The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 253

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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 253
“That’s right. I killed him. With the information you gave me.”
I closed my mouth.
After the coming-of-age ceremony, I had subtly withheld a few opportunities that Namgung Ryu-cheong should have obtained, instead informing him of the remaining ones.
I had thrown out the information with the mindset that he wouldn’t believe me anyway, but surprisingly, Namgung Ryu-cheong trusted my words.
“That’s enough. I have no intention of asking how you obtained that information now.”
“…Thank you.”
“Ah, there’s one thing I want to ask.”
“W-what is it?”
“Did you give this kind of information to anyone besides me?”
“Huh?”
“Did you treat anyone else so well besides me… or rather, did you give such information to anyone else?”
“No.”
Why would I give such information to anyone else?
I had given it to Namgung Ryu-cheong while bearing the great risk of revealing heavenly secrets.
The corners of Namgung Ryu-cheong’s mouth lifted ever so slightly.
“Then that’s all I need to know.”
“…”
“So, returning to the main point—the man I killed was indeed a disciple who inherited Saek-ma’s martial arts, but it seems he had no knowledge of this mountain manor’s existence. He didn’t even know how Saek-ma died.”
Wi Ji-baek, who had gone missing while carrying out a mission for the Murim Alliance, had accidentally set foot in this mountain manor. And it was there that he discovered a corpse that appeared to have been dead for a very long time.
That corpse was Mu Young Shin-tu, Saek-ma.
Though Saek-ma was dead, the power of his formation array was so formidable that despite the passage of countless years, the mountain manor remained intact.
‘Is this what they call an opportunity?’
Of all people, such an opportunity had to fall into the hands of someone like Wi Ji-baek.
Apart from the absence of living inhabitants, the mountain manor contained all the treasures Saek-ma had stolen throughout his life, along with elixirs and martial techniques, all perfectly preserved. And among them were divine martial arts and forbidden techniques.
Wi Ji-baek remained in this place and mastered the divine martial arts and forbidden techniques that Saek-ma had stolen, carefully selecting those that outsiders would never discover.
There were many elixirs, and since the mountain manor itself was constructed to aid cultivation, Wi Ji-baek was able to grow stronger rapidly.
And just as Wi Ji-baek was about to set this place ablaze and leave, he suddenly changed his mind and departed from the mountain manor as it was.
Later, after he had consolidated his power within the Murim Alliance, he recalled this place.
According to the Lady of the Lodge, Wi Ji-baek had boasted about all of this to the women here so openly that there was hardly anyone who didn’t know about it. Considering how meticulously he had kept secrets until now, it was almost laughable.
‘Perhaps he thought it didn’t matter since these were people who could never leave this place for the rest of their lives.’
His martial talent was certainly exceptional. Not everyone could become a supreme master of the realm with merely divine techniques and elixirs.
But what he did after becoming strong was merely…
“A madman.”
“I agree.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s expression was so cold it seemed frost would form upon it.
My guard muttered under his breath.
“Why would he do such things? What was he lacking?”
“How could a sane person ever understand the thoughts of a madman?”
There were a few reasons I could guess at.
Perhaps he was that sort of person from the beginning, or maybe Saek-ma had tampered with the martial techniques he’d mastered.
Or perhaps his training in this place had affected his mind in some way.
Yet no explanation could justify what he had done.
This unbelievable story aligned perfectly with Wi Ji-baek’s past.
Wi Ji-baek’s past was quite renowned.
Born into a humble family, Wi Ji-baek had vanished during a mission with the Murim Alliance as a low-ranking warrior. Then one day, he returned completely transformed.
With martial prowess that rivaled even the disciples of prestigious Orthodox Sects, he accumulated achievements and rose swiftly through the ranks of the Murim Alliance.
Eventually, he earned a place among the strongest under heaven and became the Murim Alliance Leader himself.
He was the strongest under heaven—a position that even prestigious Orthodox Sects could scarcely achieve despite their divine techniques and miraculous elixirs.
Yet Wi Ji-baek had suddenly emerged like a dragon rising from a gutter.
Many marveled at his ascent. Especially the low-ranking warriors of the Murim Alliance, who had been buffeted about, came to revere him.
But beneath all his brilliant glory lay this hideous secret.
* * *
We left the Lady of the Lodge and the wounded to receive treatment above, and descended underground with only those uninjured.
