Chapter 117: Just Because Part 2

– What happened to make you cry so sadly?

A boy with a sword at his side asked under the midnight moon.

The boy’s appearance was far from tidy.

His patched hemp clothes were so worn that finding an intact spot in them was nearly impossible, and the handle of his sword was stained with dirt and it was worn down from use.

At a glance, he looked like a beggar who had lived his entire life without ever knowing wealth or luxury.

Yet, strangely enough, despite his beggar-like appearance, there was a certain air of ease in the boy’s eyes which made him look far from unhappy.

To the girl’s eyes, he looked like a Taoist immortal descended from the moon.

Was she so troubled that she was seeing hallucinations?

– …….

The place was a corner of the forest at the foot of the White Immortal Mountain.

The girl had been wandering through the forest after being chased out of the Heavenly Dragon Hall, and having exhausted her strength, she had slumped down and leaned against the first tree she could find.

After living her entire life as the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall, enjoying luxury and comfort, here she was, lying on the dirt of a desolate mountain with no one around.

She found her own demise ridiculous. And so she shed tears quietly.

The occasional chirping of insects in the wild, the distant growls of mountain beasts, and the sound of rustling leaves that seemed to mock her.

Whether she starved to death lying here or was devoured by wild beasts, it didn’t matter to her anymore.

As she lay there silently reflecting on her life, Sword Master Seol Tae Pyeong appeared before her without any warning.

– If you lie here like this, you’ll be eaten by wild beasts and die.

The back of the boy’s sword was already dripping with the blood of beasts.

It seemed he had already cut down a few wild animals on his way here.

Seeing this, the girl held her breath for a moment.

Ah Hyun of the first cycle, Seol Tae Pyeong of the first cycle.

A cruel, self-centered, and arrogant Heavenly Maiden who was filled with a superiority complex.

A young swordsman who had lived his entire life as a beggar wandering the imperial capital.

The two, who had nothing in common, simply stared at each other in silence for a long while.

Then, at last, the girl spoke.

– Arrogant fool. How dare a mere beggar look down on me?

The girl was utterly devoid of any semblance of respect or manners.

***

The tip of the sword trembled.

Thud.

The severed arm of the White Demonic Spirit rolled onto the floor of White Tiger Palace.

Along with the dark blue blood of the demonic spirit, the overflowing energy of the Heavenly Dragon dispersed and vanished completely. If he had been even a little later, the White Princess would have completely lost consciousness like the other crown princess consorts.

Crunch!

Whish!

With a sharp twist of his body, another strike came flying.

The sword strike that narrowly grazed over White Princess’s head aimed straight for the White Demonic Spirit’s neck.

Clang.

Crack!

However, Seol Tae Pyeong’s sword failed to sever the White Demonic Spirit’s neck.

The blade shattered against the demonic spirit’s neck; it felt as if he was striking solid steel. Unlike its arms, the vital points of the White Demonic Spirit were protected by skin as tough as iron.

The power of the Plague Demonic Spirit…!

Even though Sword Master Seol Tae Pyeong had slashed with all his might, the fact that the white demonic spirit hadn’t been cleaved in two meant this was no ordinary demonic spirit.

Brushing off the broken hilt of his sword and taking a deep breath, Seol Tae Pyeong finally had the chance to observe the White demonic spirit fully.

[Are you the Sword Master of the Hwalseong District?]

The voice was eerily similar to Yeon Ri’s, yet strangely distorted.

This demonic spirit had taken on the form of the former Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, though it was clear that this version of her was far younger than the Yeon Ri of now.

The Ah Hyun from the first cycle.

The former Heavenly Maiden whose hatred for the world reached the heavens. Before she ever met Seol Tae Pyeong.

Considering Yeon Ri, who had crossed countless reincarnations and fought an ongoing battle of wits with the Plague Demonic Spirit, this earlier version of her was severely lacking in experience.

In terms of years, it had likely been decades, and Yeon Ri now had grown infinitely more mature compared to her first cycle.

Even so, as Seol Tae Pyeong sheathed his sword, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise.

[You, too, are nothing more than someone struggling in vain.]

The demonic spirit wore the majestic robes of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

Despite the tattered state of the extravagant attire, it still exuded dignity and majesty.

