Chapter 85: Your Own Family is Your Worst Enemy

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Flower Sword Supreme came out of the thatched cottage. I was crouching in a corner of the yard, looking at the flowers.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" she asked.

"They've already grown so much," I replied.

"This is the fun of growing them."

"I should try growing some next time."

"You're too busy. It won't be easy for you."

"It'd probably just become a field of weeds, wouldn't it?" I said. "I should stick to what I'm good at."

I straightened up from my crouch. "Today, I've come as your duel partner."

The Flower Sword Supreme's expression brightened. "You've come at the right time." She truly seemed to have waited a long time for this day.

"Thank you so much for all your recent help," I said.

"Was it really that much help?"

I thought about when I leaked information to Sa Woojong, when Cheong Seon became a Demon Supreme, and when I went to see the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. The Flower Sword Supreme claimed she was only halfway on my side, but her actions proved she was fully committed.

"This is a gift to show my gratitude." I handed her a small box.

"A gift? You didn't have to."

"Please accept it as a token of my sincerity."

She opened the small box. Inside was a Luminous Pearl, one I had obtained from the Golden Manor Master, Geum Ahju.

"Something so precious?"

"It's different from the one I gave Elder Blade Demon," I said, emphasizing the point. I had given the Blade Demon the Antitoxin Bead. The Flower Sword Supreme laughed, amused.

This is how I'll break down the dam of ill feelings with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. If I remove the stones one by one, eventually I'll be able to see the person on the other side.

"It's truly beautiful," she said.

"If I may brag a little, it's a top-grade Luminous Pearl. It's hard to get even with money."

"It's certainly worth bragging about."

"Still, it can't compare to your beauty, Senior."

"You're laying the flattery on too thick for this old woman." The Flower Sword Supreme waved her hand dismissively, but her face was beaming. She had changed in many ways, but her weakness for compliments about her appearance would never change.

"You have all the makings of a future playboy," she observed.

"That's the plan," I replied. "I'm going to live it up, travel around, and meet all the beauties of the Central Plains."

"It would be nice if you could have such a life, but…" Her words trailed off.

The unspoken meaning was clear. I could not do that if I became the Heavenly Demon. Traveling now and traveling as the Heavenly Demon were worlds apart.

Did Father stay within our Cult because he wasn't frustrated? No, he was probably just cautious. The fate of the murim rests on his every step.

"You'd better travel around a lot now," she advised. "It'll be difficult later."

"I will."

"Well then," she said, "shall we warm up for the first time in a while?"

"This is the moment I've been waiting for."

I had originally planned to visit the Blood Heaven Blade Demon after Father, but my body itched for more after our duel. I came to the Flower Sword Supreme first because I felt the urge for another match.

The duel was definitely different from our last one. Her subtle movements felt clearer. I could see them with my own eyes even before my instincts sensed them.

I pushed her harder than in our last duel, just as Father had done to me. I was confident I could control my sword. She fought desperately, and I gave it my all.

When the duel ended, the Flower Sword Supreme gasped for breath, clearly surprised. She had poured all her strength into the fight, save for her final hidden technique, but she still could not overpower me.

"Your skills have improved even more since last time!" she exclaimed.

"I've had some lessons in the meantime."

"Truly amazing, truly amazing."

She seemed pleased, but also regretful. "If you keep growing this fast, I won't be a match for you soon."

"I did my best for our next duel, Senior."

The Flower Sword Supreme understood my meaning and nodded. "You're hoping this old Senior will grow, aren't you?"

"Arrogantly, yes," I said honestly. "I want to be duel partners with you for life, Senior."

My honest words made an undeniable flicker of emotion cross her eyes.

This is also part of my effort to make her my right wing.

Before I left, we discussed our duel. My skills were clearly superior, but I still had things to learn from her. Her lessons were different from the ones I learned from Father.

We started with martial arts, then moved on to stories about life. It was so enjoyable that she was visibly reluctant when I said I had to leave.

I went to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's residence next, but he was not home. I waited for a long time with no luck. When I returned, I found the Blood Heaven Blade Demon waiting in front of my house.

"Where are you wandering around so late at night?" he asked. "Hiding a woman somewhere?"

It seemed we had missed each other.

"If you were here, why wait outside? Strategist Go is inside."

"Forget it."

"We're family now. Why be so distant?"

"Family? What family?" he scoffed. "Your own family is your worst enemy."

He was still awkward with Go Wol. He had only warmed up to me. This prickly old man still disliked interacting with people.

"What brings you here?" I asked.

"I came to give you some news."

"What news?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked serious. "The Demonic Buddha has left to bring back the First Young Lord."

I was not surprised. It was an expected move. News that the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader's Strategist came to me must have reached the Demon Supremes who support my brother. They must have decided they could no longer just stand by and watch.

Coincidentally, my brother had returned to our Cult around this time in my past life.

What is meant to happen, happens.

"The Demonic Buddha is always busy," I mused. "Going to get the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, now going to get my brother."

"That little guy is incredibly diligent. What on earth is your brother doing in the frontier?"

"I don't know either."

Of course, I knew. My brother was passing through a gateway that would change his life. That fact was only revealed after he arrived. Afterward, he completely solidified his position as the successor.

"Are you alright, Elder?"

"With what?"

"You came to my side after supporting my brother, didn't you? He might resent you."

"Let him if he wants."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had a clear set of values on such matters. "If there's a better option, you should choose it. Anyone who criticizes you for it because of personal relationships is no help in life."

