The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 3

The man in the black hood turned and gestured toward the entrance. At once, the Black Cloud Gang members who had been blocking the way split apart, parting to form a path.

Ilhwa stepped forward without hesitation, following the man through the gap.

There was not a trace of fear or doubt on her face.

Instead, it was the gang members who felt uneasy. They found themselves tensing as they watched the young girl pass.

The man led her deep into the heart of the Black Cloud Gang’s compound, toward the main hall.

As if expecting her arrival, the doors stood wide open.

At the base of the steps leading up to the hall, the man stepped aside and bowed slightly, signaling that his guidance ended there.

Without a word, Ilhwa ascended the stairs.

Behind her, the gathered gang members crowded near the bottom, pressing forward to get a better look.

Inside the grand hall, the Gang Lord of the Black Cloud Gang sat surrounded by his elders. They had all been waiting for her.

At the center, seated at the highest position, was the Gang Lord himself.

Ilhwa walked forward with measured steps and greeted him with proper etiquette.

"Ilhwa of Fire Crow Tower greets the Gang Lord of the Black Cloud Gang."

The Gang Lord smiled warmly, as if amused by the presence of a child.

"To think that the renowned Young Master of Fire Crow Tower is such a young heroine."

"Your presence is far greater than the rumors claim, Gang Lord. I can only be in awe."

"Ha! Such fine manners from the Young Master of Fire Crow Tower..."

His gaze suddenly turned ice-cold.

"If only your master were as courteous."

Ilhwa remained silent.

She expanded her senses, counting the number of people in the hall.

The Gang Lord, eight elders, and about a hundred and fifty subordinates.

It was exactly the same as her previous life.

Back then, the Black Cloud Gang had become a public enemy of Mount Hua and Shaolin due to the Blood Demon’s threats. When Ilhwa arrived, they had been seething with resentment, desperate to kill her.

Even if they handed over the stolen goods, they had intended to eliminate Fire Crow Tower’s Young Master as compensation for their humiliation.

A battle had broken out, and Ilhwa had slaughtered half of them.

"I apologize on behalf of my master."

Winning this fight again wouldn’t be difficult.

But this time, she took a step back. She had no interest in meaningless slaughter.

"I ask for your understanding."

"I have no use for empty apologies."

"If you visit Fire Crow Tower in the future, we will ensure you are well-received."

"Do you take us for beggars with nothing to our name?"

Ilhwa’s expression darkened.

A murderous aura had begun to rise from the Gang Lord. He had no intention of resolving this peacefully.

"Gang Lord, I advise you not to make a foolish decision."

"What’s this? Is the Young Master of Fire Crow Tower frightened?"

"Your men will lose their lives."

"And so will °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° you."

Sching! Sching! Sching!

The elders and gang members all drew their blades in unison.

So, they had decided to repeat history.

"I gave you a chance."

Sching—!

In an instant, Ilhwa drew her sword.

The once-amiable atmosphere vanished without a trace, replaced by suffocating tension.

Ilhwa slowly scanned her surroundings.

"Now that it’s come to this, I’ll only take the lives that are necessary."

"It seems I’m at a disadvantage. I will allow you the first move."

"What?"

Whoosh— Slash—!

"Kuhuk!"

In a flash, Ilhwa’s sword sliced through one of the elders, splitting him from the shoulder down.

The elder collapsed forward, his death cry echoing through the hall.

Before his body even hit the ground, Ilhwa had already moved toward her next target.

"Stop her!"

The Gang Lord shouted, but her sword was already upon its next victim.

"Guaah!"

A second elder crumpled, blood spraying through the air.

Behind his falling body, Ilhwa adjusted her grip on her sword, her eyes gleaming sharply.

"In my past life, I let the Black Cloud Gang make the first move."

She had still won back then.

But this time, she had acted first—simply to see what choice the Gang Lord would make.

The Gang Lord’s face was frozen in shock.

Two elders had been killed instantly, unable to react.

And now, as he met Ilhwa’s gaze, his body flinched in fear.

Then, he roared.

"K-Kill her! Now!"

"Uwaaaaah!"

"Die!"

At his command, the gang members charged all at once.

Ilhwa moved like a shadow, weaving through them effortlessly.

"Kuhak—!"

"Agh!"

Each time she moved, a scream followed.

"W-What the...!"

The Gang Lord was in complete disbelief.

Had he underestimated her because she was a child? No—

He, the elders, and all his subordinates had been watching her closely, raising their awareness to the maximum.

And yet, they still couldn’t see her movements.

Even now, they were helpless.

