"Your Highness, Young Master." A guard clad entirely in black knocked on the carriage door, bowing respectfully.
"Mn. Have we arrived?"
The guard nodded. Pointing toward the village entrance, he whispered something to Jongmu, who furrowed his brows in response.
"Hah! Have they become so arrogant now? Refusing to let even members of royalty enter!" Jongmu's voice was loaded with undisguised annoyance and disbelief.
The guard immediately fell to his knees, not daring to look up, and bowed deeply. From the slight trembling of his hands, one could see the deep terror the man must have been experiencing.
'So even his own guards fear him. He might really be a demon, then.' Hwi stared at the kneeling man with curious eyes.
Turning his gaze away, he hid his face behind an exquisitely crafted fan. If one looked carefully, one could detect spiritual energy engulfing it. It was Hwi's natal weapon.
"Your Highness, will we forcibly enter the village?" Hwi asked carefully.
As if about to give the command to do so, Jongmu silently stared at the village entrance with a dark gaze. However, he then shook his head.
"No." His voice was firm. "Tell all the guards to stand by at the gates. I'm going to personally speak with them."
"Understood!" The trembling guard hurried away.
"Your Highness, aren't you being too lenient? They are mere commoners, yet they dare to defy royal authority."
Jongmu chuckled. "It's not that I'm too lenient, but that shamans are too annoying to kill. You never know what curse might befall you when you anger one. So why anger an entire village of them?"
"Mudangs aren't to be trusted, after all."
Jongmu raised a brow. Hwi's dislike of shamans was nothing out of the ordinary; many martial artists disliked them. Yet this seemed to be more than mere dislike. It was more like genuine hatred, which was strange.
Although this young master was somewhat spoiled, he wasn't someone who casually looked down on others. For him to display such blatant hostility made Jongmu curious.
'Has he encountered one before?'
His gaze seemed to penetrate Hwi's deepest core, reaching far beyond his outward shell. It was quite a burdensome gaze to endure.
Only his long eyelashes were visible from behind the fan. With his head lowered, Hwi avoided those dark eyes staring at him.
"Your Highness?"
Jongmu smirked as he looked at Hwi's easily embarrassed face. Even if he asked about it now, he knew he wouldn't get an honest answer. It would be better to ask once they had grown closer. There was always time later.
"We shall go together."
Jongmu descended from the carriage with ease, a smile on his lips. He then held out his hand for Hwi to take.
"Young Master Hwi, let me assist you."
It was something unbecoming of a royal descendant, yet no one dared to say anything about it.
Already accustomed to Jongmu's strange behaviour, Hwi no longer bothered to think too deeply about it and reached for the outstretched hand.
Together, they walked toward the village entrance. Perhaps because it was a so-called Mu Village, a place where ordinary people weren't allowed to enter so casually, it was enclosed by tall stone walls. The only way to get inside was through the imposing gate, which was engraved with countless depictions of spirits and gods.
"It's quite ominous."
Hwi felt that such a village was no place for someone as faint-hearted as himself. However, not wanting to look like a coward, he tried not to show his hesitation.
Jongmu looked at him as if bemused by his behaviour.
"Are you scared?" He spoke informally once again, making the teasing undertone even more apparent.
"Hah! O-Of course not! It's a mere gate... What's there to be afraid of?" he insisted, though his voice lacked the conviction to back up his words.
"Mn." Jongmu nodded, though, upon closer inspection, one could see his lips trembling slightly as he tried not to burst into laughter.
He then took a step forward and knocked on the gate.
"I am Ki Jongmu, the Crown Prince of Silla. There shouldn't be anywhere in this land where I am forbidden to go. I demand that you grant me entry!"
His voice was as imposing as he was at that very moment. The earlier playfulness vanished completely, leaving behind only a stern expression.
Yet the gate remained tightly closed. There was no gap to be seen and no response to be heard. They were blatantly ignoring him, paying no heed to his identity or status.
Shamans were always arrogant. In the eyes of ordinary people, they weren't even considered regular humans, but rather half-ghosts. They communicated with gods and spirits more than they did with the living, shutting themselves away from the world.
Hwi frowned at the disrespect they were showing, which was beyond all bounds. Refusing to grant them entry was one thing, but not acknowledging them at all was almost treasonous behaviour.
"Daring to turn away the blood of the dragon and tiger. Aren't they afraid of angering the Immortals above?" Hwi muttered harshly.
As if in response to his words, a sudden, chilly wind blew in their direction, accompanied by the voice of a child.
"Please forgive our disrespect, but we cannot let you enter. The spirits are resting."
"Resting? Since when do spirits and gods rest as if they were human? If you must lie to turn us away, at least say something more believable!"
One of the guards finally couldn't help but speak up. The others nodded in agreement. They had mostly remained quiet until now, but they, too, had found the situation unbearable.
Seeing the unrest among his people, Jongmu finally spoke up again. This time, however, his words were not as patient as before.
"Daring to lie to me?" With a flick of his finger, an overwhelming pressure radiated from him. "I will say it one more time. Grant us entry, or I'll burn this village to the ground!"
Everyone sucked in their breath at his words. This village was full of shamans, but that wasn't all. More importantly, it was also the home of the Sword Saint, Sun-ok. His threats were truly malicious, yet no one doubted that he meant every word.
"Mortal prince!"
The child's voice transformed into something terrifying and nonhuman. It was rough and scratchy, painful to the ears.
Hwi flinched at the change in voice. His once-straight back, held rigid in feigned courage, immediately slumped. He hid discreetly behind Jongmu's tall frame, lowering his previously held-high head.
