The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 250

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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 250
Black garments with only their eyes exposed, weapons hanging from their waists. They were suspicious martial artists of unknown affiliation.
The Black-Robed Attendants examined the surrounding traces much like we did.
“There are traces here!”
“They appear to be about a day or two old.”
The Black-Robed Attendant who seemed to be their leader confirmed the traces and spoke to those gathered.
“Not a single ant must escape from this place. No matter what happens. Do you understand!”
“Yes!”
“Everyone should be familiar with the precautions. We’re going in.”
That’s when one of the Black-Robed Attendants who had been surveying the area interjected.
“Unit Leader!”
Unit Leader? Upon hearing that title, I had a strange feeling that this Black-Robed Attendant might be someone I knew.
It was the moment I tried to examine the Black-Robed Attendant more carefully.
“These traces appear to be quite recent.”
They were our traces.
Cold sweat broke out involuntarily.
“Where do they lead?”
“They suddenly end here.”
“…Then they must have entered the formation. We’re going in as well.”
With those words, the Black-Robed Attendants entered the formation.
The moment their presence faded into the distance, my companions and I, who had been hiding, exhaled the breath we’d been holding. And without speaking, we all exchanged glances. No words were needed—our intentions were clear.
And so we too followed them into the formation.
* * *
Crunch. A small pile of stones stacked like a tower crumbled.
I brushed the stone fragments from my palm and moved forward.
The formation was quite intricate. It was designed to disorient direction and cause one to wander endlessly through the surroundings.
In the deep mountain range where no path existed, the terrain was extraordinarily treacherous. When one deployed lightness of step to ascend slopes as steep as cliffs, sudden precipices would appear. One careless misstep would cost a life.
Breaking through such a formation layered atop naturally confusing terrain would ordinarily be extraordinarily difficult.
‘Of course, it was possible for me.’
After walking for quite some time, we finally came face to face with the identity of the hidden secret.
“What in the world is this…”
I heard the bewildered Guard’s words escape unbidden.
I understood. And rightly so, for I too was awestruck by the sight unfolding before my eyes.
Across the valley lay a manor of such grand and magnificent scale that its very existence in these mountains seemed unbelievable—a mountain manor.
Emerging from the clouds that enveloped the mountain, the manor was eerily serene and beautiful. It appeared almost like the dwelling place of immortals.
Gongsun Wol’s Subordinate murmured as if speaking to himself.
“We searched countless times and never found it… how did we discover it so easily this time…”
I cut off his words and spoke.
“So this secret hideout must contain secrets that the Wi Alliance Leader wants to conceal, right?”
At my words, those whose attention had been fixed on the manor suddenly snapped back to focus.
I continued speaking.
“It doesn’t look like a place that merely Wi Alliance Leader could have built.”
And it was true. It didn’t appear to be a place that Wi Ji-baek alone could have constructed.
‘A mountain manor of this scale hidden in such a deep mountain valley?’
I couldn’t fathom how many years it must have taken to build this place. And the formation techniques concealing it…
Wi Ji-baek was a master of formation techniques to this degree? I’d never heard such a thing.
Even if I generously assumed he’d received help from others, could he have built something like this while evading the eyes of other sects? It was simply impossible.
I adjusted my robes and glanced at Gongsun Wol’s Subordinate with urgency.
The air was quite chilly. The mountain sun set quickly, and dusk was already falling as we wandered through the formation techniques.
Gongsun Wol’s Subordinate opened his mouth.
“There have been several disappearance cases within the Murim Alliance. Including the case you discovered, Miss.”
“Hmm?”
“Most of the missing persons were of lowly status with no connections.”
I furrowed my brow.
A dismal picture naturally formed in my mind.
“Furthermore, it wasn’t just within the Murim Alliance. There were other victims in various places outside it.”
“There were victims outside the Murim Alliance?”
“Yes. The victims outside the Murim Alliance ranged from ordinary commoners to people of various statuses. And…”
“And?”
“And they were all women.”
“…”
“…”
A chilling silence settled over us.
I smoothed my brow and slowly opened my mouth.
“So… is this what I think it is? The disappeared missing persons in that mountain manor—the vanished women—they’re there?”
