Chapter 18: The White Immortal Palace Part 3

The Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong can read the hearts of people.

These were the words of Shim Sang Gon, the Under Councilor who played an important role in placing her at the helm of the Black Tortoise Palace.

The “Under Councilor” was one of the three closest aides to Emperor Woon Seong, responsible for managing the Emperor’s decrees up close and deliberating on various policies.

Because it was a position that could be considered one of the highest positions a civil servant could hold, his voice carried considerable weight within the Cheongdo Palace, and gradually, his influence began to extend even to the selection process of the crown princess consort.

But he recommended a common woman from who knows where for the position of the Black Princess. She didn’t have any connections to powerful political clans or any particularly outstanding qualities.

To think that someone with no significant background could be selected to be a crown princess consort, a position that takes nearly nine months of rigorous selection processes to fill.

At first, the Chief Councilor and the Central Secretariat both stood up in opposition to his proposal.

However, after spending about an hour in conversation with Lady Po Hwa Ryeong, whom he had brought along, both officials eventually agreed that she was indeed fit to sit as the Black Princess.

She possessed no spiritual powers or anything of the sort

But Po Hwa Ryeong seemed to have perfectly read the hearts of the two high officials as if she could literally see into them.

***

“Ah, what a lovely day!”

The scent of spring has a way of uplifting spirits.

For the first time in a while, Seol Ran stepped out of the inner palace. The weather was so nice that she found herself humming a tune.

Since her serious injury during the last birthday ceremony, opportunities to go outside the palace have been too few. Now, being outside again, even the familiar sights of Cheongdo Palace felt more exhilarating than usual.

Seol Ran knows best just how beautiful the Cheongdo Palace looks with its cherry blossoms in bloom.

Perhaps that’s why, walking towards the outer palace with the cool breeze against her, she felt more special than ever before.

Truth be told, life as a maid in the inner palace wasn’t particularly joyful.

Though being chosen to serve the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces or the Heavenly Dragon Hall was considered the highest honor among the maids, Seol Ran has never been one to chase after such honors.

The only upside was that you get a private room, albeit a shabby and cramped one, and you get a slightly higher salary.

For Seol Ran, whose main goal was to see her brother Tae Pyeong married off, the opportunity to save some money was indeed a welcome advantage.

But for someone like Seol Ran who enjoyed venturing outside, being confined to the Heavenly Dragon Hall all day felt incredibly stifling.

On her way back from delivering messages to the main palace kitchen, she planned to stop by the White Immortal Palace to catch a glimpse of Tae Pyeong, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.

After the birthday ceremony, Seol Ran had been bedridden for a considerable period of time, and the year-end events kept her from leaving the inner palace much thereafter.

While busy working in the Heavenly Dragon Hall, she heard a rumor that a young warrior in the White Immortal Palace had slain hundreds of demonic spirits overnight.

Immediately realizing the story was about Tae Pyeong, she worried he might have been injured but also felt a surge of joy at the news he had been promoted to a full-fledged warrior as a reward.

As his sister, she felt an undeniable urge to celebrate his achievement.

Although it had been a couple of months since Tae Pyeong’s promotion, Seol Ran couldn’t just overlook it as if it were a trivial matter.

So, she seized the opportunity to leave the inner palace under the guise of running an errand.

“I’m on my way to inform the outer palace kitchen about a mix-up in the delivery of ingredients from the Heavenly Dragon Hall.”

“Understood. Make sure you return to the inner palace before sunset.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

After reporting this to a Red Palace warrior who was standing guard in the inner palace, she left the outer palace and walked through the warm spring afternoon.

With the help of her fellow court ladies, she packed a flower crown and some delicious snacks into her bundle.

She planned to surprise Tae Pyeong at the White Immortal Palace with a grand reveal, applaud his achievements, pat him on the back, and check for any remaining injuries on his body.

This reminds me of last autumn when the Azure Princess briefly harbored feelings for Tae Pyeong, leading to quite the ordeal.

