Absolute Regression

Chapter 459: You’re a Woman Blessed with Fortune

Geum Arin’s first impression of Geom Mugeuk was this.

‘He’s way too young, isn’t he?’

She couldn’t believe it. That Jeon Nak had been taken down by someone this young. And not just him—he had taken down the Money Ghosts too?

It wasn’t just his age. He was completely different from what she had imagined. Handsome, and somehow even carried a sense of grace. She had expected someone far more rough and full of murderous aura.

Geum Arin added up Geom Mugeuk’s age, her first impression of him, and the results of what he had done, and came to this conclusion.

‘He’s someone who’s mastered a rising martial art!’

The fact that he was confidently showing up alone before her said as much. The question was whether he was stronger or weaker than her. She couldn’t tell just by looking.

“I saw Division Leader Hwang through the window while passing by the inn, so I came in.”

Geom Mugeuk spoke cheerfully as if he had just happened to stop by.

“So you had a guest with you.”

As if he didn’t know who she was, Geom Mugeuk greeted Geum Arin with a clasped-fist salute.

“If a place has someone as beautiful as you, then I, too, should move up into the upper world.”

Though his words sounded pleasant, Geum Arin didn’t react.

That was when Hwang In cautiously stepped forward.

“Watch your mouth. This lady here is not someone you should mention so carelessly.”

It sounded like he was showing respect to Geum Arin, but in truth, it was a warning to Geom Mugeuk.

‘This woman. She’s the terrifying one that’s been talked about! Don’t let her looks distract you and ruin everything!’

Hwang In was worried that Geom Mugeuk would be charmed by her appearance.

But even without that warning, how could Geom Mugeuk not already know who she was?

He had already sensed that she was not someone of ordinary skill.

‘She’s achieved a lot for her age.’

Whether it came from efforts that nearly killed her, natural talent, or tremendous backing and opportunity—it was not a level of skill commonly seen.

And one more thing.

For someone like Jeon Nak to consider her terrifying meant she wasn’t someone who showed mercy.

On top of that, Geom Mugeuk could sense a martial expert hiding nearby.

‘She’s no ordinary person.’

It’s rare to find a martial expert who has also mastered concealment techniques. Most of them serve to protect someone. And such a high-level protector was guarding her? ṞÃＮօʙĘŜ

‘This woman must be blood-related to the Golden Dragon Family Head.’

Hwang In would never know just how much Geom Mugeuk had figured out in such a short moment.

Geom Mugeuk, acting as if he had only just realized who she was, spoke with surprise.

“Ah! So this is the one?”

At those words, Geum Arin responded.

“How did he introduce me?”

Geom Mugeuk replied to her.

“He said a terrifying person would be coming.”

Hwang In was inwardly nervous.

‘He introduced me like that?’

There was a chance she could react irritably to those words. His heart pounded faster than usual.

‘Please, don’t let today be the day I die!’

He looked at Geom Mugeuk with a pleading gaze in both eyes.

Geom Mugeuk introduced himself to Geum Arin.

“They call me Geom Yeon. Not the ‘fate’ yeon, but the ‘smoke’ yeon. After meeting you, I’ll disappear like smoke.”

“I didn’t ask.”

Geum Arin responded coldly without revealing her own name.

“They say you killed my subordinates.”

She asked bluntly, and Geom Mugeuk didn’t bother to hide it.

“I had a conflict with your people, though it wasn’t my intention. For that, I offer my apologies.”

“Several people died. That’s not something an apology can settle.”

“Then is there something else you want?”

With a tone as cold as her eyes, she spoke.

“Life for life.”

Geom Mugeuk stared at her and said,

“If you can take it, then try.”

A sharp tension filled the air.

Geum Arin fought the urge to draw her sword and strike. She was not the type to unsheathe her sword when the opponent wished. Her blade would be drawn only at the moment she chose.

The one who broke this suffocating silence was Geom Mugeuk.

“I can’t offer you my life, but I’ll buy you a drink.”

Without a hint of fear, he turned his head toward the server and asked for a new bottle of liquor.

As soon as Geom Mugeuk turned his head back, a sword was already at his throat.

It was a blindingly fast strike. Not even the faintest sound of wind.

For Hwang In, who had been sitting next to him, the scene had changed in the blink of an eye.

Geom Mugeuk looked at her without any sign of surprise. That reaction only made Geum Arin’s gaze grow colder. He could’ve lost his life with that move just now.

If he was truly skilled enough to kill Jeon Nak, he should’ve reacted somehow.

Could it be… he let the sword reach his neck on purpose? Was he sure she wouldn’t kill him?

Or maybe he wasn’t as skilled as she thought? In that case, he couldn’t be the one who killed Jeon Nak and the Money Ghosts.

She couldn’t be certain which of the two was true. That only made her more uneasy.

‘This one... I can’t read him well.’

Geom Mugeuk’s gaze followed the blade and met her eyes.

“I can’t afford to die.”

“Why not?”

After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk answered.

“It wasn’t always the case, but now… my death would become my father’s justification.”

The moment he died, his father would sweep through the entire martial world. The grief of losing a son would become his justification, and the world would turn into hell.

Of course, Geum Arin had no way of understanding what he meant by that.

“Are you saying that if I kill you, your father will take revenge, so I should spare you?”

“Well, something like that.”

