Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Chapter 65: Hidden Reefs Lurk in the Deep Sea (3)

Light Novel: Volume 3 Chapter 15

Manhwa: Chapter 60

“What is that?”

“Oh my god!”

The fishermen who had come out to Dongting Lake in the early morning were stunned by an unbelievable sight.

A huge ship was floating in the middle of Dongting Lake, which had been empty until last night.

It was so huge that it reminded them of a small mountain. No wonder the fishermen were surprised that such a huge ship had suddenly appeared in Dongting Lake.

Three large flags were fluttering from the mast of the enormous ship.

One flag had the words Jade Heaven Alliance written on it, while the other clearly displayed the words Sea King Ship.

Only then did the people realize that this massive ship was the Sea King Ship of the Jade Heaven Alliance—and that the Jianghu Grand Conference would be held on board the Sea King Ship.

As if to confirm their suspicions, dozens of boats were busily traveling back and forth between the shores of Dongting Lake and the Sea King Ship since early morning. They were ferrying the attendees of the Jianghu Grand Conference.

Needless to say, onlookers who came merely to catch a glimpse of the Jianghu Grand Conference couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the attendees.

A few curious individuals rented boats and headed towards the Sea King Ship, but before they could even get close, they were met with warnings from the Jade Heaven Alliance and had to turn back.

Boats that ignored the warnings were attacked and sunk by the warriors of the Jade Heaven Alliance, leaving the onlookers watching from the shores of Dongting Lake stunned into silence.

Though they had guessed that security would be tight, no one imagined that the Jianghu Grand Conference would be held right in the middle of Dongting Lake.

Forget about the attendees—even the agenda of the conference was completely unknown.

People shuddered at the meticulousness of the Jade Heaven Alliance. They were also struck with awe at the Jade Heaven Alliance’s power for being able to bring a massive ship like the Sea King Ship onto Dongting Lake away from prying eyes.

At the same time that the Jianghu Grand Conference was being held on the Sea King Ship, the Gathering of the Young Supremes was being held in the annex under the leadership of Woon Dae-yeon.

Numerous talented young figures attended the Gathering of the Young Supremes, building relationships and connections.

Everything was proceeding according to the Jade Heaven Alliance’s plan.

They had successfully organized a huge event for Jianghu. Yet, the expression on the Inner Court’s Leader, Joo Shin-yoon, who led all of these efforts, was far from bright.

He looked at his loyal subordinate who was reporting to him with cold eyes.

“So you’re saying you couldn’t find the person who killed Dark Cloud Reaper?”

“I apologize.”

At Joo Shin-yoon’s words, the subordinate bowed his head to the ground. His face was marked with guilt.

“Let’s go over it once more. Assassins from the Celestial Demon Union ambushed the Hidden Blood Battalion at the annex. Is that correct?”

“Yes!”

“And the one who led the Celestial Demon Union’s assassins is Dark Cloud Reaper.”

“That’s correct.”

“And his target was Han Socheon of the Hidden Blood Battalion. It’s assumed he came to take revenge for someone Han Socheon had killed, and that much I can understand. Such things happen.”

Those who live in Jianghu inevitably get entangled in countless grudges. This is especially true for someone like Han Socheon, who was raised as an assassin and is thus even more prone to being caught in the web of vengeance.

It wouldn’t be surprising at all if a family member or close friend of one of Han Socheon’s targets held a grudge against her. The issue, however, is that the one who came to kill Han Socheon was a figure as significant as Dark Cloud Reaper.

Although not much is known about the Dark Cloud Reaper, they still have managed to find out that he is a legendary assassin within the Celestial Demon Union.

Even though the Hidden Blood Battalion has recently achieved impressive accomplishments, they are still mere novices compared to Dark Cloud Reaper. In fact, Squad Leader Cheol Gwan-ho of Squad 1 in the Hidden Blood Battalion had been seriously wounded by Dark Cloud Reaper.

It was a major incident that wouldn’t have been strange if the Hidden Blood Battalion had been completely wiped out. However, the damage was less than expected. This was because Han Socheon had cleverly lured Dark Cloud Reaper outside.

That much makes sense. Han Socheon had acted admirably.

The fact that she could make such a calculated decision in an instant showed just how exceptional she was.

The problem was that Dark Cloud Reaper is dead. Or rather, it is assumed he is dead.

When the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance arrived, Han Socheon lay unconscious, in critical condition, and the area around her was filled with traes of an intense battle. There, they found a pool of blood, presumed to be Dark Cloud Reaper’s, as well as his poisoned weapon, the Crescent Moon Blade.

Had they not found an empty Deadly Soul-Stealing Needle nearby, the Jade Heaven Alliance martial artists would have passed by, overlooking the fact the the pool of blood as leftover traces of Dark Cloud Reaper.

“Who could have killed Dark Cloud Reaper?”

