Geom Muyang was in his quarters, cultivating the Heavenly Demon Body-Protecting Art.
It was a martial art his younger brother had passed on to him, even going as far as to break the sect’s rules for his sake.
So how could he neglect it? Whenever he had a spare moment, he focused solely on mastering the Heavenly Demon Body-Protecting Art.
Deep in his training, Geom Muyang opened his eyes, halting the flow of the Heavenly Demon Body-Protecting Art.
He had sensed someone entering the house.
In the past, he would have noticed much later, but even though it had not been long since he learned it, the art was already showing its effects.
When Geom Mugeuk entered the room, Geom Muyang was standing by the window.
“Why does someone so young keep staring out the window?”
“So only old people are allowed to look out windows?”
“Young people don't. They can't stand it and rush outside.”
“That’s a prejudice.”
Geom Mugeuk walked over and stood beside Geom Muyang.
“How did your errand go?”
“I had a good meeting with the Alliance Leader.”
Had there ever been an era since the beginning of the Martial World where the Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect could meet the Martial Alliance Leader so easily? His younger brother was probably the first.
“By any chance, are you hungry right now?”
When Geom Muyang shook his head, Geom Mugeuk asked again to be sure.
“This is important. I’m asking just in case you get so hungry you can't help but gulp it down.”
What kind of nonsense was he about to say now? He stared at his brother with such a look.
“Here, I bet you’ve never seen this before in your life.”
Geom Mugeuk took a white bottle from his robes.
The reason he had come running so excitedly was inside this bottle.
As Geom Mugeuk slowly opened the stopper, an indescribably pleasant fragrance flowed out.
Geom Muyang, who had been quietly looking into the bottle, was startled.
“Don’t tell me this is Clearstone Essence Oil?”
Geom Mugeuk nodded.
“Pay your respects! This is the Cult Master and Alliance Leader of the elixir world. This is my foolish older brother, Cult Master, Alliance Leader.”
The aroma alone was overwhelming.
Truly, he had never smelled such a sweet scent in his life.
“Where did you get this?”
It was an elixir so magnificent that it made even the stoic Geom Muyang's voice tremble.
“The Alliance Leader gave it to me as thanks for helping him with the recent matter. He said to split it with you. He also told me to be sure to pass on his thanks to you.”
Geom Muyang let out a small laugh.
That was unlikely.
It was even more unlikely that he would have told him to share something this precious with him.
“I’m fine. You drink it.”
“I can’t do that. It was given to us to share.”
“Want me to check with the Alliance Leader?”
“If you don't believe me, go ahead and check.”
Of course, he couldn't check.
Given Geom Muyang’s personality, he wasn't the type of person to go to the Alliance Leader and ask, "Did you really tell him to share it with me?"
“It’s fine. Even if that’s what he said, you drink all of it.”
“If you don't drink it, I’ll throw it away.”
“Go ahead.”
“You think I won't do it?”
Geom Mugeuk acted as if he were about to throw it on the floor.
Of course, he couldn't.
“Aish, I’m so worried it’ll spill, I can’t even pretend to tilt it.”
Geom Mugeuk held the bottle with both hands as if it were a sacred object.
Geom Muyang turned back to face the window.
A younger brother who wanted to share Clearstone Essence Oil?
When had their relationship reached this point? It felt like just yesterday they were trying to kill each other, hating one another.
In fact, the emotions from that time were still vivid.
That was why moments like these sometimes felt unfamiliar.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk’s low voice came from behind.
“I’m afraid.”
When Geom Muyang turned around, the playfulness had vanished from Geom Mugeuk's face.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop these masterminds. As you saw this time, they’re tenacious enough to wait and prepare for decades. What if someone even more vicious appears and I can’t handle them?”
After staring at his brother for a moment, Geom Muyang said abruptly.
“Are you fighting alone?”
As if waiting for those words, Geom Mugeuk held out the bottle of Clearstone Essence Oil.
“That’s why I’m saying let's drink it together and fight together. I’m not giving this to you for your sake, I’m giving it for mine. So you can protect me. If you keep this up, I’ll issue an order in my capacity as Acting Cult Master.”
How could he refuse someone who went this far?
Geom Muyang said calmly.
“Then just one drop! No more.”
“Alright. Even if I wanted to give you more, there are only a few drops.”
“Drink it and leave some for me.”
“I’ll drink mine later.”
When Geom Muyang held out his hand, Geom Mugeuk shook his head and said.
“Open your mouth.”
“What?”
In the end, Geom Muyang slightly opened his mouth.
“Don't you dare close your mouth! If it spills, we’re ruined.”
After that emphasis, Geom Mugeuk tilted the bottle without hesitation.
Drip, drip, drip!
Three drops fell in succession.
He didn't even have a moment to close his mouth after the first drop.
To the bewildered Geom Muyang, Geom Mugeuk shouted.
“We’ll talk later, hurry up and start your energy circulation!”
This was no situation to be stubborn, so Geom Muyang immediately sat in a cross-legged position and began to absorb the elixir’s efficacy.
