Chapter 720: You Don’t Have to Come Anymore
“No matter what anyone says, I come to see you first, Elder. Even if my heart is pierced, I come to see you first. Even if I get scolded by my father, I come to you first. Another Demon Supreme again? Aren’t you tired of it? Then what about the other Demon Supremes? No matter how much resentment there is, you are always first for me!”
Outside the window, in front of the shouting Geom Mugeuk, Blood Heaven Blade Demon was reading a book.
Geom Mugeuk had parted ways with Evil Smiling Demon and immediately rushed to Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s dwelling.
“You pretend to be reading right now, but I know well that the words aren’t entering your eyes. I also know that you want to hug me out of joy but are holding back out of embarrassment. Just don’t hold back, express yourself! Life is one where we never know what tomorrow will bring, isn’t it?”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had been looking at the book, lifted his head.
“Are you done?”
When Geom Mugeuk nodded, Blood Heaven Blade Demon pulled out the cotton he had stuffed in his ears.
“You’re too much! I came back alive after getting my heart stabbed.”
When Blood Heaven Blade Demon didn’t believe it, Geom Mugeuk bared his chest.
“Look at this!”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes widened. Just a moment ago there had been playfulness in them, but now they were filled with shock.
“That wound, what is it?”
As Blood Heaven Blade Demon was too surprised, Geom Mugeuk quickly covered the scar with his clothes.
“No, it’s nothing. Just a little scratch.”
In that instant, Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s energy burst forth.
“That masked bastard!”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon shot to his feet. He was about to rush off to find Evil Smiling Demon immediately, to hold him accountable for failing to properly protect Geom Mugeuk.
If Geom Mugeuk said that Evil Smiling Demon had stabbed him, he would have flown off before even hearing any explanation.
“If it hadn’t been for the Demon Supreme, I would have died.”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon glared at Geom Mugeuk. It had been a long time since he had seen him this angry. Yes, this was how he used to be. He had only forgotten because he had been treated too gently for so long.
“This time, Demon Supreme handled all the enemies! It’s true!”
With that, he managed to calm Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s fury.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat back down.
“Useless! By now, shouldn’t you have reached the point where you no longer get stabbed by a sword?”
“There were too many beauties, so I got distracted.”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon resumed reading. Perhaps because of the wound he had seen? This time, he was the one to speak first.
“Have you already lost interest in reading?”
“I was too busy to find time to read.”
“Excuses. If you set your mind to it, you could read even while fighting.”
After a short while of reading, Blood Heaven Blade Demon raised his head. Wondering what he was doing with no reply, he saw Geom Mugeuk leaning against the wall beside the window, looking up at the sky.
How long had he stayed like that? Suddenly, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be entering closed-door training.”
When Blood Heaven Blade Demon lifted his head, Geom Mugeuk, who had been gazing up at the sky, turned to face him.
“It could take quite a long time.”
Geom Mugeuk felt that the Ten Star Greatness was drawing near.
Greatness was flickering before his eyes.
He planned to greet his father and then immediately enter closed-door training.
And once he went in, he did not intend to come out until he had achieved Greatness.
In his heart, it felt as if he could reach Completion in just a few days, but that was only a hope. He could not know whether it would take a month or several years. Still, because he had the Heavenly Time Secret Art, there was hope that it would not take an absurdly long time.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon understood Geom Mugeuk’s current state precisely.
“Are you on the verge of Completion?”
“Yes.”
Even though he had asked, the answer still surprised Blood Heaven Blade Demon inwardly. To think that at such a young age he was already standing before the Completion of the Nine Calamities Demon Art? Had there ever been a Cult Leader in history who reached Completion so quickly? If it had been anyone but Geom Mugeuk, he would never have believed it.
“I felt that it wasn’t far.”
For some reason, Blood Heaven Blade Demon did not say congratulations, nor did he tell him to work hard. He only gazed at Geom Mugeuk in silence.
Just then, someone entered the courtyard.
