The sword master who was tempered like a blade through countless trials became a grim reaper that slaughtered every demonic spirit in his path.
This was not an opponent that could be defeated by mere force alone.
For that reason, the White Demonic Spirit cloaked itself in the energy of the Heavenly Dragon and leaped away to create distance.
The title of Sword Master seemed meaningless now. Who would think of that name when watching him tear apart the spirit beasts with his bare hands without wielding a single sword?
A beast lowered its body and charged at him. Its blood-soaked form stirred, spreading the stench of blood.
Thud!
Even when spells were cast to breathe fire and raise walls, he broke through them with a shout and charged in with his bare body.
A bird with the face of a man erupted from the ground, letting out a grotesque scream as it spread its wings, but he grabbed its neck, slammed it into the ground, and pounded it again and again until it was drenched in blood.
It was said that a properly forged sword that gets tempered could cut even through steel.
The Sword Master who had his soul honed through endless cycles of reincarnation was not someone who could be stopped merely by controlling the energy of the Heavenly Dragon.
Unless the Heavenly Dragon itself descended, there was no way to stop that man as he recklessly charged forward.
[Is that so….]
Only then did the White Demonic Spirit realize the role it had been given.
At the moment when Sun Demonic Spirit Pyeong Ryang’s head was severed, there was no longer any way to defeat that mad Sword Master by force.
And so, the role that the Plague Demonic Spirit had granted it was to use the power of the Heavenly Dragon, which twisted the laws of the world, to bind the Sword Master to this world.
By harnessing the energy of the Heavenly Dragon, which bent even time and space, the White Demonic Spirit could sever this entire palace from reality and turn it into a prison to trap that monster.
Until the Plague Demonic Spirit resurrected, seized control of the world, and escaped from the curse of endless reincarnation, the White Demonic Spirit only had to keep that monster bound here.
Like it was said before, mere physical damage was not enough to subdue the White Demonic Spirit.
Either it had to be killed, or it had to be forced to break the space-time seal that locked the inner palace of its own accord.
Under the protection of the Plague Demonic Spirit, its life was completely safe. Moreover, the White Demonic Spirit had absolutely no reason to break the seal on this palace.
Until the day the Plague Demonic Spirit resurrected and swallowed the world, it would continue fighting that crazy monster within this locked prison.
For a day, a month, a year, however long it took.
As long as the White Demonic Spirit did not surrender, there was no way for that Sword Master to escape from the palace’s seal.
[……]
The White Demonic Spirit was nothing more than a sacrificial pawn.
It was a lock who guarded the Inner Palace, thrown in with the crown princess consorts of the Four Great Palaces and Seol Ran of the Heavenly Dragon Hall, leaving the outside world completely defenseless.
No matter how many times it was torn apart and mutilated by that Sword Master, its role was to cling tightly and never release the palace’s seal.
Upon realizing this, most would fall into despair or feel betrayed by their creator.
But in the White Demonic Spirit’s eyes, its resolve only burned brighter.
[Even if you tear my body to shreds, you will never achieve your goal.]
It was a demonic spirit driven solely by hatred for the world. That was how it had been made.
If its actions could even slightly aid in closing the doors on this cursed world, it could endure the pain with a willing heart.
Thud!
The White Demonic Spirit’s body floated into the air before putting distance between itself and Seol Tae Pyeong. It was fleeing.
For now, it planned to hide somewhere in the inner palace and buy itself some time to recover.
“Really, the lengths you’ll go.”
However, Seol Tae Pyeong had no intention of letting it escape. He leapt from the wall and flew flying straight toward it.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
More terrifying than the fearsome spirit beasts filling the inner palace was the twisted look on Seol Tae Pyeong’s face.
***
There was no way the White Princess could handle all three of the crown princess consorts alone.
She had no noble lineage, mastery of the Taoist magic, or the blessing of the divine fever. She was nothing more than an ordinary human being.
Among those who ruled the Four Great Palaces, she had risen to her position with nothing more than her sharp tongue, wit, and political sense.
“If you interfere with the Vice General now, it could disrupt the plan. So, as the mistress of the White Tiger Palace, I absolutely cannot allow you to pass.”
“Stop lying, White Princess.”
The Black Princess immediately rejected her words.
The moment she heard this, a chill ran down the White Princess’s spine. The Black Princess was known as a moderate, someone who always worked to prevent conflict and discord.
