Baek Ja-gang had sent the mushroom dish to Bi Sa-in purely to show off to Jin Pae-cheon.
I know even my disciple's favorite dish.
But Jin Pae-cheon already knew his grandson's favorite dish.
‘Well, he is his grandson.
They must have eaten together often.’
In truth, Baek Ja-gang was enjoying the situation.
He truly hadn't expected today's meeting to unfold like this.
Jin Pae-cheon boasting about his grandson as if letting out all his pent-up feelings was unexpected, and the new side of Geom Woojin, whom he had expected to show only coldness and heartlessness, was also interesting.
Was it really true that blood cannot be denied? Geom Woojin's unexpected actions had a side to them that resembled Geom Mugeuk's eccentricity.
Conversely, it meant that within Geom Mugeuk's blood might also lie Geom Woojin's cold and cynical nature.
In any case, today he had clearly seen where Geom Mugeuk's Demonic Path was headed.
His Demonic Path wasn't an answer cobbled together to sound plausible when asked, 'What is your Demonic Path?' The Young Cult Master of the Demon Sect was walking a firm path.
Perhaps even more so than his elders.
Baek Ja-gang's gaze turned to Geom Woojin.
‘Your son's Demonic Path is not your Demonic Path.’
The paths of the two men were not just slightly different.
They were in completely opposite directions.
‘What do you intend to do from now on?’
He could find no answer in Geom Woojin's cold eyes.
In any case, Jin Pae-cheon must have been having the same worry.
‘What do you think? About this father and son.’
But right now, Jin Pae-cheon was focused on something else.
"Cult Master Geom."
Jin Pae-cheon glanced at Geom Woojin for a moment.
"Will you accept a cup of wine from me?"
Jin Pae-cheon had been deeply moved listening to Jo Chun-bae.
Geom Mugeuk had accomplished something that even a warrior of justice from the Righteous Path could not easily do.
It was something that should have happened at a tavern in front of the Martial Alliance, not the Demon Sect.
From the perspective of the Martial Alliance Leader, how could he not be pleased that the next Cult Master was such a person?
That was why he wanted to offer a cup of wine to the man who raised Geom Mugeuk.
There was no other meaning.
He still disliked the Demon Sect, and he disliked the Demon Cult Master.
He had said it after much consideration, but it seemed Geom Woojin disliked the idea as well.
"I refuse."
Geom Woojin did not state his reason for refusing.
"You'll accept the tavern owner's wine, but not mine?"
Geom Woojin still gave no answer, filling his own cup himself.
Jin Pae-cheon could guess the reason.
‘He doesn't want to get close.
Because one day, I will be a man he must kill.’
The ambition for the Unification of the Martial World felt in Geom Woojin's eyes was unchanged.
Even if they faced each other and smiled, even if they drank together, even if they were swept up in a heated competition of boasting about their children, even if they sent ten side dishes flying in a dazzling display.
The fact that they would become enemies the moment they left the tavern would not change.
This moment of leisure was nothing but an illusion.
Jin Pae-cheon also filled his own cup and drank alone.
‘Then what will you do? Will you walk that path, even if it means blocking your own son's?’
This time, Jin Pae-cheon looked at Baek Ja-gang.
Baek Ja-gang was lost in thought, fiddling with his wine cup.
The enemy was not just one.
One should not underestimate those small eyes.
While distracted by the Heavenly Demon, one's head could fall at the hands of Baek Ja-gang.
He was a man with that much skill and ambition.
One could tell just by looking at his black martial robes.
When the time comes, how quickly and decisively he would move.
There was a common joke that if the three leaders of this era had been born in different times, three wars would have broken out.
The renowned masters of the martial world always brought this up when joking about his own tyrannical nature.
‘And I'm supposed to leave you two and go fishing and hunting with my grandchildren?’
Suddenly, an image flashed in Jin Pae-cheon's mind: himself, holding a fishing rod, standing blankly and staring in dismay at the burning Martial Alliance.
‘These are men who cannot be trusted.’
Jin Pae-cheon turned his head and looked at the person who, despite all this, had created today's gathering.
‘Will you be able to walk your path without being devoured by your father?’
Unlike the heavy atmosphere among the adults, the mood among the young ones here was bright.
Of course, the one leading the mood was Geom Mugeuk.
"Alright, let me introduce the new face first. This here is my older brother, who lost the succession battle and is now covetously eyeing my position."
In the past, he would have retorted sharply, but now, Geom Muyang could only let out a hollow laugh.
"I am Geom Muyang."
He greeted them bluntly.
Geom Mugeuk knew.
Given his brother's personality, just being here together was him making every possible effort.
Jin Ha-ryeong had heard a lot about Geom Muyang from her older brother.
After all, there was a time when everyone in the martial world believed he would be the successor.
Then, she heard the news that the Demon Sect's succession struggle had ended without a single drop of blood being shed.
At first, it was truly hard to believe.
Only after getting to know Geom Mugeuk properly did she think it might be possible, but could such a thing be accomplished by just one person's efforts? This Geom Muyang must also be a remarkable person for it to have been possible.
