Chapter 855: Have You Decided Who to Choose?

TL: FoodieMonster007

"I made a bet with my father on who would win," Geom Mugeuk announced, infusing his voice with inner qi so everyone could hear. "The prize is a wish."

The Demon Supremes all turned to look at him, their expressions filled with interest.

After announcing the bet, Geom Mugeuk addressed his father. "Alright, then. In two hours, we'll choose who we think will win." He proposed one more condition. "And when we decide, let's not tell each other who we picked. We'll write it on paper and only open it after the final winner is declared."

"Are you worried I'll change my mind?"

"How could I dare? And I know you wouldn't either, Father."

"Then why?"

"For example, let's say I choose Master." Geom Mugeuk's gaze shifted to the Fist Demon. "You never know. Master might actually win."

The Fist Demon stared at the river and answered bluntly, "That won't happen."

There's nothing more boring in the world than fishing. I only just arrived, and I'm already bored. Even if I catch a fish, what's so fun about that? The thrill of the catch? That's only because these people don't know the thrill of landing a punch. If this hadn't been a competition hosted by the Cult Leader, I would have already left.

"If I choose him, how can Master possibly do his best, knowing he has to consider you, Father? And what if it's the other way around, and he knows you've chosen him?"

Geom Woojin nodded. If he chose the Fist Demon, the man would use every trick in the book to win. That was certain, regardless of his boredom. After all, many of the Demon Supremes were conscious of him. "Fine. We'll do it your way," he said, readily accepting the proposal so that his son would not be at an unfair disadvantage.

As Geom Mugeuk returned to his spot, his eyes met Geom Muyang's. "You should also watch carefully and see who might win, Hyung. If you get a good feeling about someone, let me know instead of Father."

Geom Muyang couldn't fathom his younger brother's intentions. This clever boy wouldn't have made such a bet without a plan.

What in the world are you planning? If Father hadn't been here, I would have grabbed you by the collar and shaken you for an answer.

Geom Mugeuk walked toward his spot, clutching his head as if deep in thought. "Who should I choose?" He walked past his own spot and went over to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. "Look at this. Even at this fishing spot, I come to find you first after my father. See?"

"You don't have to come today. Please, stop being so noisy and go over there," the Blood Heaven Blade Demon replied.

He was serious about fishing. Today, he was determined to show everyone a skill befitting the Cult Leader's fishing instructor.

"I'll be quiet right next to you," Geom Mugeuk said, crouching beside the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

As they stared at the floats on the river, the two continued their conversation in hushed tones.

"Why? Are you worried now that you've caused trouble?"

"Is that considered trouble?"

"Yes, it is! Why did you have to bet a wish? The Cult Leader…" The Blood Heaven Blade Demon trailed off.

Still, Geom Mugeuk could guess what he was about to say. Everyone knew what his father's wish was.

"So? Who are you going to pick as the winner?" the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked.

Geom Mugeuk asked back, "If it were you, Elder, who would you pick?"

"Myself, of course."

Geom Mugeuk smiled as if he had expected that answer. "Then I'll choose you, Elder."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked down at Geom Mugeuk, surprised at how easily he had decided, and took a step back. "Don't pick me. Of course I'm going to win, but still, don't. It's too much pressure. If the Cult Leader's dream is crushed because of me, he's only human, and it'll weigh on his mind forever. I don't want to be that kind of person to the Cult Leader."

Geom Mugeuk giggled. He knew very well how much the Blood Heaven Blade Demon cherished his relationship with his father. Staring silently at the river, he suddenly asked, "Who do you think Father will pick?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon answered without hesitation. "The Cult Leader? He'll obviously pick himself."

Geom Mugeuk nodded. Given Father's personality, that's highly likely. This fishing competition is a revenge match for his pride.

"So you need to find someone who can beat the Cult Leader, and leave me out of it," the Blood Heaven Blade Demon added.

Geom Mugeuk leisurely scanned the fishing Demon Supremes one by one. It was still early, so everyone was relaxing and watching the river. His gaze stopped on the Flower Sword Supreme, who was standing in the shade of a tree.

He whispered to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, "Elder, don't just stare at the water. Go talk with the Sword Supreme and take a walk."

"During this important competition?"

"That's why she'll be even more moved. 'Ah, he wants to spend time with me even during such an important competition!' When you're on your deathbed, are you going to regret losing a fishing contest? Or will you regret not taking a walk with the Sword Supreme in this beautiful place?"

"Obviously, I'd regret losing the fishing contest, and I'm sure the Sword Supreme would prefer the Ten-Thousand Year Blood Ginseng over a walk."

Geom Mugeuk and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon laughed together.

"I got one!" a woman shouted.

Finally, someone had caught the first fish. To everyone's surprise, it was the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme, who stared in surprise at the fish flapping on the end of her line.