As we descended in silence for some time, Namgung Ryu-cheong finally spoke.
“Come to think of it, I’ve barely heard your story.”
“My story?”
“How did you learn of this Mountain Manor’s existence?”
I briefly explained the circumstances that had brought me here. And as I recounted the situation once more, I realized the reason Gongsun Wol had sent me to find this place.
“Gong-sun sent you here?”
“Yes.”
“What was she thinking, sending you to such a dangerous place…! What a reckless thing to do.”
I gazed intently at Namgung Ryu-cheong’s cold expression, wondering if his anger was genuine, then spoke.
“So you already knew that Gong-sun was aware of this Mountain Manor.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong paused for a moment, then pressed his lips firmly shut.
He seemed to be feigning composure, but what good would that do? I’d already seen through it.
“It was Gong-sun who provided the crucial information about the Wi Alliance Leader, wasn’t it?”
“….”
And Namgung Ryu-cheong, Uncle Namgung Wan, and the Namgung Clan had intended to handle this matter while the Wi Alliance Leader’s attention was diverted by the Martial Arts Tournament.
Gongsun Wol must have learned of Namgung Ryu-cheong’s disappearance only later.
‘And she would have been worried.’
So she decided to send me here as well.
I had told Gongsun Wol’s Subordinate earlier: if I were to die in this place, the Gongsun Family would not escape unscathed either. And that was one of Gongsun Wol’s calculated moves.
If anything happened to me, the Gongsun Family would inevitably be entangled, so they too had no choice but to hope for my safety.
In other words, even if the Wi Alliance Leader discovered the Namgung Clan’s movements and tried to silence them, there would be far too many factors to consider.
He would have to silence me here, the Baek Li Family, Gongsun Wol remaining at the Main Headquarters, and the Gongsun Family as well.
‘Entangling even her own family….’
I couldn’t tell if it was her affection for Namgung Ryu-cheong or a sense of justice that wouldn’t let this pass.
But I could see that Gongsun Wol had wagered much on this.
And.
‘…My father was alone, so he died so easily.’
That was when Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke.
“I didn’t do much.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t misunderstand. Gong-sun asked us for help first. I didn’t approach her on my own.”
Why are you telling me this?
“…Look, I wasn’t misunderstanding you.”
I hadn’t even said anything.
“I know.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong replied with a sly tone.
Why did it end up looking like I was the one asking for an explanation?
Besides, it wasn’t just Namgung Ryu-cheong and me in this place!
I turned to look behind me.
The people who had been watching with keen interest suddenly averted their eyes from my gaze and desperately pretended not to notice. Even my Guard was glaring at Namgung Ryu-cheong as if he were a thief.
“….”
I was exasperated and my anger surged, but Namgung Ryu-cheong remained remarkably composed.
He surveyed his surroundings with the same grave expression as always.
“The air has changed.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a strange smell.”
I couldn’t distinguish scents with natural sensitivity. Something felt slightly different from above, but I couldn’t discern it at this level.
“Oil.”
“…Oil?”
All I could smell was the musty odor of dust. Namgung Ryu-cheong was certainly more perceptive than me in this regard.
As we descended the suspicious underground staircase with no ventilation mechanism, a stone gate came into view.
The stone gate opened easily without much resistance. It was entirely different from the commotion that had occurred above.
We were greeted by numerous stacked boxes and empty shelves in a fairly spacious area. It appeared to be a storage room that once held something. Most of the boxes inside were empty.
After looking around a bit, I spotted large earthenware jars covered with plain cloth. They didn’t seem to be dangerous items.
A Namgung Warrior carefully removed the cloth and opened the jar.
“…Oil?”
“What is this?”
It was the source of the oil smell that Namgung Ryu-cheong had detected.
I examined the jars, then had someone open a box stacked nearby. The box I thought would naturally be empty contained black powder. Though not in large quantities.
“…Damn.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s expression matched mine.
Namgung Ryu-cheong gestured to the warriors.
“Get out of here immediately.”
“What? Why all of a sudden…?”
I shouted.
“They’re planning to burn this entire place down. We need to get out of here now!”
If I wasted time searching for an escape route, we’d only end up dying together in this place. Forget about formation techniques or anything else—I had to get out of this Mountain Manor first.
From the beginning, I had prepared everything so that all traces could be erased when a situation like this arose.

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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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