The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 237

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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 237
A young man with a radiant sword at his waist and an elegant yellow martial robe ascended slowly onto the Tournament Arena.
His face still bore the softness of youth, having only recently crossed into adulthood.
Yet the aura flowing from his entire being was extraordinarily exceptional for his age.
Wi Gu-jung didn’t glance around or examine his opponents. Instead, he stared ahead with a bored expression, showing no trace of tension whatsoever.
“What perfect timing! I’ve noticed more lower-ranked disciples showing up today!”
The spectators’ faces brightened with anticipation.
However, the moment they heard the name Wi Gu-jung, some faces drained of color entirely.
All those who had already ascended to the arena or were called up wore expressions as if they’d seen a ghost.
Some stared blankly at the sky as though already resigned to defeat, while others trembled uncontrollably.
‘It’s over.’
There wasn’t even a skilled opponent worth facing Wi Gu-jung.
Soon the final participant climbed onto the arena, and the High-ranking Monk shouted.
“Then let us begin!”
The moment the words left his mouth.
Kwaaaaaaang!
A sword flashed out like a beam of light, and a thunderous roar struck the arena. Ordinary spectators couldn’t even see the blade being drawn.
As dust clouds filled the arena, the crowd erupted in chaos.
“What, what is it?”
“I can’t see!”
“What’s happening?”
Shadows flickered within the dust cloud, and dull sounds echoed across the arena.
Thud! Crash— Ugh! Hack! Argh!
Brief cries of pain followed in succession.
Moments later, the dust cloud settled. And now only one person stood on the arena.
All nine opponents lay outside the arena. Though some appeared unconscious, the complete absence of blood suggested no one was seriously injured.
Silence. Then the Spectator Stands erupted in unified cheers.
Waaaaaaaaaaa!
“Wi Gu-jung! Wi Gu-jung!”
Though they had cheered at the start, it was incomparably louder now. The ground itself seemed to tremble.
“The victor: Wi Gu-jung of the Wi Cheon Geom Sect!”
Even after the match ended, Wi Gu-jung showed no change from when he’d begun. His expression remained the same, his sword returned to his waist—only his robes were slightly disheveled.
Amid the tremendous roar and cheers, Wi Gu-jung descended from the arena with an unmoved expression.
“How did he win? I… I couldn’t even see properly. How did he defeat nine people at once!”
Seo Ha-ryeong, startled, had even risen to her feet.
“He deliberately raised the dust cloud. To conceal his martial techniques. By blocking his opponents’ vision simultaneously, he ended the match swiftly.”
I glanced at Namgung Ryu-cheong.
And in that instant, I barely suppressed a laugh that nearly burst forth.
Wi Gu-jung’s expression was unmoved? There was another person here with that exact same expression!
‘Haha, I have a feeling Ryu-cheong would look exactly the same if he stepped onto that stage.’
I continued speaking, using Seo Ha-ryeong’s exclamation as a backdrop.
“The fifth one couldn’t even draw his sword before he fell.”
It was an utterly overwhelming victory.
To the spectators, as the dust cloud rose and settled, it appeared as though everyone had vanished from the Tournament Arena. The impression was vivid enough to be seared into their minds.
‘Now I understand why the Wi Alliance Leader places such expectations on him. His skills are certainly impressive.’
I rested my chin in my hand and watched the participants leaving the Tournament Arena, some requiring support.
However, there was a reason Wi Gu-jung could achieve such a dominant victory. His group was composed of particularly weak fighters.
‘I knew there was some manipulation involved, but to resort to it even in the preliminaries?’
Whether Wi Gu-jung was aware of this fact or not remained uncertain, but this match was nothing short of a carefully orchestrated performance.
Of course, there were variations in skill between groups. But nothing to this extreme.
Among all the preliminary participants who had competed so far, there was no one capable of standing against Wi Gu-jung. He would have won regardless, so why resort to such tactics?
The answer was simple. To etch an overwhelming impression into everyone’s minds.
It was to steal the attention that Namgung Ryu-cheong continued to command with his dominant preliminary performance.
Martial sects and clans wielded power differently. In the martial world, power originated from martial prowess itself.
But if there was no suitable successor to carry on the legacy?
Then they would calculate and compare where to place their bets, moving the beads of their abacus accordingly.
Regardless of how capable the Wi Alliance Leader himself might be.
In that sense, Wi Gu-jung was certainly a formidable talent.
But it was futile.
If this were the Namgung Ryu-cheong from before my regression, perhaps. But the current Namgung Ryu-cheong was far stronger than at this point in the past.
