Chapter 41: The White Princess Part 4

The ripe Heavenly Dragon Festival was approaching its final event.

The fire at the White Tiger Palace had been mostly extinguished, and the situation with the fourth consort scheming and using the ghost hands had been well managed, so there seemed to be no major obstacles to completing the festival.

“When the Heavenly Dragon Festival is over, I will personally punish the fourth consort.”

Emperor Woon Sung had briefly returned to the main palace to change into the Heavenly Dragon robes.

Numerous maids were bustling around to inspect the Emperor’s attire.

“The warrior command has captured her, so there should be no significant issues until the festival concludes.”

The person sitting with his head bowed in front of the emperor was Shim Sang Gon, one of the three high officials of the main palace.

Officials like Chief Councilor In Seon Rok and Central Councilor Chu Beom-seok had distinctly separate duties within the main palace, but Under Councilor Shim Sang Gon was the closest to Emperor Woon Sung among the high officials.

In the first place, his duty was to issue imperial decrees, and he even acted on behalf of the Emperor when needed. So he obviously held a highly esteemed position.

“The warriors of the Red Palace investigated and found that the ghost hands lay collapsed near the White Tiger Palace. I heard that Commander Woon Baek himself was also found unconscious in the backyard at that time.

Emperor Woon Sung tightened the hem of his Heavenly Dragon robe and his expression hardened.

The skills of the ghost hands were best known to Emperor Woon Sung himself. Since they were mainly responsible for cover operations, such as espionage activities, they were different from the warriors of the Red Palace. However, in terms of sheer strength, they could never be called inferior to the Red Palace warriors.

Moreover, Commander Woon Baek… if he had walked the path of a regular officer, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he attained the rank of general by now.

Looking at his colleague Jeong Seo-tae, who had already risen to the position of vice general, it was clear that Woon Baek, although he had no other powers, had never been a low-level martial artist.

“I guess I must personally see that warrior in the tent.”

Emperor Woon Sung said this and then added,

“…I have been informed that he is a warrior from the Huayongseol clan.”

The Under Councilor had to choose his words carefully.

Seol Lee Moon, the previous head of the Huayongseol Clan, had attempted to assassinate the Emperor.

Now, his head had been severed, and nearly all members of the Huayongseol Clan who were involved in the rebellion had been exterminated.

If the Heavenly Maiden had not intervened to resolve the situation, that warrior Seol Tae Pyeong would not have kept his head either.

Seol Lee Moon of the Huayongseol Clan was indeed one of the most notorious traitors in Cheongdo Palace’s history.

He was a man who had approached the pinnacle of swordsmanship but had driven himself mad with his own strength. At some point, he could no longer control his killing intent, and whenever he drew his sword, he transformed into an entirely different person.

The high officials could never forget the day of his rebellion.

It happened three days after the execution of Seol Lee Moon’s mistress, merchant Seong Hyeol Hwa.

A man drenched in blood, having slain general-level officers, trudged down the Heavenly Dragon Road and walked into the main palace road.

Amidst the rain, his eyes shone like those of a grim reaper sent to claim the life of the Cheongdo Empire.

Had he been able to control his killing intent, he could have become a legendary swordsman remembered throughout Cheongdo’s history. But the Emperor of Heaven (God) gave him immense power at the cost of his sanity.

When someone mentioned being a descendant of such a person, it was natural for unpleasant thoughts to arise immediately.

Moreover, this person was fighting on equal footing with the ghost hands at an age when he hadn’t even undergone his coming-of-age ceremony.

It was only normal that the image of that bloodthirsty swordmaster overlapped with that of the young swordsman.

“Commander of the ghost hands Woon Baek has arrived.”

At this time, the eunuch spoke quietly from outside the sliding paper door. It was Emperor Woon Sung who summoned the ghost hands commander.

The situation had been somewhat sorted out, but the emperor wanted to confirm the facts more clearly.

The paper door opened and Woon Baek, with his head bowed, looked like he was in a state of disarray.

He had received some emergency treatment before entering the main palace, but it wasn’t enough to hide his condition.

“Your Majesty, I am ashamed to show such a disgraceful sight.”

“……”

“This Woon Baek, if you command me to lay down my life here, I will pay for my sins.”

