“You’re still cursing me behind my back, I see?”
At Father’s words, I smiled and replied.
“Cursing you? You misunderstand! Ah, and even if I were, how could I possibly curse the Heavenly Demon to his face? Not even the Martial Alliance Leader could do that. Now, please, have a seat.”
I was probably the first to notice Father entering the tavern. That was why I had said it on purpose, so he would hear. So he wouldn’t just stay cooped up in the Heavenly Demon Hall, and would go out and enjoy himself a little.
“Cult Leader!”
Ian and Cheon Sohee sprang to their feet to greet him, but Father raised a hand to stop them, then sat down.
Even though he had not released any particular aura, the atmosphere in the room changed completely. Before we knew it, the shabby inn’s second floor had become the Heavenly Demon Hall.
“What brings you here?”
“I was passing by and stopped in.”
That was what he always said, but there was no way that was true. Had he really come to see me? Or had he come to see the Fist Demon?
Ian spoke carefully.
“Please speak at your leisure. We will take our leave.”
“There’s no need. I’ll be leaving shortly.”
“Yes! Then we’ll sit quietly as if we aren’t here.”
As Father watched Ian answer so briskly, he suddenly said,
“You’ve grown a lot.”
It was such an unexpected remark that Ian was startled. She was so surprised that I wondered if she had ever been this shocked recently. Not only she, but I was surprised too. I had never imagined Father would acknowledge Ian like that.
“Thank you.”
Ian’s bowed voice trembled.
It was only that one greeting, but Ian was deeply moved. Her gaze turned toward me. With her eyes, she said, Did you see that, Young Master? The Cult Leader remembered me from when I was young. Ah! I’m so touched. The Cult Leader remembered me.
Truly, if this had not been the place it was, she would have screamed in joy and jumped up and down.
This time, Father’s gaze turned to Cheon Sohee.
“They say you fight the best in Donggwon Sect?”
Cheon Sohee, too, looked as if she might faint from shock. The Heavenly Demon knew about her? That, likewise, was something she had never imagined.
“No, sir.”
“Then was I mistaken?”
“What? No, sir!”
She had said no out of modesty, then said no again. Flustered, she had no idea what to do.
I stepped in as the rescue party.
“That’s right. Miss Cheon is the most skilled in Donggwon Sect. I consider her a candidate to become the next Fist Demon.”
Though, since Cheon Sohee became even more flustered, it did not feel much like a rescue.
“No, no! The next Fist Demon? That is far beyond me.”
She waved both hands and denied it strongly.
Father’s gaze turned to the Fist Demon. He seemed to be asking, Is that your opinion as well?
The Fist Demon merely looked silently at Cheon Sohee and said nothing one way or the other.
“The Second Young Master is only teasing me for no reason, so please don’t mind him.”
I did not simply pass it off as a joke.
“I said it because I truly think so. Father, there has never been a woman among our cult’s Fist Demons, has there? Don’t you think it would be impressive?”
I said it deliberately. To let her experience becoming a candidate for the next Fist Demon in front of the Heavenly Demon. Wouldn’t that stimulate her more than telling her a hundred times to work hard?
Father, who understood my intention, said a word to Cheon Sohee.
“Strive to improve further.”
“Yes!”
Cheon Sohee would not be sleeping tonight.
After taking care of the two women like that, Father spoke to the Fist Demon.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, Cult Leader.”
No matter how frightening he looked, no matter how fine his physique was, no matter how large his fists were, in front of Father, the Heavenly Demon, he became as docile as a baby.
“I hear my son has been bothering you.”
“Lately, I have been the one bothering him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Today’s gathering is a welcome party for a new member. I am the new member.”
Perhaps he had not known that much, because Father looked startled, then soon smiled. This was the part that always made me feel hurt. He never showed that smile to his own child, yet in front of the Demon Venerables, he smiled like that.
Father said to Ian,
“You must be having a hard time, taking in such an imposing new member.”
“It’s all right. Lord Fist Demon is…”
For a moment, she hesitated, unsure what to say. She had never properly thought about how to describe or introduce the Fist Demon. And on top of that, she was in front of the Heavenly Demon.
There was no way I would miss such a good opportunity to tease a flustered Ian.
“Please understand. Ian just can’t lie.”
At that, Ian quickly said,
“No. Lord Fist Demon is very impressive, dignified, gentle, has a wonderful physique, and takes good care of us.”
For a moment, silence fell over the place.
“A wonderful physique?”
The Fist Demon, apparently not having expected Ian to say such a thing, also showed a slight hint of embarrassment. Ian, who had said it, was flustered as well.
