Reaper of the Drifting Moon - Chapter 261

Lee Gusam was a warrior who used a spear as his primary weapon.

Spears might be inconvenient to carry around, but there was no other weapon that could match them in terms of versatility and utility.

There is a saying that it takes one hundred days to master a spear, one thousand days to master a single-edge sword and ten thousand days to master a double-edge sword.1

It meant that one hundred days would be enough to learn the spear, while it would take a thousand days to use a single-edge sword like it’s a part of the person’s body.

Since a double-edge sword takes ten thousand days of study to perfect it, it is often said to be the King of Weapons.2

This consequently made people tend to highly value martial arts in the order of double-edge sword, single-edge sword, and spear.

But that wasn’t true.

A person can learn how to wield the spear to some extent in a hundred days. However, to perfect one’s spear techniques, one would have to train and study it for ten thousand days.

A completed spear technique surpasses the power of a single-edge sword or double-edge sword of the same level.

Because the power of the weapon itself is superior.

It is much longer than a single or double-edge sword, and its versatility is also infinite.

After being taught by his master, Lee Gusam wandered around Jianghu to perfect his spear technique.

One of the things he realized while learning spearmanship was that there are limits that cannot be crossed by training alone.

Practice was essential to breaking through the barriers that were holding him back.

For that reason, Lee Gusam sought out battlefields where he could wield his spear to his heart’s content.

However, the current Jianghu was very peaceful, and there were no battlefields where he could wield his spear to the fullest.

Lee Gusam lamented that he was born in the wrong era.

It was then.

News reached his ears about the battle between the Jin family and the Snow Sword Manor.

Without hesitation, Lee Gusan headed straight for the city of Runan.

He thought long and hard on which side to stand on, whether it’s the Snow Sword Manor or Jin family, but in the end, he chose the Jin family.

Although the cause of Snow Sword Manor was not bad, he felt that siding with the disadvantaged Jin family would give him more of an advantage when it comes to making a name for himself.

For that reason, Lee Gusam joined the Jin family, and as per his wishes, was sent into many battles.

Because of his great achievements in battle, people gave him the nickname Ghost Spear.3

For a martial artist to be given such a distinction meant that people recognized him.

It was the first time he had been recognized in his ten years of wandering the streets of Jianghu with a single spear.

His spearmanship had also improved greatly as he underwent fierce battles.

He gained many enlightenments and learned how to further maximize the power of his spear technique.

“The Ghost Spear? How cool.”

Lee Gusam was pleased with the nickname he had obtained.

He gripped his spear tightly.

His spear was nothing special.

It had a wooden pole and an iron blade.

The blade was stained with the blood of the warriors he had killed and wounded today.

Lee Gusam took out a dry cloth and carefully wiped the blood off the blade.

He focused his entire attention on cleaning the spear.

To a warrior, a weapon was like a limb.

It had to be cleaned and maintained at every opportunity.

His eyes and nerves were all focused on the spear in his hand.

When Lee Gusam saw a small doll placed on the table next to him, his concentration was broken.

He had never seen such a crude doll before. The tiny doll looked like it had been hastily sewn together from scraps of fabric.

He had been staying in this room for several days already, but not once did he ever seen a doll like this.

‘What’s this?’

A glint of suspicion crossed his face for a moment.

Suddenly the doll looked at him and smiled broadly.

It was absolutely not an illusion.

Just as Lee Gusam jumped to his feet, greatly surprised, something fell from the ceiling.

A man, thin as a raven, radiating a fearsom aura.

He was the Heuk-ho.

He had used his puppet skills to distract Lee Gusam, and then ambushed him.

By the time Lee Gusam realized the attack, Heuk-ho had already narrowed the distance between them.

Poof!

A deformed sword like an iron skewer pierced his side and stabbed him in the heart.

“Eurgh!”

Lee Gusam’s eyes widened in excruciating pain.

The spear in his hand fell to the ground, and his body gurgled like a fish pierced by a harpoon.

Heuk-ho looked into the dying man’s eyes.

Lee Gusam’s eyes widened in disbelief of his own death. But he no longer had the strength to resist him.

Parr!

With a final convulsion, Lee Gusam’s breath stopped.

