Reaper of the Drifting Moon

A vast green bamboo forest stretched out.

Whenever the wind blew, the bamboo would sway in unison like the waves in the sea.

In the middle of it was a huge manor.

The old-fashioned manor, engraved with the passage of time, had a quiet atmosphere.

The name of the manor with the longest history in Enshi was the Bamboo Sea Clan.

The Bamboo Sea Clan, which has been cultivated for a long time, was as beautiful as a painting.

A sea of bamboo could be seen spread out on the outside of the manor, while the inside of the manor boasted a carefully nurtured landscape and a beautiful flower garden.

It was such a magnificent view that anyone who would visit the Bamboo Sea Clan for the first time could not help but marvel at the sight.

In the middle of the garden where all kinds of flowers were in full bloom, a woman could be seen walking quietly alone.

Sarak! Sararak!

Whenever the hem of her skirt brushed against the grass, a pleasant sound rang out.

The woman was as beautiful as her dress.

Her hair was finely turned and fixed with colorful ornaments, and her features were so harmonious and beautiful enough to impress anyone.

The woman’s name is Yeo Hwa-young.

She is the number one beauty in the nearby area, and the same iron blooded woman who currently leads the Bamboo Sea Clan.

People who knew of Yeo Hwa-young’s true character called her the Iron Sword Fairy.¹

Women are usually given a nickname that emphasizes their beauty, but Yeo Hwa-young was given a crude nickname.

The iron sword was her identity.

She has been fascinated with swordsmanship since she was young, and after ceaseless training, she got to where she is today.

Among the young warriors in the area, there were only a few who could be compared to her. Yeo Hwa-young boasted unparalleled strength.

So with her excellent swordsmanship, flower-like appearance, and lineage of the Bamboo Sea Clan which has a long history, many men courted her. She was perfect in all aspects.

However, Yeo Hwa-young declined all their advances.

Yeo Hwa-young walked through the garden with her eyes slightly lowered.

Whenever she was worrying about something, she would always go to the garden and spend time alone like this.

The door leading to the garden opened and someone approached her cautiously.

A man in his mid-forties wearing a suit was the steward in charge of the dealings of the Bamboo Sea Clan.

The steward approached Yeo Hwa-young carefully,

“Miss!”

“What is it, Uncle Yu?”

The steward’s name was Yu Jin-woong. Yeo Hwa-young called him Uncle Yu.

Yu Jin-woong was one of the few people she trusted and depended on.

Yu Jin-woong said cautiously,

“It failed. News about the death of all the Demon Chasing Team members under Baek Jin-gung came a while ago.”

“Really…? They were strong enough to fight against the Demon Chasing Team?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then why did they fail?”

“It happened so far away. I did not manage to find out why.”

“Try placing a request in the Hao clan.”

“I will.”

Yu Jin-woong replied with an apologetic expression.

The shadow on Yeo Hwa-young’s face deepened.

“Hoo! Things rarely go the way I want them to.”

“I thought that the Demon Chasing Team would be enough to complete the quest. I’m sorry, miss! It’s all my fault!”

“No. That’s what I thought too.”

“I’ll put a request somewhere else right now.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Miss?”

“Hoo! Maybe this is actually better. After I placed the commission, I didn’t feel comfortable at all.”

Yeo Hwa-young let out a sigh.

“However, if the sword is delivered to the sect leader of the Rain Mountain Manor, I’m sure they will support the Heavenly Silver Marketplace even more.”

Jang Pyeongsan, the sect leader of the Rain Mountain Manor, was a swordsman and a renowned collector of heroic swords.

He showed a strong obsession with collecting famous swords. He even has a separate warehouse to store the swords he had collected at the Rain Mountain Manor.

Jang Pyeongsan was particularly obsessed with swords that were made a long time ago. Sword with historical value. In particular, his obsession with swords used by martial artists who dominated an era was close to madness.

For this reason, the Gongbu that was passed on in Mok Gahye’s family, was the kind of sword that Jang Pyeongsan would be greedy for in many ways.

A sword made by the masters of the Warring States period.

It was easy to predict what Jang Pyeongsan would do to obtain Gongbu, which is one of the Three Great Swords along with Longyuan and Tai’e.

“We should invite a master who can keep Jang Pyeongsan in check.”

