Chapter 522: I Have to Win the Bet
Chapter 522: I Have to Win the Bet
Early in the morning, Uncle Hwi inspected the horses, checked the carriage, and loaded the luggage. Today was finally the day they would return to the Main Cult.
It was decided that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Dae-ryong would also ride in the carriage they had arrived in. Since it was a large carriage, there was plenty of room, but Seo Dae-ryong looked like he was facing a death sentence.
“I can just sit on the driver’s seat, right?”
“You’re the Huangquan Pavilion Master. You should ride inside with us,” Geom Mu-geuk replied.
Seo Dae-ryong flinched. Traveling that long distance with the Cult Leader and his own master?
“I’ll age ten years on the way! I won’t be able to breathe properly, let alone close my eyes for a second. Please, let me sit on the driver’s seat. I’m begging you!”
Mu-geuk wanted to keep him inside just to tease him, but Seo Dae-ryong looked truly desperate.
“Actually, I’m not the one who gives permission for that.”
Geom Mu-geuk took Seo Dae-ryong to find Uncle Hwi.
“Uncle, you’re the only one who can save our Huangquan Pavilion Master.”
Even with just those few words, Uncle Hwi understood the situation perfectly. He turned to Seo Dae-ryong.
“The driver’s seat will be more uncomfortable than you think.”
“That’s fine! I’ll take turns driving so you can rest comfortably.”
Dae-ryong driving the carriage? Geom Mu-geuk didn’t let that slide.
“What if the carriage jolts while you’re driving? What if Father is drinking tea at that exact moment and it splashes all over his face? One jolt and your head will go flying! Can you handle that responsibility?”
Even though he knew it was a joke, Seo Dae-ryong’s expression turned grave.
Uncle Hwi reassured him. “No matter how much it jolts, tea will never splash on the Cult Leader’s face.”
He was a man who could walk through a rain of poison without a single drop touching him, after all. Besides, Seo Dae-ryong wouldn’t actually be driving; Uncle Hwi would never entrust the reins of the Cult Leader’s carriage to anyone else.
“Very well. Let’s go together.”
When Uncle Hwi gave his permission, Seo Dae-ryong’s face lit up like a man who had just been granted a stay of execution.
“Thank you so much!”
In the meantime, Geom Wu-jin and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stepped outside.
Geom Wu-jin climbed into the carriage first, followed by the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. The two sat facing each other, and Geom Mu-geuk took his seat beside the Blade Demon.
Uncle Hwi’s voice drifted in from the driver’s seat. “We are departing now.”
The carriage left the safe house and began its journey.
His father closed his eyes and began his Qi Circulation, while the Blood Heaven Blade Demon opened a book. After watching the two for a moment, Geom Mu-geuk leaned out of the opposite window, the wind whipping against his robes.
“Uncle, you know the plan, right? We’re taking the slow route back!”
* * *
When the carriage stopped by a river later that day, Geom Mu-geuk finally shared the words he had been saving for the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
“The contest is a fishing match.”
“Fishing?”
The Blade Demon had wondered why Mu-geuk had asked if he’d ever tasted the Cult Leader’s fish dishes, but he hadn’t expected an actual fishing match.
“It’s a bet where the loser has to cook. This is our third match.”
“Who won the previous ones?”
“I’m just very curious to see what Father’s third fish dish will be like,” Mu-geuk replied with a grin.
The Blade Demon looked at Geom Wu-jin. His gaze seemed to say, ‘Wait, you lost to your son twice?’
Geom Wu-jin looked back and forth between his triumphant son and the judgmental Blade Demon before silently walking toward the carriage. He returned with a fishing rod—the very rod he had spent all his time crafting at the safe house.
“That’s a rod infused with Father’s sincerity. It’s more valuable than the unique weapon of the Old Fisherman of the East Sea,” Mu-geuk noted.
At Mu-geuk’s words, the Blade Demon subtly provoked the Cult Leader. “In fishing, there are many things more important than equipment.”
As expected, the corner of his father’s mouth twitched upward. “Have you ever fished before, Elder?”
The Blade Demon shrugged. “I caught my fair share of fish in my younger days.”
