Testimony
Yi Jinun gasped at Pung Yeon-jinin's question.
Yi Jinpyeong's lips curled into a smirk.
"What do you mean by that?!"
Yi Jinun stepped forward in outrage, blocking the gazes turning toward Yi Jinpyeong.
Yi Jingang also moved to shield his youngest brother, clasping his hands in a formal bow as he politely challenged Pung Yeon-jinin. "You've dragged us here by force without any explanation, then immediately grilled us about our movements last night. Doesn't this feel exactly like interrogating criminals?"
"I merely asked where you were."
Pung Yeon-jinin replied without emotion. "And we didn't drag you here by force. If we truly wanted to 'force' you, just think for a moment about what that would look like—you'd know right away."
"But—!"
"You must have some idea of what's happened. Given the circumstances, I asked the necessary questions first. Is there any need to overreact like this? Just give a simple answer about what you did last night. Or would you like to speak for him? Tell us where your youngest brother was and what he was doing?"
The brothers fell silent, at a loss for words.
They knew Yi Jinpyeong had slipped out of the inn alone last night and returned. But they had no idea where he'd gone, and they weren't the type to lie anyway.
As darkness clouded their vision at the thought that their brother might have caused real trouble, Yi Jinpyeong patted their shoulders.
"I'll answer myself."
"Y-you will? Are you sure?"
"Of course. What's so hard about it?"
Seeing his calm expression, Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun's faces lit up with relief.
Yi Jinpyeong shook his head with a wry smile and stepped forward. It was touching and grateful that his two brothers had jumped to defend him, but from their expressions, it was clear they'd half-suspected him too.
What do they think of me normally, anyway...
As Yi Jinpyeong advanced, all eyes focused on him.
Pung Yeon-jinin spoke softly. "Not a single lie, not even the tiniest concealment."
No one in the Agyangnu pavilion opened their mouths. As if Yi Jinpyeong's answer held everything at stake.
Yi Jinpyeong replied steadily. "While trying to sleep at the inn, it suddenly hit me that No Gae senior hadn't been seen all day. Wanting to talk with him, I went to the lodging where the Open Faction members were staying. There, I met Elder Bang at the compound and asked about No Gae senior's whereabouts. But hearing he wasn't there, I returned to the inn."
"What time was that?"
"Around the transition from ha-si to ja-si."
The elders exchanged silent glances.
Pung Yeon-jinin asked again. "Did you see anything unusual or suspicious along the way?"
"Unusual how?"
"Anything at all."
"Nothing memorable."
"Besides Elder Bang, who else did you meet?"
"No one. Elder Bang suggested I stay and greet the other Open Faction members as they returned, but I declined."
"You're certain no one else saw you besides Elder Bang."
"Certain."
"You're certain you went straight back to the inn? No one else to corroborate your presence besides Elder Bang?"
Yi Jinun blurted out, "That's certain! He left the inn and came right back before I even fell asleep!"
"We'll exclude testimony from family."
Yi Jinpyeong gazed steadily at Bang Cheonpyo, the Open Faction elder. He looked back with a faintly apologetic expression.
That must be why Yi Jinpyeong's name had come up in connection with last night's incident. No one but Elder Bang would have seen him come and go in the middle of the night.
"No one."
"Dongbeonhoe warriors were guarding every entrance, wall, and corner. You're saying no one saw you?"
"Probably."
"Why sneak around instead of using the proper gate?"
"Too much hassle."
"...Hassle. So because it was 'hassle,' you made fools of all the Dongbeonhoe guards and Open Faction members standing watch."
Someone chuckled coldly; another muttered a curse under their breath.
Dongbeonhoe leader Seo Ungak, standing quietly in a corner amid the constellation of Nine Great Sects elders, looked ready to explode. Yi Jinpyeong's casual wall-scaling had made him look incompetent, and his misplaced fury now turned toward Yi Jinpyeong.
But surprisingly, one person welcomed his statement.
Jemyeongseon Jangno, face flushed with anger, whipped his head toward Yi Jinpyeong and raised his voice. "So after visiting the Open Faction lodging, no one knows your movements? Except your own brothers, that is!"
"I've said it a dozen times: I went straight back to the inn."
"No proof!"
"Believe what you want."
Yi Jinpyeong shrugged indifferently.
Jemyeongseon Jangno glanced around triumphantly. "Everyone heard that, right? We've got another suspect."
"What do you mean?! Suspect?!"
Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun's faces paled as they shouted.
"Who else? The killer of that man!"
Jemyeongseon Jangno pointed sharply.
The warriors parted, revealing what had been hidden behind the crowd: a corpse on the table.
Recognizing the attire and build, Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun gasped.
'A Open Faction disciple after all.'
Dan-bi-no, disciple of Elder Bang Cheonpyo, the one who'd dueled Cheongseong disciple Nam Sogyun yesterday. They'd nearly killed each other in that fierce bout. Yi Jinpyeong had barely saved their lives, and now one lay dead within a day.
