The return of the granddaughter of the Namgoong family

“I plan to announce Seolhwa’s return at the elders’ meeting tomorrow. I called you here before that to introduce her, so make sure to cherish Seolhwa from now on.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Of course! Who’s my niece? I’ll carry her on my back as much as I can! Even if I pull all the hair from my head, I won’t complain…! Ugh…!”

Namgung Cheongsan grabbed his side once again.

Mo Yongyeonhwa continued smiling gently.

Everyone welcomed the return of Namgung’s eldest granddaughter. Thanks to this, small talk and a pleasant atmosphere flowed during the meal.

Just as the meal was proceeding smoothly, Namgung Mucheon suddenly threw out a remark that chilled the room like cold water.

“I’m planning to give Seolhwa a geomoseo (a traditional medical practice to correct the blood flow and balance).”

The mood instantly shifted to one of tension, as everyone at the table was stunned. Only Namgung Hwarin, who didn’t understand the meaning of “geomoseo,” began whining for her mother to pass the food to her.

After a brief silence, Namgung Cheongun put down his utensils and calmly asked,

“Is the geomoseo you’re referring to the one I’m thinking of?”

“Is there another kind of geomoseo?”

“If I heard correctly… yes, it is the one you mean.”

“Unless your ears are clogged, you’ve heard it correctly.”

Namgung Cheongun couldn’t continue speaking.

The medical leader had mentioned that Seolhwa’s bloodline had some problems.

It was likely because of this.

The fact that Namgung Mucheon intended to give Seolhwa the geomoseo.

Namgung Cheongun knew that geomoseo was a delicate and dangerous procedure, even for Namgung Mucheon.

As a son, he knew he should try to stop his father, but the fact that it was for his daughter left him speechless.

Seeing his hesitation, Namgung Cheonghae spoke up.

“Father, geomoseo is too dangerous, isn’t it?”

Namgung Mucheon scowled and slammed his chopsticks down loudly.

“Dangerous? Are you doubting my skills?”

“It’s not that…”

Namgung Cheonghae gave a glance of concern toward Cheongun.

“Father, you are the pillar of this Namgung family. I’m worried that something might go wrong and harm your body.”

“Is that not doubting my skills?”

“Father…”

“That’s enough! No more talk! I’ve already made my decision, and nothing will change it!”

Namgung Cheonghae realized he couldn’t stop his father. This was always how his father acted when he had made up his mind.

Whatever Namgung Mucheon decided to do, he would see it through.

If it’s like this…

Namgung Cheonghae looked toward his son, So-ryong.

Since the conversation about Geomoseo started, So-ryong had been sitting quietly, his fist clenched, his head lowered.

Like his grandfather, So-ryong was stubborn.

Although he had little formal education, his ambition was great, and he outperformed his peers. But that made him proud, and he didn’t like losing.

He had always said that he would be the next successor, but now a cousin had appeared, claiming to be his sister, and was about to receive the geomoseo that he had not been granted. How could he not be upset?

Even so, I must control my anger.

Namgung Wung, the second son, was also restless, watching his older brother’s clenched fists trembling with anger.

They were both his sons, but they were completely different children.

Did Father decide to name my older brother the successor?

If Namgung Mucheon was planning to give Seolhwa the geomoseo, strengthening her, it seemed likely that he had already made his choice.

This bitter thought also crossed Namgung Cheonghae’s mind.

“No, giving her a gift of welcome after 8 years seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it? She might not even want it.”

After Namgung Cheonghae stepped back, it was now Cheongsan’s turn.

Namgung Mucheon’s face grew tense as his sons continued to oppose him.

“What’s excessive about it? It’s been 8 long years! Should I not take care of my granddaughter who has suffered for so long? Is this little boy’s temperament only this much?”

“Oh, well, it’s not that…!”

Namgung Cheongsan shrank back, feeling threatened by his father’s intense glare. But, even though he was intimidated, Cheongsan wasn’t the type to back down easily.

“Geomoseo is not something ‘little’! It’s not called a stroke of luck or fate for no reason!”

“Why, are you jealous? Are you envious of your niece getting something you can’t have at your age?”

“No, it’s not that…!”

Namgung Cheongsan’s face turned red.

Namgung Mucheon had precisely hit the mark with his accusation.

But now that his true feelings were out in the open, Cheongsan shouted recklessly.

