Reaper of the Drifting Moon

Pyo-wol gathered his belongings and left the inn.

His belongings were nothing more than a small number of items.

Phooroo!

When Pyo-wol entered the stable, the horses whinnied as if they were happy to see him. Since Pyo-wol had been staying at an inn the entire time he was in Lake Tai, the horse seemed to have gained some weight under the care of the stable master.

Pyo-wol patted the horse’s nape for a few moments before leaving the stable together.

When he left the stables, he saw an unexpected figure waiting for him.

“Are you leaving?”

The woman who spoke to Pyo-wol was none other than Zhao Yuseol.

Standing beside her side was Zhao Jakyung, and behind her was Bok Hojin.

Bok Hojin had a completely submissive expression towards Zhao Yuseol. With the way he was standing right now, he resembled that of one of Zhao Yuseol’s subordinates.

Pyo-wol asked Zhao Yuseol,

“What do you want?”

“I heard the news that Master Pyo is about to leave, so I came to see you.”

“Why?”

“Can’t you just stay here? The proposal I made to you before is still valid.”

“There are two other men who will help you, besides me.”

Pyo-wol’s gaze turned to Zhao Jakyung and Bok Hojin.

Zhao Jakyung spoke to Pyo-wol,

“I would like to apologize for our previous encounter. I’m truly sorry. I misunderstood. I never imagined that Yiguang would commit such despicable acts.”

His face showed genuine remorse.

Zhao Jakyung witnessed with his own eyes the facility where Zhao Yiguang had raped and tortured women. Outraged, he grabbed Zhao Yiguang’s henchmen and forced them to tell him all the details of his past actions.

The stories he heard from their confessions were so horrifying that they made him feel sick. He couldn’t believe that Zhao Yiguang, a scion of a prestigious family, would commit such atrocious and brutal acts.

Zhao Jakyung felt miserable for having fought with Pyo-wol because of Zhao Yiguang. He was so remorseful that he couldn’t look at Pyo-wol in the eyes.

Pyo-wol said,

“So, is the misunderstanding cleared now?”

“That’s right! It’s been a while since I got beaten up, and my body aches all over, but my mind is clearer than ever. For the time being, I will stay by Yuseol side and help resolve the issues caused by Yiguang. Speaking of which, I was thinking it would be great if you could join us.”

“I have something to take care of.”

“What is it? I can assist you if you’re going to stay here.”

“It’s something I need to do alone.”

“Hmm!”

Zhao Jakyung didn’t say anything in return.

If anyone else had said such words, Zhao Jakyung would have punched them in the throat without hesitation. However, because it was Pyo-wol, he had no choice but to endure.

A defeated man does not have the right to say anything to the winner, and he had been thoroughly defeated by Pyo-wol without any excuses.

Pyo-wol’s gaze turned to Bok Hojin.

Upon noticing Pyo-wol’s eyes on him, Bok Hojin quickly turned his head to avoid his gaze.

Pyo-wol didn’t bother to speak to him.

With a disappointed expression, Zhao Yuseol said,

“So, you are really going to leave? I can’t help it then. But you won’t forget about me, right? Our relationship isn’t something that can be easily forgotten. I’ll always be here. So, if you ever think of me, feel free to come back anytime.”

“I will.”

As Pyo-wol nodded his head, Zhao Yuseol’s expression brightened a little. However, there was still a lingering sense of regret in her eyes.

Seeing this, Bok Hojin clenched his fist tightly.

‘This bastard–’

Just by looking at Zhao Yuseol’s expression, he could tell the kind of relationship she had with Pyo-wol.

Yesterday, he had led his men to find Zhao Yuseol.

The moment he saw her, he fell in love with her at first sight. He even inwardly cursed Zhao Yiguang for hiding his sister and not introducing him to her.

He willingly decided to stand by Yuseol’s side, which was why he was with her right now.

Bok Hojin gritted his teeth, but he could only suppress his anger towards Pyo-wol.

His opponent is the Reaper.

He was not someone Bok Hojin can afford to provoke.

Even with thorough preparations, there would be no end to the repercussions if he let his emotions get the best of him and acted rashly, so he had no choice but to endure.

Zhao Yuseol sneaked a glance at Bok Hojin.

She smiled softly as she watched him with his head lowered, controlling his anger.

‘This will make him even more obsessed with me.’

It wasn’t that hard to manipulate a man obsessed with her.

Although she hadn’t been able to capture Pyo-wol, having Bok Hojin at her disposal still wasn’t so bad.

In fact, Bok Hojin’s influence in Jiangsu Province was far greater than Pyo-wol. Since there’s the possibility that this might work even better for her, Zhao Yuseol didn’t try to actively hold on to Pyo-wol.

