A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 197

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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 197
* * *
Fluffy and Curly’s work didn’t end until long after the sun had set.
After finishing the evening meal and washing the dishes, even Dang Yi Woon, who had trained his body his entire life, felt his shoulders growing stiff.
‘This exhaustion is different from martial arts training. I wonder if Seol is managing alright?’
Since starting work today, I hadn’t exchanged a single word with Hong Seol.
She’d even disappeared for a considerable stretch in the middle.
‘Could it be… she volunteered for this errand because she finds the sight of me unbearable?’
Consumed by anxiety, I deliberately stared hard in Hong Seol’s direction.
But each time, she snapped her head away.
At this point, it was certainly no coincidence.
‘Could she still be upset about me calling her Fluffy…?’
I rotated one shoulder while glancing across toward Hong Seol.
With her sleeves rolled up, she was wiping various surfaces with a cloth.
She still wasn’t sparing me a single glance.
‘Ah, she’s really thoroughly offended.’
We’d finally set out on this journey through the Jianghu together, and now cold silence would blow between us until we finished and returned.
‘Just days ago, I was excited about the thought of strolling through the sect grounds with Seol, breathing in the dawn air…’
Though in my imagination, we were both shaved-headed novice monks.
I was pondering how to soften Hong Seol’s heart when—
A young monk’s stern voice rang out from the doorway.
“Now that your work is finished, gather your belongings and follow me! I’ll show you to the sleeping quarters.”
“Yes!”
For the exhausted hired workers, it was a welcome sound indeed.
The boys formed groups of two or three and followed the young monk.
Hong Seol also trudged along behind him alone, cradling a large bundle.
Seeing Hong Seol’s bundle, my eyes lit up.
‘That’s it!’
In a flash—
I caught up to Hong Seol, who was at the very back, in an instant.
“Let me carry that for you.”
The moment I snatched her bundle—
“I-I’m so sorry!”
An apology I never expected burst from Hong Seol’s lips first.
“Huh?”
I froze solid like stone.
Hong Seol’s face, which I was seeing up close for the first time in a while, was covered in tears.
“The name Curly… I really went too far…”
So this was why she hadn’t spoken to me all day.
Because she felt sorry.
She looked away, unable to meet his gaze, and the sight of her bashfulness was so endearing that he wanted to embrace her right then and there.
I was planning to apologize first…
This little cat was so kind-hearted that it was unbearable!
Dang Yi Woon felt a touch of frustration and whispered softly.
“No, it was my fault for calling you Fluffy in the first place…”
“But you were only trying to help me… I did it on purpose, so I’m the worse one.”
“No, it’s my fault for butting in without permission.”
Hong Seol and Dang Yi Woon fell behind the group, bickering for quite some time.
“It’s my fault.”
“It’s my fault, I’m telling you!”
True to their nature as martial arts prodigies with fierce competitive spirits, neither of them would yield an inch in their argument.
Then suddenly, their eyes met directly.
“Wait, what am I even doing?”
“Hehe.”
In that instant, Hong Seol and Dang Yi Woon burst into laughter without either one starting first.
After laughing heartily for a while, Hong Seol spoke with a sudden brightness blooming across her face.
“Fine then, let’s say it’s… no, let’s say it’s your fault, brother!”
“What?”
Dang Yi Woon raised his eyebrows playfully. At that, Hong Seol broke into laughter and began running ahead.
“Hurry! The monk who’s showing us to our quarters will get upset at this rate!”
Watching Hong Seol’s retreating figure, Dang Yi Woon murmured softly to himself.
“Let it be my fault then… fine by me.”
If that’s all you wish for, Seol…
Why couldn’t I bear that burden for a lifetime?
A faint smile crossed his lips.
Dang Yi Woon’s mouth curved upward gently.
“Wait for me!”
He quickened his pace to catch up with the procession that had already grown quite distant.
* * *
And moments later.
Dang Yi Woon, arriving at the Monk’s Quarters a step too late, felt his face flush crimson.
It was due to the instructions of the young monk assigning the sleeping quarters.
“You’re late. There’s only one room left. The two of you will take that one.”
