Thud!

Ilhwa slapped away her hand.

The medical hall’s owner widened her eyes in surprise.

But Ilhwa only stared at her with an even more cautious gaze.

‘If she’s one of the Blood Demon’s people, it’s dangerous.’

This woman was the one called Dokwol.

As skilled in medicine as she was, she was equally adept in poison.

‘If she’s a spy from the Blood Sect, she might try to kill me.’

The Blood Demon never forgives betrayal, no matter the means.

Of course, Seop Mu-Gwang and the medical hall owner had no way of knowing her thoughts and exchanged puzzled glances before turning back to her.

“Little one, we need to check your pulse to figure out what’s wrong.”

“I’m not sick. I don’t need a pulse check.”

“She says she’s fine.”

Seop Mu-Gwang sighed and scratched the bridge of his nose.

“Step aside.”

The medical hall owner moved to the side, and Seop Mu-Gwang crouched in front of Ilhwa to meet her gaze.

Still glaring sharply at the medical hall owner, Ilhwa looked up at him.

“Little one, I’m sorry for bringing you here without your permission, but let her check you out. This lady may look like this, but her skills are quite—”

“Oh my, could you call me unnie?”

“Stop!”

“My, such fiery energy.”

Seop Mu-Gwang clicked his tongue in frustration and resumed persuading Ilhwa.

“Just in case, let her check your pulse. I know how capable you are, but you haven’t been eating or resting properly for days. There’s no harm in being careful.”

“I…”

“If you cooperate, I’ll buy you all the tanghulu you want.”

Hearing this, Ilhwa’s cautiousness wavered slightly.

It wasn’t because of the tanghulu.

Since she was the only one who knew that this woman was once the Blood Sect’s medical hall owner, she didn’t have enough reason to outright refuse.

‘With Seop Mu-Gwang here, Dokwol won’t dare make a move for now.’

Reluctantly, Ilhwa nodded.

With a chuckle, Seop Mu-Gwang ruffled her hair lightly before stepping aside.

The medical hall owner sat before her again.

“Can you give me your arm?”

Ilhwa extended her arm toward her.

Smiling faintly, the medical hall owner took her arm and began checking her pulse.

She then closed her eyes gently, concentrating on the rhythm of Ilhwa’s pulse.

Silence filled the room.

Suddenly!

From the side, Seop Mu-Gwang extended his arm between them.

Startled, the medical hall owner opened her eyes, but she couldn’t move.

Ilhwa’s hand was already wrapped around her neck.

“Let go.”

“She tried to kill me.”

“It was a normal pulse check.”

“She channeled internal energy.”

“That’s her method. She likely used internal energy to examine your meridians.”

“…”

Ilhwa’s piercing gaze bore into the medical hall owner.

Using internal energy to check meridians.

She already knew that was Dokwol’s method and a common practice among most physicians.

But Ilhwa grabbed her neck anyway, as a warning in case she was truly one of the Blood Demon’s followers.

A warning that said, “I can kill you at any time.”

Even though Seop Mu-Gwang’s explanation caused her to step back, she couldn’t afford to show any vulnerability.

The tense, suffocating atmosphere persisted.

Ilhwa’s grip on the medical hall owner’s neck gradually loosened.

When she finally released her, the medical hall owner slumped to the ground, her legs giving out beneath her.

“You’re a kitten with sharp claws….”

Catching her breath, the medical hall owner rubbed her now chilled neck.

Seop Mu-Gwang and Ilhwa remained locked in their respective stances.

“If you don’t calm your killing intent, the inner court guards will barge in within half a quarter of an hour.”

Ilhwa’s killing intent slowly began to dissipate.

Seop Mu-Gwang silently observed as it faded completely.

‘She reacted the moment the medical hall owner used internal energy.’

If he hadn’t intervened, the medical hall owner’s neck would have been snapped instantly.

He had noticed this even when she fought against the Black Path’s forces—this child showed no mercy once she decided to kill.

It was as if she had killed countless people before.

Even the intensity of her killing intent was beyond what could be felt from ordinary assassins.

It felt like she carried the blood and grudges of thousands, if not tens of thousands, on her back.

He couldn’t even begin to fathom what kind of life she must have lived.

“…”

In the meantime, Ilhwa had entirely regained the aura of an ordinary child.

“I’ll head back first.”

Seop Mu-Gwang nodded and let go of her arm.

“Go to the guesthouse.”

“Okay.”

Bowing lightly to him, Ilhwa walked out of the medical hall with a calm demeanor.

