Reaper of the Drifting Moon Chapter 547
He was eating alone when someone approached his table.
“Grandmaster…Pyo?”
The person who carefully addressed Pyo Wol was none other than Jo Seolpung.
“Sit down!”
“Right.”
Jo Seolpung looked around carefully and took a seat in front of Pyo Wol.
Pyo Wol casually lifted his hat and looked at Jo Seolpung.
He looked a bit unkempt, perhaps due to recent hardships. But, his eyes were still full of determination.
“You seem to be doing well.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“How is the situation at Silver Lotus Hall?”
“I am sorry. Even if you are Grandmaster Pyo Wol, I can’t discuss the internal affairs of the Silver Lotus Hall. Please understand.
“I understand!”
“Thank you. But how did you get here?”
“I stopped by the ‘Together Old Manor’ on my way here.”
“Together… Manor, you say?”
“Yes!”
“Ah!”
Jo Seolpung let out a gasp without realizing it.
His eyes trembled.
Though he had severed all ties with the Je-won merchant group, the welfare of his grandmother Noh Tae-tae was still his primary concern.
“How is my grandmother doing?”
“She’s still hanging on.”
“Is her condition really bad?”
“She seems to have lost a lot of her strength.
“Ah!”
Jo Seolpung let out a sigh unknowingly.
Noh Tae-tae was over a hundred years old.
It wouldn’t be surprising if she had reached the end of her life, having lived long enough. He had prepared for the worst-case scenario, being unable to attend her funeral, but hearing it from Pyo Wol’s mouth made his heart sink.
Pyo Wol handed a bundle to Jo Seolpung.
“Take it!”
“What is this?”
“Noh Tae-tae sent this for you. There are some tea leaves and a few other things inside. She chose the things you like.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
Jo Seolpung kept thanking him as he took the bundle.
He hugged the bundle as if it were the only treasure in the world.
It felt as if he could feel Noh Tae-tae’s warmth from the bojagi.
Jo Seolpung’s eyes turned red.
After a moment, he raised his head and looked at Pyo Wol.
He tried hard to smile.
“Thank you for such a precious gift. I don’t know how I can repay you.”
“You needn’t worry about repaying me, it’s nothing big…”
“Ha! To you, grandmaster Pyo, but to me, it’s an irreplaceable precious gift.”
“Then you should go and see for yourself.”
Pyo Wol stood up.
Jo Seolpung’s role within the Silver Lotus Hall was far from small.
He operated the Silver Lotus Hall in alliance with Namgung Wol.
Especially as he had been in the Je-won merchant group for a long time, he had an exceptional sense of handling money and people.
His responsibilities were immense, leaving him no opportunity for even a brief respite.
The fact that his visitor was Pyo Wol was the only reason he had hurried to take a break; otherwise he wouldn’t have dared to leave his post.
Knowing this, Pyo Wol also rose without delay.
Just as Jo Seolpung was about to thank Pyo Wol…
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Suddenly, an urgent bell rang out from the direction of the Silver Lotus hall.
These were alarm bells, indicating an emergency.
Pyo Wol and Jo Seolpung simultaneously turned their gaze towards Silver the Lotus Hall.
The main entrance of Silver Lotus Hall was suddenly filled with frenzied activity.
Sensing the uncharacteristic urgency, Jo Seolpung gathered up his bundle and said to Pyo Wol
“It seems like there’s been an incident at the hall. I should go and check.”
“Do that,”
“Right”
After a quick bow to Pyo Wol, Jo Seolpung ran quickly towards the Silver Lotus Hall.
Left alone, Pyo Wol settled back into his seat.
Having come this far, he decided to stay and watch the situation unfold.
Just then…
Whoom!
Suddenly, a powerful wave of Qi swept through the area.
“Ugh!”
“Huff!”
Every patron inside the inn clutched their chest, groaning in pain.
Pyo Wol scanned the area with an intrigued look, seeking the source of the Qi wave.
The origin of the qi wave was a man who was approaching from afar, from the direction of the Silver Lotus Hall.
A hearty-looking man with a sword fastened at his waist.
An aura as mighty as a mountain emanated from him.
Pyo Wol instantly recognized the man.
“Lee Geom-han!”
Crunch!
Yong Ha-sang crumpled up the letter he had just been reading.
“The letter was a kind of challenge.
[Challenge to Yong Ha-sang, leader of Silver Lotus Hall.
Today, at the hour of the dog, I will challenge Yong Ha-sang, staking the position of leader of Silver Lotus Hall.
If you are not afraid, I trust you will accept my challenge.
― From Lee Geom-han.]
TL/N- Hour of the dog is a time scale according to chinese zodiacs
In other words, it was an invitation to stake the leadership of the Silver Lotus Hall on a match.
There was no obligation for Yong Ha-sang to accept this.
The Silver Lotus Hall, a formidable power, was not a child’s plaything.
It was not a position that could be handed over and taken back in a single duel.
Of course, Yong Ha-sang could refuse Lee Geom-han’s challenge.
The problem was a matter of face, of pride.
As the leader of the Silver Lotus Hall and the young master of the Dragon Mountain Manor, if he dodged Lee Geom-han’s challenge, everyone would call him a coward and criticize him.
The most useless thing in the world might be dignity, but one couldn’t completely ignore it.
That was because no one would follow a person who lost their dignity.
Therefore, sometimes, one had to risk their life to save face. Such was the harsh reality of Kangho.
Moreover, Lee Geom-han had recently been earning a blazing reputation.
Defeating the high-ranking masters of the Golden Heavenly Hall, his prestige was skyrocketing.
If he avoided such a challenge from Lee Geom-han, people would ridicule him and stop following him.
There weren’t many followers who would follow a leader whose status had hit rock bottom.
