Chapter 96

Chapter 96
“And if the proof fails to surface?”

The words came from Yeom Hwa-sin with chilling detachment.

Yet at that very second, Baek So-cheon detected the subtle glimmer of fascination sparking within Yeom Hwa-sin’s gaze.

“Given your nature, would you truly permit me to simply stroll away?”

The surrounding crowd naturally expected Yeom Hwa-sin to strike Baek So-cheon down where he stood.

Baek So-cheon, however, was positive that death would not come so quickly. The man intended to heap derision upon him, keeping him alive in disgrace.

What Yeom Hwa-sin truly yearned for was an audience to boast about his forthcoming triumphs—to parade the catastrophic conflict he intended to kindle, to display his total subjugation of the Murim, compelling Baek So-cheon to observe every last conquest.

Then, at the definitive turning point of that grand display, he would finally extinguish his life.

Therefore, the actual consequence of failing to provide proof was never going to be Baek So-cheon’s immediate execution; it was the premature eruption of total warfare.

With the lifeless frame of Yeom Sa-won resting between them, their eyes clashed across the open expanse.

“Are you so eager to perish on this stage?”

“A swift death is far preferable to bearing the vile slander of murdering your offspring.”

“Slander, you say?”

“Precisely. The blatant deception you devised to indict me.”

Baek So-cheon’s unwavering conviction stirred immediate skepticism among the assembled masters. Perhaps a far deeper scheme was unfolding beneath the surface.

“Will you permit me a brief inspection of the deceased? I swear not to defile the body or display the slightest insolence.”

Yeom Hwa-sin showed a hint of reluctance, prompting Baek So-cheon to press harder.

“That basic concession is the least you can grant a falsely accused man.”

Nods of approval rippled through the spectators. They had yet to pledge their allegiance to either side. Righteous order or otherwise, they maintained an impartial stance on this matter.

Yielding to the collective pressure, Yeom Hwa-sin lowered the corpse onto the hard stone surface of the dueling arena.

“Very well. Inspect him.”

“Much appreciated.”

Baek So-cheon approached the fallen youth and initiated a meticulous examination.

A martial artist does not perish spontaneously without leaving an identifiable mark.

Not a single droplet of blood marred the exterior, which indicated that any fatal trauma must be entirely internal. He cursed his inability to channel qi into the meridians and vital organs; Yeom Hwa-sin’s suffocating proximity prevented any covert internal probing.

Baek So-cheon drew aside the outer garments, revealing the renowned Black Dragon Divine Armor nestled underneath.

As his hands moved to unfasten the relic, Yeom Hwa-sin’s voice boomed across the stage.

“Have some decency for the departed!”

His command made it clear that stripping the corpse naked before an audience would not be tolerated.

Baek So-cheon shifted his focus to the exposed patches of flesh left unprotected by the plates. The armor would have thoroughly guarded the chest and back anyway; had an assassin’s dart or concealed needle struck, it would naturally target an exposed opening.

He peered closely at Yeom Sa-won’s bare skin. A piercing burst of invisible finger wind would certainly tear the flesh. A projectile dart would do the same.

Yet there was nothing. The flesh was unmarked.

A secret mental communication from Ak So-gun suddenly chimed in his consciousness.

*I share this to assist your inquiry. Anticipating possible interference from Alliance Lord Yeom, the apex masters from our main headquarters placed him and his Black Heaven guards under unbroken surveillance. Not a single person shifted position.*

In short, no disguised projectile had been unleashed from Yeom Hwa-sin’s retinue.

Baek So-cheon offered no mental reply, as Yeom Hwa-sin’s towering presence lingered far too close to risk manipulating inner energy.

The audience held their breath in collective anticipation, transfixed by the stalemate.

After a tense silence, Yeom Hwa-sin sneered.

“Do you require additional time?”

His stare was laden with open mockery, devoid of sorrow or fury, enjoying the spectacle of futile struggling.

*He orchestrated this beyond a shadow of a doubt.*

*Yet by what means?*

Baek So-cheon’s attention descended once more upon the fallen fighter.

The onlookers looked on with swelling pity. Unraveling the exact method of death seemed completely beyond Baek So-cheon’s capability, and a majority began concluding that he truly was guilty of manslaughter.