Elders, commanders, foot soldiers—it didn’t matter.

They were all falling like wheat before the scythe.

"She’s a monster...!"

Was she a hidden grandmaster who had reversed her aging?

If not, how could a mere child possess such skill?

This was beyond logic.

He had known that Fire Crow Tower had a fearsome reputation—but to think their Young Master was this powerful...

At this rate, the Black Cloud Gang would be wiped from existence in a single night.

"Stop!"

At the Gang Lord’s command, the members of the Black Cloud Gang halted their movements.

Ilhwa, who had been on the verge of severing another man’s throat, also came to a stop, maintaining her stance.

"The Gang Lord reacted faster than in my past life."

Because of that, more of his subordinates survived this time.

She flicked the blood off her sword without a hint of emotion and turned her gaze toward the Gang Lord.

Drenched in blood yet completely unfazed—her expression unchanging—the sight sent a chill down his spine.

"She is no ordinary child!"

She had to be a grandmaster in a child’s body, one who had reversed their aging.

The Gang Lord took a deep breath before lowering his head toward Ilhwa.

"Young Master!"

He clasped his hands together in a gesture of submission.

"Please... sheath your sword!"

At the same time, his subordinates threw down their weapons and prostrated themselves on the ground.

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Ilhwa stood at the center of it all.

For a brief moment, the sharp clang of discarded weapons filled the hall.

As the last echoes of metal faded, the Gang Lord spoke again.

"Please forgive this foolish old man’s mistake... I will hand over the item."

****

Beneath the dim moonlight, Ilhwa stared at the small pouch in her hands.

Despite being wrapped in multiple layers, a potent energy seeped from within.

It was exactly as expected of Shaolin’s prized elixir.

"With this, I can purge the Blood Qi inside me."

Tucking the pouch into her robes, she quickly moved away.

She needed to find an isolated location where she could perform her Qi circulation technique without interruption.

If anything went wrong during the process, she risked Qi deviation, which could cripple her meridians—or worse, lead to internal demonic possession.

As she carefully searched for a suitable spot, her senses suddenly sharpened.

"...."

She glanced behind her.

A faint rustling.

Rustle— Rustle—

Someone was following her.

The moment she left the Black Cloud Gang’s territory, the pursuer made no effort to conceal their presence.

They were intentionally revealing their existence.

Weaving through the dense forest, Ilhwa stepped into a small clearing bathed in moonlight.

She stopped.

Under the pale glow, her black hair shimmered, her piercing eyes reflecting the faint silver hue.

She turned toward the trees.

A powerful presence emanated from the shadows—so immense that even Ilhwa couldn't gauge its limits.

"Who is it?"

Her body tensed instinctively.

In her past life, no one had ever followed her at this point.

This was an unknown variable.

She raised her senses, preparing for an ambush.

Then—

"Ah, damn it!"

A middle-aged man stumbled out from behind a tree, tripping over its roots with a loud thud.

He wore a long black robe, its collar embroidered with elaborate blue patterns.

His beard was roughly trimmed, and his robe hung loosely, giving him an almost careless appearance.

But Ilhwa’s expression hardened the moment she recognized him.

Behind that unkempt demeanor was a man of terrifying skill.

"Wind Thunder God...?"

The man was Namgoong’s own.

One of the three strongest warriors of the clan.

The leader of Namgoong’s elite force—the Secret Wind Sword Corps.

Seop Mugwang.

He had earned the title "Wind Thunder God" because his speed was as swift as the wind, and his strikes as destructive as thunder.

He was also the only person among Namgoong’s top-ranking members who did not share their bloodline.

"Kehaha, you’re smarter than you look. You didn’t draw your sword."

Seop Mugwang chuckled, scratching his chin.

His grinning face did nothing to ease the suffocating pressure of his overwhelming energy.

Every hair on Ilhwa’s body stood on end.

"Who the hell are you?"

With a slight jerk of his chin, he gestured toward her.

"Think carefully before you answer, brat. Depending on what you say, I might let you live... or I might kill you right here."

His words, spoken with a smirk, carried a weight that was anything but playful.

His gaze was as sharp as a blade, pinning her in place.

Ilhwa carefully considered her response.

Seop Mugwang was Namgoong’s hidden blade, operating outside the public eye.

The world knew him as Wind Thunder God, but few were aware that he belonged to Namgoong.

Revealing too much about Namgoong could make her look like a spy.

"In that case..."

Ilhwa clasped her hands together in a martial salute.

"Martial disciple Seolhwa greets the esteemed senior."