Geom Mugeuk stared at Geom Woojin with wide eyes.
Geom Woojin’s gaze upon his son was nothing but cold.
“Why me?”
Shhhk.
But the sword plunged deeper into Geom Mugeuk.
Blood dripped from the blade protruding from his back.
“If you had truly known my son, this might have been a move that could have worked on you.”
Just then, a blue light began to flow from the sword wound.
And with it, a fracture began.
Creeaak.
Cracks began to form on Geom Mugeuk’s face.
The cracks spread further and further, like a spiderweb across his face, neck, arms, and body.
Whooosh!
The moment the blue light poured out from all the cracks at once, with a sharp, shattering sound, the cracked pieces rained down.
The person who emerged from within was Gyo Cheon.
Behind the spiderweb-like cracks, fine wrinkles had taken their place.
Shhh.
Next, it was Geom Woojin who returned to his true form.
The appearance of the young Geom Woojin vanished, and he returned to his original self.
The sword piercing Gyo Cheon also changed its form back to the Heavenly Demon Sword.
Cough.
As Gyo Cheon coughed, blood spurted from his mouth.
In that instant, the surrounding trees disappeared.
Cough, cough.
With his continued coughing, this time the rocks, the birds, and the sky vanished.
The Gyo Cheon from that time, who had stopped just before attacking from behind, disappeared.
And Geom Woojin’s older brother was about to disappear.
At that moment, Geom Woojin placed his palm on Gyo Cheon’s chest and injected a stream of inner energy.
Gyo Cheon’s face relaxed slightly, and the brother who was about to fade away remained standing.
Geom Woojin looked at his brother without a word.
Even though he was an illusionary brother, created from his and Gyo Cheon’s memories and hearts.
Though he had already changed from his younger self back to his original form, an expression of longing, just like in his younger days, settled on Geom Woojin’s face.
“Kkheeeek.”
As Gyo Cheon coughed up the blood he had been holding back, his brother disappeared.
Geom Woojin watched his brother vanish with a deep gaze.
And so, the illusion technique broke, and everything around them disappeared.
Geom Woojin and Gyo Cheon were standing in their original spot.
In the original spot stood Geom Mugeuk, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and Hwi.
A moment ago, when Geom Woojin had suddenly vanished, they realized he had fallen into Gyo Cheon’s evil arts.
Hwi had hurriedly revealed himself, but Geom Woojin was already gone.
No matter how much he trusted the Cult Master’s skills, as his guard, he could not help but worry.
At that time, Geom Mugeuk had said this to Hwi.
“No one can harm the father I know now.”
Even so, knowing it was Gyo Cheon’s final move, the three men waited for their father with tense hearts.
Of course, Geom Mugeuk did not forget to add a joke.
“No matter how much it’s his trump card, would he really want to go alone with Father?”
At those words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Hwi smiled faintly.
And now, the Cult Master had lived up to that expectation, revealing himself with dignity.
Bloody water gushed from Gyo Cheon’s mouth.
“How did you know it was me?”
He had believed that by disguising himself as Geom Mugeuk in that situation, he would never be discovered.
The key to breaking this Illusion Heart Demon Technique was Geom Mugeuk.
Moreover, their relationship was that of a son.
He believed he would never be found out, but the moment he tried to ambush him from behind, the man had stabbed him first.
Geom Woojin spoke to him with a calm gaze.
“Did I not just say that I knew what the Illusion Heart Demon Technique was?”
That it was a technique that killed a person by using the one who occupied the largest and deepest place in their heart.
“I thought that was… your brother.”
He had thought Geom Woojin held his brother most deeply buried in his heart.
Gyo Cheon’s gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.
“So the person who held the largest and deepest place in the Cult Master’s heart was his son.”
And above all, Geom Woojin himself knew that fact.
That must be why he could confidently plunge his sword into his son’s chest.
The moment he heard Gyo Cheon’s words, Geom Mugeuk’s eyes trembled.
Before feeling moved, he was first surprised and flustered.
‘The person who holds the largest place in Father’s heart is me?’
It was certain that in his own heart, his father held the largest place.
But he had never expected to be the largest in his father’s heart.
‘Father!’
After his regression, he had felt many emotions towards his father, but he had never been as happy as he was in this moment.
On the other hand, his father showed no emotion as he stared at Gyo Cheon.
Thinking that being serious now would just make things awkward, Geom Mugeuk jested.
