We were truly surprised.
That the words “Late-Night Training Group” came from Gwonma’s mouth was surprising enough, but him asking to join that group was almost shocking.
Cheon Sohui, who had been keeping her head down, raised it wondering if she had misheard, but when she met eyes with Gwonma, she quickly lowered it again.
Gwonma looked at me, waiting for an answer.
“I am not the leader of this group.”
My gaze turned to Ian.
The look in her eyes as she saw me was exactly this: No, Young Master! You’re dumping this on me? Despite that urgent gaze, Ian calmly greeted Gwonma.
“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Ian.”
Gwonma merely nodded once. Even Ian’s beauty could not soften Gwonma’s fearsome expression.
“Though I am the one who founded this group, I am not someone who acts unilaterally.”
Ian looked at Cheon Sohui. Cheon Sohui’s expression was like this: So you’re dumping this on me too?
Pretending not to see, Ian asked her.
“What do you think, Lady Cheon?”
Without hesitation, Cheon Sohui shouted.
“I absolutely agree!”
Gwonma nodded and asked Ian.
“And you?”
Probably only my father could refuse after seeing that face.
“I agree as well.”
Once Ian agreed too, only then did Gwonma’s gaze turn to me.
“And you?”
“Of course I’m opposed.”
For a moment, Gwonma’s face twitched, but I didn’t bat an eye.
“The reason?”
“It’s uncomfortable. I might be fine, but how uncomfortable would those two be? Especially Lady Cheon—having to see you during the day and then again at night, she must be dying inside.”
Cheon Sohui spoke faster than my sword technique, the Heaven-Piercing Form.
“I am fine. Rather, I am delighted to see you again.”
Then Gwonma said to me.
“She says she’s delighted.”
“As if that could be true? Let me give a simple example. From tomorrow, you must train in martial arts with my father.”
Gwonma’s expression was already stiffening. The discomfort he wanted to hide but could not. As expected of my father.
“After seeing him all day training together, you have to see my father again at night. Now, how would you feel?”
It was an irrefutable example. Father, I’m sorry.
“Then what must I do?”
They were words that normally could not come from Gwonma’s mouth. If he was saying even this much, of course I should open the door for him. Except the admission fee was rather steep.
“Teach me the First Fist of your secret fist technique.”
Gwonma’s secret fist technique was the Thunderbolt Asura Fist.
It was Gwonma’s secret martial art, known as a fierce, powerful, and dominating fist technique. When the Thunderbolt Asura Fist reached a high realm and was unleashed, thunder would sound from the fist.
The Thunderbolt Asura Fist consisted of six stances in total, and I had asked him to teach me the first stance, the First Fist.
“Those children are the ones who would be uncomfortable—why do you want to learn martial arts?”
“They’ll understand. I’m paying precisely that much.”
Ian and Cheon Sohui, who were watching, would surely think Gwonma would never accept. Not just them, but anyone would think so, yet I had thrown it out there anyway. Taking one step, one step closer to my goal was what mattered.
Of course, there was a reason I had thrown it out like this. He had already visited this place secretly twice, and he had directly said he wanted to join the group.
Whatever his reason, he too harbored a desire to join this group.
“Do you take me for a fool?”
“As if I would. But I think you’ll pretend to be exactly that much of a fool.”
I conversed with Gwonma through our eyes. What a crazy bastard! Yes, that’s right. I hear that quite often.
Gwonma, who had glared at me for a moment, turned and left just like that.
In truth, he could have insisted. If he had forcefully demanded to be let in, we would have had no choice. If he had pressed us, using the fact that Cheon Sohui called me her Martial Brother as leverage, we would have had to do exactly as he wished.
But when I opposed him, Gwonma simply backed down. He is not a petty man. He is a man befitting the name Gwonma.
The tension drained from Cheon Sohui, and she collapsed into her spot.
“Ah! I thought my heart was going to burst earlier.”
Ian also shook her head.
“I knew he had a scary face, but I didn’t realize he was this frightening up close.”
Once they had calmed down somewhat, Ian asked me.
“But why does Gwonma want to join the group?”
To her, who could not understand at all, I spoke the thought that had suddenly crossed my mind.
