Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Light Novel: Volume 1 Chapter 5

Manhwa: Chapter 3

Episode 2: A Small Leaf is Easily Shaken Even by the Faintest Wind (2)

Gwan Il-hyeon went back, leaving only Ja Hong-cheon and Joo Shin-yoon in the hall.

Ja Hong-cheon’s gaze remained fixed on the spot where Gwan Il-hyeon had been just moments before.

With an indifferent expression, Ja Hong-cheon murmured,

“The young tiger seems to have grown bold.”

“Isn’t such a thing typically normal at his age? They tend to be at the peak of their confidence, feeling as though they have the world at their feet.”

“That’s true!”

At Joo Shin-yoon’s words, Ja Hong-cheon nodded slightly in agreement.

Ja Hong-cheon rested his chin on one hand and tapped the handle of his throne with the other. Knowing that this was a habit of Ja Hong-cheon’s when he was deep in thought, Joo Shin-yoon waited in silence.

The Jade Heaven Alliance is currently run by the Four Court Council.

The Inner Court, Outer Court, Main Court, and Secret Court– these combined entities are responsible for driving the massive force that was the Jade Heaven Alliance. All important decisions within the Jade Heaven Alliance are made in consultation with the Four Court Council.

The first leader of the alliance believed that concentration of power inevitably led to corruption, hence this structure was established. However, this did not mean that the alliance leader was just a figurehead.

The leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance was, by mere existence, a focal point for the martial world and was publicly recognized as the best in the world. No matter how strong the power of the Four Court Council was, they couldn’t deny the authority and presence of the alliance leader.

In particular, the current alliance leader, Ja Hong-cheon, without any particular background, had risen to the top of the Jade Heaven Alliance purely with his martial arts skills. But Ja Hong-cheon wasn’t just strong in martial arts. He also excelled in governance, and his political acumen was unparalleled.

This political sense was precisely what made Joo Shin-yoon wary of Ja Hong-cheon. It was obvious that this was not something Ja Hong-cheon learned, but something he was born with. He had the innate ability to always find the best answer when making political decisions by relying on his instincts rather than his head.

“Master Joo.”

Ja Hong-cheon’s voice broke Joo Shin-yoon’s reverie.

“Yes, alliance leader!”

“Is it confirmed that the Lunatic Pugilist has appeared again?”

“The Blue Dragon Squad has confirmed it.”

“Hmm! This is going to be a headache.”

“Indeed. With the Lunatic Pugilist resuming his activities again, there will likely be chaos in the martial world for the next six months at least.”

Ja Hong-cheon frowned.

The Lunatic Pugilist.

He first emerged in the Jianghu about fifty years ago.

Just as his name suggested, he was a crazy old man. If he was simply mad, nobody would have ever talked about him, but he was strong, incredibly stronger than anyone could have imagined.

The first person he clashed with upon entering the martial world was a martial artist named Lee Cheong-san, known as the Death Shadow Swordsman.² Lee Cheong-san was a renowned swordsman with a cruel streak, hence the ominous nickname.

The encounter between the two happened purely by coincidence.

Lee Cheong-san, who was unhappy with the madman’s behavior, was the first to initiate conflict. Up until that point, everyone believed that Lee Cheong-san would easily defeat the Lunatic Pugilist. However, against all expectations, the one who was defeated and lost his life was Lee Cheong-san.

With both of his legs broken and both arms torn off, Lee Cheong-san met a gruesome end. This incident both shocked and angered many. That’s why several martial artists stepped forward to seek vengeance on the Lunatic Pugilist.

However, all those who stepped up also met a brutal end at his hands.

The situation rapidly got worse and worse. Friends and acquaintances of those who had been killed by the Lunatic Pugilist sought revenge. But they, too, were brutally slain, and soon, the Lunatic Pugilist was designated as a public enemy of the martial world.

Many death squads were organized, and numerous martial artists hunted him down. Hundreds of martial artists set out to kill a single man alone. Among them were many martial artists who had reached the peak of their cultivation.

Everyone thought the Lunatic Pugilist would meet a terrible end. But the outcome was so shocking it stunned the entire martial world.

All of those hundreds of elite experts ended up being killed by the Lunatic Pugilist who was alone. It was a situation that no one could have ever imagined, so faced with this unimaginable event, the entire martial world shuddered in fear.

Eventually, as things grew out of proportion, the Jade Heaven Alliance decided to step forward.

