Chapter 677: This Liquor is Your Brother's Friend

TL: FoodieMonster007

In the early dawn, Geom Muyang stood with an anxious face at the entrance of Daecheon Mountain, their agreed meeting place. His heart trembled, and he hadn't slept a wink all night.

Hunting with his father.

He remembered when Geom Mugeuk had gone hunting with their father, and he had been curious back then. What did they talk about on the mountain?

At the time, he had still hated his younger brother. He had worried about what sort of lies Geom Mugeuk might have told their father to drive them apart.

Now, he was going on that same hunt.

Just then, Geom Muyang's eyes gradually widened. He was staring in surprise at Geom Mugeuk, who was walking toward him. To be precise, his surprise was because of the pack on Geom Mugeuk's back.

"Are you moving out?"

He was truly carrying a mountain-like pile of luggage on his back.

"You don't understand, Hyung. This is all necessary."

Geom Mugeuk had stacked and tied luggage on top of a large leather pack, then stacked even more on top of that. Dangling from it were utensils, gourds, a throwing knife for dressing animals, and even an axe. Since there were three of them, the luggage had increased.

In contrast, Geom Muyang carried only a single, small leather pack. It wasn't even half full. He had wondered what to bring but couldn't think of much to pack.

"Don't mind me, just think of me as a porter!"

"Let's split the load."

"It's fine. You have to assist Father, Hyung."

He had said this when the two of them met, but he started to whine as soon as Geom Woojin appeared.

"Aigoo, it's so heavy. When a younger brother is carrying so much, his older brother should at least offer to share the load."

Of course, it didn't work on Geom Woojin. He was certain his eldest had already offered to share. Geom Mugeuk was only playing such a prank because the offer had been made. By now, he could see right through Geom Mugeuk.

"Muyang, let's go."

"……"

Geom Woojin took the lead, looking after only his eldest son as he started up the mountain.

"Please give me your pack."

"It's fine."

Today, his father had also come wearing a small leather pack. The first time he had come hunting, he had been empty-handed.

What could he have brought?

Geom Woojin stood at the front, Geom Muyang was two or three steps behind him, and Geom Mugeuk was at the very back.

Geom Mugeuk intentionally lagged far behind as he walked. He did this so that his father and brother could talk comfortably.

His father and brother silently climbed the mountain path, occasionally exchanging a few words. He could have heard them if he tried, but he didn't.

Instead, he listened to the songs of the mountain birds, the sound of water flowing along the valley, and the sound of the wind. He listened to the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves. The path turned from dirt to stone, and at times, it became a path of jewels under the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

How long had they walked like that?

"……"

At their father's signal, they all held their breath. His father pointed in one direction and asked his brother.

"Can you see it?"

Geom Muyang opened his eyes wide and scanned ahead, but he couldn't see anything.

"Close your eyes and feel it."

"……"

Geom Mugeuk knew what was happening. His father was trying to teach his brother the ki emission technique he had taught him on their previous hunt.

"Send out a single thread of ki. Slowly, without breaking it. Slowly, as if a silkworm is spinning its thread."

All masters handle ki and sense their surroundings with it. However, they don't think of drawing it out like a thread and sending it ten, twenty zhang away. It was impossible without knowing the core principle of imbuing the wind with ki.

Just as he had, his brother must be having a new experience right now.

"It broke. Concentrate and try again!"

"……"

Geom Muyang faithfully followed his father's instructions. When was the last time he had spoken with his father about martial arts from this close? It had been a very long time.

"You send out your ki as if you're slowly unwinding a spool of thread."

It was a difficult and tense situation, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as he had expected. His father, when teaching martial arts, was different from the man who sat on the grandmaster's chair.

Did Father always talk this much?

He was the kind of father who seemed like he would just say, 'Figure it out yourself!' and turn away. However, when it came to teaching martial arts, he was meticulous.

My brother must have felt this way with Father, too.

Perhaps Geom Mugeuk had suggested this hunt to convey this feeling to him as well. That the time spent with their father wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought.

"Now, imbue the wind with your ki."

At first, it's a single thread, but later, dozens of strands of ki will be able to spread out in all directions like a spider's web. Geom Mugeuk had already reached that stage.

"Again!"

Unlike him, who had managed it with ease, his brother couldn't do it so simply. Still, he had to realize it for himself. Especially when it came to handling ki, one had to understand and accept it in their own way for it to be truly effective.

His father waited for his brother without getting impatient.

Right, this was probably normal. He had just learned it too quickly.

