The blood-washed Geommuyang stood in front of Donggyeong, helping Sibi put on new clothes.

He wore a thin robe that protected his bare body from swords. Over it, he put on a slightly thicker robe. He showed his obsession with death, at least to Mabul.

Mabul sat on a chair and watched him.

He should have been angry about the fact that he had brought in Yunnan Shuanggui, but Geommuyang didn’t say anything. Mabul could tell that he was angry.

“Lee Gongja……”

He had originally planned to start the story by saying, “He has changed so much.” However, he changed his words because he thought it was too obvious.

“……What kind of person is he?”

Geommuyang answered in Donggyeong.

“I thought I knew my younger brother well, but I don’t know much about him now that I saw him. He wasn’t like this before……”

“You have to forget your old thoughts!”

Suddenly, Ma-bul raised his voice, and the sibbi who was touching his collar scratched Geommu-yang’s neck with his fingernails.

“Ah! I’m sorry, please spare me.”

The sibbi knelt down on the spot and begged for forgiveness. The atmosphere cooled down in an instant.

“Why would I kill you for something like this?”

Geommu-yang spoke softly, but Ma-bul cut in coldly.

“But I can’t not kill you, can I? You spared the sibbi who injured the body of the one who would become the Heavenly Horse? How ridiculous would it be if others heard?”

The sibbi begged earnestly.

“Please! Please spare me!”

Geommu-yang lifted her up.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Just go out.”

“Thank you, Confucius. I really appreciate it.”

The sibbi left the room.

“You shouldn’t show that you easily forgive the mistakes of your subordinates. You should at least punish them.”

Then Geommuyang suddenly asked.

“Did you ask what kind of person your younger brother is?”

“Yes, I did.”

“If something like this happened, he would buy food for the surprised Sibi. He was a warm-hearted child since he was little.”

“But you shouldn’t let your guard down.”

“I’m not telling you to let your guard down. Didn’t you see the people in Mu-geuk earlier?”

The longing gaze that had been directed at Ma-bul turned to Geommuyang himself.

“To be honest, I was a little jealous.”

Sometimes Ma-bul thought that Geommuyang was unpredictable.

Even when he was handling things clearly and coolly, there were times when he would suddenly reveal his true feelings like this.

While he was thinking about how to react, Geommuyang walked over and sat down in front of Ma-bul. He poured cold tea into his teacup and drank it.

“What are you so worried about, Ma-joon?”

“Lee Gongja’s skills are skills, but more than anything, Hyeoncheon Doma is a cunning old man. The fact that he chose Lee Gongja means that there must be a reason for it. It could be because he bought food for Sibi, or because there’s something we don’t know about.”

Then, Geommu Yang said something unexpected.

“I think the answer is my father.”

Ma Bul was surprised by those words.

“What do you mean?”

“My father pushed Mugeuk while I was away. He gave me the Black Demon Sword and made me sit in the position of Hwangcheon Gakju. He’s testing me on how I can deal with Mugeuk who has gained power. I think this is the final test to become the successor.”

For a moment, it seemed like it could be true, but Ma Bul shook his head.

“That can’t be true. The Seophon Majon died while Lee Gongja was jumping up. The cause of death is said to be Juhwaipma, but there are many things that are questionable.”

At first, he believed the leader of the Pungcheon sect who said that it was not Geommu-geuk’s doing, but now he did not.

“It could be Lee Gong-ja’s doing. But do you think it was the leader’s test? The leader treasured Seop-hon as the main force of the sect.”

“Even my father would not have expected that. Moo-geuk has abilities that exceed my father’s expectations.”

“Then did Lee Gong-ja really kill Seop-hon Ma-jon?”

Instead of answering, Geommu-yang asked a question.

“Can Ma-jon kill Seop-hon Ma-jon?”

“Of course I…… can kill him!”

The momentary hesitation showed how skilled Seop-hon Ma-jon was. Ma-bul was not confident in Seop-hon Ma-jon either.

“That’s right. Ma-bul could kill him. However, it wouldn’t have been easy.”

