Chapter 79: Hell Part 1

“The Sun Demonic Spirit Pyong Ryang is an embodiment of the power of a general who commands a large army, so it will likely appear with numerous demonic spirits.”

“…In the middle of Cheongdo Palace?”

When Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun nodded her head, I couldn’t help but feel the gravity of the situation. After all, didn’t the Moon Demonic Spirit Yoran appear right in the middle of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion inside the Heavenly Dragon Hall?

“Listen carefully, Tae Pyong-ah. You must not think of anything else and focus solely on capturing the Sun Demonic Spirit.”

“……”

“The Sun Demonic Spirit is never to be underestimated. You’ll probably have a hard time dealing with it.”

If Vice General Jeong Seo Tae, who has ingested the Bitter Harmony Poison four times, goes berserk with the power of demonic energy, even someone who has overcome divine fever will fall if they let their guard down.

However, it seemed that Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s words implied more than just that.

It felt as if she knew something more but was hesitant to tell me. It wasn’t out of malice, but rather, she seemed to find it difficult to speak.

I nodded my head but the uneasy feeling didn’t go away, so I added,

“I’ve felt this for a long time… Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, you hide too much from me. Isn’t that so?”

“……”

“We’re now in the same boat, aren’t we? We share the same goal of killing the Plague Demonic Spirit, so there’s no need to hide things from me, even if it’s for my sake.”

It was indeed strange.

I knew that Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun had rewound time several times to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit.

And even though we knew everything about each other, I could still hear hesitation in the undertone of her words.

In the face of the immense threat of the Plague Demonic Spirit, hiding things wouldn’t do us any good.

“It continues to bother me that there are things you haven’t told me.”

“…….”

“Can’t you tell me everything without holding back?”

When I spoke calmly like this, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun hesitated. She then turned her gaze away and sighed deeply.

“…If we kill Sun Demonic Spirit Pyong Ryang this time, the help I can offer you as the Heavenly Maiden will greatly diminish.”

“Is that so?”

“Both the Moon Demonic Spirit Yoran and the Sun Demonic Spirit Pyong Ryang… not just anywhere, but right in the heart of this country’s Cheongdo Palace. The appearance of such special demonic spirits twice is a serious matter.”

After hearing this much, I immediately understood what Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was worried about.

“…Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, by any chance…”

“Yes, it will become more certain that the power of the Heavenly Dragon is weakening…. I can’t remain as the Heavenly Maiden forever.”

While the Moon Demonic Spirit Yoran could be considered an exceptional case, once the Sun Demonic Spirit Pyong Ryang is defeated, Ah Hyun will no longer be able to maintain her previous authority.

Of course, she won’t be immediately expelled from the Heavenly Dragon Hall, but it’s clear her authority will gradually diminish.

Eventually, she may become quite insignificant—Ah Hyun was foreseeing her own downfall.

“Listen carefully, Tae Pyeong-ah. No matter what happens to me, you must only worry about yourself. In order to defeat the Plague Demonic Spirit, you must prioritize your success above all else; never forget that.”

“……”

“I still hold significant authority now as the Heavenly Maiden, but it will decrease over time. When that time comes, you must use me as a discarded pawn.”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun spoke with a solemn voice.

Whatever future she saw in her eyes was unknown.

“Right now, I am the Heavenly Maiden, but never forget that the person who must eventually take this position is Maid Seol.”

It was clear that Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was hiding something from me.

“Well, what’s the point of discussing such gloomy topics! Right now, we need to figure out how to bring Maid Seol to the Heavenly Dragon Hall and prepare to face the Sun Demonic Spirit Pyong Ryang! Right?!”

“That’s true, but…”

“We have a mountain of tasks to handle right now; what’s the point of endlessly discussing future problems!”

After saying that, she quickly changed the subject and brushed off her own words.

I still felt certain that Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was keeping something from me.

If she chose not to say something, I thought there must be a reason and that pretending not to notice was the mature thing to do.

However, at this point, it was not easy to pretend not to notice.

“I’ll try to find more ways on my end, so for now, go back and finish the work in the Hwalseong District! While you’re in the palace, check out the people in the Inbong clan who will be under your command! You have a lot to do, Tae Pyeong!”

Her eagerness to send me away felt quite suspicious.

However, I had no intention of beating around the bush.

