Absolute Regression

Chapter 458: I Wouldn’t Have Dug the Trap

When I returned to the backyard after sending off Joo Hyangwol, Father was standing with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky.

He had always been like that, but his back always looked lonely.

That loneliness, no matter how warmly I stayed by his side, was a kind of innate solitude that I could never erase.

Father, please don’t be too lonely. Your son is here. A son who respects and loves you more than anyone else.

"Miss Joo, who likes you more than I do, was just here. She asked me to send her regards."

Father turned to face me. Even though I had teased him on purpose, he looked completely unashamed—how could he be so confident?

"Should I really try going for it?"

As if he had heard what I said out in the front yard, Father didn’t ask what I meant. Instead, he just wore a look that said, “as much as you want.”

I imagined leisurely traveling through the Central Plains with Father. Not like now, where we had to spill blood against our will, but a trip where we could simply relax and enjoy ourselves.

Drinking with righteous heroines, perhaps? I couldn’t even picture what Father would be like in front of them.

‘Father, I’m not asking for anything grand. I just want to enjoy time like this with you.’

Then Father suddenly asked.

"Why are you going this far to take care of everything?"

He was referring to the way I brought the Joo Clan Sword Family and the Hwangdo Trading Company together. It was something that wouldn’t have happened without me.

How should I answer that?

Because I can afford to be thorough too? Since evil is meticulous, I want to be just as meticulous? Or should I use Father as an excuse? Since you handled the agreement, Father, this time you’re the one who managed it.

Today, I answered like this.

"Because it’s fun."

A faint smile appeared on Father’s lips. Yes, saying it’s fun is probably the easiest answer to understand.

Father slowly began to walk. I walked with him through the garden and talked about what needed to be done next.

"When news of Jeon Nak’s death spreads, someone will be sent to investigate. I’m thinking of using that to approach the Golden Dragon Family."

Eradicating everything isn’t always the best way.

Our goal was to uncover the connection between the Golden Dragon Family and the forces behind them, and to eliminate whoever had taken root there.

This time, I intended to use Jeon Nak’s death to find a way to approach them.

"It’ll be harder since we have to handle it without killing."

As if agreeing with me, Father silently nodded.

"Besides, since our opponent is the Golden Dragon Family, we have to be cautious. I’ve heard the head of the Golden Dragon Family is close to the Alliance Leader. They even donate a large sum to the Martial Alliance every year." Р𝐀ℕọBЁṡ

A look of displeasure briefly crossed Father’s face. It probably sounded like this to him: Because they’re close to the Alliance Leader, we have to be cautious. Maybe I should’ve said the opposite to win Father’s approval.

Because he’s close to the Alliance Leader, we’ll have to show him exactly what we’re capable of this time.

That was likely the kind of answer Father wanted to hear.

But Father, you’ll never hear that sort of response from me, not now or in the future.

"Do you have something in mind?"

"It won’t be easy to approach the core of the Golden Dragon Family without revealing our identities."

This matter could only be uncovered by getting close to the head of the Golden Dragon Family. For a regional faction like the Seodo Sect, it was no easy task. And if we pretended to be some mysterious sect, it would only make them more suspicious.

"So I’m considering asking for help from one place."

"Where?"

After a brief pause, I named the place Father would have never expected.

"The Galaxy Trading Company."

As expected, a flicker of surprise crossed Father’s eyes.

The Galaxy Trading Company was, by all accounts, the wealthiest group in the entire martial world.

If the Galaxy Trading Company stood at the top, right below them were the Golden Dragon Family and the Continental Trading Company. These three were known to be the richest in the world.

"We’ll let them believe we’re people from the Galaxy Trading Company."

We’d need a status of that level to get close to the heart of the Golden Dragon Family. Of course, there would be some tricks to pull along the way.

"Will the Galaxy Trading Company really help us?"

The Galaxy Trading Company didn’t side with either orthodox or unorthodox forces. But it had deep connections with all three powers, and by successfully maintaining that balance, it had become the number one trading company in the Central Plains.

"That’s beyond my ability, so please make it happen, Father."

At my words, Father made a face as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

But this wasn’t an unreasonable request.

