The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter

Because of a prior engagement, Seolhwa’s match with Namgoong Mugang ended around midday.

Mugang seemed reluctant to part, though not because of disappointment. Rather, he appeared delighted by the thought of improving the Grand Vast Sword Art using the insights he’d gained from its counter—the Counter-Destroying Sword.

Namgoong Mucheon handed Seolhwa a heavy pouch.

She accepted it out of reflex—only to feel her arm dip under the unexpected weight. Through the slight opening, she glimpsed gold glinting inside.

“I put in some gold coins. You’re going out to enjoy yourself, so don’t be stingy. Spend it.”

It was enough not to buy candied fruit, but an entire candied fruit shop.

Seolhwa ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ already had so many gold coins from when she first arrived in the Namgoong Clan that they overflowed from her storeroom. Even so, she accepted the pouch without resistance.

A few more coins wouldn’t change anything—and Mucheon likely felt the same.

After bowing to Mucheon, she stepped out of the Clan Lord’s quarters.

Seop Mugwang followed after her.

“You’re heading to Soho?”

“Yes.”

“Ahh, there’s a roasted duck place in Soho—incredible. You’ve got to try it. You’ll be blown away, guaranteed.”

“How do you even know places like that?”

“Know what?”

“Good restaurants.”

He scratched his chin, puzzled. “Just... ended up that way, I guess? When you’ve got time to kill and nowhere to go, you end up searching for good inns and food stalls.”

Seop Mugwang flashed a wide grin at her.

“Not that I’ll be able to do that much longer.”

“...?”

He chuckled and reached out to tousle her hair.

Seolhwa let him, reminded of Moyong Yeonhwa’s gentle hand—though his was far rougher.

“Since you’re going anyway, enjoy it to your heart’s content. Who knows when you’ll get another chance?”

There was something oddly weighty about his laugh.

“Have a good time. And when you come back, don’t be shy about bragging about what you liked best.”

“Okay. I’ll bring you a gift.”

****

Back at the pavilion, Seolhwa shed her martial robes for the first time in ages and changed into lighter, casual clothes before departing with Namgoong Cheongun for Soho.

Yeoyul was bubbling with excitement, chattering endlessly about Soho’s natural beauty and the rare birds that lived there, while Ryeong—on her first trip outside Hefei since taking up guard duties—seemed slightly tense.

The Namgoong Clan's pavilion was located in the central northern section of Soho.

That area, slightly indented toward the south, offered sweeping views of the surrounding lake from its watchtower. It felt like standing on water, floating at the heart of a vast inland sea.

As they left the bustling city streets and drew closer to Soho, a market district sprawled out along the lake’s perimeter.

Though more subdued than Hefei’s extravagant avenues, Soho’s marketplace was still lively and crowded.

“Now that I think of it, isn’t Hwarin’s birthday in a few days?”

Yeoyul said brightly.

“Then why don’t we get her a present? If we show up with a surprise, I’m sure Miss Hwarin will love it! What do you think, my lady?”

“A gift? Why?”

“What do you mean why? It’s Miss Hwarin’s birthday soon!”

“You give gifts for a child’s birthday?”

The three of them froze in place.

A sudden shift in atmosphere made Seolhwa glance at Cheongun in confusion.

“...!”

His eyes were shimmering.

Yeoyul, now frozen in her bright smile, looked like she was about to tear up as well.

“...I’ll go with Ryeong, then. Father, let’s meet back here in half a watch.”

Seolhwa quickly grabbed Ryeong and escaped the scene like she was fleeing danger.

As they distanced themselves from Cheongun and Yeoyul, Seolhwa began to look over the street stalls with a relaxed gaze.

Ryeong stepped closer, glancing back toward Cheongun.

“Sir Il’s side has already drawn a crowd.”

Seolhwa glanced behind them as well.

Indeed, people were beginning to cluster around Cheongun. Even here, the young master of the Namgoong Clan was immensely popular.

Though they couldn’t get close, many gathered simply to catch a glimpse of his face. Cheongun was moving slowly through the swelling crowd.

“Well, Father is handsome.”

In any case, it was good they got away.

Since her face wasn’t widely recognized yet, Seolhwa could leisurely browse the shops, thanks to Cheongun drawing all the attention.

A gift, huh.

What would be good?

A particular shop caught her eye, and Seolhwa walked over, drawn to it on impulse.

Clink, clatter—as she checked the goods, Ryeong let out a low, troubled groan.

“My lady. Don’t tell me... that’s your gift for Miss Hwarin?”

“It is.”

“...That is—a dagger?”

“Yep. A dagger.”

“A dagger...”

“A dagger.”

Shink—Seolhwa smoothly drew the dagger from its sheath.

Surprisingly, the quality wasn’t bad.

“...I should’ve stopped you the moment you stepped into the weapons shop.”

Ryeong muttered something under her breath, then smiled faintly and pointed across the street.

“How about that store?”

It was a jewelry shop, glittering with multicolored accessories even at a glance.

“She probably already has a lot of jewelry, though.”

“Still, it’s better than a dagger... It doesn’t need to be something extravagant—what matters is the thought behind it.”

Honestly, what could a Namgoong lady possibly need? If Hwarin wanted anything, she only had to ask and it would be brought to her.

In that sense, whether it was a dagger or a trinket, it likely made no real difference. Even so, Seolhwa obediently set the dagger down.

