When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 177
Chapter 177
‘How did that bitch bring such weapons…?!’
The Mystic Ruler’s face paled as he saw the sharp arrowheads aimed at him, the spiritual power swirling around them.
‘She won’t shoot. She wouldn’t dare attack me in front of all these people!’
Twang—!!
But as another thunderous roar echoed through the hall, he instinctively raised his hands to cover his face, his eyes squeezing shut.
However, the arrows weren't aimed at him, but at the Red Dragon’s Spirit Orb falling towards the ground. The three arrows, grazing the Spirit Orb, sent it flying back into the air.
“No!!!!”
That small Spirit Orb was the most important thing to the Mystic Ruler right now.
Could he possibly regain control of the situation now that his son, in his own body, had appeared, accusing him of treason and usurpation?
No. The moment his son, whom he had failed to kill, appeared before the crowd, filled with resentment, the situation was beyond repair.
Could he capture Baek Giha and Ju Sehwa tonight and drain their spiritual power?
No, not in this untransformed body, not before officially ascending to the position of Mystic Ruler.
So that Spirit Orb was his only hope.
He had to subdue Baek Giha, capture Ju Sehwa, and use the unsealed Spirit Orb to force those power-hungry Ju Clan members into submission.
It was then.
Thump!
Sehwa, using Baek Giha as a springboard, leaped towards the Spirit Orb, her white ceremonial robe billowing around her like a crane’s wings.
A faint metallic sound echoed as the arrowheads hidden beneath her robe clinked together.
“Seize her! Seize her now!!!”
The warriors, who had been hesitating, unsure whether to obey the former Mystic Ruler or the Young Lord, now sprang into action.
The Red Dragon’s Spirit Orb was a sacred treasure of the Ju Clan, passed down through generations.
They couldn't allow it to fall into the hands of this woman, even if she was a Ju, especially not into the hands of someone married to the leader of the Six Clans’ alliance.
“Stop her!”
They threw their swords at Sehwa, who was now airborne.
The archers also drew their bows and released a volley of arrows.
In a split second, the sky above them was filled with silver blades and arrows.
It was at that moment.
Whoosh!
A tall figure, his long robe billowing around him, leaped through the air, intercepting the projectiles.
“How dare you try to harm her.”
It was Baek Giha.
He had jumped from his seat to the top of the altar, effortlessly catching a sword in midair. “I won’t allow it.”
A wave of white spiritual power erupted from his body.
A massive whirlwind, consuming the Ju Clan’s flames on the altar, swept through the hall.
Choi Jangmyung ran through the hallways, which were now less crowded.
Still not fully accustomed to concealing his presence, this was his only chance to carry out Sehwa's orders, with everyone's attention focused on the inauguration ceremony.
The Mystic Ruler’s residence was vast, with countless buildings.
Remembering the location his master had described would have been difficult for anyone else.
But not for Choi Jangmyung.
His years of experience as a merchant, memorizing and reviewing countless trade documents, had unexpectedly come in handy.
He found the entrance.
Opening the door with the Spirit Orb he had been given, he descended the long, winding staircase and found two warriors in the darkness.
“Who’s there?!”
“Are you Ju Gahan and Ju Gayoon? Lady Sehwa sent me.”
“Sehwa?”
“Yes. I heard that she and Clan Head Baek came yesterday and promised to rescue you tomorrow.”
“......”
“There’s no time to lose. Let’s go.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Sehwa’s—”, Choi Jangmyung hesitated, then said with a determined expression, “I’m Lady Sehwa’s vassal, Choi Jangmyung.”
“What?!”
A cry of surprise echoed through the darkness.
“V-Vassal…? What?!”
“My sister would never… take a vassal…”
“And Clan Head Baek was here yesterday, but Sehwa wasn’t.”
“But there were two white tigers here.”
“Yes, but Sehwa wasn’t with them.”
“??”
“??”
The only two white tigers in the Ju Clan were Clan Head Baek and Lady Sehwa. What were they talking about?
He was momentarily confused, but then he realized, with his merchant’s intuition,
‘They don’t know that the white tiger that came with Clan Head Baek was Lady Sehwa.’
Instead of explaining, he took out the items Sehwa had told him to show them.
The pouches she had made when she was young. The two warriors’ eyes widened as they took the pouches.
“These were confiscated by the guards when we arrived. How did you get them?”
“The Ju Clan guards threatened Lady Sehwa with these, saying they were proof of your guilt. You have to leave with me.”
“But we have to clear our names. If we run away now, we’ll be branded as traitors.”
“You’ve already been falsely accused. Here’s a letter from Elder Myoungyoon, but it’s too dark to read, so I’ll give it to you later.”
Even after hearing this, the two warriors hesitated.
They might have said it was nothing to Clan Head Baek, but they were being accused of treason, a serious crime that could implicate their entire families.
And Ju Myoungyoon and his wife had treated them like their own sons, even though they weren't blood relatives.
