A storm of blood will sweep through the palace. This is not the time to be trapped in the Great Prison Hall… Haaah…
White Taoist An Cheon brushed the dust from his robe and leaned against the mud wall.
Though a sliver of sunlight filtered through the high iron-barred window, it was far from enough to dispel the gloom inside the dreary prison.
Once the Black Moon Unit assesses the palace’s situation, their leader Cheong Jin Myeong will make his move… Tsk…
He pressed his fingers against his temples and went deep in thought.
The Black Moon Unit.
At first, it began as a small mercenary group of demonic spirit hunters who eradicated demonic spirits for a fee in the northeastern border regions of Cheongdo. However, over time, they expanded and eventually became a group that undertook assassinations and tracking missions for money.
Although they were skilled at stealth as they were made up of nimble demonic spirit hunters, they were still nothing compared to the ghost hands of the main palace.
No matter how famous a group of private soldiers might be, infiltrating the heavily guarded Cheongdo Palace was nearly impossible.
However, the presence of their leader Black Moon Commander Cheong Jin Myeong changed everything.
He was a survivor of the poison known as Bitter Harmony Poison. Unlike the other members of the Black Moon who were driven by money, he seemed to be driven by some kind of belief.
Looking at the scale of the matter, Cheong Jin Myeong must also be in the Imperial Capital.
Bitter Harmony Poison was one of the deadly trials. It was known as the Three Calamities Trial of the Immortals.
It was known that to surpass one’s given abilities and become more powerful than the human limit, one had to overcome one of the Three Calamities Trials to expand their vessel.
These trials were the Heavenly Trial, the Earthly Trial, and the Human Trial.
The harshest of these trials in order were the Heavenly Trial, the Earthly Trial, and the Human Trial.
Anyone who overcame even one of these trials would gain a vessel capable of obtaining extraordinary abilities, but the magnitude of these powers was not equal.
The greatest Heavenly Trial was both a curse and a blessing bestowed by the heavens. Only one in tens of thousands was chosen to endure the Heavenly Trial but most could not withstand the pain and died. Only those chosen by the heavens could undergo this trial, and the number who survived was the fewest.
The Heavenly Trial was the greatest among the Three Calamities Trials, and those who overcame it were considered blessed by the heavens.
In Cheongdo Palace, there were Grand General Seong Sa Wook, Sword Master Seol Tae Pyeong, Young Fairy Jin Cheong Lang, Sage Butterfly Po Hwa Ryeong, and Chief Councilor In Seon Rok.
The next in line were those who endured the Earthly Trial.
These were individuals who drank a mixture made from the Bitter Harmony flower, which bloomed once every fifteen years at the peak of a sacred mountain.
This poison was extremely difficult to obtain, but drinking it did not guarantee the vessel of a strong person. Most people would die a gruesome death, with their organs twisted and blood spewing from their seven orifices. It was indeed a poison, just like its name.
However, one or two out of ten could withstand the Bitter Harmony Poison and awaken to new powers.
Such individuals included Vice General Jeong Seo Tae, Black Moon Commander Cheong Jin Myeong, Minister of War Lee Soo, Headmaid Lee Ryeong, and White Taoist An Cheon.
Lastly, there were those who endured the Human Trial. In short, these were people who killed the person they cherished most with their own hands.
A well-honed steel sword paired with a red spider lily that had grown by feeding on the flesh of corpses and tempered once more with advanced Taoist magic became the Blood Flower Sword (a demonic blade). Those who wielded it would be overwhelmed by a strong impulse to slay the person they cherished most.
After committing such an act, they would gain unprecedented power along with a wave of regret.
Among the known figures, there was Sword Master Seol Lee Moon.
One of these individuals, the Black Moon leader who was known to have drunk the Bitter Harmony Poison was able to blend into the darkness on nights with a full moon. In peak condition, he could gather his energy and stealthily move with about a dozen assassins.
If he took action personally, things could escalate significantly.
Perhaps they hadn’t initially imagined that the techniques they once used to hunt demonic spirits would be turned against people, but now the Black Moon Unit had become a group willing to do anything for money.
Whatever it takes, I must find a way out of this prison…
In truth, breaking out of this prison wasn’t difficult for him. It was the aftermath that was frightening. It would undoubtedly complicate matters. He had to consider other possible methods.