Joo Shin-yoon’s eyes gleamed chillingly.

It wasn’t Han Socheon.

They had asked her, despite her barely regaining consciousness, but she had shown no sign of knowing anything. Rather, her surprise made it seem as though she had been deeply shaken.

Even when they pressed her, they didn’t uncover anything significant.

It wasn’t a master from the Jade Heaven Alliance. The masters capable of confronting Dark Cloud Reaper were all preoccupied with preparations for the Jianghu Grand Conference, and none of them had ventured outside.

“Could it have been one of the masters who came to Dongting Lake for the Jianghu Grand Conference that killed Dark Cloud Reaper?”

“And who, exactly, would that be?”

“Well…”

The subordinate hesitated, unable to give a clear answer, his lips moving without producing words.

Joo Shin-yoon looked at him with a disdainful expression. Normally, he was not one to show his emotions, but this time, his irritation was clearly visible. It was a testament to how much this situation unsettled him.

‘To think that there’s a master in my own backyard that I don’t know about.’

Joo Shin-yoon was, after all, the Inner Court Leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance.

For him, it wasn’t enough to know everything happening within the Inner Court—he needed to have a perfect grasp of everything occurring both inside and outside the Jade Heaven Alliance. Only then could he be at ease.

If even Dark Cloud Reaper’s corpse had remained, they would have been able to speculate about the assailant through the wounds left on the body. But with him reduced to nothing more than a pool of blood, even that was impossible.

“Compile a list of all masters who were active outside during that time.”

“Understood.”

“I want you to track down not only the masters belonging to our alliance, but also all the masters who came to Dongting Lake to attend the Jianghu Grand Conference. Whoever managed to kill Dark Cloud Reaper like that must undoubtedly be a high ranking expert in Jianghu, so approach them with caution.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Dismissed.”

At Joo Shin-yoon’s gesture, the subordinate retreated carefully.

Left alone, Joo Shin-yoon threw open the window. In the distance, the vast Dongting Lake and the towering Sea King Ship came into view.

For the next three days, the Jianghu Grand Conference would take place aboard the Sea King Ship.

“Celestial Demon Union, so this is how you’ve decided to act?”

He couldn’t forgive the Celestial Demon Union for daring to send assassins to disrupt the Jade Heaven Alliance’s gathering.

If they were attacked, they had to demand a corresponding retribution. Otherwise, they would be seen as weak—that was the way of the world.

Joo Shin-yoon began to contemplate a bloody retaliation.

* * *

Han Socheon stared out the window in a daze.

It had been three days since she had woken up. As soon as she opened her eyes, the Jade Heaven Alliance began interrogating her.

Her memories were jumbled and fragmented, but she managed to recount the fight with Dark Cloud Reaper as best as she could.

The one who interrogated her was none other than the leader of the Inner Court, Joo Shin-yoon. For someone of his stature, the de facto authority of the Jade Heaven Alliance, to personally step in was no trivial matter.

Joo Shin-yoon asked her the same questions repeatedly, and only after Han Socheon gave the same answers over and over again was she allowed her freedom.

“Ha!”

She looked at her hands.

Her pale hands were covered with countless scars, and fresh ones were forming on top of them.

They were wounds she had earned from her battle with Dark Cloud Reaper. But it wasn’t just her hands. Beneath her clothes, there were deep wounds that hadn’t even scabbed over yet.

For an ordinary person, the injuries would have been fatal. Fortunately, her internal energy was deep and profound, allowing her to survive. Had the wounds been even slightly deeper, her life would have ended.

When the martial artists of the Jade Heaven Alliance found Han Socheon, they immediately brought her to the Inner Court and administered the Jade Heaven Alliance’s secret Wound Recovery Pill. Thanks to it, Han Socheon survived, but her mind remained in disarray.

“Who in the world killed Dark Cloud Reaper?”

She had been one-sidedly defeated by the Dark Cloud Reaper. He was someone far beyond her ability to challenge.

To deal with someone who had reached the pinnacle of assassination, it would require strength exceeding even that level. As far as Han Socheon knew, there hadn’t been anyone in the vicinity at the time capable of opposing him.

Joo Shin-yoon had said that Dark Cloud Reaper had disappeared from the world, reduced to a pool of blood. Yet, Han Socheon still couldn’t fully believe in his death.

“Is he really dead? That… Dark Cloud Reaper…?”

She shook her head.

Her disheveled hair brushed against her face, but she was too lost in thought to notice.

With her hands clutching her head, Han Socheon suddenly recalled hearing someone’s voice just before she lost consciousness. But the voice was so faint that she couldn’t tell if it had been real or not. But it felt inexplicably warm.

Han Socheon shook her head again. She still couldn’t be certain of anything.

It was then.

“Can you move?”

