Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel - Chapter 556

Chapter 556

Pyo Wol asked Sal-no,

“What’s the damage?”

“Eight dead, seven injured.”

The Black Shadow Assassins were unscathed.

The ones who were harmed were ordinary assassins.

Their assassination methods were not as refined as those of the Black Shadow Assassins. As a result, they were discovered as they approached their targets.

The ones assassinated by Hong Ye-Seol, Thunder Eye, or the Black Shadow Assassins didn’t even scream. They were killed in a single blow, so swiftly that their lives were cut off in an instant.

But the ordinary assassins couldn’t perfectly execute the kills, causing their victims to scream.

That’s why the damage was so extensive.

Sal-no rubbed his chin and continued the conversation,

“Still, it’s fortunate that it ended like this. Had we not acted, the damage would have been greater.”

“They must know by now. That we’re not so easy to deal with.”

Hong Ye-Seol approached Pyo Wol with a smile.

Pyo Wol nodded, observing the assassins around him.

Despite being wrapped in a flame-resistant cloak and hidden in the ground, they suffered burns. They were only lucky because they’d used the Earthen Breath Technique; if they’d stuck their heads out to breathe, their lungs would have been scorched.

They could’ve easily escaped quietly.

All they had to do was slip away after the fire and the Martial Sword Alliance martial artists had passed. But they didn’t. They wanted to show Dokgo Hwang what happens when they are messed with.

They had to make it clear that if one side was touched, the other had to see blood. This was the only way not to be taken lightly.

Knowing this fact, Sal-no agreed with Pyo Wol’s crazy plan.

Sal-no cautiously asked,

“What’s next? Shall we go straight to the safe house?”

“No!”

“Then what?”

“Ye-Seol, Thunder Eye!”

Pyo Wol looked at the two.

“Yes!”

“Speak your command.”

Hong Ye-Seol and Thunder Eye replied politely.

Pyo Wol issued them a command..

“You two are to assassinate two of the key figures in the leadership of the Martial Sword Alliance. We should also send a warning to Dokgo Hwang.

“Understood.”

“We will follow your command.”

A smile appeared on their faces.

If Pyo Wol had suggested they hide in the safe house, they would have been disappointed.

In Kangho, the law was to pay back more than what was dealt.

Though had delivered a blow to the Martial Sword Alliance during their escape, that alone didn’t feel enough.

They had to show what happens when assassins are rashly meddled with.

It was a dangerous mission where a misstep could lead to death.

Still, the two happily accepted the command of Pyo Wol.

The Black Shadow assassins took their reaction for granted, but the ordinary assassins wore expressions of disbelief.

Though they were all assassins, there was no comparison in their venomous hostility.

‘Insane!’

‘Straight to counterattack?’

They knew that their leader, Pyo Wol, was the foremost assassin in Kangho, and that he possessed more venom than a venomous snake. But they really didn’t know he was such a unique kind.

Both Pyo Wol, who gave the command, and the two who received it, seemed out of their minds.

Sal-no was smiling broadly, apparently pleased with something.

Hong Ye-seol and Thunder Eye immediately took leave from Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol said to Sal-no.

“We’re going to the safe house.”

“I’ll guide you.”

Sal-no took the lead with his cane.

Pyo Wol, the Black Shadow Assassins, and the other assassins followed behind him.

****

“shit!”

Deung Cheol-woong spat a curse, looking at the bustling street.

There was a time when he feared nothing.

When everything on this street belonged to him.

When he was the master of the Blood Ant Chamber, living a life without regret, it felt like only yesterday, but now it was a distant memory.

Even when he was called the head of a snake, those times were better.

At least then, he didn’t need to consider anyone else’s opinion.

Many martial arts masters came to Poyang Lake, which became the battleground of Kangho. Among the people coming and going on the street, there were hardly any weaker than him.

Due to this situation, Deung Cheol-woong constantly felt his spirits shrinking.

He didn’t know how he had ended up in such a predicament.

“shit!”

Deung Cheol-woong grumbled and went into the inn.

