Chapter 219
“Oh, right, Grandfather.”
Walking alongside Bandit Grandfather along the West Lake, the name Dragon King of Dongting, Cheok Gwang, suddenly popped into my head—perhaps it was just a stream of consciousness.
“That friend of yours.”
“My friend?”
“Yes, the leader of the Yangtze River Water Bandits.”
“Cheok Gwang? Why him?”
Grandfather’s eyebrows arched, as if he were displeased by my interest in the Dragon King of Dongting.
“The Soul-Heaven Record you took from the Namgung Clan. You said it wasn’t the original, right?”
“I told him that ages ago. How could I let my only friend go down the wrong path?”
You have no idea how terrified I was when I heard he had handed the Soul-Heaven Record over to the Dragon King of Dongting.
It made sense, though; unlike the other leaders of the Four Dao Alliance, the Dragon King of Dongting was a true friend to Grandfather.
They had met as a bandit and a water bandit, clashing violently at first, but as the saying goes, affection grows through conflict, and they had eventually forged a friendship.
Knowing that, I had no choice but to confess the truth about the Soul-Heaven Record to Grandfather.
I couldn’t bear the thought of facing Bandit Grandfather if the Dragon King of Dongting were to become a madman by practicing a fake Soul-Heaven Record.
Instead, I made him promise to keep it an absolute secret from Grandmother.
If Ms. Shin-geum found out that I had snuck over the Namgung Clan’s walls to plant a fake Soul-Heaven Record… ah, the thought alone was horrifying.
I’d have to brace myself for at least ten smacks to the back.
Only those who had been hit by Grandmother’s palm knew how truly painful it was.
“I’ve told you before, but you mustn’t tell Grandmother. Do you understand?”
“Of course. This old man will keep his lips sealed, so don’t you worry.”
Grandfather patted my head and chuckled, as if he found my worrying adorable.
“Sir.”
Just then, a bald man approached and bowed respectfully toward Grandfather.
“Gu Deung, what are you doing here?”
“The Leader is also inside.”
“The Dragon King is here?”
They say if you talk about a tiger, it appears—the old proverbs are never wrong.
Grandfather’s gaze toward me was similar. He seemed amused that the Dragon King of Dongting, who had been the main topic of our conversation on the way here, was actually present.
“And who is this child?”
“Go inside and hear for yourself.”
He probably didn’t want to repeat himself twice.
I gave a light nod to the man named Gu Deung and followed Bandit Grandfather into a house.
“Sansan!”
Oh, so that’s the Dragon King of Dongting, Cheok Gwang?
The only person who called Grandfather by his nickname.
I recognized the head of the Yangtze River Water Bandits at once.
“Ho-jon, you’ve finally arrived?”
A middle-aged man sitting across from the Dragon King of Dongting stood up, his silk robes fluttering.
Aha. So this gentleman is the famous Master of the Haomun Sect, the Double-Faced Gentleman, Sang Gwan-su.
I scanned him slowly, as if appraising him.
‘He is handsome, I’ll give him that.’
I wasn’t sure if he was “sexy” yet, but he definitely had the air of a refined middle-aged man. His attire was a flashy, light martial outfit that would be difficult for most people to pull off.
“Do you know me?”
Perhaps I had stared too openly.
Sang Gwan-su’s gaze was now fixed on me.
I glanced at Bandit Grandfather once before answering with a cupped-fist salute.
“Greetings to the Master of the Haomun Sect. I am Tak Seol-ha.”
“…Tak Seol-ha?”
Sang Gwan-su muttered my name under his breath. Then, his eyes widened.
“The adopted granddaughter of the Heavenly Hand Poison Flower?”
Yes, you know her well, as expected.
“Ho-jon, I was just about to ask you.”
The Double-Faced Gentleman, Sang Gwan-su, questioned Grandfather as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Why do you keep traveling with the Dark Sovereign? Did you build a friendship behind our backs?”
“Friendship, you say…”
Bandit Grandfather chewed on the word “friendship” and looked around at us.
“Since you didn’t immediately deny it, I suppose that’s what it is.”
“Sansan, are you serious?”
“Dragon King.”
“Why are you calling me all of a sudden?”
The Dragon King of Dongting’s voice was sharp, as if he felt his friend had been stolen by the Dark Sovereign.
“I finally found her.”
“Found? Found what?”
“My granddaughter.”
“Granddaughter?”
Judging by the Dragon King of Dongting’s expression, he had no idea what Grandfather was talking about.
That was understandable, as the person Grandfather had been searching for all this time, cutting shoulders along the way, was his son, not his granddaughter. It was natural that the pieces didn’t fit.
