Chapter 520: The Man Who Lived with Misfortune

TL: FoodieMonster007

Geom Mugeuk stared at Geom Woojin with wide eyes.

The gaze Geom Woojin returned to his son was icy cold.

"…Why me?"

SHLICK.

Instead of an answer, the sword plunged deeper into Geom Mugeuk. Blood dripped from the blade that now protruded from his back.

"If you had known my son well, this is a move I might have fallen for."

A blue light then began to flow from the wound where the blade was embedded. With it, a process of fragmentation started.

CRACKLE.

Cracks formed on Geom Mugeuk's face. They spread further and further, branching out like a spiderweb across his face, neck, arms, and body.

SHWAAAAA!

The moment the blue light poured out from all the cracks at once, the fractured pieces cascaded down with a sharp, shattering sound. The person revealed underneath was Gyo Cheon. Fine wrinkles took the place where the spiderweb of cracks had been.

SHHHHH.

Next, it was Geom Woojin who returned to his true form. The image of the young Geom Woojin vanished, and he reverted to his original appearance. The sword piercing Gyo Cheon transformed back into the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Cough.

Blood spurted from Gyo Cheon's mouth as he coughed.

At that moment, the surrounding trees vanished.

Cough, cough.

As his coughing continued, the rocks, the birds, and the sky disappeared. The version of Gyo Cheon from that era, who had been about to attack from behind, also vanished.

Geom Woojin's brother began to fade.

Just then, Geom Woojin placed a palm on Gyo Cheon's chest and injected a stream of qi. Gyo Cheon's expression eased slightly, and his fading brother remained standing.

Geom Woojin looked at his brother without a word.

He was just a brother within the illusion, created from his and Gyo Cheon's memories and hearts.

Although Geom Woojin had already changed from his younger self back to his original form, a look of longing, just like in his youth, filled his face.

"Kkeueeeek."

As Gyo Cheon coughed up the blood he had been holding back, the brother vanished. Geom Woojin watched his brother disappear with a profound gaze.

Thus, the illusion art shattered, and everything in the surroundings disappeared.

Geom Woojin and Gyo Cheon stood in their original location. Geom Mugeuk, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and Hwi were standing where they had been.

A moment ago, when Geom Woojin had suddenly vanished, they could tell he had fallen into Gyo Cheon's evil arts.

Hwi had hurriedly revealed himself, but Geom Woojin was already gone. No matter how much he trusted the Cult Leader's skills, as his bodyguard, he couldn't help but worry.

At that time, Geom Mugeuk had said this to Hwi.

"No one can harm Father as he is now."

Even so, knowing it was Gyo Cheon's final move, the three of them waited for their father with tense hearts.

Of course, Geom Mugeuk didn't forget to add a joke.

"No matter how special a final move it is, would he really want to go alone with Father?"

At those words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Hwi smiled faintly.

And now, the Cult Leader had met those expectations and appeared confidently.

Blood gushed from Gyo Cheon's mouth.

"…How did you know it was me?"

He believed that if he disguised himself as Geom Mugeuk in that situation, he would never be found out. The way to break the Trauma Illusion Art was Geom Mugeuk himself.

Moreover, the relationship was that of a son. He thought he would never be discovered. Yet, the moment he was about to launch his ambush from behind, Geom Woojin had stabbed him first.

Geom Woojin spoke to him with a calm gaze.

"Didn't I tell you earlier that I knew what the Trauma Illusion Art was?"

It uses the person who holds the largest and deepest place in one's heart to kill them.

"I thought… that was your brother."

He had assumed Geom Woojin held his brother most dearly in his heart.

Gyo Cheon's gaze shifted to Geom Mugeuk.

"…So the person who holds the largest and deepest place in the Cult Leader's heart was his son."

The moment he heard Gyo Cheon's words, Geom Mugeuk's eyes trembled. He was more surprised and flustered than moved.

And above all, Geom Woojin knew this fact himself. That must be why he could so confidently thrust the sword into his son's chest.

I'm the one who holds the biggest place in Father's heart?

It was true that his father held the biggest place in his own heart. However, he had never expected to be the biggest in his father's heart.

Father!

He had felt many emotions toward his father since his regression, but he had never been as happy as he was in this moment.

In contrast, his father was staring at Gyo Cheon without revealing any emotion.

