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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: 72
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Why did she want to learn swordsmanship from Seop Mugwang?
Why was she asking him to take her as his disciple?
Did she covet Seop Mugwang's swordplay?
No, that wasn't it. She wanted to emulate his sword, but she had no desire to merely imitate it.
Then why?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Seolhwa raised her gaze defiantly and met Seop Mugwang's eyes.
"I want to walk my own path. Not a path paved by someone else, but my own."
"...!"
Seop Mugwang's eyes widened.
As if he couldn't believe Seolhwa's words.
It was natural for a true martial artist to want to establish their own martial arts, pursue the ultimate truth, and achieve great mastery. However.
Children from martial families with solid inherited martial arts usually preferred to walk the well-trodden path rather than seek a new one.
There was no need to endure the hardship and uncertainty of forging a new path when an easy and reliable one already existed.
During that time, diligently mastering the family's martial arts could lead one to become the family head, or at the very least, an elder of the family.
That would naturally grant them the power and authority that came with the family name, so it was better to learn the family's martial arts if one intended to learn martial arts at all.
But why was this child different?
"Please. Teach me swordsmanship."
Desperation was evident in the child's eyes.
She was an innocent child, unaware of her own emotions, so this feeling must be flowing from her subconscious. And being from her subconscious, it was sincere.
"...This is driving me crazy. Seriously."
Seop Mugwang ran a hand over his face, a troubled expression on his features.
* * *
As he returned to the Family Head's residence, Seop Mugwang scratched his head furiously.
A mere thirteen-year-old thinking of establishing her own martial arts? Did that even make sense?
'What was I doing when I was thirteen?'
She was truly a remarkable child. Which was precisely why it couldn't happen.
And so, he refused again.
'I'm sorry, but you still need to learn the Namgung's swordsmanship. From what I can see, you seem to be the future of the Namgung. The Namgung's swordsmanship isn't something just anyone can learn, even if they want to...'
But the child's audacious reply was this:
'If Grandfather permits it, will you teach me?'
Who could help but look kindly upon a child who wished to carry on their legacy?
He was already regretting his refusal, finding her tenacity admirable, and in the end, Seop Mugwang reluctantly nodded, pretending to be swayed.
'However, don't throw a tantrum or try to force my hand. That won't count.'
"Ugh, damn it, should I have refused after all? How am I going to face your brother...?"
She wasn't saying she wouldn't learn the Namgung's swordsmanship, but naturally, her progress would suffer compared to focusing on just one.
"He'll probably just refuse anyway."
The child's sparkling eyes flickered before him.
Seop Mugwang was shaking his head, trying to clear his thoughts, when he overheard something.
"That's what I heard! She was a courtesan!"
"Oh my, then the young lady..."
At the faint conversation, Seop Mugwang stopped on the roof of the pavilion and looked towards the source of the voices.
However, his gaze was directed towards the path leading to the maids' quarters. Among the many maids, he couldn't tell who had spoken those words.
After staring for a moment, Seop Mugwang turned his steps back towards the Family Head's residence.
* * *
As the sun began to set.
Seolhwa stepped out onto the street with Ryeon.
The setting sun, sinking behind the Namgung residence, was barely visible due to the cloudy sky, but it revealed its mystical presence from behind the clouds.
"Young Lady."
Seolhwa looked at Ryeon, who approached her. She was wearing a black robe to conceal her Black Dragon Guard uniform and a bamboo hat pulled low to hide her identity.
Seolhwa was dressed no differently.
"Where are you planning to go, dressed like this?"
"I have to keep my promise."
"Promise?"
"I promised the squad members. That I'd solve everything for them. I have to get back the opportunities that were unfairly taken from them."
Ryeon let out a low gasp.
"Weren't you going to speak to the Family Head?"
"To Grandfather?"
"Isn't that the easiest way?"
"Hmm."
Perhaps.
It would be an easy problem to solve if she told Namgung Mucheon about the plight of the Jeokryongdan members and asked him to give them a chance.
But that would only solve the immediate problem, not the fundamental issue.
"I'll get Grandfather's help."
After all, there would be things that the Family Head would eventually have to step in for.
"But before that, I need to prepare something."
"Prepare what?"
"Yes. Weaknesses."
"Weaknesses..."
She intended to gather evidence before reporting their situation to the Family Head.
A baseless claim would be a mere tantrum, but a claim backed by evidence would be an accusation.
'But...'
"Let's go. We'll be late."
Where on earth was she planning to find those weaknesses?
Ryeon tilted her head and followed Seolhwa, who walked ahead.
* * *
*Creeeeak—*
The inn's door opened. The jingle of bells announced a new guest.
The murmuring conversations ceased for a brief moment, and those eating glanced towards the door.
