Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel - Chapter 515 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Chapter 515 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

The first time Hong Ye-seol killed someone was when she was thirteen years old.

It was unthinkable for a thirteen-year-old girl to kill someone out of her own volition. She was raised to be an assassin, so she had no choice but to practise killing people.

She couldn’t remember their names or faces.

She couldn’t even remember if they were a man or a woman.

However, the sensation of piercing a human body with a sword was vividly etched in her memory.

The chilling feeling of the blade slicing through flesh and muscle, and the sensation of the blood wetting her hands, she could recall them clearly.

The memory was so traumatic that she can still see it when she closes her eyes. Yet, every murder she committed afterward didn’t carry any particular emotion.

She never felt guilty about killing, just mechanically following orders.

Perhaps because she killed not of her own will, but on command, she may have granted herself a pass.

She never missed a target and perfectly completed every assignment.

As she continued to kill, she became one of the best assassins in the Hundred Wraith Union, the ten blood assassins.

If she hadn’t met Pyo Wol, she would have continued to live that way forever. But after meeting

Pyo Wol and becoming deeply entwined, her life dramatically changed.

She began to have ambitions and moved proactively.

Even now, it was the same.

The old Hong Ye-seol would have ignored the Ice-Flame twins’ provocation, but now, she was different.

She was aiming higher, and the Ice-Flame twins were a hindrance in her path.

“Arrogant!”

“Die!”

The Ice-Flame twins unleashed a vicious attack.

Jang Hwa-yong unleashed the Great Yang Spirit, while Bing Ha-ran released the Heavenly Yin Spirit, a martial technique embodying the properties of extreme silence.

Their techniques were fitting of their nickname, the “Ice-Flame twins”. As the hot and cold energies surged like a tidal wave, Hong Ye-seol’s body writhed like a loach.

In her eyes, she could see a line of demarcation.

A narrow space where the Great Yang Spirit and the Heavenly Yin Spirit pushed against each other.

Hong Ye-seol sensed the tiny space that ordinary people couldn’t see and pushed her body into it.

Slipping between the two energies like a loach, she arrived in front of Bing Ha-ran in a flash.

“You?”

Bing Ha-ran’s eyes widened in surprise.

Hong Ye-seol smiled slightly.

‘Novice!’

A slip of emotion in a simple confrontation. This was a common mistake made by martial artists who grew exponentially in a short period of time, rather than rising steadily through the ranks.

Due to their lack of experience, anything outside of their expectations easily exposes their inner thoughts.

Moreover, Bing Ha-ran, who had been significantly wounded by Gomujin, was slower in reacting.

Upon seeing Bing Ha-ran’s slow response, Hong Ye-seol realised the extent of her injuries and chose her as the first target.

Swish!

She slashed her dagger across Bing Ha-ran’s thigh.

It wasn’t a severe wound.

She had merely nicked the tendon. But, that was more than enough to disable Bing Ha-ran.

“Ahh!”

Bing Ha-ran let out a scream as she stumbled.

“Ha-ran!”

Seeing this, Jang Hwa-yong shouted out loud.

In an attempt to rescue Bing Ha-ran, Jang Hwa-yong started executing a powerful move.

At this, a deep smile bloomed on Hong Ye-seol’s lips.

‘One should not haphazardly unleash such a powerful move.’

Powerful attacks like that often take more time to execute.

In reality, the time was extremely short, but to an assassin like Hong Ye-seol who had reached such a level, it felt like an eternity.

Hong Ye-seol didn’t miss the opening in Jang Hwa-yong’s defense and moved behind her.

Bang!

Jang Hwa-yong’s attack, instead of hitting Hong Ye-seol, shattered an innocent tavern table.

In the meantime, Hong Ye-seol had moved behind Jang Hwa-yong and inflicted another cut with her dagger.

She didn’t have to force herself to make a deep wound.

Swoosh!

A small cut on the back of her heel was all it took.

“Ugh!”

Jang Hwa-yong let out a soft moan.