‘There are no major variables.’
I had worried whether something might have changed, but now that I had confirmed it, that was enough.
Seo Ha-ryeong, who had been making a fuss about how impressive Wi Gu-jung was, turned to look at Namgung Ryu-cheong.
“Don’t you have anything to say? You’ve barely reacted.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong answered indifferently.
“About what?”
“You’ve been so quiet since earlier. Did you lose your words because you were so shocked? Hmm?”
Seo Ha-ryeong spoke in a teasing, playful manner.
But despite her provocation, Namgung Ryu-cheong remained apathetic. If anything, he seemed cold.
“Making a fuss over nothing. It’s not that impressive.”
…He noticed it too.
From his reaction, Namgung Ryu-cheong had also detected that Wi Gu-jung’s group had been manipulated.
For all his talk, Namgung Ryu-cheong was someone who acknowledged strong opponents. His competitive spirit was fierce. But he showed absolutely no interest in Wi Gu-jung.
‘He’s not even worth his attention.’
However, Seo Ha-ryeong hadn’t noticed that Wi Gu-jung’s group had been tampered with. Perhaps because of this, she seemed genuinely offended by Namgung Ryu-cheong’s words.
“How would you know? Is there anyone who meets your standards?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke in his usual manner, seemingly unaware that he had hurt her feelings.
“I’m just stating facts. What I mean is that he’s not impressive enough to warrant the reaction you’re giving.”
“Well, I’m just stating facts too, aren’t I? There’s no one who meets your standards, is there? You’re always looking down on everyone like that.”
Only then did Namgung Ryu-cheong sense something amiss, and he raised his eyebrows.
“…What are you doing, Seo Ha-ryeong?”
“What do you mean? Did I say something wrong?”
I hurried to interject into the conversation.
“Wait, please calm down….”
I hadn’t even finished speaking.
“That’s quite an excessive thing to say, isn’t it?”
I sighed inwardly.
‘Not another provocation?’
This was already the second time.
The voice belonged to a nearby preliminary contestant—his face was familiar. He was the young man I’d thought resembled a peacock earlier.
The other preliminary contestants sitting with him looked flustered. Some tried to stop him, but it was useless.
“What makes you so great that you dismiss the skills of the Wei Prince, who performed so brilliantly in the preliminaries? Ah, is it natural because you’re from the Namgung Clan?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s expression roughly translated to: what is this fool talking about? It was an entirely unexpected provocation from his perspective.
Gongsun Wol gestured toward the warriors guarding the Tournament Arena. With Hwangbo Chan, there had been no one to stop it, so the fight had escalated, but now we were in the middle of the preliminaries.
“What’s going on over there!”
The young man continued regardless.
“A man without shame, surrounded by women and basking in their admiration—how pathetic.”
“….”
Who exactly was admiring him? I had my suspicions, but now it was confirmed. Jealousy.
Namgung Ryu-cheong had simply been caught in the crossfire. And then that spark had hit me too.
“And the other one—advancing to the main tournament on her father’s glory—acting so superior.”
Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t sudden. I’d felt his hostile gaze ever since I couldn’t sit with Seo Ha-ryeong because of him.
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s expression, which had been only slightly irritated, had turned cold, and Gongsun Wol was trying to calm him down.
Well, I’d been in a foul mood anyway, so this was convenient.
I spoke to the young man with a mocking smile.
“How curious. I don’t even know your name, yet you eavesdrop on private conversations. Is that your usual taste—something so sinister?”
“…What, what did you say?”
“Don’t tell me you’re acting this shamefully because Ha-ryeong rejected your invitation to sit together?”
The young man’s face flushed red, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly.
Regardless of the commotion in the stands, the next participants were climbing into the Tournament Arena as the previous match concluded.
Sensing the movement, I glanced toward the arena without much thought—and suddenly froze.
At that moment, the young man shouted.
“Shameful?! You’re the shameful one! A cripple in martial arts who advanced through privilege, yet you have the audacity to act so confident—what a talent!”
With the continued commotion, people in the surrounding stands were watching us instead of the Tournament Arena.
I brushed my hair behind my ear and stood up.
As I rose, the young man, still seated, flinched and retreated slightly.
“Privilege?”
I walked toward the young man.
“My father won fairly and squarely. This privilege symbolizes my father’s victory—my actions are simply the result of that.”
I swept my gaze across all the eyes fixed on me. Standing straight, I spoke firmly.
“And I have the confidence to prove it in the main tournament.”

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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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