Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel - Chapter 574

Chapter 574

Go Yeon-hwa’s expression hardened as if she had put on an iron mask.

Regardless of the circumstances, she was a martial artist of the Silver Lotus Hall. On the other hand, Namgung Wol was just an outsider who had left the Silver Lotus Hall on his own.

She couldn’t share the internal information of the Silver Lotus Hall with an outsider like Namgung Wol, even if she was disappointed in them.

“I apologize. I cannot share internal information with an outsider.”

“It’s alright. I’ve asked too much of you.”

“Why are you here, Master Namgung? Did something happen at the Thousand Kingdom School?”

This time, Go Yeon-hwa asked the question.

She was genuinely curious about why Namgung Wol was here.

His response was simple.

“Nothing much.”

“Pardon?”

“The problem is that even after going there, nothing has changed.”

Namgung Wol sighed lightly.

He had only been here for a few days.

He had spent the entire winter at the Thousand Kingdom School.

There, he persuaded his father and brother and finally won them over.

During this process, Namgung Wol faced great hardships.

Both physically and mentally drained, he needed a place to rest.

And he thought of this place.

Pyo Wol was a cold-hearted man, but he knew he would not easily reject those seeking him. So

he had laboriously found his way here.

Over the past few days, he had rested here to his heart’s content.

Even without catching a single fish, he was content.

Just casting his fishing rod and looking at the surface of the water brought him peace.

In this way, over several days, Namgung Wol healed his spirit.

Thanks to that, his expression had noticeably improved.

Go Yeon-hwa carefully observed Namgung Wol’s face.

His face had been deathly pale even when he was in the Silver Lotus Hall. But now, his color had come back, and he seemed to be more relaxed.

She wondered what had made him so relaxed.

The two walked side by side along the riverside.

Suddenly, Go Yeon-hwa opened her mouth.

“Several martial artists from the Silver Lotus Hall lost their lives. The martial artists of the Golden Heavenly Hall were all killed. They were all murdered by the assassins here.”

“So it seems.”

“….”

Namgung Wol replied nonchalantly, as if it was someone else’s business. His attitude made Go Yeon-hwa feel strange.

‘Has he truly let go of all attachments?’

It was possible.

After all, he had essentially handed over the Silver Lotus Hall, which he had so carefully nurtured, to Lee Geom-han and Namgung Seol.

But a person’s emotions were not like tofu. They couldn’t be neatly sliced to remove the unnecessary parts.

Somewhere in his heart, he would still have a strong feeling of regret.

Go Yeon-hwa continued to stir the regret within him.

“Aren’t you affected?”

“What do you mean?”

“Master Namgung, the martial artists who lost their lives were all recruited and trained by you. They lost their lives to the assassins here.”

“So?”

“So…what?”

“Heh! Do you expect me to rage over their deaths?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Why would you think that’s obvious?”

“Well…”

Go Yeon-hwa was momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing her flustered, Namgung Wol chuckled and continued.

“Of course, I feel sorry about their deaths. But that doesn’t mean I should mourn them. They chose to stay in the Silver Lotus Hall. It’s not like I can take responsibility for their decisions, is it?”

“What made you like this, Master Namgung? Has someone brainwashed you?”

“Brainwashed? Do you think I’m acting this way because of brainwashing?”

“Well…”

“Leaving the Silver Lotus Hall was my decision, as is staying here.”

“Do you have a specific reason?”

“You will understand in time. Why I choose to act this way.

“Is that why you spared me?”

“That’s right! I wanted someone to observe this fight with a cold, objective eye.”

“Why me?”

“Among all the martial artists in Poyang Lake, I thought you had the most objective view.

“I don’t understand. Can’t you explain it more simply?”

“If you stay here, you will naturally understand. Despite appearances, this place is actually quite nice to live in. I’ve even considered settling down here when I retire.”

Namgung Wol smiled as he looked around the village.

