The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 8

This was no ordinary search—they were looking for a child of the Namgoong Clan.

Even if they had deliberately announced the wrong gender to stir confusion, opportunists were still bound to flock in droves, all hoping to claim the Namgoong name ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ and the enormous reward attached to it.

There were even lunatics who’d bring a random girl or their own child, pretending it was the lost heir.

But really—did anyone think the Namgoong Clan would issue a public announcement of that scale without anticipating this level of chaos?

“Of course not.”

They weren’t fools. The Namgoong Clan had surely expected the deception.

The fact that they offered such an enormous reward anyway meant they had a definitive way of telling impostors from the real thing.

“I assumed there would be a way to confirm my identity once I reached Namgoong. Was I wrong?”

At Ilhwa’s words, Namgoong Mucheon’s eyes grew even darker, radiating an ominous intensity.

The weight of his gaze was so cold it sent chills through her bones.

And then—just as she braced herself under that cutting stare—his lips twitched slightly.

Namgoong Mucheon suddenly burst into thunderous laughter.

“Hahahahahaha!”

His booming voice echoed through the Celestial Tiger Pavilion.

The Chief Steward and Seop Mugwang both smiled quietly as well.

“You’re right! The means to prove your identity—that does exist here, in Namgoong.”

Still wearing a trace of a smile, Namgoong Mucheon leaned his chin on his hand and looked her over.

“However, not at this moment. The one who can confirm it is on the way, but you’ll have to wait a few days. Will that be acceptable?”

She had no reason to refuse.

“Yes. I’ll wait.”

“Good.”

Namgoong Mucheon raised a hand and addressed the Chief Steward.

“Prepare a room for the child in the Inner Hall.”

The Chief Steward’s eyes widened in shock as he stepped forward.

“Clan Head, the Inner Hall is too much.”

The Inner Hall was a space reserved strictly for the clan’s direct bloodline.

Allowing someone not yet verified to stay there could cause unrest among the other branches of the family.

Still, as it was a direct order from the Clan Head, the Chief Steward cautiously offered an alternative.

“Rather than the Inner Hall, perhaps one of the guest courtyards in the Outer Hall would be more appropriate—preferably the Celestial Guest Courtyard.”

The Celestial Guest Courtyard was a special lodging reserved for the most honored of guests.

It was clear the Chief Steward recognized Namgoong Mucheon’s intent to treat the girl with great respect and was trying to provide a compromise.

“Hmph.”

Namgoong Mucheon clearly didn’t like the suggestion.

As the Chief Steward hesitated under pressure, Ilhwa stepped in to support him.

“I’d like to stay in the guest quarters too.”

Namgoong Mucheon’s gaze grew heavier.

“The guest quarters are for outsiders. And you wish to stay there?”

Ilhwa understood what he was really asking.

“Are you a guest of Namgoong?”

She had come claiming to be a child of Namgoong, yet now she was stepping back into the role of an outsider. He likely found that offensive.

He was, after all, a man who held the clan’s pride above all else.

But for her, staying in the Inner Hall before being fully acknowledged felt... wrong. It would be too much, too soon.

“There’s no point in stirring trouble the moment I arrive.”

What mattered most now was to avoid making waves and to be officially recognized as part of the clan—without resistance or suspicion.

“I’ll end up in the Inner Hall eventually. But for now, I’d like to try staying in the guest quarters. I’ve heard Namgoong’s guest courtyards are excellent. I’m curious just how good they really are.”

Her words carried an underlying confidence—that she would be accepted as a member of the clan.

Namgoong Mucheon’s lips curled upward again.

“If that’s what you want, then very well. Let it be the Celestial Guest Courtyard.”

“...!”

The Chief Steward reeled in disbelief.

“Th-the Celestial Guest Courtyard? Clan Head, that’s—!”

It was a place reserved only for the most exalted of guests. It rarely opened unless someone truly exceptional visited.

And now—for this child?

“Is there someone staying in it now?”

“N-no, but still...”

Even just announcing the courtyard had been opened would cause waves within the clan...

“Then prepare it.”

Namgoong Mucheon had no intention of backing down. He spoke as if the matter was already decided.

To Ilhwa, it didn’t matter where she slept as long as it wasn’t the Inner Hall.

The Celestial Guest Courtyard was nothing more than a room with a slightly nicer bed.

“I’m grateful for your generosity, Clan Head.”

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“You may go now.”

Ilhwa bowed, then turned and stepped out of the Celestial Tiger Pavilion.

She didn’t yet realize how much stir Namgoong Mucheon’s decision would cause within the clan.

Watching her small figure hurry away, the Chief Steward raised a hand as if to call her back.

Then, realizing something, he cursed under his breath and quickly followed her.

“Don’t you think this is a bit much? She hasn’t even been confirmed yet.”

Watching the two of them retreat, Seop Mugwang asked quietly, half-joking.

Namgoong Mucheon’s smile deepened.

“You know, they say even sharing a single cup of water can make you lifelong friends. How could I not recognize someone I share blood with?”

Seop Mugwang turned to look at him in surprise.

