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| Reaper of The Drifting Moon Chapter 260 |
The roof that had been standing until now collapsed.
Pyo-Wol looked at the one who attacked him while floating in mid-air.
It was an old man with a sword, the leader of the Ghost Warriors named Mok Han-Seong.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Mok-han-seong's gaze toward Pyo-Wol was fierce.
He didn't get too excited or show any signs of being shaken.
He simply stared at Pyo-Wol with cold, predatory eyes, like a wild animal eyeing its prey.
With a sudden loud noise, the people who were inside the hut rushed out.
They were surprised to see Pyo-Wol landing on the roof of the hut, but they were not shaken like Mok Han-Seong.
It was an island surrounded by canyons, like a natural fortress.
They even hid their appearance with the Ten-Mile Illusion Formation, but an intruder had snuck in.
Most people would be shocked or confused, but they were different.
It was truly surprising that not a single person was shaken, and they treated Pyo-Wol with respect.
It was evident that they had experienced countless situations where they could remain calm and composed, even in unexpected situations.
"Has there ever been a group like this in the world?"
Even if it was a strong fortress, the common sense of Pyo-Wol couldn't easily understand such an unexpected situation.
A group as refined as this could never have been born solely from training. They had to overcome countless battles and struggles to be reborn as elites like this.
However, in the past few decades, there hasn't been a major battle in Kangho.
There have been small power struggles from time to time, but those alone are not enough to create an elite force like this.
Only those who have fought for their lives in countless battles can create this kind of atmosphere. That's why they're people who could never have been born in the current Kangho.
Pyo-Wol's eyes glinted coldly. Unlike Kangho, which had been in a stable state for decades, Saewae1 was still full of chaos.(*Saewae might refer to a place)
Wars broke out frequently, and countless people lost their lives. Saewae had enough conditions to create this monstrous group if that's the case.
Mok Han-Seong jumped off the roof of a nearby building and flew toward Pyo-Wol, locking eyes with him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Ho! We won't answer?"
A faint aura arose in Mok Han-Seong's eyes.
As he caught Pyo-Wol's gaze, the platoon leader, Jong-Ri Gu, signaled to the troops without a sound.
The troops then moved, some blocking the retreat route while others occupied the optimal attack positions.
They found their roles and moved without needing detailed instructions.
The sight of them exuded the scent of blood that could only be found on a battlefield.
As Mok Han-Seong looked at Pyo-Wol, he seemed to realize something and shook his head. "The smell is similar to ours, like the same kind of people."
He had also smelled the thick scent of blood on Pyo-Wol. This scent could not flow without killing countless people.
Mok Han-Seong spoke to his subordinates while still keeping his eyes fixed on Pyo-Wol. "Be careful, he's dangerous." But his subordinates didn't answer him.
They never took their eyes off Pyo-Wol. Forty skilled warriors focused on Pyo-Wol and burning with a desire for victory.
Pyo-Wol felt the need to shake their minds.
Pyo-Wol felt the need to shake their minds. "What did you come here from Saewae to gain?"
"Oh, did you guess that too? You're a more dangerous one than we thought."
"What conditions did Lee-Yul offer you to hire you?"
"Why do you want to know? Do you want to offer more?"
"Why not?."
"Oh! Our fees are pretty high. Can you afford us, young friend?"
"How much will it cost?"
"Your life should suffice."
"That's a bit complicated."
"In that case, negotiation has failed."
Mok Han-Seong smiled playfully.
In the meantime, the encirclement of the Ghost Warriors was complete.
A tiger does its best to catch a rabbit, and the Ghost Warriors are no different. They did their best against any enemy they faced, thanks to the training provided by Mok Han-Seong.
Mok Han-Seong thought he had bought some time by not giving information to Pyo-Wol, but Pyo-Wol had already obtained enough information.
"Warriors who operate in Saewae."
There might be a more appropriate term to define them, but currently, there is no other word to describe them.
They were not a simple group of warriors like the Black Cloud Troops.
They were much more sophisticated and highly trained warriors on the battlefield.
"Now that we've seen enough of each other, kill him."
Mok Han-Seong gave the order.
Splat!
At that moment, an arrow was shot toward Pyo-Wol.
Pyo-Wol dodged the arrow by moving his body backward. Then, several members of the ghost warriors jumped out and continuously shot arrows at him.
The arrows were only about half the size of a typical bow and were small enough to play with like a child's toy. However, their power exceeded imagination.
Splat! Spleck!
Every time an arrow was shot, the sound of the air being torn apart echoed and spread.
Even a graze would cause serious injury, and if hit properly, one would have to be prepared to lose an arm or a leg.
The arrows they were using were not Kangho's. They were made of precious materials brought from far away in the east, and their power exceeded Kangho's bow several times over.
While the archers shot their arrows, the swordsmen who had been waiting rushed in at a quick pace.
Clang!
They all took a stance with their swords and approached Pyo-Wol.
They bent their waists in the same posture and drew their swords at the same speed to attack Pyo-Wol.
Shhhhwack!
The silvery glow of their swords tore the night air to shreds.
Pyo-Wol narrowly avoided their attack.
Tap, tap, thud!
Just as he heard the sound of footsteps, this time, the warriors holding daggers jumped over the heads of the swordsmen and attacked Pyo-Wol.
Swish!
A dozen or so daggers flew toward Pyo-Wol as if to kill him.
In an instant, Pyo-Wol pulled out his ghost blade. Pyo-Wol swung his ghost blade to counter their daggers, then stepped back.
However, the swordsmen had already blocked his escape and swung their swords toward him.
The sworders and the warriors worked together, and the archers aimed for weaknesses. All of it combined to put intense pressure on Pyo-Wol.