A substantial amount of blood flowed from the heel, but the wound wasn’t enough to immobilise her. Gritting through the pain, Jang Hwa-yong launched an attack against Hong Ye-seol.

But Hong Ye-seol easily evaded Jang Hwa-yong’s attacks and left small cuts all over her body.

The wounds themselves were not large, but they were difficult to staunch and were on muscles that directly affected movement.

“Urgh!”

Jang Hwa-yong’s face contorted.

Strength was gradually draining from her body.

Even as she tried to stop the bleeding, Hong Ye-seol wouldn’t let her.

“Sister!”

Bing Ha-ran tried to help Jang Hwa-yong, but her interference only complicated matters.

Hong Ye-seol slashed Bing Ha-ran’s elbow.

“Ugh!”

Unable to bear the pain any longer, Bing Ha-ran collapsed.

“Stop!”

Bing Ha-ran cried for a halt, but there was no reason for Hong Ye-seol to comply.

In a fight where lives were on the line, there was no room for sympathy.

Up until now, Jang Hwa-yong and Bing Ha-ran had always fought in overwhelmingly favourable situations.

The infamy of Lee Chu-su, the halo of the Golden Heavenly Hall, and the power of Blood Patrol Unit all combined to suppress their opponents. As a result, their adversaries were often defeated without putting up much of a fight.

Such victories had made them believe that their skill was truly exceptional, even accepting the intimidating nickname of the “Ice-Flame twins.”

However, in Hong Ye-seol’s eyes, they were just overestimated novices.

They might possess powerful martial arts, but they didn’t know how to properly utilise them.

Their lack of experience was glaringly obvious.

Hong Ye-seol persistently exploited their weaknesses.

Despite their pleas, she continued to inflict wound after wound.

Just as clothes get soaked in a drizzle, the Ice-Flame twins became almost blood-soaked from the myriad of minor wounds.

The problem was not knowing when Hong Ye-seol’s onslaught would end.

Like a rat gnawing at a tree, she meticulously inflicted wounds all over their bodies.

Her movements were as quick and agile as a squirrel.

She was so quick and agile that they couldn’t keep up with her movements with their own eyes.

That’s when the twins finally realized the truth.

Hong Ye-seol was toying with them.

She could have killed them instantly, but instead chose to slowly induce excessive bleeding through multiple minor wounds.

If they lost any more blood, their lives would be in danger.

No matter how strong one’s internal energy is, losing too much blood would lead to death, such was the law of nature.

It was at that moment when their faces were turning into despair.

“Ahh!”

With a sharp scream, someone collapsed on the ground.

The one sprawling miserably on the floor was Lee Chu-su, the leader of the Blood Patrol Unit.

There was a big hole in Lee Chu-su’s side.

“Unnie!”

TL/N-Unnie is sister in Korean

“Leader!”

Both Jang Hwa-yong and Bing Ha-ran called out to her simultaneously. But Lee Choo-soo, reeling in agony, couldn’t muster the strength to respond.

Blood was gushing out from the gaping hole.

With the feeling that her organs might spill out, Lee Chu-su desperately clutched the wound with her hand.

“Cough!”

A suppressed groan escaped her lips.

Lee Chu-su’s face was filled with terror.

Sal-no walked over, step by step, towards her.

Sal-no’s face, adorned with black blemishes, was unspeakably horrifying. The staff he was holding was dyed red.

It was the staff that had pierced a hole in Lee Chu-su’s side. It was red because it had absorbed her blood.

“Wa-wait!”

Lee Chu-su raised her hand to halt Sal-no’s approach. However, Sal-no remained unbothered, coming even closer.

As Sal-no neared, the terror in her eyes intensified.

To her, Sal-no seemed like the grim reaper.

In desperation, Lee Chu-su surveyed her surroundings.

The Ice-Flame twins, who should have been her saviour, were on the brink of death, tormented by Hong Ye-seol. Half of her squad, the blood patrol unit, had been taken down by Do Yeonsan and others.

No one was available to help her.

Lee Chu-Su, who usually had a pride that pierced the sky and who looked down on everyone due to her arrogance, no longer had any trace of haughtiness on her face.