Even though parts of her flesh had rotted away, there was an undeniable nobility about her. Her tone, though quiet, carried the weight of strength. It was the voice of someone who had ruled from the top for a long time.

“…….”

[No matter how many times you struggle, what meaning is there in it? If you cannot accept the death that has come for you, all you do is drive yourself into endless suffering.]

“…….”

Seol Tae Pyeong couldn’t hold back the question that surfaced in his mind as he stared at her.

“…Who are you?”

[I am Ah Hyun, the former Heavenly Maiden Palace who once wore the robes of the Heavenly Dragon Hall. I am the foolish woman who was abandoned by the people of Cheongdo and met a miserable end.]

“…….”

[Bow your heads. I am the shaman who served the power of the Heavenly Dragon at the very top of this country on your behalf. Lowly and foolish commoners, if you wish to speak to me, do not meet my gaze; kneel first.]

The figure of the White Demonic Spirit asserted its authority with unwavering resolve.

Its sharp, upturned eyes exuded a sense of dignity, and the way it firmly conveyed its intentions radiated both elegance and grace.

– I really want some chicken… not this rice soup…

– Tae Pyeong-ah, look at this. I just cleaned my ears, and… the earwax… this is the biggest chunk I’ve ever seen in my life…

– Ah… was my belly always this… pudgy? It… it wasn’t this bad before…

Overlapping with this scene was the image of Yeon Ri, the senior maid of the Hwalseong District.

Yeon Ri… what on earth happened to you…?

Could it be that you hurt your head while reincarnating…?

Such worries popped into his mind first.

Boom!

The resistance from the White Demonic Spirit that followed was fierce.

With just one sweep of her spiritual power, which had wrapped around her body, a massive explosion erupted from the corridor of the White Tiger Palace all the way to the wooden floors.

The power of the White Demonic Spirit far surpassed the limits of what a human could achieve. Simply making eye contact with her allowed her to control someone’s senses with ease.

Though Seol Tae Pyeong who was blessed by the divine fever could resist to some extent, the others in the palace were completely helpless.

A monster who plunged entire areas into confusion with every step. White Demonic Spirit Ah Hyun was a calamity that shook the hearts of all who encountered her.

Thud!

Amid the explosion that swept through the wooden floor of White Tiger Palace, Seol Tae Pyeong burst out while wrapping one arm around the White Princess.

He rolled once across the courtyard and landed smoothly, making sure to shield White Princess from scraping against the ground with her body.

Whoosh.

As the thick cloud of dust finally cleared, the White Princess found herself sitting on top of Seol Tae Pyeong.

Startled, she quickly stood up and turned her gaze with effort toward the smoking White Tiger Palace.

“Th-Thank you. But…”

Though her entire body was now covered in dust, the White Princess hardly seemed to care.

“Whenever I’m involved with you, the White Tiger Palace always ends up getting badly damaged.”

“There’s no helping it when lives are on the line.”

“Yes. With you, it’s always a matter of life and death. Could this too be a trial sent by the Emperor of Heaven with some deeper purpose?”

A gust of wind followed the aftermath of the explosion.

The sound of clothes flapping filled the air.

Whoooosh!

***

I planted my feet firmly to avoid being swept away by the wind and held on to the White Princess.

Despite her small frame, she clenched her teeth and stood her ground. She looked straight at the one-armed demonic spirit that had emerged onto the wooden floor of the White Tiger Palace.

The arm that had been severed by my sword was still dripping blood, and as it writhed in a grotesque manner, a new hand began to grow.

The process was so disturbingly bizarre that it was hard to watch without wincing.

The White Demonic Spirit’s veins bulged and pulsed across its entire body, creating a horrifying sight. From a distance, it still resembled the beautiful Heavenly Maiden, but up close, there were far too many unnatural features to count.

“In any case, if this chaos continues, it won’t be long before the military officers of the Red Palace arrive. No matter how powerful a special demonic spirit might be, it cannot possibly take on multiple generals. We just need to escape before then.”

The White Princess’s judgment was swift and precise.

There was no need to fight this opponent. No matter how formidable the demonic spirit’s power was, it couldn’t singlehandedly overcome all the officers and soldiers of Cheongdo.

But surely, the White demonic spirit must have anticipated that.

