“I made a bet with Father about who will win. The wager is to grant a wish.”
Geom Mugeuk imbued his voice with inner energy, and his words carried to everyone present.
The Demon Sovereigns all turned to look, their faces filled with interest.
After announcing the bet to the Demon Sovereigns, Geom Mugeuk spoke to his father.
“Alright. In one hour, we’ll choose who we think will win.”
Geom Mugeuk proposed one more condition.
“And when we make our choice, let’s not tell each other. We’ll write it down on paper, and only unfold them when the final winner is declared.”
“Are you worried I’ll change my mind?”
“Would I dare change my mind? And of course, Father, you wouldn’t either.”
“Then why?”
“Let’s say, for instance, that I pick my Master.”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze naturally turned to the Fist Demon.
“You never know. My Master might just win.”
The Fist Demon, staring at the river, answered bluntly.
“That won’t happen.”
He couldn’t imagine anything more boring.
He had only just arrived, and he was already bored.
Even if he caught a fish, what was so fun about that? The thrill of the catch?
That was because they didn’t know the satisfaction of a good punch.
If the Cult Master hadn’t organized this tournament, he would have left already.
“If I were to pick him, how could my Master do his best, knowing he has to consider you, Father? On the other hand, what if he knew you had chosen him?”
The Fist Demon would use every trick in the book to win.
Boredom aside, that much was certain.
Geom Woojin nodded.
After all, more of the Demon Sovereigns would be conscious of his presence.
“Very well. We’ll do as you say.”
Acknowledging his son’s disadvantage, Geom Woojin readily accepted the proposal.
As Geom Mugeuk returned to his spot, he met Geom Muyang’s eyes.
“You watch carefully and see who wins, brother. If you get a feeling about someone, don’t tell Father. Give me a little hint.”
Geom Muyang couldn't understand his younger brother's intentions.
That clever boy wouldn't have made such a bet without a plan.
‘What on earth are you thinking?’
If their father weren't here, he would have grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and shaken him until he answered.
Geom Mugeuk walked to his spot, clutching his head as if in deep thought.
“Who should I choose?”
Geom Mugeuk walked past his spot and went over to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“Look at this. Even at this fishing spot, I've come to you right after my father. Do you see?”
“You don't have to come today. Please, just go over there and be quiet.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was taking his fishing very seriously.
Today, he intended to show everyone a skill worthy of being the Cult Master’s fishing instructor.
“I’ll be quiet right here beside you.”
Geom Mugeuk squatted down next to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
As they stared at the float bobbing in the river, their hushed conversation continued.
“What? Now you’re worried after causing all this trouble?”
“I did cause trouble, didn’t I?”
“You caused big trouble. Why would you wager a wish? The Cult Master…”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon didn’t finish his sentence, but Geom Mugeuk could guess what he was about to say.
Everyone knew what his father’s wish was.
“So? Who are you going to pick as the winner?”
“If it were you, who would you bet on?”
“Me, of course.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled with a look that said, ‘I knew it.’
“Then I’ll decide on you, elder.”
This easily? The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had been looking down at Geom Mugeuk, took a step back.
“Don’t pick me. I’ll win, obviously, but still, don’t pick me. It’s too much pressure."
"If the Cult Master’s dream is crushed because of me, he’s only human, it would weigh on his mind for a long time. I don’t want to be remembered by him that way.”
Geom Mugeuk knew very well how much the Blood Heaven Blade Demon cherished his relationship with his father.
Geom Mugeuk, who was quietly staring at the river, suddenly asked.
“Who do you think Father will pick?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon answered without hesitation this time as well.
“The Cult Master will obviously pick himself.”
Given his father’s personality, that was highly likely.
Especially since this fishing tournament was a revenge match for his father’s pride.
“So you have to find someone who can beat the Cult Master. But not me.”
Geom Mugeuk looked over the fishing Demon Sovereigns one by one.
It was still early, so they were all relaxed, gazing at the river.
Geom Mugeuk’s eyes stopped on the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign, who was standing in the shade of a tree.
“Elder, instead of just staring at the water, you should go talk with the Sword Sovereign and take a walk.”
“During this important contest?”
“That’s why she’ll be even more moved. Ah, even during such an important contest, he wants to spend time with me!"
"Later, when he’s on his deathbed, will he regret losing a fishing tournament? Or will he regret not taking a walk with the Sword Sovereign in this beautiful place?”
“He’d regret losing at fishing, obviously. And the Sword Sovereign would probably prefer the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng over a walk.”
Just as Geom Mugeuk and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon were laughing together.
“I got one!”
Finally, someone caught the first fish.
It was an unexpected person.
The person staring with a surprised face at the fish flapping at the end of their line was the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign.
Everyone had thought her spot was not a very good one, but the first fish had been caught there.
It was a rather large fish, too.
