Chapter 768: Why Are You Asking My Father That?

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Sword King was not pressured just because he knew the man before him was the Heavenly Demon. He would have felt the same way if he had encountered this man on the street. He would have recognized him instantly, even in a crowd of hundreds.

It was a presence that could not be hidden, no, this man was simply making absolutely no effort to hide himself.

"Father, your son has returned from his excursion!" Geom Mugeuk greeted loudly.

The Sword King awkwardly put on the shoes that hung from his waist.

"Well, Ak-hyung. Let's go!" Geom Mugeuk said, appearing as cheerful as ever. Deep down though, he was more nervous than he had ever been.

How will Father react to my Body Reformation? Will he accept the Sword King? What am I going to do if he refuses? I can't just say, "He's my fellow ponytail friend, so you don't need to worry about him." The Sword King's skill and presence are far too great for that!

Geom Mugeuk and the Sword King walked side by side down the path of blood and arrived before the throne.

The Sword King showed his respect with a polite, clasped-hands greeting. "Greetings, I'm Ak Gunhak. It's an honor to meet you, Heavenly Demon. Thanks to your son, I have the chance to meet a revered figure of the murim."

Geom Woojin's impassive eyes shifted to the Sword King's feet, his gaze containing neither goodwill nor hostility. "I heard you usually go around barefoot?"

The Sword King shuddered. It seemed Geom Mugeuk had told his father about him.

"I felt it would be disrespectful to be barefoot when meeting such an esteemed person, so I put them on."

He was not being deferential because the other man was stronger than him. He had originally planned to enter barefoot but changed his mind when he heard Geom Mugeuk's call out to his father.

Yes, this was a courtesy he paid not because the man was the Heavenly Demon, but because he was Geom Mugeuk's father. Wearing shoes was the highest form of respect he could show.

Geom Woojin and the Sword King made eye contact.

Geom Mugeuk looked on anxiously. No matter how strong the Sword King was, he was no match for his father. Still, he was more than skilled enough to provoke Geom Woojin.

Father, this man is my friend, too. Please, look upon him kindly.

Well, the people he had previously introduced as his friends were people like Bi Sayin and Jin Hagun. His father did not exactly approve of any of them.

Geom Woojin's gaze shifted from the Sword King to Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk looked up. Finally, the moment has come!

Geom Woojin, who had been silently looking down at his son, rose from his seat. He descended the stairs slowly, neither too fast nor too slow, his footsteps making no sound at all.

For Geom Mugeuk, this was just his father, a familiar sight.

For the Sword King, however, it was different. With every step Geom Woojin took, his heart hammered in his chest. The Heavenly Demon's presence felt like a fist striking his heart with each step. If he had followed his instincts, he would have retreated one step for every one his opponent took.

Geom Woojin stopped right in front of Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk waited in anticipation. Even the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had recognized his Body Reformation. There was no way his father would not notice.

Sure enough, the sneer he was so fond of spread across his father's lips. The emotion contained within it today was clear.

Now you show up after going through a Body Reformation?

Right, his father would sneer and spout sarcasm, but he was not the type to feel something like jealousy.

Raising his hands in surrender, he confessed. "Let me say this upfront, I'm your son. I'm an unfilial son who achieved Body Reformation before his father, but I'm definitely your real son!"

SWOOSH! GRAB!

Geom Woojin reached out and seized both of his son's arms.

Geom Mugeuk flinched in surprise. "If you're trying to test whether a body that's undergone Body Reformation can be torn apart, please stop! If you try to rip me apart, I'll really break!"

Fortunately, there was no test to see if his body would be torn apart.

PAT, PAT…

Geom Woojin's hands slid down to Geom Mugeuk's shoulder. From there, he began to inspect the rest of his son's body.

He examined his arms and shoulders, his waist and back, and even his legs, touching each part meticulously. It was not a casual inspection but a very thorough one. He checked how much the bones had elongated, how the skin and muscles had changed, and what the body's balance was like.

Geom Mugeuk found his father's touch unfamiliar. Thinking back, his father had never made physical contact with him, except when he was very young.

It was reassuring, though. His father's touch was like when the Demonic Physician examined a patient, filled with care and affection. He was personally checking to make sure nothing had gone wrong.

Even knowing his father's intentions, though, he was inwardly tense. After all, his father could launch a surprise attack at any moment and then say something like, "You've undergone Body Reformation. I expected you to be able to dodge something like this."

There was precedence, too. His father had done something like this before. He remembered reporting his complete mastery of the Soaring Sky Sword Art, only to have a finger qi bullet fly in his face. Considering that, he needed to be ten times more vigilant today.

However, what came at him today was a hundred times more shocking than that finger qi bullet.

After finishing his inspection of his son's body, Geom Woojin's gaze shifted to the Sword King, then back to his son. "Kill him," he commanded coldly.

Not only Geom Mugeuk but the Sword King was also stunned.

The Sword King had expected that he would be unwelcome, but he never imagined the Heavenly Demon would execute him.

Geom Mugeuk immediately protested, "Wait, Father! I know we enjoy killing people, but we're not so bad that we'd kill someone who just arrived and gave a friendly greeting, are we?"

