The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 307

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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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Side Story Episode 1
1. Aftermath
We sent word to the family and wandered without destination, drifting freely through mountains and rivers, indulging in culinary delights along the way.
Even now, we led our horses forward with no particular place in mind.
“Ryu-cheong, do you have somewhere in mind?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s answer came back.
“What about the sea?”
“The sea?”
“Yes. Have you ever been?”
“Never.”
The Baek Li Estate lay inland, quite distant from the sea. There was no reason to venture there unless one made it a destination. All the entanglements I had faced thus far had occurred inland.
I pondered for a moment, then decided it best to be precise and added:
“In this life.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong turned to look at me.
“…So you’re saying you went in your previous life?”
“Yes.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s expression stiffened slightly, but I was too lost in old memories to notice.
“After Father passed away….”
“That’s enough.”
“What?”
“You don’t need to tell me.”
“Ah, I see. It probably wouldn’t be very interesting to you anyway.”
I laughed while scratching my head.
Then Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke with a noticeably stiffened expression.
“…That’s not what I meant. You can tell me if you want. I just… meant there’s no need to go into detail….”
Watching the flustered Namgung Ryu-cheong, I burst into laughter.
“I understand. I understand.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong finally relaxed. I gestured for him to come closer. Then, rising slightly in the saddle, I reached out and placed my hand against his cheek. The warmth of his skin seeped into my palm.
I could see the tendons standing out on the back of Namgung Ryu-cheong’s hand as he gripped the reins tightly. He spoke with flustered eyes.
“We’re on the road….”
“So what? There’s no one around.”
“It’s dangerous on horseback…”
I tilted my head….
And lightly pressed my lips to his, curving my mouth into a smile.
“What did you think I was going to do?”
“….”
Namgung Ryu-cheong shot me a slightly indignant look before gripping the reins and moving ahead first.
I burst into laughter, hunching over in my saddle.
“Ahahaha!”
Truth be told, I was rather pleased that Namgung Ryu-cheong didn’t want to hear about it.
I had no desire to witness his sorrow as he listened to my tragic past, nor did I wish to hear his pity.
When my father passed away and I fled the Baek Li Estate, I saw the sea for the first time.
There was nothing particularly special about choosing to hide near the sea as my destination. Hunan Province, where the Baek Li Estate was located, lay near the heart of the Central Plains, and I wanted to escape as far as possible.
But with my meager martial skills, there were few places I could actually reach.
The northwest held Xinjiang, where the Demonic Cult’s headquarters stood, so it was naturally out of the question. The southwest was plagued by epidemics and remained largely undeveloped, little more than dense forest. The northeast was locked in constant warfare due to invasions from foreign tribes.
I wanted to live, not die. So I turned toward the southeast, the region known as Min-nam.
‘Come to think of it, those searching for me probably thought the same way. Where would a woman with no martial training possibly hide?’
Of course, the most important thing was that I never anticipated anyone would actually come looking for me.
I followed behind Namgung Ryu-cheong and spoke with a hint of laughter in my voice.
“So where are we going? To the sea?”
“You’ve already been there.”
“I don’t mind going again.”
I was about to add that this would be my first time going with him, when—
Namgung Ryu-cheong suddenly pulled hard on the reins and stopped. I mirrored his action as though we had made a silent pact.
The deep mountain range was quiet, filled only with the sound of wind, the snorting of horses, and birdsong.
I grasped the hilt of my sword lightly and assumed a ready stance, while Namgung Ryu-cheong silently leaped from his horse and crouched low to the ground.
A moment later, Namgung Ryu-cheong remounted and kicked his horse’s belly. Both horses galloped forward along the path.
Before long, we discovered signs of battle and several corpses that appeared to be laborers.
The scent of blood still hung thick in the air. The incident had occurred not long ago.
After examining the bodies, Namgung Ryu-cheong and I exchanged glances. We understood we shared the same thoughts without needing to speak.
With grim expressions, we remounted and followed the chaotic footprints and wheel tracks.
As we pursued the trail, the number of corpses increased steadily. Shattered cargo carriages came into view, and we could see roughly fifty people locked in combat.
Blades clashed with brilliant flashes, and shouts and screams erupted from all directions. It appeared a merchant caravan was under attack by bandits.
The caravan was severely outnumbered, and the casualties were already mounting.
We quickly located what appeared to be the bandit leader among those creating this slaughter.
The bandit leader also noticed our approach. He shouted something to those around him, drew the bow from his back, and nocked an arrow onto his massive iron bow with fluid grace before drawing the string taut.
Boom—!
With a sound like a cannon firing, the arrow’s trajectory bent sharply.
Namgung Ryu-cheong, who had drawn his sword in the meantime, deflected the arrow aimed at him. The deflected shaft flew straight into the forest to the left, tearing a hole the size of a human head through the upper trunk of a tree.
