Chapter 437: Do You Like Father More, or Do You Like Me?
Chapter 437: Do You Like Father More, or Do You Like Me?
A faint crack of thunder echoed under the clear, cloudless sky.
Cheon So-hui stared at her outstretched fist, her eyes wide with shock. "Did you hear that, Master?"
When the Fist Demon, standing before her, gave a slow nod, So-hui let out a cry of pure exhilaration. "Master! I finally did it!"
At last, the sound of thunder had erupted from her strike.
She had become the Fist Demon’s second disciple after Geom Mu-geuk and had been chosen as the successor to the title of Fist Demon. Since that day, she had tirelessly practiced the Thunder Asura Fist he had bestowed upon her. Today, for the first time, she had produced that signature thunderous crack.
Knowing better than anyone how much blood and sweat she had poured into her training, the Fist Demon allowed a rare smile to graze his lips. It was a precious sight; the man almost never smiled.
"This is only the beginning," he said.
"Yes, Master!"
So-hui felt as if she could fly.
She was well aware of the whispers and gossip circulating behind her back—the inevitable envy and jealousy of others. She knew people expressed doubt over a woman being designated as the next Fist Demon. After all, the current Fist Demon was defined by his terrifying visage, his massive frame, and above all, the enormous, mountain-crushing fists that served as his symbol.
She understood their skepticism. But she would show them. She would prove exactly what the "small" fists of the future Fist Demon could crush. She would silence them through sheer, undeniable skill.
Just then, a voice spoke from behind her. "Congratulations, Junior Sister."
Startled, she turned to see Geom Mu-geuk entering the training ground.
"Senior Brother! You’re back!"
Having been lost in the trance of her training lately, she hadn't even realized he had returned to the sect.
Mu-geuk offered her a warm smile before bowing respectfully to the Fist Demon. "Your disciple has returned from his journey to the North Sea."
"Welcome back," the Fist Demon greeted him with his usual stoic demeanor. His fearsome face remained as immovable as stone, and his muscular physique seemed to ripple with even more power than before.
"The enemy was plotting in the North Sea as well," Mu-geuk reported. "Though in the end, they all collapsed in a drunken stupor."
"I heard. I was told the Drunken Demon went through quite a lot of trouble."
It seemed the Fist Demon had already discussed the situation in the North Sea with Mu-geuk's father, the Cult Leader.
Master, do you know what Father is thinking? Mu-geuk wondered.
Long ago, in their youth, Mu-geuk's father had shared his dreams with the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, his face flushed with excitement. If he were to speak of such things now, wouldn't he have spoken to the Fist Demon?
After greeting his master, Mu-geuk turned his attention back to Cheon So-hui. "To produce the sound of thunder already... that's impressive."
"It is only because Master guided me so well," she replied modestly.
"I’ll buy you a celebratory drink soon."
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Cheon So-hui was exceedingly polite to Mu-geuk. Not only was he her senior, but he was also the figure destined to become the next Heavenly Demon.
However, there was an even deeper reason for her respect. It was thanks to Mu-geuk that she had become the successor to the Fist Demon in the first place. Her fate had shifted during those late-night training sessions they had shared.
As Mu-geuk began to walk away, he paused and looked back at her. "Junior Sister, you’re going to be a truly magnificent Fist Demon."
In her heart, Cheon So-hui no longer thought of him as just her senior brother or even the Young Cult Leader.
My Lord, when that time comes, I will serve you with all my loyalty.
*
Mu-geuk followed the Fist Demon to a spot in front of a towering cliff within the Eastern Fist Sect’s grounds.
It was the Fist Demon’s lifelong dream to collapse this cliff with a single strike. How much had that dream grown over the years?
Mu-geuk stood side by side with the Fist Demon, looking up at the precipice. The cliff was as overwhelming as ever, mirroring the man who gazed up at it.
Can he really bring this cliff down? Mu-geuk thought. And can I really persuade this man?
After staring up at the rock for a long while, Mu-geuk spoke, choosing a topic to soften the man's heart. "Lee An has left to carry out a mission."
"I know."
"How?"
"She sent me a missive."
It seemed she was making sure to look after her father.
"Then you must have heard the news that she found her family in the North Sea."
The Fist Demon nodded silently. Instead of asking if he was surprised, Mu-geuk said, "The Ice Palace Master was quite shocked by Lee An’s status. The niece he finally found had become my Master’s adopted daughter."
Mu-geuk phrased it that way intentionally, elevating the Fist Demon above the Ice Palace Master.
"Did you happen to write back?"
To his surprise, the Fist Demon nodded, adding a single word: "Naturally."
Mu-geuk imagined the Fist Demon holding a brush—which must have looked infinitesimally small in his massive hand—and writing a reply. Since he wasn't the type to write letters, he must have agonized over every word. In that moment, he would have been nothing more than a father worrying for and missing his daughter.
"I heard that if you hadn't gone to the North Sea, An-i would have been in danger."
"I’d like to say she would have handled it fine even without me... but she likely would have been in peril," Mu-geuk admitted.
