Chapter 193 - Frightening but Handsome

The Fist Demon and I stood atop a cliff where a waterfall plunged down.

ROOOAAAR!

The immense spray thrown up by the waterfall was refreshing just to look at.

“Now, absolutely no internal energy.”

“Just make sure you keep your word.”

We were about to jump from a great height. There was nothing riding on it, really. This was purely a contest of pride.

When I was a child, girls used to watch from down below... Now I was playing that same dangerous game with the Fist Demon, deep in the mountains.

“That thin torso of yours might smash to pieces against a rock.”

“That huge torso of yours will hit the rocks twice as hard.”

We stared at each other, our eyes filled with determination not to lose.

We jumped at the same time.

At my level, would jumping without internal energy really frighten me or make my heart drop? Still, I deliberately let out a good, loud yell.

“Waaaaah!”

SPLASH!

The Fist Demon hit the water first, throwing up an enormous splash.

His head immediately broke the surface.

By then, I was standing on the surface using my water-walking art. I had used internal energy before hitting the water. I crouched in front of his bobbing head and said with an infuriating grin,

“I lose.”

At the mischief on my face, the Fist Demon looked dumbfounded for a moment, then laughed so loudly that it echoed through the valley.

Good. As long as I made him laugh.

I jumped into the water with a splash too.

The icy coolness jolted me wide awake.

While I swam beneath the surface, the Fist Demon climbed onto a broad, flat rock on the opposite bank.

Jumping down a waterfall without internal energy.

Had the Fist Demon ever done that in his life? No, he probably had never even considered it.

“The water is so clear.”

After swimming for a while, I climbed onto the rock where he sat.

I could have generated heat with internal energy to dry my clothes, but instead I took them off and spread them out on the rock.

“I'm going to lie down.”

I flopped onto my back and looked up at the sky.

“You should lie down too, Fist Demon.”

“I'm fine.”

“How long has it been since you lay down in front of other people?”

“I can't even remember.”

“Then at least do it while you have the chance.”

Despite my urging, he remained seated.

We gazed at the sky in silence for a while.

To ease all his accumulated fatigue by slacking off, even traveling clear across the Central Plains wouldn't be enough. That was why I intended to keep taking him farther from the Cult.

“Let's be going.”

“Let's stay just a little longer.”

The Fist Demon looked anxious and restless. I understood. His life at the Cult kept him busy all day long. He taught everyone from the White Fists to the Black Fists! Thinking about it, his was no easy life.

After sitting there for a long while, he sprang to his feet.

Unable to bear the restlessness, he was about to practice his fist arts, but I quickly stopped him.

“You've spent your whole life throwing punches. Hold back just this once.”

“Sitting still makes me so stiff and sore that I can't stand it.”

“Come on, sit down for now.”

I got him seated again. He wasn't finding it easy to adjust to slacking off.

“That's true. It's harder for people to stay still. But they say zoning out like this is good for your mental health.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Something I picked up somewhere.”

Beyond the Fist Demon looking down at me, the sky was blue.

“Fist Demon, look at those clouds drifting behind you.”

He turned to look up at the sky. As he watched the clouds, I could sense distracting thoughts creeping into his eyes.

“Don't worry about your subordinates.”

He looked at me as if to ask how I had read his mind.

“They're probably cheering right now. Let your subordinates relax and slack off a little too. The leader slacks off, the subordinates slack off. What could be better?”

“Then the organization would fall apart.”

“So what if it falls apart a little?”

The Fist Demon flinched.

“You've never once thought, ‘So what if it falls apart?’ Have you?”

“Of course not.”

“If it falls apart, there are other Demon Supremes, aren't there? There's Father, isn't there? So what if you get a little criticism? So what if your pride takes a hit?”

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. It might have been a sneer that said, What do you know? Or it might have been a smile of relief.

“Just forget it all. Forget all those color-coded punchers.”

How long did we stay like that?

The Fist Demon relaxed his posture, leaning back a little with both arms supporting him. He didn't lie down completely, but he seemed more comfortable than before.

We stayed there, gazing blankly at the sky until our clothes were dry.

