The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 33

“This is the Inner Hall Training Ground, reserved only for direct family members. The building inside also has private cultivation rooms, so feel free to use them at your leisure.”

“Thank you, Steward Grandfather.”

After offering a polite bow, Seolhwa immediately dashed into the training ground.

Her eagerness to test the sword was more than evident.

“Heh heh... Look how happy she is.”

The child who remained indifferent even when showered with gold and jewels was now soaring with joy over a single sword.

Had she been an ordinary child, she would’ve been far more drawn to glittering treasures or ornaments.

He was the one who had brought all that wealth, and yet somehow, it felt like the Wind Thunder Sword had won her favor instead.

“No, that was a gift from the Clan Head. What I brought hasn’t even been presented properly yet.”

What would be the right thing to give her?

Though his pride was a bit bruised, he took a hint from the Wind Thunder Sword’s gift and walked away deep in thought.

****

Shhh— shhk! Shhh!

The sharp blade traced a blue arc through the air, cutting through the wind.

Seolhwa swung the sword relentlessly.

Blue petals bloomed around her with every movement, and soon, those petals filled the sword’s trajectory, forming a complete sphere.

At the center of that sphere stood Seolhwa.

With one final deep thrust directly forward—

Pahng—!

An instant burst of energy exploded from her core, falling gently around her like mist.

It looked like white snow drifting down beneath a burning sun.

“Haa... Haa....”

Straightening her posture, she stared at the sword in her hands.

‘...This is incredible.’

Not only the sword’s natural sword energy—its lethal aura—but the keen edge that seemed capable of slicing the air itself, and the perfectly balanced weight.

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The grip was neither too thick nor too thin, wrapping naturally around her hand as if the weapon had been made for her from the very beginning.

Thanks to that, strength flowed effortlessly through every joint in her fingers, and she swung the blade without a hint of resistance.

Every time she swung, an indescribable thrill stirred in her chest.

Even as her breath hitched high in her throat, she couldn’t stop.

‘Was I always this desperate for a sword?’

She stopped only because she’d reached her physical limit, but the regret lingered.

She # Nоvеlight # wanted to keep swinging. She wanted to play with it more.

This feeling—this joy—was something she had never once felt in her entire previous life.

She had always believed swords existed only to kill and cut down enemies.

And yet here she was, feeling joy.

Seolhwa swallowed dryly.

‘So that’s why they call it a masterwork sword.’

What would it be like to perform sword techniques with this blade? Wouldn’t they come out cleaner?

With this sword, she could control each motion freely. The sword path would flow effortlessly, clean and smooth, with no wasted movement.

‘Just a little more.’

As she moved into position again, still unsatisfied—

“You like it?”

The voice of Seop Mugwang suddenly came from nearby—he had approached without making a sound.

Seolhwa broke her stance and turned around.

Seop Mugwang walked toward her, arms crossed, looking utterly self-satisfied.

“Damn—whoever gave you that sword must be a genius, huh?”

He clapped his hands. Clap. Clap. Clap.

A round of applause—for himself.

“So? How is it, brat? How’d it feel, swinging it?”

His eyes sparkled.

Seop Mugwang was someone who could count the number of times he’d given gifts on one hand.

And gift-givers, by nature, always look forward to the receiver’s reaction.

He had come all the way to the training ground just to see how she responded to using the sword.

“Pretty amazing, right? Huh?”

Despite the bold tone, his voice betrayed a hint of anxiety.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Seolhwa nodded.

“It’s the best.”

“!”

“I’ve never used a sword this good before. It fits in my hand like it was always mine.”

Her response flowed out smoothly, without a pause, and Seop Mugwang blinked in surprise. Then, sheepish, he cleared his throat for no reason.

“Well, yeah. That sword is pretty damn impressive. No doubt about it!”

“Does it have a name?”

“It did. But it’s yours now, so you can call it whatever you like.”

“Please tell me.”

Seop Mugwang’s brow lifted slightly.

The sword he had given Seolhwa was the very one he used up until he reached twenty years old.

Back in his youth, while fleeing a tiger in the mountains, he had nearly died—but there, he had stumbled upon a piece of Meteoric Steel. That lucky encounter made the sword even more precious to him.

The only issue was, the sword had been forged to match his frame at the time, so once he grew larger, it became a bit too small for him.

He couldn’t bring himself to throw it away or gift it to anyone else. So it had sat unused for years until he recently pulled it out, honed the edge, and replaced the worn leather on the grip.

He’d done all that for the girl standing before him.

While working on the blade, he’d hoped the child would treasure it. But he hadn’t expected her to ask its name.

For the first time in ages, Seop Mugwang spoke the name aloud.

“...It’s called Manjeon.”

It felt like calling out the name of an old, dearly missed friend.

“What does it mean?”

“‘Man’ as in ten thousand, and ‘Jeon’ as in lightning. Ten thousand bolts of lightning.”

Seop Mugwang’s title was Wind Thunder God.

His swordsmanship earned that nickname for resembling lightning crashing through fierce winds.

Satisfaction spread subtly across Seolhwa’s face.

“It’s a good name.”

Manjeon.

