When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 191
Chapter 191
“Ugh…”
The woman clutched the blanket, her knuckles white.
“S-Seventh Consort…”
The maid, holding a bottle of medicine, fidgeted nervously, unable to approach the Seventh Consort, whose body was radiating a sinister aura.
“Haa…”
Each breath brought a wave of excruciating pain, her vision blurring.
The Seventh Consort curled up, her body trembling.
How could such pain exist?
It would be better to cut herself with a knife or hang herself.
But even this agonizing pain eventually subsided.
The sinister energy that had been tormenting her gradually weakened, and the pain dulled.
She slowly uncurled her body.
Lying on her back, she gasped for breath.
“Haa…”
After a while, her vision and breathing returned to normal, and she reached out her hand.
“Bring… it…”
The maid hurried over, placed the medicine bottle in her hand, and quickly retreated.
“First Sister… still no news…?”
“No. And after the barrier appeared, we haven’t been able to receive any more information.”
“…I see.”
The Seventh Consort slowly sat up, pushing herself up with her hand.
She noticed the maid trembling, her body recoiling from the aura surrounding her.
“…You can leave.”
“Y-Yes! I’ll be right outside the door, Madam!”
The maid, relieved, quickly left the room.
“…Are my sisters suffering like this too? Or am I the only one…?”
She bit her lip.
Agreeing to this life, tempted by the promise of eternal life, had been the biggest mistake of her life.
Even during the drought, she had often looked up at the sky, fearing the backlash from the Corrupt Dragon's actions.
She had been fine as long as the First Consort was alive, because the curse mostly affected the First Consort.
But now…
‘I’m scared…’
She looked out the window.
She could almost hear the screams and cries of those whose life force was being drained by the barrier.
Could the Corrupt Dragon truly become a perfect Divine Beast? While wielding his power so recklessly? Could he truly become the great Red Dragon?
‘That’s… impossible…’
She shook her head.
‘It can’t be…’
At first, she had thought that sacrificing a few for the greater good was unavoidable.
But now she knew.
Such sacrifices wouldn’t bring victory, only an inevitable downfall.
This endless pain would only consume her.
‘It’ll only get worse now that the Corrupt Dragon is acting like this. Once he starts draining the life force of those trapped in the barrier, the pain will be far worse than before.’
The Seventh Consort closed her eyes, her body still trembling from the aftershocks of the pain.
‘I’m scared…’
Tears, tinged with fear, trickled down her cheeks.
She wanted to die, but as the Corrupt Dragon’s anchor, she couldn’t even kill herself.
She remembered the First Consort’s screams, her desperate pleas for death.
‘Will I end up like her? No… I don’t want to live like that…’
It was then.
Her left foot, as if with a will of its own, moved forward, even though she couldn’t move her body at all.
She opened her eyes and looked down at her foot, stepping off the bed.
With a sigh, she pushed herself up, her weakened body trembling.
She moved in the direction her foot was leading her, her left leg dragging slightly.
It wasn’t far.
Just across the adjacent room, to the hallway.
From there, she could see nothing but the vast garden and the high walls in the distance.
But as she held onto the railing, a faint pain shot through her left foot.
It wasn’t a sharp pain, but it was noticeable enough.
This was the first time in over ten years that the other soul within her had asserted itself so strongly.
“Why? What do you want?” she asked her left foot, even though she knew there would be no answer.
Just then, like a hallucination, a scene flashed before her eyes.
A tall figure, dressed in black, standing near her quarters, staring at her with a mixture of surprise and shock.
She had felt the pain in her left foot for the first time when she saw his expression.
And she realized that this memory, a memory from her past, had been brought to the surface by the other soul within her.
“Do you want to see him? That man from before?”
Her little toe twitched, as if answering her question.
She heard a faint voice, like a whisper, ‘…Jang… myung…’
The voice trailed off, but the Seventh Consort understood.
“I see. You knew him.”
A bitter smile touched her lips.
And then she stopped.
“......”
After a moment of silence, she quietly asked, “…Should I…?”
She was surprised by her own words and blinked repeatedly.
But she couldn’t help but ask again, “Should I give this body back… to you?”
Her left foot didn’t move, and there was no pain this time.
But a faint light flickered in her eyes, which had been shadowed by grief.
She had just asked casually, but it didn't seem like such a bad idea.
She was exhausted from this endless pain, just like she had been during the drought in the Human Realm.
