Chapter 189: I Have Been to That Island Too
Chapter 189: I Have Been to That Island Too
The Fist Demon possessed a perfect physique.
While his face was demonic, his body was a masterpiece.
His muscles, looking as if they might burst at any moment, were massive and thick, yet they didn't appear sluggish in the least. His diamond-like frame, forged through grueling training and perilous life-and-death combat, made people recoil instinctively just by looking at it.
There were fewer scars on his body than one might expect, but a single, long sword wound crossing his chest stood out. If anything, it only served to make his physique look more imposing.
His body seemed to declare: This is the form of a martial artist who has reached the ultimate realm of fist techniques.
Could one truly withstand the pressure when that body came charging in? Could one endure the sheer destructive power when those massive fists flew? Could my sword truly protect me from such a force?
I was genuinely impressed. Seeing my reaction, a flicker of satisfaction crossed the Fist Demon’s face.
He must have heard that he looked impressive countless times, and he surely knew it himself. So, I asked something else.
“How can I build a body like yours?”
“Building a body like this would only hinder your swordsmanship, wouldn't it?”
There was a clear distinction between the body of a swordsman and that of a master of the fist.
“I must train so that my swordsmanship becomes even stronger while I build a body like this.”
“Then you should move your body rather than your mouth.”
The Fist Demon began his training.
I had actually suspected he wouldn't bother training even if he joined the group. His purpose for joining certainly wasn't for the sake of practice.
However, he began to train in earnest. He started performing the forms of the Black Fist, as if daring me to watch and learn.
Since he had stripped off his shirt, I couldn't just stand there. I also removed my upper garment and stood beside the Fist Demon, beginning to execute the forms.
I used the New Eye Technique to scrutinize every inch of the Fist Demon’s body. I compared his muscles to mine as we performed the same movements.
How they differed, and why.
Understanding that difference would be the greatest lesson for me.
Lee An and Cheon So-hui watched as the Fist Demon and I performed the forms in perfect unison.
Though I couldn't be sure, I suspected Cheon So-hui wanted to throw off her own clothes and join in. That was how much of a fire had been lit in her heart as well.
Lee An and Cheon So-hui also began their training.
The Late-night Training Group. Hearing the name, one might think of it as a mere social club for slackers, but the four people gathered here were burning with passion. Because of that, the session was more intense than any other training.
The sound of the wind generated by the Fist Demon’s punches was different from mine. Naturally, the Fist Demon’s sound was more pleasing to the ear. How could he produce a sound that was so heavy, yet so crisp? Listening to the rhythm of his fists calmed my mind and centered me.
I became purely immersed in the fist technique. From the moment I heard him say he wanted to collapse a cliff, I stopped looking at the Fist Demon with any ulterior motives. I simply wanted to learn the fist technique from him.
Perhaps it was because he felt that sincerity that the Fist Demon was here with us today.
When the training ended, I shared some news with him.
“Tomorrow, we will meet at the Ma Clan Village.”
“At the Ma Clan Village?”
“Tomorrow, we’re holding a welcome party for you. A new member welcome party.”
The Fist Demon was stunned. Soon, a glare even more intense than when I’d told him he had to teach his unique martial arts to join the group shot toward me.
A welcome party for me? And a 'new member'? Are you truly insane?
It was likely something he had never experienced in his entire life.
“We assemble in front of the Pungryu Tavern at the same time. That is all. Dismissed!”
I held my ground against his glare with a look that said, ‘Leave the group if you don't like it.’
The Fist Demon gave a snort and departed.
As I turned around after watching him leave, I flinched.
Lee An and Cheon So-hui were standing side by side, glaring at me fiercely. It seemed the Fist Demon wasn't the only one who disliked the idea of tomorrow's welcome party.
Lee An raised her voice. “Are you really going to do this? Do you think the alcohol will even go down in that situation?!”
“It might be unexpectedly fun.”
Suddenly, Cheon So-hui placed a hand on her forehead and groaned. “Ah! I think I have a fever. I’ll probably have to miss tomorrow.”
Lee An chimed in immediately. “Ah! That’s right. I have an appointment tomorrow. I almost forgot.”
I looked at the two women and said with a smile, “Do you think that’ll work? Right, then. See you tomorrow at the Pungryu Tavern!”
And so, the first day of the Late-night Training Group with the Fist Demon came to an end.
*
The following night.
Jo Chun-bae, the owner of the Pungryu Tavern, let out a jaw-cracking yawn.