There was no way Wu-jin would let this provocation pass. “How about it? Would you like to join the contest, Elder? Not that it matters to me, since I’ll be taking first place anyway.”
His father’s pride wouldn’t allow him to stay silent. “I don’t mind either.”
Geom Mu-geuk even dragged Seo Dae-ryong into it. “Since we’re doing this, let’s make it a four-way match. Father and son, master and disciple—who will end up in last place?”
Since Mu-geuk had made several rods while competing with his father, there were plenty to go around.
Geom Mu-geuk and Geom Wu-jin were the first to take their rods and walk down to the riverbank. The scenery was breathtaking; unnamed wildflowers bloomed along the bank, and the water flowed gently, shimmering with fragments of sunlight. Just the fact that he was fishing with his father in a place like this made Geom Mu-geuk feel wonderful.
“Have you prepared a new recipe?” Mu-geuk challenged.
Swish.
The movement of his father’s hand as he cast the line was incredibly smooth and fluid. The line flew straight over the water and sank beneath the surface. Truly, just watching him cast made it look as if he were performing a martial art of the highest order.
But fishing isn’t a martial art, Father. Considering all the fish I’ve caught in my life, I’m sorry to say you still have a long way to go.
Geom Mu-geuk began fishing in earnest.
Seeing the two of them, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon felt his own competitive spirit flare up. He was second to none when it came to the desire to win.
Cult Leader, of all things, how could you lose to a kid at fishing? I’ll show you how it’s done.
Brimming with confidence, the Blade Demon led Seo Dae-ryong to the river. “There are specific spots where fish bite well.”
“How are the spots the Cult Leader and Young Cult Leader took?”
The Blade Demon shook his head. “Those two know how to kill people, but what do they know about fishing? Let’s see.”
The Blade Demon scanned the riverbank with the eyes of an expert. “Over there. Where the current is slow, with rocks, boulders, and water plants, shaded under a tree. That’s where they bite.”
The Blade Demon took his spot under a large, drooping willow tree. He even found a spot for his disciple. “You do it over there. It’s just as good as my spot.”
“Thank you, Master!”
Seo Dae-ryong’s spot was between the Blade Demon and Geom Mu-geuk. As he cast his line with awkward movements, Seo Dae-ryong said, “This is my first time fishing in my life. All I know is that the true charm of fishing is the waiting! It’s the patience of fishing for time itself!”
“Who told you that? The charm of fishing is the sensation in your hands when you hook one! You wait all day just for that one pull! Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master!”
And so, the four of them began fishing in the gently flowing river. Uncle Hwi stood by the carriage in the distance, watching the scene. He had experienced many unexpected things on this trip, but this was a new peak. To think he would see the Cult Leader, the Young Cult Leader, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and his top disciple all fishing together.
Suddenly, the rod of the person responsible for this incredible change bent sharply.
“Here it is! The first bite!”
Geom Mu-geuk didn’t miss it, reeling it in with practiced movements. “It’s big! It’s huge!”
Mu-geuk laughed brightly, holding up the fish to show everyone. A flash of regret at missing the first catch crossed Geom Wu-jin’s face. Only Uncle Hwi saw that fleeting expression. Had he ever seen such a look of disappointment on the Cult Leader’s face? No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t remember. That moment was incredibly precious to him.
As time passed, the next person to reel one in was, unexpectedly, Seo Dae-ryong.
“Ah! I caught one!” Indeed, Seo Dae-ryong had hooked a fish. “It’s my first! The first fish I’ve ever caught in my life!”
Dae-ryong jumped for joy. The Blade Demon came over and showed him how to remove the hook. As he put it in the net, he grumbled to the fish, “To be caught by a novice like this, you must be one scatterbrained fellow.”
It seemed the river was full of blind and scatterbrained fish.
“I caught another one!” Seo Dae-ryong shouted happily.
“Beginners always have good luck. It’s always like that at first,” the Blade Demon muttered.
Becoming anxious, the Blade Demon glanced at Geom Wu-jin. Seeing the fire in the Cult Leader’s eyes—a look that said he refused to lose—the Blade Demon also burned with fighting spirit.
A shout extinguished that flame. “Caught another!”
This time, it was Geom Mu-geuk.
