Reaper of the Drifting Moon Chapter 560
Jo Seolpung’s eyes were bloodshot, his face swollen from distress.
He was the first to rush over when he heard that the Je-won merchant group had been massacred.
Outwardly, he had severed all ties with the Je-won merchant group, but he could not maintain this pretense in the face of his great-grandmother’s death.
He had led the martial artists of the Silver Lotus Hall to the Je-won Merchant Group. But by the time he arrived, King Gujin had already plundered the Je-won Merchant Group’s treasury and disappeared.
Jo Seolpung collapsed when he found Noh Tae-tae’s body amidst the countless dead.
He held Noh Tae-tae’s lifeless body and cried through the night.
He cried so much that his voice broke, and he could hardly speak.
Pyo Wol looked at Jo Seolpung.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I’m not so weak as to collapse from just this.”
“That’s good.”
“Thank you for coming all the way here.”
“She was a good person.”
“Yes, she was.”
“But now she’s gone.”
“Yes! She lost her life at the hands of King Gujin.”
“Why did King Gujin attack the Je-won merchant group and kill her?”
“It seems to be because of a sword in the family’s treasury.”
“A sword?”
“My grandfather recently obtained quite a remarkable sword.”
No further explanation was needed.
He already knew King Gujin’s track record.
Jo Seolpung clenched his fists in rage.
“Just for a single sword, he killed so many people.”
“What will you do now?”
“I must avenge her.”
“Are you capable of it?”
“Even if I’m not, I have to do it.”
“What about the Silver Lotus Hall?”
“No matter how important the Silver Lotus Hall is, it’s not as important as avenging my
great-grandmother.”
Damn it!
Jo Seolpung gritted his teeth.
He gritted so hard that blood dripped from his gums.
Pyo Wol stared intently at Jo Seolpung’s face.
“I’m an assassin.”
“Huh?”
“I take commissions to kill.”
TL/N- The wolf king’s fucked
“….”
Only then did Jo Seolpung realize what Pyo Wol was suggesting.
Their gazes locked in midair.
Pyo Wol didn’t flinch from Jo Seolpung’s intense gaze.
After a moment, Jo Seolpung finally managed to speak.
“I want to hire you, Grand Master Pyo! The target is the Wolf King, King Gujin, the reward is…….”
“A single penny will do.”
“That’s….”
“To me, that’s all King Gujin is worth.”
TL/N- Yup, he sure is fucked
“I understand. The reward is a single penny, will you accept my commission?”
“I accept.”
“Thank you.”
Jo Seolpung bowed his head in a traditional martial salute to Pyo Wol.
When he lifted his head a moment later, Pyo Wol had disappeared from sight.
That’s when it happened.
“Seolpung, come here.”
Immersed in sorrow, Jo Janghwan called for Jo Seolpung.
“Yes, Grandfather.”
With his response, Jo Seolpung approached Jo Janghwan.
In just one night, Jo Janghwan seemed to have aged decades.
If not for his unyielding desire for revenge, he might have entirely given up on life.
Looking at Noh Tae-tae’s body, Jo Janghwan spoke.
“I should have died in her place. Mother should have lived instead of me.”
“Great-Grandmother wouldn’t have wanted that, Grandfather.”
“That inhuman old man killed great-grandmother and the family martial artists all for a single sword.”
“….”
“Do you understand? The worth of all these deaths is just a single sword. So many people died just for a slightly sturdier, slightly sharper sword.”
“Grandfather?”
“Is human life so cheap? I can never forgive him.”
“Neither can I.”
“I will spend all my wealth, if I have to, to kill that old man. I’ll spread my wealth among all the assassins and sects in the world to suck the life out of him.
“There’s no need for that.”
“You’re not going to spout nonsense about revenge begetting revenge, are you?”
Jo Janghwan stared at Jo Seolpung with fiery eyes.
Jo Seolpung shook his head slightly in response.
“Why would I?”
“Then?”
“I’ve already commissioned it.”
“To whom? Could it be…?”
“Yes! The Reaper has accepted my request.”
“Excellent! Then I will not bury the dead until he brings me the old man’s head.”
Jo Janghwan declared it in front of everyone.
＊＊＊
King Gujin looked at the sword on the table with dissatisfaction.
The scabbard and hilt, engraved with an antique pattern, emanated a sense of nobility.
At a glance, it was clear that the sword had been carefully crafted long ago. But, to King Gujin’s discerning eyes, it was far from satisfactory.
“To think this piece of junk is called a precious sword.”
Swish!
He drew the sword.
The straight blade and sharp edge came into view.
No doubt, it was a well-crafted sword.
Perhaps a renowned craftsman had poured all his heart into it.
The problem was that this was a ceremonial sword, not meant for combat.
A ceremonial sword for rites and rituals.
It might look beautiful on the outside, but in terms of balance and strength, it was far from meeting King Gujin’s standards.
The spoils of turning a great organization like Je-won merchant group into a weed-ridden field were not as impressive as he had hoped.
Considering that he had turned the great hall of the Je-won merchant group into a bamboo grove, the result was disappointing.
“To think they cherished such a sword. The head of the Je-won merchant group must be out of his mind.”
King Gujin returned the sword to its scabbard and placed it beside the table.
That’s when Deung Cheol-woong, who had been cautiously observing him, opened his mouth.
“You don’t like the sword?”
“Hmph! It may look decent, but if it clashed with a true martial artist, it would break in an instant”.
“What a pity.”
“Why, you want it?”
“Why would I?”
“Heh! Your eyes are full of desire and yet you pretend to be uninterested?”
“I apologize.”
“Forget it. If you desire it so much, then take it.”
“Really…?”
“I don’t have time to lie to you.”
“Then, I gratefully accept.”
