Chapter 342 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Chapter 342 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

He didn’t know where such a huge ambition was hiding in Jo Yuseol’s delicate body.

The ambition she displayed now was so intense that it couldn’t be seen as just a naive woman’s desire.

Most men wouldn’t dare to meet her gaze, as it was so intense but Pyo Wol silently looked into her eyes.

For a while, their gazes tangled in the air, burning hot.

At that moment, Jo Yuseol’s blood ran cold.

It was because there was no emotion in Pyo Wol’s eyes as he looked at her.

It was not the gaze of a man who had fallen for her charms.

As expected, Pyo Wol’s response didn’t deviate from her expectations.

“I don’t want to live as someone’s man.”

“Think about it again.”

“No, I’ve already thought about it enough.”

“You’re heartless.”

“We’re not in a position to discuss feelings.”

“Well, fine. Then just kill Jo Ik-gwang.”

Jo Yuseol changed her expression when Pyo Wol didn’t yield.

The sultry gaze and hurt expression she had shown moments ago disappeared, and she returned with a cold, polite face.

This was her true self.

It was a waste of time to show a hypocritical side to someone who wasn’t swayed by temptation. That’s why she changed her face in an instant.

“Do you really want me to kill Jo Ik-gwang?”

“If he’s gone, the Jo family will be in my hands.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“What’s there to think about? It shouldn’t be difficult for someone with your skills.”

“There are others who want his death, too.”

“Wishing for death and actually being able to kill are different things. If I could kill him with just my desire, why would I ask you? Whoever wants Jo Ik-gwang’s death, if they haven’t reached your level, it’s impossible to kill him.”

“You underestimate people’s determination.”

“Haha! Aren’t you overestimating determination too much? It’s just a hardened mindset. Determination without action is useless. If you don’t want to do it, just say you don’t want to. If you’re scared, admit it.”

Jo Yuseol thought Pyo Wol was making excuses because he didn’t want to grant her request.

Naturally, her gaze towards Pyo Wol grew cold.

Pyo Wol, not caring about her gaze, continued speaking.

“Wait a few more days.”

“And after that? If there’s still no movement, what will you do?”

“I’ll decide when we get there.”

“Is this really how it’s going to be? How can a man be so irresponsible? Am I just a one-night stand to you?”

“Do you think that just because we slept together for one day, you can manipulate me as you please?”

“Well…”

“Whether or not I kill Jo Ik-gwang is for me to decide. It’s best to give up on the idea that you can interfere and control my decisions. If you keep doing this, Jo Ik-gwang might live longer than you.”

Jo Yuseol bit her lip slightly.

Pyo Wol’s words didn’t sound like empty threats.

The man she faced had the nickname of the Reaper.

Such a wild nickname might sound ridiculous for an ordinary man, but when attached to someone with real ability, the weight it carried was different.

Pyo Wol had the skills worthy of the Reaper nickname.

A man who had reached divine heights in killing people.

There was no one he had failed to kill. That’s why Jo Yuseol wanted to wrap Pyo Wol under her skirt and use him.

Having him on her side would be incredibly reassuring, but as an enemy , Pyo Wol was the most frightening existence in the world.

Jo Yuseol regretted revealing her intentions too soon.

She had exposed her ambition too early, causing Pyo Wol to become wary of her.

‘I made a mistake. I should have taken more time to reel him in.’

But no matter how fast regret comes, it’s always too late.

“I’m sorry. I made a mistake. My narrow-mindedness went too far.”

She quickly apologized.

When bowing, one should bow deeply.

It’s foolish to hold back out of pride.

Though she made a mistake due to impatience, it was a very good decision to try to correct it immediately upon realizing it.

“Please forgive me with your generous heart.”

Jo Yuseol bowed her head to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol’s gaze on her was deep and intense.

‘The Empress of the Martial World…’

There was a dangerous aura around this woman who dreamt of ruling.

***

Jo Ik-gwang left the blue peacock manor and headed to Taeho’s busy streets.

‘Nothing is going as planned.’

Everything had gone awry since Jo Jakyung entered the blue peacock manor yesterday.

Because he had been hiding from him, he hadn’t done any of the things he needed to do.

One of those tasks was to find Jo Yuseol.

In the end, he couldn’t find out where Jo Yuseol was.

Jo Yuseol was like a thorn in his side.

It didn’t hurt enough to kill, but it was painful enough to be bothersome.

Although she always pretended to be cautious in front of her father, Jo Sumok, Jo Ik-gwang instinctively felt that she had other secrets.

That’s why he had assigned guards to watch her, but they were evaded, and Jo Yuseol disappeared without a trace.

He was annoyed at the thought that she might be plotting something while she was gone.

Although it wouldn’t change the overall situation, it was uncomfortable to know that something was happening somewhere without his knowledge.

Jo Ik-gwang decided to double the surveillance as soon as Jo Yuseol returned.

Lost in thought, he soon found himself in Taeho’s bustling area.

The place he was heading to was a square where people gathered the most in Taeho’s busy streets.

It was empty during the day, but at night, merchants opened their stalls one by one, forming a night market.

In the center of the square was a large well, and all the merchants who opened the night market drew water from this well to make food. That’s why they paid great attention to managing the well.

He was supposed to meet Bok Ho-Jin here.

He would have slept in the blue peacock manor, but he chose to sleep outside because Jo Jakyung made him uncomfortable.

The fact that he had to watch Jo Jakyung’s every move even in his own place, the blue peacock manor, made Jo Ik-gwang even more irritated.

“It seems he hasn’t come out yet.”