“Young Cult Leader!”
The one who ran over happily was Seo Daeryong, who had come to train after finishing his duties.
“When did you return?”
“Just a little while ago.”
“I missed you!”
Seo Daeryong rushed forward as if to embrace Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk lightly avoided him and glanced at the basket in his hands. Inside were liquor and food.
“What’s this? Looks delicious!”
“This isn’t for you!”
Seo Daeryong urgently turned his body to protect the basket, then carried it over to Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“This is food prepared by Lady Dan for Master.”
It was indeed food made by Dan Ah. She often cooked for Seo Daeryong’s master, Blood Heaven Blade Demon. The meals, prepared with healthy ingredients, were filled with sincerity that could not be found in any inn.
“I told her she doesn’t have to send anything.”
“She just made a little more while preparing food for us. Please enjoy it without hesitation.”
But Blood Heaven Blade Demon knew very well that it wasn’t so. Most of the dishes she brought were exactly the ones he liked.
“Tell her I’ll eat well.”
“Yes, Master.”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon carried the food inside the house. Since Dan Ah’s dishes always satisfied him, he wore a pleased smile.
Left alone in the yard, Geom Mugeuk casually asked.
“How are Lady Dan and her younger sisters?”
“Thanks to you, they’re doing well.”
Not only Dan Ah, but also her two younger sisters, Dan Bi and Dan Yeon, had adjusted well to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Dan Bi served as one of the Enforcement Martial Artists, and Dan Yeon as part of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps, each fulfilling their assigned duties well.
Dan Ah was devoted to martial arts training while also looking after Seo Daeryong. She was someone who would gladly take on any task for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, even cleaning dung, but for now, she judged that taking care of Seo Daeryong and her younger sisters was more important.
Especially Seo Daeryong, who had to deal with the affairs of the Underworld Pavilion while also training in martial arts. Because his schedule was too grueling, she looked after his health. Thanks to that, Seo Daeryong often heard people say that his face looked healthier these days.
“Do you like Lady Dan that much? Does just thinking about her make you smile?”
Seo Daeryong’s face bloomed with a wide smile. His answer was already in that expression.
“Are you not planning to marry?”
“I’ll go only after Young Cult Leader goes. Please clear the way! Let the carriage behind pass through!”
“Why shout for me to move aside after deliberately coming through a blocked path when there are plenty of open ones?”
“The only path I take is the one Young Cult Leader takes. I’ll follow that path for the rest of my life.”
“That’s a fine excuse.”
Geom Mugeuk narrowed his eyes and looked at Seo Daeryong with suspicion.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re not confident, are you?”
“Come on, what do you take me for? I’m Seo Daeryong, the right hand of Young Cult Leader. Seo Daeryong!”
“Yes, my right hand, who has never even properly courted a woman.”
In the end, Seo Daeryong let out a sigh and revealed his honest feelings.
“To be honest, I don’t know. Whether I should get married. Whether I can support the woman I wed.”
“If the Underworld Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult says things like that, then no one would ever marry. And why are you worrying about supporting her? If you wed Lady Dan, she’ll be the one supporting you.”
Given Dan Ah’s straightforward and decisive personality, that was more than possible.
“Don’t dodge. Tell me the real reason you hesitate.”
How could Seo Daeryong deceive Geom Mugeuk’s eyes? In the end, he revealed the true reason.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to be a good father.”
Geom Mugeuk hadn’t expected Seo Daeryong to be wrestling with such a concern. No matter how close one might be, the depth of another’s heart could still be this hidden.
“To be worrying about that before even marrying?”
But he couldn’t bring himself to say, that’s just like you. Because even Geom Mugeuk himself could not be certain of such a thing.
“I’ve never experienced having a good father. I don’t know what it takes to become one.”
Seo Daeryong truly wanted to know.
“Should I just do the opposite of what my father did?”
“Do you think it works that way?”
“Probably not, right?”
