It was early in the morning. After finishing her dawn training with the Red Dragon Squad members, Seolhwa held Namgung Cheongun’s hand and climbed the mountain behind the family estate. The Celestial Comprehension Cave, the Namgung's secluded training grotto, was built in the form of a cave halfway up the mountain behind the Namgung estate.
The path to the Celestial Comprehension Cave was lined with a harmonious blend of bamboo and pine trees, filling the air with lush greenery and refreshing air. Through the leaves of the towering trees, the blue sky shone clearly, as if welcoming her.
As she walked along the path behind the family estate, she saw people in the distance at the entrance of the cave. It was Namgung Mucheon, Chief Steward Namgung Mun, Secret Wind Sword Unit Leader Seop Mugwang, and two members of the Secret Wind Sword Unit. When his eyes met Seolhwa's, Seop Mugwang snorted and sharply turned his head away.
It seemed the grudge from last night had not yet faded.
"You've come."
"Greetings, Family Head."
"Greetings, Grandfather."
"Have you finished your preparations?"
In truth, there were no preparations to be made. Once inside the training grotto, all that was needed was the right mindset for training. Water and grain pills for minimal sustenance were amply prepared inside the grotto, enough to last for a good ten years.
"Will you truly be alright?"
Chief Steward Namgung Mun asked worriedly.
"I'm not going there to die, so what's all the fuss? It will be harder on Seolhwa than on me."
"That is what I was asking the Young Lady. Will you be alright, Young Lady Seolhwa? They say the Bone Marrow Cleansing is excruciatingly painful."
"I'm fine. Grandfather is with me."
"Haha... it seems my granddaughter is the only one who trusts this Namgung Mucheon."
He passed it off with a light laugh, but the Bone Marrow Cleansing was by no means an easy task. A slight misstep in moving one's energy could easily lead to Qi Deviation, and since it involved forcibly opening meridians and changing one's bones and muscles, it was not easy for a child to endure.
Everyone knew that Seolhwa could not feel pain, but that didn't stop them from worrying.
"Speak well to the Hall Masters and the Elder Council. I have mentioned the Bone Marrow Cleansing before, so they will all likely just accept it."
"There will be strong opposition."
He had mentioned it, but it had not received everyone's support. The Elder Council naturally rose up in protest upon hearing the Family Head's intentions, and that meeting too had been vaguely swept aside by Namgung Mucheon's insistence. They were surely just waiting for the chance to bring up the matter again.
Who would have known? That the Family Head would take his granddaughter and enter the training grotto without so much as a single word.
"Is there a reason you are in such a hurry?"
"Is there anything to be gained by dragging this out? They'll just try to start useless arguments. Tell them that if anyone dares to set foot in this cave without permission, I will tear them in two."
"... Yes."
'The Elder Council is going to be in an uproar.' However, even without relaying the Family Head's words, no one would likely come all the way to the training grotto to protest. What was the problem with him using his own power as he saw fit?
'The Family Head's well-being is the family's well-being, but...' Who would dare to stand in the way of the Sword Sovereign's will? Furthermore, with the Flying Wind Sword guarding the front, no one would dare to set foot in the training grotto.
"How long will it take?"
"At least five days. Even if it takes longer, we will come out on our own when it's over, so just know that."
"Yes, Family Head."
"Let's go, Seolhwa."
Namgung Mucheon turned to leave. Seolhwa went to his side and held his finger. A cool smile spread across Namgung Mucheon's lips as he looked down at his granddaughter.
"We'll be back."
"I wish you good fortune. Family Head, Young Lady."
"Please take good care of Seolhwa, Father. Be well, Seolhwa."
The Chief Steward bowed his waist to see them off, and Namgung Cheongun watched them until the very end with a face full of worry. Seop Mugwang and the members of the Secret Wind Sword Unit, who had been following the two, stopped at the entrance of the training grotto to see them off.
Squeak— The large iron door was slowly closed by the hands of the Secret Wind Sword Unit members. As she looked back through the slowly disappearing sliver of light, her eyes met Seop Mugwang's, who was standing with his arms crossed, his head turned to look this way. With that, the door of the Celestial Comprehension Cave closed firmly.
Tap, tap.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed in the quiet cave. Even with the door closed, the inside of the cave was not dark.
'Luminous pearls...'
Luminous pearls were installed on the cave walls at intervals of about 3 meters, lighting the way. After walking along that path for some time, they came to a point where they passed through a transparent, membrane-like energy.
"We have entered a formation that smooths the circulation of Inner Energy, so do not be alarmed."
