Chapter 060. Lovers of the North Wind (5)
"Hey."
Bam walked toward Seongha with her arms crossed.
"What did I even do?"
Seongha answered sharply.
"You took the Heavenly Maiden away on the day before the festival without permission from Beopsindang."
His voice became even colder.
"And as if that wasn't enough, you turned her into entertainment for a crowd."
His words were covered in thorns.
His arrogant manner also made it feel as though he was looking down on Bam.
She had disliked this rigid man from the very beginning.
And when it came to arguments, Bam was confident she could beat almost anyone.
"This is between us."
She lifted her chin.
"Priest Jin should stay out of it."
Seongha raised his fan and pointed toward the drinking table.
His fingertips trembled.
This was exactly the kind of thing he could never tolerate.
"Don't tell me the two of you drank all of this."
Bam shrugged.
"It's not like I count every bottle while drinking."
She smiled mischievously.
"Why?"
Then she leaned closer.
"Want me to order another bottle for you?"
She waved her hand in front of her face as though the conversation were exhausting.
Seongha stared at her.
How has His Highness managed to work with this lawless woman all this time?
Her careless, shameless speech kept dragging him into arguments.
"The Heavenly Maiden must purify her body before participating in tomorrow's sacred ceremony."
He frowned.
"Do not corrupt her with entertainment or vulgar customs."
Meanwhile, Cheongyeon was smiling on the other side of the large table, apparently unaware of the argument.
Her round eyes drooped more than usual.
She looked strangely relaxed.
In only half a day, everything from her clothing to her atmosphere had been transformed by the woman from the Rang Merchant Group.
Bam tilted her head.
"From what I saw, the Heavenly Maiden seemed to be having fun."
Then she smiled coldly.
"Have you ever considered that you're overprotective?"
"You may call it overprotective."
Seongha's answer came immediately.
"Something forbidden remains forbidden."
"What a ridiculous man."
Bam stood at an angle, tapping the toe of one foot.
"You don't even know what happened."
She pointed toward Cheongyeon.
"Don't talk like you do."
Then she added,
"She was the one who started it."
The incident had begun like this.
While Bam and Cheongyeon were eating and talking, a group of unfamiliar foreigners entered the inn.
Half their heads were shaved.
They wore clothing made like nets.
They seemed to belong to one of the minority tribes living near the border.
Already drunk, they rapidly spoke in a language neither woman understood.
Blunt bronze arrowheads hung in a row around their waists.
Soon, perhaps because something annoyed them, they grabbed the inn workers and began questioning them.
Large men slammed clubs onto the floor.
The atmosphere quickly turned dangerous.
Wine bottles and bowls rolled across the ground.
They even broke part of the stair railing before arrogantly leaving.
[Those bastards came here just to ruin my business!]
The inn owner looked devastated.
[Today should've been my best day of the year...]
He looked around the empty room.
[I'm finished. Completely finished.]
The customers had all fled during the disturbance.
Cheongyeon watched him for a moment.
Then she stepped forward.
[Is there anything we can do to help?]
Bam had sighed.
[It's unfortunate, but that's the owner's problem.]
She looked around.
[It's not like we have some magical trick to bring all the customers back.]
Although Bam thought Cheongyeon was impossible to deal with, she was also curious about what the woman planned to do.
Cheongyeon fell into thought.
[If only there were something we could give the customers who came here...]
She brought her hands together before her necklace.
Then she concentrated.
She tried controlling the size and shape of her power.
Cheongyeon thought of the countless people gathered for the festival.
Their excitement.
Their happiness.
Soon, a tiny dancing flame was born from the blue light of her necklace.
It shone softly like a firefly.
A gentle warmth came from it.
It was a flame of life.
Even Cheongyeon looked surprised after creating it.
It was a new power she had never drawn from herself before.
[This should attract people's attention.]
She placed the flame into Bam's palm.
Bam already knew Cheongyeon possessed unusual power.
Yet even she became briefly fascinated by the mysterious blue flame.
[You're strange.]
Bam frowned despite her interest.
[Is helping people really what you want this badly?]
Even while complaining, Bam eventually went out to the main street and helped attract customers.
Rumors quickly spread that a mysterious woman was giving away blue flames.
People flooded into the inn.
As the number of wine bottles ordered by customers increased across the tables, the inn owner's smile finally returned.
