Absolute Regression

Chapter 442: Father’s Demon Supremes Are So Cool

Was it because my heart felt lighter?

Star Light Step was even faster on the return trip.

After returning to the main sect, I ate and rested sufficiently. Then I took a clean bath and changed into a fresh uniform.

In such an optimal mood, I was about to head to the Heavenly Demon Pavilion to see Father, when I heard that someone was waiting outside the door upon hearing of my return.

They were Seo Daeryong and Jangho. Jangho’s massive frame looked even bigger than the last time I saw him.

Seo Daeryong approached me and lowered his voice, speaking playfully.

“Master is here, so I shouldn’t joke around, but if the two of us joined forces, couldn’t we be counted as one Demon Supreme?”

Just from that comment, I could instantly tell what feelings led them to wait here for me. If possible, they wanted to step up and be of help too.

“The two of you combined could match three Demon Supremes.”

“Would I be able to handle two Demon Supremes?”

“Lord Jang makes up two and a half, and you make up half.”

“The right arm is me! It’s me, I say!”

Jangho, who had been eagerly eyeing that right arm position, looked at me and bowed politely. He was always dependable.

“Though you always show us more than we could imagine, Young Cult Leader, I still hope you judge cautiously.”

Because the opponent was Father, they were this worried for me.

Before I knew it, Seo Daeryong was also looking at me with a serious face.

These two would gladly lay down their lives at my command. My people, who absolutely must not die. That’s why today’s battle was also for them.

“I’ll reserve the Flowing Wind Tavern. To drink the defeat liquor? Don’t even joke.”

“I had no plans to joke, but you ended up saying it.”

Seo Daeryong smiled brightly and clasped his fist in salute. Jangho did the same, bowing his head. It was a moment more empowering than any encouragement in the world. ȑä₦ŐBƐś

“Reserve the entire Flowing Wind Tavern. Let’s drink till dawn.”

Leaving their support behind, I stepped out.

When I arrived at the entrance of the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, this time it was Brother Geom Muyang waiting for me. It showed just how significant this matter was to everyone.

“I heard everything from Demonic Buddha.”

It seemed Demonic Buddha had told Brother everything about the matter.

“So? Did you come to help your younger brother cornered in a crisis?”

Then Brother gave an unexpected reply.

“I came to save Father, who’s the one cornered.”

“Right, only you and I could make a joke like that in all of the Murim.”

“It’s not a joke.”

In Brother’s gaze toward me, there was reproach.

“You were entrusted with the position of Young Cult Leader because he believed in you, and now you’re going to defy Father’s will?”

“If I fall out of Father’s favor, wouldn’t that actually be a good thing for you?”

“I thought so too.”

Apparently not. Seeing him out here trying to stop me proved that much.

We stood side by side, not looking at each other, gazing together at the view from the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

It was time to have a conversation we should have had at least once by now. A talk I couldn’t have with anyone else—but could only have with him.

“Did you know? That no one ever speaks about Father’s life?”

He looked at me with an expression that asked what I meant.

“That’s why Father has probably never once heard it. Someone talking about his life, about his existence.”

“Isn’t the Chief Strategist there for that?”

“Yeah, he is. So is Uncle Hui. They can speak frankly. They can talk casually about affairs within the cult. But Brother, do you really think they could dare to speak about Father’s life, about his beliefs?”

“!”

Brother had probably never considered this before.

“Are you doubting their loyalty?”

“I say this because I know their loyalty is real. It’s because their loyalty is genuine that they won’t do it. That they can’t. They’d try to accept every part of Father. They’d bear it all. You know this. If they’re close, they’re too close to speak, and if they’re distant, they’re too far to speak.”

After a brief silence, Brother asked,

“So? You’re saying you’ll do it?”

“Yeah, I will.”

He shouted, his face furious.

“That’s arrogant!”

“Even so, we have to do it. Because it’s something even you believe shouldn’t be done. That’s exactly why Father lived a life without ever receiving advice or counsel. So we have to say it. ‘Father, I believe you’re mistaken about this.’ Someone has to say it.”

He tried to say something, but eventually let out a sigh. How could he not understand what I meant?

“What if your choice turns out to be wrong?”

“Then Father will correct me. Let’s use our faith in Father for things like this.”

Brother didn’t say anything more.

“Go in.”

“Still, thank you. For coming here out of concern.”

“I told you—I didn’t come because I was worried about you.”

He turned back after walking some distance. I had been watching him the whole time.

Even to the end, his opinion didn’t change.

“Even so, I’m against this.”

“That’s why I’m the one doing it.”