“You have been indulged with more than enough leeway.”

Just as desperation threatened to cloud his mind, a sudden realization struck Baek So-cheon.

*Could it possibly be…?*

He reached down, gently parted Yeom Sa-won’s lips, and drew in a breath.

A sickening, repulsive odor drifted into his nostrils.

Baek So-cheon stood up and proclaimed at full volume.

“Young Master Yeom succumbed to a lethal toxin!”

Astonished murmurs instantly surged among the gathered martial elite. Being fatally poisoned in the middle of an open duel seemed utterly absurd.

At the exact instant his accusation rang out, Baek So-cheon focused entirely on Yeom Hwa-sin’s reaction.

Even behind his unyielding facade, the man’s eyes twitched faintly at the mention of poison.

*Caught in the act.*

Yeom Hwa-sin dropped down to match his eye level.

“Do you observe any outward marks of poisoning?”

His subdued voice, saturated with dense qi, rolled clearly through the gathering.

Baek So-cheon met his tone with equal resonance.

“None exist on his visible flesh.”

“Then you allege it remains concealed?”

“Precisely.”

“Does such an absurd claim carry any logic? No projectile on earth can penetrate the Black Dragon Divine Armor.”

“No weapon was ever fired at him.”

“Then explain how he was struck.”

“The answer is simple. The Black Dragon Divine Armor was the very implement of his murder.”

Once again, a transient shiver broke across Yeom Hwa-sin’s features.

“You delivered that armor to your son yesterday, thoroughly saturated with an esoteric poison. That very substance drove him into an uncontrollable, maddened bloodlust throughout our combat.”

“A fighter displaying fierce aggression during a duel? That hardly constitutes evidence of fatal venom.”

“Then explain the grotesque corruption emanating from his throat—unmistakable proof of a brutal poison that dissolved his internal organs and meridians from within.”

Right at that critical juncture, a mental transmission pierced Baek So-cheon’s mind.

*Certain terrifying toxins forged in unorthodox domains activate only when inner qi surges past a specific threshold. One particular substance absorbs straight through the skin: Pi-gong-duk, the notorious Skin-Qi Poison. Its insidious nature drastically elevates homicidal frenzy.*

The voice belonged to Yi-seon Ban Wol-ryang, who sat quietly among the prominent dignitaries observing the contest.

Baek So-cheon fixed his gaze directly upon Yeom Hwa-sin.

“Is it not true that Pi-gong-duk is layered upon the inner lining of the Black Dragon Divine Armor, soaking directly through the pores?”

Yeom Hwa-sin drew back involuntarily. His seamless composure shattered entirely, his expression screaming: *How could he possibly know that?*

“Pi-gong-duk lies dormant until inner qi crests to an extreme. That is why you presented the gift only yesterday.”

An absolute hush enveloped the massive square.

Ban Wol-ryang rose smoothly to his feet and stepped toward the center.

“I am Ban Wol-ryang, the chief physician serving the alliance.”

He addressed the rapt crowd with steady gravity.

“Pi-gong-duk produces an undeniable chemical reaction when exposed to a specific medicinal reagent. A simple test will resolve the truth.”

He immediately commanded an attendant to retrieve the required substance.

Yeom Hwa-sin glared in stony silence at Baek So-cheon. His features had hardened into stone, yet Baek So-cheon knew with absolute certainty that the accusation had struck home.

Moments later, Ban Wol-ryang carefully slid a slender wooden probe beneath the edges of the armor, scraping the inner lining without removing the garment from the corpse.

Upon withdrawing the instrument and testing the residue, he raised his voice.

“Upon my honor as Yi-seon, I swear before heaven: Pi-gong-duk is unmistakably coated along the inner lining of the Black Dragon Divine Armor.”

A wave of startled gasps swept the arena, swiftly settling into an accusatory silence as countless eyes turned toward Yeom Hwa-sin.

“Even assuming the armor carried Pi-gong-duk, how does that convict me of the deed? Any saboteur could have slipped into his quarters last night and applied the substance.”

It was a blatant deflection, yet just plausible enough to plant seeds of doubt.

“Two elite guards from the Eighteen Ghost Swords kept vigil over your son throughout the night. Bereft of martial arts as I am, how could I have breached their guard to tamper with your gift?”