The commander of the ghost hands not only failed to notice the scheming of the fourth consort and had been used by her but he was also defeated by a mere third-rate warrior.

This in itself was a great disloyalty and disgrace, so the Woon Baek couldn’t lift his head.

Although his face was covered with a cloth, it was not hard to tell how much he was grinding his teeth in anger.

“Enough. I heard you were defeated by a warrior from White Immortal Palace. Is his martial art truly that superior?”

“……”

“Tell me exactly as it is.”

From the perspective of someone who returned in disgrace, anything he said would likely sound like an excuse. So, Woon Baek tried to choose his words carefully.

However, Emperor Woon Sung seemed more interested in hearing about that warrior rather than reprimanding Woon Baek.

Woon Baek concluded it was better to speak the truth without adding or embellishing any details.

“The level of his martial arts… was exceedingly high for his age, but not absolutely superior.”

Coming from someone who had been defeated, such words might seem pathetic.

Even so, Woon Baek thought it best to convey his genuine impressions without exaggeration.

“The way he grasped the sword, swung it, held the scabbard, and parried… all demonstrated the level of a skilled swordsman… but it did not feel refined through many years of training.”

“And so?”

“…It felt strongly like an innate sense.”

To become a great warrior, two elements are important.

Bone-crushing training and natural talent. Lacking either makes it hard to become an extraordinary warrior.

Of course, Seol Tae Pyeong had objectively reached a considerable level as a swordsman.

However, no matter what, he was only sixteen this year.

In the realm of training, there would be many people who were at a higher level than him.

Even if he was inherently strong, he was slightly inferior compared to someone like Woon Baek or Jeong Seo Tae who were also inherently strong.

Even if he had sharp instincts, he couldn’t block attacks that were imperceptible.

If they were to arm wrestle, Jeong Seo Tae or Woon Baek would win, and if he was attacked in his sleep, he would be helplessly assassinated.

But even taking that for granted…. the feeling of discomfort he felt did not go away throughout their sword clash.

“He works in the realm of instinct. He instinctively understands how to secure victory in a duel.”

“……”

When fighting against Jan Rae’s special unit, or even against the main palace’s guards.

Who should he subdue first, what position should he occupy, and how should he catch his opponent off guard? He could deduce these methods in an instant.

That wasn’t the result of learning; it was an innate sense.

It was hard to define him simply with the concept of strength.

But could be defeated? When asked that… he couldn’t simply nod his head.

Woon Baek had encountered such kinds of strong individuals a few times before. Among them, Seol Tae Pyeong’s talent was the most extreme.

In a match with clear rules that only tested pure strength and skill, there might be a chance to deal with him.

However, on a battlefield without any rules, Seol Tae Pyeong was the kind who would find a way to win no matter what.

There were people in the world with that kind of strength.

In a duel bound by strict rules and regulations, fought with honor and respect, Seol Tae Pyeong did not belong on that kind of battlefield.

He was closer to someone who kills in the midst of war.

On a battlefield where lives were on the line, there were no kind rules or regulations. It was a massacre ground where people bit off ears, threw sand into eyes, grabbed at collars, and did anything to cut down their enemy.

The determination to exploit Woon Baek’s weakness, even while burning his own hand… was closer to an animal instinct than a human one.

Thinking one could defeat Seol Tae Pyeong in the unpredictable environment of the burning White Tiger Palace was almost an arrogant assumption.

The more unrestrained the situation and the fewer the binding rules on the battlefield, the more he overturned the levels of strength and training to finally defeat his opponent.

“He certainly isn’t suited for the position of a general who upholds discipline and leads soldiers. I believe he is a talent far more suited for the ranks of the ghost hands rather than the Red Palace.”

“…If he joins the ghost hands, can he be nurtured into a commander as capable as yourself?”

“Rather than nurturing, it would be closer to him realizing it on his own.”

Woon Baek stopped there and bowed his head.

As someone who had become the ghost hands commander, it was not particularly pleasant for him to discuss the next commander. Still, the truth was the truth.

However, Seol Tae Pyeong was someone whom the Vice General had already marked to bring into the Red Palace.

