Chapter 389

Lee Geom-han watched the flow of the water currents closely.

It was nearly impossible for anyone who wasn’t a seasoned fisherman or sailor to grasp the true flow of the water.

The currents were diverse.

The direction on the surface was different, and the direction in the depths below was also its own. Distinguishing and finding each of these flows was something only a person who had been active in the area for a long time could know.

But Lee Geom-han, as if to deny such common sense, read the currents deep below the surface.

“Steer the boat to port. Yes, that’s just right.”

“Yes, sir!”

Lee Gu-yeol followed Lee Geom-han’s command, breaking out in a cold sweat. Sweat streamed down his back.

‘Why is that man here?’

Even though he lived a life scraping by at the bottom of the Jianghu, he still had ears to hear.

Right now, Pyo Wol was making a name for himself with the alias Reaper, but before him, the ones who had made the Jianghu tremble were Jang Mu-guk of the Heavenly Martial Fortress and Lee Geom-han of the Radiant Martial Gate.

Besides both being successors to the Two Powerhouses, they also shared the common trait of being a Martial Maniac.

Among them, Lee Geom-han lived and breathed the blade.

Though he was proficient in other Martial Arts, he was fanatically obsessed with the blade.

His grandfather was the famous Heavenly Killing Blade, Lee Gwak.

The man who ended the second Martial World War, the Great Demonic War, with a single blade.

He was an absolute Martial Artist, called the strongest Bladesman in the history of the Jianghu.

Countless Martial Artists flocked to follow this Bladesman, who was said to have no rival in All Under Heaven when he held a blade.

The Sect formed by these voluntarily gathered Martial Artists was the Radiant Martial Gate.

As its name suggested, it was a Sect formed by Martial Artists mad about Martial Arts.

Although there wasn’t a single Martial Artist in the Radiant Martial Gate who wasn’t mad about Martial Arts, Lee Geom-han was even more special among them.

He walked the exact same path his grandfather had walked.

He went through Isolated training like a madman, and when he felt he had achieved a certain level of accomplishment, he fought like a madman.

He was defeated countless times, but he also won countless times.

He did not fear defeat.

He believed he could grow stronger through failure. And in reality, he did.

Each time a scar was etched onto his body, he grew stronger. And eventually, he was no longer defeated.

It was a famous fact that the only Martial Artist in All Under Heaven that Jang Mu-guk of the Heavenly Martial Fortress was wary of was Lee Geom-han.

Lee Geom-han was Jang Mu-guk’s nemesis and his only true rival.

For such a figure to appear out of the blue, Lee Gu-yeol couldn’t help but be tense.

Lee Geom-han wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that his Martial Sect was the Radiant Martial Gate.

It was the strongest Sect in All Under Heaven and a place where monsters mad about Martial Arts gathered.

Their intervention meant a storm in the Jianghu.

For that reason, many Sects tried not to provoke them.

Lee Geom-han’s appearance was completely outside his calculations.

The Boss, Deung Cheolung, who had sent him, hadn’t mentioned Lee Geom-han. He had been completely unaware that he was even in this area.

If Lee Geom-han were to intervene in the Poyang Lake incident, the entire area might truly be turned upside down.

Lee Geom-han was a Martial Artist with more than enough ability to do so.

‘Fuck! This is driving me crazy. How did things get so twisted?’

Lee Gu-yeol furtively glanced at Lee Geom-han.

With Lee Geom-han’s intervention, the situation was spiraling out of control.

The death of the Seven Sages Scholar alone had made the problem serious, but with Lee Geom-han jumping in, it was escalating into an unmanageable situation.

The situation was already out of his hands.

The Seven Sages Scholar had been killed by an Assassin on the boat he and the Blood Phantom Organization members were steering, and now he had no choice but to listen to Lee Geom-han’s orders.

It was then.

“Why are you so tense?”

Lee Geom-han approached him with a smile.

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing. What’s wrong?”

“It’s really nothing. I’m fine.”