“Wait! Let’s talk. Let’s resolve this through dialogue.”

“You want to talk after starting a fight?”

“I… I was too impulsive. I apologize.”

“It wasn’t impulsiveness. It was arrogance.”

“I am apologizing for that. Please forgive me.”

“Tch! Only apologizing now when the blade didn’t go in as you hoped?”

“The blade didn’t go in, did it? There’s no harm done, right?”

Lee Chu-su desperately tried to justify herself. However, her excuses only served to intensify the murderous intent in Sal-no’s eyes.

“Hopeless.”

“If you mess with me, do you think the Gold Heavenly Hall will stay idle? Let’s not escalate this further. Let’s make amends here. I won’t make a fuss.”

“The Golden Heavenly Hall must be quite formidable.”

“Don’t you see? In the end, the world will fall to the Golden Heavenly Hall”.

“How regrettable!”

“What do you mean?”

“You won’t be able to see the day when the Golden Heavenly Hall rules the world.”

“Do you… really intend to kill me?”

“Is there a way to fake a death?”

Sal-no revealed a sinister grin.

For a moment, Lee Chu-su’s mind went hazy.

The killing intent Sal-no naturally exuded was affecting her spirit.

Suddenly, a yellow liquid trickled down her legs.

Overwhelmed by his killing intent, she had unknowingly wet herself.

“Tsk, tsk.”

Sal-No clicked his tongue, watching Lee Chu-su in her state.

He couldn’t understand how someone who couldn’t even withstand this level of intimidation could act so high and mighty.

Just as Sal-no raised his staff to strike the final blow to Lee Chu-su,

“Stop!”

Pyo Wol, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up. Then, as if in a lie, everyone stopped in their tracks.

Hong Ye-seol, who was playing with the Ice Flames twins, Do Yeonsan, who was mercilessly attacking the patrol, and even Sal-no, who was about to end Lee Chu-su’s life, all stopped.

There were no disputes, no objections.

It was as if they naturally obeyed Pyo Wol’s command.

Lee Chu-su was so astonished that she couldn’t even breathe properly.

The sight of these terrifying experts obediently following Pyo Wol’s words was enough to take her breath away.

‘What is happened?’

Her pupils shook wildly.

As Pyo Wol approached, Sal-no cautiously withdrew his staff and retreated.

Pyo Wol squatted down, meeting Lee Chu-su’s gaze.

The moment she looked into Pyo Wol’s eyes, Lee Chu-su trembled involuntarily.

The emotionless gaze of Pyo Wol’s eyes seemed to pierce through Lee Chu Su’s mind like a sharp blade.

“Ah!”

Lee Chu-su let out an involuntary groan.

Despite gritting her teeth to withstand the fear, it was of no use.

The longer she made eye contact with Pyo Wol, the more her fear amplified.

Pyo Wol silently stared at Lee Chu-su.

It wasn’t a long time, but to Lee Chu-su, it felt like an eternity.

She wished that Pyo Wol would say something, anything, soon. But cruelly, Pyo Wol did not grant her this wish easily.

It was only after Lee Chu-Su’s body was drenched in sweat that Pyo Wol opened his mouth.

“Name those who have recently joined the Golden Heavenly Hall.”

“Pardon?”

“Name those who have joined the Golden Heavenly Hall after the start of the Kangho great war.”

“Why do you… Ah!”

Lee Chu-su’s ignorant objection was cut off by a scream.

Suddenly, a dagger was lodged in the back of her hand.

Unnoticed, Pyo Wol had stabbed her with a dagger.

“For each objection, a dagger will be added to your body.”

“Ah!”

“So answer wisely.”

“Yes!”

Lee Chu-su frantically nodded.

Her mind was no longer her own, consumed by excruciating pain and fear.

Her mind was blank, unable to form any thought.

The only thought that filled her mind was to escape this situation as soon as possible.

And the best way to achieve that was to answer Pyo Wol’s question.

“The recent recruits are……”

Strange names began to flow from her mouth.