White Taoist An Cheon sat in the corner of the cell and he was deeply lost in thought.
It felt as though he didn’t have much time left. If all else failed, he might have to resort to escaping.
“Wh-What brings the Vermilion Princess here?”
“I came after hearing news about Maid Seol.”
Anyone watching would think that a tea gathering was being held.
It was rare to see three of the crown princess consorts from the Four Great Palaces gathered in one place unless it was for a formal event like that.
Surprisingly, the reason these most noble women of the inner palace had gathered was merely because of a junior maid.
The Azure Princess brushed the tip of her nose with her sleeve as she collected her thoughts for a moment.
It was disorienting enough to see the Black Princess or the Vermilion Princess, the owner of the Golden Hairpin, appear but to see all of them together made her feel almost dizzy.
Though she knew she had many rivals, it was frustrating to realize that none of them were ordinary. Nonetheless, it was Jin Cheong Lang who first recognized the value of Commander Seol Tae Pyeong.
She was certain that the Vermilion Princess intended to take Maid Seol to the Vermilion Bird Palace.
Just as the Azure Princess, who was feeling very confident, was trying to organize her thoughts about what to say,
“This is a maid who was personally expelled by the Heavenly Maiden. Bringing such a person back into the inner palace could be seen as disregarding the Heavenly Maiden’s wishes, don’t you think?”
However, the Vermilion Princess was more rational than expected.
Though she had been led astray by her feelings before becoming an adult, she had attained a certain level of mental maturity over a long period of time. And even though she was still in her early twenties, she was the oldest among the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces.
The kneeling Seol Tae Pyeong felt as if a savior had descended from the heavens upon hearing the Vermilion Princess’s words.
Indeed, the Vermilion Princess had come not to take Seol Ran to the Vermilion Bird Palace but to remove her from the inner palace altogether.
It was as if the Vermilion Princess had wings on her back.
“I-I do not intend to go against the Heavenly Maiden’s wishes, but…”
“As you know, Maid Seol is skilled and diligent, making her an excellent maid. I believe that there must be a reason why the Heavenly Maiden decided to send such a capable maid to a dangerous place like the Great Prison Hall.”
The Vermilion Princess.
As the most authoritative crown princess consort, she always set an example for others. By nature, she always adhered to principles and rules.
“Commander Seol, speak your thoughts on this. I’ve heard that you’ve had several private meetings with the Heavenly Maiden since you became the Inner Swords Commander.”
The Vermilion Princess was usually hesitant when she saw Seol Tae Pyeong, but over the years, she seemed to have finally let go of those feelings.
Even as she looked at the more reliable looking Seol Tae Pyeong, she spoke in a composed manner befitting the noble mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace.
“The fact that you became the Inner Swords Commander at the same time the Heavenly Maiden expelled Maid Seol cannot be just a coincidence.”
It was as if a lifeline had been thrown from the heavens. The intent behind the Vermilion Princess’s question was perfectly clear.
The Vermilion Princess was well-versed in palace laws and adept at persuasion. Coupled with her authority, it was best to align with her intentions.
“Ah, th-that is correct. The Heavenly Maiden cited several reasons why Maid Seol could not remain in the inner palace for the time being.”
“Tell me those reasons.”
All he had to do was grasp the lifeline that the Vermilion Princess had thrown to him and explain.
“F-First… since I have become the Inner Swords Commander that oversees the conduct of the inner palace maids, the Heavenly Maiden felt it was not right for my blood relative to remain as a maid in the inner palace. It would be difficult for me to guarantee complete fairness and integrity in supervising Maid Seol.”
Commander Seol Tae Pyeong was someone who cherished Maid Seol deeply.
So, it was difficult for Seol Tae Pyeong to treat Seol fairly as the inspector of the inner palace.
The Heavenly Maiden took these circumstances into consideration and sent Seol Ran out of the Inner Palace for the time being—these were events that never happened. But this was likely the answer the Vermilion Princess wanted.
But the Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun didn’t have such a thought at all. She had just been drinking expensive tea in the Heavenly Jade Pavilion of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.
It seemed that the mysterious impression of the Heavenly Maiden had been significantly diluted in my mind, but in any case, Yeon Ri… no, Ah Hyun was just that kind of person.
