Chapter 357 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Chapter 357 Reaper of the Drifting Moon novel

Nam Gung-Wol shook his head as he looked at Yeom Hee-soo’s tired face. In just one night, her face had changed dramatically.

Her eyes were sunken, and her bloodshot eyes seemed to indicate that she hadn’t slept well all night.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“I just couldn’t sleep well, that’s all.”

“Hmm!”

Nam Gung-Wol didn’t seem to believe Yeom Hee-soo’s excuse.

The Yeom Hee-soo he knew never lost her vitality, no matter the situation. She had a free-spirited atmosphere unique to the Green Forest. Seeing her lose her energy like this was definitely not normal. But since she denied it, it was difficult to pry further.

“What about brother Yong?”

“He must be somewhere in Poyang Lake.”

“He’s not in the Brothel, is he?”?”

“Who knows?”

Nam Gung-Wol shrugged.

After arriving at Poyang Lake, Yong Ha-sang had been frequenting the brothels without a day of rest.

He was the successor of the Dragon Mountain Manor. He couldn’t openly womanize and drink in the area around the manor.

He had to consider his reputation. But it was different here.

No one knew he was the successor of the Dragon Mountain Manor, and even fewer people knew his face.

He was free here.

As if releasing pent-up anger, he lived in a daze of alcohol and women.

So, Nam Gung-Wol and Yong Ha-sang’s conversation still hadn’t made any progress.

Yeom Hee-soo asked,

“Where is brother Namgung going?”

“I’m going to see Grand Master Pyo.”

“Hmm!”

Suddenly, Yeom Hee-soo pressed her lips tightly.

Her eyebrows were also furrowed, showing that she didn’t think highly of Pyo Wol.

Nam Gung-Wol asked,

“Did something happen with Grand Master Pyo?”

“Nothing happened.”

“Then why?”

“I just have a headache. It’ll be fine once I walk around. I’ll go with you.”

“Do you want to see Grand master Pyo too?”

“Why not? Am I not allowed to see him?”

“No, let’s go together.”

Nam Gung-Wol sensed that something had happened from Yeom Hee-soo’s sharp response, but he had no reason to refuse, so they headed together to see Pyo Wol.

As it happened, Pyo Wol was having a meal in the first-floor dining room of the inn.

Nam Gung-Wol greeted Pyo Wol with a bow.

“Grand Master Pyo! Are you having a meal now?”

“If not, why don’t you join me?”

“I already ate. What about Yeom Hee-soo?”

“I don’t have an appetite. Thanks to someone.”

Yeom Hee-soo glanced at Pyo Wol and sat down in front of him.

Nam Gung-Wol felt the prickliness in her voice but didn’t know the situation, so he couldn’t say anything.

Yeom Hee-soo stared at Pyo Wol with ice-cold eyes, but Pyo Wol ignored her gaze and continued eating silently.

This made Yeom Hee-soo even more angry. However, she endured it with superhuman patience.

She clearly understood how terrifying her opponent was this morning.

Wolgui, whom she had assigned to watch him, was by no means an easy target. If he decided to hide, even Yeom Hee-soo would have trouble finding him.

Yet, Wolgui had returned with only his arm.

She didn’t need to see the corpse to guess that Wolgui was dead. akhi buy me a coffee

Seeing Pyo Wol eating calmly after killing Wolgui, something welled up inside her.

In her heart, she wanted to strike Pyo Wol’s right away, but she had no choice but to endure it, knowing that it was a fight she couldn’t win from the start. However, she couldn’t stop her words from coming out sharply.

“You’re really amazing.”

“…”

As Pyo Wol looked up, Yeom Hee-soo pouted her lips.

“I can’t help but think that your reputation is well-deserved. I don’t know who gave it to you, but the nickname ‘Reaper’ really suits you.”

“A reaper is much better than a rat who only follows others around, although both are creepy…….”

“Is that so?”

“Isn’t it?”

“On second thought, I think master Pyo  is right. No rat will ever bother you again, I promise.”

Pyo Wol nodded silently and continued eating. Yeom Hee-soo stared intently at him.

It was then that Nam Gung-Wol finally realized the situation.

‘So Yeom Hee-soo had someone spying on Pyo Wol. What a foolish thing to do…’

Pyo Wol was the most perceptive person in the world.

Approaching him without being detected was an impossible task.

