“Why are you all gathered here? Were you waiting for me?”

“Be quiet.”

Gong Son Wu stood between Ma Hu and Na Rin as he spoke.

“How would calling a fake a fake be making a big deal out of it? Incurring the wrath of the evil god with a false sacred object is what would truly be making a big deal.”

Is this really coming from the mouth of the person who just called her a troublemaker and flicked her forehead?

Ma Hu snickered in amusement at Gong Son Wu’s unconditional protective attitude towards Na Rin.

“Haha! I didn’t know the Guardian of the West had such strong protective instincts. It’s a pity he hasn’t started a family at his age.”

“Our elder brother is not that old.”

“I told you to be quiet!”

“If he were just a few years younger, he wouldn’t have been a bad match for our Ga Ho.”

“Auntie.”

“I know, I know. I’m getting old and silly.”

Auntie?

Na Rin’s eyes widened as she saw the Blood Demon fidgeting behind Ma Hu Yang Ju Ran.

Now that she looked, the two of them looked very alike!

“The Blood Demon and Ma Hu are related?!”

“Did the Guardian of the West not tell you even that?”

“My apologies. I didn’t have the leisure to teach about the deceased’s family tree.”

Ma Hu snorted at Gong Son Wu, who was purposely provoking her by mentioning the deceased again, and returned to the original topic.

“So how do you know that Asura Sword is a fake?”

“You can tell by looking at it!”

Na Rin continued confidently.

“The real Asura Sword has faint black specks inside the Lunar Jade. But the Lunar Jade attached here is spotlessly clean! So this is fake!”

“Na Rin.”

Gong Son Wu tapped Na Rin’s shoulder.

“What is it, elder brother?”

“Is there nothing else?”

“Why would we need anything else? I’m telling you it’s certain!”

“Ahahaha!”

At that moment, Ma Hu burst into laughter.

“Blood Princess, who on earth told you that the genuine article has specks and the fake does not?”

What kind of strange question is that?

Na Rin retorted in a tone that suggested it was an obvious question.

“The Sect Leader and I, of course.”

“Hoho. I thought as much.”

Why does she keep laughing like a madwoman? Annoyed by Ma Hu’s incessant, unpleasant snickering, Na Rin spoke in a blunt manner.

“If you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself. Even if you don’t know my words, you can believe the Sect Leader’s, can’t you?”

“Na Rin.”

“What is it, elder brother!”

“It’s not that simple. The Asura Sword offering ceremony is different from the New Year’s ceremony or the Evil Princess appointment ceremony.”

“What’s different about it!”

“May I explain?”

A person interjected into the conversation.

It was the female priest in black hemp ritual robes. Dressed in men’s clothing, the usually delicate and refined female priest exuded the solemn air of a stern priest.

“…Yes, please do.”

The female priest bowed her head in a neat and dignified manner, and continued.

“The Asura Sword offering ceremony is not a human event. It is a ritual where the Heavenly Demon offers himself with gratitude and fear for the sacred sword bestowed by the Master of Light and Wisdom, vowing to live a life fighting evil for eternity.”

‘So it wasn’t about offering the sword.’

Come to think of it, it would be a bit strange to return a sword that was given as a gift.

Seeing Na Rin nodding her head in understanding, the female priest continued.

“In order for the Heavenly Demon to commune with the evil god, there are laws, Asha, that must be observed. Although it has been greatly simplified with the passage of time, it must be followed.”

“What kind of laws?”

“Symbolically speaking, it means shedding the human body. To put it simply, entering a state of trance.”

“A state of trance?!”

The female priest covered her mouth elegantly and laughed at Na Rin’s shocked expression.

“Don’t worry. Didn’t I say it has been greatly simplified? His Holiness is fasting and remaining silent in the Tower of Silence where no light enters.”

“That’s a relief.”

Na Rin sighed in relief, but her breath suddenly stopped.

‘Wait a minute.’

The Tower of Silence where no light enters. Fasting and silence.

Na Rin’s face gradually darkened.

Now she understood why Ma Hu had laughed and why Gong Son Wu had been reluctant.

‘In a place where no light enters, you can’t verify if the Asura Sword is fake. And before that, you can’t even speak, so you can’t testify that the real one had specks.’

The traces of demons in the Lunar Jade attached to the Asura Sword.

Only two people, Na Rin and Dokgo Cheon, had actually seen that speck-sized stain, and now one of them was unable to speak.

“It has become truly regrettable.”

Despite her words, Ma Hu didn’t look regretful at all as she smiled brightly and clapped her hands as if she just remembered something.

“Come to think of it, isn’t there one more person who closely examined the Asura Sword? In a way, they might be the one who observed the Asura Sword for the longest time. Isn’t that right, Guardian of the North?”

“You are absolutely correct, Lady Ma Hu.”

As if waiting to be called upon, the giant of Darkwater revealed himself.

Jeok Gun Ak, the Guardian of the North, didn’t even glance at Na Rin and spoke directly to Gong Son Wu.

“There would be no one here who knows the Asura Sword better than I do.”

As he spoke, Jeok Gun Ak removed his gloves and revealed his hand, disfigured by burn scars, in front of everyone.

“Ooh!”

“Those scars…!”

“Truly terrifying.”

The senior members of the Demon Sect and their attendants clicked their tongues at the gruesome burn marks that chilled them to the bone just by looking.

Ma Hu spoke with a satisfied expression.

“Indeed, you are the right person. Then I ask you, Guardian of the North. Did you see it? The speck in the Lunar Jade that the Blood Princess spoke of.”