Without saying goodbye, Pyo-wol mounted his horse.

Pyo-wol left Lake Tai without looking back.

* * *

Pyo-wol left Lake Tai and traveled south.

Since his horse hadn’t had the chance for a good run in a long time, it galloped at full speed. In fact, Pyo-wol had a hard time calming the horse down.

Horses are incredibly delicate animals. The moment they are allowed to run as they please, they become restless and unruly, which was why they must be given proper rest.

With this in mind, Pyo-wol took a break every hour to let his horse rest, and thanks to his consideration, his horse had enough energy and stamina to keep going all day.

Pyo-wol found a suitable place to camp before the sun set.

After spending a long time comfortably in inns, Pyo-wol found it unfamiliar to sleep outdoors. He could feel his body getting rusty after a few days.

Pyo-wol thought it was better this way.

By sleeping and camping outdoors like this, the rust in his body would come off.

Pyo-wol gathered some twigs and started a bonfire.

Even though he was in the middle of a deserted mountain, he didn’t feel afraid at all.

Leaning against a rock, Pyo-wol silently watched the flickering flames. He had brought dried meat from the inn for dinner.

As he chewed on the dried meat, the night grew deeper without him noticing.

Countless stars gradually emerged in the dark sky. As the stars lit up one by one, they soon formed the huge Milky Way.

However, Pyo-wol paid no attention to the stars and was lost in his own thoughts.

‘The place Hong Yushin disappeared to was called Poyang Lake, right?’

Although the lake Pyo-wol had stayed at until now, Lake Tai, boasted an impressive size, it paled in comparison to Poyang Lake.

Leading to the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake was a transportation hub in itself. Not only was it connected to the Yangtze River, but many other large and small rivers were also connected to it.

Furthermore, many land routes were developed crossing it, allowing countless people and goods to flow through the said area.

In all honesty, it was not an ideal environment for tracking someone’s whereabouts.

It would not be easy to find the traces of Hong Yusin, who went missing a long time ago, in a place with so many people. However, Pyo-wol took on this task mainly because it was related to So Gyeoksan.

After the performance, So Gyeoksan left Runan with his troupe. The fact that So Gyeoksan’s path coincided with Hong Yushin’s could not be a mere coincidence.

Hong Yushin had clearly told Pyo-wol that he was tracking the Kowloon Assassin Guild. The fact that Hong Yushin had followed So Gyeoksan’s tracks meant that So Gyeoksan had some connection to the Kowloon Assassin Guild.

‘Why did So Gyeoksan chose to go to Poyang Lake?’

Finding out why So Gyeoksan went to Poyang Lake was an urgent task. Pyo-wol never expected that he would would become entangled with So Gyeoksan in this way again.

Countless thoughts rushed through Pyo-wol’s head.

Pyo-wol added a few more dry branches into the fire. As he did, the bonfire burned brighter.

It was then.

“Oh! There’s a light over there!”

“Now, we’re saved!”

A voice suddenly broke through the silence.

Pyo-wol frowned slightly as he looked in the direction where the voice came from.

A moment later, a man and a woman emerged from the darkness coupled with a rustling sounds.

It was a plump middle-aged woman and a tall, bamboo-like thin middle-aged man.

They hurriedly approached the campfire Pyo-wol had lit.

When they arrived near the campfire, the two pleaded with Pyo-wol.

“Please, sir. We’ve lost our way. Could we impose on you for a moment? We will surely repay your kindness.”

“Yes! Please, do us a favor. This man claimed to know his way around the mountains, but he missed the right time to set camp, so we found ourselves wandering off here in the wilderness. If you would be so kind to let us stay here for a while, I will take the responsibility of preparing delicious food.”

“We humbly request for your help, sir!”

The man came forward with an overly submissive posture, while the plump woman appeared more confident and imposing.

After observing them for a moment, Pyo-wol spoke,

“Are you two a married couple?”

“That’s right. My name is Deung Mochang, and this is my wife, Dae Juhwa. With how we are going through such hardship together right now, it seemed as though we have some unresolved grudges in our previous lives.”

“What do you mean by unresolved grudges, huh? If you hadn’t missed the time to set camp, we wouldn’t have to suffer and endure hardship like this!”

“Yes! It’s all my fault! I was the one who suggested taking the mountain path, and I was the one who suggested crossing the mountain path. But then again, wasn’t it because you pressured me to do so?”

“So what? What do you want me to do?”

“Just– I–”

As Dae Juhwa’s voice grew louder, Deung Mochang’s shoulders seemed to shrink back in respond. It seemed like their roles had reversed.

