Chapter 122: Just Because Part 7

There was no reason for people to grow weak.

That was the impression Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun felt as she sat in the Heavenly Dragon Hall while gazing at the many officials before her.

Hadn’t it been said that no flower blooms for ten days? Those high officials who once seemed like they would rule the world forever would, eventually fall like petals with the passage of time.

What was power really that they spent their entire lives chasing it, only to one day vanish with a knife stabbed in their back?

Even those who had basked in a seemingly endless golden age would slowly become fading stars. Then they would reflect on their lives before finally drifting away into the afterlife.

If one examined the long history of humanity, a long line of people fading in just that way stretched endlessly.

Most people grew weak.

They aged, they lost what they had to protect, fulfilled their deep-seated desires, or faced disappointment. In the ebb and flow of joy and sorrow, wrinkles creased their skin, and rather than dreaming of the future, they grew old reminiscing about the past.

There was no reason for people to grow weak. Humans had always been like that.

And because of this, those who grew strong carried a reason deep within them.

Only those with a reason to become strong could endure bone-deep hardship and stand tall.

***

Whooosh!

The White Demonic Spirit used its spiritual energy to block Seol Tae Pyeong’s fist that pierced through the dust.

Yet even with that, the impact alone pushed it back, smashing it through the inner wall of the Heavenly Dragon Hall and sending it all the way to the deepest part of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

Ever since he began to unleash his true power in the White Tiger Palace, the White Demonic Spirit had been nothing more than a target that got continuously beaten.

Through the rising smoke from the fallen debris, Seol Ta Pyeong’s figure emerged. The energy of a wild beast radiated from his face.

No matter what anyone said, he was overwhelmingly strong.

[Kugh…!]

As the White Demonic Spirit coughed up blood and lifted the collar of its robe, it found it heavily stained.

Seeing the thick, dark blood of a demonic spirit trickling down, it couldn’t help but marvel at just how much blood its body contained.

[Huff….]

Swaaah

The sound of the waterfall poured down around the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

The pavilion surrounded by clear water was beautifully located in the deepest part of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

It was always the place where Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun would sit and gather the energy of the Heavenly Dragon.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun had spent nearly her entire life there. Though the Heavenly Jade Pavilion was known as the most sacred spot within Cheongdo Palace, to Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, it was a place as comfortable as home.

Whenever she sat in the Heavenly Jade Pavilion and listened to the sound of the waterfall, her heart would always find peace.

She even thought that it would be nice to spend her whole life sitting in this sacred garden and observing the world.

The White Demonic Spirit forced itself to rise while spitting out blood.

Amid the cascade of clear waters, a ghost of the past staggered and struggled to stay upright.

[You… are stronger than I imagined….]

Those who were strong had a reason to be so.

While living in this inner palace as the Heavenly Maiden, she had encountered many powerful figures. It wasn’t just physical strength. Some had strong hearts, some were politically sharp, and some were exceptionally perceptive.

Among them, the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces stood out as those who lived strongly in their own ways.

They all had to be strong. Their survival depended on it.

It was during her childhood, when Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun knew nothing, that she first ascended to the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

From that moment on, she had lived in Heavenly Dragon Hall longer than anyone else. She observed and remembered each of them with clarity.

She kept the memories of these women of the Four Great Palaces close to her heart. Each one of them was sitting in her own palace and living her life for her own reasons.

Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon lived to prove her worth.

Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang lived to master the heights of Taoist arts.

Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong lived to foster harmony within the palace.

White Princess Ha Wol lived to seize even greater power.

The mistresses of the Four Great Palaces who were each guarding a different corner of the Heavenly Dragon Hall each looked in different directions and reached out to pursue different goals.

But it wasn’t only the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces who lived this way.

The Emperor lived to ensure the safety of Cheongdo Palace. Strategist Hwa An lived to protect his authority. Chief Councilor In Seon Rok lived to elevate the prestige of the Jeongseon clan. Vice General Jeong Seo Rae lived to defend the people from demonic spirits. Grand General Seong Sa Wook lived to protect the Emperor.

The Headmaid lived to guard the Heavenly Dragon Hall and the Heavenly Maiden. The Head Chef lived to create more delicious dishes. The merchants lived to earn great wealth; the physicians lived to save as many lives as possible; the soldiers lived to protect the country and their families.

In this Cheongdo Empire, where noble people gathered, there were countless individuals with strong wills, each of whom steadfastly followed the path of their own lives.

For the endless journey of life before them, this country was the place where many coiled, rested, and waited to begin anew.

And so, it hadn’t been difficult for the young girl to find her own purpose in life.

She would live to protect this Cheongdo Empire that was filled with people like them.

To honor each person’s cherished reason for living, she resolved to embrace those precious, invaluable “reasons” and protect this country.

The young girl who had once strolled aimlessly through the courtyard, holding the Headmaid’s hand, carried a purpose grander and more noble than any other.

Yet, what meaning would it have to harbor such a feeling alone?

