All the Demon Venerables held their breath.
It was a question no one had dared ask until now.
What kind of murim was the one Geom Ujin dreamed of?
“I am curious, Father.”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze went past his father’s shoulder to the Poison King.
Have you ever asked the Cult Leader about the unification of murim he dreams of?
He had now used the antidote the Poison King had told him about.
Geom Ujin silently stared at his son. Geom Mugeuk did not avoid his father’s gaze.
Geom Mugeuk knew because he had heard it from the Fist Demon. The reason his father had resolved to unify murim was because of his mother.
Father, is it still because of that reason?
How, truly, did his father regard this murim? Did he hate it? Was that why he wanted to sweep it all away? Or did he, unexpectedly, dream of a peaceful murim?
At length, Geom Ujin spoke in a low voice.
“To dream of anything when it comes to this murim.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled as he spoke. It was a moment that suited something his father used to say often.
“Cheap sentimentality just begging to get you killed, isn’t it?”
But Geom Ujin did not laugh.
“This murim has no such value.”
With those words, there was no need to hear more to know what his father thought of murim.
Is it because of Mother?
Geom Mugeuk could not bring himself to say those words. He felt that though he could speak of anything else, he had to be cautious when it came to matters involving his mother. She had been the most precious person to his father.
“It may hold no value to you, Father, but countless people in this murim must be living while assigning it values of their own. I want to protect those values.”
Geom Ujin’s expression twitched slightly. The tension between the two of them rose even higher.
“Fine. Then let me ask you one thing.”
This time, Geom Ujin asked his son.
“If I go to war despite your persuasion, what will you do?”
After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk answered.
“I will stop you.”
This time, Geom Mugeuk asked.
“If I stop you, what will you do, Father?”
Geom Ujin read a certain intention in his son’s provocation, though there had been no need for him to add it. A request to show him, just once.
“Blood Heaven Blade Demon, listen.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon respectfully cupped his fist and prepared to receive the order. Soon, the Cult Leader’s command came down.
“Suppress the Young Cult Leader’s internal energy and make him kneel before me.”
All the Demon Venerables were shocked. The cheerful, pleasant atmosphere from moments ago chilled in an instant. It truly felt as if a flowing river had frozen over.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon answered without hesitation.
“I shall obey your solemn command.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon slowly began walking toward Geom Mugeuk.
Yes, he had expected that if an order like this were given, it would come to him rather than to the Fist Demon. The Cult Leader would know better than anyone that it would be far more effective that way.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared at Geom Mugeuk.
You fool, what will you do now? Surely you were not unaware that a moment like this might come someday. Hurry and beg the Cult Leader for forgiveness.
Geom Mugeuk must have read the emotion contained in his gaze, yet he did not move as the Blood Heaven Blade Demon wished. Rather, he acted in the opposite manner.
“Geugak Soma.”
“Yes, Young Cult Leader.”
“Stop the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.”
“I shall obey your command.”
Geugak Soma stepped out from the other side and blocked the way between Geom Mugeuk and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon revealed a cold aura.
“Step aside.”
“I cannot.”
“Do you not know what you are doing right now?”
To obstruct the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had received the Cult Leader’s command, was an act that could rightly be called rebellion. It was a situation where there would be no room for excuse even if beheading were ordered.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon could not understand it. There was no way Geom Mugeuk did not know that.
In a situation where even stopping Geugak Soma from stepping forward would not have been enough, he had instead given him an order?
Geugak Soma bowed respectfully to Geom Ujin.
“My apologies, Cult Leader.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sent a sound transmission to Geom Mugeuk.
—If you don’t want to get the masked one killed, hurry and make him withdraw.
But whatever he was thinking, Geom Mugeuk did not call Geugak Soma back.
At that moment, Geom Ujin gave another order.
“Ilhwa Sword Venerable, listen.”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
“Assist the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and suppress Geugak Soma.”
“I shall obey your solemn command.”
Ilhwa Sword Venerable walked forward. Her gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk, who stood behind Geugak Soma.
Young Cult Leader, just what are you doing?
Because she knew better than anyone that Geom Mugeuk was wise and clever, she too could not understand his current actions.
Tension flowed among the three Demon Venerables facing one another. A situation was unfolding in which the tacit rule that Demon Venerables absolutely did not fight one another might be broken.
Geom Mugeuk looked at the Drunken Demon.
Mugeuk, hurry and fix this. At this rate, Geugak Soma might really die.
No, Geugak Soma was not the issue. This was an action that might get him expelled from the position of Young Cult Leader.
But rather than fixing it, Geom Mugeuk made the problem bigger.
“Drunken Demon, please help me.”
The words, “You mad bastard! Is now the time to ask me to help you?” rose all the way to the Drunken Demon’s throat.
But the Drunken Demon answered respectfully.
