The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 234

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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 234
A cold expression and heavy atmosphere hung over the arena.
At this point, no amount of words could turn back the tide of public opinion that had already shifted irreversibly.
Throughout the stands, Alliance members who had come to watch the preliminary matches on their day off, and even Security Officers under Kang Dae-hyup’s command, cast suspicious glances as if questioning why things had escalated to this degree.
Kang Dae-hyup’s gaze fixed on Hwangbo Chan. Or rather, on someone standing near him.
Then Kang Dae-hyup bared his teeth and spoke.
“You will come to regret what you’ve done today!”
It was precisely the sort of theatrical line villains delivered when making their exit.
“Mark my words!”
Kang Dae-hyup forcefully shoved through the gathered spectators and departed, with his Security Officers streaming after him in a tumultuous mass.
One of the Security Officers even bowed his head slightly to me in apology, and from that gesture, I could sense that the Wi Alliance Leader’s influence was no longer what it once had been.
In the past, when the Wi Alliance Leader still held sway, incidents like this would have resulted in Alliance members—particularly the lower-ranked ones—reflexively opposing the Orthodox Sects.
Due to the Wi Alliance Leader’s propaganda campaigns and the accumulated karmic debts over the years, the Orthodox Sects’ reputation among Alliance members had become quite poor, with only a select few exceptions—such as my father—standing apart.
Had the Wi Alliance Leader still commanded the respect he once did, mere words would never have swayed the Alliance members, though they might have influenced ordinary spectators.
As I watched Kang Dae-hyup’s retreating figure, someone gripped my arm tightly. It was Namgung Ryu-cheong.
With a cold expression, Namgung Ryu-cheong glared sharply at Hwangbo Chan and attempted to pull me away from him.
“What are you staring at so intently?”
Hwangbo Chan met his gaze without backing down, glaring back at Namgung Ryu-cheong. I gently pushed away Namgung Ryu-cheong’s hand.
Turning my attention from Namgung Ryu-cheong, who appeared quite taken aback, I whispered toward Hwangbo Chan.
“Young Master Hwangbo.”
“What? Why are you calling me? Yes?”
Perhaps because our proximity had decreased, I noticed Hwangbo Chan’s complexion gradually flushing red.
I continued speaking calmly.
“Think about it for a moment. Why did you end up fighting with Namgung Prince here?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
I sighed inwardly.
Hwangbo Chan’s eyes held the look of someone genuinely confused.
‘I knew he was foolish, but not to this extent.’
I lowered myself to his level and explained.
“There are quite a few people who dislike Ryu-cheong—Namgung Prince.”
Hwangbo Chan’s expression turned puzzled. If I had to interpret it, his face seemed to say: What? Wasn’t Baek Li-yeon friends with Namgung Ryu-cheong?
I continued my explanation.
“But then, why did Young Master Hwangbo end up as the one to face Namgung Prince?”
“What?”
“It might be worth considering.”
A solitary genius with an unparalleled appearance, surrounded by beautiful women no less? He had many followers, but equally, he was a public enemy.
I spoke more definitively.
“Someone may have incited you.”
“Right now… are you saying I was deceived by others? That I ended up fighting that bastard because of someone else’s instigation?”
I answered with a smile, as if to say he should figure it out himself.
Hwangbo Chan’s face flushed crimson as he shouted.
“What nonsense! You’re trying to sow discord, but I won’t fall for it!”
Yet contrary to Hwangbo Chan’s confident outcry, Young Master Park—who had been supporting Hwangbo Chan before being shoved aside by me—stared at me with an expression of shock.
“…I see. Then I sincerely wish you the best of results in the main tournament.”
The conversation ended there.
Seo Ha-ryeong, who had climbed onto the Tournament Arena, suddenly grabbed and dragged me away.
“How much longer are you going to stand there talking? Let’s go.”
Before I could even respond to Seo Ha-ryeong, I was practically dragged down from the Tournament Arena.
Once we had put some distance between ourselves and Hwangbo Chan, Seo Ha-ryeong stopped, and I pulled my wrist free from her grip, rubbing it.
“Easy there. Goodness, our Ha-ryeong has quite the grip.”
Red marks had formed on my forearm from how forcefully she had squeezed.
Seo Ha-ryeong spoke with a stern expression.
“Why are you offering that bastard well-wishes?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong, who had descended with us, subtly nodded in agreement. His demeanor suggested he approved of what Seo Ha-ryeong had said.
‘No… why are you agreeing with her?’
Without thinking, I shot Namgung Ryu-cheong a sidelong glance.
Now that I thought about it, it had been quite some time. This was the first time I’d seen Namgung Ryu-cheong since we met in Ak-yang.
Suddenly feeling as though I’d snapped back to reality, I bit my lip slightly.
It wasn’t just me—the light in Namgung Ryu-cheong’s eyes as he looked at me was also deeply shadowed.
“….”
“….”
I averted my gaze slightly and straightened my disheveled robes.
‘How am I supposed to handle this…?’
I had jumped in because the situation was urgent, but now that everything was over, I wasn’t sure how to face Namgung Ryu-cheong.
‘More importantly, why is Ryu-cheong even here in the first place?’