"Those are wise words."

"Wise? The same words will apply when I abandon you."

I really like his clarity.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"With what?"

After a brief pause, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke. "What will you do if a situation arises where you have to kill your brother?"

"If he does something worthy of death, I'll have to kill him."

"Acting tough," he grunted.

I laughed a little at his words. He was right. I was acting tough. Killing your own flesh and blood was never easy.

It's not a matter of whether my martial arts are stronger than my brother's. The fight against him will require every ounce of my mental and spiritual energy. What the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said jokingly earlier was right. Your own family is your worst enemy.

"You're right," I admitted. "Of course I'm not okay. I'm not a cold-blooded monster, so how could I be okay with killing my brother? And he's not someone who'd die easily, either."

I turned and shouted toward the house. "Strategist Go, come out."

Go Wol emerged. "You've returned?"

After greeting me, Go Wol bowed politely to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

I asked him, "The Demonic Buddha has gone to bring my brother back. What are your thoughts?"

Go Wol could not answer easily. It was one thing to face any other enemy, but a Strategist had to be cautious when his leader's brother became the enemy.

After a moment of thought, Go Wol spoke cautiously. "The First Young Lord's life or death will likely not be for you to decide, Young Lord. The First Young Lord will decide his own fate."

In other words, my brother's actions would determine his fate.

I nodded, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon still did not trust Go Wol. "I helped you recruit him because you wanted to, but…"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon slowly approached Go Wol. He stared intently into Go Wol's eyes. "Is there any guarantee that this man won't betray us?"

The word 'us' caught my ear. It was the first time the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had used it with me. He might have said it unconsciously, but it meant a great deal to me. The man who had threatened me, poking my side until it bruised, was now part of 'us'.

Go Wol was not intimidated by the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's pressure.

"And what about you, Demon Supreme?" Go Wol countered. "Do you have a guarantee that you won't betray the Young Lord?"

The corner of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's mouth curled up at the question. "There's no guarantee. I'll betray him when I want to."

"That's why I'm here," Go Wol said. "To prevent that."

"Then you! Who's going to stop you?"

"I will not betray him."

"And how am I supposed to believe that?"

"You only need the Young Lord to believe in me."

"Don't forget that I'll be watching you," the Blood Heaven Blade Demon warned.

I did not intervene in their war of nerves.

Isn't this my philosophy on life? Don't let wounds and conflicts fester. Expose them, dig into them, and fight to resolve them.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at me, hesitating, then finally spoke. "The Cult Leader will hope that you and the First Young Lord don't fight. He desires neither the First Young Lord's death nor your own."

I could see again how well the Blood Heaven Blade Demon knew Father. He was confident enough to declare exactly what Father thought. He clearly had a special relationship with my father.

"I had sensed that as well."

After I regressed, Father had asked me during a hunt if I could not embrace my brother. His true feelings were in that question.

"The Cult Leader is a man who never looks back. If there's one thing such a man regrets, it's that."

Even a heart like ten-thousand-year-old cold iron can be scarred.

He asked, "Did you say you knew the Cult Leader's heart?"

I remained silent.

"Then that's enough."

Then that's enough. Those were the words Father had said to me after our duel. Both Father's words and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's words were strangely empowering.

"Is there anything I should prepare for?" I asked.

"My request to you, Elder, is always the same."

"What is it?"

"That you reconcile."

"Reconcile?" he asked. "Don't tell me you mean…?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon realized I meant for him to reconcile with the Flower Sword Supreme. "The First Young Lord is on his way, and you're talking about reconciliation?" he exclaimed. "You must be truly insane."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned to Go Wol, utterly flabbergasted. "Your master is this kind of madman."

Go Wol replied, "I'm not exactly normal myself."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head and muttered that we were a pair of lunatics.

I tried to persuade the Blood Heaven Blade Demon again. "When my brother returns, the other Demon Supremes will start making their moves. We can't fight with only one wing, can we?"

"I wish we could, but haven't you seen enough? The Sword Supreme snaps at me viciously whenever she sees me."

"Yes, I've seen plenty," I said. "I've seen her sharpness fading. I've seen the glare in her eyes soften little by little when she looks at you, Elder."

Still, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head. "Our reconciliation is a more difficult task than unifying the murim. I'm leaving."

I shouted at his retreating back, "You don't have to unify the murim, but you must reconcile!"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon disappeared slowly into the darkness without a reply.

I turned my attention to Go Wol. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Don't worry about it too much. He's just a grumpy old man."

"I must pay it mind. He is the Young Lord's left wing," Go Wol said. "But please don't worry about me. As you know, I haven't had an easy life either."

But I knew better. A hard life does not make someone immune to hurt.

"I understand. Still, if you have anything to say to me, please do. I'll also tell you if I have anything on my mind."

"Yes. I will certainly do so."

"Oh, and the candidate for the right wing is the Flower Sword Supreme. Just for your reference."

"Understood," Go Wol said. "Then, please rest well."

I could not fall asleep until late that night.

There's no need to think about how my brother acted in my past life. When my brother returns, I will see him. I failed to see anyone properly in my past life, so now I will see him clearly. I will see with my own eyes what kind of person he is. I will see clearly the reality behind all the things in my memory.

As always, Hwa Mugi is helpful in times like these. If I'm not a vessel capable of overcoming my brother, I'll die at Hwa Mugi's hands anyway.