Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel - Chapter 504 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Chapter 504 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Lee Joo-eun and Oh Cheon-woong, leading their subordinates, left the guest house.

In stark contrast to their grandiose entrance, their retreat looked as pitiful as if they’d been drenched in rain. Yet, there was no one to sympathize with them.

“I knew they would end up like this someday.”

“Serves them right.”

“They acted high and mighty as if they were something.”

“Ha! The drink tastes good.”

The guests in the house sneered at their retreating figures.

Those two had always been tyrannical, enlisting young talents to do their bidding.

They had no sense of justice or ideal.

The option of participating in the Kangho great war and making a name for themselves, or fighting for an ideal, had never been an option.

All they wanted to do was make a fortune.

People watched their foul play despite knowing their dark intentions, for there were many like them.

Many dreamt of making a name in the Kangho Great war, yet, many also viewed the chaos as an opportunity to profit.

Lee Joo-eun and Oh Cheon-woong were such characters.

For those who had long observed their tyranny, Chae Moo-ok’s assertive actions provided quite the gratification.

“Young man, I’ll buy the drinks today. Drink as much as you want.”

“I’ll pay for all the food at your table.”

“No, I will…”

The guests argued amongst themselves, each insisting on paying for the food for Chae Moo-ok and his party. Chae Moo-ok scratched the back of his head, his face slightly blushing at the sight of their gestures.

“Ha ha!”

Nam-Shin-Woo burst into laughter at Chae Moo-ok’s reaction. Eun-Yo and Do Yeonsan also joined in the laughter.

Scratching his head, Chae Moo-ok thanked Do Yeonsan and Sal-No.

“Thank you for your help. I’m grateful for your assistance.”

“No problem!”

“You’re quite good at martial arts. You’ve been well trained by your master.”

At Sal-No’s compliment, Chae Moo-ok’s face turned even redder.

Pyo Wol watched Chae Moo-ok silently.

At his side, Hong Ye-seol whispered.

“He looks naive but he’s quite tough.”

“Seems like it.”

“What do you think? He’s decent enough, isn’t he? Good enough for you to take him under your wing.”

“No.”

“Why? Isn’t it a waste?”

“I’m not the kind of person to recruit and lead someone.”

“You underestimate yourself too much. You have a greater ability to lead others than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“……”

“If you weren’t capable, these children wouldn’t have followed you willingly. You just deny it because it’s inconvenient and annoying”.

“No need! I don’t have the mindset or the energy to recruit and lead anyone right now.”

“If you ever change your mind, just tell me, you’re a man who deserves it.”

Hong Ye-seol looked at Pyo Wol with a mischievous expression.

‘No matter how I look at him, he’s handsome.’

Despite disguising himself as a rugged man, he couldn’t completely hide his handsome appearance.

She was well aware of the benefits of a handsome face.

Even if he stood still, the women around him would incessantly flirt.

Pyo Wol didn’t particularly reject women who voluntarily clung to him. That’s why there were always women around him.

It had been like this up until now, and it would likely remain so.

‘What a headache. I can’t just ignore him, and I can’t intervene either…’

If Hong Ye-seol had been an ordinary woman, she would have clung to Pyo Wol and tried to fend off the women who rushed at him. But she was not just any woman. She was the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union.

After a brutal struggle, she had slain the former head and taken over, but she was not omnipotent.

Like her predecessor, she too would face countless challenges.

Living as the leader of the Hundred Wraith Union meant accepting such challenges for life.

A normal life was something she couldn’t even dream of.

She couldn’t simply quit being an assassin if she wanted to, nor could she relinquish her position as the head of the Hundred Wraith Union.

Once you’ve mounted the tiger’s back, you have no choice but to see it through to the end, whether you live or die. And with such a life, she couldn’t yearn for a single man like an ordinary woman.

“I can’t monopolize him, and yet, I can’t just leave him be either…”

The more she thought about it, the more her head hurt.

“Ugh!”

In the end, she stopped pondering and downed the glass of alcohol in front of her.

As the fiery alcohol went down her throat, she forgot all the worries that had been plaguing her.

Strangely effective

＊＊＊

Boom!

With a heavy sound, a large ship docked at the wharf.

