Chapter 723: Don't Try to Shoulder It All Alone

TL: FoodieMonster007

Seo Daeryong's wedding date was set. Although he had claimed he would decide on his own, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had carefully chosen the date for him. Worried he might have chosen poorly, he even went to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and the Head Strategist to confirm it was an auspicious day.

With the chosen date fast approaching, Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah hurriedly began their wedding preparations.

In the meantime, Geom Mugeuk went to see the Fist Demon. He could have postponed meeting the other Demon Supremes, but the Fist Demon was his master before he was a Demon Supreme.

Given their relationship, Geom Mugeuk would have had no excuse if the Fist Demon had scolded him, saying, "You should have come to me first, not the Blood Heaven Blade Demon!"

That wasn't the Fist Demon's nature, however. He was the type of person who wouldn't say a single word of criticism even if Geom Mugeuk came to him last every time.

The man was like a high, solid cliff that he had once sought to break. And now, he had surpassed even that cliff.

Anyway, Geom Mugeuk found the Fist Demon sitting cross-legged at the base of that very cliff, lost in meditation.

He quietly sat down cross-legged beside him. He unconsciously started to cultivate his inner energy before stopping himself. Come to think of it, he hadn't done any ordinary meditation for a long time.

Whenever he sat like this, he would cultivate his inner energy or practice the Heavenly Demon Defense Art. He had strived not to waste a single moment.

Right, let's take it easy for a while.

He closed his eyes. He didn't even pay attention to his breathing and just sat there blankly as various thoughts rose and faded. He thought of his brother, of the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and Go Wol. He also thought of the other Demon Supremes.

I should go see them soon. They'll be disappointed if I'm late.

As he grew impatient, he would calm himself.

This impatience is exactly what the Blood Heaven Blade Demon told me not to feel!

How much time had passed like that?

"Mugeuk."

At the Fist Demon's call, Geom Mugeuk opened his eyes. His master's voice sounded different from usual for some reason, making Geom Mugeuk inwardly tense.

"Yes, Master."

Geom Mugeuk looked at the Fist Demon sitting next to him. The Fist Demon, who had been gazing at the cliff, turned to look back at him. What on earth was he going to say with such a deep gaze? Finally, unexpected words flowed from his lips.

"Don't ever take such a risk again."

Only then did Geom Mugeuk understand. The Fist Demon had heard about the Smiling Demon stabbing his heart from Lee Ahn.

The words, "I had no choice," lingered on his lips, but he didn't say them. The man who had traversed the murim with his father since his youth wouldn't be saying that because he didn't understand the circumstances. He wasn't the type of person to say things like, "Don't take risks." He was the type to say, "Never back down."

"I understand, Master."

Right, it wasn't something he couldn't avoid. He could have evaded the prophecy. When the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman told him of it, he could have just returned to the Cult. But the prophecy was fulfilled because he was the type of person to leap into fate rather than avoid it.

"Everything you do is no longer just your own business."

Geom Mugeuk understood the heavy meaning behind the Fist Demon's words. He thought of the countless people connected to him and the sorrow his death would create, equal to that number.

However, the reason the Fist Demon brought this up now was likely with only one person's sorrow in mind.

His father's sorrow. Because he knew his father better than anyone.

Therefore, the Fist Demon's words now were the same as saying this. If you die, the Great Orthodox-Demonic War will begin.

Moreover, unlike before his regression, his father had achieved the Twelfth Star mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. The Demon Supremes had also grown stronger than before.

The wails of my death will become the drums of war.

Geom Mugeuk met the Fist Demon's gaze and replied, "I will not forget the weight of my life."

The Fist Demon nodded and rose from his seat.

Geom Mugeuk also stood and broke the tense atmosphere with a joke. "By the way, you almost became the world's greatest father. What a shame."

Of course, the Fist Demon wasn't disappointed at all. "A shame? I'm already the world's greatest father."

The Fist Demon cherished Lee Ahn more than his own daughter. It truly made one wonder what would have happened if he hadn't adopted Lee Ahn, but Geom Mugeuk considered this to be the nature of the man called the Fist Demon. He was a person who, once he gives his heart, gives it completely. That was the kind of person the Fist Demon was.

"Master."

"What is it?"

"Please teach me the Thunder Asura Fist again."

Not "please teach me a move," but "teach me again." The Fist Demon looked puzzled at the request.

"I've already taught you everything there is to teach."

"In that time, you have changed, Master, and so have I."

Both of their martial arts skills had grown stronger than when Geom Mugeuk first learned the fist art.

There will be something new to learn.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon's teaching was to distance himself from the greed of achieving complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, not to distance himself from martial arts training.

The Thunder Asura Fist, in particular, was a martial art that had been postponed because of that greed. It had been pushed back again and again, first for the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, and then for the Heavenly Space Secret Art. In truth, it was a martial art that didn't deserve such treatment.