“Ha! So were the back-to-back fights with the martial artists of the Golden Heavenly Hall a setup for this?”
Only then did he understand why Lee Geom-han had engaged in such reckless behavior.
It was like falling into a perfect trap.
He didn’t know who orchestrated it, but it was simple yet perfect.
There seemed to be no way out.
That’s when Namgung Wol, who had delivered the challenge, spoke up.
“You can refuse if you want.”
“Don’t you know better than anyone that I can’t? Perhaps you’re secretly celebrating. Weren’t you the one who disliked every step I took?”
“I didn’t wish for you to fight so recklessly. The leadership of the Silver Lotus Hall isn’t so light. Even though there were a few things I didn’t like, I still want you to continue as the leader.”
“I hope that’s sincere.”
“It is.”
Namgung Wol replied without a moment’s hesitation.
Yong Ha-sang stared at Namgung Wol for a long time before speaking.
“Even so, I cannot avoid this challenge.”
“Ha-sang?”
“It’s a matter of my pride. I don’t want people to say that the heir to Dragon Mountain Manor was too afraid to accept a challenge.
At Yong Ha-sang’s response, Namgung Wol clenched his teeth.
He couldn’t understand Yong Ha-sang’s decision to accept Lee Geom-han’s challenge just to save face.
The position of the leader of the Silver Lotus Hall was not a position to be contested over face.
It was a position that required the most profound sense of responsibility and leadership.
The fact that Yong Ha-sang would accept this high-stakes fight just to save his pride seemed unbelievable.
He even began to wonder whether Yong Ha-sang was in his right mind.
‘This must also be part of my sister’s plan.’
Without a thorough understanding of Yong Ha-sang’s personality, such a trap couldn’t be set. The Lee Geom-han he knew wasn’t one to craft such intricate plans.
No doubt this was all part of Namgung Seol’s plan.
The problem was that even knowing this, there was no way of escaping it.
Yong Ha-sang was actually radiating an air of readiness, almost looking forward to it.
The martial artists always regarded Jang Mugak and Lee Geom-han as the best when discussing the martial prowess of Kangho
The reason was simple.
Their respective factions, Heavenly Martial Sect and Mad Martial Sect, were the most prominent in the world.
Even though Yong Ha-sang’s faction, Dragon Mountain Manor, was part of the Three Sects, it was always placed below them.
Yong Ha-sang never accepted this reality.
He believed that it was simply because they had never faced each other, but if they were to confront each other head-on, he could certainly triumph.
Namgung Seol was clearly aware of this fact and had set up the trap accordingly.
‘Ah! Am I supposed to just hand over the Silver Lotus Hall to my sister?’
Just the thought of Namgung Seol sent chills down his spine.
Just then.
Dang-dang-dang!
Suddenly, the emergency bell rang throughout Silver Lotus Hall.
Yong Ha-sang shot up from his seat.
“It seems he has arrived.”
With a stretch of his hand, the blade hanging on the wall flew to his grasp.
Yong Ha-sang said, securing the blade to his waist,
“Just watch. I’ll show you how I handle the Sword Maniac.”
“Ha-sang!”
“The disaster you worry about will not happen”.
Finishing his sentence, Yong Ha-sang walked out.
“Leader!”
“Lee Geom-han has appeared.”
Servants appeared, reporting on the situation outside.
Yong Ha-sang strode past them and walked outside.
At the main gate of the Silver Lotus Hall, Lee Geom-han was waiting, surrounded by spectators.
A mighty aura, as heavy as a mountain, emanated from Lee Geom-han.
“Lee Geom-han!”
“It’s been a while, Yong Ha-sang!”
The two recognized each other.
Even though they weren’t close, they had seen each other several times.
Yong Ha-sang went to where Lee Geom-han was standing.
“I’ve heard a lot about you lately.”
“Really? I have been quite active lately. It seems the rumors have reached your ears”.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Why did you leave the Mad Martial Sect and cause ruckus all the way here?”
“Cause ruckus ?”
“If not a ruckus, should I call it bullying?”
“It would be wise to think before you speak. You always speak without thinking and that’s the problem.
“Are you insulting me now?”
Yong Ha-sang’s voice grew sharp. Despite the veiled threat in his voice, Lee Geom-han replied with an unwavering expression.
“No, I’m just stating the facts.”
“If I mobilize the Silver Lotus Hall here, it will be the end for you.”
“Probably. But you won’t do that.”
“Why are you so sure? There’s no reason for me to give up this advantage and face you head on.
“Because you’re a martial artist.”
“Martial artist…”
“Bullying and behind-the-scenes manipulations don’t suit you. Same goes for me. As martial artists, we prove our worth through strength.”
“I like that.”
“What will you do? Will you accept my challenge?”
“I accept.”
Everyone nearby was surprised at Yong Ha-sang’s response.
They had not anticipated that Yong Ha-sang would accept Lee Geom-han’s proposal so readily.
“What? A single duel will decide the leader of the Silver Lotus Hall?”
“What’s the process?”
“My goodness! A showdown between the Little Tyrant Dragon and the Sword Maniac.”
People were excited by the unexpected showdown of the century.
Both Lee Geom-han and Yong Ha-sang were masters rarely seen in kangho. Their reputations soared high, yet very few had witnessed their battles.
The winner takes all, the loser loses everything.
The very fact that they could witness this duel made them feel fortunate.
‘Everything’s going according to plan.’
There was a woman hidden among the crowd, a secretive smile playing on her lips.
It was Namgung Seol.
With an unwavering trust in her eyes, she watched the back of Lee Geom-han. But beyond his figure, by the window of the guest hall, an unexpected figure caught her attention.
‘Pyo Wol!’
In an instant, her smile disappeared.