Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel - Chapter 377 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Chapter 377 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Boom!

A boat was docked at the pier of the Poyang Lake.

The ramp was lowered and people stepped off. Among them were Pyo Wol and Yoo Soo-hwan.

Yoo Soo-hwan looked around the pier and said, “The atmosphere here seems unusual.

There were people around the pier who looked like martial artists.

They were closely watching the people getting off the boat. It was clear to everyone that they were on the lookout.

One group was on the west side of the pier and the other on the east side.

It was easy to see that they belonged to different factions.

They kept their eyes on the pier while keeping each other in check.

Suddenly, their eyes turned to Pyo Wol.

Since Pyo Wol made no effort to hide his identity, they recognised him immediately.

Pyo Wol?

The Reaper has returned.

Their eyes trembled as they looked at Pyo Wol.

The people on the west side hurriedly left the pier, and those on the east side approached Pyo Wol.

They asked cautiously, “Are you Grandmaster Pyo?”

“What if I am?”

“We are martial artists from the Silver Lotus Hall.”

“Silver Lotus Hall?”

“You may not know. It’s the official name for the Anti Golden Heavenly Hall.”

No matter how much they opposed the Golden Heavenly Hall, it was difficult to continue using the name Anti Golden Heavenly Hall.

The word “anti” itself had a negative meaning, so it wasn’t suitable for a faction’s name.

That’s why they had chosen the new name, Silver Lotus Hall.

“Who became the leader?”

“Yong Ha-sang, the young master.”

“Yong Ha-sang?”

Pyo Wol found this unexpected.

Nam Gung-Wol was obviously the central figure of the Silver Lotus Hall. But he soon understood.

By bringing Yong Ha-sang to the forefront, he will consolidate his own foundation from the back.

Pyo Wol thought this was not a bad strategy.

Everyone had their own role that suited them.

It seemed that Nam Gung-Wol’s disposition was well suited to coordinating everything from behind the scenes.

“Young Master Nam Gung-Wol has been eagerly awaiting your return. Would you like to accompany us to see him?”

“I would like to rest first.”

“Then?”

“If you want to talk, tell him to come to the inn where I’m staying.”

“Understood. We’ll pass on the message.”

Although his offer to meet with Nam Gung-Wol was declined, the martial artist showed no sign of displeasure.

It was proof of Pyo Wol’s high status.

The martial artists hurried to report to Nam Gung-Wol.

Pyo Wol and Yoo Soo-hwan returned to the Southern Heaven Pavilion, the inn where they had stayed before.

“Oh my! How long has it been?”

The innkeeper recognised Pyo Wol and rushed out.

“How is my horse?”

“He’s fine. We’re taking good care of him, so don’t worry.”

Normally, if the owner didn’t show up for more than a month, the horse would be sold to someone else. But the innkeeper couldn’t even think of doing that.

It wasn’t just any horse, it was Pyo Wol’s horse. If they had sold his horse without permission and Pyo Wol had returned, they wouldn’t have been able to cope with the consequences.

That’s why they had no choice but to take good care of the horse with utmost sincerity.

“Give me two rooms.”

“Shall I give you the room you had before and the one next door?”

“That will do.”

“Understood. How do you want your meals prepared?”

“Prepare them now. We’ll eat and then go in.”

“Sure! Please wait a moment. I’ll prepare everything quickly.”

The innkeeper hurried into the kitchen.

Pyo Wol and Yoo Soo-Hwan sat by the window.

It was Pyo Wol’s favourite place.

Yoo Soo-hwan looked out of the window at the beautiful scenery of Poyang Lake and said,

“What a beautiful place. It’s so different from the sea I saw in the Martial Sword Alliance.

“Come to think of it, the Martial Sword Alliance was also by the sea.”

“Yes! It’s in Haenam Province, to be exact. The white sand beach and the vast blue sea blend together to create an indescribable beauty.”

“You must want to go back soon.”

“Yes! I would like to go back right now, but my body is in this condition…”

Yoo Soo-hwan smiled with self-mockery.

He was currently unable to use his martial arts.

Having trained since childhood and spent his entire life as a martial artist, the loss of his martial arts skills was an immeasurable loss. However, Yoo Soo-hwan didn’t think that this feeling was too bad.

Ordinary people also lived like this.

There were many people who lived well without martial arts, and it would be too shameful to feel discouraged just because he was temporarily unable to use his martial arts.

“Can you recover? Didn’t you say that ordinary doctors can’t fix it?”

“As I said, I know someone who can. If it’s him, he can definitely cure me. My meridians are damaged, not my energy centre.”

“Sounds like he has extraordinary medical skills.”

“Yes! He is a person worthy of being called a supreme-ruler.”

“Why isn’t he famous?”

“Being famous isn’t always a good thing.”

“Is it a secret?”

“Yes!”

Pyo Wol didn’t ask any more.

There wasn’t a single person in Kangho who didn’t have a secret connection with others.

After all, a martial artist proved his existence through power.

It was inevitable that they would project their power onto others, creating secrets.

The same was true of the doctors who worked in Kangho.

It was obvious that the doctor Yoo Soo-hwan knew had become involved in Kangho’s secrets.

At that moment, the innkeeper approached with a tray of food.

“Enjoy your meal.”

The innkeeper looked at Pyo Wol with envious eyes for a moment, then hurried back to the kitchen.

Yoo Soo-hwan said,

“It seems that the boy admires Master Pyo.”

