The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

"..."

In front of the main gate of the Little Heaven Pavilion. Cheon Seong was standing there in an awkward posture.

Although he had come to the Little Heaven Pavilion where Cheon Myeong was, he was hesitating whether to go in or not.

In fact, although he had had a duel with Su Yeongseong after Cheon Myeong had left, as expected, he could not concentrate at all.

The question that kept ringing in his head during the duel was why Cheon Myeong had such skills.

In the end, Cheon Seong had stopped the duel earlier than planned and had come to the Little Heaven Pavilion to solve that question.

Swish-.

As if he had made up his mind, Cheon Seong stretched out his right hand towards the main gate.

However, his right hand soon returned.

He had already stretched out and withdrawn his hand like this several times.

'If I go inside, that guy will be there...'

Of course, Cheon Myeong would be in here. Hadn't he also known that fact and had come to the Little Heaven Pavilion?

However, although Cheon Seong had come to see Cheon Myeong, he was thinking that he wished Cheon Myeong would not be inside when he opened this door and went in.

"..."

He had come to see Cheon Myeong, but he wished Cheon Myeong would not be inside when he went in. What kind of nonsense was this?

Although Cheon Seong himself was aware of that fact, since this situation itself was so damaging to his pride, he was thinking such absurd thoughts.

'If he finds out that I came to see him, that guy will surely laugh at me.'

It would probably be certain. Because he was the one who had told him not to appear in front of him again.

Of course, he might not laugh on the outside. But he would surely laugh on the inside.

To think that he would come here first on the evening of the same day after saying that.

Even he himself thought it was a very embarrassing situation.

Phew-.

Cheon Seong, who let out a deep sigh and looked at the door again.

The fact that he had come this far, enduring such embarrassment, meant that his question about Cheon Myeong was that strong.

His brother, who had lost all his internal energy due to Qi Deviation and had completely given up on becoming a martial artist since then.

Hadn't he been training in martial arts, gritting his teeth until now because he didn't want to become such a miserable person?

But he had lost to the person he had resented and had thought was miserable more than anyone else.

And that too, one-sidedly.

Until he could completely solve that question, it seemed that he would not be able to concentrate on his training as before.

'In order to hold my sword again, I have to get an answer from my brother no matter what.'

With that thought, Cheon Seong's face became quite serious. And as if he had finally made up his mind this time, Cheon Seong stretched out his right hand towards the main gate.

And at that moment.

Creak-.

Before Cheon Seong could open the door, the door suddenly opened by itself from the inside.

"Squeak-!"

As the door opened unexpectedly, such a sound came out of Cheon Seong's mouth without him realizing it.

A voice that seemed to be a mixture of a bird's and a cat's cry.

Although it was a sound that did not exist in this world, what was certain was that it was a voice that Cheon Seong would not normally make, to the point where even the person who had made the sound was bewildered.

Flush-.

As he realized that he had made such a sound, Cheon Seong's face turned red like a heavenly peach, and a sense of shame washed over him, to the point where he wanted to run away from this spot right away.

"Young Master... Cheon Seong?"

At that moment, a woman who opened the door and cautiously stuck her head out, it was Mihwa.

Seeing this, Cheon Seong thought to himself that it was a relief.

If the person who had come out of that door had been Cheon Myeong, he would have run away from this spot without looking back.

Although he didn't want anyone to hear that sound just now, he would rather die than let Cheon Myeong hear it.

"Ahem... I must have caught a cold, my throat is not in good condition."

"...?"

"Is my brother inside?"

Cheon Seong asked Mihwa, deliberately making a coughing sound as if he were feigning ignorance.

Then, Mihwa came all the way out of the door and said.

"I was waiting for you."

"...You were waiting for me?"

"Yes, Young Master Cheon Myeong said that Young Master Cheon Seong would probably visit around this time."

"..."

Did Cheon Myeong already expect that he would come to see him?

Hearing that, Cheon Seong felt that his pride was even more hurt.

