The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

Cheon Seong couldn't help but be puzzled.

Putting aside the fact that Cheon Myeong was giving him a chance to become stronger, to say that it was a good answer when he said he would get stronger and give him a good beating.

Since he had answered in a way that he would just let things be, he also thought that perhaps Cheon Myeong was saying that, just like him.

However, Cheon Myeong had said so because he was truly pleased with Cheon Seong's answer.

'I like it.'

Cheon Myeong had been testing Cheon Seong.

Although his original plan was to draw his only blood relative, Cheon Seong, to his side, the problem was that Cheon Seong's skills were more pathetic than he had thought to draw him to his side.

If he were to be left as he was, he would not be of any help to him, but would only be a burden.

So in order to be of help to him, it seemed that he would need to fix Cheon Seong's skills to some extent. And Cheon Myeong was able to judge whether he was ready for that with the question he had just asked.

'You need to have that much guts to become stronger.'

What is the most important factor in becoming stronger?

An outstanding martial bone? An innate sense? Or a peerless martial art or an elixir?

Of course, that could also be an important factor, but Cheon Myeong thought that the most important thing was guts.

'In the end, the one who survives is not anyone else but the most tenacious one.'

Seeing him train to the point where blisters burst on his hands, he had expected to some extent that Cheon Seong was a tenacious guy.

If so, it was the same as Cheon Seong having the most essential factor to become stronger.

The other lacking parts were all things that could be sufficiently overcome if he just helped him by his side.

Since the guts that a person inherently had was a part that Cheon Myeong could not do anything about, he had just confirmed that part.

And the result was better than expected.

Cheon Myeong thought that Cheon Seong was worth investing his time in.

"Seong-ah."

"...?"

"How have you been training until now?"

"Why are you suddenly..."

"This hyung-nim is asking, so are you perhaps trying to talk back?"

"..."

Damn hyung-nim.

He shouldn't have readily accepted that bet in the duel then.

At the fact that Cheon Myeong was more of a geezer than he had thought, a sigh came out of Cheon Seong's mouth.

"...I have been continuously honing the Mad Dragon Demon Blade that my father taught me in the past by myself."

"Without receiving teachings from anyone?"

"In the first place, the Mad Dragon Demon Blade is my father's unique sword technique. Since my father no longer gives me teachings, I had no choice but to hone it by myself."

Come to think of it, those words were right.

In the first place, if Cheon Jin did not step forward, who could give teachings on Cheon Seong's sword technique?

Although he didn't know the reason, since Cheon Myeong had fallen into Qi Deviation, Cheon Jin had no longer given direct teachings.

So the last time Cheon Seong had received teachings from Cheon Jin was about four years ago, and Cheon Seong would have had no choice but to study by himself based on what he had learned until then.

"Although I did receive advice on how to use a sword or movements from Hwang Dongyeong... it wasn't very helpful for the Mad Dragon Demon Blade."

Hwang Dongyeong, is he Cheon Seong's escort?

Of course, since Hwang Dongyeong was also good enough to enter the Guardian Hall, he would have quite a lot of skills, but in the end, there would be a limit to the teachings he could give to Cheon Seong.

Because the sword techniques that Hwang Dongyeong and Cheon Seong were learning were different.

If the level of the sword technique that Cheon Seong was learning was low, Hwang Dongyeong could have given sufficient teachings, but since the Mad Dragon Demon Blade that Cheon Seong was learning was the unique sword technique of the Demonic Cult's leader, he could tell what its level was without any particular explanation.

Hwang Dongyeong would not have been able to give proper teachings just by looking at such a sword technique.

Before that, just by looking at the training of the leader's unique sword technique, it would be a considerable felony in the Demonic Cult.

'It's natural in a way that Cheon Seong's skills are poor.'

He had thrown a sword technique of a tremendous level at a beginner, and on top of that, he had been learning it by himself.

So there was no way he could perform a proper sword technique.

Of course, although he had been training in a sword technique by himself, that was only possible because he remembered the teachings he had heard from Cheon Jin in the past.

Moreover, where could he compare himself and that brat now?

Although he was in a pathetic state now, he was a body that had been a leader in the past.

In other words, his depth in martial arts is different.

Even if they received the same teachings, if Cheon Seong understood one, he could understand a thousand, no, more than ten thousand.

"Be happy."

"...?"

"Because you will now be able to have a proper master."

As Cheon Myeong suddenly said that, Cheon Seong couldn't help but be puzzled.

Come to think of it, hadn't he also said something about giving him some opportunity earlier?

As that story also came to his mind, the question that Cheon Seong was feeling only grew bigger.

"Who on earth is my master?"

"Here."

"...?"

"He's right in front of you."

Cheon Myeong said, puffing out his chest confidently.

And a cold silence that followed.

What came out at the end of the silence was only a laugh of disbelief.

"Are you saying that you, hyung-nim, will be my master?"

"Yes."

"You've become a person who can even make such jokes while I wasn't looking."

"I'm being serious."

"..."

Serious...

Even if Cheon Myeong said so, the laugh of disbelief that came out of Cheon Seong's mouth was the same.

"I think you are mistaken about one thing, hyung-nim."

At that moment, Cheon Seong said with a sharp gaze.

"I will admit that you are stronger than me, hyung-nim. Since I lost like that in the duel, there is no room for excuses."

"..."

"But do you think that I want to take you as my master because of that?"

Of course, Cheon Seong had no such intention at all.

The reason why he had come here was, after all, to solve the question of whether Cheon Myeong, who he had thought had given up on martial arts, had actually not. It was by no means because he wanted to take Cheon Myeong as his master.

