Chapter 7

The martial artist led her straight to the inner hall.

'I didn't expect to be guided directly to the inner hall.'

The structure of the clan is divided into the inner hall, where the direct descendants of the Nangong family live, and the outer hall, where the collateral relatives and those who have gathered under the Nangong name reside.

I heard that those who come looking for the missing Nangong child are first filtered through the outer hall.

'This way... leads to the Cheonho Hall.'

In her past life, Il-hwa had studied everything about the Nangong family to bring them down.

She had a basic understanding of the internal structure of the Nangong clan, so she knew what the Cheonho Hall was used for.

'Seok-mu-gwang must have arranged this.'

Since Seok-mu-gwang had been accompanied by martial artists, he must have sent them to inform the family.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been guided directly to the inner hall, and specifically to the Cheonho Hall.

In any case, it was fortunate for Il-hwa to avoid the hassle.

Meanwhile, three people remained in the Cheonho Hall, from which the elders and direct descendants had departed.

The clan head Nangong Mu-cheon, the chief Nangong Moon, and Seok-mu-gwang.

"Hey, Bifeng Sword. Has the child arrived?"

The chief, who had interrupted the family meeting, asked Seok-mu-gwang.

Seok-mu-gwang knew that he had found a child who seemed to be the clan head's granddaughter, but he hadn't known that the child would arrive today.

"Yes. A very cute and prickly kid will be arriving soon."

"Finally, I get to see the child."

The chief had been curious about what kind of child it would be ever since he heard the news from Seok-mu-gwang.

Finally, he would see the child.

He stared at the main gate of the Cheonho Hall with a tense expression, and soon he heard the sound of someone walking up the stairs.

'She's here!'

A moment later, a martial artist and a young girl appeared.

The chief instinctively leaned forward to see the child.

Her black hair was tied up, her eyes slightly upturned, her pale face with a rosy cheek, a small, straight nose, and a firmly closed mouth.

'Young lady...?'

The child's appearance reminded him of the young face of Nangong Seol-hwa that he remembered.

Although she had grown taller and lost her baby fat, it was clearly the young Nangong Seol-hwa.

'Welcome! Me! Ana!'

The memory of Nangong Seol-hwa calling out to him for the first time and asking to be held made his emotions surge.

His nose tingled.

"Hehe, I felt the same way when I first saw that brat. However, don't jump to conclusions. Nothing is certain yet."

Hearing Seok-mu-gwang's telepathic message, the chief quickly composed himself.

He was right. It was too early to jump to conclusions.

This was the place to identify the Nangong child.

Until it was confirmed that this child was Nangong Seol-hwa, he had to be careful with his words and actions.

* * *

The moment Il-hwa stepped into the Cheonho Hall, she involuntarily flinched and stopped.

She was pierced by a sharp gaze that seemed to penetrate her entire body.

Looking straight ahead, she saw him.

At the deepest and highest point of the majestic Cheonho Hall.

'Cheonryong Sword Emperor... Nangong Mu-cheon...'

His hair was gray, his eyes slightly upturned, giving him a stern appearance.

His tightly closed mouth revealed no thoughts, and his sturdy build exuded a commanding presence that seemed to overlook the world.

The profound power that she could barely sense was immeasurable, but Il-hwa knew his level.

'A master of the Transformation Realm.'

The ability to move objects with qi alone, a body as solid as armor, and the ability to walk on air.

One of the ten absolute masters in the world.

The vast gap made her feel like a mouse standing before a giant dragon.

Just a single gesture could end her life.

'...What is this?'

Il-hwa looked down at her hands.

When she faced Nangong Mu-cheon, her hands tingled and itched.

Her heart raced and her neck tingled, clearly signs of tension.

Was this what it felt like to be intimidated?

'It's okay. He's not an enemy now. It's okay.'

Il-hwa clenched her fists and moved forward into the hall.

The three men's gazes followed her as she approached.

The clan head Nangong Mu-cheon stood in the center, with the chief Nangong Moon on the right and Seok-mu-gwang on the left.

Seok-mu-gwang, who met her eyes, smiled, showing his teeth. Despite the short time since they last met, he seemed very pleased to see her.

Il-hwa briefly glanced at him as a greeting and then made a bow to Nangong Mu-cheon.

"I greet the clan head of the Nangong family."

This was the moment she faced her bloodline from her previous life, which had seemed so distant.

"Welcome."

Even a short greeting sent a shiver down her spine.

After bowing again, the chief, who had been standing next to Nangong Mu-cheon, stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"What is your name?"

Il-hwa naturally looked at him.

"My name is Seol-hwa."

The chief's eyebrows slightly raised. He then returned to a calm expression and continued.

"I heard that you claimed to be the child the family is looking for. Is that true?"

Il-hwa nodded.

"Yes."

"The child the family is looking for is a boy. However, you are clearly a girl. Moreover, it seems that the birthmark on your neck cannot be confirmed."

"I don't know about that. I just came here because I remembered growing up in Nangong when I was young."

"Memory...?"

The chief stroked his chin and stared at Il-hwa.

Though he maintained a stern composure, he was anxious.

Was this the child that Nangong had been searching for for eight years? He hoped it was.

This was the first child that reminded him of the young lady from first impressions.

"Can you describe your memories in detail?"

Il-hwa nodded.

It was a question she had expected, so she wasn't flustered.

Taking a short breath, she lowered her eyes as if searching her memory.

Amid the tense anticipation, she slowly spoke.

"Poppy flower path..."

Even that short phrase caused a small crack in the chief's expression.

Il-hwa raised her gaze to meet his.

"I remember walking along a path filled with poppies near a pond with willow trees, holding someone's hand. I don't remember whose hand it was, but..."

She looked down at her hands.

Her expression was filled with nostalgia.

"I remember it being large and hard, very warm. I could only hold the thumb of that person."

Her calm voice made the Cheonho Hall as quiet as if it had been doused in cold water.

Feeling the tense atmosphere, Il-hwa clenched her fists.

'It's understandable.'

The place with willow trees, a pond, and a path filled with poppies was the garden of the clan head's residence, where Nangong Mu-cheon lived.

'The memories from my past life are really helpful.'

She knew that the garden of the clan head's residence was filled with poppies from when she invaded Nangong in her previous life.

When she entered the clan head's residence after killing all the remaining family members, she recalled an unknown memory at the poppy flower path.

It was the memory of walking along the path, holding someone's hand, which she had just told the chief.

'Back then, I found it strange and burned the entire flower field.'

She thought the poppies were poisonous plants, even though they were ornamental.

She believed that such a strange hallucination wouldn't arise otherwise.

In fact, it was her real memory.

'How foolish I was. Even I.'

Il-hwa, who had once mocked her past self, unclenched her fists and raised her gaze.

"I lost my memories before the age of five, so this is all I remember. Is it enough?"

As Il-hwa spoke, the chief, who had been lost in thought, suddenly opened his mouth.

Before he could speak, Nangong Mu-cheon, who had been listening silently, raised his hand to stop him.

He spoke in a low voice.

"Poppies can be found easily anywhere in the Central Plains. Ponds and willow trees are common among those with money. Do you think these things can prove that you are the Nangong child?"

Il-hwa looked up at Nangong Mu-cheon.

She had already expected that he wouldn't easily acknowledge her as a Nangong child.

After all, thousands of children had claimed to be Nangong children, including some girls.

Moreover, the birthmark on her neck couldn't be confirmed, so it was natural. However,

"I don't understand."

Nangong Mu-cheon's eyebrows twitched.

"You don't understand? What don't you understand?"

"Isn't it the Nangong family that is looking for the missing child? Why should I have to prove myself?"