Chapter 65: Have You Upheld Your Convictions? Part 6

– No matter how the world changes or how the heavens twist, let’s meet again.

– In a paradise without demonic spirits or social differences, let’s share endless stories.

– We can talk about the snacks we ate, the weather, and the flowers in the garden…

– Sometimes we’ll argue and make up awkwardly, play pranks, and have serious conversations. We’ll become indispensable to each other.

– Not as a descendant of a traitorous clan and the mistress of the Azure Dragon Palace…. but just as someone who is naturally by your side.

– Let’s do that. Let’s meet again and… embrace like this one more time.

Lately, I seem to lose my composure too often.

The first thing the Azure Princess did after she returned to the Azure Dragon Palace was to redirect her scattered energy.

This rarely happened before, but lately, her body’s energy had been getting disrupted from time to time. This seemed to be related to the weakening of the Heavenly Dragon’s energy, but she wasn’t certain and it was just a suspicion.

Commander Seol Tae Pyeong had earnestly asked the Azure Princess and the Black Princess to ignore whatever happened in the palace.

She nodded her head for now, but the fact that Seol Tae Pyeong was involved in something significant made her uneasy.

“I need to take care of my own condition first.”

The Azure Princess sighed deeply as she sat on the bed.

Lately, she had been experiencing strange auditory and visual hallucinations more frequently. And she felt certain that her body’s energy had weakened.

Memories that seemed both deeply sad and faintly nostalgic seeped into her heart and shook her to the core.

That peculiar sensation often brought her to the verge of tears and caused her to cry and sniffle several times.

“Assassin! An assassin has launched a surprise attack on his highness!”

Crown Prince Hyeon Won had fallen off his horse.

The military guards of the Red Palace who were watching from a distance all rode their horses and rushed to where General Seong Sa Wook was.

The Black Moon Unit members who had been observing their movements from the hill also jumped down and began to attack Crown Prince Hyeon Won.

However, attacking the Crown Prince who was guarded by General Seong Sa Wook was not an easy task.

Whoosh!

The sword strikes he unleashed were like a raging storm. The Black Moon Unit members were astonished by Seong Sa Wook’s swordsmanship.

General Seong Sa Wook was already quite old and more skilled in commanding than in fighting.

In his prime, Seong Sa Wook was a monster capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly, but now, with dim vision and muscles that didn’t move as he wished, he seemed to be a shadow of his former self.

However, the spirit of a seasoned general does not easily fade, even if his energy has waned.

Several members of the Black Moon Unit were struck down by Seong Sa Wook’s sword strikes.

“You may be skilled in formations, but if you think you can defeat me, you are gravely mistaken!”

There were only five individuals in Cheongdo Palace who had overcome the heavenly trial of the divine fever.

Sword Master Seol Tae Pyeong, Young Fairy Jin Cheong Lang, Sage Butterfly Po Hwa Ryeong, Chief Councilor In Seon Rok…. and General Seong Sa Wook.

General Seong Sa Wook, the highest-ranking military officer in Cheongdo Palace, was an elderly man whose back was beginning to stoop and whose body was becoming frail. Just looking at his bushy beard and fine wrinkles, it would not be strange for him to retire immediately.

At ninety-two years old,

Although he was well past retirement age and could die any day…. he still displayed the vigor of a soldier in his prime, which would make one wonder if he was even human.

When he swung his sword, it seemed to split the heavens and earth, and when he shouted, it was like the roar of a lion.

You could tell his body was at its limit just by looking at his trembling fingertips holding the sword, but his indomitable spirit overshadowed any worries about his physical state.

While he repelled the Black Moon Unit with a few sword strikes, reinforcements from the Red Palace and warrior commander Jang Rae arrived to join the battle.

Clang! Clang!

“Protect the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince must be our priority!”

The Black Moon Unit was taken aback by the sudden rush of warriors, but their leader Cheong Jin Myeong remained calm.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Cheong Jin Myeong disappeared from sight.

As if he was sucked into the ground, Cheong Jin Myeong vanished and reappeared behind warrior commander Jang Rae and swung his sword.

However, Jang Rae reacted quickly. He deflected Cheong Jin Myeong’s blade and quickly retreated to regain his stance.

