The Mark of the Outworld Demon
High Priestess Jin Ryeon-sin intended to use the closing ceremony of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition as an opportunity. She hoped to gather the collective power of faith from the vast crowd in the plaza, channeling it to the Sword Lord in the Divine Realm to receive a divine response.
She believed that the sheer magnitude of faith generated by such a massive gathering could transcend the boundaries of time and space, reaching the will of the Sword Lord. However, the result was far from what she had envisioned.
A chill ran down Jin Ryeon-sin's spine. There was no reaction from the deity—none at all. She had been offering prayers using the full strength of her conviction, yet all she felt was the cold, barren sensation of a world of death. She could not establish even the slightest connection with the Sword Lord.
'Could it be...?' A dark premonition began to swell within her heart. 'Has He truly perished?'
The death of a deity would be a catastrophe for the entire North Sea Empire. A nation that lost the protection of its god could never survive on the continent of Dongdojin. As these complex thoughts swirled in her mind, her voice wavered slightly while singing the hymns. The more perceptive members of the crowd began to sense that something was amiss.
However, Jin Ryeon-sin quickly regained her composure and continued the hymn with a steady, stable tone. The subsequent rituals proceeded smoothly. A massive altar had been placed before the statue of the Sword Lord, and a fire was lit. The great flames roared, illuminating the faces of everyone present.
City Lord Im Gun-hyeon ascended the high platform. After delivering a speech, he called five students to the stage: Bukjin, Mi Yeo-yeon, Han Bul-bu, Ak Hong-hyang, and Baek Geum-un.
Thunderous cheers erupted from the surroundings as Im Gun-hyeon presented the championship plaques. Bukjin received the supreme Grand Championship Plaque, the highest honor of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition. His four teammates were awarded the Genius Token, given to the winning team of the group matches.
The crowd roared once more. Students and teachers from the 3rd Junior Swordsman Academy, along with countless citizens, chanted Bukjin's name incessantly. The sight of tens of thousands of people shouting a single name in unison was magnificent. Bukjin felt a surge of indescribable exhilaration.
Meanwhile, the moment Bukjin accepted the plaque from Im Gun-hyeon, a long-awaited smile finally spread across Dam Gogeum's face.
The next part of the ceremony was the awarding of prizes to the students who finished in the top ten. They all received their respective rewards and tokens of rank. So So-yeon, Ju Ga-a, and So Byeong-gam ascended the podium one after another. However, Ya Mi-ang and Jo Pacheon were nowhere to be seen.
Im Gun-hyeon offered no specific explanation to the crowd regarding their absence. He simply proceeded with the ceremony as if nothing were wrong. At that moment, Bukjin's patience finally reached its limit.
"Wait a moment!" Bukjin spoke up, his clear voice cutting through the ritual. "Lord City Lord. Why is Jo Pacheon of the 6th Academy not present?"
Im Gun-hyeon frowned slightly. "He has not yet fully recovered, so he could not attend today. His prizes and tokens will be delivered to him separately by government officials..."
Bukjin shook his head. "As you well know, Lord City Lord, Jo Pacheon and I entered into a Life-and-Death Oath. Today is the most fitting day to confirm and carry out the result of that oath. An injury is no excuse. I am concerned that he might have used it as a pretext to flee."
Just then, a cold laugh rang out. Baek Hae-geum stepped out from the crowd and slowly approached the podium. He looked up at Bukjin, his eyes burning with resentment.
"Im Bukjin. You are truly a cruel, vicious brat! That oath was merely a heated exchange between boys during a spat. Do you truly intend to take the life of a fellow student?"
"A heated exchange?" Bukjin was so incensed that he actually burst out laughing. "Are you out of your mind? That Life-and-Death Oath was witnessed by the 7th Prince of the Empire and Chief Bang Jin-yu themselves. You're dismissing such a grave matter as a mere 'heated exchange'?"
Bukjin had expected Baek Hae-geum to try and wiggle out of it. However, he hadn't imagined the man would be shameless enough to stand before the crowd and offer such a brazen excuse. His statement surpassed even Bukjin's expectations of depravity.
Baek Hae-geum merely sneered and said nothing.
Bukjin spoke again. "If I had been the one who lost, would you and Jo Pacheon have spared my life?"
Baek Hae-geum's sneer remained fixed.
"Stop talking nonsense and bring your disciple out here! He must take responsibility for his words." Bukjin had no desire to argue further with the man.
At that, Baek Hae-geum let out a long sigh, his voice dripping with feigned sorrow. "Im Bukjin. You are truly a Demon Seed. To think your heart is this callous! Even knowing my disciple is barely clinging to life by a thread, you spit such harsh words at me, his master? Fine. This old man will grant your wish today. Men! Bring Pacheon to the platform!"
