Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel - Chapter 531

Chapter 531

The vast expanse of Poyang Lake was truly magnificent.

Not only was it vast, but it was also fertile. All kinds of sediments from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River had accumulated there. As a result, numerous cities developed around the lake.

Duchang was one such city.

Growing around Poyang Lake, Duchang was a beautiful city, and a sense of ease graced the faces of its inhabitants. However, the onset of the Kangho Great War, had changed the city’s atmosphere dramatically.

With the influx of armed martial artists, the atmosphere in the streets became murderous, and people’s faces lost their relaxation.

Duchang was a major city strategically positioned.

Whoever controlled it held the reins of power over Poyang Lake. Therefore, the Golden Heavenly Hall and the Silver Lotus Hall competed fiercely for control of Duchang.

Sword fights broke out multiple times a day.

One day the Golden Heavenly Hall would dominate, and the next day the Silver Lotus Hall would regain control. This cycle repeated itself.

Every day, countless people lost their lives.

Most of them were martial artists from the Golden Heavenly Hall or the Silver Lotus Hall, but there were also civilians caught in the crossfire.

Their deaths were absurd and unjust, but they had no one to appeal to, no one to listen.

The powerless could only stay indoors and wait for the conflict to end.

For this reason, the people’s resentment towards the two factions reached its peak.

One day, a boy and a girl were walking down the deserted streets of Duchang.

They looked ordinary – an average boy and a beautiful girl.

Walking shoulder to shoulder, they seemed well-matched.

Suddenly, the girl stopped and looked around. However, there was something strange about her eyes. They lacked focus.

It was clear she was blind. Yet, she spoke as if she could see everything around her clearly.

“The streets are deserted.”

“Most people are staying indoors.”

At the boy’s response, the girl nodded.

She could feel the stares of people peering through their slightly open windows, watching the unfamiliar outsiders with suspicion.

Despite her blindness, the girl – Eun-yo could perceive the flow of the air and the direction of people’s gazes. And as always, Do Yeonsan was by her side.

Their reason for coming to Duchang was simple.

They wanted to personally verify the situation at Poyang Lake and gather information.

Although they could get information from the Assassin Guilds or the Hao Clan, nothing was as

reliable as personal verification.

Eun-yo in particular, because of her blindness, wanted to physically feel the atmosphere of the battlefield and the general mood of the area.

There was no way she and Do Yeonsan were going to interfere with Pyo Wol’s plan to subdue the entire assassin guilds.

Although Eun-yo had mastered martial arts from the Xiaoleiyin Temple, she was not a member of the assassin guild.

There were various ways to help, even if it was not directly related to the Assassins Guilds.

That’s why they had come to Duchang.

Eun-yo and Do Yeonsan disguised themselves as ordinary people. However, they still attracted attention.

It was because of Eun-yo’s mysterious aura and beauty.

Those watching from the cracks in the windows couldn’t take their eyes off her mystical atmosphere.

Do Yeonsan glanced around and spoke.

“Should we head to the Hao Clan branch now?”

Since morning, they had roamed Duchang.

They had collected all the information they needed.

Roaming around any more would just be a waste of time.

“Yeah!”

Eun-yo didn’t resist either.

Having felt the atmosphere of the Duchang area, it was time to meet Hong Yushin .

After hearing the information directly from Hong Yushin at Hao Clan, they would return to the Sol Family Pavilion and their day would be over.

The two of them moved side by side.

They already knew the location of the Hao Clan branch from Pyo Wol.

They left Duchang and walked upstream to where the river flowed into Lake Poyang.

A soft smile crossed Do Yeonsan’s lips.

He enjoyed these solitary walks with Eun-yo.

Do Yeonsan subtly reached out and took Eun-yo’s hand. Eun-yo did not refuse, but held his hand even tighter. They had gotten used to walking like this.

Walking with someone was better than walking alone, and having Eun-yo beside him made it even more enjoyable.

The same went for Eun-yo.

There was always something missing compared to seeing the world directly with one’s own eyes, no matter how much one could perceive the world through one’s inner vision.

Do Yeonsan happily became her eyes.

Thanks to him, Eun-yo was able to wander the streets without any difficulty.

“Pfft!”

Suddenly, Eun-yo burst into laughter.

Do Yeonsan looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Why?”

“Just because I’m happy.”

“That’s bland…”

Despite his words, a smile similar to Eun-yo’s crept across his face.

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, Do Yeonsan’s face furrowed.

Because he saw a group of martial artists coming from the front.

A beautiful woman, followed by a dozen guards.

At a glance, the vibe they gave off was extraordinary.

The woman leading the group, in particular, emitted an overwhelming presence.

The woman, who reminded him of a flower blooming in the snow, was Namgung Seol. She was returning to Poyang Lake from the Hao Clan branch with her Snow Flower Swords.

Do Yeonsan and Eun-yo stepped aside.

Fortunately, Namgung Seol and her Snow Flower Swords passed them by.

Just as the couple sighed with relief and prepared to continue their journey…

“Wait a moment.”

Namgung Seol turned around and called out to them.

The two halted their steps and looked at her. Namgung Seol approached them.

She made a curtsy, and introduced herself.

“I am Namgung Seol from the Thousand Kingdom School. May I know who you are?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, your identity.”

“We are not as famous as Lady Namgung, so even if we told you, you wouldn’t recognise us.

Namgung Seol smiled slightly at Do Yeonsan’s sharp reply.

“Knowing me means you’re a martial artist. Are you from the Golden Heavenly Hall or the Silver Lotus Hall?”