“Who can say? A treacherous master of this alliance could easily have aided you. To secure victory, what line would you not cross?”

Yeom Hwa-sin shot an intentional glance toward Ak So-gun, clearly alleging collusion.

Baek So-cheon cut him off with a thunderous shout.

“Cease your lies! You callously offered your own child as a sacrifice to bind the unorthodox factions together, fuel their battle fury, and ignite an all-out war—yet your wretched scheme has crumbled to dust!”

The spectators erupted into frantic chatter. Many had initially harbored doubts, thinking that no father could slaughter his own flesh and blood.

Now, a terrifying realization washed over them: *He truly had a motive.*

Yeom Hwa-sin roared back in indignation.

“Fabrications! You are the architect of this monstrous slander!”

Absolute conclusive proof of the culprit remained elusive. The possibility of a third party applying the poison lingered as a narrow, technically feasible explanation.

Even so, Baek So-cheon was confident the truth was out. The clean, righteous narrative Yeom Hwa-sin sought to fabricate had been completely annihilated.

Ak So-gun’s internal voice sounded again.

*What say you? Shall we initiate an assault and eliminate him right here?*

Baek So-cheon had already evaluated that possibility. The cost in lives would be horrific, yet it remained achievable.

Taking the vanguard himself, he could mitigate the casualties. The worst-case scenario would see Yeom Hwa-sin’s immense strength overpowering both him and Ak So-gun. Furthermore, the three accompanying champions of the Black Heaven were by no means minor obstacles.

Raw numbers alone would never ensure an effortless triumph; the resulting battlefield chaos could easily spiral out of control.

Yet tactical difficulty was not his primary concern.

Baek So-cheon pushed himself upright and unhurriedly walked toward Ak So-gun, deliberately projecting an attitude of respectful subordination. Only when he had placed maximum space between himself and Yeom Hwa-sin did he transmit his reply.

*Striking him down within our sovereign headquarters while he is accompanied by only a few subordinates will compel every unorthodox sect to unite under a banner of blood vengeance. War would become completely unavoidable, sustained by pure hatred.*

That outcome stood entirely against Baek So-cheon’s plans.

*Understood.*

Ak So-gun rose solemnly from his seat.

“Alliance Lord Yeom, the sudden loss of your son is truly a catastrophe. You should take your leave for the time being.”

Yeom Hwa-sin cast his cold gaze across the platform.

“I shall retreat to observe my son’s mourning rites. No hostility shall be initiated for the span of one year. But once that year transpires, you will answer dearly for this insidious plot.”

Promising a year-long ceasefire was an indirect admission of defeat, while vowing future retribution allowed him to dispute the poisoning allegations to his last breath.

The posturing was completely expected; openly acknowledging the fratricide would utterly demolish morale across the unorthodox alliance.

Yeom Hwa-sin lifted his son’s cold remains into his arms and walked down the steps of the dueling ring.

Jeon-gwi, Jan-baek, and Go-gong matched his pace, forming a protective vanguard as they departed.

Before fading into the distance, Yeom Hwa-sin directed a final, potent mental transmission, seething with a volatile mix of fury and twisted appreciation.

*It is a tragedy you were not born my son.*

Baek So-cheon forcefully swallowed the sharp retort clawing at his throat.

*Save your delusions, you deranged maniac.*

The unorthodox retinue vanished past the gates.

Only after their figures had completely disappeared did the audience erupt into an overwhelming roar of acclaim for Baek So-cheon.

The entire square reverberated with fervent cheers.

Had it not been for his keen deduction, a devastating conflict would have erupted then and there.

The intervention of Yi-seon had proven invaluable; without the definitive identification of the rare toxin, Yeom Hwa-sin would never have conceded ground so easily.

Baek So-cheon made his descent from the raised arena.

Whether Yeom Hwa-sin would genuinely adhere to the one-year truce remained uncertain. Yet if the warlord honored the pact, Baek So-cheon had successfully purchased the exact breathing room he required.

Myeol Ji-ryun was the first to rush forward to meet him.

“You did it! Congratulations!”

“My gratitude to you.”

Her luminous, unreserved smile brought a quiet warmth to his face, though his eyes held an intense, calculating focus for the trials waiting ahead.