Reaper of the Drifting Moon - Chapter 173

“Huff! Huff!”

Mok Gahye panted.

If Shin Mugum had not held her hand, she would have given up on running away.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I can still hold on.”

Mok Gahye tried to make her expression as calm and casual as possible. But she could not deceive the Shin Mugum.

“Let’s rest a little.”

“We don’t have time for that. They probably knew I was gone by now, and formed a tracking team.”

“I suppose so.”

“The longer we rest, the easier it will be for them to find the traces we left. So, we can’t rest. Even if I fall.”

“You better get on my back.”

“I can still move.”

“Gahye!”

“I don’t want to burden my brother already.”

“Okay. But if you’re having a hard time, you must tell me.”

“Okay.”

Mok Gahye nodded hard.

Shin Mugum looked at Mok Gahye with a sad expression.

After entering the Heavenly Silver Marketplace, Mok Gahye did not stop contemplating and sighing at her situation.

In order to save her fallen family, she chose the path of becoming Hwa Yu-cheon’s concubine. She came to Heavenly Silver Marketplace after going through all sorts of hardships, but Hwa Yu-cheon never came to see her.

It was then that she realized.

What Hwa Yu-cheon really wanted was Gongbu, and not her. She is merely an added bonus.

She thought it wouldn’t matter if she sacrificed herself for the sake of her family. She believed that many people would be happy if she could put up with it.

But the moment she entered the Heavenly Silver Marketplace, all her confidence was shaken.

There was no one here who truly cared for herself.

What shook her determination more than anything else was her conversation with Pyo-wol.

When Pyo-wol asked about the relationship between Heavenly Silver Marketplace and Bamboo Sea Clan, she came to the same realization. That the person who ordered the Demon Chasing Team to go after them was someone from the Bamboo Sea Clan.

The Bamboo Sea Clan was the only group that could damage the Heavenly Silver Marketplace by stealing the sword, Gongbu.

Neither the Heavenly Silver Marketplace nor Bamboo Sea Clan were interested in her safety.

The only person who could make Mok Gahye happy was herself.

All they wanted was the ancient sword, Gongbu. They don’t care what happens to her life as long as they can get their hands on Gongbu.

Her faith in Hwa Yu-cheon has completely disappeared.

She couldn’t keep her promise to help her family.

She wondered if her choice was the best one.

While Pyo-wol was outside, she thought and thought again.

When her troubles were at their peak, she went out for a while to get some fresh air. What she saw at that time was the back of Shin Mugum who was crying alone.

He came all the way here to escort the woman he loved to another man’s arms. This is the way to repay the kindness to the Mok Gahye family who raised him, so he tried his best to escort her.

With the help of Pyo-wol, she entered Heavenly Silver Marketplace safely, but now she had to become another man’s woman.

He comforted himself that it was okay to watch her achieve her happiness from the sidelines, but his heart was breaking.

So whenever he wasn’t with Mok Gahye, he would cry. He would try to hold his tears back, but the tears didn’t stop falling.

The moment she saw Shin Mugum crying, Mok Gahye burst into tears.

Only then did she realize how much Shin Mugum loved her. The two hugged each other and cried profusely.

After the two of them stopped crying, she decided.

She would escape from her harsh fate.

Mok Gahye persuaded Shin Mugum, and in the end, Shin Mugum agreed.

He didn’t bring Mok Gahye here because he liked it. He only did it because he thought that bringing Mok Gahye to Heavenly Silver Marketplace was the right way for her happiness.

But he realized his thinking was wrong while staying at the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.

The only person who could make Mok Gahye happy was him.

He was the only one who truly loved her.

As long as they confirmed each other’s feelings, they had no reason to be at Heavenly Silver Marketplace.

But there were many things to consider.

Hwa Yu-cheon will never let her go. Gongbu aside, it is clear that his self-esteem will be hurt.

When it is known that a woman who was certain to become his concubine has run away, he will no longer be able to walk around with his head up in Jianghu.

For warriors, pride is sometimes more valuable than life. More so for a head of a large force like Hwa Yu-cheon.

It wasn’t just the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.

The Bamboo Sea Clan will also go after them.

Mok Gahye was not an idiot. She actually had intelligence that was superior to the average person. Now that she knew the truth, she could predict what would happen without difficulty.

