“It seems there’s no issue with the protective charms themselves?”
I followed the lead of a middle-ranking maid from the heavenly dragon hall and examined the talismans affixed here and there in the inner palace.
The White Immortal Elder’s skills are indisputable. Even after all these years since the protective charms were set up in the inner palace, the barrier formation designed to fend off malevolent energies and dangerous Taoist magic was still intact.
“.…..”
I could feel the uncomfortable attention from the throngs of maids and eunuchs bustling about everywhere, but this was work, so there was nothing I could do about it.
The inner palace of Cheongdo Palace was as large as a village.
With the four major palaces and the central heavenly dragon hall, not to mention the Seon palace where the maids and eunuchs lived, and the Inseon palace inhabited by medical officers and record keepers…
Just inspecting the talismans placed all around was a task that seemed to take an age, and by the time the inspection was finished, the sun was already setting.
“It appears that the Azure Princess’s illness has nothing to do with the protective charms.”
“Is that so…. If that is what the White Immortal Palace warrior says, it must be true.”
The middle-ranking maid spoke with a tone of regret.
Though I was merely a young apprentice warrior, invoking the name of the White Immortal Elder lent credibility to my words, and they were duly acknowledged.
It was in moments like these that I could feel the revered authority of the White Immortal Elder.
“The consort seems to be quite unwell.”
“The nights are particularly difficult for her, day after day. I’m just a maid from the heavenly dragon hall and hear things through the grapevine, but I’ve noticed the expressions of the Azure Dragon palace maids growing darker with each passing day.”
From what the guard had shared, it seemed the White Immortal Elder wanted me to check on the Azure Princess’s condition personally.
Typically, there was always a reason behind the old man’s actions.
“I’ll just check on the consort’s condition then leave. Please take me to the Azure Dragon Palace.”
***
In truth, there were not many good rumors circulating about the Azure Princess’s illness.
Because the timing was sensitive.
The Black Princess, the Vermilion Princess, the Azure Princess, and the White Princess.
These were the highest positions a woman could ascend to within the palace hierarchy.
The positions of the Black Princess and the White Princess remained vacant, as the selection process had not yet concluded.
Currently, only the Vermilion Princess and the Azure Princess hold their position as the mistresses of their respective palaces with the title of Crown Princess Consort…
“Yeon Ri”
I casually spoke to Yeon Ri on our way to Azure Dragon Palace.
“I have a bad feeling. You should head back.”
“……”
Yeon Ri flinched but shook her head. She seemed to say that turning back now after coming this far didn’t seem right.
The reason why this kind of unusual exchange was happening between us was because there was a high probability that nothing good would come from being involved.
Although the Azure Princess had been chosen as the Crown Princess Consort and took her place in Azure Dragon Palace, she wasn’t actually performing the duties of a consort.
This was because the crown prince was still too young.
The future emperor, Crown Prince Hyeon Won, was only thirteen and would turn fourteen this winter.
Thirteen is certainly too young to be aware of women, but things start to change as one approaches fourteen.
Considering the era’s norms where mid-to-late teens were deemed the appropriate age for marriage, it was about time for eyes to start turning toward the Crown Princess Consorts.
Well, in truth, the crown prince fell deeply in love with the heroine, Seol Ran, to the extent that he had eyes for no other woman. However, it was impossible for the people of Cheongdo Palace to anticipate this.
The crown prince’s favor was, after all, the power within this inner palace.
As the crown prince aged, the competition among the consorts to catch his eye began.
It would have been excellent if it were a peaceful competition to beautify themselves, learn literature, painting, and calligraphy, and become virtuous and wise.
But when has competition ever been solely beautiful and benevolent?
The inner palace of Cheongdo Palace, with its landscapes that seemed like beautiful paintings at every turn, was in reality a battlefield for women, rife with schemes and covert battles.
And in such a time as this, the Azure Princess was ill.
For those who were a bit fond of conspiracy theories, this could spark some daring speculations.
Perhaps someone was interested in the consort’s position.
Or perhaps someone wanted to check the consort’s power.
