The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 9

In front of the burning Audience Hall of the Namgoong Clan.

Kneeling with his meridians sealed, Namgoong Mun had lost an arm, yet he still refused to suppress his killing intent.

‘Even if my limbs are torn apart, I will never betray the Namgoong Clan! Just kill me! Even in hell, I will take my revenge!’

Fire flickered in his eyes.

It was the flame that consumed Namgoong—and the blade of vengeance aimed at Ilhwa.

Meeting that gaze, Ilhwa thought Namgoong Mun’s final resistance was nothing more than a futile outburst.

Everything had burned. Everything was over.

And yet he clung to the flames of revenge until the very end.

That day, Ilhwa severed Namgoong Mun’s limbs.

Even so, he never said where the clan’s martial arts manuals were hidden.

And even until the end, he never withdrew the killing intent he directed at Ilhwa.

Even with his meridians blocked, his limbs hacked off, unable to move a finger—

Even as he bled out and withered away, inch by inch—

Even in the final moments before death.

“....”

Ilhwa opened her eyes.

Namgoong Mun’s face, glaring at her to the end, flashed vividly in her mind.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Namgoong Yeom, the Lord of the Outer Hall, whose head she had taken with a single stroke, had also died without ever closing his eyes.

His wide-open gaze was filled with nothing but rage and bitter resentment.

Was that why, ever since stepping foot into Namgoong, she felt this strange ache in her chest, as if a heavy stone were pressing down on it?

Was it because she had to face them—and speak with them—as if nothing had happened?

Ilhwa reached a hand toward the ceiling.

Whenever it didn’t feel real that she had returned to childhood, she found herself staring at her hand again and again. Eventually, it had become a habit.

Looking at her small hand, everything from her previous life started to feel more like a dream. That’s how the habit had formed.

Her tiny fingers, too weak to even grip a sword properly, opened and closed in her palm as Ilhwa muttered inwardly.

‘None of it ever happened.’

Like a spell cast for herself, she whispered softly,

‘Nothing happened at all.’

****

After lying on the bed and resting briefly, the maids soon came to announce it was time for lunch.

The dishes served were all high-class delicacies.

A lamb stew, duck stir-fried in a rich sauce with assorted nuts...

Most of the food was rare and luxurious, the kind Ilhwa had never even seen in her previous life.

As she scanned the table, her eyes paused on one particular dish and tilted her head.

‘How am I supposed to eat this?’

It was placed on a wide plate and wrapped tightly in long green leaves. Whatever was inside couldn’t be seen.

It looked like the leaves had to be peeled off—but the wrapping was done so meticulously that it felt almost wrong to touch it.

Ilhwa poked at the leafy bundle with her chopsticks, uncertain, when one of the younger maids carrying food noticed and stopped in her tracks.

She watched Ilhwa’s awkward attempts for a moment, then cautiously approached.

“Would you like some help, honored guest?”

Ilhwa put down her chopsticks and nodded. The girl smiled brightly and picked up the chopsticks.

Without hesitation, she peeled away the layers of leaves.

“This dish is a medley of various seafood, all boiled together. It’s delicious if you eat it with the blanched bamboo shoots on the side.”

“Why is it wrapped in leaves like that?”

“These are bamboo leaves. They infuse the dish with the bamboo’s fragrance and help preserve the flavor.”

“I see.”

Looks tasty.

Something about it promised a clean, refreshing flavor.

As the bamboo leaves were peeled away, the aroma wafted up, making her mouth water.

“At Namgoong, the honored guests of the Celestial Guest Courtyard are given the finest meals at every sitting. The guests here are prioritized even more than those in the regular guest quarters...”

“Mhm.”

The maid kept speaking, but Ilhwa’s gaze was already fixed on the dish in front of her.

The sight made the young maid giggle without meaning to.

“...?”

“A-Ah! I apologize!”

Startled, the young maid quickly bowed.

“It’s just... our honored guest is s-so cute that I couldn’t help myself...!”

Ilhwa’s brow lifted slightly in disbelief.

Cute? Me?

Was there ever a word less fitting for someone who had been an assassin?

‘Of all people, to hear that from a Namgoong servant of all things...’

Whatever the girl had seen that made her laugh, her excuse was nothing short of ridiculous.

“It’s fine. You may go now.”

The young maid bowed again and fled the room. Ilhwa paid it no mind and continued eating.

Namgoong’s food really was flawless.

****

After a satisfying meal, the maids returned almost immediately to clear the table.

Their movements were swift and precise, not even making a sound with their footsteps. It seemed the servants, too, were trained in martial arts.

Once everyone had left, Ilhwa sat cross-legged on the bed and began to circulate her internal energy.

She had felt it in the cave as well—this purified internal energy left her meridians clear and her body refreshed the more she cultivated it.

It was fundamentally different from the blood energy she had used before—powerful, explosive, and always on the verge of frenzy, thirsting for blood.

Her current internal energy didn’t grow quickly, but it was easier to control and could be used far more effectively.

‘I suppose I’m only at the second tier for now.’