“Really?”

Thud!

Suddenly, Lee Geom-han slung an arm over his shoulder.

“Ugh!”

In that moment, Lee Gu-yeol felt an immense pressure, as if his chest was about to be crushed.

Although he wasn’t an Expert, he too was a Martial Artist who had learned Martial Arts. Even so, he could barely breathe.

“Cough, keuk! Your, your arm…”

“So, where were you taking the Seven Sages Scholar?”

“I don’t… I was just asked to…”

“Asked by whom?”

“Woo Geom… Villa. Young Master Jang Ho-yeon’s…”

“Oh! He was here? I didn’t know that. Why did Jang Ho-yeon invite the Seven Sages Scholar?”

“To, to mediate…”

“Mediate what? Ah, perhaps to mediate the fight between the Golden Sky Society and the Silver Lotus Society?”

“Yes!”

“That’s strange. Jang Ho-yeon has a gloomy nature and is too proud to easily ask someone else for a favor.”

Lee Geom-han stroked his own chin with his other hand.

Lee Gu-yeol felt goosebumps all over his body.

It was because Lee Geom-han had seen right through the true nature of the man named Jang Ho-yeon.

“Hmm! Suspicious, very suspicious!”

“Your, your arm…”

“Ah! Sorry. Did it hurt?”

Lee Geom-han apologized and removed the arm he had slung over Lee Gu-yeol’s shoulder.

Only then did the color return to Lee Gu-yeol’s face.

Lee Geom-han tapped Lee Gu-yeol’s cheek with his finger.

“Anyway, I’ve remembered you.”

“Pardon?”

“You’d better come running when I call.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just know that.”

Lee Geom-han grinned and looked toward the bow again.

The boat had already arrived near a secluded reed bed on the shore of Poyang Lake.

“Looks like he came ashore around here. Good!”

“Will you pursue him?”

Gong Ji-pyo asked cautiously.

“I have to! He killed someone right in front of my eyes, I can’t just let him go. Especially since the deceased was the righteous Seven Sages Scholar.”

“Thank you. For stepping in like this when you have no connection to him at all.”

“All within the four seas are brothers.”

“Thank you. I will never forget this kindness.”

“Don’t forget that feeling for a long time.”

Lee Geom-han grinned at the disciples of the Seven Sages Scholar and launched himself into the reed bed.

In an instant, his figure disappeared into the reeds.

＊＊＊

“Heok! Heok!”

Hong Ye-seol gasped for breath.

Her body was soaked to the bone, like a drowned rat.

Entrusting her body to the water’s current using the Breath Concealment Art had been an excellent choice. Thanks to it, she had been able to arrive safely at the reed bed.

Her whole body ached as if it had been beaten with a hammer. The most serious of her injuries was the wound on her back.

It was a wound from being struck by the Blade Energy that Lee Geom-han had unleashed.

Blood was still flowing from the long gash across her back. She had hastily contracted her muscles to stop the bleeding, but it was not a fundamental cure.

She had to find a safe place and treat it as soon as possible.

Hong Ye-seol muttered.

‘I have to go to the safe house.’

The safe house was a place prepared for times like this.

Though she never thought she would actually have to use it.

Hong Ye-seol hurriedly opened the door to the workshop and entered.

“What the?”

Lee Myung-hak, who was disguised as a clerk, was startled by her sudden appearance. But he soon sensed the unusual atmosphere upon seeing the state of Hong Ye-seol’s body.

“What’s with your state? Don’t tell me you failed?”

“I succeeded.”

“Then why?”

“There was an intervention.”

“Intervention? An individual? A group?”

“An individual! A strong one.”

“How strong?”

“Strong enough that we don’t have time for a leisurely chat.”

“This is serious!”

Lee Myung-hak made a quick judgment.

It was all the more so because he knew Hong Ye-seol’s level better than anyone.

For Hong Ye-seol to return with such an injury meant that the attacker’s Martial Arts were truly formidable.

Lee Myung-hak said.

