A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 196

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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 196
“A clue? What do you mean by that…”
It was at that moment when Dang Yi Woon tilted his head in confusion.
Over a hundred Arhat Monks simultaneously seized their staffs.
“Hah!”
With a tremendous shout, they all pointed their weapons at Hong Seol’s group.
Whoosh!
The wind from their staffs sent the children’s hair fluttering.
The next instant.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
The Arhat Monks in yellow robes began moving into their designated positions.
-The Geumgang Hangma Formation!
Dang Yi Woon cried out, recognizing the pattern immediately.
“From this moment forward, we shall walk through the center of that formation.”
The Middle-aged Man declared solemnly.
‘As expected, there was a third trial!’
Hong Seol’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
She hadn’t anticipated that passing through the Geumgang Hangma Formation—which repelled demons—would be the test.
Hong Seol glanced sideways at the Freckled Boy.
The one who had belched so long moments ago was now sweating profusely, far more than before.
‘That boy is definitely after the Golden Cat Sect.’
There were three reasons for this conclusion.
‘First, no matter how I look at it, that’s not stomach pain—it’s nervousness.’
The other boys had been frightened at first too.
But now they were simply gazing in wonder at the One Hundred Eight Arhats.
Yet only he remained in such a state of fear…
‘Something is bothering him.’
Moreover, Hong Seol had another reason to suspect the Freckled Boy.
It was the letter that Maeng Woo Hee had sent.
[I recently visited that mad old man who was once a disciple of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
I wanted to ask if he knew anything more about the Golden Cat Sect.]
Despite her busy schedule, Maeng Woo Hee had made time for Hong Seol.
[But didn’t he say that several months ago, others came seeking that old man because of the Golden Cat Sect!
It seemed they possessed all sorts of information regarding the Golden Cat Sect.]
Since Hong Seol had declared her search for the Golden Cat Sect, it was natural that martial artists seeking the Green Precious Stone would move…
But there were several peculiarities.
[They hardly seemed to be from the Orthodox Martial World.]
Yet they weren’t from the Unorthodox Sects or outside forces either.
Just ordinary commoners.
Without a shred of inner power, and with no sinister demonic aura to be felt…
‘Then the force that annihilated the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace wouldn’t be among them. But why would such people be searching for the Golden Cat Sect?’
Hong Seol tilted her head, recalling the contents of the letter Maeng Woo Hee had sent.
[Right, Hong Seol.
There was a commonality the Old Man mentioned.
They all stammered, or so he said!]
A stammer!
That was precisely the second reason I had been watching the Freckled Boy so intently.
‘The Golden Cat Sect is at Shaolin, and a boy who stammers appears as if on cue?’
Something felt decidedly amiss.
So I deliberately had Dang Yi Woon examine the boy’s vital acupoints.
The results matched what was written in the letter Maeng Woo Hee had sent.
[According to the Old Man, they all had the Jinzhen and Yuye acupoints beneath their tongues hardened.]
This was the third reason I had taken notice of the Freckled Boy.
It was clear he was part of the same group that had appeared in Nam Man.
And one who possessed a great deal of information about the Golden Cat Sect at that!
‘Perhaps through this boy, I could easily discover where the Golden Cat Sect is located.’
The only concern was the possibility that the Freckled Boy was a member of the Demonic Cult.
‘But I have a way to verify that as well.’
Hong Seol thrust out her full lips slightly and lifted her head.
The third trial to become a mercenary—the Geumgang Hangma Formation.
‘Anyone who has cultivated demonic energy would be unable to pass through there. It would be far too agonizing!’
Hong Seol watched the Freckled Boy intently, her eyes blazing.
He barely managed to pass through the Geumgang Hangma Formation on trembling legs.
‘Phew, so the boy wasn’t a member of the Demonic Cult after all!’
Hong Seol thought as she glided through the formation.
‘Now if I simply keep the boy under close watch, finding the Golden Cat Sect is merely a matter of time.’
But Hong Seol was given no further moment to contemplate.
The Middle-aged Man was urging the boys forward.
“Come now, there’s much work to be done! Let’s head to the Dining Hall at once!”
* * *
The Dining Hall of Shaolin.
This place was responsible for feeding nearly a thousand monks of Shaolin.
It was also the Dining Hall’s duty to prepare food to distribute to Buddhist devotees visiting the temple for the approaching ‘Oranbunje’ festival.
There were some fifty monks stationed here permanently.
And overseeing them and distributing tasks was Won Mok, the Dining Hall Master.
He was an old man with a skeletal frame like dried pollack, sunken cheeks like a skull, and eyes as large as walnuts.
Yet despite his appearance, he was so brimming with energy that his commanding voice was no less forceful than that of a young man.
“Hurry, hurry along! At this rate we’ll miss the lunch service!”
On one side, steam rose abundantly as dumplings were being steamed.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, the crisp sound of knife work rang out in rapid succession as vegetable scraps flew through the air.
“Busy, busy indeed! What a hectic day!”
