Chapter 198: Do You Think That’s Easy?
Chapter 198: Do You Think That’s Easy?
The words the Fist Demon always spoke never came.
A good attempt.
Had my efforts finally paid off? Or did he simply feel that mentioning it was no longer necessary?
The Fist Demon silently turned his gaze back toward the arena. Two men were locked in a bloody struggle, surrounded by a crowd roaring with feral enthusiasm.
“This place will look exactly the same even after decades pass,” he remarked.
“Perhaps my son might come here one day with you, Lord Fist Demon, once you’ve become a grandfather.”
At that, the Fist Demon looked at me with a startled expression.
“Why do you look so surprised?” I asked.
“Do you actually intend to marry?”
“If I meet the right person.”
In truth, I had absolutely no intention of marrying, but I gave the standard answer.
The Fist Demon spoke firmly. “Unless it is someone you truly love, I advise against it.”
Given that he had told me stories of his youth—how he had resolved never to have a family or friends—I expected this kind of advice. However, there was another reason behind his words.
“Even for someone as exceptional as you, this bloodless struggle for succession is this difficult. Do you think your children could manage as well as you have? It is a burden too heavy for ordinary people to bear.”
His words were both a high compliment to me and a genuine worry for the next generation. Above all, it was a statement made under the assumption that I would eventually become the Heavenly Demon.
“I will consider it carefully.”
“Now that I think about it, you mentioned ending the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline.”
“It doesn’t matter. That’s something that would happen long after I’m dead.”
The Fist Demon’s expression said it all: If it’s you, you might actually be sincere about such a carefree thought.
“Let us leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
At the exit, the Fist Demon took one last look back at the arena. Would he ever return to this place in his lifetime? No one could know the future, but he looked at it as if he were seeing a place he would never visit again. While his eyes had been filled with complex emotions as he surveyed the area, the moment he turned around, he strode out with purpose.
After leaving the arena, we walked without a destination. The Fist Demon no longer asked where we were going. I, too, moved aimlessly, as if having no plan was the plan itself.
“Have you ever been lost?” I asked.
“Never.”
“Neither have I.”
Perhaps that was why this aimless trip felt all the more precious and meaningful. Neither he nor I had ever lived so shiftlessly before. The joy of being lost in life was something we had never even imagined.
“Oh, by the way, I lost the bet. I admit it.”
“No. I was the one who lost this bet.”
That was unexpected. Even though he said it was fine, I thought he wouldn't be in a great mood after seeing the match-fixing.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed myself. Thanks to you, I was able to reminisce.”
Wasn't this what he really wanted to say? Thanks to this, I’ve shown you what kind of person I am.
“Then our battle of pride is tied at one-to-one.”
“We must settle the score.”
“Of course.”
Then, the Fist Demon spoke. “Before that, there is a place I wish to go.”
It was the first time the Fist Demon had expressed a personal desire to go somewhere.
“I would follow you even to hell, Lord Fist Demon!”
“The place we are going isn't quite that hot. In fact, it’s a place where we’ll need to pack thick padded clothes.”
Leaving behind the arena filled with the Fist Demon’s old memories, we began to walk toward the lingering sunset.
*
After a long journey, the Fist Demon and I stood together at the summit of a snowy mountain.
Whirrrrr.
The wind, carrying a heavy dusting of snow, swirled around us and rose into the air.
“Why did you want to come here?”
The place the Fist Demon had wanted to visit was this very mountain.
“This is the place where the former Fist Demon took me as his successor.”
“Ah, is that so?”
This was a fact even I hadn't known.
“To be honest, my Master and I didn't get along well. When it came time to choose the final successor, he wanted to pick someone else. That fellow’s martial arts were inferior to mine, but he was much more sociable and treated the Master better. Do you know why my Master chose me anyway?”
“Was it because of my father?”
“Correct. It was because of the Cult Leader.”
Back when my father placed the young Fist Demon into the Eastern Fist Sect, he wasn't the Cult Leader yet. However, by the time the Fist Demon officially inherited the title of Demon Lord, my father had ascended to the position of Heavenly Demon.
The former Fist Demon couldn't have ignored the influence of my father, who had become the Heavenly Demon.
“I became the Fist Demon because of your father.”
“Isn't that a more wonderful thing for you?”
“Wonderful?”
“Because my father’s eye for people is far superior to the former Fist Demon’s. My father chose a young fighter who was throwing punches in an arena without a single drop of internal energy. That fighter went from the White Fists to the Black Fists all on his own, and eventually became the Fist Demon. Trust my father’s eye for people, if nothing else.”