These were dangerous thoughts, ones that could lead to severe consequences if carelessly spoken aloud…
Among the maids, there was whispered talk.
No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem like anything good would come from being involved. That’s why I had second thoughts about bringing Yeon Ri along.
But in the end, Yeon Ri did not turn back until we reached the main gate of Azure Dragon Palace.
“We have come upon the command of the White Immortal Elder to attend to the consort’s illness.”
As I said that and went inside, the maid of the Azure Dragon Palace personally came to greet me.
The headmaid of each consort palace.
It was an important position that couldn’t be held by anyone other than the daughter of a local noble family with some prestige, or at least one who had held an official title, however nominal it was.
I was taken aback because I didn’t expect the headmaid to come out in person, but considering the situation, it wasn’t that strange.
“You must be the warrior from the White Immortal Palace. We were informed of your arrival. I must say, I am surprised by how young you are.”
“I am merely here to assess the situation. What does the physician say?”
“You will understand once you see for yourself.”
From what I heard, it seemed that it had been quite some time since a physician had last visited.
So, why was that the case, especially when every night was critical?
It would not have been odd for a physician to be by her side all day long given the circumstances.
Feeling that something was amiss, I followed the headmaid deeper into the Azure Dragon Palace.
***
The Azure Princess was the fourth of the four guardians and was honored for her clear and virtuous disposition.
In the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story” she was known for her mastery over arcane arts and Taoist magic.
She was especially adept at illusion techniques that could control people’s minds. However, she used her powers not for personal gain but for the greater good.
The Azure Princess I had read about in the novel was the beautiful and wise mistress of the Azure Dragon Palace who possessed the strong demeanor of an immortal so that she wouldn’t be intimidated even in front of a large divine beast.
But all of that was a story from years later. The current time was far removed from the tales of the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story”.
At best, the story only covered the initial meeting between Jang Rae and Seol Ran which was mentioned in a flashback to the past.
Currently, the Azure Princess was just a thirteen-year-old girl who had just been elected as the crown princess consort.
– Look over there… That’s a warrior from White Immortal Palace…
– He must have come to see Lady Azure Princess…
– He looks young… And, and he’s carrying a sword…
– Then that means…
I could hear the murmurs of the maids.
However, the atmosphere of their whispers was somewhat different from the other maids I had seen wandering around the palace.
It felt as if they were sharing some great secret.
Then, the central building of Azure Dragon Palace appeared. Likely, it was where the Azure Princess who fell ill was recuperating.
As I drew closer to the place, the silence became eerily pronounced.
In a situation where numerous maids attending to the patient would be bustling about, the silence was strange.
“Please come inside, and when you open the inner door, you will find the Azure Princess lying on her bed.”
After she said this, the headmaid stepped back a couple of steps and bowed her head. It seemed like this was as far as she would go.
I considered asking if she wouldn’t come inside with me but then decided against it. Because there must be a reason for the actions of someone like the headmaid.
“I’ll go in first, Tae Pyeong.”
Yeon Ri, who had been quietly standing by my side, spoke up. Although I was still young myself, it was still a matter of entering a woman’s quarters. It seemed best for Yeon Ri to go in first to assess the situation.
Just as Yeon Ri was about to push open the luxuriously decorated sliding doors,
“Wait a moment!”
A young and sharp voice called out.
Then, a young court lady burst out onto the veranda of the central building.
Looking at the embroidery of clouds and lightning on her uniform, she appeared to belong to the Azure Dragon Palace.
This court lady stood in front of Yeon Ri and me who were about to enter through the sliding doors. She then raised her trembling arms and said,
“This…You must not enter here!”
“……”
We were quite surprised at such a turn of events.
“Please…. Please, I beg of you. I am well aware of how presumptuous my words are.”
“You are…?”
“I am an apprentice court lady of the Azure Dragon Palace. My status is so low that my name is hardly worth knowing. However…”
For an apprentice maid, one of the lowest ranks among the maids, to block a warrior on official duty required great courage.
She was trembling and holding back tears, and she spoke with a shaky voice.
“Pl-Please…! This is the humble plea of this lowly one. Could you not simply turn back…?”
