With the arrival of the Murong Clan, the Five Great Clans were finally gathered in one place.

Just the gathering of these five prestigious families, the pillars of the Central Plains, brought a buzz of excitement to the streets, and the air was filled with a festive spirit.

As evening fell, the banquet began, dazzling with ornate decorations and bustling with vibrant energy.

Lively music flowed through the banquet hall, while attendants busily carried platters of food, richly filling every table.

When Seolhwa entered the banquet hall—adorned in a jade-colored skirt and newly gifted accessories from Namgoong Mucheon—Ung and Hwarin were already seated.

“Unni, over here!”

Hwarin waved eagerly to greet her.

Seolhwa took her seat between Ung and Hwarin.

There were five seats at the head table—each reserved for the head of a clan.

Directly beneath them were three seats, for the young masters of the clans. As the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Zhuge Clan had no young masters present, only three clans were represented.

Cheongun, who had arrived early and was conversing with the other young masters, spotted Seolhwa and smiled brightly, waving at her.

Dressed in an outfit decorated with the same jade hues as Seolhwa’s, Cheongun—always beautiful—was particularly radiant tonight.

The seats for the younger generation of the clans were arranged on either side of the head table.

The elders sat at the front, and their children followed behind them in order of seniority.

“Over there are the people from the Hebei Peng Clan, and over there is the Zhuge Clan. The ones sitting next to us are from the Murong Clan.”

Hwarin whispered, introducing the clans.

She skipped over the Tang Clan, whom they’d already encountered frequently over the past two days.

“The Peng Clan folks are a bit big and rough, but they’ve got kind hearts. I don’t know why, but they seem to have a weakness for small things? They really like cute stuff.”

Hwarin laughed, saying their fondness for cute things didn’t match their bulky builds.

Seolhwa glanced toward them, recalling the morning encounter with the Peng Clan’s head.

Just then, her eyes met with the largest young man among their group—clearly a son of the clan—who had been looking around the hall.

Startled, the young Peng blinked rapidly as he stared at her.

When Seolhwa inclined her head slightly in greeting, he hastily bowed in response.

“That’s Peng Hogwang. He’s the eldest son of the clan head. Next to him is Peng Chipung, and beside him is their sister, Peng Mirang. She’s older than you, Unni.”

Peng Mirang, true to her heritage, boasted a sturdy and impressive build.

Her bold features and hearty smile naturally conjured the image of a heroine.

Leaving behind Peng Hogwang, who kept glancing shyly in her direction, Seolhwa followed Hwarin’s lead and shifted her gaze toward the Zhuge Clan.

“See the best-looking one over there? That’s my brother, Zhuge Hwi.”

Hwarin’s voice dropped even lower.

“He’s super uptight. The type who has no flexibility. You really have to watch your words around him or he’ll scold you.”

Whether or not he was as handsome as claimed, it was easy to tell who she meant.

Only one of the young men in the Zhuge Clan sat with perfect posture, his gaze disciplined and unmoving.

“The one next to him is Brother Jin. He’s a little timid, but kind.”

And the small girl beside them, Hwarin explained, was Zhuge Soya—the youngest among all present.

After finishing her detailed introductions—including the Murong Clan but once again skipping over the Tang Clan—Hwarin straightened up with a proud expression.

Seolhwa quietly memorized the faces as Hwarin described them, recalling memories from her past life.

Most of these people she’d never even laid eyes on in her previous life. The ones who had left an impression were the members of the Murong Clan and Peng Hogwang, son of the Peng Clan’s head.

Peng Hogwang arrived just as the clash between the Namgoong Clan and the Blood Demon Cult was ending.

The Murong Clan was the family of Murong Yeonhwa, wife of Namgoong Cheongsan.

In her past life, they had arrived as reinforcements too late—after the battle between the Namgoong Clan and the Blood Demon Cult had ended.

The current head of the Murong Clan had wept, clutching the cold corpse of his sister, Murong Yeonhwa, and beside him stood Peng Hogwang.

The Peng Clan always dove into battle without hesitation.

Was it due to their belligerent nature or their overflowing sense of justice? Whether they had the advantage or not, they never hesitated to put their lives on the line.

They were always at the front, boosting morale. Seolhwa clearly remembered how the Blood Demon Cult’s warriors had struggled during the battles where the Peng Clan fought.

All «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» of them—those who had once fought her unit in the Blood Demon Cult—had perished in her previous life.

It was before Namgoong Cheongun had arrived.

While lost in these memories, Hwarin tugged on Seolhwa’s arm and whispered.

“Grandfather!”

Following Hwarin’s gaze, Seolhwa saw the heads of the Five Great Clans entering the banquet hall.

At the center stood Namgoong Mucheon of the Namgoong Clan—the eldest and most revered among them. To his sides were the heads of the Peng and Murong Clans.