Before the regression, through my life, I already knew. The special connection between Father and the head of the Galaxy Trading Company.

The head of the Galaxy Trading Company, Yong Jamyeong, left behind words about Father before he died.

In his youth, when he was being pursued after a surprise attack, he narrowly escaped death thanks to Father’s help. That was back when Father, together with the Fist Demon King, had been sweeping across the Central Plains in his prime.

At the time, Yong Jamyeong didn’t know that the man who saved him was the Heavenly Demon. After rescuing him, Father simply vanished.

It wasn’t until long after Father had passed, by sheer coincidence, that Yong Jamyeong learned the truth.

He reportedly regretted finding out too late. He said he had spent his whole life searching, only to understand why he never found him. How could he, when the man was the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

This was originally a matter that wouldn’t have been revealed even after his death. But by then, Father had already passed away, and both orthodox and unorthodox factions had sealed their gates, which allowed the story to come to light.

‘Father, in this life, let’s help him find out a little earlier that it was you who saved him back then. That way, he can repay the kindness. It was his lifelong regret, you know—he spent his entire life searching for his savior.’

I would gain help for this matter, and at the same time, close the chapter on Father’s connection with him.

Of course, I couldn’t know for sure whether things would go exactly as I hoped—two birds with one stone. Fate would decide everything. In this life, let’s do it this way.

“They say something interesting, you know. That the intelligence of the Galaxy Trading Company is just as fast and precise as our cult’s Heavenly Communication Pavilion.”

Of course, that wasn’t literally true, but it spoke to the scale and prowess of their information network.

“They’ve probably been keeping a close eye not only on the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance, but also on our cult’s movements. I’m sure they’re aware that the greatest successor in our history has appeared.”

“You sure talk highly of yourself.”

“Oh, that’s nothing. They must also know that our cult recently led the Three-way Summit. They won’t find it easy to refuse.”

Surely, they knew the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was the hottest name in the world right now. And if the Heavenly Demon himself made the request?

“Also, one more thing—the relationship between the Galaxy Trading Company and the Golden Dragon Family isn’t bad, is it?”

Though they competed fiercely in the trade world, their relationship surprisingly wasn’t hostile.

“There’s no one else who can do this but you, Father. Not even the Alliance Leader or the Unorthodox Alliance Leader could persuade him.”

“And why do you think he’d listen to my request?”

It might have sounded like flattery to Father, but this was the only thing I could say.

“Because you’re you, Father.”

Father stared at me for a moment before asking his final question.

“What exactly do you want them to do?”

It was clear that he had decided to go along with my plan.

“Just one person needs to stop by briefly.”

*         *         *

On the day set by Geom Mugeuk, Hwang In and Joo Hyangwol met again with the agreement document between them.

In the tense atmosphere, it was Hwang In who stepped forward first.

“I’d like to formally apologize for what happened last time.”

He rose from his seat and bowed his head respectfully. Joo Hyangwol could sense his sincerity in that gesture.

“What made you change your mind?”

He was now sincerely apologizing, and had sent over a properly written agreement. She was curious about the reason.

Hwang In answered honestly.

“Because of Young Master Geom.”

Of course, he couldn’t tell her about the killings of Jeon Nak and the Money Ghosts, but other than that, he spoke with honesty.

“After meeting him, I was ashamed of the way I’d been living. I said I wanted to become the master of the greatest trading company under the heavens, but truthfully, I wasn’t even fit for a small-town merchant group.”

Even if he couldn’t say it to anyone else, he wanted to be honest with her. He saw investing in the Joo Clan Sword Family as a new beginning.

"I just wanted to start doing things right, even if it’s from now. That’s why I asked to meet at this inn. After all, this was where it all began."

The place they met was the very inn where they had first encountered Geom Mugeuk.

If it had been for any other reason, she would have suspected Hwang In. But this reason—this one, she believed.

‘You were influenced by him too.’

Because she was no different. Ever since they had met, even her relationship with her mother had changed, if only a little. Of course, neither her mother’s nor her own nature would truly change. She hadn’t expected their relationship to improve overnight.

But like Geom Mugeuk said, she would try to believe in the power of each kind, sincere word they exchanged. She wouldn’t explode in anger anymore. She would understand—it happens.

