Chapter 325 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Small Trigger Warning.

The Reaper.

There wasn’t a single member of the Golden Heavenly Hall who didn’t know his nickname.

And it wasn’t just because of his fame that resounded through the Kangho. It was because of the order that came from above.

[Direct contact with the Reaper, avoid conflict].

It wasn’t just a simple line of writing; the meaning contained within it was far from straightforward.

It meant that Jang Mugak, the newly appointed head of the Golden Heavenly Hall, had a deep-seated aversion to Pyo Wol.

Even though he hadn’t personally encountered him, both Jo Ik-gwang and Bok Ho-jin knew about Jang Mugak, who was widely recognized as the leader of the society.

They also knew that only a select few martial artists were recognized by Jang Mugak’s peers, and Jo Ik-gwang and Bok Ho-jin weren’t among them.

Nevertheless, Jang Mugak was such a skilled martial artist that they had no complaints.

He was not a person who could be confined by the later stage martial artist. The existence that Jang Mugak disliked and recognized was none other than the Reaper Pyo Wol.

Jo Ik-gwang’s eyes sank deeply.

“The Reaper….”

The meaning of a nickname given within the Kangho was highly significant. All the information about the person was contained within it.

The most representative example was the three supreme-rulers (三尊).

The nickname Mu Jon (武尊) was given to someone who had achieved the highest level of martial arts.

The nickname Pung Jon (風尊) was given to someone whose martial arts were free-spirited, and the nickname Geom Jon (劍尊) was given to someone who had reached an unparalleled level of swordsmanship.

Since the nickname was symbolic, it contained the owner’s personality traits and

characteristics of their martial arts.

Therefore, just by looking at the nickname, one could discern the other person’s level and personality.

The nickname of the man before them was the Grim Reaper.

It was extremely rare for someone to be labeled a supreme-ruler.

It was a title that could only be bestowed upon someone who had surpassed the best in a field and reached a level of excellence that no one else could match.

It had a word attached to it: death.

It meant that the man in front of him had reached the level of a supreme-ruler in killing people.

It was hard to imagine how many people he had to kill to earn such a nickname.

Usually, those who gave themselves such grandiose nicknames were often boasters.

However, Pyo Wol was different.

The people of Chengdu were the ones who first called him the Grim Reaper.

At that time, the nickname Grim Reaper was hardly known in the Kangho.

Of course, those who were well-informed about the news of the Kangho or those who dealt with a lot of information knew about his nickname.

However, they didn’t pay much attention to it.

He thought of it as a self-created nickname.

This was especially true because Sichuan was a closed province and had its own system of honorifics.

Most people thought that even if you were a grim reaper in a closed well, they wouldn’t be able to use any force once they were outside.

And some time later, Pyo Wol came out to the Kangho.

If he had really been resolute, the nickname “reaper” would have become a laughing stock.

But even after that, his nickname continued.

At least it meant that his nickname obtained in Chengdu was not a lie.

What mattered was that he possessed enough power and dexterity to be recognized as a grim reaper by all who encountered him in the Kangho.

Jo Ik-gwang was a very cautious man and did not casually listen to the rumors circulating in the Kangho.

“Why did the reaper come here?”

Kangho province(1)was a city by the sea with a major trading port called Sea Gate, making it more prosperous than any other city in the martial world.

There is no such thing as an absolute strongman, as commonly referred to as the “Two Rivers, Three Gates, Three Generals.”

However, various factions such as Namgyeong Clan and Long River Fortress maintained a delicate balance and controlled the power structure.

In a way, it could be seen as a peaceful Lake.

A place where there was plenty of food and few external threats, allowing for stable growth.

And Pyo Wol, an external threat, had entered that still place.

Naturally, Jo Ik-gwang and the martial artists of the Golden Heavenly Hall had to be cautious.

Pyo Wol was a giant enough to shake Sichuan Province to its core.”

Jo Ik-gwang wore a nonchalant expression and took the initiative.

