A Baby Cat Who Commands the Dog Clan - Chapter 82

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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 82
“Excuse me.”
Nam Goong Baek’s gaze was fixed on two men who had just entered the inn.
One had eyebrows that connected like a seagull’s wings, while the other bore a pockmarked face.
The men, glancing around as if searching for something, were unmistakably dressed as Daoists.
The peculiar detail was that both wore leather gloves.
Yet the tattered crown perched upon their heads, the black robes with worn sleeves, and the white outer garments were undeniably those of Daoists.
Impoverished ones at that.
Hong Seol clapped her hands together with a soft sound.
“How perfectly they match the song—white and black!”
“Besides, people commonly call Daoists ‘horse-heads.'”
It was a mockery referring to how Daoists wearing crowns appeared to have their eyes split open like a horse’s head.
“Baek.”
Nam Goong Ho’s reproach came, and Baek quietly nodded in acknowledgment of his mistake.
“Heavens!”
The Daoists, spotting them at that very moment, came rushing over in haste.
Before they could even open their mouths, Nam Goong Ho spoke first.
“I’ve woven a barrier of qi, so speak freely.”
He had erected an invisible wall of inner strength to prevent others in the inn from overhearing their conversation.
It was a technique only a master of Nam Goong Ho’s caliber could perform.
“Yes, yes!”
The crowned Daoists nodded repeatedly before prostrating themselves on the ground.
They were nearly weeping.
“What on earth is the matter?”
“Please help our Changnyeong Sect, honored one!”
“Honored one!”
“A grave calamity has befallen our Changnyeong Sect!”
“Indeed!”
Between the seagull-browed and pockmarked Daoists, the seagull-browed one appeared to hold higher rank.
The pockmarked one echoed the seagull-browed one’s words like a shadow.
Changnyeong Sect?
Hong Seol and Baek exchanged glances at the unfamiliar name.
The situation was thus:
“We come from Changnyeong Mountain, which lies a day’s ride from here on horseback. It is a Daoist sect of some renown in these parts.”
“Indeed!”
A Daoist sect?
Hong Seol tilted her head, recalling the Huashan and Wudang sects.
Glancing aside, she saw that Nam Goong Ho was equally unfamiliar with the name.
“Forgive us…”
The seagull-browed Daoist, reading the discomfort in Nam Goong Ho’s expression, waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s only natural you wouldn’t know! Our sect has existed for less than a hundred years.”
“Yes, it hasn’t been around for very long.”
“Ah, is that so.”
“The founding patriarch who established the Changnyeong Sect, Han Seo Jin Immortal, was originally a disciple of the Wudang Sect. However, with his own aspirations, he established this independent sect.”
“It’s similar to the Wudang Sect yet different! Rarely, we even accept female disciples.”
“I see.”
Nam Goong Ho nodded in acknowledgment.
Since Wudang Mountain, the main headquarters of the Wudang Sect, was also located in Hubei Province, it wasn’t strange that a branch sect would exist there.
“Our sect primarily bases itself on sword techniques, and we have created and practice quite remarkable martial arts.”
“Impressive martial arts indeed.”
“Especially the technique of Shadowless Hand, which directly defends against an opponent’s blade with bare hands, is extraordinary!”
“Truly astonishing!”
“This is made possible by these leather gauntlets.”
“Gloves crafted from specially treated leather!”
As they spoke, the gull-browed and pockmarked Daoists proudly bumped their fists together, displaying the leather gauntlets they wore.
‘Ah, so these were equipment for martial arts.’
It was the moment when the mysterious appearance of the leather gloves made sense.
The Daoists continued speaking, spittle flying.
“Already, we’ve had three generations of sect masters.”
“Not even two generations—three!”
They seemed to take considerable pride in their sect.
The explanation was growing lengthy.
At this rate, the sun would set.
“But why did you come looking for our grandfather?”
Hong Seol suddenly interjected, and the gull-browed and pockmarked Daoists regarded her face with suspicion.
“Now that I think about it, who is this young lady? Is she someone who should be hearing about our sect?”
“Is she?”
Nam Goong Ho waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine to tell her. Actually, it was this child who discerned the hidden meaning in that nursery rhyme you spread among the children.”
“Oh! Truly, the young lady of the Nam Goong Family is exceptional in her brilliance.”
“Indeed, she is remarkable.”
Young lady of the Nam Goong Family.
It was a title that sounded pleasant yet burdensome.
Hong Seol blushed in embarrassment.
‘Oh no, what do I do? Should I deny it now? If I stay quiet, Grandfather and Elder Brother might think something is odd.’
