Light Novel: Volume 22 Episode 20
Manhwa: N/A
Martial Scholar Gong Son-hwan was a warrior affiliated with the Golden Heaven Society.
Being called a prodigy from a young age, joining the Golden Heaven Society was a natural progression for him.
Although his nickname included the term “scholar,” he was far from being a mere bookworm.
His unique technique of wielding a pair of brushes, the One-Stroke Calligraphy Technique,1 was recognized as a martial marvel in Jianghu.
Gong Son-hwan joined the Golden Heaven Society because he fell in love with Jang Mugeuk’s ideals. He then became one of his subordinates, faithfully fulfilling his duties.
Outwardly, Gong Son-hwan was the epitome of a literati.
His handsome appearance also won him favor among people.
In particular, women threw themselves at Gong Son-hwan a lot.
So using his good looks as a weapon, Gong Son-hwan extracted quite a bit of information from the women of the Silver Lotus Society.
Because a lot of information had been leaked beforehand, the Silver Lotus Society suffered considerable losses to the Golden Heaven Society.
By the time the Silver Lotus Society became aware of this, a lot of information had already been passed to the Golden Heaven Society.
From then on, Gong Son-hwan became the prime target for elimination by the Silver Lotus Society. However, after his identity was exposed, he holed himself up within the Golden Heaven Society’s territory and did not venture out.
“Fufu!”
Gong Son-hwan brushed back his hair, smiling.
The woman who was with him looked mesmerized by his appearance.
Gong Son-hwan had charmed the woman currently with him with his eloquent speech on the street. Although the woman’s status was ordinary, her beauty was exceptional, making her quite popular. However, even the woman was so enchanted by Gong Son-hwan’s outstanding looks and eloquence that she was unable to make a rational decision.
Holding the woman’s hand tightly, Gong Son-hwan headed to his residence.
Though the sun was still high in the sky, it posed no issue for them to share a romantic moment.
Thinking about the imminent intimacy, Gong Son-hwan’s face flushed red with excitement, and his breathing became naturally rough.
But just then, a cold voice interrupted his excitement.
“Martial Scholar Gong Son-hwan. Is that correct?”
“What?”
Gong Son-hwan felt the blood in his body turn cold.
That was because he could sense the cold emotion and hostility in the voice.
A man was blocking his way, standing about ten paces ahead.
“Who are you?”
“Are you Gong Son-hwan?”
“Tell me who you are first.”
“It seems you are.”
“Don’t beat around the bush and answer me. Who are you?”
“Lee Geumhan.”
“What?”
Gong Son-hwan blinked in disbelief.
At first, he thought he had misheard.
Among the prodigies of the world, there was no one who didn’t know the name Lee Geumhan.
Lee Geumhan of the Frenzied Warrior Sect.
Alongside Jang Mugeuk, the leader of the Golden Heaven Society, Lee Geumhan was regarded as one of the most talented young warriors in the world.
He was even rumored to have already established his own legacy.
Gong Son-hwan furrowed his brows and asked,
“Are you really Lee Geumhan of the Frenzied Warrior Sect?”
“Yes.”
“Fine! Let’s say you are Lee Geumhan. But why are you blocking my way? We have no grievances or grudges.”
“One doesn’t need grievances to stand in someone’s way.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have no personal feelings towards you, but you need to become a stepping stone for me.”
“Ha!”
Gong Son-hwan looked around in astonishment, wondering if Lee Geumhan had any backup forces. However, there was no one around who seemed like they could assist Lee Geumhan.
A smile appeared on Gong Son-hwan’s lips.
This was the territory of the Golden Heaven Society.
Most of the martial artists on this street supported the Golden Heaven Society.
Though facing Lee Geumhan as an opponent was daunting, the situation would change if they were in the Golden Heaven Society’s territory.
Even a stray dog becomes bold in its own territory, so there was no reason for Gong Son-hwan, a talent of the Golden Heaven Society, to feel intimidated. Pulling out a pair of brushes, Gong Son-hwan said,
“So, you’re challenging me now, the renowned Lee Geumhan—”
“Take it as an honor. I don’t challenge just anyone.”
