Chapter 190 - Will You Take Me Aboard That Boat Too?

"Still talking behind my back, I see?"

I smiled at Father's remark.

"Talking behind your back? You misunderstand! Besides, even if I were bad-mouthing the Heavenly Demon, how could I do it to his face? Even the Martial Alliance Leader couldn't manage that. Come, have a seat."

I was probably the first to notice Father entering the tavern. That was why I had deliberately said it for him to hear. He ought to get out and enjoy himself instead of staying in Heavenly Demon Hall all the time.

"Cult Leader!"

Yi An and Cheon Sohui sprang to their feet to greet him, but Father raised a hand to stop them before taking a seat.

Though he released no particular qi presence, the atmosphere changed completely. The second floor of this shabby inn had become Heavenly Demon Hall.

"What brings you here?"

"I was passing by and stopped in."

He always said that, but how could it be true? Had he come to see me? Or had he come to see the Fist Demon?

Yi An spoke cautiously.

"Please, enjoy your conversation. We'll take our leave."

"There's no need. I'll only stay a little while."

"Yes, sir! Then we'll be so quiet you won't even know we're here."

Watching her answer so spiritedly, Father suddenly said,

"You've grown so much."

The unexpected remark startled Yi An. I wondered whether anything had surprised her this much lately. I was surprised too. I had never imagined Father would acknowledge her like that.

"Thank you."

Her voice trembled as she bowed her head.

That was all he had said to her, but Yi An was deeply moved. She turned her gaze toward me, her eyes speaking for her. 'Did you see that, Young Master? The Cult Leader remembers me from when I was little. Oh, I'm so touched! He remembers me!'

Truly, if we hadn't been in this company, she would have been jumping up and down and shouting for joy.

Father's gaze turned to Cheon Sohui next.

"I hear you're the best fighter in the Eastern Fist School?"

Cheon Sohui was so startled she nearly fainted. The Heavenly Demon knew about her? That, too, was something she had never imagined.

"No, sir."

"Then was I misinformed?"

"What? No, sir!"

First she denied it out of modesty, then denied that denial. She was flustered and at a complete loss.

I came to her rescue.

"You heard correctly. Miss Cheon is the most skilled in the Eastern Fist School. I consider her a candidate for the next Fist Demon."

Not that it felt much like a rescue, since I only made her more flustered.

"No, not at all! The next Fist Demon? I wouldn't dream of it."

She denied it vehemently, even waving her hands.

Father looked toward the Fist Demon, as though asking whether he agreed.

The Fist Demon merely looked at Cheon Sohui in silence, offering neither agreement nor disagreement.

"The Second Young Master is only teasing me. Please don't take it seriously."

I didn't let her dismiss it as a joke.

"I said it because I sincerely believe it. Father, the Cult has never had a female Fist Demon, has it? Don't you think it would be splendid?"

I had said that deliberately. To be considered a candidate for the next Fist Demon before the Heavenly Demon himself—wouldn't that motivate her more than telling her a hundred times to work hard?

Understanding my intention, Father offered Cheon Sohui a few words.

"Keep striving to improve."

"Yes, sir!"

Cheon Sohui wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

After attending to the two women first, Father addressed the Fist Demon.

"Have you been well?"

"Yes, Cult Leader."

However frightening his face, however impressive his physique, however enormous his fists, he became as docile as a baby before my father, the Heavenly Demon.

"I hear my son has been pestering you?"

"These days, I'm the one pestering him."

"What do you mean?"

"Tonight is a welcoming party for a new member. I'm that new member."

Apparently Father hadn't known that much. Surprise crossed his face, then he smiled. This was what always hurt my feelings. He smiled like that in front of the Demon Supremes, yet never showed that smile to his own son.

Father spoke to Yi An.

"It must be quite an ordeal, taking in such a formidable new member."

"Not at all. The Fist Demon is..."

For a moment, she hesitated, unsure what to say. She had never really considered how to describe or introduce the Fist Demon. And she was speaking before the Heavenly Demon, no less.

Naturally, I wasn't about to miss such a fine opportunity to tease her.

"Please understand. Yi An isn't good at lying."

She hurried to reply.

