Jin Mu-Won sat in the middle of the prison cell, eyes closed. He was the only inmate there. After the previous incidents, the Outer Hall Leader Dan Woon-Gang had taken asures to prevent any visitors from approaching him.
With neither visitors nor disturbances, Jin Mu-Won could finally lose himself in his thoughts. Revelling in this freedom he hadn't enjoyed in a long ti, his thoughts expanded, and his imagination soared.
However, his peace was short-lived.
SLAM!
An elderly man, seemingly in his mid-to-late fifties, suddenly barged in through the prison doors. His gaunt physique, slightly irritable expression, and sharp gaze spoke of an eccentric personality.
Behind him, the Outer Hall Leader Dan Woon-Gang trailed like a dog that desperately needed to take a shit.
After briefly surveying the prison, the old man walked straight toward the cell where Jin Mu-Won was being held and looked down at Jin Mu-Won. "Are you Jin Mu-Won?" he snapped, his voice as sharp as his appearance.
Jin Mu-Won slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the old man. "Yes, I am."
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"I am Geum Ju-Sang, the Chief Inspector of Heaven's Summit. Do you know why I ca here?"
"Is it because there's a problem with my identity?"
"Indeed."
The Chief Inspector's eyes glead ominously even in the darkness of the prison. As the Chief Inspector in charge of enforcing Heaven's Summit's rules and regulations, he was quite the formidable martial artist, but even he couldn't see through Jin Mu-Won.
"So ti ago, you were arrested for slaughtering dozens of martial artists at an inn in Wuhan. Is that correct?" he asked.
"Yes," Jin Mu-Won replied calmly.
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"Do you admit your guilt?"
"What guilt?"
"You murdered dozens of innocent people. Do you deny it?"
"I admit that I killed dozens of people, but they were hardly innocent."
"The truth is different?"
"Yes."
"Tell . I'd like to hear how your side of the story differs from the report I received."
"I was enjoying a nice al at a restaurant when assassins attacked . I couldn't just stand there and let them kill , right?"
"The ones you killed were all assassins?"
"Yes."
"Hmm…" Geum Ju-Sang frowned. Jin Mu-Won's testimony was completely different from what was written in the report he had received. "One more question. Answer honestly." Ꞧ
"Go ahead."
"Are you really from the Iron Sword Sect?"
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"……"
"So the information is indeed wrong? Before coming here, I received an anonymous tip that you weren't a disciple of the Iron Sword Sect. They said that you were Jin Mu-Won, the sixth Lord of the Northern Army."
The tension in the air deepened, and Outer Hall Leader Dan Woon-Gang gulped unconsciously.
The Northern Army?
How could he not know that na? A decade ago, he had dispatched his subordinates from the Third Company to the Northern Army Fortress, but most of its mbers were killed in the Silent Night's attack.
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"……" Jin Mu-Won remained expressionless.
"Answer . Is it true?" Geum Ju-Sang pressed.
"Yes."
"Damn it!" Geum Ju-Sang let out a small groan and closed his eyes. Jin Mu-Won's answer had co as a shock to him. He was one of the few in Heaven's Summit who rembered the Northern Army and what they truly stood for.
After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at Jin Mu-Won with pity. "Why? Why did you co here? Why didn't you stay hidden? Don't you know that you're not exactly welcod here?"
"I wanted to. I thought about living quietly, like a ghost, but destiny led here."
The Chaos Demon's attack, training at the Sword Wall in Mount Cinnabar, his journey to Yunnan, and the path to this place. Thinking back, his long journey had been anything but been easy, and none of it seed connected, and yet, he had arrived here as if guided by sothing.
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It could only be destiny.
"Destiny? If this is your destiny, then it is a cruel one."
"Perhaps."
"Regardless, I will proceed according to protocol. I won't make any exceptions for you just because you're the heir to the Northern Army."
"That's enough."
"I wish you luck. A word of advice, though, be careful. The world is not a kind place."
Jin Mu-Won bowed his head sincerely. "Thank you."
He could tell that Geum Ju-Sang was a man who could distinguish between personal feelings and duty. The Chief Inspector wouldn't offer him any help, but he also wouldn't do anything malicious.
For him, that was enough.
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Geum Ju-Sang turned to Dan Woon-Gang. "I will transfer him to the Investigation Departnt's prison soon, so until then, guard him closely."
"Y-Yes."
Even though they were both leaders of their respective units, the Investigation Departnt and the Outer Hall were worlds apart in status and strength. Unlike the powerless Outer Hall, no one in Heaven's Summit except the Nine Skies was outside the Investigation Departnt's influence.
Geum Ju-Sang closed his eyes. A storm is coming… No, it would be more accurate to say that he has brought the storm.
Soon, the news that Jin Mu-Won was the heir to the Northern Army spread among Heaven's Summit's leaders.
"The heir to the Northern Army has appeared?"
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"Is that true?"
The leadership of Heaven's Summit was in turmoil.
Heaven's Summit was not an independent entity. It was a mini-jianghu where the interests of countless sects and factions were intertwined like a spiderweb.
Based on those connections, the leaders began to contemplate the impact of Jin Mu-Won's sudden appearance.
Finally, a conference was called. On the surface, it was to discuss matters related to the Demon Hunter selection, but since representatives from all the major sects were attending, they would also bring up the issue of Jin Mu-Won.
More than fifty of the most powerful and influential leaders of Heaven's Summit, the Nine Great Sects, and the Five Great Clans gathered together in a massive hall. The atmosphere was heated, like a volcano about to erupt, but everyone suppressed their apprehension and patiently waited for the eting to begin.
The Nine Skies, the symbol of Heaven's Summit, were not present, but the Ten Great Elders attended in their stead.