Everyone had thought her spot wasn't very good, yet the first fish was pulled from there. It was a fairly large fish, too.

"Is this what's known as beginner's luck?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon answered curtly, "The fish must be blind."

Geom Mugeuk shouted, "Congratulations! That's the first fish you've ever caught in your life, Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme."

"Thank you, Young Cult Leader," the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme replied, holding up the fish with a thrilled expression.

Geom Mugeuk didn't forget to tease the Demonic Buddha, who had claimed there would be no such thing as beginner's luck as long as he was around.. "Can you still stop a beginner's luck now?"

The Demonic Buddha gave Geom Mugeuk a meaningful smile. "Do you know what the greatest enemy of beginner's luck is?"

"What is it?"

"Time." The Demonic Buddha spoke again like an enlightened monk. "If you wait patiently, beginner's luck is bound to run out, and this competition lasts until late today, doesn't it?"

The Demon Supremes listened quietly. It had been a long time since they had all gathered like this to share such a conversation.

Instead of returning to his spot, Geom Mugeuk went to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, who was farthest away. "If you take off your mask, all the fish will gather here just to see your handsome face."

Behind the mask, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eyes smiled. The two stood side by side at the riverbank and chatted.

The Demon Supremes watching them wondered how the Young Cult Leader could have become so close to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon of all people. It made them realize once again how unpredictable human relationships were.

"Is the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman doing well?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

The Smiling Demon replied, "Yes, she's happy that she can finally focus on her own work again."

She must have neglected the affairs of the Thousand Flower Palace while caught up in this incident.

"I should visit and pay my respects when I go out to the Central Plains."

"She would be delighted if you visited, Young Cult Leader."

Geom Mugeuk suddenly became curious. I wonder if the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman knows about my future. Did she receive a new prophecy related to world domination?

He turned back to the Smiling Demon. "You intend to take off your mask today, don't you?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon nodded. The moment he heard about their bet, he knew the Young Cult Leader had thrown down the gauntlet here at this fishing spot today.

With all Eight Demon Supremes gathered here, today might just be the most opportune moment for the Young Cult Leader to take action.

"But how would you predict who would come in first?" he asked, assuming Geom Mugeuk had a solid plan for making such a bet.

Geom Mugeuk grinned. "I didn't make the bet because I predicted anything."

"Then why?"

"If I can't change Father's mind by the end of the competition, I plan to leave it to fate as a last resort."

The words were half-joking, half-serious, but whether it was a joke or not, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon believed in Geom Mugeuk.

"You've done well. When it comes to luck, aren't you second to none, Young Cult Leader?"

"I'm pretty lucky."

The two faced each other and smiled.

"If it were you, Smiling Demon, who would you pick?"

After a moment of thought, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon chose an unexpected person. "If it were me, I would pick the Cult Leader."

"Father?"

"Yes."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon didn't give a reason, so Geom Mugeuk didn't press him.

"I'll come by again later," Geom Mugeuk said, heading back to his spot.

"I got one!" someone yelled.

A second person had reeled in a fish. This time, it was also someone unexpected—the Sword Supreme.

She looked at the fish flapping on her line and shook her head. "You poor thing. Of all the bait to take, you had to choose mine on the very first day I've ever fished?"

Geom Mugeuk looked at her and called out, "Can anyone truly control their attraction to beauty? Congratulations, Sword Supreme!"

"Thank you."

Geom Mugeuk went straight to the Demonic Buddha. "What happens when many beginners have a lucky streak? Even time might not be able to handle it, don't you think?"

Knowing Geom Mugeuk had come to tease him, the Demonic Buddha once again adopted the air of an enlightened monk. "As long as the beginners are fighting the fish, they can't beat us. Aren't we the ones who fight with our own minds?"

Geom Mugeuk crouched beside the Demonic Buddha. "When did you get so into fishing?"

"Like you, I also enjoy my time alone."

Geom Mugeuk pouted. "But most of that time is spent busily running around, and you're no different from me, Demonic Buddha."

In this respect, the Demonic Buddha was similar to him. He seemed to meet many people and enjoy those encounters, but he was a person who, more than anyone, liked to be alone.

"What do you think of my choice?" Geom Mugeuk asked. "In your eyes, Demonic Buddha, will it be a good one? Or a disastrous one?"

"That will depend on whose name you write down."

"If it were you, Demonic Buddha, whose name would you write?"

The Demonic Buddha glared at Geom Mugeuk. "Haven't you already written it down in your heart?"

"Not at all. If I had, I would've suggested we write it down immediately instead of giving Father two hours."

"Causing such a big incident without a plan? That's just like you."

"You're supposed to say it's not like me!"

After a moment of thought, the Demonic Buddha pointed to one person. Geom Mugeuk had expected the Demonic Buddha to name himself, confident as he was in his fishing, but the same answer as the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon came from his lips. "If it were me, I would have written down the Cult Leader."