* * *

After descending the mountain, we walked along a narrow trail.

“Aren't we going to use lightness arts?”

“The scenery is lovely. Let's walk to the end of this trail.”

As expected, he seemed to be itching to move.

“Wouldn't it be better to reach our destination and rest there?”

Whenever I heard something like that, I kept remembering myself before my regression.

I had been like this while searching for the materials for the great art. No matter what, I ran until I reached my destination. Walking was unthinkable.

“They say taking walks is very good for you.”

“Zoning out is good for you, walking is good for you. Is anything bad for you?”

“Plenty of things. Worrying about work when you've come out to slack off. Thinking about someone who isn't even thinking about you. Thinking about bringing down a cliff even when you're out having fun. Plenty.”

After a pause, he asked,

“Did my life look that bad to you?”

“Yes.”

At my unhesitating answer, he stopped walking and looked at me.

“Not because it was bad, but because it was too perfect.”

A faint look of relief crossed his face.

“I understand what you're worried about, but I'm not someone who breaks easily.”

“Are you sure?”

“What?”

“Are you really someone who doesn't break easily? How do you know? You've never broken before.”

The Fist Demon had no answer.

“When I look at Father's grand chair, I think of that platform where you stand watching your subordinates. I get the feeling you're both trapped there.”

“!”

Fist Demon, you've come this far through your unwavering steadfastness. Can't you rest a little now?

He said nothing. We walked in silence for a long while.

At the end of the trail, I asked him,

“Is there anything you'd like to try?”

Unable to find a ready answer, he asked me instead,

“What about you?”

“I'm doing it right now.”

A faint smile appeared on his lips. Yi An and Cheon Sohui said he frightened them no matter how often they saw him, but his face didn't frighten me. In fact, it never had.

“Then I'll leave it to you.”

“All right, let's start by getting something delicious to eat. A trip wouldn't be complete without good food, would it?”

I ran off first, and the Fist Demon ran with me. Unleashing all the speed he had been holding back, he began racing ahead.

* * *

“Here we are! A restaurant with two hundred years of tradition!”

We had arrived at a place called Songmyeong Restaurant, which served both food and liquor. It was so popular that customers were lined up outside.

“How did you know about this place?”

“You think that's all I know? Their signature dish is bamboo shoots, your favorite.”

“And how did you know that?”

“Don't look at me like that. I didn't look into it to poison your food. You're going to be my master someday. I ought to know at least that much.”

The man standing ahead of us glanced back, then started violently at the sight of the Fist Demon. Trembling, he said,

“W-would you like to take my place?”

“No need.”

After that answer, the man turned away and never looked back again.

Smiling, I asked the Fist Demon,

“You've never stood in line for a meal in your life, have you?”

His expression said, Do you think I would have? So I asked again,

“Isn't it fun?”

The Fist Demon looked around. People waiting in line, newcomers joining behind us, people passing along the street, peddlers calling out to customers.

“It's not bad.”

Songmyeong Restaurant was so large that it employed over ten waiters alone, and the line moved quickly.

When our turn came, we found seats and ordered several dishes and liquor.

“Why order so much?”

“It's been ages since I was here. I have to try everything before I leave.”

The liquor arrived first. As I poured him a drink, his disapproving gaze settled on some martial artists passing outside, swearing among themselves.

I reached out to block his view.

“We're slacking off! That's a pebble. That's a chair. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Pouring me a drink in return, he said,

“At your age, with your martial prowess, it must be difficult to rein in your hot blood.”

“That's why I spend time with the Demon Supremes, isn't it? To keep myself from getting into pointless trouble.”

“You may have other reasons for associating with us, but staying out of trouble is commendable.”

“Oh! That's your first compliment to me.”

I raised my cup and toasted him.

The food arrived a little later. After trying a bite of his favorite bamboo shoots, the Fist Demon looked astonished.

“This is truly delicious.”

“There's always a reason people line up for a restaurant.”

I looked toward the kitchen.

“What do you think? Shall we kidnap the cook and take him back to the Cult?”

“You don't mean that.”