Clang! Clang!

Whoosh!

In the midst of the battlefield where swords clashed Jang Rae and Cheong Jin Myeong glared at each other warily. They both instinctively knew they had met a worthy opponent.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two exchanged blows several times with neither one of them giving ground.

“You scoundrel…! Raising your sword against the Crown Prince! This crime will not end with just your head being cut off!”

Jang Rae shouted while swinging his sword at Cheong Jin Myeong multiple times, but the latter just remained silent while dodging Jang Rae’s attacks as he moved through the bushes.

At that moment, Cheong Jin Myeong’s sword was about to strike Jang Rae once more.

Whoosh!

Clang!

But the distance was too great. Seong Sa Wook would not be able to reach them in time.

However, Cheong Jin Myeong’s sword was broken into pieces and scattered everywhere. It happened so quickly that Cheong Jin Myeong’s pupils trembled for a moment.

“Warrior Commander, take the Crown Prince and escape the courtyard!”

The technique of One Moon Slash was just as famous as the name of Grand General Seong Sa Wook.

He occasionally gathered his energy to cut down enemies even beyond the sword’s range, and for people who experienced it firsthand, its power was beyond imagination.

Cheong Jin Myeong fell back into the bushes and regained his stance.

During this time, Seong Sa Wook who had been protecting the Crown Prince quickly directed Warrior Commander Jang Rae.

“If you stay still, those assassins will kill all the horses you rode in to this place! Take the Crown Prince and get out of the garden! I will handle them in the meantime!”

Jang Rae saw the figure of the Crown Prince behind General Seong Sa Wook.

Jang Rae quickly sheathed his sword, ran to the Crown Prince, lifted him up, and placed him on a nearby saddle.

General Seong Sa Wook’s judgment was correct. Since the Crown Prince was the assassins’ target, the priority was to evacuate the Crown Prince to a safe place.

“I will return as soon as possible!”

“No need to come back! Just focus on protecting the Crown Prince!”

Even if he didn’t return, Seong Sa Wook could handle those assassins on his own.

It seemed that was what Seong Sa Wook was implying.

Jang Rae mounted his horse and escaped the battlefield with the Crown Prince. He started spurring the horse harder.

Cheong Jin Myeong who had been watching this mounted another horse nearby, but he was struck down again by Seong Sa Wook’s sword attack.

Crash!

Clang! Clang!

The sound of clashing swords spread across the battlefield.

Despite his old age and frail condition, General Seong Sa Wook seemed like a different person when wielding a sword on the battlefield.

Aiming his sword at Cheong Jin Myeong who was the lead of this Black Moon Unit, Seong Sa Wook shouted in a gruff voice.

“You will never reach the Crown Prince.”

Even though he was old, Seong Sa Wook was blessed with divine strength and had amassed extensive battlefield experience over the years.

Even Vice General Jeong Seo Tae who could challenge Cheongdo Palace’s best in sheer strength bowed before Seong Sa Wook’s skill.

Cheong Jin Myeong couldn’t defeat such a person. However, Cheong Jin Myeong’s specialty wasn’t raw strength.

Swoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Cheong Jin Myeong disappeared from sight.

General Seong Sa Wook furrowed his brow at that moment. He was a person skilled in stealth and tracking.

“Ugh!”

Cheong Jin Myeong pursued the Crown Prince, who was fleeing with Warrior Commander Jang Rae.

To chase him, General Seong Sa Wook quickly mounted a nearby horse.

Clop clop clop

White Taoist An Cheon who had stolen a horse from an official of the Great Prison Hall was galloping toward the battlefield with Seol Ran riding in front of him.

“Ahhhh!”

Seol Ran who was riding a horse for the first time in her life screamed. She didn’t seem to be used to the rushing wind.

The Heavenly Maiden was a shaman who could command the energy of the heavenly dragon.

The gigantic dragon that embraced the world with the energy of the Emperor of Heaven was a divine beast that protected this country ever since the Empire of Cheongdo was founded.

No one could easily touch the Heavenly Maiden, who served the power of such a heavenly dragon.

Not even the Moon Demonic Spirit who was skilled in illusion arts could do so.

Swoosh!

