The Proof of Innocence
"Shut your mouth," Baek Hae-geum snapped, his voice like a whip.
"This is no ordinary incident. This is a grave matter that must be investigated by the Unmong Guard and the city authorities! It is not a place for a mere student like you to interfere. Step back!"
"Master, I just..." Jo Pacheon stammered, unable to comprehend why Baek Hae-geum was rebuking him so harshly.
"I told you to step back! Do you not hear me?"
Fury flickered across Baek Hae-geum's face. Jo Pacheon didn't dare utter another word; he bowed his head and retreated into the shadows.
Once his disciple was out of the way, Baek Hae-geum turned toward the general clad in black iron armor. He clasped his hands in a respectful salute.
"My disciple is still young and lacked the discretion to interrupt General Dan. His blood runs hot, and he committed a folly. I hope you will not judge him too severely."
The general in the black iron armor was named Dan Sibi. He served as the commander of the Unmong-wi, the local Guard. Following the sacred reforms of the founding Emperor, the military structure of the Empire had taken a form quite different from other nations. The organization was divided into five distinct tiers: the Squad (Dae), the Guard (Wi), the Regiment (Yeong), the Division (Bu), and the Army (Gun).
Generally, a Squad consisted of ten men. Ten Squads formed a Guard, ten Guards formed a Regiment, ten Regiments formed a Division, and ten Divisions formed an Army. However, these were merely standard benchmarks; the actual number of personnel could fluctuate depending on the strategic necessity of the region.
Unmong City was technically a frontier city, and by regulation, it wasn't a place where a full Guard-level unit would typically be stationed. However, as a natural port city bordering the sea and a vital strategic point on the Empire's frontier, a full Guard unit was permanently garrisoned there. Dan Sibi was a veteran general who had retired to this post after earning distinguished merit on the Empire's northern front. His prestige and status were such that even someone as arrogant as Baek Hae-geum had to tread carefully in his presence.
"Do not trouble yourself," Dan Sibi replied calmly. "Identifying and investigating the Outworld Demons is a matter of the utmost gravity. It is only natural that we proceed with extreme caution."
The General was right. Anything involving the Outworld Demons—the Sama—could never be handled lightly. However, the method and means of the investigation were entirely at the discretion of the military. In other words, whether to arrest or release Im Bukjin, who was currently under heavy suspicion, rested solely on the Commander's word.
But because Jo Pacheon had pointed the finger so publicly, the eyes of everyone present were now fixed on the situation. The Commander was forced to handle the matter with even greater transparency and rigor to satisfy the crowd.
"Haha, General Dan. The student Jo Pacheon's words are not entirely without merit," a middle-aged man in crimson robes interjected. He had a broad face and average features, save for his eyebrows—they were so thick and long they nearly met in the middle, giving the illusion of a single, continuous line.
"I believe we must clearly address the suspicions surrounding Im Bukjin."
"Principal Ho, what is the meaning of this?" Cho Heun demanded, his voice trembling with indignation. "Your 6th Academy truly knows no shame! Not only did you use the loophole of 'temporary student' to force Jo Pacheon into the Academic & Martial Arts Competition, but now you're using wild speculation to try and disqualify a student from a rival academy?"
The man in the crimson robes was Ho Mul-eo, the Principal of the 6th Junior Swordsman Academy.
"Dean Cho, we are discussing the Outworld Demons! The competition is irrelevant to this matter!" Ho Mul-eo replied coolly. "Do not attempt to cloud the essence of the issue with unrelated grievances."
Im Tae-heo, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly let out a small chuckle. "Hoho. In that case, Principal Ho, why don't you offer us your 'expert' opinion on how this should be handled?"
Ho Mul-eo met the old man's gaze with a frigid expression. "Historically, anyone suspected of being an Outworld Demon has been executed on the spot, regardless of whether the suspicion was proven true. There has never been a case where such a person was simply let go. Im Bukjin should be taken into custody immediately and held in the dungeons until a thorough investigation is complete."
"That's preposterous!" Cho Heun roared. "If you handle things that way, how is he supposed to participate in the upcoming rounds of the competition?"
At that moment, Gu Cheon, the obese Principal of the 9th Academy standing beside Ho Mul-eo, let out a sneer. "The competition? You think a mere school tournament matters when we're talking about a potential demon worshipper? Dean Cho, you clearly cannot distinguish between what is important and what is trivial! If Im Bukjin is indeed an apostle of the Sama, is it even remotely acceptable for such a person to become a 'genius' of the Empire?"
"You old pig! How dare you try to play with fire here! If you're so confident, come out and face me directly!" Cho Heun spat out a string of insults, his temper boiling over.
However, the situation was turning grim. If Cho Heun continued to argue based on emotion, it would only disadvantage Bukjin. Throughout the entire continent of Dongdojin, the Outworld Demons were considered the greatest threat to existence—targets to be killed on sight. Anyone associated with them was subject to the harshest investigation and punishment, with no exceptions for high-ranking officials or even members of the Imperial family.