“Isn’t Master Bok’s personality a bit relaxed? If you wait a little longer, he’ll come out.”

Jo Ik-gwang nodded at the words of the attendant beside him.

Usually, Jo Ik-gwang didn’t bring many attendants with him.

He had the confidence that no one would dare to harm him. However, the recent situation was unusual, so he brought his attendants with him.

Around him were about ten martial artists.

All of them were elite members of the Namgyeong Clan, and they were all great experts in martial arts.

They stared fiercely around Jo Ik-gwang.

People who saw this avoided them altogether.

They didn’t want to get entangled with them and be extorted for no reason.

They knew that getting involved with martial artists rarely turned out well.

It was best to avoid any potential risks altogether.

Thanks to this, Jo Ik-gwang and his attendants could wait for Bok Ho-Jin leisurely.

As time passed, the sunlight shining on the square grew hotter.

A look of irritation began to appear on Jo Ik-gwang’s face.

No matter how skilled he was as a martial artist, being exposed to such intense sunlight for a long time tormented him.

There was no place in the square to escape the sunlight.

That’s why the stalls didn’t open during the day, and the night market only started after the sun had set.

Jo Ik-gwang cursed Bok Ho-Jin internally for choosing such a place as their meeting spot.

It was then.

Kikikik!

The sound of something rolling was heard.

The gaze of Jo Ik-gwang and the martial artists naturally turned towards where the sound came from.

A young boy was struggling to pull a cart in the direction of their gaze.

It was unknown what was loaded on the cart, but every time the cart’s wheels turned on the stone floor, they screeched as if they would break any moment. It was proof that something heavy was loaded.

It wasn’t an unusual sight in this area.

People living nearby all came here to fetch water, and among them were children around the boy’s age.

Not many children were fortunate enough to receive their parents’ care and live comfortably.

As soon as they started to walk, and as soon as they were old enough to think for themselves, they all helped their parents with their work and prepared for independence.

That was the reality of Kangho.

The boy seemed to be one of those people.

A typical presence that can be seen anywhere.

He was a person who would not have caught the eye under normal circumstances. Yet, Jo Ik-gwang and his subordinates couldn’t easily take their eyes off the boy.

The boy had a certain power to captivate people’s attention. That’s why they couldn’t help but focus on his every move.

The boy took something out of the cart.

At first, they thought he was taking out a container to hold water. But upon closer inspection, it was not a container.

‘A stone?’

The black and lumpy object was unmistakably a large stone.

Plop!

The boy threw the stone into the well.

Jo Ik-gwang frowned.

“What’s he doing?”

It was a well used by everyone.

Putting such a stone in the well was a highly rude act.

Jo Ik-gwang was not a righteous person.

He didn’t have the broad-mindedness to interfere in matters that had nothing to do with him.

However, he was sensitive enough to be alert when it came to matters concerning him.

The water from the well where the boy put the stone would go into food at any stall or guesthouse, and the food made that way would end up in his stomach.

So, he couldn’t simply ignore it as the boy’s caprice.

After putting the stone in the well, the boy didn’t leave and kept staring at the well.

He seemed to be waiting for something to happen.

Jo Ik-gwang gave an order to his subordinates.

“Grab that brat.”

“Yes!”

The subordinates immediately took action without any objections.

The two youngest warriors approached the boy at the well.

Jo Ik-gwang and the warriors had no doubt that they would soon bring the boy to them.

That’s when a sudden change occurred.

The warriors who approached the boy suddenly collapsed as if they had been struck by a sudden illness.

They lay motionless on the ground.

“What happened?”

“Why did they collapse?”

Jo Ik-gwang and the warriors widened their eyes in surprise.

They strained their eyes to see, but it was difficult to grasp the situation at the well from here.

They saw the boy, seemingly startled, trying to run away in a hurry.

“Block that brat so he can’t escape.”

Jo Ik-gwang quickly issued the order.

The subordinates rushed to the boy first, followed by Jo Ik-gwang.

In the end, the boy couldn’t get away from the well and was surrounded by the warriors.

The boy, not knowing what to do, just shuffled his feet.

He looked terrified to anyone who saw him.

“Who are you? What did you do to them?”

That’s when Jo Ik-gwang pushed his subordinates aside and appeared.

He checked the condition of the collapsed subordinates.

The subordinates were already dead.

Their faces were pale, and there was no warmth of life left in them.

“They’re dead!”

Jo Ik-gwang’s eyes turned fierce.

There were no visible wounds on the bodies of the subordinates. But there was no way they would suddenly stop breathing for no reason.

They were all masters who had trained in martial arts for a long time.

Naturally, they were much healthier and physically stronger than ordinary people. The probability of them suddenly dying was almost nonexistent.

It was clear that the boy had done something.

Jo Ik-gwang stood up and glared at the boy.

“You brat! Did you kill them?”

“Master Jo Ik-gwang, right?”

“Do you know me?”

“Of course. There’s no one in the world who doesn’t know master Jo.”

“Who are you?”

“Do Yeonsan.”

“Do Yeonsan?”

Jo Ik-gwang furrowed his brow.

It was a name he had never heard before.

The boy, Do Yeonsan, smiled as he looked at Jo Ik-gwang.

“It seems you really don’t know. Then, how about this? I am the brother of the girl you murdered a while ago.”

“You?”

“Now you understand, right?”

Do Yeonsan laughed brightly.

On the contrary, Jo Ik-gwang’s expression hardened like a stone statue.

“You’re her brother?”

“Yes!”

“This crazy bastard…”

“You’re the one who made me crazy. Hehehe!”

Do Yeonsan laughed gleefully.