When the color of people's hearts changed, Cheongyeon discovered she could move them.
She quietly stored that realization inside herself.
"So that's what happened."
Bam waved a hand.
"Stop preaching, Priest Jin."
Then she slapped the table.
"Come on. Everyone sit down."
Her grin returned.
"We're supposed to enjoy the eve of the Fifteenth Day Festival."
Bam confidently took the middle seat at the wide table and crossed her legs.
The lamplight reflected in her face, making it shine like glass.
Even after drinking strong alcohol, she showed almost no signs of drunkenness.
She truly was a woman of the sea.
"One cup filled with memories."
She swayed slightly.
"One cup filled with dreams..."
Her words sounded almost like a song.
Seongha stared at her in disbelief.
"How long are you planning to sit there talking to yourself while holding the other three people hostage?"
He had already reached the point where he was simply watching the situation happen.
Still, he struggled to hold onto the last thread of reason.
Bam leaned toward him.
"Aren't Beopsindang priests forbidden from gambling?"
"..."
"And from drinking?"
She lowered her voice.
"What kind of inhuman rules are those?"
Then her eyes sparkled.
"What a shame."
Bam smirked.
"I wanted to see which one of us could drink more."
She shrugged.
"Though you'd lose to me anyway, so I suppose there's no point."
Seongha was left speechless by Lady Rang's provocation.
Without realizing it, he glanced toward his lord.
Hyeon merely shrugged, signaling that Seongha could do whatever he wanted.
Seongha turned back.
"There should be no problem."
Bam blinked.
Seongha continued calmly.
"Great Emperor Namji declared that on the eve of the Fifteenth Day Festival, all people are freed from ordinary law and custom."
Bam immediately shoved a cup into his hand.
"Really?"
She smiled brightly.
"Then start with this."
Seongha swallowed the alcohol in one gulp.
His face instantly turned pale.
Bam burst into loud laughter.
Seeing how easily his thoughts appeared on his face, she found it difficult to truly dislike him.
Meanwhile, Cheongyeon smiled quietly while watching Bam and Seongha bicker across the table.
Hyeon stood about six ja away from her, leaning against the wall.
They had encountered each other several times while preparing for the festival.
Yet they had never spoken privately.
There was very little connecting them.
And Hyeon's mysterious atmosphere made him difficult to approach.
Then unexpectedly, Hyeon spoke first.
"The flames you created."
Cheongyeon looked toward him.
"They seemed to come from an ancient power."
Apparently, he had recognized something unusual within her strength.
He continued.
"Heavenly Maiden of Beopsindang."
His gray eyes focused on her.
"When you gave those flames to the people, what did you see?"
Cheongyeon lowered her eyes.
"The endless suffering and hope of their lives."
She gently touched her necklace.
"They are exhausted by a long darkness."
Her expression softened.
"They want to escape poverty and hunger."
Hyeon's face became serious.
He genuinely wanted to understand matters involving the people.
His words and manner were far too unusual for an ordinary mercenary.
"I see."
He looked away.
"For a very long time, neither the politics nor religion of Hui Kingdom has fulfilled its role."
"..."
Hyeon spoke quietly.
"When the day comes to open a new world, we must burn down the corrupted golden temples."
His gaze sharpened.
"Then we must build a foundation where people can live stable lives."
He resembled a wolf leading a pack.
Someone destined to stand above others, look farther into the distance, provide a goal, and drag everyone toward it with overwhelming strength.
Cheongyeon answered softly.
"When someone in front looks toward the stars and searches for the road..."
She held her necklace.
"Someone behind them must make sure no one has been abandoned in the darkness."
Those were thoughts she had developed while living as Beopsindang's Heavenly Maiden.
"When the new world opens, I will walk slowly beside those who have fallen behind."
A faint light entered Hyeon's cold gray eyes.
His gaze showed genuine respect for her opinion.
"But the last person you leave behind in darkness must not be yourself."
Cheongyeon looked at him.
"A heart as pure as blank paper is easily stained by evil power."
His words were sincere.
He gave a bitter laugh, almost as if speaking from experience.
Afterward, the two continued talking casually for a surprisingly long time.
They looked awkward together, yet strangely suited each other.
Perhaps today would be the last day when everyone could freely enjoy a cup of alcohol in the marketplace.
