Chapter 307 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

“Tap, tap!”

Jang Ha-Moon of the Sea Dragon Pavillion tapped the table repeatedly with his fingers. It was his habit when he had something on his mind.

His worries had only deepened since meeting Lee Seong-hak the day before on his return from a trip.

The things and information that Lee Seong-hak had shown him had burdened him, and he couldn’t easily come up with a solution no matter how much he thought about it.

“Ha!” he sighed.

It was then he heard the voice of Director Woo Gun-chang.

“May I come in?”

“Please do.”

Jang Ha-Moon gave permission, and Woo Gun-chang entered the room.

Woo Gun-chang, now in his early fifties, was responsible for the affairs of the Sea Dragon Pavillion as its director.

His role had been significant in helping the Sea Dragon Pavillion reach its current status, and Jang Ha-Moon respected him for it.

“Take a seat,” Jang Ha-Moon said.

“How could I sit in the same seat as you, my lord?” Woo Gun-chang replied, hesitantly.

“No one else is here. It’s okay. Please sit.”

“Then…”

Woo Gun-chang no longer refused and sat opposite Jang Ha-moon.

“What’s up? What’s going on?”

“There’s a strange rumor going around the streets right now.”

“What kind of rumor?”

“There’s information going around that the Red Guild Association was beaten up by an old man.”

“What kind of nonsense is that…”

“It doesn’t seem like something we can just dismiss as a baseless rumor. There are quite a few eyewitnesses. They say that the Red Guild Association’s leader, lord Yoo Il-seok, couldn’t withstand the old man and kneeled down in just a few seconds.”

“Is it true then?”

Jang Ha-Moon looked incredulous.

The Sea Dragon Pavilion recognised the power of the Red Guild Association more than anyone else.

They were not on the same level as Sea Dragon Pavillion, but they were still a force that could cause great harm if caught off guard.

.

Especially Red Guild Association’s leader, Yu Il-seok, was so strong that even Jang Ha-Moon wouldn’t dare to underestimate him.

So, if he couldn’t last a few seconds against an old man, it was clear that this old man was an extremely skilled fighter.

“Why would such a skilled fighter…”

Jang Ha-Moon furrowed his brow.

Unpleasant thoughts crossed his mind.

He tried to shake off his gloomy mood and asked Woo Gun-chang.

“Who is that old man?”

“We’re still investigating that. However, we think he might have come from outside because his hair and beard are yellow.”

“Outside?”

“Yes! We think he might have boarded one of the ships that came in yesterday. We’re calling in the captains for questioning, so we’ll be able to find out exactly where he came from.”

“Quickly find out,” he said.

“Yes!”

Woo Gun-chang replied, bowing deeply.

It was clear that the old man, who had the power to destroy the enemy’s stronghold alone, was a formidable force that even Jang Ha-Moon could not ignore.

They needed to find out why such a powerful individual had come to the Sea Gate.

There were not just one or two factions targeting Sea Gate city.

Because a tremendous amount of goods passed through here every day, many factions were greedy for it.

That’s why the Sea Dragon Pavilion had to be sensitive to external threats at all times.

If the old man was trying to challenge Sea Dragon Pavillion’s authority by coveting the Sea Gate city, they needed to prepare countermeasures immediately.

“Because the atmosphere is not good for us, let’s set an emergency alert for now. We need to be able to move at any time.”

“I understand.”

“And just in case, be prepared to invite masters from outside at any time.”

“It could be like calling in a tiger to avoid a wolf.”

“I know! That’s why I’m telling you to be prepared. We don’t know what’s going to happen, so we need to be ready.”

“I understand. I’ll start gathering information for now.”

“Good!”

Jang Ha-Moon approached the window and opened it wide. The view of the harbor came into view.

Trade ships were still entering the harbor.

Every time a trade ship came in, Sea Dragon Pavillion made a huge profit.Jang Ha-Moon had no intention of giving up such a huge gain.

“This is my land. No one can take it away from me.”

***

Pyo Wol walked down the streets of Sea Gate.

Sea Gate was a very large city, and the streets were so complex that it was easy to get lost without a guide. As a result, many newcomers ended up wandering into alleys and backstreets.

Of course, those who managed to come out unscathed were rare.

They had to experience firsthand how harsh the world could be and how ruthless those at the bottom of society could be. If they were lucky enough to escape with their lives, it was considered a blessing.

Despite the danger, Pyo Wol walked around the streets fearlessly.

There were many people who approached Pyo Wol as he walked alone. Some were attracted to Pyo Wol’s beautiful face, while others approached him to steal his belongings.

However, none of them dared to lay a hand on Pyo Wol’s body.

“Eek!”

Even now, someone who had approached Pyo Wol recklessly lay whimpering at his feet.

There were no visible wounds on him, but he was pale and frothing at the mouth.

He was the twenty-third man to attack Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol unfolded a technique he had recently learned to the man.

The result was this.

The man was in agony.

He wished he could lose his mind, but the more he suffered, the clearer his mind became.

Pyo Wol passed by him without offering any assistance.

With all the landmarks in the area memorized, Pyo Wol made it a habit to survey the terrain before going anywhere new.

He distinguished between advantageous and disadvantageous areas and prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Although Pyo Wol was said to be more relaxed than before, his habits remained unchanged.

After memorizing all of Sea Gate’s terrain, Pyo Wol finally returned to his inn.

“Have you come?”

As soon as he entered the guest room, Tarha was the first to greet him. Yul Ayeon, who was by his side, also smiled and greeted him.

“You’ve returned. I thought you had left because I haven’t seen you all day.”