Only then did Heuk-ho pull out the deformed sword from Lee Gusam’s body.

Gurgle!

Blood poured out of the wound where the sword had been stucked.

“Hmpf!”

Heuk-ho let out a muffled sound.

The taste of other people’s blood had awakened his spirit after a long time.

He pushed himself up and murmured,

“Come on, Pyo-wol!”

Pyo-wol turned the Snow Sword Manor upside down.

Because of him, the atmosphere in the Snow Sword Manor was at its worst. Their relationship with the Golden Mountain Manor had also reached its lowest point.

They desperately needed to change the atmosphere. That’s why Lee Yul gave Heuk-ho and Four Red Lotus Ghosts a mission.

It was to assassinate the Jin family martial artists who recently stood out in the fight against the Snow Sword Manor.

It was the moment they had been waiting for.

Heuk-ho had been working hard to track down Pyo-wol, and now he could let loose.

He hadn’t succeeded in finding Pyo-wol.

Heuk-ho assumed that Pyo-wol had escaped the Snow Sword Manor, otherwise, there was no reason he couldn’t find him.

Lee Yul ordered Heuk-ho to make up for the damage Pyo-wol had done to the Snow Sword Manow.

Perhaps by now, the Four Red Lotus Ghosts have scattered and assassinating the warriors who have entered the Jin family.

Suriric!

Heuk-ho quietly retrieved his doll.

His doll has a lot of work to do.

A lot of people needed to die tonight.

* * *

The next day, the Jin family was in a state of panic.

As many as ten warriors were all found dead in their quarters.

They were all martial artists who had come in from outside, and had made a big contribution to the fight against the Snow Sword Manor.

They have done a good job so far, but these promising and talented men were all struck down overnight by an intruder.

This triggered an emergency meeting in the Jin family.

Jin Siwoo summoned all of the elders in the Jin family and his trusted external warriors.

Among them were Namgung Wol, Oh Jugang, and the Shaolin Temple’s monk Un-hae.

Namgung Wol’s eyes were deeply sunken.

Among those who were assassinated, there were some whom he shared close friendship with.

He was a warrior who entered the Jin family and became acquainted with him.

Regardless of his status, as a man, he had a respectable distribution and sense of justice.

He actually thought that they would have a deeper friendship once the war with the Snow Sword Manor was over. But since he died, Namgung Wol felt a deep sense of loss.

Jin Siwoo opened his mouth while looking at the seat,

“As you know, there was a tragedy last night. Assassins broke in. Judging from the wounds, it seems that at least three assassins infiltrated.”

“……”

Everyone was at a loss for words.

As many as three or more assassins had been running around in the city and yet no one had noticed.

“Those assassin must have been hired by the Snow Sword Manor. If we don’t catch them, the damage will get even worse. If anyone has any ideas on how to catch them, feel free to speak up.”

“We will be on high alert for now”

“We will more than double the number of patrols and make sure the manor is well guarded.”

The warriors of the Jin family were the first to give their opinions.

Their suggestions were very general and could not be considered as special measures.

Jin Siwoo’s gaze swept over the external warriors.

“Do you have any other suggestions?”

“At this point, it seems that the only thing we can do is to remain on high alert until the assassin is caught.”

“We have to catch the assassins even if we turn the Jin family upside down. They must be hiding in the Jin family.”

“Let’s look for places where the assassins might be hiding.”

Their opinions were no different from those of Jin family’s warriors.

Jin Siwoo’s expression gradually twisted.

His gaze suddenly landed on Monk Un-hae, who was sitting quietly on one side.

Monk Un-hae hadn’t come to the meeting to lend his support and strength to the Jin family. He just came to get a sense of what was going on.

But the longer people talked, the more uneasy he became.

The Shaolin Temple believed that Seong-un’s death was Pyo-wol’s work alone which was why they threatened him. But now other assassins, which they assumed were hired by the Snow Sword Manor, have sprouted out killing people of the Jin manor.

Seongam was technically the one who started the fight against Pyo-wol, but Monk Un-hae had aided and abetted, making the other monks go through with it.

From that day forward, Pyo-wol disappeared from the Jin family.

