The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 356

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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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Special Side Story: Chapter 26
Baek Li-yeon issued one final warning with her eyes, as if telling him not to do anything foolish, then slowly lowered her hand.
Yalyu promptly handed her a handkerchief, gesturing for her to wipe her palm.
“Thank you.”
As Baek Li-yeon was about to wipe her palm, Jeggal Hwa-mu touched his lips and spoke.
“I’m bleeding.”
“What?”
Looking at him in surprise, Baek Li-yeon could see blood trickling from Jeggal Hwa-mu’s lip. Though she had said she would control her strength, it seemed the fan had gotten caught in the middle, injuring him.
Baek Li-yeon spoke in alarm.
“Are you… are you okay? If you hadn’t said such strange things in the first place!”
Jeggal Hwa-mu tilted his head and asked.
“What was I trying to say?”
.
“Sigh, you’re too much. I’m the one who’s hurt, yet you blame me.”
Baek Li-yeon spoke in a deflated voice.
“I’m sorry…”
Yalyu spoke without even looking at Jeggal Hwa-mu.
“Quiet. Don’t whine over something so trivial.”
A soft chuckle of agreement came from Namgung Ryu-cheong.
“Sigh.”
Jeggal Hwa-mu sighed as if lamenting his pitiful situation, then took Yalyu’s handkerchief from Baek Li-yeon’s hand and wiped the blood from his lip.
“Well used.”
.
Yalyu’s eyes turned menacing in an instant.
* * *
As the three handsome men rode their horses onto the street, all eyes turned toward them at once.
In particular, the women and girls passing on both sides of the road turned their heads at the commotion, their eyes widening or their cheeks flushing before they looked away. Yet they soon turned their heads again, unable to resist stealing glances at the three men.
After passing through the back alley, they arrived at the harbor, left their horses, and boarded a small ferry.
The ferry carrying them soon came to a stop before a magnificent and splendid restaurant boat in the middle of the river.
They leaped up the ladder without even stepping on it properly.
“You must be Baek Li Young Lady and your companions? Please follow me this way.”
The Original Employee, recognizing Baek Li-yeon, promptly led them to a private chamber.
The corridor of the boat’s cabin was bustling with music and voices flowing from the chambers, while appetizing aromas wafted from all directions.
Led to the highest chamber, they took their seats.
Baek Li-yeon sat leaning against the window, from which the river bank was visible at a glance, and a cool breeze from the river blew gently.
“This place is nice and cool.”
Soon the Original Employee brought a pitcher of cold water, and while the others didn’t touch it, Baek Li-yeon alone emptied half the pitcher right there.
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke while sipping hot tea.
“Are you that hot?”
“The ferry earlier had no shade at all.”
“If you’re already complaining, what will you do?”
“In summer, I can just go into Baek Young-yu Cave. It’s cool there. The problem is winter—it gets too cold.”
In that regard, the Changung Pavilion of the Namgung Clan was truly an excellent place to train. It maintained a constant temperature, neither hot nor cold.
“I heard the Jegal Clan cooperated in building the Changung Pavilion? I once asked Hwa-mu if he could use formation arrays to cool down the Residence Quarter or Training Ground, but he said it wasn’t possible.”
How disappointing that answer had been.
Ah, air conditioning. What a marvel of civilization! Of course, her home back then had no such luxury.
Namgung Ryu-cheong tilted his head as if that couldn’t possibly be true.
“It’s not possible?”
“It is possible, but the method concentrates yin energy, so while martial artists would be fine, the servants apparently saw ghosts and caused a commotion, so he gave up.”
“Is that so?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong, too, seemed genuinely intrigued, as if he hadn’t known that detail.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully and began asking Jeggal Hwa-mu several questions about formation arrays.
Jeggal Hwa-mu responded with a surprisingly serious demeanor, quite different from his usual teasing attitude.
Baek Li-yeon watched them with mild curiosity.
‘Is this what it means to be a martial artist?’
When were they not at each other’s throats?
As Baek Li-yeon listened to their conversation, a thought suddenly occurred to her, and she asked.
“By the way, then to make something warm with formation arrays, you’d concentrate yang energy?”
“That’s right.”
“Does that also cause people to see ghosts?”
Yang energy and ghosts? That didn’t seem to fit together.
Namgung Ryu-cheong shook his head and spoke.
“That’s the specialty of the person next to you.”
As Baek Li-yeon turned to look, Yalyu opened his mouth.
“From what I hear, he gets angry without reason and can’t control his impulses, easily losing his rationality.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong casually remarked while sipping his tea.
“Why say ‘from what I hear’ when you’re talking about yourself?”
Baek Li-yeon’s eyes widened.
“Not again! Why are you starting with Yalyu, who was just sitting quietly?”
