Early in the morning, Hwi checked the horses, inspected the carriage, and loaded the luggage. At last, today was the day they would return to the Main Sect.
They decided to have the Blood Heaven Doma and Seo Daeryong ride in the carriage they had come in. It was a large carriage with plenty of room, but Seo Daeryong was the problem.
“I can ride up on the coachman’s seat, right?”
“You’re the Master of the Yellow Springs Pavilion. You should ride inside with us.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s answer, Seo Daeryong flinched. Travel that long road together with the Cult Leader and his master?
“I’ll age ten years on the way. I won’t be able to breathe properly or sleep for even a moment. Please, let me ride on the coachman’s seat. Please!”
He could tease the man if he made him ride inside with them, but Seo Daeryong was so desperate that Geom Mugeuk relented.
“Actually, I’m not the one you should be asking for permission.”
Geom Mugeuk brought Seo Daeryong to Hwi.
“You’re the only one who can save our Master of the Yellow Springs Pavilion.”
Though he said no more than that, Hwi understood what he was asking.
Hwi said to Seo Daeryong,
“The coachman’s seat will be more uncomfortable than you think.”
“That’s all right. I’ll take turns driving, so you can rest comfortably when I do.”
A carriage driven by Seo Daeryong? Geom Mugeuk couldn’t let that pass.
“What if the carriage jolts while you’re driving? What if my father happens to be drinking tea at that exact moment and splashes it all over his face? If it jolts, your neck will be severed! Can you handle that?”
Even though he knew it was a joke, Seo Daeryong grew serious.
Hwi reassured him.
“No matter how much the carriage jolts, the tea will never spill onto the Cult Leader’s face.”
The Cult Leader was the sort of man who could have a whole jar of venom poured over him and still walk away without getting a single drop on him.
Besides, Seo Daeryong would never actually have to drive. The Cult Leader would never entrust the reins of his carriage to someone else.
“All right. I’ll go with you.”
Once Hwi gave his permission, Seo Daeryong thanked him with the look of a man who had narrowly escaped death.
“Thank you so much.”
Meanwhile, Geom Ujin and the Blood Heaven Doma came outside.
Geom Ujin climbed into the carriage first, followed by the Blood Heaven Doma. The two sat facing each other, while Geom Mugeuk took the seat beside the Blood Heaven Doma.
Hwi’s voice came from the coachman’s seat.
“Then we’ll be setting off.”
The carriage left the villa and began to roll along.
His father closed his eyes and practiced qi circulation, while the Blood Heaven Doma read a book.
After watching the two of them for a moment, Geom Mugeuk leaned out through the window on the opposite side. The wind whipped his robes.
“Uncle, you know we’re taking the long way back, right?”
* * *
When the carriage stopped beside a river, Geom Mugeuk told the Blood Heaven Doma what he had been saving for him.
“That contest is a fishing contest.”
“Fishing?”
When the Cult Leader had asked him whether he had ever tasted the fish dishes the young master cooked, he had suspected something, but he never imagined it would really be a fishing contest.
“The loser has to cook. This is the third contest.”
“Who won the previous ones?”
“I’m very curious about Father’s third fish dish.”
The Blood Heaven Doma looked at Geom Ujin. His eyes seemed to say, “No, did you really lose to your son twice?”
Geom Ujin looked from his triumphant son to the Blood Heaven Doma, whose gaze seemed to ask how he could possibly have lost, then silently walked toward the carriage.
He brought out the fishing rods from the carriage. They were the very ones he had spent all that time making at their lodgings.
“It’s a fishing rod imbued with Father’s devotion. It’s worth more than the East Sea Fisherman’s personal weapon.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s words, the Blood Heaven Doma subtly provoked his father.
“There are many things more important than equipment when it comes to fishing.”
Sure enough, one corner of his father’s mouth lifted slightly.
“Have you fished before, Elder?”
The Blood Heaven Doma shrugged.
“I did my share of fishing in my younger days.”
This was not a provocation Geom Mugeuk could simply ignore.
“How about it? Would you like to join the contest as well? It doesn’t matter to me either way, since I’ll be coming in first.”
Could his father possibly stand by while his pride was challenged?
“I don’t mind.”
Geom Mugeuk even brought Seo Daeryong into the contest.
“Since we’re doing this, let’s make it four people. Father and son, master and disciple—who will come in last?”