Geom Woojin remained silent, as if to confirm the order was not a mistake.

"He's not as handsome as you, so there's no way he stole one of your women," Geom Mugeuk joked. "Did he perhaps run off with your money when you were young?"

Of course, the joke fell flat.

The Sword King was curious to see how Geom Mugeuk would handle the situation. The son was just as adept at surprising people as the father.

Geom Mugeuk let out a deep sigh. "Ak-hyung, if this were an order from anyone else, I might be able to refuse it, but I can't disobey Father's command."

The Sword King's eyes widened. Wait, is he actually going to kill me?

As if he truly intended to carry out the order, Geom Mugeuk drew the Black Demon Sword.

Faced with this unexpected turn, the Sword King stared at him, dumbfounded. "Young Cult Leader, I even put on my shoes for this. Is this really how it's going to be?"

He spoke formally, a departure from his usual casual manner, because they were before the Cult Leader who had just ordered his death.

"What can I do? It's my father's command."

Seeing that Geom Mugeuk was dead serious, the Sword King quickly accepted the situation. He glanced around at Geom Woojin and the Heavenly Demon Hall before looking back at Geom Mugeuk.

Am I really going to die by Geom Mugeuk's hand, here in the Heavenly Demon Hall, under the watchful eye of the Heavenly Demon?

"Yes, this is a fine way to go."

He drew his sword as well. He had already been prepared to die for Geom Mugeuk beneath Mount Tianmu. This death was merely a little delayed.

The thought brought him a sense of peace.

The two men stood facing each other, swords raised.

"Young Cult Leader, you must not let your guard down for a second. I intend to use the full extent of my skills."

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The Sword King was willing to die fighting him.

Right, was the reason I liked the Sword King simply because he tied his hair in a ponytail and walked around barefoot? No, it was because of his detached composure in the face of death, despite his incredible skill. If it were me, I couldn't die like that. It would be too much of a waste of my abilities.

A taut tension filled the air.

Geom Mugeuk's gaze, which had been fixed on the Sword King, shifted to Geom Woojin. "You should say it now. 'Son, that's enough. I now fully understand your heart, which places my command above even friendship.'"

Geom Woojin merely continued to stare at Geom Mugeuk in silence, holding fast to his command to kill.

Geom Mugeuk pouted. "At least tell me why you want him dead."

"……" Geom Woojin did not provide a reason.

"Seriously, this is too much!" Geom Mugeuk sheathed the Black Demon Sword. "You know I can't kill him, don't you?"

"If you disobey me, I'll have you removed from the position of Young Cult Leader," Geom Woojin replied, his eyes were deadly serious.

The Sword King watched Geom Mugeuk anxiously. He couldn't possibly give it up, could he?

"Okay, I'll give up the position of Young Cult Leader," Geom Mugeuk declared.

The Sword King quickly cut in, "Young Cult Leader, I'm not worth that much."

"Of course you're not."

"What?"

"I'm not giving up the Young Cult Leader position because you, Ak-hyung, are as valuable as the title. This position determines the fate of countless members of our Cult. It's a position that can't be compared to anything else in value. Even my own life isn't worth as much as this seat," Geom Mugeuk explained.

If those words were meant for his father, his next words were for the Sword King.

"I want to kill you, but I'm not confident that I can."

He did not use his relationship with the Sword King as a reason.

How could I kill my friend?

Approaching it with such sentiment would be a mistake. It would only have the opposite effect on his father.

Furthermore, this choice was a way of saving the Sword King's face. He could not kill him not because they were friends, but because he was too strong. It was a consideration for the Sword King as a martial artist.

Geom Mugeuk said firmly, "Father, this man is the strongest opponent I've ever fought, and I still haven't seen his final technique."

Even though they were before his father, the Sword King was formerly one of the Twelve Zodiac Kings. If the swordmaster's dignity as a martial artist was undermined and his pride wounded, he would not be able to stay by his side.

Such a thing could not be allowed to happen, especially not in front of him. If it did, the man would surely leave.

"Father, your son could die!"

Even after all this, Geom Woojin did not back down.

"Don't worry, your brother is still alive and well. I'll even avenge you myself."

"No way! I'd be sick with jealousy if I have to watch my brother become the Cult Leader."

"If you don't kill that man, you won't become the Cult Leader anyway."

Geom Mugeuk looked at his father. It was time to ask the most important question. "Why are you testing me?"

"A test?"

"Yes. You're not the type of person to issue such a command, Father. If you really wanted this man dead, you would've killed him yourself."

Surprisingly, it really was a test, and the reason for it was completely unexpected.

"I need to confirm that you hadn't changed."

"What?" Geom Mugeuk blinked in shock.

Geom Woojin revealed something even his son didn't know. "When it comes to Body Reformation, the physical changes aren't the most important part."

Geom Mugeuk looked down at his own body. "How can you say that after seeing this smooth skin and smelling this fragrance? That's not all. My bone structure has changed, and my whole body feels light enough to fly. What could possibly be more important than all this?"

