“Please give me your daughter!”
A firm refusal came in response to Geom Mugeuk’s words.
“No!”
As though he had already expected it, Geom Mugeuk calmly asked,
“Why do you refuse? Please tell me the reason.”
“Because you will surely make my daughter suffer.”
“I will never make her suffer.”
“I can’t believe you. You’ll obviously spend your time going out and playing with the Young Leaders of the Martial Alliance and the Evil Alliance, and with the Demon Venerables as well. You’ll leave my daughter lonely every day.”
That problem was not difficult.
“Whenever I go out to have fun, I’ll always take her with me. You saw us traveling together this time. I like spending time with your daughter.”
“Still, I refuse!”
“Why do you refuse this time?”
The reason for this refusal had nothing to do with Geom Mugeuk himself.
“I refuse because of your father.”
“Because of my father?”
“How difficult would it be to have the Heavenly Demon as your father-in-law? I don’t want my daughter to walk such a difficult path.”
“My father truly cherishes and likes your daughter. He gave his permission at once! He didn’t oppose us like this!
And besides, isn’t having the Fist Demon as a father-in-law also difficult?”
“So? Are you complaining that your father-in-law is being fussy and asking too many questions?”
Geom Mugeuk, who had been momentarily flustered, waved his hands.
“No! It’s not like that.”
“She’s only an adopted daughter, so why are you being so stingy? Is that what you’re saying?”
“When did I ever say that?”
“No! I will never give my daughter to an insolent brat like you! Not until the dirt is in my eyes!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Geom Mugeuk shouted,
“Let’s settle this like men with our fist techniques! If I win, give us your permission. If I lose, I’ll give up!”
At that moment, he heard someone click their tongue from in front of him.
“You’re really going to do that? You fail, you bastard!”
The person standing before Geom Mugeuk was not the Fist Demon, but the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Before going to see the Fist Demon, he had stopped by the Blood Heaven Blade Demon to practice how he should obtain his permission.
Ian had said that she wanted to meet her father first, so he had sent her ahead and come to meet the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
The mock battle had ended in failure.
The Fist Demon had opposed him so realistically. He had been so infuriatingly inflexible.
“You idiot, you have to endure whatever he says.”
“He says he’ll oppose us even if he dies. How am I supposed to endure that?”
“And if you don’t?”
“I’ll elope with Ian in the middle of the night.”
“Your fist-fighting master will search for you all the way to the end of hell.”
Geom Mugeuk let out a long sigh and said,
“How can I obtain his permission?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon sighed along with him.
“You idiot! How would I know if you ask someone like me who doesn’t even have children?”
“But you’ve read so many books.”
“How can someone know life merely because they have a large study? Even if you read only one book, it becomes wisdom only when you live according to what you’ve read.”
“You’re the smartest person around me! Give me an answer already!”
Then someone else spoke from beside them.
“Young Cult Master, I think it’s important to understand the Fist Demon Venerable’s feelings first.”
It was the Sunflower Sword Venerable, who had been tending to the flowers and trees in the garden beside them. When Geom Mugeuk had come to find the Blood Heaven Blade Demon,
she had been cultivating the garden here together with him.
“Master, he must be very upset, right?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, the Sunflower Sword Venerable nodded.
“Wouldn’t he be? He hasn’t had her as his daughter for very long, and now some black-hearted thief has come to steal her away. What would you do if you were in his place?”
As though the mere thought were horrifying, Geom Mugeuk clenched his fist.
“If it were me, I’d beat him half to death. No, I’d really kill him!”
“The Fist Demon Venerable’s feelings are no less intense.”
Geom Mugeuk thought of the Fist Demon. One only had to look at his father to know what sort of existence a person became once that steel-hearted man gave them his heart.
“What should I do? Master’s fists have grown even stronger, so I might die if he hits me.”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon casually cut in.
“Send word to the physician beforehand. Tell him to prepare for when you fall into a coma.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes!”
