The night before the storm was always quiet.
When eunuchs drenched in blood came up to announce the appearance of demonic spirits, the scene was still. It was simply too sudden for anyone to react immediately.
The White Immortal Mountain was a sacred mountain that was firmly situated within the imperial domain. How could demonic spirits possibly run rampant in such a place?
Yet mist eventually began to roll down from the summit of the White Immortal Mountain.
The dark energy exhaled by the demonic spirits shrouded the surroundings in mist. Only then did murmurs start to spread among the crowd.
“De-Demonic mist!”
“It’s, It’s real!”
The moment was marked by the maids’ terrified gasps.
The sound of something leaping over could be heard from beyond the hills. It then began to emerge through the mist.
It bore the shape of a giant and hairy creature with human limbs awkwardly attached.
Some had the appearance of a woman with a torn mouth but lacked lower limbs as they moved on their arms instead.
Others took the form of a giant naked man whose arms stretched from their mouths with all fingers severed.
There was also a demonic spirit whose face was half-covered in eyes which sent shivers down the spine of those who beheld it.
And there were those who appeared almost human but had the lower half of their faces completely sliced off, leaving no trace of their mouths.
– Kekekekek
– Kahahahahahah
As the demonic spirits approached with their chilling laughter, the people in the crowd began to scream in terror.
“Aaaahhh!”
“Demonic spirits! Demonic spirits!”
“How can so many demonic spirits appear in such a sacred mountain!”
The civil servants recoiled in shock, while the warriors drew their swords and rushed out.
Although the Cheongdo Empire had been ruling under the heavens for hundreds of years, never had demonic spirits appeared in this noble imperial domain. The sudden anomaly was baffling, yet the immediate concern was to protect the lives of the people.
“Protect His Majesty and the Crown Prince! Ensure not a single one gets near Taehwa Pavilion!”
“Bring the horses! Evacuate His Majesty first!”
– Kahahahahah!
Eventually, the demonic spirits that broke through the crowd began to bite and devour the servants at random.
The guards drew their swords and charged at the demonic spirits. There were only a few soldiers present for the Crown Prince’s birthday ceremony, but the presence of high-ranking military officials prevented a complete overrun.
However, high officials living in the imperial domain rarely encountered demonic spirits, especially not in such large numbers.
Demonic spirits were thought to swarm only in the outskirts of the Cheongdo Empire, where the authority of the Heavenly Dragon did not reach, and even then, it was rare to encounter more than one or two.
Th-This is madness…!
I held my breath.
I heard about the past story of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story and the fact that demonic spirits attacked during the birthday ceremony where the prince was injured.
However, I didn’t know it well because it was a story from the past and not properly detailed. I had thought it was just a matter of a few demonic spirits, but the scale was almost like a parade of a hundred demons.
How could such a number of demonic spirits appear right in the heart of the imperial capital, where the authority of the Heavenly Dragon was most powerful? I couldn’t understand it, but the priority was to save as many lives as possible.
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“Help me! It hurts! It hurts!”
Even though the warriors were rushing in to slay the spirits, there was a limit to their efforts.
The blood of these demonic spirits could weaken a person’s consciousness. Without proper precautions, one could become intoxicated by the blood splattered by the spirits and lose their mind.
That is why the demonic spirit hunters who travel around the outskirts of the imperial capital to kill them have cotton cloth wrapped all over their bodies. They looked like a wandering grim reaper so they were shunned by people.
I need to grab my sword!
I glanced towards the tent where my belongings were. The fact that I was told to take my sword with me meant that the White Immortal might have foreseen this situation to some extent.
It was likely that the White Immortal was working to clear this mist. In that case, my role was to save as many as possible and buy time until then.
– Kwaaaah! Gwaaah!
– Grrrrrrrrr!
And then, cutting through the mist… a massive figure of a demonic spirit revealed itself.
Even the warriors who had been slaying the other demonic spirits stopped in their tracks at that moment and swallowed their dry saliva.
This demonic spirit’s terrifying presence was enough to make even the bravest generals tremble in fear.
What caught my eye was a face resembling that of a newborn baby. But it was as large as a house.
Upon closer inspection, what seemed like fur covering its entire body were actually the limbs of adult men. With those numerous limbs, it crawled along the ground like a centipede.
An intermediate demonic spirit…!
In that instant, I realized the scale of human casualties would be far greater.
While a group of lower demonic spirits could be held off by well-trained warriors, it would take skilled demonic spirit hunters to contend with an intermediate demonic spirit.
Their power was greater, and the malevolent energy in their blood was stronger. Therefore, if one were to carelessly face one of them, it could lead to exhaustion and ultimately being devoured.
“Everyone, flee to Taehwa Pavilion! It’s easier for the warriors to protect you if you’re gathered in one place!”
