“Your words go too far, elder brother Ja Maeng.”

Narin’s eyes sparkled.

‘Ja Maeng? Dokgo Ja Maeng!’

Narin fixed her gaze on the boy who had stepped forward on his own.

This elder brother was the second son born just one day after Ja Ryong, and the person who benefited the most from this incident. It was none other than Dokgo Ja Maeng.

“Little one.”

Compared to Ja Ryong, his somewhat rough appearance gave the impression of a mountain bandit leader. Ja Maeng continued, lifting the corners of his mouth.

“I will answer your brazen question. If Ja Ryong is disqualified, the next most likely candidate for Junior Sect Leader is me. I don’t know if I’ll be suitable or not, but that’s how it is.”

“In order of age?”

At this, Ja Maeng flinched and then laughed loudly.

“No. Not in order of age. But look with your own eyes. Is there anyone among these fellows who has the guts to squeeze into Ja Ryong’s vacant spot?”

Despite the quite rude remark, no one seemed to flare up at Ja Maeng’s words. At this rate, it would indeed be easy for Ja Maeng to become the next Junior Sect Leader.

‘Then is the real culprit elder brother Ja Maeng?’

Thinking simply, that would be the case. Gong Son Wu had also said that if not Ja Ryong, the next likely candidate was Ja Maeng.

But in Narin’s eyes, Ja Maeng didn’t seem like someone who would use such schemes to get rid of Ja Ryong. He was too straightforward to conspire with the sinister Jeok Gun Ak, so to speak.

“Then who’s next?”

“Next?”

“If elder brother Ja Maeng is also disqualified, then who’s next?”

Even Ja Maeng couldn’t help but look surprised at this question.

To already think of overthrowing the Junior Sect Leader candidate right in front of them.

“The little one is being excessively presumptuous. Are you not afraid of incurring wrath?”

A girl warned Narin with a frown, looking displeased.

The girl seemed a little younger than Ja Ryong or Ja Maeng, but appeared to be the oldest among the girls. Perhaps she was ranked first among the female disciples?

Narin shrugged her shoulders and retorted.

“I’m not particularly afraid.”

“Do you need to be scolded to come to your senses?”

“What did I do to be scolded for? Is it such a big mistake for the youngest sibling to ask about family relations!”

Now it was the girl who was lost for words.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t something to be scolded for if the youngest who joined late was curious about the internal hierarchy of Somyeonggung. Rather, it was closer to something praiseworthy.

‘If elder brother Ja Ryong had been here, it would have been a question without any problem.’

It wasn’t that there was a problem with Narin’s question itself, but that there was actually a problem with Somyeonggung’s hierarchy, making it uncomfortable to have it exposed.

Realizing this, the girl had no choice but to close her mouth in embarrassment.

“If you’re really curious about family relations, that would be the case.”

The voice of an older woman suddenly intervened.

At this, the Somyeonggung children all knelt down at once, and only Narin turned around while standing.

“Greetings to the Matriarch!”

Matriarch?

In the spot she turned to, a middle-aged woman in black mourning clothes was looking at Narin, standing upright.

‘This person is the Matriarch.’

Recalling Bi Cha’s words that the Matriarch would come to the New Year’s ceremony, Narin quickly bowed her head in greeting. The Matriarch quietly bit her lip upon seeing Narin’s white hair as she bowed.

‘Impudent thing. Trying to deceive me?’

The price for daring to oppose this Matriarch would be paid dearly.

She pretended not to notice the rising anger and spoke calmly.

“What the Blood Martial Maiden is really curious about isn’t something like the internal hierarchy of Somyeonggung, right?”

She then spoke in a loud voice so that all the Somyeonggung children could hear.

“You believe that someone among these people stole the Asura Blade and framed Ja Ryong. Isn’t that so?”

“How could that be!”

“How could you have such a terrible thought!”

Narin was rather perplexed by the Somyeonggung children’s uncharacteristically fierce reactions.

‘Why are they acting like that? Isn’t it a natural suspicion?’

Since when were the Sect Leader’s children on such good terms with each other?

Wasn’t it the norm in Somyeonggung for them to kill each other until only one remained to become the Junior Sect Leader?

“Everyone, calm down.”

The Matriarch elegantly raised her hand to pacify the Somyeonggung children.

“The Blood Martial Maiden found the Asura Blade and received the characters as a reward, so she must have a deep attachment. It’s understandable that her judgement is clouded and she suspects her siblings.”

“But this is too much! Isn’t the culprit already certain? The Asura Blade was found in Ja Ryong’s residence! We have nothing to do with…!”

The boy who blurted out without thinking was startled and blocked his own mouth.

If by any chance Ja Ryong was exonerated, he would be the first to face punishment for saying such things.

The Matriarch smiled venomously as if she had been waiting for those very words.

“Yes. The Asura Blade was found in Ja Ryong’s residence. If the incident ends there, the number of masters in Somyeonggung will remain at exactly forty, as it has been until now.”

It would be exactly forty if Ja Ryong left and Narin joined.

That’s where the Matriarch’s point began.

“But if it turns out that Ja Ryong wasn’t the culprit and there was a separate real criminal… Well. There might be a few more empty rooms in Somyeonggung.”

“…!”

Fear crept into the children’s eyes.

If the incident escalated, the number of falsely accused and killed disciples, both male and female, might increase. And the victim could be oneself.

