A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101
“It is time for the evening banquet hosted by the Dang Family Master.”
“Understood. I’ll head there shortly.”
Nam Goong Baek nodded lightly.
“Well then, I should be going——”
As I turned to look at Dang Yi Woon, I was inwardly startled.
Dang Yi Woon, who had been smiling pleasantly the entire time, suddenly had his fists clenched tightly.
‘It seems there’s some tension between him and the Dang Family Master.’
Something unusual was bound to unfold at tonight’s banquet.
As long as it didn’t affect Hong Seol, it was no concern of mine.
* * *
Whoooosh!
Flames erupted from the center of the Three-Story Pavilion on the Estate Grounds of the Sa Cheon Dang Family.
It was fire breathed from the mouth of a Celestial Theater performer who had appeared as entertainment for the banquet.
Following the sword dance came the flames.
The captivating spectacle drew involuntary admiration from all who witnessed it.
“Wow…”
Hong Seol clasped her hands together, utterly absorbed in the performance.
“What do you think? Quite the sight, is it not?”
The Dang Family Master, who had hosted the banquet, laughed proudly and heartily.
The party was seated along the tables in a square formation around the pavilion.
In the center sat the Dang Family Master and his wife, Seo Shi Lady, their son Dang Cheon Gang, and his younger siblings Dang Ji Gang and Dang In Gang.
Dang Ji Gang and Dang In Gang were twin girls who resembled each other as perfectly as two halves of a persimmon.
Dang Ji Gang had her hair tied up high in a single knot like a boy, while Dang In Gang wore hers loose—that was the difference between them.
Across from Hong Seol’s party sat Dang Yi Woon and Dang Yi Mu.
Watching Dang Yi Woon and Dang Cheon Gang, who were competing for the position of Young Master, Hong Seol tilted her head in confusion.
‘It’s hard to believe they’re from the same Dang Sect.’
Unlike Dang Yi Woon, who was tall for his eleven years, Dang Cheon Gang was stocky and short.
In appearance, if Dang Yi Woon resembled delicate embroidery, then Dang Cheon Gang resembled lumpy ginger.
Dang Cheon Gang, who was twelve this year, had been stealing glances at Hong Seol for quite some time.
“Hey, Cheon Gang! Such stares are impolite.”
Though Seo Shi Lady scolded him harshly, he seemed utterly unable to restrain himself.
The Dang Family Master suddenly interjected.
“You said she’s a distant relative of the Sword King, yes? Nam Goong Seol—what a beautiful name to match such beauty!”
With those words, the Dang Family Master broke into a hearty, booming laugh.
Dressed in the elegant robes of Sichuan with embroidered patterns, Hong Seol looked as though she might ascend to the heavens and take flight as a celestial maiden at any moment.
“Seeing how well the Sichuan robes suit her, it would be wonderful to arrange a marriage into the Dang Family!”
At those words, the faces of both Nam Goong Ho and Nam Goong Baek twisted simultaneously.
Oblivious to their reaction, the Dang Family Master commanded the Servant.
“The Sword King’s cup—who may soon become our in-law—is empty. Bring more wine at once!”
The banquet grew increasingly lively with the fragrant wine and performances.
Yet Hong Seol felt strangely uneasy.
Dang Yi Woon’s expression looked far too grim.
Unlike the afternoon when he had smiled like sunlight, he kept his lips firmly sealed throughout the entire banquet.
The Snake Grandfather seemed fine enough, though.
Poison King Dang Yi Mu said nothing either.
But the way he sat there with a sly grin suggested he was plotting something.
“Your name is Seol, right? Try this.”
Dang Cheon Gang approached Hong Seol’s side while the adults were occupied with their wine cups, suddenly thrusting a dish toward her.
It was hui gua rou—pork, green chilies, and garlic shoots stir-fried in a fiery red sauce.
“I’m already quite full…”
“This is different. It’s the pinnacle of Sichuan cuisine—even if your belly is full, you’ll find room for this.”
The way he suddenly spoke informally suggested what kind of life he had lived.
So this was the Dang Family Master’s son, already carrying himself like a future patriarch.
I wish Dang Yi Woon would become the patriarch instead.
Hong Seol wrinkled her nose slightly and glanced to the side.
Normally by this point, Nam Goong Baek would have sensed her thoughts like a ghost and helped her out.
But today his attention was elsewhere.
He kept stealing glances upward at the roof beams.
Well, there’s nothing for it.
Just as Hong Seol was about to reluctantly put a piece of the pork into her mouth—
A Fierce Snake Squad warrior in green martial robes approached and whispered something in the Dang Family Master’s ear.
The Dang Family Master nodded, dismissed the warrior, and spoke.
“I shall offer a toast to the esteemed Grand Elder of the glorious Sa Cheon Dang Family.”
Having drunk quite a bit, the Dang Family Master staggered forward toward Poison King Dang Yi Mu.
Nam Goong Ho’s gaze quietly followed him.
Hong Seol could tell at a glance that her grandfather’s nerves were completely on edge.
Poison King Dang Yi Mu remained seated with that sly grin, accepting the cup with perfect posture.
“To receive a toast from the Dang Family Master—what an honor for this old man.”
Splash.
Poison King Dang Yi Mu drained the cup filled to the brim in one gulp.
The Dang Family Master then spoke.
“This may well be the last toast I ever offer.”
