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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Chapter 9
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In front of the Namgung Sega's Patriarch's Hall, engulfed in flames.
Namgung Mun, kneeling with his pressure points sealed and one arm severed, still did not relinquish his killing intent.
‘Even if my limbs are torn asunder, I will never betray Namgung! Kill me if you must! I will seek vengeance even from hell!’
Flames flickered in his eyes.
It was both the blaze consuming Namgung and the blade of vengeance aimed at Ilhwa.
Facing that gaze, Ilhwa thought Namgung Mun's final struggle was a truly futile waste.
Everything was burning, everything was over.
Yet, he continued to burn with the fires of vengeance until the very end.
That day, Ilhwa severed Namgung Mun's limbs.
Even then, he ultimately refused to reveal the location of Namgung's secret techniques.
And he never withdrew his killing intent towards Ilhwa.
Even in a situation where his pressure points were sealed and his limbs severed, rendering him powerless.
Even until the moment he bled out, slowly dying.
“…”
Ilhwa opened her eyes.
Namgung Mun's face, glaring at her until the very end, vividly resurfaced.
That wasn't all.
Outer Hall Master Namgung Yeom, whose neck she had severed with a single strike, also died with his eyes wide open.
His wide-open eyes clearly held fury and indignation directed at his enemy.
Was it because of them that ever since she entered Namgung, her chest had strangely ached, feeling as though a heavy stone was pressing down?
Or because the situation of facing them and having to converse as if nothing had happened was uncomfortable?
Ilhwa reached a hand towards the ceiling.
Whenever she couldn't quite grasp that she had returned to being a child, she would look at her hands repeatedly; it had become a habit.
A habit born from the feeling that when she saw her small hands, the events of her previous life seemed like a dream.
Clenching and unclenching her hands, which seemed too weak to even hold a sword, Ilhwa repeated inwardly:
‘It didn't happen.’
She murmured it softly, like a mantra for herself.
‘Nothing, nothing at all happened.’
* * *
After resting on the bed for a while, the maids soon came to announce mealtime.
The lunch spread consisted entirely of high-class dishes.
There was a soup dish with lamb, stir-fried duck seasoned with nuts, and more.
Most of them were rare delicacies Ilhwa had never seen in her previous life.
As Ilhwa surveyed the table, she tilted her head at one particular dish.
‘How do you eat this?’
Wrapped tightly in long, green leaves on a wide plate, its contents were hidden, making it impossible to tell what kind of dish it was.
It seemed like she needed to peel off the leaves, but they were so meticulously wrapped that it wasn't easy to just touch them.
As Ilhwa picked up her chopsticks and poked at the leaves, a young maid carrying dishes stopped, observing her.
The young maid watched Ilhwa's actions for a moment before cautiously approaching.
“May I help you for a moment?”
Ilhwa put down her chopsticks and nodded, whereupon the maid picked up her own chopsticks with a bright smile.
The maid boldly peeled back the leaves surrounding the dish.
“This dish is various seafood boiled together. It's very delicious when eaten with blanched bamboo shoots.”
“Why is it wrapped in leaves?”
“These are bamboo leaves. They allow the bamboo's fragrance to permeate the dish and preserve its flavor.”
“I see.”
It looks delicious.
It somehow seems like it would have a refreshing taste.
As the bamboo leaves were removed, the aroma of the dish wafted out, making her mouth water.
“At Namgung, we prepare the finest meals for the esteemed guests of the Cheongaekwon for every meal. We prioritize the Cheongaekwon guests even more than those in other guest quarters...”
“Mm-hmm.”
Even as the maid continued speaking, Ilhwa's gaze was already fixed on the dish.
Seeing her like that, the young maid unconsciously let out a little giggle.
“...?”
“Oh, I'm so sorry!”
The young maid hastily bowed.
“The esteemed guest was just so cu-cute, I couldn't help myself...!”
Ilhwa's eyebrow twitched crookedly.
Cute? Me?
Could there be any word less fitting for her, an assassin, than 'cute'?
‘And to hear such a thing from a maid of the Namgung family, no less.’
She didn't know what the maid found funny, but it was an absurd excuse.
“It's fine. You can go now.”
The young maid bowed respectfully, then practically fled the room. Ilhwa continued her meal, unconcerned.
The food at Namgung was truly perfect.
* * *
Once she had finished her hearty meal, the maids swiftly cleared away the dishes and food.
Their movements were precise and noiseless, suggesting that the maids too had practiced martial arts.
After everyone had left, Ilhwa sat cross-legged on the bed and began to circulate her internal energy.
She had felt it even while in the cave, but the purer internal energy, the more she circulated it, the clearer her pressure points felt and the more refreshed her body became.
It was fundamentally different from the internal energy of the Blood Arts, which had surged explosively and made her crave the scent of blood.
Even if the amount of internal energy didn't increase easily, its ease of control would make its utility different.
‘Is this only the Second-rate stage now?’