Pressuring and pushing their opponents to the brink.
Only those who knew how to efficiently kill their opponents could show such movements.
There was no need for instructions in their movements.
They knew where to strike by looking at their opponent's eyes and position.
They attacked Pyo-Wol perfectly, blocking every possible opening.
Kakakang!
Pyo-Wol blocked their offensive with two ghost blades.
Sparks flew in all directions, and the sound of metal echoed chaotically.
Mok-Han-Seong watched his subordinates attack Pyo-Wol without joining the fight himself.
They were his personally trained subordinates.
In terms of individual strength, they didn't dare to compare to the great disciples of a prestigious sect.
At best, they were at the level of second-rate disciples.
Nevertheless, Mok-han-Seong was not worried about them because they were battle-hardened.
The Ghost Warriors were warriors trained on the battlefields of Saewae.
To be more precise, they were mercenaries.
Unlike ordinary mercenaries who received money and exercised force, they drew a much bigger picture.
They established an overall plan and deployed personnel accordingly to carry out wars.
They employed every means possible to win, including poison, memorization, traps, and hostage dramas.
They didn't have a pointless pride in being warriors. The only thing that mattered to them was a victory on the battlefield.
They valued a dishonorable victory over a fair defeat.
The Ghost Warriors were such a group, and at their peak was Mok-Han-Seong.
Mok-Han-Seong wanted a group that could win, not whiny warriors who complained like children even at minor injuries.
He wanted a group of warriors who wouldn't back down at any injury and would know how to win.
The Ghost Warriors were that kind of group. They had performed countless wars that were impossible to count and had defeated countless enemies.
For them, killing a single warrior who was hiding like a thief was not even a challenge.
Jong-Ri-Gu approached Mok Han-Seong and asked, "Do you have any suspicions about who it might be?"
"I have a feeling it might be someone from Jin-Manor's side, judging by his mention of the investigation2." ("아무래도 이 수사 쪽에 문제가 있는 것 같아. 딱 그를 꼬집어 말한 것을 보니.")(*some sort of secret order or a person)
"Has Jin-Manor already caught wind of it?"
"It seems that there is a problem with the investigation. I can tell by the way he mentioned him."
"But the investigator isn't the one to make mistakes..." ("이 수사가 실수할 사람이 아닌데…….")
"That's proof of how skilled he is. Regardless, we must eliminate him today for the sake of our secrecy."
"He's already a dead man."
Jong-Ri-Gu smiled slightly.
No formidable enemy had ever surpassed the Ghost Warriors. It was certain that he could easily eliminate a single infiltrating warrior.
However, the fight did not end as easily as Jong-Ri-Gu had expected.
Shwiak!
The Ghost Warriors relentlessly attacked Pyo-Wol, but Pyo-Wol avoided or evaded their attacks like a snake by a narrow margin.
He also did not get inflicted with as much damage as expected.
Pyo-Wol's movements were much cleaner than Jong-Ri-Gu had anticipated.
He felt a strong sense of discomfort.
It didn't make sense.
"What? That guy. To withstand the Ghost Warriors like this."
"It seems that the invader's martial arts are better than we thought."
"Does that mean his martial arts are at the level of the eight constellations? He must have that level of skill to hold up against them."
At that moment, Pyo-Wol's face appeared between the gaps of the Ghost Warriors. It was a face more beautiful than any person that Jong-Ri-Gu had ever seen.
Seeing that appearance that did not look human at all, Jong-Ri-Gu remembered the information he had recently obtained about a certain assassin.
"Pyo... Wol!"
As a person who was recently considered the most dangerous individual in Gangho, information about him was being specially managed.
"If he is really Pyo-Wol, then it's dangerous..."
Suddenly, a faint sound of splitting air resounded.
Jong-Ri-Gu and Mok Han-Seong felt a chill down their spines as they sensed the danger from their long experience on the battlefield.
"Everyone, get back..."
Jong-Ri-Gu's shout couldn't be completed.
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
This was because around ten attackers who were attacking Pyo-wol suddenly collapsed, and blood splattered across their foreheads.
Tiny holes were visible in their foreheads but were difficult to see with the naked eye.
"What?"
"What the hell?"
For the first time, there was confusion among the assailants.
They had clearly thought they had the upper hand.
Pyo-Wol was cornered, and they believed they had won.
It was a turning point that happened at that moment.
They had thought that they had the upper hand, catching Pyo-Wol in a corner and imagining their victory.
But it was at that moment that everything changed.
Pyo-Wol unleashed ten strands of soul-reaping threads from his fingertips without their knowledge.
The soul-reaping threads were so fine that they were undistinguishable from the naked eye.
By the time they heard the sound of the threads being released, it was already too late.
The threads had pierced the heads of his enemies.
In the past, Pyo-Wol had needed to attach Ghost blades to his opponents to achieve significant damage, but not anymore. He could now use soul-reaping threads without needing Ghost blades, allowing even more stealthy movements and attacks.
Pyo-Wol's martial arts were most effective when used in secrecy, and soul-reaping threads without Ghost blades were the pinnacle of his skill.
It was like a tiger suddenly sprouting wings.
However, this did not mean that Ghost blades were unnecessary.
Shh, shh, shh!
Pyo-Wol unleashed Ghost blades in all directions. Some were able to avoid the blades, but others were caught in their shoulders and waist.
"Kuk!"
"Huek!"
Their screams echoed on the battlefield. Even the most experienced warriors could not withstand the physical pain completely.
In an instant, the enemy's formation crumbled.
Pyo-Wol did not miss the opportunity and fiercely attacked.
At that moment, he was not an assassin but just one warrior.
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