“You idiot, do you really think he’ll kill you? He’ll beat you a few times and then give his permission. There’s no parent who can defeat their own child.”
“I’ll have to unleash the Heavenly Demon Guardian Technique to its limits for the first time in a while if I want to survive.”
Then the Sunflower Sword Venerable asked casually,
“But why did you decide to marry?”
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon also looked at Geom Mugeuk with curiosity.
Geom Mugeuk answered honestly. There were no words he could not say to the two of them.
“First of all, because I like Ian.”
There was another decisive reason that had made him want to experience marriage itself.
“I want to become a father like my own father.”
The two Demon Venerables had watched the relationship between Geom Mugeuk and Geom Ujin change over time, so they understood perfectly what those words meant.
The Sunflower Sword Venerable imagined the child born to Geom Mugeuk and Ian.
“If it’s your child, they’ll surely be born handsome and beautiful.”
And that was not all. The child’s paternal grandfather would be the Heavenly Demon, and the maternal grandfather the Fist Demon. Their mother would be the greatest beauty under heaven, their maternal family the Northern Sea Ice Palace—and most importantly, their father would be Geom Mugeuk.
And above all, what would be waiting for that child?
“There isn’t a single Demon Venerable with children, so the child will grow up receiving the full love of the Demon Venerables.”
***
Ian went to her father first and told him that Geom Mugeuk had proposed to her.
Despite the astonishing news, the Fist Demon was not particularly surprised.
*Had he expected this?*
When Geom Mugeuk had first teased her after she became the Fist Demon’s adopted daughter, he had said that she would never be able to marry because of that terrifying father-in-law. At the time, the Fist Demon had said,
*Then you should marry him.*
That joke had become reality and now lay before them.
After hearing that she had received a marriage proposal, the first thing the Fist Demon asked was this:
“What do you think?”
Ian hesitated for a moment before answering. She was not at ease telling her father the news. She could not know what he was feeling now.
“I’m happy.”
So Ian revealed not even a quarter of her joy. Perhaps that was why—
“There is only one thing I’m worried about.”
After a brief pause, the Fist Demon continued,
“Did you give your permission because he is the Young Cult Master, and you found it difficult to refuse him? Is your true heart elsewhere?”
Ian knew exactly what her father was worried about.
“No, Father.”
She honestly conveyed her feelings.
“I have liked him for a long time as well.”
“Then that settles it.”
“Are you giving us your permission?”
The Fist Demon nodded.
“If you’re happy, then I’m happy too.”
Through Ian, the Fist Demon was experiencing something new. He had not raised a daughter from childhood, but he had become a parent. Now he was experiencing what it was like to gain a son-in-law as well.
“I know I’m clumsy as a father.”
The Fist Demon conveyed feelings he normally never expressed to her.
“I don’t really know what I should say to you at a time like this. But there is one thing I can tell you with certainty.”
The Fist Demon looked at Ian and said,
“No matter what anyone says, you are my daughter.”
Even though she was not his biological daughter, even though he had not raised her from childhood, the Fist Demon regarded Ian as his own daughter.
“If he makes you unhappy, I won’t forgive him even if he is the Young Cult Master. So if anything troubles you, tell your father at any time. Don’t forget that I am behind you.”
For the sake of his daughter, the Fist Demon was a man who could fight the entire martial world alone.
Ian ran into her father’s arms.
She had held back when Geom Mugeuk had asked her to marry him, and she had held back when Geom Ujin had given his permission.
But at this moment, Ian could not hold back her tears. They streamed down from her eyes.
“Yes, I’ll be sure to tell you, Father.”
The Fist Demon patted his daughter’s back with his large hand.
“My daughter, never give up on your happiness, no matter what happens.”
***
Geom Mugeuk went to the Eastern Fist Sect.
Perhaps it was only his imagination, but the place was empty, and it felt heavier and more ominous than usual.
