The Ignored Granddaughter of a Murim Family - Chapter 88

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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 88
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I followed the servant ahead, lost in thought.
‘Why is the Namgung Family Head summoning me?’
Could it be because of the commotion from yesterday’s outing?
But that disturbance seemed too trivial to reach the Namgung Family Head’s ears—wasn’t it just children squabbling?
I couldn’t think of anything else that might have prompted this.
“We’ve arrived.”
The place I reached following the servant was a spacious open field with several pavilions attached to it. It was my first time here. The atmosphere felt distinctly different from other areas, and the security was remarkably tight. An elderly man in a blue robe and a young man emerged from within one of the pavilions.
“Miss Baek Li-yeon, you’ve arrived. I wonder if you remember me?”
I didn’t recognize the young man, but I had seen the elderly man on the day I first came to the Namgung Clan.
“Aren’t you Steward Seop?”
“My, you do remember me.”
It was Seop Ja-gang, the steward of the Namgung Clan.
“This is my son. He’s learning the trade by assisting me.”
“Hello. I’m Baek Li-yeon of the Baek Family.”
“I’ve heard much about you.”
As I listened to Seop’s Son introduce himself, my mind filled with even more question marks.
‘Why am I greeting the Namgung Clan’s steward and his son…?’
Suppressing my confusion, I exchanged pleasantries and followed Steward Seop’s guidance toward one of the pavilions. Only after stepping inside did I understand why security here was so stringent. This was the Namgung Clan’s storage room.
Soon enough, I spotted my father inside the storage room and rushed toward him.
“Father!”
“Baek Li-yeon, you shouldn’t run inside buildings…”
Before my father could finish speaking, I had already thrown myself into his arms.
My father sighed and continued.
“Greet them first.”
Looking in the direction my father was gazing, I saw the Namgung Family Head and Namgung Wan together.
“Oh! Hello.”
I hadn’t realized they were there too, having rushed to my father. The Namgung Family Head, hands clasped behind his back, smiled kindly and nodded. Namgung Wan also gave a slight nod.
The Namgung Family Head spoke in a gentle tone.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, of course!”
“I hear you went out to play with Ryu-cheong yesterday?”
“Yes!”
Could he really have summoned me just for this? How remarkable that Namgung Ryu-cheong had ventured outside on his own…
I shook my head inwardly.
“And you ate dumplings together with your father and Wan?”
“Yes!”
The Namgung Family Head’s expression grew somewhat dejected.
“Why didn’t you ask your grandfather to come along?”
“Pardon?”
“Grandfather enjoys dumplings too, you know.”
I stood there with my mouth hanging open, dumbfounded.
Namgung Wan clicked his tongue irritably and spoke.
“Father, enough with the pointless chatter. Let’s get to the main matter, shall we?”
The Namgung Family Head gave Namgung Wan a look of utter disinterest.
“Take a look around this place.”
Only then could I survey my surroundings properly.
A spacious chamber—on one side, books and bamboo slips were stacked high, while on the other, wooden boxes were arranged neatly. It looked exactly like a storage room.
The peculiar thing was that despite seeing no medicinal herbs in sight, a faint, bitter herbal scent drifted through the air from somewhere.
As I examined the space absently, I noticed a small wooden box that seemed oddly familiar, and I tilted my head in confusion.
Now that I thought about it, many of the books looked familiar too.
‘That’s strange. Why would books be stacked in a storage room instead of the Jang-seo-gak?’
At that moment, the Namgung Family Head spoke again.
“Do you recognize what these are?”
“Pardon?”
His demeanor suggested he had deliberately allowed me time to look around. I examined the storage room’s contents more carefully once more.
Then it dawned on me.
“Could these be… from Man Shin-ui’s Alchemy Chamber?”
Namgung Wan answered the question.
“Yes.”
Of course—having retrieved the body of that Namgung Clan warrior, they would naturally have collected everything inside the alchemy chamber. There were too many precious items to leave behind in a tomb.
‘Though I did claim the most valuable piece for myself.’
Namgung Wan continued.
“The medicinal herbs were difficult to manage here, so we had them sent elsewhere.”
“I see.”
That explained why I could smell the herbal scent but couldn’t actually see the herbs.
Man Shin-ui’s storage room—whatever he had done to it—maintained a constant temperature, and if it was underground, even the troublesome humidity was perfectly controlled. That’s why everything, from medicinal herbs to books, was preserved in impeccable condition despite being in a basement.
As I looked around the storage room, I tilted my head again.
‘Some of these are just ordinary books…’
Now that I thought about it, the volume of goods was staggering.
I asked, growing somewhat weary.
“Did you really bring everything that was in the alchemy chamber?”
“We brought everything we could carry, except for items that weren’t particularly valuable or seemed difficult to manage during transport.”