Gu Cheon's face turned purple with rage at Cho Heun's words. He loathed nothing more than comments about his weight, and being called an 'old pig' in front of this distinguished crowd was an unbearable insult. But before he could retaliate, Mo Seong-gwan, the Principal of the 2nd Academy, spoke up.
"I also believe Principal Ho has a point."
"This involves the Sama. We cannot simply look the other way."
"At the very least, until he proves his innocence, he must endure the consequences, however unfortunate they may be."
One by one, other influential figures began to voice their agreement. They weren't necessarily targeting Bukjin out of malice; they were simply echoing the deep-seated prejudice and protocols that had governed the Empire for centuries. The consensus on how to handle demon-related suspicions was nearly universal.
Jin Ju-je stood atop the stone pillar like a lunar goddess, her eyes fixed silently on Bukjin. She hadn't uttered a single word since the beginning, appearing as though she were searching for a specific clue.
Im Tae-heo smiled again, though his eyes were sharp. "Hoho. And if this old man insists on taking Im Bukjin home tonight, what exactly do you think you can do about it?"
A heavy silence fell over the clearing. The crowd was momentarily stunned by Im Tae-heo's brazen attitude. Even the stern Dan Sibi looked momentarily taken aback. Im Tae-heo, the Principal of the 3rd Academy, was not only the greatest eccentric in Unmong City but also a man of immense influence far beyond its walls. If he truly decided to force the issue, stopping him would be no easy feat.
"Reporting to the Commander! The autopsies of the assassins' corpses are complete! They are all 'Faceless' assassins of unknown origin. The cause of death for all of them is sword wounds. And..."
A scout captain from the Unmong-wi came running in to deliver his report. He hesitated, his voice trailing off as he looked at the gathered dignitaries. Dan Sibi barked, "Continue! Speak loudly!"
"Yes, sir! The sword wounds on the assassins' bodies all bear faint traces of demonic energy! Furthermore, demonic qi was found within their internal systems. It is the conclusion of the medical officers that they were all killed by a demon."
The scout captain's voice rang out clearly across the clearing.
"Furthermore, the demonic energy found on these corpses is an exact match for the energy of the demon that the Commander just slew."
A commotion broke out among the crowd. Cho Heun's face paled instantly.
"Ah! Now I see it!" Jo Pacheon shouted, pointing a finger at Bukjin as if he had just experienced a divine revelation. "I believe you were being chased by those assassins. The evidence supports that much. But you were careless, and in the process of pursuing them, you fell into their trap! When your life was in danger, the demon hiding within you had no choice but to reveal itself to save you. And unfortunately for you, the assassins carried markers to signal the appearance of a demon, exposing your true identity against your will! Haha, Im Bukjin, you can deceive men, but you cannot deceive the Heavens!"
His logic seemed sound to many of the onlookers. Everyone knew there was no love lost between Jo Pacheon and Bukjin. They were both hot-blooded youths, and it was obvious Jo Pacheon was seizing this opportunity to crush his rival. But personal grudges aside, his theory held water.
Even Cho Heun and Bukjin's allies found themselves momentarily speechless, unable to find a logical counter-argument. They couldn't simply refute him with emotional outbursts. Jo Pacheon was a disciple of White Cloud City; his status was not ordinary. If they attacked him without sound logic, it would only give the factions of White Cloud City an excuse to intervene, which would make Bukjin's situation even more precarious.
Even if they brought up the previous assassination attempt at Bukhwang Mountain, it wouldn't disprove Jo Pacheon's theory or prove Bukjin's innocence in this specific instance. Because the hypothesis came from a young genius like Jo Pacheon, it carried even more weight and lethality.
Baek Hae-geum stood silently, watching. Dan Sibi's brow was furrowed in thought. Jin Ju-je continued to watch Bukjin, her thoughts unreadable.
Countless eyes were fixed on the boy. Many expected him to panic or lose his temper. But that didn't happen.
"So, you want me to prove my innocence?" Bukjin asked, a thin smile playing on his lips.
"How do you intend to prove it?" Dan Sibi asked, his voice booming. "You cannot prove it with words alone. You must show us actual evidence."
Bukjin nodded. "By a stroke of incredible luck, I recorded everything that happened tonight using a Recording Stone. If you would be so kind as to set up an Image-Projection Array, you will be able to see the truth of everything that transpired, clear as day."
A Recording Stone—a Ryu-yeong-seok—functioned exactly as its name suggested, capturing events as they happened. It was notoriously difficult to manipulate or forge the contents of such a stone. Whatever was recorded inside would be the unvarnished truth, making it the perfect tool to settle the matter once and for all.
"Is this true?" Cho Heun cried out, his face lighting up with joy. "You brat! You did well! Truly well!"
Aside from Cho Heun, many others who had been secretly rooting for Bukjin let out sighs of relief. Jo Pacheon looked as though he wanted to say more, but his master, Baek Hae-geum, gave him a warning glare that forced him to swallow his words and retreat.