The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter

Ryeong blinked blankly. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

You want me to be you?

“...I do not understand what you mean.”

“As you already know, from now on, I will begin unifying the Dark Path forces. Simply put, I am forming a Dark Path alliance.”

“I am aware.”

“But I cannot move openly. As you know, while I can conceal the qi of Namgoong, this child’s body is a problem.”

Even if she used only the Imoogi’s power, moving with a child’s body would draw suspicion from the Blood Demon Cult.

Moreover, both the «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Namgoong Clan and Mount Hua would notice if they learned that a child had reached the rank of master.

“I also cannot leave everything to the Black Cloud Gang. While they are sizable in their own right, they do not have a master strong enough to unite the Dark Path forces.”

An alliance required a central pillar.

Someone, like what Seolhwa had shown the Black Cloud Gang—someone the others could believe in and follow.

“Since there is a limit to how much I can move in this body, I would like you to step forward in my place.”

Seolhwa once again examined Ryeong’s body.

Ryeong’s frame was similar in height and build to her own matured form.

“However... I, too, have trained in the martial arts of the main family and cannot conceal my inner energy. While it would not matter to those who cannot discern its nature, should someone who can appears... it would become a serious issue. Moreover, there are certainly those who recognize my face.”

Namgoong Clan’s elite unit, the First Black Dragon Division.

She had stood at the forefront of missions under the name of the Three Black Dragon Swords.

She had clashed with many Dark Path factions—there were undoubtedly those who knew her face.

“You need not worry about that.”

“You have a plan, then?”

“You will wear a mask.”

“A... mask?”

“You must conceal your identity as well. I will personally ask the Black Cloud Gang’s leader to prepare it, so you need not worry.”

“Understood. Then... what should I do about my inner energy?”

“That is precisely why I called you.”

When Seolhwa reached toward the ground, a small black snake slithered silently out from within her sleeve.

“!”

Ryeong looked at the snake with startled eyes.

“Ryeong, you are not afraid of snakes, are you?”

“Pardon? Ah... no.”

“Then your hand, please.”

As Ryeong extended her hand toward the snake, it crawled into her sleeve and coiled itself around her arm.

“W-What is this...?”

“That will serve as the medium linking you and me.”

“A... medium?”

“Stand up and draw your sword.”

Following Seolhwa’s words, Ryeong unsheathed her sword.

At once, a dark, heavy energy surged along the blade.

Ryeong’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“T-This is...!”

Sword qi...? No, it was something else.

And this aura was unmistakably—

‘The aura the Lord showed in the Black Cloud Gang...!’

Oppressive and chilling to witness even from nearby—it was undoubtedly the same energy.

A fierce force that seemed as though it would devour someone whole made her skin crawl with goosebumps.

“Good. It works.”

Seolhwa smiled, satisfied.

[It was I who lent my power to you. Do not think it was lent to the girl.]

– You heard it too. It is being used for my sake.

[I never even considered such a method. This can no longer be called qi-channeling—it is something else entirely.]

– It is simpler than that. I will not be the one moving. I only need to concentrate on keeping the energy from scattering. Ryeong will be the one moving.

[You speak so easily. While attaching myself to this girl’s body is feasible, this is madness. It is impossible without an exceptional mind.]

– She can do it.

She can. And if not, she will train until she can.

Seolhwa looked at the still-bewildered Ryeong with determined eyes.

“Have you fought without using sword forms before?”

“Yes. I have, on occasion. I have sparred with fellow warriors without using forms.”

“Good. From now on, you must use only formless swordplay. You cannot allow it to be known that you are of Namgoong. In return, I will envelop your blade with sword qi.”

Without formal techniques, she would compensate by enveloping the sword with qi.

Few masters above the pinnacle realm existed in smaller Dark Path factions—she would still be able to face them.

“Also, I will teach you sword techniques other than those of the Namgoong Clan.”

“Other... sword techniques?”

“Yes.”

Techniques from sects or families other than Namgoong’s, or martial arts used by Dark Path masters.

She planned to select useful techniques from what she had learned in her previous life and teach them to Ryeong.

‘That way, her identity will be harder to pinpoint.’

If she used sword techniques from a famous sect right away, it might draw unnecessary attention—better to introduce such forms gradually.

“For the next three or four years, act in my stead.”

“You... think I can do it?”

“If it is you, Ryeong, I am certain you can. So...”

Seolhwa drew her sword and aimed the edge toward Ryeong.