Just thinking about hauling all those goods along the winding mountain paths where even carriages couldn’t fit left me breathless.
The option of taking only moderately valuable items… apparently didn’t exist for the Namgung Clan.
“Ui-gang must have had quite the ordeal.”
“Father, what do you mean?”
“Your father suddenly went to Palgwae Village on the way back from the Baek Li Estate and escorted the transfer of these goods to the Namgung Clan.”
“Oh…”
I had no idea.
Namgung Wan continued speaking.
“Word got out from somewhere, and bandits and all sorts of ruffians came crawling in. Shim Bu-gwan was away from his post, so if Ui-gang hadn’t been there, we would’ve been in real trouble.”
I looked up at Father in shock.
“Something like that happened?”
I had no idea at all!
“Father! So you fought on the way here?”
Father reproached Namgung Wan with a look.
“Why are you telling Yeon such things?”
“What’s the point of hiding it? Anyone with a bit of interest would know anyway.”
“That’s right! You’re absolutely correct, sir! These things should be shared!”
My praise made Namgung Wan’s chest puff out.
“Sir, Father didn’t get hurt or anything, did he?”
Father spoke with apparent bewilderment.
“…Why are you asking Wan if I got hurt?”
“Why wouldn’t I!”
…
Namgung Wan clicked his tongue at Father and answered my question.
“There were a few skirmishes, but nothing worth calling an injury. If I’d really been hurt, you would’ve known. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine, so don’t worry.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“For real?”
“Yes.”
“Truly?”
“How many times are you going to ask!”
Well, seeing him get irritated like that confirmed it as 100% truth. Besides, since I’d moved with the Namgung Clan, if there had been a major battle, I wouldn’t be hearing about it for the first time today.
‘But still…’
Even on the way down from the Baek Li Estate to the Namgung Clan, Father had found things to do.
‘I suppose that’s very much like Father.’
Namgung Wan, who had flared up in anger, cleared his throat and continued.
“Anyway, that’s why I called you here—to divide up what we brought back.”
“Divide it up?”
“Yes. Would we unscrupulously keep everything for ourselves?”
And if Father had done something befitting a father, then perhaps Namgung Wan deserved the same praise.
‘He could’ve taken everything from the Alchemy Chamber without a word.’
I had discovered Man Shin-ui’s Alchemy Chamber, but it was Namgung Wan who had found Man Shin-ui and brought me there. Moreover, with only my and Father’s abilities, we could never have retrieved these items.
First, we lacked the manpower. Even if we’d somehow managed to remove everything from the chamber, we’d have been stripped clean before reaching home—if we were lucky enough to keep our lives. Only a power like the Namgung Clan could accomplish this safely.
‘Well, if we’d borrowed the strength of the Baek Li Family, it might’ve been possible…’
But Father hated relying on the family’s power.
“I thought we’d split it roughly in half, but he said he didn’t need it.”
“Father?”
Father suddenly reached over and stroked my head.
“Since the Namgung Family handled everything—finding Man Shin-ui, reopening the Meditation Chamber, and relocating it—there’s no reason for me to accept anything. I’m content simply knowing that Yeon returned safely.”
“Talking to him just drains my energy.”
Namgung Wan gazed at Father with slightly exasperated eyes before continuing.
“Since he’s saying that, I called you here to ask what you think too.”
“Ah, I see.”
I nodded and replied.
“I’ll follow Father’s wishes!”
“Think it through before you answer. Does this look like a joke to you?”
Then the Namgung Family Head, who had been watching our conversation with benevolent silence, spoke up.
“I understand your hearts well, but still—choose something. It troubles us to keep all of this for ourselves.”
I glanced sideways at Father. Now that the Namgung Family Head himself had stepped in, it was difficult to refuse further.
‘So that’s why the Namgung Family Head was here…’
Perhaps he had anticipated this.
Soon, Seop, who had remained quiet until now, came forward.
“It has been some time since the young master of the Baek Li Family arrived, but the reason I’m mentioning this now is that it took time to verify the items and organize them by category.”
When Seop gestured to his son, the boy handed Father a thick stack of papers.
“Here is the organized list of items.”
Father accepted it reluctantly and scanned through it before speaking.
“Then, I’ll have Yeon choose.”
“Me?”
Father nodded.
“If there’s something you want, just say it.”
Oh…
‘What should I ask for?’
Besides, I already gave Father the Gongcheongseok oil for elixirs, and I’ve already consumed most of the things I could eat…
There wasn’t anything I particularly needed.
“Oh! I’ve chosen!”
I clapped my hands together.
Father tilted his head slightly.
“You’ve already chosen?”
“Yes!”
I pointed to the items that occupied the largest portion of the storage room.
“The books, please!”
“…Books?”
Namgung Wan’s brow furrowed slightly at the unexpected answer.

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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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