Reaper of the Drifting Moon

Neung Soun touched the upper part of his chest and frowned.

The tips of his finger felt a small wound. It was such a small hole that only a single thread could pass through. The wound was so small that a stranger might mistake it for a small dot.

But the pain felt from the wound was worse than any other major wound.

Pyo-wol’s Soul-Reaping Thread penetrated into Soun’s dorsal scapula and penetrated the front of his chest. It wasn’t a life-threatening wound, but it was enough to shatter Neung Soun’s pride.

Neung Soun bit his lip and looked out the window.

“I couldn’t do anything. Nothing—”

Far from being unable to avenge Seo Mun-pyeong’s death, the fact that he was helpless against Pyo-wol was tormenting him.

This was the first time he had felt so helpless since leaving for Jianghu.

The defeat he had experienced from Pyo-wol became a huge setback for him, who had been running on the road to success.

“Hoo…!”

He sighed.

He also wanted to track down Heukam who had kidnapped Won Ga-young. However, he didn’t since he knew that he would only be a burden if he followed them with his imperfect state.

Above all, he was responsible for recovering Seo Mun-pyeong’s body. This was the reason why Neung Soun remained in Chengdu with his resentment.

Knock knock!

Then someone knocked on his door.

“Can I come in?”

The owner of the voice was Yu Shinfeng, the Shadowless Monk.

“Come in, Mister Yu!”

As soon as Neung Soun answered, Yu Shinfeng came in with his niece, Lee So-ha.

But it wasn’t just the two of them who came in. A man whom he was seeing for the first time was following them.

When Neung Soun made a puzzled expression, Yu Shinfeng introduced the stranger.

“This person is the chief inspector of the Hao clan, Hong Yushin.”

“Ah, the Hao clan!”

“He is urrently in charge of the Hao clan in Chengdu.”

Neung Soun’s eyes lit up at Yu Shinfeng’s explanation. He greeted in a dignified manner,

“Nice to meet you, Mister Hong!”

“I am honored to meet Mister Neung Soun”

Hong Yushin also politely greeted him. He seen Jin Geum-woo before, but this was the first time he was meeting Neung Soun.

“What did Mister Hong come here for?”

“It’s because of the assassin Pyo-wol who went with Mister Jin.”

“…………”

“He is a very dangerous person. We, the Hao clan, have been tracking him so far, but we have found very little.”

“So?”

“Let’s cooperate. We need to gather information about him in advance so that we can respond immediately when problems arise in the future.”

Hong Yushin usually didn’t show his thoughts or feelings. However, he could not remain calm and composed as easily when it comes to matters concerning Pyo-wol.

Pyo-wol was the worst person he had ever dealt with.

He couldn’t dare say that his martial arts were the strongest, but his level of danger was so terrible that it could not be compared to any other warriors.

The track record of Pyo-wol so far proves it.

How dangerous he is.

Therefore, Hong Yushin broke the custom of not revealing his identity to the outsiders and visited Neung Soun directly.

Pyo-wol was well worth it.

If he does not prepare in advance from now on, he will be helpless when Pyo-wol indeed becomes a threat against him in the future.

Neung So-woon looked at Hong Yushin for a moment and then nodded.

“Okay. Let’s cooperate.”

“You’ve thought well, Mister Neung!”

“But I don’t know what you mean by cooperation.”

“What do you mean?”

“I still don’t know what kind of trick he used.”

Neung Soun undid his shirt and showed his wounds.

“I don’t even know what method he used against me, so how can I be of help you?”

Hong Yushin bit his lips at Neung So-woon’s pitiful words.

* * *

Heukam felt the hairs all over his body stand up.

‘It’s him.’

The reason he felt Pyo-wol’s presence was because of Won Ga-young, who he was carrying on his shoulder. Won Ga-young’s heart rate, which had not changed much before, suddenly increased.

An increase in heart rate meant that she was responding to an external stimulus.

The moment he recognized that there was something that stimulated Won Ga-young, Heukam expanded the senses of his entire body. But he felt nothing.

He even looked around, but he couldn’t see anything.

He didn’t see anyone’s presence nor a shadow of a person.

He thought he had reacted too sensitively. But Won Ga-young’s heart was still pounding heavily. It was difficult to believe that her reaction happened without any reason.

Won Ga-young was looking at something he couldn’t see. It was right behind Heukam.

Heukam would turn around and look back. But there were no traces of people, not even the shadows of beasts.