He pointed to a small room located in a secluded area.
“Wait, just a moment. You mean Fluffy and I will share the same room?”
At Dang Yi Woon’s flustered words, the monk responded as if confused.
“What could possibly be the problem? You’re both men, after all.”
Dang Yi Woon’s response came out faltering, as if his mind had short-circuited.
“Yes, men… that’s, that’s right.”
“Good then. Don’t be late for morning prayers at dawn!”
With the monk’s solemn vow concluded, only Dang Yi Woon and Hong Seol remained in the chamber.
A chill ran down Dang Yi Woon’s spine.
‘Sharing the same sleeping quarters, just the two of us!’
During the journey here, I had traveled day and night with the escort riders, and at the inns, I had deliberately arranged separate rooms for Hong Seol and myself.
‘All of that was to avoid any strange rumors spreading later, but now….’
My concern was solely for Hong Seol’s reputation.
As the young master of the Dang Sect who had falsely infiltrated Shaolin, I gave no thought whatsoever to that deception.
‘Would Seol be comfortable sharing a room with me? Perhaps I should tell her I’m quitting the mercenary work right now….’
As countless worries swirled through my mind, a thought befitting the Sichuan Tang Family followed in their wake.
‘No, wait—if such rumors did spread, perhaps the elders of the Nam Goong Family would more readily approve the marriage… No, what am I even thinking!’
My face burned with heat.
I could not bring myself to lift my head before Hong Seol.
‘I’m garbage, truly.’
Perhaps I should perform one hundred and eight prostrations during morning prayers tomorrow to purify my defiled heart.
“Sigh….”
Unlike Dang Yi Woon, whose mind was consumed with turmoil, Hong Seol’s thoughts were crystalline.
‘Sharing a room with Yi Woon, what incredible fortune!’
My objective was to find the Golden Cat Sect.
For that purpose, sharing quarters with Dang Yi Woon was a blessing.
I would not need to worry about anyone else’s eyes when I moved about.
‘I’ll wait for everyone to fall asleep, then begin my search! First, I should unpack my things.’
As Hong Seol took a step toward the sleeping quarters, she regarded Dang Yi Woon with a puzzled expression.
He was drenched in cold sweat, as though trying to expel some poison that had entered his body.
“…Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah!”
Startled by Hong Seol’s words, Dang Yi Woon actually jumped slightly in place.
“…Why are you sweating so much?”
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
“Is it too hot today? Perhaps you’re tired from working hard all day?”
Then you should rest immediately.
Having thought that far, Hong Seol urged me with concern.
“Come inside quickly, brother!”
Then she strode ahead with long steps.
Dang Yi Woon watched her go, utterly at a loss.
* * *
Nam Goong On, the patriarch of the Nam Goong Family, rubbed his throbbing temples with his hand.
‘The area before the Patriarch’s Residence is twice as crowded as usual.’
Even a cursory sweep of his senses caught more than a few presences.
Mae Ran was sweeping the courtyard with a broom, though it was not even her assigned area.
The martial artists of the Changcheon Division had gathered without their scheduled turn, standing guard.
‘…Could those fellows on the roof be the Blue Mouse Squad?’
As he suspected, even the Young Rats huddled together on the eaves, fidgeting anxiously.
There was only one reason.
“Is what I heard true!”
At that very moment, the door to the Patriarch’s Residence burst open.
Standing there was the only person in the Nam Goong Family who could brazenly enter the Patriarch’s Residence whenever he pleased.
It was Nam Goong Ho, the Grand Patriarch.
Behind him, Medicine Master Bing Yu Hua also appeared.
The scent of medicinal herbs clung heavily to her collar, making it clear she had rushed over from brewing herbal remedies.
Nam Goong Ho asked, his eyes blinking rapidly.
“Did a reply truly arrive from that old Poison King?”
“Yes, Father.”
Nam Goong On greeted him while pressing his temples, which had begun to throb again.
That was right.
In Nam Goong On’s hand was a warm letter that had just arrived from Sichuan.
At last, a response to the message sent to the Sa Cheon Dang Family had come.