At that moment, the Vermilion Princess who was standing on the opposite side of the stage shouted. While it seemed like a sensible decision…
Boom, rumble, rumble!
The landslide cascading down from the mountain’s peak seemed to refute her words.
– Whooosh!
– Rumbleeee!
– Crashhhhhhhh!
Soon, the landslide engulfed the area.
Taehwa Pavilion, once boasting its architectural beauty, started to crumble down.
Perhaps the scenic location had become its downfall.
The landslide pushed everything towards a cliff.
Then with godlike reflexes, Warrior Commander Jang Rae climbed the Taehwa Pavilion and first grabbed Emperor Woon Sung before pulling him to safety as he jumped out of the pavilion.
However, he could save only one person.
The Crown Prince, the high officials, and the servants who served them were inevitably swept away by the landslide.
***
– Lady Vermillon Princess! Lady Vermillon Princess!
– Vermillon Princess, you must wake up! Lady!
After being unconscious for who knows how long, Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon suddenly opened her eyes.
– Kieeeeeeeeg!
– Kyaaaaah!
– Over here, this way!
– Damn it! My arm! My arm!
The place, stained with chaos, was halfway up the White Immortal Mountain. They were swept down by the landslide and came down all the way down to a remote area full of pine trees.
She was drenched in sweat and covered in mud; the once elegant court robe clung to her body; and she looked very miserable.
The surroundings were hard to see because of the mist, but the surroundings seemed to be completely chaotic, with demonic spirits, maids, and warriors all mixed together.
“Vermilion Princess! You’ve opened your eyes! My Lady!”
“Hyun… Hyeon Dang…”
Her headmaid Hyeon Dang from the Vermilion Bird Palace pushed aside the rocks and branches that covered the Vermilion Princess. She didn’t care about the mud covering her body. She inspected the lady consort’s condition and clenched her teeth.
Though she was grateful that her mistress was alive, the Vermilion Princess was severely battered from being swept away by the landslide.
“It’s a relief there seems to be no threat to your life! But first… we must get out of the White Immortal Mountain!”
“Hyeon Dang… what’s… what’s the situation?”
“I can’t tell… anything. The landslide has plunged everything into chaos. The surroundings are veiled in mist so it is impossible to see clearly. The priority… should be to save your life.”
As Hyeon Dang said, the mist severely limited their visibility. In such times, one’s safety had to come first.
“His Majesty… and the Crown Prince…”
“There’s nothing… we can do… My lady … You must… get up from here… Staying here will get us killed by the monsters!”
With those words, Hyeon Dang tried to help the Vermilion Princess to her feet.
However, when the Vermilion Princess attempted to stand, she grimaced in pain. Startled by her reaction, Hyeon Dang checked her again and noticed her ankle was swollen and red.
Not only was her body covered in scratches which made it difficult for her to even stand properly, but the situation also appeared more severe than Hyeon Dang had initially thought. She swallowed dryly in concern.
“Vermilion Princess! Allow me… I will support you… Please, let’s move.”
“Yes… Let’s go…”
With Hyeon Dang’s support, the Vermilion Princess continued to move forward despite her limping steps. However, her limping pace was hardly enough to shake off the demonic spirits.
To the demonic spirits lurking beyond the mist, they were nothing more than easy prey.
– Whaaah!
“You beast!”
When a demonic spirit that was missing an arm and a leg attacked them, Hyeon Dang shouted and drew the Vermilion Princess’s sword to strike it down.
Hyeon Dang, the headmaid of the Vermilion Bird Palace, had protected the place for nearly two decades. She was a woman of strong character, comparable to that of an experienced warrior. Her gray hair spoke of the maturity she had gained over the years.
Though her skills in swordsmanship and martial arts were not at a level where she could show off in front of others, they were sufficient to uphold the dignity of her title as the headmaid of the Vermilion Bird Palace.
Swoosh!
However, when splattered with the demonic spirit’s blood, she blinked in shock.
Unless one was a skilled demonic spirit hunter, it was difficult to stay conscious when touching the blood of a demonic spirit. But Hyeon Dang gritted her teeth and continued to support the Vermilion Princess.
She limped forward and continued to cut down the monsters, but the gradual drain on her spirit pushed Hyeon Dang to her limits. She felt as if she might lose consciousness at any moment.
If Hyeon Dang were to lose consciousness now, there would be no one left to support the Vermilion Princess. Such a scenario would likely result in the princess losing her life as well. This was an outcome Hyeon Dang couldn’t allow.
However, Hyeon Dang had no way of knowing how far she could go. In a forest shrouded in mist, finding an exit and navigating through to the end seemed almost impossible.