At the time, she was genuinely scared and started fearing the worst for Tae Pyeong…. possibly even execution.

Worried sick, she had a maid inquire about the situation with maid Yeon from the White Immortal Palace, and thankfully, a letter came back saying that everything had been resolved.

The senior maid Yeon Ri of the White Immortal Palace held the trust of the White Immortal himself and seemed competent at first glance, so there seemed little need for concern.

I’m really glad that the Azure Princess came to her senses so quickly.

With these thoughts, Seol Ran hummed a tune as she walked along the path of the outer palace.

***

“The Vermilion Princess and the Azure Princess are currently at the White Immortal Palace.”

Yeon Ri’s face was ashen.

Seol Ran’s face turned pale in response.

They were standing in front of the main gate of the White Immortal Palace.

“What do you mean… Maid Yeon …”

“The Azure Princess came to learn some Taoist magic from the White Immortal, and the Vermilion Princess came to have a sword match with Tae Pyeong.”

“The Azure Princess coming here is one thing, but the Vermilion Princess coming all the way to the White Immortal Palace to see Tae Pyeong is just too strange.”

For the Vermilion Princess to visit the White Immortal Palace just to see a young warrior like Tae Pyeong was unheard of. It would have made more sense for her to summon Seol Tae Pyeong to the Vermilion Bird Palace if a sword match was what she wanted.

Why would a princess consort make such a long journey just to see the face of a warrior while bringing her maids along?

However, what’s done is done.

Seol Ran saw beyond the main gate to the porch of the White Immortal Palace.

There, two figures of the Headmaid rank were present. These were people whom Seol Ran wouldn’t dare to speak to within the inner palace.

One was Hui Yin, the headmaid of the Azure Dragon Palace, and the other was Hyeon Dang, the headmaid of the Vermilion Bird Palace.

Though the maids of the outer palace might not know, among the maids of the inner palace, these two were almost like higher beings from above the clouds.

They held the power to decide the fates of the palace maids and were capable of banishing any court lady to the outer palace with just a word.

“You should probably head back for today, court lady Seol.”

“Wh-What about Tae Pyeong?”

“The Vermilion Princess has called him out for a private talk.”

“Where in the world is there a low-ranking warrior who gets a private talk with the Vermilion Princess!!!!!!”

“I don’t know either!!! I really want to know how this even happened!!!”

The two of them were sitting opposite each other in a corner of the main gate and sweating profusely for a long while.

“You mentioned in your letter last time that the issues involving the Azure Princess seemed to be resolving…”

“I thought so… but…”

Yeon Ri spoke slowly before swallowing dryly.

“Do you know the saying, ‘trying to get rid of a lump only to end up with another’?”

“…What?”

What do you mean….Maid Yeon…?

When Seol Ran asked that, Yeon Ri looked around to make sure no one was listening before she lowered her voice and continued.

“The look in the Vermilion Princess’s eyes when she looks at Tae Pyeong… I just caught a glimpse and it doesn’t feel right.”

“What on earth do you mean!!!!”

“I know it sounds utterly ridiculous even as I say it!!!!”

Hearing Yeon Ri’s story, it seems that during the last birthday ceremony, Tae Pyeong might have gone through a life and death situation with the Vermilion Princess.

From this, one could easily imagine a forbidden love story between a low-ranking warrior from the outer palace and the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace.

Seol Tae Pyeong, though he had a fair face resembling his sister’s, was neither particularly intelligent nor refined in his actions. It seemed implausible that he would capture the heart of the Vermilion Princess from the Vermilion Bird Palace.

But no one was there to answer her musings.

“At first, the Vermilion Princess said she would help Tae Pyeong. I thought, if it was the Vermilion Princess, she could be trusted. She would handle the Azure Princess well and stop her feelings from getting out of control….”

“And then…?”

“Ah… if only you’ve seen the expression the Vermilion Princess wore when she summoned Tae Pyeong at the White Immortal Palace today…”

Yeon Ri had never imagined the Vermilion Princess possessing such a girlish aspect.