Seo Daeryong let out a sigh. Geom Mugeuk let him sigh as much as he wanted. Since he had finally let out emotions bottled up for so long, it was fine even if the ground sank beneath them.
“Even if you had a good father, I think becoming a good father yourself is a different matter.”
“Why is that?”
“Just as you and your father are different, the child who is born will also be different from you. The way a good father raised you won’t necessarily work the same. This isn’t something you learn by watching — it’s something you must figure out as you look at your child and find the way that fits them.”
“!”
“It’s like stepping onto the dueling stage without knowing who your opponent is. Whoever it is, you step forward knowing it will be painfully hard.”
Seo Daeryong’s expression softened.
“So in the end, you’re saying it’s hard for everyone?”
“Look at yourself, and look at me. Do you think raising a child like this is easy?”
At those words, the discouraged look faded from Seo Daeryong’s face, replaced by ease.
From the window, Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had been drinking, interjected.
“When family can become enemies, why should children be any different?”
Both Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong laughed together.
Geom Mugeuk pointed out one fact.
“And you don’t need to worry about that in the first place.”
“Why not?”
“Lady Dan will make you into a good father.”
At that, Seo Daeryong’s face lit up with a bright smile.
“Young Cult Leader, how do you know so well when you’ve never experienced it yourself?”
“Because it’s me. Your Young Cult Leader.”
“Of course, our Young Cult Leader who knows everything in the world!”
The two laughed together.
“It’s all thanks to you, Young Cult Leader, that I can even have such happy worries.”
“As long as you know. Pay me back later with money.”
“I’ll keep paying you back with my heart forever.”
Geom Mugeuk turned to leave.
“Are you leaving already? Since it’s been a while, stay a bit longer and have fun!”
To the disappointed Seo Daeryong, Geom Mugeuk said.
“You won’t be seeing me for a while.”
No sooner had he spoken than Blood Heaven Blade Demon, emptying his glass at the window, spoke.
“Come tomorrow.”
It was unexpected. He had clearly said he would enter closed-door training, and yet Blood Heaven Blade Demon told him to come.
Without asking why, Geom Mugeuk replied.
“I’ll come tomorrow.”
He would know once tomorrow came.
* * *
But even when tomorrow came, he still didn’t know the reason.
The next day, Blood Heaven Blade Demon didn’t say why he had called him. He just sat in the same place as before, reading a book.
“Is there something you want me to do?”
“No.”
“Anything you wish to say?”
“No.”
“Are you feeling lonely these days?”
“This room is full of friends.”
He meant that his books were his friends.
“Then maybe lately you’ve been feeling irritated for no reason, wanting to bother someone, that kind of thing?”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon scoffed.
“Then why did you call me here!”
No matter how much he asked at his side, Blood Heaven Blade Demon wouldn’t tell him.
Of course, that didn’t mean he could just say, since there’s nothing to do, I’ll be going. The one before him was Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
That afternoon, Seo Daeryong dropped a bombshell.
“I told Lady Dan.”
“Told her what?”
“That I want to marry her.”
Not only Geom Mugeuk, but even Blood Heaven Blade Demon was shocked.
“Truly?”
“You told me to, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t tell you to do it. Even if I had, would you really go and say it the very next day?”
“What good is it to hesitate? The Young Cult Leader is smarter than me, so your words must be right. And… I suddenly wanted to step onto that dueling stage.”
“You said you’d follow my path for life? The carriage hasn’t even moved yet.”
Seo Daeryong bowed his head as if ashamed, but still spoke.
“But I’m much older, aren’t I? The cart blocking the road is me. A cart full of manure.”
“So what did Lady Dan say?”
“She said it was flustering to hear that while eating.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at him incredulously.
“You said that while eating?”
“I regret it enough already, so don’t scold me for that part. While we were eating, the words just slipped out. That I wanted to sit across from her and eat like this for the rest of my life.”
Seo Daeryong clutched his head.