The Fist Demon sensed that Geom Mugeuk was at a turning point in his martial path. To think he would come to him at a time like this…

"Fine. I will now impart the oral formula of the Thunder Asura Fist."

The Fist Demon imparted the oral formula as if he were teaching them for the first time. It was the same oral formula, but it felt different from when he had first learned them.

After listening to the formula, he discussed them with the Fist Demon in detail. Not only that, but they also spoke candidly about the ultimate principles of martial arts they had realized in the meantime. This process was not limited to just imparting the fist art, but a deep sharing of martial knowledge.

Geom Mugeuk learned, and the Fist Demon learned. They taught while learning, and learned while teaching.

When the verbal exchange of learning was over, the Fist Demon immediately took off his shirt.

Usually, when he took off his martial arts uniform, he would just toss it aside, but today, he folded it neatly and placed it beside him.

Come to think of it, that's a brand new martial arts uniform.

It seemed the news of the heart-stabbing wasn't the only thing Lee Ahn had brought.

Geom Mugeuk also took off his top and stepped forward.

The Fist Demon's gaze briefly flickered to the wound on Geom Mugeuk's chest, but he said no more about it.

The two men stood side by side and began to unleash the Thunder Asura Fist. In their last battle, the Fist Demon had shown it. The sound of thunder no longer came from his fists.

KWAREUREUNG! KWAKWANG!

Therefore, the fists making the sound of thunder were Geom Mugeuk's. The sound was louder and more powerful than before.

After this sound reached its peak, it would gradually diminish until, like the Fist Demon's fists, it made no sound at all.

When they finished a round of training like that, the Fist Demon smiled in satisfaction. "Finally, those baby fists of yours are starting to have some power."

With this training, Geom Mugeuk's mastery of the fist art had clearly risen to the next stage.

"They're at least a boy's fists now, right?"

"But you're still a long way from being a man!"

"May I continue to visit you until my fists become a man's?"

The Fist Demon silently nodded.

Geom Mugeuk trained the next day, and the day after that. He stayed at the Fist Demon's residence and trained, completely immersed and focusing solely on the Thunder Asura Fist.

He had lived his whole life diligently, but this was the first time he had trained so completely absorbed, without any other thoughts.

Before he knew it, Geom Mugeuk had even forgotten the thought of distancing himself from the complete mastery of the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.

Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah sat facing each other. Today was the day to discuss a somewhat sensitive yet important matter.

"This is the money I've saved up."

"This is the money I've saved so far."

The two of them revealed their savings. They needed to buy a house and prepare for the wedding, so they had to know how much they had. As it turned out, Dan Ah had far more money compared to Seo Daeryong.

"I'm sorry."

The difference in their savings was so large that the apology came out naturally.

"Sorry for what? You only became the Director recently, right? We can just start saving from now on. Isn't there joy in starting with a small house and gradually accumulating more things?"

Seo Daeryong stared at her money without a word.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just that, thinking about how Young Lady Dan earned this money by risking her life, I wonder if I can even spend it."

Dan Ah smiled. "That's exactly why we should spend it. We're using it for the most valuable thing in my life."

"I thought you'd scold me for not saving more than this."

"From now on, you will be scolded. You can't just spend recklessly like when you were a bachelor. Come on, let's go look for a house."

Leaving Headquarters, the two of them started by looking around the nearby villages. The areas close to Headquarters and the Demon Village had very high housing prices, and the cost also varied depending on the size of the house.

With their combined money, they would have to go somewhere quite far away. However, Seo Daeryong seemed to have lingering attachments and couldn't bring himself to leave the vicinity.

He stopped in front of a well-located house and asked, "How about a house like this?"

"It's quiet and clean. Not too far from Headquarters. There's a big academy over there, and a martial arts academy behind it. It's on a road where carriages don't pass. It seems like a really great place to raise children."

"Let's raise them well here."

"Yes, let's save up diligently and definitely buy this house."

Seo Daeryong smirked. "There's no need to buy it. It's already our house."

"What?"

"I bought this house a few years ago."

Dan Ah's eyes widened in surprise.

As if to prove it, Seo Daeryong took out a key, unlocked the door, and went inside. "After becoming the Sanzu Hall Director, I've mostly been staying at my official residence, so I only come by occasionally to clean."

Dan Ah gaped. The house was bigger and nicer than she had expected. For a house he couldn't visit often, it was also fairly clean.

"When I bought this house, it wasn't as expensive as it is now. This neighborhood got more valuable after that academy and martial arts academy we saw earlier were constructed."

"Even so, it must have been expensive."

Seo Daeryong puffed out his chest. "Even before I became the Sanzu Hall Director, I was a Special Investigator. I earned pretty good money. Of course, I did have to take a bank loan to buy it."