As though they had been waiting for Geom Mugeuk to arrive, all the Iron Fists of the Eastern Fist Sect had gathered in the training ground.
Even though they had seen the Young Cult Master, they did not greet him. Their fixed gazes were clearly hostile.
The Fist Demon stood among them with his arms crossed. His terrifying face was even more rigid than usual today. Ian stood a little way off with her head lowered.
Geom Mugeuk could already predict what was about to happen.
―I can’t simply hand over my daughter. If you defeat me with your fists, I’ll give you permission to marry her.
Could he really defeat his master with fist techniques? An enormous thunderclap unlike anything ever heard before would surely erupt here today.
Geom Mugeuk spoke loudly.
“I wish to marry your daughter.”
His voice rang through the training ground.
Then the Fist Demon’s stiff expression brightened.
“My son-in-law has arrived?”
Just as Geom Mugeuk stared in surprise—
Bang! Boom! Bang!
Firecrackers exploded behind the building.
Only then did the Iron Fists standing all around relax their expressions and shout in unison,
“Congratulations, Young Cult Master!”
They raised a joyous cheer.
“Waaaaaaah!”
The Iron Fists rushed forward at once and offered Geom Mugeuk their congratulations. They had once been fellow disciples, so they were familiar with one another and knew each other’s names.
“Congratulations.”
“Congratulations.”
Among them was Cheon Sohee, the future Fist Demon and his junior apprentice sister.
“Senior Brother, congratulations.”
“What is going on?”
Geom Mugeuk asked in surprise. Cheon Sohee was likewise astonished by the news of the marriage.
“That’s what I should be asking! What is going on, Senior Brother?”
Geom Mugeuk looked past the Iron Fists toward the distant Fist Demon and Ian, then answered with a joking tone,
“This is all thanks to the midnight training sessions, isn’t it?”
Cheon Sohee smiled brightly in agreement. At the very least, it was undoubtedly thanks to those gatherings that she had become the Fist Demon’s successor.
After receiving the Iron Fists’ congratulations, Geom Mugeuk walked over to the Fist Demon.
“Master.”
The Fist Demon strode forward and patted Geom Mugeuk on the shoulder with his large hand.
“You’ve made a great decision.”
“Are you giving us your permission?”
“Yes, I give you my permission.”
The Fist Demon was giving his permission so readily? Geom Mugeuk had even come prepared after practicing for his opposition.
“My son-in-law, you’ve lived freely until now, but your days of hardship are clearly ahead of you.”
*My son-in-law?* That was a phrase completely unlike the Fist Demon. Why was he acting like this? Was he planning to launch a surprise attack? Was this a trap?
“Shouldn’t you be opposing us, Master?”
The Fist Demon tilted his head and said,
“Why would I, when this makes me in-laws with the Cult Leader? What could be more glorious than this?”
He was not wrong, but still—
“Shouldn’t you at least say something like, ‘If you mistreat Ian, I’ll punish you’?”
Once again, the Fist Demon opened his eyes wide.
“You intend to mistreat her?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“If you mistreat her, do you think the Cult Leader will simply stand by? It won’t even reach my turn. Don’t you know the Cult Leader’s personality?”
There was one more thing the Fist Demon trusted.
“It might not even reach the Cult Leader’s turn.”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if that child seems kind and gentle, she isn’t someone who can be pushed around easily. You know that, don’t you?”
“No, I only know that she’s kind and gentle.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at Ian together with the Fist Demon. Ian smiled and said,
“I’m a soft and easygoing person.”
At her words, Geom Mugeuk flinched and looked at the Fist Demon.
“Could there be a side of her that she shows only at home, one that I don’t know about?”
Was there still a transformation left—from Miss Ian to Madam Ian?
“I don’t know why you willingly stepped onto this difficult path, but please take good care of my daughter.”
“You’re making me want to withdraw somehow.”
