The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

In Namgung Mucheon’s eyes was the pride of one who stood above the world.

Seolhwa knew that this pride was not arrogance. The one who proudly held the title of Sword King and had the world beneath his feet was Namgung Mucheon.

Where he stood was Namgung, the Namgung of the Azure Sky.

“Do you know why Namgung is called what it is?”
“The Sky.”
“Do you know why it’s called that?”
“Um…”

Seolhwa recalled the people of Namgung she had killed in her past life.

Though they had been defeated, their spirits could not be crushed.

Seolhwa had always wondered about that.
Why did they not abandon the name of Namgung even at the moment of their death?

Those who did not bear the Namgung surname were offered the chance to join the Blood Sect and be spared if they abandoned their family name.
However, only a few low-ranking warriors abandoned their surnames. Even those who did not bear the Namgung name still threw their lives away under it.

Why?

Why did they dedicate themselves so completely to Namgung?

“Is it because the energy of the lineage is a pure blue, like the sky?”

When one masters Namgung’s martial arts, their energy often becomes tinted blue, for it is a very pure and clear energy.

Thus, people of Namgung would often say that those with a deeper shade of blue in their energy had greater strength.

“That’s not entirely wrong, but it’s not the answer I’m looking for.”

Namgung Mucheon smiled contentedly.

“Then, how would you explain those whose energy does not turn blue?”

That’s right.

Not all people of Namgung who practiced Namgung martial arts had blue-tinted energy.

Some rare individuals had orange, black, or gray energy instead.

“I don’t know.”

Seolhwa’s honest response made Namgung Mucheon laugh heartily.

“You’ve got the order wrong.”

“Order?”

“Because the energy is blue doesn’t mean it’s the sky; it is blue because it is the sky’s martial arts.”

Namgung Mucheon tapped his chest with a finger.

“Having the same martial arts does not mean they share the same ideals. Depending on what sky they carry in their hearts, they sometimes have unique energy colors.”

Those who yearn for the sunset sky may have orange energy, those who yearn for the night sky may have black energy, and those who yearn for a cloudy sky may have gray energy.

He raised his hand towards the sky.

“One important thing, however, is that they all gaze upon the sky.”

Every martial art has a point of origin.

Many martial arts were inspired by animals or natural phenomena. Some martial arts were created from the inspiration of waves or blossoming flowers.

In that sense, Namgung’s martial arts represent the sky.

“A life that is as clear and solitary as the azure sky looking down upon the world. Following the natural order of the sky and walking the righteous path—this is the chivalry Namgung teaches.”

Namgung never employs base tactics or cowardly tricks.

Like the sky that looks down upon the world, they do not easily bow their heads, and their martial arts are filled with overwhelming strength and power.

“But…”

I admit that Namgung’s martial arts follow the spirit of the sky. I understand that Namgung Mucheon is like the sky, but…

Having destroyed Namgung in her past life, Seolhwa found the rigid, unyielding nature of Namgung’s righteousness somewhat naive.

“A straight tree is bound to break.”

In her past life, Namgung fell due to the Blood Sect’s vile schemes. They were so upright that they didn’t suspect others, nor did they question themselves.

Poison, sorcery, loneliness, treachery, betrayal—all manner of dirty tricks were used, and Namgung ultimately broke.

Still, could Namgung’s ideals be called correct?

“A broken tree cannot rise again. Even if a sprout grows and begins to regrow, it would take too long to become the same tree again. Is that truly right?”

“Even if it breaks, what’s important is that it does not bend.”

“What about a tree that doesn’t bend but is easily broken?”

Isn’t survival the most important thing?

“The key is in the spirit.”

Namgung Mucheon tapped his head with his fingers.

“A tree whose roots remain will eventually regrow. Even if it takes a long time, it will surely come back to life. However, a tree that bends often ends up losing its roots altogether.”

To bend means the trunk is not thick or strong enough.

A weak tree’s roots are often just as fragile. Such a tree may live long but will rarely exceed a hundred years.

“If the spirit remains alive, then whether it’s a family or a sect, it will eventually sprout and revive. This applies to any righteous sect, not just Namgung.”

Seolhwa agreed with his words.

All righteous sects are upright.

That’s why they all collapsed.

