Baek Sa

**Baek Sa** is a member of Bi Yeong Pal Mu until its eventual dissolution. He also acted as a personal guard of King Jin Won after Baek Ryung during his excursions.

## Personality

As a member of Bi Yeong Pal Mu, Baek Sa is loyal to King Jin Won, taking his duty of protecting the king rigorously. As the king's personal guard who succeeded Baek Ryung, he follows the king with utmost caution from behind the shadows. However, one notable trait he exhibits as the king's personal guard is his usual visibility when accompanying Won during his excursions. He is also obedient to the king, but he opts to act at once in cases of emergency regardless of the king's orders. Jin Won also once remarked to himself that Baek Sa is quite perceptive, causing Won to fail in escaping the guard's presence.

## Plot

### Rebel Army Suppression: Setting in Motion

Following King Jin Won's incident at Moon's End Village that almost cost him his life, Baek Sa is assigned to guard the king per Heuk Rang's strict orders. As Won heads to Yoo Dan Ah's residence to check on her condition, Baek Sa, Baek Lin, and Baek Ju follow the king quite visibly, much to Won's annoyance.

As Baek Ju remarks how she does not want to end up killed like Baek Ryung, Baek Lin immediately shuts her mouth. Baek Sa apologizes to Won for their inconvenience, but asks the king to bear with them for his own safety. Won then orders them to follow him from the shadows, which they do, as Baek Lin reprimands Baek Ju and hits her on the head.

At night, Baek Sa ends up following the king and Dan Ah to Bi Hwa Rim, specifically by Hwa Gwi Cheon. The two later encounter Hong, and Baek Sa, from the shadows, sees the trio's unusual combination. He understands about Jin Won and the chief state councilor's daughter together, but seeing them with a painter fuels his suspicions, wondering why Baek Ryung did not report any incident of the three together.

### Rebel Army Suppression: Execution

While the Royal Army prepares for its mobilization in eradicating the rebel forces, Baek Sa personally guards Jin Won. The king misleads his servants and guard with taking a bath at the bathhouse, actually using the instance to escape them to meet with Dan Ah for the supposed elopement. Outside, Baek Sa notices the head servant grow worrisome and fidget out of panic, thinking how suspiciously long it is taking the king to stay at the bathhouse. Baek Sa reasons out that the king is not to be disturbed upon his orders, but the head servant insists that she has urgent news about Hyun Bin. Hence, Baek Sa excuses himself and enters the bathhouse, only to find it empty.

Jin Won almost reaches the palace gates, but Baek Sa and the head servant quickly find him. Relieved to have found him, Baek Sa reminds the king not to leave the palace premises unaccompanied. The head servant then informs Jin Won of Hyun Bin's childbirth. After the simultaneous ambushes on Bi Hwa Rim and Yu Hyang Ru, Baek Sa accompanies Jin Won as the king personally visits the prison filled with arrested rebels.

### Bridal Selection Arc

Baek Sa accompanies Jin Won to the ruins of Yu Hyang Ru. The king orders him to buy the best kind of liquor, and the guard soon returns with it. Won pours the liquor to the ground, mourning for his beloved, and drinks some liquor himself. He silently weeps, after which he orders Baek Sa to have the assigned people stop updating the gisaeng registers from then on.

As the sun sets, Baek Sa advises Jin Won to return to the palace, preferrably with haste to arrive at the palace banquet on time. The king asks him whether the price at the gallery has changed, but his guard informs him that the price remains unchanged. Jin Won struggles to stand out of intoxication, so Baek Sa asks the king to lean on him. The latter merely states that everything he has done is futile, much to Baek Sa's confusion.

They then arrive back at the palace by nighttime, just in time for the banquet. During a shadow dance performance by an emissary brought by Crown Prince Jang Rok Ha of Seo Seo, Jin Won later collapses after approaching her, after which the banquet is stopped. Baek Sa, along with the palace servants and guards, rushes to the king's aid, ordering for the royal physician. The next day, Baek Sa strolls with Jin Won to Dan Ah's bridal quarters despite the servants' protests due to a custom not allowing the king to see his bridal candidates before the royal wedding.

Baek Sa later accompanies Jin Won after his sangcham to a gathering with his bridal candidates. However, seeing the commotion and Nabi's injury, Jin Won postpones the engagement and orders for everyone to return to their quarters. Baek Sa goes with Jin Won to Dan Ah's quarters to see her condition after the gathering. As morning comes without the two returning, the king leaves the room. He asks Baek Sa whether the painting in the gallery has been collected, but the guard tells him it still has not been.

### Minister Retrieval Arc

Baek Sa apparently goes with the king during his excursion, particularly with his bow-and-arrow. The guard also shockingly witnesses how Jin Won fires his arrow at Rok Ha's perfume from a distance.

### Persecution Arc

Baek Sa accompanies Won outside the palace on an excursion together with Dan Ah and her maidservant, Nabi. As they end up gambling, Won eventually runs out of pocket money, after which Baek Sa informs him that the money he left at the gallery was already claimed. Later, Baek Sa returns to the palace with Won after palace guards apprehend Dan Ah for the alleged murder of the baby prince.

### Crimson Moon Rebellion

*Main article: Crimson Moon Rebellion*
Following the imprisonment of Yoo Ja Gyeom, the palace is shaken by explosions set off throughout the area. Baek Sa, Baek Ah, and the head servant arrive at the king's quarters to inform him that the rebels have entered the palace. Baek Sa and Baek Ah leave the safety of the king to his head servant. However, Jin Won is thrilled on finally meeting Jin Yeon after so many years. Though Baek Sa and his head servant advise him to flee to safety, Jin Won insists that he shall fight his half-brother amidst his drunken stupor. As an explosion goes off near them, Baek Sa notices that the king has gone missing on their watch.

## Trivia

* His name in Hanja (白蛇) means "white snake". Like the other members of Bi Yeong Pal Mu, his alias was formed out of an adjectival color and a noun.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 43
2. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 40
3. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 41
4. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, part two final chapter
5. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 46
6. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 47
7. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 50
8. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 52
9. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 54
10. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 65
11. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 66
12. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 79