The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 35

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

Chapter 35
Namgung Wan’s face darkened as he called out my name with barely concealed irritation.
“Baek Li-yeon, what are you saying? Haven’t you been listening to everything I’ve said until now? Come here at once!”
“Father, Uncle. Please, just hear me out once.”
“….”
Namgung Wan stared at me with wide eyes, his sharp aura pressing against me like a blade. Honestly, it frightened me.
As everyone stood frozen in uncertainty, Ak Jung-hae spoke hesitantly.
“…Um, Senior, perhaps it would be wise to hear what she has to say?”
Unexpectedly, Ak Jung-hae took my side. As Namgung Wan’s piercing gaze turned toward him, the oppressive force that had been bearing down on me eased slightly.
I opened my mouth carefully.
“I understand your concern for me… *cough*, *cough*.”
The tension from the overwhelming aura moments before suddenly triggered a fit of coughing.
My father’s expression clouded. The others in the hall looked at me with worry in their eyes.
‘No, no! Don’t worry! It’s just a cough! Why now of all times….’
I quickly waved my hand dismissively and spoke.
“I know you and Father are concerned about me. But I’m fine. The children separated from their parents will suffer far more than I will.”
“…Yeon.”
My father called my name with a sigh.
In the past, this mission ends in failure.
‘No, if it were merely a failure, that would be fortunate.’
This is no simple human trafficking case.
It is a murder case—one entangled with the notorious Madu.
I looked at the members of the Kirin Society.
Among them, Ak Jung-hae stared at me with his mouth hanging open somewhat foolishly.
The reason Ak Jung-hae’s name is not mentioned in the future is simple.
‘He dies at Madu’s hands here.’
Ak Jung-hae perishes. The remaining three barely escape with their lives. Two of them, excluding Dang So-yong, suffer grave injuries that prevent them from ever wielding a sword again.
Dang So-yong, despondent from this incident, leaves the Kirin Society and returns to the Dang Family Estate where the Sacheon Dang Family relatives gather, never to emerge again. And Madu disappears, with the Murim Alliance failing in their pursuit. The Madu who fled at this time is later executed by Namgung Ryu-cheong.
Yes, this incident is a sub-story meant to emphasize the villainy of the antagonist Madu. The more notorious the villain becomes, the greater the renown of those who defeat him.
A villain who broke the wings of the Murim Alliance’s brilliant youths—how utterly malevolent?
And most importantly….
‘You, Namgung Wan, are the one who cleans up after this incident!’
I clenched both my fists and spoke.
“I’ve heard that Father has never turned his eyes away from the weak throughout his life. And I’ve always thought I wanted to become someone like Father. But if I turn away from those in difficulty just because my own matter is urgent, then I can never say again that I wish to be like Father.”
* * *
Dang So-yong sent a transmission to Ak Jung-hae, cold sweat beading on her brow.
[Why is Senior so angry? Didn’t you hear anything on the way here? Is the young lady’s illness severe?]
[Not at all. The girl did seem a bit unwell, but I thought it was just travel fatigue.]
[Why is Senior Ui-gang just watching Senior Wan get angry?]
[Perhaps the illness is grave and treatment is urgent?]
[Oh no. That little child…. Goodness, try to stop her.]
[You do it. I’m scared.]
[You’re close with the senior anyway.]
[Who is close to Senior Namgung Wan…? And he doesn’t get any less angry just because someone is close to him….]
While the two exchanged silent words, Namgung Wan continued to rage at the child who barely reached his waist.
Finally, an enraged Namgung Wan stormed away from his seat.
“Don’t you dare regret this!”
The moment Dang So-yong jabbed him, Ak Jung-hae scrambled after Namgung Wan in a panic.
“Wait… Senior!”
I lowered my head and bit my lip.
‘If he leaves now, he’ll be the one who regrets it.’
After learning of the Kirin Society’s tragedy, Namgung Wan handed over Man Shin-ui’s token to my father and retraced his steps. My father and I inevitably arrived at Man Shin-ui’s place first.