Go Yeon-hwa found his smiling face unfamiliar.

＊＊＊

“And what about Go Yeon-hwa?”

“Master Namgung is looking after her.”

Sal-no politely replied to Pyo Wol’s question.

“Make sure she is comfortable during her stay here.”

“Yes!”

“And Hwangbo Chiseung?”

“We have arranged a place for him to stay. He said he would focus on healing his internal injuries with his cultivation for the time being.”

“Take good care of him.”

“Of course! Naturally, we will.”

Sal-no chuckled softly.

Hwangbo Chiseung received a considerable level of respect in Kangho.

He was mockingly called the One-Armed Fist King.

Being one-armed was a great disadvantage, but with just the one remaining arm, he possessed fighting power worthy of being called a king.

It was undeniably a huge advantage to have someone like him on their side.

The Hundred Wraith Union and the assassins were certainly a strong force. However, they had the constraint of not being able to operate openly in the Bai Province.

Master Hwangbo, on the other hand, was a traditional martial artist who could display his skills even in broad daylight.

By defeating the Jeon Mu-yeol brothers and Sadomun, he had already proven his martial prowess. On top of that, he considered Pyo Wol to be his benefactor and recognized him as his leader.

It was clear that his arrival would be a great boost to Pyo Wol’s faction.

Sal-no looked at Pyo Wol with satisfaction.

For the past year, they had been staying here, preparing their forces.

Pyo Wol and Black Shadow Assassins took turns to train the other assassins.

It was then.

Tweeet!

Suddenly, the cry of a bird echoed from the sky.

Pyo Wol and Sal-no lifted their heads to look at the sky.

A hawk was circling above.

When Sal-no raised his hand, the hawk swooped down like an arrow.

The hawk, which had swooped down in a frightening manner, flapped its wings directly in front of Sal-no and then landed softly on his arm.

There was a small tube tied to the hawk’s ankle.

Sal-no calmly untied the tube from the hawk’s ankle. Inside the small tube was a tightly rolled up letter.

Sal-no presented the letter to Pyo Wol and spoke.

“This is from Oh Jin-eui.”

“Hmm!”

Pyo Wol nodded and read the letter.

Seeing his expression slightly change, Sal-no cautiously asked.

“What does it say?”

“We’ve got a lead.”

“Really?”

Instead of answering, Pyo Wol handed Sal-no the letter.

Having read the letter, Sal-no couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“Phew! I thought she was quite an individual, but she’s really no ordinary child.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you plan on going to Poyang Lake?”

“I must.”

“Who do you plan to take with you?”

“Why?”

“This time I would like to go with you.”

“What about the Hundred Wraith Union?”

“Even without me, Ye-Seol or Thunder Eye would be fine. The day of free movement is not far

away, so I should follow the Supreme Leader in some way.”

“In that case, only you and Soma will accompany me.”

“Heh! I’ll personally inform Soma.”

Sal-no left with a smile and went straight to Soma.

Left alone, Pyo Wol entered the thatched cottage.

Inside the hut he had used last winter, there was a large wooden bed covered with a woolen blanket.

He opened a large chest that lay beside the bed.

It was filled with all sorts of tools and weapons for the assassins.

Everything inside the box was personally crafted and sent by Tang Sochu.

The things Tang Sochu sent were not only for Pyo Wol.

He personally crafted and sent weapons to the Black Shadow Assassins who were

accompanying Pyo Wol, as well as to the Ten Blood Assassins.

The assassins who received his weapons couldn’t help but marvel.

The quality of Tang Sochu’s weapons were far superior to the quality of any weapons they had used before.

They also seemed to be tailored to each individual’s physique, with excellent weight and balance.

After receiving the weapons sent by Tang Sochu, Sal-no and the assassins were speechless for a while. They were so perfect for them.

Thus, the assassins who were present were armed with the weapons that Tang Sochu had sent them.

Pyo Wol fastened a leather belt around his waist.

