Chapter 193: Scary, Yet Handsome
Chapter 193: Scary, Yet Handsome
The Fist Demon and I stood atop a cliff where a massive waterfall thundered down.
Crash!
The heavy spray kicked up by the falls was enough to make anyone watching feel instantly refreshed.
"Now, remember—you absolutely cannot use internal energy."
"You're the one who shouldn't break the promise," I shot back.
What we were about to do was jump from this height. There wasn't exactly anything at stake; it was purely a battle of pride.
When I was a kid, girls used to look up from the bottom of spots like this... and now, here I was deep in the mountains, playing this dangerous game with the Fist Demon.
"That thin frame of yours might shatter against the rocks," he grunted.
"Your massive frame will hit them twice as hard, Lord Fist Demon."
Our eyes met, both of us burning with a stubborn refusal to lose.
We jumped at the same time.
At my level, would jumping without internal energy really make my heart drop or scare me? Even so, I let out a loud, exhilarating shout on purpose.
"Waaaaaaah!"
Splash!
The Fist Demon’s massive form plunged into the water first, sending up a towering plume of spray.
Soon after, he poked his head above the surface.
By then, I was already floating on the water using the Water Walking Technique. I had cheated, circulating my internal energy just a split second before hitting the surface. I crouched down in front of the emerging Fist Demon and spoke teasingly.
"I lost."
The Fist Demon stared at the mischief on my face with disbelief for a moment, then let out a laugh so loud it echoed through the entire valley.
Well, as long as he’s laughing, it’s fine.
I plunged into the water properly then. The ice-cold temperature snapped me wide awake. While I swam around, the Fist Demon climbed onto a flat rock on the opposite bank.
Jumping off a waterfall without internal energy... had he ever done such a thing in his life? No, he probably hadn't even considered it.
"The water is incredibly clear."
After swimming for a while, I climbed onto the rock where the Fist Demon sat. I could have used my internal energy to generate heat and dry my clothes instantly, but instead, I stripped them off and spread them out on the sun-warmed stone.
"I'm going to lie down for a bit."
I sprawled out and looked up at the sky.
"You should lie down too, Lord Fist Demon."
"I'm fine."
"How long has it been since you've actually laid down in front of others?"
"I can't even remember."
"Then do it now, at least."
Despite my suggestion, the Fist Demon remained seated. We looked up at the sky in silence for a long while.
A simple stroll wouldn't be enough to wash away the years of fatigue he’d accumulated; we’d have to cross the entire Central Plains for that. That was why I intended to keep moving further and further away from the Cult.
"Let's get going," he said eventually.
"Let's stay just a little longer."
The Fist Demon looked anxious, almost restless. I understood him. His life in the Cult was one of constant, grinding busyness. Teaching everyone from the White Fists to the Black Fists—thinking back, it really wasn't an easy life.
After sitting like that for a long time, the Fist Demon suddenly stood up. Unable to bear the stillness, he looked like he was about to start practicing a fist technique, but I quickly stopped him.
"You've been throwing punches your whole life. Just hold back this once."
"Sitting still makes my body feel stiff and achy. I can't stand it."
"Now, now, just sit down for a moment."
I forced him to sit back down. He was having a hard time adjusting to this "slacking off."
"You're right. It's actually harder for a person to do nothing. But they say being idle like this is good for your mental health."
"Where did you hear such a thing?"
"Just something I picked up somewhere."
Beyond the Fist Demon looking down at me, the sky was a brilliant blue.
"Lord Fist Demon, look at those clouds drifting by."
The Fist Demon turned his head and looked up. As he watched the clouds, I could sense stray thoughts flickering in his eyes.
"Don't worry about your subordinates."
The Fist Demon looked at me, his expression asking how I knew what he was thinking.
"They're probably all cheering right now. Tell them to relax and slack off a bit too. The leader slacks off, the subordinates slack off. Isn't that great?"
"Then the organization would collapse."
"So what if it collapses?"
The Fist Demon flinched.
"You've never once thought, 'So what if it collapses?', have you?"
"Of course not."
"If it collapses, there are other Demon Lords. If it collapses, there's my father. So what if you get scolded a bit? So what if your pride takes a hit?"
The corners of the Fist Demon's mouth curled up slightly. It could have been a scoff at my ignorance, or it could have been a somewhat relieved smile.
"Just forget it all. Forget the colored-fist brawlers, all of them."
