Reaper of The Drifting Moon Chapter 269

Reaper of The Drifting Moon  Chapter 269

Monk Un-Hae woke up early in the morning. Although his body was old, he had never skipped his morning meditation, even for a day.

After dressing neatly, he opened the scripture before his desk and started meditating by tapping his wooden table.

Through meditation, his restless thoughts usually disappeared without a trace.

But today, despite his effort to meditate, his mind was still filled with worries, which bothered him greatly.

"Hmm, Is something wrong?" he muttered to himself.

Finally, Monk Un-Hae closed the scripture and stood up, which was a rare occurrence in the past few years.

Shaking his head, he stepped outside.

"A disciple wants to see the head monk."

"Is the head monk available?"

The other disciples outside greeted him respectfully.

"Why are you outside since dawn?"

"The truth is, Elder Bo-Kyung didn't return last night."

"Bo-Kyung?"

Monk Un-Hae's eyebrows twitched.

"Yes! We waited all night, but he never returned."

"Did he happen to meet Nam Gung-Wol?"

"I don't think so. After Nam Gung-Wol fought with monk Seongam, they have kept a certain distance."

"That boy never leaves his post without a reason."

"That's why we're worried too."

Although Bo-Kyung seemed to act on his own, he never violated the rules of the Shaolin. It was unlikely for him to leave his post without any reason.

"I guess I have to check it myself."

Monk Un-Hae was about to step outside when a panicked voice interrupted him.

"Master, something terrible happened!"

Suddenly, a man from Jin-Manor burst into Shaolin's residence.

At the sight of his face, Monk Un-Hae instinctively sensed something was wrong.

"What happened?"

"Please follow me."

Without explaining, the man hurriedly ran outside.

Monk Un-Hae and the other monks followed him in haste. They arrived at a narrow road from Jin-Manor's temple to Cheonjungsan(Mount Tianzhong).

The moment Monk Un-Hae arrived there, he closed his eyes tightly.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

In contrast, the monks of Shaolin who followed him widened their eyes in shock.

"This can't be!"

"Execution!"

In front of their eyes, a bloody body was hanging upside down from a rope, clearly hung that way to mock the deceased. The problem was the identity of the bloodied body.

"Bo...Kyung!"

It was none other than Bo-Kyung, who hadn't returned last night.

Bo-Kyung's condition was truly terrible.

Long wounds ran across his neck and flank, with his mouth gaping open like a fish.

"How could this happen?"

Monk Un-Hae's voice trembled involuntarily.

After Seong-un, he lost Bo-Kyung too.

Bo-Kyung was one of the bright futures of the Shaolin temple.

It was not just a matter of losing one disciple.

Bo-Kyung's body was tied up and hung upside down on a rope.

It was an act of insulting Bo-Kyung and disgracing the Shaolin temple.

"Bo-Kyung!"

Monk Un-Hae quickly hugged Bo-Kyung and pulled him down to the ground.

Bo-Kyung's body was as cold as ice.

Monk Un-Hae burst into tears while holding Bo-Kyung.

"This can't happen. You! If you go first like this, what will this old man do? Ohhh!"

"Execution! Sobs!"

"Sobs!"

The priests who had been with Bo-Kyung also wept together.

The hall quickly turned into a sea of tears.

The wandering monks who had come running upon hearing the news looked on with solemn expressions.

The monks were known for their ability to control their emotions better than anyone else, yet even the monks of Sorim Temple were weeping uncontrollably. It was clear to everyone how serious the situation was.

"Bo-Kyung!"

At that moment, a young wandering warrior appeared, pushing his way through the crowd.

It was Nam Gung-Wol.

His gaze fell upon Bo-Kyung, who lay lifeless in Monk Un-Hae's arms.

Nam Gung-Wol's eyes were shaking uncontrollably.

Nam Gung-Wol had thought that Bo-Kyung transcended factional boundaries and had been his companion during drinking sessions.

Despite intentionally keeping his distance from Bo-Kyung and even opposing Seongam, Nam Gung-Wol had never held any grudges against him.

He thought they could become close again after all this was over and have a drink together, just like in old times.

But all his expectations had been shattered.

It was when Nam Gung-Wol quietly pledged to avenge Bo-Kyung.

"Amitabha Buddha! Compassionate Buddha, why do you give your disciple such a trial? Is this also your will?"

The desperate confession of Monk Un-Hae echoed through the hall.

People sensed an uneasy atmosphere and kept their mouths shut.

Monk Un-Hae continued his confession.

"Nae Sajae Bul (Is the Buddha only inside). The Buddha is not only in the temple. I have lived all this time without knowing that."

It was a catchphrase from a letter sent to him by the dying Monk Geon-Gon-Sang.

It was a slogan that made him suffer and spend sleepless nights.

Finally, he understood why Monk Geon-Gon-Sang had sent him such a letter.

Monk Un-Hae stood up with Bo-Kyung's body and spoke to the people watching him.

"Shaolin will no longer tolerate this. We will find and punish those who defile our headquarters."

It was the words of the elder of Shaolin.

This was an official announcement made in front of numerous people. There was no one who didn't know what it meant.

"So the Shaolin temple (소림사) will participate in this fight."

"Oh my goodness! The Shaolin temple is getting involved."

People sensed that the situation had grown beyond their expectations.

Bo-Kyung's death angered the sleeping giant, Shaolin (소림).

After Seong-Un, the killing of Bo-Kyung was sufficient reason for Shaolin to intervene.

The problem was that it was uncertain how far the situation would escalate with Shaolin's participation.

The already confusing political situation was falling deeper into the mist.

***

Hong Ye-Seol's eyelids trembled and gradually opened.