Geom Woojin stared into his son's eyes as if to pierce them. "Your mind."

"!"

"Body Reformation completely alters even the blood vessels in the brain. Do you know why Body Reformation is so rare in the jianghu? It's because even if they endure the physical agony, many go mad or die during the process of their brains being altered."

Geom Mugeuk was stunned speechless. His father was usually a man of few words, but when it came to matters of martial arts, he was always generous with his explanations.

"Haven't you noticed any changes to your mental state?"

"My mind feels clearer than before. I can think faster, and my memory seems to have improved as well," Geom Mugeuk replied, finally realizing why he had become lost in thought during the first exchange of his duel with the Sword King.

"What's important is how it has changed. Separate from your mind becoming clearer, your personality could've warped into something strange, but seeing your pathetic display…" Geom Woojin's expression softened. "Fortunately, it seems you haven't changed at all."

It meant he had achieved a perfect Body Reformation.

In truth, Geom Mugeuk suspected that wasn't the only reason for his father's test. There were many other ways to check if his mind was intact, so why insist on ordering him to kill the Sword King?

The only reason was because his father had wanted to see how the Sword King would react.

Did the Sword King pass Father's inspection? Or did he intend to deepen our bond since our fates are already entangled?

His father must have known that he would never kill the Sword King. He probably just wanted to see whether the Sword King would willingly offer up his life, and whether their friendship was enough to make him to forsake the position of Young Cult Leader.

Geom Woojin turned and ascended to the throne. "Congratulations, my son."

"!" Geom Mugeuk stared at his father, his face blank with shock.

"Congratulations, my son."

Those three simple words shook him to his core. He could feel the sincerity behind them.

He bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you, Father."

Damn it. I had no intention of marrying in this life either, but you keep shaking my resolve, Father.

He wouldn't let this good mood go to waste.

"Father, to celebrate my Body Reformation, please grant your son one request," he said boldly and shamelessly.

Geom Woojin's mouth twitched in disbelief. "What request?"

"Please grant me the White Flower Sword."

A tense silence fell over the hall.

"You want the White Flower Sword? One of our Cult's four legendary swords?"

"……"

The White Flower Sword was the fourth-ranked of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's four legendary swords, with the first three being the Heavenly Demon Sword, the Black Demon Sword, and the Evil Spirit Sword.

The Black Demon Sword was coarse and destructive, and the Evil Spirit Sword held a dark, malevolent aura, and the White Flower Sword possessed a gentle and noble energy.

"I want to give the White Flower Sword to Ak-hyung as a gift."

The Sword King's eyes widened in shock. He knew of the White Flower Sword. When Geom Mugeuk had promised to get him a legendary sword, he never imagined it would be one of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's four legendary swords.

He immediately declined politely, "Young Cult Leader, that sword is too much for me."

"But it suits you so well, Ak-hyung!"

"I'm not such a noble person. I'll accept your sentiment alone, Young Cult Leader."

"Bring the White Flower Sword," Geom Woojin commanded.

The Sword King was stunned speechless, while Geom Mugeuk smiled and looked up at his father.

I'm in deep shit. I already worried about how I'll be able to stand against Father when that day comes, but now…

Well, that was for the future. For now, the Sword King was the priority.

"Please don't give me a new order like, 'Kill this man with that sword'!" he joked again.

The Sword King started to panic. He, who had never once been flustered even before the Darkness Palace Lord, couldn't count how many times this father and son pair had surprised and bewildered him today.

Huh? They're really giving me the precious White Flower Sword? One of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's four legendary swords?

Fine, he could concede that Geom Mugeuk might give it to him, because he was that kind of person.

The Heavenly Demon actually agreed? I was once an enemy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!

Just then, Hwi appeared, holding a sword box.

Geom Mugeuk exchanged a glance with Hwi. Long time no see, Uncle Hwi!

The eyes of the masked Hwi crinkled in a slight smile, as if to say, 'Congratulations on your Body Reformation, Young Cult Leader.'

Hwi handed over the box containing the White Flower Sword to Geom Mugeuk and vanished without a sound.

Geom Woojin said, "This is your congratulatory gift."

"Thank you, Father." Geom Mugeuk bowed his head respectfully in thanks, then presented the sword box to the Sword King right in front of his father.

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

"Be careful when you open it. It might explode."

The Sword King silently looked down at the sword box in his hands. He was dumbfounded. He had never dreamed he would receive such a precious sword so easily.

"Why are you bestowing such a gift upon me?" he asked Geom Woojin.

Geom Mugeuk instantly took offense at that. "Hey, I'm the one giving it to you! Why are you asking my father that? Look at me! Me!"

Unfortunately for him, the Sword King's gaze remained fixed on Geom Woojin.

"…Let's just say I liked the sight of you wearing shoes," Geom Woojin replied emotionlessly.

"Hey, I'm the one who gave you those shoes too!"

You're both completely insane, the Sword King thought, but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

Instead, he bowed his head respectfully and conveyed the sentiment in a more refined manner.

"Like father, like son. Now I understand perfectly how someone like the Young Cult Leader could exist."