Geom Mugeuk stared at Geom Ujin, eyes wide.
The gaze with which Geom Ujin looked upon his son was cold as ice.
“……Why me?”
*Thuk.*
But the sword embedded itself even deeper into Geom Mugeuk. Blood dripped from the blade protruding from his back.
“If you had known my son well, this is a move you might have fallen for.”
Then, blue light began to flow from the wound where the blade was lodged.
With it began fragmentation.
*Screech.*
Cracks began to form on Geom Mugeuk’s face. They gradually spread until they branched across his face and neck, arms and body like a spiderweb.
*Swoosh!*
In the instant blue light poured out all at once from the cracked places, the fractured pieces came tumbling down with a sharp *ching*.
The one who revealed himself from within was Gyocheon. Dense wrinkles took the place of the spiderweb-like cracks.
*Sssssss.*
Following that, Geom Ujin returned to his true form. The appearance of the young Geom Ujin vanished and he returned to his original self. The sword that had pierced Gyocheon also changed into the Cheonma Sword.
*Hack.*
Blood burst from Gyocheon’s mouth with a cough.
In that instant, the trees surrounding them disappeared.
*Cough, cough.*
With the continuing coughs, this time the rocks, birds, and sky disappeared. The Gyocheon of that time, who had halted his attack from behind, disappeared.
And Geom Ujin’s older brother began to disappear.
Then Geom Ujin placed his palm on Gyocheon’s chest and infused a stream of internal energy.
As Gyocheon’s face eased slightly, the older brother who had been about to disappear stood firmly in place.
Geom Ujin silently looked at his older brother.
Even though it was an older brother from within the illusion technique born of Gyocheon’s memories and his own heart.
Although he had already changed from his youthful appearance back to his true form, a wistful expression reminiscent of his younger days settled upon Geom Ujin’s face.
“Keu-e-e-ek.”
Gyocheon spat out the blood he had been holding back, and the older brother vanished.
Geom Ujin watched his older brother disappear with a deep gaze.
And so, as the illusion technique shattered, everything around them disappeared.
Geom Ujin and Gyocheon stood in the place where they had originally been.
In their original places stood Geom Mugeuk, Hyeolcheondoma, and Hwi.
Moments ago, when Geom Ujin suddenly vanished, they had known he had fallen into Gyocheon’s sorcery.
Hwi had urgently revealed himself, but Geom Ujin had already disappeared. No matter how much he believed in the Cult Lord’s strength, he could not help but worry because he was a bodyguard.
Then Geom Mugeuk said this to Hwi:
“No one can harm Father as he is now.”
Nevertheless, because they knew it was Gyocheon’s final move, the three of them waited for their father with tense hearts.
Of course, Geom Mugeuk did not forget a jest.
“No matter how hidden a trump card it is, who would want to be alone with Father?”
At his words, Hyeolcheondoma and Hwi smiled faintly.
And now, the Cult Lord had appeared boldly, meeting their expectations.
Bloody froth gushed from Gyocheon’s mouth.
“……How did you know it was me?”
He had believed that disguising himself as Geom Mugeuk in that situation would make it impossible to tell.
The method to break this Illusionary Heart Demon Technique was Geom Mugeuk himself.
Moreover, their relationship was that of father and son. He had believed it would be impossible to find him. Yet the moment he tried to ambush from behind, Geom Ujin had stabbed him first.
Geom Ujin spoke to him with calm eyes.
“Did I not say earlier that I know what this Illusionary Heart Demon Technique is?”
That it kills by using the person who occupies the largest, deepest place in one’s heart.
“I thought… it would be your older brother.”
He had thought Geom Ujin buried his older brother deepest and largest in his heart.
Gyocheon’s gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.
“……So it was his son who occupied the largest, deepest place in the Cult Lord’s heart.”
And more than anything, Geom Ujin knew this fact himself. That was why he could thrust his sword into his son’s chest with certainty.
The moment he heard Gyocheon’s words, Geom Mugeuk’s eyes trembled. Before joy, he was surprised and bewildered.
*The person who occupies the largest place in Father’s heart is me?*
Undoubtedly, his father occupied the largest place in his own heart. But he had never expected that he would be the largest in his father’s.
*Father!*
Since regressing, he had felt many emotions toward his father, but he had never been as happy as he was in this moment.
Meanwhile, his father stared at Gyocheon without revealing any emotion.
Thinking things would become awkward if they turned serious now, Geom Mugeuk cracked a joke.
