I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 92

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 92
The Sect Leader of Wolyeop stopped sighing and opened his eyes.
From Seonwu’s words, he sensed that there might be hidden twists and turns, perhaps even a conspiracy behind this matter.
At the very least, Seonwu sought to view the situation more objectively than Patriarch Huangbo did.
[Great Hero Seonwu, if my son has indeed been wronged and you can bring the truth to light, the Wolyeop Sect will repay your kindness for generations to come.]
[For now, please wait a moment. However, if the Huangbo Clan attempts to overturn everything through brute force, you will need to fight. Do not let your mind be troubled; gather and compose your energy well.]
[…I understand.]
The Prefect cast his gaze upon Maehyang of Aewolru.
“The accused claims he woke up at the scene after spending the night with you. What is your testimony?”
“It is true that his lordship came to see me that day, Your Honor. However, after spending some time together, he mentioned he had business to attend to and departed…. I know nothing of what happened after that.”
“Maehyang, how can you utter such a falsehood! I fell asleep intending to take a short nap right after we enjoyed each other’s company!”
“My lord, I am grateful that you visited me so often, but how could I possibly swear to a lie in a matter of such gravity?”
A servant—specifically, the one who had carried the Young Master of Wolyeop Sect over his shoulders—raised his hand.
“I also witnessed his lordship leaving. I found it quite peculiar that he departed entirely alone, leaving behind the martial artists of the Wolyeop Sect who had accompanied him. I initially assumed he was just stepping out to relieve himself, but he walked right out of the premises.”
“That is a lie! These two wretches have been bribed by the Huangbo Clan to frame me!”
“Silence. All of you, quiet down.”
The Prefect declared.
“Since your testimonies contradict one another, one party must be lying. Is there anyone else who witnessed him leaving besides this servant?”
The second Demonic Practitioner disguised as a servant raised his hand as well.
“I saw him too.”
“Is that so? Very well. The two of you come forward and stand beside the courtesan. I shall question you further as witnesses shortly.”
The Prefect did not definitively declare which side was lying.
In that hesitation, the Wolyeop Sect saw a glimmer of hope, while Patriarch Huangbo felt a prickle of displeasure.
Nevertheless, there was still an abundance of supplementary evidence.
“Your Honor, I raided the Wolyeop Sect in haste and discovered this Demonic Cultivation Manual in the rogue’s chamber.”
“Present it.”
The Prefect briefly inspected the book handed over by the Patriarch before closing it again.
“Its contents are so gruesome that I cannot bring myself to examine it in detail. However, it is indeed a Demonic Cultivation Manual.”
“Indeed, Your Honor. It is a tome that ought to be destroyed, but I preserved it for the time being as it serves as vital evidence.”
The Prefect turned his gaze back to the Young Master of Wolyeop Sect.
“This object was recovered from your quarters. What say you?”
“Someone planted it there! I have never laid eyes on it before!”
The local elites who were observing the trial began to whisper among themselves.
“What absurd stubbornness.”
“How can he deny it when there are multiple witnesses and even physical evidence?”
In all common sense, would a single accused individual be the one lying?
Or would a courtesan, two servants, and even Patriarch Huangbo all be fabricating a story?
“Seonwu of the Eunhak Sect, you are known in the Jianghu as the Great Hero Seonwu, correct?”
“That is correct.”
“I understand you assisted in the search for evidence. Did you observe anything of note?”
“No, nothing in particular, Your Honor. However, I believe it is still too early to declare with absolute certainty whether the book found by Patriarch Huangbo originally belonged there or if someone placed it there deliberately.”
“Yet, three witnesses swear he left in the dead of night. Conversely, the accused denies it entirely, which surely suggests a foul underlying truth?”
“As the proverb goes, three men make a tiger. It is entirely possible for three individuals to conspire and fabricate a lie.”
“Hmm, you are indeed cautious.”
Patriarch Huangbo scowled, checking his impulse to scold, and sent Seonwu a sound transmission.
[Why do you shield those scoundrels in such a manner? Doing so could severely tarnish your reputation.]
[I am not shielding them; I am merely exercising caution. I am not explicitly claiming that the three of them are lying.]
[Hmph, how stubbornly rigid.]
Patriarch Huangbo found the Great Hero Seonwu’s conduct highly disagreeable, yet the youth’s reasoning was not entirely devoid of logic.
‘Tsk, because of that overly upright brat, I cannot properly steer the atmosphere of this trial.’
However, more witnesses and evidence remained.
Above all, there was a single piece of evidence that would serve as the definitive, fatal blow.
“Your Honor, words are unnecessary. Let us examine the accused’s body to see if he possesses any demonic qi. Will that not bring the truth to light?”