But the Black Princess who now looked at her was utterly expressionless.
When the Black Princess, who always showed various expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, looked at her with an expressionless face, she felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort and unease that seemed to pierce her insides.
“You’re not blocking the way as the mistress of the White Tiger Palace; you’re just a woman blocking the way, aren’t you?”
“Huh? What is that supposed to mean…?”
“Did you really think we wouldn’t notice that you too see the Vice General as a man?”
What in the world was she talking about?
The White Princess found it ridiculous but reminded herself she had to keep in mind that the other party was not in her right mind.
At present, each of the crown princess consorts had gone mad in their own way.
So there was no need to attach more meaning than necessary to what they said.
Nevertheless, the Black Princess’s words struck right through her as if piercing her core.
“You talk about political gains, about the greater cause, but did you really think we wouldn’t notice that you also see the Vice General as a man?”
“You’re misunderstanding greatly, Black Princess.”
“Surely, Tae Pyeong is doing his best to keep that demonic spirit in check. Supporting him for the greater cause is, of course, the most important thing, but I can’t help feeling uneasy sensing everyone’s private feelings mixed in.”
The Black Princess tapped her chest with the end of her long sleeve and spoke proudly.
“So, it seems best for me, who’s purely a close friend of Tae Pyeong, to step in here.”
…
A brief silence fell over the group.
Everyone looked dumbfounded at the Black Princess’s words.
“Tae Pyeong and I, we’re such childhood friends that it wouldn’t bother either of us to hug each other completely without clothes.”
“Oh, have you actually hugged each other without clothes?”
“No, but that’s beside the point.”
“Were you ever even childhood friends to begin with?”
“No, but that’s beside the point.”
The crown princess consorts found the Black Princess’s words so ridiculous they dismissed them immediately.
Just then, the Azure Princess raised her voice.
“If the goal is to support the Vice General, then it only makes sense for the person with the greatest strength to step forward.”
A straightforward argument pierced the conversation.
The White Princess who was the only one holding onto her sanity swallowed dryly.
Although the Azure Princess was hardly in her right mind, the logic in her words would be hard to refute.
“Among the mistresses of the Four Palaces, is there anyone who can confidently claim to possess greater strength than me?”
The Azure Princess covered her mouth with her sleeve and radiated a fearsome aura.
If she decided to subdue the other crown princess consorts by force, none of them would be able to stop her.
Of course, she wouldn’t normally resort to such extreme measures, but… right now, the Azure Princess was nearly devoid of self-restraint.
In the worst-case scenario, she might really use her Taoist arts to crush the crown princess consorts and then charge into Seol Tae Pyeong’s arms.
She might imagine herself running into Seol Tae Pyeong’s arms with a wide innocent smile, but if the Azure Princess joined the fray, it would only give the White Demonic Spirit one more weakness to exploit.
The White Princess swallowed hard and steadied her voice.
“Even so, it won’t be allowed. If you cross this gate, we’ll take it as a full declaration of war against the White Tiger Palace.”
“And if I decide to cross, what exactly do you plan to do, White Princess?”
“I’ll make sure word spreads in the palace that military officer Seol Tae Pyeong has become romantically entangled with the crown princess consorts of the Inner Palace.”
At that, a dangerous glint flickered in the eyes of the crown princess consorts.
This was their reverse scale that should not be touched, one that absolutely should not be provoked. The hostility that spread among the crown princess consorts soared to the sky.
The White Princess felt her senses sounding an alarm.
In order to subdue the crown princess consorts who were consumed by madness, she would have to wield a weapon of equal power.
In the end, there was only one way to bring them under control. That is to latch onto Seol Tae Pyeong, who was the root of their actions.
“If you try something like that, the Jeongseon clan won’t stand by quietly.”
The Vermilion Princess spoke in a raised voice.
“And even if you manage to undermine the other crown princess consorts in that way, without concrete evidence it will end as nothing more than rumors. If it’s concluded that the Inbong clan manipulated matters to bring down the others, you, White Princess, could end up facing backlash instead.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, Vermilion Princess.”
The White Princess replied with a slight smile.
“The crown princess consort of the Four Palaces rumored to be in a relationship with Seol Tae Pyeong will be none other than Ha Wol of the White Tiger Palace.”
