A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 214

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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 214
The man strangling the Umbrella Merchant was the same madman who had purchased an umbrella with a broken rib just moments before.
Nam Goong Baek whispered low.
“Answer my questions truthfully from this moment on, or you die.”
The corners of Nam Goong Baek’s mouth lifted faintly.
“You’ve already guessed as much, I’m sure—but then you won’t die peacefully.”
When I had just shaken off the Umbrella Merchant’s hand that had grasped my sleeve.
Nam Goong Baek had naturally employed the Golden Silk technique—so subtle that an ordinary person wouldn’t even realize they’d been struck.
But something astonishing happened.
The Umbrella Merchant had clumsily managed to counter it.
As Nam Goong Baek fled with the umbrella’s rib broken, a question bloomed in his mind.
‘With that level of skill, he could easily become a low-ranking escort guard.’
It was deeply suspicious that such a man would pretend to be friendly and merely sell umbrellas.
Nam Goong Baek hurried back.
Indeed, the pristine umbrella paper had been torn.
As if someone had hastily sent an urgent message.
Moreover, beside it lay a brush and inkstone.
‘An Umbrella Merchant who has mastered martial arts and knows letters.’
To Nam Goong Baek’s knowledge, no such Umbrella Merchant existed anywhere under heaven.
Hong Seol was in danger.
“Where is it—the headquarters of those you contacted!”
Gurgle.
Only when he was on the verge of choking did the Umbrella Merchant finally spill the truth.
Thud.
Moments later, the Umbrella Merchant, struck at the Fainting Point, collapsed unconscious to the ground.
* * *
Every moment was precious.
Nam Goong Baek threw himself forward with reckless abandon.
His body was already strained from the journey to Deng Peak. He had no way of knowing when another seizure might strike.
‘I’m a dead man anyway. How could I hold back when Seol has already risked her life for me countless times?’
He gritted his teeth and accelerated.
But the medicinal herb shop the Umbrella Merchant had indicated as their headquarters was already empty.
‘I’m too late!’
They had surely all gone to where Hong Seol and Dang Yi Woon were headed.
Nam Goong Baek seized some children playing nearby, drawing lines in the dirt with pebbles, and questioned them.
“Did anyone enter that herb shop just now?”
The child looked around hesitantly, then pointed to a ragged vagrant.
After giving the child a coin, Nam Goong Baek produced another.
The vagrant, distracted by the coin, readily revealed where the disappeared ones had gone.
“They said they were heading to Dengfeng Bamboo Sea.”
As he spoke, he pointed in the direction where they had disappeared.
The Dengfeng Bamboo Sea—in other words, the sea of bamboo at Deng Peak.
It was a famous scenic spot of Deng Peak that Nam Goong Baek had heard of once or twice before.
“Thank you.”
The moment Nam Goong Baek finished speaking, he launched himself forward.
“Wait, just a moment!”
The Beggar watched the man disappear without heeding his words, scratching the back of his head.
“But those are the Dengfeng Seven Oddities we’re talking about. Can one person really handle them alone?”
* * *
By now, the sun was sinking crimson across the horizon.
Along the upper reaches of the River where it flowed serenely, a young master stood at the edge of a low cliff.
“Hah… hah…”
Nam Goong Baek, his black hat pressed firmly down, caught his breath while gazing at the expanse of blue water below his feet.
Normally, this tributary of the Ying River was shallow enough to wade through at the waist, but…
Could it be from the heavy rains of the past few days?
‘The water has swollen considerably. Crossing without a boat would be impossible.’
Nam Goong Baek lifted his gaze to the Bamboo Forest swaying with a rushing sound.
That place, reachable only by crossing the water, truly deserved to be called a sea of bamboo.
Densely packed beyond counting.
So thick that nothing within could be seen or heard from outside.
‘That serpent wretch, why on earth would he take Hong Seol to such a place…’
Then something caught Nam Goong Baek’s attention.
A large raft.
Eight people rode upon it, and their appearances were utterly bizarre.
“Come now! Row faster!”
At the front stood a wizened old man, shading his eyes with his hand.
Beside him was a youth of thirteen or fourteen, deliberately keeping his shoulders relaxed as if unconcerned.
Behind them were six men with their garments torn open, bearing characters tattooed across their protruding bellies.
“Why do you brothers always make me do such things?”
The one rowing was the youngest-looking among them, with the character ‘七’ clearly visible across his bare chest.
‘One, three, four, five, six, seven…?’
