Chapter 88: From the Moment the Umbilical Cord is Cut
Chapter 88: From the Moment the Umbilical Cord is Cut
After washing away the blood, Geom Mu-yang stood before a bronze mirror while a maidservant helped him into fresh clothes.
He wore a thin, blade-resistant inner robe against his bare skin, layering a thicker protective garment over it. He made no effort to hide his obsession with survival—at least not from the Demon Buddha.
The Demon Buddha sat in a nearby chair, watching him intently.
One might have expected Geom Mu-yang to be furious about the involvement of the Yunnan Twin Eccentrics, but he remained silent. However, the Demon Buddha could tell that beneath the calm exterior, he was seething.
"The Second Young Master is..."
The Demon Buddha had intended to say, 'He has changed too much.' But realizing how cliché that sounded, he pivoted.
"...What kind of person is he, truly?"
Geom Mu-yang answered while staring at his own reflection.
"I thought I knew my brother well. But after seeing him earlier, I’m no longer sure. He wasn't always like this..."
"You must forget the past!"
The Demon Buddha’s sudden outburst startled the maidservant. As she adjusted his collar, her nail accidentally grazed Geom Mu-yang’s neck.
"Ah! I’m sorry! Please, spare me!"
The maidservant threw herself onto the floor, prostrating herself as she begged for mercy. A chilling silence instantly filled the room.
"Why would I kill you over such a trivial thing?" Geom Mu-yang asked softly.
The Demon Buddha cut in, his voice cold. "But can you afford not to kill her? To leave a servant alive after she scarred the jade-like body of the future Heavenly Demon? How ridiculous would that look to the rest of the Cult?"
The maidservant pleaded desperately. "Please! Spare my life!"
Geom Mu-yang reached down and helped her to her feet.
"Everyone makes mistakes. You may leave."
"Thank you, Young Master. Thank you so much!"
The maidservant hurried out of the room, trembling.
"You shouldn't show such leniency toward the blunders of subordinates," the Demon Buddha remarked. "You should have at least meted out some form of punishment."
Geom Mu-yang ignored the critique and asked, "You asked what kind of person my brother is?"
"I did."
"If the same thing happened to him, he’s the type of child who would buy that startled maidservant a meal. He’s been warm-hearted since he was young."
"That is exactly why you mustn't let your guard down."
"I’m not saying we should be careless. Didn't you see the people gathered around Mu-geuk earlier?" Geom Mu-yang’s gaze shifted in the mirror from the Demon Buddha back to himself. "To be honest, I was a little envious."
The Demon Buddha sometimes found Geom Mu-yang impossible to read. He could be brilliant and cold-blooded in his duties, yet occasionally, he would expose his inner thoughts with startling vulnerability.
While the Demon Buddha debated how to respond, Geom Mu-yang walked over and sat across from him. He poured a cup of cold tea and drank it in one go.
"What are you so worried about, Demon Lord?"
"The Second Young Master’s skill is one thing, but above all, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon is a cunning old fox. If he chose the Second Young Master, there must be a reason—whether it’s because he buys meals for servants or something else we haven't grasped yet."
Geom Mu-yang then said something unexpected. "I believe the answer lies with Father."
The Demon Buddha was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
"Father pushed Mu-geuk while I was away. He bestowed the Black Demonic Sword upon him and appointed him as the Huangquan Pavilion Master. He’s testing me to see how I handle Mu-geuk now that he has power. I believe this is the final trial to determine the successor."
For a moment, the Demon Buddha considered the possibility, but he soon shook his head.
"I doubt it. The Soul-Seizing Demon Lord died during the Second Young Master’s rise. They claim the cause of death was Qi Deviation, but there are too many suspicious points."
Initially, he had believed the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s claim that it wasn't Geom Mu-geuk’s doing, but he no longer did.
"It could very well be the Second Young Master’s work," the Demon Buddha continued. "Do you still think this is the Cult Leader’s test? Our Father cherished Soul-Seizing as a pillar of the Cult."
"Father probably didn't expect it to go that far. Mu-geuk’s capabilities simply exceeded his expectations."
"Then did the Second Young Master really kill the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord?"
Instead of answering directly, Geom Mu-yang posed a question. "Could you kill the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord, Demon Lord?"
"I, of course... I could!"