“Yes.”
“And this is Wi Alliance Leader’s secret hideout?”
“Yes.”
“So the person who kidnapped the women is Wi Alliance Leader?”
“…Yes.”
“Wow.”
A sigh escaped me. Was I really talking about someone from the Orthodox Path?
I knew well that Wi Ji-baek had a weakness for women.
The Jianghu was a world where the strong ruled supreme.
Regardless of my feelings, people were willing to overlook such romantic escapades from someone of Wi Ji-baek’s caliber—one of the ten strongest under heaven. As long as he conducted himself within legal bounds according to his abilities, there was nothing I could do about it.
But kidnapping? The Murim Alliance Leader of the Orthodox Path was committing such atrocities?
How was this any different from the notorious Demonic Cult members?
This was not something to overlook.
“Why on earth? What would drive him to commit such acts?”
Even as I spoke, all the circumstances fell into place like puzzle pieces fitting together.
‘Now that I think about it, most of those rescued from Heukssi and brought to the Murim Alliance were women….’
Particularly, they had taken mostly older women to the Murim Alliance. It was something I had passed over without much thought at the time.
A chill ran down my spine.
‘From back then… or was this something they were planning even then?’
I couldn’t tell when they had started doing such things.
Most of those kidnapped by the Murim Alliance were likely people in similar circumstances to those rescued from Heukssi. People with nothing, nowhere to go, and no abilities.
They were too busy scraping by day to day with menial work. Even if their disappearances were noticed, there would be no one to search for them earnestly.
Those who had connections through my father and Yeon were fortunate. They could ask the White Tiger Unit to search for them.
Considering my father’s character, he would not have ignored this fact when he learned of it.
‘He would do his utmost to investigate.’
If Gongsun Wol had uncovered this much, my father would quickly discover everything if he set his mind to it. All of Wi Ji-baek’s filthy deeds.
“…So that’s why.”
The reason Wi Ji-baek suddenly began framing my father after the Demonic Cult’s attack.
“He was terrified my father would uncover this, so he hastily drove him away. Isn’t that right?”
“….”
Gongsun Wol’s Subordinate bowed his head apologetically.
Of course, there was also the need to shift responsibility for the Demonic Cult’s attack onto someone.
But I could instinctively sense that this reason was equally important.
I continued speaking.
“And you demoted the White Tiger Unit members to insignificant posts.”
All the members of the White Tiger Unit, an elite special force, were scattered to the winds.
I had thought it was merely personnel retaliation, but it was more than that. It was to ensure the White Tiger Unit members would have no time to concern themselves with this matter.
And memories of the past came flooding back like a broken dam. It was when I had realized this place was a novel and lost consciousness, then regained it.
“Namgung Prince, do you perhaps know what my father was doing when he passed away…?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong answered with a pained expression.
“I apologize. I don’t know the exact details either.”
“Please tell me whatever you do know. I’m begging you.”
“…From what I could gather, I believed it was a mission for the Murim Alliance, but in fact, it seems he was investigating something separately. As for what that was… I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
And the person from the Murim Alliance who had sought me out during the funeral.
“So you are Ui-gang’s daughter. You bear a striking resemblance to your father—quite lovely indeed. To lose your father at such a young age, how unfortunate.”
“Did your father perhaps say anything to you before he left home?”
“Something about what he was going to do, or that he was investigating something?”
What had I answered then?
“My father and I were not on good terms… He only said he was going on a mission….”
I had muttered vaguely like that.
After returning, I had tried to investigate my father’s death in various ways. But how could I investigate something that hadn’t happened yet? Moreover, after learning of my father’s physical condition, I naturally assumed that alone was the cause.
Then I heard the Guard shouting.
“You brought the young lady to such a dangerous place?! Miss, you must leave at once. If you’re discovered….”
“What, are they going to try to kill me?”
The Guard clamped his mouth shut like a clam, then opened it again.
“It’s dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to go back and request additional forces from the family….”
“You’re right.”
I turned to face the Guard, whose complexion had taken on a flushed hue, and continued.
“Go back and contact the Baek Li Estate.”
“Miss?”
“I need to go inside and see for myself.”
“Miss!”

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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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