Hwa Ryeon decided to take an action that a layperson should never dare to do.

She dared to step onto the podium of Mannyeonjeon Hall.

“Look, look! There’s a crazy person!”

“Stop her!”

The 1st floor was only allowed for the Twelve Elders, the 2nd floor for the Seven Demon Lords.

Hwa Ryeon, who leaped up to the 3rd floor permitted only to the Dharma Protectors in one breath, dashed straight towards where Na Rin was.

“I can… prove it!”

Everyone was surprised by Hwa Ryeon’s sudden intrusion, but the most shocked person among them was undoubtedly Na Rin.

‘Why is elder sister appearing here!’

An examinee classmate who took the Bongmadong test together.

The girl warrior Hwa Ryeon, who almost died after getting caught up in Na Rin’s accident, why was she here now?

“What are the groom’s attendants doing! Drag that ruffian out right now!”

At the sharp voice of Yeo Bijo, who was directing the offering ceremony, Na Rin’s mind became alert.

“High Priestess, please wait a moment!”

“Blood Maiden?”

Na Rin gulped down her saliva.

“I want to hear the story.”

It wasn’t a leisurely situation where she could thoughtlessly defend someone just because they were an acquaintance.

However, if Hwa Ryeon stepped onto the podium now, the reason must be related to her.

“Elder sister Hwa Ryeon.”

Hwa Ryeon nodded to Na Rin and then spoke to the Demon Cult leaders who were focusing on her.

“I will confirm whether the Asura Blade is real or fake.”

“Now even trivial beings are stepping up.”

The Demon Queen didn’t hide her irritated expression and continued.

“There’s no value in listening to the words of a layperson whose identity is unknown. Immediately drag that lowly being out and make her pay with blood for daring to step on the podium.”

“I am not a lowly being.”

Hwa Ryeon glanced at Na Rin once and then declared in a firm tone.

“My name is Hwa Ryeon, and I stepped onto the podium with the qualifications of being the Blood Maiden’s guard and a member of the Blue Dragon Squad.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

Whether Na Rin and Gong Son Wu were confused by this information they were hearing for the first time or not, Hwa Ryeon recklessly continued. It was already spilled water anyway.

“And regarding the authenticity of the Asura Blade…”

Hwa Ryeon unwrapped the bandage on her hand, revealing her burned palm, and continued.

“You can confirm it with my hand.”

“…!”

At that moment, the atmosphere changed completely.

Although no one said it out loud, the method to verify the authenticity of the Asura Blade was already set.

Having someone who is not of the Heavenly Demon bloodline hold the hilt of the Asura Blade.

There was no clearer way than to see whether the wrath of the gods would burn their flesh or not.

“Hmm. It’s the best thing if there’s a volunteer.”

The old man who had been silent during the discussion spoke up.

The Seventh Elder, Oh Hyeon Hak.

Even if he didn’t have the kind of loyalty to risk his true body, he had more than enough connections to lend Na Rin the necessary strength at the crucial moment she needed.

“Seventh Elder, what are you doing now?”

“Demon Queen, the suspicion that the Asura Blade might be fake has already spread. There will be continuous doubts about its authenticity, so it would be better to clearly confirm it in front of people.”

Oh Hyeon Hak’s opinion was reasonable and not swayed by emotions.

They couldn’t deny that suspicious gazes had arisen due to Na Rin repeatedly claiming it was fake.

“This old man also agrees with the Seventh Elder’s opinion.”

“It was a savage method, so it was difficult to suggest it readily, but honestly, it’s a thankful thing.”

“Regardless of the outcome, isn’t it better to do it quickly?”

“Since the Cult Leader is absent, let’s decide by voting.”

With this, all Twelve Elders agreed, most of the Seven Demon Lords agreed, and some of the Dharma Protectors agreed. In principle, the deceased people of Bukbangsan were not given voting rights.

“Then I will confirm it right away.”

“Wait a moment!”

The Demon Queen unintentionally stopped Hwa Ryeon.

‘It can’t really be fake, right?’

For the first time, anxiety crept into the Demon Queen’s heart.

She had strongly believed that Na Rin was hostile towards her, so she had taken the opposite stance to show her a lesson, but in reality, she had no plan or information.

