Gowol was working in his room.
He was drawing up a budget for where and how to use the funds they had obtained this time in connection with Sinseonchae. Calculating, organizing, making plans. No matter how much work he did, there was no end to it.
Just then, the person who made this repeatedly recurring hardship a little less hard came rushing in.
“The Second Young Master and the Fist Demon are returning to the cult.”
At Cult Leader Pungcheon’s words, the brush in Gowol’s hand paused for a moment, then began moving again.
“When?”
“It looked like they meant to leave right away.”
Looking at Gowol, who was still only working, Cult Leader Pungcheon asked,
“The Second Young Master is leaving. Aren’t you sorry to see him go?”
“Why would I be? He’s a busy man. When it’s time to leave, he should leave.”
“I’m going with him.”
Gowol remained absorbed in his work.
“I’m really going! I’m not joking!”
“If the Cult Leader leaves, I’ll go back with you.”
He had only said it out of spite because Gowol was doing nothing but work, but Gowol’s reaction was unexpected. He really meant to return with him.
“Really?”
“Yes. If the Cult Leader leaves, I leave too. I’m not doing this alone.”
A smile formed on Cult Leader Pungcheon’s lips.
“Even if you’re only saying that, it feels good. Never mind. Where would I go? We have to finish the work.”
“I said let’s go.”
“It’s fine. I’ve already been and come back.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon, who had flown all the way to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and back on a single word from Gowol.
“And if you go back now, it’ll be chaos.”
“Why?”
“The Second Young Master says he’s going to kill the second-in-command of the Sado Alliance.”
Gowol flinched in surprise. Of all the news Cult Leader Pungcheon had brought after entering the room, this was the most shocking.
“Yaryul Han?”
“Yes, that bastard!”
Cult Leader Pungcheon knew of Yaryul Han. He had even met him in the past.
“Even for the Second Young Master, that man won’t be easy.”
Gowol had never met him in person. But from the rumors alone, he knew full well that Yaryul Han was no ordinary opponent. Yet that was not the problem.
“In any case, the Cult Leader will never allow it.”
Cult Leader Pungcheon recalled what Geom Mugeuk had said earlier. About his demonic path. About his attitude toward evil.
“When the Second Young Master becomes the Heavenly Demon… things really will change a great deal.”
Gowol stopped his brush for a moment and said,
“Haven’t they already changed a great deal?”
And at the center of that change stood they themselves.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk entered.
“It seems our Cult Leader has already spread the news that I’m leaving. I think I’ll have to set out at once.”
“Please take care on your way.”
“Once again, I’m leaving you behind to suffer and going back.”
“There isn’t much work left now. I’ll finish it properly and return.”
“And the funds?”
“I think we can finish things with the money collected from Sinseonchae.”
“That’s good. Let’s keep in touch by carrier letter.”
“Yes. Please take good care of yourself, Young Master. Ah, and the completed regional information network is at your disposal whenever you wish to use it.”
Just hearing those words made Geom Mugeuk feel reassured. Once Tongcheon Pavilion and Gowol’s information network were combined, the person who obtained the fastest and most abundant information in the murim would be Geom Mugeuk himself.
“Have you thought of a name for this intelligence organization?”
“Please name it yourself, Young Master.”
“I’d like to name it Eunwol, Hidden Moon, after your name. What do you think?”
Gowol’s eyes trembled. He was grateful for Geom Mugeuk’s consideration in deliberately using his name.
“I truly like it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. I’m sorry for entrusting you with such difficult work from the very beginning.”
“On the contrary, I’m grateful that you entrusted me with an important responsibility from the start.”
While Geom Mugeuk and Gowol were saying their farewells, Cult Leader Pungcheon and the Fist Demon also exchanged a brief goodbye.
Cult Leader Pungcheon greeted the Fist Demon first.
“It was good to meet you this time.”
“I did not know the Cult Leader was devoting himself so much for the sake of my disciple. You have my thanks.”
In truth, Cult Leader Pungcheon had no one among the Demon Supremes with whom he was close. The Demon Buddha had been the closest, but that had already gone sour.
He had had a chance to become close to the Fist Demon this time, but because he had awkwardly kept a distance, they had not shared any deep conversations.
“When there’s a chance next time, let us have a drink.”
Those were Cult Leader Pungcheon’s sincere feelings.
“Hey, Second Young Master. Be sure to get permission for me.”
That too was sincere.
* * *
I ran using lightness arts together with the Fist Demon.
On the way there, we had taken our time enjoying ourselves and slacking off, but on the way back, we dashed at a truly frightening speed.
