The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 35

After completing the Minor Circulation by guiding her energy through the Conception and Governing Vessels via the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, the energy began flowing throughout her body along the Twelve Standard Meridians.

The clear, refined energy flowed through Seolhwa’s body, not with the forceful intensity of Namgoong Mucheon’s energy, but with patience and care, as if it had been cultivated over a long time.

It was Cheongun’s consideration, moving the energy with delicate precision so that Seolhwa could better understand how to circulate her inner energy.

Still not enough.

Just as Cheongun’s guidance was coming to an end, Seolhwa began moving her energy on her own.

She had already mastered the Heavenly Vast Divine Art, the Namgoong Clan’s core cultivation method, as it was the very first martial art she had learned in her previous life.

What mattered now was opening the floodgates.

Seeing it once is as good as learning it. I can go wild now, can’t I?

Fwooooom...

“...!”

Namgoong Cheongun’s eyes widened in shock as he guided the flow of energy.

He had been about to stabilize the energy and finish the guidance, when Seolhwa’s energy suddenly began to surge violently, writhing as though it had gone berserk.

No...!

If one circulates inner energy without a proper understanding of the cultivation method’s formula and flow, it's all too easy to fall into Qi Deviation.

“Seolhwa, you mustn’t—!”

Fwoooosh—

He rushed to stop her, but his face was instantly overtaken by shock.

“...!”

Her energy had begun to move with the force and speed of a raging bull.

But then—

This... isn’t the wrong path...?

Seolhwa’s energy was moving along the exact path he had guided her through.

There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her circulation, as if she had already known the route by ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) heart.

Damn...!

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As he attempted to stabilize his own energy, Cheongun felt it being pulled into Seolhwa’s, and he quickly withdrew his hands from her body.

But Seolhwa’s energy did not stop.

It grew even more wild, even faster.

Her energy rampaged forward without restraint.

****

Fwooooooooo...

As the energy gradually calmed, Seolhwa opened her eyes.

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t circulated energy in a long time, but her body felt light and refreshed.

As expected of Namgoong’s cultivation method.

Even in her past life, she had known how excellent the Namgoong Clan’s core martial art was.

It had produced the Sword Emperor himself.

As long as the foundation was solid, it was an advanced martial art that could elevate its practitioner to the very best under heaven—and if training continued uninterrupted, it had no limit to how strong one could become. It was a supreme growth-oriented technique.

The progress might be slow, but the fundamentals were sturdy, and its potential was boundless—that was the martial art of the Namgoong Clan.

In my past life, if I hadn’t aimed to destroy the Namgoong Clan, I would’ve wanted to master their martial arts too.

She had known it in theory, but the reason she hadn’t practiced it in her past life was because of the Blood Energy.

She had already cultivated Blood Energy, which clashed with Namgoong’s pure martial arts, and having trained in the Blood Arts, circulating both could lead to inner energy conflict.

However, the more Seolhwa studied Namgoong’s martial system, the harder it became not to acknowledge its value.

Only now have I finally begun to train in a true supreme martial art.

She had wondered whether something she only knew in theory could truly be grasped through experience—but it turned out it could, and she was relieved.

“It’s over, then.”

Seolhwa turned her head to look at Namgoong Cheongun, seated in a chair.

Though he tried to maintain a composed expression, the shock on his face was obvious.

“You knew the Namgoong Clan’s cultivation method beforehand?”

“Father taught it to me, didn’t he?”

“You’re saying you reproduced everything I showed you just once?”

Seolhwa nodded.

She already knew all of Namgoong’s martial arts, but she couldn’t tell him that.

Still, she had no intention of pretending she didn’t know them or feigning clumsiness.

If I have to act, I’d rather act like a genius.

With the memories of her previous life, it was only natural she would be far ahead of others her age.

“Do you know how many stars you’ve reached in this cultivation method I only showed you once?”

“Three stars.”

Martial techniques had twelve achievement stages, from 1-Star to 12-Star.

Reaching the 10th Star meant mastering the martial art to perfection—known as Extreme Completion—and the 12th Star meant fully internalizing it and making it one’s own, called Great Completion.

“Most people need at least a year or two to reach 3-Star. Even then, they’re called geniuses.”

“Is that so?”

“You’ve achieved it in just two hours.”

“I see.”

“...Hah.”

Namgoong Cheongun’s expression became one of complete disbelief.

She had done something impossible, yet her reaction was this calm.

Even if she had jumped for joy, it wouldn’t have been enough—yet the girl’s face didn’t change at all.

This too must be because her emotions are dulled.

Along with his astonishment, there was a hint of bitterness in his heart.

But what parent wouldn’t be thrilled to discover their child is a genius—or even beyond a genius?

“To think you possess such astounding martial talent. Honestly, part of me wants to rush out and announce it to the whole world.”

“Please restrain yourself.”

