The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 22

“Uuugh...”

Namgoong Jipyeong felt like he was going to die.

It all started with a moment of pride, spurred by a sense of being underestimated. He’d boldly shouted that he could do it. And up to a point—he could.

But that was it.

In the middle of executing a sword form, just as he thrust forward, the child had abruptly told him to freeze.

Standing frozen in that pose, with two hundred jin strapped to his limbs, his arms and legs began to tremble violently.

“Uuuugh...”

A groan escaped his lips. He hoped the child would hear it.

Why... why isn’t she telling me to stop?

The girl just stood there, stroking her chin with a serious expression, watching him intently without giving any command to move.

I—I can’t take it anymore...!

He had tried to endure to the end, but his limit had come.

Just as he was about to drop his trembling arms—

Tap.

“...?”

Suddenly, the overwhelming pressure on his arm vanished.

He opened his eyes in surprise to see the child’s finger resting gently against the tip of his sword.

Namgoong Jipyeong’s eyes widened.

“H-How did you do that...?”

The weight was gone.

Just a single finger on the sword tip—and it erased fifty jin of pressure?

“It didn’t disappear. I just redistributed the weight of the weights across your entire body.”

“That’s... even possible?”

The force from the weights should pull downward.

And to withstand that force, the only option should be to strain the arms upward in resistance.

“You’re strong, warrior. To be exact, you have a lot of raw power. But you tend to use all that strength at once.”

“...How did you know that?”

“You can unleash powerful strikes that way, but if a battle drags on, you’ll be at a disadvantage.”

It’d be ideal if every fight could end in one decisive blow. But battles never go as planned.

Sometimes you’re evenly matched. Sometimes your opponent vastly outclasses you—and all you can do is endure.

Right now, that second case applied more often to Namgoong Jipyeong.

“If you charge at someone stronger than you with everything you’ve got, that’s just asking to be killed. The tougher the opponent, the more careful you have to be. You have to wait for an opening.”

Opportunities don’t come often.

To seize them, one needs both the stamina to endure and a well-balanced body that minimizes energy loss.

That’s why external martial arts training exists.

“Instead of pouring all your power into one spot, practice distributing your strength evenly throughout your body. So that no single part carries the entire burden.”

When a single arm bears the weight, it needs ninety percent of your strength—but if the entire body works in harmony, it takes less than ten percent.

“Like right now.”

“But... Young Hero, the place you touched wasn’t my body. You only touched the tip of my sword. How did you influence my strength?”

“If you figure that out, you’ll reach a much higher realm.”

Namgoong Jipyeong’s eyes briefly lit up.

Body and Sword as One!

A supreme state only attained by masters at the peak—where body and weapon move as one.

Is this girl... a peak-level expert?!

It was a reasonable assumption—but incorrect.

At present, Seolhwa’s inner energy was only at the level of a second-rate martial artist. But just because her qi had diminished didn’t mean her insight had vanished.

Knowing something and being able to execute it were two different matters.

Still, I can at least show this much.

Thud—!

As soon as Seolhwa withdrew her hand from the sword, Jipyeong’s arms dropped like dead weight.

He collapsed in exhaustion, having spent all his strength, but his eyes now held a different light than before.

Seolhwa saw it—the gaze of someone who had caught a glimpse of a higher realm.

“Shall we stop here for today?”

Namgoong Jipyeong sprang to his feet and offered a martial salute.

The two hundred jin of weight still burdened his limbs, his hands and feet trembled, but his posture remained firm.

“Thank you deeply for your instruction, Young Hero. If not for you, I would not have gained this insight today.”

“Was it too hard?”

“It was. Extremely. But now that I understand how necessary it is, I intend to continue training with weights.”

“Good. As you get more accustomed to managing your strength, let’s gradually increase the load.”

“Even more than /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ this...?”

“You should be able to handle at least five hundred jin on one arm.”

“Excuse me?!”

Namgoong Jipyeong’s jaw dropped.

Now he understood why this training was necessary. He’d even resolved to give it his all from now on.

But what did she just say?

He was already dying under fifty jin—and now she wanted five hundred?

Ten times heavier than now? And I still can’t use inner energy?

Was that even humanly possible?

A flicker of disbelief sparked in his mind.

“If I may ask... Young Hero... how much do you lift?”

At Jipyeong’s hesitant glance, Seolhwa rolled up one sleeve.

On her thin arm were three weights, each twice the size of the ones he wore—lined up neatly.

