The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 34

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 34
Namgung Wan’s words caught in his throat as his face twisted in frustration. With Ak Jung-hae leading the way ahead of us, we had no choice but to stop in our tracks.
It was fortunate, I suppose, that Ak Jung-hae returned before Namgung Wan could explode.
“Luckily, they were still selling them.”
What Ak Jung-hae held upon his return was a tanghulu so crystalline and glistening it looked almost too sweet.
“Where the hell did you disappear to all of a sudden? You went to buy that?”
Rather than cower at Namgung Wan’s rebuke, Ak Jung-hae bristled instead.
“It’s not like that! Yeon, here.”
I accepted the tanghulu he offered with an awkward smile.
“Oh? Thank you.”
“Enjoy it. Senior, children love these things. We’ve come all this way—it would be a shame not to enjoy some snacks! I happen to have six younger siblings, so I know what I’m talking about.”
Namgung Wan turned his head as if to say nothing more. He seemed to have given up, as if words were useless.
So this was the kind of person Ak Jung-hae was.
‘Mmm!’
But as I bit into the tanghulu, the tart fruit inside paired beautifully with the sweet candy coating.
I offered the tanghulu to Father. He accepted it without complaint, though his brow furrowed slightly.
“Haha, is it too sweet for your taste, Father?”
“…It’s palatable.”
“Would you like more?”
Father tilted his head slightly in refusal.
I buried my face against Father’s shoulder and laughed.
Ak Jung-hae stood watching Father and me with his mouth agape.
Suddenly, Namgung Wan spoke to Ak Jung-hae.
“What about mine?”
“Pardon? You… want one?”
“I haven’t even eaten dinner because of you. Don’t you have one?”
Namgung Wan’s eyes widened at Ak Jung-hae.
“Oh, right, I’ll go buy one right away!”
Ak Jung-hae rushed off in a panic. Father regarded Namgung Wan intently. When Namgung Wan casually turned his head and met Father’s gaze, he raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“…Never mind.”
I offered the tanghulu toward Namgung Wan.
“Why don’t you try one too, sir?”
Namgung Wan bit into it with a crunch, his brow furrowing.
“Sweet and… sour.”
“That’s what they call sweet and tangy!”
Soon after, Ak Jung-hae reappeared with another tanghulu in hand.
Ak Jung-hae extended it, breathing heavily.
“Senior, here it is!”
“You eat it.”
“Pardon?”
* * *
After what felt like half a quarter of an hour’s walk, Ak Jung-hae pointed toward a grand gate connected to a wide stone wall.
“There it is!”
A nameplate written in bold, forceful strokes appeared above the gate.
[Yeongjonmun]
The Martial World contained countless sects unknown to most, and Yeongjonmun was one of them. It was a small sect that primarily used swords, with fewer than sixty disciples in total.
I learned these facts from Ak Jung-hae’s explanation on the way here. Though small, it was one of the Orthodox Sect alliances within the Murim Alliance, and members of the Kirin Society were currently conducting investigations here together.
Ak Jung-hae knocked loudly on the gate. The interior stirred with commotion before it swung open, revealing a young man.
“Senior Ak! Where have you been!”
“Hmm? Didn’t I tell you?”
Ak Jung-hae gestured for us to enter. A young man who appeared to be a disciple of Yeongjonmun looked at us with bewildered eyes.
“These people are…?”
“Is the Vice-Master here?”
“Yes? Yes. But you shouldn’t just enter without permission.”
“They are senior colleagues from the same Murim Alliance. They’ve come to help. I’ll explain later—just tell the Vice-Master we’d like to meet him in the Blue Hall.”
After walking a short distance behind Ak Jung-hae, someone suddenly appeared from beyond a circular gate in the stone wall.
“Where on earth have you been!”
Ak Jung-hae nimbly dodged the hand striking at his back. Unfortunately, he failed to evade the hand that seized his ear. The woman pulled his ear as if she might tear it off, muttering in a low voice.
“Seong-yul and Hye-hyang are looking for you right now…! Do you think this is your inner chamber!”
“Ah, ah, ah! It hurts! I told you I was going!”
“What do you mean! Nobody knew where you went!”
“I didn’t…?”
“You didn’t? You didn’t?”
“Wait, wait! Ah, ah! It hurts! Look behind me!”
The woman, her face deeply furrowed in displeasure, turned and froze.
She appeared to be slightly past her early twenties. Particularly striking were her jet-black hair and eyes, with a sharp contrast between the dark pupils and whites that left a vivid impression.
Namgung Wan spoke.
“Dang So-yong, still the same as ever.”
Dang So-yong of Tangmen. She was the team leader of this Murim Alliance dispatch mission.
* * *
The representative who came forward for Yeongjonmun was the Vice-Master, a man named Im Jo-uk. He had a slightly stocky build with a pleasant appearance, appearing to be in his late thirties to late forties.
“It is an honor that the renowned Baek Li and Namgung have come in person. We are deeply grateful.”
The Vice-Master, having performed a respectful salute, continued speaking.
“Our Master is currently unwell, so I must apologize that I am greeting you in his stead. I hope you will not take offense.”
Namgung Wan, his expression stern, spoke.
“We wish for his swift recovery.”
The Vice-Master exhaled a deep sigh.
“Ah, our Yeongjonmun has been eager to investigate this disappearance case as well. However, with our Master bedridden, we could not act rashly. We are grateful to the Murim Alliance and to you both for providing this support.”
Namgung Wan glanced briefly at Father before speaking.