A red energy imbued with ominous power enveloped Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, but she dispersed it with a wave of her arm.

As long as I concentrate, I won’t fall for such illusions.

When she had visited the Azure Princess to examine her divine fever, she had once fallen victim to such an illusion. At that time, she didn’t try to resist it because Seol Tae Pyeong was by her side, but it was also to gauge the level of illusion of the Moon Demonic Spirit.

Falling for it made her mind hazy and difficult to move as she wished.

When dealing with the Moon Demonic Spirit, one had to resist its illusion arts by any means necessary.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun spread the energy of the heavenly dragon as her robe fluttered.

Although she had recovered somewhat after years of recuperation, it still seemed that expending more energy than necessary took a toll on her body.

She furrowed her brows, focused her mind, and tried to envelop the Moon Demonic Spirit in a bluish aura to crush it in one blow.

Whooosh!

However, the power contained within the Moon Demonic Spirit was of a high level.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun whose body was not in perfect condition found it difficult to suppress this formidable demonic spirit.

When the grotesquely twisting spirit lifted its head, its chillingly red eyes pierced through Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun.

Kaang!

It felt as if the energy surrounding her was being drained. Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun frowned.

It still holds the power of the Azure Princess from her strongest days.

When was that time?

It was when the Azure Princess and Seol Tae Pyeong headed to the battlefield to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit.

Years of trials had tempered her. Finally, she was strong enough to fight alongside sword master Seol Tae Pyeong.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun vividly remembered that. The sight of the Azure Princess at her strongest was almost divine, as if part of the Emperor of Heaven had taken form on earth.

Since she was unable to properly wield the power of the heavenly dragon, she couldn’t easily defeat her opponent. For now, the most realistic option was to keep her body in the best condition possible and escape from the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

As Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun collected herself and looked for a place to escape, she heard it.

– I’m jealous.

A shiver ran through her body. Like insects were crawling all over her skin.

– I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous.

It was a whisper in her ear.

When she came to her senses, the Moon Demonic Spirit was embracing her from behind. It had moved so quickly that she hadn’t noticed.

Shrinking Earth. It was the technique the Azure Princess used. Like an immortal who moved as if the entire world was her own chamber.

It’s stronger than the last time I saw it…!

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun tried to shake off the Moon Demonic Spirit, but the whisper in her ear wouldn’t leave her mind.

– I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous, I’m jealous.

“What…!”

At that moment, a sensation like a giant needle was piercing her brain overwhelmed her.

Divine Torment…! I must regain my composure…!

It was the technique the Azure Princess used to ensnare those who resisted her illusions.

Once one was exposed to that power at close range, no matter how strong one’s mental strength was, they would momentarily fall into a daze.

She quickly tried to shake off the Moon Demonic Spirit, but with her weak strength, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun could not overcome the tremendous grip of the monster.

“Haah…!”

At that moment, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s vision went dark.

When her sight returned, a sword was piercing through her chest.

Crack, crack.

The sound of red flames engulfing the world.

When she looked up, she saw the figure of Sword Master Seol Tae Pyeong whom she had seen countless times before.

Inside the imperial capital, which had been completely burned down by the descent of the Plague Demonic Spirit, he was covered in blood and driving a sword into Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s chest.

Tears of blood were flowing down from his eyes. Seol Tae Pyeong was burning with hatred and filled with endless resentment toward her. The killing intent in his gaze, filled with hatred towards Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, seemed to pierce through her entire being.

It’s an illusion…!

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun reminded herself while coughing up blood. There was no reason for Seol Tae Pyeong to harbor such hatred toward her, let alone draw his sword against her.

Though she tried to maintain her rationality, once she was caught in the illusion technique of the Moon Demonic Spirit, resistance was futile.

Moon Demonic Spirit Yora seized the heart demons sprouting in people’s hearts and amplified them to the extreme.

Though Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun always maintained a cheerful demeanor with a bright smile…. the spirit grasped and magnified the guilt she harbored deep in her heart towards Seol Tae Pyeong and constantly brought it before her eyes.

– If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be suffering endlessly in this eternal cycle of death.

– Did you ever ask me, even once? Did you ask if I would accept this torment to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit at the cost of wearing down my soul?