At each end were the heads of the Tang and Zhuge Clans.

Once they were all seated, Namgoong Mucheon rose to his feet.

The music flowing through the hall came to a halt, and all eyes turned to him.

As the representative, Namgoong Mucheon shared his delight in welcoming the Fourth Assembly of the Five Great Clans and expressed gratitude to the Zhuge Clan for preparing the venue and the feast.

The host, Zhuge Clan’s head, also stood and thanked the attending clans, officially opening the banquet.

“They say the food we missed last time will be served tonight. They brought the head chef from the inn to cook it himself.”

The banquet began with the meal.

Each guest had a generous portion served before them, and the heads of the clans were treated to even more extravagant dishes.

“Hahaha! The clan head’s granddaughter is quite sharp and adorable! Perhaps it’s time we discussed a marriage between our clans. What do you say?”

“You mean my granddaughter?”

“Yes! The girl named Seolhwa! Your first granddaughter, Brother!”

“Hoho, your jokes haven’t changed, Peng Clan Head.”

At Peng Yeopmyeong’s cheerful proposal, Namgoong Mucheon chuckled and brushed it off.

“I wasn’t joking though!”

Despite the subtle refusal, Peng Yeopmyeong laughed heartily and made his intentions clear.

From her seat, Seolhwa could clearly see Namgoong Cheongun looking flustered.

Peng Yeopmyeong's voice was so loud that it was impossible not to hear. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Hoho, if the Namgoong Clan and the Hebei Peng Clan were joined by marriage, the world would feel much more secure.”

The Murong Clan head smiled warmly, chiming in to support him.

The host, the Zhuge Clan head—youngest of them all—could only offer an awkward smile, while the Tang Clan head quietly ate with a faint smile.

“Unni, you’re in trouble. The Peng Clan Head really seems to like you.”

“?”

Hwarin whispered softly.

“He’s really persistent, you know.”

She giggled, half joking, half serious.

“Hwarin, we can all hear you.”

Ung, who had been quietly eating, warned her out of habit.

Hwarin shrugged with a smile.

― Look at Lord Hogwang—his face is bright red. All size, no experience. Total innocent, I’m telling you.

At Hwarin’s sound transmission, Seolhwa looked at Peng Hogwang.

He, too, looked flustered, probably overhearing his grandfather’s remarks.

When their eyes met, he sent her an apologetic look.

Seolhwa responded with a faint smile.

As she turned her head, she suddenly felt a gaze.

Looking in that direction, she saw Zhuge Hwi watching her.

When their eyes met, he didn’t flinch—he simply gave her a small nod and returned to his meal.

Zhuge Hwi...

Among the Five Great Clans, the one Seolhwa had the least contact with in her past life was the Zhuge Clan.

Weakened from their war with the Salmak, they’d remained defensive and uninvolved.

They were the complete opposite of the Peng Clan.

While the Peng Clan showed up everywhere, the Zhuge Clan stayed hidden.

Perhaps that was why...

The Blood Demon Cult had never seen them as a threat, and even by the time Seolhwa died, the Zhuge Clan had remained intact.

After the Peng Clan Head’s overzealous interest in Seolhwa, tea was served next.

As with the dinner, a separate tray was brought for each person.

As the attendants bustled around, delivering trays, Seolhwa sensed something was off.

“....”

The servant placing the tray before her had trembling hands.

Seolhwa’s gaze lowered.

She looked toward the Tang Clan's side.

Tang Gajin was seated calmly, laughing and chatting with the Murong Clan members beside him.

“Unni? Is something wrong? Your face doesn’t look good.”

Hwarin, sitting next to her, noticed her expression and asked quietly.

Seolhwa smiled gently and shook her head.

“No. The fragrance is lovely.”

“Right? It’s Qingjeon Tea. Supposedly the best tea in Hebei.”

Hwarin took a sip.

Seolhwa lifted the warm Zisha teapot and poured herself a cup.

Steam curled from the dark-colored tea—Heicha, black tea.

She savored the aroma before taking a sip.

Holding the tea in her mouth briefly, she then swallowed and looked toward Tang Gajin.

Tang Gajin, who had been watching her, flinched and looked away.

A strange smile played at the corners of his lips.

Clink.

Seolhwa set her teacup down.

Then, she picked up the warm teapot and stood, heading toward the head table.

Tap. Tap.

Every gaze in the banquet hall followed her.

The clan heads stopped their conversation and turned to her as well.

A wide smile spread across Peng Yeopmyeong’s face when he saw her approaching.

Seolhwa stopped in front of the head table.

She bowed slightly, lowered her gaze, and spoke.

“If I may, on this joyous day when the Five Great Clans are gathered, would it be acceptable for this young girl to offer each esteemed Clan Head a cup of tea?”