“You’ve changed lately.”
At the words that came from behind him, Gowol turned around to find Cult Leader Pungcheon standing there.
“What do you mean, Cult Leader?”
At Gowol’s courteous attitude, Cult Leader Pungcheon radiated displeasure.
“You’ve changed starting with that cold, formal way you speak to me.”
“Aren’t there many eyes watching here?”
The place where the two stood was the inner courtyard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“Many eyes, my foot! No one is paying attention to us!”
Of course, everyone was paying attention. Who would dare ignore him, the former Cult Leader Pungcheon and master of the current Soul-Capturing Demon Venerable?
Cult Leader Pungcheon, who had returned to the cult before Geom Mugeuk, had sought out Gowol first.
But even after returning to the cult, Gowol was so busy with something or other that it was hard to even see his face. Cult Leader Pungcheon’s dissatisfaction had begun there.
How could Gowol not know how he felt? At least for today, he would stop using busyness as an excuse.
“Pungcheon.”
At Gowol’s informal address, Cult Leader Pungcheon’s expression eased instead.
“I truly enjoy my work.”
At that, Cult Leader Pungcheon asked as if pressing him.
“Do you really enjoy it?”
With a determined look in his eyes, Cult Leader Pungcheon said to Gowol,
“I’m telling you, you’ve changed. In the past, I could hear your heart pounding. Now all I hear is the sound of your head turning. You used to be burning hot, but now you’ve gone cold.”
And as always, he laid the blame on one person.
“This is all because of the Young Cult Leader. He didn’t even know that if he entrusted work to a perfectionist like you, the result would obviously turn out like this. No, that’s not right. He must have known. There’s no way someone that clever wouldn’t know.”
Of course, Cult Leader Pungcheon liked Geom Mugeuk too.
But seeing Gowol suffer like this made him angry.
Because after finally setting him free, Gowol had put the shackles back on himself. No matter what anyone said, to him, Gowol came before the Young Cult Leader.
“Did you turn me into a cold-blooded man just so you could curse the Young Cult Leader?”
Even at Gowol’s joke, Cult Leader Pungcheon did not let go of his mood.
“What did the Young Cult Leader say? It’s obvious. I’m sorry for making you suffer. Let’s endure just a little longer. I’ll be counting on you from now on! Am I right?”
“I haven’t met him yet.”
“What?”
“He went hunting with the Cult Leader and the First Young Master.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon looked dumbfounded.
“So there was a real cold-blooded one elsewhere. See? Even if I try not to curse the Young Cult Leader, I can’t help it. No matter how loyal you are, the Young Cult Leader puts family first. Family always comes first.”
“Isn’t that only natural?”
Then Gowol stared straight at Cult Leader Pungcheon and added,
“Aren’t I first to you, Pungcheon? To me, you come before anything else.”
“!”
Those words meant that he was family.
They were also the method that undid Cult Leader Pungcheon’s anger in a single blow.
“Because we know we’re that kind of people to each other, the Young Cult Leader uses me, and I am loyal to the Young Cult Leader. There’s a trust that comes from someone who has things he must protect.”
After a brief pause, Cult Leader Pungcheon said,
“It’s because you say things like that so lightly that you always end up suffering like this.”
Gowol’s gaze turned toward the Tongcheon Pavilion building visible in the distance.
“I have to suffer. I’m on the path to becoming the master of that place.”
It was the first moment he had revealed his ambition to become the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s chief strategist.
“Pungcheon, I’m not cold. I’m burning hotter than ever.”
“Good for you, being hot.”
At his needless petulance, Gowol smiled.
“Pungcheon, the Young Cult Leader is a man great enough for us to stake our entire lives on. We’re the ones using the Young Cult Leader.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon lifted his head and looked toward distant Daecheon Mountain, then said loudly,
“The Young Cult Leader must have it nice. He has a passionate strategist who understands everything, a father, and an older brother too. Damn it! How is someone without family supposed to live, feeling this wronged?”
At that, Gowol moved and stood side by side with Cult Leader Pungcheon.
“Why don’t you have family? You’re offending the family member listening.”
* * *
The hunt continued on the second day as well.
To be precise, it was the discovery of prey. My older brother continued training in projecting his qi and found all kinds of animals. Blood could not be denied; his skill in projecting qi improved rapidly.
It was nearly as fast as mine, with my Heavenly Martial Body, and I could understand why.
It was because Father’s martial realm as a teacher had grown even higher.
“You’re teaching Brother better than you taught me! You never explained things like that when you were teaching me!”
Father did not even pretend to hear me and immersed himself in teaching his eldest son. He was pouring out, to his heart’s content, the affection he had not been able to give all this time.