“Of course it’s me! If you drew Father’s heart as a picture, this second son would take up slightly more than half. Then of the remaining half, the Cult would take half again. And from the remainder, a little for my older brother, a little for the Demon Venerables, a little for the Nine Transformations Demonic Art, a little for Father’s dreams, and a little for fishing. That’s how it would be.”
A smile formed at Geom Ujin’s lips. Since he had his back turned to Geom Mugeuk, the latter could not see it.
Geom Ujin added to Gyocheon:
“If it had really been that boy, he would have said ten times more than what you said earlier. And he wouldn’t have said to pull out the sword and kill the opponent to quickly forget the past. He probably would have had… things to say to my older brother as well.”
Hyeolcheondoma could tell that the Cult Lord’s final words contained his true feelings.
Perhaps the Cult Lord had wished for his son to speak to his older brother in his stead. Because the son would have been able to explain his own feelings better than he could himself.
He might also have wished for his son to tell him how he should forget his older brother as well. Because if it were him, he would have placed such expectations on Geom Mugeuk.
Hyeolcheondoma slowly walked over to Gyocheon’s side. Gyocheon still stood in place, pierced by the sword. Because pulling out the sword would mean instant death, Geom Ujin did not pull it out, giving Hyeolcheondoma time to bid farewell.
“Master.”
Gyocheon looked at Hyeolcheondoma with eyes losing their vitality.
Hyeolcheondoma’s gaze as he looked at his master was filled with regret and sorrow.
Hyeolcheondoma could guess from the earlier conversation what kind of illusion technique had been deployed. A move that utilized the deep wounds of the past shared by the Cult Lord and himself.
“It must have been fearsome, being the illusion technique Master prepared as his final resort. Yet the reason it failed is likely because neither Master nor I have ever raised a child.”
Gyocheon’s deep wrinkles twitched weakly.
“Master, let us meet again in the next life in a better relationship.”
It was Hyeolcheondoma’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 Master after today. So let us meet in the next life. Let us meet as master and disciple of a small martial hall in some countryside village, with no succession struggles. Then I will truly serve you well. Then let us also have children and raise them well.”
Gyocheon’s pupils trembled. Just as he had felt ever since meeting Hyeolcheondoma this time, he could feel that this disciple truly grieved his death.
Gyocheon left his final words at the end of a coughing fit that expelled blood.
“……Pretense until the very end.”
With those words, Gyocheon breathed his last, eyes wide open.
He did not know what his master’s true feelings were in the final moment, but because Gyocheon had refused to acknowledge him until the very end, Hyeolcheondoma’s heart was rather lightened.
“In the end, it was but a fleeting moment, was it not?”
Hyeolcheondoma closed his master’s eyes with trembling hands.
“Lay down past grudges and please rest in eternal peace.”
Geom Ujin slowly pulled out the sword, and Gyocheon fell backward, spraying blood.
Hyeolcheondoma caught his body and carefully laid him down.
Hyeolcheondoma fulfilled his duty to the very end. He brought firewood, stacked it, and cremated his master.
“Since it would become a grave no one visits, you might as well soar freely into the sky.”
Geom Mugeuk and Geom Ujin stood side by side watching that sight.
Geom Mugeuk knew. Though it had been for his father’s sake, the act of betraying his master had remained a wound in Hyeolcheondoma’s heart for his entire life.
A man who did not use the situation as an excuse but bore that wound willingly in his heart, a man who had lived embracing his own misfortune—this was Hyeolcheondoma.
Through this matter, his father must have realized as well. How deeply that wound had remained. And through this matter, the relationship between those two would change once more.
He could feel that Hyeolcheondoma had sorted out his heart to some extent.
Then what about Father?
Geom Mugeuk did not simply let it pass like this.
One may bury the corpse, but do not bury the wound of the heart.
Because he was one who held such convictions.
“Father, did you see Uncle in that illusion?”
Geom Ujin silently nodded.
“How was it?”
If he had asked this question when he first regressed, his father would never have answered. He probably would have turned away without even replying, especially since it was a question regarding his older brother.
But now it was different. Unexpected words flowed from his father’s mouth.
“It was good to see him after so long.”
In this moment, Geom Mugeuk felt the deep regret his father harbored.
Surely it was because of this very regret that his father wished for a succession struggle in which his children did not shed each other’s blood. Surely his father had missed his older brother too.
“I’m sure Uncle was happy to see you as well.”
Geom Ujin looked at his son.