They had clearly tattooed themselves with numbers and formed some sort of sworn brotherhood.
Vulgar.
Nam Goong Baek, raised seeing only refined things his entire life, furrowed his brow.
It seemed the Demonic Cult, decimated by Shaolin, had hastily scraped together these ruffians who wielded some influence at Deng Peak.
‘Eight against one.’
Even if they were third-rate martial artists of no consequence, a brawl would be disadvantageous.
‘I must reduce their numbers first.’
Then the only method was an ambush.
And throughout history, the supreme method of ambush is this.
‘An ambush from above.’
Whoosh!
Nam Goong Baek hurled himself downward without hesitation.
His robes billowed gracefully in the descent.
“Hm?”
In that instant, the one of the Dengfeng Seven Oddities who had been rowing on the raft suddenly felt darkness engulf his vision.
“The sun hasn’t fully set yet. Have I already developed premature aging at thirty?”
Then a cold voice rang out near his ear.
“Move.”
Crack! Smash! Bang!
“Gasp!”
The moment the merciless fist sent the Oddity flying, releasing his oar.
Boom!
Nam Goong Baek’s foot came down precisely where the Oddity had stood.
“Who are you…? Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Those who had rushed forward all staggered backward.
Splash!
As if their feet were being sucked down beneath the suddenly turbulent waters.
Flip.
In an instant, the massive raft capsized entirely, and those aboard were catapulted upward.
Yes, they scattered in all directions like beans roasted in a wok.
“Ahhh!”
Splash! Splash splash!
They all plunged face-first into the water.
Well, except for the one of the Dengfeng Seven Oddities, who had taken nine strikes from the Nine Walls Divine Fist and was already dazed senseless.
He had already become a drowned rat moments before.
Finally, the silhouette of the Young Master who had leaped highest descended gracefully onto the overturned raft.
“…Water splashed on my cheek.”
Nam Goong Baek wiped the moisture from his face with an elegant gesture.
“Nam Goong Family?”
The one of the Dengfeng Seven Oddities, barely keeping his head above the water’s surface, muttered.
“That was definitely the Nine Walls Divine Fist technique.”
“Then judging by his swift movements, is he from the Changcheon Division?”
“Brother, are your eyes broken? His skill is far beyond that of an ordinary martial artist.”
“Then could it be… that Thousand-Pound Sword Swordsman, Nam Goong Ui Gyeol?”
“…”
The ruffians with only their heads above water seemed to lose their momentum at the mention of the name ‘Nam Goong’.
‘With them scattered across the water, they won’t be able to pursue.’
Nam Goong Baek paid them no further mind and picked up the oar that lay beside him.
His mind remained restless.
‘These may not be all of them. I need to reach Hong Seol first.’
Splash.
The moment he thrust the pole beneath the water’s surface.
“You insolent wretch!”
“You dare insult the Dengfeng Seven Oddities, we who hail from the refined lands of Anhui!”
Nam Goong Baek lifted his head at the thunderous voice that seemed to ripple across the water itself.
The Dengfeng Seven Oddities, scattered across the distance, were swimming toward him with frenzied speed.
It was as though they had consumed some spirit elixir from beneath the waves.
“What is this?”
Nam Goong Baek furrowed one brow in displeasure.
That skilled water technique—it resembled the aquatic prowess of the Jang Gang Water Bandits.
The Seven Oddities shouted with triumphant pride.
“We were originally water bandits, that’s what we’re telling you!”
Nam Goong Baek’s eyes narrowed in disbelief.
“Water bandits operating on Deng Peak?”
Deng Peak had no significant waterways to speak of. Trade there was conducted almost entirely by land routes.
Yet here were water bandits operating without water.
It was as absurd as a cart without wheels.
“That’s right! We were originally water bandits of Fei Lu Zhai on the Yangtze River!”
“Fei Lu Zhai?”
Nam Goong Baek had heard that name before.
‘Was that the place Father eliminated? I heard all the water bandits of Fei Lu Zhai bit down on poison and died….’
Could it be they harbored such resentment over the Nam Goong name that they clung to it even now?
‘Father was troubled that he could never understand why those bandits specifically targeted the Nam Goong Family’s banner back then.’
He had stumbled upon an unexpected clue in this distant Deng Peak.
‘I should verify this if the opportunity arises.’
These fools showed no intention of abandoning their pursuit until they were thoroughly defeated.
Creak.
The raft came to a halt.
Nam Goong Baek had released the pole and turned to face the Seven Oddities.

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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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