The inn had been newly built while Deung Cheol-woong was ensnared in the Golden Heavenly Hall.

Naturally, the innkeeper didn’t recognize Deung Cheol-woong.

Honestly, even if he had, he wouldn’t have cared much.

Because the Poyang Lake street was full of people stronger than Deung Cheol-woong.

In the absence of tigers, the fox was king, but in a place where tigers were abundant, no one cared about foxes.

“Well, at least it’s nice that no one recognizes me.”

Deung Cheol-woong tried to console himself as he sat down.

He called out to the innkeeper.

“Hey, innkeeper!”

“Yes!”

“Bring me a jar of bamboo leaf wine and a simple snack.”

“Understood.”

The innkeeper replied from a distance, without approaching. Deung Cheol-woong didn’t like his manner, but he couldn’t vent his anger like before and just scowled.

‘Who the hell killed a strongman like Yong Ha-sang?’

As soon as he left the Golden Heavenly Hall, he had his subordinates spread out on the street to gather information from the underworld.

Although the area around Poyang Lake was divided between the Golden Heavenly and the Silver Lotus Halls, they couldn’t fully control the underworld.

The sentiment and the information flowing from the underworld could never be grasped by people who weren’t familiar with its depths, like Deung Cheol-woong and his henchmen.

Above all, various connections that the Blood Ant Chamber had built from the past were still intact.

If he used them, he would definitely be able to get some useful information.

“But what are those bastards doing that they’re still not back?”

Deung Cheol-woong grumbled, thinking about his henchmen scattered throughout the streets.

Although he said this, he knew they wouldn’t be back so easily.

Since they had come out after a long time, they were sure to indulge the desires they had been forcibly suppressing.

Some would be drinking at the inn, and others would be seeking out prostitutes to satisfy their desires.

Once he finished this drink, he too would find pleasure girls to hold in his arms, so he had no intention of blaming his subordinates.

He didn’t care what they did, as long as he got the information he needed.

“Here’s your wine and side dish.”

Just then, the innkeeper approached, carrying a tray with a wine jug and food.

Deung Cheol-woong stared intently at the innkeeper’s face as he placed the drink and snack on his table.

Feeling his gaze, the innkeeper cautiously asked,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Don’t you recognize me?”

“Sorry?”

“Damn! You really don’t know. The world has indeed changed.”

“I’m sorry, what do you mean?”

“Never mind! Get lost.”

“Yes!”

The innkeeper retreated with a puzzled look on his face.

Left alone, Deung Cheol-woong poured a drink into his cup with irritation.

He was furious that he, once the undisputed ruler of Poyang Lake, had to drink alone. But he couldn’t rant and rave like he used to.

Deung Cheol-woong gulped down the liquor he poured into his cup.

After draining three cups in a row, his anger somewhat subsided.

“Ah!”

He was wiping his mouth with his sleeve when he heard it.

“Man, you’re a good drinker.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly hearing this voice, Deung Cheol-woong furrowed his brow. It was clear that the remark was directed at him.

‘Which bastard…’

His mood was already gloomy.

Deung Cheol-woong turned his head towards the direction of the voice.

His eyes met those of the speaker.

For a moment, Deung Cheol-woong regretted turning his head.

“Heh! Look at you. Quite the grim face you’ve got there.”

Long grey hair that hadn’t been washed in ages, and a long beard that covered his chest. A grey robe that looked as if it had been worn dozens of times. Unusually, he wore two crossed swords on his back.

The old man’s eyes were like a wolf’s.

Facing those eyes, Deung Cheol-woong felt a chill run down his spine.

This is how he would feel if he were naked on the plains and encountered a wolf.

An experience he’d never had in the Golden Heavenly Hall.

Deung Cheol-woong asked cautiously.

“Who… who are you?”

“Who are you to ask me that?”

“I am Deung Cheol-woong.”

“Deung Cheol-woong?”

“I am the leader of a small sect known as the Blood Ant Chamber.”

“Leader of a sect, huh? Good for you. Pour me some liquor.”

The old man extended his cup to Deung Cheol-woong.

