The moment he saw the Fist Demon, the First Immortal felt that things had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
His survival instincts screamed at him to run.
But the Fist Demon’s aura, which froze his entire body, also froze his will to fight and his will to flee.
Just then, eight masters who had been hiding nearby revealed themselves.
Seeing them surround and encircle the Fist Demon, the First Immortal’s frozen heart thawed slightly.
The Eight Ghost Swordsmen.
Eight men who moved as one, they were once infamous throughout the martial world.
In the world of martial arts, one man becoming two does not necessarily double their strength, just as a hundred men attacking does not make them a hundred times stronger.
But these Eight Ghost Swordsmen became eight times stronger.
While not literally true, they gave off that impression.
That was how perfect their coordinated attacks were.
It was the reason they could stand tall and undaunted, even in the face of the terrifying aura emanating from the muscular man before them.
Strictly speaking, the Eight Ghost Swordsmen were not his subordinates.
They were problem-solvers sent by the Financier to ensure he did his job well.
Thus, they were his guards and his limbs, carrying out any order, but at the same time, they were his watchdogs.
“Kill him!”
At the First Immortal’s command, the Eight Ghost Swordsmen launched themselves forward without hesitation.
They simultaneously stabbed toward eight of the Fist Demon's vital points.
The moment they moved, the Fist Demon also threw a punch at the Ghost Swordsman directly in front of him.
KABOOM! CRUNCH!
A sound like thunder erupted along with the gruesome noise of flesh and bone shattering.
One of the Eight Ghost Swordsmen was sent flying, crashing through a tree as he fell.
It was the First Fist Form of the Thunder Asura Fist, Black Cloud Asura.
One had been sacrificed, but the remaining seven swords struck the Fist Demon's body.
CLAAAAANG!
The sound of metal rang out as the swords hit human flesh.
It was because the Fifth Fist Form, Diamond Asura, had been activated, momentarily hardening his entire body like steel.
In the instant the Eight Ghost Swordsmen were filled with shock.
THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THWACK-THWACK!
The Second Fist Form, Thunder Asura, erupted from the Fist Demon's fists.
The Thunder Asura was so fast it looked as though an Asura with multiple arms was punching simultaneously.
With this single move, six of the Eight Ghost Swordsmen were sent flying in all directions.
They died the instant they were hit, crashing into trees and rocks, and tumbling across the ground.
Just as the last remaining Ghost Swordsman charged, aiming for the Fist Demon’s eyes!
The Fist Demon’s massive frame cut through the air at an incredible speed.
A single, properly weighted blow from the Fist Demon.
KABOOM!
The victim’s flesh and bone twisted as if caught in a whirlwind.
Struck by the Third Fist Form, Heavenly Thunder Asura, the last of the Eight Ghost Swordsmen was sent flying so far he vanished from sight.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
To The Immortals, it was as if they heard a clap of thunder, saw a flash of something, and the Eight Ghost Swordsmen were scattered about as corpses.
It felt like divine punishment descending from the heavens.
A heavy silence fell.
It was so surreal that the First Immortal and the other three men wore dazed expressions.
Over the past few years, the First Immortal had witnessed the skills of the Eight Ghost Swordsmen many times.
When he ordered them to kill, they killed without regard for their opponent.
They had killed even renowned masters with their perfect coordination.
Watching them fight, the First Immortal had set a rule for himself.
If four of them were to fall, he would run without looking back.
He judged that if their perfect coordination was broken, it was time to flee.
But what was he to do in a situation like this? When they were all killed in an instant?
Geom Mugeuk could tell.
The Fist Demon had deliberately shown him a variety of forms, starting from the first, for his benefit.
It was certainly different from his own fist technique.
It was more tyrannical and more powerful.
It wasn't a matter of having more or less inner energy.
The aura imbued in his fists was more vibrant and potent.
“Ah! Truly magnificent.”
Seeing it once like this was better than hearing about it a hundred times.
At Geom Mugeuk's admiration, the First Immortal thought the young man from the Righteous Fist Sect was lying.
How could it be magnificent when the fists were too fast to even see? Who in the world possessed such Divine Might… huh!
‘It’s the Fist Demon! What an idiot! I’m only realizing it now?’
Those large fists, those thick forearms that looked like they had personally opened the Gates of Hell.
If that man wasn't the Fist Demon, then who could be? And if he wasn't the Fist Demon, who could so easily send the Eight Ghost Swordsmen to the other side?
“Please spare my life! Lord Fist Demon!”
The First Immortal prostrated himself.
At the words "Fist Demon," the remaining three men fell to the ground in terror.
Realizing their opponent was a Demon Sovereign of the Demon Sect, their entire bodies began to tremble.
Lying on the ground, the First Immortal sent a telepathic message to the Third Immortal.
