lee Gwak was fighting against. He simultaneously also had to work to calm the snake that was about to raise its head and bare its fangs.

Contrary to Hui Yan’s thoughts, Lee Gwak had not shown his full strength.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes:

Oh my!! How exciting! This showdown between Hui Yan and Lee Gwak wasn’t shown in the manhwa. Lee Gwak just straight up saw Nam Woo-gyeong since it was already him who answered the door.

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