While training like that in qi projection, at last, something big appeared.
“I think it’s a tiger!”
At Geom Muyang’s words, Geom Wujin nodded.
“We came hunting, so we ought to catch at least one tiger before we leave.”
Geom Muyang launched himself first, and Geom Wujin and Geom Mugeuk followed after him.
Landing lightly on a rock, Geom Muyang silently drew his bowstring.
Geom Wujin and Geom Mugeuk landed soundlessly behind him. Even if it had not been a tiger but a massive spirit creature carrying a neidan, it would not have been able to escape this hunt.
In the distance, the tiger came into view. It truly was a great tiger of enormous size.
The bowstring was pulled taut.
The arrow that seemed ready to fly at any moment and pierce the tiger did not leave the string.
Geom Muyang spoke respectfully to Father.
“It is so large that it seems like a sacred tiger guarding Daecheon Mountain, so I wished to spare it.”
Father nodded.
Just as the two were about to turn away without regret.
“Not because of those little ones over there?”
Geom Mugeuk was pointing at one place. A little distance away from the tiger were two tigers that appeared to be cubs. Since I had seen them, Father and Brother must have seen them too.
“Father, you should say it to Brother as well. That it’s cheap sentimentality perfect for getting yourself killed. If I had done this, that’s what you would have said! You would have told me to catch it at once and replace the hide I sleep on with that one!”
Geom Mugeuk saw it. One corner of Father’s mouth lifting ever so slightly.
Yes, if it had been you, I would have.
Geom Wujin spoke firmly and turned to walk away.
“One does not kill spirit beasts carelessly.”
Brother strode after him.
Watching the tiger cubs follow their mother in the distance, Geom Mugeuk shouted,
“Second-born, let’s hang in there!”
A smile formed on the lips of Geom Wujin, who was walking in front.
It was a rare and precious smile, but unfortunately, his two sons could not see it.
* * *
That night as well, a campfire burned.
Geom Mugeuk liked this time better than the day.
Roasting meat together with Father and Brother, drinking together. Borrowing the strength of the liquor to talk about this and that.
And if, like tonight, the stars in the night sky seemed to be pouring down, adding their own elegance, then his mood grew even better.
“Father, may I loosen up my posture a bit?”
“When have you ever found that difficult?”
Geom Mugeuk laughed and relaxed his posture. He stretched his legs out, propped himself up with his arms, and leaned his body back at an angle.
Then he looked up at the stars in the night sky. A cool breeze blew in and tossed his hair. Ah, this is nice! The words came out on their own.
“Brother, you should loosen up too. The true pleasure of camping lies in eating, drinking, and rolling around.”
Given Brother’s personality, it was absolutely impossible in front of Father.
Still, compared to that dawn when they had first set out hunting, Brother had relaxed quite a bit.
“Father, I will read a book.”
This time, a book came out of the leather pouch that seemed to contain all manner of things.
Since he had never expected him to read a book while out hunting, Geom Muyang asked curiously,
“What kind of book is it?”
At that, Geom Mugeuk lifted the cover of the book to show him. It was a poetry collection.
“You read poetry too?”
“Goodness, Brother. You only know how to kill people. What would you know about poetry? About literature?”
From the moment he took out the book and brought this up, he had a purpose.
“Ah, though you do know a little about music.”
At the mention of music, Geom Muyang flinched.
Don’t tell me, you?
Sorry, Brother.
Before Geom Muyang could send a voice transmission to stop him, Geom Mugeuk spoke to Father first.
“Father, did you know Brother can play the danso?”
His flustered brother looked at Father. Almost no one knew, so how could Father know? Yet surprisingly, Father slowly nodded.
“See? I told you. Father knew.”
Father truly knew many things about his two sons.
It was only astonishing that he had never let it show.
“Brother, if only in consideration of Father’s hidden affection, we should have another drink.”
Geom Mugeuk reached into his leather pouch to take out liquor.
But instead of a liquor bottle, something else came out.
The moment Geom Muyang saw it, it drew a sigh from him. It was a danso.
“Huh? Why is this in here? I must have packed it by mistake while gathering my things in a hurry.”
As if! Geom Muyang shook his head.
Father did not stop his younger brother’s prank. Which meant?
If his younger brother had made up his mind anyway, he would eventually end up playing.
Geom Muyang stepped forward first.
“My skill is lacking, but may I play one piece?”
Geom Wujin nodded.
Geom Mugeuk felt he understood the feeling contained in that blunt nod. Father had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Meanwhile, Geom Muyang, who had composed himself, brought trembling lips to the danso. He was probably more nervous now than he would be in front of thousands or tens of thousands of people.
When a clear, deep sound flowed out, Geom Mugeuk saw it.
