Chapter : 69
“You, you…!”
The Grand Elder stammered.
It was a desperate attempt to buy time while hiding the fear in his eyes.
Yeonhwa waited for the usual tirade—lectures about respecting one’s elders, accusations of immorality and unfilial conduct. She had intended to respond accordingly. But when the Grand Elder merely moved his lips without managing to speak, she let out a faint scoff.
‘It seems the incident at the Namgung estate still lingers.’
Wounds leave scars.
No one here had witnessed what happened that day, so he must have strutted about confidently. But now, faced with the very person who had beaten his son senseless and reduced the Amcheon Unit—who had always supported him—to disgrace, those memories seemed to resurface.
“By the way, where is the eldest young master?”
“Ghk!”
The Grand Elder instinctively straightened his shoulders and widened his eyes.
It was a reflexive gesture to shield his son, yet behind him stood only members of the Amcheon Unit and a few from the main family.
Judging by his automatic reaction, Namgung Hyechan must have accompanied him at least until they arrived here.
Then where was he now?
“Where is the eldest young master?” the Grand Elder demanded.
The others turned pale.
“Uh… he said he was right behind us…”
“That’s correct. He was definitely walking beside us halfway here.”
They whispered, but every word was audible.
‘If the Grand Elder is this shaken, how much worse must it be for Namgung Hyechan, who faced me directly?’
Yeonhwa turned her head.
From behind, Seong Yeon-taek and his daughter Seong Ha-ran stepped forward.
“Give your command.”
The usual heartiness was gone, leaving only the authority of the Outer Martial Hall Leader and senior figure of the Seong clan.
As he respectfully lowered himself, all eyes shifted back to Yeonhwa.
As if it were only natural, she spoke.
“Find him. Bring Namgung Hyechan before me—on his knees.”
“Yes!”
At Seong Yeon-taek’s gesture, the waiting warriors scattered.
Seong Ha-ran looked at Yeonhwa. “Shall I go as well?”
Originally, she had been the deputy commander of the Changyeong Unit, sent to remain at the Alliance and assist the Namgung family in place of the Oryong Unit, which had gone to the front lines with Mu-ryeong Tak Mu-seong.
This time, however, she had relinquished her official post to accompany them.
On the surface, the reason was to assist Yeonhwa on her journey to Danri Escort Agency, since Yeonhwa had no direct military force under her command.
But with both Seong Yeon-taek and now his daughter stepping forward, it was clear where the Seong clan’s support lay.
‘At first, it was because of Oppa Seonyu.’
But as they spent time together and faced events side by side, their hearts seemed to have changed.
As Seong Ha-ran displayed an attitude close to a pledge of loyalty, murmurs spread through the crowd. Yeonhwa simply nodded.
Seong Ha-ran beamed and moved off in a different direction from her father.
“Uh? Huh?”
Only then did those who had failed to grasp the situation come to their senses.
The Grand Elder’s faction, who had stood agape in shock, could no longer remain idle as Yeonhwa’s people passed them and began entering through the main gate.
“What do we do now?”
At the pressing question, the Grand Elder ground his teeth.
He had not expected Yeonhwa to act so swiftly.
‘Just moments ago, I was wielding the signed petition and controlling the elders…!’
He could not understand how he had ended up standing here in such a pitiful state.
A grinding sound escaped between his teeth before he finally shouted:
“Stop them! This is the Namgung family! I have received the Patriarch’s handwritten sealed letter and am acting head of the clan! I cannot allow some illegitimate daughter who has received no recognition within the family to run wild here!”
The moment he finished, the Amcheon Unit and his followers scattered into formation.
Shff—!
Feet scraped against dirt.
Clang! Clang!
Weapons clashed.
The main gate instantly descended into chaos.
Those seeking Namgung Hyechan and those blocking them tangled together. Some had already passed through the gate, forcing the Grand Elder’s side to pursue hastily.
Their numbers had dropped by nearly thirty percent, yet the confusion remained intense.
Meanwhile, Yeonhwa stood in the center before the main gate, facing the Grand Elder.
His face was flushed red, veins bursting in the whites of his bloodshot eyes.
Behind him stood the captain of the Amcheon Unit and five of its members.
