The faint sound of bells echoed through the misty, obscured view.

Like congealed blood, the sound clung persistently to her feet, dragging her down.

It felt as if she were about to be swallowed by that sound, like a frog sinking into a swamp.

As her hands and feet were bound tight, leaving her unable to move, Seol-Hwa reached for it.

The moment she did, her eyes opened.

“Ha… haa….”

A refreshing breeze blew in through the open window. The soft hues of twilight spread around, loosening her hazy vision.

Feeling a damp sensation, she glanced down at her hands.

Blood was seeping from her small hands.

‘Goodness….’

Seol-Hwa looked down at the shattered vase scattered near her feet. Shortly after, hurried footsteps echoed from the distance.

“My lady, I heard a loud noise. Are you alright? Did something happen?”

It was the urgent voice of a young maid.

Seol-Hwa, still staring at the blood dripping from her hand, grabbed a nearby cloth and roughly wrapped it around her injury before opening the door.

“Oh my…!”

The maid quickly scanned the room.

She took in the shattered vase, the bloodstains near it, and the red-stained cloth the young girl was clutching, and gasped.

“I accidentally broke the vase.”

“I-I’ll fetch the Medical Hall’s head right away!”

As the maid hurriedly turned to leave, Seol-Hwa spoke.

“Where is Father?”

Not wanting to worry him, she was determined to avoid showing him the messy scene.

He might start to find it suspicious, considering her repeated injuries.

“The young master was summoned to the family head’s hall by the Lord! I’ll also notify him quickly!”

“No. Don’t tell him.”

“…Pardon?”

Seol-Hwa glanced around the disheveled room.

“Did he say when he would return?”

“He mentioned he would be back before dinner…”

“Alright. Then clean up the room before he returns.”

“But…”

The maid hesitated.

He would surely worry.

Bleeding enough to stain the floor meant it wasn’t a small wound. Was it really alright not to tell him?

‘Your thoughts are so transparent.’

She remembered how the maid had cried her eyes out last time when Seol-Hwa had injured her arm.

Before that, she had even gone out of her way to explain things about the food they ate.

‘She’s such an emotional child.’

So unlike herself, who was indifferent to emotions.

For a maid, she seemed overly concerned about other people’s affairs, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“What are you standing around for? I’m bleeding.”

“Ah! Y-Yes! I’ll be right back!”

The maid, who had been dithering with a worried expression, finally snapped out of it when Seol-Hwa showed her injured hand and ran out in a hurry.

Watching her rush out, Seol-Hwa chuckled softly before sitting in a chair to wait for the head of the Medical Hall.

The teacup prepared on the table was still warm.

It seemed Namgung Cheong-Un hadn’t been gone for long.

‘When did I fall asleep?’

She recalled chatting with Namgung Cheong-Un about mundane things after returning from their outing but had dozed off at some point.

Perhaps it was due to the child’s body or the sleepless nights after becoming aware of the suggestion’s existence.

‘This child’s body… It’s more troublesome than I thought.’

“This can’t keep happening, my lady.”

As she tightly wrapped a clean cloth around Seol-Hwa’s palm, Medical Hall Head Choryeon spoke in a firm tone.

“I’m keeping the matter of the suggestion a secret at your request, but… if you keep getting hurt like this, I’ll have no choice but to inform him.”

“Then I’ll just tell him myself.”

― Hyeolwangdok (Blood King’s Poison).

“My lady!”

Startled, Choryeon glanced around anxiously before lowering her voice to a whisper.

“What if someone hears you?!”

“That’s why I used sound transmission.”

“…Did you?”

Choryeon hadn’t even realized, as it had been so seamless.

Tilting her head, Choryeon resumed her stern expression.

“Really… I have no idea what’s going through that little head of yours. Are you a stray kitten or a tiger cub?”

“Who knows? We’ll find out as I grow, won’t we?”

Seol-Hwa smiled faintly.

Choryeon let out a short sigh.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re really a child, my lady. I’m not the kind of person to be swayed or used by anyone, yet…”

Her treatment was complete.

“There, all done. Be careful not to reopen the wound for a while.”

“Thank you.”

“More importantly, how long do you plan to keep this hidden?”

Seol-Hwa inspected the tightly bound cloth and looked at her.

Her indifferent expression made it impossible to discern her thoughts.

Choryeon hesitated before continuing cautiously.

“Why don’t you try speaking to the head of the household? If it’s him… he might know a solution.”

“That’s true.”

The Heavenly Dragon Sword Sovereign, Namgung Mu-Cheon.

‘If it’s him, he might indeed know.’

He was one of the Ten Great Masters of the world.

