A Desperate Gamble
Han Bul-bu, Baek Geum-un, Ak Hong-hyang, and Bukjin’s other friends all raised their voices.
“That’s right! This is framing an innocent person!”
“If you’re going to accuse someone of being a Sama, you need to provide evidence!”
“I’ll stake my name on it. Junior Im is no Sama!”
Cho Heun, furious, shouted loudly, “Baek Hae-geum, you can’t admit your disciple is lacking, so you try to frame Im Bukjin. You are a disgrace to White Cloud City!”
Ban Oemin didn’t miss his chance to yell, “Are you afraid because of the life-and-death pact Im Bukjin made with Jo Pacheon? Are you trying to subtly nullify their oath with such absurd tactics? You’d do well not to interfere recklessly!”
The grade deans of the 3rd Academy had spent all last night scouring Unmong City’s famous pleasure houses to find Principal Im Tae-heo. But they hadn’t found him, and they’d spent the entire night sleepless with worry. Now, seeing Baek Hae-geum shamelessly accuse Bukjin, their hearts pounded with urgency. They had to restore the citizens’ trust in Bukjin. Moreover, the life-and-death pact between Bukjin and Jo Pacheon was widely known among the citizens. And Jo Pacheon was already despised by the people of Unmong City. The psychology of the crowd was simple and clear.
Dam Gogeum let out a deep hum and said, “Great Master Baek. You should not recklessly accuse Im Bukjin just because your disciple was infected with demonic energy. If you don’t have concrete evidence right now, I suggest you quietly step aside and stop disrupting the awards ceremony.”
Baek Hae-geum’s face twisted into a sorrowful expression. “I, I…”
Listening to their conversation, Im Gun-hyeon was greatly surprised. ‘Dam Gogeum is speaking up to help Im Bukjin? The situation is taking a strange turn.’
Just then.
“Your Excellency, Your Excellency! I must see Administrator Dam, His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince, and High Priestess Jin! Please, clear the way!”
A hurried, panicked voice rang out. Turning their heads, they saw Im Jin-nam, clad in official robes, gasping for breath as he pushed through the crowd.
Reaching the awards stage, Im Jin-nam knelt before the Seventh Prince and Dam Gogeum.
“Your Highness. And Your Excellency! S-something terrible has happened! I, I found… Sama… Sama’s artifacts in the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor! I, I…”
“Why are you so flustered and agitated!” Dam Gogeum stroked his beard and roared. “Stand up and speak properly!”
Hearing his words, Im Jin-nam trembled all over, stood up, and said, “Your Excellency. This is a grave matter. Your Excellency’s decision yesterday to bestow the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor upon our Im family through the spirit scroll is something this humble servant is grateful for a thousand, ten thousand times over. Last night, when I opened the gates of the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor and went in to clean and tidy up, I discovered an underground palace beneath the detached villa connected to Unmong City! And inside that underground palace, there was an altar and artifacts dedicated to the Sama!”
“What?!” Everyone who heard Im Jin-nam’s words was greatly shocked, their expressions changing drastically. The ordinary citizens seemed not to grasp the situation yet. But Im Gun-hyeon, the Seventh Prince, and many officials of Unmong City were already trembling with apprehension.
‘A Sama altar found inside the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor?’
“Im Jin-nam! Is that true?!” Dam Gogeum’s voice turned savage.
Im Jin-nam trembled and said, “Your Excellency, this is all true! How dare this humble servant lie! The Sama altar in the underground palace is still there in the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor. Your Excellency can see for yourself!”
Dam Gogeum turned his head to look at the Seventh Prince and said, “Your Highness, as Your Highness sees it, this matter is…”
The Seventh Prince, his face grim, said, “This is a serious matter.” He glanced at Bukjin, then back at Im Gun-hyeon, and said, “City Lord Im. Since such an incident has occurred, it seems we must all go to the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor to investigate the full circumstances.”
Im Gun-hyeon took a deep breath. ‘How could things be so coincidental?’
In Im Gun-hyeon’s mind, the events that had just unfolded flashed by. From Baek Hae-geum’s appearance to Im Jin-nam’s, every step and its timing aligned too perfectly. It was like a pre-arranged play. But what had happened inside the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor was a monumental event, something that could turn the heavens upside down. It was not a matter that could be handled lightly. Especially if this news reached the citizens’ ears and was broadcast live, it would be impossible to quietly gloss over.
“Very well.” Im Gun-hyeon made his decision and said with a serious expression, “This is no ordinary matter, so it must be accurately confirmed and handled. We will temporarily suspend the awards ceremony. Your Highness, this way…”
As Im Gun-hyeon finished speaking, an uncontrollable uproar erupted in the bustling square.
‘The Academic & Martial Arts Competition awards ceremony has been suspended?’
Such a thing was unprecedented. But the discovery of a Sama altar inside the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor was indeed a world-shattering event. The venue instantly plunged into chaos.