“Because he’s lonely?”
I had not said it as a joke, but Ian took it as one.
“Stop joking around.”
“How would I know what’s in that man’s heart?”
However, one thing was certain.
“His ultimate goal is probably to fight me.”
“With you, Young Master?”
“Yes. He probably wants to train together and use that as an excuse to fight me.”
Ian was startled. She had probably never imagined that Gwonma harbored such thoughts.
“If he wants to fight, couldn’t he just fight during the day?”
“His subordinates would be watching then.”
“Couldn’t he just call you separately to fight?”
“I told him I absolutely wouldn’t fight.”
“So he’s joining this group to look for a chance to fight you, Young Master?”
“That’s the only way I can see it right now.”
Ian raised her hand and declared.
“This danger-ridden group is disbanded immediately.”
Of course, she did not mean it. Gwonma had wanted to join and been rejected; if we disbanded right away, there was no telling what might happen.
Meanwhile, Cheon Sohui, sitting slumped at the side, was half out of it. Having been caught by Gwonma for taking the Second Young Master as her Martial Brother, what must her heart be like now? Having fallen out of Gwonma’s favor, she must be thinking that becoming the next Gwonma had permanently slipped through her fingers.
“Should I quit this group even now?”
“Do you think he’d let it go if you quit? I doubt it.”
“Then what should I do? Since it’s already come to this, should I just say to heck with it?”
“You should.”
“What?”
Cheon Sohui looked at me with wide eyes.
“Rather, you should train even harder and make up for your mistake with skill.”
She let out a sigh with an expression that said easier said than done.
After a brief pause, she asked.
“He won’t come again now, right?”
“I suppose not?”
I had said that to comfort her in her shock, but I thought that Gwonma would not give up so easily.
“I-I’ll work twice as hard.”
Just as Cheon Sohui seemed to steel her resolve, she soon clasped her head in her hands.
“I’m ruined!”
* * *
The next day, Black Fist training proceeded as usual.
I tried to gauge Gwonma’s mood, but he acted as if nothing had happened. That only made Cheon Sohui more nervous, and she trained so hard it was pitiful.
Leaving that matter aside, my popularity among the Black Fist members was rising by the day.
And for good reason—I regarded these Black Fists as my direct subordinates. They were people who would someday fight for me, alongside me.
So when they asked questions, I answered them sincerely, and I shared stories unrelated to martial arts as well.
My profound knowledge of the martial world and the Central Plains often surprised them. Before they knew it, they were captivated by my stories, losing track of time.
Gwonma quietly watched me from afar. I wondered what he could be thinking.
That night.
Three people gathered first at the Late-Night Training Group. Me, Ian, and Cheon Sohui.
Cheon Sohui let out a sigh.
“Today Gwonma didn’t look at me even once.”
“When did he ever?”
“…….”
“Since you’re already in his bad books anyway, why not just act comfortable around him?”
“Is that sincere advice? Or a trap to destroy me?”
“Of course it’s advice for my Martial Sister.”
Cheon Sohui was startled.
“Do you still think of me as your Martial Sister?”
“Yes.”
Realizing I was sincere, she shook her head.
“That won’t do. What are you planning to do?”
“Put yourself in his shoes. You’re Gwonma. You have a smart subordinate you want to pass the position to someday. But this kid got caught scheming with the Second Young Master. And after that, she keeps watching your every mood. How would you feel?”
“I think I’d dislike it.”
“So act boldly.”
“Wouldn’t that make him dislike me even more?”
At her words, I laughed. Ian laughed, and Cheon Sohui laughed too.
Cheon Sohui steeled her heart.
“Alright! I’ll do my best as my Martial Brother says! What’s done is done, let come what may. I’ll tell him boldly why I took the Second Young Master as my Martial Brother. If I speak from the heart, it’ll get through. Even though Gwonma looks scary, his heart must be different. Thank you, Martial Brother! I’ll do my best. Let’s keep being Martial Brother and Martial Sister in secret from Gwonma from now on. But why do you look like that? Why? Why do you look so scary…… No, right? Tell me it’s not.”
