SLPWT 29

Chapter: 29

In truth, these wandering living souls were still alive. Their lifelines were still attached. But paradoxically, because they were still living humans, they couldn’t see their own lifelines.

Humans can only see their lifelines after they become dead. Just like how the dead Ru-hwa was able to see hers.

If living people could see their own lifelines, the world would fall into chaos, so it was only natural.

In any case, since these wandering souls weren’t actually dead, they couldn’t see their lifelines. And because they couldn’t see them, they became lost in the Underworld despite still having perfectly healthy lives waiting for them in the world of the living.

As for me… I’m a special case where even my lifeline gets severed completely.

In the past, whenever I lost consciousness, my lifeline wasn’t cut. As long as someone healed my body, I could return from the Underworld on my own.

But these days, whenever I fell into the River of Three Crossings, my lifeline would snap completely.

At that point, I should really be considered dead.

If I had been an ordinary human—or even a god—without the King of the Underworld as my father, I would have become one of the dead the very first time my lifeline was severed.

But because I was the only daughter of King Yama, I always came back to life.

Every single time, Father wandered through that demonic realm beyond the Kingdom of Yama, searching for the broken end of my lifeline so he could personally reconnect it. Only after that would he come to the banks of the River of Three Crossings to bring me home.

The reason it takes him longer each time… is because my lifeline keeps getting thinner and weaker every time it’s cut and reattached. That makes it harder to find and harder to mend.

The day even Father’s power could no longer reconnect my lifeline…

That would be my final end.

Probably the very next time.

…Well, there’s still plenty of time left. Since my real body isn’t moving around, it should hold out much longer.

I sat beside the queen and beckoned to Seol Deunghwa.

“Come take a look. Use the method I’ve been teaching you.”

“Yes.”

Carefully sitting beside me, Seol Deunghwa took out a bottle of Mirror Vermilion—the pigment used for talismans—and drew magical seals across both palms.

Then she cupped one hand around one eye like a telescope and looked closely at the queen.

“…I can see it!”

“Can you see the lifeline clearly? Point to it.”

“Yes. I can see the line clearly. It extends in this direction.”

“That’s right. You’ve practiced well.”

“But I still can’t make out the writing on the line…”

“You’d probably need a full shamanic spirit possession before you could read that. This is more than enough for you.”

There were only two things I had taught Seol Deunghwa.

One was a method of self-harm that would shock the soul out of the body without leaving any lasting physical injury.

The other was how to see lifelines.

That way, after taking revenge on the emperor, she could fake her death and revive herself.

“When you wake up in the Underworld later, use water from the River of Three Crossings instead of Mirror Vermilion to draw the seal.”

“Yes.”

“All right. Then let’s prepare to bring the queen back.”

I handed Seol Deunghwa a sacred golden rope that I had taken from the treasury beforehand.

It would act as a barrier to keep outsiders from entering.

It’d be nice if I could create barriers myself.

I knew exactly how to do it.

The problem was that I couldn’t freely use my divine power, so I had no choice but to rely on tools like this.

While Seol Deunghwa hung the golden rope around the corners of the folding screen to surround the area, I took out the Eight-Bead Bell.

Unlike Seol Deunghwa, I didn’t need complicated methods.

I could naturally see lifelines, and as the Princess of Heavenly Mandate, I possessed the qualifications to enter the Underworld, find the queen, and bring her back myself.

The only problem…

…was how to get in.

I have to enter with my physical body to exercise my authority as the Princess of Heavenly Mandate, so I can’t use the self-harm method.

The technique I’d taught Seol Deunghwa was something I’d invented when I was young and foolish.

Back then, I hated the pain of my sick body so much that I’d rather go stay in the less painful Underworld.

At the time, I thought that was acceptable.

Only later did I realize how deeply it hurt my parents.

After that, no matter how much I suffered, I never used it again.

Looks like opening a gate to the Underworld is my only option.

I needed to open it close to the queen.

That would make it much easier to follow her lifeline to wherever her wandering soul was.

It would have been more convenient to simply bring the queen near an already-open gate.

But the king would never agree to that.

Well, everything’s already prepared.

That was why I’d dismissed all the court ladies, set up folding screens, and surrounded the area with a golden-rope barrier.

It was also why I’d chosen the night of the new moon.

The yin energy was strongest then, making an Underworld gate much less noticeable.

It’d be easier if Ansi were here. He can open passages as easily as the Underworld Reapers.

Though only passages large enough for one person.

Phoenixes were divine beasts that could freely travel between Heaven, the Mortal Realm, and the Underworld.

The only limitation was that they could only transport themselves.

So I’d sent Ansi ahead into the Underworld.

Once inside, it would be much faster to locate the queen with the help of a flying phoenix.

Together with Seol Deunghwa, I arranged the prepared materials across the floor and drew a formation with Mirror Vermilion.

This is such a hassle. If I could just use divine power, one spell would be enough.

Actually, there was a much simpler way to reach the Underworld.

Forget formations and rituals.

I only had to shake one of the bells connected to the Underworld from the Eight-Bead Bell.

There are four bells connected to the Underworld!

The problem…

…was that I was currently a runaway.