“…….”
“I-I-I am fully aware of the audacity of my actions. If you command me to take a punishment, I will accept it… If you say to cut off my tongue… I will do it. Please… just this once… turn back…”
It was the first time I had seen a young maid plead with such desperation.
Before I could even turn to look at the headmaid behind me, the junior maids who had been watching the situation from the garden rushed up and grabbed the apprentice.
“Bun Ryeong! Why are you doing this? Come out quickly!”
“The warrior will be troubled! He just came to check on the situation!”
“That’s right! Only if he reports back to the White Immortal Elder can the situation possibly change!”
“Then… at least the sword at your waist! Please, give me that sword! I beg of you…! Please…!”
“Really now…! Are you out of your mind?! Asking a warrior for their sword is akin to a grave insult!”
“Please forgive her, Sir warrior! Bun Ryeong is young and inexperienced, she doesn’t know any better…! Come on, let’s go! Bun Ryeong!”
After a prolonged argument, Bun Ryeong was led away by the hands of the junior maids.
When I glanced at the headmaid, she lowered her already bowed head even further.
After staring at the headmaid for a while, I turned my attention back to Yeon Ri.
Yeon Ri nodded her head and slid the paper door to the side.
A more luxurious inner door came into view. I entered the central building, closed the outer door, and stood silently looking towards the inner door before speaking to Yeon Ri.
“This is your last chance to avoid getting involved, Yeon Ri. It’s clear that the situation is far from normal, isn’t it?”
“Tae Pyeong, what good will it do to go back now? I will only get scolded by the White Immortal Elder.”
Looking at her now, this was the usual Yeon Ri.
Perhaps the White Immortal Elder zpt Yeon Ri at the White Immortal Palace precisely because of her courage.
Slide
When I opened the inner door and entered, a pungent stench assaulted my nostrils.
***
The four crown princess consorts held their esteemed positions in the imperial harem.
They were the flowers of the palace who were revered by all women within its walls.
They were always meant to be beautiful, neat, wise, and exemplary.
However, the woman lying on the bed seemed closer to a ghoul than a human.
Even though there were so many maids in the Azure Dragon Palace, was it possible that they couldn’t even maintain her basic hygiene?
The vomit spewed as a result of a severe fever stained various parts of the bedding, and the stench implied it had been left unattended for days.
Her once silky blue-gray hair which should have been as beautiful as silk, was now a tangled mess, and was wrapping around her body like thorny bushes.
Her emaciated arms were hardly distinguishable from those of starved corpses found in the corners of the slums.
“This… this is…”
Yeon Ri’s eyes widened in shock at the sight before her. No, what on earth had the maids of the Azure Dragon Palace been doing to let someone deteriorate to this extent?
Yeon Ri was overwhelmed by the nauseating stench and covered her mouth.
I too was so taken aback that I couldn’t even bring myself to approach the bed.
The woman’s sounds of coughing and groaning were incessant against the rising fever.
In that moment, I sensed a shift in the woman’s demeanor as if she had become aware that we had entered the room.
At the same time, an indiscernible spiritual energy seemed to envelop my entire being.
Ugh…!
I was on the verge of retching.
– Pain, pain, so much pain.
I felt as if someone was murmuring right next to my ear.
– It hurts, it hurts, I can’t even twitch a finger. It’s painful, painful, painful; my body feels tired. So tired, so tired.
I barely managed to regain my balance.
Then, a single phrase pierced my mind like a dagger.
– Kill me.
My gaze wavered significantly.
– Kill me, please kill me, kill me, kill me, kill me.
– I can’t bear it, it’s too much, I don’t want to suffer anymore, kill me, kill me, do it, do it, do it, do it.
This was… among the arcane arts… an art of bewitching.
It was a power that dyed the hearts of people with illusions to manipulate them to its will.
– End this pain, kill me, end it, end my suffering.
– Kill me.
“Huuuu…!”
When I came to my senses, I found my hand reaching for the hilt of the sword.
I bit the tip of my lips hard to regain my composure. The pungent taste of blood filled my mouth.
