Ghost in the palace

Morning sunlight spread across the Imperial Palace, illuminating the vast training grounds where hundreds of soldiers had already begun their daily drills.

The sharp clash of swords echoed through the air.

”Again!”

General stood in the center of the field, dressed in a simple black training robe. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he demonstrated another sword technique.

His movements were swift, precise, and powerful.

”Your footing is unstable,” he corrected one young soldier. ”In battle, one mistake costs your life.”

”Yes, General!”

The soldiers immediately corrected their stance.

General nodded with satisfaction before picking up another practice spear.

Nearby, palace maids passed through the corridor leading toward the imperial gardens.

Among them walked Lady Chen.

She had originally intended to visit the lotus pavilion to enjoy the morning breeze.

But as she passed the training grounds...

She stopped.

Her eyes naturally drifted toward the field.

Toward him.

General moved effortlessly through the soldiers, correcting postures, demonstrating sword forms, occasionally sparring with the instructors. His calm authority commanded respect without needing to raise his voice.

Lady Chen had seen many handsome noblemen.

Even the Emperor himself.

Yet...

Today, something felt strangely different.

Her heartbeat quickened.

”...Why?”

She frowned slightly.

She couldn’t understand it.

When she first entered the palace, she had admired the Emperor because of his position and kindness toward her.

But this feeling...

It wasn’t admiration.

It wasn’t gratitude.

It was unfamiliar.

Every time General smiled while encouraging a young soldier...

She found herself smiling unconsciously.

Every time he demonstrated another technique...

She couldn’t look away.

”What is happening to me?”

She quietly placed a hand over her chest.

Her heartbeat refused to calm.

”I’ve never felt this way...”

Not even toward the Emperor.

Meanwhile...

General continued training without noticing.

”Again!”

The soldiers attacked together.

He calmly blocked one sword, stepped aside, twisted another spear away, and disarmed a third soldier within moments.

The watching soldiers burst into applause.

”As expected of General !”

”He defeated all three!”

General Bai simply smiled.

”You still have much to learn.”

Lady Chen watched everything silently.

Without realizing it...

She had been standing there for quite some time.

One young soldier happened to glance toward the corridor.

His eyes widened.

”...General.”

General didn’t respond.

The soldier grinned mischievously.

”General...”

”You have an admirer.”

General frowned.

”What nonsense?”

The soldier subtly nodded toward the corridor.

General instinctively turned.

His eyes met Lady Chen’s.

For a brief second—

Everything seemed to stop.

Lady Chen’s cheeks flushed bright pink.

General Bai froze.

His grip loosened.

Clang!

The practice sword slipped from his hand and landed loudly on the ground.

Silence.

Then—

The entire training ground erupted into laughter.

”Hahaha!”

”The General dropped his sword!”

”I’ve never seen that before!”

”So even General Bai can be distracted!”

General’s ears turned slightly red.

He quickly picked up his sword and glared at the laughing soldiers.

”What are you laughing at?”

His voice became stern again.

”Five extra laps around the training field!”

The soldiers immediately stopped laughing.

”...General!”

”Ten laps.”

”...”

Without another complaint, every soldier began running around the enormous training ground.

Lady Chen couldn’t help covering her mouth as a small laugh escaped her lips.

General glanced toward her once more.

This time, he offered a polite nod.

Lady Chen returned the gesture before quietly continuing on her way.

As she disappeared beyond the palace corridor, she touched her racing heart again.

”...Why do I feel like this?”

She had entered the palace believing her heart belonged to the Emperor.

But after this morning...

For the first time...

She wasn’t so certain anymore.

The morning training had barely ended when a palace eunuch hurried across the military grounds.

His breathing was uneven as he stopped before General and bowed respectfully.

”General , His Majesty requests your presence in the Imperial Study immediately.”

General frowned slightly.

”The Imperial Study?”

”Yes, General.”

His first thought was not about military affairs.

Instead, Lady Chen’s face flashed through his mind.

Did Lady Chen tell His Majesty about seeing me this morning?

He silently replayed every moment.

He had done nothing improper.

They had barely exchanged a greeting.

Still...

The Emperor summoning him immediately afterward made him uneasy.

He handed his practice sword to his lieutenant.

”You will oversee the remaining training.”

”Yes, General.”

Without another word, General followed the eunuch through the palace corridors.

---

The Imperial Study was unusually quiet.

Two guards opened the heavy wooden doors.

General stepped inside and knelt.

”This humble servant greets Your Majesty.”

The Emperor was standing beside the window instead of sitting behind his desk.

His expression was unusually serious.

”Rise.”

General stood.

The Emperor remained silent for several moments before speaking.

”General ...”

”I wish to ask you something.”

”Please command me, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor turned slowly.

”Did you notice anything unusual in the palace last night?”

General blinked.

His nervous thoughts disappeared instantly.

”...Unusual?”

The Emperor nodded.

”Several servants reported seeing a dark shadow moving through the western palace.”

”They also claimed they heard...”

He paused.

”...a woman crying.”

The room became silent.

General ’s expression slowly changed.

He hesitated.

The Emperor noticed.

”You have something to say.”

General lowered his head slightly.

”...I do.”

The Emperor folded his hands behind his back.

”Speak honestly.”

General inhaled deeply.

”Last night, while inspecting the northern patrol...”

”I also heard crying.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

”You heard it yourself?”

”Yes.”

General continued carefully.

”It sounded distant.”

”Like someone weeping.”

”When I followed the sound...”

”There was no one there.”

”I searched every corridor.”

”Every courtyard.”

”Nothing.”

The Emperor remained quiet.

General continued,

”My guards heard nothing.”

”I believed I had imagined it.”

The Emperor slowly walked toward the large palace map hanging on the wall.

”So...”

”It was not imagination.”

General nodded.

”It appears not.”

Silence filled the room.

Outside, birds continued singing as though nothing was wrong.

Inside...

The atmosphere grew heavier.

The Emperor spoke quietly.

”Yesterday, one frightened maid claimed she saw a black shadow pass through the palace wall.”

”She fainted immediately afterward.”

General frowned.

”Was she questioned again?”

”She insists she saw it.”

General’s expression became thoughtful.

”This no longer sounds like mere rumors.”

The Emperor nodded.

”I agree.”

He remembered everything that had happened over the past few weeks.

The strange incidents surrounding the Empress.

The lake.

The unexplained attacks.

The whispers of forbidden cultivation.

Now...

The crying voice.

The dark shadow.

Everything seemed connected.

The Emperor finally stopped walking.

”I have made a decision.”

General straightened.

”I want the palace spiritually cleansed.”

General looked surprised.

”You wish to invite monks?”

”Yes.”

”The most respected monks in the capital.”

”I want prayers held throughout the palace.”

”Every hall.”

”Every courtyard.”

”No place excluded.”

General bowed immediately.

”I will personally arrange it.”

The Emperor looked toward the palace roofs beyond the window.

”If something evil truly hides within these walls...”

”...I intend to force it into the light.”

General followed his gaze.

His hand unconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.

”Whether it is human...”

”Or something beyond human...”

”I will protect this palace.”

The Emperor nodded.

”I know.”

A cold breeze drifted through the slightly open window.

For a brief moment...

Both men felt the temperature drop.

General instinctively looked toward the empty hallway outside.

No one was there.

Yet...

The strange feeling remained.

As though unseen eyes were watching from somewhere within the palace.

Far away...

Hidden behind an abandoned courtyard...

A pair of cold eyes slowly opened in the darkness.

A faint smile appeared.

”They have finally begun looking...”

”But they are still looking in the wrong place.”

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