They had made several fishing rods while competing against his father, so there were more than enough.
Geom Mugeuk and Geom Ujin picked up their rods first and walked toward the river.
The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Nameless wildflowers bloomed along the riverbank, and the river flowed quietly, its surface glittering with fragments of sunlight.
The mere fact that he was fishing with his father in a place like this put Geom Mugeuk in an exceptionally good mood.
“Have you prepared a new recipe?”
The contest began with Geom Mugeuk’s provocation.
Whoosh.
His father’s hand was incomparably smooth and supple as he cast his line.
The line flew straight over the water before sinking beneath its surface.
Truly, even the way his father cast a fishing line looked as though he were executing a supreme martial art.
But fishing isn’t martial arts, Father. When I think of all the fish I’ve caught in my life, I’m sorry to say it, but you still have a long way to go.
Geom Mugeuk began fishing in earnest as well.
Watching the two of them fish, the Blood Heaven Doma felt his own blood begin to boil. When it came to competitiveness, he was second to no one.
‘Cult Leader, of all things, you’re losing at fishing to a child? I’ll show you my skill.’
Overflowing with confidence when it came to fishing, the Blood Heaven Doma walked toward the river with Seo Daeryong.
“There are places where fish bite well.”
“What about the spots where the Cult Leader and Young Cult Leader are standing?”
The Blood Heaven Doma shook his head.
“They may know how to kill people, but what do those two know about fishing? Let me see.”
With the eyes of an expert, the Blood Heaven Doma examined the riverbank.
“There. Where the current is slow, with stones, rocks, or aquatic plants, and shade beneath the trees. Fish gather in places like that.”
He took up a position beneath the drooping branches of a large willow tree.
He also found a spot for his disciple.
“You fish over there. It’s just as good as my spot.”
“Thank you, Master!”
Seo Daeryong’s spot was between the Blood Heaven Doma and Geom Mugeuk.
As he cast his line with an awkward motion, Seo Daeryong said,
“This is my first time fishing in my life. What I do know is that the true charm of fishing is waiting! It’s the patience to fish for the passing years!”
“Who told you that? The charm of fishing is the feel of a fish on the line! That one moment makes it worth waiting all day! Understand?”
“Yes, Master!”
And so, the four of them began fishing beside the gently flowing river.
Hwi stood in front of the carriage, parked some distance away, and watched them.
They had experienced countless unexpected things on this journey, and now another had been added to the list.
Who would have imagined that he would get to see the Cult Leader, the Young Cult Leader, the Blood Heaven Doma, and his disciple fishing together?
The fishing rod of the man who had created this astonishing change bent sharply.
“I’ve got one! First bite!”
With practiced skill, Geom Mugeuk reeled it in without letting it escape.
“It’s big! It’s huge!”
Grinning brightly, Geom Mugeuk held up the fish he had caught and proudly showed it to everyone.
A flash of disappointment crossed Geom Ujin’s face at having missed the first fish.
Only Hwi saw that fleeting expression. Had he ever seen such disappointment on the Cult Leader’s face before? No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t remember. That brief expression was therefore immensely precious to Hwi.
How much more time passed?
The next person to haul in a fish was, unexpectedly, Seo Daeryong.
“Oh! I caught one!”
Seo Daeryong really had hooked a fish.
“It’s my first! This is the first fish I’ve ever caught in my life!”
Seo Daeryong jumped up and down in delight.
The Blood Heaven Doma came over and showed him how to remove the fish from the hook. As he placed it in the net, he spoke to the fish.
“To be caught by such a novice, you must be a remarkably scatterbrained creature yourself.”
And indeed, this river was home to many blind and scatterbrained fish.
“I caught another one!”
Seo Daeryong shouted joyfully.
“Beginners are usually lucky. That’s how it is at first.”
The Blood Heaven Doma’s gaze, now slightly anxious, turned toward Geom Ujin. At the sight of the determination in the Cult Leader’s eyes—the absolute refusal to lose—the Blood Heaven Doma’s own fighting spirit blazed up.
Then a cry extinguished that flame.
“I caught another one!”
This time, Geom Mugeuk hauled in a fish.
“Oh! Young Cult Leader! That’s a big one!”
Seo Daeryong, who had been celebrating with him, suddenly shuddered.
