Several days passed that way.
Geom Mugeuk devoted himself to the duties of acting Cult Leader. In the past, once he finished his daily work, he would have gone to the Pungryu Tavern for a drink, then met with the Demon Venerables and fooled around.
This time, he did not. When he thought that his father had been struggling far more than he had imagined, that he must have been carrying so many concerns, he could not bring himself to play. The work entrusted to him was, after all, an immensely important duty.
And today, at last!
“What’s the next matter?”
“There is none.”
When Geom Mugeuk raised his head, Sima Myeong was staring at him in surprise.
“You finished all the work on time.”
He had known from long ago that the Young Cult Leader was a brilliant man, but he had not expected him to adapt to the work this quickly. It was not merely that he was intelligent. The Young Cult Leader knew how to see through people’s minds, and he understood precisely how an organization functioned.
“As expected, blood will tell.”
The Young Cult Leader’s deep insight truly made it feel as though he were working alongside the Cult Leader himself.
Until now, Sima Myeong had mostly seen the results the Young Cult Leader had achieved. But now, he personally felt how those results had come about.
“Impressive.”
“It’s not because I’m impressive. It’s just my will to get rid of this accursed work as quickly as possible coming into play.”
“If that is all it is, then you handled it far too well. Then I will see you tomorrow.”
Sima Myeong gathered the documents and was about to turn away.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“Please ask.”
“The Demon Venerables all know I’m back, don’t they?”
“Not only them. The entire cult knows.”
At that, Geom Mugeuk could not hold back and shouted.
“And yet not a single one of them came to see me? Isn’t that too much!”
Whenever he left after finishing work, he had expected to find the Blood Heaven Saber Demon at the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Hall, his great saber thrust into the ground as he drank.
He had hoped the Extreme Evil Young Demon would be standing atop the giant evil spirit statue, looking down at him and laughing.
He had thought the Drunken Demon would come reeking of liquor and tease him, asking if the work was hard, whether this elder brother should help.
“And no one came!”
Sima Myeong consoled Geom Mugeuk in a gentle tone.
“Even originally, they are not the sort to come unless the Cult Leader summons them. They are people far removed from the Heavenly Demon Hall.”
“That’s because Father is difficult to approach, so of course they wouldn’t. How can Father and I be the same?”
At that, Sima Myeong asked meaningfully,
“Are you different?”
Geom Mugeuk asked Sima Myeong with a startled expression.
“Then are we the same? Am I not far easier to deal with than Father?”
Surprisingly, Sima Myeong thought the opposite.
“Would it not be more difficult for the Demon Venerables to deal with the Young Cult Leader than with the Cult Leader?”
“Me?”
Beyond surprise, Geom Mugeuk looked utterly dumbfounded.
It was something he had truly never imagined. Naturally, he wondered if it was a joke, but judging by Sima Myeong’s serious expression, he seemed to mean it.
“Did you not see them on the day I returned to the cult? Lord Fist Demon and Lord Ilhwa Sword Venerable walked out without even hearing me to the end. I’m probably the most easygoing Young Cult Leader in the history of our cult. And yet you say I’m difficult?”
Sima Myeong did not agree with Geom Mugeuk.
“I believe they find you more difficult.”
“Even though they play so many pranks and joke around so much?”
The Demon Venerables find me more difficult than Father? Impossible!
Then, with a sudden suspicion, he asked,
“What about you, Strategist?”
Instead of answering, Sima Myeong gave an inscrutable smile, bowed politely, and turned away.
“I will see you tomorrow.”
“No, you should answer before you go!”
But Sima Myeong simply left.
“You ignore me like this, and yet I’m difficult?”
Left alone, Geom Mugeuk spoke into the air.
“Jeogyeon, what do you think? Am I difficult for you too?”
Then an answer came from the empty air.
“…You are difficult, but not as difficult as the Cult Leader.”
“Right?”
“Yes.”
Then why had that clever Sima Myeong said such a thing?
After remaining seated for a moment, Geom Mugeuk sprang up from the grand preceptor’s chair.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to confirm whether that’s really true.”
“Which Demon Venerable are you going to see?”
He naturally thought Geom Mugeuk would go looking for one of the Demon Venerables.
“I’m not going to a Demon Venerable.”
“Pardon?”
Geom Mugeuk strode down the Path of Blood and said,
“There’s someone who won’t mind me and will tell me the truth.”
* * *
A dozen or so boxes were lined up on the floor.
Inside those boxes were different hidden weapons, some containing only three or four, others containing more than ten.
The person who walked up before them was Geom Mugeuk’s elder brother, Geom Muyang.
“Are these the ones?”
“Yes. These are the counterfeit hidden weapons recovered this time.”
Geom Muyang held several important responsibilities within the cult, and one of them was managing the weapons produced by the Iron Workshop.