How long had we been there?
The Fist Demon finally relaxed his posture. He leaned back on his arms, partially reclining. He didn't lie down completely, but he seemed much more comfortable than before. We stared blankly at the sky until our clothes were completely dry.
*
After descending the mountain, we walked along a narrow path.
"Are we not going to use Lightness Skills?"
"The scenery is nice, so let's just walk to the end of this path."
As expected, he seemed to be itching for action.
"Wouldn't it be better to just reach our destination and rest there?"
Hearing things like that reminded me of myself before the regression. That was how I was when I went around looking for materials for the Great Regression Art. I would sprint to my destination no matter what. Walking for the sake of walking was something I couldn't even imagine.
"They say walking is very good for a person."
"Being idle is good, walking is good... Is there anything you think is bad?"
"There's plenty. Worrying about work when you've come out to slack off. Thinking about someone when they aren't even thinking about you. Thinking about how to destroy a cliff even when you're out to have fun. There's plenty."
After a brief pause, he asked, "Did my life look that bad to you?"
"Yes."
At my unhesitating answer, the Fist Demon stopped walking and looked at me.
"It's not that it was bad because it was evil, but it looked bad because it was too perfect."
A slight look of relief passed over his face.
"I understand what you're worried about, but I am not a man who breaks easily."
"Is that so?"
"What?"
"I'm asking if you're really someone who doesn't break easily. How would you know? You've never broken before."
The Fist Demon couldn't find an answer.
"When I look at my father's Grand Tutor’s Chair, I'm reminded of that platform where you stand and look down at your subordinates. I get the feeling that both of you are trapped there."
"!"
Fist Demon, you've come this far with that unchanging steadfastness, so isn't it about time you took a break?
He said nothing. We walked in silence for a long time. At the end of the path, I asked him, "Is there anything you want to do?"
The Fist Demon struggled to find an answer and asked me back, "What about you?"
"I'm doing it right now."
A faint smile appeared on the Fist Demon's lips. Lee An and Cheon So-hui say he's terrifying no matter how many times they see him, but I don't find this face of his scary. In fact, I never found him scary from the start.
"Then, I'll leave it to you."
"Alright, then let's go eat something delicious first. Food is an essential part of any trip, isn't it?"
I ran ahead, and the Fist Demon ran with me. He began to take the lead, finally unleashing the speed he had been holding back all this time.
*
"Here it is. A famous restaurant with a two-hundred-year tradition!"
The place we arrived at was called Songmyeong Pavilion, an establishment that sold both fine liquor and food. It was so popular that customers were lined up out the door.
"How did you know about this place?"
"Is this the only thing I know? Their signature dish is the bamboo shoot dish you like, Lord Fist Demon."
"How do you know that as well?"
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't look it up to poison your food. You're my future master, so I should at least know that much."
A man standing in line in front of us glanced back, then jumped in fright upon seeing the Fist Demon. The man said, trembling, "W-would you like to go ahead of me?"
"It's fine."
At the Fist Demon's answer, the man turned his head back and didn't dare look behind him again.
I smiled and asked the Fist Demon, "You've never stood in line to buy food in your life, have you?"
At the Fist Demon's expression, which clearly said 'Of course not,' I asked again, "Isn't it fun?"
The Fist Demon looked around. The people in line, the people newly joining the back, the people passing by on the street, the peddlers hawking their wares.
"It's not bad."
Songmyeong Pavilion was such a large restaurant that it had over ten waiters, so the line moved quickly. When our turn came, we took our seats and ordered several dishes and some alcohol.
"Why are you ordering so much?"
"It's been a while since I've been here, so we have to try everything."
The alcohol came out first. As I poured a drink for the Fist Demon, his displeased gaze turned toward some martial artists passing by outside, swearing loudly amongst themselves. I reached out and blocked his view.
"We are slacking off! That's just a stone. That's just a chair. Got it?"
"I understand."
The Fist Demon poured me a drink as well and said, "At your age and with your level of martial arts, it must be hard to restrain your hot-bloodedness."
"That's why I'm hanging out with you Demon Lords. So I don't cause any unnecessary trouble."
"There may be other reasons why you're associating with us, but it's commendable that you aren't causing trouble."
"Oh! That's the first compliment you've ever given me, Lord Fist Demon."
I raised my glass and toasted with him. A moment later, the food arrived. After trying a piece of the bamboo shoot dish he liked, the Fist Demon looked surprised.
