The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 312

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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 6
Hyeol Seong-gun gazed at me with gleaming, covetous eyes.
“Baek Li-yeon, so we finally meet face to face.”
In that instant, gasps erupted from all directions.
“What?!”
“Baek Li-yeon? The Baek Li-yeon of the Baek Li Family?”
Hyeol Seong-gun’s gaze shifted, looking past me.
“And someone from the Namgung Family as well.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong had positioned himself beside me without warning.
The Muyang Escort Agency members who caught sight of Namgung Ryu-cheong wore expressions of utter shock.
Hyeol Seong-gun chuckled darkly and continued.
“How foolish. Had you died from a single arrow, you might have closed your eyes in peace, unaware of your own demise. Instead, you’ve only prolonged your suffering!”
I burst into laughter.
I spoke to those who stared at me as if I were mad.
“So, does reframing a failed ambush in such a way make you feel better?”
Clap, clap, clap!
The sound of applause echoed far and wide through the night sky.
“Impressive, truly impressive. One must possess such eloquent excuses to serve as the Demonic Cult’s military commander.”
Hyeol Seong-gun’s expression turned glacial.
“You forget your place.”
I exhaled with exasperation.
“Ah, I’m so tired of this. Don’t you people get vacations? Now that Cheon-ma is gone, why not take some rest? I could use a break myself.”
Hyeol Seong-gun, eyes narrowed to slits, spoke with icy indifference, as if I were beneath further consideration.
“You lack all courtesy. Fear not. Today, you’ll rest forever. Fire!”
Arrows that the Demonic Cult remnants had been drawing taut behind Hyeol Seong-gun scattered through the air.
A sigh escaped, and I heard Namgung Ryu-cheong’s voice.
“Baek Li-yeon, did you really have to provoke him like that?”
“Well, that old fool was complaining that you protected me!”
That was unbearable.
Our exchange was brief.
I had already prepared. Gathering natural energy around me like a vortex, the arrows that had been flying skyward suddenly reversed direction, hurtling back the way they came.
Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk!
The arrows rained down upon the Demonic Cult remnants.
“Gack!”
“Ahhh!”
Screams erupted.
Yet the damage was less than I anticipated. The foremost Demonic Cult remnants, as if they had prepared in advance, raised massive shields to block the arrows.
It was the same around Hyeol Seong-gun.
Five masters, each radiating power at least equal to Namgung Ryu-cheong’s, surrounded Hyeol Seong-gun without a gap. Every arrow shattered before it could draw near.
“The Heavenly Demon’s divine technique, indeed.”
Hyeol Seong-gun gazed at me with covetous eyes.
I responded with casual mockery.
“How futile.”
Yet Hyeol Seong-gun merely laughed with satisfaction and shouted.
“Keep firing! With that one’s stamina, she won’t last long!”
Ah… he was right.
I couldn’t possibly deflect this endless barrage of arrows. Each time I used my technique, I felt my energy drain catastrophically. That’s why I’d deliberately stepped forward with false confidence—
As expected of the Demonic Cult’s commander, his tactical mind was sharp.
‘He understands my abilities well.’
The moment arrows once again blanketed the sky, Namgung Ryu-cheong carved through the Demonic Cult’s remnants.
Thud, thud.
With thunderous force, a dozen bodies crashed to the ground in the blink of an eye.
Though Namgung Ryu-cheong’s assault through the archers’ formation disrupted their formation, it was only temporary. At Hyeol Seong-gun’s gesture, two masters positioned nearby moved to intercept him.
The Pyo Sa fighters joined the fray, but they were simply outnumbered.
The opposing masters weren’t merely Hyeol Seong-gun’s personal guards. While weaker than his elite escort, they were more than capable of handling the Pyo Sa fighters.
If I focused solely on defending myself, I could endure and even slip away from this situation. The same applied to Namgung Ryu-cheong.
But if we abandoned this place, the Muyang Escort Agency would be annihilated.
‘There’s no choice.’
I swallowed my sigh, parted the arrows with a leap, and in one fluid motion drew something from my sleeve before landing atop a carriage roof.
I infused my inner energy into my voice.
“Everyone, look here!”
“All of you, stop!”
At Hyeol Seong-gun’s thunderous command, the arrows halted mid-flight.
I dangled the object I held before them.
“Commander Hyeol Seong-gun, what do you make of this?”
It was a thin piece of silk, roughly a palm’s width and a foot in length.
Hyeol Seong-gun’s complexion shifted, his gaze riveted to the silk.
So I was right.
I smiled knowingly.
“It struck me as odd. Cheon-ma’s treasure, they say, yet clearly it holds value beyond mere expensive collectibles. So why launch such an assault for costly treasures? The Demonic Cult shouldn’t have fallen into poverty either.”
If money were the goal, there were countless other targets besides the Muyang Escort Agency, who had already repelled one attack.
Then was it loyalty driving a desire to capture and kill me? That made no sense either.
I’d only broken free from the Reverse Cultivation Technique days ago. My father doesn’t even know where I am—how could they have known my location and stationed forces in advance?
Or did that man from the Iron Bow recognize me and assemble this entire force in such a short span?
