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Chapter 101
The Baengri Clan’s Unwanted Granddaughter
Chapter 101
* * *
Late that evening, the food I’d brought back from the inn was laid out in the center of the sparsely set table. The steam rising from the glistening pork leg chunks on a bed of brown lotus leaves made the dish look even more appetizing.
I looked at my father with wide eyes. “The Alliance head is here?”
Ẁе b nо̇v̂ е̂l Ĕn̊ūṁ а̌
This was really unexpected news. Every time something surprised me like this, it was another reminder that the future I knew was changing.
“That’s right. It would’ve been nice if you could’ve met him as well.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Yes.” I said that, but I’d encountered the Alliance head a couple of times in my past life, and so I knew I didn’t actually want to see him.
Wi Jibaek was the spitting image of the upstanding martial artist, with a reputation to match. I’d met him a few times because of my father, and he’d been polite enough to me, so I’d figured he was okay. But... Didn’t they say never to judge a book by its cover? Wi Jibaek was exactly the kind of man who inspired that expression.
It was said that he’d become head of the Martial Alliance purely on his own merit, without pulling any strings, and he always went around talking about the position as if it didn’t mean much to him—saying that he’d happily hand over the title if a good junior appeared, and that he was just waiting for that day, and so on. But then, why would anyone genuinely uninterested in power ever take the position of Martial Alliance head in the first place?
Wi Jibaek was the very embodiment of grasping ambition. If anyone posed a threat to his power, he drove them out without mercy and sabotaged their future prospect. Take, for example… Namgoong Ryuchung himself. Whenever Namgoong Ryuchung moved heaven and earth to solve a case, that greedy geezer would always swoop in at the last minute to snatch all the credit for himself.
Е̃ n̈u m̀ а̄
Wi Jibaek was nearly fifty years old now, and in ten years he’d only be about sixty. Accomplished martial artists aged slowly as it was, and in this world where inner qi strength was proportional to age, at sixty he’d be in the prime of his power. Even if Namgoong Ryuchung were a rising star, what threat could he pose to someone on Wi Jibaek’s level? And yet, the head of the Martial Alliance himself was constantly scrambling to keep Namgoong Ryuchung in check. What a disgrace.
But he’d be a waste to just cast out too. As one of the Eleven Strongest Under the Heavens, his martial prowess was truly a force to behold. The martial world’s delicate balance was currently hanging by a thread. Among the Eleven Strongest Under the Heavens, only five were of the virtuous path, so even if just one were lost, the balance would tilt heavily in favor of the evil path.
For reference, the Cheonsan Flame Lord was considered a neutral force—an independent actor belonging to neither the virtuous nor the evil path, neither the righteous nor the unrighteous faction. But if something were to happen to the Namgoong clan, he definitely wouldn’t just stand back and watch, so he was technically closer to the virtuous path. That was how the balance was being maintained.
Well, that was all in the future, anyway. Back in the present, Father bit into a piece of the pork and let out a pleased noise.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“It’s good, right?” I asked eagerly.
“This must be a Hyangharoo dish.”
Е ǹu.m̀ а̃
“Huh? That’s right! How did you know?”
“Namgoong Wan and I have eaten there a few times.”
I turned to my father in shock. “Then... Why didn’t you ever tell me about it?!”
“Hmm?”
I couldn’t possibly tell Father that I was disappointed in him, so I just gave him a sulky glare before turning toward the boy next to him. “What about you, Yayul? Do you like it?”
He blinked and nodded, murmuring quietly, “Thank you.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I brushed a hand over his head and urged him to eat more.
“You have some too,” he urged.
“I’m stuffed.” My appetite had made a valiant attempt at a comeback when I first saw the glossy chunks of tender pork again, but I was already stuffed to the gills. In fact, I’d almost thrown up in the carriage ride back. “I already had two bowls of rice back at the restaurant. And Ryuchung had three! He looked so annoyed when we first entered the inn, too. Haha.”
Yayul suddenly placed his chopsticks down and asked, “Young Master Namgoong?”
“Yeah. I thought he wasn’t coming along, but then for some reason he was in the carriage when I got there.”
I went back to petting Yayul’s head. His expression eased, and he began to eat again.
W еb ñо̀vе l Е n.u̇ mа̄
“You had two whole bowls?” Father asked, his voice full of concern. “I’ll have to get some digestive medicine for you at the clinic.”
Not more medicine! I quickly changed the subject. “So, what brought the Alliance head here?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“He decided to stop by and see Lord Namgoong on his way to somewhere else.”
“I see.”
“Also...” Father trailed off with a glance at Yayul. “Cheon Guijo has apparently escaped to Guiju Province.”
Yayul’s chopsticks stopped mid-movement at the news. I was surprised as well—surviving coming face-to-face with Father not once, but twice? What a guy.
Е̌ n̄u̇ ṁ а. і d̂
“The Alliance head also expressed a wish to see you, Yayul,” Father continued. “It’s a good thing you weren’t here.”
