Chapter 135: You're Never Going to Fight in an Inn?

TL: FoodieMonster007

"How did you get here?"

Father answered my question with his usual words.

"I was just passing by."

How could that be? Father knew the Demon Supremes' movements precisely. He must have come after hearing that I was gathering with all four of them in one place.

What was on his mind when he came? Where had he been watching and listening?

Even though I had grown closer to Father, we weren't close enough for me to ask such sensitive questions without hesitating.

"This was my first time meeting with all four Demon Supremes."

"How was it?"

"If you hadn't come, Father, I would've gone to see you as soon as I left the inn. I needed to ask how I should handle the Demon Supremes from now on. Ah, I shouldn't make a habit of seeking answers from you whenever I'm frustrated."

My complaint was half-sincere and half-flattery. Normally, Father would have just snorted and let it go, but for some reason, he offered a word today that resonated with me.

"You can worry about that in about ten years."

"Are you saying you'll put up with me for the next ten years?"

Father snorted.

"Did you not know it would be this difficult?"

"I did not."

"You were making such a fuss about establishing discipline. I thought you knew everything."

"If I had known, I wouldn't have said such things. They look different from the outside, they act differently toward me, and they're different again when they get involved with others."

I whined even more, knowing Father was the type to be more pleased the more I struggled.

"That's right. I'm pathetically weak."

"At least you're much better than before."

Things were different now compared to when I went hunting with Father after my regression.

As we talked, a modest table of drinks and snacks was prepared. Father had them bring a simple stir-fried vegetable dish and the strongest liquor in the Alluring Inn. Jo Cheonbae must have used every bit of his skill to stir-fry those vegetables.

"Let's have a drink."

I drank with Father.

"Kuh, it's strong."

"You drink with the Drunken Demon without fear, yet you're afraid of a strong liquor like this?"

"He seemed like a good person?"

"It's a miracle you're still alive with such poor judgment of character."

How did Father perceive the Drunken Demon?

"What kind of person is the Drunken Demon?"

"He's someone who toys with his opponents while laughing and enjoying himself. So it's best not to carelessly open his liquor bottle."

"They say you should listen to your elders. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon also warned me to be careful of the Drunken Demon, calling him an insidious man."

"And he doesn't even realize how insidious he is himself."

I burst out laughing at Father's words. I thought I should tease the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with this later.

I poured Father a drink.

"Have you ever had a drink with the Drunken Demon, just the two of you?"

"I have."

"How does the Drunken Demon act toward you, Father?"

"He doesn't say much to me."

"The Drunken Demon, who talks so much?"

That was unexpected. I would have thought he'd be even more talkative and playful in front of Father.

"Is it because he thinks he can't toy with you anyway?"

"Who knows. How can one know what's inside that man's head?"

"That just makes me more curious."

"Things that contain poison are always the most brilliant."

He was telling me not to be needlessly captivated by the Drunken Demon.

"Don't try to dig into people's minds. Just judge them by what is revealed. You'll make fewer mistakes that way."

"Yes. I'll keep that in mind."

I emptied my cup with Father. I refilled his cup and asked another question.

"What do you talk about when you drink with my brother?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. Don't you tell him all my weaknesses?"

"Is there any need to point out a weakness that's obvious to anyone?"

"What is my weakness?"

"That cheap sentimentality of yours is perfect for getting you killed."

I smiled, pleased.

"I live my life thinking of that as my strength. Let's make the journey enjoyable and fun if we can. The road ahead is long and rough anyway. Instead of threatening, entrapping, and killing, let's have some fun."

"Do you think 'fun' is suitable for our line of work? You'll die looking for fun."

Father, I think I'm allowed to look for some. Not a single moment has passed when Hwa Mugi has left my mind. I lie down, but sleep doesn't come. The image of Hwa Mugi killing me again flashes in my mind, and I jolt awake and run to the training grounds.

"You should also try to live a more joyful and pleasant life now, Father."

"If the authority and fear of the Heavenly Demon disappear, they will come to strike us down under the banner of some pathetic justice."

It suddenly occurred to me that Father might also be unable to sleep at night. Perhaps I shouldn't be fooled by his floral pajamas.

"I will strive to become stronger."

"You should have already become strong. Only then would today's meeting with the Demon Supremes have any meaning."