Jin Ha-ryeong's gaze, which had been on Geom Muyang, moved to Geom Mugeuk sitting beside her.
‘They're brothers, yet how can they be so different?’
It seemed her thoughts had been conveyed to Geom Mugeuk.
"What do you think, seeing my brother?"
It was a question thrown to fluster her, but Jin Ha-ryeong received it calmly.
"I feel a sense of kinship."
"What kind of kinship?"
"Isn't his situation similar to mine? I'm talking about the tragic fate of eventually being eliminated by the successor."
She finished her pleasantry by addressing Geom Muyang.
"My life is hanging by a thread, you see."
She wondered if it was okay to speak like this to the First Young Master of the Demon Sect, whom she was meeting for the first time, but Geom Mugeuk's presence was indeed powerful.
With him beside her, such banter came out naturally.
Fortunately, Geom Muyang did not seem offended.
Geom Muyang recalled the past.
The moment Geom Mugeuk became the successor, when he had asked, "When are you going to kill me?"
Because of that, her joke resonated with him.
The heart of one who walks alongside the successor was something only those who have experienced it would know.
"Will you accept a cup?"
It was unexpected.
That he would offer her wine.
She readily accepted.
"Alright. Let's have a drink, fellow sufferers."
Geom Muyang filled her cup to the brim with wine.
Jin Ha-gun, who was watching, spoke up.
"Didn't you hear what grandfather said earlier? Who would dare touch the Greatest Beauty Under Heaven, the apple of his eye?"
Jin Ha-ryeong, having received the wine, poured a cup for Geom Muyang and asked, "How about it? If the Cult Master orders you to kill me?"
Geom Muyang drank his wine without answering.
Jin Ha-ryeong looked at Jin Ha-gun with a 'see?' expression.
"At least, it wasn't something you could say with confidence in this place."
Jin Ha-ryeong also emptied her cup.
She found this gathering so refreshing.
To think she was exchanging jokes and drinking wine with two people she would never have met in her entire life if not for Geom Mugeuk.
Jin Ha-gun stared at Geom Muyang expressionlessly.
Honestly, he was offended.
He should have at least said something like, 'How could I kill such a precious person?' Because the joke involved his sister, and her life at that, he felt his nerves fray for no reason.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk poured wine for Jin Ha-gun and said, "Please understand. My brother has always been blunt. He's a lot like you."
Like me? In what way?
But then he thought about it, and it seemed likely he wouldn't have said anything either in the same situation.
This time, Geom Mugeuk filled Bi Sa-in's cup.
Geom Mugeuk's hands and mouth were busy taking care of everyone.
"It's good that you're not blunt."
"This is the first time I've heard from you that I'm not blunt."
Indeed, was that the only thing he was hearing for the first time?
—Someone who knows how to see a person's face will recognize how handsome the face beneath the scar is.
He had even been told he was handsome.
"Young Cult Master."
"What is it?"
Bi Sa-in asked with a serious gaze.
"Why did you gather us all in one place?"
The gazes of the four people turned to Geom Mugeuk.
"What's with those looks? Are you thinking something like, 'Someone like you must have some hidden, grand intention or plan'? There's nothing like that. I just started this because everyone seemed too tense, and I wanted us to meet and unwind a bit. Things just got this big."
"Then how are you going to end this meeting?"
"Can't we just enjoy ourselves to the fullest and then go back? Looking at the personalities of those three over there, the moment one of them abruptly stands up and says, 'Let's be on our way,' that'll be the end."
To the baffled group, Geom Mugeuk said, "I think the most meaningful thing at this gathering would be for the three of them to rest for just today and share some jokes. They're people who have never truly relaxed in their entire lives. They probably don't even know how."
In truth, the same was true for Geom Mugeuk himself.
He knew a life of running toward a single goal, but did he really know what it was to take care of himself and enjoy himself for his own sake?
Jin Ha-ryeong glanced toward where the Cult Master and the Alliance Leaders were.
They were drinking, each lost in their own thoughts, without even exchanging words.
No matter how softly they whispered here, those three would surely hear everything they said.
And a thought occurred to her.
Perhaps, as Geom Mugeuk said, it was a far more difficult task for the three of them to rest comfortably, even for a moment, than to devise a plan for the peace of the Martial World.
And perhaps, it could yield a better result than any grand plan.
It was at that very moment.
Shing.
The sound of a sword being half-drawn came from the floor below.
At that sound, silence instantly fell upon the place.
Geom Woojin drank his wine quietly, Jin Pae-cheon had a slightly worried look in his eyes, and Baek Ja-gang, on the contrary, smiled faintly.
Geom Mugeuk was about to get up, needing to stop the fight before it escalated.
But then, Geom Muyang stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder and stood up first.
It was a sign that he would handle it.
At this unexpected action, Geom Mugeuk looked at his brother with a surprised face.
Not only the others at the table, but also Geom Woojin and the two Alliance Leaders looked at Geom Muyang.
Geom Muyang walked to the railing, looked down, and politely introduced himself.
"I am Geom Muyang, the First Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect."
There were puzzled looks that he had stepped forward, not Geom Mugeuk.
