“If Ian wanted, I told her I would become her father.”
At the Fist Demon’s bombshell declaration, everyone turned their eyes to Geom Mugeuk. They were curious how he would react.
Unexpectedly, he merely blinked, showing no surprise.
“You’re not surprised?”
At the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s question, even Geom Mugeuk seemed surprised by his own reaction.
“So it seems. Why am I not surprised?”
Why? Because you wanted to tease the Fist Demon.
Geom Mugeuk looked back and forth between the Fist Demon and Ian.
“A father and daughter so opposite in every way? Maybe that’s why I’m not surprised.”
If anyone else had said that, the Heaven-Destroying Great Saber might have needed a shield again, but the Fist Demon readily nodded even at Geom Mugeuk’s teasing. Even he had to admit that their appearances were polar opposites.
“Do you think anyone will believe it?”
“Would Master believe it?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon slipped into the conversation, making a sincere remark sound like a joke.
“He’d think she’d been kidnapped.”
The Fist Demon nodded as if he agreed with that as well.
Just then, Ian suddenly spoke.
“Father!”
The surprised gazes of the others gathered on Ian. Of the three men, the most startled was the Fist Demon. Gazing at him, Ian said,
“If a daughter like me is all right with you, please take me as your daughter.”
The Fist Demon’s eyes widened. Since meeting him, this was the first time Geom Mugeuk had seen him look so astonished.
“Would you really be all right with a father like me?”
In a voice that did not suit him at all, the Fist Demon’s voice trembled. The voice of the Fist Demon, who would not so much as blink even with ten thousand enemies arrayed before him, was trembling.
“You are far too good for me.”
Tears welled in Ian’s eyes. The thought that such an incredible person would become her father overwhelmed her. She was truly, tearfully grateful.
Ian looked at Geom Mugeuk and asked with her eyes,
Is this really all right?
It had been an impulsive decision on her part as well. It might have been the most important decision of her life, yet she had made it in an instant.
Is this really all right?
The answer came in the form of Geom Mugeuk’s radiant smile.
“Congratulations, Ian.”
After taking a deep breath, Ian asked the Fist Demon again.
“May I ask you one thing?”
“Ask me anything.”
“Why did you say you wanted to take me as your daughter?”
The Fist Demon’s answer was simple.
“Because I would like to have a daughter like you.”
It was an answer Ian liked more than any other.
Ian rose from her seat and bowed to the Fist Demon.
“I look forward to your guidance from now on… Father.”
At the word “father,” her emotions surged.
“That’s the first time I’ve said the word ‘father’ in my entire life.”
She had never once called anyone “Dad” or “Mom.”
She had resented the parents who abandoned her, tried to understand that they must have had their reasons, missed them, hated them, and tried to forget them. I must never become parents like them. No, I must never become a parent at all. I’ll simply live alone and die quietly.
The emotions she had kept buried came surging up, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
Geom Mugeuk, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and the Fist Demon silently watched her shoulders shake. They let her cry to her heart’s content. The strongest people in the world stood there for a long time, protecting her.
When her sobs finally subsided, the Fist Demon helped her to her feet.
Seeing her face covered in tears, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon made a joke.
“Now that you’ve become ugly, you finally look like father and daughter.”
Geom Mugeuk burst out laughing. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was not the sort of person who usually meddled in other people’s affairs. Yet when it came to the Fist Demon, he was especially fond of joking and making lighthearted remarks. It meant that he and the Fist Demon were a good match, and that he liked him. This was the same man who made such a fuss about being ostracized whenever he attended the Demon Venerables’ gatherings.
A powerful aura radiated from the Fist Demon as he looked at Ian.
“When we return to the Order, I will officially announce that you have become my daughter. From now on, as long as I am alive, no one in the martial world will dare mistreat you.”
At the Fist Demon’s declaration, tears streamed down Ian’s eyes once more.
“This is the last time I’ll cry. I won’t cry anymore from now on.”
She forced a smile, but the tears would not stop.
The very existence of parents had always been her deepest wound. She had never wanted to tell anyone about it, speaking of it only to Geom Mugeuk. From now on, she would live boasting about her father to her heart’s content. What does your father do? Mine is the Fist Demon!
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke with an astonished expression.
“When you first brought it up, I thought you were joking.”
Geom Mugeuk picked up his words.
“You’re not the sort of person to joke about something like this, are you?”
“That terrifying man is going to be your father-in-law?”
“Indeed. I wonder what son-in-law could possibly handle him.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared at Geom Mugeuk with an expression that clearly said, I was talking about you!
Whether he knew what the older man was thinking or not, Geom Mugeuk teased Ian.
“Ian, what are you going to do? You’re already married.”
Then the Fist Demon suddenly spoke.
“You could marry him.”
Ian waved her hands frantically.
“Please don’t say things like that. Young Master, don’t worry about it.”
The Fist Demon glared at Geom Mugeuk, waiting for his answer.