His main duty was to send the arms forged in the Iron Workshop to branch altars and branch offices in various regions.
But recently, a new matter had arisen that required his attention.
It was identifying the counterfeit weapons being manufactured all across the Central Plains.
Various weapons made by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult were being counterfeited and sold through the martial world’s black markets.
Among the counterfeit weapons, hidden weapons made up by far the greatest number.
In particular, various hidden weapons launched through mechanisms had become the main targets of counterfeiting. That was because they sold for high prices.
The mere fact that they were hidden weapons used by demonic practitioners gave these fakes value. Even though possessing them could lead to being accused of being a demonic practitioner, many people sought the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s hidden weapons.
And recently, the number of those counterfeit hidden weapons had sharply increased.
Geom Muyang picked up a hidden weapon from the first box. It was cylindrical.
“It is Salmang.”
Listening to his subordinate’s explanation, Geom Muyang fired it at the wall.
Puaaak!
Originally, it was a hidden weapon that sent dozens of projectiles flying like a net, sweeping the area ahead.
But only a dozen or so flew out and embedded themselves in the wall.
“Crude.”
Counterfeit hidden weapons were originally made in this crude fashion. If the makers had the skill to craft them identically, they would not have been making and selling counterfeit hidden weapons in the first place.
But as the days passed, hidden weapons that imitated the originals rather convincingly were being produced.
“They are mainly being distributed in Hunan, and we are tracking down the maker.”
Even though they knew they would die if caught, counterfeits continued to appear because the profits were enormous.
Judging by the quantity spreading through the Central Plains, it was clear they were not being made by an individual, but by an organization.
“The next item came in from Hubei.”
Geom Muyang picked up the hidden weapon in the next box and launched it at the wall.
Shuuuk!
Paaak!
“This one has become stronger than the one recovered last time. Did they improve it in the meantime?”
“It seems so. Their technique is advancing more and more.”
When Geom Muyang picked up a hidden weapon from the next box, the subordinate who had been explaining the weapons bowed his head politely to someone.
Geom Mugeuk was walking toward them.
“If you fire that this way, it won’t be an assassination attempt on the Young Cult Leader, but an assassination attempt on the acting Cult Leader. The crime will be at least twice as severe, wouldn’t it?”
Of course, despite those words, Geom Muyang fired it anyway.
Shuk-shuk-shuk-shuk-shuk-shuk!
Papapapapapak!
The hidden weapons flew and embedded themselves in the wall beside where Geom Mugeuk was walking. Yes, this was how his brother should be.
“Long time no see for me too, Brother.”
At the sight of the two of them, the subordinate beside them withdrew far away on his own.
Looking at the hidden weapons lodged in the wall, Geom Mugeuk said,
“Are you testing the power of hidden weapons?”
“They’re counterfeit hidden weapons modeled after our cult’s.”
Geom Muyang tossed the one he was holding to Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk caught it and examined it.
“Fake? It looks pretty convincing.”
“They are becoming more refined by the day.”
“How much do things like this sell for?”
“I hear they go for anywhere from dozens to hundreds of nyang.”
At that, Geom Mugeuk flared up.
“Don’t tell me these bastards are earning more money than us?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s joke, the corner of Geom Muyang’s mouth rose slightly. He bent down, picked up a hidden weapon from the next box, and asked,
“What brings you here?”
His tone was still blunt, but Geom Mugeuk could tell. The look in his eyes as he gazed at him was softer than before.
“I came to see you, Brother.”
“Why?”
“Because I missed you.”
Geom Muyang snorted and aimed the hidden weapon again.
“Move. I’m busy.”
“Could you have been as busy as me?”
Geom Mugeuk sighed and said,
“If I’d known there was this much work, I wouldn’t have fought you over being the successor. I really would have yielded this position to the person I hated most. Ah, back then, that would have been you.”
At those words, Geom Muyang finally let out a small laugh.
Shuk-shuk-shuk-shuk-shuk!
Pak-pak-pak-pak-pak!
The hidden weapons flew again, grazing Geom Mugeuk’s shoulder before embedding themselves in the wall.
“Enough, enough! Stop pretending to be busy and talk to me.”
Geom Mugeuk stood in front of the wall and waved both hands from side to side.
“Talk about what?”
“Father has entered closed-door training, and the younger brother you haven’t seen in ages has become acting Cult Leader. If you have nothing to say even in this situation, why do you even carry that mouth around?”
Geom Muyang picked up a hidden weapon from the next box.
“Father came to see me the day before he entered closed-door training.”
“What did he say?”
Geom Mugeuk looked at him expectantly, but—
“He told me to keep a close watch on whether you caused trouble or not.”
Geom Mugeuk raised his voice.
“He said that to you too? Father, that is too much! Just what do you think of this son of yours?”
