Chapter 198 - You Think That Would Be Easy?

The Fist Demon did not give his usual reply.

Nice try.

Had my attempt finally worked? Or did he mean he would no longer even acknowledge it?

He silently turned his gaze back to the arena. Two men were fighting until blood flew, and the crowd was cheering wildly for them.

“This place will look just the same decades from now.”

“My son might come here with you when you're an old grandfather, Fist Demon.”

He looked at me in surprise.

“Why are you so startled?”

“Do you intend to marry?”

“If I find the right person.”

Of course, I had no intention of marrying, but I gave the conventional answer.

The Fist Demon spoke firmly.

“I recommend against it unless it's someone you truly love.”

While telling me about his youth, he had said he resolved never to have family or friends, so I thought it only natural that he would offer such advice. But he had another reason.

“Even someone as exceptional as you finds a bloodless succession contest this difficult. Could your children really manage it as you have? It's more than an ordinary person can bear.”

His words expressed both his high opinion of me and his concern for future generations. Above all, they assumed that I would become the Heavenly Demon.

“I'll consider it carefully.”

“Come to think of it, I've just suggested ending the Heavenly Demon's bloodline.”

“It doesn't matter. That would be after I'm dead.”

His expression said that, coming from me, such a carefree sentiment might well be sincere.

“Let's leave.”

“Yes.”

At the exit, the Fist Demon looked back at the arena one last time. Would he ever return here in his lifetime? There was no knowing what lay ahead, but he was probably looking at it as a place he would never see again. His eyes held complicated emotions as he slowly surveyed it. Yet once he turned away, he strode out.

We left the arena and walked without choosing a destination. He no longer asked where we were going. I, too, followed the road without a thought, as though having no plan were the plan.

“Have you ever gotten lost?”

“No.”

“Neither have I.”

Perhaps that made this little journey of shirking our duties all the more precious and meaningful.

Neither of us had ever lived so aimlessly. We had never even imagined the pleasure of losing our way in life.

“Oh, I lost our bet. I admit it.”

“No. I lost this one.”

That was unexpected. Though he had said it was all right, I had thought seeing a rigged match must have left him with a somewhat unpleasant feeling.

“I enjoyed myself for the first time in a long while. Thanks to you, I revisited old memories, too.”

Perhaps what he really wanted to say was this: Thanks to you, I was able to tell you what sort of man I am.

“Then our contest of pride is tied at one apiece.”

“We'll have to settle it.”

“Of course.”

Then he said,

“Before that, there's somewhere I'd like to go.”

For the first time, the Fist Demon had said he wanted to go somewhere.

“I'd go to hell with you!”

“Our destination isn't quite so hot. In fact, we'll need to bring thick padded clothes.”

And so, leaving behind the arena that held his distant memories, we began walking toward the lingering sunset.

* * *

After traveling a great distance, the Fist Demon and I stood together atop a snowy mountain.

WHOOOOSH.

The wind that had brought the snow swept up the drifts around us and sent them swirling into the air.

“Why did you want to come here?”

This snowy mountain was the place he had wanted to visit.

“This is where the previous Fist Demon chose me as his successor.”

“Oh, did he?”

That was something I hadn't known.

“Truthfully, my master and I weren't a good fit. When it came time to make the final choice of a successor, he wanted someone else. That fellow's martial arts were inferior to mine, but he was much more agreeable and attentive to Master. Do you know why he chose me instead?”

“Because of Father?”

“Yes. Because of the cult leader.”

Father had not been the cult leader when he placed the young Fist Demon in the Eastern Fist School. But by the time the Fist Demon formally inherited his position as a Demon Supreme, Father had become the Heavenly Demon.

The previous Fist Demon could hardly have ignored Father's wishes once he became the Heavenly Demon.

“I became the Fist Demon because of your father.”

“Doesn't that make it all the more impressive?”

“Impressive?”

“Father must be a better judge of people than the previous Fist Demon. He chose a young fighter throwing punches in an arena without a scrap of internal energy. That fighter rose on his own from the White Fists through the Black Fists and finally became the Fist Demon. Trust Father's judgment when it comes to people.”

