Reaper of the Drifting Moon 307 (MTL)

CHAPTER 307

"Tap tap!"

Respected Master of the Haeryong Guild, Jangha, repeatedly tapped the table with his fingers.

It was his habit when he had something on his mind.

After meeting with Lee Seong-hak, who returned from a trip the day before, his worries deepened.

The things and information that Lee Seong-hak showed him had put him in a state of distress.

No matter how much he thought, the answer didn't come easily.

"Ha!"

It was when he let out a sigh.

"May I come in for a moment?" said Ugun Chang, the chief inspector.

"Please come in."

When permission was granted by Jang Haemun, Ugun Chang came inside. Ugun Chang, who was in his early fifties, was responsible for the affairs of Haryongbang.

Ugun Chang played a significant role in helping Haryongbang to achieve its current status. Because of this, Jang Hamun also respected Ugun Chang.

Jang Haemun said to Ugun Chang, "Please have a seat."

"How can I sit in the same seat as you, my lord?"

"No one else is here. It's okay, please have a seat."

"Okay then..."

Ugun Chang stopped hesitating and sat opposite Jang Hamun.

"Okay, what's the matter?"

"There is a strange rumor going around the streets right now."

"What kind of rumor is it?"

"There's information that Red Banner Group was beaten by an old man."

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"It doesn't seem like something that can be dismissed as a baseless rumor. There are quite a few eyewitnesses. They say Red Banner Group leader, Yu Il-seok, even kneeled down after only a few seconds of fighting with the old man."

"Is it true then?"

Jang Haemun looked incredulous.

Haryongbang was the one who knew Red Banner's strength in detail more than anyone else. Although it was not on the same level as Haryongbang, Red Banner Group was a force to be reckoned with, and if one were careless, they could suffer a significant blow.

Especially Red Banner's leader, Yu Il-seok, was so strong that Jang Haemun himself could not dare to underestimate him. If he couldn't last a few seconds, it was clear that he was an incredibly skilled fighter.

"Why would such a skilled fighter..."

Jang Hamun frowned.

It was because an unpleasant thought came to mind.

He tried to clear his mind and asked Ugun Chang, "What is the old man's identity?"

"We are in the process of figuring it out. However, his yellow hair and beard make us think he may be from the western regions."

"The western regions?"

"Yes! It seems that he was on one of the ships that arrived yesterday. We are questioning the captains, so we should be able to find out exactly where he came from."

"Find out as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

Ugun Chang bowed deeply as he answered.

It was clear that the old man had enough power to single-handedly destroy the Red Banner Association, so Jang Haemun could not afford to underestimate him.

They needed to find out why such a powerful individual had come to Haemun.

There were not just one or two forces targeting Haemun.

Many factions were greedy for the enormous amount of wealth that passed through this place on a daily basis.

That was why the Haeryongbang always had to be sensitive to external threats.

If the old man was trying to challenge the Haeryongbang's authority and take over Haemun, they needed to prepare for it.

"Since the atmosphere is tense, put us on high alert for now. We need to be able to move at any moment."

"Yes, sir."

"And just in case, be prepared to invite outside experts."

"We might be inviting a tiger to avoid a wolf."

"I know! That's why I'm just saying to be prepared. We don't know what might happen."

"Understood. I will gather information for now."

"Okay!"

Jang Haemun approached the window and opened it wide. The view of the harbor came into view.

Trading ships were still coming in and out of the harbor.

Every time a trading ship came in, the Haeryongbang made a huge profit. Jang Haemun had no intention of giving up such a large benefit.

"This place is mine. No one can take this land away from me."

Pyowol walked along the streets of Haemun.

Haemun was an enormous city with very complex streets, and one could easily get lost without a guide. As a result, many people who were new to the city often wandered into the back alleys and got lost.

Of course, coming out unscathed from those alleys was extremely rare. They had to experience firsthand how cruel human nature could be and how brutal life could be for the underprivileged. If they were lucky enough to survive, it was considered fortunate.

Despite the danger, Pyowol walked around the streets fearlessly.

There were also many people who approached Pyowol as she walked alone.

Some were attracted to Pyowol's beautiful face, while others approached her to steal her belongings. However, no one had ever dared to touch Pyowol's body.

"Ah!"

Even now, someone who had approached Pyowol lay moaning at her feet.

Although there were no visible injuries, the man's complexion was pale, and he was frothing at the mouth.

He was the twenty-third man who had tried to attack Pyowol.

Pyowol used a technique she had recently learned on the man, and the result was this.

The man was suffering like he was in hell.

It would have been better if he had just passed out, but the more he suffered, the clearer his mind became.

Pyowol simply walked past him without even glancing at him.

As time passes, the tricks he displayed will naturally unravel. Of course, until then, he will have to endure hellish suffering.

Pyowol memorized all the terrain around him.

Whenever he went to a new place, Pyowol had a habit of first understanding the topography.

He distinguished advantageous and disadvantageous areas for himself by recognizing the terrain and prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Although he became more relaxed than before, this habit did not change at all.

After memorizing all the terrain of Haemun, Pyowol returned to the guesthouse.

"Did you come back?"

As soon as he entered the guesthouse, Tarha was the first to greet him. Yura-yeon, who was next to him, also smiled and greeted him.

"You've come back. I thought you left because I haven't seen you all day."