The sight of Father gently closing his eyes.
Words that had never been spoken became a beautiful melody and rang out. The tune was like the sound of water flowing through a valley, and also like the flickering campfire. The pouring stars, intoxicated by the music, shone even brighter.
Thus, the clear and deep sound that burrowed into the heart rang across Daecheon Mountain.
At last, when the performance ended, Geom Wujin opened his eyes.
The gaze with which the father looked at his son was gentle.
“It is truly good.”
Even “good” alone would have been high praise, yet the word “truly” had been added before it.
“Thank you, Father.”
Geom Mugeuk had never seen his brother’s face look so unburdened.
Perhaps something that had settled heavily in his brother’s heart had vanished through this hunt.
When Geom Muyang’s gaze turned toward him, Geom Mugeuk shouted,
“Believe me! I didn’t mean to pack the danso. I mistook it for a skewer for roasting meat and brought it!”
He did not know if he had ever said these words to his younger brother before.
“Thank you.”
The mischief disappeared from Geom Mugeuk’s playful face.
“Thank you, Brother.”
Their father watched in silence as his sons exchanged words of gratitude.
“Who did we take after to become this wonderful? As you saw, Father, your sons are the kind who read poetry and play instruments.”
As he said it almost like a boast, Geom Mugeuk saw it.
A faint longing passing through Father’s eyes. It was an emotion he had sensed from Father for the first time.
But the emotion vanished in an instant.
Father lay down with his back to the tiger hide.
“Let us sleep now.”
* * *
The next day, the three of them climbed to the summit of Daecheon Mountain.
Here, where the boundary between sky and earth had collapsed.
The peaks rising all around looked like martial arts masters standing tall.
The three stood at the summit and gazed upon the magnificent scenery.
The last time he had come up here with Father, Father had told him. When martial arts training was difficult, he would come up here.
Over Father’s back, the back of Father in his youth seemed to overlap.
‘What were you thinking back then, and what are you thinking now?’
At that moment, Father asked with his back turned.
“Your Guhwa Demonic Art has reached the ninth stage, hasn’t it?”
What Father had seen through was not only the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art that Brother had learned.
“Yes, I have reached the ninth stage.”
What about Father?
“How long did it take you to reach great completion from the ninth stage?”
The time Father had taken was.
“Seven years.”
That, too, must have been possible only because Father possessed innate talent.
“You could accomplish it within five years.”
Geom Wujin acknowledged his son’s martial talent to that extent.
After all, he himself had not reached the ninth stage at Geom Mugeuk’s age.
If he achieved great completion within five years, he would become the cult leader who reached the great completion of the Guhwa Demonic Art the fastest in history—no, he would even create the legend of reaching great completion while still the Young Cult Leader, before ascending to the position of Cult Leader.
“If, during training, your chest feels stifled or you sense a wall, climb Daecheon Mountain. The energy of Daecheon Mountain will certainly help you.”
“Yes, I will.”
Geom Mugeuk said proudly to Geom Muyang,
“This is the kind of person I am. I’m the heir Father lends this entire great Daecheon Mountain to!”
If he said that, Brother ought to argue back: How is that lending? Is that something to brag about to the brother who was pushed out of the heir’s position?
“I’m envious.”
For a moment, Geom Mugeuk flinched. He had no way to respond to that powerful blow.
“You just looked down on me, didn’t you? Ah, Brother, you’re saying that because you don’t know, but Father brewed liquor in the year I was born too. He’s just saying that to tease me. Now, Father. It’s time to confess! My son, on the day you were born!”
Geom Wujin strode away as he said,
“The sun is setting. Let us descend now.”
Geom Muyang approached Geom Mugeuk.
“I said it’s a misunderstanding!”
“Give me the pack.”
He was asking for the pack Geom Mugeuk carried on his back.
“It’s fine. Escort Father to the end today.”
After a brief silence, Brother nodded and turned away.
Then, after walking a little distance, he looked back and asked,
“Aren’t you tired?”
Geom Mugeuk could tell that he did not simply mean the pack on his back.
“How could I not be? I’m dying from exhaustion.”
At those words, Brother grinned and then resumed walking.
Geom Mugeuk stood there and watched the backs of the two as they walked away. Compared to when they had climbed up, Brother was walking one step closer to Father.
Now that they had grown one step closer, it had become a relationship that would require twice the effort. Disappointment and hurt feelings were fellows that waited only for closeness.
From somewhere far away came the roar of a tiger.
Thinking that perhaps it might be the tiger Brother had spared, he moved to follow the two.
“Of course I thought you’d carry the pack on the way down, Father! Brother only knows how to kill people and play the danso—he’s this cold-hearted. Can you not hear me? Father?”