"That's not it. The Fist Demon is wonderfully impressive, dignified, gentle, has a great body, and takes good care of us."

Silence fell.

"Has a great body?"

Even the Fist Demon looked briefly flustered, never having expected her to say such a thing. Yi An was flustered by her own words too.

"Did I say that?"

"Yes. It was the only truth among all those lies."

At my teasing, Yi An fixed me with a fierce look. 'Stop teasing me! The Cult Leader is right here!'

Father poured liquor into the Fist Demon's cup.

"My mischievous son must be making life difficult for you."

The Fist Demon respectfully accepted the drink with an expression that said it was enough that Father knew.

The two of them drank.

They seemed at ease, yet not quite. The Fist Demon plainly found Father intimidating and was uncomfortable around him.

Still, when I looked closely, Father and the Fist Demon resembled each other in some ways. Whatever their actual personalities, both gave off an uncompromising impression of smashing things first and asking questions later. And both looked somehow lonely.

"This is your first time joining a group like this, isn't it?"

"It is."

"How do you find it?"

Had Father come today because he was curious why the Fist Demon had joined our group?

"I enjoy it. Spending time with these young people makes me feel young myself."

"Are you old enough to say such things already? It feels like only yesterday that we were in our youthful prime. Do you remember fighting those orthodox faction bastards on Mount Wutai for three days and nights?"

"You still remember that?"

"You were truly magnificent then."

"Only because I haven't done anything more magnificent to replace that memory."

Father and the Fist Demon.

I had expected their meetings to be stiff, with little conversation, but to my surprise, they spoke quite readily.

In fact, Father seemed a little friendlier and more relaxed than he did with the other Demon Supremes.

The Blood Heaven Saber Demon had said that the Fist Demon was Father's favorite among the Demon Supremes. I began to think that might really be true.

The Fist Demon, on the other hand, remained intimidated by Father and only answered what he was asked. Perhaps that was what kept their relationship so stable. Trouble always began when both people became comfortable with each other.

After a couple of rounds of drinks, Yi An, who had been waiting for an opening, spoke to Father.

"I wanted to thank you if I ever had the chance to see you in person. Thank you for what you did last time."

Yi An rose and prostrated herself in a deep bow. She hadn't specified what she was grateful for, but Father and I knew. She was thanking him for giving permission for me to teach her the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art.

Father spoke calmly.

"Great martial arts bring great destinies with them."

It wasn't solely because of the Heaven-Soaring Sword Art, but she was indeed walking a new path of destiny.

"I'll remember that and do my utmost not to disgrace the great kindness you've shown me."

I wanted this moment to mean even more to Yi An.

"In that spirit, why don't you give Yi An a lesson?"

Father's eyes narrowed slightly at my words.

"Now?"

"When will we have another occasion like this?"

I raised a hand to stop Yi An before she could protest that it wasn't necessary.

"For you, Father, it's just another evening over drinks. But for Yi An, it could change her life."

I sent the rest through sound transmission.

"She's reached the ninth level at her age. You know how much effort that takes, don't you? That little girl has grown up so well."

Had those last words struck a chord?

Father stood and spoke to Yi An.

"Come outside with me for a moment."

Father took Yi An outside.

As she followed him, she looked back at me. 'Am I going to die?'

I waved as though seeing her off for the last time. She wouldn't die, but it would be one killer experience.

Of course, I could guide her to complete mastery myself. But receiving a lesson from Father, quite apart from advancing a level in martial attainment, would bring tremendous change and benefit to a demonic martial artist's life.

I apologized to the Fist Demon.

"I'm sorry for disrupting the mood."

"Whenever I'm with you, I find myself experiencing things I never expected."

"That's the fun everyone likes me for."

The Fist Demon gazed steadily at me, then emptied the cup in his hand and spoke.

"Earlier, I told that girl that the greater the trust, the greater the hurt. That misplaced trust would bring unhappiness. Now that I think of it, I never said that to you."

He was asking what I would do if the people I looked after like this betrayed me.

"At first glance, it may seem as though I trust anyone and everyone, but that's not true. I trust one person this much, another that much. I have my own standards and boundaries. Trust everyone, or trust no one—I actually think those are the easier choices. So I intend to take a harder road. The road of wrestling with whether to trust someone. How much should I trust you, Fist Demon? How can I make you trust me more? I intend to keep grappling with questions like those."