With her face on the verge of tears, she turned toward the cold air she felt behind her.
Gwonma had somehow come and was standing right behind her.
Cheon Sohui’s face, bearing all the agony in the world, turned pale.
At a loss for words, just then Gwonma suddenly asked.
“What were you thinking when you took the Second Young Master as your Martial Brother?”
Gwonma had heard everything she had said moments ago.
With a trembling voice, Cheon Sohui conveyed her honest feelings.
“I happened to see the Second Young Master duel a martial artist using the fist technique we learned. At that moment, I wanted to become that strong too.”
She had just spoken of arbitrarily taking a Martial Brother and trying to learn martial arts while Gwonma was teaching her his technique. Even if she were beaten to death with a single palm strike, it would not have been a strange situation.
But she spoke honestly. Her mind must have screamed that she shouldn’t, but her mouth once again spoke for her heart.
“What did you want to do by becoming strong?”
“To be honest, I wanted to succeed you and become the next Gwonma. Now…… I think it’s all ruined, though.”
It was a life-risking answer, but it was not the answer Gwonma wanted.
“Yes, that is something like a profession you want. I asked what you wanted to do by becoming strong.”
“!”
In that moment, Cheon Sohui was bewildered.
She had probably never deeply considered the difference between what she wanted to become and what she wanted to do. Having lived with only becoming Gwonma as her goal, she must have been all the more confused.
Listening to their conversation, I admired Gwonma.
Yes, this is the kind of question Gwonma asks. He is not someone who only uses his fists ignorantly—he is a clever person, as you can see from this question.
I stepped in to save her.
“Why have you come today?”
Then astonishing words flowed from Gwonma’s mouth.
“I shall pass on the First Fist of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist to you.”
I was startled. I had expected Gwonma wouldn’t give up easily, but I never thought he would pass on the First Fist just to join the group.
For what on earth? Did he really want to fight me that badly?
Not only me, but Ian and Cheon Sohui were startled as well. No one would believe it. That Gwonma would pass on the First Fist of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist in order to join this small Late-Night Training Group.
Gwonma’s and my gazes tangled in the air. We conversed again with our eyes.
Truly impressive.
As if you’re the only one?
You won’t regret this?
Wouldn’t you be the one to regret it? For reeling me in this thoroughly.
I won’t regret it.
“But I have one condition.”
“Please speak.”
“You must keep it a secret that I passed on martial arts to you.”
“Of course.”
Gwonma’s gaze turned to the two women. At a time like this, what words could possibly come out but compliance?
“Yes! Please don’t worry!”
“We were never here!”
Of course, what they truly wanted to say was probably this:
We don’t want to be here in the future either!
The martial arts transmission took place immediately.
Gwonma taught me the mnemonic formula of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist’s First Fist through voice transmission.
First Fist, Black Cloud Asura.
Though it was the first of six stances, it was a fist possessing more powerful might than any other fist technique.
Why this martial art belongs to Gwonma—you will understand once you experience it.
Gwonma even corrected my posture and properly passed on the Black Cloud Asura.
At least when it came to martial arts, he was sincere. He was probably the best teacher among the Demon Lords. And all in a gentle voice that did not match his fearsome face at all.
Ian and Cheon Sohui turned away and did not look at us. Since we were conversing through voice transmission anyway, there was no harm in looking, but they were not so lacking in courtesy as to watch a martial arts transmission take place.
And so I received the transmission of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist’s First Fist.
*Bang!*
Someday, thunder would burst forth from this fist I threw.
Watching the First Fist I performed, Gwonma nodded.
“You will have to continue training to bring out its true power.”
“Thank you.”
As is the rule—if something comes, something must go—I formally spoke to Gwonma.
“Welcome to the Late-Night Training Group.”
Me and Gwonma, Ian and Cheon Sohui. It was the moment four unimaginable people were bound together as one group.
And today, Gwonma seemed determined to surprise us.
“Now, let’s train.”
He took off his upper garment. After coming to Donggwonmun, no one had ever seen his bare body. Yet he began removing his clothes, as if truly intending to train seriously.
Under the bluish moonlight, Gwonma’s upper body was revealed.