Chapter 723: Don’t Try to Shoulder It Alone
Seo Daeryong’s wedding date had been set.
He had said he would decide it as he pleased, but Blood Heaven Blade Demon carefully chose a date and, worried that he might have made a mistake, went to confirm it with the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult and the Chief Strategist.
Since the chosen date was so near, Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah hurriedly began their wedding preparations.
In the meantime, Geom Mugeuk went to see the Fist Demon King.
He could have postponed meeting other Demon Supremes, but the Fist Demon King was his master before he was a Demon Supreme.
Considering their relationship, even if he scolded him saying, ‘Not Blood Heaven Blade Demon, but me—you should have come to me first!’ Geom Mugeuk would have had no excuse. Yet, the Fist Demon King was not such a person. Even if Geom Mugeuk always came last, he would never say a word of reproach.
He was like a tall and solid cliff that Geom Mugeuk had once wanted to break through.
And now, he was someone who had even surpassed that cliff.
The Fist Demon King was sitting cross-legged at the base of that cliff, immersed in meditation.
Geom Mugeuk quietly sat cross-legged beside him.
Unknowingly, he almost began his mental cultivation, but then stopped. Thinking about it, he realized that he hadn’t done ordinary meditation for a long time.
Whenever he sat down, he trained in mental cultivation or practiced the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique. He always tried not to waste even a single moment.
Yes, he should take it easy for a while.
So he just sat there with his eyes closed. He didn’t even focus on his breathing. He simply stayed blank. Many thoughts rose up and faded away.
He thought of his elder brother, and of the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult and Gowol. He also thought of the other Demon Supremes.
He should go see them soon. If he went too late, they might feel disappointed.
But then he calmed himself, remembering, ‘The impatience that Blood Heaven Blade Demon told me not to have—that’s exactly this.’
How much time had passed like that?
“Mugeuk.”
At the sound of the Fist Demon King’s call beside him, Geom Mugeuk opened his eyes.
For some reason, his voice was different from usual, which made Geom Mugeuk tense up inwardly.
“Yes, Master.”
Geom Mugeuk looked at the Fist Demon King sitting next to him.
The Fist Demon King, who had been gazing at the cliff, turned his eyes to him. What kind of words was he about to say, to look at him with such deep eyes?
At last, unexpected words flowed out from the Fist Demon King’s lips.
“Never again risk such a reckless gamble.”
Then Geom Mugeuk realized. He had heard about the incident when Lee Ahn pierced his heart.
The words, ‘I had no choice,’ lingered on his lips, but Geom Mugeuk did not speak them aloud.
The man who had traveled across the martial world since his youth with his father would never have said such a thing without knowing those circumstances.
And by nature, the Fist Demon King was not someone who said, ‘Don’t take risks.’ He was the kind of man who told people never to retreat.
“Understood, Master.”
Yes, it had not been something unavoidable.
He could have avoided the prophecy. When the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion spoke the prophecy, he could have simply returned to the cult right away and ended it there.
But because he was the kind of man who did not avoid prophecy and instead leapt into fate, the prophecy had been fulfilled.
“From now on, none of your matters belong to you alone.”
Geom Mugeuk understood the heavy meaning contained in the words of the Fist Demon King.
All the countless people connected to him.
The grief of as many lives as his death would bring sorrow to.
Yet the reason why the Fist Demon King mentioned this now was likely because of one sorrow in particular.
His father’s sorrow.
Because he knew his father better than anyone.
So the words of the Fist Demon King were the same as saying:
If you die, the Grand Demon War will begin.
And unlike before the regression, his father had mastered the Nine Calamities Demon Art to the level of Twelve Star Greatness. The Demon Supremes, too, had become even stronger than before.
The lament caused by his death would soon become the sound of war drums.
Gazing into the Fist Demon King’s eyes, Geom Mugeuk replied,
“I will not forget the weight of my life.”
The Fist Demon King nodded and rose to his feet.
Geom Mugeuk also stood up, loosening the heavy atmosphere with a jest.
“By the way, you nearly became the father of the Greatest Beauty Under the Heavens. Such a pity.”
Of course, the Fist Demon King did not find it pitiful at all.
“Pity? I am already the father of the Greatest Beauty Under the Heavens.”
The Fist Demon King cherished Lee Ahn more than if she were his own daughter. Geom Mugeuk couldn’t help but think that, had he not taken her as his adopted daughter, what would have become of her? But to him, this was simply the nature of the Fist Demon King.
Once he gave his heart, he gave it to the end.
That was the kind of man the Fist Demon King was.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
“Please teach me the Thunderous Asura Fist again.”
Not, ‘Please teach me a technique,’ but asking him to teach it again made the Fist Demon King’s face show a trace of puzzlement.
“I already taught you everything there is to teach.”
“Both you and I have changed since then.”
The martial skills of the two had grown far stronger than when Geom Mugeuk had first learned fist techniques.
“There must surely be something new to learn.”
