Book 17 Chapter 11

The Dreamlike Mountain Villa (夢幻山莊)

— Another Spirit

Whoosh!

Rain falls like a waterfall, engulfing the world.

The sound of thunderous rain.

Blue lightning flashes in a fleeting moment, followed by its twin, thunder, roaring and shaking the sky. The sound of rain hitting the earth and water is like the hooves of a wild horse. It's like the violent clatter of a charioteer, stained with blood, galloping across the battlefield, devouring the sounds of nature.

It was such a violent downpour that one would question if it was truly spring rain.

The woman was groaning.

The rain pouring from the torn ceiling of the sky seemed to sweep away the world with its sorrow, yet her body was hot. Like iron in a furnace, like lava boiling in a volcano, an unbearable heat threatened to burn her soul like an eternal flame.

'It hurts…'

Her screams were bound by chains of silence, imprisoned in her lungs. Her breathing grew more ragged.

Fear was approaching. Step by step. Her face was hidden by the black hood she wore. She mustn't see that face. To face the black darkness, fear, would bring only despair. It was better not to remove the black hood. She mustn't make eye contact either. She would be consumed. Cruel fear would pierce her heart and tear her body and soul to shreds.

She must never make eye contact. Never. She wasn't that strong. She was weak. Too weak to fight despair.

She had to run. She had to run. If caught, it was the end. She would cease to be herself.

She had to run.

But her soul and body were as if under a curse, unable to move. Fear approached. She didn't move. It approached. She didn't move. She felt the cold breath of fear on her nape. Her head turned. The black hood was lifted. She had to look away! She was frozen. Finally, she met fear's gaze. Pitch-black darkness surged like a tidal wave and engulfed her.

"Kyaaaaaaak!"

As she clutched the edge of the blanket with both hands, she felt her entire body tremble. It seemed to be raining inside the room. Her body was cold.

"…Spirit… Spirit… Spirit…"

A voice could be heard from somewhere. It was too distant.

Whose voice was it? She couldn't quite remember. Dark, heavy clouds were devouring her memories along with her. Then, a sharp voice was heard once more.

"Miss Yeongnyeong!"

She opened her eyes with a flash, and the sky seemed to open at once, like the dawn of creation.

She instinctively frowned at the dazzling sunlight.

The next moment, the woman sat up abruptly, as if trying to shake something off.

"Huff huff huff!"

Her breathing, wild like a runaway horse, showed no sign of calming down. Her heart pounded like a madman's. The screams squeezed from her lungs still seemed to echo in her ears. Cold sweat poured down like rain, soaking her thin nightgown.

'Where is this place? And who am I?'

After a while, as her breathing calmed, the woman looked around. But her memory was blocked as if by something black. The lingering remnants of the grim nightmare still held onto a corner of her nerves.

'Calm down, calm down. And remember one by one, slowly.'

To escape the nightmare, she desperately grasped at the shapes of reality. To avoid falling back into the nightmare, and to anchor her consciousness in reality once more.

After struggling for a long time, she finally managed to pull herself out of the boundary of dream and reality and onto the shore of the real world.

"That's right. I remember. It was like that…"

At last, the fog-like memories that had covered her mind like a faint mist began to take on a clear form. This was her home, and this was her room. The quilt was a pink silk quilt embroidered with her favorite phoenix pattern. As she looked around the room, familiar sights met her eyes. The zitan wood dressing table, lightly covered with dust that had settled overnight, the various makeup tools placed on it, the ornate silver candlestick with cold candles, the empty teacup. The scene was exactly as she had seen it before going to bed last night. Nothing had changed.

It was that familiarity that finally allowed her to exhale a sigh of relief. Her mind and body finally calmed down.

What brought her some comfort was that dawn had already broken. With a small sigh of relief, she patted her chest.

Thank goodness. Since the sun had risen, it wasn't night anymore.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief at the thought that she didn't have to sleep again.

Just a moment ago, she had risen from the deep abyss where she had been captured by the night, pushed into it, and managed to open her eyes, pushing through the curtain of darkness, returning to the world of reality.

She was afraid of the night.

"Again…"

The nightmare that captured her every night. Each time, the wounded area burned as if scalded. Cold sweat thoroughly soaked her nightgown. Her consciousness was still hazy; she couldn't feel the weight of her body. It felt unreal. It was like sitting on a swinging cradle at the boundary of dream and reality.