“Indeed, that is a reasonable proposal. However, since you are the accuser, it might be deemed unfair for you to perform the examination….”
The Prefect looked toward Seonwu.
“Your martial prowess is said to be exceptional. You shall perform the task.”
“Yes, Prefect.”
Seonwu stepped forward and grasped the hand of the Young Master of Wolyeop Sect.
The martial artists of the Wolyeop Sect were now so incredibly tense that some began to break out in cold sweat.
The Sect Leader, his father, was in an even greater state of agony.
‘If any demonic qi is detected here, all is lost. Surely that foolish boy did not unknowingly practice demonic arts, did he? No matter how lecherous he is, he must possess at least that much sense.’
Seonwu sent a sound transmission to the Sect Leader of Wolyeop.
[Do not worry too much. While it is true that your son was foolish enough to practice while harboring demonic qi injected by another, I completely burned all of it away yesterday.]
[……!]
[The courtesan and those two servants are Demonic Practitioners. Be on your guard, as we may need to strike at a moment’s notice. You may maintain that anxious expression on your face.]
It would simply look as though he were paralyzed with worry for his child, so there was no issue.
Even if it was only for appearance’s sake, Seonwu properly channeled his inner energy once more, thoroughly scanning the young man’s body.
Of course, since he had thoroughly eradicated it, nothing remained.
Instead, he even channeled a small amount of soothing energy to help alleviate the internal injury.
Though it was merely a basic treatment, it would serve to dull the pain.
“There is absolutely no demonic qi present.”
“Is that the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You did not perform the inspection carelessly, did you?”
“I conducted it with the utmost thoroughness. However, there is a significant amount of internal injury, though whether it was sustained during his capture or from my interrogation yesterday remains uncertain.”
The moment Patriarch Huangbo heard those words, a realization struck him.
‘That—that bastard. He mentioned he conducted an initial interrogation last night!’
It had been a brief questioning, and since the criminal had not confessed to anything specific, the Patriarch hadn’t paid it much mind.
But that was not the case at all.
‘The interrogation was a mere pretext; he actually burned away the boy’s demonic qi!’
Why would the Great Hero Seonwu do such a thing?
Why on earth did he purge the demonic qi from the Young Master of Wolyeop Sect?
He hastily sent a sound transmission.
[How much did they bribe you with?]
[What do you mean?]
[I am asking what you agreed to receive from the Wolyeop Sect in exchange for burning away the young master’s demonic qi!]
[Even if such an agreement existed, do you truly expect me to answer you right now?]
[You villain! To think you call yourself the Great Hero Seonwu, do you feel no shame? Heaven knows, Earth knows, I know, and you know!]
Seonwu was genuinely impressed.
‘Wow, look at how audacious this old man is.’
A man who played dirty tricks to ruin an individual, and by extension, completely submerge an entire sect, had the nerve to prattle about what Heaven knows?
He possessed the bulky build of a bear and looked every bit the honest, straightforward fighter, proving that one must absolutely never judge a person by their outward appearance.
One truly needed to be this devoid of a conscience to hatch such an insidious plot.
Feeling a deep sense of sorrow, Seonwu complained to Lee Jun.
[The Huangbo Clan I know consists of upright, honorable men with an admirable dignity, even if they are a bit stubborn.]
[Aren’t those the men who only exist in the novels you read?]
[Regardless, that’s how it’s supposed to be! But the Patriarch Huangbo right in front of my eyes is a villain who is the exact opposite of his appearance, and it makes me so incredibly sad.]
[So, are you planning to make the Huangbo Clan great again, just like you did with the Namgung Clan?]
[Yeah. Well, making them great right away might be difficult, but I should at least give them a thorough cleansing first.]
Lee Jun offered a brief silent prayer for the impending fate of the Huangbo Clan.
Then again, considering the Patriarch’s wicked deeds, it was entirely brought upon himself.
It was a matter of karma and justice prevailing, so what else could be done?
He was truly curious to see just how many more renowned orthodox sects of the Wulin would have to fall into ruin first before they could become great.
Patriarch Huangbo swiftly adapted to this unexpected variable.
How could one serve as a patriarch and be considered a master if one lacked the ability to improvise in a crisis?
“Your Honor, it is clear that he dispersed his own demonic qi overnight. Judging by the condition of the victims, his cultivation must have been weak to begin with. Thus, he was able to easily scatter it at the cost of a minor internal injury. A mere blow from me would never inflict such a deep internal injury.”
“Hmm, that is indeed a possibility.”
The Prefect acknowledged that the Patriarch’s assertion held some merit.
“However, that remains a mere assumption, which makes it somewhat ambiguous to label as definitive proof.”