"Welcome...! Huh...!"
The waiter, who had rushed out from the kitchen, couldn't finish his greeting.
Not long ago, the Namgung had given him a hefty coin purse to compensate for the Namgung warriors who had dined and dashed.
The arrogant Namgung warriors hadn't visited the inn since that day, so he had assumed the Namgung Sega had severely reprimanded them...!
"What are you doing? No empty seats? Are you going to keep your customers standing? Huh?"
"Ah, no! This, this way...!"
The waiter glanced at the three fierce-looking Namgung warriors and guided them to an empty table.
Other customers who spotted them were also busy whispering and glancing repeatedly.
"Nine plates of dumplings, six bowls of noodles!"
"Yes, yes...! Coming right up...!"
At that moment, *bang!* The table rattled with a loud thud.
"Yikes!"
The waiter, assuming the three men were retaliating for the previous incident, jumped back in alarm and braced himself.
However, contrary to his expectation, no dull pain came. Instead.
"Here's the payment for the food!"
At the unbelievable shout, the waiter lowered his arms and looked at the tabletop.
To his surprise, silver coins were indeed placed on the table.
The waiter quickly snatched the silver coins, understanding the hint, and immediately bowed low.
"I'll bring it right away!"
Illyong watched the waiter disappear into the kitchen, then scoffed with a "Humph."
Sambong, sitting diagonally opposite him, shook his head.
"Why didn't you just go to another establishment? What if they misunderstand again, seeing you trembling like that?"
"What am I supposed to do when this place has the best dumplings and noodles on this street?!"
"What if we run into *him* again?"
"What's it matter?! We paid for the food properly! Because of that damn curse or whatever it was, this is the first time in my life I've lived so honestly!"
Sambong gasped and whispered.
"It's poison...! And don't talk about that so carelessly! It's our weakness!"
Illyong looked around, startled. Imoe, sitting opposite him, nodded in agreement with Sambong's words.
"Tsk, because of that thing, what a mess! Can't we just run away? Nothing much has happened since then, so wouldn't it be fine?"
"Oh, come on! If you want to die, go ahead. If you want to die! Ignorance is bliss! You don't know what it is, so you have no sense of caution!"
"What? You little..."
It was then.
*Tap, tap, tap!*
Illyong, Imoe, and Sambong felt a familiar chill run down their spines.
At the same time, the three men, still seated at the table, couldn't move a muscle.
"Long time no see."
Sambong looked at the person in the bamboo hat, who was now sitting opposite him.
No, the kid in the bamboo hat.
'W-what... Who is this kid?'
The bamboo hat lifted slightly, and his eyes met the child's. She smiled, and a shiver ran down his spine again.
He knew instantly. This child was the master who had held their lives in her hands that day.
"Food is served—!"
The waiter, carrying a stack of dishes, approached with a cheerful face and placed the food on the table.
"Oh, you've gained a companion who wasn't here a moment ago?"
Seolhwa lifted her bamboo hat and spoke to the waiter in a bright voice.
"My uncles said they'd buy me something delicious."
"Oh, what nice uncles they are—."
The waiter looked at the three men with a hint of surprise.
The three men could only scream for help inwardly, their eyes darting frantically, unable to react in any other way.
"Then, please enjoy your meal!"
The waiter left.
Illyong, Imoe, and Sambong wanted to cry.
Seolhwa took a plate of dumplings, placed it in front of her, and hummed as she picked up a dumpling and ate it.
"This inn's dumplings really are the best. Aren't they?"
The three men had to watch her simply eat an entire plate of dumplings.
After finishing the plate of dumplings, Seolhwa neatly drank a glass of water.
She clasped her hands together, rested her chin on them, and looked at Sambong opposite her.
—I'll release you if you promise not to cause a scene.
Sambong's eyes widened.
—Answer with a blink.
Sambong blinked his eyes furiously.
Seolhwa relayed the same message to Illyong and Imoe, then finally released their pressure points.
Only then did the three men breathe a sigh of relief and relax their bodies.
Seolhwa personally placed a plate of dumplings in front of each of them.
"Go on, eat. It'll get cold."
Sambong, gauging her expression, opened the lid of the dumpling basket.
*Clack.* The moment he opened the lid, Sambong briefly considered throwing it straight at the child's face.
But at that instant, an unknown sensation, like a huge python, coiled up his body and constricted his neck.
His breath hitched, his body trembled, and he couldn't move. Illyong and Imoe were in the same state.
Even though their pressure points hadn't been struck, the unnervingly clear voice of the child reached the three frozen men's ears.
"I struck your *ahyeol* and *mahyeol* points. Do you think I can't strike a *sahyeol*?"