Geommu-yang saved Ma-bul’s face and continued what he had originally wanted to say.

“Even I, Moogeuk, cannot kill the Seophon Majon with our current martial arts skills. However, it might be possible if we get help from one person.”

“Who is that?”

Geommuyang did not answer as if telling him to think for himself. Mabul, who was thinking about who it might be for a moment, hesitated and shouted.

“Could it be? The leader of the Pungcheon sect?”

“That’s right. With his help, we could have killed the Seophon Majon.”

Mabul thought that it might be possible, but he had one question.

“What is the leader of the Pungcheon sect for?”

“It’s to advance into the Central Plains. Didn’t you eventually take the disciple of the Seophon Majon as your own disciple?”

“Ah!”

Mabul had never suspected anything like this before. Was the leader of the Pungcheon sect behind it in the first place?

“And you shamelessly came to investigate the body? That’s what you’re saying.”

Mabul had recently become estranged from the leader of the Pungcheon sect. Suspicion and anger were hindering his objective judgment.

“The leader of the Pungcheon sect knew that the demons would call him. It was also the only way for him to enter the sect with confidence.”

This was the last suspicion that held Mabul back.

“However, the leader of the Pungcheon sect doesn’t have the guts to do that. If it were revealed that he killed the Demon Lord, the entire Pungcheon sect would be destroyed. That can’t happen.”

“There’s something my father has «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» always told me since I was little. Don’t assume that you know someone so easily.”

Mabul was confused. The leader of the Pungcheon sect that he knew was not a great person who would do something like this. However, Geommuyang’s words were exactly right. There was another reason added to that.

“Can’t you tell just by looking at the fact that the military of the Pungcheon Sect leader went to Moogeuk? As you said, would that meticulous Blood Heavenly Demon just join hands? He must have grabbed them because of this background.”

What if this is true?

“Damn it! I went and brought in the evil spirits on my own!”

“Don’t blame yourself. Rather, I will use this situation to control the demons.”

“What if the situation doesn’t work out?”

Geommuyang casually mentioned the words that Mabul couldn’t bring himself to say.

“Are you going to kill Moogeuk? No, I won’t. How would your father see a brother killing his younger brother?”

Mabul felt that the reason he wasn’t killing Geommugeuk was not because he was his younger brother, but because his father was watching him.

“Then what are you going to do?”

“I will bring all those who are attached to Moogeuk to my side. Moogeuk has strong pride, so if his people turn away from him, he will leave the school on his own. You saw it earlier? People who leave without seeing Moogeuk’s secret. Those people will really make Moogeuk leave. Let’s see if he can laugh and joke around.”

“If we keep Lee Gongja alive, it will be a problem later.”

“Even if he leaves like that, if there is a crisis in our school, he will come to save us, not to kill us. That is his greatest weakness.”

Geommuyang got up again and walked towards the mirror. He stared at himself in the mirror and said calmly.

“The position of the Grand Master of Cheonmajeon is the most solid position in this martial arts world. It is not a position for a weakling like Moogeuk to sit in. He shouldn’t even sit there.”

* * *

When I arrived at Cheonmajeon the next morning, I met my brother at the entrance.

“It’s been a long time since we entered Cheonmajeon together like this.”

“Yes.”

We walked together.

“Are you nervous?”

“Not really.”

But my brother was nervous.

He was particularly stiff in front of our father. Ever since he was little, my brother wanted to look good to our father.

When he was little, my brother heard my father call him ‘our eldest son’ just once, and he bragged about it for years, not just days.

If I am now possessed by Hwamugi, my brother must be possessed by my father.

My brother and I entered Cheonmajeon.

My father and General Sima Ming were there. We walked the bloody road together. The evil spirit statues erected everywhere were watching my brother’s return and our situation with cold and strange eyes.

“Father, how have you been?”

My brother bowed deeply to my father.

“I came back safely.”

I looked at my father’s expression. His face toward my brother was filled with joy. On the other hand, my brother was nervous. I could feel his trembling.

“I guess you’re happy that your eldest son is back.”

My father didn’t respond to my words. The father I had when we walked through Magachon together felt different from the father I had now.