It was a huge Unmado Riverboat that could carry horses and carriages at once.

Tl/N- Unmado Riverboat can be considered a huge transport ship

The dock was filled with people who had been waiting since morning to board the Unmado Riverboat, including Pyo Wol and his group.

Only one transport ship came in a day.

Therefore, getting a ship ticket was not easy. However, Sal-no obtained the tickets so easily. No one knew how he managed to secure them.

Thanks to him, Pyo Wol and his party were able to board the Unmado river boat smoothly.

After confirming that the horses and carriages were safely placed in a separate spot inside the ship, Sal-No climbed onto the deck.

On one side of the deck, Pyo Wol was standing, and around him sat Do Yeonsan, Hong Ye-seol, and others.

Their appearance was so natural, as if they had known each other for a long time.

Sal-No muttered to himself,

“I wonder if the Hundred Wraith Union will be subdued by him.”

Hundred Wraith Union had long been a symbol of fear in the martial arts world.

So far, no one had completely subdued the Hundred Wraith Union. Many were ambitious, but Hundred Wraith Union repelled all their challenges and dominated the world of assassins.

The leader of the Hundred Wraith Union was like the king of assassins.

Even the assassin guilds unrelated to the Hundred Wraith Union acknowledged that the leader of Hundred Wraith Union was above them. Of course, this didn’t mean they obeyed the Hundred Wraith Union’s orders.

Not only the assassins belonging to the Hundred Wraith Union, but most of the assassins in other clans had a strong rebellious streak. They hated obeying others more than death, and were reluctant to get involved in matters that didn’t concern them.

Therefore, the idea of uniting all the assassin guilds was impossible.

Everyone in the assassin world thought so.

Before meeting Pyo Wol, Sal-No was no different. But after meeting Pyo Wol, he realized something.

If anyone could unite the world of assassins, it would be him.

Pyo Wol was different from any other assassins he had met.

Both the former leader of the Hundred Wraith Union, who was considered the peak of assassins, and the current leader were lacking compared to Pyo Wol.

“‘A true champion is not made by others, but is self-made.’

Sal-no shivered slightly.

Whenever he saw Pyo Wol, he couldn’t help but feel a storm in his heart.

That’s why he was certain.

Pyo Wol was the only one who could unify the Killing gates.

Then Hong Ye-seol signaled him and said,

“What are you doing standing there all dazed? Come over here.”

“Yes! I’m coming.”

Sal-no joined the group with a slight bend at the waist and a trot.

“What were you thinking so deeply about? You didn’t even hear me calling you several times.”

“Oh, I was just lost in some other thoughts.”

“What thoughts?”

“Just some thoughts.”

“Hmm!”

Hong Ye-seol looked at him with suspicious eyes.

Sal-no met her probing eyes with an impassive face.

Eventually, she couldn’t figure out what was going on in his mind and pulled a sour face.

That’s when it happened.

“Master, the ship is quite spacious.”

With a robust voice, a group of warriors ascended onto the transport ship.

At the forefront was a man, with a shaved head and a figure reminiscent of an iron tower. His lion-like fierce eyes and face were striking.

A giant iron rod spiked with sharp thorns hung from the back of the giant man.

His overpowering appearance alone was enough to make one’s legs weak.

Behind him, a man who seemed to be in his early thirties quietly followed.

The man was wearing a vest made of tiger skin, and his face looked as fierce as a tiger’s.

The man muttered,

“So, once we board this boat, it’s a straight path to the Poyang Lake?”

“That’s correct, Master!”

The man, like an iron tower, responded politely.

The man called ‘Master’ crossed his arms and looked around the deck.

“Nice!”

The spacious deck seemed to his liking.

He moved towards the bow of the ship, followed by the giant and a dozen martial artists.

Their unusual momentum caused the other passengers to subtly shy away.

The man didn’t care about the reactions of the guests.

He settled down at the bow.

The giant and his entourage surrounded him like a wall.

Inside this human shield, the man rested comfortably.

Sal-no mumbled while looking at the man.

“I’m sure I’ve seen him somewhere before……”

“Do you know him?”

“I think I’ve seen him in the Earth Class Directory

At Sal-No’s answer, Hong Ye-seol furrowed her brow slightly.

