Chapter 184: What Kind of Person the Fist Demon Is

TL: FoodieMonster007

"You seem to be in a good mood," Geom Muyang said.

The Demonic Buddha smiled. "I suppose it's because I've brought good news."

The Demonic Buddha acted brighter and more energetic than usual.

"You don't need to worry about the Fist Demon. He's made it clear that he supports the Young Lord."

Despite the good news, Geom Muyang's expression did not brighten.

"First Young Lord, let me speak frankly. I know you've been disappointed in me recently. I tried my best, but some things didn't go as planned. For that, I apologize."

The Demonic Buddha apologized sincerely, without any pretense. The feeling stemmed from watching Geom Mugeuk train earlier.

I can't win against Geom Mugeuk if things continue like this. He knew a change was needed and decided it had to start with himself.

"No. I'm the one who should be apologizing."

The Demonic Buddha could tell from Geom Muyang's reaction that he was flustered and doubted his words.

Geom Muyang always looked for hidden meanings and filtered what others said. Right now, he was doubting the Demonic Buddha's sincerity.

Yesterday, this reaction would have angered the Demonic Buddha. It would have reminded him of the crack that had formed between them, but not today. He decided to accept it. This was the essence of Geom Muyang. If the Demonic Buddha did not like it, he was the one who had to leave.

Geom Muyang spoke calmly, perhaps unaware of the Demonic Buddha's thoughts. "When I returned to the Cult, I think I was flustered. Mugeuk had grown so much more than I expected. The Mugeuk I knew was a young wolf, but he's become a great tiger. In my impatience, I was rude to you several times. I'm sorry."

Geom Muyang bowed his head.

The Demonic Buddha's heart softened. This was enough.

He decided the crack between them was not a danger that could shatter them. Instead, it was a mark for a better future relationship. He could look at it when he felt hurt and weary to find strength.

"You're also a tiger, First Young Lord. So don't be afraid. Roar to your heart's content. I'll protect you."

"Thank you."

The Demonic Buddha mustered his strength.

Yes, this is how I should approach him. Just as Geom Mugeuk approached me without hesitation, I must stride confidently toward Geom Muyang. Only then will I have no regrets, no matter how this ends.

The Demonic Buddha's gaze turned to the window. "The moonlight is especially beautiful tonight."

Geom Muyang's eyes, however, were not enjoying the beautiful moonlight.

This won't do.

He thought the Demonic Buddha, with his eyes growing moist at the sight of the moon, could not defeat Geom Mugeuk.

If you were truly on my side, you wouldn't praise me as a tiger. You'd bring me a trap to catch that other tiger. When every trick and scheme was needed, the man acted so leisurely.

It was because he was not as desperate as Geom Muyang. After all, if Geom Muyang lost the succession battle, he would be the one to die.

Because their hearts were different, the moonlight was also different. It shone down on them both, soft and warm, yet cold and lonely.

I threw punches alone in the moonlit training ground. I had already mastered the techniques the Red Fists were learning. They found them difficult, but to me, they felt as easy as basic fist arts. Still, a solid foundation was crucial, so I invested all my time in honing my skills from the start.

Just then, the Fist Demon walked over.

The moon at his back cast his face in shadow, making him look like a truly malevolent demon.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

"How could anyone not be afraid after seeing that face?"

"It's not just that you're not afraid. You're looking down on me."

"Do you enjoy it when others find you fearsome? You must have experienced it your whole life."

The Fist Demon walked slowly until he stood right before me. He thrust his face close to mine. It was the first time I had seen it this close. He truly looked like a demon born into the mortal world.

"How does it look up close?"

I looked at the Demon Supreme's face and felt something for the first time.

"You look tired."

"!"

"What in the world is making a Demon Supreme of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult so tired? Is it the Iron Fists? Or that cliff? Or is it something else?"

The Fist Demon's eyes trembled for a moment. No one had likely ever asked him so directly. Not even Father treated the Demon Supremes carelessly, let alone his fellow Demon Supremes.

"It seems you've coaxed all the Demon Supremes this way, but it won't work on me."

