Chapter 246: Now, Get Out of That Narrow and Stifling Place

TL: FoodieMonster007

"I want to play more," Geom Mugeuk said.

The Demonic Buddha nodded. "Play more."

The Demonic Buddha pinned all his hopes on changing Geom Mugeuk's mind.

"But let's get out of here," Geom Mugeuk suggested. "I don't want to wander a place teeming with poisonous insects without the Poison King."

"Of course."

Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Buddha turned back the way they came.

After the Poison King left, the Demonic Buddha's expression relaxed. He had clearly been uncomfortable around the Poison King, too.

"Thank you," the Demonic Buddha said.

"For what?"

"For coming all this way to find me, of course."

"You seemed to be having a hard time lately."

"I swam and took a walk for the first time in a while. I feel much better. How about you, the Demonic Buddha?"

"I enjoyed it, too," the Demonic Buddha replied.

But the Demonic Buddha didn't feel great. His heart grew more anxious after the Poison King revealed he would also aid Geom Mugeuk. Only one method remained. He had to change Geom Mugeuk's mind himself.

"They say only those who know how to play can truly play," Geom Mugeuk said candidly. "I was planning to have a blast with you today, the Demonic Buddha, but that's not so easy either."

The Demonic Buddha replied to Geom Mugeuk's words. "Since you're young, you might feel like you have to do something to be playing, but when you get older, resting is playing."

The Demonic Buddha paused and looked up at the sky. "It's been a long time since I've rested like this."

That brief glance at the sky revealed a man who always lived in a state of tension. He looked like someone who had surfaced from the deep sea just to breathe. When he spewed curses next to his brother, he just seemed like any other vicious Demon Supreme.

"The Blade Demon always tells me that if things get tough, you should rest before you continue."

The Demonic Buddha looked at Geom Mugeuk. "Do I look like I'm having a hard time?"

Geom Mugeuk gave an unexpected answer. "Whenever I see you, the Demonic Buddha, I get the feeling that you've lived more diligently than anyone else."

This wasn't flattery. It was sincere.

"You've worked hard until now."

The Demonic Buddha will probably think this is just flattery.

This was exactly what Geom Mugeuk had been practicing. If he had something to say, he said it without delay. He figured the Demonic Buddha must have wished for someone to genuinely acknowledge his hardships.

You've suffered a lot, the Demonic Buddha.

The Demonic Buddha felt the sincerity in Geom Mugeuk's eyes. He tried hard to hide his emotions, but a flicker of passion crossed his gaze.

Damn it! How can someone so young look at a person with such deep eyes?

The Demonic Buddha started walking, and Geom Mugeuk followed quietly behind him. They walked in silence for a long time before stopping at a scenic spot.

"Let's rest here for a bit before we go," the Demonic Buddha said.

"Alright."

Geom Mugeuk dipped his feet into the clear, flowing stream.

"It's so cool and refreshing. You should dip your feet in, too, the Demonic Buddha."

"Aren't you scared?" the Demonic Buddha asked.

"Of what?"

"The Thousand Poisons Forest contains all sorts of poisons. How do you know what kind of poison might be in that stream?"

"I heard from the Poison King a long time ago. He said there are no poisons in flowing streams. Come on in."

"I'm fine."

"When was the last time you dipped your feet in a stream?"

The Demonic Buddha couldn't remember. Besides when he was very young, when had he ever done it? Had he ever done it at all?

"It's my wish! Please, just dip them in with me once."

"Do you have so few things to wish for?"

"I'm doing it so I can brag later," Geom Mugeuk explained. "'Back in my day,' I'll say, 'I dipped my feet in a stream with the Demonic Buddha, took walks, and even made bets on finding poisonous herbs. I did it all.'"

The Demonic Buddha laughed in disbelief.

"These feet have only ever splashed in places where blood flows. They deserve a luxury like this once in a while."

When Geom Mugeuk pulled him forcefully, the Demonic Buddha feigned defeat. He took off his shoes and dipped his feet in. They were small, radiant feet.

"I'm experiencing all sorts of things in my life," the Demonic Buddha muttered.

It was the same for the Poison King, who had called it the strangest of all strange things.

"It's cool and nice, isn't it?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

The Demonic Buddha stared intently at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because at times like this, you don't seem like a young man."

"It's because I grew up always watching Father's mood. You know what kind of person Father is, don't you?"

"He's not an easy person," the Demonic Buddha agreed.

His father was a panacea for explanations. When something was difficult to explain, blaming his father made people understand.

"The Demonic Buddha, what was the most joyful moment of your life?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

The Demonic Buddha fell into thought.

When was it?

The past years flowed through his mind like the stream at his feet, but no joyful memories came to mind. There must have been some.

Instead of answering, the Demonic Buddha asked, "What about you?"

