The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

Was he referring to what happened at the Medical Hall?

“I heard a member of the Red Dragon Squad pointed a sword at you.”

Her expectations were off the mark. She had assumed he would ask about the events at the Medical Hall, but Namgung Mucheon brought up something entirely unexpected.

“I wasn’t hurt. It was a wooden sword.”

“A wooden sword is still a sword. Any swordsman, regardless of what they hold in their hand—be it a sword, a wooden replica, or even a lowly branch—must wield it with utmost caution before striking.”

“That warrior wasn’t skilled enough for it to matter. Besides, I wasn’t afraid of what he held.”

“Because you’re stronger than him?”

“If we’re talking about inner strength alone, I wouldn’t say I’m stronger. But you know as well as I do that the difference between strength and weakness isn’t determined by power alone.”

Namgung Mucheon’s lips curved slightly.

His gaze, as it fell on Ilhwa, was filled with pride.

Then, his expression turned cold, his demeanor chilling.

“I wish you weren’t my granddaughter.”

Ilhwa raised her head and looked at him.

A cool breeze rustled Namgung Mucheon’s long robes as he stood with his hands behind his back.

Willow leaves fluttered in the wind, making a soft rustling sound.

“You aren’t a normal child. No ordinary child could exude such a killing aura. To accumulate such malice, you’d have to kill more than just a few people.”

Namgung Mucheon could see it all.

The blood on her hands, the pain she had endured—perhaps even the memories of her past life locked within her small frame.

And Ilhwa was aware of it too.

She knew her aura carried the energy accumulated from the killings of her past life.

Most of all, she knew that the blood most deeply intertwined with that killing aura belonged to none other than the Namgung clan.

Though time had rewound, she herself had not.

The resentment and tears of those she had slain could not be erased nor forgotten. They were burdens she had to carry.

Namgung Mucheon saw the weight of it all in this young child.

“What parent would ever wish for their bloodline to lead a life of such danger?”

To kill someone, one must also be prepared to die. Having killed so many meant she had narrowly escaped death countless times herself.

“I wanted my granddaughter to grow up simply, gracefully. Even if she didn’t live in luxury, I would’ve been satisfied if she had a normal life.”

“…”

“Who was it that raised you like this?”

“Does that matter?”

“It does.”

At that moment, an overwhelming aura burst forth from Namgung Mucheon.

A suffocating blue energy radiated around him, chilling the air itself.

Yet Ilhwa felt none of its oppressive weight.

He had deliberately controlled it so as not to affect her.

“I need to know who it was so I can hold them accountable.”

His low, icy voice carried an unmistakable fury.

Every word was deliberate, heavy with purpose.

“The person who turned my granddaughter into this won’t be allowed an easy death. Even if I tear them limb from limb and leave nothing behind, it wouldn’t suffice.”

“What if I’m not your granddaughter?”

The suffocating energy dissipated instantly.

Namgung Mucheon stared at her intently.

Suddenly, he drew the sword at his waist and planted it firmly beside her with a resounding thud.

“Not yet.”

“What are you doing?”

“Testing how far you’ve come. When will you surpass Cheonmyeong?”

“Is this sword called Cheonmyeong?”

“Yes.”

Reattaching the sword to his waist, he continued, “When you used to hold my hand and wander around my quarters, you weren’t even half as tall as you are now.”

Placing a large hand on her head, he added, “You’ve grown so much.”

The way he tousled her hair wasn’t gentle—more like rubbing against stone.

But it didn’t feel bad.

“Let’s have dinner together tomorrow evening. I hear you like good food. I’ll have plenty prepared.”

“…Alright.”

“Good. Rest well. I’ll send someone to fetch you.”

With that, Namgung Mucheon left the guest pavilion.

In the end, he didn’t bring up the events at the Medical Hall.

Ilhwa couldn’t tell if Seob Mugwang had said nothing, or if Namgung Mucheon knew but chose to remain silent.

After he departed, Ilhwa headed for the training grounds of the guest pavilion.

She needed to finish her external martial arts training.

While she preferred not to train where others might see, she couldn’t afford to cause any more disturbances today.

By the time she washed up and finished dinner, the sun had already dipped below the horizon.

The guest pavilion was quiet.