It suited the sword perfectly—one that cut through the air without hesitation or resistance.

“I’ll call it Manjeon too. But I’d like to use a different ‘Man’—not ten thousand, but the one that means ‘full.’”

“‘Full’ Man? As in overflowing?”

“Yes. Enough to cover the entire world.”

The words might have come off arrogant to some, but to Seop Mugwang, they were like sweet nectar.

Not just because she chose to keep the sword’s name, but because she declared her ambition to sweep across the world with a sword long forgotten.

It moved him more than he could say.

“Yes.”

Seop Mugwang gently patted Seolhwa’s head with his thick hand.

“Live up to that name and go wild with it.”

“Thank you.”

Seolhwa offered a second, sincere thanks.

A proud smile spread across Seop Mugwang’s face.

And just then—

“Seolhwa!”

A voice called out urgently, prompting both of them to turn at the same time.

At the entrance to the training ground, Namgoong Cheongun was rushing toward them, clearly in a hurry.

“Father?”

What’s going on?

Namgoong Cheongun gave Seop Mugwang a quick nod of greeting before grabbing Seolhwa by the shoulders.

“The Clan Head is urgently calling for you. We need to go to the Clan Head’s Hall at once.”

“Grandfather is?”

Seolhwa and Seop Mugwang exchanged puzzled glances.

Since they hadn’t visited the Clan Head’s Hall after following the Chief Steward, Seop Mugwang had no knowledge of the situation either.

Still, it was exceedingly rare for Namgoong Mucheon to summon someone in such haste.

“It sounds urgent, so you’d best go quickly.”

Seop Mugwang gave her back a push.

Seolhwa looked at the sword in her hand with reluctant eyes.

‘I’ll have to continue sword training later.’

But the greater the regret, the greater the joy of anticipation.

“Yes. Understood.”

Seolhwa sheathed her sword and followed after Namgoong Cheongun.

****

Clang—!

A sharp crash rang out as glass shards scattered across the floor.

The delicate hand that had thrown a bottle filled with expensive perfume trembled slightly in the aftermath of its rage.

That hand, adorned with two thick rings, curled into a fist before calmly picking up a teacup, as if nothing had happened.

“Bone Cleansing and Marrow Washing, followed by gold and jewels. That’s so like Father-in-law.”

Sipping tea with an air of leisure was Yeon Soran, wife of Namgoong Cheonghae.

With both the official matron of the Namgoong family and Namgoong Cheongun’s wife absent, she oversaw the household affairs of the Inner Hall.

“It seems Father-in-law is quite taken with his returned granddaughter. Don’t you agree?”

She turned her sharp gaze toward the space beside where the perfume bottle had shattered.

Standing just beside the broken shards was a man clad in an ornate martial uniform.

The red accents on his sash and collar marked him as a member of the Red Dragon Unit, the elite guard of the Inner Hall.

“Well, she is the young lady they found after eight years. It’s only natural he cherishes her. Even back then, the Clan Head had a special fondness for Lady Seolhwa....”

Tap!

A crisp sound cut him off mid-sentence.

Namgoong Jangyang, Commander of the Red Dragon Unit, flinched slightly and looked at her cautiously as he tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Still, the Clan Head may have gone too far this time... Bone Cleansing and Marrow Washing, of all things... If Young Master Soryong had received that treatment, he’d be hailed as a peerless prodigy across the land....”

“Soryong is a prodigy. There’s no one in the Namgoong Clan who can rival him.”

“Haha... You’re absolutely right. The young master’s talent is so unmatched that even our Inner Hall warriors are tasked with aiding his cultivation....”

Namgoong Jangyang served as an instructor, gathering the most outstanding martial artists among both direct and collateral lines to train them.

It was no exaggeration that Namgoong Soryong surpassed other children of his age in martial achievement.

Though, admittedly, the part about needing the warriors’ help might have been a stretch.

“If our Soryong had received Bone Cleansing and Marrow Washing, it would have been ideal. Still, he doesn’t need such a thing. A single treatment won’t turn a worm into a dragon, after all, don’t you think?”

“Indeed, Lady Soran. Quite right.”

“That’s precisely what we must demonstrate.”

“...Pardon?”

Namgoong Jangyang blinked, clearly not understanding, and stared at her blankly. Yeon Soran’s brow creased ever so slightly.

Feigning indifference, she raised her teacup again.

“The Celestial Martial Festival is in fifteen days.”

“...!”

The Celestial Martial Festival was one of the Namgoong Clan’s major events, held twice a year.

It served as a formal evaluation of martial cultivation for all members of the clan.

From promotion tests for the Outer Hall warriors to martial tournaments for the Inner Hall and evaluations for the direct bloodline, it was a comprehensive assessment.

The Namgoong Clan was a martial household, a prestigious family built on martial arts.

The festival, personally overseen by Clan Head Namgoong Mucheon, served as a reminder never to grow complacent in cultivation, and to continue striving for strength.

“Fifteen days is too short a time for a worm to become a dragon....”

Yeon Soran brought the teacup to her lips, her mouth curving into a cold smile.

In a quiet, silken voice, she spoke:

“But we must make sure not to raise that worm into a dragon.”