Reaper of the Drifting Moon

That day, Namgung Wol and Seongam fought for more than two hundred seconds.

One was the third son of the lord of the Heavenly Guardian Association1, while the other was a promising member of the Shaolin Temple.

Both were well-known as geniuses since they were young.

Although the Shaolin may have a long history, the Heavenly Guardian Association was also a prestigious family with formidable traditions.

The Heavenly Guardian Association’s origin was from the Five Great Sects, which was on par with the Shaolin. Among them, Namgung Wol was a descendant of the Namgung family.

Namgung Wol has mastered as many as seven forms of the Imperial Sword,2 the best swordsmanship technique of the Namgung family. His sword skills were also both sharp and powerful, and he possessed the dignity of a king.

His martial arts did not lag behind Seongam.

On the contrary, his skills even surpassed Seongam in terms of sharpness.

The two fought fiercely.

They fought for over three hundred seconds, displaying all the techniques they had mastered.

The result was a split decision.

Both men were badly wounded.

If Monk Un-hae and Jin Siwoo hadn’t intervened and pulled them apart in time, one of them would surely have died.

The series of events shocked Seongam greatly.

He had inwardly looked down at the Heavenly Guardian Association.

All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin.3 This saying caused Seongam to believe that all martial arts in the world were derived from Shaolin.

This also led him to think that the martial arts of the Shaolin Temple far surpassed that of the Heavenly Guardian Association. However, his arrogance was shattered by Namgung Wol.

For the first time in his life, Seongam doubted his own martial arts.

Monk Un-hae apologized to Jin Siwoo.

“Amitabha! I apologize for the disturbance and confusion, Young Master Jin. I will pay for this later. Don’t worry. We will leave once Seongam is better, but until then, I’m indebted to the Jin family.”

“Okay.”

Jin Siwoo readily agreed.

He felt relieved that the matter was settled. But it’s too early to be completely relieved.

The fight against the Snow Sword Manor was still ongoing.

Even as Seongam and Namgung Wol were having an emotional fight, the warriors of the Snow Sword Manor and Jin family clashed in Runan.

“We’ve got a chance to win. We just need to increase the number of our troops to put an end to it.”

A martial artist from the Jin family hastily reported.

After severing its ties with the Golden Mountain Manor, the Snow Sword Manor had faltered dramatically.

Unlike a few days ago where many warriors had joined the Snow Sword Manor, the opposite happened. Many warriors had already deserted them.

After thinking about it for a while, Jin Siwoo gave out an order,

“Send the Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth and Master of the Changing Peak Pavillion there to make sure it’s done.”

“Understood.”

The Jin family warrior replied and ran off.

Jin Siwoo sighed inwardly.

The two people he had mentioned were masters recognized in Jianghu.

Besides possessing great strength, the two of them were also very selfless, always acting according to Jin Siwoo’s intentions.

As long as they made their move, this local war would end in the favor of the Jin family.

“That’s good for now…”

But the crisis is not over yet.

They still have to deal with the assassins who caused havoc within the Jin family.

It’ll be good if their killing spree ends once and for all, but if they continue to kill, then it will only accelerate the division within the Jin family.

So before that happens, they need to hunt down and eliminate those assassins.

“I wonder what would happen if brother Pyo was here?”

He was disappointed with Pyo-wol’s absence.

Especially more so since he had heard from Jin Geum-woo what Pyo-wol was capable of.

“I’ll have to contact the Hao clan. They might know the identity of those assassins.”

Jin Siwoo sighed.

He didn’t like being associated with the Hao clan.

Working with them would mean giving them all the Jin family’s inside information. But he knew he didn’t have a choice right now.

Picking up a sword and fighting would be a hundred times better.

He can just wield and swing a sword without thinking about anything. However, leading a group had to consume an enormous amount of mental strength.

It truly felt like his brain was melting.

“Phew!”

Jin Siwoo’s deep sigh once again echoed in the Jin family.

* * *

The Master of the Changing Peak Pavilion, Lee Heesu, sprinted through the air.

At his side was the Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth, in line with his stride.

The two of them had never met each other before joining the Jin family. However, since they joined around the same time, and had worked together on several operations, the two had gotten to know each other quite well.

They knew each other’s skills and learned to trust each other.

Them having to do missions like this together naturally put their minds at ease. This was because they knew they had each other’s backs.

“There.”

The Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth raised his hand and pointed to the riverside.

