Chapter 189: That Island Is a Place I've Been to as Well

TL: FoodieMonster007

The Fist Demon's body was perfect.

His face looked demonic, but his body was a work of art.

The Fist Demon's muscles looked ready to burst. They were large and thick but did not seem sluggish. Forged through arduous training and perilous combat, his diamond-like physique intimidated anyone who saw it.

His body had fewer scars than expected, but a single, long sword wound across his chest stood out. If anything, it made his body look even more impressive.

His body seemed to declare something.

This is the body of a fist artist who has reached the ultimate realm.

Could I truly withstand the pressure when that body rushes toward me? Could I endure the destructive power of that large fist? Could my sword truly protect me?

I was genuinely impressed. A hint of pleasure flickered across the Fist Demon's face when he saw my reaction.

He must have been told he was magnificent countless times, and he would know it himself. So, I asked something different.

"What do you have to do to build a body like this?"

"Building your body like this would interfere with your swordsmanship, wouldn't it?"

There was a clear difference between the body of a swordsman and that of a fist artist.

"I'll just have to train in a way that my swordsmanship grows stronger as my body gets bigger."

"Then you should move your body, not your mouth."

The Fist Demon began his fist arts training.

I had thought he would not train even if he joined the gathering. His purpose for joining was likely not training.

However, he began to train in earnest. He started performing the fist arts of the Black Fists as if telling me to watch and learn.

Since he had taken off his clothes, I could not just stand by. I also removed my upper garment and stood beside the Fist Demon, beginning the technique.

I scrutinized the Fist Demon's body with the Divine Eye Technique. I compared his muscles to mine as we performed the same movements.

How are they different, and why?

Understanding that difference would be my greatest lesson.

Lee Ahn and Cheon Sohwi watched as the Fist Demon and I performed the technique with identical movements.

I was sure that Cheon Sohwi wanted nothing more than to throw off her clothes and join us. Her own heart was ablaze with that much passion.

Lee Ahn and Cheon Sohwi also began their training.

The Midnight Training Gathering. The name might suggest a social club for slackers, but the four people gathered were all on fire. The session proceeded more intensely than any other training.

The wind from the Fist Demon's fists sounded different from mine. Naturally, the Fist Demon's sounded better. How can he produce such a heavy yet crisp sound? Listening to the sound of the Fist Demon's fists calmed my mind and made me feel good.

I became purely engrossed in the fist arts. From the moment I heard him say he wanted to destroy a cliff, I stopped looking at the Fist Demon with any other intention. I only wanted to learn the fist arts from him.

Perhaps the Fist Demon was here with us now because he sensed my sincerity.

After the training ended, I delivered a piece of news to the Fist Demon.

"Tomorrow, we'll meet at the Demon Village."

"At the Demon Village?"

"We're having a welcome party for you tomorrow, Fist Demon. A welcome party for the new member."

The Fist Demon was taken aback. The look he gave me was even more severe than when I had told him he needed to teach his unique martial arts to join.

He had likely never experienced anything like a welcome party in his entire life.

"We'll assemble at the same time in front of the Alluring Inn. That is all. Dismissed!"

As the Fist Demon glared at me, I held my ground with a look that said, 'If you don't like it, you can quit.'

The Fist Demon scoffed and left.

I watched his retreating back for a moment before turning around. I flinched in surprise.

Lee Ahn and Cheon Sohwi stood side by side, glaring at me fiercely. The Fist Demon was not the only one who disliked the idea of a welcome party.

Lee Ahn raised her voice.

"Are you really going to do this? Do you think I'll be able to swallow a single drop of alcohol in that situation?"

"It might be surprisingly fun, you know."

Suddenly, Cheon Sohwi placed a hand on her forehead.

"Ah! I think I have a fever. I probably won't be able to make it tomorrow."

Lee Ahn chimed in.

"Oh! That's right. I have plans tomorrow. I forgot."

I looked at the two women and smiled.

"You think that'll work? Well then, see you tomorrow at the Alluring Inn!"

And so, the first day of the Midnight Training Gathering with the Fist Demon ended.

The next night.

Jo Cheonbae, the proprietor of the Alluring Inn, gave a yawn so wide his mouth looked like it might tear.

There were hardly any customers today. He was dozing off next to the counter, wondering if he should close up early. Just then.

