The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 75

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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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Chapter 75
The moment I stepped into the Residence Quarter, Yalyu handed me a towel as if he’d been waiting for me.
When Cheonsan Yeom-je arrived, Yalyu would disappear from sight—clearly avoiding the possibility of being pestered again with a disciple proposal. And his eyes, when they met mine, were filled with guilt.
My father glanced at Yalyu and me before heading deeper into the Residence Quarter.
I asked Yalyu.
“How are you managing?”
“…I’m managing.”
Cheonsan Yeom-je had taught Yalyu breathing techniques and medicinal formulas to suppress the excessive yang energy. While this wouldn’t free him from the extreme yang constitution, it could at least slow its progression.
Though his life had been extended, Yalyu’s expression remained grim. Because of me.
Yalyu believed that Cheonsan Yeom-je’s breathing techniques and formulas were obtained as the price for me learning the Geumna Technique from him. Every time I saw that dejected face, I felt apologetic.
‘The truth is, that’s not how it happened…’
Whether I learned the Geumna Technique or not, Cheonsan Yeom-je would have taught Yalyu the breathing techniques and formulas anyway. He wouldn’t let someone with the extreme yang constitution—barely found—simply die.
But now it was too late to tell him the truth. I had no choice but to smile as if everything were fine. I never even considered that my expression would only deepen his sense of guilt.
* * *
“Family Head, Cheonsan Yeom-je has arrived.”
“Let him in.”
Namgung Mu-cheol didn’t turn around, his hands clasped behind his back.
Cheonsan Yeom-je, who had come right up behind him, spoke.
“I was wondering what you were staring at so intently. Why does your body feel so restless?”
“Why, would you care to oblige?”
“If you don’t mind being burned to ash, by all means.”
“That won’t do.”
Even so, Namgung Mu-cheol kept his gaze fixed on the sword displayed on the stand as he spoke.
“The Demonic Cult has been quiet lately.”
“Isn’t that a good thing for you?”
“It is, but… what exactly are they preparing?”
“You’ve already stepped down as the cult leader. Why concern yourself with such matters? The young ones will handle it themselves now.”
“You’re right.”
Namgung Mu-cheol let out a bitter laugh and shook his head before turning his body.
“Let’s get some air.”
Namgung Mu-cheol sprang up with Cheonsan Yeom-je, their feet treading across the rooftops, and within a few strides they arrived at the Two-Story Pavilion by the Lake.
Cheonsan Yeom-je followed behind him.
“How is Yeon progressing?”
“…Not poorly.”
Namgung Mu-cheol’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Oh, not poorly? To receive such praise from you.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Are you thinking of taking her as a disciple?”
“How could I, when she doesn’t have the extreme yang constitution?”
“It sounds like you would have if she did.”
“….”
Namgung Mu-cheol chuckled and spoke.
“It’s a good thing to have someone on your mind. Yeon is a girl who knows gratitude and has a straightforward nature—it’s good for you too.”
“Ha, you speak of her as if she were your own granddaughter?”
“Indeed. What a shame.”
Cheonsan Yeom-je spun around to face Namgung Mu-cheol, his eyes blazing.
“I claimed her first. Don’t even dream of reaching out to that girl.”
“But you said she wasn’t your disciple?”
“Hmph.”
Cheonsan Yeom-je snorted and continued.
“Should you even be concerned with that girl right now? From what I hear, there’s a problem with your grandson. He can’t manifest his sword energy again, can he?”
“Mm.”
Namgung Mu-cheol let out a low groan.
Cheonsan Yeom-je stroked his beard and went on.
“How is that even possible? When I first created sword energy, it was so long ago my memory’s grown hazy.”
Creating sword energy for the first time was called breaking through a wall—it meant advancing to the next stage. Breaking through that initial wall was extraordinarily difficult, but once crossed, there were no cases of retreating backward.
Yet that was precisely where Namgung Ryu-cheong found himself now. Having manifested sword energy once, this was the time to grow accustomed to it through real combat. But Namgung Ryu-cheong couldn’t manifest it again. It was a situation no one had ever heard of.
What his reaction would be—a man who had never failed even once in his entire life—was something one needn’t bother investigating.
“Ryu-cheong carries quite a burden as well.”
Namgung Mu-cheol’s gaze settled on the white cloth fluttering above the Practice Hall.
* * *
Having visited several times, the Practice Hall felt familiar to me. Yet within that familiarity, I could spot a few changes. A white cloth canopy had been erected across the sky to prevent direct sunlight from beating down.
‘Oh, that’s nice! Won’t be blinded by the glare.’
I’d come to the Practice Hall today because my father had agreed to a guided sparring match with Namgung Ryu-cheong.
Unfortunately, Seo Ha-ryeong wasn’t here. She’d returned to the Suhyang Sect not long after I entered Changung Pavilion, as her mother’s birthday was approaching.