As she turned to leave the weapons shop empty-handed, something caught her eye.

A thumb-sized steel pellet. It looked just right for use in a Shintan Bow, like the ones she'd seen during the Heavenly Martial Festival.

In the end, she bought a pouch of the pellets and left the shop.

Following Ryeong’s suggestion, they browsed several more accessory stores, but choosing something pretty proved surprisingly difficult.

Not knowing what counted as fashionable made the selection process even harder.

After visiting multiple stalls, Seolhwa finally settled on a rabbit-shaped hairpin that reminded her of Hwarin. With nearly half a watch gone, she decided to head back to their meeting spot.

They had gone quite a distance, so Seolhwa had begun to quicken her pace—when suddenly:

“Mmgh! Mmm!”

“?”

A muffled cry rang out, and Seolhwa instinctively turned toward the alley behind a nearby shop.

In that moment, her brow furrowed.

“...Hwarin?”

It lasted no more than an instant. A child—her mouth covered—was dragged behind the store and disappeared from view.

But even in that fleeting instant, Seolhwa had clearly seen the child’s face.

It was Namgoong Hwarin.

“Pardon? What did you say, my lady?” Ryeong asked, just as Seolhwa darted off toward the alley.

“My lady!”

Ryeong chased after her, panic in her voice.

“My lady, what is it all of a sudden—? Gasp...!”

Turning the corner behind the shop, Ryeong’s eyes widened in horror.

Lying there behind the buildings—where no foot traffic ever passed—was a fallen man. Still breathing, but grievously wounded by a sword.

Seolhwa immediately pressed down on his acupoint to stop the bleeding. Then she pulled the token hanging from his belt and showed it to Ryeong.

“He’s Namgoong’s warrior.”

It was the token of the Yellow Dragon Corps—a symbol of Namgoong’s elite guard.

Ryeong crouched beside him and examined his face.

“This man...! He’s Miss Hwarin’s escort!”

“Ryeong.”

Staring in the direction Hwarin had been taken, Seolhwa spoke, her voice calm but firm.

“Move him to a safe place and fetch my father. I’ll go after them.”

“No, my lady! It’s too dangerous! If something happens to you... Let me go instead!”

“Whoever they are, they took down a Namgoong warrior and abducted Hwarin. That means they were after a Namgoong daughter. If you get caught chasing them, you’ll die. If I get caught, I might live.”

Besides, if they were from the Black Path—perhaps someone Seolhwa had encountered back in Hwaoru—there was a chance they’d recognize her.

If any of them know me, I might be able to talk my way through and end this without bloodshed.

Even if not, if their target was “a Namgoong girl,” she could offer herself in exchange to save Hwarin—someone of equal value.

“And besides, I’m smaller and stronger than you.”

And far better at moving unseen.

Ryeong understood then that nothing she said would stop Seolhwa now.

Seolhwa stripped off her outer robe and handed it to her, then took the pouch of steel pellets she had purchased earlier and fastened it to her waist.

She held up one of the pellets for Ryeong to see.

“I’ll drop these along the way. If you’re worried about me, follow them quickly.”

“...Yes, my lady.”

With a nod, Seolhwa stood and turned toward the path the kidnappers had taken. She sprinted forward without hesitation.

“Please... Be safe...!”

Watching her retreating figure with trembling eyes, Ryeong quickly gathered up the fallen Yellow Dragon warrior and began to move.

If news spread that a Namgoong daughter had been kidnapped in broad daylight, it would cause a scandal. She had to act swiftly and quietly.

Cold sweat dripped down her forehead as she ran, holding the unconscious man tightly in her arms.

—

“I told you to be careful!”

“I was careful! Damn brat bit my hand! And I only gave her a little shove—just a little!”

“A little shove made her faint?! You forgot what the master said? If she has so much as a scratch, we’re all dead!”

The voices of bickering men echoed not far off.

Seolhwa, tracking them in silence, pressed herself behind a large rock and sank into the shadows.

Two Peak Realm experts. The rest aren’t amateurs either. Just who the hell are these people?

They had taken down an inner hall guard from Namgoong and abducted a child of the clan. Clearly, they weren’t ordinary criminals.

Even for Seolhwa, who was well-versed in combat, snatching Hwarin from the middle of that group wouldn’t be easy.

Among the half-dozen masked men, one of them had Hwarin slung unconscious over his shoulder.

They were heading toward the river that fed into Soho—a desolate stretch behind a hill where a boat lay anchored.

A Jianggang River smuggling skiff...?

The vessel had been half-covered to hide it, but the black flag flying from the stern was unmistakable.

Even if it wasn’t, only the Jianggang Waterway Gang had the power to control this part of the region.

Why would they target the Namgoong Clan?

The Jianggang Waterway Gang was a massive dark-path force that controlled much of Zhongyuan’s river routes.

They were not a power to be taken lightly—but still, they weren’t fools. No one picked a fight with Namgoong openly.

Are they planning war?

But even then, the gang had nothing to gain from waging war against Namgoong.

So why go to such lengths to antagonize them?

That was when—

“You’re back, brothers!”

A cheerful voice called out from the boat’s deck. A man appeared and waved toward the group below.

“I’ll lower the plank in a moment! Just hang on!”

Bright voice. Innocent smile.

Seolhwa’s brow twitched, her expression turning sharp.

...What the hell is he doing here?