Reaper of the Drifting Moon Chapter 621

The next day, Pyo Wol and Hong-Ye-Seol left their room and went downstairs to the inn’s restaurant.

The innkeeper greeted them with bloodshot eyes.

“Did you sleep well?”

“We slept fine, but you seem to have had a rough night.”

“How can you tell?”

“Your eyes are bloodshot.”

“Oh! I couldn’t sleep well…”

The innkeeper discreetly avoided Pyo Wol’s gaze.

Pyo Wol didn’t press further and took his seat.

“What would you like for breakfast?”

“Just some fruit and rice.”

“It’ll be ready shortly. Please take a seat.”

“Where’s the restroom?”

“Go outside and turn to the back, you’ll find it there.”

Pyo Wol nodded and turned to Hong-Ye-Seol.

“I’ll be right back. Wait here.”

“Okay, take your time.”

Hong Ye-seol replied with a faint smile.

For a moment, the innkeeper’s face reddened.

Memories of the scene he’d surreptitiously observed last night crossed his mind.

Even though he had only peeked through a small hole and seen only a part of the scene, it had been salaciously exciting.

“Damn it!”

Suppressing his excitement, the innkeeper withdrew.

Hong Ye-seol watched the innkeeper’s retreating figure with a knowing look.
＊＊＊
Pyo Wol stepped outside and headed around the back of the inn.

As the innkeeper had said, there was a place to relieve oneself. But Pyo Wol skipped it and went deeper into the back.

There was a small hole in the back, out of sight.

It appeared to be an access point for messenger birds.

Pyo Wol reached into the hole and Gwia, who had been coiling around his arm, slithered out.

Gwia, seemingly aware of its task, swiftly entered the hole.

Pyo Wol leaned against the wall, waiting for its return.

Moments later, Gwia re-emerged, carrying a rolled message in its mouth, secured to a messenger bird’s ankle.

Pyo Wol unrolled the message, which read:

“[The target has noticed he’s being watched. No contact. Keep a natural distance.]”

‘So he noticed.’

Pyo Wol rolled up the note again, put it back into the cylinder, and spoke to Gwia.

“Return it to its place.”

Gwia then slipped back into the hole, then reappeared a moment later.

When Gwia safely returned, Pyo Wol returned to the dining area.

By then, food had been laid out on the table.

It appeared to be simple dishes that could be prepared quickly.

Hong Ye-seol spoke,

“You’re back. The fruit is delicious.”

“Mmm!”

Pyo Wol nodded, taking his seat.

Hong Ye-seol served Pyo Wol a bowl of fruit.

Tasting a spoonful, Pyo Wol remarked,

“Excellent!”

“Right? It tastes as if a master chef prepared it. If I had such skills, I’d be in a big city inn, not here.”

Hong Ye-seol’s voice was soft.

Like Pyo Wol, she was aware that this was no ordinary inn.

As Pyo Wol savored the fruit, he whispered,

“I discovered messenger birds on the back.”

“Did you?”

“It seems they’ve noticed us, just as we’ve noticed them.”

“Ah, impressive. Both you and them…”

Hong Ye-Seol was proud of her own meticulous nature, but compared to Pyo Wol and So Yeowol, she felt like a firefly in front of a full moon.

It was hard to believe that such individuals existed in the world.

While Pyo Wol was someone she could acknowledge, accepting that there was another with a similar depth of cunning was challenging.

However, since Pyo Wol had verified the message, denial wasn’t an option.

“What’s the plan going forward? Are we just going to move according to their wishes?”

“No!”

“I thought so. What’s the strategy?”

“You’ll have to shake the board.”

“How?”

With a smile on her lips, Hong Ye-Seol drew closer to Pyo Wol’s face.

Their closeness resembled two lovers whispering secrets.

Even the innkeeper, observing them secretly, could not doubt their intimacy.

The two laughed, ate, and exchanged covert love whispers.

“Ah! They’re really making a scene,”

The innkeeper cursed the two internally

Unbeknownst to him, the two continued whispering and laughing.

Their mealtime naturally extended due to their intimate conversation.

After what felt like hours, the two finally got up to leave.

After settling their bill, they promptly left the inn.

As soon as they were out of sight, the innkeeper dashed to a concealed room.

Inside lay the body of the real innkeeper.

The imposter kicked the real innkeeper’s body to the side and approached the table.

A messenger bird should’ve been waiting for him there. However, inexplicably, it was dead.

“What the…?”

The imposter frantically examined the message.

But he soon spotted the marks of a snake’s fangs.

“A snake? Did a snake sneak in?”

It was not uncommon for snakes to enter homes in search of food, and there was a hole in the room’s wall that could’ve allowed for a snake’s entry.

It made sense, but why now of all times?

Without the message, he couldn’t report what had transpired that morning.

The imposter mumbled to himself,

“What would happen if I don’t report it?”

In his eyes, there wasn’t much to report

In the end, he didn’t bother to report on Pyo Wol and Hong Ye-Seol’s movements.

Before he left, he spoke to the real innkeeper’s corpse.