The tremendous noise and its devastating result caused those engaged in combat to pause mid-strike.
Only the man wielding the iron bow remained composed. He slightly adjusted his aim and fired directly at me.
Whoosh—!
Most couldn’t even track the arrow’s flight.
I spurred my horse forward, leaped into the air, and twisted my body. By the time I landed, the incoming arrow was gripped firmly in my hand.
‘Iron arrows.’
The shaft was forged entirely of iron, from tip to fletching.
The man’s eyes widened, his face contorting like a demon’s.
“You…!”
In that instant, Namgung Ryu-cheong, who had closed the distance to the man’s face, swung his jade-colored blade toward him.
* * *
“They’re fleeing!”
The bandits abandoned their fallen comrades and the corpses of the dead, scattering into the mountains. The man who had fired the crossbow also managed to escape, though Namgung Ryu-cheong’s blade had wounded him.
Namgung Ryu-cheong and I made no attempt to pursue them.
The moment the bandits vanished from sight, everyone collapsed to the ground.
More than half of the escort agency members appeared to be dead, and most of those who survived bore severe injuries.
Groans echoed from all directions. Even those with lighter wounds trembled uncontrollably, having barely escaped death’s threshold.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘I said nothing unusual had happened in a while.’
Someone shouted from a distance.
“Those who can stand, get up! Move the severely wounded onto the cargo carriages! If there’s no space, abandon the goods! We need to leave this place as quickly as possible. Move!”
He calmed those around him before approaching us.
His clothes were torn as if from fierce combat, drenched in blood.
The man seemed slightly startled upon seeing Namgung Ryu-cheong, but he froze when his gaze fell upon me.
‘Oh no.’
Now that I thought about it, Namgung Ryu-cheong and I had deactivated our disguise technique when we entered the mountain path today.
Maintaining the disguise technique throughout our long journey by constantly touching my face was exhausting work.
‘Could he have recognized me?’
If he were a martial artist of the Jianghu, he might have.
The man quickly clasped his hands together and bowed his head.
“Thank you, great masters. Without you two, we would all have perished by these bandits’ blades and crossed into the afterlife. You are our saviors. How can I ever repay such a debt?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong offered no polite deflections about it being unnecessary or that anyone would have helped. He simply nodded lightly, a gesture that resembled a masterpiece painting.
‘That face is truly extraordinary.’
Such composure looked not arrogant but magnificent. Namgung Ryu-cheong should forever be grateful to his mother and father for bestowing such features upon him.
The man continued speaking.
“I am Wang Jang-go, an escort master of the Muyang Escort Agency.”
An escort master was someone employed by an escort agency, which protected and transported goods and people. They had been ambushed during an escort mission.
I turned my gaze from Namgung Ryu-cheong’s face and spoke to Wang Jang-go.
“An escort master, I see. I am Baek Yeon, and this is Nam Cheong.”
These were aliases using only the first and last characters of our real names.
I observed Wang Jang-go’s reaction carefully.
“Master Baek and Master Nam, I am deeply indebted to you both once again.”
Good—he had not recognized me. He had simply been startled by Namgung Ryu-cheong’s appearance.
Namgung Ryu-cheong asked quietly.
“Might we hear what happened?”
Wang Jang-go spoke with a pained expression, looking at his fallen comrades.
“I’m not entirely certain myself. This mountain stronghold was normally a place where we could pass through without incident if we paid the usual toll. But suddenly…”
I interrupted Wang Jang-go’s words.
“That’s because they aren’t bandits.”
“Pardon?”
Wang Jang-go’s expression shifted to one of shock.
I studied Wang Jang-go’s expression carefully before speaking.
“Surely bandits couldn’t possibly wield martial techniques that require such a bow?”
I flicked the arrow embedded in the ground with my toe, catching it as it flew up. Unlike ordinary arrows, it possessed a substantial weight that was immediately apparent. An average person wouldn’t be able to carry more than a few of them.
Spears, swords, and broadswords were perfectly adequate for banditry.
Yet iron bow techniques—difficult to master and far from a common weapon?
“Don’t you have any idea what this means?”
“….”
Wang Jang-go fell silent, clearly flustered.
I waited for his response, then nodded knowingly and spoke.
“If you have nothing to say, we shall take our leave. I wish you the best of fortune.”
I pulled on the reins and glanced back at Namgung Ryu-cheong.
We understood each other without words.
Just as Namgung Ryu-cheong nodded and took a few steps forward behind me.
“Wait, please wait, Great Master!”
Wang Jang-go rushed forward and desperately blocked our path.
“I, I will tell you. Please, could you follow me for a moment?”
I narrowed my eyes as I regarded Wang Jang-go, then tilted my head slightly in a gesture for him to lead on.

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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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