Has the Martial Arts Alliance been decimated? They’re watching with bloodshot eyes to apprehend the Demonic Cult’s remnants, yet they assembled this force in an instant?
My suspicions deepened, and the moment I saw Hyeol Seong-gun, certainty crystallized.
Hyeol Seong-gun blinded by revenge and loyalty? Impossible!
The objective was neither money nor me.
Cheon-ma’s treasure.
Something crucial lay hidden within it.
After treating Namgung Ryu-cheong, I examined Cheon-ma’s treasure from inside the moving carriage. But just as Hak Jin-pyeong had claimed, it was nothing but a collection of ornamental objects. Wine cups, dishes, trays, incense burners, mirrors—all glittering with gold like ceremonial offerings gathered in one place.
When I thought this couldn’t be it, I discovered a small golden box with elaborate patterns in relief. I opened it, but the interior, lined with crimson silk, was empty.
I gazed at the silk and spoke.
“I found a golden box with twin dragons and four legs. The lid looked a bit suspicious to me.”
Hyeol Seong-gun’s complexion changed. It seemed even his last doubts had been swept away.
When I twisted the lid open with force—Hak Jin-pyeong couldn’t bring himself to stop me, though he looked ready to weep—a piece of silk emerged from the revealed space.
It was made of the same material as the crimson silk that decorated the interior of the golden box. Though its form differed, my first impression was similar to the Cheonma Jibo. Yet it didn’t seem to possess any particular function.
And unlike the Cheonma Jibo, there were characters written on it, though I couldn’t read them at all.
According to Namgung Ryu-cheong, it appeared to be Sanskrit—what we call Brahmic script here. Unfortunately, even Namgung Ryu-cheong couldn’t read it.
“Attack where the enemy has no defenses, advance where the enemy least expects. It’s the fundamental principle of warfare. And yet you call yourself a general and don’t know this basic tenet? The moment your initial ambush failed, it was already over.”
But Hyeol Seong-gun showed no panic, instead laughing with overflowing confidence.
“Hahaha! So what do you intend to do about it? Do you think you can negotiate with me using that? If so, I’ll have to reassess you. You’ve seen the Cheonma Jibo directly, so you should know. It cannot be damaged by any method. Eternal and immortal! Only the Demonic Way is eternal.”
These pseudo-religious fanatics, truly.
I couldn’t speak to their loyalty toward the Cult Leader, but one thing was certain—they were utterly mad.
I nodded and spoke.
“That’s right. The Cheonma Jibo couldn’t be burned by ordinary fire. That’s why the Murim Alliance couldn’t destroy it and could only keep it sealed away. I know this better than anyone.”
At my composed demeanor, Hyeol Seong-gun’s laughter gradually ceased.
He had sensed something amiss.
I continued.
“But here’s the thing… I wonder if it can withstand the Samadhi True Flame I can produce after absorbing the Cheonma Jibo?”
The frenzied laughter stopped abruptly.
I felt suspicion crystallizing in his gleaming eyes.
“Shall we run an experiment?”
“…”
“At the very least, it seems like it could withstand it until this turns to ash and cinders.”
After a long silence, Hyeol Seong-gun finally spoke.
“What is it that you want?”
Perfect.
Indeed, this object that had kept Hyeol Seong-gun hidden until now, compelling him to reveal himself personally, was something he couldn’t risk losing even one chance in ten thousand.
“Let those people go.”
I gestured with my head toward those behind me.
“After all, it’s just this one thing you want, isn’t it?”
Hak Jin-pyeong cried out in shock.
“Baek Dae-hyup! No, Baek Li… uh, Baek, Baek…”
“Call me Baek Li Dae-hyup. Didn’t I tell you? If I compete in the Martial Arts Tournament, I’ll be the champion.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong stared at me with wide eyes, as if asking whether I really wanted to joke at a time like this.
But if not now, when could I ever do it…!
Just then, Wang Jang-go cried out.
“Baek Li Dae-hyup! How could we just… ! That’s impossible! We cannot!”
I answered coldly.
“That’s enough. Leave now. Your presence only hinders us. Can’t you see the situation? Look at who’s been helping whom this whole time. This is exactly why I didn’t want you coming along.”
In the end, Hak Jin-pyeong abandoned all the treasures and mounted his horse with only Jaeng Ja-su and Pyo Sa.
As the Muyang Escort Agency members hesitated before the scattered remnants of the Demonic Cult, Hyeol Seong-gun gestured dismissively.
The Demonic Cult remnants parted ranks in perfect unison, then swiftly reformed their formation the moment the escort agency disappeared from view.
“Well, I’ve sent them off as promised.”
I watched them disappear beyond the horizon.
Hyeol Seong-gun spoke.
“Do you intend to keep doing this?”
“….”
“Scheming won’t help. You know better than anyone that we can’t leave that Namgung wretch as he is.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong tried not to show it, but I could feel his breathing becoming slightly uneven.
“Ryu-cheong, are you alright?”
“Of course.”
I lifted the corners of my mouth slightly as I spoke.
“You’re right. We can’t keep going like this.”
In that moment.
A flutter of silk. The Sammaejinhwa bloomed in my hand, and the fabric began to ignite from its edges.

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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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