The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 319

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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 13
Baek Li Pae-hyuk sighed toward Baek Li-ui-gang and spoke.
“Sigh, fine. Yes. Since they’re so fond of each other, let’s just marry them off quickly and see many grandchildren. This would be… good for both of them too.”
Yet even as he spoke, his mouth tasted bitter.
Wait, hold on. Now that I think about it, isn’t it my own granddaughter whose body will suffer from bearing children?
At this thought, I found myself wondering if beating that scoundrel to death might be the cleanest solution after all.
Baek Li Pae-hyuk muttered under his breath.
“If only he’d meet with some unfortunate accident… that would be nice.”
“…”
It was at that very moment that Baek Li-yeon, summoned by Baek Li Pae-hyuk’s call, arrived at the study room—and happened to hear exactly that.
Baek Li-yeon burst through the door and cried out.
“No, Grandfather! Father! What on earth are you saying!”
Baek Li Pae-hyuk cleared his throat awkwardly and averted his gaze, while Baek Li-ui-gang opened his mouth half a beat too late.
“…Your father said nothing.”
Baek Li Pae-hyuk stared at Baek Li-ui-gang with wide eyes.
“I never knew you possessed such cunning skill!”
Baek Li Pae-hyuk thought to himself.
Seeing such a slippery attitude, what upright character? It seemed he didn’t need to worry about that at all!
* * *
Fallen leaves scattered and bitter winds brought cold, but in the blink of an eye, the breeze carried the gentle fragrance of flowers.
During that time, several things had occurred. First, So Bu-in and Namgung Ryu-cheong stayed at the Baek Li Estate for a month before departing, during which Namgung Ryu-cheong underwent grueling training under my grandfather and father under the guise of instruction.
Fortunately, if one could call it that, Namgung Ryu-cheong seemed to enjoy it despite the hardship…
Then came the enormous betrothal gifts. I had grown up seeing precious treasures and many valuables at the Baek Li Estate, but upon seeing the gifts sent by the Namgung Clan, my eyes nearly rolled back in my head.
As if the Namgung Clan had emptied their entire treasure vault, I gazed at mountains of gold and silver treasures piled high, and made meaningless calculations about how long it would take to wear one piece of jewelry daily before seeing them all.
Upon seeing these betrothal gifts, Grandfather actually displayed considerable displeasure.
He ranted and raved, saying that anyone who saw this would think he was selling his granddaughter for money, and he was making grand plans to prepare even more dowry so that his granddaughter wouldn’t spend a single coin of the Namgung Clan’s wealth.
And finally, what made me gasp was…
“Wow, it’s actually alive?”
Baek Li-ri stared at the honking geese with an expression mixing amazement and bewilderment.
It is said that geese never change their mate for life. Thus, a pair of geese was presented at the wedding ceremony, carrying the meaning of a hundred years of marital harmony.
But was it easy to find a living pair of geese? Usually, wooden geese were used instead.
“I heard the Namgung Prince caught these himself?”
“So they say…”
Upon hearing this, Grandfather responded, “Is there anyone in this household who can’t catch geese, that he speaks of it as if it were some great skill?”
Baek Li-ri shook her head and said.
“But setting aside the catching—how did he manage to keep the geese alive and bring them all the way here?”
I too found that puzzling. How had he kept them alive until the wedding ceremony…
* * *
And finally, the last day of the third month arrived.
The wedding day dawned clear and bright. With spring arriving earlier than usual, the day was warm and perfect for traveling far away.
Trumpets blared and drums thundered, creating a cacophony that reverberated across the grounds.
An enormous crowd had gathered to witness this wedding. Even those indifferent to the Jianghu had come—renowned figures whose names were whispered in every corner—and the masses drawn by the prospect of glimpsing such luminaries had filled every available guest room in the nearby inns, even extending to the small villages beyond, leaving not a single chamber vacant.
At the auspicious hour, the groom arrived at the Baek Li Estate.
The onlookers gasped in admiration at the sight of the handsome groom in his wedding finery, mounted upon a white steed.
There was a custom that the groom must pass through three trials before meeting the bride, and typically these trials were conducted by close relatives of the family.
Baek Li-myeong demanded a difficult sword dance, which the groom executed flawlessly without a single misstep.
The second trial fell to Baek Li-ri.
She requested that the groom demonstrate his archery prowess by shooting down a small paper bird in a single shot.
A member of the Baek Li Estate handed the groom a bow and arrows, while Jin-jin, the youngest disciple of Baek Geom Danju, took charge of releasing the paper bird.
The spectators began to murmur upon seeing the paper bird.
“Isn’t that far too small?”
“Can you even see it? My eyes aren’t what they used to be, and I can’t make it out at all.”
In typical wedding ceremonies, the paper bird released was extraordinarily ornate and conspicuous.
At the signal, Jin-jin infused the paper bird with inner force and released it.
The golden paper bird, kissed by sunlight, glided through the air with ethereal grace. Yet even so, the three tail feathers of the ceremonial bird created rippling patterns in the void as they trailed behind.
In the moment when people forgot even to breathe, an arrow pierced through the paper bird with a sharp crack.