Seo Daeryong had saved his money diligently. Before meeting Geom Mugeuk, he disliked socializing with people, so he was able to avoid squandering his money on entertainment like some of his colleagues. Thanks to that, he was able to afford a house like this.

"But! I paid back all the money I borrowed from the bank last year."

"Did you hide this from me intentionally?"

"I'm sorry! I wanted to bring you here and surprise you."

"You know I have a temper, right?"

"Of course." Seo Daeryong took a step back.

"I almost said this earlier. Why are you so poor? Did you get robbed by bandits? Did you give all your money away to some courtesan?"

"I was prepared to take a punch if it came."

Dan Ah was happy, and the reason for her happiness wasn't just the house. "I'm so happy we have a nice house, but more than that, I'm happier that you're not someone who lived wastefully without a thought. I was worried about how I was going to train this hopeless man."

"I'm not someone who just lives recklessly!"

Seo Daeryong finally made the boast he had always made only to Geom Mugeuk. Of all the boasts he had ever made, this was the most satisfying.

"For your information, I was the top entrant at the Sanzu River Hall."

Finally, the day of the wedding ceremony dawned. Dan Ah was so nervous she could barely sleep. She did fall asleep for a short while, but even then, she had a nightmare.

She dreamt of a desolate wedding with only a few guests. To make matters worse, it started pouring rain, and the few guests who were there all left. It was the worst possible wedding.

On the other hand, Seo Daeryong was in high spirits, grinning from ear to ear.

"Today's finally the day!"

There were no major hurdles during the wedding preparations. While some people fought during this process and even canceled their weddings, Seo Daeryong readily followed Dan Ah's wishes.

Dan Ah looked at Seo Daeryong and said, "Make me one promise."

"Tell me anything."

Staring intently at Seo Daeryong, Dan Ah took his hand and said, "Whatever happens in our lives, don't try to shoulder it all alone. A married couple always walks together."

Seo Daeryong nodded. "I promise."

The two of them faced each other and shared a bright smile.

"Then I'll see you later."

"See you later."

After Seo Daeryong left the residence, Dan Ah looked up at the sky outside her window. This was the moment she finally accepted the contract of marriage in her life.

I will complete it without fail.

A moment later, she had visitors. They were none other than Lee Ahn and Cha Yiran.

"Ah! Commander Lee, you came in person."

Seo Daeryong had formally introduced Dan Ah to Lee Ahn and Jang Ho over a meal. On that day, Lee Ahn had told her not to prepare her makeup and wedding attire, as she would take care of it. And now, she had come in person.

"I didn't expect you to come yourself. Thank you so much for coming."

"Director Seo is my friend. It's only natural that I'd come. And today, I'm just an assistant. I've brought a real expert." Lee Ahn glanced at Cha Yiran, who then introduced herself.

"I'm Cha Yiran, the Third Captain of the Ghost Shadow Squad."

"My name is Dan Ah. It's an honor to meet you." Dan Ah greeted. She had heard about Cha Yiran several times through her younger sister, Dan Yeon. Seeing her in person, she was even more beautiful than she had heard.

"I'll do your makeup."

Dan Ah was moved. She had thought they would just send someone, but she never imagined the two high-ranking martial artists would come in person.

Cha Yiran put her skills to good use. When the rather long makeup session was finished, gasps of admiration came from everyone. When Dan Ah also put on the splendid red wedding gown, she was truly beautiful.

"With this level of beauty, it wouldn't matter who else showed up, would it?" Lee Ahn praised.

Cha Yiran smiled pleasantly. There was no higher praise for her makeup skills than that.

Dan Bi and Dan Yeon, who were waiting outside, came in and were delighted to see their Unnie.

"You're so pretty!"

"Our Unnie, you're this beautiful, yet you almost wasted your whole life as a mercenary."

At her sisters' compliments, Dan Ah lowered her head shyly.

Lee Ahn said to Dan Ah, "Are you ready?"

Dan Ah nodded. When she opened the door and stepped outside, an astonishing sight awaited her.

A flower palanquin was prepared to take her to the ceremony venue. It was a splendid and beautiful palanquin, but what surprised Dan Ah were the people who would carry it.

The palanquin bearers were truly massive. They weren't just large in stature. Possessing a fearsome aura that no one would dare to approach carelessly, they were none other than members of the Demonic Army.

"We will escort you to the ceremony venue."

It was a flower palanquin specially prepared for her by the Demonic Army General Jang Ho.

To the surprised and moved Dan Ah, Lee Ahn said with a smile, "A flower palanquin escorted by the Demonic Army is something no one else in the world has ever ridden in."

The wedding, which had surpassed her expectations from the very beginning, finally began.