“Oh! Young Cult Leader! That’s a big one!”
Seo Dae-ryong, who had been cheering, suddenly shuddered. “Why did it suddenly get so cold?”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed. A chilling cold energy was radiating from his father on the left and the Blade Demon on the right. Only then did Seo Dae-ryong sense the atmosphere and realize his mistake. He had been so excited by his first time fishing that he’d failed to read the room.
You idiot, Dae-ryong! You’ve survived this long on your wits alone, and now look at you! Don’t catch anything else! Just don’t catch anything!
But something was wrong. Every time Geom Mu-geuk caught a fish, Seo Dae-ryong caught one too. He couldn’t exactly choose not to reel them in, either; if he did that, his master’s temper would surely result in a thunderous scolding.
Mu-geuk would reel one in, then Dae-ryong would reel one in. As if by some cruel joke, the fish only bit the bait of the two younger men.
Then, for the first time, Geom Wu-jin reeled one in.
“Congratulations, Father. That’s the biggest one caught so far.”
Wu-jin’s expression softened, while the Blade Demon grew more anxious. By the time half an hour had passed, the scores were:
Geom Mu-geuk: 8 fish.
Seo Dae-ryong: 6 fish.
Geom Wu-jin: 3 fish.
Blood Heaven Blade Demon: 3 fish.
Since they had agreed on a one-hour match, only half an hour remained. Geom Wu-jin pulled in his line and walked toward a new spot right between Seo Dae-ryong and the Blade Demon. He was moving spots, sensing he would lose at this rate.
As the Cult Leader stood beside him, Seo Dae-ryong very slowly and stealthily began to edge toward Geom Mu-geuk.
— Young Cult Leader, please move further to the side!
— You have a real talent for being an assassin! Mu-geuk replied via voice transmission.
Seo Dae-ryong was moving away from Geom Wu-jin’s side so subtly it was almost imperceptible. Even in the midst of that, his float dipped again.
Agh! Please don’t get caught! he pleaded, but the fish loved him far too much.
As Seo Dae-ryong moved toward Mu-geuk, Geom Wu-jin and the Blade Demon ended up fishing side-by-side. The Blade Demon saw the heat in Wu-jin’s eyes—the determination not to lose. He hadn’t come over to talk; he had truly come to catch fish.
Right, a man with this kind of competitive spirit—that’s the Cult Leader.
Then, he suddenly remembered the fortune-telling slip tucked in his robe. ‘The Young Cult Leader’s fortune came out as the Unification of the Murim.’
How would the Cult Leader react if he saw this? The Cult Leader’s dream was the Unification of the Murim, but what if his son’s destiny was the same? There was no telling what would become of their fates.
Clouds drifted slowly across the mountain ridges. Geom Wu-jin, who had been staring at the sky, suddenly spoke. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve fished.”
Surprised, the Blade Demon asked, “You remember?”
Geom Wu-jin nodded. There was a time in their youth when they had gone fishing together. Just once. Back then, the Blade Demon had taught Wu-jin how to fish—what bait was good, which spots were best. He had taught him everything, just as he had done for Seo Dae-ryong. That had been Wu-jin’s first time.
“You must have taught me poorly.”
At Wu-jin’s remark, the Blade Demon gave a faint smile. That day felt as vivid as if it were yesterday. Decades had passed, and here they were, standing side-by-side fishing once again.
“I have to win the bet. I’m going to find a new spot.” The Blade Demon’s eyes sparkled as he began to scan the surroundings.
* * *
Half an hour later.
Geom Wu-jin was cleaning the fish. Beside him, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was prepping the vegetables. Geom Wu-jin had come in dead last, and the Blade Demon was third.
Geom Mu-geuk, Seo Dae-ryong, and Uncle Hwi watched them.
“I finally have something I can beat Father at!”
Unlike the excited Mu-geuk, Seo Dae-ryong looked as if the sky had fallen. He was the one who had caught the second-most fish. He had beaten the two people in the world he should never, ever beat, both at the same time.
“It was only because the spot Master found for me was so good. I just got lucky.”
Of course, those words did little to comfort the third-place Blade Demon. “Luck is also a skill,” he muttered.