In the leather belt, about ten hidden daggers were stored.

They were newly made, modeled after the Ghost Blades he had used before.

Tang Sochu paid special attention to them, making their strength and sharpness far superior to

the Ghost Blades he used before.

Next to be equipped were a pair of bracers.

They had been in use before, and they had a lot of hidden weapons, such as silver threads.

Pyo Wol wasn’t particularly fond of using concealed weapons. However, it never hurts to be prepared in advance.

Finally, he put on his Black Blood Robe and stepped outside.

“Brother!”

“Supreme Leader!”

Outside the hut, Soma and Sal-no had already finished their preparations and were waiting for him.

They too were ready to embark on their journey.

Thump, thump, thump!

Pyo Wol applied his Reverse Bone technique, slightly altering his facial features. A slight adjustment to his facial muscles completely transformed his aura.“

Soma and Sal-no felt no need to disguise themselves.

Soma, simply because not many people were familiar with his face, and Sal-no, because he was not well-known in the Kangho.

The three of them ventured towards the docks and boarded a small boat.

The fishing village they were staying in was connected to a tributary of the Yangtze. A boat was the most efficient way to get there.

As Pyo Wol and Soma boarded, Sal-no took up the oars.

With each light stroke from Sal-no, the boat surged forward several yards.

Soon, they left the village and joined the main course of the Yangtze.

To navigate the Yangtze in such a small boat was almost suicidal.

Although the river’s current may seem slow, it’s actually incredibly fast and turbulent, capable of capsizing or breaking a small boat in an instant.

Even skilled boatmen hesitated to cross the Yangtze in a small boat. Yet, Sal-no entered the river fearlessly.

Initially, the boat rocked as though it might capsize, but soon, the rocking ceased and the boat calmed.

It was all thanks to Sal-no’s skillful rowing.

He didn’t fight against the current but flowed with it.

He accurately measured the flow of water, lifted the boat over it, and paddled just enough to keep it steady.

This kept the boat steady even in rough waters.

While the tension of rowing should have been evident, Sal-no wore a relaxed smile.

Pyo Wol stood at the bow, looking out at the majestic flow of the Yangtze River.

The vast Yangtze was devoid of common boats.

Under normal circumstances, they would have encountered several large boats However, since the beginning of the Great Kangho War, traffic on the Yangtze had virtually ceased.

Numerous boats had been caught in the crossfire and sunk.

The occasional boats that passed by were all affiliated with either the Golden Heavenly Hall or the Silver Lotus Hall. Warriors from both sides stood guard on these boats as well.

Boats belonging to the Golden Heavenly Hall attacked those of the Silver Lotus Hall, and vice versa.

Under these circumstances, ordinary boats did not dare to pass through the area where the two forces were fighting.

Even the fishermen had given up fishing, so despite traveling down the Yangtze for quite a while, they didn’t see another boat.

After rowing for some time, Sal-no spoke.

“It’s peaceful, but eerily so.”

There was only one boat on the vast Yangtze, a small boat that could barely have room for three people.

While it felt good to have the Yangtze all to themselves, it also felt wasteful.

The escalating conflict between the two factions had disrupted the waterways of the Yangtze and caused chaos in other regions.

Merchant and cargo ships that relied on the Yangtze were halted, disrupting the supply chain.

Merchants transported goods by land, but it was no match for water transportation. Demand for goods was high, but transportation capacity was sorely lacking.

As a result, supply problems had caused a spike in prices across Kangho.

Even the market prices in far-off Sichuan were fluctuating, demonstrating the massive impact of the disruption.

It was the common people who suffered the most as the conflict dragged on.

“If only this war could end soon…”

Sal-no muttered.

Suddenly, the calm waters roared.

Such turbulence usually indicated the passage of a large ship.

Turning their heads, they saw a massive boat slicing through the water.

“That boat is?”

“It’s a boat from the Martial Sword Alliance.”