Ryeong, flustered, took up a stance.

“First, come at me.”

****

Six months had passed since Seolhwa ascended the mountain.

In that time, the Black Cloud Gang had absorbed Dark Path forces in Shaanxi and Henan—those marked with white dots and double lines.

As Seolhwa had said, some were absorbed through mere negotiation, while others only yielded through force.

“This is the mask and outfit you requested.”

The Black Cloud Gang leader brought a black mask and robes.

The red ties at the sleeves and waist were ornate, and both the outfit and mask were adorned in gold, giving an air of refined splendor.

When Seolhwa raised an eyebrow as if to ask what is this, the leader laughed and added,

“You are to lead the Dark Path alliance, are you not? You must possess a certain dignity. Otherwise, those Dark Path bastards will not show respect.”

He had a point.

The Dark Path alliance was by no means small.

As its leader, she had to maintain a degree of majesty and dignity.

Seolhwa handed the mask and robes to Ryeong.

“Put them on.”

Ryeong accepted the luxurious attire and mask. She looked momentarily flustered, then stepped into the room.

Shortly after, she returned.

“L-Lord... Is this truly appropriate?”

“Oh. My eyes were not mistaken. You look excellent.”

“Indeed, very good.”

Ryeong examined the outfit from various angles.

“But... is this not men’s clothing? People will think I am a man.”

“I told them to make it that way.”

“You did, Lord?”

“Yes.”

Had she not learned the best examples of identity concealment from the Namgoong Clan?

When requesting the outfit, she had specified it—

To make it so she could appear as a man.

“Very good.”

And this was the result.

With her face hidden behind a mask and dressed in robes that emphasized sturdy limbs, Ryeong’s appearance gave no easy clue to her gender.

“Well then, shall we go?”

****

The place Seolhwa led the Black Cloud Gang to was the base of a Dark Path faction called the Black Death Society.

It was one of the black marks noted by the Black Cloud Gang leader—located in southern Shaanxi near the border with Hubei.

They were the ones who had mocked the Black Cloud Gang leader when he proposed the alliance and had spread slanderous rumors in the region.

“They seem uneasy now that, though small, the number of factions joining the alliance keeps growing. They have always hated our rapidly growing faction, but now that we are on the verge of surpassing them, they are desperate.”

[Six at the entrance, about five hundred inside.]

The Imoogi, having scouted the interior, slithered back into Ryeong’s sleeve and reported.

[No masters above the pinnacle realm. Whether they are simply absent or never existed, I cannot tell. They are merely snacks.]

– Well done.

Hearing the Imoogi’s words, Seolhwa asked the Black Cloud Gang leader,

“Are there no strong ones?”

“There are. The Poison-Handed Twin Ghosts. They use poisoned arrows and blades coated in venom—pinnacle realm masters. They are well-known in the region.”

“Are they worth keeping?”

The gang leader shook his head.

“Their temperaments are so vile and violent even their own members avoid them. They say the slightest irritation could get someone killed.”

Seolhwa nodded faintly.

The Imoogi had said no masters were present—meaning the Poison-Handed Twin Ghosts were away.

‘We chose the right time.’

Overpowering the Black Death Society without the twins would not be difficult.

Seolhwa gestured toward Ryeong and the Black Cloud Gang.

“Aim to subdue, not kill. Ryeong, circle to the rear and strike at the Society Leader first. I will need to speak with him, so do not kill him.”

“Understood.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Do not forget that I am nearby.”

The two bowed their heads in unison.

And so, the operation began.

Per Seolhwa’s orders, the Black Cloud Gang launched a frontal assault, while Ryeong used the commotion to slip directly into the society’s core.

Rustle.

...

Seolhwa, having arrived even before the others, stood atop the highest roof of the Black Death Society’s compound and observed everything below.

Using the stealth techniques from her days as an assassin, not a single member had detected her presence.

‘The interior is disordered.’

Unlike the Black Cloud Gang, which had developed a semblance of structure, the Black Death Society seemed utterly lacking in discipline or hierarchy.

Subordinates lit fires and lounged about in groups, laughing crudely. The so-called training ground was scattered with broken weapons.

A true den of thugs.

Perhaps because of that, they looked rougher than those in the Black Cloud Gang.

‘There will be much to teach.’

At last, from the front gate came the clamor of screams and clashing weapons—“Aagh!” “Waaah!”

At the same time, Seolhwa’s gaze snapped toward a dark silhouette darting like a streak of lightning behind the stronghold.