High Priestess Jin stood quietly beneath the Sword Lord statue, observing the unfolding events. She remained completely still.
“Wait!” Suddenly, Baek Hae-geum shouted loudly. “City Lord Im! Are you just leaving like this?!”
Im Gun-hyeon looked at him with deep eyes and said, “What more do you want to do?”
Baek Hae-geum declared loudly, “Jeon-cheon-hu is a great traitor to the Empire! If he even committed to worshipping Sama, it’s a greater crime piled upon his existing sins. It’s even possible that his illustrious achievements until now were made by borrowing the power of Sama. And as the saying goes, ‘Like father, like son.’ Couldn’t the discovery of the Sama altar be proof that Im Bukjin is a demonic cultist?”
A new commotion arose among the crowd. Until now, Baek Hae-geum’s words had not resonated with the majority of people in the square. But his current statement… its weight was different.
“Even if City Lord Im wishes to protect Im Bukjin, in this situation, he cannot simply ignore him. Before everyone here leaves, Im Bukjin, who is under suspicion, should be apprehended first to prevent his escape.” Baek Hae-geum spoke each word clearly and deliberately.
Im Gun-hyeon frowned.
It was then that Bukjin finally understood what was happening.
‘Damn it! My so-called father, whom I’ve barely met, installed something so absurd in his mansion? What’s the truth? Or is this dog-like bastard Im Jin-nam plotting against me?’
“What kind of person do you take me, Im Bukjin, for?!” Bukjin sneered and spoke loudly and clearly. “I swear upon my own name before the Sword Lord. I will not move a single step from this place, and I will absolutely not run away. If I break this oath, then at any time, my soul, Im Bukjin, shall depart, and I shall meet my death!”
‘Damn it, I’ll just go for it for now!’
Bukjin planned to wait and observe the situation for a while, then find a way to escape if things turned sour.
‘Ah! The hole my father dug is too big! Only a fool would fall into that hole and wait to die! I will never die!’
Bukjin had no qualms about making such an oath, as the original owner of this body, ‘Im Bukjin,’ had long since departed, and he was merely borrowing this body for a time. Unfortunately, Bukjin’s oath seemed to have little effect.
Four expert investigators dispatched from the Pung-eo-haeng-do central government surrounded Bukjin, standing before, behind, to his left, and to his right. These four were all Great Martial Warrior-level cultivators. Here, ‘Great Martial Warrior’ referred to a powerful expert of 6th-grade Martial Warrior or higher.
Bukjin assessed the current situation in his mind. He judged that if he used all his trump cards, he could fight one Great Martial Warrior expert for about 20 to 30 exchanges. And if he used all his strength to escape, he could break through the encirclement of two Great Martial Warrior experts. But four Great Martial Warrior experts…
He could absolutely not escape their grasp. It was a situation where he couldn’t run even if he wanted to.
‘Damn it! How can there be such a lack of trust between people!’ Bukjin felt indignant, seeing the experts surrounding him despite his oath to the Sword Lord.
The Seventh Prince, Dam Gogeum, Im Gun-hyeon, and others immediately set off to investigate the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor without delay. Baek Hae-geum, however, did not follow them. He seemed intent on staying to monitor Bukjin.
The atmosphere in the temple square grew increasingly strange. Many people’s gazes at Bukjin were a mix of suspicion and belief. Under no circumstances could anything related to Sama be tolerated. It was an act that betrayed the Empire’s divine mandate and trampled on everyone’s faith, so even the Emperor of the Empire could not recklessly intervene in this matter.
“Don’t worry. His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince and Administrator Im will surely uncover the truth and deliver a fair outcome.” Ak Hong-hyang comforted Bukjin from the side.
Bukjin merely smiled and said nothing.
‘Junior Sister Ak! You’re so naive! I’m not even sure what’s in the Jeon-cheon-hu Manor myself, and you’re so optimistic!’
Han Bul-bu said, “Don’t worry. Even if someone tries to frame you, the truth will always come out.”
Mi Yeo-yeon also said, “We can all be witnesses for Junior Im.”
Baek Geum-un nodded and said, “That’s right! I’ll be a witness too! Senior Brother Im! Don’t worry! Your little sister has a lot of money, so if it comes to it, I’ll even bribe people to clear your name!”
Bukjin was speechless. ‘When she used to call me a playboy, and now that I’ve won the Academic & Martial Arts Competition, she calls me ‘little sister’?’
Baek Hae-geum, standing to the side, merely watched them with an even colder smile. ‘Fools! You want to be Im Bukjin’s witnesses? You must all want to die together!’
Cho Heun and others pushed through the crowd and tried to get onto the awards stage to approach Bukjin. But the investigation team’s experts blocked them. They had no choice but to stand to the side, looking at Bukjin and offering words of comfort. And below the awards stage, countless students and teachers from the 3rd Academy shouted words of support to Bukjin from afar.