“Bodhisattva of the Four Heavenly Kings, is this wench really a member of the Blue Dragon Squad? No matter how I look at it, she just seems like a young, unqualified wench.”

Gong Son Wu glanced at Hwa Ryeon and clicked his tongue.

He had been trying to recruit only the elite, but to think he would end up hastily accepting a newbie like this.

‘If the existing Blue Dragon Squad members find out, they definitely won’t stay still.’

But what could he do? He couldn’t deny it now.

Gong Son Wu brazenly replied with a straight face.

“Her talent of passing the lower-level warrior exam at a young age and her loyalty to not hesitate to burn her hands for her lord are enough to become a Blue Dragon Squad member. Hwa Ryeon, quickly confirm it.”

“…”

Then Hwa Ryeon looked at Na Rin as if expecting something.

“Huh? Me?”

“I am the Blood Maiden’s guard, after all.”

That was the setting, right.

Na Rin awkwardly scratched her head and said.

“Hwa Ryeon, take the Asura Blade.”

“As you command.”

The moment Hwa Ryeon knelt down and extended both hands towards Na Rin, the gazes of not only the leadership but everyone in Mannyeonjeon Hall focused on one place.

If the Asura Blade was fake, nothing would happen, but if it was real, what would follow next was the smell of a young girl’s flesh burning and a terrible scream.

Gulp.

“…”

In the silence, the Asura Blade gently descended onto Hwa Ryeon’s palm, which had distinct burn marks.

So peacefully.

“What?”

“Nothing seems to be happening?”

“Right. What’s going on?”

Right then, someone among the people shouted loudly.

“It’s fake!”

Hearing those words, people became alert.

“That’s right! It’s true! It’s fake!”

“The Blood Maiden was correct!”

“Find and kill the one who replicated the divine blade!”

“Kill them!”

The podium was shaking from the people’s uproar.

Nevertheless, none of the leaders standing on the podium could calm the laypeople down. They were all in shock.

“Was it really fake…?”

“Since when was it fake? Was it an illusion from the beginning?”

The person who received the biggest shock among them was the Demon Queen, Yang Ju Ran.

‘We have to seal Bukbangsan? For 10 years?’

A red shadow loomed over the faces of the people who had sunk to the ground in shock.

The sunset had begun.

“Ja Ryong!”

Gong Son Wu called out as if he had realized something.

“Na Rin, I have to go save Ja Ryong. The Cult Leader will arrive soon, so can you be alone for a while?”

“Yes, stepfather.”

“If someone oppresses you in the meantime…”

Gong Son Wu hesitated for a moment, then spoke strongly as if making a big decision.

“You can hit them!”

“Wow!”

A bright smile spread across Na Rin’s face.

Gong Son Wu, who became anxious at that expression, quickly added a condition.

“But you have to hit them gently. You can’t kill them. Understand? Think of everyone in the world except the Cult Leader and me as soft tofu.”

“Soft tofu?”

“Yes. Soft tofu!”

Soft tofu, how could she hit something that mushy?

Only after seeing Na Rin’s downcast face did Gong Son Wu feel relieved and left the place like lightning. At that speed, he could sufficiently stop the execution before Ja Ryong’s head was cut off.

“By the way.”

Someone spoke up.

“Where is the real Asura Blade then?”

“…”

As if answering, Na Rin’s gaze turned towards Bi Sa Mun Cheon, and naturally, the others’ eyes followed.

It was a reasonable suspicion.

If the burn mark that Jeok Gun Ak had proudly shown was indeed caused by the real Asura Blade, it meant the genuine one must have reached Bukchungung at least once.

Above all, didn’t Jeok Gun Ak himself directly say it?

That there was no one who knew more about the Asura Blade than him in this place.

“Are you suspecting me now?”

“It’s not exactly that… It’s the process of elimination.”

“To create a counterfeit that is indistinguishable from the genuine article, one would need to observe the Asura Blade closely for a long time. And I don’t think there’s anyone else who could have done that…”

“Frankly speaking, the motive is also quite clear, isn’t it?”

Creak.

Jeok Gun Ak gritted his teeth roughly.

They had the guts to mention ‘motive’ here, so their liver must have come out of their stomach.

The story of Jeok Gun Ak coveting Dokgo Cheon’s position was as much of an open secret as the fact that Dokgo Cheon had lost his emotions.