Woon Baek had also heard this from the Vice General on the battlefield. The Vice General never yielded someone he had marked, even if it meant overturning the main palace. Only those who had experienced it knew how mad the enraged Vice General could be.

Of course, if the Emperor himself intervened, it would be a different story, but the Emperor’s expression looked quite complicated.

Discovering a useful talent was an auspicious event for a ruler.

However, he came from the Huayongseol clan. Being a descendant of the mad Sword Sovereign would naturally complicate one’s feelings.

If it weren’t for the Heavenly Maiden’s help, he wouldn’t have kept his head. The ghost hands were the martial group closest to the Emperor, so no matter how talented he was, it was not an easy decision to bring him in there.

“I’ll have to see him in person, but yes… before that, I must meet the Heavenly Maiden.”

Emperor Woon Sung, having completely adjusted his heavenly dragon robe, ordered Woon Baek to withdraw.

He heard that when the Heavenly Maiden personally intervened to defend him during his clash with the special unit while they were pursuing the Black Princess.

It seemed like she had some reason for trying to somehow save him and cover up his sins.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun.

She was a shaman who served the Heavenly Dragon and the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall, so it seemed she would know something.

“I’ve heard that she has been feeling unwell lately and that she was been unable to leave her inner chambers. Now that it’s come to this, I’ll have to personally check on her to see if she’s fit to ascend the stage of the Heavenly Dragon Festival.”

It was an extraordinary honor for the Emperor himself to make such a visit.

This only went to show that the state of the Heavenly Maiden had reached its limit.

The underground prison of the Red Palace was too harsh for a woman to endure.

Since the height of summer, insects had often swarmed the place; it was unbearably hot just sitting still, and the hygiene conditions were far from excellent.

For Ha Chae Rim, who had lived in the main palace and was treated like a queen, it was natural that every hour she spent there felt like hell.

Gone was the noble figure she had once been as the fourth consort; only a wretched and disheveled figure remained and she continued grinding her teeth in her filthy state.

She repeatedly went over the flaws in her plan in the darkness of the prison.

If it hadn’t been for that unknown third-rate warrior, it would have been the White Princess who was imprisoned here, not her.

The sheer rage and frustration made her grind her teeth so hard that bloody tears almost flowed.

Creeeeak

At that moment, the door beyond opened, and light streamed in.

When she saw the figure entering the underground prison, Ha Chae Rim felt as if her insides were twisting.

“Ugh, the smell.”

The one who entered the prison with a wrinkled nose was Ha Wol, the White Princess of the White Tiger Palace.

She was attended by the maids of the White Tiger Palace, who adjusted her clothing and treated her wounds urgently. However, she was still covered in scratches all over her body.

Ha Chae Rim couldn’t even muster a bitter laugh at the sight.

“Oh my, fourth consort.”

The White Princess who had shed tears in front of the high officials.

Could it be that her appearance was so pitiful that it earned the sympathy of the high officials? The White Princess was given time to compose herself before she could resolve the situation.

And after cleaning up her body with the help of her maids, the first place she headed to was the underground prison of the Red Palace.

Entering the prison where no one else was present, the White Princess quietly sat directly opposite the iron bars where the fourth consort was imprisoned.

“You must have suffered greatly. What a shame… that previous white skin of yours is so hideously marred now… should I lend you some of my powder?”

“You whore… you…”

“Why get angry? You’re in there because of your own actions.”

The smile that spread across the White Princess’s face bore no trace of the tears she had shed before the high officials.

And that sight was truly heartbreaking for the fourth consort. The White Princess felt that this was her chance, so she pretended to be miserable in order to win the favor of the high officials.

The innocent White Princess who was wrongfully accused and suffered due to the scheming of the fourth consort.

She had hidden her wicked intentions and managed to appear so pitiful all thanks to the fourth consort’s own schemes.

“Do you think you’re any different from me…? If I hadn’t taken the dazing moon incense from you… you would have done it yourself…!”

“…….”

The White Princess listened to the fourth consort’s words with a soft smile on her face.

Indeed, she had come here specifically to witness the fallen state of her rival.

Although she just went through a crisis, a person’s true nature doesn’t change so easily.

No matter what…. the White Princess was never the type to look kindly upon someone who had tried to take her life.