For Yeom Hee-soo, it must have been an attempt to monitor Pyo Wol’s movements, but to Nam Gung-Wol, it seemed utterly foolish.

He knew how dangerous Pyo Wol was. That’s why he called him “Grand Master” (Great Leader) out of respect, even though they were of similar age.

He wished that Yeom Hee-soo would do the same.

While Nam Gung-Wol was lost in thought, Pyo Wol finished his breakfast.

He put down his chopsticks and poured tea into a cup.

Yeom Hee-soo thought that Pyo Wol’s movements were very elegant.

There was a captivating power in his gaze, gestures, and even the slightest movements. If she were an ordinary woman, she would have thrown herself into Pyo Wol’s arms without hesitation.

But her free-spirited nature wouldn’t allow her to be satisfied as a single man’s woman.

Deep down, she was a member of the Green Forest.

‘The problem is his motives and objectives.’

If Pyo Wol had been a simple martial artist, she wouldn’t have worried or been cautious like this.

Pyo Wol was an ambiguous figure.

His martial arts background, goals, and true intentions were all hidden. She couldn’t trust someone like that. akhi buy me a coffee

Pyo Wol, whether he knew her thoughts or not, looked out the window and sipped his tea.

It was then that Nam Gung-Wol spoke up.

“I plan to create an Anti Golden Heavenly Hall.”

“Anti Golden Heavenly Hall (反金天會)? Are you planning to oppose the Golden heavenly hall?”

“Yes!”

“It must be because of Jang Mugak.”

“Correct.”

Nam Gung-Wol nodded.

Jang Mugak’s actions in Yeonam had made Nam Gung-Wol realize the seriousness of the situation.

Jang Mugak had swallowed the Golden Heavenly Hall, which was created by Jin Geom-woo, whole.

He had become the leader of the Golden Heavenly Hall, placing numerous martial artists under his influence.

If Jang Mugak had been a righteous person like Jin Geom-woo, Nam Gung-Wol wouldn’t have cared about his actions. But Nam Gung-Wol sensed danger from Jang Mugak.

Jang Mugak’s ambition was large enough to swallow the entire martial arts world.

Nam Gung-Wol decided to take precautions before it was too late.

One of those precautions was the creation of Anti Golden Heavenly Hall.

He had invited Yong Ha-sang and Yeom Hee-soo, whom he knew well, to join him here at Poyang Lake in order to form an association of those who opposed the activities of the Golden Heaven Society.

Fundamentally, both of their thoughts were similar to Nam Gung-Wol’s. However, opinions differed regarding the organization’s personnel and operational methods.

That’s why the formation of Anti Golden Heavenly Hall had been slow and uncertain.

“Jang Mugak swallowed the Golden Heavenly Hall without lifting a finger. Now, his influence has expanded across the entire martial arts world. If one generation passes like this, those who follow him will take their place at the top of the martial arts world. Then, the martial arts world will naturally fall at his feet. I want to prevent that.” akhi buy me a coffee

“You’re trying to walk a thorny path. It won’t be easy.”

“I know. That’s why I plan to ask Lee Geom-han to be our center point.”

“Lee Geom-han?”

“Lee Geom-han of the Heavenly Martial Gate. The son of Sword King Lee Cheong, a great swordsman and a person who stands against Jang Mugak. If we can bring him into the Anti Golden Heavenly Hall, we can quickly expand our power.”

“He must be an incredible person.”

“He’s the one Jang Mugak is most wary of. They’ve been opposing each other since childhood. If so, he’ll be more than willing to take on the role of the leader of Anti Golden Heavenly Hall.”

“I hope it works out.”

Pyo Wol answered as if it was someone else’s business.

Nam Gung-Wol realized that Pyo Wol was not at all interested in Anti Golden Heavenly Hall’s affairs.

For Pyo Wol, the power struggle in the martial arts world, such as Golden Heavenly Hall or Anti Golden Heavenly Hall, was not of interest. His focus was entirely on the Guryongsalmak. akhi buy me a coffee

Nam Gung-Wol originally intended to suggest to Pyo Wol that he join Anti Golden Heavenly Hall.

However, he quickly changed his mind because of Pyo Wol ‘s indifferent expression and tone.

He was a bit disappointed, but he knew Pyo Wol was not someone who would easily change his mind, so he gave up cleanly.

Yeom Hee-soo’s thoughts were similar to Nam Gung-Wol’s.