Seo Dae-ryong, looking half-dazed, sent a voice transmission to Geom Mu-geuk.
— You don’t think I’ll be blacklisted by those two for this, do you?
— If you knew how much heart and soul Father put into making that fishing rod, you wouldn’t even ask.
— Then what’s going to happen to me now?
— What do you mean? You’ll probably be demoted from Pavilion Master back to an investigator. And the Elder will probably pick a new top disciple. Didn’t he say one of his other disciples was really kind? You’ll be fine, right? You don’t have any ambition for success anyway.
— ...Actually, I have a lot.
While they talked, the cooking continued. The Blade Demon tossed the vegetables into the air and swung his Heaven Extermination Great Blade.
Slash-slash-slash-slash!
The vegetables were sliced thin by the massive blade and fell perfectly into the bowl. It was a feat of divine skill, the likes of which one might never see in a lifetime.
His father played along with the Blade Demon’s mood. When he reached out his hand, the seasoning containers flew from his leather pouch via telekinesis and danced in the air. Red pepper powder scattered like blood, and salt drifted down like snow.
Both of them looked like they were having fun. His father, in particular, should have been in a bad mood, but he looked happier than he had during the previous two cooking sessions.
Mu-geuk whispered to Uncle Hwi. “It’s different from last time, isn’t it?”
“It seems so.”
There was no way his father, the incarnation of competition, would be this happy after losing three times in a row. Geom Mu-geuk found one possible reason.
“Is it because he wanted to cook for the Elder? Or is it because he’s enjoying this moment of cooking together?”
If not for an opportunity like this, he would never have a reason to cook for the Blade Demon, nor a chance to cook with him. It was something that had never happened before and likely never would again.
Uncle Hwi smiled and nodded. Do you know, Young Cult Leader? It has been a very long time since I’ve seen the Cult Leader look this happy.
Geom Wu-jin personally placed the fish he had cooked into a bowl and handed it to Seo Dae-ryong.
“Oh! To give it to me first!” Seo Dae-ryong didn’t know what to do with himself as he accepted the bowl.
Geom Mu-geuk teased him. “Second place is more than entitled to eat!”
Turning pale, Seo Dae-ryong screamed with his eyes. Please stop! Stop saying ‘second place’!
The Blade Demon played along with Mu-geuk’s prank. “Then I suppose third place isn’t entitled to eat.”
As he made to stand up, Seo Dae-ryong desperately stopped him. “Master! Please, have your meal!”
As he sat back down, pretending to be persuaded, the Blade Demon sent a voice transmission to Mu-geuk.
— You brat, couldn’t you have let your father win?
— I have to win so we can do this again. You know Father’s personality. He’ll go practice fishing and come back for more.
— Do you love your father that much?
How should he answer?
— Yes, I do.
That one sentence was enough. The Blade Demon looked at the Cult Leader. How could I not be envious?
Bowls of food were placed before everyone. Seo Dae-ryong was already worried about whether this overwhelming fish dish would even go down his throat, but his worries were unfounded. The dish the Cult Leader had made was delicious.
“It’s delicious! I’m not exaggerating—it’s truly delicious!”
The Blade Demon also ate Wu-jin’s cooking. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had ever tasted food made by the Cult Leader. He continued to use his chopsticks in silence, showing his appreciation by cleaning his bowl.
“Today is the best it’s ever been.” Geom Mu-geuk smiled brightly at his father.
Geom Wu-jin looked satisfied as he watched his son, the Blade Demon, Uncle Hwi, and Seo Dae-ryong eat heartily. And so, the five of them sat together and shared a meal. To any passerby, they would look like nothing more than a group of ordinary travelers.
This was exactly the kind of daily life Geom Mu-geuk so desperately desired. He captured this scene in his mind like a painting.
I like this moment more than the moments when Father fights and defeats his enemies. That’s why I’m going to keep trying to create moments like this.
After finishing the meal, Geom Mu-geuk looked at Seo Dae-ryong. Seeing the mischief in the gaze directed at him, Seo Dae-ryong gave a silent shake of his head. I don’t know what it is, but please don’t do it!
“Since last place and third place did the cooking, let’s have first and second place do the cleanup.”