The Fist Demon’s gaze softened slightly. At this moment, Mu-geuk wasn't just his disciple and the Young Cult Leader; he was the man who had saved his daughter from a crisis.
This was the chance.
"Master. May I ask you a question that might be difficult to answer?"
The Fist Demon likely never imagined he would receive such a question.
"Do you like Father more, or do you like me?"
The Fist Demon stared at Mu-geuk with an expression of pure absurdity.
"Is it too difficult?" Mu-geuk pressed.
"No, I am simply surprised because it is such an easy question."
The Fist Demon looked back up at the cliff, and Mu-geuk watched him. Could he really discern his father’s intentions from this man, whose loyalty was taller and harder than the stone before them?
If Mu-geuk had the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon, his father had the Fist Demon. If he could only bring the Fist Demon to his side, stopping his father’s dream of the Unification of the Murim would become much easier.
However, breaking this "cliff" before him felt more difficult than collapsing the literal one of stone.
"Father has become strange," Mu-geuk said.
"The Cult Leader?"
"He met with the Extreme Evil Smiling Demon separately, and he even shared a drink with the Drunken Demon."
Whether he was feigning ignorance or truly believed it, the Fist Demon asked bluntly, "What is so strange about the Demonic Cult Leader meeting a Demon Lord?"
"It wouldn't be strange if it were something he always did."
The Fist Demon shifted his gaze from the cliff to Mu-geuk. "What is it you want to say?"
"I want to know Father’s plan."
"If you are curious, ask the Cult Leader yourself."
That was the worst possible move. His father had pointedly decided to drink with the Drunken Demon while Mu-geuk was present. He surely knew that the news of his private meeting with the Smiling Demon would reach Mu-geuk’s ears.
Even when Mu-geuk first regressed and stood on the sparring stage, his father knew he had been poisoned by Energy-Scattering Poison. Yet, he hadn't intervened; he had simply watched to see how Mu-geuk would overcome it.
It was the same now. His father was watching him. This was like a game of Go. I have made this move. Now, what move will you make?
Mu-geuk intended to show his father that more than half of the Demon Lords opposed the war. It didn't matter if that wasn't the reason his father was tending to the Smiling Demon and the Drunken Demon. As long as his father harbored the ambition for the Unification of the Murim, this was a confrontation that had to happen eventually.
"If he were the type to tell me just because I asked, I wouldn't be worrying. You know better than anyone what kind of person Father is."
The Fist Demon did not deny that point.
"To be honest, I’ve been on high alert since I returned," Mu-geuk continued. "Why would he suddenly start managing the Demon Lords when he never did before? Has he finally started moving toward the Unification of the Murim?"
Though the term "Unification of the Murim" was mentioned, the Fist Demon didn't waver in the slightest.
"Do you know what else? You are being strange too, Master. You are far too calm. It’s as if you already know everything. Please, tell me what you know."
The Fist Demon’s lips remained sealed. To open that heavy mouth, Mu-geuk revealed his situation honestly.
"In case my suspicions are correct, I am currently trying to bring the Demon Lords to my side. I have met three so far: one is on my side, one is on Father’s side, and one has yet to decide."
The Fist Demon focused on the undecided vote. "Who is the Demon Lord who has not decided?"
"The Blood Heaven Blade Demon."
The Fist Demon looked surprised for a moment, then nodded as if he understood. "The Blade Demon truly treasures you. For someone of his temperament to be unable to make a decision..."
It was true. For the Blade Demon, things were usually black or white. Being indecisive was something his personality normally couldn't tolerate. Yet, he was struggling, enduring the shame of being perceived as spineless, solely for Mu-geuk’s sake.
"You’re on my side, of course, right Master? I mean, whose side would you take if not your disciple’s?"
"I have two disciples," the Fist Demon replied, "but only one Cult Leader."
"I am your disciple and also the Young Cult Leader."
"So-hui will likely take your side later."
Mu-geuk knew he couldn't change the man's mind with just a few words. So, he asked point-blank. The Fist Demon wasn't a man who appreciated talking in circles.
"If Father starts a war, will you accept that command?"
The Fist Demon’s eyes flashed with an intense light. "If it is the Cult Leader’s command, then naturally, I must accept."
Mu-geuk stared into that terrifying face and said, "That is exactly why you, of all people, must oppose it."
"What do you mean?"
"Because Father will not be able to ignore your words, Master."
Mu-geuk knew these words were a burden. He was essentially forcing his will upon a man living as a Demon Lord. But, as the Smiling Demon had said, he was shouting toward the Demon Lords, asking them to join his Demonic Path.
"War is out of the question, Master."
The Fist Demon stared at him silently for a moment before he began to pull off his upper garment. "It has been a while. Let us train."
"Are you going to start that war with me?"
Even at the joke, the Fist Demon didn't stop undressing. His upper body was revealed.
No matter how many times he saw it, the Fist Demon’s body was perfect. The large, thick muscles forged through grueling training didn't look dull at all; his physique gleamed like diamond.