The sense of a presence woke him, and he jumped in shock.

"……"

He screamed and fell backward.

A terrifying demon stood before him. Thinking he must have seen something in his drowsy state, he got up from the floor and froze.

It was not a demon, but a person. It was the first time in his life he had seen someone so frighteningly ugly. The man's forearms were thicker than his own thighs.

Then, he heard a familiar voice.

"It's been a while, proprietor."

Geom Mugeuk appeared from behind the man.

"Director!"

Jo Cheonbae felt like he had died and come back to life.

"This is our Cult's Fist Demon. Pay your respects."

At the words 'the Fist Demon', Jo Cheonbae's eyes widened. He had heard many rumors about the Fist Demon, but this was the first time he had seen him in person.

"I failed to recognize a distinguished guest and was rude in my drowsy state. Please forgive me!"

Jo Cheonbae's waist bent in half.

As of this moment, the record was broken. From now on, the most terrifying of all the Demon Supremes who had visited was the Fist Demon.

Lee Ahn, who followed him in, greeted him cheerfully.

"Hello."

Jo Cheonbae's expression brightened. Seeing Lee Ahn, who always greeted him so brightly, naturally lifted his spirits. With her standing next to the Fist Demon, it truly felt like two complete opposites stood together.

The three, excluding Geom Mugeuk, went up to the second-floor table where they always sat.

"Is business going well these days?"

"Thanks to you, it's going well. I heard you're training in fist arts these days, Director. The rumors must be true."

"So you know as well, proprietor."

"Anyone who doesn't know that these days must be a spy. No, a spy would have been the first to know and report it to the Murim Alliance."

Geom Mugeuk laughed at Jo Cheonbae's joke.

Compared to the cheerful atmosphere downstairs, the mood on the second floor was solemn.

Lee Ahn and Cheon Sohwi cautiously watched the Fist Demon. Cheon Sohwi, in particular, was frozen stiff. Not only had she failed to quit the gathering, but she had also been caught secretly trying to get Lee Ahn to call her Senior Brother and Junior Sister.

The next Fist Demon is really out of the question for me now!

To break the awkward atmosphere, Lee Ahn asked the Fist Demon.

"Have you been here before?"

At that, the Fist Demon looked at Lee Ahn.

Is that question worth looking at me so scarily for?

If the Fist Demon had known Lee Ahn's inner thoughts, he would have felt terribly wronged. He had simply looked at her, but she had perceived it as a scary glare.

"Tell them to bring alcohol."

"Yes! I'll go get it!"

At the Fist Demon's words, Cheon Sohwi quickly stood up and ran down to the first floor.

Now, only the Fist Demon and Lee Ahn remained on the second floor.

"It was truly unexpected. I never thought you would join our gathering, Fist Demon."

In truth, this was what Lee Ahn wanted to ask.

Did you really join because you want to fight the Young Master?

Instead of answering, the Fist Demon asked her a question.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

"I am afraid."

"You don't seem afraid at all."

"If you feel that way, it's probably because of the Young Master."

"Why the Second Young Lord?"

"Because if you were truly a danger to me, the Young Master wouldn't have left me alone with you. You wouldn't have been able to join the gathering in the first place."

The Fist Demon's gaze shifted toward Geom Mugeuk, who stood in front of the counter on the first floor.

"The greater the trust, the deeper the wound."

Lee Ahn felt that if she had heard those words with her eyes closed, she would not have thought they came from the Fist Demon. Both the content and the gentle tone were uncharacteristic. Lee Ahn suddenly thought that she might have some misunderstandings about the Fist Demon.

"I don't think men know much about women. Women know everything. We only have the choice of pretending not to know, or running away beforehand."

"So? Are you the type to pretend not to know?"

"I'm actually more cunning than I look, so I'm the type to run away beforehand. The Young Master's case, however, would be the sole exception."

"Misplaced faith is what brings misfortune."

"That's a shame. Because I'll never get to experience that."

Lee Ahn's faith in Geom Mugeuk was absolute.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk and Cheon Sohwi came up to the second floor carrying alcohol.

"I apologize. The alcohol is late because I held up the proprietor for a moment."

Geom Mugeuk poured a drink for the Fist Demon first. The cup looked small and cute in the Fist Demon's large hand.