“The Moon Demonic Spirit Yoran was Jin Cheong Lang. The Sun Demonic Spirit Pyong Ryang is Jeong Seo Tae.”

“……”

“Then… who is the White Demonic Spirit?”

“……”

The expression “hitting the nail on the head” fit perfectly.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s expression momentarily stiffened, and then she let out a bitter laugh.

“The White Demonic Spirit… perhaps…”

“Tae Pyeong-ah.”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun lowered her head and spoke with difficulty.

“I will be deposed at next year’s Mid-Autumn Festival.”

“……”

“A Heavenly Maiden who gets deposed for not fulfilling her duties is bound to face a miserable fate. But… Tae Pyeong-ah …”

Was this what she had been struggling to say all along?

“Never pity me; never try to save me; never take my side.”

Inspector Ha Si Hwa was an official of the Inbong clan who had worked for a long time in the Ministry of Works which was responsible for the construction and architecture inside and outside the palace.

With her neatly tied-back gray hair and her habit of rolling up her sleeves, she was truly a decisive person who spoke her mind.

Among the various officials in the Ministry of Works, she was highly regarded. And despite her low rank, her influence could not be ignored.

In the Ministry of Works where practical skills were highly valued, having strong practical abilities often meant having a louder voice.

Just like a skilled soldier could have more influence than most officers, Ha Si Hwa had firmly established her position by effectively managing the ministry officials for a long time.

She harbored ambitions of one day rising to the position of Minister of Works where she could command others.

When someone has high aspirations, they tend to work even harder.

She was eventually recognized as the most capable person in the Ministry of Works, and so she had finally…

“Starting tomorrow, you no longer need to report to the Ministry of Works.”

She had been dismissed from the ministry.

“……”

Inspector Ha Si Hwa bowed her head deeply as she looked at the order of dismissal.

Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong? The head of the Hwalseong District …?

With her sleeves rolled up, Ha Si Hwa sighed deeply as she reviewed the documents.

Ha Si Hwa was a determined and tenacious person. She had always strived to gain recognition in the Ministry of Works, even as a woman.

Without even a single bit of makeup, she tied back her shiny hair and gritted her teeth to earn her place.

She stayed up all night reading practical books, ran around the field to familiarize herself with the structures of buildings, and even memorized the number and layout of houses in each district. She went as far as to demolish abandoned houses one by one to analyze their construction.

There was no one more tenacious than her. The reason she could work so diligently was to one day stand at the top of the Ministry of Works and seize great power.

No matter what… how could they use me as a bargaining chip without even saying a word to me…!

She knew well that the people of the Inbong clan would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

She knew well that she could also be used as a disposable pawn someday, so she lived her life constantly proving her worth.

However, when she thought about how all her dreams had collapsed in vain like this, tears welled up in her eyes.

She had lived so diligently.

She cherished each day like a treasure, saved time, and improved herself. How could the world betray her in such a way?

She had heard that Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong, the person she was transferred to, was someone who had risen to his position quickly without any backing.

Even so, such a person could eventually become a high official, so the head of the Inbong clan Ha Gang Seok sold Ha Si Hwa’s dreams and efforts as a bargaining tool to recruit him.

The years I dedicated to the Ministry of Works were merely negotiation materials for the people of the Inbong clan…

She felt a pang of bitterness and was momentarily disheartened, but Ha Si Hwa quickly pulled herself together and shook her head vigorously. Living as a member of the Inbong clan meant often facing such harsh realities. Every time she encountered these moments, she knew she couldn’t afford to be discouraged if she dreamed of success.

Her hair which was tied up in a bun swayed as she nodded her head. It seemed to represent her determined mindset.

But they say a crisis is an opportunity. If the calculating head of the clan is going to such lengths to recruit this person, there must be a good reason for that.

After all, most martial officers who used their bodies were simple-minded brutes with rigid minds.

Anyway, if she could just win over this Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong, he would become a powerful asset for her.

I don’t know what kind of person he is, but from the rumors, he doesn’t seem to be very sharp in Cheongdo Palace’s political arena. If I can handle him well, I might be able to use him as a means for my own success…!

At that moment, Ha Si Hwa nodded to herself.

Bang!

Just then, the door to the inspector’s office flew open violently.

“Huh…?”

“Oh, you must be Ha Si Hwa.”

Was he on his way back from visiting the Heavenly Dragon Hall?