At first, her focus didn't return to her pupils, so everything looked blurry. 

However, with patience and continued blinking, her vision gradually returned after a while.

When the blurry ceiling became clear, Hong Ye-Seol let out a sigh of relief.

"The ceiling?"

It was clear that she had collapsed in a field near the forest.

She had fought while poisoned by the smoke, but in the end, she couldn't overcome the toxin and collapsed. And she had no memory of it.

Hong Ye-Seol calmly looked around her.

It was a small room with a shabby table and a bed where she was lying as the only piece of furniture.

She got up and opened the window. Then, the scenery outside came into view.

Familiar gabled roofs were visible.

It was a landscape of Yeonnam, which she had seen for days on end.

Finally, Hong Ye-Seol realized that the room she was lying in was a guest room in an inn in Yeonnam.

"Phew!"

Hong Ye-Seol let out a sigh.

There was no way she could have come here alone after fainting. Someone must have carried her here. And there was only one person who could have done that.

Hong Ye-Seol looked at the neatly folded coat on the table.

It was a brand-new coat without a single wrinkle.

Come to think of it, the clothes she was wearing were also new.

Her original clothes had been torn and stained with blood during the fight with Heo-Ranju.

Someone had taken off her clothes and dressed her in new ones.

She didn't need to look to know who it was.

Hong Ye-Seol put on the coat and left the room.

A first-floor restaurant appeared as she descended the stairs at the end of the corridor. Pyo Wol was sitting and eating in one corner of the restaurant.

Hong Ye-Seol walked straight to where Pyo Wol was sitting.

She sat in front of Pyo Wol and asked, "How long was I unconscious?"

"Just one night."

"It hasn't been as long as I thought."

"You were lucky. They had an antidote with them."

"Thank goodness."

Hong Ye-Seol nodded her head.

Even if Pyo Wol had not given her the antidote, she would not have died. She had also developed immunity to poison through the process of handling various toxins. Unless it was an extremely lethal poison, it would have been impossible to kill her instantly.

She would have naturally healed even if she had just left it alone. Of course, it would have taken much longer than taking the antidote.

Anyway, it was a fact that she owed Pyo Wol a debt.

"Thank you. Thanks to you, I'm alive. How can I repay this debt?"

"No need to repay. I received help too."

"Really? Anyway, thank you. I even got such nice clothes. But did you personally dress me? How was it? Did I look good?"

"This innkeeper dressed you up."

"Oh my? You didn't dress me up personally? I don't mind though."

Hong Ye-Seol looked provocatively at Pyo Wol.

It was a tempting expression that any man would inevitably fall for. But there was no sign of any wavering on the face of Pyo Wol as he looked at her. That made Hong Ye-Seol even more frustrated.

There had never been a man who looked at her and didn't feel greedy. Even the most strong-willed men would crumble at the sight of her.

Hong Ye-Seol knew well how to seduce and destroy a man.

Some people may criticize the use of beauty, but it is one of the essential techniques that an assassin must master.

Hong Ye-Seol had learned how to be a beauty since she was young.

She was born with an innate beauty that was not flashy but had a charm that attracted people. Various skills she had learned from a young age added to her charm, and the singing ability she had shown on Mount Wudang was one of them.

No man could resist her charm. That's why she had looked down on all men in the world. 

But there was one man, Pyo Wol, who was not swayed by her beauty and charm.

He wouldn't be so indifferent even to a rolling pebble on the street.

It wasn't that Pyo Wol was pretending to be uninterested in her on purpose. He really had no interest in her. So, the more indifferent he was, the more Hong Ye Seol's feelings for him grew.

It was ironic that she, who had to use her beauty to ensnare others, was falling for Pyo Wol instead. And yet, Pyo Wol wasn't even intentionally displaying his own beauty to captivate her. 

Despite this, Hong Ye Seol couldn't seem to escape from him.

She felt unfairly trapped in this one-sided attraction, 

which was a new experience for her and even more bewildering.

Pyo Wol remained silent, whether or not he was aware of her feelings. His chopsticks moved silently, making his indifference all the more irritating.

"Chit!" she snapped, grabbing her chopsticks.

Perhaps Pyo Wol had arranged for a generous serving for her, as the food was plentiful.

Hong Ye-Seol had lost a lot of energy from being poisoned, so the best way to regain her strength was to eat heartily.

She grabbed whatever food was in front of her and stuffed it into her mouth without reservation.

The food on the table suddenly looked appetizing.

"Oh! It looks like it's fresh."

Hong Ye-Seol smiled satisfactorily and put down her chopsticks.

Eating until she was full gave her strength, and finally, her head felt clearer.

Now she was curious about what Pyo Wol would do next.

"What are you going to do now?"

"...."

"You fought with the Black Cloud Corps. The situation doesn't look good. Do you have a plan?"

"It's not the first time I've dealt with the Black Cloud Corps. So things can't get any worse."

"Is that so?"

"Jang Muryang will go crazy with the death of her and the Monk. And she was in a very important position even within the Black Cloud Corps."

"Hoho! You must have a headache too."

"What do I have to worry about?"

"If she was in such an important position within the Black Cloud Corpa, then surely they'll seek revenge for killing someone like her."

"But I didn't kill her."

"...."

Hong Ye-Seol's forehead wrinkled like a piece of paper.

As he looked at her, Pyo Wol spoke.

"The Black Cloud Corps is probably looking for you by now."

"How do they know that I killed her and how are they searching for me?"

"I told them."

"You crazy bastard!"

Her anger erupted.    

INDEX

Editor's Note- Please add some comment, if you find that something isn't right. Thanks:)