Surviving in a Romance Fantasy Novel - Chapter 92

Only those who are prepared can seize the opportunity when it comes.

That thing called opportunity often appears suddenly without warning and disappears just as quickly.

Realizing too late that it was an opportunity holds no meaning, so if one aims for higher places, they must always stay vigilant with their eyes wide open.

Without such awareness, no one can rise to the position of the White Princess inside the Inbong clan.

So is this the opportunity?

Lightning flashed and her thoughts surged.

In front of her stood the head of the Inbong clan soaked to the bone. There was no one around to protect him, and he had no means to play any tricks at the moment.

With the head of the Inbong clan completely disarmed before her, would she extend a hand to him?

As it happened… the palace was currently filled with demonic spirits.

Should an unfortunate accident occur in such a situation, most people would blame it on the demonic spirits. Conveniently enough, Ha Gang Seok had returned from outside without a single weapon for self-defense.

Opportunity comes in the midst of chaos.

The echoes of desire spread in the White Princess’s ears.

Without Fourth Consort Ha Chae Rim or clan head Ha Gang Seok, who would emerge as the new power inside the Inbong clan?

Many figures in high positions came to mind… but in the end, the one who held the highest position of authority was…

There was no need to think further. It was the mistress of the White Tiger Palace.

“……..”

“Ha Wol-ah. Once this situation is resolved, I will make sure that the Bright Moon General is sentenced to the harshest punishment. No matter how powerful he is, there’s no way he can be forgiven for brandishing a sword in the courtyard of a noble clan.”

“……”

“…Ha Wol-ah?”

Another flash of lightning illuminated the window outside the tea room.

In front of him, White Princess Ha Wol had her head bowed. Her expression was far from ordinary.

The head of the Inbong clan sensed something unusual as he observed her.

Is White Princess Ha Wol truly on his side?

Though she shared the same bloodline of the Inbong clan and had schemed alongside him… could she really be trusted completely?

As the head of the Inbong clan, he knew better than anyone else. The people of the Inbong clan would trample over anyone if it meant seizing an opportunity.

That was why he had fought so fiercely, kicking away the ladder time and again to secure his position.

If he were in Ha Wol’s place now… would he truly defend himself?

Especially when Ha Wol would become the true power within the Inbong clan if Ha Gang Seok was out of the picture?

“Ha Wol-ah. Keep your wits about you! Don’t you realize that a single misjudgment of where your allegiance lies could cost you your life?!”

Feeling a surge of crisis, Ha Gang Seok shouted at her. However, White Princess Ha Wol was also someone who had weathered countless storms.

She was not someone who could be swayed by mere force or authority. She acted solely based on calculation.

Therefore, to win her over, there had to be a logical argument.

Fortunately, Ha Gang Seok had just the reasoning to persuade her.

“Do you think you’ll be safe if you side with the Bright Moon General?! No matter how the situation unfolds, there’s one clear fact that won’t change! He brandished a sword at a powerful figure in Cheongdo Palace, and everyone saw it! The entire world knows about it!”

“…….”

“Do you think the crime of wielding a sword at a figure respected even by the Emperor will just disappear? It’s an insult to the entire Cheongdo Empire! Once this situation is settled, he’ll be branded a traitor! You’re grabbing onto a rotten rope!”

Ha Gang Seok shouted furiously as he tried to convince the White Princess with his eyes bulging with veins.

“Yes, Ha Wol-ah. I know what you’re struggling with. In a situation like this, it’s only natural to have doubts. In fact, if you weren’t struggling, you’d be unfit to be a member of the Inbong clan. The people of the Inbong clan always wait for the right moment as they calculate their gains and losses carefully. If you had simply followed orders here, I would have been greatly disappointed.”

“Clan head.”

“In fact, I’ve come to appreciate your worth! The fact that you’re calmly weighing the pros and cons even in such a critical situation is your true value! So… once we get through this, I promise to fully support you! Someone like you should be the true power in the Inbong clan! So for now…!”

“Clan head.”

As Ha Gang Seok continued to ramble on, the White Princess quietly called out to him.

Though they were in a leader and subordinate relationship… just calling his name once was enough to make him fall silent.

“…….”

“Indeed, once this situation is over and everything is sorted out, the Bright Moon General’s crimes will surface. It’s unlikely that the Emperor would easily pardon such a crime.”

“Th-That’s right… Ha Wol-ah…! So let’s settle the Inbong clan’s situation right away…!”

“But what happens if the Bright Moon General settles this situation?”

At those words, Ha Gang Seok was momentarily speechless.