In time, to ensure she could one day affirm this resolve, she would often share her determination with a friend she met regularly at the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

Whenever she visited the Heavenly Jade Pavilion, the girl would always go up to the roof and talk to her friend.

“……..”

But now, that too had become a story of the past.

Boom! Bang!

Thud!

With a powerful strike from Seol Tae Pyeong, the White Demonic Spirit’s body went crashing once more onto the pavilion’s rooftop.

The very rooftop that had once shielded Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun from snow and rain now supported her body once again, as if it was protecting her even now.

Amidst the rising dust, the monster’s fierce eyes gleamed once more.

Swoosh!

Seol Tae Pyeong pulled out his broken sword.

Before the White Demonic Spirit could resist further, he drove the blade into its right shoulder.

Thud!

[Ack!]

The White Demonic Spirit screamed in agony as sharp pain surged through its body.

Its dark red blood flowed, blurring its vision momentarily.

The blade that went straight through the roof served as a stake, which held the demonic spirit in place so it couldn’t move.

Even slight movements caused searing pain, as though its flesh were being sliced anew.

In the midst of this, Seol Tae Pyeong grabbed the White Demonic Spirit’s opposite shoulder and struck at the protective barrier of the Plague Demonic Spirit on its neck.

Clang!

A dull, heavy sound echoed. It felt as if he was striking an immense wall.

No matter how strong he was, it wouldn’t be easy to break through the protective spell imbued with the Plague Demonic Spirit’s power.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Still, Seol Tae Pyeong’s fists did not stop.

The sight of him pounding madly on the already half-cracked barrier was truly terrifying.

To the White Demonic Spirit, who no longer had the strength to move, Seol Tae Pyeong looked like a demon risen straight from hell.

Clang! Clang! Thud! Splat! Clang! Thwack!

Occasionally, a dull thud or the splatter of blood echoed through the air.

Seol Tae Pyeong’s fists repeatedly slammed into the barrier, and soon his hands twisted in agony, blood spurted from his knuckles, and his flesh was scraped raw.

With each blow, blood sprayed in all directions, but he paid it no mind and kept striking over and over again.

His calm expression, as though he were numbing himself to the pain, sent chills down anyone who watched.

Clang! Clang! Crash!

His bones began to crack, and his hands were drenched in blood as he continued pounding on the barrier. Finally, just as his hands were on the verge of breaking completely, the barrier shattered into pieces.

Pasa-sak!

Through the scattering remnants of energy, Seol Tae Pyeong’s fist pushed forward.

He grasped the White Demonic Spirit’s neck tightly. His eyes were blazing as he looked down.

“Finally, I’ve caught you.”

[Co… cough…]

“I told you to release the seal on the inner palace, or I’ll crush your neck.”

The trembling at Seol Tae Pyeong’s fingertips made it clear he was at his limit.

Yet, even so, it seemed he still had the strength to crush the White Demonic Spirit’s neck and snuff out its life entirely.

The pressure rising from Seol Tae Pyeong’s grip around the White Demonic Spirit’s throat left no doubt.

This monster wouldn’t take even a second to end the White Demonic Spirit’s life now.

[Me…]

The White Demonic Spirit barely managed to make a sound through its heavy breathing.

Tears began to form in the corners of the White Demonic Spirit’s eyes, and Seol Tae Pyeong’s brow quivered slightly at the sight.

[Kill… me…]

“…….”

I would rather die than surrender to my enemy.

It was not said with such spirited intent.

The white demonic spirit who was covered in blood from head to toe spoke with a trembling voice.

It was simply that it no longer clung to life.

[I… have no reason to live anymore… How can you threaten someone with death when they have no desire to stay alive?]

“…….”

[In a way, death is my true peace. So go on, grip my neck and crush my bones.]

If it couldn’t stop Seol Tae Pyeong, then perhaps dying here was better.

Because it had no reason to go on living.

What had driven her to this solemn resolve?

What had plunged this young girl into such endless emptiness?

[I once made a promise to my only friend that I would protect Cheongdo for all my life. That promise was my reason to live. I even asked my friend to witness my resolve and to watch over my life. But now that I’ve lost even that purpose… there’s no reason for me to go on.]

“Your friend…?”

[Yes. The one who sat alone in the Heavenly Jade Pavilion, always willing to listen to my story. My friend would look down at me, sometimes smiling, sometimes turning away and disappearing… my one and only friend….]

The battered White Demonic Spirit gazed at the distant sky with vacant eyes.

The huge full moon that dyed the dark red sky with bright light was warmly shining down on the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

I see.

It wasn’t hard to picture the young Heavenly Maiden.

The Heavenly Jade Pavilion, late at night, when no one else was there.

Under the bright moon, which shone like the sun, the Heavenly Maiden of Cheongdo sat proudly alone.

She had lived all her life as the Heavenly Maiden. She always received looks of reverence but had no one to truly open her heart to.