Even if some of the details were not quite accurate, they could be adjusted later when I discuss things with her again in the Heavenly Dragon Hall.
Indeed, the Vermilion Princess’s approach was very clear and tidy.
By exploiting the authority of the Heavenly Maiden, who held more power than the crown Princess consorts, no one, not even the mistress of Azure Dragon Palace, could argue.
Maid Seol had left the inner palace on the order of the Heavenly Maiden!
So, what could you do about it!
No matter how powerful the mistress of Azure Dragon Palace was, what could she do against the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall…!
“Ugh…”
The Azure Princess bit her lips in frustration. And her face puffed up with anger.
That expression made her look less like the dignified mistress of Azure Dragon Palace and more like a young girl unable to contain her anger.
Perhaps the Azure Princess…she really just wanted to be friends with Seol Ran…
In this way, the battle for Seol Ran ended in a draw.
Junior maid Seol Ran went to work at the Great Prison Hall as originally planned, and there she would meet the White Taoist An Cheon and become entangled in the plans of the Black Moon Unit.
By helping Ancheon thwart the Black Moon Unit’s covert actions, she would make a great contribution to saving the life of Prince Hyeon Won, and she would be immediately promoted to the rank of senior maid…!
Seol Ran’s career was already on a smooth path and it would now accelerate even further!
“It’s all resolved, Tae Pyeong-ah! As expected, regardless of what people can say about the Vermilion Princess, she is thoughtful and acts decisively; she is really trustworthy! It’s no wonder she became the most authoritative crown princess consort and the mistress of Vermilion Bird Palace…! This is great, just great!”
“……”
“……”
“Tae Pyeong-ah… still, I am the Heavenly Maiden… please don’t look at me like that…”
At the Heavenly Jade Pavilion, where the waterfall cascaded down.
As always, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was sitting with a noble demeanor, drinking tea, and still exuding elegance. …
But it was impossible to look at her with respectful eyes.
The position of an Upper Fifth Rank military officer was insignificant dust compared to the Heavenly Maiden.
However, after I spent half my life watching Yeon Ri’s face…. sometimes, without realizing it, I couldn’t help but occasionally give her the most incredulous looks.
I had to mentally remind myself.
She was the mistress of this Heavenly Dragon Hall and the very same Heavenly Maiden who received the energy of the Heavenly Dragon. The woman responsible for the future of the Cheongdo Empire …
– Achoo! Sniffle.
While watching the Heavenly Maiden sneeze in the middle of drinking tea…. I continued to brainwash myself in that manner.
“Don’t worry, Tae Pyeong-ah. Although there were some minor mistakes due to the urgency of the situation, there was no significant change in the overall flow of the future. Right?”
“…….”
“Please answer me… Please, I’m begging you…”
“Ah, yes… Your Highness…”
Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun cleared her throat, adjusted her voice, and awkwardly tapped the edge of her teacup.
Then she put her hands on her waist, cleared her throat again, and quickly continued speaking.
“There won’t be any major issues with the continuing plan…!”
“Plan? You have another plan?”
“Have you ever seen me act without a plan, Tae Pyeong-ah?”
“A plan… yes… there was always a plan…”
As I lowered my gaze to the tea table and muttered that, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun sighed deeply and spoke.
“Actually… this isn’t something to get so worked up about.”
Although Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun usually spoke in an elevated tone, this time she spoke in a somewhat solemn manner.
Because it wasn’t a matter to get excited about.
Yes, White Taoist An Cheon, whom Seol Ran first met at the Heavenly Dragon Festival.
Seol Ran would reunite with this Taoist priest at the Great Prison Hall this time.
And then she would get involved in a major incident that could be considered the biggest event in the early part of Heavenly Dragon Love Story.
That’s right. The Heavenly Dragon Love Story was a story centered around the characters, but every once in a while, there would be a major accident that overturned the power structure within the Cheongdo Palace.
Because Seol Ran needed such a major incident to rapidly elevate her status.
The result was the assassination attempt on Crown Prince Hyeon Won.
While practicing archery, Crown Prince Hyeon Won went hunting in the Imperial Garden, where a group from the Black Moon Unit ambushed him to assassinate him, but in the end, it concluded as just an attempt.
It was indeed one of the major incidents that completely overturned Cheongdo Palace.