"But Young Master, was there perhaps a cat in front of the door?"

"...A cat?"

"Yes, I thought I heard something like a cat's cry before I opened the door."

"..."

Did she hear that sound?

Cheon Seong could not tell Mihwa that that cat was him, even if he died.

"Wasn't it... a mistake? I didn't hear anything."

"Is that so?"

"..."

"That's a pity, I thought it was the sound of a very cute kitten."

A very cute kitten...

While Cheon Seong was repeating those words to himself, Mihwa said to Cheon Seong.

"Please come in. I will guide you to Young Master Cheon Myeong."

As Mihwa said that, Cheon Seong barely came to his senses.

Although he hated this feeling of being played by Cheon Myeong's hand since a while ago, Cheon Seong followed Mihwa inside for now.

Mihwa guided Cheon Seong to the front of a room, and she said to the inside from outside the door.

"Young Master Cheon Myeong, I have brought Young Master Cheon Seong."

"Come in."

Cheon Myeong's voice was heard from inside.

Hearing that voice, Cheon Seong's clenched fist gained strength without him realizing it. And as the door opened, the figure of Cheon Myeong sitting with a relaxed face was visible.

"You're here?"

"..."

"Come in and sit comfortably."

As Cheon Myeong said that, Cheon Seong went into the room.

At that moment, the sound of Mihwa closing the door was heard from behind, and Cheon Seong sat down at a spot a little away from Cheon Myeong.

"It's been a while... no, we meet again?"

"..."

"Did you say Su Yeongseong, did you come right after finishing your duel with that guy?"

"I have something to ask."

"Wait."

"...?"

"You have to keep your promise with me before that."

A promise? As Cheon Myeong said that, Cheon Seong couldn't help but be puzzled.

"Have you forgotten? You promised to treat me respectfully as your older brother if you lost the duel, didn't you?"

As Cheon Myeong said that, a memory suddenly came to his mind.

He had definitely made such a promise with Cheon Myeong before the duel.

However, strictly speaking, hadn't the duel ended without a winner or loser being decided?

Although the flow was that he was losing the duel, he had never said that he had lost.

So he had not lost the duel. In other words, he did not need to keep his promise with Cheon Myeong.

"I did not admit defeat..."

"You're not going to say that you didn't lose the duel because you didn't admit defeat, are you?"

"..."

"Who was it that closed their eyes in fear during the duel?"

"...I didn't close my eyes because I was scared!"

Cheon Seong couldn't stand it and shouted.

In fact, it was true that he had closed his eyes because he was scared, but at least his pride did not allow him to admit that fact to Cheon Myeong.

"Really? Then you're admitting that you closed your eyes, right?"

"..."

"Now, then, a question here. How many times could I have swung my sword while you had your eyes closed?"

"That's..."

Oops.

Cheon Seong belatedly realized that he had been caught in Cheon Myeong's words.

Since he had admitted himself that he had closed his eyes, it was no longer useful to insist that he had not admitted defeat.

Because the act of closing one's eyes during a duel was an act that clearly revealed defeat, just like dropping the sword one was holding.

Since he had closed his eyes for quite a long time, even thinking about it himself, not just for a moment, it seemed that it would be useless to insist any further.

'Somehow, my brother has changed a lot from before.'

It seemed that he had not been able to speak so cunningly in the past.

Although he was not very good at speaking either, it seemed that he had never lost a verbal fight to Cheon Myeong in the past.

But now, to be checkmated without even being able to make a timid rebellion.

From the training ground, Cheon Seong was able to realize that Cheon Myeong had changed a little... no, a lot from the appearance he had originally known.

"Now, shall we start by using honorifics to your older brother? Ah, let's also call me 'hyung-nim' from now on."

As Cheon Seong could no longer retort, Cheon Myeong said with a relaxed smile.

Although that expression felt quite annoying to Cheon Seong.

Since he had made a promise and it was true that he had lost the duel, he had no choice but to follow those words even if he disliked it.