“Is this the start of an upset?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied curtly to Geom Mugeuk's words.
“It’s just a blind fish.”
Geom Mugeuk shouted to her.
“Congratulations! That’s the first fish you’ve ever caught.”
“Thank you, Young Cult Master.”
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign held up the fish with a moved expression.
Geom Mugeuk didn't forget to tease the Demon Buddha.
“Can you still stop a beginner’s luck now?”
He was the one who said there would be no such thing as beginner’s luck as long as he was here.
The Demon Buddha smiled meaningfully and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
“Do you know what the greatest enemy of beginner’s luck is?”
“What is it?”
“Time.”
The Demon Buddha spoke again like an enlightened high monk.
“If you wait patiently, beginner’s luck is bound to end. And as it happens, today’s tournament runs late, doesn’t it?”
The Demon Sovereigns listened quietly to their conversation.
It had been a long time.
Gathering together like this and sharing such conversations.
Geom Mugeuk didn't return to his spot, but this time went to the Demon Sovereign farthest from there.
It was the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
“If you take off your mask, all the fish will gather here just to see that handsome face of yours.”
Behind the mask, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon’s eyes smiled.
The two stood side by side by the river, talking.
The Demon Sovereigns watching them wondered how the Young Cult Master could have become so close to, of all people, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
It was a fresh reminder of how unpredictable human relationships could be.
“Is the Mistress of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion doing well?”
“Yes, she’s happy that she can finally focus on her own work now.”
Getting caught up in this affair must have caused her to neglect her duties at the Heavenly Flower Pavilion.
“I should visit her and pay my respects when I go out to the Central Plains.”
“She would be delighted if you visited, Young Cult Master.”
Geom Mugeuk suddenly became curious.
Perhaps the Mistress of the Heavenly Flower Pavilion knew about his future.
Maybe she had received a new prophecy related to the Unification of the Martial World.
‘So you plan to take off your mask today.’
The moment the Evil Heart Laughing Demon heard about the bet, he knew.
The Young Cult Master had thrown down the gauntlet at this fishing spot today.
Yes, with all Eight Demon Sovereigns gathered, today might be the most fitting moment.
“But how did you predict who would come in first?”
He asked because he thought Geom Mugeuk must have a plan to make such a bet.
“I didn’t make this bet based on a prediction.”
“Then why?”
“If I can’t change my father’s mind by the end of the tournament, I plan to leave it to fate as a last resort.”
The words were half-joking, half-serious.
But whether it was a joke or not, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon believed him.
“Well done. Aren’t you someone who is second to none when it comes to luck, Young Cult Master?”
“I am quite lucky.”
The two looked at each other and smiled.
“If it were you, Laughing Demon, who would you bet on?”
After a moment of thought, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon chose an unexpected person.
“I would bet on the Cult Master.”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon didn't give a reason, so Geom Mugeuk didn't press him.
“I’ll come visit again later.”
Just as Geom Mugeuk was returning to his spot.
“I got one!”
A second person had hooked a fish.
This time, too, it was an unexpected person.
It was the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign.
She shook her head as she looked at the fish flapping on her line.
“You poor thing. Of all the things to bite, you chose the bait of someone fishing for the first time today.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at her and said loudly.
“Can one truly control what their heart is drawn to in beauty? Congratulations, Sword Sovereign!”
“Thank you.”
Geom Mugeuk went straight to the Demon Buddha.
“What happens when there are many beginners with good luck? Won't that be something even time can't handle?”
Knowing that Geom Mugeuk had come to tease him, the Demon Buddha once again became an enlightened high monk.
“As long as the beginners are fighting the fish, they can’t beat us. Are we not the ones who fight with our hearts?”
Geom Mugeuk squatted down next to the Demon Buddha.
“When did you get so into fishing?”
“I, like you, enjoy my time alone.”
“But I wander around tremendously, just like you, Demon Buddha.”
In this respect, the Demon Buddha had a similar trait to himself.
He seemed to meet many people and enjoy their company, but he was a person who liked being alone more than anyone else.
“What do you think of my choice? In your eyes, was it a good choice? Or a disastrous one?”
“That will depend on whose name you write down.”
“If it were you, Demon Buddha, whose name would you write?”
The Demon Buddha tilted his head slightly to look at Geom Mugeuk.
“Haven’t you already written it in your heart?”
“No? If I had, I would have suggested we write it down immediately instead of giving my father an hour.”
“So you caused this huge mess without a plan? Just like you.”
“You should have said, ‘That’s not like you!’”
After a moment of thought, the Demon Buddha pointed to one person.
Since he was confident in fishing, it seemed he would name himself, but his answer was the same as the Evil Heart Laughing Demon’s.
“If it were me, I would have written the Cult Master’s name.”
“May I ask why?”
After a brief pause, the Demon Buddha answered.