The Jade Heaven Alliance unleashed its Net of Heaven and Earth³ to suppress the Lunatic Pugilist. However, the Lunatic Pugilist managed to escape through the Jade Heaven Alliance’s Net of Heaven and Earth, greatly tarnishing the alliance’s honor.

After that, the Lunatic Pugilist disappeared from Jianghu.

It wasn’t until many years later that he revealed himself to the world again, this time in the territory of the Celestial Demon Union, where he caused great trouble and became a target for retaliation. But once again, he managed to effortlessly escape the Celestial Demon Union’s domain.

Numerous victims fell in the process.

Among the martial artists who attacked the Lunatic Pugilist, there was not a single person who wasn’t a martial expert. Any expert pushed to this limit would, if not dead, have been severely injured. However, it was the Celestial Demon Union that suffered significant damage.

Among those killed by the Lunatic Pugilist was the second son of the former union leader. Enraged by his son’s death, the former Celestial Demon Union’s leader personally sought to kill the Lunatic Pugilist, but after that, the Lunatic Pugilist vanished and couldn’t be found.

Since then, the Lunatic Pugilist revealed himself in Jianghu once every few years or once a decade and went on a rampage for six months. Every time he appeared, Jianghu was greatly disturbed. That’s why he was nicknamed the Lunatic Pugilist.

No one truly knew the identity of the Lunatic Pugilist. Whether it be his name, age, or sect… However, one thing was certain– the an old man who so crazy that he couldn’t even remember his own name wast terrifyingly strong.

Even the Ten Great Supreme Masters,⁴ the leaders of the Ten Supremes, or the Eight Great Martial Artists,⁵ revered as the absolute best in the world, found it challenging to face him.

In fact, one of the martial artists who suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Lunatic Pugilist was one of the Eight Great Martial Artists, the Ghost Spirit Granny. Due to this incident, Ghost Spirit Granny had to go into hiding for several years to heal her injuries.

Afterwards, the Lunatic Pugilist was classified not as a human but as a disaster, recognized as an entity one should never provoke.

He had been silent for the recent decade, so everyone had forgotten about the Lunatic Pugilist. But now that he has returned to the world, the Jade Heaven Alliance had to take action.

“I guess we have no choice but to comply with the demands of the Celestial Demon Union.”

“If we don’t put in the effort to eliminate the Lunatic Pugilist for fear of damage to the Jade Heaven Alliance, we’ll face heavy criticism.”

“He’s clever, bringing the Lunatic Pugilist into this.”

“It’s clear they’ve been preparing for a long time. Considering they’ve identified the activities of the Lunatic Pugilist that hadn’t been known.”

“Do you think we can suppress the Lunatic Pugilist without any losses?”

“It’s impossible. Only the alliance leader or those at the level of the Ten Supremes can suppress him. Otherwise, we will only increase the damage.”

“But we can’t just let him be, can we?”

“It’s not something we can avoid. We have to make some sacrifices.”

“I don’t like it. We’ve worked so hard to build up our power, and now we have to take a hit.”

“The peaceful era can’t last forever, can it? Since they provoked us first, we should use it to our advantage.”

Ja Hong-cheon’s eyes turned cold.

A silence ensued. Joo Shin-yoon bowed his head, waiting for his orders. After a moment, he heard the voice he had been waiting for.

“Joo, handle this matter yourself. And make sure there’s no unnecessary noise.”

“Understood.”

Joo Shin-yoon bowed deeply.

When he raised his head again, Ja Hong-cheon’s figure had already disappeared, nowhere to be seen.

Left alone, Joo Shin-yoon murmured to himself,

“It seems like I need to establish connections with Dragon Sky Valley and Zealous Justice Sect to make sure that the Jade Heaven Alliance doesn’t take the brunt of the damage.”

* * *

“Brother, what will become of us?”

“Well…”

Lee Gwak couldn’t easily answer Han Socheon’s question.

It had been over five days since Han Socheon and the children took shelter in the White Sage Pavilion, yet no decision had been made regarding them.

Although they had to live confined within the White Sage Pavilion, the children were treated well, which somewhat lessened their guard.

During this time, Lee Gwak had taken special care of Han Socheon. Among everyone, the only person Han Socheon could truly trust was Lee Gwak, so she relied on him almost blindly.

If Lee Gwak was out of sight for even a moment, Han Socheon would visibly become anxious. Therefore, Lee Gwak couldn’t help but be even more attentive to her. However, there was a problem.

For the past few days, while guarding the White Sage Pavilion, he hadn’t been able to meet Geum Yul-seon at all. He desperately wanted to see her, but he couldn’t, which was frustrating.