The bird burst apart, scattering the crimson bird and gold leaf fragments within like falling petals. The crowd erupted in cheers, scrambling to collect the glittering pieces that descended upon them.
Finally, Seo Ha-ryeong, who had been invited as a guest and friend, stepped forward to engage the groom in a martial exchange.
Bloodshed on an auspicious day was considered inauspicious and a mark of incompetence. It was a difficult match where neither side could afford to draw blood and still claim victory.
After more than thirty exchanges, the groom emerged victorious, and the crowd erupted in jubilant cheers.
Though the atmosphere had grown festive like a celebration, the mood among the bride’s family was markedly different.
Baek Li Pae-hyuk, the Family Head of the Baek Li Estate, regarded his grandson-in-law not as family, but as an enemy who had infiltrated to steal. His piercing gaze was so severe that even a martial master would have trembled.
Baek Li-ui-gang beside him was little different. The ominous atmosphere was so thick that one might have mistaken the wedding for a funeral.
Yet despite receiving such a withering stare, the groom Namgung Ryu-cheong maintained a composed, subtle smile.
The slight tension he displayed seemed to stem not from the sharp gaze, but merely from the natural nervousness of a bridegroom. Impressed by his composure, the crowd marveled that he was indeed a scion of the Namgung Clan, and hearing their admiration, Baek Li Pae-hyuk’s lips twitched with displeasure.
When the bride entered, adorned in her resplendent wedding garments and ceremonial headdress, the tension finally began to ease.
The bride and groom together bowed first to Baek Li Pae-hyuk.
Baek Li Pae-hyuk’s expression softened, and he gazed upon them with affection, offering words of blessing.
“I congratulate you on this union. Henceforth, you must respect and cherish one another with reverence. Conduct yourselves with wisdom, prosper in your descendants, and set an example for all. Build a household founded on sincerity without falsehood, and dwell in harmony.”
Baek Li Pae-hyuk paused briefly before continuing.
“Never forget that this grandfather stands behind you, always.”
Baek Li-yeon bit her lips firmly. Fearing that if she opened her mouth, tears would spill forth, she merely nodded her head.
Next came Baek Li-ui-gang’s turn.
As he received their bow, his face was rigid and stern. From his expression alone, one could not discern whether his daughter was being married off or whether he was presiding over a funeral.
Even after receiving their bow, Baek Li-ui-gang remained silent for a long while, only finally speaking after an incense stick had burned down halfway.
His words were exceedingly brief.
“May you both share a hundred years of harmony together.”
Baek Li-yeon understood that these words carried her father’s deepest wish and earnest plea.
In that moment, Baek Li-ui-gang’s hand grasped Baek Li-yeon’s hand tightly.
It was a palm like stone, calloused and hardened from years of labor.
It was the hand that had soothed her through countless sleepless nights after she fell into demonic cultivation, unable to find rest.
The hand that held her every day, woke her each morning, and taught her everything from how to hold a brush to how to wield a sword, spending countless hours by her side.
My chest tightened with an overwhelming ache, and my nose stung sharply. The tears I had held back so desperately burst forth in a wave of sorrow. Scalding droplets fell one by one onto the backs of our tightly clasped hands, hot enough to burn.
Another incense stick’s worth of time passed before the grip of his hand gradually loosened.
Baek Li-ui-gang gazed at his daughter, his voice thick with emotion.
“You must be happy.”
“Don’t…”
Don’t worry about me. Father, you must stay healthy too. I’ll visit often. I’ll miss you.
So many words came to mind, yet in the end, only a thin whisper escaped.
“Yes.”
On the way back, Baek Li-ui-muk, along with Baek Li-myeong and Baek Li-ri, and the other relatives who had come to celebrate the wedding, each offered their final words of blessing.
The crimson cloth path had ended, and the groom helped the bride onto the flower palanquin.
Following the ceremony master’s guidance, the flower palanquin began to move, and the bride and groom departed amid the sound of firecrackers.
* * *
That day, over thirty banquet tables were spread throughout the Baek Li Estate, and celebration feasts continued in the nearby pavilions well into the night. The generous hospitality was so abundant that even the beggars on the streets could feast until their bellies glistened with satisfaction.
Baek Li-ui-gang, who had been occupied at the banquet tables all evening, finally managed to slip away after midnight.
Baek Li-ui-gang walked with familiar steps. As he progressed, the vibrant and boisterous surroundings gradually gave way to desolation and silence.
After wandering aimlessly for some time, Baek Li-ui-gang’s footsteps halted before a darkened residence—the quarters he and Baek Li-yeon had shared.
Baek Li-ui-gang now stayed at the So Family Head’s residence, and Baek Li-yeon had departed, leaving this place without an owner.
White pear blossoms, carried on the wind from somewhere distant, danced beneath the bright moon before settling slowly. Petals that had arrived earlier lay thickly gathered in every corner of the silent courtyard.
Baek Li-ui-gang stepped forward and opened the door to the residence.
The interior was noticeably empty. A few pieces of furniture still remained scattered about, but these too would soon be removed, and then this place would be completely vacant.
Baek Li-ui-gang’s unfocused gaze drifted toward distant memories of the past.

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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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