“There was a time when I was full of confidence. I thought, if not me, then who else could be the Fist Demon? But now, I’m not so sure. Was the Cult Leader’s judgment truly correct?”
“If that judgment had been wrong, the other Demon Lords wouldn't rank you as the most difficult Demon Lord to face. To anyone’s eyes, you are the one who belongs in that position.”
The Fist Demon gazed silently at the snowy landscape. It was an enchanting view that could only be enjoyed from this summit, standing tall in a world of pure white.
I held the Fist Demon’s self-reflection in high regard. Without such a heart, he would have hardened like a fossil into a stubborn old man. Because he was a man who looked inward, I believed he would be able to crumble the cliff.
I conveyed my honest feelings to him.
“At first, I was curious about what kind of person you were. Then, I was captivated by your goal of crumbling the cliff, and I wanted to crumble it too. Now, I’ve come to like your true self even more.”
“My true self?”
“I believe the way you fought against the Black Path gangs in your youth is your true self. When we return, I want to gather all the Iron Fists and tell them that story. I’ll say, ‘Hey! This is the kind of person your Fist Demon is!’”
“Have you said such sweet words to the other Demon Lords as well?”
“I didn't say sweet words; I said honest words. They were things others wouldn't say because of your position as a Demon Lord. Ah, of course, I admit I used a bit of flattery. I wanted to be seen in a good light, and I wanted us to become close. But I never made things up. I said the kind of things that I would hope someone would say about my life later on.”
I looked at the Fist Demon and added, “You don’t hear that often, do you?”
Even if he taught hundreds, even if he was in a place where tens of thousands of cultists came and went.
“You don’t... get to hear things like that often, do you?”
Would there be anyone to say such things to me later? Even though I had done all this for others.
The Fist Demon stared at me in silence. After watching me for a long time, he turned his gaze toward the distant mountains for another long while.
“What do you intend to do once you become the Heavenly Demon? Is the Unification of the Murim your dream?”
“It’s the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“I will stop anyone from achieving the Unification of the Murim. Even if that person is my father.”
The Fist Demon’s eyes flashed.
“So you knew.”
That meant the Fist Demon knew as well.
“I know that my father dreams of unifying the Murim.”
“Indeed. There’s no way a clever man like you wouldn't have noticed.”
“What are your thoughts, Lord Fist Demon?”
“I will follow your father’s wishes. If he orders me to start a war and kill everyone, I will kill them all without hesitation. No matter who they are.”
Now I knew for certain. My father’s right hand was the Fist Demon. Then was his left hand the Blood Heaven Blade Demon? He had said the elixir he gave me was something he received from my father.
“I will stop him. Both my father and you.”
After that, we stood there in silence for a long time.
Whirrrrrrr.
When a gust of snow brushed past us refreshingly, the Fist Demon’s resolve was carried to me on the wind.
“Mu-geuk, I shall take you as my first disciple.”
I was startled. Although becoming his disciple had been my goal, I hadn't expected him to take me in like this, in this place. Especially right after confirming that we held opposing views on the Unification of the Murim.
His large, thick frame turned toward me. His fearsome face, which I had grown accustomed to, held a different look in his eyes than usual. With a deep and serious gaze, the Fist Demon spoke.
“I will be your Master, so become my disciple.”
The moment I heard those words, I felt a lump in my throat. Joy surged within me. I had finally succeeded in moving this man’s heart. It wasn't just because I had gained a Demon Lord like the Fist Demon, or because I could obtain his fist techniques. I was simply happy that this man had become my Master.
“Woooooooah!”
I was so happy that I jumped for joy right then and there. Like a puppy excited by the snow, I expressed my delight to my heart’s content.
Seeing my genuine happiness, the Fist Demon’s expression softened. It was to the point where I wondered if such softness had always been hidden behind that terrifying face.
In my excitement, I unleashed the First Fist. Since I didn't want to cause an avalanche, I struck at the empty air. I poured out the Second Fist in an instant as well.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I performed the Nine Bows Ceremony on the spot.
“Your disciple, Geom Mu-geuk, formally greets his Master. Please lead this foolish disciple with your great teachings from now on.”
The Fist Demon’s large hand was placed on my shoulder as I bowed. With his rough, thick hand, he lightly patted my shoulder. Come to think of it, it was the first time I had felt a gentle touch from him.
“Rise.”
I stood up.
“Master.”
The Fist Demon was someone I truly wanted as a Master. He was a man more than worthy of the title.
“My disciple.”
It seemed the Fist Demon didn't mind having his first disciple either.