“Young Cult Leader, I cannot do that.”
At that, Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned without hesitation to the Demon Buddha.
“Demon Buddha, please help me.”
The Demon Buddha could tell that Geom Mugeuk was doing this with some intention. He was curious what that intention was. Truly, when one stayed by the Young Cult Leader’s side, there was never a moment to be bored.
“I’m sorry, but I refuse.”
When the Demon Buddha firmly refused, Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned this time to the Poison King.
“Poison King, please help me.”
The Poison King silently watched the three fish he had caught swimming in the puddle.
He knew. The Young Cult Leader could not block the Cult Leader’s will with Geugak Soma alone.
What if he helped? He would be able to become the strongest force for him. Of course, he would forever fall out of the Cult Leader’s favor.
The Poison King slowly shook his head, showing his refusal. Even without this puddle the Cult Leader had personally made for him, he would have refused; today, he would not be barking like a dog together with the Young Cult Leader.
Next was the Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable.
“Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable, please help me.”
The Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable’s circumstances were different from the other Demon Venerables.
From now on, it’s the Six Demon Venerables!
Geom Mugeuk had asked whether it was all right to make such a joke to his father.
This is not a joke, is it?
Even so, the Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable was truly about to step forward and say he would help. But before he could, Geom Mugeuk’s sound transmission came flying in.
—Soul-Seizing, stay where you are. Today is not the day.
Believing he must have something in mind, the Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable followed Geom Mugeuk’s will.
“I am sorry, Young Cult Leader.”
And so the Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable, too, respectfully refused.
Now Geom Mugeuk looked at the last remaining Demon Venerable. Even though this was the one person who would absolutely never turn his back no matter if all the other Demon Venerables did, he did not give up.
“Please help me, Master.”
As expected, the Fist Demon merely looked at Geom Mugeuk in silence. As if it was nonsense from the start, he did not even express refusal.
Having been refused by everyone, Geom Mugeuk looked at his father.
Geom Ujin asked in a low voice.
“You have just killed Geugak Soma for the crime of rebellion. Is this what you want?”
“No.”
He had expected as much, of course.
There was no way this clever son of his had expected any Demon Venerable other than Geugak Soma to help him.
If he had been confident that even a few of the Demon Venerables would step forward to help, he would not have created a situation like this. At the very least, he was not a son who would drive him into a corner in that manner. Geom Ujin’s faith in his son was that strong.
“Then why did you tell Geugak Soma to stop him?”
The gazes of all the Demon Venerables turned to Geom Mugeuk. They were all curious. Curious about why he had made him step forward and stop them like this.
“Because it is something that will not happen in reality.”
Since none of them could understand what he meant, they all wore puzzled expressions.
“That is why I wanted to see it once. The sight of Soma stepping forward for my sake. The sight of the other Demon Venerables not defying Father’s command no matter how close I have become with them.”
“Something that will not happen in reality?”
“Yes. Something like this will never happen. Soma will never become a traitor.”
That astonishing reason flowed from Geom Mugeuk’s mouth.
“If Father starts a war, I will follow Father’s command.”
“!”
He had felt the same when he promised his father that five-year period. Today, Geom Mugeuk was making that feeling clear to his father in concrete terms.
“When that time comes, I will stand at the vanguard as promised. I will not resent you for casting aside my will, Father. I have no intention of scheming to ruin Father’s war either. I will lead that war to victory without fail.”
Everyone could feel it. Geom Mugeuk was speaking from the heart.
“Of course, I will work to minimize the sacrifices caused by the war. It will not be easy, but I will also do my utmost to save the lives of the alliance leaders and my friends.”
There was a reason Geom Mugeuk had created this situation today.
“That is why I am trying so hard to stop it. Because the outcome if I fail to stop it has already been decided like this. Today, I will stop it until the tournament ends, and if I fail today, I will keep trying to stop it until the very last day of the promised five years.”
Geom Mugeuk asked his father for forgiveness.
“I deliberately created this situation to properly show you what is in my heart. So please, forgive Soma.”
Just from the fact that Soma had not stepped forward on his own but had been called out by his son to block the way, it was clear this had been a deliberately staged situation.
And he already knew that Geugak Soma had given everything for his son. Rather, it would have been a problem if he had not stood in front of his son, and Geom Ujin bore no ill feeling toward him for defying his order.
Geom Ujin sent a sound transmission to Geugak Soma.
—Thank you for faithfully keeping my request.
Geugak Soma understood what those words meant. In the past, the Cult Leader had once entrusted the Young Cult Leader to him. Geugak Soma had even told Geom Mugeuk about it.
As if proving that he had not spoken lightly, the Cult Leader remembered the matter precisely.
—I will keep it until the day I reach my death.
Geom Ujin nodded with a satisfied smile.
Geom Mugeuk walked over to Geugak Soma’s side.