Geom Mugeuk poured drinks for Lee Ahn and Cheon Sohwi.

"Anyone with bad drunken habits, don't forget who we're drinking with right now!"

Lee Ahn played along with Geom Mugeuk's banter.

"As someone with bad drunken habits, I guess I'll have to risk my life."

She then looked at Cheon Sohwi.

"Do you have any drunken habits?"

"I don't have any."

"Are you sure you just haven't drunk enough for them to come out?"

Cheon Sohwi was confident she would never act out while drunk. Misbehave while drinking with the Fist Demon? That would never happen.

"Well then, a welcome to the Fist Demon. Cheers!"

Geom Mugeuk raised his cup, and everyone toasted.

Geom Mugeuk tried to make the drinking session fun and lively. It was also for the Fist Demon, who had arrived on time despite acting like he would never come.

Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn led the conversation, talking about all sorts of things. They talked about martial arts, women, and men. They talked about the Murim Alliance, the Evil Alliance, and the other Demon Supremes.

The Fist Demon did not seem to dislike the gathering either. He drank well and answered questions from time to time.

However, throughout the conversation, Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The Fist Demon was lonely. Seeing him laugh and chat in a gathering like this made it even more certain.

The four of them drank together, but only the Fist Demon was alone in a distant, faraway place.

That solitary island was a place Geom Mugeuk had been to as well.

Geom Mugeuk had been the same as the Fist Demon. He had been among people, but he could never fully enjoy that life. He only had the single-minded goal of obtaining the ingredients for the Great Regression Technique, but he had no life of his own.

Perhaps the Fist Demon was also living with the sole purpose of destroying the cliff, having already lost the joys of the present.

As he was lost in such thoughts, drinking, Lee Ahn was looking at me. Her eyes, which looked even more beautiful today, seemed to ask. What are you thinking so hard about? Just this and that.

Just then, a slightly tipsy Cheon Sohwi brought up the words she had been waiting to say.

"I thought all night about the question you asked yesterday, Fist Demon. The one about what I would do once I became strong."

She had truly pondered it seriously.

"I honestly don't remember what I thought before joining the Eastern Fist Garrison. From some point on, all I could think about was winning, and winning again, to become the Fist Demon, but even in the midst of that, I had this one thought. If I become the Fist Demon, I'll be happy. I'll be happy. If I just become the Fist Demon, all this effort will be rewarded."

Her voice trembled.

"If I become strong… I want to be happy."

Feeling embarrassed, she quickly added.

"I suppose it's not right for someone who dreams of becoming the Fist Demon to want something as trivial as being happy, instead of working for the great cause of our Cult."

It was Geom Mugeuk who responded to her words.

"I think it's fine."

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Fist Demon.

"What are your thoughts, Fist Demon?"

"It's pathetic, but not bad."

"If it's pathetic, it's pathetic. If it's not bad, it's not bad. Please just pick one. If you speak so ambiguously, our Junior Sister will be up all night worrying again."

"It's not bad."

Geom Mugeuk smiled and nodded at Cheon Sohwi.

In truth, Cheon Sohwi wanted to say this.

I want to be like this martial artist.

Lee Ahn looked happier than anyone. On top of that, she had someone she trusted and liked as much as her own life.

I envy you.

We all drank together.

The Fist Demon set down his cup and asked Geom Mugeuk.

"You said you wanted to learn fist arts because you want to become strong, right?"

"……"

"What will you do once you're strong?"

It was the same question he had asked Cheon Sohwi.

"I'm going to live freely. Go where I want to go. Come when I want to come. After hanging out with the Demon Supremes, if I want to be alone, I'll lock myself in the Heavenly Demon Hall for days. If I get tired of that, I'll just up and leave for the Central Plains. If I meet good people, I'll stay in their village for a few days. I'll drink with herb gatherers on mountains with beautiful scenery. At the very least, I won't live cooped up and frustrated in the Heavenly Demon Hall like Father. He should get out and have some fun too. Why does everyone have that expression? Why are you all being so scary… It's not him, is it?"

Mimicking what Cheon Sohwi had said yesterday, Geom Mugeuk turned around.

A person entered. His mere presence changed the air. He made the ever-composed Fist Demon tense up. He made everyone nervous. The Heavenly Demon, Geom Woojin, stood right behind him.