The body of the Fist Master was perfect.

His face looked like a demon’s, but his body was a work of art.

The Fist Master’s muscles, large and thick as if about to burst, didn’t look dull. His body, forged through grueling training and deadly real combat, was like adamantine flesh that intimidated anyone who looked at it.

There were surprisingly few scars on his body, but a long sword-shaped scar stretching across his chest caught the eye. Rather, that made his body look even cooler.

His body seemed to say this:

This is the body of a fist master who has reached the ultimate realm.

Could anyone truly withstand the pressure when that body surged forward? Could one endure the destructive power when that huge fist flew at them? Could my sword really protect me from that body?

I sincerely admired him. Seeing my reaction, a faint pleased expression flickered across the Fist Master’s face.

He must have heard countless compliments about being cool, and surely he knew it himself. I asked something else.

“How do [N O V E L I G H T] you make a body like this?”

“Wouldn’t a body like that interfere with swordsmanship?”

Because the body of a swordsman and that of a fist master were definitely different.

“You have to train so that your swordsmanship gets stronger while building a body like this.”

“Then you have to move your body more than your mouth.”

The Fist Master began his fist training.

Honestly, I thought he wouldn’t train even if he joined our group. After all, training probably wasn’t his purpose for coming in.

But he properly started training. As if telling me to watch and learn, he began demonstrating the Black Fist martial art.

When he took off his clothes, I couldn’t just stand still. I took off my upper garment as well and stood side by side with the Fist Master, starting to perform the forms.

Using my divine insight technique, I thoroughly examined his body. Comparing his muscles to mine when performing the same moves.

How were they different and why?

Understanding that difference would be my greatest lesson.

Ian and Cheon Sohui watched as the Fist Master and I executed the same movements.

Although I can’t be sure, I think in Cheon Sohui’s heart she felt like stripping off her clothes and joining in. That much, she was also burning with passion.

Ian and Cheon Sohui also began training.

The late-night training meeting — just hearing the name might make one think it was a gathering of slackers, but the four of us gathered were burning with desire. That’s why the training was more intense than any other.

The sound of wind made by the Fist Master’s punches was different from the wind I made. Naturally, his sound was more pleasant to hear. How could something so heavy make such a lively sound? Listening to his fists calmed my mind and lifted my mood.

I purely fell into the art of fist fighting. From the moment I heard him say he wanted to demolish a cliff, I no longer saw him with any other intention or purpose. I only wanted to learn fist fighting from him.

Perhaps sensing that feeling of mine is why the Fist Master was here with us now.

After training, I gave the Fist Master some news.

“Tomorrow, we’ll gather at Maga Village.”

“At Maga Village?”

“Tomorrow, we’ll have a welcome party for Master Fist. A welcome for the newcomer.”

The Fist Master was shocked. Then he gave me an even harsher look than when I said he’d have to teach us poison martial arts to join.

A welcome party for me? And a newcomer? Are you really crazy?

He probably never experienced anything like that in his life.

“We’ll meet in front of the Pungnyu Tavern at the same time. That’s all, dismissed!”

I met the Fist Master’s glaring eyes with a ‘leave if you don’t like it’ look.

He snorted and left.

Watching his back, I turned around and was startled.

Ian and Cheon Sohui were standing side by side, staring at me fiercely. Apparently, the only person who hated tomorrow’s welcome party wasn’t just the Fist Master.

Ian raised her voice.

“Are you seriously going to do that? Who can drink at a place like that?”

“Maybe it’ll be surprisingly fun.”

Suddenly, Cheon Sohui put her hand to her forehead and said,

“Ah! I feel like I’m burning up. I think I’ll have to skip tomorrow.”

Ian quickly added,

“Oh! That’s right. I have plans tomorrow. I totally forgot.”

I laughed at the two women and said,

“Think that’ll work? Alright, then see you tomorrow at the Pungnyu Tavern!”

And so ended the first day of the late-night training meeting with the Fist Master.

