The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 235

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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 235
“Pardon?”
Watching Gongsun Wol’s flustered expression, I deeply regretted my words.
Of course she’d help Namgung Ryu-cheong since they were close. Namgung Ryu-cheong himself said he was upset about what Hwangbo Chan said to her!
‘Why am I saying such things?’
As if… as if I were jealous!
I hurried to salvage the situation with another comment.
“Ha, well, it’s just the first time I’ve seen Ryu-cheong appear close to anyone besides Ha-ryeong.”
“…”
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them even more intensely.
Ugh! My addition made it even worse!
Namgung Ryu-cheong was staring at me with a furrowed brow.
If that expression looked like ‘what are you doing?’, was it just my imagination?
“Well, that is…”
Gongsun Wol’s cheeks flushed slightly as she glanced uncertainly at Namgung Ryu-cheong, seeming at a loss for words.
But Namgung Ryu-cheong didn’t turn to look at Gongsun Wol—he simply continued to stare at me in silence.
I met his gaze with a bright smile, as if asking why he was doing this.
“…”
“…”
Then, salvation descended upon me. A group of people came rushing toward the Tournament Arena.
They were different from the Security Officers who had left earlier, and the foremost figure was a Buddhist Monk in robes.
A Martial Arts Alliance Warrior beside the monk shouted.
“Everyone, please clear the Tournament Arena! We’re about to begin the preliminary matches!”
The monk, apparently someone of authority, climbed onto a platform at a similar height slightly away from the Tournament Arena and took his position, while alliance members began organizing the area around the arena.
“What? Why is the Tournament Arena in such a mess? We finished organizing it last night!”
“What? Who did this!”
The reactions to these words were all similar.
Sensing the situation, we three slipped away from the Tournament Arena as if we’d coordinated it beforehand.
“Ah, don’t push! I said don’t push! How many times do I have to say it! Are you pretending not to hear?”
“You there! If you start fighting, you’ll be expelled immediately!”
“This is the spot I claimed since dawn!”
“Selling my spot! It has a perfect view of the Tournament Arena!”
With the announcement that the preliminaries were beginning, the crowd that surged forward was absolute chaos.
‘The preliminaries are already this chaotic.’
The disorder and confusion made me understand why Namgung Ryu-cheong watched the preliminary matches for just one day and never returned.
Then, from a direction with seating away from the commotion, a young man approached us.
He was dressed in ornate robes and wore a hero’s crown—a striking figure who somehow reminded me of a peacock.
The young man spoke with an oily smile.
“Lady Seo So-jeo! Why don’t you come over to my side? I’ve reserved an excellent seat with a great view.”
“A seat?”
He asked without any particular greeting, as if he were already acquainted with Seo Ha-ryeong.
“Yes. It’s over there.”
The place he pointed to was the platform in the direction from which she had come.
On the platform, there were awnings and seats already arranged, with many people already seated. What all these people of varying ages had in common was their wealthy attire adorned with silk. The younger ones appeared to be from prestigious martial families, while the older ones looked like merchants or wealthy landowners.
It was a section sold for Murim Alliance officials and the wealthy.
And for some reason, it seemed the Young Man had been desperately waiting for an opportunity to invite Seo Ha-ryeong.
‘Hmm, Ha-ryeong certainly is popular.’
I thought this because behind the Young Man, other young men wore expressions of regret or frustration at having missed their chance.
Seo Ha-ryeong looked at the seat the Young Man had indicated and asked.
“Is there also a seat for Yeon there—I mean, for Baek Li-ui-gang?”
The Young Man’s expression became quite flustered, and he glanced at me.
“Well… Jin-jin’s seat is available, but…”
Wow, he’d even secured a seat for Jin-jin.
Unlike my admiration, Seo Ha-ryeong answered without hesitation.
“There isn’t? Then never mind. Yeon, where should we go?”
The Young Man’s face fell as if the sky were collapsing. Behind him, other unfamiliar young men who couldn’t let go of their regret began frantically gesturing to someone.
I bit my lip hard to suppress my laughter and spoke.
“But Ha-ryeong, where’s Jin-jin?”
I looked around but couldn’t see Jin-jin anywhere, nor had he appeared.
“Where did he go?”
“Oh, Jin-jin said he was going to find your uncle. It was when those Security Officers were trying to drag you away.”
Seo Ha-ryeong scratched her head and continued.
“I told him to hurry, but if I’d known it would end like this, I should have stopped him.”
“No. We didn’t know it would end this way.”
Informing my uncle wasn’t a bad idea anyway. If something had gone wrong and I’d been dragged away, it was right that he be informed quickly.
“If he went to see your uncle, it’ll take a while. When will he come back…? Should we find our seats first? Where would be a good spot…?”
As I was muttering, an ominous presence approached.
Gongsun Wol spoke in her gentle voice.
“Seo So-jeo, Baek Li-ui-gang. Please watch with us.”
* * *
“I offer my gratitude to all of you who have come to witness the preliminary rounds of the World’s Greatest Martial Arts Tournament.”
The Buddhist Monk who had taken the stage at the Tournament Arena briefly introduced himself as the day’s host, then called out the participants one by one to the arena.
Martial artists of varying dress and age climbed onto the Tournament Arena with tense expressions.
