Reaper of the Drifting Moon Chapter 590
Sobok was the innkeeper of Changpa Guest House.
It had been around for quite some time, located on the outskirts of Sea Gate City.
The inn, usually bustling with guests, was quiet.
The influx of visitors had stopped abruptly. Those staying at the lodge were holed up in their rooms, not coming out.
Despite working as an innkeeper for many years, this was an unprecedented occurrence.
“What on earth is going on?”
Sobok, who was curious by nature, also had a deep friendship with Geom Yeong.
They kept in touch even after Geom Yeong became a disciple of Tarha.
“Something unusual must be happening.”
It was the intuition of someone who had spent a long time at the bottom of life.
Sobok took off his apron and left the inn.
“Inseok! Where are you going?”
The owner shouted, but Sobok replied nonchalantly.
“I’ll just take a look around and come back.”
“Come back soon. You never know when the guests might rush in.”
“Got it.”
Bang!
Sobok closed the door and explored the streets.
Not even an ant could be seen on the street.
This was supposed to be a remote part of Sea Gate City, but the lack of people meant that something was definitely wrong.
“Fuck!”
Sobok unconsciously swore.
It was because he sensed something was wrong.
Then, Sobok caught sight of a suspicious movement.
Someone in a sailor’s outfit was lingering in an alleyway not far from the inn.
It could have been just a passerby, but Sobok did not let it go.
He approached the alley as quietly and cautiously as possible.
There was no sign of the person he had seen in the alley.
“What the? I’m sure I saw someone.”
Sobok looked around with a confused expression on his face, but he could not find the person he had seen.
“Did I see a ghost?”
It was then.
Sobok sensed a burning smell.
nconsciously, his face tightened at the pungent scent that stimulated his nostrils.
“What the fuck?”
Sobok looked around, searching for the source of the odor.
A moment later, he discovered a fist-sized object deep in the alley.
Connected to the round object, which appeared to be made of metal, was a long wick, and the end of the wick was burning. The acrid smell he smelled was the wick burning.
Sobok instinctively sensed an ominous energy.
“Fuck!”
All he could think of was to cut the burning wick. He took out the small dagger he usually carried and tried to cut the wick.
Screech!
The string, whatever it was made of, didn’t cut easily, just making a metallic sound.
“Ugh!”
Sobok put all his might into it.
Only then did the wick finally sever.
“Huh! What the hell, why did he leave this behind?”
The cold touch he felt in his hand was somehow eerie.
He couldn’t just ignore it.
Immediately, Sobok picked up the metal sphere and ran towards Sea Dragon Manor.
Geom Yeong had told him to inform him if anything strange happened.
“Brother, what’s going on?”
“Where are you running to?”
The nearby innkeepers, seeing Sobok running, stuck their heads out of the window.
Sobok spoke to them.
“I’m taking this bead to Geom Yeong.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know! The end of the wick was burning. Just in case, you guys check if there’s anything else like this.”
“Is it something serious?”
“It seems so.”
“Okay.”
“Ah! If the wick is burning, don’t forget to cut it.”
“Got it!”
Leaving the innkeepers’ answers behind, Sobok ran as fast as he could. Not long after, however, he spotted a large group heading toward Sea Dragon Manor.
It was Dokgo Hwang and the martial artists of Martial Sword Alliance.
They were advancing towards Sea Dragon Manor, killing everything in their path.
“Damn it!”
Sobok instantly changed direction and dashed into a shortcut.
The path was so narrow that only a child could pass through, and it was so filthy that adults would never approach. It was a route known only to Sobok and a few other innkeepers.
Sobok cut through the shortcut and arrived at Sea Dragon Manor in no time.
“Huh?”
“What are you?”
The warriors guarding the front gate of Sea Dragon Manor looked puzzled at Sobok’s sudden appearance.
Sobok spoke between breaths.
“I, I’m a friend of Geom Yeong.”
“Master Geom Yeong’s friend?”
“Yes! I must see Geom Yeong urgently.”
“For what reason?”
“I have something to deliver to him. This.”
Sobok shook the metal bead he was holding in his hand.
The warriors looked at the metal bead with a perplexed expression.
“Now is not the time for this. A group of warriors is approaching here.”
“What?”
“Is that true?”
“Yes! I saw more than a hundred of them. They’re coming here, killing people along the way.”
“Damn it!”
The warriors did not take Sobok’s words lightly.
The situation was already critical due to the Red Turban Association.
They quickly rang the small bell that hung from the main gate. It was the emergency bell.
Ding-ding-ding!
In an instant, the bell echoed throughout the manor.
“You, go inside quickly. The first hall you come to, the second room is Master Geom Yeong’s chamber.”
“Yes!”
Sobok ran inside, leaving the warriors behind.
“Move quickly.”
“It’s an attack.”
Hearing the emergency bell, the warriors of Sea Dragon Manor flocked to the main gate.
They paid no attention to Sobok and hurried past him.
Sobok also passed them and arrived at the room that the gatekeeper had directed him to.
At that moment, Geom Yeong was just coming out.
He, too, had heard the emergency bell and jumped out.
“Huh? Brother, what are you doing here?”
Geom Yeong hurried over as he spotted Sobok.
“This!”
Sobok quickly extended the object he had been holding in his hand.