But to think that Cheon Myeong was counting his chickens before they hatched just because he had beaten him in a duel.

He was just dumbfounded.

"You don't want to become stronger?"

"Of course I want to become stronger."

"You must have already realized that there is a limit to becoming stronger on your own."

"I know that fact."

Of course, if Cheon Seong had a proper master, he would take that person as his master.

However, by Cheon Seong's standards, Cheon Myeong was not a proper master.

"The reason why you were able to beat me like that, hyung-nim, is probably because my skills are so poor, as you also said earlier."

"..."

"Of course, if I receive teachings from you, hyung-nim, my skills might get a little better than now. But I don't think that much will change just by taking one or two more steps out of a hundred."

"...In other words, you're saying that my skills are not at a level to be your master. Is that what you mean?"

"That's right."

In fact, the bigger reason was pride.

To take Cheon Myeong, whom he had resented and despised until now, as his master.

Cheon Seong could not do an act of throwing away his pride just to take one or two more steps.

'Should I have hit him then?'

Cheon Myeong thought so to himself, looking at Cheon Seong, who was speaking to him boldly.

It seemed that Cheon Seong could not recognize him with just the skills he had shown in the duel then.

They say that if you're stupid, you're brave.

Since Cheon Seong still lacked the eye to grasp his opponent's skills, he was judging everything just by what he saw.

For a guy like this, giving him a strong shock to the point where he would not have any useless thoughts again is a special medicine.

Of course, that method is to engrave it directly on the body.

Swish-.

Cheon Myeong's fist, which was quietly raised.

He was now contemplating whether to give Cheon Seong a special medicine.

However, Cheon Myeong soon shook his head inwardly and lowered the hand he had raised again.

'No... it's already too late to hit him now.'

If he were to hit him, he should have hit him in the duel then.

Since Cheon Seong already knew that he was stronger than him, even if he hit him now, he would not be able to give him a big shock.

Rather, it could cause unnecessary rebellion.

'Let's think about this part gradually.'

He had thought that Cheon Seong would be grateful and would receive his teachings.

As expected, a younger brother is a difficult being.

Cheon Myeong decided to look for another opportunity later for now.

"I understand. If you don't want to, I can't help it."

"..."

"If you change your mind later, tell me. I'll still be willing to be your master then."

"...I understand."

Although it was unlikely that such a thing would happen, since Cheon Myeong said so readily, Cheon Seong nodded his head for now.

"But... the story has gotten a little long in another direction, but may I ask you one question, hyung-nim?"

Somehow, the conversation had continued to flow in a different direction from the purpose for which he had come to see Cheon Myeong.

The reason was that Cheon Myeong had been holding the initiative of the conversation until now.

Cheon Seong said to Cheon Myeong abruptly, in order to take the initiative of the conversation himself now.

"Yes, go ahead."

"As I also brought it up earlier, didn't you give up on martial arts because of that incident, hyung-nim?"

"..."

"That's why you ran away from the main headquarters. But why is such a hyung-nim learning martial arts?"

The question he was finally asking.

Cheon Seong had come to see Cheon Myeong to solve this question.

However, compared to the size of the question that Cheon Seong was feeling, Cheon Myeong answered it as if it were nothing.

"That's because I haven't given up on martial arts until now."

"You haven't given up... then why did you leave the main headquarters?"

"I thought that I wouldn't be able to regain my strength freely within the main headquarters."

"...So you regained your strength and have come back now?"

"Yes."

Although it was a rather simple reason, even just by saying this, Cheon Seong would be able to be convinced.

Of course, it was only a conviction about Cheon Myeong having his current skills, and it could not be a conviction about Cheon Myeong having abandoned him and having left the main headquarters.

At least, Cheon Seong was able to know that Cheon Myeong was not a simple loser.

'In the end, was I the loser?'

Cheon Myeong, who had regained this much skill despite having lost all his internal energy, and him, who was still wandering at the bottom.

It seemed that there was no longer any reason for him to blame Cheon Myeong.

As that thought came to him, a hollow laugh came out of Cheon Seong's mouth without him realizing it.

"...Do you have no intention of revealing the fact that you have regained your strength to the outside?"

"Although the leader seems to have roughly noticed, I'm planning to hide it for the time being."

"But still, the reason why you showed me your strength is perhaps... because you were angry at me?"

"Well, that's also to some extent, but."

"..."

"I wanted to act like a brother to you, even if it's now."

Act like a brother?

Come to think of it, hadn't Cheon Myeong also said that he would be his master just now?

Is that what Cheon Myeong meant by acting like a brother?

"You also know the situation of the cult well."

"..."

"Since the situation is like this, I need people I can trust. And that will be the same for you."

"That's..."

"Blood is thicker than water, right? If we don't rely on each other now, who can we rely on?"

Cheon Myeong's words were right.

Because he had also had a hard time enduring the lonely fight until now.

Although he had not expressed it, perhaps the person who had been happier than anyone else at the fact that his brother had returned to the main headquarters was Cheon Seong himself.

Swish-.

At that moment, Cheon Myeong held out his right hand to Cheon Seong.

The right hand that he had held out once before.

At that time, as if there was no need to think, Cheon Seong had struck this right hand.

However, unlike at that time, Cheon Seong was now just silently looking at the hand that Cheon Myeong had held out.

"If you also think so, grab my hand."

A hand of reconciliation that was held out once more.

If he was not a fool, Cheon Seong would grab his hand, Cheon Myeong's eyes were full of confidence.

(End of Chapter)