Chapter 3. Black Shadow Heavenly Maiden (3)
The inside of the flames was hot enough to suffocate him, and a heavy pressure weighed down on his entire body.
It felt as though the moment he lost his reason, even his flesh would be reduced to ash.
Seongha pushed through the wavering flames and carefully approached the woman.
When he finally stood in front of her, everything felt incredibly close.
Her breathing.
The beating of her heart.
He could sense them all.
Seongha raised his large hand, with its long fingers, in front of her face and gently covered her eyes.
His touch was respectful.
The woman did not avoid his hand either.
Even Seongha himself could not understand how he was able to do something like this to a woman whose name he did not even know.
Yet everything felt strangely natural.
As though this action had already been engraved somewhere deep within his memories.
As a priest of Hui-guk, Seongha performed a ritual that guided others toward the light.
He could only hope it would calm the woman's unstable energy.
[The thick darkness has concealed wisdom,
Only by closing one's eyes can they truly open them.]
Seongha's voice was clear as he recited the prayer.
As though resisting his ritual, a fierce wind suddenly surged toward him, turning into countless sharp fragments.
His clothes were torn apart.
Cuts appeared all over his body.
Even so, Seongha remained standing.
He endured.
Then, as if something mysterious had responded to him, the jeweled necklace hanging around the woman's neck began to resonate.
The jewel shone with blue light.
An array engraved with ancient symbols unfolded in the air.
That light illuminated the abyss hidden deep within the woman's heart.
The sinister energy that had seeped into the Black Shadow Heavenly Maiden began escaping like steam.
Her winged robes disappeared.
The flower crown vanished as well.
Before long, she had returned to the ordinary appearance she had when Seongha first met her.
Perhaps it was because the tension had finally left him.
Seongha suddenly felt as though every last bit of strength had been drained from his body.
His knees buckled.
He collapsed on the spot.
With his eyes closed, his head dropped forward.
His face was as cold and pale as wax.
When Seongha opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a straw mat inside a small, shabby pavilion.
He looked around.
Several jeogori jackets hung from the wall, while a small chest and a low table made up almost all of the furniture.
It was an extremely simple home.
Where am I?
Out of habit, Seongha reached beneath the pillow, searching for his sword.
Then his hand stopped.
He could hardly believe that he had slept so peacefully in an unfamiliar place.
"Are you awake?"
The woman's voice reached him.
She was crouching beneath an oil lamp on the other side of the room, brewing medicine.
When she lifted the cloth covering the medicine pot, a bitter smell quickly spread throughout the room.
Seongha tried to push himself upright and lean against the wall.
However, an intense pain crushed his entire body, preventing him from moving as he wished.
"You should lie down a little longer. Your body hasn't fully recovered yet."
The woman approached while carrying a bowl of medicinal soup on a small tray.
She stopped him from getting up.
Seongha flinched when he looked at her.
Black clothes.
A pale face covered in sinister energy.
A single gesture that had reduced the dead to ashes.
The memories of the previous night were still vivid.
Who exactly was this woman standing before him?
Was she even human?
Seongha carefully looked over her appearance, his gaze filled with caution.
As though she had guessed what he was thinking, the woman placed the tray down and let out a deep sigh.
"It was a long night. Almost like a nightmare."
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
The two of them had fought desperately against the hair that had surged across her entire body like a black torrent.
"But it clearly wasn't a dream. Not when we still have wounds all over our bodies."
Seongha frowned and forced himself upright.
"I heard that a heavenly maiden dressed in black winged robes lives in the heavens. So that was you."
"A heavenly maiden..."
She seemed unfamiliar with the title people had given her.
"So that's what the people on the ground call me."
She paused.
"I know that another version of me exists. But even I don't know very much about her."
Seongha remained silent.
"I wish I knew why I become someone else... or why I possess such power. But whenever I regain consciousness, only faint fragments of memory remain."
She seemed aware of the Black Shadow Heavenly Maiden's existence and of the powers she possessed.
Beyond that, however, she knew almost nothing.
The woman looked directly at Seongha.
"My name is Cheongyeon."
She introduced herself with a steady gaze, as if telling him that the person sitting before him now was her true self.
Seongha looked back at Cheongyeon.