"I've had several recently. As you know, I've been running around causing all sorts of trouble. If I had to pick just one, it was when I went hunting with Father."

Is that my only joyful memory? Of course not. He just didn't mention his dealings with the other Demon Supremes to the Demonic Buddha.

"What did the Cult Leader say when you went hunting?"

"He just scoffs whenever I talk. You know how he is, right?"

Geom Mugeuk imitated his father's scoff.

The Demonic Buddha nodded. "That's pretty close."

"I've been on the receiving end so many times that I'm good at it now."

Since the Demonic Buddha still couldn't recall a joyful moment, Geom Mugeuk listed more of his own.

"It was also fun when I left the cult and pretended to be someone else. Oh, and I have a right-hand man named Detective Seo. It's fun teasing him, too. You know the type, right? The kind of person who takes all your teasing. Not because they're a fool, but because they have a big heart. Oh, there's another one. I have a subordinate named Lee Ahn, the prettiest in the Central Plains. Her face is pretty, she's smart, and she's even kind-hearted. Just thinking about her is joyful. Also… it's joyful when I'm quietly by myself."

Even as Geom Mugeuk spoke, the Demonic Buddha couldn't think of anything.

"What about you, the Demonic Buddha?"

"I'm fine."

"No matter how happy you were, if you can't remember it, it's just gone, isn't it? Isn't that a waste? So please, try to think of just one thing, even if it's trivial."

Geom Mugeuk was persistent.

"If I were you, I'd give any answer just to get it over with," the Demonic Buddha said.

Just then, he blurted it out. "A cave."

The Demonic Buddha recalled his distant childhood. "There was a mountain behind my house that I used to climb often when I was young. There was a small cave there. I felt good when I was inside that cave."

His gaze deepened.

Small since childhood, he was different from other children. He could endure being teased and ostracized by his friends, but the fact that his parents and siblings treated him no differently left a deep scar on the Demonic Buddha's heart.

He first discovered the cave the day his younger brother beat him for the first time. His body was so small that he was no match for his brother, who was several years younger. What made him more angry and resentful than the beating was that his older brothers just watched and didn't stop it.

Crying, he wandered the mountain alone and discovered the cave. He could enter because of his small frame. The entrance was so narrow that other children had trouble getting in, but the Demonic Buddha could. Inside the narrow entrance was a small space where he could sit, with a crack through which he could see outside.

Being there calmed his heart and made him feel safe. From that day on, the place became the Demonic Buddha's sanctuary.

"I have a memory of feeling good when I was in that cave."

Geom Mugeuk felt a pang of pity.

He asked for a joyful moment, and the Demonic Buddha had to go all the way back to his childhood?

"Could you describe that cave and the surrounding scenery in detail for me?"

"……"

"Just because."

When the Demonic Buddha gave a rough description, Geom Mugeuk kept asking for more details. He only stopped after hearing enough to picture it perfectly.

"Why on earth did you ask?"

"Don't be surprised."

SNAP!

The moment Geom Mugeuk snapped his fingers, they were standing in front of the cave.

The Demonic Buddha was startled. It was the cave from his childhood. It was his own sanctuary, where he had crawled to hide from the world.

"Is this an illusion technique?" the Demonic Buddha's voice trembled. He knew Geom Mugeuk's martial arts were outstanding, but he didn't know he could use illusion techniques.

"It's a martial art called the Spacetime Manipulation Technique."

When Geom Mugeuk answered honestly, the Demonic Buddha asked in a trembling voice, "Is it by any chance the martial art of the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader?"

"That's right."

"Ah!"

As someone once closest to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, the Demonic Buddha knew about his martial arts.

"He passed this on to you?"

"Yes. Besides the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader, only one other Demon Supreme knows I learned this. It's a secret even Father doesn't know."

"!"

The Demonic Buddha was shocked. "Why are you telling me a secret like this?"

"Because I had to tell you to bring you to this cave, the Demonic Buddha."

The Demonic Buddha pulled his feet from the stream and shot up from his seat. "Second Young Lord!"

He was truly angry. "This is what I'm worried about. This emotional side of you! This impulsive emotion that makes you reveal such a secret to me, your enemy!"

Geom Mugeuk gazed at the stream. "Why are you my enemy, the Demonic Buddha?"

"!"

"You will become my Demon Supreme, the Demonic Buddha. Just like the others."

Geom Mugeuk slowly turned his gaze toward the Demonic Buddha. Their eyes locked. The seated Geom Mugeuk and the standing man were at the same eye level, so the Demonic Buddha saw it clearly. Geom Mugeuk's gaze was more resolute and intense than ever. The playful Geom Mugeuk was gone. In his place was the man who would become the next Heavenly Demon.

"Please become my Demon Supreme."