I watched as Brother turned away again and walked off into the distance, then stepped into the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

Still, please understand this—that now, among the people I no longer wish to be killed, you are included too, Brother.

And that’s why I’m fighting this battle.

I stepped into the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

Father was seated on the Celestial Zenith’s Throne, just as always.

But today, his appearance felt more special than usual.

Perhaps because I had come to realize just how terrifying it would be to see that Throne left empty.

“Father, I’ve come.”

I greeted Father in a tone brighter than usual.

I walked slowly down the crimson carpet—the path of blood—toward the base of the Throne.

For some reason, that path felt longer than ever today.

At the end of the bloodied path, I looked up at Father.

Do you know this, Father?

On the day I regressed, I stood in the martial arena and looked at you just like this.

Since that day, I’ve always had my eyes on you.

I worked hard for everyone after returning,

but at the center of all of it was always you.

“I have something to confess.”

Of course, Father would already know what I intended to say.

Still, just as I did when I returned after being on missions, I told him everything.

“These past few days, I went around visiting the Demon Supremes, begging them to take my side.”

As expected, Father’s expression held not even a trace of surprise or disturbance.

“They’re my Demon Supremes. Why would you ask them to side with you?”

“Isn’t it probably because of jealousy?”

I could sense that the corners of Father’s lips were about to curve upward in a faint smile.

“Your Demon Supremes are simply too impressive. Maybe that’s why I feel jealous.”

Father didn’t sneer.

Instead, he gave a single nod, as if agreeing with me, and said,

“It’s not easy for such fine individuals to gather in the same era.”

The moment I heard those words, what Demonic Buddha had said came to mind.

—Because never before has our Cult been this strong.

Those remarkable eight Demon Supremes had each changed in their own way, each grown stronger in their own way.

Even now, they continued to grow stronger.

The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, once stagnant, had begun to flow freely and powerfully.

“Since we’re on the topic, why don’t we summon them all and see their faces? They say if you don’t see each other often, even the heart grows distant.”

It was a test of response.

If, as Demonic Buddha suspected, this was a stage Father had constructed—

if his true goal was to persuade me and gather the Demon Supremes as one—

then Father would summon them.

If not, he’d simply act like he hadn’t heard and let it pass.

Father, how will you answer this move?

Without raising a hand, Father received my move.

He spoke quietly.

“Summon the Demon Supremes.”

At that, Hui’s voice rang out from the air.

“By your command.”

A silent surge of passion spread from deep within my chest.

Father had truly summoned the Demon Supremes.

Since Father wasn’t someone who summoned the Demon Supremes unless it was for something truly important, I began to feel more certain that what Demonic Buddha had said might be true.

Father, then what do you intend to do on this stage?

With the Demon Supremes as your audience, do you truly plan to persuade me?

Or will you try to suppress me by force?

A brief silence passed.

But it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable, so I deliberately didn’t continue the conversation.

I chose to save my words. There would be many things to say today.

How much time passed like that?

Finally, the door opened and someone entered.

The first to arrive was Fist Demon King.

Striding down the crimson carpet with his massive frame, he looked like someone walking out of the Gate of Hell.

He walked to the base of the Celestial Zenith’s Throne, gave Father a respectful bow, and took his place to the right of where Father was looking down.

“Welcome, Master.”

Because we stood before Father, Fist Demon King gave only a slight nod in greeting.

With my eyes, I asked him silently.

Was the war you spoke of—was that war with Father actually this battle with me?

He must have sensed the question in my gaze, but simply stood in silence.

Then another person entered.

Someone who followed Father just as loyally as Fist Demon King—

One-Slash Sword Supreme.

Her white uniform and silvery-white hair suited her perfectly.

Unlike the imposing presence Fist Demon King had displayed, her approach was like the opposite—light and graceful.

Watching her tread down the path of blood with such poise, I thought:

Wouldn’t the female martial artists of the main cult feel this when they looked at her?

I want to grow old like that.

That was the impression One-Slash Sword Supreme gave nowadays.

She was someone who proved that age had nothing to do with how people could change.

She also bowed respectfully to Father, then stood next to Fist Demon King.

“You’ve come?”

One-Slash Sword Supreme greeted me with a faint smile.

The two who had arrived first were people who deeply respected and admired Father.

They had chosen him without even a moment of hesitation.

The next person to enter was Evil Smiling Demon.

He came in wearing a white mask. Like One-Slash Sword Supreme’s white hair, his mask stood in stark contrast to the crimson carpet.

Evil Smiling Demon bowed politely to Father, then, with the carpet between them, stood opposite Fist Demon King and One-Slash Sword Supreme.

It wasn’t as if he intended to create opposition— it was simply that the other two had taken one side, so he naturally stood on the other.

