Chapter 9: Older Brother and Younger Brother (2)

Jin Yeowoon.

He was my biological younger brother, only a year younger than me.

Last year, at the age of fifteen, he had begun training in our family’s ultimate martial art, the Demonic Heaven Asura Divine Art, and now, he was already on the verge of reaching the third level—a prodigy in every sense.

And as anyone could see—

He was huge.

So huge, in fact, that it was hard to believe he was only sixteen.

“If you kneel and apologize right now, I’ll pretend this never happened.”

Jin Yeowoon, who had followed me all the way to the training hall, grinned smugly.

“You do know that I was recently chosen as the youngest of the Six Demonic Dragons, right? You’re not picking this fight blindly, are you?”

“I know.”

I answered briefly.

“Being named one of the Six Demonic Dragons at sixteen is something to brag about.”

“Hahaha, right? I know, right!”

He laughed freely, clearly pleased by the compliment.

Truth be told, Yeowoon’s rise to become one of the Six Demonic Dragons had been a defining moment in securing his position as the future Young Clan Head.

They were the demonic counterpart to the Orthodox faction’s Six Divine Dragons—the six most promising young warriors in the martial world.

Sure, it wasn’t like our family’s prestige didn’t help, but it still meant that his talent was recognized not just within the Jin Clan, but across the entire cult.

Yeowoon tilted his chin up arrogantly.

“And yet, you challenged me to a martial duel. You must be pretty confident in your skills, big brother.”

“Of course. It’s not like I lack confidence.”

“I heard from the Chief Administrator that you’ve been learning some strange martial art—not the Demonic Heaven Asura Divine Art, or any other from the main family.”

Had that rumor already reached his ears?

I glared at Chief Byeok in disbelief.

Instantly, he turned his head the other way.

‘I’ll deal with you later.’

It was one thing for him to be chummy with my younger brother—but blabbering about my techniques was a different problem altogether.

“You said you were going to teach me manners, big brother. I guess it’s only fair that I teach you a little etiquette too.”

“What kind of etiquette are we talking about?”

“That even the eldest son shouldn’t act carelessly in front of the Young Clan Head.”

“You’re already acting like you’re the Young Clan Head, huh?”

Of course, if things went as they should, he would become the Young Clan Head within a year.

And I didn’t particularly intend to stop that.

But—

“There are three reasons why I challenged you to a duel today.”

“Go ahead, I’m all ears.”

He crossed his arms and grinned arrogantly. His posture practically screamed, ‘This is your last will and testament, so get it off your chest.’

“First, you’ve been mistreating the people of the Jin Clan who you’ll one day be leading.”

This wasn’t just about the incident with Gu Chil.

His overwhelming talent had overshadowed it, but Yeowoon’s true nature was violent and arrogant. He had a tendency to look down on those beneath him.

The fact that I, despite being born of a side branch, had been able to rise to the position of Inner Administrator was partly due to the Cult Leader’s support—but also because Yeowoon’s personality had begun to erode the family’s potential from within.

“Do you even know how many people belong to the Jin Clan?”

“Nope. Maybe a few thousand?”

“As of last month’s records, it was 42,650.”

“What?!”

The moment those words left my mouth, Chief Byeok widened his eyes in shock.

That was information a direct descendant should obviously know—but he clearly hadn’t expected that I actually did.

Yeowoon muttered bitterly.

“That’s… quite a lot.”

“Of course, the number of martial artists who can actually fight is only a few thousand, as you said. But they aren’t the entirety of the Jin Clan. Those who live under our influence, and receive stipends from us—they span all across the Central Plains. All of them are part of the Demonic Heaven’s Jin Clan.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“As the future Young Clan Head, you will become their father. But if things keep going as they are, I don’t think that’s going to end well.”

“Ha! And here I thought I’d heard everything—hearing that from you, the Eldest Son, is just absurd.”

At his sharp jab, the faint smile on my lips twisted slightly.

I let out a bitter sigh.

“You’re right. I’ve kept myself distant from clan affairs until now. But that ends today.”

“So, what are the other two reasons?”

“Second, even if you’ve been named one of the Six Demonic Dragons, there’s always someone stronger. If you don’t learn humility now, it’s going to cost you dearly later.”

This was a genuine warning, born from someone who had seen the future.

Honestly, even as a Six Demonic Dragon, Yeowoon was only on par with that Ma Chulsoo to me now.

But Yeowoon didn’t know that, and his expression started to contort.