"I... understand."

"You seem to have forgotten something?"

"...Hyung-nim."

"Yes, my dear brother. You're doing well. Continue to treat me respectfully like that in the future."

"..."

"If your hyung-nim has spoken, you should answer, right?"

"...Yes."

Hearing Cheon Seong's answer, Cheon Myeong nodded his head as if he were satisfied.

On the other hand, Cheon Seong, who was trembling slightly as if he were humiliated, Cheon Myeong rather felt that that reaction of Cheon Seong was more satisfying.

'Now I've regained my dignity as an older brother.'

Who would think that Cheon Seong had been rude to him, calling him a loser and what not, until just a while ago, seeing him now?

Although it had been forced, Cheon Myeong was quite satisfied to see Cheon Seong's attitude completely reversed.

"Yes, my dear brother."

"..."

"What business do you have with this hyung-nim?"

As Cheon Seong's tone of voice changed, Cheon Myeong's tone of voice also seemed to have changed along with it.

Although that appearance was quite annoying to Cheon Seong, he endured it, thinking that it was a priority to solve his own questions first while playing along with Cheon Myeong's tune for now.

"I thought that you, hyung-nim, had lost all your internal energy due to Qi Deviation and had completely given up on martial arts since then."

"..."

"But the appearance you showed in the duel with me was by no means the movement of a person who had given up on martial arts. No, there are few people who can break my Mad Dragon Demon Blade with one move like that..."

"You're overestimating yourself too much. It's not just me, there are many people who can deal with you like that now."

"...Are you saying that my skills are that poor?"

"Yes."

A firm answer.

Hearing those words, Cheon Seong could not help but bite his lip in humiliation.

However, Cheon Myeong was fully qualified to say that to him.

If it had been before the duel with Cheon Myeong, he would have refuted those words right away, but in fact, hadn't Cheon Myeong overwhelmed him in the duel as if he were dealing with a child?

The result is the skill.

In this place now, he would have no choice but to accept Cheon Myeong's words as they were.

However.

"I... have worked harder than anyone else until now!"

Even if he admitted that his skills were poor, he had to say this to Cheon Myeong.

"But no matter how hard I try, this is my limit!"

"..."

"Do you know, hyung-nim? This feeling of falling into a deeper swamp the more you struggle...!"

At least, hadn't Cheon Myeong received teachings from Cheon Jin for quite a long time in the past?

But he didn't even have that.

He had only been taught the basic form of the Mad Dragon Demon Blade, and since then, he had been swinging his sword alone and lonely.

"You are not qualified to say that to me, hyung-nim!"

"..."

"I... if I had received the same teachings as you, hyung-nim, I would be much..."

In the end, Cheon Seong could not finish his words.

As his resentment welled up, Cheon Seong bowed his head without realizing it.

However, he did not shed tears. If he were to even show tears in front of Cheon Myeong, he felt that he would become more miserable.

"Seong-ah."

At that moment, Cheon Myeong's voice, which was calling Cheon Seong.

However, Cheon Seong did not raise his head.

"What would you do if you were given the same opportunity as me?"

"...?"

Only then did Cheon Seong raise his head.

Then, the face of Cheon Myeong, who was looking at him with a serious expression, was visible.

"The same... opportunity?"

Did Cheon Myeong just say that to him?

As if to confirm whether what he had heard was true, Cheon Seong muttered to himself.

"Yes."

Cheon Myeong said, nodding his head.

"No, if I were to give you more than that."

"..."

"How much more confident are you that you can become stronger than now?"

To think that Cheon Myeong would give him an opportunity. Cheon Seong could not immediately accept those words.

But if those words were true...

"...If I am really given such an opportunity."

"..."

"I will definitely become stronger and give you a good beating, hyung-nim."

Grin-.

"That's a good answer."

As if he were satisfied with Cheon Seong's answer, Cheon Myeong said with a smile.

(End of Chapter)