“If only Nam Goong Baek had demonstrated the Hundred-Li Pursuit Technique that day, we wouldn’t have had to wait for a reply like this….”
Nam Goong Ho muttered with clear displeasure.
On the day Hong Seol and Dang Yi Woon had run away (?).
Since Nam Goong Baek ultimately failed to appear, Nam Goong Ho had no choice but to abandon the Hundred-Li Pursuit Technique.
He judged that Heuk and Jeok’s abilities, falling short of Nam Goong Baek’s, would be of little help.
Instead, he sat before his desk and wrote a letter to Poison King Dang Yi Mu.
The main content was ‘Did my child go there? Send her back at once’.
Moreover, it was filled with curses, so ultimately Nam Goong On had to rewrite the entire thing.
“So, what did Dang Yi Mu write in his reply? Have the children sent word? Did he say he’d send Seol Ah back immediately upon arrival?”
“That is….”
Nam Goong Ho’s words continued without pause.
“Tell him to assign the Fierce Snake Squad as an escort on the return journey. Since that young master over there kidnapped our Seol Ah, whom we cherish more than our own eyes, that’s the least he should do!”
“That is….”
“No, tell him I’ll go to Wuhan myself right now and bring Seol Ah back!”
“Father.”
His daughter-in-law Bing Yu Hua gently restrained him.
“Please give me a moment to speak.”
At that, Nam Goong Ho’s impatient temperament instantly subsided.
“Ahem, yes. Let me hear what you have to say.”
His demeanor changed in an instant at his daughter-in-law’s words.
Watching this, Nam Goong On shook his head slightly, looking inwardly exasperated.
Soon, as Nam Goong On read the letter, his expression grew grave.
“…The Dang Sect says they haven’t received any contact from the children.”
“What!”
The atmosphere grew grave in an instant.
Surely Dang Yi Woon must have sent word to his family upon arriving in Sichuan.
“Then where exactly is the young lady now, Patriarch?”
Nam Goong On spoke with measured gravity.
“There are two possibilities we must consider.”
“What are they?”
“One is that something befell her along the way.”
“Oh!”
Bing Yu Hua instinctively covered her mouth with her long sleeve.
Fearing she might collapse at any moment, Nam Goong On hastened to continue.
“The other possibility is that the claim of heading to Sichuan was a lie from the beginning.”
Former Patriarch Nam Goong Ho clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
“…It must surely be the latter.”
“What makes you so certain, sir?”
“The Beggar Sect.”
“Pardon? Did you request their aid to find Hong Seol?”
Nam Goong On’s expression grew puzzled.
At that, Nam Goong Ho shook his head firmly.
“Not I.”
He continued with evident displeasure.
“Initially, I intended to meet with that old man Tian Tong Gai for precisely that purpose… but apparently, he had already dispatched people along the road toward Sichuan.”
“From the Beggar Sect? Why would they?”
“It seems a disciple named Yang Do Jin pestered Tian Tong Gai relentlessly.”
“Ah…”
“That beggar child…”
Nam Goong On and Bing Yu Hua’s faces contorted simultaneously.
It was the same expression they had worn upon first learning that Hong Seol had departed with Dang Yi Woon into the Jianghu.
“If anything had happened to our Seol Ah, word would surely have reached the Beggar Sect.”
Though admittedly, there was no way to account for that cunning serpent deliberately slipping past their eyes.
“Then we must place greater weight on the possibility that she headed elsewhere.”
At Nam Goong On’s words, Bing Yu Hua asked with concern in her voice.
“Patriarch, has the young lady’s mind not been consumed solely with the Golden Cat Sect of late?”
“That is true. Then Hong Seol likely went to…”
It was at that moment.
An unusual presence was felt from outside.
‘An outsider? I thought I had ordered that no ordinary person be admitted.’
Nam Goong On’s brow furrowed.
Wi Sa cried out urgently.
“Patriarch! A messenger! A messenger has arrived from the Martial Arts Alliance Master!”
At those words, the three in the Patriarch’s Residence exchanged sharp glances.
“Shaolin, I have something to tell you about Shaolin!”
Oh no.
The situation had taken a troubling turn.

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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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