The faint sounds of servants and guards going about their duties were the only noise breaking the stillness.

Sitting on a soft blanket, Ilhwa gazed at the gray clouds drifting across the night sky.

The moon alternated between being veiled by clouds and revealing its clear face multiple times.

Before long, Ilhwa drifted off to sleep.

This was her first night at Namgung Manor.

***

Jingle—jingle—

The clear sound of bells echoed through the guest pavilion.

At the same time, a chilling aura enveloped the area.

Like a creeping mist, a faint haze rapidly spread throughout the pavilion.

Yet none of the guards or servants seemed to notice the change.

It was as though they had all fallen under a spell at the same moment.

Jingle—jingle—

The chime of the bell echoed through the mist.

Amidst the spreading haze, a sharp energy surged swiftly in a single direction.

The energy bypassed the warriors patrolling the guest pavilion. It spiraled as if scanning the maids stationed throughout the area.

Finally, it aimed toward the guest rooms of the pavilion.

Shiiik—

The sharp energy entered the corridor of the guest rooms, moving as swiftly as it had outside.

It snaked through the hallway, brushing past the maids stationed there, before stopping in front of a particular door.

It hovered momentarily, as though gauging something beyond the door.

Clatter—!

Without hesitation, the energy passed through the door.

The rattling sound of the door echoed in the silent corridor.

“…?”

One of the maids standing guard in the hallway noticed something strange and turned her gaze toward the room.

Jingle—jingle—

The room was suffused with an eerie energy.

Within the rippling darkness, Ilhwa opened her eyes.

Her vacant black pupils stared into the void as if she hadn’t fully awakened from sleep.

After staring at the ceiling for a moment, she sat up.

Turning her head, she looked toward the side table where her sword rested.

Ilhwa climbed down from the bed and picked up the sword.

Shring—

The sound of the blade being unsheathed echoed as its silvery edge glinted in the hazy mist.

The blade shimmered with a white aura, a pure and uncolored manifestation of internal energy.

“Miss, do you need anything?”

Ilhwa’s gaze shifted toward the other side of the door.

The shadow of a maid who had come to check on the noise flickered on the other side.

The sword in Ilhwa’s hand began to hum and vibrate softly.

***

“Can’t you be a bit gentler with your words?”

Inside the family head’s study, Seop Mugwang had been grumbling at Namgung Mucheon for two full hours.

“No matter how mature the child acts, she’s still not an adult inside. She came all this way to meet her family—couldn’t you have spoken to her with a bit more warmth?”

“Hm.”

Namgung Mucheon, arms crossed, closed his eyes and let out a contemplative hum.

“Commander Bi, let it go,” interjected Namgung Mun, the head steward.

“Just look at the lord. Can’t you tell he thinks he already spoke warmly enough?”

Namgung Mucheon opened his eyes and shot a sharp glare at the steward.

The steward sighed deeply and shook his head.

“Staring at me won’t retract your words. Perhaps you should’ve paid attention when we sent word in advance.”

Namgung Mucheon’s brow furrowed slightly.

When he visited the guest pavilion to speak with his granddaughter, these two had perched on the roof of the pavilion, eavesdropping on the entire conversation.

They had interjected with their opinions at every sentence, to the point where he eventually grew annoyed and sealed the entire pond area with a sound barrier.

“Why did you bring up that energy surge during your visit? Were you trying to show off how powerful you are?”

“Ahem!”

Caught off guard, Namgung Mucheon cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I was merely trying to reassure my granddaughter because she seemed uneasy.”

“There are plenty of other ways to reassure someone, you know. All you probably did was scare her even more….”

“You, who reports every single detail to me, are hardly in a position to criticize.”

“Tsk.”

Seop Mugwang averted his gaze awkwardly.

He had only intended to observe the child until she arrived at the clan, but he had inadvertently ended up reporting her activities at the external training grounds and the Medical Hall to the family head.

“What was I supposed to do? That little one was in danger! Should I have kept my mouth shut until your granddaughter was dead?”

In his urgency, Seop Mugwang slipped into his habit of addressing Namgung Mucheon as “elder brother.”

“You should’ve seen her at the Medical Hall! That child’s gaze was like nothing—”