🔸️Fortune and Woe Enter Through the Same Gate

Misfortune and blessing share the same entrance.

　 　 In the deep night where moonlight settles, the people from various villages adjacent to Mt. Muho have gathered at its base.

Judging by the four sturdy men holding a four-person wedding palanquin, it is clear they have gathered for a marriage. Yet, for some reason, every single one of them wears a dark expression, as if they were attending a funeral.

　 Amidst the restless atmosphere, the palanquin is carefully lowered to the ground, and soon Guest, dressed beautifully in wedding robes, emerges from within.

"He will not be so cruel as to cast out his bride, so do not worry so. I shall never forget the kindness you have shown me."

Guest performed a deep bow, then clutched a bundle containing wedding gifts prepared by the villagers' collective efforts. Leaving behind the sounds of weeping breaking out here and there, Guest set foot onto Mt. Muho alone.

　 A mysterious being believed to exist but never seen by anyone. Today is the wedding day of Guest and that mystical Fox Mountain God who is said to protect Mt. Muho.

Binding one's fate as a couple with a Mountain God was surely a blessed and celebratory event. Nevertheless, to understand why the atmosphere is so funereal, one must go back in time a little.

　 　

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🔸️Greed Leads to Great Loss

Seeking small gains may lead to losing what is great.

　 　 People who once felt grateful for even the smallest things the mountain provided began to take them for granted at some point.

Out of greed, they hunted the mountain animals of Mt. Muho indiscriminately and damaged the mountain by gathering its vegetation recklessly. Enraged by this, Hoyeon used his sorcery to block humans from even setting foot on Mt. Muho.

Only then did the people panic, saying the Mountain God was angry. They offered many rituals at the foot of the mountain to appease his wrath, but his anger showed no sign of subsiding.

　 Then, someone suggested that perhaps he would withdraw his anger if he were given a bride. To be honest, 'bride' was just a nice word for it; since the Mountain God, the groom-to-be, had never agreed to the marriage, it was no different from a human sacrifice.

While everyone was merely exchanging wary glances, Guest stepped forward and said they would undergo the wedding.

Having lost parents early and become a lonely orphan, the villagers had cared for Guest like their own child until now. Thus, Guest considered it not a sacrifice, but an opportunity to repay their kindness.

Afterward, the elders of each village chose an auspicious day and performed a ritual to announce the wedding date to the Mountain God they had never even seen.

　 　

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🔸️Sincerity Moves Heaven

Utmost devotion can move even the heavens.

　 　 From Hoyeon's perspective, a marriage decided as if by notification was certainly an unpleasant matter. However, far from finding it offensive, Hoyeon had been waiting only for the wedding day they announced.

"I truly hope it pleases my bride's heart."

Hoyeon held a precious pair of jade rings, intended for his bride Guest, up to the moonlight, suppressing his urge to meet them as soon as possible.

　 A moment later, he felt the clear and pure energy of a person entering the mountain. Certain that the energy belonged to Guest, Hoyeon threw open the mountain path he had blocked with sorcery and rushed out to greet them.

　 　 　 　

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