"It really is delicious."
"There's always a reason why people stand in line."
My gaze turned toward the kitchen. "What do you think? Should we kidnap the cook and take him to the Main Cult?"
"You're saying things you don't mean."
"Why are you so sure? If we want him, we take him."
After staring at me for a moment, unexpected words flowed from the Fist Demon's mouth.
"I heard your Demonic Path is one that doesn't break the tables of taverns?"
I was startled. I didn't know the Fist Demon knew about that. "How did you know?"
"I have ears too."
This is why what I told my brother was right. Even if they don't seem to be looking, the Demon Lords are watching everything.
"Yes. So if others stand in line, we stand in line to eat too. If a cook is kidnapped, we should go rescue him. That is my Demonic Path."
The Fist Demon stared at me intently. I wondered how he perceived my Demonic Path. He seemed to debate saying something, but eventually went back to focusing on his food.
As we were drinking, one of the two women sitting at the next table spoke to me.
"Is this your first time here, young hero?"
"Yes, it's my first time."
"Then there are some places you absolutely must visit."
"Would you like to join us and tell me more in detail?"
The women glanced at the Fist Demon, then readily joined our table. I ordered new dishes for them.
I could feel the Fist Demon's surprise. The process of them naturally joining us seemed to be a fresh shock to him. A woman he'd never seen before spoke first and joined the table?
That was why he was wary. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if they were up to something, but the women were just young people who liked to have fun.
The reason I had them join us was because of the Fist Demon. He had lived his entire life as a bachelor. There were no records of him ever being involved with women. Perhaps he had given up on romance from the start because of his appearance?
That was why I wanted to give him an experience he'd never had before.
We talked about this and that with the women while drinking. I made them laugh with funny stories. The Fist Demon, who was wary at first, eventually enjoyed the gathering with an interested look in his eyes.
Occasionally, I asked the Fist Demon things he could answer better. For example:
"Please tell these young ladies about the time you broke through the Murim Alliance's Heavenly Net when you were young."
Of course, the women didn't believe it and burst out laughing. It was the kind of talk that went beyond the usual drunken boasting of men. At that moment, the Fist Demon looked at me, asking with his eyes, 'Should I really tell them?' I smiled and shook my head. 'No, no one will believe you.'
After having a great time for about an hour, the women stood up first. That was even more surprising to the Fist Demon. They were just leaving like that? Without even a promise to meet again?
After they left, the Fist Demon asked, "Did you perhaps send them a Voice Transmission saying you'd give them money? Or did you threaten to kill them if they didn't join us? Or were they women targeting our purses?"
To think he would have such thoughts.
"If not for that, there's no way women would have asked to join us, is there?"
"That's because of me."
"I figured as much. One of those women spent the whole time staring only at your face."
"Exactly. That's why she asked to join."
"Even though I was right next to you?"
"You thought they wouldn't join because they'd be scared of your face?"
The Fist Demon nodded.
"There are two things you don't know, Lord Fist Demon. Young people these days get along and play comfortably even with strangers."
"And risk having something terrible happen to them?"
"They're fearless, the youth of today."
"And you aren't?"
"Including me. I'm fearless too, aren't I?"
"Too fearless, if anything. And what's the second thing?"
"The fact that while you do look scary, you aren't ugly. In fact, you're actually quite handsome."
The Fist Demon was stunned. It was the most shocked reaction I'd seen from him since we met. He had probably never been told he was handsome in his entire life.
"If you're going to flatter me, at least make it believable."
"I'm good at flattery, but what I just said isn't flattery. To women, your face can look quite attractive. They can feel a sense of reliability, like you'd protect them no matter what."
To the Fist Demon, who didn't know what to say, I added, "Today's conclusion: You have a face that is scary, yet handsome!"
After emptying his glass, the Fist Demon reached his own conclusion.
"You're insane."
"I finally get to hear that from you too!"
Just then, a young waiter walked toward us. He looked to be barely ten years old. His eyes were swollen from crying.
"I've been watching you for a while. I felt like I could ask you for a favor, Great Hero."
The child pleaded with the Fist Demon. "Please, help me."
In the tears welling in the child's eyes, I could feel a weight of pain that even an adult would find hard to bear. I gently stroked the child's head and said to the Fist Demon:
"And besides being handsome, you also have the kind of face that makes an innocent child feel like you'd help if they asked."