If she became the subject of such rumors herself, there would be no room for accusations of slander or malicious plotting.
“When the mistress of the White Tiger Palace, overcome with guilt, tearfully confesses her sins before the Inner Palace, the Vice General will either be executed or, at the very least, cast out of the palace along with the mistress.”
The contributions the Vice General had made to the country of Cheongdo were nothing short of monumental.
When he had slain Sun Demonic Spirit Pyeong Ryang, he had risen to the status of a national hero, and at such a young age, he was carrying out the important duty of a general-level official.
So perhaps he might avoid a death sentence, though that too was merely a guess.
Hadn’t it often been the case that the imperial family gave women of the palace as wives or concubines to generals with distinguished merits?
Of course, never in Cheongdo’s history had such a woman been a crown princess consort, but there was no rule that said something unprecedented couldn’t happen. After all, the current Crown Prince of the Imperial Palace did not show the slightest interest in his consorts. He only harbored contempt for those selected as his partners by the high officials.
If needed, they could simply choose another woman to take the White Princess’s place.
In fact, from the perspective of the country, it might be more important not to lose Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong.
If they offered him the head of the Inbong clan Ha Wol, perhaps Seol Tae Pyeong’s loyalty to Cheongdo would grow even stronger.
Or he might simply disappear like dew on the execution ground. It was impossible to predict how the Emperor would ultimately judge the matter.
But if White Princess Ha Wol willed it, she could drag Seol Tae Pyeong into that unknown abyss with her, like a water ghost pulling him under.
A deep silence filled the air, as though a massive bomb had dropped at its center.
The White Princess held the explosive power to completely overturn the simmering tension within the inner palace.
“Please, let’s avoid having anyone cross this inner gate of the White Tiger Palace and simply watch how things unfold.”
“……”
“If necessary, I’ll even place Seol Tae Pyeong’s life on the line. I’m sure you all know by now that I’m capable of such a thing.”
Betting her own life was something she had long grown accustomed to.
Perhaps the Vermilion Princess surpassed her in family background and martial arts, the Azure Princess Jin in Taoist arts, and the Black Princess in pure character.
However, when it came to taking a hostage, risking life with sheer nerve at critical moments, and creating negotiating power from scratch, none could surpass the White Princess.
She had spent her life dwelling in shadows and schemes.
The noble figures who had lived peacefully in fragrant gardens, basking in sunlight, could never understand the mindset of a fighter who had clawed her way up from the depths of filth.
But she had no desire to be understood.
She simply supported Seol Tae Pyeong in her own way.
And so, a cold silence filled the air for a long while.
The tension crackled like sparks in a fire, as though it would stretch on forever.
At this moment, White Princess Ha Wol of the White Tiger Palace had become a shared enemy among the crown princess consorts of the Four Palaces.
Yet, no one could easily figure out how to rein her in.
Each woman here was a noble presence whom even ordinary officials in Cheongdo could not dream of addressing.
There was no one who could raise their voice to mediate amidst the conflict between such figures.
Especially in this crisis, with the entire inner palace sealed off and the spirit beasts running rampant… who could possibly hope to control them?
Reasonably speaking, there was no such person within the palace, and yet—
Boom!
Thud!
“So this is where everyone’s gathered. The situation is urgent.”
At the entrance of the White Tiger Palace.
Two maids covered in blood emerged through the throng of spirit beasts.
At the front was Headmaid Lee Ryeong who was gripping a sword, and close behind her followed a senior maid clutching a flask of pure water tightly as sweat poured down her face. Her name was Seol Ran.
At the sight of her, a ripple of tension spread among the crown princess consorts.
Senior maid Seol Ran.
She was the one person that even the formidable Vice General could not easily command and whom he treated with unwavering respect.
Neither the head of the Jeongseon clan nor the Inbong clan could ever bring him under their influence.
However, Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong never opposed his sister Seol Ran’s words. In fact, it was widely believed he prioritized her words above even those of the emperor.
Silence passed among the crown princess consorts who were aware of this.
All eyes turned to Seol Ran.
“Uh…”
Under the intense gaze of each powerful mistress of the inner palace, Seol Ran instinctively caught her breath.
The one and only person in Cheongdo who was capable of reigning in Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong.
Not the emperor, nor the mistresses of the Four Palaces, but senior maid Seol Ran.
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