The Truth Behind the Scenes
"I need to find a quiet place to set up a formation and activate the Spirit Recording Stone. General, could you assist me with this?" Bukjin asked politely. He could feel that the General of the Unmong Guard standing before him was treating him without prejudice.
"Hmph! You claim to be looking for a quiet place, but who knows if you're just looking for a chance to tuck tail and run?" Jo Pacheon finally snapped, his voice booming with arrogance.
Dan Si-bi’s expression darkened instantly. "What did you say?! Just because you are a 'genius' disciple of White Cloud City, you think you can be this insolent? Do you have any idea where you are standing? I am here, and the Unmong Guard has this area surrounded, yet you dare suggest you cannot feel secure?!"
A cold smirk played on Jo Pacheon’s lips. In truth, he looked down on the commander of a mere local guard stationed in a backwater like Unmong City. He couldn't even fathom why his master, Baek Hae-geum, treated the leader of this rural rabble with such courtesy.
"If everything was recorded on a Spirit Recording Stone, then getting to the bottom of this will be simple. Men! Pitch a command tent here and prepare to play back the footage from Student Im Bukjin's stone!" Dan Si-bi had no intention of wasting time bickering with Jo Pacheon. Ignoring the boy's sneer, he barked orders at his soldiers. In no time, a tent reinforced with Mystic Gate Arrays was erected.
"I insist that someone follow Im Bukjin inside to monitor him. Otherwise, how do we know what kind of mischief he'll pull in there?" Jo Pacheon shouted again. It seemed he was determined to make things as difficult as possible for Bukjin.
"I shall be the one to monitor him," announced Ho Mul-eo, the Principal of the 6th Academy.
Gu Cheon added with a chilling smile, "I will monitor him as well. It seems only the people from the 3rd Academy fail to understand why Im Bukjin is under suspicion. Since they have a conflict of interest, it would be best if they stayed back."
Cho Heun countered with a scoff. "Conflict of interest? Ha! How hilarious! Your own Jo Pacheon is Im Bukjin's rival. He is hardly an objective observer. What if he tries to frame Bukjin on purpose?"
"I stake the honor of the 6th Academy on—" Ho Mul-eo began, but he was cut short.
"I will do it."
A beautiful voice rang out. No one had noticed her arrival, but Ya Mi-ang was now standing there. After bowing respectfully to her mentor, Jin Ju-je, she walked forward slowly. "I am a priestess of the Temple. I will monitor Im Bukjin. No one is more suited for the task than I."
Jo Pacheon glared at her. "You've been frolicking with Im Bukjin since the Academic & Martial Arts Competition began. How can you possibly—"
SLAP!
Baek Hae-geum’s hand struck Jo Pacheon’s cheek with a resounding crack. "Shut up! You insolent brat! How dare you run your mouth in a place like this!"
In a situation like this, accusing a priestess who served the Sword Lord of 'frolicking' was an act of suicidal stupidity. Even if Jo Pacheon had two lives, they wouldn't be enough to pay for such a slight. Furthermore, Baek Hae-geum knew they had pushed their luck far enough for one day.
Jin Ju-je’s sharp gaze fixed on Jo Pacheon. "Is it your youth that makes you so undiscerning? To be a man with such a narrow mind, excluding those with different views and failing to weigh the gravity of your own words... I see not a shred of the prestige one would expect from a disciple of White Cloud City."
The High Priestess, possessing the ethereal grace of a celestial maiden, had stood silently until now, projecting no presence at all. But the moment she spoke, a crushing pressure radiated from her, overwhelming everyone present.
Meeting Jin Ju-je’s gaze head-on, Jo Pacheon felt as if a massive mountain was collapsing onto him. His legs buckled, and he nearly fell to his knees. Fortunately, Baek Hae-geum placed a hand on his shoulder, channeling energy into him, and the suffocating pressure slowly dissipated.
"My unworthy disciple is young and ignorant; he has committed a grave discourtesy. As his master, I shall ensure he is strictly disciplined. I hope High Priestess Jin can find it in her heart to be magnanimous," Baek Hae-geum apologized, his eyes glinting with a serious intensity.
Jin Ju-je said nothing more. She simply looked at Ya Mi-ang and gave a small nod. No one else dared to object to Ya Mi-ang acting as the monitor.
Bukjin and Ya Mi-ang entered the tent together. Elite warriors of the Unmong Guard stood watch around the perimeter, and at the center of the formation, General Dan Si-bi himself stood as the primary guardian. A short distance away, Im Gun-hyeon and his two sons, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal, waited quietly for the result.
Inside the tent.