“Very well, I’ll take it as an honor. However, be prepared to pay for this challenge with your life.”
Shing!
Gong Son-hwan made a stance with a pair of brushes in hand.
As the name suggests, the One-Stroke Calligraphy Technique was a martial art derived from calligraphy itself.
It was a martial art that required a majestic flow and a vigorous momentum as if sweeping across with a single stroke of a brush.
“Haat!”
With a shout, Gong Son-hwan charged towards Lee Geumhan.
He didn’t make the foolish mistake of yielding the first move out of courtesy or concern for appearances.
His opponent had challenged him, and he had no intention of backing down.
Although Lee Geumhan’s reputation was somewhat intimidating, Gong Son-hwan didn’t believe he was significantly inferior to him.
By attacking first, he was sure other warriors of the Golden Heaven Society would come rushing in, joining the fray in time. If he could hold out until then, victory would be his.
Shwish!
A pair of brush pens wrote in the air as if drawing characters with a single stroke.
Every single character scribbled in the air transformed into a deadly attack aiming for Lee Geumhan’s vital points.
“Wow!”
“What’s that?”
Startled, the bystanders nearby all burst into exclamations of surprise.
The sudden duel drew wide-eyed cheers from the crowd.
Moreover, Gong Son-hwan’s martial arts were so elegant that they were a pleasure to watch.
They all thought that Gong Son-hwan’s brush pens would pierce through Lee Geumhan’s entire body through and through, for it was so sharp and powerful.
‘He’s nothing special. Was he just impersonating Lee Geumhan?’
Gong Son-hwan thought to himself as he looked at Lee Geumhan, who remained unmoved until the brush pens were about to touch his body.
Sssht!
Suddenly, a sharp tearing sound echoed through the street.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
The chilling sound penetrated the bystanders’ eardrums, jarring their brains.
People screamed, covering their ears, and the street quickly descended into chaos.
It took a while for people to recover their senses.
But when they finally did, the first thing they saw was a body lying on the ground.
“No way!”
“Ah!”
People were horrified.
The corpse lying on the ground was none other than Gong Son-hwan.
Near the body were broken pieces of brush pens scattered about.
Faced with an unbelievable outcome, people were horrified.
“How did this happen?”
“I, It’s clear that he was cut into half with a single move.”
“My God!”
Gong Son-hwan’s body had been cut in two from the chest down.
It was clear that both his weapon and body had been cut through in a single move.
It was supposed to be a fight Gong Son-hwan had the upper hand in.
Everyone thought so.
After all, Gong Son-hwan had the advantage of the first strike. Yet, he lost his life without even being able to put up a fight against a single move.
It was truly a shocking outcome.
“Is this the true power of the Sword Maniac?”
“He’s insane! Completely insane!”
People looked at Gong Son-hwan’s body with faces full of disgust.
The rumor that Gong Son-hwan of the Golden Heaven Society had been cut down by Sword Maniac Lee Geumhan with a single move soon spread throughout Poyang Lake.
* * *
Yong Hasang’s eyebrows twitched.
“What did you say?”
“It was said that Lee Geumhan has cut down Gong Son-hwan with a single stroke.”
“Is that true?”
“That’s the report we received.”
Namgung Wol replied calmly to Yong Hasang’s question.
He, himself, was also quite shocked to hear the report, but the reason he was able to keep such a calm demeanor was because he believed that Lee Geumhan’s appearance was a good omen for the Silver Lotus Society.
Water, when stagnant, is bound to rot.
The current situation of the Silver Lotus Society was no different.
Ever since Yong Hasang became the leader of the Silver Lotus Society, the organization had been stagnant, and cracks were beginning to show everywhere.
Yong Hasang did not seem to have the determination to decisively win against the Golden Heaven Society. It seemed he only planned to solidify his own position and status through the confrontation with the Golden Heaven Society.
Because of that, he had not been able to gain a clear upper hand in the fight against the Golden Heaven Society.
Yong Hasang asked,
“Do you know why Lee Geumhan killed Gong Son-hwan? Did he have any previous grudge against him?”
“I’m not sure about that.”
“Hmm!”