“I eat my food salty, you know?”
“Then you’ll start eating it bland from now on!”
So that’s how you’re going to play it?
Geom Mugeuk gave him a meaningful smile.
“Can you handle having the Heavenly Demon as your in-law?”
At that, the Fist Demon flinched. He had thought only of Ian and had not considered that far. The one person in the world who could make him utterly helpless—and now his in-law? The Cult Leader’s in-law?
“Hey! I’m right here! I’m a bride with absolutely no intention of getting married!”
Amid the chaos, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stroked his chin and imagined the day.
“If they really do get married, there’ll be absolute pandemonium.”
* * *
That night, the Fist Demon was alone in the rear courtyard of the annex, practicing his martial arts. Perhaps he was soothing his complicated feelings through training.
His bare torso was perfectly sculpted, as though painted by a master artist.
“When will I have a body like yours, Master?”
I had also taken off my shirt and stood beside him, throwing out punches from the Thunderclap Asura Fist. The reason we trained bare-chested was to observe every movement of our muscles.
Training with him again after so long left me feeling refreshed.
The Fist Demon had me repeatedly focus on the fifth technique, Vajra Asura. It was a move that temporarily hardened the body like steel to protect it, and could save one’s life in a crisis. If Vajra Asura were used together with the Heavenly Demon Bodyguard Art, it might even produce the temporary effect of an indestructible vajra body.
“Why are you focusing so heavily on Vajra Asura?”
“Judging by how things are unfolding, I think you need to protect your body first.”
Now that the mastermind behind the attempt on the Martial Alliance Leader had appeared, he had decided that I could not afford to relax simply because I was the Young Cult Leader.
The Fist Demon repeated the key formulae of Vajra Asura for me. Some of it was material I had heard before, while other parts were new.
Whenever I failed to understand something, I asked immediately, and the Fist Demon explained it to me with utmost sincerity.
“All right. Endure this!”
“You’re not going to hit me with that fist, are you?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
The instant he finished speaking, the Fist Demon’s fist came flying at me.
Hwaaaaaaaaaang!
Kwaaang!
I was knocked backward without even attempting to block the attack. In the process, the Heavenly Demon Bodyguard Art and Vajra Asura activated together, dispersing the impact.
When I walked back to him unharmed, the Fist Demon was delighted.
“Well done. Vajra Asura will save your life someday. Never neglect it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
After finishing a round of training, we sat side by side and rested for a while.
“May I ask why?”
Even though the question had come out of nowhere, the Fist Demon knew what I was asking.
“Didn’t I tell you? I wanted to have a daughter like Ian.”
“I mean the real reason.”
After a brief pause, the Fist Demon spoke.
“I don’t know what my parents looked like either. That’s why I understand that girl’s feelings better than anyone.”
It was the first time I had heard anything about his personal history.
“When I was young, I gritted my teeth and denied them. I didn’t even allow myself to think about revenge. To harbor a desire for revenge would mean acknowledging them. I tried desperately to erase them from my life completely.”
“And now? Don’t you want to find your parents? Don’t you want to tell them, ‘I’ve lived well even without you’?”
The Fist Demon shook his head, revealing a hollow bitterness.
“I wish even a trivial desire for revenge remained in my heart.”
It sounded as though he had become desolate, devoid even of such feelings.
“And yet here I am, trying to make someone my family.”
I was grateful that he was showing this human side of himself. It meant he trusted me that much.
“No. You did the right thing.”
“Do you truly think so?”
“I want Ian to be happy. And I believe becoming your daughter will bring Ian the greatest happiness of all. You made the right choice—for Ian and for yourself.”
A smile appeared on the Fist Demon’s terrifying face. I liked seeing him at times like this. A smile blooming amid that fearsome expression—the Fist Demon looked rather impressive then.
“Thank you for saying that.”
Who could have imagined that the Fist Demon and I would one day be able to have conversations like this? Normally, he was a man of few words, but when circumstances required him to speak, he spoke better than anyone.
“Things might be difficult for you from now on.”
“Why?”
“You’ve never been a father before, have you? What will you do if your daughter rebels?”
The Fist Demon raised a fist.
“Do you think this won’t work?”
“If that worked, would people say raising children was harder than becoming a Sword God?”
The Fist Demon lowered the fist he had raised playfully. A precious fist like that should not be allowed to droop so helplessly.
“It’ll work somewhere else, at least.”
“Where?”
“You’ll have the most beautiful daughter in the world. You’ll have plenty of chances to use that fist.”
Understanding what I meant, the Fist Demon clenched that enormous fist again.
“That sounds fun.”
“It will be fun for you, Master. I’ll pray in advance for your opponents’ souls.”
Who could have imagined that life would turn out this way? Who could have imagined that Ian would become the Fist Demon’s daughter?
“Perhaps you really can bring down that cliff, Master.”
At my words, the Fist Demon asked with a puzzled look,
“Wouldn’t it be the other way around?”
