A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 79

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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 79
* * *
Even after that, our departure took considerably longer.
Hong Seol stood between the family head Nam Goong On, Medicine Master Bing Yu Hua, and Changcheon Master Nam Goong Ui Gyeol, exchanging a tearful farewell.
In truth, only the adults shed tears—Hong Seol’s face was bright with excitement at the prospect of embarking on her first journey.
“Child, you must take care of yourself.”
“Yes!”
“When we meet again, I hope to see you in better health. A body capable of wielding inner strength once more.”
“I’ll return healthy and show you my Heavenly Thunder Divine Palm, Father!”
“Yes, yes.”
“Elder brother, there will be no danger, will there?”
“With Father accompanying us, what cause for concern could there be?”
“But….”
“I’ve summoned only the finest escort masters for this journey. And I’ve had Hong Seol’s sachet refilled with freshly ground white peony petals as a precaution.”
“Still, it’s her first time traveling such a distance. I cannot help but worry….”
“Worry not. And is it not fortunate that Baek will accompany them as well?”
Their eldest son, who ordinarily showed not the slightest interest in worldly affairs.
“Now that you mention it, could he have been longing for Young Master Dang Yi Mu all this time?”
Both of them glanced across at Nam Goong Baek, who was already seated inside the carriage.
Nam Goong Baek showed not a trace of excitement for the long journey ahead, his chin propped on his hand as he gazed out with a bored expression.
“….”
A brief silence fell between Nam Goong On and Bing Yu Hua.
“It seems he’s not particularly eager to see Young Master Dang Yi Mu after all.”
“Heh, he’s concerned about Hong Seol. The fact that our Baek has opened his heart to that child at all is remarkable enough.”
“Indeed.”
“Then, we shall take our leave!”
As Hong Seol bounded into the carriage and settled beside Nam Goong Ho, Pyo Du called out loudly.
“Raise the flags!”
And so, after all the commotion, the carriage finally departed.
It was a carriage belonging to the Geumsa Escort Agency, renowned throughout Sichuan. There was no banner or marking anywhere that indicated the Nam Goong Family.
There was a reason for using an escort agency instead of bringing the family’s own people.
“What’s the reason for that?”
Hong Seol, who had grown bored from days of riding in the carriage, asked.
“There’s no need to announce to all of Jianghu that the former family head of Nam Goong is traveling.”
Nam Goong Ho answered while rubbing his chin. He too had been feeling rather bored.
At his words, Hong Seol’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
“Ah! So everyone would find it burdensome to welcome Grandfather, and that’s why you did this?”
Truly, Grandfather Nam Goong Ho was different!
“Well… something like that.”
Nam Goong Ho wiped his nose awkwardly at Hong Seol’s expression of wonder.
Nam Goong Baek, who had been sitting quietly ahead, opened his mouth with a cool edge to his voice.
“You don’t have debts and grudges tangled up all over the place, do you?”
Nam Goong Ho felt a pang of guilt, and his feet went numb.
True enough, in his younger days he had roamed the Jianghu quite extensively.
As a result, he had formed connections with both Tian Tong Gai, the Beggar Sect Master, and Poison King Dang Yi Mu.
The problem was that he had accumulated many bitter enmities as well.
“Ahem.”
Nam Goong Ho, reflecting briefly on his past, responded to Nam Goong Baek’s words.
“Listen to what this brat is saying. I’m so afraid of your pressure that I should probably wash my hands clean of the martial world before you become the family head.”
Having said this, Nam Goong Ho glanced sideways at Nam Goong Baek. In the past, merely mentioning something about the distant future would have caused an uproar.
Yet Nam Goong Baek simply turned his head away and averted his gaze.
Even that small gesture warmed Nam Goong Ho’s heart.
‘Indeed, Baek has changed so much from before. It’s all thanks to our Hong Seol.’
Just then, Hong Seol, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity, pressed close to Nam Goong Ho and asked.
“What is washing your hands clean, grandfather?”
“It means washing one’s hands in a golden basin—a symbol of retirement from the martial world.”
“After that, do the debts and grudges formed in the Jianghu disappear?”
“That’s right.”
“So until then, you can’t be free from either gratitude or enmity?”
Neigh!
At that moment, the carriage lurched to an abrupt halt with the sound of a horse’s cry.
Nam Goong Ho’s spiritual sense detected a multitude of horses and people gathered outside.
In the middle of a mountain like this, there was only one group that would stop an Escort Bureau carriage.
‘Bandits from Nok Rim!’
Mountain bandits who preyed upon travelers.
As expected.
“Stop!”
“Mother!”
Startled by the rough, commanding voice infused with martial power, Hong Seol shrank back, and Nam Goong Ho wrapped his sleeve around her.
Clang!
In an instant, Nam Goong Baek sprang to his feet, drew his sword, and positioned himself in front of Hong Seol.
‘As expected, Baek came to protect Hong Seol.’
Did this old man seem so unreliable?
While feeling a touch of bitterness, he also found himself pleased that his grandson had someone so precious to protect.
It meant he had developed attachments to this world.
