Chapter 7

Episode 007 — Silver Moon Halo (3)

A few days later, from early dawn, a group of women stood in a neat line in front of Cheonsingak.

They were the maids of Beopsindang who had gathered to serve Cheongyeon.

The maids looked at Cheongyeon with curious eyes.

Then again, when she was not awakened as the Heavenly Maiden, Cheongyeon was simply an ordinary human. It was only natural for them to be curious about her.

“Heavenly Maiden, I am Nuchin, the head maid.”

An elderly woman bowed politely in greeting.

“I was a servant of the Son family. When Young Master entered Beopsindang, I followed him here.”

Manwoo added an introduction.

“Nuchin was also my wet nurse. From now on, you can discuss all matters, large or small, with her.”

Nuchin brought a young maid forward.

“Heavenly Maiden, this child is Jeongyo. She hasn't been at Beopsindang for very long, so she isn't familiar with the work yet, but she'll make a good companion whenever you feel lonely.”

Jeongyo was a young girl who had only recently grown out of childhood.

Because of her small build, the clothes worn by the other maids did not fit her, so she had folded the sleeves up twice.

With her hair tied on both sides of her head, she looked just like a rabbit.

Jeongyo bowed so deeply that she almost touched the floor.

“It feels like a dream that I get to serve the Heavenly Maiden who descended from the heavens.”

Cheongyeon had lived alone in the heavenly world and had never been waited on by anyone before.

She did not know how she was supposed to treat people serving beneath her, so she looked rather uncomfortable.

Seeing that, Manwoo spoke in his usual playful manner.

“Come to think of it, I've sent nearly everyone who used to work under me over to the Heavenly Maiden. Now it looks like I'll have to do every little chore myself.”

“……”

“And what am I supposed to do with these pure-white priest robes? When winter comes and my hands freeze while washing them, I suppose the Heavenly Maiden will have to personally apply medicine to my hands.”

At Manwoo's exaggerated complaints, the maids covered their faces with their sleeves and laughed.

Priest Son really is hopeless.

A playful smile also spread across Cheongyeon's face.

“How unfortunate. Then I suppose I'll have to report Priest Son's difficult situation to Priest Jin.”

“Wow. You've already understood exactly how Beopsindang works.”

Manwoo clasped his hands together.

“Please, I beg you. Anyone but Priest Jin. Don't drag him into this.”

For a while, cheerful conversation and laughter continued inside Cheonsingak.

Cheongyeon's black eyes sparkled as she smiled brightly.

So when you live together with other people... you find reasons to laugh like this.

After the staff of Cheonsingak had been organized, preparations for the events hosted by Beopsindang began to move much faster.

The first event to be held was the regular Dharma Assembly.

It was said that National Preceptor Namwan, the most prominent monk in Heeguk, would attend and give a sermon.

The priests planned to use the day, when children of wealthy families and commoners alike visited Beopsindang, to hold a fundraising event for Sibojeol.

It would also be Cheongyeon's first public appearance as the Heavenly Maiden of Beopsindang.

Because of that, Cheonsingak was busy from dawn on the day of the Dharma Assembly, preparing Cheongyeon.

Cheongyeon went to the large stone bath prepared for her ritual purification.

A basket filled with flower petals floated on the water, while sandalwood incense rose from a gilded bronze incense burner.

When she stepped into the warm water, steam rising around her, goosebumps spread across her entire body.

She felt as though she had been reborn.

She could somewhat understand the meaning behind ritual purification—washing away impurity and preparing both body and mind.

Jeongyo and another young maid scooped up water with earthenware basins and slowly poured it over Cheongyeon's head.

They also fanned the incense burner so that its fragrance spread more deeply through the room.

For Cheongyeon, who was accustomed to simply jumping into waterfalls in the heavenly valley, sitting in a large bath while other people helped her felt incredibly awkward.

She also felt sorry for the maids, whose faces had turned red as they kept working without rest.

Acting on a sudden impulse, Cheongyeon grabbed their hands and pulled.

Jeongyo was the first to fall into the bath.

The other maid resisted at first, but eventually lost her balance and fell in as well.

At first, the two girls looked terrified.

“The head maid is going to scold us!”

But before long, they splashed the water a few times with their hands and eventually ended up sitting in the bath beside Cheongyeon.

Water dripped from their wet hair.

The warmth left their entire bodies relaxed.

“Heavenly Maiden, how did you come down from the heavens? How can someone reach Cheonhuiguk?”

Once one question came out, the young maids began firing them one after another.

“What kind of food do people eat in the heavenly world? Does everyone there live like immortals?”

“Do three suns rise in Cheonhuiguk? Is it true that if you cross a certain bridge, you can reach the world of the moon?”

It seemed all kinds of rumors had spread among people on the ground about a place they could never visit themselves.

“Heavenly Maiden, I heard there's a country in Cheonhuiguk filled with lotus flowers shining in five brilliant colors.”

Jeongyo hugged the basket of flowers floating on the water and spoke brightly.

“They say that if you go there, you never feel pain or sadness again, and you can eat delicious food until you're completely full every day.”