But Man Shin-ui refused treatment even after seeing the token. He claimed he couldn’t trust it until someone from the Namgung Clan came in person, continuously postponing the treatment.
It was utterly absurd reasoning, yet… Father believed Man Shin-ui’s words anyway!
Then one day, while waiting for Namgung Wan to arrive, Man Shin-ui vanished without a trace.
‘Sigh, am I really being given such meticulous character development for a mere supporting villain role?’
The protagonist Namgung Ryu-cheong falls off a cliff yet emerges from a cave with fortuitous opportunities!
Only my supporting character life remained unnecessarily complicated. In the end, people died, Madu slipped away, and I never received treatment.
A journey of failure. Father and Namgung Wan never once told me they regretted this incident. But I knew. They regretted not staying.
‘Well, it should be fine now.’
I watched the creaking red door.
‘Namgung Wan seems quite angry.’
Father approached me. Now it was my turn to convince him. Already drained of energy, the thought of persuading Father made my vision swim.
Father placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“I know this isn’t right if I truly care for you. But….”
I steeled my resolve and lifted my head to look at Father, then froze. His eyes gleamed brilliantly like moonlight reflected on a dark lake’s surface.
“I am proud of your choice.”
What… what is this?
In all the time I’d known him, Father had never looked at me with such satisfaction. Caught off guard, Father gently embraced me and swept after Namgung Wan, his robes fluttering.
I watched the door sway back and forth in bewilderment.
‘What… what just happened?’
Shortly after, Bu Moon-ju approached and stroked my head with his thick fingers.
“So your name is Yeon? How does such a young child harbor such admirable thoughts? Truly, you are the daughter of the great hero Baek Li.”
Daughter of the great hero Baek Li… a title that followed me until death. Yet this was the first time it felt like praise. For some reason, my face grew warm and my heart raced.
I awkwardly fidgeted with my fingers and asked.
“But… didn’t you say over fifty children went missing? If not even one of them has been found, wouldn’t that mean they’re all already… dead?”
Though the question sounded rather bold, Bu Moon-ju explained with a benevolent expression.
“Hiding fifty corpses is no simple task. Moreover, the disciples of Yeongjonmun have thoroughly investigated this area, so if they were truly dead, there’s no way they wouldn’t have been discovered.”
“But if they were sold through human trafficking, there would be a sales route. With fifty children, finding that route would be much….”
Bu Moon-ju cut off my words and spoke.
“Didn’t you say you conducted a thorough investigation? Don’t you trust Yeongjonmun? Can you take responsibility for what you’ve said?”
“….”
Bu Moon-ju’s sharp reaction to my silence softened back into a benevolent expression.
“Leave such matters to adults.”
My chest felt suffocated. How could I explain that this wasn’t an ordinary disappearance case?
Then Bu Moon-ju said something unexpected.
“And we’ve found several children who went missing from human traffickers.”
“…Really?”
Found them? That couldn’t be right. Yet Bu Moon-ju wouldn’t lie either. I had no choice but to retreat.
‘I should have asked for more details back then.’
What happened to the abducted children, how Madu was found, how Ak Jung-hae died.
In the past, I had no interest in this incident. Neither my father nor Namgung Wan were the type to spread rumors, and the novel had glossed over it briefly.
‘That Madu is an abominable villain who kidnapped and murdered children in the past and killed a high-ranking official of the Murim Alliance!’ It was merely mentioned in passing as a means to elevate Madu’s notoriety.
The only thing I had enthusiastically spread was how Madu had attacked Namgung Ryu-cheong and driven him into a disadvantageous position. He had killed the high-ranking official of the Murim Alliance using the same methods he employed when attacking Namgung Ryu-cheong.
‘Then this time, he’ll likely use the same method he used when attacking Namgung Ryu-cheong.’

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