– You must run from here.
– All the retainers of the Huayongseol Clan have chosen to stand together, but as illegitimate children, you have no reason to be swept up in this purge.
– Just live. Simply survive and… live an ordinary life until the day you die….
Seol Ran’s earliest memory was of an old retainer holding her tightly with blood spilling from his body.
The burning building of the Huayongseol Clan, the flickering shadows, and her only younger brother clutching the hem of her clothes in terror, unaware of anything.
That old scholar who was once the most loyal retainer of Sword Master Seol Lee Moon emerged from the blazing mansion carrying as many valuables as he could from the family’s treasure chest. Without hesitation, he stuffed them all into Seol Ran’s arms.
Then he grabbed her wrist, dragged her through the back gate of Huayongseol Mansion, and threw her out as if he were throwing her away.
– Old man, you should escape too.
When the Seol Ran in her memory said that, the old scholar smiled. His wrinkled face was illuminated by the flames behind him.
– I don’t have much time left in this life. Instead of worrying about an old man’s fate, you should be more concerned about the one blood relative you have left.
– From now on, your life will hold no joy, only trials. You won’t have the luxury of worrying about others.
The boy who tumbled across the dirt with Seol Ran was still far too young to survive in this harsh world on his own.
Clutching her small brother’s trembling hand, she struggled to her feet.
For children too young to even discern right from wrong, the world was far too cruel.
The old retainer considered escaping through the back gate himself. After all, at least one adult should be there to protect them. But in the end, he shook his head.
They had to become strong.
The wisdom that other children would gradually learn as they grew, these two had to master in an instant.
If he left them to fend for themselves in this cold and merciless world with nothing, they would surely die on the streets before long.
Hoping that the valuables the girl carried would extend their survival even a little, the retainer bolted the door shut.
It would take some time for the imperial pursuit unit to break through that door.
Thud!
The girl stood before the firmly shut door.
The old retainer had no idea who she truly was.
Clutching her only sibling’s hand tightly, she lifted her head against the biting cold.
It was time to step forward, calmly, into a life filled with trials.
***
“Bind all officials of the Second Rank and above behind the platform, and do not loosen their restraints.”
That was the first command I gave upon regaining consciousness.
The method was still unclear, but the Plague Demonic Spirit was taking over high officials and transferring its consciousness from one body to another.
Since each new body it occupied was different, no one could predict when or where it might appear to commit another massacre.
Now, I finally understood why I had never been able to discover its true identity, despite countless cycles of reincarnation.
Each time it possessed a new body, it would flee before any clues could be found and slip away just in time.
That was how the Plague Demonic Spirit had survived for so many long years. It was lurking within this endless cycle and waiting until the Heavenly Maiden who had sealed it here exhausted her strength and fell.
There were few people I could trust to carry out orders.
After all, the front courtyard of Taehwa Pavilion had already become a field of corpses.
The mistresses of the Four Great Palaces.
Lady In Ha Yeon of the Jeongseon Clan.
My subordinates Cheong Jin Myeong and Ha Si Hwa.
The Warrior Commander Jang Rae who oversaw the warriors of the Red Palace.
At most, these were the only people I could rely on to follow orders.
The high officials, who could lose their minds at any moment after being tainted by the demonic spirit’s blood, could not be freed.
“If the Plague Demonic Spirit can truly take over the bodies of high officials at will, then the entire leadership of Cheongdo Palace has likely already fallen under its control.”
Po Hwa Ryeong swallowed dryly as she spoke.
Near the platform, a hastily set-up encampment stood. The makeshift meeting table covered with layers of cloth was still exposed to the harsh winds seeping in from all sides.
Despite trembling from the cold, Po Hwa Ryeong’s expression remained serious.
“If we can just figure out a way to kill the demonic spirit’s true body, we might be able to contain the situation before things escalate any further.”
“Are many officials from the Inbong Clan involved in this as well?”
“Regrettably, yes.”
There were quite a few high officials among the people of the Inbong Clan.
The White Princess let out a quiet breath. Her face was serious as she spoke.
“Then, what about us?”
At that single question, silence fell over the gathering.
If the Plague Demonic Spirit could truly seize the bodies of high officials at any moment, then no one gathered here could be considered an exception.
“…For example, can you say with absolute certainty that I wouldn’t suddenly start dripping with demonic blood and attempt to kill the Vice General?”
At the White Princess’s words, a chill ran down their spines.
Everyone seated around the table had stiff expressions. The thought of losing control of their own minds to such a monstrous being was terrifying.
“If that were possible, I wouldn’t be in my right mind to begin with.”
However, one thing was certain. That demonic spirit couldn’t possess just any body at will.
Every single person it had taken control of so far had been a high official. If they could find the common thread among them, they might find a clue on how to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit.