White petals spilled out of the basket.

They drifted along the rippling water and slowly spread throughout the entire stone bath.

Cheongyeon simply smiled and listened quietly to the girls.

There was no reason to destroy their dreams by telling them those stories were nothing more than fantasies.

After the ritual bath came the time to dress.

Jeongyo stood behind Cheongyeon and tied the belt around her waist.

Her hands moved from knot to knot.

Then they slowly began to lose speed.

Eventually, they stopped completely.

“Heavenly Maiden... the village where I lived before I became a servant at Beopsindang was very beautiful.”

“What kind of place was it?”

Cheongyeon looked over her shoulder at Jeongyo.

Jeongyo glanced around to make sure the other maids were standing far enough away before continuing.

“There were wide barley fields, and a stream flowed through the village. In the middle of the village stood a rock shaped like a flame.”

Her quiet mumbling voice slowly began to tremble with tears.

“But when I was seven years old... darkness swallowed the entire village.”

Cheongyeon's eyes narrowed slightly.

“The darkness that had covered the neighboring village a few years earlier eventually reached ours too.”

“……”

“Back then, only a few people managed to escape from the darkness.”

Jeongyo swallowed.

“I was one of them.”

Fear was written all over her face.

A village covered in darkness?

What does that mean?

Cheongyeon remembered what she had seen in Cheonhuiguk.

The dark energy that had spread through the sky like fog.

The dead whose bodies poured hair from the openings in their faces.

Their words returned to her mind.

[The gates of the Heavenly Realm and the Lower Realm have opened.]

[A darkness will come in which heaven and earth, day and night, human and beast can no longer be distinguished.]

The voices of the dead had foretold an unfortunate future for Heeguk.

Perhaps what Jeongyo called a village covered in darkness was connected to that prophecy.

“Heavenly Maiden, you came from the heavens, didn't you?”

Jeongyo clasped her hands together.

“Can't you tell the great gods in heaven?”

Then she lowered her head as though praying to Cheongyeon herself.

“Please ask them to drive the darkness away.”

She looked as though she truly believed Cheongyeon was some kind of god.

Cheongyeon hesitated.

Before she could answer, the other maids began urging Jeongyo to hurry.

“Jeongyo! What are you doing? Hurry up.”

“Ah! Look at me spacing out. I'm finished now!”

Jeongyo hurriedly finished tying the knot around Cheongyeon's waist and wiped away her tears.

“Heavenly Maiden... please forget what I just told you.”

Cheongyeon watched Jeongyo step backward.

A heavy feeling settled in one corner of her heart.

She decided she needed to learn more about these villages where darkness had descended.

Since the Dharma Assembly was an important occasion, a tense atmosphere hung over Beopsindang.

The priests hurried back and forth across the front courtyard, spreading mats across the ground and setting up several large tents.

At the center, they placed a huge donation box decorated with pure-white silk.

On the tables were paper ledgers used to record the names of visitors and the amounts they donated.

A short while later, the gates of Beopsindang opened.

A massive crowd poured inside.

They were people who had heard the rumors throughout Hongyang and had been waiting in line since early morning.

Everyone had a different reason for visiting Beopsindang.

Some thought a feast was being held and had come hoping to get a free meal.

Others simply wanted something interesting to watch.

Cheongyeon sat on a chair prepared on the platform.

She repeatedly tilted her head or raised a hand in greeting, acting as though she were bestowing blessings upon the people.

Whenever she did, the commoners offered things such as a single borrowed roof tile, a few measures of old grain, or even one chicken.

Then they wrote down their names and prayed for their wishes to come true.

As Cheongyeon looked down at the thin, poorly dressed commoners, she gradually began to feel uncomfortable.

What was the point of holding a national event if poor people had to give up offerings they could barely afford?

Cheongyeon did not have the power to create the paradise the people of Heeguk dreamed of.

And someday...

If they discovered the true nature of the Black Shadow Heavenly Maiden...

Perhaps not only the people of Beopsindang, but everyone in the world might turn against her.

Being treated as a symbolic figure was a burden far heavier than she felt she could carry.

Surrounded by the eyes of the crowd, Cheongyeon thought to herself.

I need to find the answer as soon as possible.

Who am I?

And what kind of power do I possess?

At noon, carriages bearing the seals of noble families began entering Beopsindang.

Men and women dressed in extravagant clothing stepped down from the carriages, accompanied by their attendants.

The priests guided them toward Bulwangjeon.

Cheongyeon also stepped down from the platform and greeted them near the entrance, making an effort to introduce herself to the ruling class of Heeguk.

Even Seongha, whose face was normally difficult to catch a glimpse of, was present today.

“Look at Priest Jin. So elegant and refined. He truly looks like a noble prince of Heeguk.”

Noblewomen glanced at Seongha with flushed faces.

Whenever Seongha entered a room, people's gazes naturally drifted toward him.

Beneath his official hat, the lines of his forehead and nose were straight and smooth.

More than anything else, there was a lonely yet proud air unique to him that naturally drew people in.

It was no surprise that so many women admired Seongha.