The moment that felt as though it would last forever passed far too quickly.
Eventually, the group left the inn and returned to the streets.
People stared at the four of them walking side by side.
The crowd even split naturally around them.
Their striking features and long, elegant limbs made them look completely different from ordinary people.
Perhaps because of their unique presence, even their fluttering clothes and swept-back hair looked like part of a painting.
Even at midnight, Hongyang remained bright and noisy.
The curfew had been lifted.
Lanterns illuminated every street.
Large sacred fires had been lit, warming the cold autumn night as though giant balls of fire had been placed throughout the city.
The flames were supposed to burn for all three days and nights of the festival.
Drums grew louder.
Performers began dancing.
A parade decorated like phoenixes and dragons passed by.
Night performances continued.
The watching crowds became increasingly excited.
People cheered, sang, and began dancing.
For tonight, class and status seemed meaningless.
Everyone looked like part of one enormous crowd.
Tonight, they would celebrate as though it were the final night of the world.
Amid the chaos, the four gradually separated into two pairs on opposite sides of the street.
Among the flowing crowd, Seongha held out one hand toward Cheongyeon.
The same hand that had once asked her to come down to the earth with him.
Cheongyeon reached out.
Seongha caught her hand and pulled her toward him.
Held by his strong hand, the distance between them disappeared.
The entire world seemed reflected inside Cheongyeon's black eyes.
Light surrounded one person until everything around him became dazzling.
At midnight, people throughout the streets smashed open gourds hanging from poles.
Paper confetti poured down.
Everyone stared upward in wonder.
When news spread that the palace courtyard had been opened, the crowd shouted and rushed toward the center of the city.
Even officials on patrol relaxed tonight.
Some secretly pulled bottles of alcohol from inside their robes and took small sips.
Amid the ordinary festival scenery, Seongha remained neat and proper as always.
Beside him, Cheongyeon walked with light steps like a small bird.
Their joined hands connected them through warmth.
"I was disappointed."
Cheongyeon looked up at him.
Seongha continued.
"You promised to attend the eve celebration with me."
His voice became strangely resentful.
"Yet you became completely distracted by the woman from the Rang Merchant Group and forgot me."
"That..."
"It's fine."
His fingers tightened slightly around hers.
"That's why I came to get you myself."
He glanced at her.
"Friendship between women is good, but from now on, perhaps you could also consider my feelings..."
Cheongyeon could only laugh.
That lingering resentment sounded nothing like the usual Seongha.
"What did you want to do at the eve celebration?"
"I wanted to eat dinner together."
He answered calmly.
"Watch people."
Then he looked toward the glowing street.
"And walk around endlessly."
It sounded as though Seongha had never prepared any special plan.
Yet the word together made everything feel special enough.
"And afterward..."
His lips curved faintly.
"You can see for yourself shortly."
Perhaps because of the festival, Seongha was also dressed differently today.
Instead of his stiff priest robes, he wore a flowing blue robe like a nobleman.
Without the usual elegant and ascetic appearance, he looked fresh and beautiful, like a flower blooming beneath moonlight.
The unfamiliar atmosphere around him made Cheongyeon's heart quietly pound.
Pink color spread across her pale cheeks until they resembled peaches.
Cheongyeon held her skirt and spun around once.
"How do I look?"
She smiled.
"Lady Rang dressed me."
Seongha silently stared at her.
One glance seemed to stretch into several decades.
The smooth silk clothes followed the lines of her body.
Golden threads decorated with tiny jewels fell from her hair ornaments, making her bright face shine even more.
Surprisingly, Cheongyeon suited glamorous and exotic clothing very well.
Seongha had to admit that Lady Rang possessed some skill.
Yet while walking beside Cheongyeon, he hardly noticed the clothes.
He only watched whether she was smiling.
Whether she was happy.
That was all he could think about.
Then he spoke.
"You are precious."
Cheongyeon's eyes widened.
Seongha was not a man who casually gave praise.
Those words contained nothing except sincerity.
The voice she heard once echoed two or three more times inside her heart.
Cheongyeon quietly listened to that echo.
The two eventually arrived at a plaza where people were flying kites.
A clear autumn wind blew.
Pure bell sounds traveled far into the distance.
Hundreds of brightly colored kites floated in the black sky, held by tight strings.
The wishes in people's hearts scattered into the heavens like those distant kites.