“There was a time when I was full of confidence. Who else could become the Fist Demon if not me? But now, I'm no longer sure. Was the cult leader's judgment truly right?”

“If his judgment had been wrong, the other Demon Supremes wouldn't name you as the hardest of them to face. Anyone can see that you belong in that position.”

The Fist Demon silently gazed at the snowy landscape. Standing high above a world of pure white, we enjoyed a breathtaking view that could only be seen from this summit.

I admired his willingness to reflect on himself. Without it, he would harden into a stubborn old man, rigid as a fossil. Because he could look within himself, I believed he could bring down the cliff.

I told him honestly how I felt.

“At first, I was curious about what sort of person you were. Then your goal of bringing down the cliff captivated me, and I wanted to bring it down, too. Now, I've grown even fonder of your true self.”

“My true self?”

“I think the young man who fought those underworld thugs was your true self. When we return, I want to gather all the Iron Fists and tell them that story. Hey! This is the kind of man your Fist Demon is!”

“Did you say nothing but these pleasing things to the other Demon Supremes, too?”

“I said many honest things, not merely pleasing ones. Things others wouldn't say because of their positions as Demon Supremes. Ah, of course, I admit there was some flattery. I wanted to see the good in them where I could, and to grow closer to them where I could. But I didn't make up things that weren't there. I said the sorts of things I hoped someone might one day say about my own life.”

Looking at him, I added,

“People rarely say them to you, do they?”

Even if you taught hundreds, even if you lived in a place where tens of thousands of cult members came and went.

“You rarely... hear those things, do you?”

Would anyone say such things to me someday? I had said them all for these people.

He stared at me without a word. After looking at me for a long while, he spent another long while gazing at the mountain opposite us.

“What do you intend to do once you become the Heavenly Demon? Is unifying Murim your dream?”

“The opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“I'll stop anyone from unifying Murim. Even if that person is Father.”

His eyes gleamed.

“So you knew, too.”

That meant the Fist Demon also knew.

“I know Father dreams of unifying Murim.”

“Yes. Someone as clever as you could hardly have failed to notice.”

“What do you think?”

“I'll follow your father's wishes. If he starts a war and orders me to kill them all, I'll kill them all without hesitation. Whoever they may be.”

Now I knew for certain. The Fist Demon was Father's right-hand man. Then was the Blood Heaven Saber Demon his left-hand man? He had said the spiritual elixir he gave me came from Father.

“I'll stop you. Both Father and you.”

After that, we stood there in silence for a long time.

WHOOOOOSH.

As the snowstorm swept past us with a bracing chill, the Fist Demon's decision reached me on the wind.

“Mugeuk, I will take you as my first disciple.”

I was startled. Becoming his disciple had been my goal, but I hadn't expected him to accept me like this, here. Especially just after we had confirmed our opposing views on unifying Murim.

His large, thickset body turned toward me. That frightening face had become familiar by now, but the look in his eyes was different. With a deep, earnest gaze, he said,

“I will be your master, so become my disciple.”

The moment I heard those words, emotion welled up in me. Joy surged through me. At last, I had succeeded in moving this man's heart. It wasn't because I had gained the support of a Demon Supreme, or because I could learn his fist art. I was simply overjoyed that this man had become my master.

“Waaaaaah!”

I jumped for joy right where I stood. Like a puppy excited by the snow, I gave full expression to my happiness.

Seeing my genuine delight, the Fist Demon's expression softened. So much that I wondered whether such gentleness had really been hiding in that frightening face.

Overcome with happiness, I unleashed the first fist form. Since I might trigger an avalanche, I directed it into empty air. I released the second fist form in an instant as well.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

There, I performed the rite of nine bows.

“I, your disciple Geom Mugeuk, formally pay my respects to you, Master. Please guide this foolish disciple with your great teachings in the days to come.”

His large hand rested on my shoulder as I bowed low. With that rough, thick hand, he gave my shoulder a few gentle pats. Come to think of it, this was the first time I had felt his gentle touch.

“Rise.”

I stood up.

“Master.”

The Fist Demon was someone I wanted as my master. Someone more than worthy of it.

“My disciple.”

