Martial Artist Lee Gwak

Chapter 63: Hidden Reefs Lurk in the Deep Sea (1)

Light Novel: Volume 3 Chapter 13

Manhwa: Chapter 56-57

Han Socheon was running through the streets outside the Jade Heaven Alliance.

Originally, she had planned to lure Dark Cloud Reaper toward the main court of the Jade Heaven Alliance. There were formidable masters there, and she believed that with their help, they could easily stop Dark Cloud Reaper.

Although Dark Cloud Reaper was said to be a top-notch assassin who had reached a level that was beyond anyone’s comprehension, his strength was primarily in nighttime ambushes and fights in the shadows.

If she could lure him to the open grounds of the main court, where he could be seen from all sides, even if there was some damage, they would surely be able to subdue him.

However, Dark Cloud Reaper was a seasoned veteran who had survived countless battles in Jianghu. He quickly saw through Han Socheon’s plan.

Instead of following her to the main court, he herded her outside the Jade Heaven Alliance. Like a herdsman corralling cattle, he blocked all her escape routes and forced her in one direction.

Han Socheon had no choice.

Dark Cloud Reaper was an assassin’s worst nightmare.

Han Socheon was being torn apart by this unbearable nightmare.

Slash!

Blood surged up from Han Socheon’s forearm. Just as she was about to flee in another direction, Dark Cloud Reaper threw a hidden weapon as a warning.

Han Socheon bit her red lips hard enough to make them bleed.

Even though she understood Dark Cloud Reaper’s intentions perfectly, she felt powerless to act any other way. Still, she had no choice.

Suddenly, Han Socheon swung her slender sword.

Clang!

Sparks flew in the air as a hidden weapon clattered to the ground.

She had instinctively blocked Dark Cloud Reaper’s hidden attack. The longer she was chased by Dark Cloud Reaper, the sharper her senses became.

The tension beyond her limits had awakened her senses. Suddenly, the previously elusive presence of Dark Cloud Reaper became vividly clear to her.

Han Socheon picked up the fallen hidden weapon and hurled it back at Dark Cloud Reaper.

As Dark Cloud Reaper watched Han Socheon accurately hurl a hidden weapon back at him, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘What a remarkable talent this girl has. To bloom under pressure while being chased by me, no less.’

Dark Cloud Reaper realized that today’s events might be the catalyst for Han Socheon to fully unleash her potential.

Although she wasn’t yet at a level that posed a threat to him, if she continued to develop her talent after this day, she could become dangerous in the future.

Dark Cloud Reaper gave up on toying with Han Socheon any further. He decided to end her life once and for all, eliminating any future consequences.

In an instant, Dark Cloud Reaper’s demeanor shifted.

He pulled out a deformed blade from his waist. The sharply curved shape of the sword was reminiscent of a crescent moon.

It was his unique weapon, the Crescent Moon Blade.

With the Crescent Moon Blade in hand, Dark Cloud Reaper charged forward.

Faced with the charging enemy, Han Socheon closed her eyes.

‘If I rely on sight to make decisions, I’ll be too slow.’

She decided to trust her instincts, not her eyes.

Han Socheon moved as her instincts guided her.

Clang!

Sparks flew through the air as Han Socheon’s body shook. She had successfully blocked the Crescent Moon Blade for the first time.

Han Socheon tightened her grip on her slender sword.

She thought back to the Steel Blood Hell Training Ground. There, she also experienced of having to go through a gate where she had to block some of her senses.

Recalling those memories and sensations, Han Socheon swung her sword.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Crescent Moon Blade and her sword clashed repeatedly.

Han Socheon’s movements became faster and more precise with each moment.

The fight with Dark Cloud Reaper was rapidly pushing her abilities to new heights. Yet, despite her progress, the expression on Dark Cloud Reaper’s face remained cold and indifferent.

Although Han Socheon’s rate of progress had been absurdly astounding, it wasn’t enough to overwhelm him.

He had yet to reveal any of his more advanced techniques. He was merely using the intricacies of the Crescent Moon Blade and the fundamental skills of an assassin.

“What a pity, girl! If only you had a few more years, you would have certainly become a great threat. Perhaps even Jin-rak cherished your talent.”

A black aura began to surge from Dark Cloud Reaper’s Crescent Moon Blade.

It was a sign that he was about to unleash his signature technique, the Dark Shadowless Blade.

Swish!