“I’ve just been wandering around here and there.”

“Did you go sightseeing?”

“You could say that.”

“Oh my! I envy you.”

Yul Ayeon smiled with her eyes.

Her already captivating blue eyes stood out even more.

Pyo Wol sat in front of them and said, “You also haven’t been seen since morning. Were you busy?”

“I’m in a completely new neighborhood, so there’s a lot to recognize. Thanks to that, I’ve been busy wandering around with my granddaughter.”

Tarha replied with a smile.

Yul Ayeon put her hand on her chin and said, “Central Plains has a lot of interesting things, and there are a lot of pretty people, so it’s a feast for the eyes.”

“That’s right! The Central Plains is certainly different from the western province.”

“How is the central plains?”

Tarha scratched his head with his finger in response to Pyo Wol’s question.

“Well! It’s definitely different. It’s much better decorated. Everything is.”

“Really?”

“People, buildings, and the environment all give a richer feeling, if I may say so.”

“Western Province isn’t like that?”

“It’s been through a long civil war.”

“Civil war? Does that mean it was divided?”

“Roughly, that’s right. The war should have ended a little earlier, but it got longer for some reason. That’s why so much was destroyed.”

“That’s not good.”

“It’s tragic. Many people in the capital are suffering because of it, but this place is very peaceful.”

“It’s not so different here.”

“Is that so?”

Tarha stared at Pyo Wol, surprised by his answer.

“Looks can be deceiving.”

“I’m just grateful for any kind of peace. If the capital had been this calm, I wouldn’t have come all the way here.”

Tarha gave a bitter smile.

After a moment of thought, Pyo Wol asked, “When did the civil war start in the capital?”

“It’s been more than a few decades. In fact, civil wars are very common in the capital. With so many tribes and kingdoms, conflicts arise almost every day. Territory wars also happen frequently. But, I swear, this is the first time a civil war has lasted this long. It’s just not being resolved.”

“But why did you come all the way here? If the civil war is that serious, shouldn’t you be trying to solve it there?”

“The root cause is somewhere else.”

“Grandfather!”

At that moment, Yul Ayeon’s voice woke Tarha from his thoughts. He realized his mistake and regained his composure.

“Forget what I just said.”

“…….”

“As you get older, you often indulge in useless sentimentality. Maybe that’s why they say you should die when you get old.”

Tarha brought his drink to his mouth.

Yul Ayeon smoothly changed the subject.

“Do you have any recommended places to visit?”

“Not really…”

“I see. That’s too bad.”

“I don’t have any recommendations either, so it’s a shame.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do.”

Yul Ayeon didn’t look disappointed at all.

She stared blankly at Pyo Wol.

There were many handsome men in the western province, but none of them exuded the charming atmosphere that Pyo Wol did.

Originally, she disliked men who had such feminine looks. She believed that men should have broad shoulders and be reliable.

In reality, the people she commonly saw around her were men like that.

If nothing unexpected happened, Yul Ayeon would marry someone like that. The laws of the Mara Law Sect were so strict that they didn’t allow marriages with outsiders.

The only exception was her father.

Yul Ayeon’s mother fell in love with a man from the central plains and gave birth to her, but had to pay a harsh price.

After that, marrying someone outside the Mara Law Sect became an impossible dream. Yul Ayeon was even worse off because she was of mixed blood from birth, making it impossible for her to marry anyone outside of the Mara Law Sect.

If Yul Ayeon were to marry someone outside the Mara Law Sect, not only would she but also her grandfather, Tarha, would have to pay a high price.

That’s why Yul Ayeon never even thought about marrying anyone outside the Mara Law sect. However, Pyo Wol’s charming appearance was so impressive that it shook even her unwavering determination.

Yul Ayeon sincerely wondered about Pyo Wol’s true identity.

It was impossible for someone with such looks, atmosphere, and gaze to be an ordinary person.

She had only recently arrived in the central plains, so she was in the dark about the situation here.

Despite trying to force Yu Il-seok of Red Guild Association to surrender and reveal the desired information, she was still lacking in information. Therefore, even after seeing Pyo Wol’s face, she couldn’t easily guess his true identity.

Whether he knew her feelings or not, Pyo Wol looked out the window indifferently.

There was a moment of silence at the table where they sat.

Tarha sipped her drink, Pyo Wol looked outside, and Yul Ayeon looked at Pyo-wol, and the strange situation continued for a while.

Pyo Wol was the one who broke the silence.

“I’ll go in first.”

He got up from his seat and headed towards the detached building.

Although he felt Tarha and Yul Ayeon’s gaze behind him, he did not hesitate and continued walking.

The moment he disappeared from their sight, the innkeeper quickly followed Pyo Wol.

The innkeeper opened his mouth as if he were Pyo Wol’s confidant.

“I received a message from elder brother Taemu Sang.”

“Already?”

“If they do it again, he’ll make sure of it. Apparently, the children have been taking turns watching them.”

“Those two came here to find someone. They say that the warriors of the Red Guild Association are scattered and looking for clues about it.”

“And they don’t know his identity?”

“It’s only been a day. They’ll find out soon enough if they wait a few days.”

“Tell them to hurry up.”

“Yes!”

The innkeeper answered, bowing her head at Pyo Wol’s words. Then he said something that came to his mind.

“Oh, and this is separate, but they say the sea dragon pavilion is very busy right now.”

“What does that mean?”

“I don’t know the details. They say that the security has become more severe since the merchant ship arrived.”

“Really?”

Pyo Wol’s gaze turned towards where the sea dragon pavillion was located.