Chapter 5 - The Crying Ghost (1)
The Crying Ghost (1)
Translator : Elizabeth
The first day of the month, during Ja-si (11 PM - 1 AM).
A night when the cold air had passed and a crescent moon hung in the sky.
My sister and I sat side by side, camped out in the corridor behind the Hyeonmu Hall.
"Ugh, ugh. Do we really have to be here?"
"Geese, if you're going to whine, just go. Why are you even staying?"
"I want to go too, you know? But you picked me as your assistant, Oppa. Thanks to you, I'm going through all this...!"
My sister ruffled her hair in frustration.
"Do you know how much I got cursed out by the Head Maid today just because of my idiot brother? I'm seriously dumbfounded. Herb farming? You really just disappeared like that? If you knew how much stress I went through today because of you— Oop!"
Her mouth doesn't rest for even a second. I really want to hit her.
Feeling like my eardrums were going to burst, I took a medicinal herb from my robe and stuffed it into her mouth.
Munch— Her eyes went round.
"Ugh, it's bitter. What is this all of a sudden?"
"It's good for your skin. Just shut up and eat that."
"Go—good for my skin?"
Typical sister. She goes crazy for anything good for beauty.
Actually, I don't know if that herb is good for the skin or not, but it's good for health anyway, so it should be fine.
Finally calming down, she chewed on the herb I gave her and sighed.
"Haa—When on earth is it coming out?"
Whoosh!
It was then. Suddenly, the lanterns illuminating the surroundings went out.
Even the moonlight became blurry as if covered by thin silk, and the night air grew thicker.
Also, a light wind blew. The subtle breeze shook the surrounding grass and made the atmosphere chilly.
Hoooooo...
Soon, a faint crying sound was heard. It really sounded like a young child crying.
"Hiiiek! W-what! What is it!"
"Don't cling to me. It's annoying."
I pushed away my sister's face, which was thrusting itself disgustingly close to mine, and gripped the hilt of the sword at my waist.
Hoooooo...
However, aside from the crying sound, absolutely nothing happened.
Even looking around, other than the wind blowing a little, it was incredibly peaceful.
"Oppa."
"Fuck, I said don't cling."
Ah, seriously, this kid keeps pulling on my clothes—
"—Let's kill them."
Strength entered my sister's hand gripping my sleeve.
"Let's kill Lady Hyeon-bi. Let's kill the child. Let's kill the maids. Men, women, old people, children. Let's kill everyone who makes me cry."
She kept muttering with her head bowed.
"I'm angry. I'm so angry. Why am I here? Why. Why. Why. Why."
My sister's breathing grew increasingly rough.
"I want to go. I want to go home. I want to go back. Quickly. So, let's kill them. Let's kill them all. Kill them, and let's go back. To our home."
Even at a glance, her condition wasn't normal.
Is that it? The old geezer's record definitely mentioned something like this.
After the crying is heard, cases have been found where normally gentle court ladies suddenly become agitated or show hostility...
Then, is my sister currently possessed by the Crying Ghost? But why am I fine?
I observed her slowly while pressing down on her shoulder.
Then—Crackle! My Danjeon reacted.
This is Qi. Qi is flowing out of my sister.
"Kill— Huh? Wait. O-ouch. It hurts, hurts, hurts!"
Just in case, I sent my internal energy into her.
My sister writhed in pain.
"D—Die...! It's hot! It hurts! I feel like I'm gonna die!"
Good.
This should be enough.
If I leave her be, she might try to punch me, so I struck the back of her neck to knock her out.
"Uk!"
Thud!
She collapsed and sprawled out on the floor. A blue bruise formed on her pale neck.
...Did I hit her too hard?
Soon, the lanterns lit up again. The wind stopped. The shaking orchids, the fading moonlight—everything returned to normal.
I hoisted my fallen sister onto my shoulder.
A day passed.
As expected, my sister casually suggesting we kill people earlier was due to the Crying Ghost's influence.
I suspect that the closer it gets to the first day of the month, the stronger the influence becomes, and those who hear the crying directly go crazy like she did.
But it seems I have some immunity to that influence.
Well, since I've accumulated internal energy in my Danjeon, it probably can't possess me easily.
Though, I was definitely influenced at first too.
The reason I'm perfectly fine now is probably thanks to consuming that elixir and building up more internal energy.
See, I told you farming herbs was a good idea.