Namgoong Mucheon had met hundreds of children over the last eight years.

But never—not once—had he spoken with such certainty about any of them.

“So then...”

“The Celestial Guest Courtyard isn’t too much.”

Namgoong Mucheon flexed his fingers slowly, as if recalling a sensation long forgotten. His gaze softened into something wistful.

“...If anything, it’s nowhere near enough.”

****

“What did you just say?”

Namgoong Yeom, the Lord of the Outer Hall, looked up from his paperwork with a blank expression and repeated the question to the Chief Steward.

“The Clan Head ordered the Celestial Guest Courtyard to be opened.”

“The Celestial Guest Courtyard...? Did he really say that?”

“He did.”

“Does this have anything to do with him ending the morning meeting so abruptly?”

“It does.”

“I figured something urgent had come up when he cut the meeting short, but...”

Had a guest so important really arrived at Namgoong that the Celestial Guest Courtyard needed to be opened?

It had been almost a full year since a guest last stayed there. So it was surprising—but guests didn’t always arrive with notice.

The Namgoong Outer Hall was always prepared to receive even sudden visitors with the utmost hospitality.

“Understood. I’ll tell the servants to prepare immediately. Where is the honored guest now?”

“Before that, there are specific instructions you must hear.”

“Instructions?”

****

Namgoong Yeom stood silently, staring at the child in front of him—caught off guard by the sight.

“Do not ask who the guest is, nor why she has come to Namgoong. Absolutely do not try to dig into her identity. Just make sure she’s comfortable. And make sure the servants are told the same.”

That’s what the Chief Steward had said. Enough to know this wasn’t just any ordinary visitor.

A child?

Namgoong Yeom hadn’t expected the honored guest to be a young girl. His expression slipped for a second, but he quickly composed himself and bowed in a formal martial salute.

Outwardly, he acted as though everything was completely normal.

After all, the martial world was full of things that defied explanation.

“I offer my respects to the honored guest. I am Namgoong Yeom, Lord of the Outer Hall.”

Ilhwa returned the salute.

“Keep your name hidden as much as possible. Unless you want unnecessary trouble...”

That’s what the Chief Steward had told her on the way. Since her identity as a member of the Namgoong bloodline hadn’t been officially confirmed yet, Ilhwa understood the need for caution and readily agreed.

There was no harm in being careful.

“Right this way. I’ll guide you to the Celestial Guest Courtyard.”

Thankfully, Namgoong Yeom didn’t ask for her name or identity.

Ilhwa quietly followed him.

“The Celestial Guest Courtyard is the pride of our household. Even when it’s unoccupied, it’s cleaned five times a day, and the bedding is changed daily.”

Which basically meant—it was extremely clean.

“If you need anything at all, the attendants are always standing by. And the Courtyard itself is protected by trained Inner Hall warriors of the Namgoong Clan, so...”

“Excuse me...”

“Yes? Is there something you need?”

“Would it be alright... if I looked around by myself for a while?”

“Ah.”

Namgoong Yeom was quick-witted.

His role required him to host and accommodate all kinds of guests visiting the clan—he had to be quick on the uptake.

“I apologize for disturbing your rest. I’ll take my leave now. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to summon a servant.”

With a respectful bow, Namgoong Yeom exited the Celestial Guest Courtyard.

Now, aside from the shadow-like servants waiting silently in the corners, Ilhwa was alone.

She had been here in her past life too—she knew the layout by heart. Even so, she intentionally strolled around the courtyard.

Past the small koi pond filled with forbidden golden carp. Past the pavilions where warm tea was always waiting. Past the private hot spring, perfect for soaking without disturbance.

She walked as if she were learning the layout, taking her time with each step.

In truth, she was putting on a show—for the servants' eyes.

“Everything I do—everything I eat—will be reported to the Clan Head.”

As long as she stayed in the Namgoong estate, she couldn't escape their watchful eyes.

She had already accepted that the moment she crossed their threshold.

After wandering the entire courtyard, Ilhwa finally returned to her room and shut the door behind her. She collapsed onto the bed.

“Haah...”

It was still early morning—the sun hadn’t even reached its peak.

And yet, so much had already happened in just half a day.

“So this is Namgoong.”

She had prepared herself for it, but the feeling of returning to the Namgoong Clan—as someone who had once been their enemy—was stranger than expected.

What disturbed her most was the fact that she’d now be facing people she had personally killed in her previous life.

Clan Head Namgoong Mucheon and the Wind Thunder God, Seop Mugwang—she hadn’t killed them.

Even back then, they were masters beyond her reach.

The ones who killed them had been the Blood Demon and the Six-Blood Lords.

But—

“Namgoong Mun. Namgoong Yeom.”

The Chief Steward and the Lord of the Outer Hall.

Especially Namgoong Mun—the man she had personally tortured in her past life, just to obtain the Namgoong Clan’s secret martial arts manuals.

If she closed her eyes, she could still recall it clearly.

The bloodied man, screaming with defiance, hurling venomous words at her as he died—his powerless roars echoing uselessly into the darkness.