“Why does it suddenly feel so cold?”
Geom Mugeuk laughed at his words. A chill was flowing from his father on the left and from the Blood Heaven Doma on the right.
Only after belatedly sensing the aura did Seo Daeryong realize his mistake. He had been so excited by his first fishing catch that he had failed to read the atmosphere. He reproached himself.
‘You idiot, Daeryong! You’ve survived your whole life by reading the mood, and what are you doing now? Don’t get caught anymore. Don’t catch anything!’
But something had gone wrong. Every time Geom Mugeuk caught a fish, Seo Daeryong caught one too.
Yet he couldn’t deliberately let them go. If he did, his master would surely thunder at him.
Geom Mugeuk reeled one in, then Seo Daeryong reeled one in. As if it were a lie, the fish would bite only the younger men’s bait.
Then, for the first time, Geom Ujin hauled in a fish.
“Congratulations, Father. It’s the biggest fish you’ve caught so far.”
The tension melted from Geom Ujin’s face, while the Blood Heaven Doma grew anxious.
After half an hour had passed, the scores were as follows:
Geom Mugeuk: eight fish. Seo Daeryong: six. Geom Ujin: three. Blood Heaven Doma: three.
They had decided to compete for one hour, so half the time remained.
Geom Ujin reeled in his line and walked somewhere. He headed straight for the space between Seo Daeryong and the Blood Heaven Doma. He had moved spots because he sensed that he would lose if things continued this way.
When the Cult Leader came to stand beside him, Seo Daeryong slowly and stealthily began inching toward Geom Mugeuk.
―Young Cult Leader, please move farther to the side!
―You have a talent for assassination!
Seo Daeryong was gradually moving away from Geom Ujin, bit by bit, without making it obvious.
Even then, Seo Daeryong’s float sank again.
‘No!’
He pleaded with the heavens not to let him catch another fish, but the fish adored Seo Daeryong too much.
And so Seo Daeryong moved toward Geom Mugeuk, while Geom Ujin and the Blood Heaven Doma stood side by side and fished.
The Blood Heaven Doma saw the fiery determination in Geom Ujin’s eyes—the heat of a man who refused to lose. He had not come over to speak with him. He had truly come to catch fish.
‘Yes. This was the kind of competitive man the Cult Leader was.’
Then he suddenly remembered the fortune slip tucked against his chest.
‘The Young Cult Leader’s fortune was “Unification of All Under Heaven.”’
How would the Cult Leader react if he saw it?
The Cult Leader’s dream was the unification of the martial world. What if his son’s fortune was the unification of all under heaven?
He could not tell what fate awaited the two of them.
Beyond the river, clouds drifted slowly between the ridges of the mountains. Geom Ujin, who had been watching those clouds, abruptly spoke to the Blood Heaven Doma.
“It’s been a long time since I last went fishing.”
The Blood Heaven Doma was startled by those words.
“You remember?”
Geom Ujin nodded.
They had gone fishing together in their youth. It had happened only once. At the time, the Blood Heaven Doma had taught Geom Ujin how to fish—what bait was best, where fish gathered, and everything else, just as he had taught Seo Daeryong. It had been Geom Ujin’s first time fishing.
“I must have taught you poorly.”
At Geom Ujin’s words, the Blood Heaven Doma gave a faint smile.
That day remained as vivid as if it had happened only yesterday.
After passing through several decades, they were once again standing side by side and fishing.
“We have to win the wager. I’ll find a new spot.”
The Blood Heaven Doma’s eyes gleamed as he began looking around.
* * *
Half an hour later.
Geom Ujin was cleaning the fish.
Beside him, the Blood Heaven Doma was preparing the vegetables.
The last place went to Geom Ujin, while the Blood Heaven Doma came in third.
Geom Mugeuk, Seo Daeryong, and Hwi watched them.
“At last, I’ve found something I can beat Father at!”
Unlike the excited Geom Mugeuk, Seo Daeryong looked as though the heavens had collapsed.
He had caught the second-most fish. He had defeated, all at once, the two people in the world he absolutely must never defeat.
“I was lucky because Master found such a good spot for me.”
Of course, those words did nothing to comfort the Blood Heaven Doma, who had come in third.
“Luck is also a skill.”
At the Blood Heaven Doma’s words, Seo Daeryong sent Geom Mugeuk a transmission with a half-dazed expression.
