Chapter 187: Who Said You Could Call Him Senior Brother?
Chapter 187: Who Said You Could Call Him Senior Brother?
Under the moonlight stood a woman draped in pristine white robes. Possessing a noble, ethereal beauty, she looked as if she had just descended from the heavens.
Cheon So-hui wiped her eyes with her sleeve, wondering if her sudden tears were playing tricks on her vision. However, the beautiful woman offered a bright smile and introduced herself.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Lee An. I used to be the Young Master’s guard.”
Lee An greeted her energetically. She had always been a bright person, but lately, she seemed even more radiant, every movement overflowing with newfound confidence.
“I am Cheon So-hui, of the Eastern Fist Sect’s Black Fist.”
“Ah! It’s an honor to meet you.”
“You know of me?”
“Of course. You’re the finest Iron Fist of the Eastern Fist Sect, aren’t you?”
Cheon So-hui felt a surge of genuine happiness. It wasn't just the praise; it was the way Lee An said it. There was none of that common, condescending undertone she usually encountered—that unspoken sentiment of, ‘A woman practicing fist techniques? How unusual.’
“What I said when I walked in earlier was just a joke to tease the Young Master,” Lee An added. “If I offended you, please forgive me.”
“It’s quite alright.”
“Then, please continue your conversation. I’ll come back later.”
As Lee An turned to leave, Geom Mu-geuk caught her.
“Since you’re already here, stay and talk for a bit.”
Lee An looked at Cheon So-hui cautiously. “Would that be okay?”
“Of course.”
Cheon So-hui felt her curiosity growing. The two women presented a striking contrast: Lee An possessed a beauty that exuded noble elegance, while Cheon So-hui carried a rugged strength that suggested she could survive being thrown into the harshest wilderness.
“Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t crying because of the Second Young Master,” So-hui clarified.
“Really?”
“Pardon?”
Lee An’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in. “You really didn’t cry because of the Young Master? I cry because of him all the time.”
Lee An glanced at Geom Mu-geuk and added, “He makes me cry every single time.”
With a woman’s intuition, Cheon So-hui realized it instantly: Lee An loved Geom Mu-geuk.
“You said you were the Young Master’s guard?”
“Yes, though I’ve been kicked out now.”
“Why were you kicked out?”
“He says it’s for my own happiness, but that’s probably just an excuse, right?”
“It’s definitely an excuse,” So-hui agreed. “Be careful. Playboys are very silver-tongued.”
“Well, he is the most eloquent man in the Murim.”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed, looking at the two of them. “You two have only just met, and you’re already hitting it off?”
The two women felt a natural affinity for one another. Lee An had always admired strong women like Cheon So-hui; she aspired to be such a person herself. Meanwhile, Cheon So-hui had a stellar first impression of Lee An. Usually, a woman this beautiful would have an unapproachable or unpleasant edge, but Lee An was entirely without pretense.
Lee An turned back to Geom Mu-geuk. “How is your training going?”
“If the news has reached your ears—and you’ve been cooped up in the training grounds doing nothing but practicing—then there’s probably no one in the Cult who doesn't know.”
“Even the cooks in the kitchen were talking about you passing the Red Fist test while they were making rice yesterday. I heard some people are even placing bets on whether you’ll actually become a disciple or not.”
Indeed, the news of Geom Mu-geuk learning fist techniques at the Eastern Fist Sect was the talk of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Lee An looked at him with a soft gaze. “How do you feel?”
“I’m fine.”
Cheon So-hui watched Lee An smile at his simple answer. She could feel the deep, unshakable trust between them and felt a momentary pang of envy. She had no one like that—no one who even came close to sharing such a bond.
“But what brings you here so late?” Mu-geuk asked.
“I was training, and I suddenly felt like seeing you, Young Master.”
Geom Mu-geuk stared at her intently for a moment before abruptly asking, “Has it come?”
At the cryptic question, Lee An’s expression turned serious as she nodded. “I think it has.”
At that, Geom Mu-geuk sprang up from the rock and walked toward the center of the yard.
“Let’s spar.”
Lee An gave Cheon So-hui a slight bow before following him. While starting a duel so suddenly might have seemed rude, this was incredibly important to her.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Cheon So-hui quickly stood up. “I should be going.”
Geom Mu-geuk stopped her. “You may watch. No, please watch. This spar will be of great help to you, Miss Cheon.”
It was a lesson from Geom Mu-geuk to the woman destined to become the next Fist Demon.
“Would that really be alright?”
“You shed precious tears tonight; you should at least earn the price of those tears before you go.”