She had kept this soul alive, thinking that sharing a body might lessen the pain, but…
“Nothing good will come of returning to this body. Do you still want it?”
She looked out at the desolate garden, at the black miasma covering the sky.
“The Corrupt Dragon is out now, and he’ll do whatever he wants, now that he’s not trapped in the hidden chamber. You’ll just have to endure the pain I’m feeling. Are you sure? You’re not an anchor, your life won’t be long.”
Her toes twitched again, as if answering her.
‘It doesn't matter who I give it to, does it?’
She couldn't kill herself, but she did have another soul within her. Perhaps she could switch with it and disappear.
It was her soul that had become the anchor, but as long as there was nothing wrong with her body, the Corrupt Dragon wouldn’t notice until it was too late.
‘Why didn't I think of this before?’
Her eyes gleaming, the Seventh Consort stood up, her steps unsteady, and walked somewhere, her left foot following obediently.
Sehwa, dismounting, quickly walked towards the carriage where the First Consort was.
But she stopped, sensing a strange energy surrounding the carriage.
‘…What’s this?’
Baek Giha had placed a barrier around the carriage.
But a dark, sinister aura, like a faint fog, was seeping through it.
‘It’s similar to the Corrupt Dragon's barrier…’
Sehwa’s eyes narrowed.
‘Is she colluding with the Corrupt Dragon?’
She opened the carriage door, ready to unleash her power if necessary.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
A pungent stench assaulted her senses.
“!”
It was the familiar smell of decaying flesh, just like Choi Jangmyung had described.
“H-Help me…”
The First Consort, seeing Sehwa, reached out with tears streaming down her face.
Dark spots and festering wounds were visible on her pale arm.
“What’s wrong?! What happened?!”
“......”
The First Consort closed her eyes, as if in pain, her eyes darting beneath her eyelids. What should she say?
She couldn’t let them know that she was the Corrupt Dragon's anchor.
No living being had ever become a dragon’s anchor, so as long as she was careful with her words, she wouldn’t be discovered.
But what should she say? How could she deceive this woman and get her spiritual power?
“The Corrupt Dragon found me.”
“He found you? Is that what caused this?”
“Yes. You’re near the border, right? That’s why this is happening.”
Tears streamed down her face.
“Even the Baek Clan’s spiritual power can’t hide me from him. Please, give me some of the Red Dragon’s spiritual power. Even a little. You don’t have to believe me completely. One day, you’ll learn the truth.”
She reached out to Sehwa.
“Just please… hide me from him, until then… The Corrupt Dragon has the all-seeing eyes of the ancient dragons. Only the spiritual power of a dragon, a Divine Beast, can hide me from him.”
Her arm, clutching Sehwa’s, trembled, but her mind was racing.
‘This excuse isn't enough. She came here to fight the Corrupt Dragon, she might just use me as bait.’
The First Consort quickly added, “If you don’t sever the connection between me and the Corrupt Dragon, he’ll use me to spread his miasma here. Or he might even possess me and use my body to massacre your warriors.”
“......”
“I need that spiritual power to break free from his control, to tell you everything. So please… just a little… It won’t hurt you… I don't want to live like this… please, help me…”
“…You’re saying that the Red Dragon’s spiritual power can hide you from the Corrupt Dragon?”
“Yes! Then he won’t be able to control me anymore!”
“......”
‘Is this still not enough?’
Just as the First Consort, her eyes squeezed shut in pain, was trying to come up with another excuse…
“!”
Her body suddenly stiffened.
It felt as if thousands of ants were crawling all over her skin, and then an excruciating pain, as if her body was being torn apart, consumed her.
“Aaaargh!”
She screamed, unable to bear the sudden onslaught of pain, her head pounding, her nails ripping from her fingers and toes.
She clutched at her chest, black spots spreading across her exposed skin, a viscous pus oozing from her festering wounds.
Gasping for breath, she screamed in agony, “Who?! Who else died?! Who?!”
How? The Corrupt Dragon wouldn't let any of his anchors die. How?!
“How did you escape this hell alone?!”
It was at that moment.
A slender hand grabbed her chin and forced her head up.
Clear, crimson eyes gazed into her pain-filled ones.
A cold, sharp gaze swept over her.
After an eternity, the hand tightened its grip on her chin.
“A puppet, you say?”
Sehwa’s lips curled into a cruel smile.
“You’re the Corrupt Dragon’s anchor.”
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