“Of course it’s me! If you were to draw a picture of my father’s heart, this second son would take up a little more than half. Of the remaining half, the Main Sect would take up half of that, and in what’s left, there’d be a little for his brother, a little for the Demon Sovereigns, a little for the Nine Calamities Demon Art, a little for his own dreams, and a little for fishing. That’s how it would be.”
A smile formed on Geom Woojin’s lips.
Since he had his back to Geom Mugeuk, his son could not see that smile.
Geom Woojin added to Gyo Cheon.
“If it had really been that fellow, he would have said ten times more than what you just did. And he wouldn’t have said to draw a sword and kill the opponent to quickly forget the past. He probably would have had… something to say to my brother as well.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon could tell that the Cult Master’s true feelings were contained in those last words.
Perhaps the Cult Master had hoped his son would speak to his brother on his behalf.
That he could explain his own feelings better than he could himself.
And perhaps he had even hoped his son would tell him how he should forget his brother.
Because if it were him, he would have had such expectations of Geom Mugeuk.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon slowly walked over to Gyo Cheon’s side.
He was still standing in place, pierced by the sword.
Knowing he would die the moment the sword was removed, Geom Woojin did not pull it out, giving him time to say farewell to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“Master.”
Gyo Cheon looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with eyes losing their vitality.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes, as he looked at his master, were filled with regret and sorrow.
Through their earlier conversation, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon could guess what kind of illusion technique had been cast.
A final move using the deep wounds of both the Cult Master and himself from the past.
“Since it was the last illusion technique my Master prepared, it must have been a fearsome one. The reason it failed is likely because neither you nor I have ever raised a child.”
Gyo Cheon’s deep wrinkles twitched feebly.
“Master, in our next lives, let us meet again on good terms.”
It was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s sincere wish.
Although he had committed a great wrong this time, he still wanted to meet his master again in the next life.
“In this life, I will forget my Master from this day forward. So let us meet in the next life. Let’s meet as master and disciple in a small martial hall in some country village, where there are no fights for succession. I will serve you well then. At that time, let us also have children and raise them well.”
Gyo Cheon’s pupils trembled.
Just like the feeling he had had all along since meeting the Blood Heaven Blade Demon this time, he could feel that this disciple was truly saddened by his death.
At the end of a bloody cough, Gyo Cheon left his final words.
“So pretentious, even to the end.”
With those words, Gyo Cheon’s breath stopped, his eyes wide open.
Though he would never know his master’s true feelings in his final moments, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon felt more at ease because his master had not acknowledged him, even at the end.
“Looking back, it was all but a fleeting moment, was it not?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon closed his master’s eyes with a trembling hand.
“Let go of your past grudges, and please, rest in eternal peace.”
Geom Woojin slowly pulled out the sword, and Gyo Cheon, spraying blood, fell backward.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon caught his body and gently laid him down.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon fulfilled his duty to the very end.
He brought and stacked firewood and cremated his master.
“It will be a grave no one will visit, so it is better for you to fly freely to the heavens.”
Geom Mugeuk and Geom Woojin stood side by side, watching the scene.
Geom Mugeuk could tell.
Although it was for his father’s sake, the act of betraying his master had remained a scar in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s life.
This man, who did not make excuses of circumstance and readily carved that wound into his heart, this man who lived with his own misfortune, was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Through this incident, his father must have also realized it.
How deeply that wound remained.
This incident would change the relationship between the two of them yet again.
He could feel that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had found some measure of peace.
Then what about his father?
Geom Mugeuk did not let it just pass.
Bury the body, but do not bury the wounds of the heart.
This was a belief he held.
“Father, did you see my uncle in that illusion?”
Geom Woojin silently nodded.
“How was it?”
If he had asked this question when he first regressed, his father would never have answered.
He would have just turned away without a word.
Especially since the question was about his brother.
But things were different now.
Unexpected words flowed from his father’s mouth.
“It was good to see him after so long.”
In that moment, Geom Mugeuk felt it.
The deep regret his father felt.
The reason his father wanted a succession battle without bloodshed for his children was likely because of this very regret.
His father must have missed his brother too.
“Uncle was probably happy to see you too, Father.”
Geom Woojin looked at his son.
“He probably wanted to tell you this. ‘Little brother, you are doing so well. I am glad you are the one leading the sect.’ How do I know? You just have to look at your older son, Father. Your firstborn. Where would the bloodline of these wonderful firstborns go? Ah, I should have gone into the illusion with you. There was so much I wanted to say to my uncle.”
