Chapter 115
Translator: penny
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: The Baek Family's Second Daughter
"Hello, I'm Baek Eunjeong, the second daughter of the Baek Family."
I had to mull over one thing after hearing that introduction.
'Did the Shadow Gate Sect Leader send her?'
Then why come here?
How did she know about this place?
Of course, it wasn't as if I had zero clues.
Considering Baek Rihyeon was currently at the clinic and was the illegitimate son of the Baek Family, it wasn't strange for them to seek out me, his protector.
But what puzzled me was how they already knew that fact.
'Did the Beggars' Sect tell them? No, even they wouldn't know Baek Rihyeon is the Baek Family's illegitimate son.'
It didn't make sense that they'd recognized him by his face either.
I'd heard Yang Hwa-jeong was chased out while pregnant with him.
Unlike my jumbled thoughts, the woman named Baek Eunjeong just smiled brightly.
It was a stark contrast to the stiff expression she'd worn when visiting the clinic yesterday.
In that moment, Moyong Hui, standing beside me, cut in.
"The Baek Family? Why have you come to us from there?"
Her tone was unusually sharp, laced with edge.
It felt excessive even for spotting a romantic rival.
'It's because it's the Baek Family.'
Moyong Hui had heard the stories from Yang Hwa-jeong along with me back then.
Given her personality, it was no surprise she harbored hostility toward the Baek Family.
Baek Eunjeong belatedly turned to Moyong Hui and tilted her head quizzically.
"Sorry, but who might you be?"
She genuinely seemed clueless.
'Not from the Beggars' Sect, then.'
If she'd gotten her info from them, she couldn't possibly not know about Moyong Hui.
As I sorted through this new intel in my mind, the two women's conversation continued.
"I'm Moyong Hui, second daughter of the Moyong Family. They call me the Sword Phoenix, though it's embarrassing to say."
For her to volunteer her nickname like that was no small thing.
Baek Eunjeong flinched in surprise upon hearing it.
"The Sword Phoenix?"
"Yes. Now, why don't you tell us why you've come?"
The staredown seemed to go to Moyong Hui.
Baek Eunjeong hesitated before pulling a delicate wooden box from her bosom.
"Someone asked me to deliver this to Mok Sohyeop here."
As she opened it, a clear, refreshing fragrance wafted out first.
A scent I'd smelled once before.
'Salingdan? So it is from the Shadow Gate Sect Leader.'
Then why send the Baek Family's second daughter?
Now that I knew the result, the reason came easily.
'Are the Shadow Gate Sect and the Baek Family that close?'
Though unorthodox and orthodox sects often colluded behind the scenes, this was unexpected.
The Baek Family had been on the rise to join the Five Great Families, after all.
'No, maybe their ties to the Shadow Gate Sect enabled that ascent.'
The Shandong Yue Clan collapsed, and the Baek Family swiftly devoured the remnants.
If the Shadow Gate Sect backed them, it fit perfectly.
They grew fat on those gains, ascended to the Five Great Families, and kept colluding with the Shadow Gate Sect from the shadows...
'Huh? Then what about Baek Rihyeon?'
As I recalled, by the time of my death, Baek Rihyeon had become head of the Baek Family.
But given his character, close ties to the Shadow Gate Sect seemed off.
It made more sense that he'd severed those links upon taking the helm.
From what I'd pieced together, the Shadow Gate Sect Leader was likely allied with the current Baek Family head.
'Sending his second daughter to me screams it.'
Meanwhile, Baek Rihyeon was at mortal enmity with the current head.
Biological father or not, the moment he cast out Yang Hwa-jeong, his mother, any closeness between them was impossible.
'He wasn't the type anyway.'
It was more logical to assume Baek Rihyeon returned, achieved greatness, and seized the headship by force.
The Shadow Gate Sect would have been sidelined naturally.
'Whatever, not important right now.'
What mattered was why the second daughter came personally.
And that reason was simple too.
'She's a knockout.'
