A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 176

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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 176
At the command of the Family Head Nam Goong On, the Changcheon Division moved in unison.
“P-p-please spare me!”
Only then did Chung Ok, seized by fear, bury her head between her knees and tremble violently.
Above her, the Family Head Nam Goong On’s voice descended like frost, bitterly cold.
“Speak. What happened at the Myo Family Estate?”
“I-I know nothing, sir.”
“Nothing?”
Clang!
As the sword pressed against her throat, Chung Ok’s head stopped shaking and she trembled uncontrollably.
“I-I speak the truth!”
“You claim there’s nothing suspicious about this?”
At his thunderous voice, Chung Ok’s eyes darted frantically as she desperately searched for a way to save her life.
It felt as though her life would end on this very spot if she didn’t say something.
“W-wait! Now that I think of it, there was something strange!”
“Speak.”
“The Mistress ordered the warriors of the Oe Dang to be given wine… she said fine wine had arrived as a gift from outside.”
“What?”
Nam Goong On’s brows twitched.
“So from evening onward, she distributed wine to all the warriors of the Myo Family Estate. And for those who couldn’t drink because they were standing guard, she gave them rice cakes instead…”
“…!”
Understanding something from her words, Nam Goong On cried out in a ringing voice.
“All of you lying down, listen! Among you, is there anyone who tasted the rice cakes or wine given by the Mistress?”
The servants lying on the ground only exchanged nervous glances, and no one rose.
“Is there anyone among you who still has the rice cakes given by the Mistress?”
One of them struggled to her feet and produced a paper-wrapped object from her bosom, presenting it.
“Allow me to examine it, sir!”
The Medicine Master Bing Yu Hua unwrapped the paper and sniffed it, then tilted her head in puzzlement.
“The scent seems normal. To examine it properly, I would need a spark…”
Just as Bing Yu Hua was about to gesture to a servant.
Whoosh.
A thick palm suddenly thrust forward from beside her, bearing a brilliant blue flame.
Samadhi True Fire.
It was Nam Goong Ho’s response—he could not remain idle at his daughter-in-law’s request.
Bing Yu Hua bowed slightly in gratitude and dropped a piece of the rice cake into the flame.
Then something extraordinary occurred.
The rice cake produced an eerie green flame.
It burned completely, as though it had never existed, and vanished into the air.
Bing Yu Hua nodded toward Nam Goong On.
“This is undoubtedly Confusion Powder. Colorless, odorless, and tasteless as well. Even a single drop causes the mind to cloud and sleep to come.”
“It seems a conclusion has been reached.”
Nam Goong On fell silent, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
In his mind, the events of last night unfolded as vividly as a painted scroll.
There was no doubt about it.
Je Gal Seon must have heard from someone that the Martial Alliance Master was targeting him.
“It was surely a member of the Demonic Cult who had infiltrated Anhui in secret.”
After all, a messenger would have been necessary to connect the distant headquarters of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult with Je Gal Lady.
Not only had she deceived Hong Seol into believing she was the Myo Estate Girl, but the Martial Alliance Master was now pursuing him.
Realizing she was in danger, Je Gal Seon would have needed to flee immediately.
To do so, she would have had to prevent the people of the Myo Family Estate from pursuing her.
“And her method was to poison them with Hunkon Powder and then burn them all to death…”
Nam Goong On fell silent once more.
“What a woman of unparalleled cruelty.”
Given that she had even taken the life of the Myo Estate Master, it was clear that at least the Myo Family Estate itself had not been complicit with the Demonic Cult.
Yet knowing that Hong Seol had been in the hands of this cruel woman for years made my heart ache unbearably.
Nam Goong On glanced toward where Hong Seol stood.
He was concerned that the shock might have caused the young kitten to collapse.
Fortunately, the little one stood firm, holding her son’s hand tightly.
“…”
Then it happened.
A Changcheon Swordmaster came running from afar, gasping for breath.
“We’ve found traces of Je Gal Seon!”
“What?”
“According to the night watchmen, they saw a lady in silk robes riding a horse toward the west. Several men in black robes were following behind her.”
Members of the Demonic Cult!
They were undoubtedly cultists helping Je Gal Lady escape.
At that moment, Hong Seol’s voice burst out from the distance.
“What about… the child?”
Myo Ga Ryung.
The little girl who had just turned five years old.
“Was there no young girl?”
Hong Seol’s voice was filled with desperate longing.
Rather than believing that Myo Ga Ryung had burned to death, she wanted to hear that Je Gal Seon had taken her with her.
It was the bare minimum of hope in humanity that young Hong Seol possessed.
‘The… no, Je Gal Lady at least loved Ga Ryung…’
I did not want to witness another child being abandoned by her mother.
Hong Seol’s small fists trembled violently.
The Changcheon Swordmaster caught his breath and spoke with certainty.
“Je Gal Seon was with a young girl, they say.”