Namgung Ryu-cheong had watched one match on the first day of the preliminaries and hadn’t set foot in the preliminary arena since. He had concluded that focusing on personal cultivation was better than watching the preliminaries.
He hadn’t even come on the day when the Wi Alliance Leader’s direct disciple competed in the preliminaries. So naturally, I had assumed he wouldn’t come this time either.
The fight with Hwangbo Chan hadn’t even taken place here. In martial arts novels, there’s always that fated place that must be destroyed—the Inn—where the battle had erupted. And it happened right before the main tournament.
So I had decided to avoid meeting Namgung Ryu-cheong as much as possible until the main tournament. The more I dwelled on it, the harder it would be to sort out my feelings, wouldn’t it?
Just then, Gongsun Wol approached Namgung Ryu-cheong with light, graceful steps.
As Namgung Ryu-cheong looked at Gongsun Wol, she smiled softly and opened her mouth to speak.
‘…Was I worrying for nothing?’
Without realizing it, I found myself listening intently to their conversation.
There was nothing particularly noteworthy—just questions about whether he was injured, whether he was alright.
I wanted to hear more of their conversation, but Seo Ha-ryeong tugged at my sleeve and shook it as she spoke.
“Yeon, surely you don’t have feelings for that bastard Hwangbo Chan, do you?”
My eyes widened, and I pointed a finger at Seo Ha-ryeong’s lips.
“What? Ugh. Watch your mouth. There are plenty of sharp ears around here, and what about that bastard? Do you want to fight him?”
“Hmph, let him come if he dares. Doesn’t look like much to me.”
“Ha-ryeong! If you cause any more trouble, I won’t be able to protect you this time.”
Seo Ha-ryeong let out a scoff, then suddenly hesitated as she glanced at me.
“I’m sorry.”
“Hm?”
As she offered this unexpected apology, I worried I had spoken too harshly.
“I wasn’t staying quiet because I didn’t want to help… I wanted to help, but I held back because I was afraid the Security Force might use it as an excuse to cause trouble.”
I widened my eyes slightly and smiled.
“It’s fine.”
Seo Ha-ryeong, who had been watching my expression, lowered her voice further.
“Going to the Law Bureau would have been wrong, right…?”
I was about to explain while nodding in agreement when—
“The Law Bureau currently has one of the Alliance Leader’s people in position.”
Gongsun Wol interjected and gave a slight bow to me as an apology for the interruption.
Seo Ha-ryeong asked Gongsun Wol as if they already knew each other, her tone quite familiar.
“One of the Alliance Leader’s people?”
The way she phrased it suggested they were more than merely acquainted.
“Yes. The brother-in-law of the Wi Alliance Leader. Originally, the Mudang Sect should have handled this, but….”
The Mudang Sect was currently sealed.
Seo Ha-ryeong stamped her foot in irritation.
“Ugh, this is so frustrating. Do I really have to worry about every little thing like this? It’s suffocating.”
“Seo Ha-ryeong, maintain your composure. There are many watching eyes.”
Seo Ha-ryeong clenched her teeth and glared at Namgung Ryu-cheong, then turned her head away with a snort.
Ignoring this, Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke to me.
“This is Gongsun Wol of the Gongsun Family. She wanted to express her gratitude to you.”
Gongsun Wol brought her hands together respectfully.
“It’s my first time meeting you like this. I am Gongsun Wol.”
“I am Baek Li-yeon of the Baek Li Family.”
I brought my hands together in return.
Gongsun Wol spoke with a gentle smile.
“Thank you so much for your help. We nearly dragged you into unnecessary trouble because of us. I sincerely apologize.”
‘…Us,’ she said.’
Gongsun Wol had been an ally of Namgung Ryu-cheong during the days when the Wi Alliance Leader’s faction held sway within the Murim Alliance. Her actions had stemmed from rational affection toward Namgung Ryu-cheong.
And now.
She was already helping him.
Gongsun Wol possessed excellent character, decent martial prowess, and the strategic mind to support both. Her family, the Gongsun Family, was more prestigious than the Baek Li Family. She had elder brothers to inherit the family line above her, so she had nothing to worry about, and her father was even the military commander of the Murim Alliance.
They were truly a well-matched pair.
Yes… they really were perfectly matched.
It seemed no one else could be more suited to each other than they were.
Seo Ha-ryeong no longer seemed to view Namgung Ryu-cheong romantically, but Gongsun Wol….
“…That was admirable eloquence. I learned something from it. Um… Miss?”
“…That was admirable eloquence. I learned a thing or two. Um… miss?”
“….”
“Baek Li-yeon. Miss Baek?”
Startled by the voice calling my name, I snapped back to attention.
Gongsun Wol was watching me with a worried expression.
“Yes? Oh, what were you saying?”
“Where have you wandered off to mentally?”
At Seo Ha-ryeong’s reproach, Gongsun Wol smiled faintly and spoke.
“You seem tired.”
“Oh, no. I’m fine. What were you discussing?”
“I was saying your eloquence is remarkable. I’ve heard many stories about you. But seeing you in person like this is far more enlightening than hearing tales secondhand.”
As she spoke of hearing stories, her glance toward Namgung Ryu-cheong made it abundantly clear who had told her.
“The two of you seem quite close.”
The words tumbled from my lips before I could stop them.

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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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