The Shadow Gate Sect Leader must have realized from yesterday's Q&A that I like women.
He'd heard me vow to protect my women fiercely, so his scheme was obvious.
'He wants me paired with her.'
He'd already promised to shield the Shadow Gate Sect.
We hadn't spoken directly, but from the moment he made Somwol the sect leader, it was set in stone.
And now he wanted this woman with me too?
'Are they that tight with the Baek Family? Or does he want influence over me?'
His motives didn't matter.
The outcome was fixed anyway.
'Impossible.'
I never turned away an incoming woman, but this one got a hard no.
Not that she didn't stir me at all.
'She's quite the beauty.'
The issue lay elsewhere.
Considering the Baek Family's current state, the answer was clear.
The Eun Merchant Group was gearing up against them as the Shandong Yue Clan crumbled, and even Moyong Hui beside me showed deep hostility.
Yang Hwa-jeong—Baek Rihyeon's mother, the woman I'd shared my bed with—was at blood feud with them.
And that wasn't all.
'The real biggest reason is something else.'
The Baek Family head.
That nameless bastard was the core problem.
Whether he was scum didn't faze me.
Even colluding with the Shadow Gate Sect was irrelevant.
His issue was...
'He's a lecher.'
He'd forced himself on Yang Hwa-jeong.
Baek Eunjeong before me and Yang Hwa-jeong weren't far apart in age.
Meaning he'd raped a maid who could've been his daughter...
'No guarantee he won't eye my women.'
So many fine women around me.
If his eyes were straight, they'd draw his gaze inevitably.
And I, Mok Jimyeong...
Could endure anything except him touching my women.
'Link with her, and that creep becomes my father-in-law.'
I couldn't just kill him off in annoyance.
And Baek Eunjeong wasn't alluring enough to overlook it.
Her martial arts were freshly peak first-rate, her looks pretty but just that.
Thus, she was 'impossible.'
I snatched the wooden box from Baek Eunjeong's hands.
Then, in a slightly cold, firm voice, I said,
"Tell the sender I said thanks."
Startled by my demeanor, Baek Eunjeong stammered in confusion.
"Th-that's... no, um... Ah! Does Mok Sohyeop know what this item is?"
Seizing on a follow-up topic, she mustered a bright smile.
But I cut her off firmly again.
"I do."
"Oh..."
She floundered once more.
She seemed terribly naive.
But given her background, it wasn't odd.
'Where would she have faced treatment like this?'
The Baek Family commanded great respect locally.
True, the Shandong Yue Clan represented the region, but they were worlds apart.
'Polar opposites.'
Same Shandong region, yet the distance rivaled here to Beijing.
Unlike the capital's paved roads, poor infrastructure made it even farther.
Thus, the Baek Family wielded immense influence, and their second daughter would be highly revered.
'Plus, she's pretty.'
How many men vied just for a word with her?
Living like that naturally inflated her ego, so I drove in the final nail.
"Is there anything else?"
"...No. I'll take my leave."
Her pride wounded, Baek Eunjeong flushed and turned away.
She even unleashed lightness skill, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Watching her go, Moyong Hui sidled up and hooked her arm in mine.
"What's gotten into you, dear?"
I knew exactly what she meant but played dumb.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Hehe~ That lady earlier was quite pretty, no~?"
She seemed pleased by my firm rejection.
Since things had gone this far, I decided to play along more.
"What are you talking about? Oh, Baek Eu... what was her name? Anyway, the one from the Baek Family?"
I remembered Baek Eunjeong perfectly but feigned otherwise.
Pleased, Moyong Hui beamed.
"Yes. Even I thought she was pretty."
"Nah, come on. Standing next to you, Hui, it felt bad even comparing."
Normally it might ring hollow, but my prior actions lent sincerity.
Indeed, Moyong Hui's lips curved ear-to-ear.
"Really?"
"This won't do. Gotta show you how serious I am right now."
And so, we spent a passionate afternoon together.