Only then did the Fist Demon raise his large fist before Geom Mugeuk’s face.
“Too late.”
The Fist Demon and Geom Mugeuk looked at each other and laughed. Geom Mugeuk was truly grateful that the Fist Demon had given his permission so readily and so cheerfully.
The Fist Demon did not bother telling him to treat her well. Nor did he make Geom Mugeuk promise to spend the rest of his life living for Ian.
What use would a promise to treat her well be? If someone truly intended to treat her well, he would do so without making a promise. And if he did not, he would fail to do so even if the Fist Demon beat him to death with those fists.
In the Fist Demon’s eyes, Geom Mugeuk was the kind of man who would treat her better than anyone.
If so, the wise choice for his daughter would be to welcome them as warmly as possible and rejoice for her.
Ian said to Gwonma,
“I’ll do better from now on.”
“I’m fine, so be good to your husband.”
Gwonma gazed at the two of them standing side by side.
“I know that the two of you are far smarter and wiser than I am. Don’t forget how you feel now, and live well.”
Geom Mugeuk understood. How could Gwonma not feel uneasy, no matter how cheerfully he sent them off? How could he not worry?
How could he not feel regret? There must still have been so many things he wanted to do with his daughter.
“Please don’t think of it as sending Ian away. Just as I gained another father, you have gained another son, Master.”
A bright smile spread across Gwonma’s face. That fearsome face was filled with joy today.
“Our daughter has brought home the finest son-in-law!”
At Gwonma’s thunderous shout, the Iron Fists cheered. Their cheers rang out to the farthest reaches of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
***
That evening, Gwonma visited Geom Ujin’s quarters.
As though he had known Gwonma would come, Geom Ujin had prepared a drinking table and was waiting for him.
“Have a drink from me first.”
Geom Ujin poured Gwonma a cup of liquor.
“Please take good care of my reckless son.”
After accepting the drink, Gwonma filled Geom Ujin’s cup.
“She’s a lacking daughter, but please take good care of her.”
The two of them toasted and drained their cups.
“I gave my permission because the children are happy, but I still wonder if this is truly all right. For someone like me to become related by marriage to the Cult Leader…”
He was, in every sense, the very embodiment of loyalty to Geom Ujin.
Geom Ujin looked at Gwonma and smiled warmly.
“I’m happy that the man who will become my in-law is you.”
Gwonma was deeply moved because he could tell that Geom Ujin was speaking sincerely, not merely saying it out of courtesy.
“I’m very happy that it’s you, Cult Leader.”
Gwonma honestly conveyed his feelings.
“I’m sorry to say this, but if the man who was to become my son-in-law hadn’t been Mugeuk, I might have opposed this marriage.”
Geom Ujin could understand how Gwonma felt. Could the position of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s heir’s wife possibly involve only good things?
She could be swept up in the Cult’s internal politics and caught in all manner of schemes and dangers.
But because of everything Geom Mugeuk had shown them until now, Geom Ujin could give his permission with a happy heart.
“Don’t you remember those days?”
At Gwonma’s question, Geom Ujin smiled.
“After going through that warlike ordeal, you had such a difficult time holding your wedding ceremony. And yet you’re giving your permission so easily?”
Geom Ujin laughed at Gwonma’s joke as he replied,
“I might enjoy teasing my son, but how could I make your daughter unhappy?”
“Thank you for approving this marriage.”
“Of course I should. She’s your daughter.”
Geom Ujin made no attempt to hide his affection and trust for Gwonma.
“Here, my in-law. Have another drink from me.”
“Thank you.”
“You should call me your in-law too.”
“Thank you… my in-law.”
The two men burst into laughter. It had truly been a long time since they had laughed so heartily together. It was laughter born of longing for those days when they had freely expressed every emotion—tears, laughter, anger, and joy.
Geom Ujin drained his cup and said,
“I intend to hold this wedding on a grand scale.”