“In the future, there will never be a time when you must stand between me and Father like this. And thank you for today, Soma.”
Behind the mask, Geugak Soma’s two eyes were smiling pleasantly.
Watching that sight, the Soul-Seizing Demon Venerable felt relieved inwardly, yet also disappointed.
He understood why Geom Mugeuk had kept him from stepping forward. Since this had not been a real situation, it must have meant there was no need for him to fall out of his father’s favor. If two people had defied the Cult Leader’s will, the atmosphere would have become different from now.
But seeing Geom Mugeuk and Geugak Soma like that, he could not help feeling that he, too, wanted to be standing in that place.
Lastly, Geom Mugeuk expressed his gratitude to his father.
“Thank you very much for generously overlooking your son’s immature behavior.”
Geom Ujin felt it. By revealing his true feelings, his son had declared war.
As always, his son did not hide his sincerity and leave that space to be filled by imagination. This clever fellow knew that such imagination was always cold.
It was then.
Thud.
The fishing rod set up beside them fell over.
“Ah! That’s my fishing rod!”
A fish had bitten the bait on the fishing rod Geom Mugeuk had set up. Geom Mugeuk ran over and hauled the fish up.
“This is the first fish I’ve caught!”
With an excited face, Geom Mugeuk held the fish up high.
“Did you see my skill? Catching a fish even without holding the rod? Even when I stay still, the fish rushes toward me… No, where are you going? I’m telling you to look at my fish! Doesn’t it look the biggest?”
Geom Ujin cast his fishing line back into the river.
The Demon Venerables who had been in confrontation returned to their places, and the remaining Demon Venerables picked up their fishing rods again.
Geom Mugeuk spoke loudly to the Demon Venerables who had resumed fishing.
“Now, the tournament continues. From this moment on, please catch as many as you can! Especially those whose names I wrote down, please catch even more diligently!”
The atmosphere, which had been so heavy and serious, brightened back to its original state.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon said to Geom Mugeuk,
“I clearly told you not to write my name down.”
He had deliberately spoken loudly for the Cult Leader to hear. He had told Geom Mugeuk that he did not want to become the reason the Cult Leader’s will was bent.
Though he had yet to catch a single fish, it seemed he was still confident he could win.
“What will you do if Father wrote down your name?”
The Blood Heaven Saber Demon glanced sidelong at Geom Ujin.
“That won’t happen.”
“You never know. Father might have picked you, sir. You can’t fail to take first place.”
The Blood Heaven Saber Demon stared at Geom Mugeuk and said,
“You picked me, didn’t you?”
“That, too, is hard to say.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled and started walking again.
“Where are you going now instead of fishing?”
“I’ve caught one, while you, sir, haven’t caught a single one yet.”
“I’m someone who’s strong in the second half. And that fish got caught all by itself!”
Geom Mugeuk moved on, this time walking over to the Drunken Demon.
Without a word, the Drunken Demon poured liquor into the Ice Palace Sacred Cup hanging at his waist.
Geom Mugeuk drank. The liquor had already been delicious, but drinking it from the Ice Palace Sacred Cup made it taste truly sublime.
“This is good liquor.”
“You really are a madman.”
He had not shown it earlier, but he had truly been anxious beyond words. He had worried that the relationship between father and son might be completely ruined.
“You told me not to overturn the drinking table and to sit down, didn’t you? I followed your advice, Brother.”
“You fool, a drinking table needs good snacks. If you start by openly downing hard liquor like that, how could the mood possibly be good?”
“I was too hasty, wasn’t I?”
“Does that even need saying? Find some snacks even now.”
“Right, I should. This is why we came out like this today, to avoid creating a situation like that. I’ll find them!”
For a while, Geom Mugeuk stood beside the Drunken Demon and gazed at the flowing river.
“Brother, is it arrogance for me to believe I can change Father’s heart?”
The Drunken Demon gave no answer. If it had been anyone else, he would have answered firmly that it was.
But because he knew the things Geom Mugeuk had done until now, and the effort he had put in, the words would not come.
Looking down at the liquor bottle in his hand, the Drunken Demon said,
“You know something? Until now, liquor has never once tried to change me. Liquor is simply liquor. And yet I, after drinking it, keep changing. I feel good, I grow gloomy, I get angry, I become lonely.”
As he poured more liquor into the Ice Palace Sacred Cup, the Drunken Demon continued.
“If your heart is set on changing the Cult Leader, then this will be the most difficult thing in the world. But if instead you simply become good liquor and make the Cult Leader drunk? That would be worth trying.”
The words struck home, but a natural worry followed.
“What if he wakes and regrets it?”
“Everyone regrets it the day after getting drunk.”
The Drunken Demon drank deeply, then added,
“But if the liquor is Geom Mugeuk, he’ll regret it pleasantly.”