The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

The man wearing the black headscarf turned around and pointed toward the inside. The Black Cloud Sect members, who had been blocking the path, quickly parted to the sides.

Ilhwa followed the man down the now-cleared path.

Her face showed no signs of fear or hesitation.

Rather, her confident presence made the Black Cloud Sect members feel tense as they watched her.

The man led Ilhwa deep into the Black Cloud Sect’s compound, bringing her to a room at the farthest corner.

The door to the room was wide open, as if welcoming her.

At the base of the stairs leading up to the room, the man stepped aside and bowed slightly, signaling that his guidance had ended here.

Ilhwa climbed the stairs without a word, leaving him behind.

The Black Cloud Sect members, who had been following her, crowded together at the bottom of the stairs.

Once she entered the great hall, she saw the Black Cloud Sect’s leader and elders seated, waiting for her.

At the farthest end of the hall sat the leader of the Black Cloud Sect.

Ilhwa walked toward the leader and bowed.

“I, Ilhwa, the leader of Huāo Lóu, have come to meet the leader of the Black Cloud Sect.”

The Black Cloud Sect leader smiled gently, as if looking at a cute child.

“I didn’t expect the famous leader of Huāo Lóu to be such a young lady.”

“Your reputation precedes you, Black Cloud Sect leader. I am simply in awe of your might.”

“Hehe, it seems the leader of Huāo Lóu knows how to show respect…”

His eyes suddenly grew cold.

“Why is it that you are so reckless?”

“…”

Ilhwa, using her spiritual sense, quickly gauged the number of Black Cloud Sect members who had gathered.

There were eight elders and the leader, along with around one hundred and fifty other members.

This had happened in her past life as well.

Due to Blood Demon’s threats, Black Cloud Sect had become enemies of Huāo Lóu and Shaolin. When Ilhwa had come to them, they had been ready to kill her, even though they were handing over the stolen goods.

In her past life, a bloody battle had ensued, and Ilhwa had killed half of them.

“I will apologize on behalf of the leader for such rudeness.”

It wasn’t difficult for Ilhwa to win again, as she had done before, but this time, she took a step back.

She didn’t want to cause unnecessary casualties.

“I hope you will accept my apology and put your anger to rest.”

“Apologies like that are useless.”

“If you visit Huāo Lóu in the future, I will ensure you are treated well.”

“Do you think we, who have nothing, are just a bunch of fools?”

Ilhwa’s gaze grew cold.

The leader’s murderous intent began to rise. It seemed the Black Cloud Sect leader wasn’t intending to end things peacefully.

“Black Cloud Sect leader, I suggest you don’t make a foolish choice.”

“Has the young leader grown scared?”

“Many of your subordinates will lose their lives.”

“You will also have to forfeit yours.”

Swords were drawn in unison by the elders and Black Cloud Sect members, excluding the leader.

It seemed they were determined to repeat the events of her past life.

“I have given you a chance,” the leader declared.

Swish—

Ilhwa drew her sword in the blink of an eye.

The warm atmosphere from before was completely gone, replaced by tense anticipation.

Ilhwa slowly scanned her surroundings.

‘At this point, it’s better to take only the lives I need.’

“I understand that the first strike will be offered to you, since this situation is unfavorable for me.”

“What?”

Swoosh—Slash!

“Guhk!”

In an instant, Ilhwa’s sword cut through the torso of one of the Black Cloud Sect’s elders. The elder let out a final scream before collapsing to the ground.

Before his body even hit the floor, Ilhwa moved toward her next target.

“Stop her!”

The leader of the Black Cloud Sect shouted too late, as Ilhwa’s sword moved even faster.

“Ahhh!”

The sharp sound of a blade cutting through flesh echoed as another elder fell.

Behind the fallen elder, Ilhwa’s eyes gleamed as she gripped her sword more firmly.

‘In my past life, I allowed Black Cloud Sect to make the first strike.’

Although she had still won, she was curious this time about how things would unfold.

‘What choice will the Black Cloud Sect leader make?’

The leader of the Black Cloud Sect, unable to believe that two of his elders had been taken down so easily, stared blankly at the scene.

As his gaze met Ilhwa’s, he flinched, startled, and shouted.

“Kill her! Now!”

“Ahhhhh!”

“Dieee!”

At the Black Cloud Sect leader’s cry, the Black Cloud Sect members rushed toward Ilhwa all at once.

Ilhwa’s movements were like a shadow, weaving through them with ease.

“Khuk—!”

“Keuk!”

With each move she made, screams erupted from all directions.

‘W-what is this…?!’

The Black Cloud Sect leader was taken aback.

Had he let his guard down because she looked like a child? No.