“If it weren’t for that unknown warrior…! You would have… you would have…!”

“Yes, that’s right. I was very lucky. So, what now?”

The White Princess hid her lower face with the sleeves of her robe and gave a sinister smile.

“What can you do now, fourth consort?”

At these words, the fourth consort gripped the iron bars and glared at the White Princess. As if she wanted to kill her.

The powder on her face was cracked here and there, and her bloodshot eyes made her look barely human.

But the White Princess found her appearance utterly satisfying.

“Fourth consort, please judge your own position carefully now. If you behave well, I might even plead with His Majesty to show you some mercy.”

“You… you whore…!”

“Of course that would never happen, even if the sky were to fall.”

The White Princess said this as she stood up. her tone seemed to suggest that she had seen enough.

“Once the Heavenly Dragon Festival is over, you will be executed. Until then, reflect on your life. I have many matters to attend to, so I must take my leave.”

After laughing triumphantly, the villainess Ha Wol left the prison.

The sight of the fourth consort grinding her teeth and cursing her was so satisfying that the White Princess couldn’t help but laugh for a long time.

As she climbed the dirt steps out of the underground prison, the White Princess quietly organized her thoughts.

It truly was a blessing from the heavens.

Although she was on the verge of losing her head due to the fourth consort’s schemes, she managed to survive thanks to her own desperate efforts and the help of Seol Tae Pyeong.

Indeed, if it weren’t for Seol Tae Pyeong, she would have surely died.

The joy from this realization was so overwhelming that it was hard to keep her shoulders still.

“………”

However, as she continued walking, her calm slowly returned.

White Princess Ha Wol was fundamentally a rotten person beyond redemption.

She was incredibly grateful to owe her life to Seol Tae Pyeong.

But now, everything has merely returned to its original state.

She had to go back to being the mistress of one of the Four Great Palaces and start competing with the other consorts.

With that in mind, she needed to reassess what she had in her hands.

“……”

The White Princess lowered her head. Her expression grew increasingly sinister.

She knew she owed a great debt to Seol Tae Pyeong. However, considering his strength and insight, he was not someone she could control.

The fact that he fought the commander of the ghost hands and won and how he quickly saw through her true nature showed his extraordinary qualities.

Though he was currently young and confined to the White Immortal Palace…. he was, in fact, a man who was sure to become successful once these shackles were lifted.

It was best to either ally with him or eliminate him beforehand.

He seems to have underestimated me.

There was a certain story that the servants of the Inbong clan grew tired of hearing.

The women of the Inbong clan could never change their true nature. They were just snobs who were blinded by power, engrossed with schemes, and would commit ungrateful acts without a care in the world. Ha Wol was no different.

The only difference between the fourth consort and the White Princess was one thing.

The fourth consort had failed, and the White Princess had survived. That was all there was to it.

Yes, now I can somehow understand why Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon had feelings for that man.

She climbed the dirt steps while rubbing her chin.

Anyway, the situation hadn’t changed. As long as she held Vermilion Princess’s weakness, she could use any scheme to entangle her with Seol Tae Pyeong and have her head.

For now, it was difficult to use any tricks due to the chaos inside and outside the palace… but it didn’t change the fact that she had a powerful card in her hands.

Once the Heavenly Dragon Festival was over, it seemed wise to establish plans to use him for other schemes. Such things were best done in advance.

Yes… Perhaps he thought that if I owed him, I wouldn’t use such a powerful weapon out of guilt… How naive…

Though he was a loyal and upright man, that was precisely why he would be betrayed.

She was fundamentally a rotten villainess. He must have known that too.

How foolish.

That foolishness would be the death of Seol Tae Pyeong himself.

With that in mind, the White Princess emerged outside the underground prison of the Red Palace.

“White Princess. You were here?”

Seol Tae Pyeong had also come to visit the Red Palace.

The White Princess hiccupped and swallowed a hiccup at the sudden meeting. His sudden appearance was never good for her heart.

When she saw Seol Tae Pyeong’s face in person like this, the White Princess found that her thoughts weren’t as coherent as she wanted them to be.

What had she been thinking just now…? She suddenly couldn’t remember anything so she had to chew it over again.