Rage and killing intent began to cloud his eyes.

“And the last?”

“The last reason is—well, I am the Eldest Son, and since my little brother keeps testing me endlessly, I figured it’s about time I broke that cocky spirit of yours.”

In truth, that was probably the most heartfelt reason of the three.

“Oh yeah?”

Bwoong!

Before the words had even finished, a massive fist came flying at my face.

A direct, honest strike—One-Point Penetration.

It was a simple motion, just a punch, but it had an official name. It was a proper technique from the Jin Clan’s martial arts.

Conquering Self Through Asura King’s Fist.

Unyielding Self-Discipline.

If that hit me squarely, my head would explode from the sheer power behind it.

But I lightly twisted my body and dodged his punch.

“You’re pretty pissed off, huh.”

Even if he lacked finesse, the raw power alone justified his title as one of the Six Demonic Dragons. If that punch had landed properly, I wouldn’t have gotten away with just a broken nose.

“You dodged that?”

Yeowoon widened his eyes and glared at me as he took a few steps back.

“So, you’re saying you had a trick or two up your sleeve, huh?”

The killing intent radiating from Yeowoon’s body was intensifying.

I clicked my tongue at the sight.

“The Demonic Heaven Asura Divine Art has an inherently tyrannical nature. That’s why it must be cultivated alongside a mental discipline technique to suppress its demonic influence. Judging from the way you look now, I’m guessing you’ve neglected your mental training?”

“Shut up!”

As the heavy killing aura surged, Yeowoon charged in again.

“Hmph.”

Was it because I was too composed?

Gu Chil raised his voice in a panic.

“Young Clan Head! Your sword! Draw your sword!”

“Why would I need a sword for a guy like him?”

Even if he had trained the main family’s supreme martial art up to the third level, at his core, he was still just a sixteen-year-old with little real experience.

Swish—

I slowly took a stance.

Before one could learn the Conquering Self Through Asura King’s Fist, they had to go through the foundational martial art:

The basic starting form of the Hundred-Linked Demon Camp Style.

“Ha! The Demon Camp Style? Are you kidding me right now!?”

The Hundred-Linked Demon Camp Style was a foundational martial art encompassing fist techniques, physical movement, footwork, and body techniques.

Since I’d just displayed its basic starting form, it was understandable that he’d react like that.

But—

“You think it’s trivial? Is that how it looks to you?”

If he truly thought that, he was in for a rude awakening.

“I’m going to cripple you!”

At Jin Yeowoon’s bold declaration, a vein bulged on my forehead.

“This brat… Did he just utter such blasphemy to his own brother?”

“Shut up!”

A dark aura—Dark Qi—gathered around Jin Yeowoon’s fist.

“Triple Deadly Wild Rush!”

Like a charging bull, three heavy strikes surged toward me, aiming to crush my whole body.

His talent was undeniable. Even his aura exuded a strength beyond his years.

Still…

*‘As I thought, he’s leagues below her.’*

Neither the precision of his techniques nor the sharpness of his offense could compare—

Not to Cheon Yura’s sword.

Suddenly, I found myself smirking at the realization.

‘Is this the side effect of facing a monster from the start? This guy just seems… lacking.’

Sure, twenty years from now, he’d be called one of the twin prodigies of the cult, alongside Ma Chulsoo.

But for now, he was far from impressive.

“You’re laughing!?”

To him, my smirk must’ve looked like mockery.

“You’re dead!”

“You wish.”

Moving lightly with footwork, I dodged every punch, then used the rotational force to swing around and kick him in the back.

Thwack!

“Ooh!”

“He dodged that ferocious attack so effortlessly!”

“And even landed a counterattack!”

Cheers erupted from the spectators.

Yeowoon’s face flushed red with shame.

“Y-you bastard!”

Even if he hadn’t taken any real damage, just the fact that I kicked him in the back was enough to humiliate him.

“Raaagh!”

A flurry of final techniques from the Conquering Self Through Asura King’s Fist burst out in his rage.

He lashed out madly with his fists. But of course, not a single strike grazed me.

“W-why won’t any of my attacks land!?”

After about fifteen minutes had passed—

‘Looks like he’s starting to come to his senses.’

Maybe it was the backlash of expelling too much qi in a short time.

I could see the demonic energy and fury forcibly calming within him.

Jin Yeowoon shouted in frustration.

“All you’re doing is dodging like a rat! Don’t you have any pride, big brother!?”