At the mention of 'precious tears,' Cheon So-hui’s eyes grew hot again. What is wrong with me? It was as if a dam had broken; the tears kept threatening to fall. She was flustered by the unfamiliar emotion, but fortunately, Geom Mu-geuk and Lee An were already facing each other.
“I will face you using only fist techniques,” he declared.
“Yes!”
“Wait, Lee An. Aren’t you worried that I’m fighting without a sword?”
“Worried? Even if you fought without your hands and feet, Young Master, I still wouldn't be able to beat you.”
“That’s true. As long as I still have this mouth.”
Watching them, Cheon So-hui nodded slightly in agreement.
Geom Mu-geuk, despite having his back turned, spoke to her. “Don’t nod your head.”
At that, Cheon So-hui nodded even more vigorously. Since he clearly had eyes in the back of his head, it didn't matter whether he had a sword or not.
When the spar began, Lee An struggled to focus at first. Though she trusted him, she was worried he might get hurt fighting barehanded. However, after exchanging only a few moves, she realized her worries were utterly groundless.
Geom Mu-geuk was fast—far too fast. It felt as though even if she swung ten swords at once, she wouldn't be able to touch a single hair on his head.
Honestly, who is worrying about whom!
Geom Mu-geuk pressed her relentlessly. A fist with enough power to shatter a jaw whistled toward her face. She barely dodged, only for another strike to aim for her ribs. She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the blow. Had it connected, her bones would have been pulverized.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of Geom Mu-geuk’s fists cutting through the air was as sharp and rhythmic as the whistling of a blade.
She tried to block and dodge, desperately attempting to create distance, but Geom Mu-geuk stuck to her like a shadow. Once she allowed him to close in, it was nearly impossible to shake him off.
Ah, so this is how I die!
Lee An was experiencing a new kind of combat—a fight against a true master of fist techniques. Because she couldn't secure enough distance, her swordsmanship couldn't even display half its power. Conversely, Geom Mu-geuk’s fists relentlessly targeted her vitals. She barely managed to evade him by exerting every ounce of her strength.
Realizing she would eventually be defeated if she only focused on defense, Lee An looked for an opening to counterattack. In a decisive moment, she found a gap in Geom Mu-geuk’s movements and used it to spring back.
Now!
Her only chance.
Her sword embroidered the air. As she unleashed the Second Form of the Flying Heaven Sword Technique—the Changing Heaven Form—her blade underwent twelve rapid transformations.
A gasp that Cheon So-hui had been holding back finally escaped her lips. “Ah!”
Geom Mu-geuk evaded that seemingly unavoidable attack using the footwork of the Black Fist.
That footwork can be used like that?
So-hui realized anew just how incredible the martial art she had learned truly was. Her heart pounded as she watched. She wanted to jump in and fight alongside them. She wanted to perform the techniques just as Geom Mu-geuk did.
The impact of the spar didn't end there. There was Geom Mu-geuk, a man of absolute skill and the Second Young Master of the Cult, yet he had come to the Fist Demon to learn. And there was Lee An, possessing a beauty that could be called the greatest in the world, yet she was here in the dead of night honing her sword.
A mixture of shame and respect washed over her. The image of the two of them became etched into her heart like a scene from a masterpiece painting.
“Well done!”
Geom Mu-geuk smiled brightly at Lee An. He had pushed her to her absolute limit to force a breakthrough, and she hadn't missed the opportunity. It was the fruit of her grueling training.
“I still feel a sort of... tingling sensation,” she whispered.
Geom Mu-geuk could tell. She had almost reached the Ninth Star and was currently standing at the threshold.
“Come find me every night from tomorrow on.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
Just as his father had forcibly led him to the Great Achievement of the Wind God Four Steps, Geom Mu-geuk intended to hurl her Flying Heaven Sword Technique into the Ninth Star stage. Once she reached that level, he could feel at ease no matter where she went.
When the two finished their conversation, Cheon So-hui spoke in a trembling voice.
“To be honest... the sword the Young Master used against me before was so unrealistic that it didn't feel scary. But the sword this martial artist swung tonight, while everyone else was asleep... that was terrifying.”
Could she ever defeat that sword, honed through training late into the night? She had secretly been confident that she was the strongest among women of her age in the Murim. But after seeing this spar, she realized that was nothing but arrogance. Her fists clenched tight with a desire not to lose.
The fire had spread to her heart as well. Feeling a surge of heat, Cheon So-hui blurted out, “Please teach me as well, Senior Brother.”
Senior Brother.
She knew the weight of that word. She knew how much trouble she would be in if those words reached the Fist Demon’s ears. She wouldn't be able to complain even if she were expelled on the spot. It was a title she had staked her life on.