“First, would you kindly inform us of the situation?”
“Of course.”
The Hall Master proceeded with his explanation.
There was nothing substantially different from what I had heard from Jeom So-i. Initially, street children had gone missing, then the children of common folk disappeared. Among them were infants who had barely begun to walk, and the number of missing children exceeded fifty, not forty.
Just as the Hall Master finished speaking, the remaining members of the Kirin Society arrived. At a glance, they possessed an extraordinary bearing.
I greeted them in turn, starting with the sharp-eyed woman with upturned eyes.
“I am Ma Hye-hyang of Cheongseongpa.”
“I am Byeok Seong-yul of Hyungsan sect.”
Not to mention Dang So-yong of the Tangmen, renowned among the Ten Great Families for their mastery of poison techniques, they were all representatives of prestigious Orthodox Sects like Cheongseongpa and Hyungsan sect.
Among them, my gaze settled on Byeok Seong-yul. The young man with a blue headscarf possessed a delicate appearance that would likely prove quite popular with women.
‘I feel as though I’ve seen him somewhere before….’
Yet no one came to mind.
“This is my daughter, Baek Li-yeon.”
I offered a respectful bow beside my father.
Ma Hye-hyang and Dang So-yong exchanged bewildered glances. Perhaps something along the lines of ‘Did you know Senior Baek Li-ui-gang had a daughter?’
Even the Hall Master appeared startled, yet only Byeok Seong-yul continued to gaze with admiration and opened his mouth.
“It is an honor to meet such esteemed seniors.”
As Namgung Wan looked toward Dang So-yong, she naturally offered an explanation.
“Seong-yul is a lay disciple of Hyungsan sect and a newcomer to the Martial World. This is also his first mission.”
I had wondered why his reaction seemed more fervent than other junior members—it appeared this was his first venture into the Martial World.
At his earnest, reverent gaze, my father spoke.
“Everyone has their first mission. Simply remain composed and act as you have been taught. Should anything unforeseen occur, you need only trust your team leader.”
Dang So-yong’s expression became one of satisfaction.
The Hall Master, having waited for the introductions to conclude, spoke with a smile.
“I am truly relieved. I made the request for assistance, but I never expected the Murim Alliance to show such consideration.”
“….”
My father, eyes downcast, bore an expression of deliberation.
I could discern what troubled my father.
‘Should we help or not?’
He was clearly wrestling with this conflict.
Namgung Wan, with narrowed eyes, regarded my father as if to urge him, then spoke.
“There is a misunderstanding. We have not come from the Murim Alliance.”
“Pardon? Then…?”
“We happened to encounter Ak Jung-hae while passing through on other business and thought to inquire whether assistance might be needed.”
The Hall Master’s face registered shock.
Namgung Wan continued.
“If I may be so bold, based on what has been investigated thus far, it appears the junior members alone should suffice. Would you not agree?”
Namgung Wan turned to regard my father.
After a brief silence, my father spoke as if having reached a decision.
“Yes, we shall take our leave now.”
“Senior?”
Dang So-yong also spoke with apparent bewilderment. Given Father’s usual reputation, there was no way he would simply overlook such a matter.
Father continued with an explanation.
“My daughter’s health is not well, and we are en route to seek treatment for her. I would greatly appreciate your understanding that we cannot afford to delay.”
I sighed inwardly.
It unfolded exactly as it had in the past. Back then too, Father had bent his convictions for my sake. Before my treatment, even Father’s steadfast principles had no choice but to bow their heads.
Startled by Father’s words, Dang So-yong quickly regained his composure and waved his hand dismissively.
“So Young Miss Baek Li-yeon’s health was troubled. I had no idea. We are quite alright. This is our responsibility after all. I apologize for imposing upon you, Senior.”
The Hall Master also spoke with a somewhat regretful but resigned expression.
“Hmm, well, if the child is ill, there is nothing more important for a parent than that. This hardly requires the efforts of two Grand Martial Masters. It is no trouble at all.”
Human trafficking in this era was hardly anything extraordinary. The poor frequently sold their own children for coin, so kidnapping was merely a trifle by comparison.
One could say the Murim Alliance had assigned a rather simple task to Byeok Seong-yul, a rising star of the Martial World. Based on my investigation thus far, there would be no problem whatsoever even without Father.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Yet unlike the others who readily accepted this, Byeok Seong-yul’s expression grew anxious the moment Father spoke of departing.
“Still… could you not remain for just one day and offer us your guidance?”
Dang So-yong furrowed his brow while Ak Jung-hae laughed and chided him.
“What guidance? Don’t burden the Seniors like that. We’re already grateful you came at all.”
Then he spoke with characteristic cleverness.
“Aren’t we fortunate to be here? Otherwise the Seniors would have been completely trapped. Well, you can repay us later. It’s not every day we get the chance to owe a debt to the Seniors!”
At Ak Jung-hae’s words, Namgung Wan let out a quiet chuckle, and Father’s expression also relaxed somewhat.
“Then we shall take our leave.”
Father and Namgung Wan rose cleanly from their seats. The Hall Master stood as well, his expression slightly taken aback.
“You are leaving so soon? Since we have met by fate, surely you should share a meal with us.”
“That is not possible. We cannot impose upon those with pressing matters.”
As everyone rose to see them off, I remained seated alone.
Father gestured for me to come. But I spoke without rising.
“Father, I’m fine. Let me resolve this matter first before we leave.”
Father and Namgung Wan turned to look at me sharply.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————