Chapter 55: The Fist King Has No Choice But to Become a Demon
The Fist King Has No Choice But to Become a Demon
Chapter 55: The Fist King Has No Choice But to Become a Demon
Dan Woo-sung walked silently through the night, suppressing his presence as much as possible.
If he kept this pace for another hour, he would reach the inner valley of Mount Jiuhua. The pitch-black surroundings dulled his usual sharp senses, leaving only the moonlight and the dense scattering of stars to guide his path.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Why had he awakened in Mount Jiuhua, of all places?
Why had he taken over the lifeless body of Lee Jin-eon?
Just as he was now walking through an impenetrable darkness, he wondered if his soul had wandered the nine heavens after death—lost, directionless.
Staring into the shadowed expanse of Mount Jiuhua, he strained to recall something he couldn't quite grasp.
Perhaps his soul and Lee Jin-eon's had met somewhere on this mountain and spoken. Maybe that conversation was lost to him now because he had taken over the man's flesh.
"Danju, all three squad members were killed by a single person. It wasn't a swordsman or a blade-wielder."
In the dilapidated shrine Dan Woo-sung had left behind, men clad in yellow robes gathered around the corpses, reporting their findings to their leader.
"The signal flares were all fired from this location. Traces remain on the ground."
The commander receiving the report—the leader of the Bima Unit—gnawed at his nails anxiously before muttering,
"The Black Path?"
"We can't be certain."
Spitting out a bitten-off nail, the Bima Unit Leader examined one of the corpses.
"Many of them died from broken necks. Crushed underfoot, it seems. The orthodox factions wouldn't fight this brutally."
His subordinates had no reply and remained silent.
The Bima Unit Leader spoke again.
"Don't burn the bodies. Bury them together."
"Understood."
"We're aborting the operation. I'll report to the higher-ups. Once you've cleaned up, disperse and return separately."
One of the men responded,
"Yes, Danju."
"And give me one of the signal flares."
Taking a flare, the Bima Unit Leader began ascending the mountain path.
"We'll see when we get back."
"Understood."
Moving swiftly with the Lightfoot Technique, he reached a winding path so convoluted it seemed unnatural. There, he approached a large boulder and pressed his palm against it, releasing a temporary barrier formation. As the formation dissolved, a modest mountain lodge came into view.
The lodge itself had always been there—only the surrounding barrier was temporary.
Inside, the elite warriors of the Demonic Path, who had been planning to ambush and kill the Sword King, were conversing in hushed tones around a softly lit pavilion.
The Bima Unit Leader knelt on one knee and announced,
"Young Palace Lord, esteemed family heads—this is the Bima Unit Leader, reporting on the operation. An entire squad stationed on standby was annihilated by an unidentified master. The signal flares were also triggered there. I've ordered an immediate halt to the operation and have come to report."
The young man referred to as the Young Palace Lord wore white robes and stroked a white cat in his lap.
One of the family heads seated in the pavilion asked,
"What of the Sword King?"
"We haven't located him yet."
"And the one who fired the flares—was he found?"
"No."
The heads of the various Demonic Path families under the Ten Thousand Demon Palace turned their gazes toward the Young Palace Lord.
"Young Palace Lord, what shall we do?"
The old demons didn't fear the young lord so much as they pitied him. It was an uncharacteristic sentiment for those of the Demonic Path, but many genuinely felt sorry for him.
Because the Ten Thousand Demon Palace had been the driving force behind restoring the scattered and nearly extinct Demonic Path over many long years. Not only that, they had meticulously documented its history, supported families with profits from various enterprises, and taken in the destitute without conditions. Despite being of the Demonic Path, they never enforced master-servant hierarchies.
The fact that the martial world had remained outwardly peaceful for so long was largely thanks to the Ten Thousand Demon Palace. Thus, the Demonic Path families gathered here were descendants who still held gratitude toward them.
But the Demonic Path was still the Demonic Path.
Not all demons shared the same ideals. A faction that had broken away from the Ten Thousand Demon Palace had steadily amassed power until it now posed a threat to the palace itself.
The Young Palace Lord spoke calmly.
"Esteemed seniors, please return for today. It seems my net was not woven tightly enough. I apologize for wasting your time."
"Young Palace Lord, don't say such things."
"Then, until next time."
"Young Palace Lord, we don't consider this a wasted effort. Summon us anytime—we'll come running."
The Young Palace Lord responded politely.
"Understood. Thank you. Seniors, please travel safely."
As the family heads began leaving in small groups, the Young Palace Lord turned to the still-kneeling Bima Unit Leader.
"Bima Unit Leader, can you catch the one who interfered?"
The Unit Leader answered precisely.
"He seems to understand the use of signal flares. If we fire one at a specific location, there's a chance the master who disrupted the operation will appear."
"A specific location?"
"That would depend on terrain analysis—a gamble based on my instincts."
"Are you confident?"
"If it's not the Sword King, then yes."
"Is there a need to go?"
The Bima Unit Leader replied calmly.
"The failure of the operation is my responsibility. This is how I repay the Ten Thousand Demon Palace's kindness."
The Young Palace Lord gestured.
"Bima Unit Leader, come here."
The Unit Leader approached with his head bowed and carefully sat at the edge of the pavilion where the Young Palace Lord tapped.
"Let me see your face."
"Yes."
"You've suffered much. The Heavenly Sword Alliance has been hard on you. All this time..."
"Not at all. Compared to the hardships you've endured..."
"What hardships?"
"If I don't return, entrust the Bima Unit to Iljojang. He has more experience than I do."
"Let's pray that won't be necessary."
"Young Palace Lord, achieve your great ambition."
