The Demon Buddha opened his eyes.
Startled, he sprang upright, but he was still in the world within the Spacetime Transposition Art, and Geom Mugeuk was asleep beside him.
‘I fell asleep?’
He, who had thought Geom Mugeuk was only pretending when he saw him lying asleep on the rock?
Since becoming a Demon Supreme—no, even long before he had become one—he had never once fallen asleep so defenselessly. This was the first time.
The Demon Buddha looked down at Geom Mugeuk in silence.
He was sleeping with a peaceful expression.
‘Now I understand.’
No other words were needed. He could understand why the other Demon Supremes had lost their hearts to the Second Young Master. If a person like this asked you to become his Demon Supreme, how could you refuse?
Sensing the Demon Buddha’s presence, Geom Mugeuk also woke from his sleep.
“Did I wake you for no reason?”
“No. It was brief, but I slept deeply.”
“Let us leave now.”
“Very well.”
Before leaving, the Demon Buddha looked back at the cave behind them.
“I don’t think I’ll have any reason to miss this cave anymore.”
The Demon Buddha, who had hidden there as a child, had now come out of that cave. Suddenly, he thought that perhaps it was time for his grown self to come out of the cave as well.
“Then I’ll release the Spacetime Transposition Art.”
When the Spacetime Transposition Art vanished, the two of them were once again standing by the stream in the Thousand Poisons Forest.
“Let us return.”
“Already?”
“What do you mean, already?”
“I want to play more.”
“What is so amusing about playing with an old man like me?”
“It is amusing. And I need to get someone to buy us drinks.”
“Drinks?”
“We should make the Poison King, who used us as herb gatherers, buy us drinks.”
They had promised that the one who found the Seven Lives Grass first would be treated to drinks.
“Today? Right now?”
“Can you come here next time and say it? ‘See here, Poison King. Did we not agree that the loser of our last wager would buy drinks?’ Can you make such a demand?”
Of course, such a thing would never happen. Even if they ran into each other in passing, he would not mention it. In truth, if Geom Mugeuk had not said anything, he would have forgotten the matter entirely.
“If today passes, we won’t be able to punish the Poison King.”
“You truly intend to take this to the end?”
“How can you already be tired? It may feel like we played a lot, but we only played for half a day. I am not comparing, but with the other Demon Supremes, I even went outside the cult for dozens of days. You know that, don’t you?”
“That is comparing.”
“Come, come, let’s go. You’re not yet at the age where you get tired of playing already!”
Though he let himself be dragged along as if he had no choice, the Demon Buddha’s steps toward the Poison King’s residence were quick and light.
* * *
Jo Chunbae, the owner of Pungryu Tavern, spoke politely to the youthful young man entering the tavern.
“We are no longer accepting guests today. My apologies.”
Speaking carelessly just because someone looked young could bring disaster. If anything, the younger they were, the more careful one had to be. From a merchant’s point of view, the most frightening thing was the immature blade of a reckless youth who swung without thinking of the consequences.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk, standing by the second-floor railing of the tavern, looked down and said,
“You should bid farewell to the owner.”
He had come here with the Demon Buddha about half an hour earlier.
“Are you leaving already?”
“No, it’s just that I don’t think we’ll be able to see the owner anymore.”
“What do you mean by that?”
To the puzzled Jo Chunbae, Geom Mugeuk said coldly,
“You just told our cult’s Poison King that you wouldn’t sell him alcohol and that he should leave.”
Jo Chunbae’s gaze turned toward the young man. A moment later, Jo Chunbae was scared out of his wits.
“Aigo! I failed to recognize you. Forgive me!”
As Jo Chunbae was about to bow deeply, the Poison King stopped him.
“No need to make a fuss.”
Then Geom Mugeuk said,
“He has no choice but to make a fuss. I can’t say for certain, but among the Demon Supremes, our owner here probably fears you the most, Poison King.”