Bukjin let out a long sigh. "Priestess Ya, do you know how to craft a Spirit Recording Stone?" he asked, turning toward her.
Ya Mi-ang nodded. "I’ve learned how. As long as there are enough materials... Brother Jin, you do have the original recorded footage, right?"
Bukjin nodded. "I do. I’ll have to ask for your hard work, then."
Earlier, while pursuing the phantom, Bukjin had anticipated that the target might escape again. He had secretly ordered AI Shin-shin to record everything using the smartphone's camera. Now, he projected the footage he had captured using Screen Mirroring.
> Synchronizing with external Mystic Stone...
> Transferring video data: 100% Complete
Since Ya Mi-ang couldn't see the smartphone, she assumed Bukjin was using some sort of secret technique to project the recorded images. She asked no questions. Instead, she took out a raw stone, carved mystic runes onto it, and began crafting the Spirit Recording Stone. The process was incredibly smooth.
A moment later, the stone was complete.
"With this, Brother Jin, you’ll be able to clear your name and prove your innocence," Ya Mi-ang said excitedly. Then, her expression shifted. "Oh, that’s right! Brother, there is something I need to tell you honestly."
Bukjin was taken aback. Honestly? What could it be? Don't tell me this priestess caught a glimpse of me while I was bathing? Is she into that kind of thing...?
Ya Mi-ang continued, "The reason Im Jin gave up on the individual matches and dropped out of the top ten was so she could join your team. But for certain reasons, I interfered with her plans. She decided to give up on becoming your teammate because of me. That is why she isn't with you."
Ah! So that’s what happened! I thought it was something serious... Wait. Im Jin...?
Bukjin thought about the Im Jin he knew. She and Ya Mi-ang were like oil and water. And yet, she had accepted Ya Mi-ang’s proposal and given up on joining his team... Don't tell me these two women made some kind of deal involving me? A chill ran down his spine for some reason.
"Brother Jin, I know this has a big impact on your plans. But I hope you can believe that everything I did was for your sake. I..." Ya Mi-ang grew anxious as she looked at the silent Bukjin.
Then, Bukjin smiled. "It’s alright. Im Jin wasn't part of my original plan anyway. I already promised the City Lord that I would keep my distance from her. I had no intention of inviting her to my team first."
Ya Mi-ang stared blankly at the sincere, unfiltered smile on Bukjin’s face. She had been bracing herself for him to explode in anger when she confessed. In fact, her excuse about the 'Silver Arrow' to leave the Temple tonight was partly so she could explain this to him. She had agonized over how to tell him dozens of times, prepared to endure his resentment and insults. She never imagined he would forgive her so easily.
How can someone have such a warm heart? Ya Mi-ang found herself falling even deeper for him.
She only snapped out of it when Bukjin stood up to leave the tent. She hurriedly rose and caught his sleeve, telling him about the Silver Arrow.
"That happened?" Bukjin’s expression turned grim. He realized that what had occurred tonight only appeared simple on the surface. A massive net, starting with the death of Bang Jin-yu, had been cast and was now closing in on him.
Why are these Outworld Demons so obsessed with me? Jo Pacheon admitted he was the mastermind behind the Bukhwang Mountain incident. Could tonight’s demon commotion be related to him as well? I was lured here by that phantom... and she’s an assassin hired by Jo Pacheon...
After considering several possibilities, Bukjin decided not to mention these suspicions out loud. No one would believe him. If he went out now and said these things, people would just think he was petty and desperate for revenge, trying to frame Jo Pacheon with absurd excuses. He might even commit the folly of startling the snake by beating the grass.
After a moment of thought, Bukjin smiled at Ya Mi-ang. "Thank you, Priestess Ya. I’ll keep what you said in mind."
The two of them stepped out of the tent. Countless eyes fixed on Bukjin.
"Coming out so soon, brat? Have you finally given up on your futile struggle?" Gu Cheon sneered.
Jo Pacheon, standing to the side, couldn't help himself either. "Im Bukjin. If you just admit to the charges and surrender quietly, you might have a slim chance of survival. It takes a hundred more lies to cover up a single one. Seeing you come out so quickly, I suppose you realized your lie about recording everything on a Spirit Recording Stone wouldn't work anymore?"
Bukjin merely smirked, offering no reply. Ya Mi-ang, seemingly unable to take it anymore, pulled out the newly crafted stone and held it high.
"Everything that happened tonight is contained within this stone. There is not a single lie or fabrication. I hope everyone here will see Im Bukjin’s innocence with their own eyes."
As the night deepened, a sinister light flickered deep within Baek Hae-geum’s eyes.