What kind of woman was the Vermilion Princess? She was always dignified, she stood at the center of attention wherever she went, and wasn’t she a person who stood so tall that even speaking out of turn in her presence felt like a sin?

“As, as for Tae Pyeong… perhaps… the likelihood of him being given a death sentence might have just doubled…”

“Tae Pyeong-ah… this isn’t right… what are you getting yourself into…”

“Clear the way.”

As they were exchanging these words, a heavy masculine voice echoed from behind them.

Yeon Ri and Seol Ran were startled by the voice before they trembled and quickly turned around.

The warrior commander of the Red Palace, Jang Rae, stood in front of the main gate while dusting off his martial uniform. He had two warriors from the Red Palace on each of his side.

“Eeeek.”

He was a handsome man with a jawline that softly tapered down making him look manly.

Jang Rae observed Yeon Ri and Seol Ran who were trembling in his path with his sharp gaze.

Then when he turned his eyes towards Seol Ran, she flinched and shuddered.

“You… I’ve seen you before, along the stone wall path behind the White Immortal Palace.”

“Ah…ah! Yes, I didn’t expect you to remember me.”

Yeon Ri and Seol Ran quickly bowed their heads and spoke.

“Fo-Forgive us, Jang Rae-nim. There’s a distinguished guest in the White Immortal Palace at the moment… Could you please inform us of the purpose of your visit?”

“A distinguished guest…?”

“Well, it’s just that…”

Yeon Ri stammered.

They were hesitant to spread the news that two princess consorts had entered the White Immortal Palace at the same time. Moreover, the fact that Seol Tae Pyeong was directly involved made the situation even more delicate, especially when the person in question was Jang Rae, the one in charge of the palace guards.

If Jang Rae who was known for his loyalty were to learn of this unscrupulous situation, no one could predict where the information might end up.

“So…. someone from the harem is here.”

“From the way you speak, it seems they must be quite high-ranking.”

There were few among the outer palace warriors who ranked higher than the Commander Warrior of the Red Palace.

One would almost have to be of a general’s rank to be considered superior, and if one’s identity was kept secret, it often meant they were close to the Emperor himself.

At that point, Jang Rae usually refrained from asking too many questions.

“I need to enter the White Immortal Palace.”

“Wha… What for…?”

“A decree has been issued from the main palace. Each palace is to dispatch one soldier for a joint search operation organized by the main palace.”

“Se…search operation…?”

“I must relay the situation to the White Immortal, so make way at once.”

This meant a search operation significant enough to warrant a collective draft of personnel from Cheongdo Palace.

“Um…why would there be a search operation…”

“It’s not a matter for a mere maid to be informed about.”

Jang Rae responded sharply to Yeon Ri.

The implication of drafting a warrior from the White Immortal Palace was clear—it essentially meant taking Seol Tae Pyeong. After all, he was the only one holding a warrior position in this palace.

It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

There were times when large-scale training within the Imperial Army took place, or when the warriors’ skills were periodically assessed.

Sometimes, personnel were drafted for major operations like this one.

“Could it possibly involve… the Black Princess…”

“……”

“Ah, I’m so sorry!”

When Seol Ran made a guess, Jang Rae furrowed his brow and shot her a stern look.

Startled by his reaction, Seol Ran hastily apologized and bowed her head deeply once again.

Watching Seol Ran tightly shut her eyes and apologize, Jang Rae’s expression turned even more sour.

He had a peculiar soft spot for Seol Ran alone.

“…. It’s been over a week since the Black Princess fled the Black Tortoise Palace walls and escaped towards the Imperial Capital. It’s not just anyone who’s missing; it’s the mistress of the Black Tortoise Palace herself. We cannot simply stand by.”

“In that case…”

“We plan to draft a large number of warriors to search the Imperial Capital. I’ve been appointed as the leader of this operation.”

Having shared enough, Jang Rae shook his head as if to clear it.

He then glanced at Seol Ran, as if checking her reaction and worrying whether he had upset her further.

