When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 143
Chapter 143
How… how could she say such cruel things…?
Typical Ju Clan. Uttering such ruthless words so casually, enough to shock even the King of the Underworld…
A wave of terror washed over those who still bore the scars of their childhood, persecuted by the Ju Clan.
They knew better than anyone that the Ju Clan meant what they said, that to them, mystics outside their clan were nothing but trash and expendable.
But they didn’t dare to use their full power to break free and escape.
This was someone their Clan Head had brought here, intending to make her his Lady of the House! Where could they go after revealing their faces and defying him?
‘And… that power…’
As if sensing their desperation, their desire to escape even if it meant anything…
A powerful, five-colored aura, almost blinding, surged around the young lady sitting casually by the window.
The waves of energy, like a predator ready to pounce at the slightest provocation, filled the air, a clear threat.
One of the maids bit her lip, her mouth dry.
“…I…!” she blurted out, having seemingly made up her mind after desperately searching for an excuse. “I-I’ll bring you the one who knows about the Hyangra tea! I think I know who it is!”
Sehwa’s gaze flickered towards the maid who had spoken.
“I-I’ll bring them to you. I’ll drag them here, every single one of them! …So… could you please release us…? Or at least me…?”
She pleaded, bowing her head, “Ulji also said I didn’t know anything…”
If they just released her, she would bring that person before Sehwa and make them confess.
That person was surely an accomplice.
Sehwa, looking at the pleading maid, smiled, “You’re right. I can’t punish someone who’s innocent.”
But despite her agreeable words, the maid didn’t look up, her face still pale with fear.
“But because of the tea you brought, I almost died.”
“......”
“I’m sure you understand that I can’t just let you go as if nothing happened, just because you claim you didn't know, right?”
Even though her tone was gentle and her gaze warm, the maid cowered as if before a predator.
Sehwa smiled, looking at the maid, who was trembling with fear. “So, as a gesture of your sincerity, you’ll have to do something for me to make amends.”
“…W-What… What do you command…?”
Sehwa’s voice was casual, almost indifferent. “When raising birds… the loose feathers can be quite bothersome, don’t you think? Did you know? Even a small bird, the size of your palm, loses quite a few feathers.”
So, there was a simpler way to deal with the nuisance than cleaning up the feathers every time.
“Do you know what it is?”
“......”
Sehwa tapped her long, slender fingers on the table, and seeing the maid looking up at her, speechless, she smiled gently. “You cut off its head.”
You cut off its head before it has a chance to shed its feathers, and you throw the body out the window.
Hearing her clear, gentle voice, the maids lowered their heads, their faces pale.
“So, I’ll be selecting the attendants in this manner. The Clan Head has given specific instructions regarding the future Lady of the House, so I ask for your cooperation, Elder Simjung.”
“It’s the Clan Head’s order, so I’ll naturally comply. But Manyong, do you also agree with that Ju Clan young lady becoming the Lady of the House?”
“Of course! I’ve never seen anyone so capable, not even our Clan Head. Didn’t you see, Elder? Her beauty is captivating, and her spiritual power, judging from her appearance, is immense…”
“Quiet. So you haven’t actually seen her abilities, Manyong? You only saw her shoot a few arrows, right?”
“Well, yes, I haven’t seen her use her full power, but… why do you ask? Are you against her becoming the Lady of the House, Elder?”
“......”
“I hope you’re not. You’ll see for yourself, Elder, but the Clan Head clearly cares for her deeply. I… I’ve never seen him smile like that before.”
“Yes, I also don’t mind who it is, as long as it makes our Clan Head happy.”
The tall, thin elder nodded repeatedly.
“What does it matter if she’s not from a powerful clan or if she's not as strong as the Clan Head? We’ll just have to support her with all our loyalty.”
He didn’t desire anything more, just the fact that their Clan Head, who had been alone for so long, had found someone.
A look of admiration flickered in Baek Manyong’s eyes as he listened to the elder.
“As expected of Elder Simjung. I was worried for nothing. Then I’ll take my leave now, I have to select the attendants and prepare for the inauguration ceremony.”
“Yes, yes, you’ve worked hard, Manyong. Go on.”
Baek Manyong bowed to the elder and quickly left.
Elder Simjung, one of the Ten Elders of the Baek Clan, watched him go, then muttered, “…But not a Ju Clan member… not a Ju…”
His gaze shifted to the side.
“Did you bring the tea?”
“Th-That…”
Jae Munju, who had been instigating the servants earlier, emerged from behind a pillar, her face filled with dismay.
“You… failed? You couldn't even make her drink some tea?”
“I apologize. I managed to rally the servants against that Ju Clan bitch, but…”
“Rallying them is not enough! You have to actually do something! How could you mess this up from the very beginning?!”
Slam!
His wrinkled hand slammed against the table.
“What if that Ju Clan bitch really becomes the Lady of the House with her pretty face?! Are you going to take responsibility?!”
He slammed the table several more times, as if to vent his frustration.
Elder Simjung glared at Jae Munju.
He had been inside the building when the Clan Head returned, watching their arrival.
