Ran Hyougetsu

**Ran Hyougetsu** (欒冰月, *****Ran Hyougetsu*****?) was a sorcerer who was a member of the Ran clan. He was executed with the rest of his family when the Flame Emperor seized the throne from the Ran clan. As a ghost, he possessed several people, including Gekkaou and You Senjou, in order to save his lover, Ran Meiju.

## Appearance

Hyougetsu is described as a beautiful young man with pale skin and a fair face. He has the distinctive silver hair of the Ran clan, which he kept long and tied.

## History

Hyougetsu was the son of the last Ran emperor's youngest son. His father wasn't involved in the central government, and Hyougetsu himself became the apprentice to a shaman. He had uncommon ability as a shaman. At some point, he became lovers with Ran Meiju, his father's younger half sister. Because of this, many of the anecdotes surrounding him took place in the inner palace, where Meiju lived. Since the Ran dynasty banned marriage between family members, he decided to leave the Ran clan and have his shaman master adopt him so he could marry Meiju. His grandfather granted his approval, and Hyougetsu proposed to Meiju under the willow tree they always met at and gifted her with a white quartz comb. But before they could get married, the Flame Emperor seized the throne and ordered the execution of the entire Ran clan. He was killed by decapitation on the same day his grandfather and father were killed.

After his death, Hyougetsu became a ghost and wandered the ruined inner palace in search of Meiju, who he heard had killed herself. He was unable to find her body, but found her ghost under their willow tree. But despite how many times he called to her, she couldn't hear him because something was occupying her mind. Hyougetsu tried to turn to his master to see what could be done, but he had hidden himself away because the Flame Emperor ordered the banishment of all shamans from the capital and the execution of shamans who worked for the Ran clan. Hyougetsu decided to leave the capital in search of a shaman who could help him free Meiju. At some point during this period, the Raven Consort Reijou exorcized all the Ran clan ghosts haunting the Flame Emperor. This is the reason Hyougetsu did not go to her for help, as he wanted to travel to paradise with Meiju instead of having them be forcibly driven there without question. Despite this, Hyougetsu still visited the inner palace during spring to check on Meiju's ghost, who never reacted to his voice.

Powerful shamans were hard to find, since they tended to hide themselves away well, so the first person Hyougetsu possessed was a powerful sorceress. This didn't work, as were the other people Hyougetsu possessed. After several springs, Hyougetsu decided to look for his master, the greatest shaman of his time. He thought that if he couldn't find his master, he would have his master come find him. He set his sights on a third-rate shaman from Reki Province who would later call himself Father Moonlight. This worked out well, as the combination of Gekkaou's smooth-talking showiness and Hyougetsu's shaman abilities made them famous and even led to the creation of the Moon Truth Sect. However, this fame backfired as the government took notice and sent people there to investigate. The sect's believers started a riot which killed several people including the regional inspector's military consultant, Ou Genyuu. The riot was put down, and Father Moonlight was caned to death for misleading the public.

Hyougetsu stored the souls of those who were killed in the riot, including Ou Genyuu, inside a jar, thinking to use them as servants. He possessed a merchant in order to carry the jar back to the inner palace. At the inner palace, he sees Ryuu Jusetsu and realizes that the Raven Consort had changed and that she was a member of the Ran clan. Hyougetsu decided that he could negotiate with her to help Meiju.

## Trivia

* Hyougetsu was considered one of the five most beautiful people in the Ran clan.

## References

1. ↑ Volume 1, Chapter 2
2. ↑ Volume 1, Chapter 4