Only now did he properly see her face.
A gentle glow seemed to rest upon her features, giving her complexion the warmth of afternoon sunlight.
Beneath neatly shaped eyebrows, her dark eyes were clear and kind.
There was none of the aura of death that had surrounded the Black Shadow Heavenly Maiden.
If Cheongyeon had intended to harm him, she could easily have done so while he was unconscious.
Seongha finally relaxed.
The sharpness in his eyes softened slightly.
"I am Jin Seongha, a priest of Hui-guk."
That was how the two of them learned each other's names for the first time.
Seongha looked slightly upward toward the ceiling.
"It seems I'll have to trouble you for a while. I apologize."
Depending on someone created a debt.
And debts always created inconvenience.
Seongha disliked such situations.
Still, he had no choice.
Until his injuries recovered and he found a way back to the ground, he would have to remain here.
"You don't need to apologize. I received help from you as well."
"Help...?"
"We fought against them together."
Cheongyeon smiled.
"And I vaguely remember it. You covered my eyes for me."
Her smile was bright and natural.
Seongha had jumped directly into the flames surrounding the Black Shadow Heavenly Maiden.
Then he had raised his hand and covered her empty eyes.
For a brief moment, it had allowed her to forget her pain and rage.
He still did not understand why he had done it.
Was it his own will?
Or the will of the heavens?
His body had simply moved, as though something sleeping inside him had suddenly awakened.
"There was no special meaning behind it. I simply happened to be there."
Seongha deliberately drew a clear line between them.
He was worried his actions might create an unnecessary misunderstanding.
As a priest of Hui-guk, restraining his emotions and maintaining distance from women had already become second nature.
Just then, Seongha coughed dryly.
Blood gathered inside his mouth.
He spat it out.
He hated showing weakness in front of others, but his internal injuries were too severe for him to maintain his usual composure.
"Are you all right?"
Startled, Cheongyeon quickly sat beside him.
She pulled a cloth from her sleeve and reached toward Seongha's mouth to wipe away the blood.
Seongha's expression hardened.
He pushed her hand away.
"I'm fine. I can take care of myself."
Cheongyeon tilted her head at his stubborn attitude.
Then she simply moved closer again.
"It's already too late for that. I had to lift your clothes while treating your wounds."
Seongha fell silent.
Only then did he notice the bandages wrapped around different parts of his body.
His outer priest robe had also been neatly folded and placed nearby.
Trying to maintain strict manners between a man and woman at this point would be rather ridiculous.
"We already went through life and death together. What's there to worry about? Don't be uncomfortable."
Cheongyeon untied the knots of his bandages and began treating his wounds again.
Her hands were small and light.
Whenever they touched his body, it felt like soft leaves brushing across his skin.
Her face was completely serious as she focused on treating him.
Because of that, Seongha could no longer refuse her kindness.
It was the first time he had ever entrusted his body to the hands of a stranger.
Cheongyeon blew gently on the medicinal soup to cool it before bringing the spoon to Seongha's lips.
After he finished drinking it, she supported his back and helped him lie down again.
Perhaps because the medicine was so strong, Seongha soon felt his eyelids growing heavy.
Sleep quickly overtook him.
When Seongha opened his eyes again, it was the middle of the night.
Moonlight passed through the paper doors.
Cheongyeon was sleeping with her head resting beside his bed.
Only the quiet sound of her breathing filled the silent room.
She had been sleeping inside a lotus when he first met her as well.
She truly was a defenseless person.
"You must have been exhausted."
Her small face had neat, delicate features.
A faint healthy color had returned to her cheeks.
Seongha stared at her sleeping face for a while.
Then he reached out to pull the blanket that had slipped away from her back over her properly.
At that moment, Cheongyeon suddenly grabbed Seongha's hand.
She pulled it toward herself.
Apparently, she had unconsciously grabbed onto something while sleeping.
Seongha froze.
Again.
She had entered his personal space far too easily.
Every single time.
He truly had no defense against her.
In the end, Seongha tried to pull his hand away before eventually giving up.
Instead, he sat with his back leaning against the side of the bed.
The night slowly passed like that.
Until the morning sunlight entered the room, neither of them realized that they had fallen deeply asleep with their heads resting near one another beside the pillow.