– You used me. You dragged me into your grand quest to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit and threw me into countless repeated deaths. As a result, I have suffered endlessly.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun frowned and shook her head, but the illusion of Seol Tae Pyeong kept pressing her.

– Why should I save this world that rejected me because I’m from the Huayongseol clan?

– Why should I risk my life repeatedly for this Cheongdo empire that only oppressed me?

– Why must I kill the Plague Demonic Spirit?

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun knew well that Seol Tae Pyeong was not the kind of person to say such things.

However, Moon Demonic Spirit Yoran continuously brainwashed her. And it kept showing her the same scenes over and over again.

Ten times, twenty times, a hundred times. With the determination to repeat it until Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s spirit broke, it showed her that horrifying scene repeatedly. The shock of a sword piercing her chest, along with the relentless hallucinations wearing down her mind, tried to engulf her.

You drove Seol Tae Pyeong to death. You pushed Seol Tae Pyeong into an endless march of suffering.

As if testing Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s will, it made her experience that terrible sight over and over again.

I … I did…!

Even though Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was pierced by Seol Tae Pyeong’s sword again and again, she gritted her teeth and endured it all.

She continued to grit her teeth and cough up blood… and just when she steadied her mind and resolved herself to shatter this illusion technique.

Slash!

A single stroke of the sword cleaved through the illusion and dispersed it.

“Guh, cough!”

When she regained her senses, the man’s sword was already back in its scabbard.

The man swiftly landed under the Heavenly Jade Pavilion and steadied himself.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun clutched her neck and collapsed to the ground.

After several bouts of coughing, she finally gathered herself and realized she had completely broken free from the illusion.

Since her face was already covered in tears and saliva, she had to rub it with the collar of her court robe several times to get her appearance back to normal.

“Are you all right, your highness?”

This Heavenly Jade Pavilion was the innermost garden within Cheongdo Palace.

Without Headmaid Lee Ryeong’s permission, even the maids of the Heavenly Dragon Hall couldn’t enter this sacred place freely.

Who could possibly enter this place after Headmaid Lee Ryeon fell victim to the demonic spirit? Even the emperor had to follow protocol to enter.

Only the person holding the Heavenly Dragon Tablet could. And there was only one person in Cheongdo Palace to whom Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun had personally given the Heavenly Dragon Tablet.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun quickly caught her breath and looked up.

The sword that cut through the flow and energy. The Leaf Jade Sword.

The sword inherited from White Immortal Lee Cheol Woon could cut through even the demonic power of the Moon Demonic Spirit, which conjured illusions in an instant.

Though the sight of Seol Tae Pyeong standing with his sword in hand was impressive, that image overlapped for a moment with the image of him shedding tears of blood that she had seen in the illusion.

“Guh…! Huff! Kuh…”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun shed her tears and quickly shook her head. Then, with trembling eyes, she quietly looked at Seol Tae Pyeong.

“Tae, Tae Pyeong-ah …”

“First, calm yourself. As I mentioned before, I met with Under Councilor Shim Sang Gon. Now, we only need to subdue the Moon Demonic Spirit…”

At that moment, Seol Tae Pyeong’s eyes twitched as he looked at the Moon Demonic Spirit gripping his sword tightly.

The appearance of Moon Demonic Spirit with flowing blue-gray hair and an Azure court robe …must have been unusual for Seol Tae Pyeong who knew nothing.

And that was only normal.

Moon Demonic Spirit Yoran was the most wretchedly fallen form of Jin Cheong Lang after countless reincarnations.

“Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun… that is…”

“Tae Pyeong-ah. Explaining it would take too long… but first… there is something I must ask…”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun who barely regained her composure grabbed Seol Tae Pyeong’s arm and lifted herself up.

She gasped for breath, then finally raised her head and opened her mouth.

And then, she barely held onto her fading consciousness and managed to ask.

“Tae Pyeong-ah.”

“Your Highness…?”

“Have you… always looked at me like that…?”

“……?”

Although there was much to explain…

It seemed necessary to ask why, out of all the crown princess consorts, the Moon Demonic Spirit had come to find her.

“……”

“…Huh?”

However, Seol Tae Pyeong could not read between the lines, so he could only give a blank response for a moment.