Yeonhwa could not understand what confidence they had to stand in her way.
“Did you not already fail once?”
At the Namgung estate, the Amcheon Unit had not even posed a threat to her.
Perhaps truth simply reopens old wounds.
At her words, killing intent surged from the unit captain.
But the moment Yeonhwa drew her sword and leveled it at him, his movements visibly stiffened.
“Captain!”
Having experienced that same fear before, the Grand Elder sensed the situation without even looking and issued a warning.
He too drew his sword, preparing to bolster his side, and spat venom toward his enemy.
“Let’s see if you can still ascend to the position of heir after cutting down your elder!”
It was a threat backed by status.
“To commit wrongdoing and speak of familial bonds,” Yeonhwa said coldly. “Where has justice gone, that bloodline stands before righteousness?”
“You used to act like a mute, and now your tongue’s been oiled!”
Being outmatched in martial skill was bad enough—losing in words as well was maddening.
The Grand Elder scanned the surroundings.
Though members of the same clan blocked one another, none had yet fought with full force.
At this rate, defeat was certain!
Infusing his voice with internal energy, the Grand Elder roared—loud enough to echo far beyond the main gate.
“Do not forget the petition! If I fall, that vicious woman will not spare a single person who signed it! Begging her mercy will be useless! Bargains will not save your lives! There is only one path left for you!”
At the mention of the petition, the faces of those on his side changed drastically.
Resentment toward the Grand Elder surged before fear of the enemy.
In a battle already tilting toward defeat, he had exposed their weakness before the enemy, severing any retreat.
“Grand Elder…!”
Killing intent flared from all directions, but he paid it no mind.
To him, the niece before his eyes was more terrifying than all others combined.
The fight fully erupted.
Clang! Clang!
“Argh!”
Blood splattered.
Red stains spread across the ground before the gate, and the metallic scent filled the air.
Yeonhwa decided there was no need to drag this out.
She stepped forward toward the Grand Elder.
“What are you doing! Protect me! I am the acting patriarch! Strike her down!”
At his command, the Amcheon Unit captain kicked off the ground and soared forward.
Claaang!
Yeonhwa’s diagonal slash knocked his sword aside.
Seizing the moment he lost balance, she thrust her palm forward.
Boom!
Struck square in the chest, his body flew backward.
Thud!
He slammed into the ground, his body crumpling before painfully straightening.
“What is this? Why is he so weak?!”
The Grand Elder’s shout was nothing more than the lament of one ignorant of true combat.
The higher the level of masters, the more succinct the outcome.
At realms beyond peak mastery, results became even clearer—and the vast gap between them made the outcome appear almost absurd.
“Urgh!”
The captain coughed blood and forced himself up.
He could not retreat after hearing such words.
Whoosh!
At his signal, the Amcheon Unit members launched a coordinated assault.
But Yeonhwa had no intention of letting them rampage freely.
Tap! Tak!
Her body shot into the air.
Rising high, she brought her sword down, unleashing force in all directions.
Shraaaak!
Infused with internal energy, her blade fell like lightning.
Boom! Crash!
With every movement of her sword, deep wounds carved into the Amcheon warriors.
Before screams could fully escape, bodies were flung away.
Unable to bear the sight any longer, the Grand Elder staggered backward.
He turned, attempting to flee through the main gate.
Yeonhwa grabbed the collar of one Amcheon warrior who had narrowly avoided her blade and hurled him at the charging captain, then shot forward without even looking back.
In an instant, she seized the Grand Elder from behind.
Her hand gripped the back of his head.
And slammed him forward.
Thud!
His face struck the ground first.
His body convulsed.
Yeonhwa searched his sleeve for the petition.
It wasn’t there.
“Where is it?”
Could Namgung Hyechan have it?
As she lifted her head toward the inner gate—
Seong Yeon-taek was returning, having completed his task.
Firmly gripped in his hand was Namgung Hyechan by the back of the neck.
Releasing the Grand Elder, Yeonhwa brushed the dust from her clothes.
“Everyone, stop.”
Her voice rang out clearly.
“The Grand Elder and Namgung Hyechan have been captured.”
The surroundings fell so silent that even breathing could not be heard.
All eyes turned to her.