The days Seongha spent in Cheongyeon's floating pavilion were quiet and simple.
Every day, Seongha circulated his internal energy and trained, trying to recover his strength.
Sometimes, he went beneath the waterfall to cleanse both his body and mind.
He swept his long hair back.
His handsome, refined face was revealed completely.
Water flowed down his neck and shoulders before dripping toward his feet.
Seongha's body was lean yet firm.
The line connecting his face and neck curved elegantly, while fine muscles covered his broad shoulders and arms.
Seongha brought both hands together.
Using the healing technique of Beopsindang, he calmed the harmful energy inside his body.
His divine power was slowly returning.
That alone gave him some relief.
Helping Cheongyeon prepare the herbs and wild vegetables she gathered soon became part of his daily routine.
So did sitting across from her and eating meals together.
It was very different from Seongha's life at Beopsindang, where he had lived according to strict rules alongside dozens of lower-ranking priests.
Between the two of them, there was always a faint sense of tension.
Whenever Seongha secretly glanced toward Cheongyeon, he would see her peach-blossom cheeks and softly curved eyes.
The man living with her was quiet, rigid, and hardly entertaining.
So why did she always seem to have a smile on her face?
Then again, this was probably the first time someone had entered the tiny world she lived in.
Perhaps the excitement and happiness of having an unfamiliar guest simply showed on her face.
Truthfully, Seongha did not dislike the time he spent with Cheongyeon either.
She never questioned him excessively.
Nor did she act as though she understood him without permission.
Except, of course, when she suddenly said strange things that disturbed his peaceful heart.
"If we keep living together like this every day, we might start thinking of ourselves as husband and wife."
Seongha coughed awkwardly and immediately turned his face away.
"Husband and wife? That's absurd. Priests of Beopsindang are forbidden from marrying..."
"I heard that sitting across from an unrelated man and eating together is practically the same as being married. My senior brother told me that a long time ago."
There was not even a hint of embarrassment on Cheongyeon's face.
She truly seemed to have said it without thinking.
At moments like this, it became obvious that she had never lived among ordinary people in the heavens.
Seongha quickly changed the subject.
"How long have I been lying here?"
It was a rather late question.
Now that his condition had mostly recovered, he believed it was time to find a way back to the ground.
"I didn't count the days, so I'm not completely certain. But I think the day and night have changed about ten times."
Had that much time already passed?
Seongha let out a short sigh.
Cheongyeon studied his expression.
"You should probably return to the ground as soon as possible. Especially for the sake of the people waiting for you."
Seongha remembered everything he had temporarily forgotten about the world below.
He could clearly imagine the lower-ranking priests of Beopsindang making a huge commotion while searching for the highest-ranking priest who had disappeared while carrying out official duties.
And his father, Jin Sangwon...
What would he think about the disappearance of his eldest son?
Then there was his half-brother Seopjun, who wished for nothing more than Seongha's death.
And his stepmother.
Perhaps disappearing had actually been for the best.
Despite being born as the son of a great noble family, Seongha had spent his entire life facing countless assassination attempts.
The glamorous life of nobility was nothing more than an empty shell.
Even while surrounded by countless people, his heart had always remained lonely.
That was how his sensitive and cynical personality had developed.
What meaning is there in returning to the ground?
Why should I return to a place filled with nothing but painful memories?
A bitter smile appeared on Seongha's lips.
After finishing their meal, the two went for a walk in the afternoon.
Cheongyeon walked ahead, her collar and skirt fluttering softly in the breeze.
The scenery of Cheonhui-guk was truly breathtaking.
Steep, towering cliffs and forests covered in pure white branches stretched out before them.
Countless islands seemed to float upon a lake made of sky.
If Seongha had possessed a brush, he would have wanted to spread out a canvas and paint everything he saw.
At the place where the horizon seemed to suddenly end, clouds rose upward.
The green land blended beautifully with the blue sky.
And yet, there was no sign of another living person.
It was a beautiful yet lonely paradise.
For some reason, Seongha suddenly found this peaceful time pleasant.
There was no one here to interfere with him.
For someone who had spent his life suffering beneath the burdens of the mortal world, it felt almost like a true rest.