The White Princess swallowed dryly.

(TN: Rewinding the time a bit.)

In the inner chambers of the Red Palace, there were Commander Warrior Jang Rae and Vice General Jeong Seo Tae, along with the Red Palace guards, the White Tiger Palace maids, and even senior maid Yeon Ri and scribe Wang Han from the White Immortal Palace.

They had apparently come to explain in detail to the Red Palace guards about the incident that had occurred on the stage.

“Yes… You’ve all had a hard time, no doubt. But no matter how you look at it, it’s difficult to just overlook the fact that you beat up the ghost hands…”

Vice General Jeong Seo Tae, who had come to the Red Palace out of curiosity about the situation, seemed to relax after hearing the testimonies of those involved. He opened a bottle of liquor and drank it down in large gulps.

After downing several glasses of the strong liquor, he sat on a chair and started laughing heartily.

“No matter how lucky you are, to actually subdue Woon Baek… you’re no ordinary person. Well, we’ve heard everything worth hearing… Take a break until the Heavenly Dragon Festival is over. There won’t be much to do afterward anyway, right?”

When the vice general said this, Seol Tae Pyeong adjusted his clothes and responded.

“…I heard the Emperor has summoned me. I just received the message through a letter from the commander of the ghost hands. I must head to the main palace immediately.”

“The Emperor himself? Well, after that clash with the ghost hands… it’s not something that can be overlooked just like that.”

After drinking a few more times, the Vice General let out a burp and casually tossed the empty bottle to a nearby soldier.

A soldier cleaned up the empty bottle as if he were used to that.

“…Did Woon Baek send the letter himself?”

“…Yes, that’s correct…”

Since he was summoned by the Emperor, he had no time to relax.

The Emperor was someone even the high officials of the palace couldn’t easily meet. He quickly straightened his clothes and prepared to show the utmost respect.

However, the Vice General tapped the table a few times with his fingers as if he were lost in thought … then he began to frown deeply.

“Woon Baek… that bastard…?”

He didn’t have a good feeling about it.

Just when the situation was coming to an end, the White Princess emerged from the side door that led underground.

When she appeared so suddenly like this, everyone present bowed their heads quickly. Seol Tae Pyeong did the same and bowed his head in respect.

“White Princess. You were here?”

At those words, the White Princess responded somewhat awkwardly.

“I didn’t know you were here, Warrior Seol.”

“You seem to have recovered a lot, so I’m relieved.”

“…You were worried about me?”

“When I saw you at the White Tiger Palace, you seemed so badly injured that I couldn’t stop worrying.”

After saying that, Seol Tae Pyeong bowed his head again.

And when she heard him say that…. the White Princess swallowed dryly.

She had lived in a world full of schemes and conspiracies. It had been a long time since she faced someone with such a sincere heart.

Cheongdo Palace was a place full of people with hidden agendas or ambitions to succeed. So someone like Seol Tae Pyeong was almost an endangered species.

When she was running away from the burning White Tiger Palace, Seol Tae Pyeong’s back as he drew his wooden sword to hold off the ghost hands lingered oddly in her mind.

At the same time, the image of him kneeling in the White Tiger Palace tea room and confessing his feelings for her also flickered in her mind.

Even though she didn’t believe that these were his true feelings, it was still somewhat embarrassing for the woman if she only saw the surface appearance.

The White Princess closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.

Yes, Seol Tae Pyeong had failed.

He had the chance to grasp the White Princess’s weakness but let the opportunity slip through his fingers.

He might have intended to burden her with a sense of guilt, but there was no way that such an emotional appeal would work on a villainess like her.

She told herself repeatedly that he had failed, then looked at Seol Tae Pyeong’s face again.

“……”

“…White Princess?”

But for some reason, she kept swallowing dryly when she saw his face…. before she quickly averted her gaze. It was very difficult to make eye contact with him for some reason.

“No, it’s nothing. R-Right…I owe you a great debt.”

The White Princess…. could only respond awkwardly like that.

“……”

Meanwhile,

Yeon Ri who was watching all of this from a corner of the inner chamber clenched her fists tightly where no one could see.

…It was a strangely spirited gesture.

TN: White Tiger Hunt… great success!