“Did I say that?”
“Yes. Among all your lies, that was the only truth.”
At my joke, Ian looked at me with force in her eyes. Please stop teasing me! The Cult Leader is here!
Father poured wine into the Fist Demon’s cup.
“You must be having a hard time because of my mischievous son.”
With an expression that seemed to say, So long as you know, the Fist Demon respectfully accepted the wine.
The two drank.
They were two people who seemed comfortable, yet not comfortable. In any case, the Fist Demon found Father difficult to deal with and was uneasy around him.
Still, if you looked closely, Father and the Fist Demon resembled each other in some way. Apart from their actual personalities, both gave off that extremely hard-line feeling of breaking things first and seeing afterward. And both somehow looked lonely.
“This is your first time joining a gathering like this, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“How is it, now that you’ve tried?”
Had Father come today because he was curious why the Fist Demon had joined this gathering?
“It’s good. Mingling with young friends makes me feel as if I’m growing younger with them.”
“Are you already old enough to say such things? It feels like only yesterday that you were in the prime of your youth. Do you remember? When we fought those orthodox bastards on Mount Wutai for three days and nights?”
“You still remember that?”
“You were truly impressive back then.”
“It is because I failed to overwrite that memory with something even more impressive.”
Father and the Fist Demon.
I had thought that if the two of them met, the atmosphere would stiffen and they would barely converse, but unexpectedly, the two spoke quite well.
If anything, Father seemed a little more friendly and at ease than when he dealt with the other Demon Venerables.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had said it before. That among the Demon Venerables, the person Father liked most was the Fist Demon. I found myself thinking that might really be true.
On the other hand, the Fist Demon answered only the questions he was asked and treated Father with difficulty. Perhaps that was why this relationship was maintained so well. Problems always erupted when both people became comfortable.
After the cups had gone around a couple of times, Ian, who had been watching for her chance, spoke to Father.
“If I ever had the chance to meet you in person, I wanted to be sure to thank you. Thank you for what happened last time.”
Ian rose from her seat and offered a deep bow. She did not say what she was grateful for, but Father and I both knew. It was gratitude for his permission to pass down the Flying Heaven Sword Art to her.
Father calmly said one thing.
“A great martial art is always accompanied by a great fate.”
It was not solely because of the Flying Heaven Sword Art, but in any case, she was walking a new path of fate.
“I will keep that in mind and do my utmost not to disgrace the great grace you have bestowed upon me.”
I hoped that this moment today would carry even greater meaning for Ian.
“In that spirit, please transmit one move to Ian.”
At my words, Father’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Now?”
“When else would there be another occasion like this?”
Ian was about to step forward and say it was all right, but I raised my hand first and stopped her.
“To Father, this may be a single drinking gathering, but to Ian, it could become a moment that changes her life, couldn’t it?”
I sent the rest by sound transmission.
—At her age, she has reached the ninth level. You know how much effort that takes, don’t you? That little child grew up so well, didn’t she?
Was it the last sentence that reached him?
Father rose from his seat and said to Ian,
“Follow me outside for a moment.”
Father took Ian and went out.
As she followed him out, Ian looked at me. Am I going to die like this?
As if bidding farewell, I waved my hand. She would not die, but it would be a killer experience.
Of course, I could guide her to Great Completion myself, but the experience of receiving one move of instruction from Father would, separate from raising her martial realm by one level, become a great change and help in the life of a martial artist of the demonic path.
I apologized to the Fist Demon.
“I’m sorry for ruining the atmosphere.”
“When I am with you, I always end up experiencing things I never expected.”
“That’s why everyone likes me.”
The Fist Demon quietly gazed at me, emptied the cup he was holding, then said,
“I said it to that child earlier. The greater the trust, the greater the wound. That mistaken trust will bring misfortune. Thinking about it, I did not say those words to you.”
It was a question asking what I would do if I took care of others like this, only to be betrayed by them.
“At a glance, it may seem as though I trust all sorts of people, but in truth, that isn’t so. I trust this person this much, that person that much. I have my own standards and lines. Trusting everyone, or trusting no one at all—I actually think that is easier. So I intend to take a slightly harder path. The path of fussing and struggling over whether to trust or not. How much should I trust Lord Fist Demon? How can I make him trust me more? I intend to keep going through that endless series of worries.”
It was the first time I revealed to the Fist Demon what kind of person I was.
“So? Do you think that if you do that, you can take everyone with you?”
“Someday, there will come a moment when I can’t put anyone on my boat. Either because I have grown exhausted, or because the boat is too small.”