Another repetition. She should be used to it by now, but she could never get used to the nightmare that descended every night, flapping black wings at her bedside. She feared the night, but the incessant changes of day and night belonged to the realm of heavenly mandate, so she couldn't stop what was coming or rush what was going. True freedom could only be enjoyed when humans clearly recognized their limitations within the grand flow of heavenly operations. However, she had not reached the state of merely observing fear, despair, and darkness from a distance. Still, she tried. It was better than not trying at all.

She quietly composed herself and began to look within. If she couldn't believe the phenomena she saw, there was only one remaining means. That was to look at herself.

She had been ill for a long time, and many parts of her memory were confused. People said it was because she had suffered from high fever in a coma several times.

"Miss, have you woken up?"

A maid knocked from outside the sliding door. She was probably asking if she was coughing.

"Miss…"

The maid's voice calling her was cautious.

'Who was it?'

As she fumbled through her hazy memories, she realized it was the voice of her personal maid, Mongmu. Then, her mind returned to reality.

'Ah, yes. This is my room in the main house, right?'

Even though she had just remembered it, it didn't feel real. She wasn't dreaming, was she? Yet her body still felt like it was floating in water.

"…Miss Yeongnyeong?"

Mongmu's voice was heard again from outside. How many times was this? She couldn't remember. Perhaps because she hadn't answered for a while, her voice trembled slightly out of anxiety. If she delayed her answer any longer, the maid might break down the door in a panic. Her maid was somewhat careless, which was always a nuisance. She decided to save on repair costs.

"Come in. I've woken up."

She replied in a quiet voice, and a relieved sigh was heard from beyond the door, and the door creaked open. Morning sunlight stealthily crept through the gap of the open door and settled on her shoulder. Her pure white nightgown seemed to glow translucently, absorbing the morning sunlight, and its brilliant white light made her dark, luscious hair stand out even more. Furthermore, the sweat-drenched white nightgown clung to her body, revealing the beautiful curves of her form from her voluptuous chest to her slender waist. Mongmu let out a soft gasp at her strangely alluring appearance.

No matter how many times she saw it, her lady's beauty was admirable. It would have been even more perfect if not for the single 'blemish' cruelly etched upon her. What a pity. To have marred such a work of art. Truly, the 'Geomgak' scoundrels were despicable villains.

"Please wash your face first, Miss. Then I will help you dress."

Mongmu said with a bright smile.

"Is something wrong?"

Mongmu feigned surprise at her question and asked,

"Oh my, how did you know, Miss? I didn't say anything."

"You get flustered, but you never rush. Is something happening so early in the morning?"

"The Lord of the Manor is calling for you."

Mongmu confessed.

"Father?"

What could it be so early in the morning? She felt she needed to hurry.

"My sword!"

After tidying her clothes, she took her beloved sword, which Mongmu respectfully handed to her with both hands. For a moment, pain flashed in her eyes.

The surface of her elegant beloved sword was scarred here and there, telling of fierce battles. The outside of the scabbard also seemed slightly scorched.

"Lead the way!"

"Yes, Miss!"

Mongmu politely opened the door and replied.

"Oh, you're here?"

"I pay my respects, Miss."

Yeongnyeong performed the formal greeting.

"Please, sit comfortably."

A middle-aged man with a dignified appearance offered her a seat with a calm smile and a majestic gesture. Yeongnyeong followed his words.

"I apologize for bothering you so early in the morning."

"It's alright. Is there something you wish to discuss?"

Yeongnyeong said with a polite demeanor.

"The date has been set."

Yeongnyeong's head snapped up.

"Then…?"

The middle-aged man nodded slowly, yet heavily.

"Yes, it's a month from now. Are you prepared?"

"Of course, Father."

The girl nodded with a resolute expression. It seemed she had eagerly awaited this moment.

"I will definitely pass and become his strength."

She had a fiancé who had promised her a future. Her body and soul belonged to him. That's why she always wanted to be his strength. However, for the past few years, due to the aftermath of a battle, she had been ill, and she felt very sorry for not being able to help him. How much she had lamented her own powerlessness because of it.

Now, she wanted to pass the upcoming exam and become his strength. However, whenever she thought of him, her heart would race, yet a part of her chest ached strangely.