“There’s nothing to admire in an assassin…”

“Do you really have to define yourself as an assassin? Grand Master Pyo is an excellent martial artist in his own right…”

“…”

“Assassins, warriors, they’re all martial artists. That’s what I think.

“How romantic. The people of Kangho won’t be as generous as you. They’re obsessed with their origins and status. Once you’re branded an assassin, you’re an assassin forever.”

“Haha! I do have that tendency.”

Yoo Soo-hwan laughed with good humour.

Yoo Soo-hwan smiled wryly. Pyo Wol wondered if he would look like this if he grew up with no wrinkles and lots of love, but that was only on the outside.

Yoo Soo-hwan was a sharp sword in a thick, blunt sheath. His laughter hid his true self inside the scabbard.

The two began to eat.

After a few bites, Yoo Soo-hwan opened his eyes wide.

“This is really delicious. The innkeeper seems to be quite skilled.”

He even closed his eyes to savour the taste of the food.

He had thought that his sense of taste had been completely ruined over the past few months, but tasting such delicious food made him feel like he was coming back to life.

Then he poured himself a drink.

He drank alone because he knew that Pyo Wol didn’t drink.

It was good to drink alone.

The beautiful scenery, the wind and the delicious food were enough.

“I didn’t know that I could be happy with so much when I was in the Martial Sword Alliance… Now this alone is enough.”

Yoo Soo-hwan muttered, shaking his drink.

With a slight smile on his face, he looked at his drink while lowering his eyes.

Suddenly he looked up at Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol was quietly eating his food without paying any attention to him.

The way he slowly chewed his food made him look as pious as a monk or a Taoist priest.

Yoo Soo-hwan knew that those who had reached the peak of their abilities had such an atmosphere.

Don’t define yourself as an assassin. You have already surpassed the limits of an assassin.

Pyo Wol’s performance in the pitch-black underground for the past month was truly amazing.

He hadn’t allowed any of the martial artists who had followed him into the dark cave to die.

It was truly a remarkable feat.

Although the martial artists were also in a desperate situation, if Pyo Wol hadn’t unknowingly taken care of them, their survival would have been impossible.

In the pitch-black darkness, the only thing they could rely on was Pyo Wol’s back. They moved forward step by step, following his strong back, and as a result, they were all able to return safely.

Now they returned to their respective sects.

No one knew how many of them would fight and win against the rulers who had sent them to the unreturnable prison. But if even one of them became a victor, he would definitely lend his strength to Pyo Wol.

He himself was no exception.

It was impossible for him to feel this way about a mere assassin.

They all said that they would come running when Pyo Wol called, because they saw something more in him.

Chororok!

That was when Yoo Soo-hwan refilled his glass with alcohol.

“My supreme-ruler!”

“It’s a corpse!”

Suddenly, the guests in the guesthouse screamed at the sight of the floating bodies.

Pyo Wol and Yoo Soo-hwan frowned.

That was because, as they said, the bodies were floating by.

Yoo Soo-hwan put down his glass and said,

“I guess it’s not the right time for a quiet meal.”

Pyo Wol nodded as he put down his chopsticks.

The corpses had lively expressions and their skin colour was still intact.

They were freshly dead.

That meant that a fight was going on nearby.

At that moment, Pyo Wol faintly heard the sound of clashing weapons and people cursing.

“Kill them!”

“Iyat!”

“Stop them from entering the ship.”

Pyo Wol looked in the direction the curses were coming from.

A large ship could be seen in the distance.

More than a dozen smaller ships surrounded it and attacked it.

The warriors on the smaller ships were desperately trying to board the large ship, while the warriors on the large ship were swinging their weapons to fend them off.

The battle between the two groups was fierce.

The sight of the warriors trying to board the ship and those trying to stop them turned the river red with blood.

“Kuaak!”

“Aaak!”

Warriors who tried to board the large ship were pierced by spears or harpoons and fell into the river.

Those with less serious wounds struggled on the surface, but the mortally wounded sank quickly.

The warriors on the big boat were outnumbered, but they defended themselves well with their higher position and superior weapons.

Normally at this point the attackers would feel the disadvantage and retreat. But the attackers on the smaller ships were different.

Like relentless warriors, they boarded the big ship, shouting curses.

“Damn you! Let us board the ship. We won’t leave you alone.”

“We’ll kill them all.”

Their efforts were not in vain.

Eventually, some of them managed to get on the deck and fought with the warriors on the big ship, waiting for their comrades to join them.

As they held out, more of their comrades from the smaller ships climbed onto the deck of the larger ship.

A warrior who seemed to be in charge of the large ship shouted as he brandished his weapon,

“Bloodthirsty thugs dare to attack the Je-won merchant group! We must not let them take the ship.”

“shit! Is the Je-won merchant group such a big deal?”

“Kill that bastard first!”

Their shouts reached Pyo Wol’s ears.

“Is the Je-won merchant group’s ship being attacked by the Blood Ant Chamber?”

Until just before Pyo Wol entered the underground cave, the Je-won merchant group had the Blood Ant Chamber under control.

As a result, the Blood Ant Chamber had been unable to muster the courage to confront the Je-won merchant group and had been hiding in the shadows. But now, for some reason, they were out in the open, attacking the Je-won merchant group’s ship.

“Is this related to Jang Ho-yeon of Rain Mountain Manor?”

There was only one way to find out.

Pyo Wol jumped towards the ship.

Splash, splash, splash!

As he watched Pyo Wol’s back, sprinting across the water’s surface, Yoo Soo-hwan murmured,

“The waters of Poyang Lake will be dyed even redder.”

He picked up the wine cup he had set down earlier.