Clap!
Ilhwa slapped away the hand reaching for her. The Medicine Hall Master’s eyes widened in surprise. But Ilhwa only glared at her with even sharper wariness.
‘If she’s one of the Blood Demon’s people, she’s dangerous.’
This woman was known as Dokwol. As skilled as she was in medicine, she was equally adept in the use of poisons.
‘If she’s a spy from the Blood Sect, she might try to kill me.’
The Blood Demon was not the kind of person to forgive traitors—he would hunt them down and eliminate them by any means necessary. Of course, Seop Mugwang and the Medicine Hall Master had no way of knowing her thoughts. They exchanged puzzled glances before turning back to her.
"Kid, I need to check your pulse to see where it hurts."
"I’m not hurt. I don’t need any diagnosis."
"She says she’s fine," Seop Mugwang sighed, scratching the bridge of his nose.
"Step aside."
The Medicine Hall Master moved away, and Seop Mugwang knelt in front of Ilhwa, meeting her gaze. Ilhwa, who had been glaring fiercely at the Medicine Hall Master, now turned her sharp eyes to him.
"Kid, I’m sorry for bringing you here without asking, but at least let her examine you. She may not look like much, but she’s actually quite skilled—" "Excuse me, call me ‘noona,’ please!"
"Tch, fine!"
"My, my, so full of energy."
Seop Mugwang clicked his tongue in annoyance before trying again.
"Just let her check your pulse. I know you’re tough, but you haven’t eaten or rested properly in days. Who knows what might be wrong?"
"But I—" "If you behave, I’ll buy you as much tanghulu as you want."
At his words, Ilhwa’s wariness wavered slightly. Not because of the tanghulu. Only she knew that this woman had once been the Medicine Hall Master of the Blood Sect.
Refusing outright would only raise suspicion.
‘With Seop Mugwang here, Dokwol won’t dare try anything.’
Reluctantly, Ilhwa nodded. Seop Mugwang chuckled, ruffling her hair before standing and stepping aside. The Medicine Hall Master sat before her again.
"Give me your arm?"
Ilhwa extended her arm. Smiling faintly, the woman took her wrist and began checking her pulse. She closed her eyes, focusing on the rhythm beneath her fingers.
Silence stretched between them.
Then— "…!"
Seop Mugwang, who had been watching with his arms crossed, suddenly reached between them. The Medicine Hall Master’s eyes flew open in shock—but she couldn’t move. Ilhwa’s hand was already gripping her throat.
"Let go."
"She was trying to kill me."
"It was just a normal pulse check."
"She used her inner energy."
"That’s her method. She was probably trying to examine your meridians with it."
"…"
Ilhwa’s glare remained fixed on the Medicine Hall Master. She already knew that using inner energy to examine meridians was this woman’s usual method—not just hers, but most physicians’. But even so, Ilhwa had seized her throat as a warning.
‘I can kill you anytime.’
Though she loosened her grip at Seop Mugwang’s words, she couldn’t afford to show weakness. Tension hung thick in the air. Slowly, the strength drained from Ilhwa’s fingers.
When she finally released her, the Medicine Hall Master’s legs gave out, and she slumped to the floor.
"Such… sharp claws you have," she muttered, rubbing her chilled neck as she caught her breath.
Seop Mugwang and Ilhwa remained locked in a silent standoff.
"If you don’t suppress your killing intent, the Inner Hall warriors will be here in less than half a ke (7-8 minutes)."
Gradually, the murderous aura around Ilhwa faded. Seop Mugwang watched her with a hardened expression.
‘The moment the Medicine Hall Master used her inner energy, she struck.’
Had he not intervened, the woman’s neck would have been snapped in an instant. Even when facing the unorthodox factions, he had noticed this about Ilhwa—once she decided to kill, she showed no mercy. As if she had already taken countless lives.
The killing intent she radiated was thicker than what even seasoned assassins could muster. It was as if she carried the blood and resentment of thousands upon her back. What kind of life had she lived?
He couldn’t even begin to guess.
‘…’
By now, the killing intent had completely vanished, and Ilhwa had returned to the demeanor of an ordinary child.
"I’ll go back first."
Seop Mugwang nodded, releasing her arm.