How could someone so soft and vulnerable to affection bring down a cliff? That must have been what he was thinking.
“A person has to change before martial arts can change.”
The Fist Demon mulled over my words.
“If I change, I’ll be able to destroy it?”
“Did you ever imagine taking someone as your foster daughter?”
The Fist Demon slowly shook his head.
“You’ve changed, Master. I believe that change will probably allow you to break through your limits.”
The Fist Demon looked down at his own fist and suddenly spoke.
“Perhaps I’ll be able to bring down the cliff when my fists no longer make the sound of thunder.”
I could not imagine the Thunderclap Asura Fist without the sound of thunder.
But there was an even more frightening image.
A fist that flew in without a sound and overturned heaven and earth!
The moment we imagined it, neither the Fist Demon nor I could remain still. We sprang to our feet and threw our punches. Our training continued without pause until dawn.
* * *
The next day, I said farewell to everyone.
“I’m going to the Jiangxi Branch.”
The original purpose of this trip outside the Order had been to visit the Hunan Branch and Jiangxi Branch before returning.
Until new clues emerged concerning Hwa Mugi, I had to live my own life. Quietly and steadfastly, without allowing myself to be swept along.
“You’re going alone?”
“Yes. Take the two of them back to the Order. Oh, and tell all the guards waiting along the way to return as well.”
“You’re going alone after leaving even the guards behind?”
“This time, I’m conducting a covert inspection.”
I had gone openly to the Hunan Branch with a retinue of guards, so this time I planned to visit in secret. Hopefully, the Jiangxi Branch Lord was not as corrupt as the Hunan Branch Lord.
“I’ll be off first. Don’t expect to work this old man from now on.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon said only what he wanted to say and walked toward the door. Watching his back, I called out,
“Considering what I’ve achieved by working you, I don’t think that will be easy.”
Don’t worry. If I need one of the Demon Venerables for something, I’ll call on a different one this time.
Next, it was time to part with the Fist Demon and Ian.
“Thank you for yesterday’s instruction.”
“Be careful.”
The Fist Demon also walked toward the door. Although there was now more for that broad back to protect, it seemed to leave in an even better mood as it filled the doorway.
Only after the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Fist Demon had gone outside did Ian finally reveal what was in her heart.
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong?”
“For deciding such an important matter without discussing it with you beforehand.”
“You hadn’t made up your mind beforehand either, had you?”
“I think I should have asked you, even if only through telepathic transmission, at the moment of decision.”
That must have been weighing on her mind enough to keep her awake all night. Yes, it was precisely because she was this kindhearted that she had to become the Fist Demon’s daughter.
“Because it’s such an important matter, you make the decision that way. You do as your instincts tell you.”
“What if it’s the wrong choice?”
“Then you bear the consequences. You’ll suffer under a terrifying father.”
Ian made a face as though imagining that future, then mimed clutching her head.
“He wouldn’t just be a terrifying father! He’d be the most terrifying father in the world.”
“Take comfort in the fact that he’s only the second-most terrifying. There’s a poor child who has the number-one father standing before him.”
Ian laughed at my joke.
“Trust your instincts. Your martial arts, and your heart. The stronger you become, the more correctly your instincts will function.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Young Master.”
“See you later at the Main Sect.”
“Be careful.”
Ian, who had been about to walk away, turned back at the door.
“To think I’m going to become the Fist Demon’s daughter. I’ve come this far thanks to you, Young Master. Thank you so much.”
“Ian, our journey may not have even begun yet.”
Ian looked startled, as though she could not even imagine what lay beyond that.
“Just how far are you planning to go?”
“I don’t know that myself.”
“It doesn’t sound like a joke anymore.”
“Because it isn’t a joke.”
Killing Hwa Mugi was not the sole goal of my life. My goal was to live this life happily and well. Killing Hwa Mugi was merely something I had to do in order to achieve that. My life would continue even after Hwa Mugi was dead. Mine, and the lives of my people.
“You told me that, didn’t you, Young Master? That if things became too difficult, I should rest and then continue.”
“I did.”
“You look very tired right now.”
It probably wasn’t only because of training until dawn. Lately, thinking about Hwa Mugi had kept me on edge. No matter how well I concealed my feelings, Ian alone could sense and read them.
I smiled at her and nodded.
“All right. I’ll rest a while.”
And so, even she left.
I stood in the courtyard of the safehouse for a moment and looked up at the sky. I tried to do so whenever I had the chance. Every time I looked, it seemed as though the sky was saying this: Yes, no matter how busy you are, let’s live while looking up at me once in a while.
I knew better than anyone how difficult it was even to lift one’s head once life began pushing one along. Just as my life had been before my regression.
Back then, I walked around looking only at the ground, looking only for materials to fill my pockets, looking only for ways to kill my enemies. The sky must have been just as blue then…
Hoping that this journey to Gangseo would be a somewhat comfortable and peaceful one, I left the safehouse.
So, you villains, get some rest too! Please!