“What else could it possibly be? He was apprehended directly at the scene, yet he stubbornly insists he never even left the courtesan house.”
“Hmm, this is quite a perplexing riddle.”
At that moment, the Absolute Shadow sent another sound transmission to the Prefect.
Of course, the Absolute Shadow was merely transmitting the exact words Seonwu instructed him to say.
“Indeed. Pavilion Master of Aewolru, step forward.”
Sensing a subtle nuance that only the four Demonic Practitioners hidden within the pavilion were being singled out, the Pavilion Master hesitated.
Yet, she could not refuse to step forward.
The Pavilion Master, known to the public as a retired elderly courtesan, came forward.
“What is your command, Your Honor?”
“As the Pavilion Master, you must possess extensive experience. Did you notice anything unusual regarding the young master recently? In other words, looking back, were there any suspicious aspects? Apart from his actions on the night of his capture, that is.”
Faced with the question, the Pavilion Master spent a brief moment calculating how to respond so that it would sound natural while casting a darker shroud of suspicion over the young master.
“Why do you remain silent?”
“I was merely retracing my memories for a moment, Your Honor.”
“Very well. I shall not rush you, so take your time to recall and speak.”
“It has just come back to me. Now that I think about it, several months before the first victim appeared, a rumor began to circulate among the courtesans that the young master had suddenly become exceptionally vigorous.”
“Oh? However, the young master is a master of the High-Ascending Realm. He has mastered a considerable level of internal energy and is still in the prime of his youth, so it is only natural that he would overflow with vitality.”
“Of course, Your Honor. However, the courtesans who were well-acquainted with the young master before that period noted that even when taking such factors into account, the change was remarkably distinct.”
“Is that so?”
The Pavilion Master calmly continued her tale.
In truth, it was not an absolute lie.
‘The techniques taught to the young master through Maehyang were, in and of themselves, perfectly genuine.’
It was the subsequent portion that connected to the demonic art, but they had intentionally stopped right at the stage where his stamina and skills simply showed a marked improvement.
Therefore, even if the other courtesans besides Maehyang were questioned, they would provide the exact same testimony.
Because it cleverly wove an undeniable truth into a fabricated frame, the design of this trap was exquisitely precise.
“If you question the other courtesans, they will undoubtedly speak of the same thing. While he originally possessed the strength befitting a master of the High-Ascending Realm, he recently became even more powerful and exceedingly sophisticated.”
“That… that was merely because the techniques I learned through Maehyang proved helpful! Consuming or murdering commoners through the Energy Absorption Art is something I would absolutely never do!”
The Young Master of Wolyeop Sect frantically protested.
It was a fact that his prowess had indeed enhanced, so even the completely oblivious courtesans would only speak the truth, which inadvertently validated her words.
Patriarch Huangbo immediately seized upon the admission.
“Was it not from that very moment that he began to practice this sinister demonic art, eventually losing control over his desires and going so far as to claim the lives of innocent commoners?”
“Hmm, that sounds remarkably plausible. The pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly.”
‘Finally, it is done.’
Patriarch Huangbo gloated inwardly, already pondering how he would later exact his revenge on that brat Seonwu.
‘That miserable bastard dared to obstruct my grand design after taking money from the Wolyeop Sect?’
By burning away the demonic qi, the most potent piece of evidence had evaporated.
However, there was still an abundance of other proof.
He himself had witnessed the scene.
Maehyang and the two servants would verify his movements that night.
Furthermore, there was the Pavilion Master’s testimony.
In addition, the secret manual recovered from the bedchamber.
On top of that, even though the demonic qi was gone, the trace of internal injury would surely appear highly suspicious.
“Your Honor, the evidence and witnesses are overwhelmingly clear.”
“Indeed, it is highly convincing. Nevertheless, before delivering a final verdict, I must hear if there is anything more. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak on behalf of the accused?”
At that moment, Seonwu raised his hand.
“Yes, Your Honor. In truth, while searching the Aewolru to ensure no one had defied the mobilization order, I discovered a few highly suspicious items inside the Pavilion Master’s private chamber.”
“What might they be?”
“A Demonic Cultivation Manual and some suspicious medicine. Along with those, a collection of letters and a ledger.”
The four Demonic Practitioners from Aewolru felt their hearts instantly plummet into their stomachs.
‘How… how on earth did he find those!’
In that single instant, their ability to think rationally paralyzed completely.
What were they supposed to do now?
How could he have uncovered those hidden items in such a remarkably brief window of time?
“Oh? A Demonic Cultivation Manual was discovered within Aewolru as well?”
“I shall present them here, Your Honor.”
Even Patriarch Huangbo could hear the distinct sound of the entire chessboard being violently overturned.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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