Without any context or warning, the Lower Third Rank Bright Moon General barged into Ha Si Hwa’s office.

Shouldn’t there be some sense of order in the world?

It was already puzzling how a high official from the palace could suddenly appear like a neighborhood friend, but Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong didn’t seem to care about such things at all.

“…! Lo-Lord Bright Moon General …?!”

“You look smart and capable. Hey, help her pack her stuff.”

“Yes!”

From behind him, Adjutant Bi Cheon entered the office with a few maids and began gathering all of Ha Si Hwa’s belongings into a bundle.

Crash, bang! Bang!

Swish! Swish!

They were so swift that it seemed like they had done this a few times before.

“Br… Bright Moon General, I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon…! I mean, uh, why did you come to such a humble place…!”

“You heard the news, right? Enough with the formalities. You’re now in charge of the Hwalseong District, so just work under me.”

“I was planning to come and greet you slowly…”

“It’s fine. We’re busy as it is, so no need for formalities. We’ll move your stuff, and you can go to the Hwalseong District. We can talk there, right?”

A lightning strike would have been less sudden.

Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong, as if it were nothing, kidnapped Ha Si Hwa and took her to the Hwalseong District.

In front of the kidnapped Ha Si Hwa, a bowl of rice soup was placed.

The rising steam made it look truly delicious.

At Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong’s mansion within the Hwalseong District, four people sat around the dining table.

On one side, Seol Tae Pyeong was slurping his rice soup, and next to him, Adjutant Bi Cheon was eating his rice soup with a look of utter despair.

Black Moon Leader Cheong Jin Myeong too was eating his rice soup with a pained expression on his face. His body was covered in the blood of demonic spirits. He had just finished dealing with the lower demonic spirits on the outskirts of the Hwalseong District.

A man dressed in a high-ranking military uniform, an apprentice warrior, and a blood-stained demonic spirit hunter.

Among them, Ha Si Hwa who felt like like the odd one out thought to herself.

What on earth is this place…?

What else could it be but hell?

As if answering her thoughts, Seol Tae Pyeong spoke.

“What are you doing not eating? We have a mountain of work to do after finishing this meal, so hurry up and eat.”

“Ah, yes. Bu-But, I haven’t properly introduced myself yet…”

“Do it while working. While working.”

As she shoved rice soup into her mouth, she glanced at the expressions of Cheong Jin Myeong and Bi Cheon. She noticed that both seemed half-dead with soulless looks on their faces.

It was clear that these two were Seol Tae Pyeong’s closest aides, yet they appeared to be dying under the weight of their work.

Ha Si Hwa instinctively knew.

She had indeed stepped into the flames of hell.

The White Princess was humming a tune to herself. It had been a long time since she felt this good.

As she walked along the porch of the White Tiger Palace, she relished this feeling of ecstasy as if she was standing on top of the world.

Ever since she enlisted the support of Seol Tae Pyeong, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Her position within the Inbong clan was rising steadily… and most importantly, she could feel the inferiority that the Vermilion Princess, whom she had looked up to all her life, now harbored towards her.

It must be truly infuriating for her…. that Seol Tae Pyeong sided with me…

The White Princess touched her lips with the end of her white fan and smiled in satisfaction.

When she closed her eyes, the scenes she had witnessed in the tea gathering seemed to shimmer back into view. It was incredible that the Vermilion Princess, who was always so aloof and dignified, could harbor jealousy toward anyone …!

Just recalling that memory made an inexplicable sense of satisfaction well up in her chest.

Just having Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong within my influence brings so many benefits. I must gather as much as I can about his weaknesses to ensure he never thinks of betraying me.

Her sinister nature never truly went away.

The White Princess smiled contentedly and she started to organize her thoughts.

Since Ha Si Hwa has entered under his command, she will surely bring back plenty of useful information for me.

Feeling as if she had acquired a powerful ally, the White Princess laughed endlessly.

Now that she had come this far, who could possibly stand in her way?

The world seemed bright and beautiful.

The next morning.

The mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace, the Vermilion Princess, visited the White Tiger Palace.

“……”

“Have you been well?”

Seeing the Vermilion Princess sitting across the tea table, the White Princess swallowed dryly.

She had never imagined that she would come to the White Tiger Palace so openly. Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon had never personally visited another palace before.

To be honest, she was a little scared.