“I’ve heard that the monster that destroyed the Red Palace is now running wild in the main palace. From what I’ve gathered, it’s such a powerful creature that even General Seong Sa Wook had to retreat. If one were to personally slay such a monster… any crimes committed before or after could easily be overlooked, wouldn’t you agree? After all, it would be a heroic deed that saved the Empire.”

“What are you saying, Ha Wol-ah… How could one person possibly slay such a creature…?”

“If it were you, Clan head… where would you place your bet?”

The politics and scheming within Cheongdo Palace never stop.

Even in this hellish landscape, filled with demonic spirits on all sides.

Humans never stop their power struggles and games of influence.

It can’t be helped.

That’s just the nature of humanity.

In this massive gambling den that is Cheongdo Palace, where will you place your bet?

Which side will you align with, and whose footsteps will you follow to reap the rewards?

The White Princess has rarely lost in this game of wagers.

That’s why she became the mistress of White Tiger Palace.

“If the Bright Moon General becomes a hero who saved the Empire, then the crime of wielding a sword inside the Inbong clan mansion could easily be dismissed, especially if the true power of the Inbong clan personally steps forward to defend him.”

“W-What… what are you saying…?”

“From the Bright Moon General’s point of view, he would need my support, so we could form a mutually beneficial relationship. Indeed, this doesn’t sound bad from my point of view either.”

With every word the White Princess spoke, a shiver slowly crept up Ha Gang Seok’s arms.

He was beginning to sense what conclusion she might reach.

“Wol-ah… have you… truly gone mad…?”

“……”

“If the Bright Moon General fails to kill that monster, will you be able to handle the consequences?! Do you even realize what you’re doing right now?!”

After gently tracing her lips with the edge of her fan, the White Princess closed her eyes for a moment.

The person sitting across the game board from her was Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong.

The intentions behind each move he had made, his seemingly indifferent expression as he propped his chin on his hand, were finally becoming clear.

Causing a commotion at the Inbong clan out of nowhere.

Deliberately sparing Ha Gang Seok whom he could have easily cut down with his sword.

Sending the Black Moon Unit which was a highly skilled force all the way to White Tiger Palace.

Ha Gang Seok who was fleeing from Seol Tae Pyeong’s sword would have only one place to go. It was where the most authoritative member of the Inbong clan resided. In other words, it is the White Tiger Palace.

Sending the Black Moon Unit to White Tiger Palace to protect her was also a subtle proposal to the White Princess.

If you join hands with me, I’ll give you the real power in the Inbong clan.

But in return, the Inbong clan must support the Bright Moon General until its dying day.

He opened the door and invited her aboard the ship while placing the sword to sever the clan head’s neck in her hands.

To board the ship, she must cast unnecessary baggage into the sea. That decision would be the proof of their alliance.

Is this how…he plans to bring the Inbong clan under the Hwalseong District’s control?

At this moment, the White Princess realizes it.

He has long surpassed the days when he was merely a simple and brute apprentice warrior who could only swing his sword well.

By now, he was a lord in the making.

“The situation is indeed urgent, but it seems the clan head has been making serious mistakes for quite some time. Considering your position, I never said anything but still…”

“W-What… what did you say…?”

“To begin with, White Tiger Palace is a restricted area for men. No matter how powerful a clan head might be, it’s not acceptable for them to come and go as they please. It’s not good for exceptions to be made so easily to the laws of the palace.”

What is she saying now?

Moreover, is this the time to be concerned about such regulations when Cheongdo Palace is overrun with demonic spirits?

But that didn’t matter. All Ha Wol needed was a pretext.

“White Princess, I have prepared a hastily prepared defense line and camouflaged wiretapping centered around the warehouse of the White Tiger Palace. Please head there. The demonic spirits will soon reach this tea room.”

Headmaid Ye Rim who had been waiting bowed her head and reported.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“W-Wol-ah…!”

Realizing the situation, the clan head quickly rushed over and grabbed Ha Wol’s leg tightly.

His desperate grip as he crawled on the floor was utterly pitiful.

“Wol-ah… I-If there’s anything I haven’t done for you, I sincerely apologize…”

“…….”

“I-I really don’t ask for much! I’ll do anything you want! Yes, even the position of clan head—I’ll give it to you! You can handle it, I’m sure! Wol-ah…!”

“Clan Head.”

“So please… let me inside too. You know I don’t say such things lightly…! Please… please… just this once… trust me… Wol-ah… Ha Wol-ah… please…!”

Ha Wol smiled softly and flicked her fingers. She used a weak repulsion Taoist technique to fling the clan head away.

“Urgh!”

The clan head was thrown back and crashed into the paper door.

And then… beyond the paper door, the growls of the demonic spirits could be heard.

Crash! Crack!