“Do you remember the red mark on my shoulder?”
“Isn’t that a hereditary mark from your family? Everyone here knows you’ve been cutting the shoulders of every man around that age because your lost son had the same mark, don’t they?”
“Wait.”
Sang Gwan-su, who had been listening to the Dragon King of Dongting, suddenly stared intently at me.
“Ho-jon, did you just say granddaughter?”
“That is correct.”
“Then are you saying this child here has that red mark?”
Hard to believe, right?
I came prepared, knowing you’d say that.
I turned around and pulled at the collar of my left shoulder.
It was a bit embarrassing to bare my entire shoulder in front of strangers, so I had used my sword to slightly tear the fabric near the birthmark beforehand.
Clothes could always be mended.
“Fi, five red dots!”
The birthmark must have been clearly visible through the torn fabric.
The Dragon King of Dongting gasped, pointing his finger back and forth between me and Grandfather.
“It’s exactly like the mark on your shoulder, like twins!”
“Didn’t I tell you over and over? The position and the shape are exactly the same.”
Bandit Grandfather, did you know?
Actually, the Dragon King of Dongting was only half-convinced. He was just playing along because you insisted it was true.
Some friend you are, tsk!
“So you’re saying you found a granddaughter instead of a son, and that child happens to be the adopted granddaughter of the Heavenly Hand Poison Flower?”
As expected of the Haomun Sect Master, Sang Gwan-su summarized it neatly.
“They told me my son was dead.”
“Oh, no!”
The Dragon King of Dongting knew better than anyone how crazily Grandfather had searched for his son. He patted Grandfather’s shoulder and offered quiet comfort.
“So, it turns out you weren’t traveling with the Dark Sovereign, but with your granddaughter.”
Sang Gwan-su’s face, looking at me and Grandfather, seemed relieved, as if the final piece of the puzzle had clicked into place.
“Regardless, congratulations! What a relief to have found your kin at last! Did you say your name was Seol-ha?”
“Yes, Dragon King Grandfather.”
“…Dragon King Grandfather?”
“Ah, Grandfather calls you Dragon King, so…”
I admit, there was a bit of calculation behind it.
Since I’d already become a “Grandfather Collector,” I intended to gather a few more. Who knows? I might need the Yangtze River Water Bandits one day. The Murim world is vast, and it’s always good to have many connections.
“Hahaha! Yes, that’s right! Since I am your grandfather’s friend, I am your grandfather! You may call me Dragon King Grandfather from now on.”
“Yes, Dragon King Grandfather.”
If this were a game, a “+1” would be floating above my head right now.
“If you ever have any trouble while passing through the Yangtze River, just use my name. You’re Sansan’s granddaughter, so I must look after you!”
Look at that.
The benefits are pouring in already.
Dragon King Grandfather is just as generous as Bandit Grandfather.
‘Hehehe.’
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Just as I was acting politely while hiding my devious thoughts, the Double-Faced Gentleman, Sang Gwan-su, asked sharply:
“But Ho-jon, did you bring her here just to introduce your granddaughter to us?”
“May I answer that?”
“You?”
My purpose in coming here was partly curiosity about the Haomun Sect Master, but more importantly, it was to find the whereabouts of the Murderous Demon.
“Master of the Haomun Sect, have you heard the rumors about the Murderous Demon?”
“You mean the one appearing near Hefei?”
“Yes. I asked Grandfather to bring me because I wanted to ask if you knew anything about it. After all, the Haomun Sect is the best when it comes to information.”
“…The Beggar Sect exists, you know.”
Mister, it’s obvious that the corners of your mouth are curling up.
Sang Gwan-su was a man of such exceptional strategy that he was called the brain of the Four Dao Alliance. Yet, he had one weakness: the fact that his information network was often ranked a step below the Beggar Sect.
Because of that, he had a bit of an inferiority complex.
I intended to make good use of that.
“The Beggar Sect doesn’t seem to know anything right now.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. A person I know through Grandmother is a member of the Beggar Sect, and they haven’t even been able to catch a scent of it. I’ve hired the Haomun Sect for information a few times before, and I’ve always been extremely satisfied!”
Will you still not take the bait?
“Ahem! Now that I look at you, Ho-jon’s granddaughter is quite sharp.”
“You are too kind.”
“Wait here. I will find that Murderous Demon for you immediately.”
They said the Double-Faced Gentleman, Sang Gwan-su, was a man who kept his word. He ordered his subordinate standing nearby:
“Find out exactly which bastard is causing this trouble, right now!”
“Yes, sir!”
Is it just my imagination?
The Haomun Sect Master’s expression as he looked at me already resembled that of the three grandfathers quite a bit.
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