“Ah! I should have recited a poem when I said it.”
Geom Mugeuk smiled as he spoke.
“No, you actually did well.”
“Really? I did well, right? Please tell me I did.”
Worried he had made a mistake, Seo Daeryong looked to Geom Mugeuk, who reassured him with a smile.
“You did well. And that cart isn’t filled with manure, but with jewels. You will become a good father.”
Seo Daeryong’s eyes grew misty. He had thought marriage would never exist in his life.
“Since you’re doing it, make it the greatest wedding possible. Ask Father to officiate.”
“The Cult Leader?”
Seo Daeryong’s eyes went wide with shock.
“You’ll be the first warrior ever to wed with the Heavenly Demon as the officiant.”
Ordinarily, Seo Daeryong would have recoiled in horror and cracked a joke, but this time he spoke cautiously.
“If I do marry, the one I want to ask to officiate is…”
Seo Daeryong looked at Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“My Master. I wish to ask you, Master.”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon flinched in surprise. He had never imagined Seo Daeryong would refuse the Cult Leader and instead ask him.
“Master, please.”
Blood Heaven Blade Demon scoffed as he replied.
“You’re doing well, asking a master who’s never married himself.”
He turned abruptly and went back inside.
At that, Seo Daeryong’s face went pale.
“Did I make a mistake?”
Even though he had grown close to his master, Seo Daeryong still found him difficult and intimidating.
Geom Mugeuk recalled the look on Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s face as he left. Wasn’t there a smile tugging at his lips?
“No, he’s probably in a good mood right now.”
He must have gone inside because he couldn’t hide his expression.
Then suddenly, from inside, Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s voice rang out.
“The more desperately you want it, the further it slips away.”
Geom Mugeuk stiffened in surprise. Seo Daeryong was even more startled. With a crestfallen look, he lowered his head.
“Ah! I made the decision too impulsively. I was too hasty! What do I do?”
Of course, Seo Daeryong thought those words had been directed at him. But Geom Mugeuk, with deepened eyes, said,
“No, those words were meant for me.”
The moment he heard Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s words, Geom Mugeuk realized.
Why had he been told to come to his dwelling?
His heart had been too impatient. Enough that Blood Heaven Blade Demon had worried about it.
Yes, if it had been moving from Seven Stars to Eight, or from Eight to Nine, it wouldn’t have been this desperate.
But the Greatness of the Nine Calamities Demon Art.
That was the very realm he had dreamed of even in his sleep, now right before his eyes. No wonder his heart had grown impatient without him even realizing it.
When a feeling came, he thought, he had to seize it! So his heart brimmed with the desire to enter closed-door training at once and achieve Greatness.
Normally, he would have gone to see the Demon Supremes, and Jangho, and Jo Chunbae as well. But now, his mind was so consumed with Greatness that he only sought to run straight to the training hall.
And yet, even when he had reached Nine Stars, it hadn’t been through closed-door training. It wasn’t something achieved out of impatience. It was something he had attained among people.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon had restrained that impatience and given him guidance.
The greater the greed, the more illusions look real.
Geom Mugeuk burst into a bright smile and said loudly.
“I’ll come again tomorrow.”
Then, Blood Heaven Blade Demon appeared at the window. As if to confirm Geom Mugeuk’s thoughts were correct, he smiled and said,
“You don’t need to come anymore.”
Seeing that warm smile naturally stirred this thought.
If not for Blood Heaven Blade Demon, would he really have made it this far? Wasn’t it because he had been the very first button among the Demon Supremes that he had been able to safely come this far?
Looking at Seo Daeryong blinking beside him, Geom Mugeuk said.
“No, I’ll still come. I have to set up the grand marriage operation for my right hand.”
Seo Daeryong flinched and asked.
“Does something like that really require a grand operation?”
With a frighteningly serious gaze, hiding his playful intent, Geom Mugeuk firmly nodded.
“How could I possibly send you off into that fierce and endless battlefield without a proper plan?”