“Still, boy. My realm is Hwagyeong.”
Nam Goong Baek merely glanced at Nam Goong Ho with a blank expression, as if asking what he was talking about.
Yet the tip of his sword, aimed with precision, did not waver in the slightest.
In that moment, a composed voice of an escort guard came from outside.
“These are bandits from Nok Rim in the area. Please remain inside. We will send them on their way with an appropriate toll.”
“So be it.”
Nam Goong Ho gazed at his young grandson, who was radiating an overwhelming aura.
“You reckless boy. Do you intend to draw your blade every time we encounter the Nok Rim? Then what possible use do we have for hiring an escort agency?”
At those words, Nam Goong Baek sheepishly sheathed the sword he had drawn.
“Sometimes you must learn to let things pass quietly. Otherwise, the seventy chieftains of the Nok Rim will hound you at every turn, seeking your head.”
Nam Goong Ho spoke with deliberate severity.
This journey was a valuable learning opportunity for Hong Seol and Baek, who had never ventured into the Jianghu before.
“Never forget that every action in the Jianghu becomes a debt of enmity.”
“…Yes.”
“I’ll remember!”
The children nodded solemnly.
That was when it happened.
The commotion outside grew louder, and suddenly an enraged voice erupted from within the Nok Rim ranks.
“For forty years I have waited since we lost the previous chieftain at this very place! Sword King, come forth and receive the blow of my axe!”
At those words, four eyes—two pairs of children’s eyes—fixed intently upon the scarred face of Nam Goong Ho.
This time it was not Nam Goong Baek who looked embarrassed, but Nam Goong Ho himself.
“All such words spring from experience, ahem!”
* * *
“It appears rumors are spreading that the Sword King has emerged into the Jianghu.”
Pyo Du spoke with evident concern.
Before dawn, as Nam Goong Ho sipped tea at the camp, he nearly choked.
And for good reason—during this journey alone, he had already destroyed five mountain strongholds of the Nok Rim.
They were all old masters of the Jianghu who had rushed forth seeking to avenge their chieftain’s grudge against him.
Of course, none of them proved a match for Nam Goong Ho, a master of Hwagyeong.
The problem was time.
Normally, one could pass through such territories simply by paying the toll set by the escort agencies.
But because these old masters kept throwing themselves at Nam Goong Ho, their progress had been delayed considerably.
“Therefore, I propose we take to the Yangtze River ahead of schedule. Since this is an unexpected route, there will be fewer to obstruct us. The currents are strong in places, which may add some time to our journey, but it will be faster nonetheless.”
This calculation was that it would be swifter than continuing to eradicate every Nok Rim stronghold they encountered.
“So be it.”
Nam Goong Ho, looking somewhat ashamed, nodded in agreement.
Hong Seol, who had been listening intently beside him, asked a question.
“So from now on we’ll be traveling by boat?”
Hong Seol, experiencing a boat for the first time, was delighted, while Nam Goong Baek merely uttered a quiet remark to himself.
“The Jang Gang Water Bandits—are they trustworthy?”
He was asking whether they had any past grievances with the water pirates that infested the Yangtze.
It was not Nam Goong Ho who answered, but Pyo Du.
“Once we deviate from the anticipated route, the rumors of the Sword King’s travels will fade. Then the Jang Gang Water Bandits will have no reason to cause trouble either.”
* * *
Truly, Pyo Du was a man of considerable experience.
True to his word, the moment we entered the waterway, the river bandits who had been relentlessly attacking us vanished without a trace.
Thanks to this, my journey became genuinely enjoyable.
At the occasional docks where we stayed the night, the meals prepared by the boatmen tasted like honey.
When we arrived at larger ports, donning a bamboo hat and exploring the sights proved endlessly entertaining.
In the Market Districts, bamboo balls and cloth dolls stuffed with cotton would capture my attention entirely.
“Shall I buy you one?”
Each time, Nam Goong Ho would offer.
“No, thank you.”
I would politely decline, though I could never bring myself to speak my true thoughts aloud.
‘We’re already carrying so much, Grandfather. I couldn’t possibly ask for more.’
The various items he had already purchased for me had nearly sunk the boat.
Besides, we would soon arrive in Wuhan.
Since we needed to change boats there and travel upriver, adding more luggage was simply impossible.
Wuhan.
The provincial capital of Hubei Province, situated between An Hui Province and Sichuan.
It was the seat of the Martial Arts Alliance’s central command, and a place where the Je Gal Family had long established their roots.
‘The Je Gal Family… my maternal grandfather’s house.’
My mother, Je Gal Seon, never tired of speaking about how magnificent the Je Gal Family was as a martial clan.
She spoke of boundless estate grounds, of elegant and brilliant people wielding fans and iron brushes, commanding the world itself.
Yet since none of them had ever visited the Myo Family Estate, I had no relatives I actually knew.
Still, Mother’s stories about the Je Gal Family never ceased.
In particular, Je Gal Hyeop, the Martial Arts Alliance’s supreme commander and the Heaven’s Will Young Master, was a favorite subject of hers.

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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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