Despite his gruff appearance, Jang Rae was someone whose true feelings could be glimpsed in crucial moments

His reluctance to displease Seol Ran became all clear to see, which made Yeon Ri feel strangely uncomfortable.

“Are you going to take Tae Pyeong with you…?”

“Do you have some connection to that warrior?”

When Jang Rae asked with a hint of jealousy in his tone, Seol Ran responded cautiously.

“He’s… my younger brother…”

“…. brother?”

“Yes… Since he came out with me from the Huayongseol clan, I’ve been quite attentive to him.”

“…So you were blood siblings.”

The tone of his voice was the same but there was a hint of relief in it.

At this point, Yeon Ri realized again. Her quick wits were almost becoming a curse at this point.

These siblings… what the hell are they up to…

The brother charmed two princess consorts, and now this sister seems to have bewitched the warrior commander of the Red Palace.

Still, Seol Ran was somewhat understandable. Even though she didn’t wear makeup, her natural beauty and upright character made her popular.

Compared to Seol Tae Pyeong, whose life goal seems to be enjoying delicious rice soup, this was somewhat more acceptable.

“Since you two are family, I’ll tell you more. Vice General Jung Seo Tae has taken a keen interest in that boy.”

“If he’s a vice general… that means he’s one of the high officials in the main palace, close to the emperor…”

“So, if there’s a chance to make use of him, he told me to give him tasks and roll him around to get him a position.”

Is it really okay to speak so openly about this? There are many warriors listening after all.

For some, such an opportunity would be as precious as gold, but Yeon-ri was worried that the others would grow envious of Seoul Tae Pyeong and kept looking around.

However, it might just be the nature of Jung Seo Tae… The other warriors of the Red Palace didn’t even seem to care.

“Does…. Does this mean Tae Pyeong is on his way to success?!”

Seol Ran smiled brightly and looked at Jang Rae, perhaps it was Seol Ran’s nature to burst with joy at the slightest hint of good news about her brother.

As soon as Jang Rae caught a glimpse of her expression, he flinched and shuddered before nodding his head swiftly.

How transparent can you be? Yeon Ri thought to herself

“Anyway, now that things have turned out this way, we’ll have to draft him…”

Thud

Just then, the main doors of the White Immortal Palace swung open, and the Vermilion Princess emerged, surrounded by a multitude of maids.

As always, she was a sight to behold with her fiery red hair and fiery eyes while dressed in elaborate court robes that seemed to mimic the feathers of a phoenix.

The maids of the Vermilion Bird Palace, along with headmaid Hyeon Dang, were serving the Vermilion Princess with their heads bowed, while Seol Tae Pyeong was visible off to one side with a sword at his waist.

Jang Rae immediately dropped to his knees in shock with his head bowed, and needless to say, Yeon Ri and Seol Ran did the same.

“Oh, so it is the warrior commander of the Red Palace.”

“I had no idea the Vermilion Princess would grace the White Immortal Palace with her presence.”

“I’ve come to find Warrior Seol so that I could clash swords with him.”

“…Find… you say…?”

Seol Ran and Yeon Ri flinched at those words and shook their heads.

The mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace had personally come to fetch a third-rate warrior from the White Immortal Palace accompanied by her maids no less.

Even the Vermilion Princess herself suddenly realized how unnatural this sounded.

“This… The weather was so fine, that I wished to stroll through the outer palace. On my way, I thought to take this insignificant third-rate warrior back with me to clash swords with him.”

This was a very lame excuse.

The princess consorts themselves knew all too well how much trouble the maids went through whenever they visited the outer palace.

For this reason, princess consorts rarely ventured into the outer palace just for a walk or to catch some fresh air.

“After the birthday ceremony, I felt a bit stiff, so I had no choice. Isn’t that right, Hyeon Dang?”

“Y-yes. That’s right.”

Hyeon Dang answered while hiding her nervousness.

“And what brings you to the White Immortal Palace?”

“I happened to stop by to draft warrior Seol. We are assembling a special unit by imperial decree to find out the Black Princess.”