If they knew that Mok Gahye had escaped from Heavenly Silver Marketplace, the Bamboo Sea Clan would also send a tracking team. This is because, if they can take Gongbu, they can prevent the intervention of the Rain Mountain Manor in advance.

At this point, the Heavenly Silver Marketplace must have already organized a tracking team, while the news that she had escaped reached the Bamboo Sea Clan. If so, they will also send a tracking team.

She wasn’t sure if the two of them would be able to shake off the pursuit of the two forces.

Still, she did not hesitate any longer.

Mok Gahye stretched out her hand. Shin Mugum intertwined his hand with hers.

She felt his warmth. She was prepared to pay any price if she could continue to feel Shin Mugum’s warmth.

Shin Mugum moved while holding Mok Gahye’s hand.

It was by no means easy to navigate through the thick bushes at night without a single light.

Branches and thorns scratched and wounded his body. Still, he did not stop walking.

He squeezed the hand that held Mok Gahye.

‘I will never let go of this hand.’

The escape of Mok Gahye and Shin Mugum disturbed the mood of the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.

Many Heavenly Silver Marketplace warriors were mobilized to catch the two of them. It was not an atmosphere that could accommodate and take care of the people who came from Snow Cloud Villa.

So Wu Jang-rak decided that it was meaningless to stay at the Heavenly Silver Marketplace any longer. He told Mae Bulgun, the steward, that he would stop by again later on his return to Chengdu.

Mae Bulgun expressed his regret, but he could not dissuade him. Because it was not polite to invite guests and not serve them accordingly.

“Please stop by our sect when you return to Chengdu. I will do my best to treat you then.”

“I will definitely do that.”

Wu Jang-rak was only let go by Mae Bulgun after making several promises. A tired look was evident on his face when he returned to the empty guest hall.

But he soon cheered up and said,

“Now, let’s depart.”

“Let’s go, everyone! Double check your things, and stay alert!”

Ko Il-pae ordered the mercenaries to be careful before setting off.

Pyo-wol and Soma also slowly followed behind them.

Soma looked at Pyo-wol and said,

“I hope sister doesn’t get caught.”

Although they had only been together for a few days, he had become a little attached. Above all, Mok Gahye was the one who made his favorite snack, which was beef jerky.

It was Soma’s small wish for her to escape safely so he can eat her beef jerky again next time.

Pyo-wol did not say anything about Mok Gahye.

It was her decision to come to the Heavenly Silver Marketplace, and it was her will to escape. There was no reason for Pyo-wol to meddle in her deciding the direction of her life by her own will.

He doesn’t know what made her change her mind, but it must have been a difficult decision, so he wanted her to achieve her goal.

Pyo-wol, who was passing through the Heavenly Silver Marketplace with Wu Jang-rak and his party, suddenly turned his head and looked in a certain direction.

He felt a stinging gaze.

A young man stood in the direction where he felt someone’s eyes at him.

It was the man he saw at the banquet last night.

‘Lim Tae-moon.’

He was staring at Pyo-wol with a straight face. He had felt humiliated by Pyo-wol last night which was why he was deliberately staring at him like this.

It was to let Pyo-wol know that he would remember him clearly.

Soma whispered to Pyo-wol,

“Should I kill him?”

“When we meet him again.”

“Really?”

Soma’s eyes widened.

He just asked out of the blue, so he didn’t expect Pyo-wol’s answer.

He had seen a lot of people so far, but it’s the first time he had seen such a self-centered person like Lim Tae-moon.

He was being conscious and angry all alone by himself. He was the kind of person who could just get stabbed and killed somewhere.

So far, he is lucky enough to survive, but if he continues to live like that, one day he will be found as a cold corpse in a back alley.

‘It’s worth knowing the level of Hwa Ok-gi.’

Anyone can tell the level of a person by looking at the people around them.

Having a friend like Lim Tae-moon meant that Hwa Ok-gi was not that great. In fact, if he had been sane, he would not have abandoned Hwangbo Chiseung in the first place.

Pyo-wol thought that Heavenly Silver Marketplace’s power wouldn’t last long. Because a person like Hwa Ok-gi was the successor of the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.

Wu Jang-rak came up to Pyo-wol and said,

“We will use the land route to get to Henan province from now on. Except for crossing the Yangtze River by riding a boat in the middle, we will be riding a horse all the way, so it may be a little tiring.”

