The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

***

“Bring it here.”

As soon as they entered the office, Namgung Mucheon’s voice cut through the air before any formal greetings were exchanged. The atmosphere in the office immediately grew tense.

Soon after, the head steward, Namgung Mun, entered with something placed on a bamboo board.

“Sit.”

Seolhwa and Namgung Cheongun sat down in the chairs.

The steward placed the item he brought onto the table in the center of the office.

“Do you know what this is?”

Seolhwa stretched her body slightly forward, her expression curious as she looked at the item on the bamboo board. As she confirmed what was placed there, her face quickly became cold.

“A page…?”

The object on the bamboo board was a palm-sized wooden token. However, Seolhwa immediately realized that this was no ordinary token.

“Blood Token. The Twelve Moon’s Blood Token.”

It was the twelfth assassin among the Twelve Assassins of the Blood Demon.

It was a Blood Token of the Twelfth Month.

Its size and shape were similar to a regular identity token, but instead of a name, the red characters were engraved on it. Seolhwa’s gaze locked onto the characters.

“You know this item.”

“…Where did it come from?”

“It arrived this morning, addressed to you.”

“…!”

Namgung Cheongun stood up in shock.

“To Seolhwa? But it hasn’t even been that long since it was announced that Seolhwa is a member of the Namgung family. Are you sure it’s meant for Seolhwa?”

Namgung Mucheon’s response was firm.

“It was sent to Seolhwa. One of those who came to collect grain left it behind as a gift.”

“Have you captured the person who left it?”

“We’ve captured them. However, they weren’t associated with the item. It seems they were simply running an errand for someone, having been paid along the way.”

“They confessed under the torture potion, so it’s confirmed,” the steward added, confirming the matter.

“That’s why I called you here. Do you recognize it?”

Seolhwa continued to stare at the number twelve engraved on the token. After a short silence, she nodded.

“It’s calling me.”

In Hwaoru, there were a few unspoken rules.

One of them was throwing one’s token at another person, a gesture known asa  “Life and Death Decision”, meaning a duel where one’s life was on the line.

When someone threw their token, the atmosphere in Hwaoru would instantly heat up.

Because it was a Life and Death Decision, only one person could survive—everyone would cheer and bet on who would live and who would die.

Once the duel was over, no one would mourn the dead.

After the duel, money was settled, and only the winner would raise a toast.

The Twelfth Month was inviting her to that kind of gamble.

“Is this a message from the Blood Demon?”

Was this an attempt to warn her?

Was it to remind her that only death awaited traitors?

“I need to meet them. In person.”

Seolhwa clenched her fist.

The Twelfth Month was calling her.

It wasn’t directly the Blood Demon’s summons, but behind this was undoubtedly the Blood Demon.

She had to go and understand the Blood Demon’s intention herself.

“I can handle this.”

“No.”

At Seolhwa’s words, Namgung Mucheon immediately responded without hesitation.

It was obvious.

The child who had just returned was now threatened with death, and to send her out to face that again was unthinkable.

With his firm response, Seolhwa’s brows furrowed slightly. She stood up, her voice becoming more agitated.

“I have to go. This has nothing to do with the Namgung family. This is something I have to handle…!”

“How could it have nothing to do with the Namgung family? You are a child of the Namgung family.”

“…!”

“Now that you’ve been publicly declared as a member of the Namgung family, the family must protect you.”

“But…!”

“Enough.”

At the firm voice of Namgung Mucheon, Seolhwa finally had to close her mouth.

Though she still felt the urge to go, it was clear that Namgung Mucheon was not going to bend his will.

“You need to focus on your safety. This matter will be handled by the elders of the family.”

The first Seolhwa had clenched grew tighter.

Perhaps by meeting the Twelfth Month, she would be able to uncover a clue that would unravel the cryptic message.

She had been unable to sleep properly lately, fearing she might be swayed by the hints and messages.

“The Twelfth Month must know something about the clues.”

That’s why she needed to go.

As she anxiously chewed on the inside of her lip, she spoke up.

“Don’t bring this up again. These items shouldn’t have been shown to you. Steward.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“…!”

The steward quickly retrieved the items from the table and took them away.

Seolhwa’s face darkened as she watched the items being taken from her view.

Then, as though an idea had suddenly occurred to her, she quickly opened her mouth.

“I have a plan.”