The dock by the river, to be exact.

The dock was originally managed by the Jin family.

Since all the goods coming into the Jin family passed through this place, it’s a place that must be protected at all costs.

The Snow Sword Manor also aimed for this place for the exact same reason.

If they can manage to secure the dock, then they would be able to block almost all of the goods that go into the Jin family, and once they do, they can seize the victory.

For that reason, the Snow Sword Manor sent troops consecutively to take control of the dock. The Jin family, naturally also deployed their own elites to prevent the dock from being taken away, by blocking their advances with all their might.

With so many people dying frequently on the dock, the name of the river was changed to Bloody River.4

The fight for control over the dock continues even up to today.

About a hundred or so warriors were clashing all over the dock.

The warriors instinctively recognized who possessed strength equal to their own. They would push past those weaker than them and clash with those of similar strength to them.

This only made the fight become more intense, increasing the damage incurred.

By the time the Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth and Master of the Changing Peak Pavilion arrived at the dock, the battle had already been won by the Jin family.

The bodies of the Snow Sword Manor warriors were floating on the riverside, staining the ground red with blood.

“Amitabha!”

“Let’s go.”

The two jumped straight into the battlefield.

Both the Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth and Lee Heesu were masters.

The Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth performed the Shadow Buddha’s Clear Sky Hand,5 a Buddhist teaching, while Lee Heesu performed the martial arts of the Changing Peak Pavilion, the Peafowl Power Spirit Sword.6

Clang!

Swoosh!

The sound of thunder and waves rang out at the same time.

“ACK!”

“Keuk!”

The warriors of the Snow Sword Manor that had been struck by the two men’s martial arts, collapsed in unison.

Although it was only two people, their power was as great as all of the Jin family’s warriors combined.

“Reinforcements have arrived!”

“The Venerable Master and Master of Changing Peak have come to help! Push them a little more!”

With the Jin family warriors’ boosted morale, they drove the Snow Sword Manor warriors like a raging wave.

“Kueugh! Retreat!”

“Let’s back off–!”

Eventually, the order to retreat was given.

After seeing the warriors of the Snow Sword Manor fleeing, the Jin family warriors set out to pursue them.

“No! Don’t!”

“Stop!”

The Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth and Lee Heesu tried to stop them, but to no avail.

Blinded by anger, the warriors of the Jin family rushed out without hesitation, cutting down the warriors of the Snow Sword Manor in the process.

“Hoo…”

“It can’t be helped.”

The two men sighed.

But they couldn’t just let the Jin family warriors chase after the Snow Sword Manor warriors, so in the end, they had no choice but to join the chase to protect the Jin family warriors.

The chase and pursuit continued for a while.

Lee Heesu was the first to notice the strange atmosphere.

He noticed that the fleeing warriors of the Snow Sword Manor kept glancing back at them.

Those who were running for their lives do not usually look back. This is because doing so would just waste time. With them looking back right now meant that they were waiting for something.

“Everyone be careful…”

By the time he warned them,

Cwaeac!

“Keuk!”

An arrow flew out of nowhere and got stuck to a Jin family warrior’s forehead.

“It’s an ambush–!”

“They’re hiding and firing arrows! Find cover and hide!”

Lee Heesu and the Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth shouted at the same time.

“Euack!”

“Keuhyuk!”

But their warnings fell on deaf ears, causing several martial artists to be killed by another batch of arrows.

Clip-clop!

Then came the harsh sound of horses hooves.

The sound could not have just come from one or two horses. At least dozens or hundreds of horses were galloping at the same time.

“They even mobilized mounted warriors?!”

Lee Heesu’s eyes widened.

Cavalrymen did not exist in most sects.

It was not difficult for a martial artist to learn and master riding a horse. The problem is that horses are sensitive animals, making them difficult to manage.

Furthermore, the cost of maintaining a single horse for a year was more or less the same cost of feeding a family of four.

With such a high cost, most sects could not afford to train cavalrymen.

The same was true for the Snow Sword Manor.

The Jin family knew that there was someone in the Snow Sword Manor who possessed and trained a cavalry. However, they neglected to come up with countermeasures since there were other more urgent matters.

That was their mistake.

“Charge–!”

“Attack!”

Like black clouds, the mounted warriors gathered together and charged into the midst of the Jin family troops.

“Keuk!”

“Help!”

The giant horses were weapons in itself.