“Why are you trying so hard to take them aboard? With your current martial arts alone, you could live while enjoying the freedom you spoke of sufficiently.”
“Because I feel as if the dam is about to collapse.”
“!”
After a brief pause, the Fist Demon asked,
“If the dam collapses and a flood comes, are only the people on your boat going to survive?”
“No. Perhaps it may be the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“My boat will set off to stop the dam from collapsing. Perhaps they may die because they boarded my boat.”
I spoke to Cheon Sohee, who had been listening.
“So you don’t have to get on my boat.”
The look in her eyes as she stared at me said, I think I’ve already boarded, though?
Of course, at least this time, she represented the will of her head, not her heart.
“Naturally, I have no intention of boarding it. I will board the boat Lord Fist Demon is steering. No, I am already on it.”
“Junior Sister!”
“Junior Sister? Why are you calling me Junior Sister? Second Young Master!”
She drew the line clearly in front of the Fist Demon.
“Yes, Martial Artist Cheon. By all means, please succeed!”
After saying it, I laughed first. Cheon Sohee probably wanted to laugh along, but she did not dare to laugh in front of the Fist Demon.
At that moment, the Fist Demon asked calmly,
“Will you put me on that boat too?”
Silence flowed for a moment. Cheon Sohee, looking even more tense than the Fist Demon, waited for my answer.
“I still don’t know. To be honest, I have yet to properly look at you, Lord Fist Demon. What I have seen is only that fist of yours. Right now, all I can think about is wanting to make these baby hands of mine like those fists.”
After hearing my words, the Fist Demon quietly drank. I drank as well, and Cheon Sohee cautiously drank too.
Fist Demon, you can board my elder brother’s boat. If my brother’s boat is not to your liking, then put my brother on your boat. Instead, someday, I will load the entire boat you are all riding onto my boat. I am going this far because I hope my boat will grow that large.
A short while later, Father and Ian came back inside.
Ian’s face was flushed. I did not know what kind of teaching she had received, but to Ian, it was probably something that could be called a fortuitous encounter.
“How was it? Was today’s welcome ceremony well done?”
Ian nodded.
“How about it? Father, will you join this gathering as well?”
At my words, everyone was horrified. Cheon Sohee actually barely managed to cover her mouth with her hand as a scream burst out.
I had expected Father to say, Do I look like someone with that much free time? But he showed an unexpected reaction.
“If I join, are there any benefits?”
“We would have to give you some. This isn’t just anyone joining, but the Heavenly Demon. There are special benefits.”
“What kind of benefits?”
“First, whenever you wish, the four of us will play with you.”
At that, the Fist Demon suddenly said,
“The four of us?”
“It’s good for you too, Lord Fist Demon. Spending an enjoyable time together with the Cult Leader.”
The Fist Demon bristled with his expression and cursed at me with his eyes.
I pretended not to see and turned my head away, and Father asked again.
“And the second benefit?”
“If Father gives us teachings about martial arts, we will accept them at any time.”
“Isn’t that your benefit, not mine?”
“Young people these days are quick to dismiss the teachings of their elders as nagging and let them flow past their ears. There are few chances to go anywhere and show off. So we will listen to every single word without missing even one. You may tell old stories as much as you like!”
“Men and women, young and old, all listen well to what I say.”
Ian and Cheon Sohee bit their lips. With the awareness that it would be disastrous to get swept up in this joke, they held back their laughter.
“That’s not all. We’ll take Father on trips too. When that happens, goodbye to the Heavenly Demon Hall, goodbye to Strategist Sima, and goodbye to the taishi chair.”
“And?”
“You’re quite greedy. What else do you want?”
Then Father said,
“To play go when I wish, and go hunting as well.”
The instant I heard those words, my heart swelled. What Father had just said was not a benefit for himself, but entirely a benefit for me.
“Even with these outrageous benefits, you still won’t join?”
Father emptied his last cup and rose.
“That’s enough for today.”
Just as he had come suddenly, Father left suddenly as well.
Father exchanged farewells with the Fist Demon.
“Let us meet again soon.”
“I will come to see you.”
We all stood and respectfully bowed to Father.
“Since you came all this way, please buy the drinks before you leave!”
At those words, Father really did buy the drinks before leaving. An excited Jo Chunbae was setting aside the money he had received from Father separately.
“This is precious wine we’re drinking at the Heavenly Demon’s expense.”
At my words, Ian and Cheon Sohee held their cups with both hands and drank.
After emptying another cup, the Fist Demon asked me,
“Do you know why the Cult Leader came here today?”