Like an immortal wandering freely through paradise, he walked wherever his feet carried him.
Even his casual steps remained dignified and elegant.
Across the hill, he noticed Cheongyeon sitting in a flower field.
Wildflowers formed brilliant circles of color across the land, making the field look like a beautifully woven carpet.
Seongha appeared indifferent.
Even so, his attention naturally drifted toward her from time to time.
Noticing his presence, Cheongyeon came closer.
A breeze passed between them, carrying the scent of grass and flowers that softly tickled his nose.
Cheongyeon looked at Seongha.
"What kind of place is the ground?"
Her eyes were filled with curiosity.
"I've always wondered about it. About the country called Hui-guk."
She often rested her chin on her hand while staring down at the world beneath the heavens.
Long mountain ranges.
Rivers splitting and flowing in different directions.
The boundaries of villages.
Clusters of houses that appeared as tiny dots from above.
Living alone while hidden inside the Heavenly Valley, all Cheongyeon could do was watch the human world from far away.
"Sometimes I wish I had simply been an ordinary person without any powers."
Her voice became quieter.
"Then maybe I could have lived among other people."
Perhaps it was because she had spent so many years alone in the heavens.
A lonely shadow passed across her usually cheerful expression.
Seongha thought that perhaps her feelings might change if she actually experienced human society herself.
"It may not be as beautiful as it looks from far away."
Seongha lowered his eyes slightly.
Then he asked,
"Do you want to go down to the ground?"
Cheongyeon nodded.
"I've heard stories about the ground since I was young. My senior brother used to tell me about it."
She paused.
"He said that we had to return there someday."
Her senior brother...
After hearing Cheongyeon's words, Seongha began putting together several things he had noticed.
The books written in thick, powerful handwriting that filled Cheongyeon's home.
The plain men's clothes she had given him.
They were traces left behind by a man.
Then Seongha remembered something Cheongyeon had told him before they were chased by those ghosts that poured out endless streams of hair.
["A long time ago, while running away from them, I lost someone who was like family to me."]
Apparently, that person had been her senior brother.
Seongha asked,
"What kind of person was your senior brother?"
Cheongyeon's expression softened.
"He was like a parent to me. He raised me from the time I was a newborn."
There had once been a boy trapped in Cheonhui-guk after the city rose into the sky.
Carrying a newborn baby on his back, he wandered through the mountains and ate whatever he could catch.
He searched abandoned homes and stole the clothes and belongings of the dead.
He was also the one who taught Cheongyeon how to read and how to use mystical techniques.
Cheongyeon looked into the distance.
"It's already been several years since my senior brother died."
Her voice became quiet.
"We were being chased by the dead, and he fell outside the Heavenly Valley."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"Back then... I couldn't do anything."
After losing her only family, Cheongyeon created blue barriers throughout the heavenly world.
From that day onward, she allowed no one to enter.
Until Seongha appeared.
Cheongyeon continued.
"My senior brother said I possess a special power."
Her eyes lowered.
"He said that when the day came for me to descend to the ground, I would judge the corrupt people of this world."
Seongha's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Judge them?"
He looked directly at her.
"What exactly are you supposed to judge them for?"
Cheongyeon hesitated.
After a brief silence, she finally answered.
"...For the persecution of Jeongilhoe by the ruling class of Hui-guk."
The moment Seongha heard the name Jeongilhoe, his expression darkened.
A deeper shadow formed around his eyes.
According to Cheongyeon, her senior brother had been the only surviving member of Jeongilhoe.
He had also been the only person who still possessed all the memories of what had happened.
Seongha spoke carefully.
"Jeongilhoe... I heard they were people who were branded as heretics and executed."
He continued.
"And I was told that the newborn child they worshiped and protected was killed."
That was the story passed down among the nobles of Hui-guk.
Seongha had accepted it without questioning it.
But now...
The Black Shadow Heavenly Maiden was clearly alive before his very eyes.
At this point, he could no longer know how much of the story he had been taught was actually true.
Cheongyeon tilted her head, clearly troubled by what he had said.
"Heretics...?"
She shook her head.
"That's not true."
Then Cheongyeon looked toward Seongha.
"There's somewhere I want to show you, Priest."
She gestured for him to follow.
"Come with me."