He seemed rather pleased to have his first disciple, too.

“I will now teach you the complete Thunderbolt Asura Fist.”

He did not postpone teaching me. Nor did he ask for anything in exchange. That was the sort of man the Fist Demon was.

At the summit of the snowy mountain, he began teaching me the third through sixth forms of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist.

The third fist form: Heavenly Thunder Asura.

It was the heaviest of his punches. It did not strike distant enemies like Black Cloud Asura, nor did it send punches flying swiftly like Thunderbolt Asura. It was a form that struck directly with the fist, with tremendous power packed into each and every blow.

The fourth fist form: Iron Leg Asura.

Not every form of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist used fists. There was also a form that smashed opponents with powerful kicks. The movements themselves were so magnificent and dazzling that I was certain any display of Iron Leg Asura would draw admiration.

The fifth fist form: Adamantine Asura.

It protected the body by temporarily making it like steel. Though it consumed an extreme amount of internal energy, it could save one's life in a crisis.

I found myself hoping that combining the fifth form with the Heavenly Demon's Body-Protection Art might temporarily make me as indestructible as adamant.

And finally, the sixth fist form: Underworld Thunder Asura.

The final form of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist. Named for a thunderbolt hurled by the King of the Underworld, it was a last-resort form that poured all the internal energy in the body into a single strike. It was also the form meant to bring down the cliff. If this move failed, one's opponent would kill them.

After all, an enemy powerful enough to require the final, sixth form would then have to be faced without a scrap of internal energy.

I spent seven days atop the snowy mountain learning the Thunderbolt Asura Fist. I studied it thoroughly again, from the first form to the last.

In the process, he also passed on the many insights into fist arts he had gained throughout his life. Once he decided to take me as his disciple, he truly held nothing back. That openhearted generosity must have been part of what drew me to him.

All that remained was for me to train diligently and achieve complete mastery.

From now on, losing my sword in battle would not give my opponent an opening. Instead, that moment would be my chance to strike an opponent who had let their guard down.

“When we return to the Cult, I intend to make two announcements. First, that I've accepted you as my disciple. Second, that the Eastern Fist School officially supports the First Young Master.”

I had expected as much. These announcements would cause another uproar within the Cult. How would the other Demon Supremes and my brother react? And what about Father?

“They'll all see me as a greedy man with a foot in both your camp and the First Young Master's.”

“So what if they do? That's how you've chosen to live, Master. Just tell them, ‘If you're jealous, do it yourselves. You think that would be easy? You cowards!’”

He laughed. I could feel that he was now comfortable laughing with me.

“Let's head down, my disciple.”

“Yes, Master.”

I walked down the snowy mountain with him, leaving footprints in snow no one had trodden. Both of us had already reached the level where we could tread on snow without leaving a trace, but we deliberately pressed our footprints firmly into it as we descended.

If I could have had my way, I would have stamped our footprints into stone and erected a sign beside them:

The path the Fist Demon and Geom Mugeuk walked down after forging their bond as master and disciple.

After descending the mountain, we naturally turned toward the Cult.

Before setting out, we stopped at the West Lake Inn near the snowy mountain to check whether any messages had arrived for me.

“Ah! Master, there's somewhere I need to stop on the way.”

“Where?”

“My people have sent word that they want to see me.”

Go Wol and the Wind Heaven Cult Leader, who were out in the Central Plains building an intelligence network, had sent a message asking to meet.

“So? You're abandoning me?”

“Abandoning you?”

“Aren't you telling me to return alone? Now that you've learned all my martial arts, it's ‘I've wrung everything out of you, so off you go.’ Isn't that it? Ah! This is why they've always said never to give everything away at once.”

I laughed aloud, never having expected such words from his mouth.

“Well, if you come with me, there's no knowing when we'll return.”

Go Wol wouldn't have contacted me over something trivial.

“Will the Iron Fists' lessons be all right?”

We had already been away for quite a few days. I had thought he might secretly be concerned, and had meant to be considerate.

“What's there to worry about? I have a disciple now.”

“You've learned very quickly how to make someone feel good.”

Striding ahead to lead the way, he said,

“Of course. Whose master do you think I am?”