Won Mok, who had been bustling about in his yellow monastic robes, brightened at the sight of the Middle-aged Man.
“Amitabha Buddha! Welcome, welcome. I’ve been waiting since dawn.”
“It seems I’ve arrived at just the right moment, Dining Hall Master.”
“Yes. Now, you go help with the noodles over there! And you, bring more firewood for the cauldron!”
Won Mok distributed tasks to the hired workers before even finishing his greeting with the Middle-aged Man.
The Middle-aged Man was about to leave with satisfaction, observing the frenetic activity of the bustling Dining Hall.
A skeletal hand suddenly seized his sleeve.
“Where are you going! I cannot send someone who has entered Shaolin’s Dining Hall away with an empty belly. Don’t leave just yet—have a bowl of noodles!”
Even amid the chaos, Won Mok thoughtfully looked after the lay disciple.
Then Won Mok’s eyes fell upon two bewildered young boys.
Standing at the end of the line, Hong Seol and Dang Yi Woon had not yet received their tasks.
The two stood at the Dining Hall entrance with their hands clasped, looking lost.
‘Valuable hands going unused!’
Won Mok quickened his pace toward them.
‘Wait, that child is…!’
In an instant, Won Mok froze in place.
At the end of his gaze stood Hong Seol, nervously turning her head this way and that.
A vivid scar marked her cheek.
Won Mok rubbed his eyes several times, wondering if what he saw was real.
“Are you well, Dining Hall Master?”
At the concerned words of the Middle-aged Man, Won Mok snapped back to attention.
“Ah, it’s nothing. You there, the child with the scar on your face—no, wait.”
Won Mok swallowed his words. Then, in a much gentler tone, he spoke.
“…You, the child with flowers blooming on your face!”
“…Yes!”
Hong Seol, standing at a distance, answered promptly.
‘He called my scar a flower blooming on my face…. He must be a kind person.’
Hong Seol took a liking to Won Mok, the Dining Hall Master.
If Shaolin were filled with people like this, she wouldn’t need to hide the Golden Cat Sect at all.
“Tell me, what is your name?”
“Ah, my name is—”
Hong Seol was about to give the false name she had prepared beforehand.
Perhaps it was the tension from the unfamiliar surroundings.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the false name escaped her mind.
And she couldn’t very well use the old alias “Nam Goong Seol” from before.
“My, my name is….”
Hong Seol stammered.
-Seol Ah, let me help you!
Dang Yi Woon extended an unexpected helping hand.
“My younger brother’s name is Tul Bok!”
….
The problem was that the name was stubbornly out of step with current trends.
But there was no way to take back words already spoken.
“Tul Bok, you say?”
Won Mok’s fastidious brow crumpled like fish skin scalded with boiling water.
‘What do I do?’
Seeing that expression, Hong Seol’s shoulders shrank inward.
What parent in their right mind would name their child Tul Bok!
‘He’s going to see right through this fake name.’
Yet the Dining Hall Master Won Mok’s compassion was as boundless and merciful as the Buddha’s own.
“…What a truly distinctive name you have been given.”
Won Mok even added a small compliment, worried the child might feel ashamed of his name.
“It is as charming as a fluffy cat with tousled fur.”
“Th-thank you so much!”
Fortunately, it had passed without incident.
‘I’ve suddenly become Tul Bok….’
Was this really getting away with it?
Her cheeks flushed crimson, Hong Seol puffed out her cheeks like a pufferfish and glared at Dang Yi Woon.
Won Mok lifted his gaze toward the boy who claimed to be Tul Bok’s older brother.
“Then what is your name?”
Dang Yi Woon opened his mouth with a solemn expression.
“Yes, my name is….”
“Kku Reong!”
At the voice that cut in swiftly, Dang Yi Woon’s head snapped up.
“Eh?”
Hong Seol spoke again, each syllable distinct.
“Our older brother’s name is Kku Reong.”
This time, Dang Yi Woon’s cheeks flushed as crimson as Hong Seol’s had moments before.
Kku Reong, no less!
I’d rather you called me Gu Reong, Seol Ah!
Kku Reong was truly… a name that reeked of something foul.
‘Who in this world would believe Kku Reong was a real name!’
That ‘who’ was precisely Won Mok.
“You both bear names one does not easily forget. It seems your parents wished to give their sons names that would remain unforgettable once heard. Amitabha Buddha.”
Thus did the Young Master of the Great Sichuan Tang Family, Dang Yi Woon, suddenly become the hired hand ‘Kku Reong’.
Yet he could not bring himself to send a transmission to Hong Seol or protest before Won Mok’s eyes.
‘I never knew you had it in you, Seol….’
‘You started this first, older brother!’
Instead, the two of them jabbed each other’s ribs violently with their elbows.
Watching the children bicker in that endearing way typical of their age, Won Mok’s lips curved into a generous smile.
Then Won Mok hesitated for a moment before asking.
“By the way, how did Fur-ball get those scars on his face…?”
The unexpected question made Hong Seol’s heart skip.

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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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