Chapter 102

Namgung Sol’s mother, Namgung Sihee, had a lover.

Because she loved him, she wanted to live. She dreamed of being with him.

When the family head died and the Sword Family Blood Feud seemed lost, Namgung Sihee began to think of a way to survive.

And then, an opportunity was given to her.

A chance to save her family, at the cost of betraying her bloodline.

“Hand over the survivors of the Namgung Family. In return, I’ll spare those you love.”

It was an opportunity guaranteed by Dokgo Wol, the head of the Dokgo Family.

Namgung Sihee took Dokgo Wol’s hand.

And so, the Namgung Family crumbled from within.

Dokgo Wol kept his promise. Namgung Sihee was free. She turned away from the sins she committed and lived with her beloved lover.

She gave birth to a child. A daughter. Hoping she would live as an ordinary commoner, she named her Sol. Jeong Sol.

And then, her husband died. Illness. It was a common thing. The body of a man who hadn’t mastered proper martial arts was weak, and dying from a seemingly trivial illness was nothing surprising.

From then on, Namgung Sihee taught her daughter internal energy techniques. She excluded martial arts like swordsmanship, focusing only on cultivating internal energy to stay healthy.

“Please, don’t leave my side as meaninglessly as your father did.”

But Namgung Sihee didn’t know.

That it would be her, not her daughter, who would leave the family first.

And while sorting through her mother’s belongings, the daughter discovered a secret.

The secret that she was a survivor of the Namgung Family.

§

After confessing her origins, Namgung Sol nervously glanced at Namgung Woo.

“Are you… not angry?”

At that question, Namgung Woo genuinely looked confused.

“Angry? Why would I be?”

“Huh? Well… because the Namgung Family fell because of my mother…”

Namgung Sol, flustered, added more excuses.

But from Namgung Woo’s perspective, getting angry would feel more forced.

A traitor? Even Namgung Woo wasn’t fond of such a person. But did he need to be angry at the child who wasn’t even involved?

Though the system of collective punishment was still active in this era, it didn’t resonate with Namgung Woo, who came from the future.

In fact, Namgung Woo found it harder to understand why someone would throw their life away for a family they barely remembered, just because they were the child of a traitor.

“I understand to some extent. You learned of your mother’s sins and decided to atone for them… But there’s still something I don’t get. Was it really necessary to go that far? What you were trying to do didn’t seem like rebuilding the Namgung Family, but rather just dying alongside it to atone for your mother’s sins.”

Namgung Sol stopped glancing at Namgung Woo and lowered her gaze.

Her eyes grew distant, losing focus.

Her focus shifted to the faded memories of the past.

“Do you know? Just five years ago, a rebellion broke out in this country.”

The rebellion in Henan Province, which began 12 years ago, known as the Yunyang Rebellion.

It lasted a full seven years, coinciding with the first year of Emperor Seonghwa’s reign. The rebellion didn’t end with one uprising; multiple rebels emerged one after another, prolonging the conflict.

As the rebellion dragged on, it gradually militarized, and with the rebels mastering martial arts, the government began to realize the severity of the situation.

By the time the sense of crisis reached Beijing, Emperor Seonghwa sought help from Mugeuk, the world’s greatest martial artist, who had retired to the martial world but still maintained close ties with the Imperial Family.

That was Mugeuk’s last public appearance.

Just three days.

Mugeuk rose to action, and in just three days, the long-standing rebellion was finally quelled.

“The rebellion took place in Yunyang, but its effects spread to the surrounding areas. The Southern Directly Administered Region, far from Beijing, took on the role of supplying the Huguang Army, which was tasked with suppressing the rebellion.”

The small spark from Yunyang drained the lifeblood of the Southern Directly Administered Region’s commoners.

The Southern Directly Administered Region was already burdened with supplying resources to Beijing.

The Grand Canal existed for that purpose—to send resources from the south to the north.

Even as grain was sent north, more grain was requisitioned under the pretext of military supplies.

The resources of the south disappeared to the north and west.

“People began to say, ‘It was better when the Namgung Family was here.'”

Perhaps it was just the usual lament of those nostalgic for the past.

But to Namgung Sol, their lives were unbearably harsh. So much so that some couldn’t endure it and died.

And indeed, if the Namgung Family had still been around, their lives would have been different.