“Isn’t the real problem that you can’t land a single hit?”

Nod, nod!

The many martial artists watching the duel nodded in agreement.

I opened the folding fan tucked into my waist and smiled.

“It’s not because I’m so skilled, little brother.”

“What?”

“The fact that I’m only dodging, and yet you still can’t hit me—that’s your problem. More importantly, I haven’t created more than three steps of distance between us since this duel began.”

“…!”

Yeowoon’s face stiffened as he realized I was right.

“The Conquering Self Through Asura King’s Fist is one of the most overwhelming martial arts in the entire cult. But because of that, cultivating physical flexibility is essential to master it properly.”

During adolescence, when bodily coordination is crucial, the Demon Camp Style is more important than any other martial art within the Jin Clan.

Even I, after learning two martial arts, never once neglected my training in it.

By contrast, Jin Yeowoon had entered the main family’s advanced martial art far too early.

Of course, with time, his training would eventually make up for his body’s current flaws, but until then, he’d suffer a loss in efficiency.

“Your talent is remarkable—entering the main family’s supreme art at fifteen—but even so, you should not have neglected the Hundred-Linked Demon Camp Style, the very thing you looked down on so much.”

“Grrk!”

“Even with stiff, rigid movements like that, the footwork of the Demon Camp Style alone is more than enough to dodge them.”

His personality might’ve been explosive, but the kid’s martial talent was real—he’d understood my point.

“Y-you bastard!”

But understanding and accepting were two different things for someone like him.

“Don’t act like you know everything! A guy like you who slacked off on martial arts—what do you know to lecture me!?”

Jin Yeowoon’s voice carried a resentment that had clearly been festering for a long time.

“While you were being scorned as the idle firstborn of the Jin Clan, I trained until I vomited blood. I did everything I could to shed the cursed label of the ‘Second Son’—I worked harder than anyone!”

I understood that pain.

And because I did, I nodded.

“I know. That’s exactly why I never coveted the Young Clan Head’s seat that was handed to you.”

“……!”

“I told you already—there’s always someone above you. If you don’t realize what you’re lacking today, this weakness will cling to your ankles for a very long time.”

Jin Yeowoon fell silent.

This time, maybe my words had struck home. He stood with his head bowed for quite a while, clearly wrestling with inner conflict.

Then—

Whip!

He ground his teeth and turned around.

And in a low voice, he said,

“……I’ll take the advice. But next time, I won’t let it end like this.”

The same little brother who’d always talked back and treated me like I was beneath him… was saying something like that now?

A quiet swell of pride rose in my chest.

Still, that aside—

“Hey, little brother. Back to your place.”

“…?”

As I untied the sword hanging from my waist, I spoke again.

“I told you, didn’t I? I challenged you today for three reasons. What just happened? That was only one of them.”

“W-what?”

“There are still two left, little brother.”

Sword still in its scabbard, I rested it on my shoulder and gave him a dangerous look.

“You still don’t know how to rule those beneath you as a direct blood of the Jin Clan.”

“B-big brother?”

“And you also haven’t learned how to properly revere your elder brother, who is greater than the heavens.”

Gooooooh…!

The murderous aura that began pouring from my body made what Jin Yeowoon had shown earlier look like a gentle breeze.

“From this moment on, I’ll teach you both of those things—directly, through your body.”

“W-wait a second!?”

He’d acted like a madman up until now, so it was only fair that now he got beaten like one.

A dark aura began to flow from the scabbard hanging on my shoulder.

But it didn’t just take on form—it began to manifest into a distinct shape.

“S-sword qi!?”

A martial artist who could manifest Sword Qi at just seventeen?

Even Jin Yeowoon, at this point, could barely exude a visible aura, much less manifest Fist Qi.

Just being at that level of Qi Manifestation was enough to earn him a spot among the Six Demonic Dragons.

But Sword Qi?

To him, this was probably like the sky falling down.

“I didn’t put any slicing power into it, so don’t worry, little brother.”

“B-big brother? Your little brother here is just filled with boundless respect for you and simply failed to express it properly…”

I never knew Jin Yeowoon could wag his tongue so extravagantly.

But—

“Etiquette isn’t something you show with your tongue alone, little brother!”

And with that, I lunged at my beloved younger brother.

“Guaaaargh!”

And so, it was said that until the Asura King, Jin Gun-ak, returned late that night to the main house, the Jin Clan’s training ground echoed endlessly with the sounds of someone screaming and crying.

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