Starting with the desperate effort to protect Crown Prince Hyeon Won from the Black Moon Unit, to uncovering who was behind it all, if Seol Ran navigated this series of events successfully… she would rise to the position of a senior maid for saving the Crown Prince’s life.
And that part ends when Crown Prince Hyeon Won begins to suspect that Seol Ran might have been the one who saved him from being crushed by rocks during his childhood birthday ceremony.
The number of influential figures involved was enormous.
From Chief Councilor In Seon Rok, Under Councilor Shim Sang Gon, Strategist Hwa An, General Seong Sa Wook, Vice General Jeong Seo Tae, to Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong, and Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang.
Until they captured Black Moon Unit Leader Cheong Jin Myeong and extracted all the details, Cheongdo Palace would remain in chaos.
The meeting between White Taoist An Cheon and Seol Ran… was like announcing the beginning.
It meant she needed to stay sharp.
“You have arrived.”
Becoming the master of the Hwalseong District certainly felt good, but it was very inconvenient to have to go back and forth from Cheongdo Palace to my mansion every time.
I was now one of the high-ranking military officials, so they prepared a carriage for me, and the inspection process I went through at the Great Star Gate was greatly simplified… Still, the distance was so great that it was already late at night when I entered the main gate of my mansion.
Cheongdo Empire had early mornings, but it also had early nights.
It was natural for people to be inactive late at night when there was almost no lighting.
When I crossed the Hwalseong District alone and arrived in front of the mansion, only guard Bi Cheon was waiting for me.
“Hey, what’s this? Why are you still waiting when it’s this late?”
“The maids in your quarters are also awake. I learned at the Red Palace that no one should sleep before their master arrives, except for those on night duty.”
“Ugh, so rigid. Next time, if it’s getting late, leave the guarding and go to bed.”
I was carrying a lot of supplies I had brought from Cheongdo Palace.
Bi Cheon quickly ran out and took them from me.
“Will you go directly to your bedroom?”
“No, I want to clear my head with a night walk. You go ahead and sleep.”
“No, Commander Seol. It’s very late, and it would be best if you retired to your bedroom tonight. You have many tasks in Hwalseong District tomorrow, and you’ll be tired if your sleep is shortened.”
Apprentice warrior Bi Cheon was a well-mannered and obedient boy.
When I thought about my own days as an apprentice warrior, I was quite the opposite which made me take care of him all the more. I often fed him whatever I could find, which he seemed to appreciate.
Probably.
“……”
However, tonight, for some reason, he was refusing my orders and trying to give me honest advice.
While honest advice from a reliable subordinate is important, that’s only true to a certain extent.
An apprentice warrior’s duty is solely to follow orders. For an apprentice warrior to dare offer direct advice to an upper fifth rank officer like me was a grave breach of court law.
Yet, there was no way Bi Cheon didn’t know that.
While pretending to carry the luggage, Bi Cheon approached me and whispered.
“Commander, it seems I’ve picked up a tail around the forest path. It looks like about four to five people.”
I flinched in surprise at Bi Cheon’s words.
“…I know. And it’s more like six to seven, not four to five.”
I was more astonished by the fact that this apprentice warrior had naturally detected the followers hidden in the darkness than by the fact that I was being followed.
Jang Rae who recommended Bi Cheon, assured me that he would become a good adjutant when he grows up, and I certainly knew why now.
“They are Black Moon assassins. Bi Cheon, these are not opponents you can handle, so go into the inner quarters, close all the paper doors in the maids’ rooms, and guard that place. Can you manage that?”
“……”
However, no matter how intelligent he was, one’s age couldn’t be hidden.
Bi Cheon’s adam’s apple bobbed momentarily with a gulp as he nodded with a resolute look on his face. His fingers that were clutching the sword sheath were subtly trembling.
Why are the Black Moon assassins… after me?
Though I was puzzled, I saw no need to let them into my house.
I slung my Jade Leaf Sword over my back, shoved my hands into the pockets of my trousers, and trudged into the forest at night.
“Make sure to lock up tight~.”
As I said this, Bi Cheon’s face hardened while he watched me walk into the darkness.
Bi Cheon’s figure slowly receded into the distance.
Rustle
Rustle, rustle
The faint presence I sensed through the grass was only noticeable when I really concentrated my mind to the limit.
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