Thinking that being serious now would make things awkward, Geom Mugeuk joked around.

"Of course it's me! If you were to draw a picture of Father's heart, this second brother, his son, would take up a little more than half. In the other half, our Cult would take up half of that, then a little for my older brother, a little for the Demon Supremes, a little for the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, a little for Father's dreams, and a little for fishing. That's how it would be."

A smile formed on Geom Woojin's lips. Since he had his back to Geom Mugeuk, his son couldn't see the smile.

Geom Woojin added to Gyo Cheon.

"If it had really been that kid, he would have said ten times more than what you said earlier. And he wouldn't have said to draw a sword and kill the opponent to quickly forget the past. He probably… would have had something to say to my brother, too."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon could tell that the Cult Leader's true feelings were contained in that last added remark.

Perhaps the Cult Leader had hoped his son would speak to his brother on his behalf. That he could explain his own feelings better than he could himself.

He might have even hoped his son would tell him how he should forget his brother. Because if it were him, he would have had such expectations of Geom Mugeuk.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon slowly walked over to Gyo Cheon's side. He was still standing in place, pierced by the sword. Since pulling out the sword would mean instant death, Geom Woojin didn't remove it, giving the Blood Heaven Blade Demon time to say goodbye.

"Master."

Gyo Cheon looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with eyes that were losing their vitality.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's eyes, as he looked at his master, were filled with regret and sorrow. From their earlier conversation, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon could guess what kind of illusion had been cast. It was a move that used the deep wounds of the Cult Leader's and his own past.

"Since it was the illusion art you prepared as your last resort, Master, it must have been terrifying. But the reason it failed is likely because neither you nor I have ever raised a child."

Gyo Cheon's deep wrinkles twitched feebly.

"Master, let's meet again in the next life on better terms."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was sincere. Although he had committed a great wrong this time, he still wanted to meet his master again in the next life.

"In this life, I will forget you, Master, from this day forward. So let's meet in the next life. Let's meet as master and disciple in a small martial arts academy in some country village, where there are no succession battles. I'll serve you well then. And then, let's both have children and raise them well."

Gyo Cheon's pupils trembled. Just as he had felt all along since meeting the Blood Heaven Blade Demon this time, he could feel that this disciple truly lamented his death.

At the end of a bloody cough, Gyo Cheon left his final words.

"…Pretense, until the very end."

With those words, Gyo Cheon's breath stopped, his eyes wide open.

Although he couldn't know his master's true feelings in his final moments, the fact that he didn't acknowledge him until the end actually put the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's mind at ease.

"Looking back, it was all just a moment, wasn't it?"

With a trembling hand, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon closed his master's eyes.

"Please let go of past grudges and rest in eternal sleep."

Geom Woojin slowly pulled out the sword, and Gyo Cheon fell backward, spraying blood. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon caught his body and gently laid him down.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon fulfilled his duty to the very end. He brought and stacked firewood and cremated his master.

"It will be a grave no one will visit, so you might as well fly freely to the heavens."

Geom Mugeuk and Geom Woojin stood side by side, watching the scene.

Geom Mugeuk could tell. Although it was for his father's sake, the act of betraying his master had remained a wound for the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's entire life.

This man, who did not use the situation as an excuse and quietly engraved the wound on his heart, who lived his life shouldering his own misfortune, was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

Through this, his father must have also realized it. How deep that wound remained. This incident would change the relationship between the two of them again.

He could feel that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had sorted out his feelings to some extent.

Then what about Father?

Geom Mugeuk didn't just let it go.

Bury the body, but don't bury the wounds of the heart. That was the kind of conviction he held.

"Father, did you see my uncle in that illusion?"

Geom Woojin silently nodded.

"How was it?"

If he had asked this question when he first regressed, his father would never have answered. He would have just turned away without even a reply. Especially since the question was about his brother.

But it was different now. Unexpected words flowed from his father's mouth.

"It was good to see him after so long."

In this moment, Geom Mugeuk felt it. The deep longing his father felt. The reason his father wanted a bloodless succession battle for his children must have been because of this longing. His father must have missed his brother, too.

"Uncle was probably happy to see you too, Father."

Geom Woojin looked at his son.