“Because you are not as desperate as the Cult Master.”
“!”
The Demon Buddha's gaze turned to his father.
Geom Mugeuk knew.
The person who had most accurately read his father’s desire for the Unification of the Martial World might be the Demon Buddha, who had been more proactive than anyone in the pursuit of power.
“If you think the Cult Master vaguely wants to unify the Martial World, you are gravely mistaken.”
The Demon Buddha was telling him that his father's longing was much stronger than he thought.
Just then, another fish was caught.
The beginners' luck continued.
This time, the one who reeled it in was the Poison King.
His face was full of joy.
It was the first time he had seen the Poison King look so happy about something.
“Demon Buddha, perhaps you should be diving to catch poisonous fish instead of hiking in the mountains for poisonous herbs.”
The Demon Buddha laughed at Geom Mugeuk's joke.
“I’ll be back later.”
After bidding farewell to the Demon Buddha, Geom Mugeuk was returning to his spot when the fourth fish was caught.
The person who reeled it in for the fourth time was the Poison King again.
As the beginners caught fish one after another, there was a change in the atmosphere.
The golden glow from the Demon Buddha's body intensified as he cast his line farther out, and the Drunken Demon anxiously drank his wine.
“Look at him getting all antsy, unable to wait patiently like you, sir.”
When Geom Mugeuk looked back at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, he was unfolding the fishing rods he had brought and choosing a different one.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was blaming his equipment.
The change wasn't limited to the loudmouth trio.
Geom Woojin slowly walked toward the Poison King.
Everyone’s gaze was focused on him.
Naturally, the most nervous person was the Poison King.
Geom Woojin extended his hand.
Sssss!
With a single light gesture, a large pit was created next to where the Poison King stood.
He moved his hand again, and a small channel of water was formed from the river to the pit.
After filling the pit with water, he put the fish the Poison King had caught into it.
The two fish swam around in the small pond.
“From now on, put the fish you catch in here.”
“Yes, Cult Master.”
“How do you find it, now that you’ve tried?”
“I think it suits my temperament well.”
He was being sincere.
Not only did the Poison King love nature, but he was also the best among the Demon Sovereigns here at just zoning out.
“I thought so.”
Geom Woojin walked back to his spot.
The Poison King already wore a joyful expression as if he had already won.
The Cult Master personally coming to do this for him was a gesture more precious than Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
“Surely you’re not planning to choose the Poison King, are you?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Geom Woojin gave a cryptic smile and said.
“Why do you think not? I can choose anyone here, can’t I?”
As he watched his father return to his spot, Geom Mugeuk let out a light sigh.
“Now you’re resorting to confusion tactics.”
Finally, one hour had passed.
Geom Mugeuk announced the fishing status as if he were a commentator.
“The Poison King has three, the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign has two, the Drunken Demon has one, and the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign has one."
"A total of seven fish have been caught. Their sizes are all pretty similar, so it’s not yet time to argue.”
The rest—Geom Woojin, Geom Mugeuk, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, the Demon Buddha, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, and the Fist Demon—had yet to catch a single fish.
After reporting the situation, Geom Mugeuk stood before his father.
“Have you decided who will be today’s winner?”
Geom Woojin nodded.
The eyes of all the Demon Sovereigns were fixed on the two of them.
From this point on, the fate of the Martial World could be decided by the name written on that paper.
The two each wrote a name on a piece of paper.
Geom Woojin wrote without hesitation and folded it so it couldn't be seen.
Geom Mugeuk, who was a moment later in writing and handing over his paper, suddenly shouted.
“Ah, not this one.”
Fwoosh.
The paper in Geom Mugeuk’s hand burst into flames.
After burning it with his extreme yang energy, Geom Mugeuk wrote a name again.
Geom Woojin and the Demon Sovereigns all considered this dramatic display to be part of Geom Mugeuk’s plan.
Who on earth had the two of them written?
Geom Mugeuk entrusted his and his father’s papers to his brother.
“You hold onto these, brother.”
Geom Muyang asked Geom Mugeuk, surprised.
“What if I write a different name for Father’s sake and then pull out the winner’s name?”
“As if you would do that. And even if you did, do you think Father would accept it and say I won with a name you forged?”
He had a point.
Geom Muyang smiled as he took the papers and put them inside his robes.
Geom Mugeuk asked his father, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Can’t we just live happily like this, fishing together?”
“How long do you think this joy will last? It is a joy that will end when the sun sets.”
“The next day we can go hunting, the day after that a picnic, the day after that drink, and the day after that go out and punish some bad guys. There are so many things to do.”
Geom Woojin did not reply to his son's words.
“Father.”
Instead of flipping the table, Geom Mugeuk sat across from his father at the table set with wine.
And he finally asked the question he had not asked for a very long time.
“What kind of Martial World do you dream of, Father?”