The crowd parted. Four warriors dressed in black entered, carrying a stretcher. Upon it lay a figure so swollen that his face was unrecognizable, emitting a foul stench. It was only by the tufts of blond hair on his head that one could identify him as Jo Pacheon.
The state of the boy on the stretcher was wretched. His entire body was wrapped in bandages, through which brown pus and blood were seeping. His skin appeared to be rotting, and he groaned in a raspy, broken voice. It was a sight so gruesome it made the onlookers tremble.
"There, I have brought the man you wanted," Baek Hae-geum said, his voice sharp. "Look well! Is this not tragic enough for you?"
Bukjin sneered, his heart unmoved. "Whether it is tragic or not is none of my concern."
Baek Hae-geum's sneer deepened. "Oh, it is very much your concern! So many people are gathered here today. Everyone can see the state of my disciple with their own eyes. Do you think these look like ordinary wounds? This is clearly the work of Sama. It is because demonic energy has entered his body and is devouring his flesh and blood!"
The faces of those in the plaza turned pale as they looked at Jo Pacheon. His condition was beyond horrific; he had practically lost his human form. Baek Hae-geum's figure blurred, and he suddenly appeared on the podium. He glared at Bukjin with eyes as sharp as blades, looking ready to kill.
"Im Bukjin! There is one thing I wish to ask you here and now! My disciple was injured by you, so why is there demonic energy inside him? Just what did you do to him!"
Bukjin frowned. "What on earth are you trying to imply?"
"You know exactly what I'm implying, don't you?" Baek Hae-geum sneered. "It's you, Im Bukjin. You are a follower of the Outworld Evil God, and you fell into Demonic Possession long ago. Now that everything has been exposed, did you really think you could keep hiding it?"
Baek Hae-geum's words caused a massive uproar. The countless people gathered in the temple plaza cried out in shock.
"Master Baek! What kind of nonsense is this?" Im Gun-hyeon's expression shifted drastically. He spoke in a frigid voice. "Are you making such reckless accusations before the temple, in the middle of an award ceremony, without a shred of evidence or basis?"
"Hahahaha!" Baek Hae-geum burst into loud laughter. A look of contempt crossed his face. "City Lord Im. Are you still going to protect Im Bukjin even now? Do you realize what it means if the champion of the Academic & Martial Arts Competition is revealed to be a follower of the Outworld Evil God? This is a scandal that would shock the heavens, and the responsibility would be immense. Can a mere City Lord of a small city like you handle the fallout?"
Im Gun-hyeon replied, "I understand my duties perfectly well. On the contrary, Master Baek, what evidence do you have to claim that Jo Pacheon's demonic poisoning was Bukjin's doing?"
Baek Hae-geum sneered. "Surely the City Lord isn't suggesting that a disciple of our White Cloud City worships demons? If that's what you mean, then by all means, say it again."
However, Im Gun-hyeon was not one to fall into a trap set by an old fox like Baek Hae-geum. He spoke calmly. "Those are your words, Master Baek. I never said such a thing. Furthermore, the investigation into the demonic poison affecting Jo Pacheon has not yet yielded results. Rather, you should consider the consequences of disrupting this ceremony and causing a scene before the temple."
"I am prepared to take full responsibility, provided I can prove the innocence of my beloved disciple!" Baek Hae-geum declared boldly. He then turned toward the 7th Prince and Dam Gogeum, who were seated in the VIP section. "Your Highness, Lord Dam. My disciple was victimized by that filthy traitor, Im Bukjin. You might not care about the innocence of a single disciple from White Cloud City, but surely you cannot ignore the fact that the honor of winning the sacred Academic & Martial Arts Competition is being handed to a servant of the Outworld Evil God?"
By now, a great commotion had broken out among the people in the plaza. Although Bukjin had gained much favor with the citizens through his performance, anything involving the Outworld Evil God was a matter that could not be handled lightly. Moreover, Jo Pacheon's wretched appearance and Baek Hae-geum's sorrowful cries were stirring the crowd's sympathy.
The 7th Prince, Lee Yak-so, slowly rose from his seat. He looked at Bukjin and spoke. "Student Im. Do you have anything to say?"
Bukjin didn't look flustered in the slightest. He spoke in a clear, ringing voice. "I believe that with Your Highness's keen insight, the truth will be revealed. As for Master Baek, he is simply unable to accept his disciple's defeat and is venting his frustration. He's like a desperate dog jumping over a wall, baring its white teeth at the empty air. To defile another's innocence without proof is an act of both stupidity and malice."