When the Poison King looked at Jo Chunbae, he could not dare meet his eyes and lowered his head.
“Am I truly the one you fear most?”
“You were, originally, but I was startled because you are so young and handsome. You are the most handsome man in the Central Plains.”
Geom Mugeuk, who had been watching, did not let that pass.
“Owner, what about me?”
“You, Pavilion Master, are the most handsome man in all ages, past and present.”
At that, the Poison King asked coldly,
“Are you saying I am not the greatest?”
“Aigo! That is not what I meant. What I meant was…”
Leaving the flustered man behind, the Poison King went up to the second floor.
Jo Chunbae looked up at Geom Mugeuk on the second floor with an expression full of emotion.
‘Thanks to you, Pavilion Master, I even get to serve the Poison King. I have no more regrets.’
Geom Mugeuk smiled and spoke with his eyes.
‘You never know. No one knows who else might come.’
And so, even the Poison King joined them at the second-floor table.
“I thought you wouldn’t come.”
“How could I not come when you left something like this?”
The letter he took out was one Geom Mugeuk had written. When he and the Demon Buddha had gone to the Poison King’s residence, the Poison King had naturally fled through the back door. So Geom Mugeuk had left a letter with Sangseon, and the Poison King had read it.
“If you do not buy us drinks, we will buy alcohol ourselves and storm your residence, Poison King. Not only the Demon Buddha, but Investigator Seo, Ian, Lord Ma, and Cheon Sohui as well!”
The Poison King grimaced as he said,
“With this written down, how could I not come!”
If the letter had said that Geom Mugeuk would spread a rumor that the Poison King had lost a wager and refused to keep his promise, he would not have come. He was someone who did not care what others thought.
But what if many people went to the Thousand Poisons Forest, drank there, and made a racket? That was something the Poison King could never tolerate.
Of course, that was not the only reason he had come. He had once again taken this letter as Geom Mugeuk asking for help. It was an extension of: Please play with us today.
“I apologize. It was only because I wanted to play with you so badly, Poison King.”
“You already played to your heart’s content, didn’t you?”
“You have to play for seven days and nights before you can say you went somewhere and had some fun. I am prepared to stay up all night tonight.”
The Poison King waved his hands, saying that if he slept past midnight, he would have a hard time in the morning and it would not do.
“The person who looks the youngest is acting so weak!”
“You try becoming my age!”
The Demon Buddha became uncomfortable again now that the Poison King had arrived, but at the same time, he was also just a little glad. The Demon Buddha knew. Would the Poison King have come because of that letter alone? It meant his relationship with Geom Mugeuk was that deep.
He could understand Geom Mugeuk becoming close to the Drunken Demon. They could have grown close over drinks. But to think he could become this close to the Poison King, who lived in a world entirely his own. It was unbelievable even seeing it with his own eyes. To the Demon Buddha, the Poison King was the most uncomfortable and difficult person in the world.
“Now, let us have a drink.”
The three toasted and drank. It was the first time he had ever drunk with them.
Seeing the Demon Buddha empty his cup refreshingly, Geom Mugeuk asked,
“Wasn’t it originally your principle never to eat any food at all in the Poison King’s presence?”
“That is correct.”
“But you are eating comfortably.”
“If the Poison King sets his mind on poisoning me, what meaning is there in whether I eat or not?”
With an expression that seemed to say, Yes, that is exactly right, the Poison King smiled faintly.
That was why the Poison King was frightening. If he resolved to poison someone, even a Demon Supreme could not stop him.
The Poison King sent a voice transmission to Geom Mugeuk.
—You came out quite late. What were the two of you doing in there?
—We soaked our feet in the stream and rested.
—The Demon Buddha too?
—Yes.
—I cannot imagine it.
He would never believe that they had fallen asleep side by side.
We drank another cup. With good liquor that Jo Chunbae had kept in reserve and delicious dishes, our mood improved on its own.
