chapter 05
“Ah, I’ll be the one to carry in the stir-fried Eternal He Shou Wu!”
“Second Brother, that’s not fair! I wanna see the little kid’s face too!”
At the sudden commotion caused by his mischievous grandsons, Namgung Ho furrowed his brow.
‘At this rate, the child’s going to lose his appetite.’
Feeling a dull throb spread across his temples, Namgung Ho rose from his seat.
Startled by the boys’ noisy presence, Hongseol froze mid-bite, her chopsticks suspended in the air.
“Hongseol, cover your ears for a moment.”
At his words, Hongseol obediently set her chopsticks down and covered her ears with her tiny hands. Seeing that, Namgung Ho didn’t hesitate—he strode toward the door of the reception hall and flung it open.
“Put those dishes down and get out of here at once!”
“Waaah!”
His booming voice—laced with a trace of internal energy—sent the second and third grandsons scrambling away in terror.
Clicking his tongue in mild exasperation, Namgung Ho reached out and caught the dish that had bounced into the air.
Tap, tap.
With a few deft gestures, the scattered pieces of stir-fried He Shou Wu floated neatly back into the bowl as if rewound by magic.
Meanwhile, Hongseol sat there, still dutifully pressing her hands against her ears just as he’d told her.
“Those noisy brats disturbed your meal for no reason.”
Returning to his seat, Namgung Ho picked up a glossy piece of duck meat dripping with oil and placed it on top of Hongseol’s rice bowl.
“Go on. Eat.”
At that, Hongseol’s chopsticks began to move again—but only for a short while before she quietly set them down.
“What is it? Aren’t you going to eat more?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve eaten plenty.”
In truth, she wanted to eat a little more. She’d never had food this delicious before.
But she swallowed that desire hard, forcing it down.
‘I shouldn’t be greedy. If I eat too much, they might throw me out too.’
Watching Namgung Ho glance at the amount of food left, she spoke again, trying to sound convincing.
“Really, I’m full.”
She thought she’d hidden her true feelings perfectly—yet her eyes kept darting toward the candied fruits on the table, betraying her.
Namgung Ho’s lips curved into a faint smile. Hongseol didn’t notice.
‘Says she’s full, but the little one clearly wants something sweet.’
Still, she wouldn’t ask for it herself. It seemed she would only eat the candy if he offered it directly.
But before that, there was something more important to do.
“Candied fruit can wait. Try this first.”
The next moment, something happened that would’ve made the servants of Changcheon Pavilion jump out of their skins had they seen it.
He picked up his chopsticks and personally lifted a piece of stir-fried Eternal He Shou Wu.
“Here, say ah.”
The head of the mighty Namgung Clan—personally feeding a child!
Even his direct grandsons had never once received such treatment.
“Huh…?”
Unaccustomed to anyone feeding her, Hongseol hesitated, then slowly opened her mouth. A lightly salted, oil-fried piece of He Shou Wu slipped inside.
“Mmm…”
She couldn’t bring herself to swallow it, her cheeks puffing as she chewed.
‘Far too bitter for a child, I suppose.’
Namgung Ho spoke gently but firmly.
“This is medicine for your body. You must chew and swallow it, no matter how it tastes.”
For a while, Hongseol fidgeted miserably, eyes watering—then suddenly clenched her tiny fists. She couldn’t spit out something he had personally given her. She made up her mind.
Gulp.
“There, good! Now, here’s your reward.”
Seeing her finally swallow, Namgung Ho placed a stick of candied fruit into her hand.
Hongseol’s cheeks flushed pink as she eagerly took a bite.
The sweet taste melted across her tongue, and before she knew it, a bright, unguarded smile spread across her face.
Watching that smile, Namgung Ho asked softly,
“Do you feel anything in your body?”
Hongseol blinked, puzzled.
“The He Shou Wu you just ate—can you sense its energy?”
Now that he mentioned it, she could feel something—something ticklish, like a faint current swirling near her navel.