“Well then, shall we sign?”

The two of them signed the agreement together. They each took a copy of the two documents. For both Hwang In and Joo Hyangwol, it was the first time they felt they had properly accomplished something.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“As do I.”

The two exchanged a polite martial greeting.

Joo Hyangwol left the inn first, and Hwang In remained. Since it was the first day of a new beginning, he wanted to sit for a moment and have a drink, overwhelmed by emotions.

“So this really is where fate changed.”

As he sat immersed in sentiment, sipping his drink—

A woman sitting a little distance away spoke to him.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it sounds like something important just happened here.”

She was a woman in her thirties, dressed neatly in plain martial robes. A beauty with both youth and maturity, her cool and somewhat distant impression only added to her allure.

“Oh, sorry. I really didn’t mean to listen. I’m just naturally curious.”

She brought a bottle and sat across from Hwang In.

“To apologize, let me offer you a drink.”

She poured him a glass.

Hwang In froze in place and said nothing.

“What’s the matter?”

When the woman asked gently with a soft smile, Hwang In replied quietly.

“You must be the martial artist sent from above.”

The moment he identified her, the smile vanished from her face. Like an actor changing roles, the shift from her friendly expression to her current face was stark.

“How did you know?”

She raised her inner energy slightly and scanned the surroundings, but there was no sign of danger.

The reason Hwang In had figured it out was entirely personal.

“Because a beautiful woman like you would never approach someone like me first.”

He meant it. She really was that captivating. Maybe the thought had crossed his mind because she seemed so dangerous, and it made his heart race.

A curious smile formed on the woman’s lips.

“You know yourself well.”

She had the kind of appearance that made even such insults difficult to take offense to.

“I’ve been waiting for you to arrive, martial artist.”

She was none other than Geum Arin, the leader of the secret organization the Golden Dragon Family had been raising in secret. Just as striking as her beauty was the formidable martial strength she possessed.

Though they were not visible at the moment, she had brought trusted subordinates with her to resolve this matter. The deaths of Jeon Nak and the Money Ghosts were not something that could be taken lightly.

Hwang In had never imagined that the terrifying figure Jeon Nak had spoken of would turn out to be a woman. And he couldn’t tell whether the woman before him truly was that fearsome. Martial artists were often impossible to read.

In any case, he had thought dozens of times about what to say when this moment came.

He decided to start by reporting the facts as they were.

“There were three enemies.”

Even the term “enemies” was something he had practiced in advance. It wasn’t because he was still wavering. It was simply to survive in this situation.

“One of them, a man named Geom Yeon, killed both Jeon Nak and the Money Ghosts.”

Honestly, he was allowed to tell everything. That was what he had been instructed to do.

Even after hearing that Geom Yeon had killed them all alone, the woman showed no great surprise. Did she think she too could have killed Jeon Nak and the Money Ghosts alone? Or did she simply not believe his words?

“How did he kill them?”

Of course, that didn’t mean he told her everything. For instance, the fact that he had been there. If she heard that he had been present at their deaths, what if she cut him down before he had a chance to explain?

“I don’t know how he did it. After he went to meet them, we didn’t hear anything back. He might even still be alive.”

Geum Arin’s eyes grew colder with suspicion.

“They died, but you lived.”

“Geom Yeon came to me afterward. He told me, if someone comes to ask about this, deliver a message.”

“What message?”

“‘I have something to say. Come to me.’ That’s what he said. Let’s go. I’ll guide you to him.”

Hwang In stood up at once, as if ready to leave immediately, but Geum Arin remained seated, wearing a look that said, "Don’t be absurd."

“You think I’d just walk into a trap and wait around? Do I look that foolish to you?”

“No, of course not.”

At the chill in her tone, Hwang In sat back down, his face showing clear fear.

“I don’t think he set a trap.”

“And why is that?”

Words he couldn’t say to her surfaced in his mind.

Because he wouldn’t need one. That’s only because you haven’t seen them yet.

Just as he was struggling with how to answer, Hwang In’s face suddenly lit up.

“There he is.”

Geom Mugeuk was walking into the inn from the entrance.