“It was you.”

The Demon Queen approached Jeok Gun Ak with vacant eyes as if her soul had been taken away, taking one step at a time.

“Jeok Gun Ak. You dared to humiliate me!”

Ordinary people would reflect on ‘where they went wrong’ in such situations, but the Demon Queen was different. The first thought that crossed her mind when faced with an unwanted situation was ‘someone had set a trap for her.’

“Aunt, please calm down!”

“Don’t stop me, Ga Ho! Didn’t that bastard create a fake Asura Blade to deceive my daughter!”

When the Demon Queen, who had lost her reason, rushed towards Jeok Gun Ak with sharp nails exposed, at that moment…

“Revere the Heavenly Demon!”

A black palanquin with hundreds of cavalry in front and thousands of infantry behind, escorted by dozens of mounted soldiers, entered Mannyeonjeon Hall.

“The Heavenly Demon has arrived!”

“All demons bow down!”

Na Rin’s mouth gaped open.

The sight of all the people kneeling and bowing their heads in their respective positions was a spectacle in itself.

‘They’re really bowing down to all demons.’

While ten thousand Demon Cult members had their foreheads on the ground, Dokgo Cheon’s palanquin slowly ascended the podium.

When the palanquin, comparable in size to a decent hall, settled in the middle of the podium, it instantly looked like another floor had been added to the top of the podium.

Finally, Dokgo Cheon appeared.

“Reporting to the Heavenly Demon.”

Yeo Bijo, as the priestess presiding over the ceremony, quickly reported the current situation.

Fortunately, the fact that the Asura Blade was fake wasn’t very surprising to Dokgo Cheon. It was exactly what Na Rin had claimed just a few hours ago.

“Cult Leader, we must search Bukchungung!”

The Demon Queen didn’t hide her agitated emotions.

“I’m certain that Bi Sa Mun Cheon created a fake to replace the real Asura Blade with the intention of stealing it! The genuine one must be in Bukchungung!”

“We also think so, Your Majesty.”

“…”

The Twelve Elders also subtly sided with the Demon Queen.

It was hard to believe they were the same people who had ridiculed Na Rin whenever she said something and agreed that Bi Sa Mun Cheon’s opinion was trustworthy.

“Please allow us to search Bukchungung!”

“O Revered One, please make a decision!”

“…”

Despite the Demon Queen and the elders’ urging, Dokgo Cheon remained silent.

He just looked around at the leaders, including the Demon Queen and Jeok Gun Ak.

“Hmm?”

Sensing something different from usual in Dokgo Cheon’s appearance, Na Rin slightly lifted her head while lying down to peek.

‘Something’s a bit strange.’

Normally, by this point, he should have answered either ‘I allow it’ or ‘I forbid it.’ Although it was true that Dokgo Cheon had a taciturn personality, was he the type of person to remain silent even in a situation where he was being urged to answer to this extent?

“Is there something on your mind?”

It was Hwa Ryeon.

Na Rin felt uncomfortable with Hwa Ryeon’s polite speech, who was much older than her, but since they appeared to have a master-servant relationship to others, she endured and replied.

“It’s just that… it’s strange that the Cult Leader… no, Father isn’t saying anything.”

“I understand he came from the Tower of Silence. Could it be that he is keeping a vow of silence?”

“If he were going to perform the offering ceremony, that would be the case. But there’s no need to maintain silence when the Asura Blade is not even here…”

No way.

Na Rin’s eyes widened.

Instinctively, Na Rin’s gaze turned to the reddened sky. There wasn’t even a moment left until the sun completely set beyond the western mountains.

“How long does it take to get to Bukchungung from here?”

“About half an hour by carriage.”

It seemed possible if they hurried.

Na Rin quietly stood up from her place and said to Hwa Ryeon.

“If anyone asks, tell them I went to the restroom.”

“Yes. I wish you good luck.”

Na Rin’s expression became a little brighter at Hwa Ryeon’s neat farewell.

Right. This was the aspect of this elder sister that she liked.

“I’ll be back.”

As soon as the words ended, Na Rin’s figure disappeared from Hwa Ryeon’s sight.

Leaving only a tempestuous wind and a deep red afterimage like a comet.