Later on, Monk Un-hae punished Seongam for his rashness, but it was already too late.

It was then.

“Monk Un-hae!”

Namgung Wol suddenly called out to Monk Un-hae.

Namgung Wol had treated Monk Un-hae like how a cow treats a chicken.4 This was the first time he had spoken to him in a formal setting.

“What is it, Young Master Namgung?”

“What does the Shaolin Temple think of this situation?”

“Amithaba Buddha! What… are you talking about?”

“What do you think of the assassin running loose within the Jin family like this?”

At that moment, everyone in the room held their breath.

They could feel the sharp thorns hidden in Namgung Wol’s words.

Monk Un-hae looked puzzled.

“Why are you asking the small monk?”

“Do you really not know?”

“Amitabha Buddha!”

Monk Un-hae narrowed his eyes.

Namgung Wol glared at Monk Un-hae.

“The Shaolin Temple attacked Pyo-wol without any evidence, holding him responsible for Seong-un’s death because he was the only assassin in the Jin family at the time.”

“That means–”

“Now we have more suspects, how do you feel about that?”

Namgung Wol interrupted and pressured the Monk Un-hae without hesitation.

It’s been a while since Namgung Wol had arrived in the Jin manor, and he’s never shown any signs of slandering or opposing others.

So the fact that Namgung Wol stood up against Monk Un-hae made the onlookers shocked.

“Young Master Namgung—”

“It was because of the Shaolin Temple that he left. If he had stayed, we would not have been so helpless against the assassins. After all, it’s assassins themselves who know best about their fellow assassins.”

“That’s because—”

“Since he left because of the Shaolin Temple, shouldn’t the Shaolin Temple take responsibility?”

“W, What do you mean?”

“Either the Shaolin Temple brings back Pyo-wol again, or you go out and capture those assassins yourself.”

“Amitabha Buddha, That’s impossible!”

“Then what else can you do?! How long are you going to cower under the guise of mediation?”

“Young Master Namgung?”

“I’m tired of this. Isn’t the Shaolin Temple the Mount Tai and North Star of Jianghu?5 The one that everyone could rely on? But what is the Shaolin Temple doing right now? You’re doing nothing but just going back and forth between the two factions.”

Monk Un-hae was stunned at Namgung Wol’s frosty tirade.

He wanted to defend his sect, but he couldn’t find the words to say because Namgung Wol’s words were absolutely right.

As an elder of the Shaolin Temple, he had never been pushed into a position like this before. Moreover, he had a gentle disposition that made him reluctant to argue with others.

As a result, he was very weak in this type of argument.

Furthermore, he felt no remorse for what Sungam had done.

That made it harder for him to make excuses.

At this point, others would have intervened, but none of them did.

This was because everyone else shared the same thoughts as Namgung Wol.

The Shaolin Temple’s indecisiveness has disappointed many people. At least, what Shaolin Temple had shown so far was indecisive.

It was then.

“How dare you speak ill of Senior Brother!”

A fierce voice came from the entrance.

They all turned their heads and saw a tall monk glaring at Namgung Wol.

He was Seongam, one of Shaolin Temple’s top disciples.

“You?”

Monk Un-hae’s eyes widened in surprise.

He ordered Seongam to be put on probation for the time being. But Seongam disobeyed his order and showed up here.

Seongam’s ferocious gaze was fixed on Namgung Wol.

Anger flared in his eyes.

“How dare you insult a Shaolin elder for a second time!”

“Who are you talking about?”

Namgung Wol coldly replied.

“You.”

“You’re recklessly saying that it’s a pierced mouth. Gwangbul!”

“Come on! I’ll show you today why I’m called the Crazy Buddha. Come out, Namgung!”

“All right, you Shaolin scoundrel!”

“What–? Scoundrel?”

“The way you’re acting right now, I can’t help but call you a scoundrel.”

“Insolent!”

“I’ll let you know that there is a sky higher than the Shaolin.”

Namgung Wol stomped out.

His anger had already piled up and he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Seongam followed him out the door.

Monk Un-hae called out to him from behind, but his voice fcll on deaf ears. Seongam was already consumed by his anger.

Jin Siwoo, who was watching the scene, sighed,

“What a mess….”