In her past life, just before she died, Ilhwa’s martial prowess had reached the Flowing Realm.

A level comparable to Namgoong Mucheon’s current state.

No—perhaps she had even possessed more internal energy than Namgoong Mucheon back then.

Because the internal energy had been gained through unnatural means, it had never truly been strong.

Still, there was a world of difference between someone who had reached the peak and someone who hadn’t.

Of course, this time, she had resolved to follow the righteous path—so it would inevitably be slower—but just because one had died and come back didn’t mean enlightenment disappeared.

At the very least, I’ll reach the Flowing Realm faster than I did in my previous life.

No—in fact, I must.

The right path. Swiftly.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

“....”

Ilhwa, who had been calmly circulating her internal energy, stopped her meditation at some point.

The energy that had been gathering in her dantian dispersed like smoke before it could settle.

If my energy suddenly increases, they’ll find it suspicious.

She hadn’t yet officially learned the Namgoong Clan’s internal energy cultivation technique.

Of course, she already knew the method, but using a technique she hadn’t formally learned was out of the question.

At the very least, the three people I met today in the Celestial Tiger Pavilion would notice something strange if my energy increased.

No matter how anxious or impatient she was, she couldn’t break their trust before she even had a chance to earn it.

Until she officially learned it, she had to hide that she knew the Namgoong Clan’s martial arts.

Still, I can’t slack off in training.

Scratching her cheek in thought, Ilhwa got to her ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ feet.

If she couldn’t work on internal energy, then she’d at least train her external techniques.

When she stepped outside, a maid was standing at a distance of about three meters from the door.

Sensing Ilhwa’s gaze, the maid quickly approached the doorway.

“Is there something you need, honored guest?”

“Is there a training ground I can use?”

“There’s a private training ground inside the Celestial Guest Courtyard, prepared for honored guests. Shall I escort you?”

Training alone would only draw more attention. Even if it was just external training, she didn’t want to be seen practicing.

“Not the private one. Is there another place?”

“Honored guests of the Celestial Guest Courtyard are free to use any of the Outer Hall’s training grounds. I can escort you to the nearest one.”

The Outer Hall’s training grounds would likely be full of martial artists in the middle of their drills.

Ordinarily, a clan’s martial arts weren’t to be shown so easily to outsiders, but honored guests of the Celestial Guest Courtyard were exceptions.

These guests were typically royalty, or high-ranking elders from other noble families or sects.

Allowing them to observe part of the clan’s training was a gesture of respect.

Of course, the Outer Hall’s low-ranking martial artists only trained in basic sword techniques, not the clan’s secret arts, so it was considered acceptable.

In reality, no honored guest had ever bothered going to a training ground where they would be seen by so many eyes.

But for Ilhwa, blending in among the trainees was the best option—perhaps the ideal place for her right now.

“It’s fine. I’ll go alone.”

Sending the maid away, Ilhwa left the Celestial Guest Courtyard on her own.

As expected, she felt the subtle presence of someone following her.

Pretending to be idly wandering and sightseeing, she circled around the Outer Hall until the right moment, then turned toward the direction of the training grounds.

When she presented the entry token for the Celestial Guest Courtyard, the gatekeeper looked back and forth between her and the token with wide eyes before quickly stepping aside to let her pass.

The sun had already begun to pass its peak in the sky.

****

“She went looking for a training ground?”

Namgoong Yeom, Lord of the Outer Hall, raised an eyebrow as he received the report from one of the Celestial Guest Courtyard maids.

“You mean she went to the martial corps’ training ground instead of using the private one?”

“Yes. I told her about the private training ground within the guest courtyard, but she declined.”

“Hm...”

Most people preferred not to let others see them training.

Especially honored guests of the Celestial Guest Courtyard—the level of their martial arts would be far beyond ordinary.

When he met her directly, she hadn’t seemed to possess such deep inner power—but levels couldn’t be judged by appearance alone.

Since she was a guest of the Celestial Guest Courtyard, it was quite likely she was of a higher realm than he could recognize.

Still, such people usually avoided revealing their skills and didn’t want their training to be interrupted.

And yet she deliberately chose a training ground filled with people?

“Did anyone find her suspicious?”

“She was dressed plainly and appeared to be a child, so no one thought much of it.”

“That’s a relief.”

Ever since word had spread that the Celestial Guest Courtyard had been opened, people had been swarming to uncover the guest’s identity.

The second and third sons of the Namgoong Clan, the Council of Elders, and even the various division heads had been persistently sending inquiries.

Of course, he hadn’t given them a single answer.

No one would ever suspect that the honored guest of the Celestial Guest Courtyard was wandering around the Outer Hall alone, without even a single attendant.

As his thoughts naturally returned to the guest, Namgoong Yeom recalled the firm, composed expression on her face and chuckled softly.

He was just as curious as the others about the guest’s identity.

But curiosity alone wasn’t enough to justify prying.

He wasn’t foolish enough to dig into it.

“...Well.”

Suddenly, the maid hesitated, stammering mid-sentence.