I stifled a gasp. That certainly was lucky. Calculating based on when Father saw off the Alliance head and when Yayul returned, Yayul had only just managed to miss Wi Jibaek.
“Be careful.”
“I will.” It seemed like Yayul had lost his appetite. When he noticed that I was looking at him pityingly, he gave me a faint smile and began to eat again.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Father had something more to say. “Hmm, and I suppose you ought to know this as well, Yeon.”
“Know what?”
W еb̃ n о̄ v е̃l̈ Ěǹ ú ḿ ã
“I met with Young Master Byeok today.”
I didn’t recognize the name immediately. “By Young Master Byeok, do you mean... Byeok Seongyul of the Kirin Group?”
The clattering sound of chopsticks falling onto a plate interrupted us. When Father and I looked toward him, Yayul bowed his head politely. “My apologies,” he said, casually picking up his chopsticks again.
Weird. For the most part, Yayul’s expression and behavior were just the same as usual, but my intuition was telling me that something was off. I peered suspiciously at him, but decided to continue the conversation. “Young Master Byeok? What made him think he could show his face here?”
“Apparently he came to apologize.”
Wow, some nerve. “Hmph! Did he apologize to Mister Joonghae?”
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This time, Father was the one to pet my hair. “We’ve received our apologies. What happens between those two is for them to sort out. That said, it does seem as though he has made peace with the Ak clan. Young Master Byeok has repented and will be serving as a regular member of the Alliance in the future.”
“Well... If you say so...”
Unbelievable. I would never have forgiven him. And I was starting to feel bad for the regular members of the Alliance too. How would they ever be able to trust someone like that with their backs? I studied Father for a moment, then suddenly grew curious. “Father, if you were in Mister Joonghae’s place, what would you have done?”
He thought for a moment before answering. “I think that... I would forgive him.”
I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t satisfied with his answer, but I decided to take those words to heart. Forgive, just like Father... Ugh, I don’t want to.N-no, no.I need to take after Father.
I went back and forth between nodding and shaking my head before asking him, “Then, what if… something like that happened to me?”
Е̊ ñ u m̂ ӑ.і̇d
The chopsticks Father was holding snapped suddenly, crumbling in his hand.
I blinked in surprise, but then smiled brightly. “Hehe, you couldn’t forgive that, could you?!”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Father avoided my gaze. “The pork is quite delicious.”
Haha, blatantly changing the subject! For his sake, I decided not to push the issue.
He continued speaking a moment later. “Young Master Byeok may have committed that crime... but not all Byeoks are like him.”
I cocked my head to one side.
W̆е b̆ n̊ о̃ v̀е̇ l Е ṅ um â
“There are also those who are principled, unyielding, and generous.”
“Hmm, really? Like who?”
It was rare for Father to dole out compliments like that. And if there really was someone in the Byeok family famous enough for Father to praise, there was no way I wouldn’t have remembered them.
As though he’d read my mind, Father said, “Master Byeok Kihyeon. Though I don’t think you’d know the name.”
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Byeok Kihyeon? Just as Father said, I’d never heard of him before.
“It’s been about ten— No, over twelve years already now since Master Byeok disappeared. Of course you wouldn’t know.”
Е n̊ ũ.mа̂
A master from ten years ago? That was enough time even for mountains and rivers to change. In the martial world where strong warriors were a dime a dozen, there was no way I’d have heard about a master who’d been renowned a whole decade ago, especially if he’d never been mentioned in the novel.
“Uh... Did Master Byeok die, then?”
That was the usual ending for famous masters who suddenly disappeared: dying in action out in the middle of nowhere, where there was no one to find or recognize them.
“I’m not sure. Nothing was made known.”
My throat suddenly felt dry, so I took a sip of my tea.
Father stared into space as though reminiscing about old times as he continued. “I think the Ak clan decided to overlook Young Master Byeok’s incident because... Master Byeok once saved the life of one of their own.”
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“Young Master Byeok sure is lucky...”
“Such are the graces and grudges of the martial world. Though not enough to call a debt, I too have received assistance from Master Byeok in the past.”
“You, Father? Wow...”
“She was a great woman.”
“Wait, Master Byeok was a woman?”
“Yes.”
Ӗ n̊ u m̄ ӑ
Without even realizing it, I’d just naturally assumed we were talking about a man. How embarrassing!
Father smiled softly and raised his teacup. “Come to think of it, Master Byeok also had a birthmark near her eye, just like Yayul.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Really?”
Father nodded and looked at Yayul. His hand froze in midair as he brought the teacup to his lips. Yayul’s chopsticks had stopped moving a while back as well. What’s going on?What’s with this mood?
I looked rapidly between them. “Have you two already finished eating?”
It made me sad that there was still a pile of pork left. But they said it was delicious... I guessed they must’ve lost their appetites.
Е̇ ǹum̌_а
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