One shoulder was supporting the critically injured Vermilion Princess and the other hand was firmly grasping the sword to fend off demonic spirits. Yet, she knew all too well that not everything in the world could be resolved with sheer willpower alone.
And being the experienced person she was, Hyeon Dang understood this reality better than most.
Hyeon Dang was as quick in judgment and decision-making as her mistress, the Vermilion Princess.
“Vermilion Princess! This way! Over here!”
As they made their way through the mist, upon finding a large burrow that appeared to have been dug by a wild animal, Hyeon Dang pushed the Vermilion Princess into it.
“Hyeon Dang…!”
“Stay inside. As long as you don’t make noise… we might make it through this…!”
“But… Demonic spirits can smell humans…”
“Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
The Vermilion Princess couldn’t move properly in her weakened state. She could only be pushed into the burrow by Hyeon Dang and collapse onto the muddy floor.
Hyeon Dang managed to roll some nearby rocks to block the entrance of the burrow.
“The Crown Prince has also been caught in the landslide. It won’t be long before the soldiers from the main palace search the entirety of the White Immortal Mountain. Just hold on until then… You must hold on, Vermilion Princess…”
“Hyeon Dang…!”
Hyeon Dang had been with the Vermilion Princess ever since she entered the inner palace and they shared a bond that had grown over the years. Hyeon Dang’s unwavering support and her ability to act as an extension of the princess had earned her admiration time and again.
A true leader knows how to take care of their own people, and a headmaid like Hyeon Dang was a rare find in one’s lifetime. If the Vermilion Princess could name a second mother, it would undoubtedly be Hyeon Dang.
Their deep connection allowed them to understand each other with just a glance, and it was clear that Hyeon Dang had made up her mind.
“If I scream and run out of the mist, all the demonic spirits in the vicinity will chase after me. Use that chance to seal the entrance.”
“Hyeon Dang! No! You must come inside too!”
It was the look of someone prepared to face death.
“Vermilion Princess.”
In the forest shrouded by mist, amidst the screams of the dying, Hyeon Dang swallowed hard and spoke. Her body was trembling, yet her expression remained earnest.
“As a member of the Jeongseon clan and the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace, there will be times when you must abandon others, not just now but perhaps many times over.”
“Hyeon Dang…”
“You must not hesitate to leave someone behind. You, Vermilion Princess, are meant for greater things.”
“I can’t… Hyeon Dang… I cannot bear to lose you like this…”
What meaning is there in survival if one cannot protect their own people?
Despite the Vermilion Princess’s pleas, Hyeon Dang’s eyes trembled, but she eventually bowed deeply with her arms crossed in her sleeves.
“Please, be well.”
“Hyeon Dang! Stop right now!”
For the first time in her life, headmaid Hyeon Dang of the Vermilion Bird Palace defied the command of the Vermilion Princess.
She tore her clothes right there and then, grabbed a branch from the surrounding trees, and wrapped it tightly.
Then, she made a small torch by lighting it with the little spiritual energy she had acquired.
In this dark mist, even a torch of this size will attract the attention of those around her.
“Aaaahhh!”
The piercing screams of Hyeon Dang echoed through the place. Her screams of terror seemed like a feast for the lurking demonic spirits.
And just like that, Hyeon Dang ran and ran. Though the thick mist made it impossible for her to know where she was heading.
All she knew was that she must not return to where the Vermilion Princess was; her duty was to keep running as far away as possible.
– Hwaaaag!
– Gigigigigig!
Just hearing those sounds sent shivers down her spine. The chilling sounds of the demonic spirits in pursuit indicated there were at least five or six of them.
As she fled, Hyeon Dang managed to slay one of the demonic spirits that got too close, using the well-sharpened sword of the Vermilion Princess.
She was covered in blood and she felt dizzy as if she was about to lose consciousness, but she knew she had to keep moving. She was still not far enough from the cave where the Vermilion Princess was hiding.
Hyeon Dang tried her best to wipe the demonic spirit’s blood off her face and tore her robes to bind it around her arms and legs.
However, this wasn’t enough to completely free herself from the demonic spirit’s blood, but it didn’t matter to her; she had no intention of surviving.
As she continued to run, she came across signs of the landslide. Climbing over rocks and soil that had slid down the mountain, she tried to somehow shake off the demonic spirits.
“Aaaahhh!”
No, it wasn’t about escaping anymore.
Instead of fleeing, Hyeon Dang was deliberately attracting more demonic spirits by screaming in the hope of dragging down at least one more with her.
The more demonic spirits flocked to Hyeon Dang, the higher the chances of the Vermilion Princess’s survival became.
Hyeon Dang screamed and screamed and ran and ran. She cut through the demonic spirits in her path and grew almost delirious from their blood.
Crash!
Eventually, she tripped over a tree root and tumbled across the muddy ground.