How could they repay their kindness by causing them trouble?
So, they were prepared to sacrifice themselves to save their families if necessary.
Should they really leave now, without knowing what their father and Sehwa were doing?
Ju Gahan, after a moment of hesitation, nodded at Ju Gayoon.
“Let’s go. If it seems dangerous, we can always come back.”
Ju Gayoon nodded in agreement.
“Yes. We need to understand the situation, considering Clan Head Baek’s visit yesterday and what he said about Sehwa rescuing us.”
Choi Jangmyung explained, “The residence is busy with the inauguration ceremony preparations. There aren’t many people in the hallways, but you have to be as quiet as possible. Your escape is crucial for Lady Sehwa’s plan.”
“But where are we going? We can’t leave the Mystic Ruler’s residence, it’s protected by a barrier.”
“We have the Young Lord’s Spirit Orb. Lady Sehwa said that if we break it and use its power, we can bypass the barrier.”
The conversation hadn’t been long, but Choi Jangmyung was anxious.
Sehwa had warned him that if the Red Dragon’s Spirit Orb appeared at the inauguration ceremony, there might be a conflict between her and the Mystic Ruler. And if that happened, the Mystic Ruler might use the brothers as hostages.
No one was paying attention to them now, since everyone was focused on the ceremony, but that could change at any moment.
So they moved quickly after the decision was made.
Discarding everything that might leave a trace, they followed Choi Jangmyung up the stairs.
At the end of the passage, Choi Jangmyung tore a strip of cloth from his robe and offered it to the brothers.
“I heard you’ve been confined in darkness for a long time. The hallways are brightly lit, so cover your eyes with this until you adjust.”
After confirming that the brothers had covered their eyes, Choi Jangmyung opened the door.
The hallway was quiet. It seemed that what Sehwa had warned them about hadn’t happened yet.
“Is it safe to go now?”
“Consider the possibility of being discovered. I’m not a warrior, so you’ll have to remove the blindfolds and knock them unconscious if that happens, to prevent them from raising the alarm.”
“Alright. It won’t take us long to adjust, with our spiritual power restored.”
“We’ll follow the sound of your footsteps, so lead the way.”
The two brothers and Choi Jangmyung ran through the hallway, their eyes covered.
Choi Jangmyung had to be extra cautious, as the route they were taking now was different from the way they had infiltrated the residence.
Just then…
“Wait.”
Ju Gahan grabbed Choi Jangmyung and pulled him against the wall.
There was no need to ask why.
Choi Jangmyung could also hear the sound of approaching footsteps from the distance.
Someone was coming. And not just one or two, but many.
Ju Gahan removed the cloth covering his eyes.
He blinked a few times, his eyes adjusting to the bright light, then quickly assessed their surroundings.
“Those aren’t servants. They’re warriors. We can’t go that way. Come this way!”
“Do you know where we’re going?”
“As long as we get over the wall, we’re fine!”
The two brothers led the way, running silently through the hallways.
They passed through buildings filled with servants and dark, empty storage rooms.
Just as they were passing by a certain building…
Creak.
They froze at the sound of a door opening.
They hid in the shadows, waiting for whoever it was to pass.
Though they couldn't hear any footsteps, the sound of long robes brushing against the wooden floor echoed through the hallway.
The sound faded as the person entered the room.
But since they didn't hear the door closing, they remained hidden.
Since they had chosen the most direct route to the wall, the brothers weren't familiar with this area.
The Mystic Ruler's residence was vast, with numerous restricted areas.
But the sound they had just heard was definitely the rustling of a woman’s skirt.
Considering that the maids wore ankle-length robes, this had to be a woman of high status.
And the only women of high status in the Mystic Ruler’s residence were the Eight Consorts.
‘If we’re found near the Eight Consorts' quarters, we’ll be in big trouble.’
‘It seems she went inside, let’s move.’
‘Yes, and since the door is open, someone else might come. Let’s hurry.’
The two brothers and Choi Jangmyung carefully moved away, trying to be even quieter than before.
Just then, Choi Jangmyung, glancing back…
“......”
…stopped in his tracks, seeing someone.
He blinked, unable to believe his eyes.
He might have missed it if he didn’t have a hawk’s eyesight.
But the scene was clearly visible to him in the darkness.
Beyond the open doorway, swaying in the autumn breeze…
Past the multiple layers of curtains…
Deep inside, in the brightly lit room…
A woman sat there, a bored expression on her face.
A single word escaped Choi Jangmyung’s lips, a choked whisper, “…Mother…?”
“Jangmyung, you should know your mother’s face.”
“Is… is this the woman in the portrait, Father? My mother?”
“Yes… If only she could see how much you’ve grown…”
“......”
“Your mother gave her life to bring you into this world. She loved you very much. She cherished you.”
“…Mother…”
“So never forget her face.”
The woman in the portrait his father had given him when he was a child…
…was there.
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