One side of the paper door collapsed, and the grotesquely twisted demonic spirits began to swarm in.

There were so many that they had to flee immediately.

“Ugh!”

However, Ha Gang Seok who had fallen was seized by the creatures before he had a chance to resist. They grabbed his legs and waist, and then the lower demonic spirits began sinking their teeth into him.

Blood spurted out, and the blood vessels in the clan head’s eyes burst.

“You… insane… filthy… wretched bit*h… I fed you… I sheltered you…! Ugh…!”

“…….”

“You… you treat me like this… you wretched bit*h… you won’t last long either… you… ungrateful… wench…!”

Ha Wol nodded her head slightly before whispering softly with cold eyes.

“If you’d stayed quiet, I might have used you as a disposable piece someday.”

After that, she quickly ran out of the tea room with Headmaid Ye Rim.

“Aaaagh! Ugh!”

The wretched screams of the clan head echoed from the tea room behind them.

Ha Wol clenched her eyes shut as she ran.

***

In the midst of the raging storm, several members of the Black Moon Unit were knocked down.

No matter how many demonic spirits they had slain before, in the face of the monstrous Sun Demonic Spirit Pyeong Ryang, they seemed like a disorganized rabble.

Bang! Crack!

“If this continues, we’ll suffer heavy casualties! Black Moon Unit, retreat!”

“Yes!”

Black Moon Leader Cheong Jin Myeong swiftly moved and ordered the Black Moon Unit to retreat.

The Black Moon Unit who had been restraining the Sun Demonic Spirit with all manner of chains and hidden weapons quickly hid themselves in the shadows.

The Black Moon Unit was the most elite force I could command at the moment. Each member was a valuable asset, so I couldn’t afford to lose them so easily.

While the Black Moon Unit bought me some time, I steadied myself and leaped onto the debris of the collapsed library building.

The Sun Demonic Spirit quickly turned its gaze toward me, gripped its huge blade, and charged.

Boom!

With a single strike, a cloud of dust shot up to the height of a building.

The remains of the library building, which was already on the verge of total collapse, crumbled further as we exchanged several more blows.

I wasn’t sure why such a “restrictive spell” was in place, but the Sun Demonic Spirit Pyeong Ryang couldn’t be killed within Cheongdo Palace.

However, if I could lure it outside the palace, it could be slain. The farther from Cheongdo Palace, the weaker the spell would become.

Of course, just because the spell weakened didn’t mean its strength would diminish.

In the end, I would have to draw my sword and cut it down myself. Until then, it was crucial to keep my body in peak condition.

While I continued to provoke and evade it in the storm, something happened.

Crash! Crack!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

From the direction of the main palace, a large group of soldiers began to rush forward.

Leading them on horseback was Warrior Commander Jang Rae, and riding behind him was Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun.

The luxurious collar of the Heavenly Maiden’s court robes fluttered like a flag in the storm.

Normally, she wasn’t permitted to leave the Heavenly Dragon Hall, but in this emergency, there was no other choice.

“Bright Moon General!”

Perhaps it was because there were so many eyes on us.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun didn’t call me by my name, Seol Tae Pyeong, but called me by my title.

“I’m heading to Hwalseong District! Don’t you dare die!”

Don’t die.

A brief yet heavy command.

As I faced the Sun Demonic Spirit, I could tell from her eyes.

Everything was going according to plan.

With that unspoken assurance, she charged through the rain and bolted out of the Great Star Gate to the south.

“Kyahhhhhhh!”

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, maid Seol Ran of the Crown Prince’s Palace was riding toward us.

She was half in tears and screaming in terror. It seemed like she couldn’t handle the speed of the warhorse she was riding for the first time.

It looked more like she was clinging to the horse rather than actually riding it.

I couldn’t fathom where she found the courage to spur the horse like that.

Yet when you look at it this way, it was so typical of Seol Ran. She was never one to remain still in a crisis.

She was someone who did whatever she could.

“Tae Pyeong-ahhhhhhh! You’re not hurt, are you?!”

Her voice was almost drowned out by the sound of the rain, but even then, Seol Ran seemed worried about me.

As planned, she kept riding straight toward the Great Star Gate.

Yes, everything was proceeding according to plan.

As I had repeatedly said, the Sun Demonic Spirit’s goal was clear.

To take the lives of Seol Tae Pyeong, Seol Ran, and Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun. That was the purpose engraved into its soul by the Plague Demonic Spirit that created it. The Sun Demonic Spirit could never resist that instinct.

This is why… I never expected that luring it out of Cheongdo Palace would be this easy.

The plan was simple. Get everyone the Sun Demonic Spirit was after out of Cheongdo Palace.