“Then, it shouldn’t matter if you discuss this after my sword practice is finished. How about you talk then?”

“How could I dare object?”

Even the warrior commander of the Red Palace could hardly assert his opinion in the presence of the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace.

Even though it was an imperial decree, the task was to form a special unit to find the Black Princess, not specifically to bring Seol Tae Pyeong.

Given that Seol Tae Pyeong was under the protection of the Vermilion Princess, there was no straightforward way to take him away, so all that could be done was to bow their heads in silence for the time being.

“Then, let’s be on our way.”

Saying this, the Vermilion Princess moved past Jang Rae and the warriors of the Red Palace.

She was rushing as if she had some urgent business to do. As if she seemed to think that if she stood still, someone would snatch Seol Tae Pyeong away.

The sight of Seol Tae Pyeong following the procession of maids looked as if he was being dragged to hell.

“Maid Yeon… what’s to become of our Tae Pyeong now…”

“There… there must be a way… But why did the Vermilion Princess have to show up now and take Tae Pyeong away…”

“Tae Pyeong still has many days ahead… He can’t just die like this… Oh Tae Pyeong, my dear Tae Pyeong…”

“Calm… calm yourself. Lift your head, Court Lady Seol…! Tae Pyeong is not a sinner yet!”

Yeon Ri tried to calm down and then she started to think about the situation and how she could save Seol Tae Pyeong’s neck.

“There is a way…”

“Yes?”

“It might only be a way to buy time for now…”

After she was lost in deep thought, Yeon Ri finally came up with a plan of her own.

It involved the special unit Jang Rae had mentioned.

No matter how deep the affection, distance between bodies inevitably leads to distance between hearts.

There was also the justification of following the imperial decree. Thus, the thought occurred to Yeon RI that perhaps it would be better for Seol Tae Pyeong to spend some time in the special unit Jang Rae was organizing and conduct searches in the imperial capital.

***

– Mastery of Taoist magic ultimately stems from knowing oneself.

– It seems Azure Princess has not fully grasped her own capabilities in Taoist magic. Tend to the energy residing within your body and realize what you are capable of.

– At a certain moment, when your eyes open to it, the energy in your body will feel different from before.

The way the White Immortal taught Taoist magic was entirely different from any Taoist priests the Azure Princess had encountered before.

It was clear his understanding of Taoist magic was on a different level.

Most Taoist priests she had met before had not even begun to fathom the potential within Azure Princess, but White Immortal seemed to hold her potential in the palm of his hand as if he could see it clearly.

It was then she thought she might have finally found a teacher worth learning Taoist magic from.

I see… there is a reason he bears the name White Immortal.

For the first time, she felt a semblance of skill in manipulating energy, and it felt as if she was truly receiving instruction for the first time.

She realized that all the teachers she had met before were merely reciting information.

It was only after some time had passed that Azure Princess felt she was beginning to open her eyes to the true realms of Taoist magic.

“Your skill in manipulating spiritual energy seems to have greatly improved. Let’s call it a day and head back to the inner palace.”

However, it might have been less than an hour.

White Immortal did not dedicate much time to the Azure Princess. After all, she belonged to those who grew by discovering things on their own.

Thus, there wasn’t much White Immortal could do for her. He only needed to point her in the right direction, and she would uncover the rest by herself.

“Thank you. The White Immortal truly has a deep understanding of Taoist techniques.”

“Not at all. Perhaps, Azure Princess, you will find that you learn more on your own than from my teachings. Even after you return to the Azure Dragon Palace, take a moment to feel the spiritual energy. You will find much to discover.”

After expressing her gratitude to the White Immortal, the Azure Princess covered her lower face with her sleeve and stepped onto the porch of the White Immortal Palace.

There, Headmaid Hui Yin and the maids of the Azure Dragon Palace sat with bowed heads.

“Let’s return.”

The Azure Princess forced her voice to calm despite her excitement.

