The Return of the Namgoong Clan's Granddaughter-Chapter 100 [VIP]

“I’m going to use you as a hostage and tell your father to stop the fight,” Seolhwa said bluntly.

Jin Soyak’s eyes widened, the round pupils quickly filling with fear.

He flinched and tried to pull away, but Seolhwa’s hands held his shoulders firmly in place.

“The reason I’m doing this is to save you and your father,” she said.

“To save... me and my father?”

Seolhwa nodded.

“You’re not lying to me... right?”

Of course, her primary objective was to save Namgoong’s people. But it wasn’t entirely a lie that she wanted to protect Jin Soyak and Meng Deungho as well.

Seolhwa planned to exploit Meng Deungho’s paternal instincts, which she had observed during her time in Guiyeong Stronghold.

‘A father’s love for his son.’

If she played it right, it could be enough to sway Meng Deungho. But for that, she needed Jin Soyak.

“Choose,” Seolhwa said coldly. “You can either let me use you to save your father or keep hiding here while he gets hurt.”

“I don’t want my father to get hurt!”

The words burst out instinctively, a raw and honest response.

“Then?”

“....”

“What do you want to do?”

Jin Soyak’s eyes wavered with confusion and uncertainty.

“If you let me use you, your father won’t get hurt, right?”

“Yes. But we have to move quickly. The fight is still ongoing.”

The boy still looked terrified, but after a moment of hesitation, he nodded.

“I-I’ll do it....”

Rather than fear of being used as a hostage, Jin Soyak’s greater fear was for his father’s safety.

For a moment, Seolhwa saw a fleeting image of the bloodthirsty Jin Soyak from her previous life overlap with the innocent, terrified child before her.

A bitter, hollow laugh escaped her.

“Remember,” she said, her voice firm. “This is your choice. You’re not being used because you’re weak. You’re choosing to be captured to save your father. Got it?”

Jin Soyak nodded, his eyes no longer filled with fear but with a newfound resolve.

“Let’s go.”

Seolhwa grabbed his hand.

Jin Soyak gripped her hand tightly, his small fingers trembling but determined.

****

Clang! Clang!

“Aaargh!”

“Kill them! Leave none alive!”

Swords clashed, and blood splattered across the battlefield as the brutal battle continued.

Namgoong Cheongsan, Moyong Yeonhwa, and the Yellow Dragon Division Leader were struggling against the overwhelming forces of Guiyeong Stronghold.

At the center of the battlefield, two men stood locked in a deadly confrontation, neither one giving an inch.

Namgoong Cheongun and Meng Deungho, the Chief of Guiyeong Stronghold.

“Chief of Guiyeong Stronghold, why did you take our children?”

Namgoong Cheongun demanded, his expression dark.

Meng Deungho’s face twisted in a scowl.

‘Children?’

“What is it you want?”

“...Nothing.”

The only thing he wanted was what the Blood Venom Chief had promised in exchange for handing over the Namgoong children — a method to save Jin Soyak.

Ma Jong-ui had already confirmed the children’s identities and promised that Jin Soyak’s life would be saved.

“You took our children because you want something, didn’t you?!”

“There is nothing I want.”

Meng Deungho’s voice was cold. He didn’t care about Namgoong’s clan or its people. The only thing he cared about was saving his son.

“Enough talk,” he said, lifting his spear. The weapon pulsed with a menacing aura, the energy coiling around it like a serpent.

‘Damn it,’ Cheongun cursed internally.

He raised his sword, eyes narrowed.

‘I can’t count on reinforcements from the main family. I need to end this myself.’

Negotiation was no longer an option. Meng Deungho didn’t want anything from them, and there was no leverage to use.

Whoosh—

In a split second, Meng Deungho’s spear lunged toward Cheongun, moving with the speed and precision of a striking viper.

Clang!

Cheongun barely managed to parry, twisting his body to avoid the trajectory of the spear’s shaft.

Meng Deungho’s spear moved like a living serpent, its sharp edge cutting through the air with lethal intent.

Swish— Clang!

The spear’s path arced sharply, redirecting midair to aim for Cheongun’s chest.

Clang! Clang!

‘There’s no opening!’

Cheongun’s face was taut with concentration.

To attack Meng Deungho, he needed to close the distance. But the spear was too long, and the aura surrounding it made even the shaft a deadly weapon.

If he misjudged a single strike, his flesh would be ripped apart by the spear’s force.

“Ngh...!”

Clang! Clang! ƒrēenovelkiss.com

“I’ve heard that the Namgoong Clan’s swordsmanship is powerful, but this is unexpected,” Meng Deungho said, his tone almost amused. “You’re the first to last this long against me.”

He sounded calm, even casual. Despite knowing that Cheongun had reached the Transcendent Peak, Meng Deungho remained unfazed.

“But,” he continued, leaping high into the air, “you’re still just a novice!”

Meng Deungho brought the spear down like a hammer, the force of his descent tearing through the air with a deafening roar.

‘This is bad!’

There was no way to evade or deflect the strike.

Cheongun gathered every ounce of remaining internal energy into his sword.