“You must be Grand Master Pyo Wol, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I don’t think your face looks like that at all…”

“I’m sorry. I think I was rude to you when we first met. Please forgive me with your broad-mindedness.”

Jo Ik-gwang’s tone changed suddenly.

Pyo Wol was older than him, and above all, had a tremendous reputation in Kangho.

No matter how good Jo Ik-gwang was, he could only exert his power in the province of Kangho.

On the other hand, Pyo Wol was a master who encompassed the entire Kangho.

The difference in status was so striking that Jo Ik-gwang couldn’t help but be respectful.

After stopping the bleeding from the wound on Tang Ik-gi’s shoulder, Bok Ho-jin stood up and surrounded Pyo Wol.

“It’s an honor to meet Grand master Pyo Wol,who has a great reputation in Kangho. If it’s okay with you, we would like to invite you to our Long River Fortress. Please accept our invitation.”

Bok Ho-jin ‘s eyes were burning with a strong desire to compete.

Pyo Wol knew exactly what that meant.

The next person to greet Pyo Wol was Eum Yugeong.

She smiled brightly and surrounded Pyo Wol.

“It’s really an honor to meet Grand master Pyo Wol. Please visit our Sword Flower sometime.”

The only one lost in thought was Tang ik-gi.

He stared at Pyo Wol in despair, forgetting even the pain in his shoulder.

“Oh my supreme-ruler! He’s a supreme-ruler of death.”

Tang Ik-gi was not in the dark about the situation in Kangho.

Rather, because of his strong desire for success, he was more aware of the gang’s information than anyone else.

So he also knew that Pyo Wol was undoubtedly the most outstanding master to have appeared in Kangho recently.

“He attacked recklessly without even knowing his identity, so he had to bear the consequences fully.

‘What should I do…I should apologize first…’

It wasn’t the time to save face.

Tang Ik-gi tried to kneel down while enduring the pain in his shoulders, but someone moved before he did.

It was Jo Ik-gwang.

He stood in front of Tang Ik-gi and said, “’I will revoke your temporary membership.”

“What?”

“You attacked Grand Master Pyo recklessly and damaged the honor of the conference, so I’m saying I will revoke your membership.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just accept the removal obediently. If you continue to deny or resist, you’ll never be reinstated.”

Jo Ik-gwang’s voice was as cold as ice.

Tang Ik-gi’s face twisted in anger, but he didn’t have an outburst.

It was because of the word ‘reinstatement’ that Jo Ik-gwang mentioned.

Although Tang Ik-gi was the one who directly targeted Pyo Wol, the one who manipulated him covertly was Eum Yujeong.

If he accepted all his fault lone without mentioning Eum Yujeong, it meant that he would receive reinstatement as a member in the future.

‘You bastard!’

Tang Ik-gi shivered under Jo Ik-gwang’s cruel stare.

He wanted to shout at him to deal with it immediately, but Tang Ik-gi finally held back his anger.

It was because he realized that he had no choice.

‘F*ck!’

Tang Ik-gi slammed the ground with his fist and stood up.

He glanced resentfully at Pyo Wol and the martial artists of the Golden Heavenly Hall before leaving the inn weakly.

The martial artists of the Golden Heavenly Hall secretly smiled as they watched Tang Ik-gi’

s back going down the stairs like a tailed dog.

‘This idiot!’

‘It’s better this way. If we use this opportunity well, we can easily tame him.’

Although they pretended to hide their true intentions, Pyo Wol could clearly see what they were thinking.

‘There are no devils to be found among these demons.’

***

Taeho has boasted beautiful scenery since ancient times. Therefore, there were many detached houses or gardens in the hills or halfway up the mountain, where powerful literary circles or wealthy merchants would come to relax.”

Blue Peacock Manor was one of those manors, and an unknown merchant had built it. A few years ago, the Namgyeong family had bought it and used it as a villa, but its owner, Jo Sumok, rarely visited.

The real owner of the blue peacock manor was Jo Ik-gwang, Namgyeong family’s young lord. He used this place as his own residence whenever he came to Taeho.