“Suspicion is a sin in itself.”

The Matriarch warned Narin implicitly while looking at her.

“Especially suspecting siblings who should be trusted and relied upon should not happen. For the harmony of the family.”

“Harmony?”

Narin’s tone was mixed with laughter.

“What’s the point of harmony after throwing elder brother Ja Ryong into the Naeok?”

“You! How dare you be so rude to the Matriarch!”

“It’s alright. Let her say what she wants.”

It might be the last time anyway.

The Matriarch thought so and smiled venomously.

Narin spoke.

“If elder brother Ja Ryong had really stolen the Asura Blade, would he have been crazy enough to bring it to his own residence? Pretending not to know even after realizing it’s a scheme is no different from hiding the real culprit!”

“Then are you saying you know who the real culprit is?”

“How would I know that!”

Narin shouted abruptly.

“Even if you can’t catch the real culprit, you shouldn’t make an innocent person take the fall. Right?”

“…!”

The Somyeonggung children were startled as if struck on the head by Narin’s words.

To begin with, not many people sincerely believed that Ja Ryong was the culprit. They had kept their mouths shut only because they believed that they could only be safe if they caught and sacrificed someone, anyone.

“T-then are you saying we can save big brother without anyone getting hurt?”

“Ja Yun!”

“But Heemi unnie, wouldn’t that be the best if it’s possible?”

“We should do it! Isn’t it siblings who trust and rely on each other!”

Just as the children’s hearts were starting to unite little by little while looking at each other.

“Ahahaha!”

The Matriarch burst into laughter, bending at the waist.

“How adorable. Are you saying the siblings will join hearts and save Ja Ryong? Commendable, but will it go as you wish?”

This old lady is trying to rain on our parade again.

The Matriarch pointed at the Somyeonggung children and said,

“Even if Ja Ryong isn’t the culprit, you haven’t forgotten that the real criminal must be among you, have you? The Asura Blade is a divine blade. Only those with the Heavenly Demon bloodline can touch it. Surely you don’t believe the Asura Blade disappeared on its own without anyone stealing it?”

“That’s…”

“Joining forces with the real culprit to trust, rely on, and save Ja Ryong! If you can do it, go ahead and try! Hohohoho!”

What a nasty old lady.

Narin thought, looking at the children’s eyes being consumed by anxiety once again.

‘Well, it’s not wrong.’

Narin herself had asked the question because she thought the culprit was among them, which was why she hadn’t bothered to memorize it. Although it yielded no results.

“Huh?”

Something flashed through her mind.

It seemed like she had overlooked something.

Narin put her fingers on both sides of her temples and let out a groan.

‘What is it? What did I miss?’

The events that had just occurred replayed rapidly in Narin’s head.

The exchange with the children, the Matriarch’s remarks, and among them, one sentence.

“Surely you don’t believe the Asura Blade disappeared on its own without anyone stealing it?”

“That’s it!”

“Oh my!”

Narin clenched both her fists.

Why hadn’t she considered this possibility from the beginning?

“Ah! I had predicted it! Stupid, stupid!”

Narin was scolding herself, pulling at her hair, when…

“What’s the commotion?”

“Greetings to the Grand Heavenly Demon!”

Apparently, the ruckus made by many people had caught Dokgo Cheon’s attention.

‘Just in time!’

Narin quickly ran to Dokgo Cheon and asked,

“The Asura Blade! Where is the Asura Blade?”

“…? The Asura Blade has already been sent to the Hall of Eternity.”

The Hall of Eternity.

It was the name of the largest outdoor event hall in the Demon Sect.

In other words, it meant that the Asura Blade had entered the preparation stage for the dedication ceremony.

Narin jumped up and shouted loudly.

“No! Stop it right now!”

But what was this? Dokgo Cheon, who would have normally granted any of Narin’s requests, shook his head.

“It’s difficult.”

“Why!”

“Because it’s currently the Misi (13-15 o’clock).”

Dokgo Cheon continued calmly.

“According to the law, all religious ceremonies must end before sunset. If we halt the event now, we won’t be able to proceed with the dedication ceremony at the scheduled time.”

Damn the law!

At times like this, one is reminded that the Demon Sect is a religious group.

The only absolute rule in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, where the logic of power applies to most matters. Even the Demon Sect Leader of the world cannot exercise flexibility when it comes to the law.

Narin looked around anxiously, clenching her fists.

She wanted to just blurt it out…

‘There’s no evidence.’

There were speculative circumstances, but confirmed facts were far too lacking.

Who would stop the event based solely on the words of a little child that were too embarrassing to even call a hypothesis?

Was this the end? Just as Narin was about to give up on everything.

“May I hear the reason?”

The Matriarch spoke up.

She looked at Narin with a venomous smile on her lips and continued.

“I heard that the Blood Martial Maiden’s intelligence surpasses that of adults. Surely she wouldn’t speak nonsense.”

“…”

Dokgo Cheon looked at the Matriarch for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Narin.

“I’ll leave it to your discretion.”

It meant that whether to speak or not was entirely Narin’s choice.

‘What should I do?’

Honestly, it wasn’t yet something to bring up in front of people.

But if not now, it couldn’t be stopped.

Moreover, wasn’t it said that Ja Ryong’s trial would also take place before sunset?

‘There’s no time to delay!’

Narin made up her mind and shouted loudly.

“The Asura Blade in the Hall of Eternity is fake!”