Only the vast plain, where nothing could be seen, came into his sight. There was nothing in the plains which could be used as cover to hide from his line of sight.

Moreover, he had raised his senses to the highest level. Like a sharply forged sword, his sharp nerves did not miss even the slightest change.

No matter how skilled the opponent was, he could not deceive his senses. Heukam doubted his senses for the first time.

It was because Won Ga-young’s heart was still pounding greatly.

Her gaze, of course, was directed behind him.

‘No way–?’

Heukam rotated his body.

Since he rotated at a high speed like a spinning top, the surrounding scenery could be seen at a glance. But no human figure could be seen anywhere.

Heukam’s eyes trembled.

There was clearly nothing in his sight. Won Ga-young’s reaction, however, was saying that there was someone.

Heukam felt like he was going crazy.

‘Did he manage to fool and escape my senses? Nonsense!’

Heukam had become self-conscious of other people’s gaze from an early age because of his hideous appearance. Thanks to this, his senses have developed so sharply to the point that it could be considered as abnormal.

Not even an expert from the Xiaoleiyin Temple could manage to deceive his senses. So there was never a moment where Heukam doubted his senses.

But today, for the first time, he started to doubt himself.

Suspicions give birth to a ghost.¹

It is said that if someone starts to doubt, a ghost will appear in their heart. This is the exact state of Heukam right now.

He was the person who usually brings fear to others and not a man who feels fear.

But right now, he was feeling scared for the first time.

At the unfamiliar feeling he was experiencing for the first time, Heukam could not hide his bewildered and flustered expression.

His agitations were passed on to Won Ga-young, who was carrying it on his shoulder.

Won Ga-young understood the reaction of Heukam.

Because she herself was as shaken as Heukam.

Won Ga-young’s face was facing the back of Heukam. In her eyes, Pyo-wol was clearly visible.

Pyo-wol was following Heukam like a ghost.

He moved every time Heukam would move.

When Heukam moved one step, he would also move one step. When Heukam would look back, Pyo-wol moved just enough to avoid Heukam’s line of sight.

Won Ga-young felt like she was going to crazy every time she would see Pyo-wol moving just enough to avoid the gaze of Heukam.

‘G, ghost?’

Won Ga-young was agitated.

There was no one who would not be shaken by such a sight. Which includes Won Ga-young.

The movement of Pyo-wol, which denies her common sense, far transcended human limits.

‘How can he predict the movement of his target and move in advance?’

It was an impossible copy Heukam’s movement without going into his head and fully penetrating his thoughts.

Won Ga-young didn’t know that Pyo-wol had perfectly synchronized his body with Heukam. Even if she knew, she wouldn’t believe it.

Pyo-wol’s shocking movements could not be understood with her common sense.

If Heukam walks, so does Pyo-wol.

Like a ghost, without any sign.

But Won Ga-young’s eyes could clearly see everything Pyo-wol was doing.

She could feel the agitation of Heukam.

Heukam also knew that someone was following him. But no matter how much he raised his senses, he couldn’t see Pyo-wol’s figure at all with his own eyes, so his fear only grew.

He is definitely near him but since he couldn’t see him with his own two eyes, he was starting to go crazy.

‘Are you mocking me?’

Heukam bit his lip.

A person who has deceived his senses so thoroughly should be able to attack him any time and go for his throat. But the fact that Pyo-wol was following him from a little distance was no less than mocking him.

‘This demon-like bastard!’

Heukam trembled.

A feeling of helplessness where he could not do anything, even though he knew the enemy was following him, tormented him.

The intentions of Pyo-wol were clear.

He’s trying to kill himself.

Heukam never dreamed that he would fall into this kind of situation.

As time passed, the pressure felt by Heukam grew stronger.

Pyo-wol did nothing at all.

He neither attacked the Heukam nor revealed himself.

He just quietly followed.

Such a move further drove Heukam to the edge. He felt like an invisible noose was choking his breath.

If he went on like this, he felt like he was going to go mad even before he reached the Xiaoleiyin Temple. This was the first ever fear he had ever experienced in his life.

He had no idea that this form of fear existed.

“Come out! Come out!”

In the end, as if Heukam had a seizure, he fired his qi everywhere.

Kwakwakwang!

His qi overturned the ground and dust rose. But he still couldn’t see Pyo-wol anywhere. If he was injured, there should have been bloodstains, but there were no traces of that.

‘Am I mistaken?’

Heukam has now reached the point of doubting his own judgment.