Fortunately, I had learned some techniques to resist such bewitching from White Immortal Elder. Thank god.
I gritted my teeth and regained control over my body before carefully assessing the condition of the ill Azure Princess.
And then I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in shock. The reason was the unique dark red spots that had spread across her skin.
“This is… Divine Fever…”
– Considering the condition of the Azure Princess who has fallen ill… Perhaps you might be more helpful than I could be.
It was then that I began to grasp the meaning behind the White Immortal Elder’s words.
I also suffered from Divine Fever once in my childhood.
Typically, those afflicted with Divine Fever—nine out of ten, no, ninety-nine out of a hundred—would perish.
The survivors sometimes awaken to extraordinary and mystical abilities they never had before. Only then did I understand why the Azure Princess in the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story” was so skilled at Taoist magic.
Had she caught Divine Fever around the time she was chosen as a consort?
There’s a fact many people are unaware of.
Most who suffer from Divine Fever die, and half of those deaths are by suicide.
The Divine Fever, which torments its victims with relentless pain for months, eventually drives them to end their own lives.
The human spirit is not strong enough to endure this constant onslaught of pain for the slim chance of survival.
The spirit slowly wears away over the course of several months, ultimately leading one to seek a more peaceful end.
The fever hasn’t even subsided at this point and yet she has this level of illusion arts. There seems to be a good reason why the Heavenly Dragon Love Story depicted the Azure dragon with such a hermit-like atmosphere.
A mystical sage with blueish hair elegantly cascading down gracefully sat in the inner chambers of the Azure Dragon Palace while covering her mouth with the dangling silk sleeves and contemplating the world. She was the Azure Princess, Jin Cheong Lang.
Those who overcome Divine Fever, an illness that is almost certain to kill, often find themselves filled with unique abilities.
The Azure Princess was one such individual.
The agony of Divine Fever cannot be understood or empathized by those who haven’t truly suffered from it.
It’s as if the demons of hell incessantly whisper in one’s ears.
Death is the only way out.
Come on, escape from this endless fire of pain.
– Kill me, kill me, kill me, kill me, kill me.
“Ugh.”
I shook my head once more and stood up from my place.
It was at that moment.
Swish!
The sword tied to my waist was drawn.
Not by me, but by Yeon Ri.
“The blade… it was here all along… finally found it…”
Only then did I realize the eerie feeling of the barren bedroom. In this room, there was not a single sharp or heavy object that could be used as a weapon.
The maids had removed them all.
“Hey, snap out of it!”
I quickly grabbed Yeon Ri’s arm.
The sword slipped from her grasp and rolled across the floor.
“I have to kill her. I must do it.”
In that instant, our eyes met. And a shiver ran down my spine.
There was no reasoning in those bloodshot eyes.
The red veins bursting from her stark white eyes resembled those of a madman, forcing anyone who caught sight of her to involuntarily swallow hard.
“I must kill her, Tae Pyeong. Listen to me… my words… my words are right…”
“…You’ve completely lost your mind.”
“Kill, kill, kill. Let’s end this pain. Let’s kill. Right? Must kill. Come on, pick up the sword. We need to kill. Let’s do it. Let’s kill her.”
Yeon Ri had no resistance to this type of illusion art.
Even though she belonged to the White Immortal Palace, it would not have been easy for her to learn resistance to arcane arts since she was only a maid.
It didn’t take long for her to start succumbing to that madness.
“When I think about it, the Azure Princess is the enemy of my parents. It was she who tore my parents apart before killing them. Now is the chance; let’s kill her.”
“Snap out of it! Both your parents are alive and well!”
“What are you talking about? The Azure Princess also killed the immortal Elder who took us. The crown prince, court lady Seol, and even you were killed by this Azure Princess. Let’s kill this woman. We need to kill her now. Kill her, tear her to pieces. Let’s slit her belly open. Take out her entrails and cut them all up.”
I clenched my eyes shut, hoisted Yeon Ri by her waist, and lifted her up.
For now, it seemed like it would be a good idea to leave this room and get out of the scope of the illusion.
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