It was then that he heard the voice he had been waiting for.

“Another group will guard this place from now, so all of you can go home and rest.”

It was Squad 13 leader Oh Guhong who had brought the good news.

A look of joy spread across Lee Gwak’s face, not just at the prospect of returning home, but more so at the thought of seeing Geum Yul-seon again.

Upon hearing that Lee Gwak would leave his post, Han Socheon’s face became filled with worry. Lee Gwak tried to comfort her.

“I’ll visit whenever I have time, so don’t worry and rest.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

Lee Gwak gave Han Socheon a reassuring smile. Only then did a smile also appear on her face.

After gazing at her for a moment, Lee Gwak exited the White Sage Pavilion. His steps were light and carefree as he left the place he had been for so long.

Han Socheon clasped her collar and continued to watch Lee Gwak’s retreating figure. Even after he had disappeared from view outside the White Sage Pavilion, she found it hard to look away.

The first place Lee Gwak headed to after leaving the White Sage Pavilion was the Grand Abyss Music Hall. He went there with high hopes, but he couldn’t find Geum Yul-seon.

This was because all the musicians in the Grand Abyss Music Hall have to be mobilized for a performance that day. In the end, Lee Gwak had no choice but to leave with a heavy heart.

The next day, Lee Gwak visited the White Sage Pavilion again to look after Han Socheon. However, neither Han Socheon nor the children were there, only the servants cleaning up.

When he asked the servants about Han Socheon’s whereabouts, they replied that some high-ranking individuals came the previous night and took all the children.

The servants had no idea who these high-ranking individuals were.

“Hoo!”

Lee Gwak let out a soft sigh. For some reason, he felt a heaviness in his heart. But there was nothing he could do about it here.

He didn’t know why the higher-ups had taken the children, but he figured it couldn’t be a bad thing. This was the domain of the Jade Heaven Alliance, a place created to uphold justice in Jianghu.

Lee Gwak returned to the accommodations of the Outer Hall.

“Move quickly!”

“Hurry up and pack your stuff up!”

Greeting Lee Gwak were the Outer Hall martial artists, bustling about. The sight of the martial artists frantically packing and inspecting their weapons was quite different from the usual.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, Gwak, you’re back. Don’t just stand there. Get ready to move out.”

Gok Chae-bong responded, pausing from his weapon inspection.

“Move… out?”

“Yes! The order was sent out a while ago. From Squad 8 to Squad 13, everyone is being deployed for a mission.”

Lee Gwak’s face stiffened.

From Squad 8 to Squad 13, that was half the entire force of the Outer Hall.

Since joining the Jade Heaven Alliance, there had never been an instance when half the force of the Outer Hall was dispatched at once.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. When has the higher-ups ever explained their reasons for an order? Just go get ready quickly.”

“Yes!”

With his reply, Lee Gwak hurriedly began packing his things.

All he had prepared was a waist-length sword, an extra set of clothes, and some dry goods.

“When you’re all packed, gather in the training hall.”

The commanding voices of the squad leaders could be heard outside.

Lee Gwak hurriedly slung his baggage over his shoulder and rushed to the training hall.

The training hall was already bustling with martial artists from the Outer Hall. The gathered Outer Hall martial artists, sorted by squads, had noticeably tense expressions.

Lee Gwak stood at the very front of Squad 13. Right next to him was Squad 12, where he could also see his only friend, Go Jeon-ok.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. The order just suddenly came out of nowhere.”

“Hmm!”

“Anyways, the atmosphere doesn’t seem normal, so it’s best to be cautious. You take care of yourself.”

“You be careful too.”

As Lee Gwak nodded in response to Go Jeon-ok’s words,

“Everyone, be quiet.”

A powerful and resonant voice echoed throughout the training hall.

Everyone’s gazes turned to the stage at the front. On the stage stood a middle-aged martial artist with a sturdy build reminiscent of a large chunk of rock.

With his piercing gaze and unyielding momentum, the middle-aged martial artist instantly dominated the atmosphere of the training hall.

Everyone held their breath as they looked at him.

That middle-aged martial artist was none other than Maeng Hee-cheon, the leader of the Outer Hall. He was the man who held the life and death power over the thirteen squads of the Outer Hall.

Raising his voice, Maeng Hee-cheon surveyed the martial artists of the Outer Hall,

“You might have guessed this already, but we are about to embark on an important mission. It will be a long journey so ensure that none of you will fall behind. Your squad leader will fill you in on the details so standby for now.”