* * *
Two weeks had already passed since the Myo Family Estate burned to ashes.
Unlike the adults, the children’s lives hadn’t changed much since that day.
With the Former Patriarch Nam Goong Ho and Changcheon Master Nam Goong Ui Gyeol so busy, we could only manage our own training.
The adults had to discuss the aftermath while economizing on even their meals and tea time.
Because of this, Nam Goong Baek and I had been spending more time together lately, just the two of us sharing tea.
“Ah, today it’s Huangshan Maofeng. What a lovely fragrance.”
Nam Goong Baek genuinely treasured these moments.
Yes, that was certainly true… until—
“Hey, little one!”
The tea room door at Chang Cheon Pavilion suddenly burst open.
“You’re finally back from Sichuan?”
“Sister! I missed you so much!”
Heuk and Jeok? My older brothers?
My eyes widened as I sat across from Nam Goong Baek with my tea.
“What happened all of a sudden?”
The mischievous brothers who had left for Academy business had returned.
“Oh, we got an urgent message! So we dropped everything and came back.”
“Hehe, I’ve never seen Mother write a letter so hastily. Her handwriting was all crooked.”
Nam Goong On and Bing Yu Hua had summoned the brothers out of consideration—so I wouldn’t be left alone.
After all, the Myo Family Estate was where I’d spent so much of my life.
They reasoned that watching it burn to nothing overnight would weigh heavily on my heart.
“Welcome! You’re so welcome!”
With sparkling eyes, I grasped Heuk and Jeok’s hands and shook them enthusiastically.
“So, you’ve recovered your health?”
“Yes! Now I can cultivate inner energy too!”
“We have so much to tell you, Sister!”
“And I brought a bamboo toy for Jeok from Sichuan! Where did I put it?”
The tea room seemed ready to burst with the children’s cheerful chatter.
“Sigh.”
Nam Goong Baek beside me let out a small sigh and set down his porcelain teacup.
Then he gazed out the window with somewhat sorrowful eyes, lost in thought.
It seemed he wouldn’t have me to himself for a while.
And with that, his inner peace melted away like snow.
Unaware of his feelings, the children were busy exchanging the gifts they’d brought.
Especially the youngest, Nam Goong Jeok, was brimming with pride.
He placed his hands on his hips and announced:
“I found a really, really great disguise! With this, we won’t get caught by Mother and Big Brother like last time…”
“Is that it?”
Nam Goong Heuk swiftly snatched the object from Nam Goong Jeok’s hands and held it up.
A shabby leather mask dangled awkwardly in the air.
Jeok’s face immediately crumpled.
“Give it back, Second Brother! This is a gift for Sister!”
Jeok bounced frantically, trying to reclaim the money pouch.
But Nam Goong Heuk didn’t even blink at his protests.
Instead, he narrowed one eye and examined the pouch from every angle.
“Hmm, the stitching is terrible. Looks cheap at first glance.”
“W-what are you saying, Brother?”
Jeok’s expression crumbled in an instant.
“I bought it with a whole silver tael!”
Nam Goong Heuk’s face swelled as if laughter might burst forth at any moment.
He finally couldn’t contain himself and cried out.
“That’s right, you got scammed, you idiot!”
“H-hiing….”
Oh no, he’s going to cry.
I waved my hands in alarm. For a moment, I wondered if I should step in and comfort Jeok myself.
“No, you can’t cry!”
That was when it happened.
Swallowing his tears with a gulp, Jeok surprisingly held out his hand toward Nam Goong Heuk with dignified composure.
“Even if I was scammed, it happened to me! So give it back.”
“My goodness….”
I couldn’t help but marvel.
‘Jeok has grown so much when I wasn’t looking.’
They say children grow like bamboo shoots after the rain, sprouting up in an instant.
I hadn’t even realized how much he’d matured.
The children gathered around a tea table laden with red bean cakes and candied fruits, sipping their tea.
“Hey, little one, can you eat candied fruits now?”
“Yes! The Medicine Master said I must have endured many hardships, so he’s allowed me to eat them for a while.”
Of course, after eating sweets, I had to brush my teeth with salt water under Nam Goong Baek’s watchful eye every time.
The children happily ate sweets and shared the stories that had accumulated.
“Wow…. So much happened to little one while we were gone?”
“Hehe.”
“Ah, I wish I could have seen it all with my own eyes!”
The mischievous Nam Goong Heuk looked genuinely disappointed.
The youngest, Nam Goong Jeok, who had been gripping a teacup the size of his fist with both hands, suddenly asked.
“So now Sister will live with us forever? You’re not going anywhere?”
I smiled warmly.
“Yes, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yay!”
Jeok’s face brightened instantly, then he made a startled expression.
He glanced at his older brothers before asking cautiously.
“So Ho, you’re not getting married and just staying here forever?”
“What? Marriage…?”

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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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