Dark Cloud Reaper had just unleashed the technique of the Crescent Moon Slash, the pinnacle of the Dark Shadowless Blade.

For a brief moment, Han Socheon saw an illusion of a massive moon rising in the night sky.

‘Brother!’

She didn’t know why.

But at the sight of the crescent moon, Lee Gwak’s face suddenly came to mind.

As the thought that she might never see his face again crossed her mind, tears unexpectedly streamed down her cheeks.

At that moment, the crescent moon that had risen in the sky hurtled down toward her at a terrifying speed. Han Socheon gritted her teeth and unleashed the best technique she could muster.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion echoed, and a storm raged across the area. A massive shockwave swept through the surroundings.

Han Socheon’s body was also caught in the storm and flung away. Her entire body was drenched in blood.

She had been utterly defeated by the single strike of the Crescent Moon Slash.

From the very beginning, she had never been a match for Dark Cloud Reaper.

Han Socheon lost consciousness and fell to the ground. However, she didn’t crash unceremoniously. Someone caught her mid-air and held her gently.

Dark Cloud Reaper’s face stiffened.

He had clearly poured his entire strength into that Crescent Moon Slash. His intent was to end her life in a single stroke, not merely knock her unconscious.

Someone intervened halfway through, dispersing his power with skillful precision. It was the man who now held Han Socheon in his arms.

The man very carefully lowered Han Socheon in his arms to the ground.

“Socheon!”

The man who called her name in a soft voice was none other than Lee Gwak.

Lee Gwak’s eyes were deeply calm.

Though he was not one to easily lose his composure, seeing Han Socheon in such a critical state made him feel a surge of uncontrollable anger.

Lee Gwak never knew that he was capable of experiencing such an enormous rage within him before today. He quickly cast his gaze toward the one responsible for Han Socheon’s current condition.

They say that when rage reaches its peak, one becomes eerily calm.

That was exactly the state Lee Gwak was in now.

With utterly composed eyes, he stared at Dark Cloud Reaper.

Dark Cloud Reaper was somewhat surprised by the sight of Lee Gwak.

“Who are you?”

“Lee Gwak.”

“You must be acquainted with her.”

“……”

“Of course. That look in your eyes tells me you’re very close. Is that right?”

“……”

Once again, Lee Gwak didn’t answer. But Dark Cloud Reaper felt as though he had already received the answer.

“I lost someone close to me because of her. My revenge is justified.”

“As you said, she is close to me. So it is equally just for me to protect her.”

“Are you close enough to risk your life for her? Do you have the strength to back up your claim?”

“Does that matter?”

“It does. Only those with strength can prove their righteousness. That’s how Jianghu works as I know it.”

To Dark Cloud Reaper, Jianghu was a world ruled by power.

Because he had strength, he could carry out his vengeance for Ko Jin-rak.

Why would he take the long path of talking when there is a much faster way of accomplishing what he wants through strength?

Lee Gwak stood up.

Though countless thoughts crossed his mind, he pushed them all aside.

The man standing before him was not someone he could face with complex thoughts and hesitation.

Just standing face to face with Dark Cloud Reaper made Lee Gwak feel as though his entire body was struck by lightning, tingling from head to toe.

There was no trace of human emotion in Dark Cloud Reaper’s cold black eyes. As an assassin, he had learned to suppress his emotions as a natural result of surviving countless life-and-death encounters

Dark Cloud Reaper was unlike any other masters Lee Gwak had encountered.

The biggest difference was his presence.

While most masters tend to show off their presence to the fullest once they reach a certain level, Dark Cloud Reaper’s presence was barely perceptible.

Though standing right in front of him, it felt like staring into an empty void.

It was the aura unique to someone who had climbed to the pinnacle by building a tower of death through countless killings.

“Hoo!”

Only then did Lee Gwak fully realize just how formidable the presence before him was.

Suddenly, he found the situation amusing.

He couldn’t understand how he, a martial artist who lacked grand ambitions and only wanted to stay in the Outer Hall to live a normal life, kept getting entangled with such powerful figures.

He realized that if there really is such a thing as fate, it is an incredibly twisted one.

As Lee Gwak let out an unintentional chuckle, Dark Cloud Reaper looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Life carries weight.

Depending on the trajectory of one’s life, the weights pile up and correspondingly define the person.

Dark Cloud Reaper had built a tall tower out of his killings, and the weight was not light enough for a young martial artist to bear.