"Great ambition? Surviving against the Heavenly Sword Alliance is already a monumental task. Go now."
"Understood."
The man stood and bowed. Their relationship was strangely devoid of the typical master-servant dynamic of the Demonic Path.
Left alone in the pavilion, the Young Palace Lord sighed.
His face seemed frail at a glance. Though he had followed his father's orders in mimicking the Heavenly Sword Alliance's grand scheme, his heart felt hollow. He had never liked such operations to begin with—and now, this one had failed.
This ambush had been an imitation of the Heavenly Sword Alliance's "Great Demon God Plan," the faction that had broken away from the Ten Thousand Demon Palace. But they hadn't even encountered the Sword King, and now they had wasted the time of Demonic Path families still loyal to the Ten Thousand Demon Palace.
The Young Palace Lord stroked the white cat and smiled.
It was an odd expression—somewhere between crying and laughing.
Lifting the cat with both hands, he asked,
"White Cat, do you also wish for me to become a demon?"
The white cat didn't answer.
He spoke to it again.
"The ones we fed, sheltered, raised, and funded—they keep betraying us. They're stronger than us now. More capable, more intelligent. What should I do? Should I crawl ten miles like a dog and beg for mercy? No. That won't work. White Cat, if the Heavenly Sword Alliance moves, even you won't survive. They have no mercy."
Gently stroking the frightened cat, he murmured,
"...I have no choice but to become a demon."
"Young Master, what brings you here so late at night?"
The servant managing the inner valley of Mount Jiuhua looked at Dan Woo-sung in surprise.
"Just passing by. Is Ja-eon here?"
"He's been sleeping early lately. Shall I wake him?"
"I'll do it."
"Understood."
Given how relentlessly Sa Ma-geuk and Joo Ja-ryang had been training him, it was no wonder Lee Ja-eon was exhausted. But even in his sleep, he could still register a clear conversation at this hour.
'Elder brother?'
As Lee Ja-eon lit a lamp and rose from his bedding, his elder brother's voice soon came from outside the door. Hearing movement from the youngest, Dan Woo-sung spoke first.
"I'm coming in."
"Yes."
The moment Dan Woo-sung entered and saw Lee Ja-eon, he was startled. The boy's unkempt beard made him look like a stranger.
"What's with that beard?"
Lee Ja-eon asked,
"No reason to shave, so I let it grow. Brother, what brings you here so late? It feels like a dream."
"Anyone would think you've gone mad from training."
"I have gone mad from training."
Lee Ja-eon stroked his beard and laughed.
"Ah, Brother. I've been learning from martial seniors here in Mount Jiuhua. From Sabu-nim, I'm learning sword techniques, and from Sasung-nim, I'm picking up various things."
Having lived in the mountains with the caretakers, Sabu, and Sasung, Lee Ja-eon couldn't help but feel overjoyed to see his brother again—even though they had never been particularly close. Blood was still blood.
Dan Woo-sung sat in a chair and looked at his youngest brother.
"Hm, good. I was on my way back from participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament."
Lee Ja-eon's eyes widened.
"Really?"
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"I won."
"Wha—You won? How?"
"I defeated them, so I won."
"Wow..."
Lee Ja-eon's mouth hung open. The long-awaited news stirred a strange sense of inferiority toward his increasingly formidable brother. That was just the kind of person he was. But whenever such thoughts arose, Sasung's words came to mind.
With an awkward expression, Lee Ja-eon said,
"Congratulations."
Dan Woo-sung scoffed in disbelief. Still, his youngest brother seemed slightly more mature than before. He figured Joo Ja-ryang and Sa Ma-geuk must have put him through hell.
"Where are those seniors staying?"
"They have a small house not far from here. Do you know the place with the waterfall?"
"I do."
"They sometimes stay here, but they prefer it there. They're reclusive."
"What sword techniques are you learning?"
"That's a secret. Sabu-nim told me not to tell."
Dan Woo-sung nodded.
"Then I won't ask. Ja-eon."
"Yes, Brother."
"You've changed. It's good to see. I'll tell Hwa-eon to purchase elixirs for you as well."
"Ah!"
"Just focus on your training. Hwa-eon and I will handle the merchant group."
"Understood. But are you leaving already?"
Lee Ja-eon found his brother's late-night visit both unfamiliar and abrupt, sensing he was about to leave just as quickly.
"I must. If those martial seniors are still awake, I'll greet them before I go. If not, I'll pay my respects next time. You should sleep. Rest is part of training too."
"Yes."
Though Lee Ja-eon had mustered the will to stay awake, he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. It had been so long since the brothers had spoken without fighting or cursing at each other.
For the first time, Lee Ja-eon felt certain that his elder brother no longer hated him.
"Brother."
"Hm?"
Lee Ja-eon voiced a realization he'd had after countless beatings from Joo Ja-ryang.
"I apologize for everything in the past. I acted shamefully."
Dan Woo-sung shook his head.
"Don't say such cringeworthy things ever again. I've made plenty of mistakes too. Sleep."
"Yes."
"Don't follow me out."
Dan Woo-sung waved dismissively and headed for the door.
Lee Ja-eon chased after him.
"No, at least let me see you off."
Still in his sleepwear, Lee Ja-eon followed his brother all the way to the main gate of the inner valley.
Dan Woo-sung raised a hand.
"Go back inside."
"Yes. Travel safely."
As Dan Woo-sung vanished into the darkness, he asked his youngest brother,
"How much longer do you think your training will last?"
Lee Ja-eon thought for a moment before answering.
"It might never end."
"Good."
Dan Woo-sung smiled—a smile he hadn't shown his brother—as he went to find his friends. It was the answer he had wanted to hear.