In that instant, the atmosphere in the Pavilion shifted as suddenly as a crack spreading across frozen water.
The Dang Family Master’s staggering gait had vanished without a trace.
He had clearly expelled the poison through his qi in a single explosive moment.
His voice rang out clearer than ever before.
“Grand Elder, you must go to Thunder Prison.”
At those words, several Fierce Snake Squad warriors burst forth like arrows.
They had been hiding in the roof beams throughout the entire banquet.
‘The very place Baek oppa kept glancing at throughout the evening!’
They formed a crescent around Dang Yi Mu, their presence thick with menace.
Yet out of respect for the Elder Judge, they still refrained from laying hands on him.
Then, in that instant.
“Grandfather!”
Dang Yi Woon, who had been pushing himself up from his seat, suddenly collapsed back into his chair with a thud.
His face drained of color as he turned to the side.
“…Sword King, sir!”
Nam Goong Ho, who had moved without warning, now gripped Dang Yi Woon’s trembling wrist with crushing force.
As Hong Seol’s gaze fell upon Dang Yi Woon, her heart seemed to plummet.
‘Poison needles!’
Long, slender needles were clutched between each of his fingers.
Had Nam Goong Ho not seized him, those poison needles would have been hurled at the Dang Family Master without question.
And had they struck, his head might well have been severed from his shoulders for attempting to harm the patriarch.
Yet amidst all this chaos, Dang Yi Mu remained unmoved.
As though he had foreseen it all.
“So, what is my charge?”
The Dang Family Master answered without hesitation.
“You are accused of attempting to poison Dang Bo Young, the heir apparent candidate.”
“And your evidence for naming me the culprit?”
“Who stands to gain the most from Dang Bo Young’s death?”
Every eye in the room turned toward Dang Yi Woon.
“That’s not true!”
Dang Yi Woon’s eyes glistened with tears of indignation and sorrow.
“My grandfather would never do such a thing!”
At that moment, Nam Goong Ho, who had been observing the situation, spoke with measured gravity.
“Is there not another who would benefit from Dang Bo Young’s death?”
Now all eyes shifted to the stocky boy standing with a plate of preserved fruits.
“Young Master Dang Cheon Gang. Are you not also competing with Dang Bo Young for the position of heir apparent?”
“Are you insulting my son, Sword King?”
Crash!
Nam Goong Ho’s palm struck the table. Cups and dishes scattered into the air.
“I am merely saying—do not slander my dear friend without evidence!”
The sharp auras of Nam Goong Ho and the Dang Family Master made the very air hum with tension.
Then it happened.
Ting.
At the faint sound Hong Seol produced—a woman without inner strength—Nam Goong Ho’s eyes cleared and he withdrew his power.
Dang Won Pyung, following his lead, likewise suppressed the inner force he had been channeling.
Then he spoke calmly.
“There is evidence.”
“What is that?”
“As you know, the Dang Sect handles all poisons in the world. Yet even our family’s Poison Sect could not identify the poison that harmed Dang Bo Young this time.”
It seemed that was what a Fierce Snake Squad warrior had whispered to Dang Won Pyung during the banquet.
“There is only one person who benefits from Dang Bo Young’s death while simultaneously knowing poisons that even the Poison Sect cannot distinguish.”
That could only be referring to Poison King Dang Yi Mu.
Dang Won Pyung glared at Dang Yi Mu with piercing intensity.
Even in this precarious situation, Dang Yi Mu continued to smirk.
“Ho, is that so.”
“In your youth, Elder Judge, you traveled across all the lands seeking medicines and poisons. I know that no one in the Dang Family has devoted more time to poison research than you.”
Ten Thousand Poisons Journey.
The Dang Family Master was undoubtedly referring to that.
“In the Dang Family, poison mastery is directly connected to martial strength. Therefore, there is no way you would have straightforwardly revealed the poisons you discovered to the family’s Poison Sect.”
Dang Won Pyung twisted his lips into a smile.
“You, who found even the position of Family Master tiresome and passed it to your younger brother.”
The logic was that, lacking any sense of responsibility toward the Dang Sect, there was no reason he would willingly transmit his knowledge to the family.
Hearing those words, Hong Seol’s heart began to race.
‘So far, there has been nothing wrong with what the Dang Family Master has said.’
I had also heard that Dang Yi Mu had departed on the Ten Thousand Poisons Journey.
In fact, thanks to the traces Dang Yi Mu left behind, I had even saved my life in the Earth Tunnel.
I recalled the fire-dispersing mechanism and the mechanical lock I had used to collapse the entrance to the small cave.
‘Those were said to have been left behind by Snake Grandfather.’
Wan Li Yi Xian’s vital energy needle acupoint soup could also be made thanks to the medicinal spring water that Dang Yi Mu had discovered.
‘And the thousand-year fleece flower root that nourished my body was likewise discovered by Snake Grandfather….’
When I thought about it, I had overcome several crises thanks to Dang Yi Mu.
As that realization struck me, my expression darkened.
‘Could Snake Grandfather really be involved in this matter?’
I did not want to believe it.
But if the evidence were not certain, the Dang Family Master would not have dared to orchestrate such an affair.
Was this not a gathering where the Sword King Nam Goong Ho, an inseparable friend of Poison King Dang Yi Mu, was also present?
Suddenly anxious, I turned my gaze toward Dang Yi Mu.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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