Both the leader and the elders, along with all the sect members, had raised their spiritual energy to keep a close watch on her.

Yet they couldn’t even see her move. Even now, it was the same.

Elders, even the leader, were all falling in a single strike, let alone the lower-ranking members.

‘She’s a monster…!’

Could she be a martial artist who has reached the peak of the Half-Retirement Stage?

No, how could such a young child reach such a level? This doesn’t make sense!

He knew of Huāo Lóu’s infamous reputation, but he never imagined the leader’s skills could surpass all expectations.

At this rate, not only would they fail to kill the leader, but the Black Cloud Sect itself might be wiped from existence by morning.

“Stop!”

At the Black Cloud Sect leader’s shout, all the sect members ceased their movements.

Ilhwa, who had been about to cut the throat of a rushing Black Cloud Sect member, also stopped mid-action.

‘The leader’s judgment was quicker than in my past life.’

Thanks to this, more Black Cloud Sect members were spared compared to her past life.

Ilhwa casually wiped the blood from her sword and looked at the Black Cloud Sect leader.

The leader, now covered in blood, stood still with no change in his expression, which made him realize just how terrifying she was.

‘She’s not an ordinary child!’

She must be a martial artist who has reached the Half-Retirement Stage…!

“Leader!”

The Black Cloud Sect leader bowed respectfully to Ilhwa.

“Please, lower your sword.”

At the same time, the Black Cloud Sect members discarded their weapons and fell to the ground.

Ilhwa stood at the center of it all.

The sound of weapons hitting the ground echoed sharply in the room. As the noise began to fade, the Black Cloud Sect leader’s voice could be heard.

“Please forgive this foolish old man’s mistake. We will give you the goods.”

***

Under the dark moonlight, Ilhwa stared at the small pouch in her hand.

Even though it was wrapped in several layers, a mysterious energy seeped out from the pouch. It was indeed the energy of the elixir that was famed in Shaolin.

‘With this, I can expel the blood energy from my body.’

Ilhwa tucked the pouch into her inner pocket and moved swiftly again.

To perform the energy-balancing technique, she needed a secluded place where no one could interrupt her.

If she made a mistake during the technique, it could result in her energy becoming misaligned, which could lead to a dangerous state, so she carefully surveyed her surroundings as she moved.

‘…’

Ilhwa lowered her gaze and looked behind her.

Sss—Sss—

Someone was following her.

As soon as she stepped out of the Black Cloud Sect’s territory, the other person’s presence became obvious, announcing their existence.

Once she passed through the thick trees, she entered a small space where the moonlight shone through.

Ilhwa stopped there.

Under the gentle moonlight, Ilhwa’s black hair and sharp gaze gleamed.

She stared at a shadow between the trees.

From there, a powerful energy that even Ilhwa couldn’t gauge with her own skills was emanating.

‘Who is it?’

Ilhwa’s face tightened with tension.

In her past life, no one had followed her, so her sense of unease now was at its peak.

She raised her spiritual sense, preparing for a sudden attack.

Then, in that moment,

“Oh dear!”

A middle-aged man appeared, stumbling as he tripped over the trunk of a tree.

The man wore a black robe with blue decorative embroidery along the collar, and his beard was roughly trimmed. His robe was loosely worn, giving him a somewhat disheveled appearance.

However, when Ilhwa recognized his true identity, her expression grew even more serious.

‘Fēng Léi Xīn…?’

The man was surprisingly from the Nangong family.

He was one of the top three martial artists in the Nangong family and the leader of their secret faction, the Secret Wind Sword Sect, Seom Mu-gwang.

Known as the “Thunderstorm God” for his speed like the wind and destructive power like thunder, he was the only one in the Nangong leadership who wasn’t of their bloodline.

“Heh. You didn’t draw your sword. Pretty clever, little girl,” Seom Mu-gwang said with a grin as he scratched his chin.

It was fortunate that he was smiling, but the overwhelming aura he exuded made every hair on Ilhwa’s body stand on end.

“So, who are you?”

Seom Mu-gwang casually gestured toward Ilhwa.

“Think carefully before you answer, little one. Depending on your answer, I’ll decide whether to kill you or let you live.”

His words were dripping with menace, and his eyes gleamed like a sharp blade, staring directly at her.

Ilhwa hesitated as she considered her response.

Seom Mu-gwang was the head of a secret organization in the Nangong family.

While he was widely known as the Thunderstorm God, few knew that he was also part of the Nangong family.

If she mentioned anything about the Nangong family in front of him, she might be suspected of being a spy.

‘Then…’

Ilhwa took a deep breath and faced him with a respectful gesture.

“I, the disciple of the Grandmaster of the Wulin Martial Arts Society, greet you, Senior.”