The one who had half-drawn his sword was the Taiyi Divine Sword.
He had been in a contest of wills with the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign, and her unafraid gaze had been bothering him.
Yet, turning his own gaze away would have been a blow to his pride.
He had already lost the battle of composure, and this was his warning that he might draw his sword if she did not avert her eyes.
Geom Muyang did not single out the Taiyi Divine Sword, but addressed everyone.
"I know very well who all of you gathered here are. I also know that if not for the Cult Master and the Alliance Leaders, you would not be people who would just stand there."
He began on a conciliatory note.
"Being such people, you must also know. How difficult a thing it was to make today's meeting happen. The person who accomplished that impossible task is my younger brother. So for today, I want to let my brother rest. I do not want him to have to step in and stop a fight from breaking out here. Today, I will let him rest."
Geom Woojin listened to his son's words in silence and tilted his wine cup.
Jin Pae-cheon and Baek Ja-gang were also listening quietly to Geom Muyang's words.
The Taiyi Divine Sword, who had half-drawn his blade, looked up at Geom Muyang with a cold gaze.
Looking back at him, Geom Muyang spoke.
His extremely polite tone changed, becoming provocative and intense.
"How far are you all willing to go?"
He said 'you all,' not 'you.' He did not target the Taiyi Divine Sword alone.
If he provoked him in front of everyone, the Taiyi Divine Sword would have no choice but to escalate things for the sake of his pride.
"I can go far. You might wonder what I mean, not being the successor, but because I am not the successor... I can go to the very end."
It was Geom Muyang's will, like a threat, that if they messed with him, he would see it through to the end.
"So you all should also rest today. Haven't you fought tirelessly your entire lives to reach your positions?"
As he turned to leave, he added one last thing.
"You must have seen my younger brother, who calls the tavern owner his Demonic Path. That's right. As you can see, he's a madman. And I am that madman's older brother. So unless you intend to see things to the bitter end with madmen, do not provoke us today."
The tavern was silent.
A brighter light flowed from the Demon Buddha's body.
The Demon Buddha was smiling with pride.
He felt that his time spent for the First Young Master had not been in vain.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon strode forward, sat down at a table, and said, "Owner, bring wine here."
He sat with his back to the masters of the Righteous and Unorthodox Factions.
It was a show of confidence, as if to say, 'Come at me if you dare,' and also a declaration of his will not to drink while looking at the faces of the Righteous and Unorthodox bastards.
This was the kind of person the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had always been.
As the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat, the Demon Sovereigns also took seats at his table and the one next to it.
Clink.
The Taiyi Divine Sword's blade, which had been half-drawn, slid back into its scabbard.
He hadn't intended to draw it fully anyway, but how could he, when the Demon Sect was acting like this?
Not wanting to be outdone, the masters of the Righteous and Unorthodox Factions also sat down at tables near where they had been standing.
Some confidently turned their backs, while others remained standing, staring at their opponents.
‘What the peace of the Martial World needs right now is delicious wine and food!’
With this thought, Jo Chun-bae diligently carried out the wine and side dishes he had prepared.
Right, they were in a tavern, not drinking but just standing around, so of course a fight was bound to break out.
As Geom Muyang returned to his seat, he preemptively spoke to Geom Mugeuk.
"Don't say anything!"
"How do you know what I was going to say?"
"Whatever it is, don't say it!"
How much must he have suffered to be like that? I know that feeling all too well, Bi Sa-in nodded and raised his wine cup.
Jin Ha-gun's and Jin Ha-ryeong's cups clashed powerfully against his.
It was a toast of empathy.
"This is nice, resting like this thanks to you, brother. If I had gone to stop them, there would have been trouble. I would have gotten worked up and said, 'The Cult Master and Alliance Leaders are just sitting there, so who are you to draw your sword on a day like today? Get up here.' Then the person next to him would have..."
Geom Muyang pushed a wine cup toward Geom Mugeuk, telling him to just drink.
"Let that mouth of yours rest a bit."
He spoke curtly, but how could Geom Mugeuk not know? His brother's heart, which was looking out for him.
How much courage it must have taken for him to step forward just now.
Geom Mugeuk relaxed his posture, leaned back comfortably in his chair, and stretched out his legs.
"Alright, let's rest a bit."
It was comfortable.
In this moment, he felt as at ease as when he was lying on that beach within the Space-Time Displacement Art.
No, perhaps it was even more comfortable.
As Jin Ha-ryeong watched him smiling faintly with his eyes closed, for some reason she suddenly felt that he looked lonely.
But that thought was fleeting.
The bowl of duck dish that had been in front of Jin Ha-gun began to stealthily move across the table on its own.
While everyone watched, the duck dish moved in front of Geom Muyang.
"You should have just said you wanted some."
Geom Muyang was flustered by Jin Ha-ryeong's words.
"No! I didn't do it."
"Of course you didn't!"
Everyone's gaze simultaneously turned to Geom Mugeuk.
Under the flood of gazes, Geom Mugeuk slightly opened one eye and said with a smile, "My brother likes duck, too."