But, following Namgung Mucheon’s logic, could the fallen righteous sects be said to have completely vanished?

She couldn’t answer that.

She didn’t know what had happened after her death.

Perhaps…

The sprouts she hadn’t cut down could have grown, defeating the Blood Sect and reviving the righteous martial world.

If that were true…

Then his words are right.

As long as the spirit is alive, it will eventually rise again. A tree whose roots are not completely uprooted is not dead.

In my past life, I didn’t truly destroy Namgung.

She had broken the massive tree that was Namgung, but she had not broken their spirit.

As they died, they upheld their clan’s secret martial arts, protected the children of Namgung, and preserved their pride. Even in death, they remained Namgung.

Seolhwa nodded.

“I think I understand a little.”

A cool smile spread across Namgung Mucheon’s lips.

He could tell just from her expression how his granddaughter felt about the spirit of Namgung.

“It may be hard to accept now, but as you spend time here in Namgung, you will naturally come to understand its meaning.”

Seolhwa nodded again.

“Our conversation has gotten long. Let me return to the main point and ask again.”

Namgung Mucheon’s gaze deepened.

It was a sharp, almost probing look as if he could read her thoughts.

“Do you wish to live as a child of Namgung? If you desire, I can help you keep your identity hidden, just like before.”

It was an unexpected offer.

If she didn’t want to, she didn’t have to live as Namgung’s child.

If she didn’t live as Namgung’s child, she could pursue her goals more secretly.

Wherever she went, whatever she did, it would be easier to move freely if she were someone no one recognized, rather than someone with a known identity drawing attention.

Like an assassin.

But Seolhwa shook her head without hesitation.

“No. I am a child of Namgung.”

She had already made up her mind.

In this life, she would become a member of Namgung, serving as a shield for Namgung and leading the charge as the sword of Namgung.

Because of the great sins she committed in her past life, she vowed to live a life of atonement in this one.

“I’ve made that decision.”

At Seolhwa’s words, a satisfied smile appeared on Namgung Mucheon’s face.

“Good.”

He nodded with a smile, his face full of approval.

“Let’s meet tomorrow morning at the Cheonho Training Grounds.”

Now everything was in place.

Her identity had been confirmed, and all the procedures had been prepared.

What remained was the proclamation.

That the child of Namgung had returned.

That after eight years, Namgung had reclaimed the child it had lost.

***

“Huff…! Huff!”
“I-I’m going to die… I’m going to die… I’ll die for real if this keeps up…!”

In the training grounds of the Heavenly Guest Court.

Four warriors, each wearing heavy ankle and wrist weights, were holding the horse stance.

Their training clothes were already soaked with sweat, and their arms and legs had been trembling and shaking for a long time.

‘I can’t… I can’t do this anymore…’

“Arm.”

Out of nowhere, a wooden sword struck one of the trainee’s elbows, preventing him from collapsing.

The trainee flinched in surprise and, without realizing it, corrected his stance.

“It’s almost over. Just hold on a little longer.”

This was the problem.

It was so tempting to give up, as they felt they could collapse at any moment. But the child, appearing out of nowhere, knew exactly where to strike with the wooden sword to prevent them from falling.

It didn’t hurt, but somehow, when struck by the wooden sword, it felt like a jolt, and the trainee’s posture automatically straightened.

‘Why am I listening so seriously to a kid’s words?!’

As time passed, nearly two hours had passed.

‘Damn it…! I shouldn’t have listened to the team leader’s words…!’

They had come hoping to receive teachings from a great master, sacrificing sleep and rushing to the Heavenly Guest Court.

The court’s guest was sure to be an amazing master, so they expected extraordinary lessons!

‘Is this a lesson?! This is just a test of endurance!’

‘A great master would freeze to death! What does that kid know about being a master?!’

They glared at their team leader, Namgung Jipyeong, with resentment.

“990… Oh…! 996…!”

His face was so red it seemed like it would burst as he did push-ups in front of the trainees.

“999…! 1000!”

With the final count, Namgung Jipyeong collapsed with a thud.

At the same time, the other trainees, exhausted, collapsed to the ground, their horse stance broken.

The only sound in the training grounds was the heavy panting of the trainees.

A small pair of feet approached the collapsed Namgung Jipyeong with light steps.