We ran without resting until darkness fell. A distance that had taken several days on the way there, we covered in half a day.
“Let’s camp here tonight before we continue. Please sit for a moment.”
With practiced skill, I tidied up the surroundings. First, I spread leaves on the ground and made a place for the Fist Demon to sit comfortably.
I was grateful to him. I truly had never imagined he would allow this matter. Considering his relationship with Father, he should have been the Demon Supreme most opposed to it, but he had prioritized his relationship with me instead.
While the Fist Demon closed his eyes and circulated his qi, I lit a campfire in front of him.
I caught game and cooked it. Before departing, I had stopped by an inn and bought a few seasonings needed for cooking, so I was able to serve him a fairly tasty meal.
“You even brought seasonings?”
“Of course. When traveling a long distance, this is the most important thing. How does it taste?”
“It’s good.”
“Do you know whose method this seasoning recipe is?”
“It tastes like the Cult Leader’s cooking.”
At those words, I was startled.
“You’ve eaten Father’s cooking?”
“I had it once or twice in the past. There was a time when I traveled around quite a lot with the Cult Leader. Back then, we truly went around fighting everywhere.”
For a moment, I imagined Father and the Fist Demon.
Two men, the Heavenly Demon and the Fist Demon.
I recalled Father’s appearance in his youth. Beside him, I could see the young Fist Demon as well. The boy who had fought in the arena became the Fist Demon, and the young man who had chosen that boy became the Heavenly Demon.
I pictured those two blunt, manly, and most battle-hungry men in the murim sweeping across the martial world. They would have feared no one and been cowed by no one.
Just as I had fought enemies back-to-back with the Extreme Evil Soma, the two of them must have fought while relying on each other.
And at night, they would have lit a campfire like this and eaten meat and drunk liquor. They probably barely spoke at all.
Perhaps the Fist Demon was now recalling his younger days during this camping trip with me.
“I have liquor here as well.”
I took out the liquor I had brought and poured him a cup.
A cup of liquor shared with the Fist Demon across the campfire had its own charm.
“When traveling, the return journey is more important.”
“Why is that?”
“Do you know when a journey is truly completed? It’s when you open the door to your room and, saying, ‘Ah! I’m finally back!’ throw yourself onto the bed. So right now, we’re running toward that final moment. In fact, this is more important than the excitement of setting out.”
The Fist Demon looked at me with curious eyes.
“How do you know such things so well?”
Because my past life had been one long journey after another. And I had no room to return to.
Back then, my room had been the courtyard of the Ghost Elder’s house. When I returned with the materials for the Great Art and saw his startled face, I had felt a very brief relief, thinking, Ah! I did it!
“This trip with you, Master, has been wonderful.”
I got along well with this upright and quiet man. Though now I talked a lot, joked around, laughed, and made noise, the person I originally was had resembled that Fist Demon a great deal.
“Ah, when we return, let’s start by reducing the time you spend participating in the Iron Fists’ training.”
Perhaps the Fist Demon had been thinking the same thing, for he asked me concretely,
“Should I participate in just one each day? White Fist today, Blue Fist tomorrow. Like that.”
“No. Then you would still have to see them every day, Master. Instead, as usual, visit all four places in a day, but participate only once every five days.”
“Five days?”
“For the remaining four days, do what you want to do, Master. As time entirely your own.”
“What about the late-night training gathering?”
“Do as you please with that. Come if you want to come, rest if you want to rest.”
The Fist Demon nodded. This slacking-off trip had changed the Fist Demon’s life. I looked forward to the result of that change.
When day broke, we ran and ran again. When our internal energy ran low, we sat together and restored it through qi circulation.
In that way, we ran without hesitation and returned to the cult.
* * *
When I returned to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Father was at the forge.
Our cult’s forge boasted the greatest scale in the murim.
Inside the enormous forge, hundreds of bare-chested men were melting iron and hammering metal.
Sweltering heat, the smell of sweat, and the scent of iron.
Kaaang! Klang! Kaaang!
I had always loved the sound of iron being hammered. The perilous intensity of sword clashing against sword was contained within that sound. That was why the sound always seemed hot to me.
The men whose eyes met mine bowed. I also greeted them lightly as I walked through.
In the distance, I saw Father. Even in this place where countless people came and went, Father’s presence was unmistakable. In a painting where everyone appeared in black and white, Father alone stood out clearly like a red point.
Father was standing with Hall Master Gwak, the person in charge of this forge, known as the Divine Hand. Hall Master Gwak was showing Father a newly made sword. Whenever he made a new weapon, he always sought Father’s opinion before mass-producing it.