As soon as Maeng Hee-cheon’s speech ended, squad leaders began gathering their members.

Squad 13 gathered around Oh Guhong.

The oldest of the group, Gok Chae-bong, asked first,

“Group Leader, what is this all about?”

“It’s not just the Outer Hall, but even the elites from the Main Court have been mobilized.”

“Then, it’s going to be dangerous.”

“Yes! The only good thing is that our Outer Hall is not directly involved in the fight. We would only be supporting the martial artists of the Main Court from the perimeter. But even then, it’s going to be very dangerous, so everyone should look after themselves. Understand?”

“Yes!”

The members of Squad 13 all replied at once.

They were nervous, but at least they were not directly involved in the mission.

Lee Gwak thought of Geum Yul-seon.

‘If I had known this was going to happen, I would have tried everything to see her face before leaving.’

It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes:

Here are some changes or differences from the manhwa and novel:

1. Lee Seong Chan → Lee Cheong-san 이청산.

2. Shadow Sword Warrior → Death Shadow Swordsman 사영검객(死影劍客).

3. Phantom Destroyer → Ghost Spirit Granny. In the manhwa, it was said that the Lunatic Pugilist killed one of the Eight Great Martial Artist, the Phantom Destroyer, but here in the novel, he killed the Ghost Spirit Granny instead.
4. Dragon Heaven Valley → Dragon Sky Valley 용천곡(龍天谷). The same sect also appears in the Reaper of the Drifting Moon so I used the same name for consistency since both novels are of the same world.

I also greatly appreciate the comments <3 This reassures me that many are reading or interested in the novel even if the chapter is not yet caught up with the manhwa. It’s greatly motivating! So, I will try my best to release chapters quick to catch up with the manhwa which is around chapter 120 in the novel, but I can’t guarantee the dates of the releases.

Power Structure of the Jade Heaven Alliance:

• Alliance Leader: Ja Hong-cheon, the Supreme Sword Emperor
• Four Court Council
  • Main Court
    • Two Corps
    • Three Battalions
    • Four Squads
      • Blue Dragon Squad (Leader: Shim Woo-yeon)
  • Inner Court (Leader: Joo Shin-yoon, the Phantom Moon Sword)
  • Secret Court
  • Outer Court (Leader: Geum Guho)
    • Outer Hall (Leader: Maeng Hee-cheon)
      • Squads 1-13 (Squad 12 Leader: Cho Mu-tak, Squad 13 Leader: Oh Guhong)

Anyway, thank you for reading!

1. Four Court Council. Raws: 사원회(四院會).
   • 四 sì – four / 4
   • 院 yuàn – courtyard / institution
   • 會 huì – can; to have the skill; to know how to / to be likely to; to be sure to / to meet; to get together / meeting; gathering / (suffix) union; group; association / (bound form) a moment (Taiwan pr. [hui3])
2. Death Shadow Swordsman. Raws: 사영검객(死影劍客).
   • 死 sǐ – to die / impassable / uncrossable / inflexible / rigid / extremely / damned
   • 影 yǐng – picture / image / film / movie / photograph / reflection / shadow / trace
   • 劍客 jiànkè – swordsman
3. Net of Heaven and Earth. Raws: 천라지망(天羅地網). Other translations: Inescapable Net, or Heaven and Earth Net.
   • 天 tiān – sky, heaven; god, celestial
   • 羅 luō, luó, luo – net for catching birds; gauze
   • 地 dì, de – earth; soil, ground; region
   • 網 wǎng – net; network; KangXi radical 122

4. Ten Great Supreme Masters. Raws: 십대패주(十大覇主).
   • 十 shí – ten / 10
   • 大 dà – big; large; great / older (than another person) / eldest
   • 覇 bà, pò – rule by might rather than right
   • 主 zhǔ – owner / master / host / individual or party concerned / God / Lord / main / to indicate or signify / trump card (in card games)

5. Eight Great Martial Artists. Raws: 팔대무객(八大武客).
   • 八 bā – eight; 8
   • 大 dà, dài, tài – big, great, vast, large, high
   • 武 wǔ – military; martial, warlike
   • 客 kè – customer / visitor / guest
6. Ghost Spirit Granny. Raws: 귀혼파파(鬼魂婆婆).
   • 鬼 guǐ – ghost; spirit of dead; devil
   • 魂 hún – soul, spirit
   • 婆婆 pópo – husband’s mother / mother-in-law / grandma

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