Deung Cheol-woong promptly took the sword.
King Gujin chuckled as he watched Deung Cheol-woong clutch the sword to his chest.
“It’s like a pearl necklace on a pig.”
Despite the belittling words of King Gujin, Deung Cheol-woong showed no signs of taking offense.
After enjoying the feel of the precious sword for a moment, Deung Cheol-woong carefully spoke to King Gujin,
“But, what will you do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve turned the Je-won merchant group into a wreck, the Silver Lotus Hall won’t stay idle.”
“Hmph! Who cares about them?”
“Behind the Silver Lotus Hall is the Mad Martial Sect.”
“Mad Martial Sect?”
“Lee Geom-han, who has just become the head of the Silver Lotus Hall, is also the young
master of the Mad Martial Sect. He won’t remain idle.
“If it’s the Mad Martial Sect, it might get a bit annoying.”
King Gujin furrowed his brow.
Even though he spoke lightly, if the Mad Martial Sect truly intervened, he couldn’t rest easy.
The Mad Martial Sect, the Northern rulers, were not to be underestimated.
Especially, Lee Cheong, the head of the Mad Martial Sect, was someone beyond his reach.
If he were to intervene directly, King Gujin’s life would be in danger.
Seeing King Gujin’s troubled expression, Deung Cheol-woong carefully brought up the main point.
“There’s a good solution.”
“And what’s that?”
“What about leaning on the Golden Heavenly Hall?”
“The Golden Heavenly Hall?”
“Yes! The leader of the Golden Heavenly Hall, Jang Mugak, is also the young master of Heavenly Martial Sect, isn’t he? Even the Mad Martial Sect wouldn’t dare to casually mess with the Heavenly Martial Sect.”
As soon as Deung Cheol-woong mentioned the Heavenly Martial Sect, King Gujin’s face contorted.
King Gujin struck Deung Cheol-woong with his fist.
Thwack!
“Kuh-ack!”
With a scream, Deung Cheol-woong sprawled out like a frog.
King Gujin rose from his seat, an aura of raw menace about him.
“Do you think so little of me to spout such nonsense?”
“Cough… I-I apologize.”
“Speak carelessly once more, and I will take your life.”
“I’ll be cautious.”
Pressing on his chest, Deung Cheol-woong cautiously rose to his feet.
Fortunately, King Gujin had held back, so the damage was not severe. Yet, it was enough to instill a sense of fear.
‘This mad old man! Even though I am considering his well-being. Truly, you can’t predict where a madman will lash out.’
Deung Cheol-woong thought it was high time to distance himself.
He had successfully manipulated King Gujin to reduce the Je-won merchant group to ruins, but remaining in his company was becoming dangerous.
There’s a limit to how many enemies you can keep at bay, and King Gujin had made too many.
For the moment, his formidable martial skills ensured his safety, but in time, the Silver Lotus Hall would surely mobilize. Once that happened, even with his strength, King Gujin was destined to either lose or face death.
Staying by the side of a troublemaker courts disaster; continuing to associate with King Gujin would undoubtedly draw fire onto him as well. It was time for Deung Cheol-woong to part ways with King Gujin.
However, given King Gujin’s unpredictable nature, even raising the topic required extreme caution.
King Gujin glared at Deung Cheol-woong with wolf like eyes
“I can almost hear the gears turning in your head. Instead of useless pondering, pour me some wine”.
“Yes, sir!”
Deung Cheol-woong bowed his head and approached King Gujin again.
‘Damn! The old fool has the instinct of a fox…’
Inside, he was cursing King Gujin, but his face bore a servile smile.
This was the secret to Deung Cheol-woong’s survival.
He’d bow to the strong without a moment’s hesitation, all the while lying in wait for a chance to stab them in the back. It was what he did best.
Deung Cheol-woong filled King Gujin’s cup to the brim.
“Ah!”
King Gujin downed the liquor in one gulp, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
Suddenly, he drew one of the two swords he carried on his back.
It was the Gongpo.
“Nothing compares to this beauty. Taking this sword from that young lad was the best decision
of my life.”
“Gongpo? It does look like a magnificent sword.”
“It doesn’t just look like it, it’s a truly remarkable sword. Despite its crude appearance, I’ve never seen a sword as good as this. The only comparable sword would be the Golden Emperor, but even that is slightly inferior to this one.”
“Is…. is that so?”
Suddenly, a glint of greed flickered in Deung Cheol-woong’s eyes.
The sword that King Gujin had given him was also a notable sword. However, King Gujin had dismissed that sword as insignificant.
Considering this, he couldn’t even imagine how extraordinary the sword that King Gujin was now holding might be.
‘If only I could get my hands on that sword, then I too…’
Greed subtly stirred within his chest. However, Deung Cheol-woong skillfully concealed his inner desires.
If King Gujin were to learn of his covetousness for the sword, there would be hell to pay.
Pouring more wine into King Gujin’s cup, Deung Cheol-woong spoke.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Do about what?”
“Given all the commotion you’ve caused, don’t you think we need to devise a plan?”
“A plan? That’s for the weak. A man of my power needs no such thing.”
“But……”
“Say another word, and I’ll rip your mouth apart.”
“Yes!”
Deung Cheol-woong kept his mouth shut as if it were glued shut. However, he could not hide his discontentment.
Just as King Gujin was about to fly into a rage.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered intensely.
“What is it?”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly reacting like that?”
Deung Cheol-woong looked at him with an expression of bewilderment.
Instead of answering, King Gujin stared out the window and suddenly swung the Gongpo he was holding.
Swoosh!
With a sharp slicing sound, a crescent sword energy sliced through the window and shot out.
Then King Gujin jumped up and shouted.
“Dare to spy on my dwelling, you rat! I’ll rip your mouth wide open.”
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