Pung Yeon-jinin added, "This morning, Open Faction disciple Dan-bi-no turned up dead. More precisely, he floated up on Dongjeong Lake."
"Cause of death?"
"Deep abdominal stab wound. Judging by rigor mortis, discoloration, and time in the water... estimated time of death was around ja-si last night."
Of all times, ja-si.
The brothers' faces darkened.
Pung Yeon-jinin said, "Yes. Right when you were out wandering on your whim."
Yi Jinpyeong snorted. "Why would I do that?"
"Who knows. But it's clear you possess lightfoot skill to scale Dongbeonhoe's walls at night, and you did visit the Open Faction lodging. Now you see why we called you here."
As Pung Yeon-jinin said, it was quite the coincidence that Yi Jinpyeong had visited the Open Faction on the night this happened.
Bang Cheonpyo, who had stayed silent, finally spoke. "Young master Yi, I'm sorry you've been dragged into this. But in piecing together who visited our lodging last night, your name inevitably came up."
His voice was hoarse. Even in grief over his lost disciple, regret toward Yi Jinpyeong was evident.
He turned sharply, glaring at Jemyeongseon Jangno as he raised his voice. "Calling this young master a suspect is absurd speculation. Didn't we just confirm my statement matches his? And have you forgotten he saved both disciples' lives yesterday?"
"Hmph! Who knows what's in that kid's head. He claims he went for No Gae, but maybe he scouted the scene in advance for the crime?"
"You seem desperate. Don't pin this on an innocent. Everyone sees through your scheme to frame the wrong person and slither away."
"What?!"
Sharp words flew; tension in the Agyangnu thickened.
The Nine Great Sects factions split into sides, faces twisting viciously.
Meanwhile, Yi Jinpyeong slowly approached the table with the corpse.
From the Open Faction members' expressions when they'd come for him, he'd easily guessed the body from Dongjeong Lake was one of theirs. But he hadn't expected it to be Elder Bang's disciple, whom he'd barely saved.
The corpse was ice-cold. Yi Jinpyeong frowned as he examined the wound.
'Stabbed right through the old scar. Twisted and ravaged with malice.'
Not the cruelty of ordinary grudge—this was something else.
The horrifically contorted face hinted at the agony of death. Hands and feet clenched in rigor; eyes bulged, unclosed.
No trace of yesterday's spirited young swordsman.
Now he understood why Cheongseong's Jemyeongseon Jangno and Open Faction's Bang Cheonpyo clashed.
The prime suspect was surely Cheongseong's Nam Sogyun.
Yet nowhere in the Agyangnu was Nam Sogyun to be seen.
Bang Cheonpyo bellowed, "We all saw it clearly! Only one man would do this vicious thing to my disciple. The one who couldn't accept a fair duel loss and struck first with killing intent!"
"Who lost that duel?! And Cheongseong doesn't... doesn't stoop to petty revenge! Can you just accuse anyone because you lost a disciple?!"
"Hmph, you just pinned suspicion on this young master too. If you're truly uninvolved, bring Nam Sogyun here to prove your innocence! You've only repeated that absurd claim your disciple vanished... Obvious. You knew he screwed up and helped him flee. How convenient!"
Elder Bang scanned the room and shouted, "This isn't time for bickering! We must find Nam Sogyun, who committed this atrocity and fled—make him kneel! Stop hiding or shielding your suspect, Cheongseong, and submit to a thorough search!"
Jemyeongseon Jangno trembled with rage. "Speculation! It doesn't even make sense. Leaving traces and dumping the body in Dongjeong Lake? He'd know it'd be discovered immediately!"
"It makes sense. If he'd lost his reason completely."
Elder Bang continued coldly. "Jemyeongseon Jangno, what was your behavior today? I heard—not from one or two—that you hurled vile insults and humiliations at a boy barely recovered from near-death, just for early elimination. A kid burdened with excessive expectations his whole life, shattered overnight—could he stay sane? This is all Cheongseong's incompetent elders' fault."
Jemyeongseon Jangno was speechless for a moment. Even allied elders averted their eyes.
"Conjecture! All conjecture! I won't tolerate slandering Cheongseong with baseless nonsense!"
Cornered, Jemyeongseon Jangno bellowed, his cry echoing through the Agyangnu.
Bang Cheonpyo shouted coldly, "Deny to the end. Useless! I'll have justice for my disciple!"
Pung Yeon-jinin of Hwasan, who had maintained neutrality, spoke. "Elder Je, this isn't time for pride. Hand over prime suspect Nam Sogyun, or agree to a search of your lodging—or we'll do it by force."
"Aren't we all Nine Great Sects brothers? How can you... do this to Cheongseong!"
Tension peaked in the Agyangnu.
Yi Jinpyeong, who had quietly watched, spoke. His low voice reached every ear clearly.
"Listen. I think I've found a new suspect."