―Surely they won’t hold this against me over something like this, will they?
―If you knew how much effort Father put into making that fishing rod, you couldn’t say something like that.
―Then what’s going to happen to me now?
―What’s going to happen? He’ll step down as the Master of the Hwangcheon Pavilion and become an investigator again. The elder will choose a new personal disciple. I hear there’s a truly kind one among his existing disciples. You’re fine, aren’t you? You don’t have any ambition for success or fame, do you?
―……I have plenty of both.
Even as they spoke, Geom Ujin’s cooking continued.
The Blood Heaven Butcher tossed the vegetables into the air, then swung the Heaven-Slaying Great Saber.
Shk-shk-shk-shk-shk-shk-shk!
The vegetables were sliced thin by the huge saber and fell into the bowl. It was a wondrous sight unlike anything they had ever seen.
Father played along with the Blood Heaven Butcher’s excitement. When he extended his hand, the jars of seasoning flew from his leather pouch through telekinesis and danced in midair. Red pepper powder scattered like blood, while salt fluttered down like snow.
Both of them looked delighted. Father, in particular, seemed to be in an even better mood than during the previous three rounds of cooking, though he had every reason to feel displeased.
So Geom Mugeuk asked Hwi in a roundabout way.
“It’s different from last time, isn’t it?”
“It does seem that way.”
There was no way Father, the very incarnation of competition, could be this pleased after losing three matches in a row.
Geom Mugeuk found one possible reason.
“Could it be because he wanted to cook for the elder? Or is he simply enjoying this moment of cooking together?”
If not for an opportunity like this, Father would have no chance to cook for the Butcher himself, nor to cook together with him. He never had before, and he never would again.
Hwi smiled and nodded.
‘Do you know this, Young Cult Master? It has been a very long time since the Cult Leader looked this happy.’
Geom Ujin personally placed the fish he had cooked into a bowl and handed it to Seo Daeryong.
“Oh my! You’re giving mine to me first!”
Seo Daeryong accepted the bowl, unsure of what to do.
Geom Mugeuk teased him.
“Second place has every right to eat!”
Seo Daeryong’s face turned deathly pale as he shouted with his eyes. Please, stop! Please stop calling me second place!
The Blood Heaven Butcher played along with Geom Mugeuk’s prank.
“Then third place has no right to eat.”
When the Butcher started to rise from his seat, Seo Daeryong desperately tried to stop him.
“Master! Please, eat your meal!”
Pretending to have been persuaded, the Blood Heaven Butcher sat back down and sent Geom Mugeuk a mental transmission.
―You brat, you should have let your father win.
―I have to win if I want to do this again. You know what Father’s like. He’ll practice fishing and come back.
―Do you really like your father that much?
What should he say?
―Yes, I do.
That one answer would be enough.
The Blood Heaven Butcher looked toward the Cult Leader.
‘How could anyone not be envious of this?’
The bowls filled with food were placed before everyone.
Seo Daeryong was already worried whether he could even swallow such an honored fish dish.
But that concern proved unfounded. The fish dish the Cult Leader had prepared was incredibly delicious.
“It’s delicious! I’m not exaggerating or flattering you—it really is delicious!”
The Blood Heaven Butcher also tasted Geom Ujin’s cooking. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had ever eaten a dish prepared by the Cult Leader.
The Blood Heaven Butcher silently continued moving his chopsticks. Rather than praise the taste, he expressed his approval by completely emptying his bowl.
“This is the most delicious one yet.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly as he looked at his father.
Geom Ujin wore a satisfied expression as he watched his son, the Blood Heaven Butcher, Hwi, and Seo Daeryong eat with relish.
And so the five of them sat around the table and shared a meal. To a passerby, they would have looked like ordinary travelers enjoying a brief meal together.
This was precisely the everyday life Geom Mugeuk so desperately longed for.
Geom Mugeuk turned the scene into a single painting and engraved it in his heart.
‘I prefer this moment to the moments when Father fought and defeated his enemies. That is why I will keep trying to create moments like this.’
After the meal, Geom Mugeuk looked at Seo Daeryong.
Seeing the mischief in the gaze directed at him, Seo Daeryong gave a silent shake of his head. Whatever it is, please don’t!
“Since last place and third place cooked, first place and second place should clean up.”