A rare master at the level of Huajing. Even if he didn’t know a solution, he could potentially neutralize the suggestion with his immense power.

It wasn’t a thought she hadn’t considered.

However.

‘This suggestion is a problem I must solve myself.’

A persistent entanglement with the Blood Sect that should have been resolved before returning to the Namgung household—a karmic debt that must be cut off with her own hands.

She knew Namgung Mu-Cheon would help if she asked. But after declaring that she would live for Namgung, she didn’t want to appear powerless, unable to sever ties with the Blood Sect and being swayed helplessly.

‘This is something I have to deal with on my own.’

“Oh, by the way, there’s some good news.”

Seeing Seol-Hwa’s increasingly serious expression, Choryeon quickly changed the topic. Only then did Seol-Hwa snap out of her thoughts and look at her.

Choryeon continued in a more excited tone.

“The head of the household said he’s going to perform Beolmo Sesu (伐毛洗髓) for you!”

“…Beolmo Sesu?”

“He noticed there’s an issue with your meridians and has been pondering over it. Earlier today, he even checked with me to ensure there were no problems. You’re really loved, aren’t you, young lady?”

Choryeon chuckled lightly.

Seol-Hwa was taken aback.

Beolmo Sesu is a technique in which a high-level master infuses their inner energy into someone else’s body, expelling impurities and clearing their meridians.

In simple terms, it involves a martial arts master using their inner energy to cleanse and reconstruct the recipient’s body into one more suited for martial arts.

However, even for such masters, the process consumes a significant amount of internal energy. Hence, no matter how advanced the master, it wasn’t something they readily agreed to perform.

If mishandled, both the master and the recipient could fall into inner deviation, and the master might even fail to recover their lost internal energy.

Additionally, manipulating someone else’s meridians requires a high level of energy control, making Beolmo Sesu a rare and exceptional opportunity, often referred to as “heaven’s blessing” or “miraculous fate” among martial artists.

‘They say that receiving Beolmo Sesu during childhood has effects superior to any elixir.’

Turning an ordinary, undeveloped body into one suitable for martial arts—imagine how high one’s martial accomplishments would reach over time.

Furthermore, it was said that the effects were even greater if the one performing Beolmo Sesu was a blood relative. Seol-Hwa fit both criteria.

Her heart raced uncontrollably. Seol-Hwa gently placed her hand over her chest.

For the first time since returning to the past, she felt she could identify the origin of this feeling.

‘Anticipation.’

It was Beolmo Sesu from none other than the Heavenly Dragon Sword Sovereign.

Compared to expelling the impurities herself with Dae Hwandan, her meridians would become incomparably purer.

Her internal energy, currently no better than a second-rate level, might ascend to first-rate all at once. And with a body that had undergone Beolmo Sesu….

‘I might become much stronger than I was in my previous life.’

Seol-Hwa recalled the energy she had briefly felt during dinner from Namgung Mu-Cheon.

It was as if a blue dragon coursed through her meridians, invigorating every place it touched.

Though it was brief, she couldn’t help but admire the unparalleled aura of a peerless master.

“Are you that happy? Just a moment ago, you seemed completely unwilling to accept anyone’s help.”

Choryeon chuckled softly as she watched Seol-Hwa’s sparkling, round eyes.

“For a tiger cub, you look pretty adorable right now.”

It was hard to believe that someone who could exploit others’ weaknesses could also look this irresistibly endearing.

---

Namgung Cheong-Un, who had said he’d return before dinner, didn’t show up, but a group of attendants suddenly rushed in.

The attendants informed her that a dinner was prepared with the head of the household and began dressing Seol-Hwa.

She didn’t understand why she had to get dressed up for dinner, but she obediently let them do as they pleased.

Her body was thoroughly washed, her hair was neatly combed and adorned with a beautiful ornament, and she was dressed in elegant attire.

It was her first time wearing a skirt, and such vibrant, luxurious colors felt especially novel.

The soft silk caressing her skin felt like a cloud wrapping around her.

The skirt, which lightly covered her ankles, was more comfortable than she had expected.

“Oh my… you look absolutely stunning, young lady!”

The young attendant was almost teary-eyed with emotion.

Seol-Hwa didn’t know what counted as beautiful, so she couldn’t tell if it was sincere or not.

“Thank you. Is Father there as well?”

“Yes, the First Young Master is also with him.”

‘Good.’

She had been planning to ask about learning the martial arts of the Namgung household.

At the very least, she wanted to organize her meridians a bit before receiving Beolmo Sesu by learning their inner energy cultivation techniques.

“Oh, and.”

Just as she was about to suggest heading out, the attendant continued.

“Not only the First Young Master but also the rest of the direct family members are present.”

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