A cold voice accompanied the entry of a gaunt, middle-aged man into her room, as thin as a bamboo stalk.

His eyes were as emotionless as a venomous snake’s, and his skin was pale as if he had never seen sunlight in his life. At his appearance, Han Socheon’s expression instantly stiffened.

“My lord!”

The middle-aged man was none other than Chul Geuk-jin, the leader of the Hidden Blood Battalion.

Behind him stood Squad Leader Cheol Gwan-ho of Squad 1, his upper body tightly wrapped in white bandages. Leaning on a cane for support, he raised his hand toward Han Socheon.

‘He’s alive.’

Cheol Gwan-ho had also been gravely injured by Dark Cloud Reaper. Yet, it seemed fate hadn’t abandoned him, as he had barely managed to survive.

“How disgraceful! To think that the two key figures of the Hidden Blood Battalion would end up in such a state.”

An eerily cold light flashed in Chul Geuk-jin’s emotionless eyes, causing Han Socheon to slightly shiver under his gaze.

“I apologize, my lord.”

“To be severely injured by an old man who retired ages ago… It seems your training has been sorely lacking.”

“……”

“Were you afraid of death?”

“N… no, sir.”

“Then what is it that caused you to falter so greatly? Had you performed to your full abilities, you wouldn’t have been so utterly defeated by Dark Cloud Reaper.”

“I apologize.”

“There is nothing as shameful as this. You were brought here to deal with the assassins from the Celestial Demon Union, yet you’ve shown such a pathetic display.”

At Chul Geuk-jin’s cutting words, Han Socheon bit her lip hard. She had no excuse to offer.

Chul Geuk-jin was a man devoid of compassion, with a personality as cold as steel. To him, the Hidden Blood Battalion was nothing more than a weapon to efficiently eliminate key figures of the Celestial Demon Union.

His philosophy was simple. He believed that inefficient weapons should be discarded and be replaced by creating new ones. Because of him, countless young martial artists had been abandoned or discarded.

To be discarded was to die, and to avoid being discarded, one had to survive tenaciously and deliver results worthy of recognition.

“If you can move, get up. We’re leaving the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

“What about the Jianghu Grand Conference?”

“It ended today. There is no need for the Hidden Blood Battalion to stay here anymore.”

“Ah!”

“We’re heading straight to the battlefield. Tend to your injuries along the way.”

“Understood.”

With her response, Han Socheon got off the bed. The moment her feet touched the floor, a wave of searing pain coursed through her body, but she clenched her teeth and endured it.

Each step she took brought agony worse than hell, but she didn’t let out a single scream.

Chul Geuk-jin had no tolerance for the weak. In his mind, the weak deserved to be eliminated.

Han Socheon broke into a cold sweat as she put on her outer garment. At that moment, Chul Geuk-jin wordlessly turned around and left the room.

Han Socheon followed behind him, forcing herself to move. As she did, Squad Leader Cheol Gwan-ho approached her.

“It’s good to see you alive.”

“You too, Squad Leader.”

“I’ve already packed everything. We’ll head straight to the battlefield from here. At least that’s one relief— after all, we don’t have anyone here to say goodbye to.”

“……”

Han Socheon didn’t respond, but Cheol Gwan-ho didn’t mind. It wasn’t a comment meant to elicit an answer anyway.

As they stepped outside, the surviving members of the Hidden Blood Battalion came into view.

A few were missing, but most had made it out alive, which Han Socheon considered a small relief.

“Let’s go!”

Chul Geuk-jin ordered, climbing onto his horse.

“Yes!”

The entire Hidden Blood Battalion responded in unison and mounted their horses.

Han Socheon, too, managed to get onto her horse although barely. The effort caused her to strain her entire body, reopening her wounds and making blood flow again. However, she didn’t let out a single groan, calmly using her fingers to press her acupuncture points to stop the bleeding.

The Hidden Blood Battalion moved swiftly, leaving the inner city and heading toward the outer city.

Han Socheon quietly glanced around her.

“Why? Is there someone you’re looking for?”

Lim Moon-hye, who was riding a horse beside her, asked curiously, to which Han Socheon answered nonchalantly.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“Hmm!”

Lim Moon-hye gave Han Socheon a scrutinizing look as if trying to discern something, but she couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary.

Just then, the gates of the outer city opened.

Han Socheon’s eyes immediately lit up.

Standing beyond the open gates was a group of martial artists, lined up in formation.

They were the Outer Hall martial artists, guarding the gates as usual. But among them was a face she recognized.

‘Brother!’

It was Lee Gwak, and he was looking directly at Han Socheon.

Meeting his gaze, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Han Socheon’s lips.

For some reason, her heart felt lighter. She finally felt as though she could head to the battlefield without any lingering regrets.

Just as it had been at Mount Shaohua, she was once again being sent off by Lee Gwak as she departed for the battlefield.

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