The Demonic Buddha's heart surged at those words. A mix of overwhelming emotion and the desire to deny them churned inside him.

Geom Mugeuk continued calmly. "That's right. There are Demon Supremes I like more. Some I follow like my parents or Master, and others I consider brothers or friends. Just a moment ago, the Poison King was someone I would've gladly barked alongside like a dog."

"Yes, but why?" the Demonic Buddha asked. "Even if I'm not your enemy, I'd be at the very end of the line of Demon Supremes you cherish. Why did you tell me your secret?"

Geom Mugeuk's gaze returned to his feet in the stream.

SPLASH, SPLASH.

He kicked his feet playfully in the water and spoke calmly. "To be honest, I don't know either. I don't know if I should say something cool like, 'This is my decisive move!' or if it's just an impulsive emotion like you said. Or maybe it's respect for your loyalty to your brother."

Geom Mugeuk's splashing stopped.

"Or maybe it's that cheap sentimentality that's perfect for getting someone killed, just as Father said. I really don't know."

The Demonic Buddha said softly, "Someday, you'll make a big mistake because of emotions like these."

"Then, when that time comes, please stop me, the Demonic Buddha."

"!"

"I'm also trying to build that kind of relationship with you. When I told you I cleaned the Poison King's residence, did you tell me to be more selective? No. Even when I become the Heavenly Demon, I'll clean the Demon Supremes' rooms if necessary. That's the kind of Heavenly Demon I'll be. Please be by the side of such an emotional Heavenly Demon and stop me. Tell me, 'You can't do that, you emotional Heavenly Demon bastard!'"

After a brief pause, the Demonic Buddha refused. "I refuse."

He remained loyal to the First Young Lord.

They were silent for a moment.

Then, the Demonic Buddha suddenly said, "Make the cave entrance bigger. I want to go inside once. Oh, and there was a small crack in front, through which the village below was visible."

Geom Mugeuk changed the cave just as the Demonic Buddha described.

The Demonic Buddha crawled inside.

"How is it?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

"Not great. It's narrow and stifling. I can barely breathe."

What was so great about this suffocating cave that I came here every day?

He looked at the village for a while. Geom Mugeuk had created the illusion so meticulously that smoke from cooking rice rose in the distance.

Back then, he would leave the cave and look down the path from where Geom Mugeuk now stood. He always hoped his mother or brother would come looking for him. Of course, that hope was never fulfilled.

Then one day, instead of going down the mountain, he went in the opposite direction and left his hometown. He had never returned.

The Demonic Buddha looked at Geom Mugeuk through the narrow crack. Geom Mugeuk sat with his back to him, looking down at the village.

"If you think about it, you've probably had many joyful moments," Geom Mugeuk said. "Can an old memory like this really be the best one? Like when you first learned martial arts, or the day you became a Demon Supreme. There must have been a day when someone truly acknowledged you. There were probably many happier days that you just don't remember. How was today? Wasn't it enjoyable?"

A golden radiance burst from the narrow crack of the cave.

"Who in the world are you?" the Demonic Buddha asked.

Still facing away, Geom Mugeuk said, "I am the one who will become your Heavenly Demon. So now, please come out of that narrow and stifling place."

One might have expected a retort like, 'Hey, Second Young Lord!' but the Demonic Buddha came out of the cave without a word. He sat down next to Geom Mugeuk.

The two looked down at the distant village for a moment. Then they looked up and saw a single bird flying in the sky.

"It's that bird from back then!" Geom Mugeuk shouted. "You bastard, I'm not envious of you at all anymore!"

At Geom Mugeuk's shout, the Demonic Buddha thought, I really need to find a word to describe him other than 'madman'.

Geom Mugeuk flopped backward onto the grass. "I'm going to lie down for a bit."

A large, fluffy cloud passed through the blue sky.

"Look at that cloud. I made it, but isn't it spectacular? Ah, this is nice."

Geom Mugeuk had looked at the sky with the Demonic Buddha several times recently, but this moment felt the most relaxed. He felt the tension that always emanated from the Demonic Buddha finally loosening.

Yes, this is enough. That looseness is enough.

Geom Mugeuk wasn't doing this to become the successor. He cherished the Demonic Buddha because he would one day be his Demon Supreme. He just hoped his feelings would reach him.

Just then, the Demonic Buddha also slowly lay back.

He supported his head with both arms and looked up at the sky before closing his eyes.

He recalled lying here as a child, looking up at the sky. The feeling of grass tickling his back, the sound of birds, the rush of the stream, and an ant tickling his foot. The old memories merged with his present sensations, coming back to him vividly.

Geom Mugeuk saw a faint smile form on the Demonic Buddha's lips. He closed his own eyes, his heart at peace.

A cool breeze blew, and sleepiness gently washed over them.