Yes, if it had been him, he would have been just as talkative in there.
How could anyone have imitated this chatter?
“By the way, did you return to your younger self, Father?”
When Geom Woojin nodded, Geom Mugeuk looked even more regretful.
“Ah! It was a golden opportunity to see my father in his youth. I should have had a head-on battle between this handsome face of mine and your younger self. I may not have competed in the Nine Calamities Demon Art, but I should have competed in that!”
He had realized it at this point as well.
He could just imagine how much his real son would have talked about his youthful appearance.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon watched them and felt a sense of envy once more.
Geom Mugeuk did not miss that look.
“You’re envious, aren’t you? It would be nice to have a son like me, wouldn’t it?”
How quick-witted he was.
It wasn’t that.
Earlier, he had unknowingly told his master that they should have children and live.
If it had been just him and Geom Mugeuk, he would have retorted, “Not at all,” or “Family is a burden.” But he couldn’t bring himself to say such things in front of the Cult Master.
“Don’t be envious. You have another child, don’t you, Elder?”
“Another child?”
Geom Mugeuk whistled, imbuing it with inner energy.
Then, from a distance, someone came running towards them like the wind.
The person who rushed over in a single breath was Seo Daeryong.
He had been hiding and waiting from afar.
“Greetings to the Cult Master.”
Seo Daeryong bowed politely to Geom Woojin before looking at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
Today, seeing his master made him more nervous than seeing the Cult Master.
Seo Daeryong’s feelings were already written all over his face.
“Master.”
From the trembling voice that called out to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, one could tell how much he had worried about his master, how much he had missed him.
“Do you not resent me for dragging you into this?”
He had no choice but to call him when he got entangled in matters with his master, but he had intended to protect him no matter what.
Fortunately, Geom Mugeuk and the Cult Master had arrived later, so he hadn’t worried about Seo Daeryong.
Seo Daeryong answered the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s question.
“How could this be something you dragged me into, Master? It is because of them. And are you not disappointed, Master? That you have a timid and cowardly disciple like me, instead of a capable one who comes, solves everything on his own, and says, ‘Master, it is all finished.’”
Their gazes met in midair.
Geom Mugeuk felt it.
Those two, who were so different, had a subtle resemblance.
“Pavilion Lord Seo, you must not have heard.”
Because he was in front of his father, he addressed Seo Daeryong as Pavilion Lord.
“What do you mean?”
“The Blade Demon Elder made this declaration. From now on, I have only one master-disciple relationship.”
In an instant, Seo Daeryong’s face flushed.
In turn, he relayed Seo Daeryong’s side of the story to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“When we met earlier, Pavilion Lord Seo said this. That he would even lay down his life for his master. He willingly became a dangerous decoy.”
Seo Daeryong bowed his head deeply.
His face grew even redder.
This was why he liked Geom Mugeuk.
He never failed to convey what he truly wanted to be said.
His stoic master would not say anything, but it was enough to have conveyed his feelings.
Just then, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke.
“From now on, if there is dangerous work, have the Young Cult Master do it.”
Surprised, Seo Daeryong snapped his head up.
Feeling his master’s affection hidden in the joke, Seo Daeryong was so happy he could fly.
“You heard that, right? You definitely heard it? It is an official order from my Master.”
Geom Mugeuk said, as if tattling to his father.
“You heard it too, right, Father? Then you should say something. What kind of thing is that to say to my child? From now on, you and your disciple will handle all the dangerous work!”
A smirk appeared on Geom Woojin’s lips.
That smirk, which always held multiple meanings, seemed to say this today.
‘You’ve been through a lot, too.’
And so, it was the most wonderful smirk to conclude this day’s events.
His father walked away from that place.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon followed behind him.
Both his father and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon seemed to walk with light steps.
Geom Mugeuk stood for a moment, watching the two men’s retreating backs.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had originally followed a step behind, but his father slowed his pace to walk shoulder to shoulder with him.
As they walked, the two of them talked.
Perhaps they were finally speaking of that day’s events, something they hadn’t talked about all these years.
Watching their backs, he suddenly recalled the line the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had drawn when they first met after his regression.
The nine-to-one line he had drawn, saying it was the extent of the Cult Master’s favor.
Given the past these two men shared.
‘The Elder’s line back then was accurate.’