"Wait in the Heavenly Guest Room."
"Yes."
Bowing slightly, Ilhwa walked out of the Medicine Hall with calm steps. The Medicine Hall Master stared blankly after her.
"Well? How is she?"
"…Hm?"
"The kid. Is she healthy?"
The woman sighed, brushing off her robes as she stood.
"Where did you pick up such a feral stray?"
"Think you can tame her?"
"Well, that depends on you, Great Lord."
Seop Mugwang chuckled.
"What? Didn’t you bring her here?"
"I did, but taming her isn’t my job."
"So, is she healthy or not?"
"Hard to say. It was too brief. But…"
The Medicine Hall Master’s expression grew strange as she stared at the door Ilhwa had left through.
"Seems like she’s eaten something unusual recently."
"…!"
Seop Mugwang’s lips twisted.
"Guess you weren’t just sitting around uselessly."
"What’s that supposed to mean? I was once the imperial physician, you know!"
"Probably just an assistant."
"Same difference."
Rubbing her sore neck, the woman huffed.
"Anyway, bring her back later. I need to check her properly."
"For what?"
"Something feels… off."
She looked down at her own hand. For the briefest moment, she had sensed something foreign in the child’s body—something unstable.
"Like a bomb about to explode. Or a crumbling stone wall. I’ll need more time to be sure. Bring her back soon."
Seop Mugwang frowned. That didn’t sound good.
"Understood."
His gaze lingered on the spot where Ilhwa had stood. Should I report this to the Family Head? After a moment of thought, he activated his movement technique and left the Medicine Hall. --- Returning to the Heavenly Guest Room, Ilhwa headed to the pond in the courtyard.
Next to a chair by the water’s edge was a bowl of fish food. Scooping up a handful, she scattered it across the pond. Carp as thick as her thigh immediately surfaced, mouths gaping as they snapped up the food.
Ilhwa shook the remaining crumbs from her palm onto the fish that had leaped the highest.
‘Am I still shackled by the past?’
When the Medicine Hall Master had channeled her inner energy into Ilhwa’s body, she had known the woman wasn’t trying to kill her. Yet her body had reacted first.
‘Because that woman used to kill Blood Sect members like that.’
Under the guise of treatment, she would mix in poison—a twisted hobby of hers. Yet she had remained the Blood Sect’s Medicine Hall Master because— ‘She was one of the Blood Demon’s Twelve Moons.’ The Blood Sect was an alliance of six independent factions united under the Blood Demon.
The leaders of these factions were known as the Six Blood Lords, each a peerless master in their own right. In her past life, even Seolhwa hadn’t known their true identities—they always concealed their faces. But she had known the Twelve Moons.
An elite group of twelve assassins directly serving the Blood Demon. The bearers of the Moon Tokens. They were granted these tokens, marked with the Blood Demon’s own blood, along with forbidden Blood Arts.
They moved only for him. Though their martial prowess paled compared to the Six Blood Lords, their loyalty was absolute—they would die for the Blood Demon without hesitation. Dokwol had been one of them.
That was why, even when she arbitrarily killed sect members, not even the sect leader dared question her. Who could stop her whims? Once, when Ilhwa had visited the Medicine Hall, she had asked Dokwol: ‘Dokwol.
I heard you were originally from the orthodox martial world.’
‘That’s right.’
‘Then how did you end up here?’
‘Hmm…’
Back then, Dokwol had smiled—deeper and more mesmerizing than now.
‘Because there was someone I wanted to kill?’
Her words, spoken with that enchanting smile, had been far from beautiful. Ilhwa hadn’t asked who that person was. They weren’t close enough for that, and she hadn’t been curious.
‘I should have asked.’
Maybe then, she wouldn’t feel so conflicted now. Lost in thought, Ilhwa didn’t notice the carp had finished their meal and dispersed, leaving only ripples where the last fish’s tail had flicked. When she looked down again, the water’s surface reflected not just her—but also a towering figure in resplendent robes standing beside her.
Ilhwa rose and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Family Head Namgung."
"No need for such formality. Just call me Grandfather."
"…"
Namgung Mucheon studied her intently, his brows quirking slightly.
"I heard what happened."