Perhaps she would return to her quarters and regret saying it all night long. Because of that, Geom Mu-geuk spoke to her warmly.
“Alright. You come too, Junior Sister.”
Regret was for later; for now, Cheon So-hui’s face was filled with pure joy. Lee An might have felt a sense of intrusion, as if her own training were being interrupted, but she welcomed So-hui warmly.
When a person changes, their martial arts change. Geom Mu-geuk was certain that Lee An’s broad-mindedness would eventually lead her to the seat of an absolute master.
And so, following the drinking sessions, Lee An had created a second gathering.
“Welcome to the Late-night Training Group.”
*
Training at the Black Fist continued.
In the meantime, I was engaged in a battle of nerves with the Fist Demon. It was a contest to see who would wave the white flag first.
I was confident in this fight. My life was one of constant preparation. It wasn't as if I could only move to the next stage by learning the Fist Demon’s techniques. Learning his martial arts was just one part of the process of preparing everything simultaneously.
I could learn his techniques today, tomorrow, or even a year from now. Why? Because I had many things to do, many things to learn, and many people to take care of. I was endlessly preparing other things as well. Did he really think he could beat someone like me?
Our eyes met occasionally. Every time, we conversed through our gazes.
Give up.
You give up.
I can go until the very end.
I can too.
I am young.
That’s why you won’t endure.
He probably thought I would eventually fail to hold out because the training was tedious, but that was the Fist Demon’s miscalculation. I was no ordinary young man.
*
At night, I taught Lee An and Cheon So-hui.
On the first day of training, Cheon So-hui asked me, “Senior Brother, is it alright for me to be here while this martial artist is learning such important techniques?”
She had asked to be taught out of desperation that day, but now that it was actually happening, she seemed to feel apologetic.
I told her, “You are more important than those techniques. The current Fist Demon belongs to my father and my brother. My Fist Demon is you.”
The future Heavenly Demon and the future Fist Demon.
A wave of emotion crossed her face. Then, she asked about the worst-case scenario.
“What if I don't become the Fist Demon, and you don't become the Heavenly Demon, Senior Brother?”
“Then the three of us will just have to open a soup house in front of the Murim Alliance and live there.”
Cheon So-hui burst into laughter, perhaps imagining a scene where we used Telekinesis to bring out soup from the kitchen and Illusionary Displacement to serve it. It was the first time I had seen her laugh so brightly since we met.
“But why in front of the Murim Alliance?”
Lee An answered for me. “There might be a woman he wants to see.”
“Aha!”
I shouted that it wasn't true, but the two of them were already nodding and starting to discuss the characteristics of playboys.
On the fifth day of late-night training, Lee An finally found the door to the Ninth Star. Her sword became faster, stronger, and underwent brilliant transformations.
There was no need for words of thanks or congratulations. Lee An ran to me and threw her arms around me. I held her tight. You worked hard, Lee An. Now there’s only one hurdle left until Great Achievement.
Just then, Lee An and I were startled by the sound of sobbing. We looked at Cheon So-hui.
She was crying.
“I think my tear ducts opened that day,” she sobbed. “I haven't cried my whole life, but now the tears won't stop.”
As she cried, Lee An began to tear up as well.
“Why are you crying?” I asked.
“Because Miss Cheon is crying,” Lee An sniffled.
The two women turned away from each other and wept.
“What is with you two? You're tough enough to beat up every man in the world.”
Cheon So-hui wiped her tears and said, “Senior Brother, please keep teaching me.”
She was so saddened by the thought of the late-night training ending like this. Lee An spoke up for her. “Young Master, let’s keep this Late-night Training Group going.”
It was at that moment a cold voice spoke from behind us.
“Who gave you permission to call him Senior Brother?”
Cheon So-hui turned pale, paralyzed with shock. The Fist Demon was walking into the yard, his face as terrifying as a vengeful ghost.
I greeted him with a calm expression. “Welcome.”
In truth, I knew the Fist Demon had been there. He had visited twice before, watching secretly while hiding his presence before leaving. I wondered what he had been thinking as he watched us.
The Fist Demon stood in the yard, glaring at me, Lee An, and Cheon So-hui.
Cheon So-hui, in particular, was in a state of total shock. Since the Fist Demon had heard her say 'Senior Brother,' there was no room for excuses. Terrified that she might be expelled from the Eastern Fist Sect, she hung her head low, her entire body trembling. She was likely praying that he wouldn't say the words, ‘You are expelled.’
With that ghost-like face of his, the Fist Demon uttered words no one could have imagined.
“Let me join this Late-night Training Group as well.”