“What’s this?”
“It’s something a suspicious person hid near our inn. I put out the burning wick.”
“Really?”
Geom Yeong took the metal bead.
“What is this?”
He examined the metal bead but failed to identify it. He too had never seen such an object before.
Then, a voice was heard.
“That’s a Wall Bomb.”
The owner of the voice was Pyo Wol, who had suddenly appeared beside them.
Geom Yeong’s eyes widened.
“This is a Wall Bomb?”
“Yes. Where did you find it?”
Pyo Wol asked Sobok.
“A suspicious person left it near our inn.”
“How many more of these are there?”
“I don’t know. I had the other innkeepers search for more.”
“This is a very dangerous object. If the fuse ignites and it explodes, it will explode and destroy everything within five to ten feet.
“My goodness!”
Sobok’s face turned as pale as a ghost.
Pyo Wol spoke to Geom Yeong.
“We don’t know how many Wall Bomb they’ve hidden. You must go with the children and find them, removing the fuses.”
“Ah, understood.”
“It’s a dangerous task. Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. My brother will go with us.”
“Alright!”
Geom Yeong hurriedly called Taemu Sang and explained the situation.
Taemu Sang’s face turned as pale as Geom Yeong’s.
He took Geom Yeong and Sobok and quickly left Sea Dragon Manor.
Right after they left Sea Dragon Manor, a commotion arose from the main gate.
“Who are these people?”
“Stop!”
Voices of Sea Dragon Manor’s martial artist rang out, followed by the clashing of swords and screams.
Chyaaang!
“Kraak!”
“It’s an attack.”
Pyo Wol glanced towards the main gate and disappeared in an instant.
＊＊＊
The main gate of Sea Dragon Manor was in chaos.
Warriors from Martial Sword Alliance had stormed in.
Without warning or conversation, they attacked the martial artists of Sea Dragon Manor, and their ferocious attack resulted in a swift defeat.
Within moments, dozens of warriors were dead or wounded, groaning in pain.
Ka-bang!
The main gate of Sea Dragon Manor shattered with a loud sound.
Through the broken gate, Martial Sword Alliance’s warriors poured in.
“Stop!”
A furious voice resonated through Sea Dragon Manor.
The owner of the voice was Tarha.
Tarha had appeared with Yul Ayeon, followed by warriors from the Mara Law Sect.
With angry eyes, Tarha glared at Martial Sword Alliance’s warriors.
His whole body was already exuding a dreadful killing intent.
“Who are you to dare commit slaughter in my domain?”
“We know Pyo Wol is here. Hand him over.”
Dokgo Hwang stepped forward with a response.
His arrogant posture was a blatant act of ignoring Tarha.
The sheer disregard for even the minimal courtesy angered Tarha further.
“Do you dare defy me?”
“I told you, hand over Pyo Wol.”
“The Ghost Fleet?”
“Don’t compare Martial Sword Alliance to such riffraff.”
“So, it’s the Martial Sword Alliance. How shameless it is for the renowned Martial Sword Alliance to commit such a cowardly act.”
Tarha berated Dokgo Hwang, but his expression remained unchanged.
“Shameless? Is there anything more shameless than hiding an assassin? This is not shamelessness, but the realization of justice. The martial artists of the east will praise me.”
“How twisted can you be? Committing such slaughter without evidence, and yet you still call yourself a noble sect?”
“What difference does it make if others praise us as a noble sect? Enough. I no longer care about the opinions of others.”
“Humph!”
Tarha sighed heavily at Dokgo Hwang’s stubborn response.
Demanding Pyo Wol was nothing but an excuse.
Since he had invaded this far, Dokgo Hwang would never leave Sea Dragon Manor be.
The best way to hide his mistakes was complete annihilation.
The killing intent emanating from Dokgo Hwang was proof that he had already harbored deadly intentions.
Dokgo Hwang muttered,
“Kill them all, and Pyo Wol will come out.”
He gestured to his subordinates.
Immediately, the martial artists of the Martial Sword Alliance rushed out to attack the martial artists of Sea Dragon Manor.
“Hah!”
“Block them!”
“Die!”
With desperate cries, the martial artists of both sides clashed.
The martial artists of the Martial Sword Alliance were truly terrifying.
They mowed down the martial artists of Sea Dragon Manor as if they were reaping a harvest.
As Tarha watched the situation deteriorate, he became desperate.
Tarha spoke to the warriors from Mara Law Sect,
“It seems you must step in.”
“Leave it to us.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Do not worry. Your enemy is also the enemy of Mara Law Sect.”
The leader of the warriors sent by the Mara Law Sect removed the cloth wrapped around his head, revealing a gleaming bald scalp.
The other warriors were also bald.
They were the warriors entrusted with guarding the Mara Law Sect. They were so dedicated to combat that they had shaved their heads, considering long hair a hindrance in battle.
“Om! Baraom!”
They chanted a peculiar mantra as they plunged into the fight.
As the warriors of Mara Law Sect joined the battle, the tide began to shift dramatically.
At that moment, Dokgo Hwang approached Tarha.
It was time for the leaders to settle the score.
Tarha gathered energy into his fist, glancing back at the warriors of Martial Sword Alliance.
‘I’m counting on you.’