Three Thousand Court Ladies - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 31
The moment she stepped into the brightness, her eyes burned. She forced them open with difficulty, blinking against the overwhelming glare of dense trees and undergrowth that filled her vision.
Searching for landmarks, she spotted a massive boulder shaped like a turtle on the opposite ridge. Beside it stood a lightning-struck tree, its trunk blackened and split.
‘Where in the heavens am I?’
The unfamiliar terrain offered no clues to her location.
The man dragged Samcheon up the mountain path as though hauling cargo. Before long, the entrance to the Mine came into view. One of the men guarding it spoke.
“Go on in. He’s waiting.”
The man gripped Samcheon’s arm more brutally still. Her stumbling frame locked eyes with the man in the tan martial robe.
“Please… please spare me.”
“Who said anything about killing you? Just follow orders and we’ll let you go.”
She found it hard to believe, but she had no choice but to obey. The man wound a thick rope around her waist.
“Come along.”
Bound by the rope, Samcheon was dragged deeper into the passage.
She passed other people along the way, yet no one questioned the situation. The man pulled her far into the depths.
At their destination, several men in silk garments stood gathered.
The man in the dark indigo silk addressed Samcheon.
“Take her in.”
“Yes.”
The man in the tan robe positioned Samcheon before a narrow crevice.
It was barely wide enough for her to squeeze through.
“Go in that way. Walk straight ahead, and when I pull the rope twice, come back out. Then you tell us exactly what you saw in there. Simple enough?”
Having finished his surprisingly courteous explanation, the man in the tan robe leveled his sword at Samcheon.
“Go.”
Since Gyesan was also imprisoned somewhere, Samcheon dared not move recklessly. She would have to play obedient and wait for a chance to escape.
Samcheon took measured steps forward.
The moment she crossed into the crevice, darkness seized her breath. Then the stone attached to the rope binding her began to emit a soft luminescence.
‘A Night-Luminous Pearl.’
It was expensive and difficult to obtain even for most households. This meant her abductors were no mere bandits.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she moved forward carefully.
Inside the crevice, the ground was slick and carried a musty, stale odor. It was the same smell she’d encountered in the rocky gap where Gyesan had pushed her to hide.
As she ventured deeper, a sharp, acrid scent stung her nostrils and burned her eyes.
A bad premonition quickened her pace, and suddenly the reek of rotted eggs wafted toward her. Mercifully, the stench soon gave way to something sweet.
Fragrant flower blossoms—no, the aroma of steaming rice. Meat grilling over charcoal. And… the scent of fresh peaches.
As the rich, juicy peach fragrance enveloped her, Samcheon’s legs gave way and she collapsed. She sensed something was terribly wrong, but her body would not obey.
In the distance, Mokseo Palace appeared. And her mother.
She wanted to run toward her mother, but not a single finger would move.
She stared blankly at her mother when something seized her body and yanked her backward. Dragged across the cavern floor while sprawled helpless, her face scraped brutally against the stone. Yet strangely, she felt no pain.
As she was pulled over jagged rocks, the surroundings grew brighter. Someone rolled her onto her back.
Through her dimming vision, the man in the tan robe came into focus.
“She’s done for. Looks like she’s dying anyway—just leave her there.”
Don’t kill me arbitrarily. I’m still alive—
Even as her mind grew hazier, she could sense herself being moved. Soon she was dumped onto the ground. Still, no sensation reached her.
Something had broken inside her.
‘Your Highness…’
As strength drained from her body bit by bit, she heard a voice.
[Stay with me. You fall asleep, you die.]
That seemed likely, so she tried hard to keep her eyes open. She wanted to answer as much, but her lips would not move.
[You beasts are worse than animals. Come on, focus. Can you hear me?]
The worried, gentle voice continued to urge her on. But soon even that sound faded into the distance.
Through the fog of consciousness, a clear tinkling sound cut through. Screams and shouts followed.
[Hey, those people are coming to save you. Just hold on a little longer.]
Then darkness.
Samcheon’s eyes snapped open. There was Gyesan, peacefully snoring away. Samcheon was still sitting propped against the door.
Having fallen asleep in such an uncomfortable position, she had dreamed of dying. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.
‘How tall will she grow?’
Sunlight filtered between the wooden pillars of the Great Hall, casting deep shadows. In that gloomy space, Daewang sat waiting.
“…and thus we stand in readiness, Your Majesty.”
The courtier finished his report and bowed deeply.
Daewang opened his half-lidded eyes.
“Tell me more about the Sanchae.”
His voice was flat—far too devoid of feeling for a man who had just received word of his youngest daughter’s disappearance.
“They established themselves five years ago, attacking merchants passing through. According to witness testimony, their base was already burned to the ground when our forces entered. We found signs of corpse burial and arson.”
“Does it seem the Jin Clan is behind this?”
“According to Seonhye’s assessment, it appears to be a separate faction. With the witness’s cooperation, we may be able to implicate the Jin Clan in the crime.”
“What of Seonhye’s status?”
“She awaits further orders. Her current force consists only of a deputy commander and eight soldiers—only the elite who survived the reconnaissance mission into the Jin Clan.”
Daewang’s mood had darkened. Someone had scattered ash upon his plans. While it had not derailed things entirely, there had been setbacks. The loss of the princess was a significant blow.
Given the situation, he had to press the advantage and crush the Jin Clan.
“Deploy the soldiers as planned. After striking the Jin Clan, cull the surplus forces and send them to search for the princess.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Daewang detected hesitation in the courtier’s response.
“Speak, if you have concerns.”
“The prophecy spoken by the daughter of the Ye Clan troubles me.”
“A prophecy, you say?”
Realizing that Daewang had yet to receive the relevant report, the courtier’s shoulders sagged slightly.
“She dreamed of the Undefeated Great General—the thirty-first princess—returning victorious from great battle.”
Daewang’s expression shifted.
“Through the servants of the Ye Clan, the rumor has spread to the marketplaces. It is said that the common folk, weary from prolonged war, speak of it whenever three or more gather.”
“Why was I not told of this sooner?”
At Daewang’s sharp rebuke, the courtiers prostrated themselves at his feet.
Daewang swallowed hard.
It was good that the people harbored hope. The problem was not knowing whether that hope lived or lay dead. Should news of Gyesan’s disappearance or death reach them, their hope would curdle into doubt.
Perhaps priorities would need to be adjusted.
“Identify additional soldiers who can be mobilized and report back. That girl must be brought home at all costs. Since matters may yet go awry, also discreetly search for a young girl suitable as a Substitute, should we need one.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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