The Hundred Wraith Union independently collected information about the major figures in the martial world, classifying them into Heaven, Earth, and Human categories based on their threat level. The Earth class recorded martial artists who were exceptional among the intermediate masters.

Human class was for ordinary warriors, and Earth class recorded outstanding warriors among the high-level fighters.

“So, it’s a high-level fighter.”

“Ah! I remember now. That man is Jo Han-Pyeong, the successor of Hundred Mountain Valley. He’s so wild that he calls himself the ‘Great Tiger of the Mountains’.”

“Hundred Mountain Valley’s Jo Han-Pyeong? Is he also participating in the Kangho Great War?”

“It seems so from the circumstances.”

“Now even the Green Forest(Noklim) reveals their ambition.”

“Isn’t it just a sign of the chaos in the martial world?”

Then, Pyo Wol chimed in on their conversation.

“Is that guy a member of the Green Forest?”

“Yes. He is the young master of the Hundred Mountain Valley, one of the successors of the Heaven High Castle.”

“Is that so?”

“You must know that Heaven High Castle once unified the Green Forest. The previous sect leader led the Heaven High Castle with a strong presence and leadership, but the castle was divided due to the incompetence of the lord who took over afterward. Eventually, Heaven High Castle was divided into two valleys and four forts, and now they’re not even on speaking terms. Although they meet once every ten years, it is merely formal.”

Sal-No earnestly answered.

Hong Ye-seol added to his explanation.

“Jo Han-Pyeong of the Hundred Mountain Valley is known to be extremely proud and ambitious. And he is known to have caused several problems because of his lust.”

“Are you saying that he has complicated relationships with women?”

“It’s not just complicated, it’s literally fucked up.”

Hong Ye-seol shivered as if the mere thought was horrifying.

Sal-No said,

“The giant next to him is called Gwak Tae-Gang, who is known as the strongest man in the Green Forest.”

“He seems strong.”

“He was born with supernatural strength, and it is said that he can match a bear in a contest of strength.”

“That’s impressive!”

“If he had met the right master, he could have been a hero in the martial world, but it’s quite a pity because he met the wrong one and is just cleaning up after him.”

This was the first time Sal-no had such a pitiful expression for someone. So, Pyo Wol also took a closer look at Gwak Tae-Gang. His physique was more than just massive. His gigantic body, built entirely of muscle without a hint of fat, seemed to contain overwhelming power.

He stood next to Jo Han-Pyeong, like a bodyguard.

Pyo Wol looked at them for a moment before turning away.

It was quite interesting, but it had nothing to do with him.

However, Jo Han-Pyeong didn’t seem to think so.

Suddenly, he lit up his eyes and approached where Pyo Wol was.

When Jo Han-Pyeong moved, Gwak Tae-Gang and his entourage followed.

Where Jo Han-Pyeong headed, there was Eun-Yo.

Eun-Yo was humming a song with her eyes half-closed, and she looked quite mysterious.

Suddenly feeling the presence, Eun-Yo opened her eyes and looked at Jo Han-Pyeong.

Seeing her unfocused eyes, Jo Han-Pyeong blurted out.

“You’re a prostitute, right? Right? You, you’re a prostitute?”

Tl/n- He dead, lol

Jo Han-Pyeong made an extremely rude remark without a second thought.

The one who got angry at his attitude was Do Yeonsan.

“What are you doing now?”

“Who are you? Are you this woman’s lover?”

“Yes, I am.”

“What? Really? You’re dating a prostitute? Well, she does have a pretty face, so she must be fun to be with.”

“Take back what you just said.”

“What did you say? You little brat.”

“Retract the insult you made to her and apologize respectfully. Then I will let it go.”

“What? Let it go? Who do you think you are?”

Jo Han-Pyeong looked taken aback.

He never expected to hear such words from a kid whose name he didn’t even know.

Jo Han-Pyeong looked at Gwak Tae-gang.

“Do I have to put up with this kind of talk?”

“I’m sorry. I’ll handle it within my jurisdiction.”

“And bring that woman to me. I want to know what’s so special about a prostitute.”

“Yes!”

With his response, Gwak Tae-gang blocked Do Yeonsan.