“Okay.”

Pyo-wol nodded.

Wu Jang-rak was a good guide.

Not only did he provide directions, but he also explained the surrounding circumstances and geography. This is because he knows that Pyo-wol lacks knowledge outside of Sichuan Province. That is why Pyo-wol asked for Wu Jang-rak’s company.

Pyo-wol listened to everything Wu Jang-rak had told him.

A long time ago, before being kidnapped by the Blood Shadow Group, he had the experience of traveling in the Jianghu, but the memories of that time were nothing more than old knowledge.

On the other hand, what Wu Jang-rak taught him was up to date information that he could use now. Wu Jang-rak’s knowledge together with his experiences helped Pyo-wol understand the current situation of Jianghu.

“At the northern edge of Hubei Province, where we are now, there is a traditional sect, the Wudang sect. Although their sect experienced a period of stagnation and isolation, when they opened their gates and made a big contribution during the War of the Demons and Heavens, they got to enjoy prosperity again.”

The Wudang Sect, who came back into the world after the War of the Demons and Heavens, were at their best.

The warriors, who devoted themselves in training during their isolation, became a strong support for the Wudang sect as the years passed. They also did not forget the disgrace of their predecessors, so they pushed for the nurturing of the next generation.

As a result, they were able to successfully create numerous talents that will lead the Wudang sect in the future.

“The prominent members of the first generation disciples are Wugong and Wugum. Those two have excellent martial arts enough to go down in the history of the Wudang sect. Wugum was particularly well versed with Wudang’s swordsmanship and is being talked about as the best swordsman. Among the great disciples, his vocation clearly reveals his lugak, and he is already called Wudang’s Number One.”

It wasn’t just them.

The second generation disciples of the current Wudang sect, such as Sohan, Soyeol, and Sogeom, were all outstanding members.

“They have been prominent for the past ten years, and they have also achieved outstanding results in the Sect Exchange1 with the disciples of other sects.

Because of this, people were arguing that Wudang might be able to surpass Two Factions of the world, Gwangmumun and Cheon Mujang, within a few decades.

Wu Jang-rak knew more about the Wudang sect.

Taiyuan Merchant Group, whose owner was Yu Gi-cheon, donated large sums to the Wudang sect to be able to maintain a close relationship. Because of that, Wu Jang-rak had no choice but to pay more attention to them.

This is the reason why Wu Jang-rak has deep knowledge about the Wudang sect.

Pyo-wol suddenly asked,

“Isn’t the Heavenly Silver Marketplace also in Hubei?”

“That’s right. Enshi is in Hubei Province.”

“Both sects are in the Hubei province, so is the Wudang sect not interested in Enshi?”

“They’re too far away to be interested. Even though they’re both in Hubei, the distance between the two is more than a thousand li. In fact, it’s okay to say that they are completely different regions. Besides, Enshi is a small city. There is no reason for the Wudang sect to be interested.”

“I see.”

Pyo-wol nodded.

A huge amount of money was needed to maintain a large sect such as the Wudang sect. Because of this, Jianghu’s big-name sects reach out to various businesses and stakeholders.

Even the Shaolin Temple, which is said to be the cleanest among them, owns a large field. They were reaping huge profits from sharecropping besides from the donations being sent by their disciples every year.

The same was true of the Wudang sect.

Although Hubei Province was the Wudang sect’s territory, it could not control all of the areas. So they only concentrate and manage areas where their profits are guaranteed.

A small city like Enshi is not the object of their interest.

Pyo-wol somehow grasped how the main sects were rolling.

In a nutshell, they mainly manage areas where there is a lot of money.

Areas where there is no great wealth coming in were not their concern. For that reason, the Heavenly Silver Marketplace managed to avoid the Wudang sect’s eyes and receive support from the Rain Mountain Villa.

People often think of Jianghu as being very romantic or lofty, but if they look into it, it is not much different from the power struggles of local government officials.

When Pyo-wol was learning about Jianghu and the Wudang sect,

Suddenly, Ko Il-pae, who was in the lead, shouted loudly.

“Check this out!”

Pyo-wol and Wu Jang-rak drove their horses to the place where Ko Il-pae was.

“Hng!”

Woo Jang-rak let out a groan without knowing it.

Dead bodies were scattered all over the place.

“They are warriors of the Heavenly Silver Marketplace.”