The next night.

The owner of the Pungnyu Tavern, Jo Chunbae, yawned so wide his mouth split.

There were so few customers today he wasn’t sure whether to close early. As he nodded off by the counter, he was suddenly startled awake by a presence.

“Ah!”

He screamed and fell backward.

A terrifying evil spirit stood before him. Thinking it was a hallucination from sleep, he got up trembling.

But it wasn’t an evil spirit—it was a person. A person who looked so frightening he had never seen anyone like him before. His forearms were thicker than his own thighs.

Then came a familiar voice in his ear.

“Long time no see, Owner.”

Behind the man, Geommugeuk appeared.

“Master Gakju!”

It really felt like a near-death experience.

“This is Master Fist from the Main Sect. Please greet him properly.”

At the mention of the name Fist Master, Jo Chunbae’s eyes went wide. He had heard many rumors, but today was the first time he saw him in person.

“I didn’t realize such a noble guest had come, so I was rude in my drowsiness. Please forgive me!”

Jo Chunbae bowed deeply.

From this moment on, records were broken. Among the martial lords who came as guests, the scariest was now the Fist Master.

Following him, Ian entered cheerfully.

“Hello.”

Jo Chunbae’s expression brightened. Ian’s always bright greeting naturally lifted the mood. With her standing beside the Fist Master, it really felt like opposites stood side by side.

Except for Geommugeuk, the three of them went upstairs to the usual seats.

“How’s business these days?”

“Thanks to you, it’s good. I hear Master Fist is training in martial arts these days. The rumors must be true.”

“So the owner knows.”

“If you don’t know that, you’re a spy. No, the spy probably knew first and reported it to the Martial Alliance.”

Jo Chunbae’s joke made Geommugeuk laugh along.

Compared to the lively atmosphere downstairs, the mood upstairs was solemn.

Ian and Cheon Sohui kept glancing at the Fist Master. Especially Cheon Sohui was frozen stiff. Not only had she not quit the group, but her whispered plan to assassinate the Master had been caught.

‘The next Master Fist is really out of reach!’

To break the awkward atmosphere, Ian asked the Fist Master,

“Have you been here before?”

The Fist Master looked at Ian.

‘Is that question really a reason to stare at me so fiercely?’

If he had known Ian’s true thoughts, the Fist Master would have felt very wronged. She was just looking, but he thought she was glaring.

“Order some drinks.”

“Yes! I’ll bring them!”

At the Fist Master’s command, Cheon Sohui hurried down to the first floor.

Now, only the Fist Master and Ian remained upstairs.

“This is really unexpected. That you would join our group.”

In truth, Ian wanted to ask,

Did you join because you wanted to fight the young master?

Instead of answering, the Fist Master asked her,

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“I am.”

“You don’t look afraid at all.”

“If you feel that way, it must be because of the young master.”

“Why the young master?”

“If Master Fist was really dangerous to me, the young master wouldn’t have left me alone with you. You wouldn’t have been able to join in the first place.”

The Fist Master’s gaze shifted to Geommugeuk standing by the first-floor counter.

“The greater the trust, the greater the wound.”

If Ian had heard those words with her eyes closed, she might not have thought they came from the Fist Master. Both the content and the gentle tone. Ian suddenly thought she might be misunderstanding the Fist Master.

“Men don’t understand women well. Women know everything. They just choose whether to pretend not to know or to run away in advance.”

“So? Do you pretend not to know?”

“I’m naturally weaker than I look, so I usually run away in advance. But the young master is the only exception.”

“Wrong beliefs bring misfortune.”

“Too bad I won’t get to experience that.”

Ian’s faith in Geommugeuk was absolute.

At that moment, Geommugeuk and Cheon Sohui came upstairs carrying drinks.

“Sorry, I held the owner up for a moment, so the drinks are late.”

Geommugeuk poured a drink first for the Fist Master. The small cup in the large hands of the Fist Master looked tiny and cute.