There were no customers today, so he was nodding off beside the counter, debating whether or not to close early.
Woken by the presence of someone, he jumped in fright.
“Aack!”
He screamed and fell backward.
A terrifying demon was standing before his eyes. Thinking he was seeing things in his sleep-deprived state, he scrambled up from the floor, only to freeze solid.
It wasn't a demon; it was a person. It was the first time in his life he had seen someone who looked so terrifying. The man's forearms were thicker than Jo Chun-bae's thighs.
Then, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“It has been a while, Innkeeper.”
Geom Mu-geuk appeared from behind the man.
“Pavilion Master!”
He truly felt as if he had come back from the dead.
“This is the Fist Demon of our Cult. Greet him.”
At the mention of the Fist Demon, Jo Chun-bae’s eyes went wide. He had heard many rumors about the Fist Demon, but this was the first time he had seen him in person.
“I committed a discourtesy in my sleep, not knowing such a precious guest had arrived. Please forgive me!”
Jo Chun-bae bowed so low his body folded in half.
As of this moment, the record was broken. Among the Demon Lords who had come as guests, the scariest person from now on was the Fist Demon.
Lee An, who followed them in, gave a cheerful greeting.
“Hello.”
Jo Chun-bae’s expression brightened. Seeing Lee An, who always offered a bright greeting, naturally made him feel better. With her standing next to the Fist Demon, it truly felt like two extremes were standing together.
The three of them, excluding Geom Mu-geuk, went up first to the second-floor seats where they always sat.
“Is business going well lately?”
“It’s going well, thanks to you. I heard you were training in fist techniques lately, Pavilion Master. I suppose the rumors were true.”
“So even you know, Innkeeper.”
“If you don't know that these days, you're a spy. No, a spy would have known first and reported it to the Murim Alliance.”
Geom Mu-geuk laughed along at Jo Chun-bae’s joke.
Compared to the pleasant atmosphere downstairs, the mood on the second floor was solemn.
Lee An and Cheon So-hui were walking on eggshells around the Fist Demon. Cheon So-hui, in particular, was frozen stiff. Far from leaving the group, she had even been caught suggesting they secretly call each other Senior and Junior.
The title of the next Fist Demon has truly flown out the window!
To break the awkward silence, Lee An asked the Fist Demon, “Have you been here before?”
The Fist Demon turned his gaze toward Lee An.
Is that question really worth staring at me so terrifyingly?
If the Fist Demon had known Lee An’s inner thoughts, he would have felt quite wronged. He had just looked at her, but she perceived it as a terrifying glare.
“Tell them to bring the alcohol.”
“Yes! I’ll go get it!”
At the Fist Demon’s words, Cheon So-hui quickly stood up and ran down to the first floor.
Now, only the Fist Demon and Lee An remained on the second floor.
“It was truly unexpected. I never thought the Fist Demon would join our group.”
In truth, Lee An wanted to ask this: Did you really join because you want to fight the Young Master?
Instead of answering, the Fist Demon asked her, “Are you not afraid of me?”
“I am afraid.”
“You don't seem afraid at all.”
“If you feel that way, it’s likely because of the Young Master.”
“Why the Second Young Master?”
“If you were truly a dangerous person to me, the Young Master wouldn't have left me alone with you. He wouldn't have let you join the group in the first place.”
The Fist Demon’s gaze turned toward Geom Mu-geuk, who was standing in front of the counter on the first floor.
“The greater the trust, the deeper the wound.”
Lee An felt that if she had heard those words with her eyes closed, she wouldn't have thought they came from the Fist Demon. Both the content and the soft tone were unexpected. Lee An suddenly realized there might be parts of the Fist Demon she had misunderstood.
“I think men don't know much about women. Women know everything. There’s only the choice of whether to pretend to be fooled or to run away beforehand.”
“And? Are you the type to pretend to be fooled?”
“Originally, I’m a person who is craftier than I look, so I’m the type to run away beforehand. However, the Young Master is the sole exception.”
“Misplaced trust brings misfortune.”
“That’s a shame. Since I won't be able to experience that.”
Lee An’s trust in Geom Mu-geuk was absolute.
Just then, Geom Mu-geuk and Cheon So-hui came up to the second floor with the alcohol.
“My apologies. The alcohol was delayed because I was holding the innkeeper up for a moment.”
Geom Mu-geuk poured a drink for the Fist Demon first. The cup held in the Fist Demon’s large hand looked incredibly small and cute.
Geom Mu-geuk poured drinks for Lee An and Cheon So-hui as he spoke.