‘I wish Ha-ryeong were here.’
A familiar face appeared on the opposite side of the Practice Hall—one I hadn’t seen in some time. It was Namgung Ryu-cheong. Our last meeting had been before he entered Changung Pavilion.
‘But why does he look like that?’
His face had grown noticeably gaunt, as if he’d been starved. His complexion was poor, and the shadows beneath his eyes were deep—the look of someone who hadn’t slept properly in days.
I approached Namgung Ryu-cheong, hiding my shock.
“It’s been a while.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong glanced at me and nodded. His response was utterly perfunctory. For a moment, I found myself searching my memory to see if we’d quarreled the last time we parted.
‘No, we didn’t fight.’
I reassured myself and spoke again.
“Why haven’t you come by even once? It’s been quite a while since I left Changung Pavilion.”
“Wasn’t our agreement that I wouldn’t visit until your hand healed? Why should I come see you?”
“Just to check how you’ve been, to see your face. To talk….”
“What for?”
“….”
Namgung Ryu-cheong, who had silenced me, calmly adjusted his sleeve.
‘This brat… why is that condition acting up again?’
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s chronic ailment had flared up once more. I’d privately dubbed it the “disease of estrangement from the world.”
When I tilted my head slightly, I caught sight of Namgung Wan and Shim Bu-gwan standing at a distance behind Namgung Ryu-cheong. Namgung Wan’s face had flushed crimson, while Shim Bu-gwan had gone pale. Though they hadn’t spoken loudly, as masters of the martial arts, they would naturally have heard every word of our exchange.
Their expressions betrayed the effort it took to restrain themselves from shouting.
‘Well, having a son who distances himself from the world must be quite the burden.’
For Namgung Wan’s sake, I decided to address Namgung Ryu-cheong once more.
“I find myself thinking of you sometimes and wanting to see you.”
Only then did Namgung Ryu-cheong lift his gaze. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes as they met mine.
I smiled and continued.
“Didn’t you want to see me?”
“…I’ve been occupied with training.”
Namgung Ryu-cheong cut me off curtly, his eyes narrowing. I folded my arms and studied him intently.
‘Something’s odd. Why is he being so distant?’
A sudden realization prompted me to speak again.
“Ryu… no, Young Master.”
I’d nearly called him by his given name without thinking.
“Is something troubling you?”
Namgung Ryu-cheong’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
So there was something.
Whenever Namgung Ryu-cheong had something on his mind, he became exceptionally irritable. Usually, those concerns revolved around the sword.
“…It’s not something you need to concern yourself with.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard.”
With that, I turned and made my way toward the edge of the Practice Hall.
‘This is truly difficult.’
The brief time we’d spent together because of my hand seemed insufficient for Namgung Ryu-cheong to regard me as a true friend.
Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely unaffected by his sharp demeanor, though I wasn’t deeply disappointed either. I’d never expected we’d become close easily.
Father, who had witnessed all of this, spoke to me.
“…Are you alright?”
“Of course! I’m fine!”
I answered cheerfully. Yet Father looked at me with pitying eyes and drew me into his embrace.
‘No, I really am fine?’
There was no reason for me to be upset over something so trivial.
As I felt his hand patting my back, a mischievous impulse suddenly seized me.
I raised my hands, chilled by the winter wind, and pressed them against the nape of Father’s neck.
Father said,
“Your hands are cold.”
“…”
How boring.
The situation on the other side didn’t look particularly entertaining either. Across the Practice Hall, Namgung Wan was saying something to Namgung Ryu-cheong. The atmosphere seemed tense, as if he were reproaching him, yet Namgung Ryu-cheong’s demeanor suggested his mind was elsewhere, even under his uncle’s stern words.
‘Will he even be able to focus on today’s sparring match?’
Father grasped my shoulder and gave me a gentle push. It seemed he was preparing for a sparring match.
“Then watch from here.”
“Yes.”
I stepped back, my robes rustling as I withdrew.
I’d heard that Namgung Ryu-cheong and Father had already finished their formal introductions while I was inside Changung Pavilion.
‘Come to think of it, if things proceeded normally, Father would accept Namgung Ryu-cheong as his disciple by now….’
Yet no such words had been spoken. As I fell into thought, I heard their voices exchanging words.
“I hear you can manifest sword energy. There’s no one your age who’s reached such a realm. I’d like to witness it myself. Draw your true blade.”
“My understanding remains incomplete, so I cannot manifest it again.”
“Hmm?”
What was he saying?
I, too, found myself regarding Namgung Ryu-cheong with the same bewilderment as Father.
‘That’s strange.’
Enough time had passed for my palm—the one cut by Namgung Ryu-cheong’s sword energy—to have fully healed. Yet he hadn’t been able to manifest it again in all that time?

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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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