“Quietly? He only wears sheep’s clothing in front of you. If not for the Tianshan Flame Emperor, that bastard would have been branded a heretic and never set foot in the Baek Li Estate.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong spoke with genuine conviction, hoping Baek Li-yeon would understand the danger that man posed.
The Tianshan Flame Emperor didn’t initiate conflict, but when attacked, he retaliated with brutal indifference to whether the opponent was orthodox or heretical. He never spared even the smallest fry.
Yalyu’s methods were identical to his master’s, being a disciple of the Tianshan Flame Emperor. Honestly, he couldn’t understand why his grandfather had sworn brotherhood with such a person.
Yalyu spoke in an indifferent tone.
“I didn’t kill them out of anger.”
“Then?”
“It’s just annoying to leave them alive.”
“….”
“See?”
At that moment, Jeggal Hwa-mu snapped his fan shut with a crisp sound and spoke.
“Come now, the food is arriving—let’s not spoil our appetites with such unpleasant talk, shall we?”
Baek Li-yeon looked at Jeggal Hwa-mu with an expression of wonder at his sudden change in tone.
Jeggal Hwa-mu continued with a faint smile.
“Besides, I’ve already lost my appetite just being in this lovely place with you two.”
* * *
Beginning with a white mushroom fish soup, the table soon overflowed with an array of exquisite delicacies—lotus leaf-wrapped steamed ribs, stir-fried duck with bamboo shoots, and countless other refined dishes.
Fortunately, before the food, they seemed to have reached a tentative peace accord, and the conversation proceeded without incident.
As the meal drew nearly to a close,
Baek Li-yeon bit into a spring roll and set down her chopsticks.
“It was red bean.”
Sweet red bean filling seeped from within the golden, crispy spring roll.
The taste of red bean stirred up a craving for shaved ice that she had been trying to suppress. Baek Li-yeon set down her chopsticks with a gloomy expression.
Yalyu asked,
“Are you finished?”
“Yes. I’m full now. You should eat more.”
Baek Li-yeon turned her head away while sipping her tea.
Beyond the window, fishermen casting their nets and various boats and ferries lined the water, while along the riverbank, village women washed clothes and children played in the water, and livestock drank their fill. It was a warm and peaceful scene.
As Baek Li-yeon gazed absently at the landscape, a thought suddenly occurred to her.
“Wait a moment.”
Everyone turned to look at her, wondering what was the matter.
“The ice that the ice vendors sell—it’s harvested from this river in winter, isn’t it?”
Jeggal Hwa-mu answered,
“That’s right.”
Baek Li-yeon rose and leaned toward the window. The murky river water was decidedly not a clean color.
“I’ve figured it out.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“My stomach troubles came from this river water!”
The eyes of all three men reflected similar emotions, though with subtle differences in depth.
“Don’t look at me like that—listen to me. I’ve always eaten shaved ice made at home, and I wanted to try what they sold on the streets, so I bought some! And the very next day, my stomach was upset!”
The ice stored in the Baek Li Estate’s ice house was all made from clean water drawn separately.
But what about what was sold on the streets?
They simply harvested frozen river water in winter, stored it in the ice house, and sold it. That filthy river water!
“Sigh.”
“Yeon, are you feeling unwell?”
“Well, that’s certainly a novel theory.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong sighed and turned away, Yalyu looked concerned, and only Jeggal Hwa-mu offered a proper response.
Baek Li-yeon spoke earnestly.
“No, I’m serious! That’s the cause, I’m telling you.”
Jeggal Hwa-mu said,
“Did you eat it alone that day?”
“No.”
“Did the others who ate with us get food poisoning?”
“…No.”
“Then why are you talking nonsense?”
“….”
Baek Li-yeon bit her lip and glared at Jeggal Hwa-mu before deciding to start with the easiest target.
“Yalyu, you agree with me, don’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
“See!”
“Picking on the easiest one to manipulate.”
Baek Li-yeon cleared her throat and turned to Namgung Ryu-cheong instead.
“Ryu, you’d agree too, wouldn’t you?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong frowned as if questioning what nonsense she was spouting.
He held the same opinion as Jeggal Hwa-mu. But he had no desire to agree with Jeggal Hwa-mu’s position. Yet he was equally displeased with Yalyu.
Baek Li-yeon spoke to him as he deliberated.
“I’ll make shaved ice for you myself! I’m really good at making it!”
“No need. Shaved ice tastes the same everywhere.”
“No, it’s really delicious! Even Hwa-mu admitted it was good!”
“…That bastard has tasted it?”
At those words, Jeggal Hwa-mu clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Namgung Ryu-cheong, keeping his mouth firmly shut as he looked at Jeggal Hwa-mu, spoke.
“True enough—shaved ice made with clean ice wouldn’t cause food poisoning.”
Jeggal Hwa-mu muttered quietly.
“She doesn’t understand what matters.”

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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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