It was strange but not unpleasant. Almost refreshing, like sipping cold, pure spring water deep in a mountain forest.
“I think there’s… something near my belly button?”
“Yes! That’s your dantian. Now, close your eyes and focus on that energy.”
After a brief moment of hesitation, Hongseol obeyed, squeezing her eyes shut.
The faint energy gathered at her core began to swirl, then gradually grew denser and more compact.
“I’ll touch your shoulder for a moment—don’t be startled.”
Still with her eyes closed, Hongseol nodded. Somehow, she felt she could trust this old man completely.
Namgung Ho took a deep breath, then placed a steady finger lightly upon her thin shoulder. From that point, a pure, sky-like energy began to flow carefully into her body.
“Ah…?”
She tilted her head slightly.
“Do you feel that?”
She nodded.
“Good. Your sensitivity to energy is remarkably sharp.”
The energy she sensed from him was strange—gentle and weightless like the breeze in a clear sky, yet solid and unyielding, like a stone wall built over countless years.
It was the kind of energy that, if he willed it, could turn into a sword fast enough to slice through air, or heavy enough to cleave the world itself.
“Now, I’ll help you guide this energy throughout your body.”
He meant he would assist her in circulating her qi—something every martial artist had to learn eventually.
Eternal He Shou Wu was an elixir filled with tremendous energy.
But even the finest medicine could be harmful if mishandled. Many had collapsed after taking it recklessly, unable to withstand the power within.
That’s why guiding and circulating the energy properly was essential.
‘But this child’s meridians are completely damaged—she can’t possibly know how to do that on her own.’
So he would teach her—show her the path the energy must take.
And this was no ordinary teacher: it was the Grand Elder of the Namgung Clan himself, who had cultivated inner energy every day for seventy years.
The child abandoned by the Myo family…
Yet within her, the seed of the Yin-Yang Divine Art—the very skill he had long dreamed of seeing perfected—was quietly growing.
Namgung Ho resolved to nurture that seed with all his strength until it could bloom beautifully.
“Now, try to imagine the energy from the He Shou Wu spreading from your dantian to every corner of your body. Follow my lead.”
Like this?
Tilting her head, Hongseol did as instructed, pushing the gathered energy outward from her navel.
Then, something astonishing happened.
The threads of energy began to flow through every part of her body, like streams branching from a river.
Namgung Ho’s own energy led the way, while the He Shou Wu’s power followed swiftly behind.
“Huh? Oh…?”
And everywhere that energy passed, something changed. She couldn’t explain it, but each spot it touched felt lighter—stronger.
When the He Shou Wu’s energy had made a full circuit through her body—
“Stop!”
At his command, Hongseol halted the circulating energy.
“Excellent! You did wonderfully!”
Opening her eyes, she saw Namgung Ho beaming at her.
It was a rare, radiant smile—the kind that revealed true joy.
“You’re an exceptionally bright child, Hongseol!”
Flooded by his praise and warmth, Hongseol felt her chest tighten. She’d never felt anything like this before.
‘Is… is he happy because of me?’
The uneasy weight that had lingered in her heart since she awoke in this place slowly began to melt away.
I want to do even better.
I want him to praise me again!
Her small heart thumped wildly.
For the first time, she felt the simple, wondrous joy of being acknowledged by an adult.
And Namgung Ho was equally astonished.
‘Is this really a child who’s never practiced martial arts before?’
Her sensitivity to energy was extraordinary—on par with the direct heirs of the Namgung clan.
Sensing and guiding an elixir’s energy so freely was something even seasoned martial artists took years to master—yet she’d done it as if it were nothing.
Even with his help, it was an incredible feat.
‘The sages once said that those born with blocked Yin-Yang meridians often possess keen minds and extraordinary sensitivity…’
Namgung Ho gazed at the small child before him.
‘I was right. This child is a once-in-a-generation martial prodigy!’
“Ha ha ha!”
Bursting into hearty laughter, Namgung Ho asked,
“So—how does it feel?”