“Thanks for the inn. May you rest in peace.”
＊＊＊
After leaving the inn, Pyo Wol and Hong Ye-Seol strolled down the alley.

Unlike the day before, there was no sign of their followers.

It seemed everyone had been withdrawn.

At a crossroad, Pyo Wol said,

“It’s best if we part ways here.”

“Will you be okay on your own?”

“I prefer being alone. You just do as I told you.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Hong Ye-Seol tenderly caressed Pyo Wol’s face.

Her gaze was filled with affection.

She hadn’t felt this way from the start.

At first, she thought that she could use and discard Pyo Wol at any time. She even betrayed him several times. But the closer she got to Pyo Wol, the more she felt attracted to him.

Now she felt like she couldn’t live without him. Of course, that would never happen.

Pyo Wol told her,

“Go ahead.”

“Alright!”

Hong Ye-seol took the left fork in the road.

It was the way leading to her original destination, Gyun County.

Pyo Wol silently watched her receding figure.

He started to move only after Hong Ye-seol had completely disappeared from his sight.

He was once again alone, but he didn’t feel lonely.

Nowadays, he was accustomed to traveling with others, but he had always preferred to move alone.

“Yeowol! Now I am alone, just as you wished.”

At the moment, Pyo Wol and So Yeowol were engaged in a subtle game of wits.

Psychologically, Pyo Wol held the upper hand.

He knew that So Yeowol was orchestrating the entire situation.

Walking alone, Pyo Wol pondered how So Yeowol might approach him.

“The best move would be to isolate me completely. Cut me off from any assistance and then break me mentally.”

For that, certain preliminary actions were necessary. Hence, Pyo Wol had assisted her in making the decision.

He parted ways with Hong Ye-seol to be on his own.

Suddenly, Pyo Wol looked around.

In the distance, he saw a mountain with an unknown name.

Even from afar, it seemed quite large.

‘No doubt, something will happen before I reach that mountain.’

For an assassin of Pyo Wol’s caliber, capturing him in such a mountainous area filled with hiding places was next to impossible.

So Yeowol must have known that.

It was certain she would make a move while Pyo Wol was still on the plains.

Walking alone, Pyo Wol meticulously observed the surrounding landscape.

The plains weren’t without their twists and turns.

There were steep hills, and a small river too.

Along the riverbank was a vast field of reeds.

Pyo Wol moved towards the reed field.

The reeds grew as tall as a person, obscuring the view of anything that took place inside.

After observing the reed field for a moment, Pyo Wol sat on a nearby rock. He pulled out dried meat he had prepared earlier.

As he chewed on a piece, his gaze remained fixed on the reed field.
＊＊＊
“The target has deviated from the expected path.”

“What?”

The subordinate’s report made So Yeowol jump out of her seat.

Song Cheonwoo, who was next to So Yeowol, frowned and inquired,

“Where did he diverge?”

“He took the right fork near Namsol.”

“That’s not the way to Gyun County, is it?”

“Correct. The woman he was with headed towards the Gyun County.”

“What’s he plotting? Wasn’t he headed towards the Wudang Sect?”

Song Cheonwoo bit his lip.

They had assumed that Pyo Wol would go to Gyun County, where the Wudang Sect resided.

Their entire strategy was based on the premise that Pyo Wol would go to Gyun County.

If he chose another destination, all their plans would fall apart.

They’d have to start planning from scratch.

Song Cheonwoo looked at So Yeowol.

In contrast to the flustered Song Cheonwoo, So Yeowol seemed calm.

“There’s no need to panic. This might have been within our calculations.”

“You anticipated this?”

“Pyo Wol is our opponent. Given his unpredictable nature, it’s not surprising he chose another path. Perhaps he’s trying to shake off a hidden observer.”

They had thought he might do something like this, but they didn’t expect he’d actually act on it.

He was truly a formidable foe.

So Yeowol spoke to Song Cheonwoo,

“If we continue like this, we’ll only play into his hands.”

“What do you suggest?”

“We can’t afford to waste more time. It might be better to activate the Heavenly Net, even if our preparations aren’t complete.”

“I understand. If that’s what you wish…”

Without a hint of hesitation, Song Cheonwoo responded.

When So Yeowol made a decision, Song Cheonwoo would act upon it.

It was their unchanging survival strategy.

“Where is Pyo Wol now?”

“He has entered the reed field and seems to be resting.”

The subordinate promptly replied to So Yeowol’s inquiry.

“Resting?”

“He’s been observed eating dried meat.”

So Yeowol gazed up at the sky.

The sun was high in the sky.

Given the time, it was not unusual for him to be hungry. Nothing about that was out of place. But something nagged at her, a subtle uneasiness she couldn’t quite identify.

If only she had more time, she might have discovered the cause of her discomfort. But time was a luxury she could not afford.

The longer Pyo Wol remained unchecked, the more unpredictable the situation would become.

It was better to act with the fury and power of a storm.

After gathering her thoughts, So Yeowol issued her command.

“Activate the Great Heaven-Net.”

The vast net, designed solely for capturing Pyo Wol, unfolded across the landscape.

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