"In that spirit, please teach me a lesson."

Since my last duel with Father, I had reached a new level of martial arts. A duel with him now would be a great stimulus for my studies.

Father stood and moved to the space next to the table.

"Here?"

"Are you never going to fight in an inn your whole life?"

"It's not that. It's just that if we fight in this narrow space, everything will be destroyed."

Then, Father said something unexpected.

"Who fights by smashing everything like a low-level fighter? The person who breaks anything loses."

He meant we were to fight without breaking any of the objects here.

I looked around the area. It was smaller than the first floor, with a lower ceiling, and it was filled with tables and chairs.

A duel with Father here? Without breaking anything? This would be more difficult than any duel I had ever fought.

I glanced down at the first floor. After Father arrived, everyone had been sent out and the doors were closed. Only Jo Cheonbae remained in the inn.

"Innkeeper, please go into the kitchen for a moment."

"……"

"No matter what happens, don't be alarmed!"

"I've been so surprised today that I don't have any heart left to be surprised with."

Jo Cheonbae scurried into the kitchen.

I stood facing Father, about three or four steps apart.

"Did you say it was difficult?"

"……"

"That's because you're weak."

Father released his qi, and I felt my breath catch. His qi was as heavy as a great mountain, as suffocating as a swamp, and as sharp as a blade. Even the Heavenly Demon Defense Art struggled to handle it.

Father slowly drew the Heavenly Demon Sword.

"The Heavenly Demon must be someone who can kill when he wants to kill. The only reason an opponent is alive before me is because I have allowed him to live."

"……"

The Heavenly Demon Sword and the Black Demon Sword clashed in mid-air. Their speed was the same, but the power in the swords was restrained.

"……"

The swords clashed again. I could tell Father was speaking through the power in his sword.

This power is the standard.

He was tuning an instrument, telling me to fight using only this exact amount of power. This was not a fight one loses by being weaker. It was a fight one loses by failing to control one's power.

"……"

The tuning happened only three times.

CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!

The Heavenly Demon Sword and the Black Demon Sword clashed brilliantly.

I swung my sword using only the promised amount of power. Each technique originally had its own power level, so ignoring that and fighting with only this current level required immense concentration.

In this moment, I placed no restrictions on my skills. In every fight since my regression, I had held back.

I should only show this much of my skill.

I fought now without such thoughts. I was confident that it was okay to show my true abilities.

You told me not to trust people, but at least I trust you, Father.

I fought to my heart's content, freely. It was a fight only possible because it was with Father. As we fought, my body rapidly adapted.

Then, Father raised the level of the fight. It was no longer about not breaking things, but about not touching any objects at all.

I have to evade Father's attacks by moving between tables and chairs without touching them? I exerted the highest level of concentration I could possibly muster.

The clash that unfolded amidst all this was beautiful. The lines our swords drew between the tables and chairs were like an artist painting his life's memories. The sound of our blades clashing between liquor bottles was the sorrowful lament of an old musician. Sometimes paper tore, and sometimes an instrument's string snapped.

The fight grew more intense, and the restrictions became greater. In the final stage, we even fought while protecting the lanterns hanging on the wall. We prevented the wind from our swords from extinguishing the flames.

And at a certain moment.

SHIIING!

Father's sword qi flew toward me. It was a sword qi released with restrained power. If his inner arts had been properly imbued, that single move would have blown the inn away.

Sword qi also flew from my Black Demon Sword. My sword qi, imbued with restrained inner arts just like Father's, dissipated his in mid-air.

FWOOSH!

The wind blew. Just as the lantern flame was about to go out, I threw my body to block it. It flickered precariously but did not go out.

Sword qi flew in succession. If I missed even one, it would fly past me and destroy the wall behind. Would the person who fired the sword qi lose then? No. In this case, the one who missed the sword qi would be the loser.

I fought Father, almost in a state of self-annihilation.

There were many sounds. The sound of footsteps, the sound of wind, the sound of swords cutting the wind, the sound of sword against sword, the sound of sword qi being released and dissipating, the sound of rustling clothes, the sound of flickering lanterns. Each one was imbued with the essence of martial arts.

I would definitely be able to recall this duel. There was no need to intentionally memorize it. Every technique was perfect, and the situation was desperate. This fight would become a source of learning for me for a long, long time.