“About three hundred jin for now. I still have a long way to go. Let’s work hard together.”

Her answer was pure and innocent.

Jipyeong’s mouth fell open again.

Three hundred jin on each arm—four in total—twelve hundred jin altogether.

They’d been training together all this time, which meant she’d been carrying that much weight the entire session.

And I was whining about fifty jin like I was dying...?

This useless body with nothing but size...

The question he’d asked in doubt only left him with overwhelming shame. Namgoong Jipyeong swallowed back tears.

“Oh, right. Starting tomorrow, if there are other warriors who want to train, bring them too.”

“...What?”

“Might as well do it together, right? It’s more motivating, and we can encourage each other. Don’t you think that’s good?”

“Would that be alright with you?”

“Absolutely.”

Strengthening the foundation of the Namgoong Clan—there was no reason not to welcome that.

In fact, the more warriors who aspired to become stronger, the better for Seolhwa.

Namgoong Jipyeong was awestruck.

A peak-level master who doesn’t withhold her teachings!

Teaching also takes time and effort. To receive instruction this eagerly from someone who might well be a peak-level master—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

The faces of the Eleventh Formation members surfaced in his mind. They’d struggle even with thirty jin, let alone fifty.

If they trained together like this... they could all grow stronger.

“I’ll bring them for sure!”

“And while you’re at it—bring a lot.”

“Yes! I’ll bring a lot!”

Fire lit in Namgoong Jipyeong’s eyes.

****

After completing her dawn training, Seolhwa washed and immediately headed into the city with Namgoong Cheongun.

It was her first time going out since entering the Namgoong estate.

“There are a lot of people, so make sure to hold your father’s hand tightly.”

Wearing a bamboo hat low over his eyes, Namgoong Cheongun gave her a gentle smile beneath the brim and firmly took her hand.

Officially, he was supposed to be away on an escort mission.

In Hefei, there was no one who didn’t recognize the First Young Master of Namgoong. To avoid unnecessary commotion, they chose to keep his identity hidden.

Even for a casual outing, they were accompanied by five guards.

Given that it was the First Young Master and his child venturing out, it wasn’t excessive.

“We’ll visit the tanghulu stall after we eat.”

Seolhwa nodded as she counted the number of presences trailing behind them.

“Alright.”

“Is there anything you’re craving?”

Seolhwa looked up at Namgoong Cheongun.

The pure gleam in her eyes made him chuckle softly.

“Whatever it is, just tell me. If you like it, then I like it too.”

“In that case, I know a good spot.”

“A good spot?”

Nodding, Seolhwa tugged his hand and led him onward.

The place she brought him to was the same inn she’d first visited with Seop Mugwang upon arriving in Hefei.

“Dumplings and thin noodles, huh? Those are some of my favorites too.”

They ordered a generous amount of dumplings and thin noodles to share.

When Cheongun placed food into Seolhwa’s bowl, she returned the gesture by placing dumplings in his.

It made Cheongun’s eyes well up again—but he held himself back.

The dumplings and noodles were just as delicious the second time. The dishes in the Namgoong estate were excellent as well, but nothing could match the flavors of this place.

So this is why Wind Thunder God likes this place so much.

Even after eating Namgoong’s finest delicacies, the dumplings and noodles from here lingered in the mind. This was the only place that did that.

Why didn’t I know about this place in my previous life?

She’d come to Hefei often back then, but this inn had never been on her radar.

With food this good, there was no way she wouldn’t have known—unless...

Did they make a fortune and close shop?

“You’re eating well. That’s good. You need to eat a lot to grow strong.”

By then, Namgoong Cheongun had regained his composure and was gently patting Seolhwa on the head.

“When did we ever say we wouldn’t pay, huh? We said we’d cover it next time! I just forgot my pouch, that’s all!”

A commotion broke out a few tables away from where they were seated.

Namgoong Cheongun calmly observed the scene from under his bamboo hat.

If it turned dangerous, he planned to get the child out of the inn immediately.

“Sir, do you realize how many times you’ve said that now...? We really need you to pay your tab today if we’re to keep running this place...”

Crash—!

The table slammed and splintered apart.

Dishes toppled, clattering loudly as chaos spread.

“Is the old man senile or what?!”

The man who smashed the table grabbed the elderly innkeeper—presumably the owner—by the collar.

“Mercy, please! Spare me, sir!”

“You really don’t know who we are, huh? Huh?!”

“I do! I know very well, sir! How could I not recognize warriors of Namgoong...!”