The medical hall owner watched her leave, still in a daze.

“What do you think?”

“…?”

“The little one. Is she healthy?”

The medical hall owner sighed and rose to her feet, dusting off her clothes.

“Where on earth did you pick up such a wild stray?”

“Do you think she’ll be tamed?”

“Who knows? That’s up to you, isn’t it?”

Seop Mu-Gwang let out a deep chuckle.

“Why? Isn’t that the child you brought?”

“I did bring her.”

But taming her isn’t my responsibility.

“So, is she healthy or not?”

“Well… I only had a brief look. But…”

A peculiar expression appeared on the face of the Medical Hall Head as she stared at the door Ilhwa had exited through.

“She seems to have consumed something recently?”

“…!”

Seop Mu-Gwang’s lips curved slightly.

“Looks like you’re not sitting in that position for nothing.”

“Why, of course! Even like this, I was once a physician who attended to the Emperor, you know.”

“More like a lackey.”

“Same difference.”

The Medical Hall Head massaged her stiff neck.

“Anyway, bring her back sometime. I’ll need to take a proper look at her.”

“For what?”

“Well…”

The Medical Hall Head glanced at her hands.

Even in the brief moment when she had used her inner energy to examine the girl’s body, she had felt something off.

“How should I put it? Like a bomb about to explode? Or maybe a stone wall on the verge of collapsing? I need more time to confirm it properly. Bring her back soon.”

Seop Mu-Gwang frowned.

It wasn’t exactly a reassuring assessment.

“Got it.”

Seop Mu-Gwang stared blankly at the spot the girl had vacated.

Should I report this to the clan leader?

After a moment’s hesitation, he used light footwork to leave the Medical Hall.

---

Returning to the Cheong Gae Won, Ilhwa headed toward the pond within the residence.

Next to the chair by the pond was a container of fish food.

Taking a handful, she sprinkled it into the water, and carp, as large as her thighs, emerged to the surface, their mouths opening and closing greedily.

Ilhwa dropped the remaining food from her palm above the mouth of the carp that had leapt the highest.

“Am I still trapped in the past?”

Ilhwa had known that the Medical Hall Head wasn’t trying to kill her when she infused her inner energy into her body.

Even so, her body had reacted instinctively.

“That woman often killed Blood Cult members in that way.”

Claiming it was for treatment, she would mix poison into the remedy, killing them as a pastime.

And yet, she had remained the Medical Hall Head of the Blood Cult.

“Because she was one of the Twelve Moons of the Blood Demon.”

The Blood Cult was a conglomeration of six independent factions united under the Blood Demon.

The leaders of these six factions were called the Six Blood Lords, each a martial artist of extraordinary prowess.

Even in her previous life, Ilhwa had never seen the faces of the Six Blood Lords, as they always concealed their identities. But she knew the Twelve Moons well.

The Twelve Moons were the Blood Demon’s direct group of assassins, wielding the Blood Demon’s personally branded plaques and mastering his unique blood arts.

Although slightly less skilled than the Six Blood Lords, their loyalty to the Blood Demon was unparalleled, willing to die for his cause.

Among them, Dok-Wol (Poison Moon) had been one of the Twelve Moons.

Because of that status, even her murders within the Blood Cult went unchallenged, not even by the cult leader.

Once, when Ilhwa had visited the Medical Hall, she had asked Dok-Wol a question.

“Dok-Wol. They say you were originally from the righteous martial world.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why did you join this cult?”

“Well…”

Dok-Wol, back then, had worn an even darker and more profound smile than now.

“Because there was someone I wanted to kill.”

The words that escaped her enchanting smile weren’t beautiful at all.

Ilhwa hadn’t asked who that person was.

They weren’t close enough for her to pry, and she wasn’t curious.

“I should’ve asked.”

If she had, maybe she wouldn’t feel so conflicted now.

While she was lost in thought, the carp had finished their meal and dispersed leisurely.

The last carp’s tail fin rippled the surface of the water slightly as it swam away.

Ilhwa lowered her gaze.

When she looked back at the water’s surface, the reflection of a large man in a splendid long robe stood beside her.

Ilhwa rose from her seat and clasped her hands in a formal martial salute.

“Greetings to the head of the Namgung Clan.”

“There’s no need to be so stiff. Just call me Grandfather.”

“….”

Namgung Mu-Cheon stared intently at Ilhwa, his eyebrows arching as if finding something intriguing.

“I’ve heard about you.”

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