In fact, many martial artists who had faced him could not even lift their heads, crushed under the weight of his presence. Only those who had endured equal or greater hardships in life could meet his gaze head-on.

The level of martial arts didn’t matter.

There were plenty of individuals who, by luck, had mastered powerful martial techniques but were mentally fragile or lacked strong resolve. Yet, Lee Gwak, who appeared so ordinary, stood before him without the slightest sign of being intimidated.

It meant that Lee Gwak had forged himself through immense hardship. It was evidence that he had endured struggles far beyond what was visible.

“It seems you haven’t lived an ordinary life either.”

Dark Cloud Reaper tightened his grip on the Crescent Moon Blade.

He had never once underestimated an opponent simply because they appeared ordinary. Moreover, something about Lee Gwak gave him an inexplicable sense of unease. He felt that Lee Gwak was not an ordinary person, so he unleashed his technique, Dark Shadowless Blade without warning.

Swish!

In an instant, he vanished from Lee Gwak’s sight.

It was the pinnacle of the Shadow Concealment Technique.

Mastering this technique allowed one to move within shadows, making it impossible for even a supreme martial artist to detect their presence.

Using the Shadow Concealment Technique, Dark Cloud Reaper stealthily approached Lee Gwak from behind.

He could see the defenseless figure of Lee Gwak standing before him.

Swish!

With a faint sound, like paper being sliced, his Crescent Moon Blade descended toward Lee Gwak’s neck.

Dark Cloud Reaper had erased not only his breath and presence but even his killing intent.

Clang!

However, his Crescent Moon Blade bounced off as it struck near Lee Gwak’s back. Lee Gwak had drawn his sword and blocked the surprise attack.

‘How?’

Dark Cloud Reaper couldn’t help but question it.

Because his ambush had been flawless.

At that moment, their eyes met.

Dark Cloud Reaper immediately felt a chill run down his spine. Lee Gwak’s gaze was fixed directly on him, even though he was hidden within the shadows.

‘Is he looking at me?’

It was unbelievable.

It was already impossible for his Shadow Concealment Technique to be seen through by a fellow assassin, let alone an ordinary martial artist.

Dark Cloud Reaper unfolded his Shadow Concealment Technique once more, thrusting his Crescent Moon Blade at Lee Gwak. Yet once again, his blade was deflected by Lee Gwak’s sword.

Now, he had no choice but to acknowledge the truth.

‘He’s seeing through my Shadow Concealment Technique.’

How it was possible, he didn’t know. It didn’t matter though. What mattered was that his technique had been exposed to Lee Gwak’s eyes.

Lee Gwak could see through Dark Cloud Reaper’s every move with his eyes.

‘This man! He is the natural enemy of assassins.’

Goosebumps broke out all over Dark Cloud Reaper’s body.

An intense sense of danger washed over him.

He realized that Lee Gwak’s eyes were tracking his every move.

It was the Mind’s Eye.

The sixth snake within Lee Gwak had awakened in response to Dark Cloud Reaper’s ambush, activating Mind’s Eye.

Although Dark Cloud Reaper’s Shadow Concealment Technique was so flawless that it left no trace, his movements appeared vividly clear to Lee Gwak whose Mind’s Eye had activated. 

Just as Dark Cloud Reaper had guessed, Lee Gwak’s Mind’s Eye was the ultimate counter to any assassin.

There was no need to rely on hearing or other senses. Lee Gwak could simply see everything with his own eyes and thus respond to every movement in time.

Lee Gwak felt a strong sense of danger.

Although he had trained in martial arts alone, this was his first time facing a master like Dark Cloud Reaper in direct combat.

His entire body instinctively tensed, and his mouth grew dry from the tension. Yet, despite the physical responses, his mind remained calm and clear like a clean mirror and still water.¹

This was due to the influence of the Mind’s Eye.

However, Lee Gwak knew—

That simply opening his Mind’s Eye would not be enough to defeat the legendary assassin standing before him.

Realizing that hiding in the shadows was useless, Dark Cloud Reaper dispelled his Shadow Concealment Technique. He switched his strategy and decided to overpower Lee Gwak with raw strength instead.

Swish!

He unleashed his Dark Shadowless Blade.

To face the Crescent Moon Blade as it tore haphazardly through the air, Lee Gwak knew he would need greater power.

‘Move!’

At his call, the great snake within him responded.

Swish, swish!

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. Clean mirror and still water. Raws: 명경지수. The four-character idiom is a metaphor that describes having clear and pure thoughts and mind.

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