"May I ask why?"

After a brief pause, the Demonic Buddha answered, "Because you are not as desperate as the Cult Leader."

"!" Geom Mugeuk froze in shock.

The Demonic Buddha's gaze turned toward his father.

Geom Mugeuk knew the person who had most accurately read his father's aspirations was likely the Demonic Buddha, who had been at the forefront of the succession war.

"If you think the Cult Leader vaguely wants to take over the murim, you are gravely mistaken," the Demonic Buddha said, warning him that his father's desire was far stronger than he imagined.

Just then, another fish was caught. The beginners' luck continued.

The person who reeled it in this time was the Poison King, his face full of joy. It was the first time Geom Mugeuk had ever seen the Poison King look so happy about something.

"Demonic Buddha, perhaps you should be diving for poisonous fish instead of heading to the mountains to dig for poisonous herbs."

The Demonic Buddha laughed at Geom Mugeuk's joke.

"I'll be back later."

When Geom Mugeuk bid farewell to the Demonic Buddha and returned to his spot, the fourth fish was caught. This time, the person who caught the fish was another beginner, the Poison King.

As the beginners caught fish one after another, a change occurred among those present. A golden glow intensified around the Demonic Buddha's body as he cast his line even farther, and the Drunken Demon took an anxious breath.

Geom Mugeuk snickered. Look at him getting all antsy, unable to wait patiently like the Elder… or not.

He looked back at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who was unfolding his fishing rods and selecting a different one. He was blaming his equipment.

The trio of boasters wasn't the only ones who had changed. Geom Woojin slowly walked toward the Poison King.

Everyone's eyes focused on him. Naturally, the most nervous person was the Poison King.

Geom Woojin held out his hand.

SSSSST!

With a single light gesture, a large pit formed next to where the Poison King stood. He moved his hand again, and a small channel of water was created from the river to the pit. After filling the pit with water, he placed the fish the Poison King had caught inside. The two fish swam around in the small pond.

"From now on, put the fish you catch in here."

"Yes, Cult Leader."

"How do you like fishing?"

"I think it suits my disposition well."

The Poison King meant it sincerely. He loved nature, and when it came to just spacing out, he was the best among the Demon Supremes there.

"I thought you would." Nodding, Geom Woojin walked back to his spot.

The Poison King already looked as if he had won. The Cult Leader's personal attention was a gesture more precious than the Ten-Thousand Year Blood Ginseng.

"You're not planning to choose the Poison King, are you?" Geom Mugeuk asked.

Geom Woojin gave an enigmatic smile. "Why do you think not? Can't I choose anyone here?"

Watching his father return to his spot, Geom Mugeuk sighed. "Now you're resorting to confusion tactics."

Finally, two hours passed.

Geom Mugeuk announced the fish count as if he were a commentator. "The Poison King has three fish, the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme has two, the Drunken Demon has one, and the Flower Sword Supreme has one. A total of seven fish have been caught. Their sizes are all pretty similar, so it's not a situation to argue over yet."

The rest, Geom Woojin, Geom Mugeuk, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, the Demonic Buddha, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, and the Fist Demon, had yet to catch a single fish.

After reporting the situation, Geom Mugeuk stood before his father. "Have you decided who today's winner will be?"

Geom Woojin nodded.

The gazes of all the Demon Supremes were fixed on the two of them. From this point on, the fate of murim could be decided by the name written down.

The two men each wrote a name on a piece of paper. Geom Woojin wrote without hesitation and folded it so it couldn't be seen.

Geom Mugeuk wrote his name a moment later and held out the paper, then suddenly shouted, "Ah, not this one."

FWOOSH!

The paper in his hand burst into flames. After burning it with his yang qi, he wrote a new name.

Geom Woojin and the Demon Supremes considered even this dramatic display to be part of his strategy.

The Demon Supremes wondered, Who in the world did the two of them write down?

Geom Mugeuk entrusted his and his father's papers to his brother. "Hyung, you hold onto these."

Geom Muyang blinked in surprise. "What's to stop me from writing down a different name to help Father and then revealing that as the winner's name?"

"As if you would! Even if you did, do you really think Father would accept a victory based on a name you forged?"

Geom Muyang smiled. His brother had a point. He took the papers and tucked them into his robes.

Geom Mugeuk asked his father loud enough for everyone to hear, "Can't we just live happily like this, fishing together?"

Geom Woojin snorted. "How long do you think this joy will last? It is a joy that will end when the sun sets."

"We can go hunting the next day, have a picnic the day after, drink the day after that, and go out to punish some bad guys the day after that. There's so much to do!"

"……" Geom Woojin gave no reply to his son's words.

"Father." Instead of flipping the table, Geom Mugeuk sat across from his father at his drinking table. For the first time in a very long time, he finally asked the question he had never asked before. "What kind of murim do you dream of, Father?"