“This is why I come to Pungryu Tavern.”
When Jo Chunbae brought out a new dish, Geom Mugeuk said to the Demon Buddha,
“Please leave a phrase or a trace of your martial arts on that wall over there to show that you came here.”
“Why?”
“Most of the Demon Supremes have come to this very seat, and even Father came here. From now on, whenever each of you comes, I intend to have you leave a trace. Isn’t it nice? You will be the first, Demon Buddha!”
The word first stirred the Demon Buddha’s heart. If everyone was going to write something eventually, then it would be better to be first, would it not? A pointless competitive spirit rose within him.
“Then let me…”
At that moment, a sound came from behind him.
Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.
Geom Mugeuk and the Demon Buddha turned around.
Before they knew it, the Poison King was writing something on the wall with a chopstick.
A single line written in magnificent handwriting.
The Poison King was here.
The Poison King said to Geom Mugeuk,
“This is what you meant, correct?”
“Yes, but I was in the middle of saying that I would give the first opportunity to the Demon Buddha.”
“Was that so? I did not hear it.”
Geom Mugeuk could believe that the Poison King had once again sunk into his own world and failed to listen to the conversation to the end, but the Demon Buddha took it as a challenge.
The Demon Buddha’s body shone with golden light, and his hand formed a mudra.
Flash!
A trace of the Golden Great Rama Demonic Art was left on the wall. It looked like a golden dragon opening its mouth, about to devour the words the Poison King had left behind.
It was the petty revenge of the Demon Buddha, whose first place had been stolen, and at the same time, the manifestation of supreme martial learning that left only a trace without breaking through the wall.
“Waaaah!”
Before they knew it, the people in the tavern had come up and were admiring what had been left on the wall.
The Poison King’s writing and the Demon Buddha’s martial trace harmonized so perfectly that it seemed as if they had been matched that way on purpose. How could the onlookers possibly imagine it? That the dragon wanted to eat those words.
At the people’s cheers, the Demon Buddha sat back down as if it were nothing, but his face was filled with satisfaction.
The Poison King sent a voice transmission to Geom Mugeuk.
—To sulk over something like this. A child. A child.
—And what about the one who couldn’t wait even a moment and quickly wrote first? The two of you should become friends!
—I refuse. That man makes the world uncomfortable!
When Geom Mugeuk looked back, Jo Chunbae was smiling so widely in the distance that his mouth nearly split.
We drank again. Freely. We did not insistently offer each other cups, nor did we try to keep the conversation going. If silence flowed, we let it flow; if it became this or that trivial talk, then that was fine too. We drank at ease.
While drinking, Geom Mugeuk looked outside through the second-floor window. Since it was not yet late at night, many people were passing by.
As he emptied his mind and idly watched the people, he saw the Poison King disappear among the crowd. Before he knew it, the Poison King had even paid for the drinks and left without saying goodbye.
Just then, the Demon Buddha asked from behind him,
“How can I trust you? How can I know your heart will not change when you become the Heavenly Demon?”
I told him to put everything down, drink comfortably, and have fun.
Without turning around, Geom Mugeuk answered,
“You don’t know.”
These were people for whom resting for even one day was this difficult.
* * *
When the Demon Buddha returned to his residence, someone was waiting in the yard. It was none other than Geom Muyang.
“Young Master!”
The Demon Buddha was drunk, and in his hand was a bottle of liquor.
“Did you have a drink?”
“Yes, it has been a long time since I had one.”
“Please give me a cup as well.”
“Very well. I will bring a cup.”
“No, just give it to me.”
At this moment, both of them were strange.
The Demon Buddha was not someone who bought liquor and carried it back, and Geom Muyang was not someone who drank straight from the bottle.
“Today, I met the Second Young Master and the Poison King. I am also returning after drinking with the two of them.”
“I see.”
After each taking a sip of liquor, both their gazes naturally turned toward the night sky.
