chapter 11
Inside the box he opened was a bracelet.
A slender gold chain held a round jade stone that shimmered with a gentle, radiant glow.
It looked remarkably similar to the bracelet that her younger sister, Garyeong, had once received from their father.
“As you can see, it’s a gold bracelet with jade. It’s been quite popular among the daughters of prominent families near Anhui Province over the past few years.”
What set this bracelet apart from ordinary ones, however, was the jade attached to it—it was one of the treasured items passed down in the Namgung family.
A Green Preservation Stone (Nokbogi-seok).
Even just possessing it was said to wash away fatigue. After a hard day of training, one night with it was enough to refresh the body completely. Any martial artist would covet such a treasure.
“To give her a Green Preservation Stone… Could it be that the Grand Patriarch intends to teach this child martial arts?”
Namgung Suo studied Hongseol carefully from head to toe.
She’s so thin… she probably couldn’t even lift a pair of chopsticks properly, let alone a wooden sword.
He thought about instructing the kitchen in Ch’angcheon Pavilion to prepare nutritious meals, and advising the medical hall to make herbal tonics to boost her energy.
Before he knew it, Namgung Suo was mentally laying out a plan for Hongseol’s well-being.
Lost in thought, he was brought back when Hongseol asked, her voice tinged with disbelief:
“D-Do I really get to keep this?”
“Of course,” he replied.
With his permission, Sibi Maeran carefully picked up the bracelet.
Click.
The jade on Hongseol’s wrist gleamed beautifully.
“It suits you perfectly, Miss!”
“Hmph… at last, the jade has found its rightful owner,” said the other adult.
Caught between the two sets of praise, Hongseol felt utterly stunned.
Is this really mine?
For someone who had only ever played with scraps of string and pebbles, owning a bracelet felt unreal. She stared at her wrist in disbelief for quite a while.
Ever since Hongseol had arrived, the same scene repeated at every meal in Ch’angcheon Pavilion:
The illustrious Grand Patriarch Namgung Ho carefully feeding her, while the ever-curious Heuk and Jeok scrambled to sneak a peek.
Today was no different.
“I can’t just go to the training ground right now!”
Shouting, Namgung Ho clapped his hands and closed the inner room door.
“After chasing away all the unruly grandchildren since morning, it’s finally peaceful.”
At the wide table set in the inner chamber, Hongseol sat quietly, dressed in silk.
Namgung Ho, seeing this, asked with mild surprise:
“Seol-ah, why didn’t you wear your bracelet today?”
“Oh… that’s… it’s my first time having something so precious.”
The thought of owning the bracelet made her cheeks flush with happiness. She added shyly:
“I only want to wear it on important days, so it doesn’t get scratched.”
“Important days?”
“Like… Master Eun-gong’s birthday, for example…”
Upon hearing this, Namgung Ho’s face fell as if the sky had caved in.
Sensing something was wrong, Hongseol quickly corrected herself:
“No, Grandfather! I meant… your birthday!”
She waved her hands in earnest, appearing genuinely anxious.
Seeing her tiny, earnest gesture, Namgung Ho couldn’t help but smile warmly.
“You don’t need to treasure it that much. You’ll see plenty more wonderful things in the future.”
“Even so…”
Feeling a little shy, Hongseol swallowed the rest of her sentence: “Because Grandfather gave it to me.”
“Have you finished your meal?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Lately, Namgung Ho’s greatest joy had been personally feeding Hongseol the roasted He Shou Wu after every meal.
Sitting across the table with his burly hands, he picked up a piece with his chopsticks and said:
“Here, ah.”
“Uhh…”
Today, however, Hongseol hesitated for some reason. Namgung Ho nudged her gently:
“Come on, ah.”
“Ah—”
Finally, Hongseol opened her tiny mouth as wide as she could. Namgung Ho placed a piece of the roasted He Shou Wu into her mouth.
“Ugh.”
She chewed, squeezing her eyes shut, her movements causing Namgung Ho’s heart to melt.
She’s even starting to express that it’s bitter now.
Though she hadn’t been at the Namgung household long, Hongseol was already transforming into a cherished child: her cheeks had color, and she could even laugh lightly.
“Grandfa—ther, it’s bitter,” she said, her pronunciation slipping slightly since she hadn’t swallowed yet. The sound was unbearably cute.
But Namgung Ho steadied himself and spoke firmly:
“You must chew it thoroughly to gain strength.”
After filling her belly, Hongseol would chew a piece of He Shou Wu, receive some sugar treat, and then, with Namgung Ho’s guidance, circulate the energy of the He Shou Wu through her body.
This was her daily routine.
Thanks to it, her health improved steadily.
If she continues like this for a couple of months, it’ll be safe to start teaching her martial arts.
Thinking of the day when she would finally train, Namgung Ho’s chest swelled with anticipation.
“That’s right. Good girl,” he said, picking up another piece.
“Here, just one more piece today. Go on, ah.”
Hongseol shook her head stubbornly, keeping her mouth tightly closed.
“Didn’t I tell you this will help you grow strong?”
Being smaller than her peers worried him greatly. To learn martial arts, she needed to be even healthier.
“No, that’s not it…”
Hongseol shook her head again.
“I want to eat it by myself now.”
Namgung Ho froze mid-air with his chopsticks. Hongseol wanted to eat the roasted He Shou Wu alone—like a bolt from the blue.
“I’m all grown up now, and it’s embarrassing to be seen by the others,” she said firmly, her small lips resolute.
“The others whispered that only babies are fed with chopsticks.”
Who had said such a thing?! Namgung Ho wanted to roar so loudly that the sound would reach the outer halls, but he held back, worried it might scare her.
At that moment, he realized just how much he enjoyed this time with Hongseol. Losing the chance to feed her personally felt like a small heartbreak.
“Ah, well… alright,” he sighed.
Apparently, the rumor that the Grand Patriarch personally fed her had already spread among the family elders.
Then the elders must be hearing about it soon.
At that moment, a strange presence stirred outside the door.
Hongseol tensed instantly, and Namgung Ho frowned.
“Who is it?”
“Chief Steward Namgung Suo reports to the Grand Patriarch.”
“What is it?”
“The elders of both the main and branch families have arrived. They are waiting for you in the Patriarch Hall.”
Tsk.
So, the time had come.
Namgung Ho stood up, visibly irritated.
“Seol-ah, you’ll have to be alone for a while. Is that alright?”
Hongseol’s face fell.
She must be worried those rascals might barge in while I’m gone.
For some reason, she was particularly wary of Heuk and Jeok. Seeing her rely on him was both heartwarming and slightly pitiable.
Namgung Ho spoke gently, as if trying to soothe her:
“Don’t worry about Heuk and Jeok. I told Ch’angcheon Daeju, so they should be training at the grounds by now.”
A small smile finally returned to her face.
“Stay here and play for a while. I’ll be back within half an hour.”
The Patriarch Hall, empty of its master, fell into a heavy silence. And the reason was clear.
At the highest seat sat Namgung Ho, holding a teacup. Unlike the elders who sat with polite composure, he made no effort to mask his discomfort.
He displayed his irritation openly.
The elders exchanged glances.
“Grand Patriarch seems to be in a terrible mood today.”
“His aura is harsher than usual.”
They had hurriedly arrived after hearing that the Grand Patriarch was in good spirits just half an hour ago.
“Then why the expression…?”
While they exchanged uneasy looks, the eldest-looking elder stepped forward.
Barely five feet tall, with a strict, imposing presence, his name was Namgung Muyeong—the most influential of the Namgung family elders.