Geom Mugeuk sat perched on a rock, silently watching his father instruct his brother. Watching them, his heart swelled with emotion for some reason, and he turned his head away.

Did he sense that momentary surge of emotion? As Geom Mugeuk gazed at the distant, layered mountains that touched the sky, he felt his father's eyes on him.

Geom Mugeuk slowly looked at his father. Their gazes met in mid-air. His father's eyes seemed to say, 'You did well setting this up.'

"You must be so frustrated teaching Hyung after teaching me, right?"

At the obnoxious remark, Geom Woojin strode over to Geom Mugeuk.

"There's always someone else who frustrates me."

His father, who had come right up to him, asked coldly.

"Do you have nothing to say to me?"

His eyes screamed, 'I know everything,' causing Geom Mugeuk to flinch and avert his gaze.

"You knew?"

"Of course!"

Geom Mugeuk could tell. His father had realized that he had passed on the Heavenly Demon Defense Art to his brother.

"You're not supposed to know, are you?"

It would be one thing if his brother had activated the Heavenly Demon Defense Art, but there had been no reason to do so until now. The Heavenly Demon Defense Art was something you could never detect just by looking.

Ah! You knew because you achieved the complete mastery of the Twelth Star!

Geom Mugeuk shouted.

"Hyung forced me to teach him. He said he'd kill me if I didn't!"

"……"

"Ah, if he was that reckless, he would have asked me to teach him the Nine Calamities Demonic Art."

Still, a wrong was a wrong, so Geom Mugeuk knelt and begged.

"Father, please let it slide just this once! Hyung, hurry up and beg too!"

"Why are you dragging your brother into this?"

This was how he would let his brother off the hook.

"The situation was urgent. A powerful enemy who uses soul-stealing arts could have threatened Hyung. He already has a bad personality, but imagine if he was hit with a soul-stealing art on top of that. Phew, I wouldn't have been able to watch with my eyes open."

Geom Muyang should have reacted with disbelief, but he quietly walked over and knelt beside Geom Mugeuk.

He had thought that staying quiet and not getting involved might help the situation. It might have been different for another matter, but this was about the Heavenly Demon Defense Art. He couldn't leave it all to his younger brother.

"I'm sorry."

Geom Woojin asked Geom Muyang.

"Did you know it was the Heavenly Demon Defense Art when you learned it?"

"No."

Geom Woojin wore an expression that said he had expected as much, but Geom Muyang defended his brother.

"My brother did it for my sake."

Geom Mugeuk looked at his brother, touched, but quickly lowered his head at his father's sharp gaze and shouted.

"Please forgive us! Please let it go just this once!"

Looking down at his two sons, Geom Woojin said quietly.

"I can't just let it go."

Meaning he would forgive them, but not for free.

Geom Mugeuk lifted his head sharply and said.

"Fine, I'll do whatever you command. I'll accept anything except the unification of murim!"

Lifting his head beside him, Geom Muyang said.

"I will accept the unification of murim."

Geom Mugeuk turned to him and said.

"Joking at a time like this? Hyung, you've really changed a lot."

"I'm not joking."

Right, he knew it wasn't a joke. Because if their father wished it, his brother was the type of person to willingly stand at the forefront of the war of Ma Janghu.

Was it because of his brother's answer? Or was it because of something he planned to order them to do later? Their father turned away with an unreadable smile.

"Resume your training."

"……"

Geom Muyang got up and returned to his original spot. The ki emission training continued. Again and again.

How much time passed like that?

Finally, Geom Muyang emitted his ki and located an animal hiding far away.

"It seems to be a wild boar."

Geom Woojin nodded, his expression satisfied.

Geom Mugeuk handed his brother the bow and arrows that had been hanging from his pack.

"Father must be getting hungry."

"Hyung, just start the campfire."

He had said he would take care of the rest, and he really did. Geom Mugeuk's hands as he dressed the boar would put any hunter or professional cook to shame.

After dressing it with incredible speed and skill, he cut off the most delicious parts and skewered them on a wooden stick. Then, he took out the necessary seasonings for cooking from his leather pack. He sprinkled salt and layered on his secret, pre-made seasonings to add flavor. The meat began to cook, releasing a delicious aroma.

Watching this, Geom Muyang was inwardly surprised. They had camped in the forest a few times on their way back to the Cult, but he never knew his brother was this skilled. It was truly a dexterity separate from his skill in martial arts.

After he started grilling the meat, he began to unpack his luggage in earnest. First, he unwrapped a bundle that had been packed separately.

"……"

A tiger skin for their father was unfurled. It was large enough for him to sit and rest on, or even lie down.

"Father, please sit here comfortably."