"Ugh."
My sister, who had been groaning, slowly opened her eyes.
"You up?"
"Ah, yeah."
We were in a sickroom.
When I went to the Hyeonmu Hall carrying her, the Head Maid hurriedly prepared a room.
"Where is this?"
"A sickroom."
"Sickroom...? By the way, my neck hurts. Ugh, did I sleep wrong..."
She rubbed the back of her neck in a daze.
Hmm. Let's not mention that. She'll definitely throw a fit.
My sister is a bit particular about her appearance, so she'd definitely cry and make a scene.
I tried to look away and asked.
"You don't remember?"
"...Remember what?"
She tilted her head, looking like she had no idea what I was talking about.
"If you don't, then never mind. Aside from your neck hurting, you're okay, right?"
"...Hmm. How should I put it? I'm annoyed. Why am I so annoyed? Is it because I saw your face as soon as I woke up?"
This brat, seriously.
No, endure it. Endure.
I roughly explained what happened yesterday.
My sister's teeth chattered and she trembled.
"G-Ghost. It's a ghost."
"You said you read this novel, didn't you? Don't you have any other info on the Crying Ghost? Or why Hyeon-bi awakens? Don't give me that bullshit about just killing her."
"Other info... It's been over 7 years, I don't remember. Wait a sec."
She's really useless.
She pressed her temples hard, then her eyes widened.
"Ah, right! The Crown Princess Selection Test!"
"Crown Princess Selection Test?"
"Yeah. The selection is usually decided by the vote of elders called the Cheon-ui-won (Heavenly Council), but Hyeon-bi's position is uniquely selected by the Empress."
"What does that have to do with the Crying Ghost?"
Thinking deeply, my sister frowned.
"In the novel, it was described that for the position of Hyeon-bi, they gathered ordinary village women regardless of family background, talent, or appearance. Thanks to that, the Empress's influence could be strong. After all, a woman's qualities are important for a Crown Princess."
"Then is the current Hyeon-bi also a commoner?"
"She's probably a beggar like us. That's why the backlash was huge. Well, the details weren't described, but eventually, the Empress put forward the current Lady Hyeon-bi."
'Right here!' My sister raised her index finger.
"This is where the Romance Fantasy cliché comes in."
"Romance Fantasy cliché?"
"The flower of these Eastern-style Ro-Fans is palace intrigue. Actually, the Empress intended to use the uneducated, stupid, and lowly-born Hyeon-bi to grow her own power!"
Tsk, this is why women are...
Martial arts novels where you just swing a sword coolly are a hundred times better than Ro-Fans full of this political scheming.
Just become super strong and solve it. How simple.
My sister continued.
"Anyway, getting swept up in politics, Lady Hyeon-bi becomes increasingly twisted and goes astray. So she becomes a villainess who puts the female lead through trials. Well, she's just an extra, so she gets possessed by the Crying Ghost early on and gets executed. Aside from that, there's no particular description of her."
A moment of silence passed.
I fell into thought for a bit.
'...Unlikely me.'
Why am I racking my brains?
I can just ask the person involved directly.
I wanted to solve this case as soon as possible and leave the Imperial Palace.
So, there's no need to weigh things. That’s the original me.
Knock. Knock.
Amidst the silence, someone knocked on the door.
I didn't exactly say come in, but the door opened.
"Are you feeling alright?"
It was Hyeon-bi. She stood there accompanied by the Head Maid and other maids.
And this time, a warrior with a sword was with them.
"I—I greet Her Highness, Lady Hyeon-bi."
My sister jumped up and bowed.
"Your movement must still be uncomfortable, so rest your body."
Hyeon-bi's gaze turned to me.
"Have you made any progress?"
"Yeah well, I learned that the Crying Ghost is a massive coward."
Hyeon-bi's eyebrow twitched slightly. The warrior beside her reacted a beat late, stepping forward.
Hyeon-bi lightly raised her hand to stop him and approached me.
"Mumyeong, your mouth is too rough. How about fixing that temper of yours a little?"
I stood up too.
Recalling what happened yesterday, I faced her directly.
"I have one question for you, Lady Hyeon-bi."
"Speak."
"Do you perhaps wish to return to your days as a beggar?"
Shing!
The warrior drew his sword with lightning speed.
"How dare you! To utter such reckless words to Her Highness! You must not value your life!"