“Is there any warrior like that? If we want to keep him in check, we need a warrior comparable to the Eight Constellations.”

“Don’t worry. I happen to know someone. If I contact them, they will definitely be able to send their help.”

“Alright.”

“Keep a close eye on the Heavenly Silver Marketplace’s movements. I don’t know what other provocations they might make.”

“Yes, miss.”

Yu Jin-woong withdrew after answering.

Yeo Hwa-young, who was left alone, looked up at the sky.

“Hoo! The world is so peaceful, but how come it’s so hard on our sect. Is this really the end of our sect’s luck?

She was well aware that nothing lasts forever under the sky.

The Bamboo Sea Clan could not hold and enjoy their status forever.

However, Yeo Hwa-young had a wish that the legacy of Bamboo Sea Clan could continue even a little longer.

* * *

Pyo-wol stood on the deck and watched the passing scenery.

He, together with Wu Jang-rak and his party were on their way to Enshi by boat from Bishan.

Since they were riding a fairly large ship, the journey was bound to be slow. But it was very stable.

Thanks to this, people could rest comfortably. Still, they weren’t completely relieved.

Since they were transporting precious items, Wu Jang-rak’s subordinates took turns guarding the Buddhist sutras.

The mercenaries rested on the deck while keeping watch for anyone approaching. While there have never been any reports of bandits or pirates being active in the area, they could still not lower their guards.

Because of that Ko Il-pae stood at the deck and looked around.

But it was towards Pyo-wol where his nerves were really on guard.

‘It’s definitely him. It’s clear that he is the one who annihilated Jin-gung and the Demon Chasing Team.’

He had no evidence. But his heart was fully convinced that Pyo-wol was the culprit.

There was a subtle fear in his eyes.

‘If I become his enemy, I’ll have to live in fear for the rest of my life.’

Just imagining it gave him goosebumps all over his body. So, he deliberately turned away from

Pyo-wol. He didn’t want to look at him, else he would become even more conscious.

But the human heart does not work as intended.

Without realizing it, he kept glancing over at him again and again. Still, he tried his best to not make it obvious as much as possible.

That was then.

“Brother!”

Soma suddenly ran out of the cabin.

Soma had something in his hand.

“Try this. Sister made it.”

What he offered to Pyo-wol was beef jerky.

From the steam emanating from the beef jerky, it was clear that it had just been made.

Pyo-wol accepted the beef jerky without a word.

It was certainly different from cheap jerky available in the market. It was soft and light, so he thought he could eat it without chewing much.

Mok Gahye made jerky with a small brazier on the boat. An iron plate was laid on the floor to prevent the fire from spreading, and a small long door was opened to ventilate and make the beef jerky.

It was originally not allowed for a fire to be used on a ship, but the captain allowed her to make jerky.

This was because Wu Jang-rak bribed him with a lot of money.

Wu Jang-rak did not want to offend nor go against the young demon. Furthermore, he also thought that Soma was involved in the death of the Demon Chasing Team.

So even though he knew it was unreasonable, he acquiesce to their requests and made the trip as convenient as possible.

Soma obtained a generous amount of beef jerky, and in return, Mok Gahye and Shin Mugum were able to go by boat comfortably until Enshi.

It was a mutually beneficial transaction.

Of course, Soma didn’t think it was a deal.

Pyo-wol chewed the beef jerky that Soma had given him little by little.

“It’s delicious, right? Really delicious?”

“It’s definitely delicious.”

“I knew it! I won’t have to worry about snacks for a while since she will be making enough for me, hehe!”

Soma jumped and ran around on the deck.

At that moment, Mok Gahye and Shin Mugum came out on the deck.

Mok Gahye smiled unknowingly when she saw Soma running around the deck. She knew that he was a scary kid, but she strangely felt attracted to him. She didn’t even know that she had gotten used to Soma’s presence.

Mok Gahye and Shin Mugum cautiously approached Pyo-wol.

“Thank you for taking us on board.”

“Say your thanks to Soma. He was the one who insisted on giving you a ride.”

“Yes, I am especially grateful to Soma.”

“That’s fine then.”

Pyo-wol answered indifferently.

If it wasn’t for Soma, he would not have helped the two. Pyo-wol treated Soma and the children like family although they had only been together for a short while.

Soma’s request was not difficult, and it was clear that they would break up when they arrived at Enshi anyway, so he allowed the two to accompany them.