'One should not invite wrath and hostility when one knows one cannot bear the consequences!'
"You are arrogant! Threatening the home of so many spirits and ghosts! Aren't you afraid of being cursed?! Not even your bloodline will save you!"
Far from being intimidated, Jongmu let out a scoff.
"Why would I be afraid? My mother did not fear the gods and spirits, mingling with demons and monsters. So why would I, her son, fear the mere wrath of realm-bound spirits?"
Those words made all the guards accompanying him lower their pale faces in fear. Even Hwi was taken aback by the provocative words that left Jongmu's lips. Although it wasn't explicitly forbidden to talk about the former Queen, no one actually dared to do so. It wasn't something one could speak about lightly without provoking others' contemptuous, scrutinising gazes.
Silence stretched around them.
Hwi looked around. Seeing that everyone still had their heads lowered, he turned to look at Jongmu, whose expression he couldn't read.
Clenching his sweat-soaked fist, he stepped out from behind Jongmu and moved closer to his side.
"Your Highness, perhaps we sh—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the gate finally opened.
Fog and darkness greeted their eyes. Within them, they could make out the silhouette of a child dressed in bright, colourful robes. With every step the child took, melodious bells rustled.
Once the child stood before them, she bowed deeply.
"I bow before the child of the tiger! May you bless this country with a hundred more years of prosperity!"
'Why does it seem as though she isn't bowing to the prince, but to someone else...?' Hwi eyed the little girl curiously.
He wasn't fond of shamans, yet, to his surprise, the person who greeted them was an adorable little girl in ceremonial robes. He couldn't help but feel his heart soften. How could he possibly feel hostility towards a young child?
"We're here to see Manshin Ma," Jongmu announced, making their intention to meet the mysterious shaman of the village clear.
The young girl nodded with her eyes closed. From beginning to end, she hadn't opened them. It was quite strange, but no one questioned the unusual behaviour of someone who lived in a village full of shamans. Once they remembered this, her behaviour didn't seem quite so strange anymore.
Just as they stood before the gate once again, the girl stopped. She turned her head sharply, as if glaring at the group through her closed eyes.
"Only you two may enter."
It was obvious that the "two" referred to Hwi and Jongmu. The guards apparently weren't welcome. Some of them muttered curses at the sudden declaration. It was only to be expected. They had been waiting for a long time before finally being allowed to enter, only to have their access restricted. It felt as though the villagers were playing them for fools.
Still, the girl didn't flinch or budge an inch. She stood upright, her head slightly lowered. Polite yet steadfast.
Sensing that the girl wouldn't compromise, Jongmu let out a sigh. He didn't feel like fighting anymore and simply nodded in agreement.
Hwi silently followed, sticking close to Jongmu's side as if afraid of getting lost.
When they finally set foot inside the village, the darkness and fog dissipated, replaced by endless greenery. Far and wide, only a single courtyard could be seen.
"Is this the only house here? Where's everybody else?" Hwi couldn't help but ask.
"Everyone else lives behind the hill. Only Manshin Ma lives uphill," the girl replied without looking back.
After a while, she suddenly stopped, taking no further steps.
"From here on, you must go by yourselves. Once you reach the house, don't bother knocking on the door. Simply enter; she's already waiting for you inside."
The girl then bowed towards the house before turning away and leaving Jongmu and Hwi behind. It all happened so quickly that Hwi could hardly process her words.
"This village's people are so strange."
"They are indeed. Living so far from everyone else must have distorted their common sense."
The two finally arrived in front of the house. Hwi looked left and right. The house was old but surprisingly well-maintained.
Jongmu carelessly pushed open the door with his boots, paying no mind to courtesy. Seeing this, Hwi quickly followed his lead.
Just as the little girl had said, someone was waiting inside. However, instead of the Manshin they had been looking for, a man sat at the low table, copying Buddhist scriptures.
Jongmu frowned. Having grown quite impatient, he didn't wish to endure another round of threats before finally being able to meet the person he was looking for.
"Why have you come all this way, seeking the help of shamans? What does Your Highness desire to know?" The man continued copying the scriptures.
"You're not the one we're looking for. We were promised that we would be able to speak with Manshin Ma, one of the elders of this village," Hwi interrupted.
"Ah. That is me. The former Manshin was my grandmother, but she passed away a year ago. I was the one who took over her position." The man's voice was soft, almost as faint as a whisper.
Jongmu raised a brow.
"How come I've never heard of Manshin Ma having a grandson? I know only of a famed granddaughter."
The man froze. Setting down the brush, he stretched his numb legs and steadied himself on his feet. As he did so, he finally raised his lowered head, revealing his face.
'Oh my! He's quite handsome.'
Hwi couldn't help but be stunned. He hadn't expected the man to be such a fine-looking gentleman.
The man's appearance was clean and pleasant to look at, with soft, refined features. He looked more like an upright scholar than a shaman. Yet the longer one looked at him, the more a certain delicateness and ambiguity revealed themselves.
Having noticed Hwi's persistent stare, both the man and Jongmu turned to look at him.
"Young Master Baek, it's rude to stare holes into someone's face. Such a ravenous gaze could easily be misunderstood," Jongmu teased.
Snapping out of his daze, Hwi felt his face heat up. He quickly fanned himself while pretending not to understand the other's implications.
"I'm the person you're looking for. My grandmother did indeed have only one granddaughter." The man pointed at himself. Yet his next words would leave both Jongmu and Hwi stunned.
"It is me. I am a woman. I'm former Manshin Ma's granddaughter."
The supposed handsome man standing before them wasn't a man at all.