―Wasn't that Righteous Fist Sect successor trying to kill the Fist Demon?
―Yes, he was.
―You incompetent fool! Do those two look like enemies to you?
―I’m not sure what happened either.
―You useless idiot!
He truly wanted to jump up and beat the Third Immortal half to death.
But he couldn't.
He had lived his entire life acting on his temper.
He had never once suppressed his anger.
He had even chased down someone for glaring at him on the street and gouged out their eyes.
He never let anyone who provoked him get away with it.
But now, that anger was being well-controlled.
“Please spare us!”
The four men begged for their lives.
The Fist Demon slowly walked toward them.
“So these bastards believed my story without a shred of doubt?”
At the Fist Demon's lingering resentment, Geom Mugeuk laughed.
“Yes, they live that kind of life, so they assume others do as well.”
I cleared up the misunderstanding about the Fist Demon.
“All of you, lift your heads. Straighten your backs.”
The men raised their heads while still on their knees.
“You fools! The great Fist Demon touching the fiancée of a successor from a sect under our Main Sect? Does that even sound plausible? I made it all up to lure you here. Do you understand?”
“Yes! Yes.”
The Immortals bowed their heads, agreeing unconditionally.
Geom Mugeuk asked the Fist Demon.
“How do you feel? A little better?”
The Fist Demon shook his head.
Of course, he wouldn't feel better.
Geom Mugeuk believed that the Fist Demon wouldn't have overreacted like this for any other reason.
Talk of him killing someone or insulting someone wouldn't have made him bat an eye.
However, the Fist Demon was a man who utterly despised those who committed such acts against women.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
He was a man who punched cliffs, a man who had never once caused trouble with women.
That was the Fist Demon.
“Coming out to slack off and ending up playing the part of a lecher. Thank you.”
Geom Mugeuk was sincerely grateful.
“I know you truly hated this, given your personality, Master. Thank you for bearing with it.”
He expressed his gratitude with words.
Couldn't the Fist Demon understand without him saying it? No! He had to say it out loud for him to know.
How could he know if it wasn't said?
What he was most grateful to the Fist Demon for was this.
That he didn't hide his dislike and let it fester in his heart, but expressed it all, thus giving him the chance to soothe his feelings.
“The lecher who appeared and disappeared in secret these past few days was probably the greatest fighter among all lechers in the history of the martial world.”
At Geom Mugeuk's joke, the Fist Demon finally laughed.
Their gazes met, intertwined in the moonlight.
I could feel his face relax.
The Fist Demon’s anger wasn't resolved by revealing the truth to those men, but by hearing the words ‘thank you for enduring it’ and ‘I’m sorry.’
That was why he could hear such words from the Fist Demon.
“You said this will save hundreds, thousands of young people, right? Then maybe becoming a Divine Doctor for once wouldn't be so bad.”
As if he had said something unnecessary, the Fist Demon looked up at the moon.
His broad back seemed even larger and more solid than before.
Meanwhile, the First Immortal was sending a telepathic message to the Fourth Immortal.
―The Fist Demon won’t let us live.
When you see an opportunity, grab that young man as a hostage! It’s our only way to survive.
From the atmosphere, the two were clearly close.
If they could just take him hostage, they could at least find a way to live.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk approached them.
As he passed the Fourth Immortal and went to the First Immortal, the Fourth Immortal rose like a bolt of lightning and successfully held a sword to Geom Mugeuk’s throat.
“Move, and this one dies!”
The First Immortal shouted.
“Success!”
After a quick glance at the scene, the Fist Demon looked up at the moon again and said.
“You should have taken me hostage instead.”
The moment the Fist Demon's incomprehensible words ended, Geom Mugeuk was already turned to face the Fourth Immortal.
‘When did he turn around?’
It was a question the Fourth Immortal, who was holding the sword, should not have had.
Geom Mugeuk’s fist lightly tapped out.
But the result was not light.
Thwack!
The Fourth Immortal’s head snapped back and then returned to its original position.
Could a neck bend like that and be okay? It was not okay.
The Fourth Immortal collapsed forward and did not get up.
He had died instantly, his neck broken.
Geom Mugeuk turned to the remaining three and said coldly.
“I don't like the fact that you call yourselves The Immortals in the first place.”
Seeing this, the First Immortal realized.
‘Ah! This man is not the successor of the Righteous Fist Sect!’
A young successor from the Righteous Fist Sect could not have so easily subdued the Fourth Immortal, who had a sword to his neck.
‘Damn it! Dammit all!’
The First Immortal was filled with regret.
He was usually so careful.
This time, too, if it had just been a clash with a demonic practitioner, he never would have shown himself.
But he had no choice when he heard it was related to the Fist Demon.
A single misstep could have destroyed the Mutual Aid Society system he had worked so hard to build.