“Seolhwa…”

“If I’m not in danger, then everything’s fine, right? I have a plan to catch the enemy. Please, just listen to me.”

The steward and Namgung Mucheon exchanged looks as Seolhwa spoke urgently.

“Please, grandfather.”

The child’s expression was full of desperation.

Seeing her eyes filled with so much earnestness, Namgung Mucheon let out a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead.

“Alright, tell me what it is.”

Seolhwa fell silent for a moment.

She gathered her thoughts, and in a calm voice, began to explain her plan.

“We’ll pretend to be scared and run away, luring them into attacking us. We’ll set up traps and lead them into the ambush. First, we’ll leave the city where there are many people…”

***

As they left the Namgung family’s main house, Cheongun kept glancing back at his daughter with worried eyes.

After resisting the urge to turn around three times, Seolhwa finally stopped and turned to face him.

“What is it, Father?”

Clearing his throat, Cheongun hesitated before speaking.

“I’m worried.”

“About me?”

“Yes. You might not be in danger, and I won’t let that happen, but isn’t it dangerous just knowing someone is targeting you?”

Namgung Cheongun cautiously asked.

“Is it… them?”

Seolhwa nodded, and Cheongun sighed deeply.

He knew about the restriction on his daughter’s body. While it wasn’t a problem right now, as a father, he couldn’t help but worry.

“I have to find a way to solve this,” he said.

“Time will solve this. Do we need to go to such lengths?”

“Even if there’s no immediate danger, we can’t know for sure. I’ll find every possible way to solve this…”

“Father.”

Seolhwa grabbed his hand.

“Instead, there’s something else I want to learn.”

“What do you want to learn?”

“I want to learn the Namgung heart method.”

Since the Blood Sect had started making moves, delaying her acquisition of Namgung’s martial arts was no longer an option.

The plan she suggested, to lure the enemy into a trap, would take place tonight. She needed to strengthen her internal energy before meeting the Twelfth Month.

“The heart method, you say? You’ll soon be learning martial arts from the leader of the martial arts division…”

“I want to learn now. I’ve been looking forward to it even before coming to Namgung.”

Teaching her the basic heart method of Namgung wasn’t difficult.

However, soon she would start her martial arts training, and that would take up half of her day.

“Can’t you teach me now?”

Seolhwa gently shook the hand she was holding.

Her eyes, looking up at him, were sparkling with the earnestness of a child.

Well, since she was going to learn it anyway, it would be better to start earlier.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Namgung Cheongun gently lifted Seolhwa and used light techniques to carry her back to the residence.

***

Upon returning to the residence, the two of them had the guards lock the gates to keep out any outsiders and enter Seolhwa’s room.

Namgung Cheongun sat Seolhwa on her bed and then crossed his legs behind her, sitting in a meditative posture.

“I know you’ve learned martial arts, but for now, I will assist you.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, I will recite the formulas of the heart method and guide your internal energy. Remember the flow well.”

Namgung Cheongun placed his hand on Seolhwa’s back.

Soon, a clear, refreshing energy flowed into her body.

It wasn’t as powerful or vast as Namgung Mucheon’s energy, but it was a calm, blue energy, pure and refined.

‘It’s like my father’s energy.’

It was extraordinarily clear and pure.

Just receiving the energy felt refreshing, like quenching a thirst.

It had the same scent as when she was held by Namgung Cheongun, a familiar and comforting smell.

“The heart method I will show you now is the foundation of all Namgung martial arts. It is the process of taking in the energy of the vast, blue sky and storing it within your body.”

Changung Daeyan Shingong

The energy of the blue sky is boundless and ever-changing.

This was the most fundamental heart method of Namgung, strengthening all of Namgung’s martial arts by infusing them with the energy of the heavens.

As the most fundamental, it was also the essence of Namgung’s martial arts.

“Most people think of the sky as something above them, covering the heavens. But that is incorrect. The sky is already filled within the land we stand on, so the fact that we breathe and feel the wind means that the sky is already within us.”

Can the boundaries of the sky be divided?

It’s often thought that to see the sky, you must look up at a distant and unreachable place, but in fact, the sky is already everywhere around us.

The sky is all-encompassing, and the energy of Namgung ultimately harmonizes with the heavens and the earth.

“Feel the flow of my energy along the blood vessels.”

Namgung Cheongun began to chant the formulas of the heart method, circulating his energy through Seolhwa’s body.