Seolhwa nodded at Namgung Mucheon's words. She remembered being quite surprised when she saw this place in her previous life as well.
Putting aside the expensive luminous pearls, to think that they had used a deep cave in the mountains as it was, a place full of nature's energy, and even installed a formation to aid the circulation of Inner Energy.
To install a formation without disrupting the natural energy, one needed a master proficient in formations, and to maintain that formation constantly would require no small amount of effort. After seeing this training grotto, she recalled how pathetically she had thought of the direct descendants with low achievements. In any case, it was an amazing place to see again.
'It feels like my Inner Energy would accumulate just by sitting here.' Feeling the pure energy flowing in the air, Seolhwa looked down at her hands. It felt as if she were walking on the surface of calm water without making any ripples.
"We've arrived."
Inside the training grotto, there were several tunnels. Each tunnel had another formation installed. It was the type that blocked sound and energy, and the door would close once a person entered.
Namgung Mucheon brought Seolhwa to the tunnel located in the deepest part of the grotto. It was the largest and widest tunnel in the training grotto. The floor of the tunnel was paved with glistening blue steel stones.
"Do you need to rest?"
When Seolhwa shook her head, Namgung Mucheon pointed to the wide space paved with blue steel stones.
"Stand there."
Seolhwa went to the center of the tunnel and stood there. Namgung Mucheon stood behind her and placed a hand on her back. Because Seolhwa's frame was small, he turned his hand so that his fingers pointed downward.
"From now on, I will forcefully trigger the hypnosis placed on you. Do not resist, just let it flow."
"... I might attack you, Grandfather."
"Haha! Is that what you're worried about?"
"No." The real worry was actually something else.
'When I'm in a state of selflessness, I don't know what kind of martial arts I'll use.' This was one of the reasons she couldn't ask Namgung Mucheon for help from the beginning. Once under hypnosis, she would lose her reason and move purely on instinct.
If her instincts were to bring out a martial art, it would be the one she used most often in her previous life. 'I might end up showing...
'that'.'
Anyone else might not, but Namgung Mucheon would surely recognize it. After all, he had lived with the Namgung's martial arts for longer than her previous life combined. 'Will it be okay?'
What if the trust she had built up until now crumbled in an instant? Should I tell him beforehand? 'No. If I say it now, it will only sound like an excuse.
If I was going to say it, I should have said it on the first day I came to the Namgung family.' So it was already too late to speak. Now that she'd come this far, there was no turning back.
Having hardened her heart, Seolhwa stared straight ahead.
"Grandfather."
"Yes."
"No matter what you see, please trust me."
Perhaps because it was an unexpected thing to say, Namgung Mucheon's eyebrows curved into a peculiar expression. Namgung Mucheon was silent for a moment before giving a short reply.
"I will."
It was a short answer, but his unwavering voice conveyed a strong sense of trust. Seolhwa nodded with a faint smile.
"I'm ready."
Seolhwa quietly closed her eyes. Soon, the clear and powerful energy she had felt from Namgung Mucheon before entered her body. Namgung Mucheon's energy began to travel through her meridians, searching for traces of the hypnosis.
It felt like a massive tidal wave was moving inside her. Sometimes like a raging wave, sometimes like an ascending dragon, Namgung Mucheon's energy searched through her body very quickly. It was when that energy reached Seolhwa's Baihui acupoint, the very center of the crown of her head. '...!'
Something went thump, and Seolhwa's mind rang as if a giant drum had been struck. Seolhwa's eyes flew open. 'So this is it.'
He had only touched the foreign energy gathered at her Baihui acupoint, yet the child showed a reaction. Namgung Mucheon moved his energy once more, stabbing into the source as if to split it. At that same moment.
Whoosh— Seolhwa's upper body twisted, and an attack filled with inner energy shot towards Namgung Mucheon's chest. Paang— Namgung Mucheon moved the hand that was touching Seolhwa's body and lightly received her palm strike, an attack using the palm of the hand. The child's pupils were empty.
They were emotionless eyes filled only with the single-minded intent to kill him.
Pabat!
While Namgung Mucheon was assessing Seolhwa's condition, she used the force of his block to instantly create distance, moving away from him. A look of surprise flashed across Namgung Mucheon's face.
"Hoh, you made such a judgment in that brief moment?"
The place Seolhwa had retreated to was where a weapon rack stood on one side of the tunnel. Being a training grotto, it was furnished with numerous types of weapons. Sreung— Picking up a sword, Seolhwa unsheathed it without hesitation and aimed the blade at Namgung Mucheon.
A crimson killing intent slowly began to rise around her.