Geom Mugeuk poured the remaining Clearstone Essence Oil into his own mouth.
Drip! Drip!
There were two drops of Clearstone Essence Oil left.
And so, the two brothers sat side by side, dissolving the energy of the Clearstone Essence Oil into their bodies.
There was no need for a protector.
Geom Mugeuk's level of mastery had reached a point where, even if a problem arose, he could briefly pause the absorption of the elixir, deal with the issue, and then resume.
Geom Muyang was having a new experience.
Just one drop held immense energy, yet he had taken three! His meridians opened up all at once to a massive energy he had never felt in his life.
Following the flow of his energy, the essence of the Clearstone Essence Oil began to melt into his meridians.
Swaaa, swaaa!
Each time it dissolved, a powerful energy was transmitted to his meridians.
The thrill of that moment was beyond words.
Geom Muyang cautiously, yet boldly, continued to absorb the energy.
Once all three drops of Clearstone Essence Oil were absorbed, the energy raced fiercely through his meridians.
It was a sprint.
A sprint of immense power he had never experienced before.
The wildly rushing energy gathered in his energy core, merging with his existing inner energy.
The next moment!
As the magnificent inner energy filled his energy core as if in an explosion, a look of elation spread across Geom Muyang's face.
In relation to martial arts, he felt a greater joy now than any pleasure he had ever felt before.
After calmly consolidating his inner energy, Geom Muyang opened his eyes.
A powerful inner energy was surging in his energy core, and his eyes had become clearer and deeper.
His body felt light, and it seemed as if his skin was glowing.
He could vividly feel that he had become stronger.
The effects of the Clearstone Essence Oil were not limited to just increasing inner energy.
It had cleansed his meridians and further purified his inner energy.
Geom Mugeuk, who had finished his circulation first, was looking at him.
It seemed he had been waiting, barely breathing, until he finished.
“It’s amazing, right?”
This one thing, he could not deny.
It was truly amazing.
Geom Muyang silently nodded and asked.
“Why did you give me three drops?”
“Damn it! You think I wanted to? My hand slipped.”
Geom Mugeuk put on an aggrieved expression.
“I’d rather drop my sword while fighting an enemy.”
It was nonsense.
There was no way Geom Mugeuk would fail to control something like that.
He had intended to give him three drops from the beginning.
He had been tricked by the rascal again.
“At least I was lucky to have two drops left. If I had poured it all, I would have cut your stomach open.”
Instead of taking credit, Geom Mugeuk chose to play the villain.
“Did you think I would just let you live in the fight for succession? You'll have a hard life supporting your younger brother. Be prepared.”
Geom Muyang didn't say thank you.
If it was about supporting this rascal, three drops of Clearstone Essence Oil weren't nearly enough.
Geom Mugeuk shot up from his spot.
“Let’s go out.”
“Where?”
“We’re in Wuhan, we have to at least see the market.”
Just as Geom Muyang was about to say no, Geom Mugeuk was a step faster.
“Since we’re in Wuhan, we have to buy a gift for Father. Aren’t you going to buy anything? Aigoo, our poor father who only favors his eldest son, when will he ever get a gift from his eldest son…”
Before the words could get any longer, Geom Muyang rose from his seat.
The market in front of the Martial Alliance headquarters was bustling with people.
Shops lined both sides of the street, and vendors with stalls were calling out to customers in hoarse voices.
Countless pedestrians came and went.
Into this crowded street, Geom Mugeuk and Geom Muyang appeared.
Geom Mugeuk strolled with his face uncovered, but Geom Muyang had pulled a bamboo hat down over his eyes.
“Brother, no one’s looking. And so what if they are?”
But Geom Muyang did not take off his bamboo hat.
For a demonic practitioner to walk around with his face exposed in Wuhan was something only his younger brother could do.
“Have we ever walked through a market together like this? This is the first time, right?”
When he had traveled with their father, he had walked through a market with him.
Today, he was walking with his brother.
Would the day come when the three of them could walk together?
He thought his brother would just walk straight ahead, but surprisingly, he looked around here and there as he walked.
It seemed he was genuinely picking out a gift for their father.
At that moment, a vendor at a dumpling cart shouted loudly.
“Come and taste dumplings so good that if two people are eating, one could die and the other wouldn't even notice!”
At those words, Geom Mugeuk turned to his brother and said.
“Well, since it’s hard to just kill someone, I don't think we’ll be able to experience that kind of taste. Still, should we give it a try?”
Geom Mugeuk pulled his brother toward the cart.
They ordered a plate of dumplings, and for street food, they were quite delicious.
“Have you ever stood on the street and bought food to eat?”
Geom Muyang shook his head.
“What do you think?”
“I want to kill one person and eat in peace?”
Geom Mugeuk laughed out loud.
It was a rare joke from his brother, so he had to give it a big laugh.
As they ate the dumplings, the two looked around.
People haggling and fighting, a woman running with a bowl of food, children chasing after a candy seller, pedestrians moving to avoid men with loads on their backs.