“Why are you so sure? I might just take him.”

After studying me for a moment, the Fist Demon said something unexpected.

“I hear your Demonic Path is one that doesn't smash tavern tables?”

I was astonished. I hadn't imagined he knew about that.

“How did you know?”

“I have ears too.”

This was why what I had told my brother was right. Even when they seemed not to be watching, the Demon Supremes were keeping an eye on everything.

“Yes. So when others line up, we line up to eat too. If a cook gets kidnapped, we go rescue him. That's my Demonic Path.”

The Fist Demon stared at me. How would he take my Demonic Path?

He seemed to consider saying something, then returned his attention to the food.

As we continued drinking, one of the two women seated beside us spoke to me.

“Is this your first visit here, young hero?”

“Yes, it's my first time.”

“Then there are some places you simply have to visit.”

“Would you join us and tell us more?”

The women glanced at the Fist Demon, then readily joined our table.

I ordered fresh dishes for them.

I could feel the Fist Demon's surprise. The ease with which they joined us seemed to be an entirely new shock to him.

A woman he'd never met starting a conversation and joining the table?

That made him wary of them. He narrowed his eyes, wondering whether they were up to something, but they were simply young women who liked having fun.

The reason I had gone so far as to invite them over was the Fist Demon.

He had remained single his entire life. No affairs involving women had been recorded. Perhaps he had given up on romance from the outset because of his appearance?

That was why I wanted to give him an experience he didn't normally have.

Over drinks, we chatted with the women about all sorts of things. I made them laugh with entertaining stories. Though wary at first, the Fist Demon eventually began enjoying himself, interest lighting his eyes.

Occasionally, I directed a question to him when he was better suited to answer it. Something like this, for instance.

“Tell these young ladies about the time you broke through the Orthodox Martial Alliance's all-encompassing net in your youth.”

Naturally, the women didn't believe it and burst out laughing. It went beyond the usual boasts men made over drinks. The Fist Demon looked at me then, asking with his eyes, Shall I really tell them? Smiling, I shook my head. No, no one will believe you.

After about half a watch of lively fun, the women got up to leave first.

That surprised him even more. They were simply leaving after all that? Without even arranging to meet again?

Once they had left, he asked,

“Did you perhaps promise those women money through sound transmission? Or threaten to kill them if they didn't join us? Or were they after our purses?”

Even so, I hadn't imagined he would think such things.

“Otherwise, why would women want to join our table?”

“Because of me, of course.”

“That much I understand. One of them did nothing but stare at your face the entire time.”

“Exactly. That's why she wanted to join us.”

“Even with me beside you?”

“You think they would be too frightened by your face to join us?”

The Fist Demon nodded.

“There are two things you don't know. Young people these days are perfectly comfortable spending time and having fun with strangers.”

“Don't they realize what danger that could put them in?”

“Kids these days are fearless.”

“And you're not one of them?”

“I'm including myself. I'm fearless too, aren't I?”

“Far too fearless. And what's the second thing?”

“It's true that you look frightening, but that doesn't mean you're ugly. If anything, you're handsome.”

The Fist Demon looked startled. It was the most surprised he had been since meeting me. He had probably never been called handsome in his life.

“If you're going to flatter me, make it something I can believe.”

“I'm good at flattery, but that wasn't flattery. Women might find your face attractive. They might also find you reassuring, as though you'd protect them no matter what happened.”

While he struggled to find a response, I added,

“Today's conclusion: the Fist Demon has a frightening but handsome face!”

After emptying his cup, he reached his own conclusion.

“You're a lunatic.”

“So I finally hear that from you too!”

Just then, a young waiter approached us. Could the child have been even ten years old? Those eyes were swollen from crying so much.

“I've been watching you for a while. Somehow, I felt I could ask you, great hero.”

The child pleaded with the Fist Demon.

“Please help me.”

In the tears brimming in the child's eyes, I could sense the weight of a pain even an adult would struggle to bear.

Gently stroking the child's head, I said to the Fist Demon,

“And not only are you handsome, but to an innocent child, yours is also the face of someone who would help if asked.”