What good would it do for it to massacre the people of Cheongdo Empire? If he couldn’t kill the key figures who influenced the world’s course, it would mean nothing from the perspective of the Plague Demonic Spirit who created it.

In the end, the sole purpose of its existence was to kill the three of us. Even if it didn’t want to, it would have no choice but to chase after us.

Outside of Cheongdo Palace.

Out of the battlefield where it held the absolute advantage… It would have to come out.

“Bi Cheon!”

As I clashed swords with the Sun Demonic Spirit, I shouted the name of my adjutant.

The two most important people had made it out of Cheongdo Palace. Now, I just had to get out as well.

Clang!

I parried the Sun Demonic Spirit’s sword with all the strength I could muster and leaped back.

When I jumped down from the building’s ruins, Bi Cheon who had been waiting behind the library building rushed out with a wagon.

Thud! Thud!

Crash! Bang!

“Ugh.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Drive faster!”

As I scrambled to steady myself on the wagon bed, I saw the Sun Demonic Spirit standing on the library roof and glaring at me through the rain.

On the speeding wagon,

With my back to the wind and rain, I swung my sword once as I watched the Sun Demonic Spirit who was growing distant.

Everyone you’re after has retreated to Hwalseong District.

If you want to kill us, you’ll have to follow us there.

The Sun Demonic Spirit’s brow furrowed for a moment. Since it was an intelligent creature, it must have clearly understood the situation it was now facing.

What did it mean to march out of Cheongdo Palace?

It meant leaving the comfort of its cozy quarters, risking its life, and crossing swords in battle.

And it would march out.

After all, this was a creature that harbored the spirit of Vice General Jeong Seo Tae.

It was a monster that had inherited the soul of the general who had charged into battle to subdue a Higher Demonic Spirit, even in the face of potential death.

So it would not hesitate. If it meant achieving its goal… it would charge ahead, even if it had to risk its life. That’s what Vice General Jeong Seo Tae meant by the spirit of a general.

Whoooosh!

The creature leaped toward the wagon.

Each step it took shattered the ground beneath it as it propelled itself forward.

Even though we had chosen the fastest horse we could find, it seemed the creature would catch up with us at any moment.

“Do we just need to get outside Cheongdo Palace?”

“We have to reach Hwalseong District! To completely shake off the effects of that Taoist magic, we need to get far away from the vicinity of Cheongdo Palace!”

I wiped my sword blade with the rainwater and glared at the Sun Demonic Spirit who was pursuing the wagon with great killing intent.

Bi Cheon’s hands were trembling.

He had hardly ever driven a wagon before, and now, a monstrous creature capable of killing hundreds with a single strike was chasing him.

Given his age, it was impossible not to be terrified. But even though he was afraid, Bi Cheon gritted his teeth, held onto the reins, and drove the horse forward.

My grip on the sword tightened as I continued to watch the creature in pursuit, and its form began to come into full view.

“…What is that?”

Amidst it all, something strange caught my eye.

Sun Demonic Spirit Pyeong Ryang.

This monster was a special demonic spirit created by the Plague Demonic Spirit, based on Vice General Jeong Seo Tae at his most powerful moment in the past.

Its back was full of arrows.

It was likely because this depicted the exact moment when the vice general died, the moment the Plague Demonic Spirit captured his soul.

“.……”

However, something felt off.

I heard that Vice General Jeong Seo Tae died fighting demonic spirits in an attempt to slay a Higher Demonic Spirit.

This was a fact that Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun herself had told me since she knew the future. Wasn’t it something she had heard with her own ears?

But the arrows embedded in the vice general’s back… seemed unnaturally out of place.

──After all, demonic spirits didn’t shoot arrows.

If he had truly been killed by demonic spirits, it was strange that his back was filled with so many arrows.

…What is this? Did Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun lie to me…? She had no reason to do that… If that’s not it, then…

I could only reflect on this briefly, since I had to block a sword strike from the Sun Demonic Spirit who had nearly closed the distance between us.

Clang!

“Ugh!”

There was no time to entertain unnecessary thoughts.

Whoooosh!

Thump! Thump!

The Black Moon Unit joined the chase while leaping through the trees. Various hidden weapons flew through the darkness, but the Sun Demonic Spirit swiftly deflected them all with quick movements.

When I saw that, I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on my sword.

No matter what, the priority was to cut it down.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Thud! Thud!

After running for quite some time through the rain, the entrance to the Hwalseong District finally began to appear in the distance.

It was the territory I managed as my fief, the very land personally granted to me by Vice General Jeong Seo Tae.

It was unfortunate, but…

This place would be the grave of Sun Demonic Spirit Pyeong Ryang.