Having long established themselves in Hapbi as a local powerful family, the Namgung Family had worked to protect the livelihoods of the Southern Directly Administered Region’s commoners. It wasn’t necessarily because they were inherently good, but in the end, it was a symbiotic relationship.

The Namgung Family protected the commoners from internal and external violence, and the commoners, in turn, respected and supported the Namgung Family.

But unlike the Namgung Family, the Dokgo Family, which had newly taken control of the martial world in the Southern Directly Administered Region, thoroughly complied with the Imperial Family’s demands.

They were originally a military family loyal to the Imperial Family, not a local powerful family ruling over the land.

“If the Namgung Family had remained, the Dokgo Family wouldn’t have been so cooperative with the requisitions, even if just for the sake of public sentiment. The suffering of the Southern Directly Administered Region’s people… is my mother’s fault…”

Namgung Sol, gloomily revealing her inner thoughts, then tried to speak more cheerfully.

“Well! But now, thanks to the Emperor’s reforms, life has gotten better than before. Isn’t that a relief?”

“That’s only natural. If things had continued as they were, the next rebellion would have broken out in the Southern Directly Administered Region, not Yunyang. Then, instead of Mugeuk, the Dokgo Family would have finished suppressing it.”

Namgung Woo spoke cynically.

He held no respect for the Imperial Family, and Namgung Sol’s attempt to act nonchalant didn’t sit well with him.

“Um… so, uh…”

Namgung Sol wanted to ask something but hesitated, unsure how to address Namgung Woo.

“Just speak comfortably.”

“Ah, yes! Um… what should I do now?”

Namgung Sol fidgeted with her fingers as she struggled to ask the question.

Until now, she had only tried to fulfill her duty as the last descendant of the Namgung Family, in place of her mother. To face the Dokgo Family and meet her end. That was the only way Namgung Sol thought she could atone for her mother’s sins.

But if there was a true successor to the Namgung Family here, what was she supposed to do now? Namgung Sol had no answer.

So, she left the decision to Namgung Woo.

Even if Namgung Woo treated her as a criminal, Namgung Sol was prepared to humbly accept it.

But the answer Namgung Woo gave was nothing like what she expected or feared.

“Do what you want to do.”

“Huh?”

“If I had to give advice, I’d say stop thinking about dying for the Namgung Family or atoning for your mother’s sins with your life. Isn’t your life too precious to waste on that?”

Namgung Woo stood up indifferently, as if his business here was done.

Namgung Woo had come to meet Namgung Sol to establish a cooperative relationship if she dreamed of rebuilding the Namgung Family as a survivor.

But what Namgung Sol wanted was atonement for sins, not the rebuilding of the family. It was a different path from what Namgung Woo was aiming for.

Namgung Woo had no intention of interfering in Namgung Sol’s life just because he knew more of the Namgung Family’s martial arts and had reached a higher level.

In that sense, he might have been similar to Namgung Sol, who didn’t want to force anyone into her life.

But Namgung Sol couldn’t accept Namgung Woo’s attitude of ending things here.

“W-wait! You heard my story! I… I’m also of the Namgung Family’s bloodline…”

“I’m trying to rebuild the family, not seek death.”

“Me too! If rebuilding the Namgung Family is possible, of course, I’d choose that! Until now… there was no hope… but with you… please let me help! Please!”

Namgung Sol grabbed the hem of Namgung Woo’s pants, pleading desperately.

To anyone watching, it looked like a woman begging her lover not to leave her.

“First, let go of this…”

At his words, Namgung Sol only tightened her grip, making Namgung Woo laugh wryly.

“I wasn’t planning to say no from the start. But remember this: what I need isn’t someone who wants to die, but someone who wants to live.”

Namgung Sol nodded so vigorously it seemed her neck might break, and she shouted in the brightest voice.

“I’ll remember that!”

§

Changmu Inn.

The members of Changcheon Pavilion, hastily gathered by Namgung Woo’s summons, immediately understood why Namgung Woo had called them when they saw the girl smiling brightly beside him.

Once everyone, including Geumshin, had gathered, Namgung Woo tapped Namgung Sol on the back.

Still more accustomed to civilian life than the martial world, Namgung Sol bowed at the waist instead of making a martial salute.

“Nice to meet everyone! I’m Namgung Sol! Please take care of me!”

“Well… explanations can come later. From now on, she’ll be with us.”