I understand that my father has become more blunt.

Before he returned, my father had already considered my brother as his successor. This time, when he returned, his heart was shaken, but the one who had entered his heart first was my brother.

If I don’t understand my father’s heart toward my brother, I will never win this fight. And I must not forget. My ultimate enemy is neither my father nor my brother.

“What happened when you left?”

My brother confidently answered my father’s question.

“We passed all the way to the last checkpoint.”

My father’s expression brightened at those words. My brother had not gone to the border to do odd jobs.

The Magical Nine Walls (魔道九壁).

The Magical Nine Walls were the secret training grounds of the main sect hidden in the outskirts.

My father opened the place to my brother. Just like Socheondong, you could only enter the Magical Nine Walls with the permission of the Heavenly Demon.

It was really not easy to get through the Magical Nine Walls. It was a level higher than the Socheondong that I had passed through before. However, I could give up and leave the Magical Nine Walls halfway through. It was a safe but more difficult gate.

Sima Ming was also very happy.

“Congratulations, Grand Duke. You passed the Magical Nine Walls. Blood really is thicker than water.”

My brother also inherited my father’s blood. His martial arts talent was second to none.

I pretended not to know and asked.

“Where did you pass through?”

Then Sima Ming smiled and said.

“Your Highness, you passed the Magical Nine Walls.”

I hugged Warak hyung tightly.

“Awesome, hyung!”

My father and Sima Ming were startled by my actions. On the contrary, my brother, who was the person involved, accepted my congratulations obediently because he had experienced my change.

“Thank you.”

“Then you must have achieved great success in the Bicheon Sword Technique, right?”

If it were just the two of us, he would not have answered, but since my father was present, my brother answered honestly. Of course, he did not say it to me, but to my father.

“Father, in the process of passing through the magic tool wall, I also achieved great success in the Bicheon Sword Technique.”

“Congratulations.”

“It’s all thanks to your teachings, father.”

My father’s gaze turned to my brother and me.

What on earth is my father thinking right now?

“Congratulations, Grand Duke.”

“Thank you, General.”

“Congratulations, brother.”

“Thank you.”

“In this cheerful atmosphere, I have something to say to you.”

My gaze turned to my father.

“For us, the umbilical cord being cut off was a signal that the fight for succession had begun. That was our life, and that’s how we’ll live our lives. So, Father, this time I’m going to have a friendly competition with my brother. What do you think?”

Instead of answering me, my brother said to my father.

“Father, I didn’t know that Moo-geuk had grown this much while I was gone. He’s really mature.”

My father just looked down at us without saying a word. What was he thinking? Was he still scoring who would be the right successor at this moment?

My father didn’t say anything about what I said. A friendly competition? If it were just the two of us, he might have said it was a cheap sentiment that would make me want to die.

But the reason I insisted on saying it was because I also told my father. I’ll try to carry my brother.

“Go back now and rest.”

My brother and I greeted our father and walked the bloody path out of Cheonmajeon.

At the entrance, I asked.

“Why do you want to be a Cheonma?”

Then my brother suddenly said.

“If you can’t become a Cheonma, you’ll die.”

I thought my brother would have given a different answer, but his answer was quite unexpected.

“Would you die if you lose the succession fight?”

“We’ve all died so far.”

“Can’t we just not kill each other? Geommuyang, Geommugeuk brothers, show brotherly love that will be remembered in the history of the Demonic Cult.”

“Didn’t the other brothers have that kind of heart? After all… humans all betray.”

“Can’t we just not do it?”

Geommuyang snickered at my words and started walking first.

I shouted at my brother, who was walking over there, and said.

“I was serious. I wanted to compete in good faith.”

My brother stopped walking and turned to me.

“Then you should have asked me if I have good intentions. Do you have any?”

“I do.”

“Then I’ll start this fight with an advantage.”

I finally snickered as I watched my brother walk away again.

Yes, how could this be easy? It’s so hard to make someone who is kind to me my own.

“But brother, we have to do it. The name of the knife that will stab us in the back is not brotherhood, but fire.”