In her previous life, just before her death, Ilhwa's martial prowess had reached the Hwagyeong realm.
A realm comparable to Namgung Mucheon's current level.
No, perhaps she even had a greater amount of internal energy than Namgung Mucheon.
‘Though it wasn't truly strong because it was internal energy obtained through abnormal means.’
However, the mindset of one who has conquered a realm and one who has not is bound to be different.
Of course, since she had resolved to follow the righteous path this time, her progress would inevitably be slower than she might expect, but revelations gained from dying and coming back to life don't simply vanish.
‘At the very least, I should be able to reach Hwagyeong faster than in my previous life.’
No, I *must*.
Following the right path, swiftly.
“…”
Ilhwa, who had been naturally circulating her internal energy, suddenly stopped.
The internal energy gathering in her dantian scattered like smoke, unable to fully settle.
‘If my internal energy increases, they'll find it strange.’
She hadn't yet learned Namgung's internal cultivation technique.
She already knew Namgung's internal cultivation technique, but she couldn't just use a technique she hadn't formally learned.
‘At the very least, the three people she met today at the Cheonhojeon would notice if her internal energy increased.’
No matter how anxious and urgent she felt, she couldn't break their trust before she even earned it.
Until she formally learned them, she had to conceal her mastery of Namgung's martial arts.
‘Still, I can't neglect my training.’
Scratching her cheek in thought, Ilhwa stood up.
If internal martial arts were out, she would train external martial arts instead.
As she stepped out of the room, a maid stood about a zhang (approximately 3 meters) from the door.
The maid noticed Ilhwa's gaze and immediately approached the door.
“Do you need anything?”
“Is there a training ground I can use?”
“Within the Cheongaekwon, a private training ground is prepared for esteemed guests. Shall I escort you there?”
If she trained alone, she would inevitably draw attention. Although it was simple external martial arts training, she didn't particularly want to show herself training.
“Not a private training ground. Somewhere else?”
“The esteemed guests of the Cheongaekwon are free to use any training ground in the Outer Hall. I will escort you to the nearest one.”
The Outer Hall's training grounds would surely be bustling with the training of Outer Hall warriors.
Normally, it was a principle not to easily show a family's martial arts to outsiders, but the esteemed guests of the Cheongaekwon were an exception.
The esteemed guests of the Cheongaekwon were usually royalty or high-ranking elders (or above) from other prominent families or sects.
Partially revealing the family's training to them implied respect for the esteemed guests.
Of course, this was also possible because the Outer Hall warriors, who were low-ranking Namgung martial artists, practiced basic sword techniques, not the family's secret arts.
In reality, there were also no esteemed guests who deliberately sought out training grounds where many eyes would be watching.
However, for Ilhwa now, training amidst the trainees was preferable, making it truly the optimal location.
“It's fine. I'll go alone.”
Ilhwa dismissed the maid and left the Cheongaekwon alone.
As expected, she felt a presence following her.
Ilhwa wandered through the Outer Hall, pretending to sightsee here and there, then at an opportune moment, turned her steps towards the training ground.
When she showed her Cheongaekwon entry pass, the gatekeeper's eyes widened in surprise as he looked between her and the pass, then flustered, he made way for her.
The sun had already passed its zenith.
* * *
“She sought out a training ground?”
Outer Hall Master Namgung Yeom's eyebrows furrowed upon receiving the report from the Cheongaekwon maid.
“She went to the Sword Unit's training ground instead of a private one?”
“Yes. We informed her of the private training ground within the guest quarters, but she declined.”
“Hmm…”
Normally, people don't want others to see them training.
Especially for an esteemed guest significant enough to warrant opening the Cheongaekwon, their martial arts level would surely be unfathomable.
When he met her directly, she didn't seem to possess very profound internal energy, but a realm of martial arts is something that cannot truly be known by mere observation.
And since she was an esteemed guest of the Cheongaekwon, it was highly possible her realm was higher than his, thus he might not have recognized it.
But such individuals usually dislike revealing their martial arts and don't want to be disturbed during training, do they?
‘So she specifically sought out a crowded training ground.’
“Did anyone find the esteemed guest strange?”
“Her attire was plain and she appeared as a child, so no one found her strange.”
“That's a relief.”
Ever since the news of the Cheongaekwon being opened, there has been a continuous stream of people asking about the esteemed guest's identity.
Not only the second and third young masters of Namgung, but also the Elder Council and the Hall Masters had persistently sent people.
Of course, he hadn't given any answers.
‘No one would expect it. That the esteemed guest of the Cheongaekwon was wandering the Outer Hall without a single maid.’
Namgung Yeom, whose thoughts naturally drifted to the esteemed guest, let out a chuckle as her resolute expression came to mind.
Namgung Yeom was just as curious about the esteemed guest's identity.
However, he wasn't foolish enough to pry into her identity just because he was curious.
“Um…”
The maid suddenly hesitated, faltering.