“Yes! I’m envious! What’s wrong with being envious? Huh?”

“Ha?”

“Don’t you know what geomoseo means for a martial artist? If you can do it, why not do it for me too? No! Or at least for Hwarin!”

“Ha!”

That last part was the real point.

“You foolish boy! Do you not even consider your father?!”

“It’s not that…!”

Seeing his grown son throwing a tantrum only exhausted Namgung Mucheon.

Tsk! Clicking his tongue, he rubbed his forehead and spoke firmly.

“Don’t even dream about it!”

“F-Father!”

“If I say no, then it’s no! If you’ve finished eating, everyone should leave! I need to rest!”

It was a clear dismissal.

It was also a firm expression of his decision not to listen to his sons anymore.

Before his sons even had a chance to rise, Namgung Mucheon immediately stood up and left the table.

“Raising children is useless! All of them are good for nothing!”

“Father!”

“Seolhwa, come with me!”

Namgung Cheongsan desperately called after him, but Namgung Mucheon didn’t even spare him a glance as he called for Seolhwa.

Seolhwa, who had been silent due to the commotion caused by her, quickly jumped off her chair.

“You stay here!”

Namgung Cheongun, who had been about to rise as well, froze in place.

Namgung Mucheon turned away as if there was nothing more to see and quickly left the room. Seolhwa bowed briefly to everyone in the room before following him.

“Father!”

Namgung Cheongsan’s cry was the last sound before the door closed.

***

“One doesn’t care about his father at all! One only thinks with his head! One talks nonsense! Useless children!”

Even after returning to his room, Namgung Mucheon continued to vent his anger.

Even Seolhwa, who wasn’t very good at understanding emotions, could see that it was rage.

However, what was strange was that despite being in the presence of the enraged Heavenly Dragon Sword Emperor, she wasn’t afraid.

Not long ago, she might have worried that he would kill her in his anger, but that thought didn’t cross her mind now.

I guess we’ve gotten that close.

Now, she knew that Namgung Mucheon truly cared for her, as he had decided to perform the geomoseo for her.

If it had been her previous life, she would never have been able to speak a word to the Heavenly Dragon Sword Emperor. But now, he cared for her.

It’s probably because I’m his granddaughter.

Seolhwa stood quietly in a corner of the room, waiting for Namgung Mucheon’s fury to subside.

But in a blazing fire, sparks inevitably fly.

Seolhwa couldn’t avoid being caught in those sparks.

“You keep getting injured!”

Seolhwa blinked in surprise as the anger was directed at her.

“Is your body so insignificant? Why do you treat yourself so recklessly?”

She thought about making an excuse, but then she remembered her conversation with Seom Mugwang.

No matter what excuse she made, she would only be scolded.

“I didn’t realize I was hurt.”

It was better, to be honest.

“What? You didn’t realize you were hurt?”

“I’m numb, so I didn’t notice. When I looked at it, I saw that I was already injured.”

By the time she realized it, she had been hurt.

Although he wouldn’t know the reason for her injury, it wasn’t a lie.

“You should have known better than to touch something dangerous! You must have known it was risky!”

Hmm…

Saying she was cleaning up broken pieces was a lie from the start. So, being completely honest wouldn’t make it the truth.

Still, she decided to be as honest as possible.

“I was going to clean it up before you came.”

That was the right answer.

Namgung Mucheon’s face was still stern, but he no longer seemed angry.

Instead, he sighed deeply and rubbed his head.

“Alright. That’s enough.”

It seemed that honesty worked.

“However, next time, avoid dangerous things. Not knowing you were hurt isn’t something that happens easily.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, let’s get to the main matter.”

Namgung Mucheon began to speak seriously.

“I called you here to ask for your opinion before announcing your return at tomorrow morning’s elders’ meeting.”

Seolhwa tilted her head.

“My opinion?”

Did they need her opinion before officially recognizing her as a Namgung child?

“Once you are officially recognized as a Namgung child, many things will change.”

“What will change?”

“You’ll gain a lot, but you’ll lose a lot as well. Namgung has searched for you for a long time, so there will be a lot of attention on you now that you’ve returned.”

“….”

“Every little thing you do will be scrutinized, and even your words might turn into arrows of criticism. But…”

Namgung Mucheon’s voice lowered.

“You will gain the strength and reputation to trample on everything and overcome it all.”