Geom Woojin sat down on it.

"As expected! It suits you well! You look magnificent!"

When Geom Woojin extended his hand, the boar over the campfire turned by itself.

"Of course. Right now, not burning the meat is more important than looking cool!"

Geom Mugeuk unpacked the next item.

"This is for you and me, Hyung."

He laid out two pelts from ordinary beasts, clearly distinct from their father's. He placed his brother's spot a little closer to their father.

"Now, I've prepared this as well."

A small, foldable wooden table emerged from the leather pack. He placed it in front of his father. Next, he took out clean chopsticks and utensils from the pack and set them before his father.

Geom Woojin, seemingly finding it fun to grill the meat, used telekinesis to turn it and keep it from burning. Once the meat was perfectly golden brown, Geom Mugeuk cut the most tender and delicious part and brought it to his father.

"Please eat, Father."

He also cut meat for his brother's and his own plates.

"How does it taste?"

"It's fine."

His father's 'it's fine' was the highest praise, equivalent to 'it's fantastic.' His brother proved it.

His brother's eyes widened, his expression saying it all.

This is delicious?

Geom Mugeuk laughed and said.

"The First Young Lord of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult caught it, the successor prepared it, and the Cult Leader himself grilled it! How could it not be delicious? If you said it tasted bad, your entire family would be annihilated!"

Geom Muyang laughed at his words. When he was so nervous he couldn't sleep, he never imagined today's hunt would have such a good atmosphere. It was enjoyable. Eating meat cooked over a campfire on a mountain had a special flavor.

"I'll make it even more delicious!"

Geom Mugeuk rummaged through his pack again. Geom Muyang watched, wondering what would come out next.

"You can't have meat without liquor."

This time, it was liquor. It was their father's favorite liquor. There were also clean cups he had prepared, and even some snacks to go with it. The preparations were thorough.

Just then, Geom Woojin held out his hand. His own leather pack, which had been set aside, flew through the air and into his hand.

What on earth was he about to take out? The brothers watched with curiosity.

"I brought a bottle of liquor, too."

What their father took out was also liquor.

Geom Mugeuk felt puzzled. He had brought it last time, so his father must have assumed he would bring it this time as well.

"What kind of liquor is it?"

Then, words he could never have imagined flowed from his father's lips.

"It's a liquor I brewed myself when Yang-ie was born."

"!"

Geom Mugeuk and Geom Muyang were stunned.

Geom Muyang was especially shocked by the words that his father had personally brewed liquor in the year he was born. In that moment, his father's single phrase filled his mind.

Yang-ie.

When was the last time his father had called him Yang-ie? He had heard it when he was very young, but today was the first time since. That wasn't all.

He brewed it himself?

A wave of emotion washed over Geom Muyang. And not just any liquor, but one to commemorate his birth? And he had brought that liquor today.

"…Cult Leader."

Geom Muyang's voice trembled. Geom Mugeuk had never seen his brother tremble like this before.

His father lifted the bottle of liquor and said.

"Today, I came as a father."

"!"

"Come here and receive a cup of my liquor."

"…Yes, Father."

Geom Muyang approached his father and respectfully accepted the liquor.

"You come too."

Geom Mugeuk also went and received a cup. His brother was trembling so much that he couldn't even make a single joke.

Geom Muyang respectfully filled his father's cup, and the three of them drank.

"This tastes absolutely amazing!"

Geom Mugeuk exclaimed in admiration. It wasn't an empty compliment, it was truly delicious.

"This liquor is a friend to you, Hyung. A friend."

Passing the bottle back and forth, the three of them finished the liquor. They drank it all freely, holding nothing back.

It was the most delicious liquor Geom Muyang had ever tasted in his life. He thought he would probably never drink a liquor this good again until the day he died.

"When do we get to drink the liquor brewed in the year I was born? Will we drink it on the next hunt?"

Geom Woojin flinched at the excited Geom Mugeuk's question.

"You brewed one for me too, right? I know you favor the eldest son, Father, but your second brother is your child too. Right?"

Seeing his father's ambiguous expression, Geom Mugeuk asked with a look of disbelief.

"Don't tell me you didn't brew it yourself and had Uncle Hwi do it? 'Hwi, go brew a bottle of liquor. He's my son too, so we should commemorate it.'"

Watching his father, who still wore a strange smile, Geom Mugeuk's voice grew louder.

"You didn't forget to do even that, did you? That's not why you're smiling so awkwardly, is it? Please tell me it's not true! Tell me you at least bought one and claimed you brewed it!"

And so, the first day of the hunt was passing.