For some reason, Cheongyeon found herself slightly bothered by it.

Meanwhile, among the many nobles visiting Beopsindang, there were several groups that stood out more than the others.

They were known as the Five Great Noble Families of Heeguk.

Each family had its own symbolic color and crest, and each had built its power from a different foundation.

Seongha's family, the Jin family, wore ink-black clothing and used a golden cloud as their crest.

It was the largest noble family in Heeguk, having produced many founding contributors and famous figures.

Its influence became even greater after the family head, Jin Sangwon, rose to the position of Chancellor.

The Son family, to which Manwoo belonged, was famous for its neutral nature and tendency to avoid conflict.

Their dark-green clothing and shield-shaped crest suited that image perfectly.

They were also an extremely wealthy family.

They possessed advanced farming techniques, owned vast stretches of land, and supported a large number of household members and retainers.

The Hae family was a mysterious household surrounded by secrecy.

They had once been the weakest of the Five Great Families, but under the leadership of their family head, Hae Mora, they were now enjoying a period of revival.

Their symbols were scarlet clothing and a black sun.

There were even rumors that they kept a separate shrine inside their estate and practiced black sorcery.

Those dressed in purple robes decorated with peony crests belonged to the In family.

They had accumulated enormous wealth through heavy involvement in trade and were well known for collecting rare luxury goods from foreign lands.

Lastly, there was the Ban family.

They wore dark-blue clothing and used a silver bamboo crest.

For generations, they had produced queens and had been one of the royal family's most powerful maternal clans.

However, ten years ago, the family had been nearly exterminated as punishment for their connection to the disappearance of the Crown Prince.

Now, only remnants of their forces remained in their former stronghold of Gongha.

Naturally, it was difficult to find any members of the Ban family at today's gathering.

Before long, huge donations from the nobles began filling the donation box.

It was their way of showing loyalty and sincerity toward the royal family.

Using the etiquette she had recently learned, Cheongyeon exchanged greetings with the nobles while comparing them to what she had read about them in books.

She could not help feeling nervous.

She was afraid she might make a mistake.

On the other hand, the nobles looking at Cheongyeon wore arrogant expressions mixed with faint mockery.

Their gazes seemed to ask,

Who exactly are you, appearing out of nowhere in Heeguk society?

Some seemed to doubt Cheongyeon's power.

Others appeared to simply look down on her.

“Priest Son, have you been well?”

At that moment, someone greeted Manwoo in a gentle voice.

Then she turned toward Cheongyeon.

“Heavenly Maiden, this is our first meeting. My name is Hae Eunseong.”

Eunseong was a noble young lady with an elegant air.

Her eyes curved gently like crescent moons, making her look as though she were always smiling even when she was standing still.

When Cheongyeon had first heard about the Five Great Noble Families, she had somehow assumed that people from the Hae family would be frightening.

Looking at Eunseong now, however, that did not seem to be entirely true.

Manwoo's face immediately turned red.

Without even realizing it, he scratched the back of his head.

The feelings he had carried for her for a long time were completely obvious on his face.

Seeing him, Cheongyeon unconsciously covered a small smile.

I'll definitely tease Priest Son about this later.

Just thinking about it already made her feel strangely triumphant.

“I wonder if Family Head Hae Mora will scold you again for coming to Beopsindang today.”

Instead of wearing the scarlet skirt associated with the Hae family, Eunseong had dressed in plain gray clothes to suit the purpose of the Dharma Assembly.

It showed something of her personality.

Although the Hae family was known as a household of shamans, Eunseong alone had been deeply devoted to Buddhism since childhood.

She often visited Beopsindang and contributed donations.

“It's fine. I came to see my friends.”

Eunseong smiled.

“And today, I brought gifts for both priests...”

She instructed her attendants to hand Manwoo a gift wrapped in silk.

When Manwoo opened the wrapping, he found two sets of inner clothing inside.

Eunseong explained that she had personally stitched the cloth together so they could wear them beneath their priest robes when the cold season arrived.

Manwoo stared blankly at the unexpected gift for a moment.

Then he quickly bent at the waist.

“Thank you. I don't know if I should accept something this precious...”

His grin stretched almost from ear to ear.

At that moment, he looked exactly like an innocent young man in love.

Seeing that her sincerity had been accepted, Eunseong also looked happier than ever.

“Give the other set to Priest Jin.”

She glanced toward Seongha, who was greeting guests in the distance.

“He's always so busy that it's difficult even to exchange greetings with him. I suppose that can't be helped.”

She looked as though she had already expected it.

Then Eunseong walked toward Bulwangjeon with her attendants, where the Dharma Assembly would be held.

“Looks like no one from Priest Jin's family is coming today either.”

Whispers began spreading here and there.

Among all the powerful families, the Jin family was the only one that had yet to visit Beopsindang.

Their eldest son was overseeing the event.

Yet not a single member of his family had come to support him.

Not only that—they were ignoring the occasion so completely that it naturally seemed strange to the other noble families.

Just then—

As though someone had become aware of those reactions...

A man entered Beopsindang with long, powerful strides.