Pouring drinks for Ian and Cheon Sohui, Geommugeuk said,

“Those who get drunk, don’t forget who you’re drinking with now!”

Ian responded to Geommugeuk’s teasing.

“Then I’d better stake my life on this.”

Then she glanced at Cheon Sohui.

“Do you get drunk easily?”

“I don’t.”

“You’ve never not stopped drinking until you got drunk?”

Cheon Sohui was confident she’d never lose control while drinking. Drink with the Fist Master and get drunk? No way.

“Now, welcome Master Fist. Cheers!”

Geommugeuk raised his cup and everyone toasted.

Geommugeuk tried to keep the long-overdue gathering fun and lively, especially for the Fist Master who almost never came but arrived just on time.

Led by Geommugeuk and Ian, they talked about all sorts of things: martial arts, women, men, the Martial Alliance, the Apostate Alliance, and other martial lords.

The Fist Master didn’t seem to dislike the gathering. He drank well and answered questions well.

But throughout the conversation, Geommugeuk felt it. The Fist Master was lonely. Seeing him laughing and chatting with everyone made it clearer than ever.

The four drank together, but only the Fist Master was far away in his own world.

That isolated island was a place Geommugeuk had visited too.

Geommugeuk was like the Fist Master. Among people but never fully enjoying life. Only focused on collecting materials for the Regressed Great Method, with no life of his own.

Maybe the Fist Master also lived with only the obsession of demolishing cliffs, having already lost any real joy in life.

Lost in such thoughts while drinking, Ian looked at me. Her gaze looked more beautiful than usual and asked silently: What are you thinking about? Just this and that.

At that moment, slightly tipsy Cheon Sohui spoke the question she had been holding back.

“I’ve been thinking all night about the question Master Fist asked yesterday. The one about what you’ll do if you get stronger.”

She had seriously pondered it.

“I honestly don’t remember what I thought before joining Dongkwonmun. At some point, all I wanted was to win and win again and become the Fist Master. But even then, I thought this one thing: If I become the Fist Master, I will be happy. I will be happy. If I become the Fist Master, all this effort will be rewarded.”

Her voice trembled.

“If I get stronger... I want to be happy.”

After saying it, as if embarrassed, she quickly added,

“If someone who dreams of becoming the Fist Master only wants to be happy and not the great cause for the main sect, that wouldn’t be good.”

Geommugeuk accepted her words.

“I think that’s fine.”

Geommugeuk looked at the Fist Master and asked,

“What do you think, Master Fist?”

“Pathetic, but not bad.”

“If it’s pathetic, then it’s pathetic, and if it’s not bad, then it’s not bad. Please choose one clearly. If you talk like that, our junior sister will stay up all night worrying again.”

“Not bad.”

Geommugeuk smiled and nodded at Cheon Sohui.

In fact, Cheon Sohui wanted to say this:

I want to be like this warrior.

Ian looked happier than anyone else. Moreover, she had someone she trusted and liked as much as her own life.

‘I envy you.’

We all drank together.

The Fist Master put down his cup and asked Geommugeuk,

“You said you want to learn fist fighting because you want to get stronger, right?”

“Yes.”

“What will you do once you get stronger?”

It was the same question asked to Cheon Sohui.

“I’ll live freely. Go when I want, come when I want. Play with martial lords, then if I want to be alone, I’ll hole up in Cheonma Hall for days. If I get frustrated, I’ll suddenly head out to the Central Plains. If I meet good people, I’ll stay in their village for a few days. Drink with herbalists on a scenic mountain. At least I won’t be trapped in Cheonma Hall like my father, stuck and frustrated. I’ll take time off to enjoy myself sometimes. Why do you all look like that? Why so scary… isn’t that right?”

Mimicking what Cheon Sohui said yesterday, Geommugeuk turned around.

The person who changed the atmosphere just by entering, the one who made the always relaxed Fist Master stiffen, the one who made everyone tense just by his presence—was Cheonma Sword Master Woojin standing behind them.