‘No, I’m not! I’m sure he exists.’

Now, Won Ga-young, who Heukam was carrying on his shoulder, was starting to feel like a burden.

Even when he crossed the Western Plateau of Sichuan Province, he didn’t feel that carrying her was difficult, but now it felt like a heavy weight was on his shoulders.

‘Wait! Do I really need to take this bitch to the end?’

For a moment, a vicious light flashed in the eyes of Heukam.

He had kidnapped Won Ga-young to inflict a big blow on Jin Geum-woo, but looking back, there was no reason to take her to the Xiaoleiyin Temple.

Jin Geum-woo wasn’t the problem.

The problem was Pyo-wol, who was following him like a ghost.

Heukam thought that he would be able to free himself a little from Pyo-wol’s pursuit if he let go of the burden which was Won Ga-young.

‘Okay!’

The hand that was wrapped around Won Ga-young’s body tightened.

The moment when Heukam felt that the thick tendon on the back of his hand would pop out, he threw Won Ga-young’s body into the air.

Won Ga-young, who was suppressed by Heukam, could not even scream as she flew away.

Heukam spread his hands wide toward Won Ga-young.

He executed one of the techniques of the Xiaoleiyin Temple, the Demon Fire Palm.²

The Demon Fire Palm is a terrifying way of slaughtering a person by having their internal core torn in pieces, even if its against an expert who possesses profound skills.

Not to mention, Won Ga-young was unable to take any action at all. All she could do was close her eyes tightly.

“Keuhk!”

At that moment, the scream of Heukam rang out.

A dagger was stuck in his hand as he was about to release his technique. Because of that, he failed to execute his technique.

Won Ga-young was able to escape safely from the Demon Fire Palm.

Although she crashed to the floor defenseless, she was able to withstand the pain.

“Ugh!”

Heukam grabbed his hand which was pierced by a dagger and let out a beastly groan.

He looked around with a look of disbelief.

As expected, Pyo-wol was still nowhere to be seen. But Won Ga-young, who was spread across the floor, could clearly see Pyo-wol standing behind Heukam.

Under the scorching sun, his uniquely white face seemed to glow on its own. So he felt even more alien and scary.

“Heuek!”

Heukam rubbed the drool from his lips. His eyes were fixed on the dagger in his hand.

It is now clear that Pyo-wol was chasing him. This little dagger stuck in his hand was proof that he had been here.

Heukam pulled out the dagger and threw it on the floor, then ran like crazy. He didn’t even spare a glance at Won Ga-young, who he had kidnapped.

He had no time to hesitate.

The only thought that filled his mind was that he had to escape and reach the Xiaoleiyin Temple as fast as possible. Heukam performed his best footwork at the highest speed he could.

Seuek!

Pyo-wol looked at the back of Heukam indifferently.

Heukam will guide now then to the Xiaoleiyin Temple. All he had to do was follow him as ever. Pyo-wol walked along with Heukam.

Won Ga-young looked at Pyo-wol with pleading eyes.

Her whole body was still paralyzed. If she was left in this state, she might become food for animals or withered to death under the scorching sun.

‘Save me.’

She begged Pyo-wol. However, Pyo-wol passed by casually without giving her a single glance.

‘Help me, you demon!’

Won Ga-young’s scream was not heard by Pyo-wol.

Pyo-wol disappeared from Won Ga-young’s sight in an instant.

Won Ga-young had a look of despair as she looked in the direction where Pyo-wol disappeared. She soon slowly lost consciousness.

“Are you okay?”

She woke up after hearing someone’s voice.

She first thought it was a hallucination.

But soon she realized that someone was holding her in his arms.

Won Ga-young slowly opened her eyes.. Then she saw the face she had been dreaming of.

“Brother… Geum-woo”

Jin Geum-woo was holding her in his arms.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes

Thank you for reading!

1. Suspicions gives birth to a ghost. Raws: 의심생암귀(疑心生暗鬼).
   • Chinese idiom. Suspicions create imaginary fears or a suspicious heart will see imaginary ghosts. This refers to all kinds of hallucinations and misjudgments that might occur due to suspicion. People who are suspicious by nature, when encountering suspicious things, make random guesses and believe them to be true, in fact, it is all psychological.
2. Demon Fire Palm. Raws: 마화장(魔火掌).
   • 魔 demon, evil spirits, magic power
   • 火 fire, flame, burn, anger
   • 掌 palm of hand