When nightmares consumed her mind and body, she always called out his name. Begging him to save her from this dark, ugly, and terrifying nightmare.

The fearful white hand approaching her, the sound of rain drumming in her ears, the thunder engulfing the world, and the flickering flames and shadows.

It was dark ahead, and she could see nothing. All that existed was the slowly approaching white hand and the burning pain as if scalded. But no matter how much she called, no helping hand came. She wanted to escape the meaningless dreams that always tormented her.

"Originally, you should have taken the exam four years ago, but you lost several years recuperating due to the aftereffects of your injury. If that day hadn't happened, with your skill, you would have definitely passed. It's a pity."

"This time, I will not tolerate any interference."

"Prepare yourself immediately and depart. I will assign you two children, Mongmu and Hwanmu. I believe you will uphold our family's honor."

"Yes, Father. I will never do anything to tarnish our family's honor."

The Lord of the Manor nodded with a satisfied smile.

"Although you were put at a disadvantage due to the accident caused by those wicked women, I believe you can overcome it. Only then can you become his strength, can't you? You must not forget that your body and soul belong to him."

The Lord of the Manor said in a voice that lingered long.

"Yes, I will never forget that fact. It is the only meaning of my existence in this world."

Yeongnyeong replied in a resolute voice, without any sense of dissonance. Within her heart, it was an absolute, unchanging, sacred proposition.

"Hmm, good, good. You are trustworthy."

The woman's father repeatedly nodded, as if delighted.

"When will you depart?"

"Time is short, so I will depart tomorrow."

The Lord of the Manor nodded with a satisfied smile at his daughter's dependable answer.

Everything proceeded as planned.

"Meng Hwan Shuang Wu (Dreamlike Illusory Twin Mists), we have arrived."

"Enter."

The door opened quietly, and two women entered. One was Mongmu, who had attended her that morning, and the other was a beautiful woman named Hwanmu, who looked a bit more mature than Mongmu.

The person waiting was the Lord of the Manor of this mountain villa, and Yeongnyeong's father.

"How is the lady's condition?"

He asked with a cold gaze, making it impossible to believe he was the same person who had shown such a benevolent and kind expression earlier.

"Yes, no unusual symptoms have been found yet."

"She could have an episode at any moment. At that time, take the measures I taught you. You must never take your eyes off her."

"We will keep that in mind."

The two women bowed in respect.

"Failure is not an option. You know that, right?"

At his voice, colder than ice, the two women's bodies trembled.

"We will absolutely not ruin the grand plan."

"Good, I believe you."

"Understood."

"Oh my, Miss, the fog is particularly thick today. Even though this is on a mountain, it's too much. Don't you think so, Hwan?"

Mongmu asked her colleague Hwanmu theatrically.

"…"

However, Hwanmu stared intently at her mistress Yeongnyeong's face without answering.

"Tch, you're still so taciturn. Do you get a sore on your tongue if you talk back?"

"I don't want to waste time on meaningless conversations. That's all."

With that, Hwanmu fell silent again.

"Tch, so taciturn. Talking to you is like talking to a stone Buddha in a temple."

Mongmu grumbled.

"I think it's good to choose one's conversation partners well. That's all."

"Yes, yes~"

Mongmu gave up on talking to Hwanmu and turned her gaze back to Yeongnyeong.

"Miss, Miss, it's really thick fog, isn't it? It feels like the whole world is covered in white, doesn't it? It really suits the name of the mountain villa, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

As she left the mountain villa, she looked back at her home.

Beyond the thick fog, the villa's signboard came into view.

Meng Hwan San Jang (Dreamlike Mountain Villa).

The villa, hidden in the mist, looked like a mirage, befitting its name, as if it didn't belong to this world. Then, doubt followed doubt.

'Did I really live there? No, did that place even exist in the first place? Am I seeing an illusion right now?'

However, she soon shook her head, dismissing the thoughts. She had things to do now, and that was her top priority.

"Let's go!"

"Yes, Miss."

Mongmu and Hwanmu replied. Compared to Mongmu, Hwanmu was quiet and reserved.

Although they held the position of maids, rumor had it that she had received martial arts training directly from the Lord of the Manor, Meng Hwan. At least she wouldn't be a hindrance.

And so, Yeongnyeong, accompanied by her two maids, walked into the thick, dreamlike fog.