The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 185

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 185
Namgung Ryu-cheong furrowed his brow deeply and crossed his arms as he looked at me.
“This seems to require some explanation.”
Mak-gae stood there gaping wordlessly for a long moment before finally heaving a heavy sigh.
“Miss, what in the world are you saying? You said you’d caught a spy just moments ago, and now you’re going to let them go? Did the blood poison already begin its onset? I heard you could locate the blood poison.”
I fixed my gaze upon Mak-gae.
While I wasn’t entirely familiar with the Beggar Sect’s hierarchy, the fact that he came to discuss matters concerning my father and the Demonic Cult, and that he possessed information about the Demonic Cult’s headquarters, made it abundantly clear that Mak-gae held a considerable position within the Beggar Sect.
I shook my head slowly.
“No. There is no blood poison.”
“What? There wasn’t any?”
Mak-gae spoke with evident agitation.
“Those who carry the blood poison are typically the lowest of the low. They know practically nothing, so the Demonic Cult can dispose of them whenever they please.”
In fact, what Jeggal Hwa-mu had discovered through interrogating Sam-gae amounted to little more than information about Namgung Wan and Cheon Gwi-jo.
Even what we knew about Namgung Wan came only because Sam-gae had been part of the Beggar Sect’s information division and was even a disciple of Bun-ta-ju.
“Did they perhaps use reverse cultivation?”
“Yes.”
“The White Face Illusory Technique is a reverse cultivation art used only by those trained at the Demonic Cult’s headquarters. A genuine member of the Demonic Cult, then. They would know considerably more. There’s much we need to learn from them regarding this attack.”
“Well, I suppose that will have to wait for now.”
Mak-gae spoke as though he couldn’t comprehend my words.
“What do you mean, letting them go after going through all the trouble of capturing them?!”
“It wasn’t really that much trouble.”
Mak-gae scratched his head vigorously and spoke with visible restraint.
“Impressive. Very impressive indeed. Fine, let’s say you caught them easily—but why release them? Surely you don’t mean—?”
Mak-gae’s eyes widened as understanding dawned upon him mid-sentence.
“If the spy escapes, where would they go?”
“To their own hideout, naturally. You’re suggesting we release them intentionally and then follow the spy to their base?”
“Yes.”
Mak-gae furrowed his brow.
“It’s not a terrible idea, but it’s an exceedingly dangerous method. How can you be certain they’ll head straight to their headquarters? They’re trained spies. They won’t be easily deceived. They might believe we’ve released them and instead lead us into a trap.”
“That’s possible.”
I nodded in agreement.
When I acquiesced so readily, Mak-gae regarded me with suspicion. I extended my hand toward the inn.
“Until now, who has been present at this inn?”
“…You and the young master?”
“Exactly. Just the two of us.”
Though several Baek Geom Disciples remained, it was still we who commanded them, young as we were.
“Wouldn’t that make us easy to underestimate? If they were in our position, would they believe I released them intentionally?”
“…”
“Had my father been present, this wouldn’t have worked.”
Mak-gae stroked his chin, his expression growing contemplative.
I continued speaking.
“Moreover, we discovered mountain poison hidden on the spy’s body. Enough to poison multiple people. Since he’d infiltrated disguised as an employee, it wouldn’t have been difficult for him.”
“You’re saying the Demonic Cult was planning to attack this place?”
“Most likely. Otherwise, why would they carry so much of such a rare and difficult-to-obtain poison as mountain poison?”
“The Demonic Cult bastards really committed to this plan.”
But viewed differently, their preparations to strike us had been thoroughly disrupted the moment I captured the spy.
They would need to devise a new strategy, which meant mobilizing their forces anew.
And unlike a single individual like Cheon Gwi-jo, troop movements were difficult to conceal.
Mak-gae naturally grasped this fact and muttered.
“If they show movement this time, we should be able to discover where the Demonic Cult’s main headquarters is hiding.”
“Let’s strike them first.”
Mak-gae’s eyes widened.
Namgung Ryu-cheong also asked with a slightly startled expression.
“We should attack first?”
I nodded.
Cheon Gwi-jo, who harbored resentment toward my father, would not give up easily.
In the novel, hadn’t he sought revenge against Namgung Ryu-cheong, my father’s disciple, after my father passed away?
He didn’t seem like the type to retreat simply because his plan had failed.
With the Demonic Cult as allies and Namgung Wan severely wounded, coupled with the Murim Alliance in such disarray that we couldn’t rely on their support—
He would never have a better opportunity than this.
Moreover, there was the matter of my father’s inner energy.
‘He’s fine for now… but I don’t know when or how it might deteriorate.’
So it was better to act while my father was still well.