Naturally, all the guards who protectedBlue Peacock Manor were also his followers.

Creak!

Jo Yi-gwang opened the door to Blue Peacock Manor and walked in.

“Have you arrived, Master?”

The head of security in charge of managing Blue Peacock Manor hurriedly came out and bowed his head.

Seeing Jo Ik-gwang without saying a word, the head of security sensed that his mood was not good.

His cold eyes that seemed to be aiming for something, tightly closed lips, and rigid expression—all of them were signs ofJo Ik-gwang’s bad mood.

“I will go to the spare room. No one should approach.”

“The spare room, sir?”

“What’s the problem?”

“No problem, sir.”

The head of security quickly bowed his head.

If he were the head of security of the clan’s estate in Namgyeong, he might have had the power or ability to defyJo Ik-gwang’s orders, but as a mere head of security of a villa, he had no more power than a servant.

As the head of security stepped aside,Jo Ik-gwang walked inside without hesitation.

He headed to the guest room, which was located at the deepest part of Blue Peacock Manor.

The spare room was surrounded by high walls, and there was only one entrance, making it impossible for anyone else to enter.

Only Jo Ik-gwang could come and go here freely.

Bang!

As soon as he closed the door to the guest room,Jo Ik-gwang opened his mouth.

“You son of a bitch, you refuse my request just because you want a bit of fame in Kangho?

Fuck!”

He spat out rough curses without reservation.

In front of others, he pretended to be polite, but it was all just an appearance.

He asked Pyo Wol to have a meal with him separately, but Pyo Wol refused his request outright, even in front of everyone.

Although he tried to act like nothing was wrong, his anger was boiling inside.

He tried to suppress his anger, but as soon as he entered an empty cabin, it exploded like a volcano.

“F**k! You worthless bastard, you have no principles!”

He smashed all the objects and furniture in the cabin, but it still didn’t relieve his anger.

It was not enough.

He needed a stronger stimulus.

Jo Ik-gwang pressed a secret device on the wall. Then, a large bookshelf moved aside to reveal a hidden space.

A faint scent was wafting from the stairs leading down to the basement.

Jo Ik-gwang descended the stairs without hesitation.

The basement was quite spacious. Small torture tools such as small knives, hooks, and needles were hanging on the walls, but Jo Ik-gwang didn’t pay any attention to them as he passed by.

His footsteps stopped at a small bed in the corner of the basement. A girl with her arms and legs bound in chains was crouching on the bed.

The girl lifted her head and looked at him, sensing his presence.

Her face was covered in tears, and her lips were trembling with fear.

She looked like she was barely sixteen years old.

Just until this morning, she started her peaceful daily routine without knowing that such misery would befall her.

Her family was very poor. However, her brother had been able to make ends meet by working hard.

They no longer had to go hungry, and they even had decent clothes to wear. She was happy because of that.

Every day, she lived happily and smiled.

People around her said she was pretty.

But now, only fear filled her heart.

“Who are you, mister? Where am I?”

“Jjaak.”

“Ah!”

At that moment, Jo Ik-gwang’s large hand struck the girl’s cheek.

She fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

“Don’t say anything. Your breath smells.”

“Ugh!”

“You’re nothing. Got it? You’re nothing.”

Jo Ik-gwang grabbed the girl’s chin and looked into her eyes.

Her eyes were filled with terror.

She was like a helpless rabbit, unable to resist.

This was exactly what Jo Ik-gwang wanted.

He didn’t want eyes that looked down on him like a superior, but rather eyes filled with fear and reverence.

“Fuck!”

Rip!

Jo Ik-gwang roughly tore the girl’s clothes.

The girl cowered in fear, unable to resist, and her white undergarments were exposed in front of him like a drenched bird.

1 – It seems that the reference to Kangho Province might actually be related to Taeho Lake, which could be situated within the province of Kangho. However, the original text was unclear, and an appropriate translation was not readily available, so it has been retained in its initial form.