A single sword scar slashed across his chest. Mu-geuk had heard the story of that wound before. It was a scar from his days fighting in underground arenas before he joined the Cult. It was a wound received for refusing the threats of a Black Path gang trying to fix a match. Though the Fist Demon felt ashamed of a scar left by people he could now defeat with a single finger, Mu-geuk had told him it was magnificent.
It was a scar created by the priceless courage of a youth who stood tall even in the face of death.
When he first saw it, that was all he felt, but seeing it again today, the scar seemed like a symbol that spoke of the man himself. I am a man who does not fear death.
Mu-geuk also threw off his shirt and stepped forward. "Ah! When will I ever have a body like yours, Master?"
"If you could trade, would you take my body?"
"..."
Rumble.
The Fist Demon’s clenched fists let out a low growl.
"I have a confession to make," Mu-geuk said. "I’ve been neglecting my fist training lately because I’ve been focusing on the Nine Calamities Demonic Art."
Mu-geuk felt guilty because fist techniques always fell low on his priority list. But the Fist Demon understood his circumstances well.
"There is no need to rush. Master the Nine Calamities Demonic Art first. It will be enough to learn this later."
Mu-geuk had expected a request for a full-blown duel, but the Fist Demon offered his usual guidance instead. They stood side by side and began to perform the Thunder Asura Fist. Setting aside the argument about the war, they immersed themselves in training.
Cra-crack!
The Fist Demon’s fists began to tear through the air. Mu-geuk began to execute the forms in perfect synchronization with him.
As they performed the First Fist, Black Cloud Asura, the Fist Demon’s thunder and Mu-geuk’s thunder erupted simultaneously.
In the Second Fist, Thunder Asura, fists so fast they were invisible shredded the air. Heavenly Thunder Asura struck down with heavy force. Iron Leg Asura was flamboyant, and Vajra Asura was rock-solid.
They were performing the exact same movements, like a man and his shadow.
However, the martial intent contained within the movements was entirely different. If the Fist Demon was a deep ocean, Mu-geuk was still merely a river.
They finished the session with the sixth and final form, Yama’s Thunder Asura, the lightning strike of the King of Hell.
Mu-geuk had focused so intensely that sweat poured off him like rain. Training like this, bare-chested with the Fist Demon, was more exhilarating than any other form of practice.
"The power behind your fists has changed."
Even though Mu-geuk had used the same amount of strength as before, the Fist Demon noticed that his internal energy had increased. Although it was now difficult for anyone to notice the changes in Mu-geuk’s realm as he achieved a perfect Return to the Natural State, it seemed the power within his fists could not be hidden from this man.
"As a reward for my work, the Ice Palace Master gave me the Ten Thousand Extreme Ice Essence."
The Fist Demon looked at him with a startled expression. He, too, knew what had to be done before one could consume such a treasure.
"I was lucky enough to also consume a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit."
The Fist Demon’s expression seemed to ask: How could one obtain both through luck alone?
"Can you generate cold energy from your internal energy?"
"Yes, I can."
"Then try performing the Thunder Asura Fist with the coldest energy possible."
Mu-geuk performed the Thunder Asura Fist again, this time alone. He followed the Fist Demon’s instructions, infusing his internal energy with a frigid chill.
It felt completely different from before. Even with the same amount of energy, the destructive power was far greater.
"Originally, the Thunder Asura Fist was designed to shine even brighter when used with extreme cold internal energy," the Fist Demon explained. "I believe the fact that you obtained the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit and the Ten Thousand Extreme Ice Essence means you have a deep destiny with this art. Do not neglect it, and make sure to reach Great Achievement."
"I will keep that in mind, Master."
The Fist Demon shared further insights into the Thunder Asura Fist. It was a different teaching from the one he had given back in the snowy mountains—details he had omitted then because they weren't necessary, along with new realizations he had gained since.
The Fist Demon taught without holding anything back. He was a man who became a true teacher when he was a master, and a true father when he was a parent. This was the man who was his father’s Demon Lord.
When the teaching ended, Mu-geuk bowed deeply to him. "While you give me such great teachings, Master, I have been being disrespectful to you."
The Fist Demon pulled him up. A memory of a day long ago flickered in his blunt eyes. "You know how I met the Cult Leader, don't you?"
Mu-geuk's father had saved him when he was about to be killed by Black Path thugs in an underground arena. The Fist Demon had followed his father to the Cult and joined the Eastern Fist Sect. And when he became the Black Fist there, his father had come to find him again. What his father said then was this:
— I will become the Heavenly Demon, so you become my Fist Demon.
On that day, the Fist Demon became his father’s man.
"I am a man who died long ago," the Fist Demon said, his gaze toward Mu-geuk deepening. "The life I live now is a bonus granted to me by the Cult Leader. I respect your Demonic Path."
There was sincerity in those intense eyes. However, that respect did not change his heart toward Mu-geuk's father.
"But I will follow the Cult Leader’s Demonic Path."