If we prepared to attack first and something happened to my father’s condition, we could withdraw even if we missed Cheon Gwi-jo. But if we were caught unprepared and ambushed, that would be far more dangerous.
‘Besides, Father won’t listen even if I tell him to stay at the family estate, since he never knows when an episode might strike.’
My father was someone who did his absolute best in everything he could.
Then Mak-gae cried out as if it were absurd.
“No, Miss. You shouldn’t speak of such things so lightly. Lives are at stake!”
He looked ready to jump straight up.
“How? No matter that the Grand Martial Master and the Baek Geom Unit of the Baek Li Family came together, do you know how many forces the Demonic Cult has…?”
“They don’t have that many.”
“…What? How did you confirm that? Did you get that information from the spy? No, even if you’re right, Miss, isn’t your and the Young Master’s objective to find the Namgung Minor Family Head and the White Tiger Unit members? If we wait like this, news that the Grand Martial Master of Baek Li is searching for him will reach the hidden Namgung Minor Family Head, and then he’ll come here. Why clash with the Demonic Cult before finding the Namgung Minor Family Head?”
“We don’t have time.”
“But Miss…”
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke, cutting off what Mak-gae was trying to say.
“The White Tiger Unit members have been captured, haven’t they?”
“…Ah.”
Mak-gae appeared to have completely forgotten that fact until now.
“Of course we must go rescue them, mustn’t we?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong raised his eyebrows and spoke in a slightly mocking tone.
“Or perhaps the Beggar Sect simply abandons its members when they’re captured?”
Mak-gae’s mouth fell open before his face twisted in distress.
“That… give me a moment to discuss this.”
“With whom? You came as the person in charge. Surely you’re not going to say no now?”
“….”
“Ah, don’t worry. My father would have approved of my plan. The faster we rescue them, the higher the chance they’ll still be alive.”
Shortly after, Mak-gae raised both his hands and feet, summoning the Beggar Sect members.
* * *
The Inn, which had been in turmoil for a brief moment, fell silent as a tomb once the Beggar Sect members who had arrived departed.
Moreover, Namgung Ryu-cheong left with the Beggar Sect members.
He needed to inform my father of the situation and gather more information about where Cheon Gwi-jo and the White Tiger Unit members had fought.
Naturally, the warriors who guarded Namgung Ryu-cheong accompanied him as well.
It meant the number of people at the Inn had dwindled further.
The sky that had glowed with the sunset gradually transformed into a deep blue hue.
I wandered through the Inn lighting lamps and candles before ascending to my chamber.
A wooden bathtub sat in the center of the dark room. With no one to clean it, it remained untouched. The water inside had long since grown cold.
I rinsed my hands hastily with the water from the tub and settled onto the sleeping quarters.
Then I withdrew a small wooden box from my bosom.
‘It was worth the trouble of carrying this with me.’
It was an ordinary-looking wooden box with no decorations. Though well-maintained, it retained the feeling of age.
And not long after.
Yalyu entered the room where the spy was confined, then sealed the pressure points and emerged.
He stood guard at the door before vacating his post.
All of this I observed through the wall using my Golden Eyes.
I pressed gently against my throbbing temples.
‘What is this? I shouldn’t be this fatigued.’
Using the Golden Eyes had become exhausting since witnessing that vision.
It was a sensation that had gradually faded as I grew accustomed to it after first receiving it from Man Shin-ui in the early days.
‘Could the vision and the Golden Eyes truly be connected?’
This Golden Eyes possessed the exceptional ability to discern martial techniques through sword marks and comprehend the circumstances of the moment.
‘Yet Man Shin-ui’s texts contained no mention of such a thing.’
I searched my memory.
It didn’t feel as though I was present at that location myself… it felt as though I was following the perspective of Seong Warrior.
‘Did I read Seong Warrior’s memories?’
I muttered without thinking.
“If only Hwa-mu were here….”
Gyeol-i bounded toward me as if asking why I’d called.
Through Gyeol-i, Jeggal Hwa-mu could understand my situation, but I could not receive answers from Jeggal Hwa-mu.
‘Should I try learning it myself?’
But they said it required feeding it blood and flesh, didn’t it? Hmm, that’s a bit….
At that moment, a knock sounded at the inn door.
“Come in.”
It was Yalyu.
“Did it go well?”
“Yes.”
After capturing the spy, I’d sealed their acupoints to prevent them from using their inner energy.
And this time, when Yalyu resealed the acupoints, he deliberately made a small mistake.
Just enough that a little effort would break free from it.
If they could use their inner energy, breaking free from the bindings wouldn’t be difficult.
“What about that person?”
“Still here. Seems like they’re watching for an opening.”
And shortly after, furtive movement became visible.
“They moved.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————