· The White Fog Divine Fist, Gal Mun-Hong.
· The Smiling Red Sword, Yoo Cheong-Wol.
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· The Crazy Old Man of Mount Tai, Yang Gyeong-Mun.
· The Jade Flower Fairy, Bing Ha-Woon.
· The Shadowless Demon Slayer, Seop Yo-Cheon.
· The Divine Spear, Sama Gong-Cheon.
· The Dragon Catcher, Woo Mun-Sang.
· The Vajra Yaksha, Daeryeok Sim.
· The Carefree Musician, Baekri Hyeon-Sang.
· The Asura teor Blade, Hong Cheon-Hak.
Each elder was a master whose martial arts prowess was said to be second only to the Nine Skies, and they were also core leaders of Heaven's Summit.
Just as it was almost impossible for the Nine Skies to gather in one place, it was also rare for the Ten Great Elders to et like this. That was how much the appearance of the Northern Army's heir affected them.
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In addition to the Ten Great Elders, the heads of the key organizations in Heaven's Summit were also present.
· The Chief Inspector of the Investigation Departnt, Geum Ju-Sang.
· The Weapons Hall Director, Pyo So-Ryu.
· The Ruling Hall Director, Yuk Ji-Mun.
· The Secret Pavilion Director, Wol Seong-Cheon.
The other martial artists who ca from the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Clans, and so on, were also, without exception, extraordinary individuals.
As the leaders looked at each other, their faces were etched with tension. The matter they were about to discuss was sensitive and had significant repercussions.
Most of the people present had been there ten years ago when the Northern Army was disbanded. In a way, they were accomplices in the destruction of the Northern Army. Therefore, now that the Northern Army was being brought up again, few were pleased.
The elders of the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Clans, and so on were no different. It had been ten years since the destruction of the Northern Army. It was a forgotten na, an event of the distant past. No one was amused that a ghost of the past had resurrected to disrupt the order they had established, and their feelings were clearly reflected in their facial expressions.
Woo Mun-Sang, one of the Ten Great Elders, kicked off the eting by saying, "This is a troubleso situation. The heir of the Northern Army has appeared? I thought he was dead?"
He looked at the Secret Pavilion director, Wol Seong-Cheon.
The Secret Pavilion was Heaven's Summit's intelligence organization, and Wol Seong-Cheon was its leader. Naturally, most of the information that reached Heaven's Summit went through him.
Most importantly, seven years ago, it was the Secret Pavilion that had declared Jin Mu-Won dead, so all eyes were on Wol Seong-Cheon.
Seeing everyone staring at him, Wol Seong-Cheon bit his lip and explained, "According to the information I gathered seven years ago, he was definitely dead. I don't have any idea why he's alive, but based on the information I had at that ti, there was no other possible conclusion."
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Yang Gyeong-Mun, another one of the Ten Great Elders, cut in, "We're not here to bla you, Director Wol Seong-Cheon. We're here to decide what to do about Jin Mu-Won. Speak your minds freely."
"What's there to discuss? The Northern Army betrayed us, which makes its heir an enemy of the jianghu. He's currently imprisoned in the Outer Hall, so we should take this opportunity to kill him and uphold justice," Namgung Cheong-San, the representative of the Namgung Clan, suggested.
News had reached him that Namgung Il-Geom, one of his clan's promising prodigies, had been utterly humiliated by Jin Mu-Won, so he had nothing but open hostility toward Jin Mu-Won.
As if waiting for this mont, many others chid in with their support.
"If the heir to the Northern Army is allowed to walk freely in Heaven's Summit, we'll beco the laughing stock of the entire jianghu."
"Indeed! The Northern Army has caused great harm to the jianghu. They should have fought the Silent Night, but instead they colluded with them, which led to the Silent Night's resurgence. Just look at the state of things now. How much are we suffering because of the Silent Night?" the Knowledge Seeking Sage of the Zhongnan Sect passionately voiced his opinion, stroking his beard.
The atmosphere in the hall quickly beca heated.
BAM!
Just then, a middle-aged Taoist with a round face and sharp eyes slamd the table and stood up, his eyes were filled with rage as he looked at those gathered in the hall.
"Weren't the sins of the Northern Army absolved with the death of their previous leader, Jin Kwan-Ho? Even the Nine Skies of Heaven's Summit acknowledged that. Why are we suddenly talking about punishing his son, Jin Mu-Won? Has he committed so terrible cri?" the Seven Star Sage of Mount Hua Sect shouted angrily.
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An elder of the Kongtong Sect also stood up. "Mu-Jin, our Sect Leader's disciple, t him before. According to him, Jin Mu-Won is an honorable man who would never harm the jianghu. We…"
"How can we make a decision based solely on the words of a re disciple?" Namgung Cheong-San interrupted.
"Mu-Jin is not just any disciple. He's the next Sect Leader of the Kongtong Sect. Are you calling him a liar?"
"That's not…"
Namgung Cheong-San and the Kongtong elder began to argue. Others joined in, and the hall quickly beca noisy.
The Carefree Musician Baekri Hyeon-Sang, one of the Ten Great Elders, frowned. The sudden appearance of the heir to the Northern Army has divided us. If this continues, Heaven's Summit will fall into internal conflict.
Many elders insisted on executing Jin Mu-Won, but there was also considerable opposition. In particular, the Kongtong Sect, the Mount Hua Sect, and the Tang Clan were strongly opposed to Jin Mu-Won's incarceration.
Since they were so of the most prominent sects in the jianghu, it was impossible to ignore them and carry out Jin Mu-Won's punishnt.
Just like that, Jin Mu-Won's presence alone sent waves through Heaven's Summit.
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