Whoooosh!

Suddenly, the energy of the Heavenly Dragon began to surge around the White Demonic Spirit.

The sight of an evil demonic spirit freely manipulating the divine energy of the Heavenly Dragon was unnatural in itself, as if the laws of the world were being violated.

For a demonic spirit to wield the power of the Heavenly Dragon, which was the very force that demons feared most….it seemed impossible. Yet, that was exactly what White Demonic Spirit Ah Hyun was doing.

Boom.

“Th-That….”

The pupils of the White Princess trembled violently.

The energy of the Heavenly Dragon held such immense power that it could even turn back the flow of time itself.

Anyone who could fully wield that power would possess abilities far more divine than any Taoist on earth.

Although Yeon Ri had now lost most of that power, she had possessed the greatest and most formidable strength in her first cycle.

Before her power was gradually depleted after repeating the cycle of the world several times, her full power had once covered the entire world.

And when she closed her eyes and opened them again—

The world turned to night.

“….…!”

The sun and moon, day and night, light and darkness.

Could anything be impossible for a power that could casually overturn the creations of the Emperor of Heaven?

The sun hadn’t set slowly; its light had vanished in an instant as if a lamp had been snuffed out. The White Princess and I could do nothing but hold our breaths in shock.

The moon and stars hanging high in the sky seemed to proclaim that the laws of the world, created by the Emperor of Heaven, were now in the hands of this White Demonic Spirit.

“Wh-What is this…?”

The White Princess looked at me after she gazed up at the darkened sky.

It was as if she were silently asking what kind of monstrous act that creature was committing.

Amid the overwhelming energy of the Heavenly Dragon rising from its entire body, White Demonic Spirit Ah Hyun swung her arm.

And with just that one effortless gesture, she severed the entire space of the inner palace from the outside world.

Since she was causing chaos in the heart of Cheongdo Palace, there was no way she hadn’t considered the soldiers from the Red Palace and the Truth Insight Terrace who would come running at any moment.

I had expected her to have prepared some sort of countermeasure, but never imagined it would involve isolating the entire inner palace from the outside world.

No matter what, there are limits to what one can conceive as possible.

Just how powerful was the energy of the Heavenly Dragon that Ah Hyun of the first cycle had controlled?

It wasn’t as though I’d never had a chance to gauge it.

– I… was quite strong back then.

Yeon Ri had already warned me once.

But still, she never said it would be to this extent.

The maid who used to lie lazily on the floor, basking in the sunlight while cleaning her ear…. who could have ever imagined that she once possessed such power?

When I looked up at the sky, I saw a massive formation encircling the vast inner palace.

It seemed to be a type of barrier that physically cut off the palace from the outside world, yet it was a level of Taoist magic far beyond that. No, it wasn’t even something you could call Taoist magic.

It was more like a power that severed time and space itself from the outside world… a force akin to the authority of the Emperor of Heaven.

She possessed this much power, and yet she quietly accepted being dethroned…?

It wasn’t that she was full of the desire to take revenge on the world that made her despair.

Even if it wasn’t enough to destroy the world, surely she could have done something out of resentment toward Cheongdo Empire, which had dethroned her.

And yet, this girl quietly accepted her dethronement and vanished into the annals of history.

The question of “Why?” didn’t even arise.

There was no time to be thinking about such things.

[Reinforcements won’t come.]

Boom! Crash!

In front of the collapsing White Tiger Palace, the girl who was full of malice spoke as if she was delivering a sentence.

The White Demonic Spirit that had swallowed fragments of Ah Hyun, the former Heavenly Maiden.

It was the masterpiece of the Plague Demonic Spirit.

The demonic energy of the White Demonic Spirit began to pierce the heavens.

A massive pillar of light surged up from the center of the inner palace.

The energy of the Heavenly Dragon that engulfed the entire inner palace, as if it was cut off from the rest of the world, was so dazzling that it was almost blinding.

Clop, clop, clop.

Even from horseback, Yeon Ri could clearly see that massive pillar of light as she rode toward the main palace.

She glanced briefly at the large sword strapped to her saddle, then gripped the reins and continued toward the palace.

Despite the dire situation, Yeon Ri’s expression seemed unusually calm.

As if none of this worried her at all.