"I just wandered around here and there."

"Did you go sightseeing?"

"You could say that."

Since it's my first time here, there was a lot to recognize. Thanks to that, I was busy traveling with my granddaughter,' Tarha replied with a smile. Yura-yeon put her hand on her chin and said, 'There are many fascinating things in Jungwon. There are many pretty people, and it was pleasant to the eye.' 'Right! Jungwon is certainly different from Seoyeok,' Tarha said. 'What's Seoyeok like?' Pyo-wol asked, and Tarha scratched his head with his finger for a moment. 'Hmm! It's definitely different. It's much better decorated. Everything is, such as people, buildings, and the environment,' Tarha said. 'Is that so?' Pyo-wol asked. 'It's because they went through a long civil war. They should have ended the war a little earlier, but it was prolonged for some reason. Because of that, many things became desolate,' Tarha said. 'That's unfortunate.

"It's tragic. Many people in Seoyeok are suffering because of it, but this place seems very peaceful."

"It doesn't look any different from other places."

"Is that so?"

Tarha stared blankly, surprised by Pyowol's answer.

"It's only peaceful on the surface."

"Even if it's a disguised peace, it's still good. If Seoyeok had been this peaceful, I wouldn't have come all the way here."

Tarha smiled bitterly.

After a moment of thought, Pyowol asked, "When did the civil war start in Seoyeok?"

"It's been over a few decades. In fact, civil wars are very common in Seoyeok. With so many tribes and kingdoms divided, conflicts arise almost every day. There are also frequent territorial fights. But this is the first time in history that the civil war has lasted this long without being resolved."

"But why did you come all the way here? If the civil war is so serious, shouldn't it be resolved from your side?"

"Because the root cause is elsewhere."

"Grandfather!"

At that moment, Yura-yeon's voice woke Tarha up from his thoughts. He then realized his mistake and tried to compose himself.

"Forget what I just said."

"...."

"As I get older, I tend to get lost in my thoughts. Maybe that's why people say you should die when you get old."

Tarha took a sip of his drink.

Yura-yeon smoothly changed the subject.

"Is there any sightseeing spot you can recommend?"

"Not really..."

"Is that so? That's too bad."

"Oh my! I envy you."

Yura-yeon chuckled.

Her mesmerizing blue eyes looked even more captivating.

As Pyowol sat in front of them, he asked, "You haven't been seen since morning either. Were you busy?"

"I don't have a place to recommend, so it's a shame."

"Well, there's nothing we can do."

Yura-yeon didn't look disappointed at all.

She gazed at Pyowol intently.

There were plenty of handsome men in Seoyeok, but none of them exuded the same elegant atmosphere as Pyowol.

Originally, Yura-yeon disliked men who were too outwardly feminine. In her opinion, men should have broad shoulders and be dependable.

In reality, the men she commonly saw around her were like that.

If nothing unexpected happened, Yura-yeon would marry one of those men. The laws of the Mara sect were extremely strict and didn't allow marriage with outsiders.

The only exception was her father.

Yura-yeon's mother fell in love with an outsider from Jungwon and gave birth to her, but had to pay a heavy price.

After that, marrying an outsider became an impossible dream. It was even more impossible for Yura-yeon, who was of mixed blood from birth, to marry someone outside the Mara sect.

If Yura-yeon were to marry someone outside the Mara sect, both she and her grandmother Tarha would suffer greatly.

That's why Yura-yeon never even considered marrying someone outside the Mara sect. However, Pyowol's elegant appearance was so impressive that it even shook her unwavering determination.

Yura-yeon was sincerely curious about Pyowol's true identity.

It was impossible for someone with such a unique appearance, atmosphere, and gaze to be an ordinary person.

She had only recently arrived in Jungwon, so she was in the dark about the situation here.

She tried to extract the information she wanted from Jeok-geonhoeju Yulisuk, but her knowledge was still lacking.

That's why she couldn't easily deduce Pyowol's true identity even after seeing his face.

Pyowol gazed absentmindedly out the window, seemingly unaware of what was on Yura-yeon's mind.

There was a brief moment of silence at the table where they sat.

Tarha drank her alcohol, Pyowol looked outside, and Yura-yeon stared at Pyowol, creating a strange atmosphere.

Pyowol was the one who broke the silence.

"You should go in first."

He stood up and headed towards the detached building, ignoring the stares of Tarha and Yuryeon behind him.

As they disappeared from view, Jinsol quickly followed by Pyowol's side, as if becoming his shadow.

Pyowol bowed his waist, making it seem as if he was the lord of the room, and opened his mouth.

"I received a message from my brother."

"Already?"

"If he does something again, I want to be sure. It seems like he was watching over the children as they were being returned."

"So?"

"The two of them came here to find someone. The unmanned members of the council are now scattered, looking for clues about him."

"But they don't know who he is?"

"It's only been a day. We'll know soon enough if we give it a few more days."

"Tell them to hurry."

"Yes!"

After Pyowol's words, Geomyeon bowed his head and replied. Then, as if he had remembered something, he spoke again.

"Oh, and this is a separate matter, but I heard that Haryongbang is very busy right now."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know the details. But I heard that security has become even more strict after the merchant ship arrived."

"Oh?"

Pyowol's gaze turned towards Haryongbang.

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