That brief hesitation spoke volumes. Even the Demon Buddha wasn't entirely confident in a life-or-death struggle against her.
"Correct. You probably could have killed her. But it wouldn't have been easy." Geom Mu-yang allowed the Demon Buddha to save face before continuing. "Neither I nor Mu-geuk have the martial prowess to kill the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord right now. However, it might be possible with the help of one person."
"Who?"
Geom Mu-yang remained silent, letting the silence prompt the realization. After a moment of thought, the Demon Buddha gasped.
"Could it be? The Pungcheon Cult Leader?"
"Exactly. With his help, killing the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord would have been possible."
The Demon Buddha found it plausible, but one question remained. "Why would the Pungcheon Cult Leader do that?"
"To advance into the Central Plains. In the end, didn't he take the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord’s disciple as his own?"
"Ah!"
The Demon Buddha had never considered this line of suspicion. Had the Pungcheon Cult Leader been the architect from the start?
"And then he had the audacity to come and investigate the body? Is that what you're saying?"
The Demon Buddha’s relationship with the Pungcheon Cult Leader had soured recently. Suspicion and anger now clouded his objective judgment.
"The Pungcheon Cult Leader knew the Demon Lords would call for him. It was the only way he could enter the Main Cult with dignity."
The Demon Buddha’s final doubt lingered. "But the Pungcheon Cult Leader is a man without such guts. If it were discovered that he killed the Soul-Seizing Demon Lord, the entire Pungcheon Cult would be annihilated. He wouldn't take that risk."
"Since I was young, Father always told me: Never be so arrogant as to assume you truly know someone."
The Demon Buddha was conflicted. The Pungcheon Cult Leader he knew wasn't the type for such a grand scheme. Yet, Geom Mu-yang’s logic fit the pieces together perfectly. And then, another piece was added.
"Isn't it obvious, seeing as the Pungcheon Cult Leader’s strategist went to Mu-geuk? As you said, would the meticulous Blood Heaven Blade Demon have joined hands with him for no reason? He did it because of this background."
If this were true...
"Damn it! I brought the culprit in with my own two feet!"
"Don't blame yourself. Rather, I will use this situation to take control of the Demon Lords."
"And if things don't go as planned?"
Geom Mu-yang casually voiced the question the Demon Buddha hadn't dared to ask.
"Are you asking if I’ll kill Mu-geuk? No, I won't. How would Father look at an older brother who slaughters his own sibling?"
The Demon Buddha realized then: the reason Geom Mu-yang wouldn't kill Mu-geuk wasn't out of brotherly love, but because their father was watching.
"Then what do you intend to do?"
"I will bring everyone on Mu-geuk’s side over to mine. Mu-geuk is prideful; if his own people turn their backs on him, he’ll leave the Cult of his own accord. Did you see it earlier? The people who left the arena without even watching his duel. I’ll make those people truly abandon him. Let’s see if he can still smile and crack jokes then."
"Leaving the Second Young Master alive will only lead to future trouble."
"Even if he leaves, if a crisis hits the Cult, he’s the type to come back and save us, not destroy us. That is his greatest weakness."
Geom Mu-yang stood up and walked back to the mirror. Staring at his reflection, he spoke with chilling calm.
"The Grand Tutor’s Chair in the Heavenly Demon Hall is the sturdiest seat in the Murim. It’s not a place for someone soft like Mu-geuk. He shouldn't even be sitting there."
*
The next morning, I met my brother at the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Hall.
"It’s been a long time since we entered the Heavenly Demon Hall together like this," he remarked.
"It has."
We began to walk.
"Are you nervous?" I asked.
"Not really."
But I knew he was. My brother always became exceptionally stiff in Father’s presence. Since we were young, he had been desperate for Father’s approval.
Once, when we were children, Father had called him 'our eldest son' just once, and he had bragged about it for years. If I was currently haunted by Hwa Mu-gi, my brother was haunted by Father.
We entered the Heavenly Demon Hall.
Father was there, flanked by Chief Strategist Sama Myeong. We walked the Path of Blood side by side. The statues of malevolent spirits lining the hall watched my brother’s return and our entrance with cold, eerie eyes.
"Father, have you been well?" My brother performed a deep bow.
"You have returned well."
I studied Father’s expression. There was a hint of a welcome in his eyes toward my brother. My brother, on the other hand, was so tense I could feel him trembling.