The Murim Alliance preliminaries had different schedules and methods depending on each branch.
In the case of Hunan Province, where Jin-jin had been selected, they used the same format as the Murim Alliance main tournament. The Hunan branch would draw up a bracket and conduct one-on-one matches. Lose and you’re eliminated. Win and you advance to the next match. By continuing this way, you just need to place within the final few.
Since the number of participants was quite large, the bracket was extremely important. Even if your skill was strong enough to place among the final candidates, if you faced someone stronger than yourself early on… you’d simply be unlucky enough to be eliminated.
Meanwhile, the Anwhui Province preliminaries that Seo Ha-ryeong and Namgung Ryu-cheong had competed in used a point system. Opponents were drawn by lottery, several matches were held, and points were awarded based on wins and losses, then totaled and ranked by final score.
If Anwhui Province had used the same method as Hunan Province, Seo Ha-ryeong would have been eliminated in the preliminaries. She had been truly unlucky—her first opponent was Namgung Ryu-cheong.
Namgung Ryu-cheong naturally passed the preliminaries with a perfect undefeated record.
His undefeated results spread across the entire region as if on wings. And currently, the most likely favorite for the championship that everyone was talking about was Namgung Ryu-cheong, who was sitting in the row right in front of me.
Gongsun Wol, who had invited me to watch together, had already prepared a seat for me on the platform as if she had known I would come.
Since she had helped me and was inviting me out of a desire to repay that debt, it felt awkward to refuse.
At that moment, Gongsun Wol transmitted her voice toward Namgung Ryu-cheong.
Of course, all I could see from my seat behind them was the back of their heads. But through the movement of their qi, I could tell they were exchanging silent transmissions. And this was already the second or third time they had done so.
‘What could they possibly have so much to discuss? Hmph, and that Ryu-cheong too….’
Ever since meeting me, he barely spoke a few words, as if his lips were sealed shut, yet here he was constantly exchanging silent transmissions with Gongsun Wol. I couldn’t understand it.
I stopped glaring at the back of Namgung Ryu-cheong’s sleek head and turned my attention to the Tournament Arena.
Ten participants had already taken their places in the Tournament Arena.
The preliminary format of the Murim Alliance Headquarters was a multi-person free-for-all.
Ten participants ascended to the Tournament Arena simultaneously and fought until only one remained standing.
Falling outside the arena, declaring defeat, or sustaining injuries too severe to continue fighting resulted in disqualification.
The Headquarters was unique in adopting this style of multi-person free-for-all.
It was a method devised to quickly filter through the massive number of participants.
Seo Ha-ryeong whispered to me.
“When do you think he’ll appear?”
“He doesn’t seem to be in this group. Besides, the exact bracket assignments are supposed to be kept secret for now.”
The rumor that he would appear today had spread precisely because he was so renowned.
“I just hope he doesn’t show up this afternoon.”
Seo Ha-ryeong, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
“That’s right! The Alliance Leader is the Martial Arts Tournament champion. Shouldn’t his disciples be exempt from the preliminaries? Like you. Don’t tell me he’s not participating?”
“That’s unlikely.”
While it was difficult to determine which bracket the Wei Alliance Leader’s disciple was in, confirming his participation was relatively easy.
Besides, Gongsun Wol was here. It was certain that the Wei Alliance Leader’s disciple would appear today. If he weren’t coming, Gongsun Wol would know.
At that moment, Gongsun Wol suddenly turned around.
“The Alliance Leader has always required his disciples to pass the preliminaries themselves and advance to the main tournament.”
Gongsun Wol, who had briefly lowered her gaze, looked at me and continued.
“…He says that advancing through special privileges is unfair.”
And I was someone who had advanced through special privileges.
“….”
Hmm, what? Was she picking a fight with me right now?
Just as I, already burning with fighting spirit, was about to open my mouth, Seo Ha-ryeong beat me to it.
“What? Are you saying the Alliance Leader told Yeon that she advanced through special privileges?”
Seo Ha-ryeong’s voice was quite loud, and I felt the gazes of those seated nearby turn toward us.
“What kind of petty nonsense is an Alliance Leader spouting….”
Gongsun Wol looked startled and tried to stop Seo Ha-ryeong.
“Ha-ryeong, there’s no need to worry. It’s fine.”
“What? How can you not be angry hearing something like that? If you’re going to tell me to stay quiet, why did you even tell me in the first place?”
Gongsun Wol explained with an embarrassed expression, looking between Seo Ha-ryeong and me.
“Really, there’s no need to worry. Sigh. Why, when Seo So-jeo first entered the Headquarters, didn’t she have to wait in line?”
That incident had spread as gossip throughout the Murim Alliance. Seo Ha-ryeong had even mentioned hearing that rumor and learning of my arrival through it.
Gongsun Wol continued speaking.
“Because Seo So-jeo didn’t just pass through and actually waited in line, hardly anyone is paying attention to what the Alliance Leader said.”
“Really? Then that’s a relief. To be honest, I didn’t wait in line either when I came in.”
Seo Ha-ryeong laughed with an embarrassed expression, her shoulders shrinking slightly.
Soon after, the Buddhist Monk’s voice echoed across the Tournament Arena.
“Then let the preliminaries begin!”

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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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