“I intend to. I have a feeling you wouldn’t like that.”

Namgoong Cheongun looked directly at Seolhwa and gave her a bright smile.

From the flush in his face and the tone of his voice, it was clear just how shocked—and how deeply moved—he was.

Even though it was thanks to memories from a previous life, watching Namgoong Cheongun rejoice in her talent stirred something in Seolhwa’s chest once again.

The corners of her lips gently curled.

****

As the soft hues of sunset slowly vanished beyond the mountain ridgeline and dusk began to settle, an early evening darkness descended.

Namgoong Mucheon stood atop the highest pavilion in Hwaeum Prefecture, gazing down at the city streets below. At his side was Namgoong Hyeok, the Lord of the Black Dragon Unit.

“Ah, there they come.”

At the end of their gaze—

A lavish carriage, resplendent in every way, raced across the street toward the city gate.

People along either side of the road stepped aside to make way, watching the carriage and its escort with eyes full of curiosity.

“Isn’t that a Namgoong carriage?”

“They say it’s carrying the young miss they just found.”

“Then that must be the Namgoong girl they’ve recovered after eight years.”

Through the veiled curtain, the outline of a young girl could be faintly seen. Her features were obscured, but the silhouette clearly belonged to a child.

“Look! It’s Young Master Namgoong!”

“Well, I’ll be... so it’s true that the Namgoong girl has returned!”

Lately, rumors that the Namgoong Clan had found the child they lost had stirred all of Zhongyuan.

Now that the subject of those rumors had appeared, the street buzzed with even greater excitement.

At the head of the procession, leading the carriage, was Namgoong Cheongun—his presence confirming the truth.

Eventually, the carriage passed beyond the gates of Hefei, speeding toward the more desolate outskirts of the city.

****

At that very hour, within the Namgoong Clan’s Inner Hall, at the Cloud Rest Pavilion—

In Seolhwa’s quarters, three people sat around a circular table, leisurely enjoying tea and snacks.

Sipping her tea was Choryeon, the Master of the Medicine Hall. Staring at Seolhwa with a grumpy expression was Seop Mugwang, Lord of the Secret Wind Sword Corps.

And munching on a tanghulu skewer with a satisfying crunch was the girl herself—Seolhwa.

“You think dressing you up as bait will really draw those bastards out? What if the Clan Head or your father ended up moving for nothing?”

Seolhwa blinked her round eyes while chewing.

Seop Mugwang let out a huff of laughter.

“Don’t think that innocent face works on me, you little brat.”

His eyes narrowed sharply.

He downed his tea in one gulp, then began his interrogation in earnest.

“Be honest. You have some kind of secret signal with them, don’t you? That’s why you’re so sure they’ll show up if you leave the fortress. Is that it?”

Seolhwa, having swallowed the tanghulu, shook her head.

“No. I’m just speculating.”

“Just speculating? And you’ve got the Clan Head moving on a hunch?”

“Yes.”

She bit into another tanghulu with a crisp snap.

The sweet juice spread instantly across her tongue.

“Hah...”

Seop Mugwang rubbed his jaw and furrowed his brow.

To think she could move the Namgoong Clan’s leader—the Sword Emperor himself—with just a few words and still look so calm. It was absurd.

That the Clan Head had moved at the words of a child was impressive enough, but...

“Right, what did you even say to the Clan He—”

“...!”

Suddenly, his vision spun.

Seop Mugwang jerked upright, stumbling as he instinctively pressed down on his pressure points to halt the spreading poison.

But he realized too late—it was already inside him.

A powerful wave of drowsiness surged over him like a crashing tide.

“Ggh...”

He staggered, bracing himself against the table.

As his vision blurred, he caught sight of the empty teacup he had just finished.

The tea...!

Someone had poisoned it.

But who?

Across from him sat Choryeon, the Medicine Hall Master—collapsed across the table, possibly poisoned as well.

But one person—

Only Seolhwa remained sitting upright, her face composed and expressionless.

She gently laid the empty tanghulu skewer on the table in perfect alignment.

“You little...!”

“I’m sorry.”

Seop Mugwang’s eyes widened.

In his gaze were shock, betrayal, and a desperate, instinctive resistance.

He didn’t know exactly what Seolhwa intended, but he could feel it was dangerous.

He opened his mouth to say something—anything to stop her—but the words never came. His body slumped forward onto the table.

Seolhwa nudged his tilted chair with a soft tap, positioning it so he wouldn’t fall to the ground.

Then she leaned in to check, confirming whether he had truly lost consciousness.

As she took his pulse—

“Oh my, do you not trust me?”

A lilting voice slipped into her ear.

Seolhwa turned her head.

Choryeon, the Master of the Medicine Hall, was perfectly upright, resting her chin in her hand.

“I told you the medicine was reliable, didn’t I?”

She smiled slyly, the corners of her eyes curling as she looked at Seolhwa.