“From this moment, I shall transmit the entirety of the Thunder Asura Fist to you.”
The Fist Demon did not delay. He didn't demand anything from me in exchange for the transmission. This was the kind of man he was.
At the summit of the snowy mountain, the Fist Demon began transmitting the techniques from the Third to the Sixth Fist of the Thunder Asura Fist.
Third Fist: Heavenly Thunder Asura.
This was the heaviest of the Fist Demon’s strikes. It wasn't a long-range strike like the Black Cloud Asura, nor was it a rapid-fire attack like the Thunder Asura. It was a technique for direct physical impact, and the power contained in each and every blow was immense.
Fourth Fist: Iron Leg Asura.
The Thunder Asura Fist didn't consist only of hand techniques. There were also forms that crushed opponents with powerful kicks. The movements themselves were flashy and impressive; I was certain that whenever the Iron Leg Asura was unleashed, it would inevitably draw gasps of admiration.
Fifth Fist: Vajra Asura.
This was a technique that temporarily turned the body into steel for protection. Although it consumed an extreme amount of internal energy, it was a move that could save one’s life in a moment of crisis.
I looked forward to seeing if I could achieve a temporary effect of the Vajra Indestructible Body if I used the Fifth Fist alongside the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Art.
And finally, the Sixth Fist: Yama’s Thunder Asura.
The final fist of the Thunder Asura Fist. Named after the lightning struck down by King Yama, it was a final technique that poured all the internal energy in the body into a single strike. It was also the technique meant to crumble the cliff, but if this move failed, it would mean death at the hands of the opponent.
If an enemy was strong enough to require the use of the Sixth Fist, failing the technique would mean facing them without a single drop of internal energy left.
I spent seven days at the summit of the snowy mountain receiving the transmission of the Thunder Asura Fist. I learned everything meticulously, from the First Fist to the final one.
In the process, I also inherited the various realizations regarding fist techniques that the Fist Demon had felt throughout his life. Once he had made up his mind to take me as a disciple, he gave everything without reservation. It was this straightforward nature of his that had captivated me.
Now, all that remained was for me to train hard and reach Great Achievement.
From now on, even if I lost my sword during a fight, that situation would not become an opportunity for my opponent. Instead, that moment would be my chance to strike a decisive blow against an unsuspecting foe.
“When we return to the Cult, I intend to make two announcements. First, that I have accepted you as my disciple. Second, that the Eastern Fist Sect officially supports the First Young Master.”
It was as I expected. These announcements would cause another stir within the Cult. How would the other Demon Lords or my brother react? And what about my father?
“Everyone will see me as a greedy man with a foot in both your camp and the First Young Master’s.”
“What does it matter if they see you that way? It’s how you’ve chosen to live, Master. You can just tell them, ‘If you’re jealous, you do it too! Do you think that’s easy, you cowards?’”
The Fist Demon laughed. I felt that his laughter toward me had become comfortable now.
“Let us head down, my disciple.”
“Yes, Master.”
I walked down the snowy mountain with the Fist Demon. We left footprints on the untouched snow as we descended. Although both he and I had already reached the realm of Snow-Treading Without Trace, we deliberately pressed our footprints firmly into the ground.
If I could, I would have stamped my footprints into stone and set up a sign next to them.
The path where the Fist Demon and Geom Mu-geuk walked down after forming the bond of Master and Disciple.
After descending the mountain, we naturally set our course toward the Main Cult.
Before departing, we stopped at the West Lake Inn near the snowy mountain to check if there were any messages for me.
“Ah! Master. There is a place I need to stop by.”
“Where?”
“My people have sent word that they wish to see me.”
Go Wol and the Pungcheon Cult Leader, who were building an information network in the Central Plains, had sent a message asking to meet.
“So? Are you going to abandon me?”
“Abandon you?”
“Aren't you telling me to go back alone? Now that you’ve learned all the martial arts, you’re saying, ‘You’ve served your purpose, so get lost,’ aren't you? Ah! This is why they’ve said since ancient times that you shouldn't give everything away at once.”
I burst into laughter, never expecting such words to come from the Fist Demon’s mouth.
“Well, if you come with me, I don’t know when we’ll be able to return.”
Go Wol wouldn't have contacted me for something trivial.
“Will the Iron Fists’ lessons be alright?”
He had been away from his post for quite a few days now. I was trying to be considerate, thinking he might be worried about it deep down.
“What is there to worry about? I have a disciple now.”
“You’ve quickly learned how to say things that make a person feel good.”
The Fist Demon strode ahead and said, “Well, look whose Master I am.”