Dae Juhwa looked at Pyo-wol and said,

“Anyway, now that things have turned out like this, I hope we can impose on you a little.”

Her voice sounded quite assertive, as if she was a man instead of a woman. Pyo-wol understood why Deung Mochang couldn’t stand tall in her presence.

Dae Juhwa said,

“Then I’ll take it that you have given us your permission.”

She plopped down in front of the campfire.

Deung Mochang cautiously sat next to Dae Juhwa, glancing at Pyo-wol.

Dae Juhwa unpacked the bag on her back and placed a large pot on the campfire. She started steaming dumplings inside.

The dumplings were the size of a child’s fist. There were ten dumplings in the pot, enough to fill anyone’s stomach up.

As the dumplings began to cook, a delicious smell wafted through the mountains. However, for some reason, Pyo-wol slightly furrowed his brow as he looked at the dumplings and Dae Juhwa.

At that moment, Dae Juhwa must have felt his gaze, because she looked up and chuckled.

“It smells good, right? Since you shared this place with us, I’ll share some dumplings with you.”

“You won’t regret tasting them. My wife’s culinary skills are unmatched. Especially when it comes to making dumplings, no one could compare. Hehe!”

Saliva started dripping from the corners of Deung Mochang’s mouth.

Rubbing his hands together, he eagerly waited for the dumplings to cook.

After a while, when all the dumplings were cooked, Dae Juhwa took them out. She placed a few of them on a wooden plate and handed them to Pyo-wol.

“Try them. They should be quite delicious.”

“No thanks, I already ate a while ago.”

“Come on, don’t say that. At least have a few bites. It’s a heavenly taste that you won’t regret.”

“I told you, I already ate.”

“Hmpf! Don’t regret it then.”

Dae Juhwa briefly glared at Pyo-wol with fierce eyes before taking the plate away.

Deung Mochang also spoke up from the sidelines.

“You’ll truly regret it if you don’t try.”

“Enough! If he doesn’t want to eat then why bother–”

“Tch. It can’t be helped then. We’ll just have to eat it by ourselves.”

The two of them soon lost interest in Pyo-wol and began eating and enjoying the dumplings.

Crunch!

With each bite, juices could be seen dripping from the dumplings.

The two greedily devoured the dumplings.

They even licked the juice that trickled between their fingers, as if not wanting to waste a drop.

The two finished all the dumplings in no time. Yet, the two of them still had expressions of longing, as if their hunger had not been satisfied.

Deung Mochang asked cautiously,

“Do you have any more, my dear wife?”

“You know, we ran out of ingredients. To make dumplings, we need to get more ingredients.”

“Argh! For us to run out of ingredients at a time like this–”

“It’s your fault for not working harder.”

“How is that my fault? There hasn’t been any work to do until now.”

“Ugh! You useless man. Anyway, just work hard from now on.”

“Isn’t that why we’re out here? To work hard?”

Deung Mochang said all he had to say while looking at Dae Juhwa.

Dae Juhwa glared at her husband, disapproval in her eyes. But she soon quickly tidied up the pots and wooden plates that had been placed on the campfire.

Deung Mochang leaned back against a rock and patted his stomach.

“Haa! As expected, my wife’s dumplings are the best. I’m full and warm. There’s nothing else better in the world.”

“Hmph! To be satisfied with just that. What use is a man with such small dreams?”

“Whatever! I’ll just continue following my wife around for the rest of my life, enjoying delicious food. After all, that’s what makes me the happiest.

“Tsk!”

Dae Juhwa snorted, but her expression showed that she didn’t seem to mind.

Dae Juhwa, who had been looking at Deung Mochang for a while, soon shifted her gaze to Pyo-wol.

“By the way, where are you going without any companions?”

“Poyang Lake.”

“Ah! Poyang Lake? I know about it too. But why are you going there? Do you know anyone there?”

“Let’s just say I do.”

“But, aren’t you quite fearless?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re out here, wandering alone, in the middle of these wild mountains. Aren’t you scared of the things that could be in these mountains?”

“Well, what could be here?”

“Who knows…”

Dae Juhwa’s words trailed off strangely.

At that moment, Deung Mochang, who had been leaning against the rock, sat up straight.

He carefully examined Pyo-wol’s face and said,

“Now that I look at you like this, you, sir, are really handsome. No girl would dare show off their beauty in front of you. How could you have such smooth and fair skin?”

“I agree! He looks incredibly handsome.”

“Hehe! Then he must also taste delicious, right?”

Deung Mochang licked his lips with his tongue.