The teachings of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had been meant to tell him to move away from the obsession with mastering the Nine Calamities Demon Art, but that had never meant to turn away from martial cultivation itself.
In particular, the Thunderous Asura Fist had been delayed because of that obsession. Because of the Nine Calamities Demon Art, because of the Heavenly Time Secret Art. Postponed again and again. Though in truth, it was not a martial art that should have been treated like that.
The Fist Demon King sensed that Geom Mugeuk stood at a turning point in martial studies. If he had come to him at such a time, then…
“Very well, from this moment I will pass down the mnemonic verses of the Thunderous Asura Fist.”
The Fist Demon King began teaching the mnemonic verses as though he were teaching him for the first time.
Though the mnemonic verses were the same, they felt different from when he had first learned them.
After passing down the verses, the Fist Demon King and Geom Mugeuk discussed them together—very specifically.
Not only that, but they also spoke openly about the ultimate truths of martial arts that each had realized during that time. This process did not stop at merely transmitting fist techniques.
It was a sharing of profound martial understanding.
Geom Mugeuk learned, and the Fist Demon King learned as well. While learning, he taught, and while teaching, he learned.
When their exchange of words had ended, the Fist Demon King immediately removed his upper robe.
Normally, when he removed his martial robe, he would throw it aside carelessly, but today he folded it neatly and set it next to him. Now that he noticed, it was a new robe. It seemed that what Lee Ahn had brought back had not been only the news of his heart being pierced.
Geom Mugeuk also took off his upper robe and stepped forward. The Fist Demon King’s gaze flicked briefly to the scar on Geom Mugeuk’s chest, but he said nothing more about it.
Side by side, the two began to unleash the Thunderous Asura Fist.
In their last battle, the Fist Demon King had shown it—how his fists no longer carried the sound of thunder.
Kwaarrrr! Kwaaang!
So now, the fists that produced thunder belonged to Geom Mugeuk.
The sound was louder and stronger than before. In time, after that thunder reached its peak, it would gradually diminish until, like the Fist Demon King’s fists, it made no sound at all.
When their training bout was finished, the Fist Demon King wore a satisfied smile.
“Only now does that baby fist of yours have a bit of strength in it.”
Through this training, Geom Mugeuk had indeed stepped firmly into the next stage.
“I suppose it’s at least a boy’s fist now?”
“You’re still far from becoming a man!”
“Then may I continue visiting you until I reach a man’s fist?”
The Fist Demon King silently nodded.
The next day, and the day after that, Geom Mugeuk trained.
He even stayed at the Fist Demon King’s residence, devoting himself entirely to practice. He was truly immersed, wholly absorbed in the Thunderous Asura Fist.
Though his life had always been one of diligence, never before had he trained so deeply, free of all other thoughts.
Before he knew it, he even forgot the thought of, “Stay away from mastering the Nine Calamities Demon Art!”
* * *
Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah sat facing each other.
Today was the day to discuss something a little sensitive yet important.
“This is the money I’ve saved.”
“This is what I’ve managed to save.”
They laid out their savings. They needed to know how much they had if they were to prepare for the wedding and also buy a home.
Dan Ah’s savings were much greater than Seo Daeryong’s.
“I’m sorry.”
The difference was so large that he couldn’t help but apologize sincerely.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. You’ve only recently become the Pavilion Leader, haven’t you? From now on, we can save together. Isn’t there joy in starting from a small house and gradually building up a household?”
Seo Daeryong silently looked at her money.
“What’s wrong?”
“Thinking that this is money you risked your life to earn… I wonder if I can really spend it.”
Dan Ah smiled.
“That’s exactly why we should spend it. I’ll be using it for the most valuable thing in my life.”
“I thought you’d scold me for not saving more.”
“From now on, I will scold you. You can’t spend recklessly the way you did as a bachelor. Now, let’s go look at houses.”
Leaving the Main Division, the two began looking around nearby villages.
Houses close to the Main Division and Maga Village were very expensive, and the prices also varied depending on size.
With their combined savings, they would likely have to look somewhere further away.
But Seo Daeryong, perhaps reluctant to give up, couldn’t bring himself to leave the nearby area.
Stopping in front of a well-located house, he asked her,
“What do you think of a house like this?”
“It’s quiet and clean. Not too far from the Main Division. There’s a big academy over there, and behind it, a martial hall. It’s a road without carriage traffic. It seems like a perfect place to raise children.”
“Then let’s raise them well here.”
“Yes, let’s save diligently and buy this house for sure.”
Then Seo Daeryong said something unexpected.
“There’s no need to buy it. It’s already our home.”
“What?”
“I bought this house years ago.”
Dan Ah’s eyes widened in shock.
To prove his words, Seo Daeryong took out a key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
“After becoming Master of the Underworld Pavilion, I mostly lived in the Inner Compound, so I only came by occasionally to clean.”
The house was larger and finer than she had imagined. For a place he rarely visited, it was surprisingly well maintained.
“When I bought this house, it wasn’t as expensive as it is now. Since the academy and the martial hall opened nearby, this neighborhood became more desirable.”