From beyond the mist, she could hear the cackling of numerous demonic spirits.
And then, through the dense mist above…. the shadow of that intermediate giant demon appeared.
Its enormous head seemed like it was floating while its many limbs writhed grotesquely.
Was this a demon from hell?
Or perhaps was this place itself hell?
Hyeon Dang pushed herself up from the mud and attempted to slash another approaching demonic spirit, but her strength was waning, and she couldn’t make a complete cut.
– Kaaak!
The Vermilion Princess’s sword, decorated with a noble carving of a vermilion bird, got stuck halfway through the demonic spirit and failed to cut through completely.
The Vermilion Princess’s sword was sharp but it lost its edge due to Hyeon Dang’s exhausted strength.
– Kaaak, kagaak!
The grotesquely shaped demon, with the sword still embedded in it, looked down at Hyeon Dang. The latter swallowed dryly and closed her eyes firmly.
It was that moment.
Bang!
From within the pile of rocks created by the landslide, a man burst forth, kicking up a cloud of dust as he rose.
At the same time, the demonic spirit before Hyeon Dang was cleaved in two.
***
Hyeon Dang who collapsed on the muddy ground first felt an intense chill envelop her.
Feeling cold in late winter wasn’t unusual. However, this chill surpassed even the depths of midwinter’s freeze.
The demonic spirit that was cleaved in two had its cross-section completely frozen solid.
This icy state prevented any blood from spilling.
Thud!
Perhaps due to being caught directly in the landslide, the man was completely battered and bruised and he gasped for breath as he slumped to the ground.
Just moments before, he had managed to stand amidst a pile of rocks and had taken no more than a second to cleave the demonic spirit right in front of Hyeon Dang.
“Huuuu…”
Exhaling a white breath, he bowed his head, rose again, and let the sword in his hand hang by his side.
The blade caught Hyeon Dang’s eye. The sword body was strangely cold, so much so that pure white steam was coming down from it. When she came to her senses, she noticed the steam created by its chill spreading across the ground around them.
It was then that Hyeon Dang recognized the identity of the man.
She had heard that in the White Immortal Palace, there were three treasured swords imbued with the White Immortal’s Taoist magic.
There was the Jade Leaf Sword which the White Immortal himself had carried since he was young.
The Seven Star Dagger which was given for protection to Wang Han, the scribe who often traveled for important matters.
And the Cold Iron Heavy Sword which was given to his one and only guard.
The Cold Iron Heavy Sword was forged by hammering iron imbued with White Immortal’s Taoist magic and it was excessively heavy due to the influence of the Taoist magic. Consequently, only two individuals within the Cheongdo Palace could wield it and exhibit their skills: Jeong Seong Tae, the vice general who was famous for his strength, and Seol Tae Pyeong, White Immortal Palace’s apprentice warrior.
The Taoist magic within the sword was so intensely cold that it instantly covered and froze the entire cross-section of whatever it sliced.
While this might seem pointless at first, its true value becomes obvious when facing demonic spirits.
Even the most mentally resilient warrior could only take down a maximum of ten demonic spirits at a time. However, with a means to suppress the demonic spirits’ blood, a warrior could defeat as many as their stamina would allow.
Seol Tae Pyeong who was now wielding the Cold Iron Heavy Sword could cut down hundreds of lower demonic spirits.
But there was one severely detrimental drawback.
“Ugh! Damn, it’s so cold!”
Seol Tae Pyeong started shivering and cursed. He muttered how even the training during the coldest periods wasn’t this harsh and how he grew numb from the cold.
Hyeon Dang, who had been lying on the muddy ground, wore a look of disbelief at the man’s cry.
For someone who had just been swept up in a landslide, he seemed to overflow with too much energy.
Perhaps due to the bruises from the rocks hitting his body, the blood he had spilled flowed like a river.
No matter how strong one’s constitution was, excessive bleeding was dangerous for all. But Seol Tae Pyeong looked at Hyeon Dang and spoke.
“Are you injured anywhere else…?”
“You… you are…”
“Current Headmaid of the Vermilion Bird Palace…! Haha…! Worry not…! For I this man is Seol Tae Pyeong!!!!!!!”
As blood continued to flow from his head, Seol Tae Pyeong suddenly fell to the ground.
Thud.
“……”
– Kiiik!
– Kakakakak!
Amidst the echoing cries of the demonic spirits, Seol Tae Pyeong’s body lay sprawled on the ground.
…And so, silence pervaded for a while.
“…Wasn’t this supposed to be a rescue…?”
Hyeon Dang had thought Seol Tae Pyeong’s grand and spirited entrance meant he was there to save her.
…But logically speaking, there was no way that a person caught directly in a landslide would be okay.
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