It was Nam Goong Baek who came to Hong Seol’s rescue.
“You’ve observed correctly. Seol is the most talented among my younger siblings.”
Pleased and embarrassed at once, Hong Seol simply bowed her head deeply.
‘Nam Goong Baek Elder Brother said that about me…’
He seemed delighted by the Daoists’ reference to her as “the young lady of the Nam Goong Family.”
“No, surely you’re not the renowned genius Nam Goong Baek! The way you treasure this young lady so carefully suggests she must be quite exceptional indeed.”
“She’s remarkably talented!”
The Daoists seemed to believe Hong Seol was a collateral branch member of the Nam Goong Family.
Nam Goong Ho watched the situation unfold with a satisfied expression, arms crossed.
“I didn’t do it all myself. My grandfather and elder brother helped me….”
Embarrassed by the praise, Hong Seol stuck out her cute pink tongue and lowered her head.
After lavishing praise upon Hong Seol, the Daoists moved to the main topic.
“The truth is, our second sect master ascended to immortality not long ago.”
“Ascended to immortality?”
“It means he became an immortal—in other words, he passed away.”
Nam Goong Baek explained in a low voice to the bewildered Hong Seol.
The gull-browed Daoist continued.
“We’re keeping the previous sect master’s corpse in the ancestral hall to conduct the funeral rites….”
His words trailed off.
Even the pockmarked Daoist, who habitually echoed his senior’s words, was biting his lip and fidgeting nervously.
‘What’s wrong with them?’
What could possibly be so serious that they were dragging this out?
“Just speak plainly.”
“Yes, well, the thing is….”
Even after clearing his throat, the gull-browed Daoist lowered his voice to a whisper.
“The deceased sect master has become a jiangshi.”
“What?”
At those words, Nam Goong Ho’s eyebrows twitched.
In that instant, Nam Goong Baek felt his sleeve being tugged and looked down to see frightened Hong Seol gripping it.
This was an opportunity to earn points.
– It’s alright. I’m here with you.
Nam Goong Baek sent the reassuring message through his inner voice and slowly raised his hand to pat Hong Seol’s back gently.
He could feel the small child’s trembling gradually subside.
“We don’t understand it ourselves. The problem is that the previous sect master, having awakened as a jiangshi, is destroying the sect grounds.”
“Everything is in chaos!”
“During the day, he lurks in the surrounding mountains, but once night falls, he breaks loose and wreaks havoc. We don’t know when he might harm our disciples!”
“It’s an extremely dangerous situation!”
“The previous sect master, whose name was written with the characters for ‘long’ and ‘sword,’ was a master swordsman who perfected his technique to the extreme—surely you know of his reputation.”
“Surely you know…. You do know, don’t you?”
The pockmarked Daoist, who had been parroting his senior’s words, panicked and turned his statement into a question.
But Nam Goong Ho simply frowned, as if the memory eluded him.
Finally, the gull-browed Daoist sighed and provided the answer.
“The previous sect master was originally named with the characters for ‘Eon,’ ‘Jun,’ and ‘Gyo.'”
“He was from the Zhenzhou Sect.”
“The Swordless Sword, Eon Jun Gyo!”
It was a nickname that burst from Nam Goong Ho’s lips as memory finally returned to him.
“Yes, that is correct. We have heard that you defeated the previous sect leader in your youth. For us, there is simply no way to handle the previous sect leader, who has become a jiangshi.”
“It is beyond our capabilities.”
“Therefore, we seek the aid of the Sword King, who once defeated the previous sect leader in combat.”
“Please, we beg your assistance.”
The Taoists bowed their heads with an air of desperate urgency.
Yet Nam Goong Ho’s expression remained skeptical.
“However exceptional the sect leader’s martial prowess may have been, surely he transmitted all his techniques to his disciples. If all his disciples attacked together, it should not be impossible to suppress him, should it?”
The Taoists’ faces grew even more troubled at his words.
“Jiangshi though he may be, this is still the body of the previous sect leader. We humbly ask for your understanding of the feelings we cannot bring ourselves to harbor toward him.”
“We sincerely beg your forgiveness.”
“Hmm.”
Nam Goong Ho stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“However, I have a question.”
“Please, speak.”
“Why did you seek me out in secret rather than appeal to the Martial Alliance in Wuhan for aid?”
With the martial prowess of the Alliance Master Tal Hun Jang, he would easily suppress the Ghostless Sword and have strength to spare.
At his words, the two Taoists exchanged glances.
The one with gull-like eyebrows spoke with an apologetic tone.
“The truth is… it is because of the current sect leader.”

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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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