The silence weighed heavier than any sword.
The morning breeze passed through the inner gardens of the Jaegal Clan, bringing the scent of dried autumn flowers. Sitting under the shadow of a leafless cherry tree, I watched the bare branches sway in the wind. Three days since I regained consciousness. Three days since the world began to turn around the axis I myself planted in the ground.
A servant approached cautiously. His hands trembled, and his eyes avoided mine.
— "Sir... the trial will take place in three days. At noon. The ancestral hall is already being prepared."
I lifted my gaze. I remained silent. The servant continued:
— "All the elders will be present."
I nodded slightly, and the servant withdrew as quickly as he had arrived.
Three days. Enough time to adjust or tear off masks.
---
Three days later — Ancestral Hall
The great hall was full.
Statues of ancient patriarchs watched from their pedestals, wrapped in thin veils of incense. The black stone pillars bore golden inscriptions — promises of glory and warnings of ruin. In the center, two steps above the floor, stood the jade throne of the patriarch.
My father still occupied it.
Before me, handcuffed at the wrists, Ma Yung held his head high. His face pale, the wound on his leg barely healed — but his eyes... still burned with old arrogance.
— "May this trial, under the gaze of our ancestors, reveal the truth," my father said in a deep voice. "May lies be broken, and justice prevail."
His words echoed through the hall, and silence descended like a shroud. He leaned back on the throne. A simple gesture — but one heavy with the weight of an empire.
— "My respects to the elders. To the ashes of those who came before. And to the clan."
I stared at Ma Yung. Not with anger. With the calm of one who has already dug the grave.
— "Three months before the attack on our territory, Elder Ma Yung requested access to the Northern Gate records. In secret. The request did not pass through the Council. It was not recorded."
I turned to the others.
— "But I found the scribe who transcribed the order — hidden in the margins of a forgotten inventory."
I signaled, and a jade tablet was handed to the patriarch. A subtle engraving, bearing Ma Yung's seal... and a discreet alteration in the original text.
— "Days later, Jaegal Sun left on a 'diplomatic' mission that does not appear in any court document. But some saw him."
I paused.
— "I invited two witnesses." — The door opened. Two people entered: a retired master calligrapher... and a courtesan from the Crimson Silk Pavilion.
Their mere presence caused murmurs.
— "She saw Ma Yung and Jaegal Sun meeting secretly in the Moonlight Hall." — I looked at the elders. — "A hall that can only be accessed with a key exclusively held by Ma Yung."
— "Cheap lies," Ma Yung broke the silence. His voice hoarse but controlled. — "A hidden hall. A courtesan. This is not an accusation — it's a performance."
— "A performance with a sharp memory," I replied. — "The lady described Jaegal Sun's tunic precisely: dark gray, with the Gwan serpent emblem embroidered inside. A gift... mentioned in one of the letters found in his residence."
More murmurs.
— "And the letters?" Jaegal Moon asked.
— "They were compared with old archives, including samples from his youth. The handwriting is perfect. And more..." — I raised one of the letters. — "This one mentions something only two people knew: the contents of the Northern Gate's strategic map."
Everyone fell silent.
— "The very map Ma Yung secretly requested."
Ma Yung paled.
— "Someone forged this," he said in a last effort. — "It's a conspiracy. Right now, after the clan's attack? After Jaegal Sun's death?"
I smiled.
— "Of course it's no coincidence. The truth had to burn bones before emerging." — I stepped forward. — "The poison that killed Jaegal Sun began here." — I touched the ground. — "In this alliance."
And I revealed the final piece:
— "The routes used by the enemy during the attack... matched exactly the map Ma Yung requested. The original was burned. But... the ashes remained."
I raised a small glass vial containing a dark powder.
— "We reconstructed part of the ink through an alchemical reaction. The lines... are still legible."
I handed the vial to the patriarch. He observed the grayish traces.
Silence.
Until he lifted his eyes.
— "Ma Yung. Do you have anything to say?"
The old elder opened his mouth... but no words came out.