“Even so, it must have cost a fortune.”
Still doubtful, she looked at him, and Seo Daeryong squared his shoulders with pride.
“Before becoming Master of the Underworld Pavilion, I was a Special Investigator. I earned quite well. Of course, I did borrow some money from the money exchange to make up the difference.”
Seo Daeryong had been a careful saver.
Before meeting Geom Mugeuk, he disliked mingling with others, so unlike some of his comrades, he hadn’t wasted money on amusements. Thanks to that, he had been able to buy this house.
“I repaid all the money I borrowed from the exchange last year.”
“So you mean you kept this from me all along?”
“I’m sorry! I only wanted to surprise you by bringing you here.”
“You know I have a temper, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
Seo Daeryong stepped back a pace.
“For a moment earlier, I almost said this—you lost all your money to bandits, didn’t you? Or you squandered it all on some courtesan, didn’t you?”
“I was ready to take the punch if it came.”
She was happy. And not only because of the house.
“I’m so glad we have a wonderful home now. But even more than that, I’m glad to know you weren’t someone who just wasted money carelessly. I was worried about how I’d have to educate such a reckless man.”
“I’m not someone who lived without a thought!”
For the first time, Seo Daeryong boasted to her the same way he used to boast only to Geom Mugeuk. Of all the boasts he had ever made, this one felt the best.
“Believe it or not, I was the top entrant when I entered the Underworld Pavilion.”
* * *
At last, the wedding day dawned.
Dan Ah was so nervous she had barely slept.
She had dozed briefly, but even then she dreamed a nightmare—of a dreary wedding with only a handful of guests.
In the dream, it even rained, and the few guests that had come all left, making it the worst wedding imaginable.
In contrast, Seo Daeryong was all smiles, brimming with joy.
“Today has finally come!”
Preparing for the wedding had gone smoothly without major obstacles. Others often argued during the process and even canceled weddings because of it, but Seo Daeryong had followed Dan Ah’s wishes faithfully.
Looking at him, Dan Ah spoke.
“Please make me one promise.”
“Whatever you wish.”
Dan Ah quietly looked into his eyes and clasped his hand.
“No matter what happens in life, don’t try to shoulder it all alone. Husband and wife must always walk together.”
Seo Daeryong nodded.
“I promise.”
The two smiled brightly at each other.
“Then, see you later.”
“Yes, see you later.”
After Seo Daeryong left his quarters, Dan Ah gazed up at the sky outside the window. At last, the moment had come for her to embrace marriage in her life.
‘I will not fail. I will see this through to the end.’
Not long after, visitors came to see her. They were none other than Lee Ahn and Cha Iran.
“Ah! The Leader herself has come in person.”
Seo Daeryong had already formally introduced Dan Ah to Lee Ahn and Jangho over a shared meal.
That day, Lee Ahn had told her not to prepare her own makeup or wedding robes, since she would take care of them personally. And now, she had come herself.
“I never expected you to come in person. Thank you so much for being here.”
“Branch Leader Seo is my friend. Of course I would come. And today I’m only the assistant—I’ve brought a true expert with me.”
When Lee Ahn looked toward Cha Iran, she introduced herself.
“I am Cha Iran, Third Unit Leader of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps.”
“My name is Dan Ah. It is an honor to meet you.”
Dan Ah had heard much about Cha Iran through her younger sister, Dan Yeon. Seeing her in person, she found her even more beautiful than she had heard.
“I will do your makeup.”
Dan Ah was deeply moved. She had thought they would just send someone, never expecting the Division Leader and a Unit Leader to come in person.
Cha Iran displayed her full skill.
When the long session of makeup was finally finished, everyone let out words of admiration. Once she donned the splendid red ceremonial gown, she looked truly radiant.
“Even if all three units came to see, it would still be worth it.”
Hearing Lee Ahn’s words, which were the highest praise for her makeup, Cha Iran smiled with satisfaction.
From outside, Dan Bi and Dan Yeon came in and rejoiced upon seeing their sister.
“You look truly beautiful.”
“Our sister, so beautiful—yet you nearly lived your whole life as a wanderer.”
Embarrassed by their praise, Dan Ah lowered her head.
Lee Ahn spoke to her.
“Are you ready?”
Dan Ah nodded.
When she opened the door and stepped outside, a stunning sight awaited her.
A flower palanquin was prepared to carry her to the wedding hall.
It was a splendid and dazzling palanquin, but what astonished her were the ones who would carry it.
The bearers were massive men, but not only in size. They radiated a terrifying aura that no one would dare to challenge. They were the Demonic Army.
“We shall escort you to the wedding.”
It was a special flower palanquin arranged just for her by Jangho, the Commander of the Demonic Army.
Seeing this, Dan Ah was overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude. Lee Ahn smiled and said,
“No one else in the world will ever ride in a flower palanquin borne by the Demonic Army.”
From the very beginning, this wedding was unfolding far beyond her expectations.