“Neither.”

“So you are still unaffiliated?”

“Well, yes, for now.”

“I see.”

Namgung Seol nodded her head.

Her expression was one of acceptance, but the Snow Flower Swords behind her seemed to disagree.

At Do Yeonsan’s dismissive reply, they became angry. Namgung Seol, however, remained calm and asked Do Yeonsan again,

“So, you won’t tell me your names?”

“My name is… Do Yeonsan.”

“And the young lady here?”

“It’s Eun-yo.”

“Eun Yo? A beautiful name. Just like your appearance…”

“Thank you.”

“Where are you two headed? There’s not much to see upstream.”

Namgung Seol’s gaze sharpened.

Do Yeonsan was slightly taken aback by her penetrating gaze. Namgung Seol was proving to be more persistent than expected.

That’s when Eun-yo naturally stepped in.

She casually raised her hand, which was intertwined with Do Yeonsan’s.

“It doesn’t matter if there’s nothing to see.”

“Hm!”

“Do I need to explain further?”

Silenced by Eun-yo’s cold response, Namgung Seol had nothing more to say.

It was natural for a couple to seek a secluded place.

Realizing her mistake, Namgung Seol apologized

“I apologize. My inquisitiveness has led to rudeness.”

“It’s alright.”

“Take care, young lady Eun.”

“You too.”

Eun-yo responded frostily and walked away with Do Yeonsan.

Namgung Seol watched as the couple receded into the distance.

Ahn Ji-san approached her side.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But assign a few of our men to keep an eye on them.”

“What?”

“They don’t seem like any ordinary couple. They’re heading towards the Hao Clan branch… ”

“Understood.”

Ahn Ji-san answered without a hint of doubt.

He knew how keen Namgung Seol’s intuition was.

Even without concrete evidence, when she said something was wrong, something was always wrong.

If she was so insistent, it meant she had sensed something they couldn’t.

Ahn Ji-san gestured to a few of his subordinates.

They moved quickly, following the direction Do Yeonsan and Eun-yo had taken.

＊＊＊

“Namgung Seol? The woman who the Snow Flower Swords are said to be following?”

“Right!”

In response to Do Yeonsan’s question, Eun-yo nodded and looked back.

They had walked quite a distance and Namgung Seol was no longer in sight. But as if she could still see her, Eun-yo starred in that direction.

“She gives off a bad vibe.”

“I felt the same.”

“We should be careful.”

“Yeah!”

Do Yeonsan nodded, agreeing with her opinion.

Namgung Seol exuded danger.

She had the unpredictable and unexpected qualities often found in those with great ambitions.

People like her pose a threat to everything around them.

It’s best to avoid their attention, but if they’ve noticed you, it’s wise to keep a distance.

The two arrived at an abandoned warehouse soon after.

They entered the basement of the warehouse in the same way as Namgung Seol, after making sure that no one was around.

“Welcome!”

Hong Yushin greeted the pair.

They returned his greeting and took their seats opposite him.

Hong Yushin asked,

“You made it all the way here safely, did you have any trouble?”

“We ran into Namgung Seol on the way.”

“Namgung Seol? Hmmm!”

Hong Yushin stroked his chin with his hand.

He thought it would be a delicate time for them to meet, but having actually encountered her, his mind became complicated.

Hong Yushin then asked Eunyo,

“What do you make of it?”

“You mean lady Namgung?”

“Right!”

“She seems dangerous. If we give her an inch, she’ll take a mile.”

“I thought as much.”

Hong Yushin nodded his head.

Eun-yo’s answer made things clearer.

‘We must relocate our branch.’

If they had been exposed to anyone else, it would have been one thing, but to be exposed to Namgung Seol made him uneasy.

The branch was like an anthill, full of complex structures and traps, but he still felt insecure.

“Namgung Seol has a sharp intuition. If she crossed paths with you, she must’ve followed you.”

“We checked, but there was no one.”

“They probably kept their distance. Nevertheless, we must assume that your entry here has been exposed. When you leave, take a different passageway, and you’ll buy yourself some time.”

“Understood.”

Eun-yo responded without a moment’s hesitation.

She, too, couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

Do Yeonsan asked,

“She has a keen intuition, you say?”

“She sensed a shift in the world of assassins and tracked us here without a specific request. I bet she has an instinct that we’re somehow involved.

“A troublesome woman indeed. Shouldn’t we eliminate her?”

“Then the Lee Geom-han of the Mad Martial Sect would make his move.”

“You mean the Lee Geom-han of the Mad Martial Sect?”

“Exactly! He is a man who could challenge Jang Mugak for the title of the strongest in the world.

If he gets involved, the order we’ve maintained so far would shudder.”

“Hmm, we’d better be cautious then.”

“Indeed! For now, that’s the best course of action.”

“Hoof!”

“But aside from that, how is the task of taking control of the Assassin guilds going? From what I can tell, it seems to be nearing completion?”

“Well, we’ve managed to subdue all the assassin guilds that have gathered at Poyang Lake.”

“That’s a relief!”

Hong Yushin let out a sigh of relief.

He had asked Pyo Wol for a favor, but he knew it was a daunting task.

He was incredibly grateful to Pyo Wol for accepting such a difficult request.

Hong Yushin pulled out a small booklet from the table and handed it over.

“I used all the intelligence of the Hao Clan to compile this. It contains all the powers and personnel in the Poyang Lake region.

It was a valuable book that couldn’t be bought even with a heap of gold.

It would be a great help in Pyo Wol’s mission.