‘The moment he joins Anti Golden Heavenly Hall, we will lose our dominance.’

She, too, was an ambitious martial artist.

She didn’t want to share or lose the power she could possess to someone else.

＊＊＊

“So you’re saying that about ten people stayed here ten days ago?”

“That’s right.”

The owner of the Jade Mountain Inn carefully answered the martial artist’s question.

The Jade Mountain Inn was a very old guesthouse.

It used to be in a bustling area, but now it was located in a street that had become a slum.

The building was so old and worn out that it was dirty, and ordinary guests rarely visited such a guesthouse.

It had become a place for vagrants, criminals, or people who couldn’t show their faces openly to stay.

The martial artist asked again.

“Do you know where those ten guests came from?”

“How would we know that? As long as they pay the lodging fee properly, it’s not our business to know their backgrounds or purposes.”

“Are you sure? If you’re hiding something, I won’t let it go.”

“My goodness! What would I gain from hiding anything?”

The martial artist judged that there was nothing more to learn from the guesthouse owner’s attitude. However, knowing that ten people had stayed here was not a bad starting point for tracking.

‘I should go back to the upper ranks and report.’

The martial artist was from the Je-won merchant group.

This morning, an order came down to the martial artists of Je-won merchant group.

It was to find a group of more than ten people who had recently entered Poyang Lake. The order came in the name of Noh Tae-tae.

Although she had retired from the front lines, everyone in Je-won merchant group respected her.

Orders in her name took precedence over all other tasks. That’s why the martial artist was performing Noh Tae-tae’s order, putting everything else aside.

“Now that we know they stayed here, if we focus our efforts in this direction…”

But the martial artist’s thoughts did not continue.

Swish!

Suddenly, with a whooshing sound, a sword flew towards him.

“Who are you?”

The martial artist spat out a defensive stance while swinging his sword.

Although he had been ambushed by an ordinary person, he was still a formidable expert.

Clang!

He narrowly blocked the enemy’s attack.

The attacker was a man who concealed his face with a mask.

The martial artist shouted at him with his sword pointing.

“Who are you? Reveal your identity.”

“Hehe! If I wanted to reveal my identity, why would I wear a mask?”

At that moment, the masked man laughed ominously and attacked the martial artist.

“Don’t be absurd. Do you think you can beat me with just that?”

“If it were just me, maybe not.”

“What?”

Swish!

At that moment, an arrow flew from behind with a sharp sound.

The martial artist couldn’t respond properly and was hit in the shoulder by the arrow.

Thud!

“Argh!”

He let out a scream as his body staggered.

At that moment, the masked man’s accomplices, who had been hiding in the darkness, emerged.

They attacked the staggering martial artist.

The martial artist tried to fight back somehow, but his body was not cooperating due to the arrow wound. Moreover, the combined attack of the masked man and his accomplices was overwhelming.

They attacked like a pack of wild dogs aiming for their prey. Unable to respond to their relentless combined attack, the martial artist eventually allowed a strike to his back.

Thump!

The masked man and his accomplices did not miss the opportunity and stabbed the martial artist’s body with their swords.

“Cough!”

In an instant, the martial artist fell to the ground, turned into a human pincushion.

Finally, the masked man removed his mask.

It was none other than Oh Shin-Pyung, a close confidant of Deung Cheol-woong, the leader of the Blood Ant Chamber.

Oh Shin-Pyung spoke to his subordinates.

“Is it true that this guy was looking for the people who stayed at the Jade Mountain Inn?”

“Yes! We confirmed it with the guesthouse owner.”

“Ha! Tch! Damn bastard!”

Oh Shin-Pyung spat on the martial artist’s corpse.

One of his subordinates examined the martial artist’s face and said,

“This is bad.”

“Why?”

“This guy! He’s a martial artist from the Je-won merchant group.”

“What?”

“I saw him once before. He’s definitely a martial artist from the Je-won merchant group.”

“Damn it! So does that mean the Je-won merchant group is on our trail?”

Although the power of the Blood Ant Chamber had grown significantly, it was incomparable to the Je-won merchant group. If Je-won merchant group decided to go after the Blood Ant Chamber, they would have no choice but to be defeated without any resistance.

“What’s going to happen now? I’m going to report to the leader, so you guys make sure to dispose of this bastard’s corpse properly.”

“Yes!”