Geom Muyang saw it then.
The sight of Geom Mugeuk smiling as he watched them.
His brother was watching a life he himself had never once paid attention to.
What was so great about it that he was smiling like that?
Geom Mugeuk popped the last dumpling into his mouth.
“Since I was robbed of the Clearstone Essence Oil, I should at least eat this.”
Geom Muyang let out a dry laugh.
The two began to walk again.
As they walked through the market, Geom Muyang glanced at a certain shop.
Geom Mugeuk sensed that the way his brother looked at that place was different from how he looked at other places.
It was a shop that sold musical instruments.
“Let’s go in and have a look.”
Geom Mugeuk went inside first, and Geom Muyang followed.
“Brother, do you know how to play any instruments?”
“No.”
For someone who said that, the look in his eyes as he stared at this place was different.
“Right. What instrument would you play? Seeing as I have no sense of pitch, you must be the same. I’ve never seen Father play an instrument either. It’s all in the bloodline, the bloodline! All we know how to do is kill people!”
Just then, a sound came from behind.
Startled, he turned around to see Geom Muyang had started to play a flute.
As he blew air into the flute, a beautiful sound flowed out.
The melody pierced through the surrounding noise and spread out.
Geom Mugeuk's eyes widened.
He wasn't just blowing into it.
His brother was properly playing a song.
He was truly shocked, as he had never dreamed his brother could play an instrument.
It was a moment that made him realize once again how difficult it is to truly know someone, no matter how hard you try to see them.
Was it because he felt his brother’s heart was in this melody? It was so pleasant to listen to.
When the performance ended, applause erupted from behind.
When he turned, people who had stopped walking on the street had gathered at the entrance of the shop.
Geom Mugeuk shouted at his brother.
“What’s this? Why are you so good? Why are you so good!”
The shop owner also expressed his surprise.
“Your performance is magnificent.”
Perhaps burdened by the crowd and the owner’s praise, Geom Muyang went outside.
Geom Mugeuk quickly bought the flute and chased after his brother.
“Why did you buy that?”
“The price of this flute has already jumped a thousand times just because you played it. And who knows, you might have a use for it again soon.”
When Geom Muyang looked at him as if asking what he meant, Geom Mugeuk changed the subject.
“You seem like a different person. Imagine laying out the enemies’ corpses and playing the flute once with your hair flying in the bloody wind! It's cool, so cool! All the women will faint!”
“They’d faint from fear.”
It was at that moment.
Clatter.
A passing cart splashed muddy water onto his brother’s pants.
But Geom Muyang paid it no mind and kept walking.
“I really thought a bloody wind would blow and the whole Wuhan market would be annihilated.”
At the nonsensical remark, Geom Muyang, walking ahead, smiled silently.
Geom Mugeuk could feel it.
His brother was also enjoying this moment.
Yes, just smile like that.
How nice is it to see?
Geom Mugeuk was thoroughly enjoying this time with his brother.
The two of them looked at various things.
Though Geom Mugeuk had brought up the gift for their father, it was Geom Muyang who was now searching more earnestly.
But there wasn't a gift that particularly caught his eye.
Geom Mugeuk held up a pair of pajamas and asked.
“How about these Wuhan-style floral pajamas?”
At Geom Muyang's look that said, "Are you out of your mind?" Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
“Ah, you haven't seen it.”
Geom Mugeuk quietly put the pajamas down.
“No, never mind. The shock would be too great for you.”
As they were walking through the market again, Geom Muyang's gaze rested on one spot.
An elderly painter was sitting and drawing portraits of passersby.
For some reason, Geom Muyang walked over and sat down in front of the painter.
Geom Mugeuk followed with a surprised expression and asked.
“What’s with you? You’re scaring me.”
This was his brother, who would never sit in a place like this in his life.
“You sit too.”
“Me too?”
Even more surprised, Geom Mugeuk sat down next to his brother.
Was he really suggesting they have a picture of themselves together?
As if to confirm it, Geom Muyang took off his bamboo hat for the first time since they arrived at the market.
After revealing his face, he spoke to the painter.
“Please draw us together. I will pay more, so please draw it as well as you can.”
The painter began to move his brush with great care.
Geom Mugeuk stared at his brother with a shocked face.
Getting a picture together was surprising enough, but asking him to draw it well?
“Who are you? Where did my brother go, and why are you pretending to be him!”
Even at Geom Mugeuk’s joke, Geom Muyang’s expression didn't change.
He even took it a step further.
“I’m going to have this painting made into a scroll.”
“What?”
Geom Muyang said something completely unexpected.
“I’m going to make it and give it to Father.”
Only then did Geom Mugeuk understand his brother’s intention.
This was the gift for their father.
There could be no greater gift for their father than a picture of his two sons side by side.
“They say there's no younger brother as good as an older one. Were you always this smart?”
“Just look forward.”
Geom Muyang added bluntly.
“Or that ugly face of yours will be drawn weirdly.”