Deung Cheol-woong couldn’t dare to deny the old man’s request.

He filled the old man’s cup to the brim with wine, and the old man downed it in one gulp.

“Ha! Good. What is this wine called?”

“It’s called Bamboo Leaf Wine.”

“Good! I should drink this from now on.”

With a pleased expression, the old man looked at the bottle of wine in Deung Cheol-woong’s hand.

“I’m glad you like it. Please, have this. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Deung Cheolwoong set down the wine bottle in front of the old man and naturally tried to rise from his seat. However, he felt an overwhelming pressure, as if his body was stuck in a swamp, and he couldn’t even move a single finger.

The color drained from Deung Cheol-woong’s face.

He had guessed that the old man was no ordinary man, but he hadn’t expected him to be a master who had reached such an extraordinary level.

‘This goes beyond even Master Jang Ho-yeon.’

Jang Ho-yeon, the young master of Rain Mountain Manor, was recognized as a top martial artist in Kangho.

Among the younger generation, there were few who could rival him, and it was not an overstatement to regard him as one of the peak experts. However, even Jang Ho-yeon wouldn’t have been able to immobilize him to the point where he couldn’t move a finger.

‘Who on earth is this old man…?’

Deung Cheol-woong sensed he was in trouble.

He prided himself on his robust background in the lower ranks of the Kangho, but he found himself unable to breathe properly in front of the old man’s face and gaze.

He felt like a rabbit in front of a wolf.

The old man spoke.

“Who gave you the permission to leave? Without my permission, no one can leave.”

“But I am…”

“You are?”

“I am a… member of the Golden Heavenly Hall…”

“The Golden Heavenly Hall? You mean that group of kids?”

“Indeed.”

“Heh heh! Don’t worry about those little ones. Focus on pleasing me. That will be much better for your wellbeing.”

The old man’s wild declaration made Deung Cheol-woong swallow his dry saliva.

“May I know the honorable name of the Grandmaster?”

“You wish to know my name?”

“Ha ha! I need to know who you are so I can serve you to the best of my ability, heh heh!”

Deung Cheol-woong smiled with a servile expression.

The old man stared piercingly at Deung Cheol-woong’s face. Deung Cheol-woong dared not meet the old man’s gaze and subtly turned his head to avoid it. Then, the old man chuckled and opened his mouth.

“My name is King Gujin.”

“King Gujin. By any chance, the Wolf King?”

Deung Cheol-woong’s eyes bulged.

His eyes opened so wide, it felt like the corners of his eyes were going to tear.

Indeed, Deung Cheol-woong felt his heart plummet.

There are eight constellations in Kangho.

Although some of them have died or been defeated by Pyo Wol and their reputations have faded somewhat, they are still among the top martial artists in Kangho.

King Gujin may have been at the end of these eight constellations, but it did not mean he was the weakest amongst them.

He was King Gujin, who had wandered Kangho without being tied to any power throughout his life.

The King of Wolves.

A man who earned the nickname “Wolf King” for his life of independent action and countless battles.

Yet he’s still alive.

Because he’s just that strong.

His savage nature and cruel hands were feared by everyone in Kangho.

‘Gosh! Of all people, why the Wolf King….’

Deung Cheol-woong felt that he was in a pretty tight spot.

He was not sure why the Wolf King had taken an interest in him, but once he was caught in his grasp, there was no easy escape.

King Gujin asked.

“You’re the sect leader of the Blood Ant Chamber, right?”

“Yes!”

“And the Blood Ant Chamber is a native martial arts sect of Poyang Lake, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Heh heh! Then you must know the area around Poyang Lake very well.”

“Yes!”

Deung Cheol-woong wondered what King Gujin was getting at with such a long conversation.

King Gujin, pointing to the two swords hanging behind him, said,

“These two are called ‘Gongpo’ and ‘Golden Emperor.’ They’re unique swords that can’t be found anywhere else.”

“Ah!”

“I’m looking for a sword of similar caliber. I wonder if there’s anyone in Poyang Lake who has

such a sword.