“A speck, you say.”

Jeok Gun Ak paced the platform as if gliding.

His movements were like those of a predator gauging when to sink its teeth into its prey’s neck.

“I am deeply sorry to the Blood Princess and the Guardian of the West.”

Thud.

Where Jeok Gun Ak stopped, Gong Son Wu was standing.

Already gripping his sword hilt, ready to cut him down the moment he said another word, Jeok Gun Ak spoke right in front of Gong Son Wu.

“I saw nothing.”

“You bastard!”

“Oh no, elder brother!”

The person who pulled Gong Son Wu back from behind as he charged like a fierce dog was none other than Na Rin.

She knew well that when Jeok Gun Ak, as a longtime rival, made such provocations, there was always, without fail, an ulterior motive.

Not only that.

“Please restrain yourself! Jeok Gun Ak is so weak that if elder brother hits him even slightly, he’ll die!”

Na Rin also knew well how to get under Jeok Gun Ak’s skin.

“Huh? Na Rin, what did you say?”

Gong Son Wu’s anger dissipated in an instant upon hearing such an absurd statement, but Na Rin had no intention of stopping.

“How can martial arts skills be the same just because you’re both Guardians! To our elder brother, renowned as the second best in the world! That timid weakling who drags his lackeys around like clouds! As if! He could take a single punch! He’ll just die with a thud if you touch him!”

“…Since when did your pronunciation become so fluent?”

“Elder brother!”

“Okay, okay. Isn’t it enough to just hold back?”

Gong Son Wu laughed and surreptitiously examined Jeok Gun Ak’s expression.

As expected, Jeok Gun Ak’s face was flushed as red as his hair color.

“This, ugh…!”

Jeok Gun Ak gnashed his teeth but couldn’t say a word.

Although the content of Na Rin’s words infuriated him one by one, the pretext was to stop the fight.

‘If Gong Son Wu drew his sword in anger, the plan was to frame it as causing a commotion to cover up an unfavorable situation.’

On the contrary, if Jeok Gun Ak lost his temper, it would become the opposite of the original intention.

Jeok Gun Ak’s eyes turned to Na Rin.

‘Come to think of it, that little wench…’

Upon closer reflection, she had gotten on his nerves more than once or twice.

Didn’t the Blood Demon Yang Ga Ho personally come to the North Heavenly Palace to warn about that young girl, although it became unclear due to the appearance of the Asura Sword?

‘I’ll need to keep an eye on her.’

Dong−!

At that moment, the sound of a large, heavy drum was heard.

It was the evening drum signaling the Ox Hour (1-3 AM).

“We can delay no longer.”

Ma Hu smiled at Na Rin.

“If there is no other evidence, it would be best to admit defeat at this point, Blood Princess. It was quite an entertaining diversion.”

‘Admit defeat?’

Na Rin clenched her fists.

The moment she admitted defeat, the East Heavenly Palace would have to seal its gates for a year, Ja Ryong would lose his life, and the real Asura Sword would fall into Jeok Gun Ak’s hands.

“No way.”

No matter what, she couldn’t let that happen.

Na Rin shouted as loudly as possible, putting all her qi and internal energy into her voice.

“This Asura Sword is fake! Whether it can be proven or not! That is the truth!”

Na Rin’s voice, filled with the power of the 4th stage of internal energy, shook the entire Hall of Eternity louder and farther than the drum signaling the time.

“This is unacceptable! Guardian of the North, shouldn’t you drag the Blood Princess out? At this rate, she will tarnish the noble Blood Demon bloodline.”

“If Lady Ma Hu commands it.”

“Just try it if you dare.”

Jeok Gun Ak approached to seize Na Rin, while Gong Son Wu blocked him, directly confronting each other. The two Guardians naturally assumed combat stances, as if they had always known a day like this would come.

“I’ll hit you lightly, so don’t die.”

Those were Gong Son Wu’s words.

Although his pride was hurt, Jeok Gun Ak didn’t let his guard down.

Because it was true that Gong Son Wu was strong.

“I’ll do my best.”

At the critical moment when the two Guardians were about to clash.

There was only one person in the entire sect who could resolve this situation.

And that person was not Dokgo Cheon.

‘The Asura Sword is fake?’

At the very bottom floor of the Hall of Eternity.

In the center of the granite plaza where numerous believers were gathered.

This was where the low-ranking warrior Hwa Ryeon was standing.

‘It was strange enough that an imposter rode in the New Year’s ceremony’s flower palanquin, and now the Asura Sword is also fake… I don’t know the details, but it seems Na Rin is in big trouble.’

Hwa Ryeon’s eyes turned to the platform where Na Rin was.

‘Can I help?’

She didn’t think the predicament the Evil Princess was in could be resolved by the exploits of a mere low-ranking warrior. The world Hwa Ryeon, a commoner and orphan, saw was always calm and realistic.

But looking at it the other way, if not for such achievements, there would be no reason for Na Rin to keep someone as insignificant as herself close.

‘Let’s go for now.’

She had come here from the beginning, thinking it would be her last chance.

There was no reason not to muster courage when she was prepared to desperately beg to be taken in.

Hwa Ryeon pushed through the bustling crowd and moved closer to the platform.

And that choice was right.

“This Asura Sword is fake! Whether it can be proven or not! That is the truth!”

Na Rin’s voice, shouting at the top of her lungs from the highest level of the platform, seemed to be calling out to her.

‘It’s now.’

Hwa Ryeon could instinctively feel it.

That the choice made at this moment would completely change her life.