My comment about him looking tired seemed to have struck a nerve.

"As I've said, I never hoped for that. I desire something else."

"What is it?"

"Please teach me fist arts. Learning them is so much fun. I'm so excited and thrilled I can't even sleep."

I said it with all my heart. Perhaps it was because I had trained in sword arts my entire life, mastering the Twelfth Star of the Soaring Sky Sword Art and the Four Strides of the Wind God. The fist arts had come to me now like fate.

"Please teach me. I want to fight you, the Fist Demon, with the very fist arts you teach me!"

"!"

"With those fist arts, I want to defeat you."

In that instant, a wave of qi erupted from the Fist Demon's body. His aura was a fierce gale that made it impossible to open my eyes. It filled my mind with a blank terror, as if I would be blown away.

The Heavenly Demon Defense Art activated on its own, and I raised my protective qi to counter his aura.

At that, the Fist Demon's aura grew even stronger. A wind blew that felt like it would tear away not just my body, but my very soul.

I infused qi into my clenched fist and executed a technique I learned from the Red Fists, the Heaven Swallowing Fist.

"……"

A refreshing sound of wind burst from the empty space where my fist struck.

I stared into the Fist Demon's eyes. "You've awakened something inside my body."

Even without me saying it, the Fist Demon would know what it was.

The Fist Demon withdrew his crushing aura and asked, "Why have you come to me only now?"

The seventh connection among the eight Demon Supremes. He had every right to be curious.

"Was I not a person you needed that much?"

"It's the opposite."

"The opposite?"

"I heard you fulfill the roles of two Demon Supremes. That's why I wanted to meet you when I had become a little stronger."

"Who told you I fulfill the role of two people?"

"Father."

Father had said the four-versus-three split among the Demon Supremes was a tense balance. I confirmed through the Drunken Demon that he said this with the Fist Demon in mind. Father certainly had influence over them. The Fist Demon revealed a complicated emotion when our father was mentioned.

"I can't believe the Cult Leader would say such a thing. Don't make a reckless move just to pull me to your side."

"Go and confirm it for yourself."

The Fist Demon's face became even more frightening. I could guarantee that if he went to the Central Plains with that face, he would cause new incidents, accidents, and interesting events every single day.

He stared at me fearsomely and asked, "Are you serious about possibly becoming my disciple?"

"I am. This is your only chance to become the Master of the Heavenly Demon. Don't miss it."

"What will you do if I try to control my disciple, the Heavenly Demon, as I please?"

Finally, I released my own aura, revealing it to the Fist Demon for the first time. It was an endlessly vast, clear sky, reflected in clear water. It was an abyss whose bottom could not be seen, discovered only after dipping a foot into what seemed shallow. Extending that suffocating fear, I spoke sternly.

"Is your Heavenly Demon a person of such little worth?"

The Fist Demon stared at me, surprised.

We stared at each other in silence for a long time before the Fist Demon finally broke it.

"Hold out your hand. That baby hand of yours."

I held out my hand.

"Make a fist."

I slowly made a fist.

A peculiar light flickered in the Fist Demon's eyes as he examined my fist.

Yes, this isn't a hand one sees easily. This 'baby's hand' is the hand of a Heavenly Martial Body, bestowed by the heavens.

A master's entire body is important, but the hands are especially so. This is even more true in fist arts, where one cannot hide the body's weaknesses with a weapon.

He wrapped his large hand around mine. Hand met hand, each exploring the other.

After a moment, the Fist Demon turned and walked away without a word about my hand.

"Starting tomorrow, come to the Black Fists' training."

After leaving the Eastern Fist Garrison, I went straight to the Valley of Evil. I wanted to ask the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon about the Fist Demon. For some reason, I felt he would know the Fist Demon well.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon sat blankly in his all-white room, as always.

His first words to me were, "Second Young Lord, you want to fight the Fist Demon."

I was startled. "Have you learned a mind-reading art? Or are we so close we can read each other's thoughts just by looking into our eyes?"

"You're wearing a mask today, aren't you?"

"And if I'm wearing a mask, that means I want to fight the Fist Demon?"