"You seem pleased that your eldest son is back," I commented.
Father didn't respond. The Father who had walked through Ma Clan Village with me felt like a different person from the one standing here now. I understood why he had become so stoic.
In my previous life, around this time, Father had already decided on my brother as his successor. Although I had shaken Father’s heart since my regression, the person who had occupied that heart first was my brother.
If I couldn't understand Father’s feelings toward him, I would never win this fight. And I had to remember: my ultimate enemy was neither Father nor my brother.
"How did your task go?" Father asked.
My brother answered confidently. "I have surpassed even the final gate."
Father’s expression brightened. My brother hadn't been sent to the periphery for menial tasks. He had been sent to the Nine Walls of the Demonic Path—the Main Cult’s secret training grounds hidden in the outskirts.
Father had granted him access. Like the Small Heaven Cave, the Nine Walls could only be entered with the Heavenly Demon’s permission. Surpassing them was no easy feat; it was a stage higher than the trial I had passed. However, one could give up and leave the Nine Walls midway. It was a safer, yet far more difficult trial.
Sama Myeong was also greatly pleased. "Congratulations, First Young Master. To pass the Nine Walls of the Demonic Path... it seems the bloodline truly cannot be denied."
My brother, too, carried Father’s blood. His talent for martial arts was second to none.
I asked, feigning ignorance, "What did you pass?"
Sama Myeong replied with a smile, "The First Young Master has passed the Nine Walls of the Demonic Path."
I suddenly pulled my brother into a hug. "That’s amazing, Brother!"
Father and Sama Myeong were startled. My brother, having already experienced my strange behavior, accepted the hug quietly.
"Thank you."
"Then you must have achieved the Great Achievement of the Flying Heaven Sword Technique as well?"
If we had been alone, he might not have answered, but since Father was present, he spoke honestly—addressing Father, not me.
"Father, in the process of passing the Nine Walls, I have also reached the Twelve-Star Great Achievement of the Flying Heaven Sword Technique."
"Congratulations."
"It is all thanks to your teachings, Father. Thank you."
Father’s gaze shifted between my brother and me. I wondered what he was thinking. Was he tallying scores to see who was more fit to lead?
"Congratulations, First Young Master," Sama Myeong added.
"Thank you, Strategist."
"Congrats, Brother," I said again.
"Thanks."
"In this warm atmosphere, I have something to say to Father." I turned my gaze toward the Heavenly Demon. "For us, the cutting of the umbilical cord was the signal that the struggle for succession had begun. That has been our life, and that is how we must continue to live. That’s why, Father, I intend to engage in a fair competition with my brother this time. What do you think, Brother?"
Instead of answering me, my brother spoke to Father. "Father, I didn't realize Mu-geuk had grown so much while I was away. He has truly matured."
Father simply looked down at us in silence. He didn't mention a word about what I had said. A fair competition? If we had been alone, he might have called it cheap sentimentality fit for a grave.
The reason I said it anyway was to tell Father: I would try to bring my brother along with me.
"Go and rest," Father commanded.
My brother and I bowed and left the Heavenly Demon Hall, walking back down the Path of Blood. At the entrance, I stopped him.
"Brother, why do you want to be the Heavenly Demon?"
My brother answered without hesitation. "Because if I don't become the Heavenly Demon, I die."
I had expected a different answer. This was surprisingly blunt.
"Will we die if we lose the succession struggle?"
"Everyone has, until now."
"Can't we just... not kill each other? The brothers Geom Mu-yang and Geom Mu-geuk, displaying a brotherly love that will go down in the history of the Cult."
"Do you think other brothers didn't feel the same? In the end... humans always betray."
"We can just choose not to."
Geom Mu-yang let out a short, dry laugh and started walking away. As he moved further off, I shouted after him.
"I was serious! About the fair competition!"
My brother stopped and looked back. "Then you should have asked if there was any 'fairness' in my heart first. Do you have it?"
"I do."
"Then I suppose I’ll start this fight with an advantage."
Watching my brother’s back as he walked away, I finally let out a small chuckle.
Right, how could this be easy? Even making someone who already likes me into 'my person' is difficult enough.
Still, Brother, we have to make it happen. Because the name of the dagger that will pierce our backs isn't brotherly love—it’s Hwa Mu-gi.