“Those of you with bad drinking habits, don't forget who we are drinking with right now!”
Lee An played along with Geom Mu-geuk’s banter.
“Since I have bad drinking habits, this is a seat where I must risk my life.”
She then looked at Cheon So-hui. “Do you have any bad drinking habits?”
“I don't have any.”
“Is it just that you haven't drunk enough to find out?”
Cheon So-hui was confident she would never act out while drinking. Acting out while drinking with the Fist Demon? There was no way.
“Now, let’s welcome the Fist Demon. Cheers!”
Geom Mu-geuk raised his glass, and they all toasted together.
Geom Mu-geuk worked to make the long-awaited drinking session a pleasant and lively one. This was also for the sake of the Fist Demon, who had arrived exactly on time despite acting like he would never come.
With Geom Mu-geuk and Lee An leading the way, they talked about all sorts of things. They talked about martial arts, about women, and about men. They talked about the Murim Alliance and the Unorthodox Path Alliance, and they talked about the other Demon Lords.
The Fist Demon didn't seem to dislike the gathering. He drank well and answered the occasional questions.
However, throughout the conversation, Geom Mu-geuk felt it. He felt that the Fist Demon was lonely. Seeing the Fist Demon in a place where people were laughing and chatting made it even more certain.
Though the four of them were drinking together, the Fist Demon alone was in a place far, far away.
That isolated island was a place Geom Mu-geuk had visited as well.
Geom Mu-geuk had been just like the Fist Demon. He was among people, but he could never fully enjoy that life. He only had the single-minded goal of obtaining the materials for the Great Regression Art; he had no life of his own.
Perhaps the Fist Demon was also living only with the single-minded goal of collapsing the cliff, having already lost the joys of reality.
As he drank while lost in such thoughts, Lee An was looking at him. Her eyes, which looked even more beautiful today, seemed to ask: What are you thinking about so deeply?
Then, Cheon So-hui, slightly tipsy, brought up the words she had been brooding over.
“I thought all night about the question you asked yesterday, Lord Fist Demon. The question about what I would do once I became strong.”
She had truly agonized over it.
“To be honest, I don't remember what I thought before I joined the Eastern Fist Sect. At some point, I only thought about winning and winning again to become the Fist Demon. But even in the midst of that, I had this one thought: I’ll be happy once I become the Fist Demon. I’ll be happy. Once I become the Fist Demon, all this effort will be rewarded.”
Her voice trembled.
“When I become strong… I want to be happy.”
Perhaps embarrassed after saying it, she quickly added, “Though I suppose someone dreaming of becoming the Fist Demon shouldn't want something as trivial as being happy instead of some great undertaking for the Cult.”
It was Geom Mu-geuk who responded to her words.
“I think it’s fine.”
Geom Mu-geuk looked at the Fist Demon and asked, “What do you think, Lord Fist Demon?”
“It’s pathetic, but not bad.”
“If it’s pathetic, it’s pathetic; if it’s not bad, it’s not bad. Please just pick one. If you speak so ambiguously, our Junior Sister won't be able to sleep a wink again tonight from worrying.”
“It is not bad.”
Geom Mu-geuk smiled and nodded at Cheon So-hui.
In truth, Cheon So-hui had wanted to say this: I want to be like this martial artist.
Lee An looked happier than anyone. On top of that, she had someone she trusted and liked as much as her own life.
I envy you.
We all drank together.
The Fist Demon set down his glass and asked Geom Mu-geuk, “You said you wanted to learn fist techniques because you wanted to become strong?”
“Yes.”
“What will you do once you become strong?”
It was the same question he had asked Cheon So-hui.
“I’m going to live freely. I’ll go when I want to go, and come when I want to come. I’ll hang out with the Demon Lords, and when I want to be alone, I’ll hole up in the Heavenly Demon Hall for days on end. Then, if I feel stifled, I’ll just head out to the Central Plains. If I meet good people, I might stay in their village for a few days. I’ll drink with herb gatherers on scenic mountains. At the very least, I won't live a stifling life trapped in the Heavenly Demon Hall like my father. He should go out and have some fun. Why are you all making those faces? Why are you being so scary… No, right?”
Imitating what Cheon So-hui had said the day before, Geom Mu-geuk looked behind him.
A man whose mere presence made the surrounding air feel different, a man who made even the consistently relaxed Fist Demon stiffen, a man who made everyone tense by his existence alone—the Heavenly Demon Geom Wu-jin was standing right there.