He stared at Fist Demon King and One-Slash Sword Supreme with eyes devoid of any emotion.

Then that gaze turned to me.

From the eyeholes in his mask, his eyes seemed to say:

Young Cult Leader, I am here.

I smiled with my eyes as I looked at him.

Evil Smiling Demon, I’ve been waiting for you.

This unspoken form of courtesy shared only between him and me— I truly liked this feeling.

When I turned my head again, Father was silently watching the interaction between us.

‘I’m sorry, Father. Your Demon Supreme was simply too impressive, so I brought him over to my side. It’s just one person, so please understand.’

The next to arrive was Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, who carried a completely different air from Evil Smiling Demon— not only one of Father’s Demon Supremes but also the next in line.

After greeting Father, Soul Reaper Demon Supreme took her place beside Evil Smiling Demon. Since two people were on the other side and only one on this side, it was a natural choice.

But in the end, it formed a face-to-face standoff.

She now stood opposite Fist Demon King and One-Slash Sword Supreme, yet showed no signs of intimidation.

And when she stood beside Evil Smiling Demon, the fearsome auras of “Evil Smiling” and “Soul Reaper” intermingled, doubling the instinctive dread that martial artists feel.

The next Demon Supreme to arrive was Drunken Demon, reeking of alcohol.

He naturally stood beside One-Slash Sword Supreme.

Unlike Fist Demon King and One-Slash Sword Supreme, his eyes turned toward me with a trace of guilt.

Most likely, after telling me he would side with Father, he drank heavily.

At times like this, he seemed more fragile than anyone, but didn’t I already know? Who he really is on the battlefield—Drunken Demon.

Next to arrive was Demonic Buddha.

Bathed in golden light, he walked in without hesitation and stood beside Drunken Demon.

Originally, it would have been more balanced for him to take the space beside Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, but for whatever reason, he chose the opposite side.

I could tell that he had done so intentionally.

He was the one who had said this entire event was a stage set by Father.

So, of course, he would want to heighten the tension of that stage as much as possible.

No matter how diligently he hammers away in quiet contemplation, he can’t help his nature—one that enjoys such conflicts.

The seventh Demon Supreme was Poison King.

As if to keep his word that he would side with neither party, he stood alone at a distance from both sides.

Before Father and the other Demon Supremes, Poison King made it unmistakably clear where he stood.

In some ways, he was the most courageous.

Because in this situation, refusing to choose a side was far harder than choosing one or the other.

But in doing so, he also kept a promise he once made to Father.

Father had told him not to get involved in the unification of the martial world.

The last to enter was Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

He had clearly struggled until the very end to make a decision.

If he had decided, he would’ve come to me and spoken already.

What kind of choice will he make today?

As he walked down the path of blood, he looked at the Demon Supremes standing on both sides.

Since the balance was off like this, I had hoped—just for a moment—that he might stand on my side.

But without hesitation, Blood Heaven Blade Demon stepped to the opposite side.

Feigning disappointment, I looked at him and said,

“Elder, that’s too much! I truly believed that at least you would support me.”

He didn’t take my words as a joke. Instead, he scolded me sternly.

“What’s too much is you, Young Cult Leader. How dare you go against the Cult Leader’s will?”

That stern and disapproving look in his eyes, just like when I first met him—as if our relationship had been reset to the beginning.

But through that cold response, I could tell:

He had chosen me.

Though he stood on the other side, I felt certain he had chosen me.

Why?

Because he was worried about the relationship between Father and me.

He set aside Father’s aspirations, set aside my ambitions for the demonic path—he thought only of that.

The worry that the deeper I clashed head-on with Father, the more likely cracks might form between us.

That’s why he had deliberately stood on Father’s side to scold me, judging it to be the path that would ultimately support me better.

Thank you, Elder.

But I didn’t send him a silent message of gratitude, nor did I give him a knowing look as if I understood his heart.

Because right now, following his intention without acknowledging it would be the true expression of thanks.

But what shall I do, Elder?

Today, I intend to defeat Father and return.

Thus, the eight Demon Supremes had all gathered in one place.

Father and the eight Demon Supremes—and me.

With this lineup, we could march out to conquer the martial world this very moment, and no one would think it strange.

At last, Father rose from the Celestial Zenith’s Throne.

The Demon Supremes all straightened their postures simultaneously, tension rising.

Until now, each of them had radiated in their own color, but in unison, they turned to black and white, concealing themselves.

In this canvas of monochrome, only Father and I remained, revealing our presence in blood-red and sky-blue—unhidden, vivid.

Father stared at me for a moment, then slowly began descending toward the fully seated audience on this stage.