The high officials of Cheongdo Palace each harbored grand ambitions, and even the people in the inner palace carried heavy responsibilities on their shoulders.

In a world where everyone endured life’s headwinds in their own way, she too embraced her own weighty purpose and gazed up at the sky.

Up there, there was only the moon looking down warmly on everything, and the Heavenly Jade Pavilion was a place that no one could approach.

The naive girl had no friend who would simply listen to her fleeting resolutions.

That was why there was no one who would laugh at her resolution, which was not appropriate for her age, and say it was too grandiose.

While other girls her age picked up pebbles by the river, gathered flowers, or played tag, naturally coming to understand the ways of the world, this girl had not yet grasped those simple truths.

Life, in truth, is something that simply goes on.

Even without grand ambitions.

Even without any immediate goal you must pursue.

Even when the purpose you once saw as your destiny vanishes before your eyes like an illusion.

Even when you believe that the wound from pain, like a knife to the heart, will linger for a lifetime.

You just open your eyes the next morning. And when it is time to eat, you get hungry.

Sometimes, you get restless and you go for a walk.

You might pick up a book out of boredom, and while you stare blankly out the window… life just goes on.

And as you continue living, new reasons for going on suddenly appear.

They come and go, and even if they seem to disappear, they often come back again. That’s what gives life its purpose.

Living in that flow, one day you might look back on the path you’ve walked.

You think, “I lived well enough” and die. That’s what human life is all about.

So truly fleeting.

That was why it was beautiful.

There had simply been no one around to tell her that.

“Yes…”

Seol Tae Pyeong slowly closed his eyes.

Was this feeling that rose within him pity?

Even so, she was still a demonic spirit.

The moonlight poured down on the roof of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

Seol Tae Pyeong’s clenched fist tightened with strength.

Thud.

***

Senior maid Yeon Ri led her horse to the back of the main palace library.

With the palace thrown into chaos, she had managed to slip in without much trouble.

From the shadowed alley between buildings, she looked up at the pillar of light stretching toward the sky.

“It’s starting to get cold.”

She muttered to herself in a cheerful voice and then wrapped her arms around Seol Tae Pyeong’s Jade Leaf Sword, which was tied to the horse’s flank.

“Ugh… it’s so heavy. How does he swing this around like it’s a twig?”

With that, Yeon Ri settled on the ground behind the library and clutched the sword in her arms as if she was waiting for something.

In the past, she never would have considered sitting on the dirty ground and soiling her clothes; it seemed so much time had passed.

Ignoring the dust rising around her, she sank down behind the library and spent a quiet moment.

As she looked up at the sky, the sun-drenched horizon slowly gave way to a moon that had risen without her noticing.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since she had last looked up at the sky from the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

“That’s right… don’t feel too sad.”

When she sat alone in the lonely Heavenly Jade Pavilion, she would sometimes sneak up onto the pavilion roof, out of sight from the maids… and gaze up at the large full moon floating in that wide, open sky.

It was something she had done since her childhood, even before her endless cycle of reincarnation began.

The girl leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes with a quiet sigh.

“It’s only natural to drift away from old friends, isn’t it?”

When she reached up to the sky from the roof of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion, it felt as though her fingers could almost touch that distant moon amid the stars.

The young Heavenly Maiden would look up at her round and bright friend in the sky and confide her worries to it.

Though she found it a little embarrassing, it had helped her not lose heart amid the barren halls of Cheongdo Palace.

So, when had it started?

When had she stopped climbing up to the roof of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion?

She couldn’t quite remember when she first began gazing at the moon from the pavilion’s roof; it was simply too distant a memory.

But she recalled precisely when she had stopped. That memory wasn’t so old.

The memories of laughing and chatting beneath the Heavenly Jade Pavilion’s roof, rather than above it.

She remembered the boy who had survived countless cycles of reincarnation, coming to the Heavenly Jade Pavilion with the Heavenly Dragon Tablet.

Sometimes he would throw sharp remarks her way with a nonchalant expression; other times he would watch her with a look of suspicion, and now and then he would even applaud her intelligence as if it surprised him. This young military officer who frequently visited the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

Perhaps, without realizing it, she had no choice but to drift away from her old friend.

The arrival of the Plague Demonic Spirit. The endless destruction of the imperial road. Repeated deaths. Witnessing countless people torn apart in the cycles of reincarnation. Bearing the crushing weight of the world on her shoulders.

In this endless cycle of hardship, in this trial that would break the spirit of any ordinary person many times over, how had she kept her heart intact?

– Why do you live?

It was now a memory from long ago.

Amidst her sorrow, she had asked the boy that question as he swung his sword with a detached expression amidst the reeds.

And the boy answered her as though her question was ridiculous.

– Just because.

And so she simply lived.

Through endless cycles of reincarnation, she lived, just like that.

Now, Yeon Ri looked quietly up at the pillar of light that had the energy of the White Demonic Spirit.

The light that was carrying the energy of the Heavenly Dragon felt strangely familiar.