“…General Seol. This could be an unprecedented crisis that determines the fate of Cheongdo. We cannot afford to leave any variables unchecked.”
Suddenly, from behind them, Black Moon Leader Cheong Jin Myeong who had been bowing his head in thought spoke up.
“Even the Black Moon unit warriors that were trained to hunt demonic spirits struggle against high officials tainted by demonic blood. I don’t know why, but if there’s something about high officials that causes the demonic blood to surge within them…”
“…..…”
“…In the worst-case scenario, we may have to execute all high officials of the Upper Second Rank and above. And it won’t be at the hands of outsiders. It will be by our own.”
If that happened, Cheongdo would be doomed.
Cheong Jin Myeong added those words grimly.
The officials of Upper Second Rank and above were people who had dedicated their lives to Cheongdo.
Though many were engulfed in personal ambition, their influence was undeniable. Among them, there were still those who remained loyal to the country, holding onto justice and integrity.
If they could be replaced gradually over time, that would be one thing. But if they were all slaughtered at once, it would leave Cheongdo all but hollowed out.
Of course, positions of power were always coveted, and there would be those eager to fill the vacancies.
However, everything would have to start from nothing. A time of chaos and upheaval would inevitably follow.
They had already executed half of the military officers at the general level.
Soon, a significant number of civil officials would die as well.
Whether intentional or not, they were now embroiled in something far greater than the rebellion Seol Lee Moon had incited in the past.
Even after more than a decade, high officials still trembled at the memory of Seol Lee Moon’s rebellion, yet this massacre would far surpass it. This was something without precedent in history.
And yet, if someone was possessed by the Plague Demonic Spirit, they had to be killed.
That fundamental principle would never change.
“The longer we delay, the more high officials will die.”
Jin Cheong Lang spoke in a heavy voice.
“But, General Seol … we don’t even know what victory looks like.”
“….…”
“We don’t even know how to kill that evil demonic spirit. Without a method, what can we possibly do?”
I lowered my head in silence.
The arrival of the Plague Demonic Spirit.
What had originally been a plan to pressure the Ministry of Rites had somehow snowballed out of control.
But something felt off.
The Plague Demonic Spirit was a cautious and intelligent demonic spirit.
When it had yet to regain its full strength, it had remained in hiding, knowing that revealing itself too soon would mean being cut down by my hand.
Only after fully reclaiming its power, when it was finally capable of turning Cheongdo into a sea of fire, did it emerge to herald the end of the world.
And yet, in this cycle… it had shown itself before fully regaining its strength.
Its actions were completely different from the careful concealment it had maintained until now.
Even if only vaguely, did it sense that Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun had exhausted her strength?
That alone wouldn’t have been enough reason for it to reveal itself. If anything, it should have been even more cautious to make sure that its years of patience weren’t wasted.
Did it have no choice but to reveal itself? Now, of all times?
It felt like there was still a crucial piece I hadn’t grasped.
If I could pinpoint that missing link, something would surely come of it. But after pondering for a moment, I finally shook my head.
“Either way, what we need to do now is return to the main palace and subdue the demonic spirits. In the process, we must also find a way to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit.”
More urgently than anything, we needed to bring Yeon Ri back from the Hwalseong District.
Even if Yeon Ri was a person who was absentminded, with the situation turning this dire, she wouldn’t just be lying around idly at her residence.
When it came to facing the Plague Demonic Spirit, she had the most experience.
Of course, most of that history was riddled with failure, but still, compared to the rest of us, she would know at least a few details about it that could prove useful.
If we dug through her memories enough, something….. anything might surface.
I turned to Black Moon leader Cheong Jin Myeong and gave my order.
“We will return to the main palace and deal with the demonic spirits. You go to Hwalseong District immediately and escort Maid Yeon Ri here.”
“…That won’t be necessary.”
“…What?”
Whoosh.
Just then, a girl briskly pushed aside the simple windscreen we had set up and stepped inside.
She walked in with quick, light steps, then casually grabbed a cushion that had been rolling on the floor and placed it neatly beside the table before sitting down.
Then she flashed an awkward smile and spoke.
“Yes. Hello. I’m Yeon Ri.”
“….…”
“Today, I visited Taehwa Pavilion, where the demonic spirits are rampant. The atmosphere is so heavy that I feel like the meatballs I had this morning are about to come back up… Well, I suppose it can’t be helped, given the circumstances….”
“…….”
Seated in the gathering were the kind who would elicit deep bows from the surrounding officials by their mere presence even within Cheongdo Palace.
The mistresses of the Four Great Palaces, the Vice General, the Warrior Commander of the Red Palace…
In the midst of such illustrious figures, a mere maid from the Hwalseong District sat demurely, speaking with complete nonchalance. The sight alone was enough to make everyone swallow dryly.