‘Get a grip! Get a grip!’
He was already in the tiger's jaws.
Fortunately, there were three of them, not just one.
Maybe one could be spared.
‘I will survive! I must survive.’
He was making so much money right now.
He was set to live a life of luxury for the rest of his days.
He couldn't die like this.
“Who among you is the worst?”
At Geom Mugeuk's question, the three men flinched.
“Why so surprised? You all chose people too, didn’t you? Who should we threaten? Who should we swindle? If you can choose, why can't I?”
He pressured the three men, as if he intended to make them pay for their sins in kind.
“If you don't choose, all three of you die!”
At that, the First Immortal and the Second Immortal looked at the Third Immortal as if on cue.
Since they often joked that he was the worst among them, the decision was not difficult.
The Third Immortal shouted with an aggrieved expression.
“No, I did the most good. I gave young people hope and dreams.”
“I know that's not true. Didn’t you say it earlier? It wasn't for my youth, but for your own?”
“Please, spare me!”
“When those young men begged like this, did you ever spare them, even once?”
“…”
“I thought so.”
CRUNCH!
Geom Mugeuk's fist caved in the Third Immortal's face, killing him instantly.
Thud.
Just as he had told him earlier that he would forget everything from today, Geom Mugeuk tossed his corpse aside carelessly.
He thought this level of treatment suited them perfectly.
He might say he'd spare them to get information, but he had no intention of letting any of them live.
The First Immortal decided to make his last choice.
He would run without looking back.
Even if he died from a hidden weapon to the back, he would die trying to escape.
There was a sliver of hope.
He was confident in his lightness arts.
Just as he was about to turn, someone put an arm around his shoulder and stood beside him.
“You can’t escape. I’m not kidding, even if you had an hour's head start, he’d catch you. Running is what that man does best.”
The middle-aged man who had approached and acted friendly was none other than the Wind Heaven Sect Leader.
The First Immortal couldn't get his bearings.
‘Who is this person?’
Not only did he approach without a sound, but how did he know he was about to run?
In the end, the First Immortal couldn't hold back and yelled at the Second Immortal.
“You incompetent fool! Who in the world did you mess with!”
It had been the Second Immortal's role to choose their targets.
At that, the Wind Heaven Sect Leader laughed and said.
“That's right. I used to say that to myself a lot back in the day.”
Soon after, Go Wol also appeared.
“I searched the safehouse where this man was staying and found the ledger.”
The thick ledger contained hundreds of names and the amounts of money they had borrowed.
“I will take care of this ledger.”
Geom Mugeuk nodded readily, knowing that Go Wol would handle it wisely.
The First Immortal’s expression contorted.
How on earth did they find his safehouse? He had been so careful, so very careful.
He felt dizzy.
This was a natural disaster.
Geom Mugeuk subdued the First Immortal’s and the Second Immortal’s mute point and paralyzing point.
“Only one of you will live. The one who tells me something more useful will live, understood? If you have something to say, blink.”
The First Immortal blinked his eyes rapidly without hesitation.
Geom Mugeuk released his mute point.
“The remaining funds of eight hundred thousand Nyang are in the Central Plains Treasury. The seal is on my person, and I will also tell you the code needed to withdraw the money.”
The First Immortal told Go Wol the code.
Seeing this, the Second Immortal was stunned.
The First Immortal was giving up the money so easily? No, he understood.
How could one defy the Fist Demon?
What shocked the Second Immortal was this.
He said it so quickly, without even a single apologetic glance in his direction? He didn't even pretend to hesitate before handing down his death sentence?
Geom Mugeuk said to the Second Immortal.
“It's a shame for you, but it looks like our First Immortal is about to ascend to the heavens, doesn't it?”
At that, the Second Immortal blinked his eyes rapidly.
Geom Mugeuk subdued the First Immortal's mute point and released the Second Immortal's.
Since the First Immortal had so heartlessly tried to save only himself, the Second Immortal had no reason to hesitate either.
“There is another ledger.”
The First Immortal's eyes widened, but with his mute point and paralyzing point subdued, he could do nothing.
As if he had expected it, Geom Mugeuk said to the Second Immortal.
“The financier’s ledger.”
They would have been paying a certain amount of money back to the person who funded them each month.
A ledger detailing when and how much.
“The ledger is hidden inside the First Immortal’s belt.”
When Go Wol untied the First Immortal's belt and searched it, a rolled-up piece of paper emerged from within.
On it, the details of their payments were meticulously recorded.
It was crucial evidence if they ever needed to officially bring down the one behind them.
Geom Mugeuk looked at the First Immortal and said.
“Looks like you'll have to yield the ascension to our Second Immortal here.”
At that, the First Immortal began to blink faster than the speed of light.