Shin Mugum stood guard beside Mok Gahye, while carrying Gongbu on his back.

Shin Mugum’s gaze did not move away from Mok Gahye even for a moment.

Even a fool could easily see what he was thinking.

Pyo-wol shook his head slightly.

He stopped thinking there.

He did not want to get involved any more than this.

He still has a long way to go before he could reach Tianzhongshan. He didn’t want to waste his time on useless things.

That was then.

“Brother!”

Soma suddenly called Pyo-wol in a loud voice.

Soma was sitting on Ko Il-pae’s neck while pointing his finger to the other side.

Pyo-wol followed where Soma’s finger was pointing, and he saw a small boat approaching them quickly.

“Everyone, be careful. Warriors are approaching.”

Ko Il-pae shouted loudly.

The men who were sitting comfortably on the deck got up quickly. Wu Jang-rak and his men who were in the cabin also rushed out.

It was a streamlined speedboat that was good for cutting the current. It is qualitatively different from the boats usually used by fishermen. If they spread out their sails and run with full power, they will catch up with their ship very quickly.

Moreover, all the people on board had fierce eyes. Each of them also had a weapon on their waists.

As a speedboat full of warriors approached, the party naturally became nervous.

“They’re not pirates, are they?”

Ko Il-pae murmured.

If they were really pirates, there would be a bloodbath.

But it will be them, who will spill blood, and not their own.

Because there is a monster aboard on their ship that they could not begin to imagine.

There were two of them, too.

Mok Gahye shouted,

“They are from the Heavenly Silver Marketplace!”

There was a triangular flag fluttering on the high-speed ship, with the name Heavenly Silver Marketplace written on it.

“I informed them through a carrier pigeon that I was on this ship. It’s clear that they are here to meet me.”

As if to prove her words, someone shouted from the speedboat that was approaching,

“We are from the Heavenly Silver Marketplace! We want to get on your boat, so lower down the ladder!”

At their imposing request, the captain lowered the ladder without a complaint.

They visited and stopped by in Enshi from time to time, so he was well aware of the great power the Heavenly Silver Marketplace had. If they dare to reject the Heavenly Silver Marketplace’s request, their ship might not be able to anchor again in Enshi.

As the ladder descended, the warriors on the speedboat climbed one after another on their ship.

One of them, who appeared to be the captain, looked around the people on the deck and said,

“I am Pung Nosan, the Heavenly Silver Marketplace party leader. I apologize for the trouble caused by jumping on your boat like this.We will provide enough compensation, so I ask for everyone’s understanding.”

Pung Nosan’s eyes were so fierce that it was impossible to see them as those of an apologetic person.

Most of the passengers did not dare to make eye contact and avoided his gaze.

Pung Nosan came straight up to Mok Gahye.

“Are you Lady Mok Gahye?”

“Yes!”

“I’m really glad to see you safe and sound. As soon as we received the news that you had been attacked, the sect leader immediately sent us to fetch Lady Mok.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry. We should have been more careful. You can rest easy now. We will escort you to the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.”

“Okay.”

“By the way, is the sword Gongbu okay? The sect leader is very concerned.”

“The sword is safely stored. Don’t worry.”

“I don’t mean to belittle Lady Mok, but wouldn’t it be better for you to hand over the sword to us so we can take it safely?”

“I can’t do that. Gongbu is my family heirloom. I want to be responsible for it until the end.”‘

At Mok Gahye’s firm refusal, Pung Nosan withdrew with a slightly regretful expression.

After fixing his expression, he asked,

“Did you receive some help?”

“Yes! I was able to get on this boat because of their consideration.”

Mok Gahye pointed to Wu Jang-rak.

Pung Nosan approached Wu Jang-rak and greeted him,

“Thank you for your help.”

“We haven’t done anything.”

“But, that’s not the case for us. So I want to repay the favor by inviting everyone to the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.”

SoundlessWind21’s Notes

Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy the chapter~

1. Iron Sword Fairy. Raws: 철검선자(織剣仙子).
   • 織 zhī, zhì – weave, knit; organize, unite
   • 剣 jiàn – sword, dagger, saber
   • 仙 xiān – Taoist super-being, transcendent, immortal
   • 子 zǐ, zi – offspring, child; fruit, seed of; 1st terrestrial branch