He couldn’t believe that their Clan Head, the leader of the Six Clans’ alliance, had personally escorted a young Ju Clan girl as if she were his superior.
‘How can the Baek Clan Head… treat a Ju like that…!’
But what was even more unbelievable was something else.
The young girl, whom he had observed from the upper floor, was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, as Baek Manyong had claimed.
But…
‘…Is that really our Clan Head, smiling like that?’
He had been most surprised by the look in the Clan Head’s eyes as he gazed at the girl with unconcealed warmth, a sight he had never witnessed before.
As Elder Baek Simjung stared at the scene in shock…
The young girl turned her head.
Her sharp, crimson eyes met his, looking directly at him.
“!”
He flinched, barely managing to stop himself from stepping back.
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before returning to the front, but…
Even that brief eye contact intensified Elder Baek Simjung's unease.
In the past, the Ju Clan's tyranny had been even worse, and Baek Simjung had endured it all.
He had thought they had finally managed to weaken the Ju Clan’s power, but…
Were they trying to regain their influence by marrying into the Baek Clan?
‘I will not allow that. Never!’
He had vowed to himself, but now, his plans were failing from the very beginning.
“How could you fail such a simple task?! How can I trust you with anything more important if you’re so incompetent?!”
“......”
Just as Jae Munju bowed her head in shame, someone rushed in.
It was Deokgeun.
“Elder Simjung! It’s terrible!”
“What is it now?”
“That Ju Clan bitch took all the Namae incense we placed near her quarters! She even had the audacity to say it was the Clan Head’s order!”
“What?! What did she say?! And why would she take it?!”
Namae incense was made from a special herb that grew only in the perpetual snow of the mountains surrounding the Baek Clan territory.
Burning it produced an odorless smoke that had a calming effect on the mind and spirit, once one became accustomed to it.
However, before one became accustomed to it, it caused nausea, headaches, indigestion, insomnia, and other symptoms that resembled an unknown illness.
He had instructed those who were used to the incense to place it discreetly under the floorboards of her room, yet…
‘Why would she take it? Does she even know what it is?! …No, wait. Did the Clan Head tell her about it?’
“Well…”
Just then, another maid, one of those who had served the Hyangra tea to Sehwa, entered the room, her face pale.
“How did you get out? Didn’t they say the servants were in an uproar after discovering what you brought them?”
“Y-Yes, that’s… E-Elder Simjung… T-That Ju Clan young lady… that Ju Clan… woman… sent a message… for you…”
“A message? For whom? Did she send the maids to the other elders?”
“No… that’s not it…”
The maid, worried that she might be misunderstood, bit her lip and said in a trembling voice, “I didn’t say anything! I didn't breathe a word about you, Elder! But that young lady… somehow she knew… and she sent me to deliver this message and this chest to Elder Baek Simjung…”
Elder Simjung's gaze shifted to the small chest the maid was holding.
‘How does that young girl even know me, let alone send me a message?’
Curious, he gestured with his chin. “Tell me what she said.”
The maid spoke hesitantly, “She… she said…”
“It is truly regrettable that the disappearances, the cause of this long war, remain unresolved, and that even the missing children haven't been found. How many sleepless nights have you endured, worrying about your children’s lives? I can’t even begin to imagine your pain, but I possess a small skill, and I wish to offer you a modified version of the Baek Clan’s Namae incense, hoping it will bring you some comfort. Please, do not refuse.”
“…She said?”
“Said?! Why are you speaking so respectfully to that Ju Clan bitch?!” Elder Simjung roared. “And how dare she! Namae incense belongs to the Baek Clan! How dare she talk about modifying it?!”
Taking Namae incense outside the Baek Clan territory had been forbidden for a long time, what did she even know about it?
‘Her message is polite, so it seems she knows her place… no, wait. She’s still a Ju…’
Baek Simjung scoffed. “Let me see it. Let me see how well she modified it.”
The maid carefully presented the small chest.
Elder Simjung opened the lid.
“!”
Inside, instead of modified incense, there was a bundle of incense snapped in half and a short, unfolded letter.
【Does this insidious vulgarity reflect the bottom of the barrel of the Elders? Or the entire Baek Clan?】
“…Th-This…”
Elder Simjung’s hand trembled as he clutched the small piece of paper.
“This… This bitch is insane! She's lost her mind! A typical Ju Clan member, revealing her true colors!”
He ripped the letter to shreds, his jaw trembling with rage.
To accept such a crazy bitch as the Lady of the House?! Over his dead body!
Gritting his teeth, he gestured to Deokgeun. “Send a message to the First, Third, Fourth, and Seventh Elders! It seems she won’t learn her lesson with ordinary methods.”
“Then… what will you do?”
“What do you mean ‘what will you do’?! I’ll teach her a lesson she won’t forget until she crawls out of the Baek Clan, begging for forgiveness!”
“......”
“She’s just a child who just completed her transformation! How much spiritual power could she possibly have?! I’ll show her what I’m capable of until she begs for mercy!”
Elder Simjung’s eyes flashed with rage, but one of the maids, who had witnessed Sehwa's power, swallowed nervously, her face filled with unease.
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