When the duel ended, we sheathed our swords at the same time. The Heavenly Demon Sword and the Black Demon Sword entered their scabbards simultaneously with a pleasant CLICK.

I looked around. Not a single chair had been knocked over. There wasn't a single scratch on the walls.

"It's a draw!"

"No, you lost."

Father came over and held up the chopstick holder on the table in front of me. The tips of the chopsticks inside had been sliced off.

"Ah, a mark from where my sword qi grazed it. When did you even see this?"

I checked the chopstick holder on Father's table and sighed.

"I lost!"

I lost, but it wasn't a true defeat. Father was genuinely surprised and impressed by my skills.

"When I heard that you and extreme evil killed Baek Manggi, I had an inkling that you had achieved a great accomplishment."

He probably hadn't known it would be to this extent. Father was surely greatly stimulated by me.

"What should I do now?"

I asked for the way forward for my martial arts. I asked the only person who could give me that answer.

"From now on, focus solely on training in the Four Strides of the Wind God."

That was the conclusion Father had reached, and there was a reason for it.

"I have stopped training in the Four Strides of the Wind God."

"Why did you stop?"

To my surprise, Father answered honestly.

"I hit a wall."

"If you've hit a limit, Father, then I'll never be able to surpass it."

Father looked at me for a moment, then shook his head.

"Even if I can't, you can achieve complete mastery."

"What do you mean?"

"It is a wall created by the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. Having learned the Nine Calamities Demonic Art first, I could not achieve complete mastery of the Four Strides of the Wind God."

"Ah!"

I understood what he meant. Compatibility existed in martial arts. Some arts were inherently incompatible, while in other cases, the order in which one learned them could prevent complete mastery.

"If you do not achieve complete mastery before learning the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, you will never be able to achieve it after you learn it."

"I will be sure to achieve complete mastery before then."

Once the Four Strides of the Wind God reached complete mastery, it would combine with the twelve-star Soaring Sky Sword Art to show another level of achievement. Later, when combined with the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, it would show an even greater effect.

Father stared at me for a moment.

"Is it still difficult?"

"Thanks to your teachings, I've gained some confidence."

"Are you still thinking of becoming a cheerful Heavenly Demon?"

"I want to live while smiling."

After staring at me for a moment, Father turned around without a word. Just as he was about to descend to the first floor, he spoke nonchalantly.

"Come over to play Go when you have time."

Jo Cheonbae, who had been hiding under the counter, bowed so low his back folded, then looked up at me.

"Nothing was broken, so don't worry."

The demonic path I pursue is the one all innkeepers in the world would love most, isn't it?

Jo Cheonbae sighed in relief.

"Thus ends such a long day."

Jo Cheonbae's day may have ended, but mine had not.

I went to see the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. He sat by the window, reading a book. I thought he would be swinging his blade in anger, but he was calmer than I expected.

"You're not doing your martial arts training today."

"Why are you here?"

"I came because I wanted to see you, Elder."

Before bringing up the inn, I handed him what I had brought. I hadn't come to talk about that incident.

"What is this?"

"It's a restorative tonic."

"A restorative tonic?"

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was startled.

"You've gotten thinner than when I first met you. This is a medicine that will stimulate your appetite and nourish your body. I pestered the Insect Physician for it, so you can trust its efficacy."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was flustered, even more so than when I gave him the Antitoxin Bead as a birthday present.

"Take it to the Cult Leader."

"He's the type to suspect I've poisoned it and make me drink it all in front of him."

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon burst out laughing at my not-so-joking joke.

I lowered my voice as if whispering.

"Actually, this is something Father drinks, but I pestered the Insect Physician to get it. You know, right? How much Father takes care of his body. So please don't worry and drink it."

As I turned to leave, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked from behind me.

"Why are you being so good to me?"

I turned back to him.

"Because you're good to me, so I'm good to you. I'm being good to you because I think if I treat you this well, you'll be more helpful than the other three Demon Supremes. I'm also very selfish and calculating. Well then, good night. Make sure you take your medicine. I'll be checking through Detective Seo!"

I bowed to him as he gazed at me with a deepened look in his eyes, then I turned away.

You have to do it when you can. If you don't do it when you think of it, there might not be a next time.

At last, my long day was over. The effects of the alcohol began to creep up on me.