kingdom falling | gyuricky

thirty eight.

Minwoo led him through a bunch of nondescript corridors, to a wide room with a large table that spanned almost the entire length of the space. One side of the table was entirely occupied. Save for one empty seat on the far left Gyuvin assumed was Minwoo's, every senior he'd ever seen at the Peak was at the table. There were at least four or five from every sect under the Coalition; Meteor Court was the only sect that had just one.

"Take a seat," one of Lunar Valley's senior cultivators said. "Kim Gyuvin, you understand that this is just a precaution. We have some questions for you, and it's imperative that you answer them all with full compliance and integrity."

"If you are found to have withheld information or been dishonest in any way," Han Seungho continued, "you will be punished expeditiously and severely for it. This is a serious matter. Do not take us for fools."

Gyuvin sat in his seat, feeling like he was the most maligned person in the world, but not quite knowing how to begin defending himself, or if it would even make a difference. "Yes, sunbae-nim. I understand."

One of the seniors from the other end of the table cleared his throat, and everyone's attention fell to him. His name was Kwan Hyunjae, Gyuvin remembered him conducting a few classes in the history of weaponry and forging; if his memory served him well, Kwan Hyunjae was one of the most renowned cultivators from Moonrise Palace, known for having mastered the use of every single weapon type before the age of thirty. Gyuvin remembered seeing his glimmering saber during the siege. "Let's not beat around the bush any further," he began decisively. "You retained the use of your spiritual abilities during the infernal invasion, when everyone else was subject to the effects of the suppression array. Do you dispute this?"

"No, sunbae-nim."

"Do you know why this was the case?" Jung Aerin chimed in. "Jeon Minwoo has kindly shared with us his knowledge of your history, and there is no indication that you should have any sort of immunity from suppression arrays. You understand, of course, that the fact that you were the only one unaffected automatically puts the suspicion onto you, don't you?"

The words she spoke were kind, her tone even kinder, but Gyuvin didn't miss the point of her words. Before he'd even stepped into the room, the seniors had already made their assumptions. The fact was that they'd called him in for one reason and one reason only: they wanted a confession from him.

"I understand that," Gyuvin answered, trying his best to keep his voice even. "But sunbae-nim, I have no idea what happened, either. When I woke up, the siege had already begun. I joined in to fight immediately, but I wasn't even aware there was a suppression array at work until someone pointed out to me that no one else could summon their holy weapon but me."

Lee Eunyoung spoke up. "Are you familiar with the nature of suppression arrays?"

Of course a Seven Star Manor cultivator would ask a question like this, Gyuvin thought. "No, sunbae-nim. I have never studied any techniques like that, nor have I ever seen one until now."

"I can confirm that," Minwoo said. "Meteor Court has never taught its cultivators about arrays. Our sect's training focuses largely on exorcisms and the handling of spirits in unrest."

Lee Eunyoung nodded. "That doesn't mean much. Anyone could pick up the study of any technique, whether or not it is related to the pursuits of their home sect. But you claim to be unfamiliar with array techniques, so that is that."

"Tell us more about the array," Han Seungho began. "You were assigned to deactivate the array's control points, and you did so in record time."

"Well, they weren't difficult to find," Gyuvin answered. "The array was supported by six willow trees. From a distance away, it was clear that the willow trees were imbued with something evil, because they all glowed dark red. As I got closer, I noticed that red veins stretched out from its roots into the ground. At that point I wasn't sure if the willows had anything to do with the array at all, but it appeared to be protecting something at its core, so I destroyed it with a light talisman. There was a human heart inside each one. I made the assumption that the human hearts were the same ones carved out of the six dead bodies, which meant there were six willows in total that had to be found."