Geom Mugeuk’s resentment changed direction.
“If you heard something like that, you should have come to help your younger brother.”
“As you can see, I have a lot of work too.”
In truth, Geom Muyang had gone to see Sima Myeong.
He had gone to ask if there was anything he could do to help Geom Mugeuk, but when he heard that Geom Mugeuk was adapting to the work more and more with each passing day, he had simply returned. He thought that not helping might actually be more helpful to his younger brother.
How could Geom Muyang not know? If their father had truly been worried that Geom Mugeuk would cause trouble, he would never have chosen him as successor in the first place. This was successor training.
Their father had come to him not because of Geom Mugeuk, but for his sake. Because he felt sorry toward his eldest son.
“Father, I am all right.”
Geom Mugeuk, by becoming the successor, was coming to understand their father more, and Geom Muyang, by not becoming the successor, was coming to understand their father more.
“What is there about you that’s so lovable that I should help?”
“Everyone is too much.”
“Everyone?”
“I heard something absurd from Strategist Sima today. He said the Demon Venerables might find me more difficult to deal with than Father.”
Geom Muyang let out a low hum.
“What kind of reaction is that?”
Geom Mugeuk asked with a doubtful expression.
“Don’t tell me you think so too?”
“To me, you’re a joke.”
“Right? That’s the proper reaction.”
Then Geom Muyang said something unexpected.
“But if it’s the Demon Venerables, they may indeed find you more difficult.”
Geom Mugeuk was startled and asked his brother again.
“You’re saying the Demon Venerables find me harder to deal with than Father? Are you serious?”
Geom Muyang nodded.
“Because you stir people’s hearts and grab them by the collar. They want to stay still, but when they’re with you, they have to be dragged onto the stage.”
That was how Geom Muyang saw Geom Mugeuk.
“When they’re with you, they feel the pressure that they have to do something well.”
Geom Muyang thought the Demon Venerables would be no different from him.
Of course, to him, their father was naturally more difficult. He had truly wanted to look good in their father’s eyes, and that feeling had not greatly changed even now.
But to the Demon Venerables, both his father and his younger brother were others. The way they saw the two of them would certainly be different from how he did.
“Father is someone who can be predicted, but you are unpredictable.”
Geom Muyang aimed the hidden weapon he was holding at Geom Mugeuk.
“I’ve said everything I had to say, so move now.”
Standing in front of the wall, Geom Mugeuk expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you. If not for you, I wouldn’t have been able to hear that from the Demon Venerables. You have no idea how precious you are to me, do you? I’ll make sure they produce a doll of you at Maga Village too. Of course, it won’t come out looking cooler than my doll, but…”
“Ugh, just get hit!”
Swaeeeeek!
Papapapapapak!
Geom Mugeuk’s scream burst out.
Geom Muyang, who had fired the hidden weapon, was startled.
The hidden weapon he had just fired had flown with truly tremendous force.
“Are you all right?”
At Geom Muyang’s shout, Geom Mugeuk, who had been awkwardly leaning against the wall, slid down and sat.
“Good grief, that scared me.”
Above his head, steel needles were embedded in the wall. He had truly dodged by a hair’s breadth. Since the distance was close and the force was tremendous, anyone other than Geom Mugeuk would have been struck. Truly, Geom Muyang, the one who had fired it, was even more shocked.
“You planned properly to kill me!”
With a dazed expression, Geom Muyang looked down at the hidden weapon he was holding. He had been absorbed in conversation with his younger brother and had fired it without even looking at what it was. No, even if he had looked, it would have been the same. There was no way his younger brother would be hit by a fake hidden weapon.
Jingyeok.
It was one of the hidden weapons that represented the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Its power was enough to pierce straight through shields and armor, so unless one was a fairly skilled expert, it was not easy to block.
The Murim Alliance had designated Jingyeok as one of the Ten Great Forbidden Hidden Weapons. Its overwhelming power was one thing, but the steel needles of Jingyeok were coated in deadly poison.
Therefore, even the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was extremely cautious in using Jingyeok. Because poison and hidden weapons were among the greatest causes of dispute in the martial world, Jingyeok was forbidden from use even within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult unless in wartime.
Chiiiiik.
The poison was so strong that the wall foamed and melted. The exposed steel needles glimmered with a bluish light.
“It’s even coated with deadly poison? This looks real.”
“That can’t be.”
Geom Muyang shook his head with a grave expression.
Because Jingyeok was one of the Ten Great Forbidden Hidden Weapons, it was strictly managed.
Geom Mugeuk walked over to Geom Muyang.
“It’s fake, yet it has this kind of power?”
Geom Mugeuk took Jingyeok from Geom Muyang and examined it. It was far too exquisitely made to be called a fake.
“Rather than find and kill the person who made this, shouldn’t we hire them?”