The two of them were examining the sword and speaking with such seriousness that I waited for a moment at a short distance.
The person who wielded a sword better than anyone in the world and the person who made swords better than anyone in the world were exchanging opinions. Could there be any more moving sight than this in the forge?
If a newly made sword like this passed inspection, it would be mass-produced and replace the swords of the cult’s martial artists. Usually once every five years, or once every ten if it took longer, the forge improved the swords.
These improved swords were issued to all martial artists of our cult. They were free to use other swords at their own discretion, but most of the cult’s martial artists used swords produced by the cult forge. Their quality was that good.
Just then, Father turned this way. Our eyes met. You’re back? Yes, I have returned. A short and simple, yet tremendously welcome greeting of the eyes.
I greeted Father in a booming voice.
“Have you been in good health all this while? This son of yours has returned after completing an important duty in the Central Plains.”
Then Father said to me,
“Important duty? I heard you went to slack off with the Fist Demon.”
“I have no idea who spreads such unsavory rumors.”
Of course, it was me. Whenever I went out to the Central Plains, I periodically sent news of myself through Tongcheon Pavilion. Only by cooperating well like this would I be able to receive active help later when I needed it.
Hall Master Gwak looked at us with a slightly surprised expression. Seeing Father and me converse so comfortably must have been unexpected.
“Come here and look at the new sword.”
I examined the sword Father handed me. After looking over it closely, I spoke my impressions.
“It’s slightly lighter than the previous sword. And the length is very slightly longer.”
When I noticed it immediately, admiration flickered around Gwak’s eyes.
“They are minute differences, yet you noticed.”
“Of course. I trained so much with your swords, Elder.”
“What do you think?”
“Lately, I’ve been going around punching people rather than practicing swordsmanship, so honestly, I’m not sure.”
I passed it off with a laugh. If I had to, I could make suggestions, but with Father here, was there any need?
Father conveyed his thoughts to Hall Master Gwak.
“I think it would be good to make it just a little lighter. The length is perfect as it is.”
“Understood, Cult Leader.”
Father’s thoughts were the same as mine. On top of that, he pointed out a part I had not even considered.
“Narrow the grain on the sword handle slightly. It seems more slippery than before.”
“Understood, Cult Leader.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
“I will contact you again once it is completed.”
Father left the forge, and after I greeted Hall Master Gwak, I followed Father out. The men standing along the path Father passed all stopped moving at once and bowed at the waist. Their respect and fear toward Father were like the scorching fire they handled.
“When did you arrive?”
“I just arrived moments ago.”
“And the Fist Demon?”
“He’ll arrive in about half a quarter-hour.”
“Did you not come together?”
“At the very end, he suggested a lightness arts race.”
After a short pause, I said to Father,
“I have become the Fist Demon’s disciple.”
Father’s steps stopped for a moment. I had told Father in advance before, and had even received his permission, but for some reason I felt tense.
What would Father feel?
Would he be displeased? Or indifferent? Or would he think it was a good thing?
No matter how hard I tried to look clearly at Father, it was truly difficult to know his heart. This matter, too, would certainly carry some meaning for Father, but Father did not reveal any emotion about it at all.
“And the fist art?”
“I received the full transmission of the Thunderbolt Asura Fist up to the sixth fist.”
“It seems that man still does not know your impudence. He should have watched how you behaved before teaching you the final two fists.”
“Father. It is because masters indulge in that sort of pointless spite that martial arts end up being lost.”
We crossed the Grand Training Ground and walked toward the Heavenly Demon Hall. The demonic practitioners passing by bowed to Father.
“Father. I have a favor to ask. A very important matter.”
In the middle of the Grand Training Ground, we stopped walking. I wanted to say it here, in this wide-open place, not in the Heavenly Demon Hall. This was a matter of the Central Plains, a matter outside our cult.
“I want to kill Yaryul Han of the Sado Alliance. Please permit it.”
It was a situation where a thunderous scolding could have fallen.
But instead of a scolding, Father’s characteristic sneer formed on his lips.
“Absolutely not!”
He had even added absolutely before not. With that firm rejection, Father turned and walked away.
“I will work from now on to receive your permission. That is what I wanted to tell you.”
Father walked on without a word. His back was speaking. No matter what effort you make, I will not permit it.
I had declared war on Father. From now on, I had to persuade Father somehow. Perhaps receiving his permission would be more difficult than killing Yaryul Han.
In any case, as I watched Father’s back walking toward the Heavenly Demon Hall, I felt as though I had truly returned to the cult.
“Ah! Home really is the best!”
I had returned to my enjoyable home, where giant demon statues swung swords and sabers in every direction.