Borrowing treasures from Bandowon or the treasury of Sangra Palace was one thing.

No one stood guard over those places all the time.

But the other bells were a different story.

The bell that leads directly to Father’s Palace of Yama is obviously out of the question. And the one connected to my residence in the Underworld would get me caught by the celestial maidens.

The remaining two bells each had their own reasons for being unsuitable right now.

No helping it.

I drew a formation to gather yin energy.

Then I arranged objects rich in yin energy or associated with death according to the formation.

Finally, I carefully poured water into the center.

Instead of spreading across the floor, the water pooled into a perfect circle at the center of the formation.

The pooled water slowly turned black.

The formation began to glow faintly.

“Done.”

“So… if we step into that pool now, it’ll really become the River of Three Crossings?”

“That’s right.”

Seol Deunghwa stared at the Underworld gate with equal parts wonder and fear.

I removed my socks and put on the Vermilion Bird Robe I’d taken from the Eight-Bead Bell.

It was the robe I’d worn during my wedding ceremony.

It didn’t get wet and radiated warmth, making it perfect for entering the river.

“I’m off.”

“Please be careful.”

“Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself instead. Nothing should happen, but if something does, follow the plan we discussed.”

“Yes. Please don’t worry either, Princess.”

Leaving Seol Deunghwa’s farewell behind, I stepped into the pool of water at the center of the formation.

The solid floor that should have been beneath my feet was gone.

My leg sank straight through.

I could already feel the current of the river.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and dove in.

The freezing, suffocating water wrapped itself around my entire body with familiar intimacy.

When I opened my eyes…

I was surrounded by pitch-black water.

At least the Vermilion Bird Robe keeps me warmer.

The flowing robes were a little cumbersome.

But because they repelled the water, swimming was actually easier.

And swimming with an actual body is definitely less exhausting.

Before, I had been only a soul.

Even with dulled senses, swimming had been difficult.

Now, with a healthy physical body, it was much easier.

The lifeline… there it is.

The Underworld gate I’d come through was hidden within the River of Three Crossings and barely visible.

The queen’s lifeline, however, glowed bright white.

It stood out clearly.

Following the pale, glowing thread, I swam upward toward the surface.

“Haah…”

Keeping only my head above the water, I quietly caught my breath.

Normally, I acted confidently because I was simply returning home.

But today was different.

I couldn’t afford to be spotted by an Underworld Reaper.

There’s a ferry.

Several ferries drifted across the river in the distance.

They were far enough away that I probably wouldn’t be noticed.

Carefully…

Surprisingly, the queen’s lifeline didn’t lead toward the Demon Realm.

It extended toward the Kingdom of Yama.

A wandering living soul shouldn’t have been able to enter the kingdom.

Was she wandering around nearby?

I climbed onto a sandbar along the riverbank and rested for a moment.

Ansi said he’d come, so I’ll wait.

As my contracted divine beast, Ansi could roughly sense my location no matter where I was.

That was why he always managed to find me, even when I unexpectedly died and fell into the River of Three Crossings.

As I sat there catching my breath, a whole cluster of ferries appeared on the opposite bank.

Ugh, another crowd of Reapers all arriving at once. When is the Underworld ever going to solve its traffic congestion?

With that many of them around, I’d definitely stand out.

Especially with this conspicuous silver hair and this flashy Vermilion Bird Robe… This won’t do.

I quietly got to my feet and began walking in the direction the queen’s lifeline pointed.

Wait… this lifeline’s direction is strange.

By now it should have started curving.

Instead, it stretched perfectly straight.

If I followed it…

…I’d end up at Father’s Palace of Yama.

Ah… don’t tell me she’s behind the Kingdom of Yama? She wandered pretty far.

It looked like I’d have to make a huge detour around the city’s walls.

There’s no way I’m walking all that distance. I’ll fly with Ansi.

With a deep sigh, I hid myself among the tall red reeds growing near the sandbar.

I’ll follow the city wall until I find a good hiding place and wait for Ansi.

As I carefully pushed through the reeds, I noticed several grotesquely shaped rocks jutting from the ground.

They looked perfect for hiding.

I’ll just squeeze in between those rocks.

But when I slipped into the narrow gap…

Someone was already there.

“Ahhh! What the—?!”

“Eek!”

That startled me!

After calming down and looking again, I realized it was an Underworld Reaper.

Empty liquor bottles were scattered all around him.

Apparently he’d been hiding here, secretly drinking while slacking off.

Just my luck. I guess I’ll have to pretend I’m a young shaman who accidentally entered the Underworld alive.

His flushed face suggested he was thoroughly drunk.

If I played this right, I might fool him.

…Although…

Why did his face look so familiar?

“W-What? Why is a living human here… Huh?”

The Reaper squinted at me.

Then suddenly pointed a finger.

“You! You! Hic… You’re that little brat with the lifeline from back then! Do you know how much trouble I got into because of you?! Hic!”

Even while hiccuping drunkenly, he shouted in furious outrage.

Only then did I remember exactly who he was.

Isn’t he the guy who tried to beat up Ru-hwa and got caught because of me?!

Of all people…

I had to run into this idiot again while wearing Ru-hwa’s body.