"He probably wanted to tell you this. 'Little brother, you're doing so well. I'm glad you're the one leading the Cult.' How do I know? You just have to look at your older son, right? Your firstborn. Where would the bloodline of these amazing firstborns go? Ah, I should have gone into the illusion with you. There was so much I wanted to say to Uncle."

Yes, if it were him, he would have been just as talkative in there. How could anyone imitate this chatterbox?

"Oh, so does that mean you returned to your younger self, Father?"

When Geom Woojin nodded, Geom Mugeuk became even more regretful.

"Ah! It was a golden opportunity to see you in your youth, Father. I should have had a head-to-head showdown between my handsome face and your younger self. Even if we didn't fight with the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, we should have fought with that!"

He realized it at this part, too. He could imagine how much his real son would have talked about his youthful appearance.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon watched the scene and felt a pang of envy once again.

Geom Mugeuk didn't miss his expression.

"You're jealous, aren't you? It'd be nice to have a son like this, right?"

How quick-witted he was. It wasn't true. Because he had unwittingly told his master earlier that they should also have children and live. If it had been just him and Geom Mugeuk, he would have retorted with something like, 'Not at all, family is the enemy'. But he couldn't bring himself to say such a thing in front of the Cult Leader.

"Don't be envious. You have another child, don't you, Elder?"

"Another child?"

Geom Mugeuk whistled, infusing it with inner arts. Then, from far away, someone came running toward them like the wind.

The person who rushed over in a single bound was Seo Daeryong. He had been waiting, hidden in the distance.

"Greetings to the Cult Leader."

After politely greeting Geom Woojin, Seo Daeryong looked at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Today, he was more nervous to see his master than the Cult Leader.

Seo Daeryong's feelings were already written all over his face.

"…Master."

Even from the trembling voice calling for his master, one could tell how much he had worried about him, how much he had missed him.

"Do you not resent me for dragging you into this?"

He had been forced to call him after getting entangled in matters with his master, but he had intended to protect him no matter what. Fortunately, Geom Mugeuk and the Cult Leader arrived afterward, so he hadn't worried about Seo Daeryong.

Seo Daeryong answered the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's question.

"How could this be something you dragged me into, Master? It's because of them. And aren't you disappointed, Master? That a capable disciple didn't come and solve everything. Master, it's all over. Because you have a timid and cowardly disciple like me, not a capable one."

Their gazes met and tangled in midair. Geom Mugeuk felt it. That those two, so completely different, had a subtle resemblance.

"Director Seo, you must not have heard."

He addressed Seo Daeryong as Director because his father was present.

"What do you mean?"

"Elder Blade Demon declared this. 'From now on, I have only one master-disciple relationship'."

For a moment, Seo Daeryong's face flushed.

In turn, he also relayed Seo Daeryong's story to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

"When we met before, Director Seo said this. That he would even give his life for his master. He willingly became a dangerous bait."

Seo Daeryong bowed his head deeply. His face grew even redder. This was why he liked Geom Mugeuk. Because Geom Mugeuk never failed to convey the things he really wanted conveyed.

His gruff Master wouldn't say anything, but it was enough to have conveyed his feelings.

Just then, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon said something.

"From now on, if there's dangerous work, have the Young Cult Leader do it."

A startled Seo Daeryong snapped his head up. Feeling the affection in his master's joke, Seo Daeryong was so happy he could fly.

"You heard that, right? You definitely heard it, right? It's an official order from my Master," Geom Mugeuk said, as if tattling to his father.

"You heard him too, right, Father? Then you have to say something. What kind of thing is that to say to my son? From now on, you and your disciple will handle all the dangerous work!"

A smirk formed on Geom Woojin's lips. That smirk, which always held multiple meanings, seemed to be saying this today: You've been through a lot, too.

For that reason, it was the most wonderful smirk to conclude today's events.

His father began to walk away from that place. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon followed behind him. Both his father's and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon's steps seemed light.

Geom Mugeuk stood for a moment, watching the two men's backs.

Originally, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had followed a step behind, but his father slowed his pace to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him. The two of them talked as they walked. Perhaps they were talking about that day, something they hadn't spoken of all these years.

Watching their backs, he suddenly remembered the line the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had drawn when they first met after his regression. The nine-to-one line he had drawn, saying it represented how much the Cult Leader cherished him. Considering the past these two men shared.

Back then, Elder, that line of yours was accurate.