Boom!

With a resounding explosion, a powerful shockwave erupted, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.

“Aaaargh!”

“Guh!”

The shockwave blasted away everyone nearby — bandits and Namgoong warriors alike. Some were sent sprawling across the ground, rolling to a painful stop.

“Brother!”

“First Young Master!”

Namgoong Cheongsan, Moyong Yeonhwa, and the Yellow Dragon Division Leader.

“Ch-Chief!”

The bandits of Guiyeong Stronghold.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the epicenter of the explosion, where the dust still lingered in the air.

A tense, breathless silence hung over the battlefield as time seemed to freeze.

As the dust settled, the scene became clear.

Meng Deungho stood with both hands gripping his spear, pressing down with full force. Namgoong Cheongun was beneath him, his sword raised to block the strike.

For a moment, silence hung heavy between them.

“Guh...!”

Namgoong Cheongun coughed up blood, his body swaying.

He dropped to one knee, using his sword as a crutch to keep himself upright. His hand clutched his chest as more blood spilled from his lips.

The severity of his internal injuries was evident.

“Hmph.”

Meng Deungho looked down at him, his expression still composed and indifferent.

“You haven’t been at that level for long, have you?” Meng Deungho said, his tone almost casual. “If you knew how to handle your energy properly, even I would’ve had a hard time against you.”

Meng Deungho flipped his spear around, pointing the sharp tip directly at Cheongun’s throat.

“B-Brother!”

“No!”

Namgoong Cheongsan and Moyong Yeonhwa screamed in unison.

“Meng Deungho!”

A sharp, young voice echoed across the battlefield, slicing through the tension like a blade.

The entire stronghold fell silent, all eyes turning toward the source of the voice.

Standing atop a nearby barracks roof were two figures.

Meng Deungho’s eyes widened.

A girl he barely paid attention to two ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) days ago — the girl who had recently entered the stronghold — was now holding a sword to the neck of his son, Jin Soyak.

“S-Soyak!”

For the first time, cracks appeared in Meng Deungho’s calm facade.

“Everyone, stay where you are!” Seolhwa shouted, her voice firm and commanding. “Take a single step, and this boy dies!”

Meng Deungho, who had been about to launch forward, abruptly halted.

Seolhwa’s voice rang out clearly across the battlefield, but her eyes remained fixed solely on Meng Deungho.

“....”

Meng Deungho’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening around the spear.

“D-Dad...”

Jin Soyak whimpered, his voice trembling.

Seolhwa could feel his fear intensifying, his small body shaking against her grip. If he forgot that this was a staged hostage situation, it could all fall apart.

She had to end it quickly.

“Meng Deungho!” Seolhwa shouted. “I already know this boy is your son!”

Meng Deungho’s expression twisted with barely concealed panic.

“So if you want to save him, drop your weapon and order your men to stand down!”

Despite the threat to his son, Meng Deungho did not immediately comply.

A child was just a child. Even if she held a blade to his neck, it was still possible to overpower her before she could follow through.

But then—

Swish—

Crash!

Seolhwa swung her sword, slicing through the edge of the roof.

The slanted section of the roof slid off and crashed to the ground below, shattering into pieces.

Though the structure was made of packed dirt and straw, cutting through it so effortlessly was no small feat. The speed of her swing and the precision of her strike left no room for doubt.

It was a clear warning, aimed directly at Meng Deungho.

“....”

Meng Deungho’s grip on the spear loosened. But just as he began to lower it—

“If that boy dies, so does this girl!”

A loud, booming voice echoed across the battlefield.

It was Ma Jong-ui, who had been watching the fight from the sidelines.

“Did you forget?” he sneered. “We still have Namgoong’s child! If you harm the Chief’s son, the Namgoong girl’s life is forfeit!”

Seolhwa turned to look at Ma Jong-ui, her gaze icy and unimpressed.

Ma Jong-ui’s lips curled into a confident smirk, as if he had just won the battle with a single statement.

“If you want to save Namgoong’s girl, hand over that boy right now—”

“Go ahead,” Seolhwa said.

“...What?”

“Go ahead and do it,” she said, her voice calm, almost bored.

Ma Jong-ui’s eyes widened. Her reaction was the exact opposite of what he had expected.

“What do you mean?!” he shouted, his voice cracking.

Seolhwa’s eyes narrowed, and she spoke slowly, as if addressing a particularly slow-witted child.

“So, where is this Namgoong girl you said you’re holding hostage?”

Ma Jong-ui’s expression faltered.

He gritted his teeth, turning around sharply.

“Where is she?! She was right behind me! Where did she go?!”

But as he spun around, there was no one there.

Neither Hwarin nor the boy holding her were anywhere to be seen.

“What... What the hell?!”

Ma Jong-ui’s eyes darted around frantically, his face pale.

Then he saw them.

Tap, tap, tap—

“Miss Hwarin!”

The boy who had been carrying Hwarin was now sprinting toward the Namgoong side of the battlefield.

“You little bastard...!” Ma Jong-ui roared, veins bulging in his neck.