Those warriors who collided with the massive body of the horse were sent flying into the distance, while those who were trampled by the horse’s hooves let out screams as they were horribly crushed to death.

“Show them the might of the Black Cloud Corps!”

The man who shouted was none other than the leader of the Black Cloud Corps, Jang Muryang.

The Snow Sword Manor warriors have lured the Jin family warriors to an open field.

Only in an open land like this could the Black Cloud Corps exert its best power.

They rode their horses wildly.

Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

The galloping of more than a hundred horses was simply spectacular. But for the Jin family who had to deal with them, it was a disaster.

“W, What should we do?”

“Everyone, run away!”

The warriors of the Jin family tried to escape.

But no matter how fast their feet ran, they could not outrun a galloping horse.

“Amitabha!”

“Damn it!”

The Venerable Master and Lee Heesu exchanged glances.

They immediately understood each other’s thoughts.

Given the current situation, they were the only ones who could put a stop to the Black Cloud Corps’s assault.

“Maybe today will be our last day together, Amitabha!”

“Haha! That’s true! But I think we’ll still go out with a bang. As a warrior, what death could be more heroic than this?”

“Amitabha Buddha! I hope to continue my friendship with you even in the other world.”

“At that time, let’s enjoy ourselves and drink.”

“I’m sure even Buddha would tolerate that much.”

The two looked at each other and grinned.

They drew up all of their qi and tried to stop the galloping of the Black Cloud Corps.

“Stop!”

“Ha!”

With all their might, they unleashed the Shadow Buddha’s Clear Sky Hand and Peafowl Power Spirit Sword.

Clang!

As if the sky was falling, a formidable amount of energy swept over the Black Cloud Corps.

“No, you won’t–!”

Jang Muryang sprinted and led with his spear.

Hundreds of horsemen followed behind him.

They clashed against the two men.

Kwaaang!

A huge explosion and wave of qi swept across the battlefield.

Not even a scream was heard.

After the dust cleared, there was no other way of describing the scenery but to say it was terrifying.

About thirty warriors laid scattered on the ground.

In a single clash, as many as thirty Black Cloud Corps members lost their lives.

“Hic!”

Jang Muryang stared at the bodies of the Venerable Master of Heaven and Earth and Master of Changing Peak Pavilion, with bloodshot eyes.

The bodies of the two people had been trampled on by the horse’s hooves, crushing them beyond recognition.

Even if the two of them were said to be extremely skilled, in the end, they were unable to preserve their lives. They, after all, were against more than a hundred members of the Black Cloud Corps.

Still, they died smiling happily.

It was because the two of them managed to make as many as thirty members of the Black Cloud Corps as their companions.

“Damn it!”

Jang Muryang’s face contorted as he realized the damage was far greater than he had anticipated.

SoundlessWind21’s Notes

I miss Pyo-wol already… Anyway, thank you for reading!

Heavenly Guardian Association. Raws: 수천회(守天會). Previously translated as Tiancang Defense. 守 shǒu, shòu – defend, protect, guard, conserve 天 tiān – sky, heaven; god, celestial 會 huì, kuài, guì – to assemble, meet together; a meeting; an organization Imperial Sword. Raws: 제왕검형(帝王剣形). 帝 dì – supreme ruler, emperor; god 王 wáng, wàng, yù – king, ruler; royal; surname 剣 jiàn – sword, dagger, saber 形 xíng – form, shape, appearance All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin. Raws: 천하공부(天下工夫) 출소림(出少林). This is one of the popular sayings in Chinese folklore. Bloody River. 혈수(血水). 血 xiě, xuè – blood; radical number 143 水 shuǐ – water, liquid, lotion, juice The Shadow Buddha’s Clear Sky Hand. Raws: Bulgwangcheonsoo, 불영광천수(佛影光天手). 佛 fó, fú – Buddha; of Buddhism; merciful person; Buddhist image; the dead (Jap.) 影 yǐng – shadow; image, reflection; photograph 光 guāng – light, brilliant, shine; only 天 tiān – sky, heaven; god, celestial 手 shǒu – hand Peafowl Power Spirit Sword. Raws: 공작세혼검(孔雀势魂剑). 孔 kǒng – opening, hole, orifice; great 雀 què, qiāo, qiǎo – sparrow 势 shì – power, force; tendency 魂 hún – soul, spirit 剑 jiàn – sword, dagger, saber