Yong Hasang stroked his chin with his hand and frowned.
Gong Son-hwan was the top target designated by the Silver Lotus Society for assassination. While he should be happy that such a man was dead, it somehow left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He didn’t know exactly why, but it meant that there was something bothering him.
“Where is Lee Geumhan now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Isn’t he somewhere around Poyang Lake? And you still haven’t found him?”
“We’re looking into it now. It will take some time.”
“Ha! Are you calling that an excuse? No matter how vast the area around Poyang Lake is, you’re telling me that with the power of the Silver Lotus Society, you can’t find even a trace of Lee Geumhan? Are you expecting me to believe that?”
“Huh! Whether you believe it or not, I’m telling you the truth.”
“Shut up! Find him immediately and bring him before me. That’s an order, as the leader of the Silver Lotus Society!”
“Understood.”
Namgung Wol replied, his jaw twitching.
His face was twisted in humiliation.
After leaving Yong Hasang’s residence, Namgung Wol looked at the leader’s hall and muttered to himself,
“I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have elevated him to the position of leader.”
He had intended to have Yong Hasang as the figurehead while he himself ran the Silver Lotus Society.
He thought that was the best path for the Silver Lotus Society and the world. However, as Yong Hasang’s arbitrariness increased, he began to doubt and regret his own decision.
But now, it was too late to remove Yong Hasang from the position of leader.
There was no way to force him out, and most importantly, Yong Hasang would not willingly step down.
Yong Hasang had already seized power.
Those who have tasted power never step down on their own accord. The same was true for Yong Hasang.
“Hoo!”
Namgung Wol sighed heavily as he moved on.
It felt as if a huge rock was placed on his chest, suffocating him.
The fact that he couldn’t confide his troubled feelings to anyone made him suffer even more.
Anyway, since Yong Hasang, the leader, had given the order, he had to follow it.
Just as he was busily walking to relay the leader’s command to his subordinates—
“You seem to be in a hurry.”
He suddenly heard a cold woman’s voice.
At the familiar voice, Namgung Wol stopped in his tracks.
“Sister!”
The woman who spoke to him was none other than his sister, Namgung Seol.
Her appearance only further contorted Namgung Wol’s already distorted expression.
“How did you get in here?”
“Is that what you say to a blood relative you haven’t seen in a long time?”
“It was you who didn’t treat me as a blood relative first. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“Huh! What’s the point of talking with you? You’re always so sharp, it’s scary to even speak.”
“I’m not like this with other people. I’m only acting this way because it’s you.”
Namgung Wol’s voice and demeanor were so cold that it was hard to believe he was talking to someone whom he shared the same blood with.
Knowing the reason was because of herself, Namgung Seol couldn’t argue any further.
Namgung Wol said,
“Tell me! How did you get in?”
“I let her in.”
The response came not from Namgung Seol but from someone else.
The one who answered was also a woman of Namgung Seol’s age.
She was Yeom Hee-soo, the young mistress of the Huaying Fortress.
A talent of Jianghu, known by the nickname ‘Hundred-Faced Flower.’
“Why would Lady Yeom do that?”
“It’s because of Leader Yong.”
“What?”
“Master Namgung is also greatly disappointed with Leader Yong’s recent behavior, right? I feel the same. Leader Yong is not fit to lead a large organization.”
“What does letting my sister in have to do with that?”
“It does. You will understand once you hear her out.”
Yeom Hee-soo’s words only added to Namgung Wol’s confusion.
Yeom Hee-soo had been one of those closest to Yong Hasang. He had not expected her to suddenly change her stance like this.
Namgung Wol looked at Namgung Seol.
“What conspiracy are you plotting?”
“What conspiracy… I just wanted to let you know.”
“Let me know what?”
“That soon, a powerful rival to Leader Yong will appear. He will defeat the members of the Golden Heaven Society one after another, making his name known all across Jianghu. Then after such a series of victories, he will issue a challenge to Leader Yong.”
“That rival… is it Lee Geumhan?”
“Hoho!”
“Crazy—!”
“If it’s him, he’s certainly qualified to become the leader of the Silver Lotus Society, don’t you think?”
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