“He must have wanted to say these words to you. ‘Little brother, you are doing so well. I am relieved that you lead the Cult.’ How do I know? Because he is your older brother? Father’s eldest son. Where would the bloodline of such wonderful sons go? Ah, I should have entered the illusion with you. I had so much I wanted to say to Uncle.”
*Yes, if it had been that boy, he would have talked this much even there.* How could anyone imitate such chatter?
“By the way, then did you return to your youth?”
When Geom Ujin nodded, Geom Mugeuk grew even more regretful.
“Ah! It was the perfect opportunity to see you in your youth. I should have faced off against your younger self with this handsome face of mine. Even if I couldn’t match the Nine Transformations Demonic Art, I should have won at that!”
He had realized this as well. Because he could imagine how much the real son would have talked about his youthful appearance.
Hyeolcheondoma watched that sight and felt envy once again.
Geom Mugeuk did not miss that look.
“You’re jealous, aren’t you? You wish you had a son like this, don’t you?”
How quick-witted he was. No, that wasn’t it. It was because he had inadvertently said to his master earlier that they should have children.
If it had been just the two of them, he would have responded with something like “Not jealous at all; family is the enemy.” But he could not say such things in front of the Cult Lord.
“Do not be jealous. Don’t you have another child, Elder?”
“Another child?”
Geom Mugeuk infused his whistle with internal energy.
Then someone came running toward them from afar like the wind.
The one who arrived in a single breath was Seo Daeryong. He had been hiding and waiting from afar.
“I pay my respects to the Cult Lord.”
Seo Daeryong politely greeted Geom Ujin, then looked at Hyeolcheondoma. Today of all days, he was more nervous to see his master than the Cult Lord.
Seo Daeryong’s heart was fully revealed on his face.
“……Master.”
Even from the trembling voice calling out to Hyeolcheondoma, one could tell how much he had worried and longed to see his master.
“Do you not resent me for dragging you into this?”
Hyeolcheondoma had been entangled in matters with his master and had no choice but to call him, determined to protect him somehow. Fortunately, Geom Mugeuk and the Cult Lord arrived afterward, so he had not worried about Seo Daeryong since.
Seo Daeryong answered Hyeolcheondoma’s question:
“How could this matter have been dragged in by Master? It was because of them. And Master, don’t you find it a shame? Your disciple came and handled everything on his own. Master, it’s all over. Not because I am such a capable disciple, but because I am a timid and fearful one like me.”
Their two gazes intertwined in the air. Geom Mugeuk felt it. That those two completely different people had subtly similar sides.
“Branch Lord Seo, you must not have heard that.”
Because they were before his father, he addressed Seo Daeryong as Branch Lord.
“What do you mean?”
“Elder Doma has declared thus: from now on, I have only one master-disciple relationship.”
In that instant, Seo Daeryong’s face flushed.
In turn, he also conveyed to Hyeolcheondoma what Seo Daeryong had done.
“When we met earlier, Branch Lord Seo said this. That he could give his life for his master. He willingly became dangerous bait.”
Seo Daeryong bowed his head deeply. His face grew even redder. This was why he liked Geom Mugeuk. Because whenever there was something that needed to be conveyed, he invariably conveyed it like this.
His taciturn master might not say much, but having his feelings conveyed was enough.
Then Hyeolcheondoma spoke.
“If something dangerous arises in the future, have the Young Lord do it.”
Seo Daeryong’s head shot up in surprise. Having felt his master’s affection hidden within the jest, Seo Daeryong was overjoyed as if he could take flight.
“You heard that, right? You definitely heard that, right? It’s Master’s official command.”
Geom Mugeuk said as if tattling to his father.
“You heard it too, Father, right? Then you must say something. What kind of words are those to say to my child? From now on, you and your disciple will handle all the dangerous matters!”
A smirk formed on Geom Ujin’s lips. That smirk, which always held many meanings, was speaking thus today:
*You have worked hard too.*
That was why it was the most magnificent smirk to close this day’s occasion.
His father walked out of that place. Hyeolcheondoma followed behind.
Both his father and Hyeolcheondoma appeared to walk with light footsteps.
Geom Mugeuk stood for a moment, watching the backs of the two.
Originally, Hyeolcheondoma had followed one step behind, but his father slowed his pace and moved shoulder to shoulder.
The two spoke as they walked. Perhaps they were speaking of that day’s matter, which they had left unspoken for all these years.
Watching their backs, he suddenly thought of the line Hyeolcheondoma had drawn when he first met him after regressing.
The line he had drawn, saying it was merely because the Cult Lord cherished him. Because these were two people who possessed such a past.
*Elder, that line you drew back then was correct.*