"Yes. That means you want to fight the Fist Demon."

I smiled and pushed the mask up onto my head. "What if I came like this?"

"Then you must have come because you want to play with me."

I had not come to play today, so I pulled the mask back down.

"I might be able to fool a ghost, but I can't fool you." I nodded, admitting it honestly.

"Do you miss the blood?"

"I think so. When I miss blood, you're the first person I think of."

"When I heard you were learning martial arts from the Fist Demon, I knew you'd visit me at least once."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and the Fist Demon were completely different people in feel, atmosphere, and personality. Still, if one were to classify the Demon Supremes without any criteria, it felt like they would be placed in the same category.

"Do you know why the Fist Demon supports the First Young Lord?"

"Because I went to see him late?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon shook his head.

"Because he supports the succession of the eldest son?"

"That's probably not it either."

"Then why does he support my brother?"

An unexpected answer came. "It's likely because of the Cult Leader."

"Because of Father?"

"Until you began to distinguish yourself recently, everyone expected the First Young Lord to be the successor. The Cult Leader probably had his mind made up that way as well."

"Does that mean the Fist Demon is following Father's will?"

"That's right. He probably thinks the Cult Leader wants the First Young Lord as the successor. He doesn't know how much the situation has changed recently."

"Because he was focused solely on teaching his subordinates."

"Correct. If he finds out the Cult Leader has you in mind, he'll change his mind."

The Drunken Demon had said Father would most like the Fist Demon, who was purely crazy about martial arts. It occurred to me that perhaps the Fist Demon was also the one who liked Father the most.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon gave one last piece of advice. "The Fist Demon's alias is 'Undefeated'. He's a man who has never lost. You'll find out what kind of person he is when he's finally defeated."

I nodded silently.

Perhaps I'll be the one to hand him his first defeat.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon read that fervor in me.

"Second Young Lord, why are you trying to become so strong?"

He knew my ultimate goal in learning from the Fist Demon was not to gain an ally, but to become stronger.

"Are you perhaps dreaming of unifying the world?"

"No," I said firmly.

"Do you want to become the world's number one?"

"That's not it either."

"Then why are you running so breathlessly?"

"I have a premonition that a powerful enemy will appear one day. An enemy so strong I can never win unless I train like a madman. I suppose I have that kind of anxiety."

I revealed my honest anxiety to him. Strangely, it was comfortable to reveal these emotions to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon stared at me quietly, then suddenly shot a finger qi bullet.

JIIIIIIIIK.

A long line scarred the white wall he always stared at. I was shocked. He had damaged the wall I thought he would never touch.

"Second Young Lord, how far have we come?"

After a very long time, he drew a line and asked me. The last time, I had said I reached the line of survival.

I drew the Black Demon Sword. I passed the old survival line and drew a vertical line at the end of his new one. "I've come this far."

I had not spent much time with him, but our two back-to-back, life-or-death battles allowed me to draw the line there.

"Do you remember? When we first met, I told you I don't befriend people who wear masks. Now, that principle has changed. Since I wear a mask too, I'll be friends with people who wear masks." The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon said this to me with clear eyes.

"You said it, Second Young Lord. That if I reached that line, we'd become friends. We'd eat and drink together, have fun together, and fight together. If one was in danger, the other would come to the rescue. If one of us died first, the other would pour alcohol on their grave."

"That's right."

"If that powerful enemy you mentioned appears and you fall into danger…" The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon paused briefly before adding, "I'll go and save you."

"!"

I could tell. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's line was drawn in the same place as mine.

Father always says not to trust people. He says this kind of feeling is a cheap, naive sentiment that gets you killed. Even so, I love this moment so much.

"I'll be waiting for you to save me."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's eyes shone clearly. No more words were needed.

As I turned to leave, I asked worriedly, "By the way, is that wall okay? It's for your training, isn't it?"

He had said he trained by looking at the white wall to gain more inner arts. I worried how he would manage now that it was damaged. The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon just looked at the opposite white wall and said, "I didn't like the color of that wall over there anyway. Starting today, I'll look at this one."