For the first time, I was revealing to the Fist Demon what sort of person I was.

"And? Do you think that will let you bring everyone along?"

"Someday, I may reach a point where I can't take anyone else aboard my boat. Because I'm exhausted, or because the boat is too small."

"Why are you so intent on taking them aboard? With your martial arts as they are, you could already live with all the freedom you spoke of."

"Because I think the dam is going to collapse."

"!"

After a brief pause, the Fist Demon asked,

"If the dam collapses and a flood comes, will only the people aboard your boat survive?"

"No. Perhaps it will be the opposite."

"The opposite?"

"My boat will set out to stop the dam from collapsing. They may die precisely because they boarded my boat."

I turned to Cheon Sohui, who had been listening.

"So you don't have to get aboard."

The look she gave me said, 'I think I'm already aboard, though?'

This time, of course, she spoke for her head rather than her heart.

"Naturally, I have no intention of boarding. I'll board the boat the Fist Demon steers. No, I'm already aboard it."

"Junior Sister!"

"Junior sister? Why are you calling me that, Second Young Master?"

She was drawing a firm line in front of the Fist Demon.

"Of course, Martial Artist Cheon. I wish you every success!"

I laughed first after saying that. Cheon Sohui wanted to laugh along, but she didn't dare in front of the Fist Demon.

Then the Fist Demon asked in an even tone,

"Will you take me aboard that boat too?"

A brief silence followed. Cheon Sohui looked more tense than the Fist Demon as she waited for my answer.

"I don't know yet. To be honest, I haven't truly looked at you yet. All I've seen are those fists of yours. Right now, all I can think about is making these baby hands of mine like your fists."

The Fist Demon drank quietly at my answer. I drank too, and Cheon Sohui cautiously took a drink as well.

Fist Demon, you can board my brother's boat. If you don't like his boat, take him aboard your own. But one day, I'll load your entire boat onto mine, with all of you aboard. I'm going to these lengths because I want my boat to grow that large.

A little later, Father and Yi An returned.

Yi An was flushed with excitement. I didn't know what he had taught her, but it had probably been a rare, life-changing opportunity for her.

"Well? Aren't you glad we held the welcoming party today?"

Yi An nodded.

"What do you think, Father? Would you like to join our group too?"

Everyone was aghast. Cheon Sohui actually had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.

I expected Father to ask whether I thought he had that much free time, but his response was unexpected.

"Would there be any benefits if I joined?"

"Of course there would. This isn't just anyone joining—it's the Heavenly Demon. You'd receive special benefits."

"What benefits?"

"First, the four of us will keep you entertained whenever you wish."

The Fist Demon suddenly spoke up.

"The four of you?"

"You'd enjoy it too, wouldn't you, Fist Demon? Spending some pleasant time with the Cult Leader."

Indignation flashed across the Fist Demon's face, and his eyes cursed me.

I turned away, pretending not to notice, and Father asked again,

"What's the second benefit?"

"Whenever you wish to instruct us in martial arts, we'll accept your teaching."

"Isn't that a benefit for you, rather than me?"

"Young people these days tend to hear their elders' teachings as nagging and let them go in one ear and out the other. You don't even get a chance to show off what you know. So we'll listen to every single word. Tell us all the stories of the old days you like!"

"But everyone listens to me, young and old, men and women alike."

Yi An and Cheon Sohui bit their lips. Keenly aware that getting carried away by these jokes could spell trouble, they struggled to suppress their laughter.

"That's not all. We'll take you traveling too. Then it'll be goodbye to Heavenly Demon Hall, goodbye to Strategist Sima, and goodbye to your grand armchair."

"What else?"

"You're quite greedy. What more do you want?"

Father answered,

"Play Go when I wish, and go hunting too."

Emotion welled up in me at those words. The benefits Father had just named weren't for him at all. They were entirely for me.

"You still won't join, even with all these outrageous benefits?"

Father emptied his last cup and stood.

"That's enough for today."

Father left as abruptly as he had arrived.

He exchanged farewells with the Fist Demon.

"Let's meet again soon."

"I'll come to see you."