Who exactly was this maid, that she could talk so freely with the Vice General of the country?
If an ordinary person were to feel the weight of the scrutinizing gazes directed at her, they’d immediately shrink under the pressure.
But Yeon Ri was not that kind of person.
“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself….”
Yeon Ri suddenly undid the neatly tied bun at the back of her head, letting her ebony-black hair fall gracefully around her shoulders. Then she lightly covered her mouth with her sleeve and smiled.
Compared to when she had been in the Heavenly Dragon Hall, her attire was simpler, her face was bare of almost any makeup, and more than anything, the entire aura she carried was different.
Unlike the noble lady who used to walk with an air of refinement, always flanked by maids, she now seemed oddly carefree and almost frivolous. Yet at the same time, she seemed strangely familiar like an old friend.
And yet, as people looked at her features more closely, a particular face came to mind.
While most were still uncertain, Seol Ran, who had worked in Heavenly Dragon Hall for a long time suddenly lifted her head in realization and exclaimed.
“…Ah, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun? Wait…?”
“Yes, I am the former Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun. Thank you.”
“W-Wait, but… You stepped down after taking responsibility for the Sun Demonic Spirit incident….”
“Yes. Now, I work as a maid in the Hwalseong District as a hobby. My specialties include laundry, cleaning, and household organization. Thank you.”
That’s right.
While I had been unconscious, Yeon Ri had quickly ridden out on horseback all the way to Taehwa Pavilion.
For her, that was unusually quick action. Just as I was about to be overcome with emotion, thinking she had finally matured—
Yeon Ri… No, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun dusted off her sleeve again and put on an expression of perfect nonchalance.
“Being a maid suits me well, and I’m quite happy. Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?”
“W-Wait… No matter what, how could the former Heavenly Maiden end up as a maid…?”
“If you keep doing it, it becomes fun. I thought you, Vermilion Princess, would understand… Being a maid may seem like a lowly job, but once you do it, you come to realize it has its own kind of dignity.”
“…W-Wait, since when…? D-Don’t tell me, all the way back in the White Immortal Palace…?”
“Let’s not dig too deep. We’re here to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit, aren’t we?”
The revelation that the headmaid of Hwalseong District was none other than former Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun struck like a bolt of lightning. The mistresses of the Four Great Palaces were left utterly speechless. None of them had even imagined that the Vice General had someone like her under his command.
“General Seol is truly impossible to figure out. No matter how much you peel back, there’s always more underneath….”
Warrior Commander Jang Lae trailed off.
There was no time to waste being surprised by things like this. They could process the shock after everything was over.
As they looked at Yeon Ri, the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces felt an unsettling sense of dissonance.
In the middle of a battlefield drenched in blood.
High-ranking officials lay dead, and the blood of demonic spirits splattered in every direction, yet—
That young former Heavenly Maiden didn’t so much as bat an eye.
Instead, she was casually chatting about how the meatballs she had eaten that morning tasted.
It wasn’t just composure. It felt… strangely out of place.
Was she simply a person whose very nature was warped?
But then, she seemed far too effortlessly kindhearted for that.
And that contradiction itself was what sent a chill down their spines.
Blatant madness was one thing, but those who were subtly crazy were far more terrifying.
To the crown princess consorts, who knew nothing of the situation, Yeon Ri’s bright and cheerful smile looked no different from that of a lunatic.
The Black Princess of the Black Tortoise Palace swallowed dryly, while the White Princess of the White Tiger Palace cast a cold gaze.
Even under the wary stares of the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces, the former Heavenly Maiden showed not the slightest trace of unease.
She simply sat there with perfect composure, tucking in her chin as she spoke with lively enthusiasm.
“We don’t yet know the exact reason why the Plague Demonic Spirit has already appeared, but if we’re going to kill it, there’s a sure way to do it.”
And then, Yeon Ri spoke.
With a faint smile amidst the tense atmosphere.
In a calm, lowered voice.
The air grew thick with tension.
Amidst the adjutants swallowing dryly and the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces, she boldly spoke and drew every gaze to herself.
This—this was the answer they had all been desperately searching for.
“—The way to kill them is to eliminate the host of the Plague Dmeonic Spirit….”
“I already tried that.”
“…….”
Before anyone could react, I answered.
“…It didn’t die, though?”
“…Huh?”
Yeon Ri, who had been speaking with the gravest expression, suddenly snapped her head toward me. A bead of cold sweat trailed down her face.
“Y-You’re serious?”
“Yeah.”
“…Why?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“….….”
“….….”
On the platform of Taehwa Pavilion, where the bitter winter wind howled past,
Only silence filled the space near the meeting table.
Yeon Ri-ah.
Please….
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