“Turn your back.”

Hong Ye-seol showed him her back without a word.

Riiip!

Lee Myung-hak tore her upper garment with a small knife. A long, horizontal blade wound was revealed.

The moment he saw the wound, Lee Myung-hak felt a shiver.

He could tell the level of the attacker just by looking at the wound.

The one who attacked Hong Ye-seol was an incredible Expert.

One he saw no chance of winning against in a direct confrontation.

‘Someone like that intervened?’

He felt a strong sense of crisis.

Lee Myung-hak hurriedly applied Golden Wound Medicine to Hong Ye-seol’s wound.

“Ugh!”

Hong Ye-seol let out an involuntary groan from the pain of the wound.

Because he had to hurry, Lee Myung-hak didn’t spare Hong Ye-seol any consideration and slathered on the Golden Wound Medicine. Thanks to that, Hong Ye-seol had to endure a hellish pain.

Lee Myung-hak finished by tying a white cloth around Hong Ye-seol’s wound.

Without a moment’s rest, he spoke to the Subordinates inside the workshop.

“Everyone, withdraw immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Subordinates began to withdraw with their reply.

There was not a hint of hesitation or question in their actions.

It was because they knew that Lee Myung-hak’s judgment had never once been wrong.

There were no documents or items to be destroyed.

They had all been incinerated the moment Hong Ye-seol left for the mission.

Since they only had to get themselves out, their actions were extremely swift.

In the meantime, Lee Myung-hak handed Hong Ye-seol a pre-prepared martial arts uniform and said.

“You know we can’t move together. Change into those clothes and get out on your own.”

“Don’t worry. I had no intention of receiving any more help.”

“Well, someone of your caliber would have prepared a means or two of escape in advance.”

Hong Ye-seol didn’t become one of the Ten Blood Assassins for nothing.

To become a top-tier Assassin, one had to be well-versed not only in Killing Method but also in Stealth Skill and securing a Retreat Path.

Hong Ye-seol possessed skills worthy of a top-tier Assassin. She would get out just fine on her own even if left alone.

“See you later.”

“Wait!”

“Why?”

“Where did this request come from?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? The Master gave it directly.”

“So, this is the first time the Master has given a request directly without revealing the client’s identity, isn’t it?”

“Hmm!”

“Did this ever happen when you were active?”

“Never!”

Lee Myung-hak’s face hardened.

Only then did he realize that this mission was different from a typical request.

“It seems we’ve gotten tangled up in something troublesome. I’ll look into this matter, so let’s get out of here for now.”

“Got it.”

“Be careful. If you need anything, take it from here.”

“Don’t worry about me, just make sure you get out safely.”

“See you later.”

Lee Myung-hak went outside first.

Hong Ye-seol also took what she needed from the workshop’s weapons and left.

Inside the workshop they had left, only the brazier was raising flames. Just as the brazier’s flames were noticeably weakening from the lack of fuel.

Kwaang!

Suddenly, with a loud explosion, the workshop wall burst open.

A man appeared through the collapsed wall.

The man entering with a long blade at his waist was none other than Lee Geom-han.

“What? They’ve already left? Quick on their feet.”

Lee Geom-han muttered as he looked around the empty workshop.

There was no sign of anyone inside the workshop.

“For the brazier’s flame to have weakened this much, they must have left between half a Shichen and one Shichen ago.”

Lee Geom-han deduced when the people who were here had left just from the brazier’s flame.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on some items piled up in a corner of the workshop.

The item that didn’t fit in a workshop was saltpeter.

Because of saltpeter’s property of exploding when it catches fire, it was an item that should never be kept in a workshop.

Lee Geom-han muttered as he rubbed the saltpeter with his fingers.

“They must have mixed the Qi Dispersing Poison and saltpeter here.”

The scale of the workshop was larger than he thought.

At this size, the number of people involved would not be small.

Lee Geom-han straightened his back and muttered.

“Looks like I’ll have to get help from Seol Mae.”