On the way to the White Immortal Palace, she ended up being very rude to Seol Tae Pyeong.

Somehow, his attitude which only seemed cold towards her hurt her deeply and brought her to tears without her even realizing it.

Following that, Seol Tae Pyeong appeared flustered and he was unable to hide his apologetic expression all the way until they entered the White Immortal Palace.

It was the mistake of a lifetime that she burst out in tears, but when she calmed down and thought about it, she realized that she had now accumulated a feeling of guilt in Seol Tae Pyeong’s heart. When she thought about it calmly, this could be seen as an opportunity.

Although somewhat embarrassing, she planned to offer words of reconciliation to Seol Tae Pyeong on their way back and try to lighten the mood… to bring back the cheerful and lively Seol Tae Pyeong she knew.

The thought that she might catch a glimpse of his reliable warrior image from that time excited her.

Even as she received the teachings of Taoist magic, her mind was restless, thinking about the conversation they would have upon their return and how she could ease Seol Tae Pyeong’s discomfort. Time passed quickly while she was lost in these thoughts.

“Seol Tae Pyeong must be waiting at the main gate.”

“That, that is…”

But, do things ever go as planned in this world?

“…Vermilion Princess came to the White Immortal Palace… and took Seol Tae Pyeong away…”

“…what?”

Azure Princess couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of those words.

It was unthinkable that a palace mistress would come all the way to the White Immortal Palace just to fetch a warrior.

It almost seemed as if… as if she intended to separate Seol Tae Pyeong from her. It would be more surprising if it didn’t feel that way.

“Why would… she…”

“That… well…”

Even Hui Yin found herself at a loss for words.

To anyone observing from the sidelines, it seemed unmistakably as though Vermilion Princess was preventing Seol Tae Pyeong from getting close to Azure Princess.

In reality, the Vermilion Princess’ actions were merely a hasty way of fulfilling her previous promise with Seol Tae Pyeong…. but in the eyes of a third party, there was a lot of room for misunderstanding.

──And, it wasn’t clear if that was a misunderstanding in the first place.

At least, that’s what Hui Yin believed.

Perhaps, just like her mistress the Azure Princess seemed to be caught by those feelings, the Vermilion Princess might also be caught in the same or a different way.

Was there a disease spreading through the inner palace?

A dreadful disease named Seol Tae Pyeong.

When Hui Yin raised her eyes to Azure Princess’s face, she was startled and quickly bowed her head again.

Azure Princess usually covered her mouth with her long sleeves, making her facial expressions hard to read.

However, the cold aura she exuded now was overwhelmingly intense.

For the first time in her life, Hui Yin witnessed her mistress expressing anger towards someone.

It was extremely rare for such an innocent and cheerful girl to show this side of herself.

***

“Ve-Vermilion Princess…”

As he sharpened his sword in the training grounds in the outskirts of the Vermilion Bird Palace, Seol Tae Pyeong spoke in a hushed tone.

“Perhaps… even now, my lifespan might be decreasing….?”

“Yo-Your concern is valid, but…”

Though it wasn’t her intention, the Vermilion Princess ended up bringing Seol Tae Pyeong along almost as if she had kidnapped him.

It was a decision made partly in the heat of the moment, which she somewhat regretted, but what was done could not be undone.

“I… have made a promise, and I can’t just stand by idly…”

“…….”

“And… please, don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say. Listen carefully, it’s a matter of great importance…”

With the maids dismissed, Vermilion Princess spoke in a gentle and serious manner.

“Seriously, don’t take this the wrong way. You must listen exactly as I say. This concerns your life. And… from my side… it takes a great deal of courage for me to say this.”

Seol Tae Pyeong swallowed hard and nodded his head. He was preparing himself to take in every word with the utmost seriousness.

“I-I spoke with such certainty before, I am really sorry. I… am currently looking for a way to manage the situation but…”

“……”

“Perhaps, I may have developed some sort of false feeling towards you. For… for your sake… I feel I must tell you this in advance…”

It was, in essence, a declaration of intent to kill him.