The Demon Buddha thought that he had looked up at the sky quite a lot today. In the daytime with Geom Mugeuk, and at night like this with Geom Muyang.
Geom Muyang glanced at the Demon Buddha. His flushed cheeks, reddened by the liquor, mingled with the golden light and shone with a unique color. It was not simply because the hue was different. Today, the Demon Buddha was different from usual.
Because he could guess where that difference came from, Geom Muyang’s heart grew heavy. Even if everyone else left, he had hoped that at least the Demon Buddha would stay by his side. Though he had never expressed it, he had been worried sick over it.
To be honest, there had been times when he had wished that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon or another Demon Supreme would become his right hand. That was before he had known the Demon Buddha would go this far for him.
“It seemed the Poison King has completely turned to the Second Young Master’s side.”
The Demon Buddha spoke honestly.
Now he had to make him face reality. It will go well. I will try harder. From now on, such words would only drive Geom Muyang closer to the edge of the cliff.
Now was the time to walk away from that cliff’s edge together with him.
It seems this is as far as we go, Eldest Young Master.
But the words would not come. He could not bear to open his mouth.
The Demon Buddha looked at Geom Muyang.
Even at the words that the Poison King had turned, Geom Muyang remained calm. In the past, he might have pretended to be fine and then suddenly spat out a cold remark, or shifted the responsibility onto the Demon Buddha. He would have reacted sharply.
But Geom Muyang was calm, as if he had expected it.
“Now only the Fist Demon remains.”
The Demon Buddha was actually grateful that he had said only the Fist Demon, rather than the Demon Buddha and the Fist Demon.
At the very least, it meant he believed the Demon Buddha was an exception and would not change.
Through this process, he could tell that Geom Muyang had grown. He had endured and endured again. Several times a day, he must have been tormented by the desire to kill Geom Mugeuk. He must have been tempted to use every means available to him and simply kill him first.
And he had endured it splendidly. Whether because he was watching the Heavenly Demon’s mood, because of his relationship with Geom Mugeuk, or because he was not inherently that sort of wicked person. In any case, he had endured well.
That was why the Demon Buddha truly wanted to say this to him.
Let us see it through to the end! I will play the role of one against a hundred.
But he did not. Because that would have been deceiving the Eldest Young Master instead.
The Second Young Master is an opponent you cannot defeat.
Had Geom Muyang read the resignation contained in his gaze?
Drunk on liquor and drunk on moonlight, he now understood.
Why he had remained until the very end. It was not because Geom Mugeuk had approached him last. Even if he had approached him first, the result would have been the same.
His parents had failed to protect him, but he wanted to protect the Eldest Young Master until the end. It was because of that feeling. And so, to the Demon Buddha, the Eldest Young Master was both his child and, at the same time, himself.
Even if the Eldest Young Master failed to become the successor, he would not leave his side.
“In your eyes, Demon Supreme, what kind of person is Mugeuk? Please tell me honestly.”
After a brief pause, the Demon Buddha said,
“I do not know what kind of person he is.”
With that answer, Geom Muyang was certain. Even the Demon Buddha had been shaken by Geom Mugeuk. He could tell just from the fact that the Demon Buddha had come back carrying liquor. A liquor bottle in the Demon Buddha’s hand? He had never seen such a thing.
“In the fact that I do not know what kind of person he is, Mugeuk resembles Father more than I do.”
Geom Muyang smiled at the Demon Buddha, bowed his head slightly, and then turned away.
As he walked some distance away, the Demon Buddha said to him,
“Eldest Young Master!”
“What is it?”
“The one who resembles the Cult Leader is you, Eldest Young Master.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I am certain.”
Geom Muyang, who had been walking slowly, looked back.
The Demon Buddha, who had been looking up at the night sky, drank straight from the liquor bottle. He drank for a long while without stopping.
Geom Muyang realized that the time had come for him to make his decision.