“Where is your father now?”

“He’s at the manor. He’s there with my uncle.”

Hwang In had mentioned it. There were three of them in total. Judging by the feeling she got, this man’s father and uncle were probably not ordinary people either.

“I came out to do some shopping. My father said he’d cook something special today. You’re blessed with good fortune, miss. Come with me. It’s not easy to get a taste of my father’s cooking. It’s the kind of thing you could brag about for a lifetime.”

Geum Arin had to at least acknowledge one thing. Whether it was an act or genuine, showing this level of composure at the tip of her blade was not something easily done.

With a light flick of her hand, Geum Arin sheathed her sword and spoke.

“I can’t kill someone who just came out to do some shopping.”

Geom Mugeuk rubbed his neck and expressed his thanks.

“Thank you for sparing me.”

Hwang In felt a sense of dismay at the sight. His heart began pounding even harder.

‘What? Why is he showing such weakness? Don’t tell me… is he actually weaker than this woman?’

That couldn’t be. He had been there when Geom Mugeuk killed both Jeon Nak and the Money Ghosts all at once. Right? Stop fooling around and just cut this woman down in one stroke already. Then tell me I don’t have to worry anymore.

But the situation was unfolding in the exact opposite direction of what he hoped.

Whip. Whip.

She unleashed a gust of inner energy and suppressed Geom Mugeuk’s Devil’s Core.

Though he hadn’t managed to avoid it, Geom Mugeuk remained unfazed.

“It’s fine. I don’t need inner strength just to shop for ingredients.”

Geum Arin looked at Geom Mugeuk with an expression that said, ‘What kind of guy is this?’

‘No way you’re skilled enough to undo the pressure I just applied to your acupoints.’

Now that she had suppressed his internal energy, his life was effectively in her hands. And yet, he remained this relaxed? His behavior was beyond her understanding.

“My father must be waiting.”

Geom Mugeuk stood up and said.

“Come now, let’s go shopping together.”

*         *         *

A carriage was speeding along.

It looked old and ordinary on the outside, but it was crafted from material that couldn’t be broken even by blades. It was pulled by horses that could run all day without tiring.

Naturally, the person riding inside was anything but ordinary.

He carried an air of refinement along with his exceptional aura. He was none other than the Trading Company Head of the Galaxy Trading Company.

Yong Jamyeong, the master of the Galaxy Trading Company.

There were many ways to describe him, but the most effective and definitive one was this:

The richest man in the world.

Because of that, not only the coachman, but also the people riding with him were no ordinary martial artists. They were the top experts of the Galaxy Trading Company whom Yong Jamyeong trusted the most.

This was his secret journey, known for being so tightly scheduled that one would need to make an appointment months in advance just to catch a glimpse of his face.

The martial experts escorting him, including the coachman, totaled three. It was the first time something like this had happened since the Galaxy Trading Company had become the Greatest Trading Company Under the Heavens. Even so, Yong Jamyeong had originally intended to bring only one of them.

Of course, considering the skills of these three, this journey could still be considered safe. They were the three most skilled individuals whom Yong Jamyeong trusted most within the Galaxy Trading Company.

Especially Baek Chong, sitting across from him, was someone who had shared life and death with Yong Jamyeong and built the Galaxy Trading Company alongside him.

“It’s not too late even now. Let’s turn the carriage around.”

Yong Jamyeong smiled and asked him,

“Are you scared too?”

Baek Chong answered honestly.

“I am.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you say that. That you’re scared.”

It wasn’t fear for his own life. Baek Chong was afraid that this journey might cost them Yong Jamyeong’s life.

“This choice is too dangerous.”

“Is it more dangerous than refusing a request from the Cult Leader?”

Baek Chong had no reply. Over the years building the company with Yong Jamyeong, they had weathered countless storms together, but the most dangerous of them all had always been the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

“If it were just an ordinary request from the Cult, I would’ve used another excuse to buy time. But this time, the Cult Leader sent a personal letter.”

It was a handwritten message from the Cult Leader himself.

The Cult Leader’s own written letter.

That in itself was unprecedented.

“Then at least send secret notice to the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance. If they’re aware, they won’t dare try anything foolish.”

Yong Jamyeong knew exactly what Baek Chong was worried about. But this matter wasn’t something to be handled that way.

“The Cult Leader specifically emphasized the word ‘secretly.’ That’s a clear instruction not to contact them.”

“That’s exactly why we should inform them. The Cult has never acted this way before.”

This decision wasn’t made based on instinct alone. It was formed from accumulated experience and a massive amount of recent intelligence.

Yes, how could he not know? How violent and ruthless the demonic followers were.

“Let’s just hope the information is true.”

“Are you referring to the Young Cult Leader?”

Yong Jamyeong nodded. It was information that a new wind was blowing within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. That was what had led to even a three-way summit with Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions.

That was why he hoped the reason he had been summoned this time was because of the Young Cult Leader. It felt safer that way than being summoned directly by the Heavenly Demon.

“You know, don’t you? Reality is always different from the rumors.”

“Don’t worry too much. Everything will turn out fine.”

That was the kind of person Yong Jamyeong was.

Someone who always tried to overcome any situation with optimism rather than negativity.

Whether this matter would become an opportunity for the Galaxy Trading Company or lead to his death, he would push through it just as he always had. The handwritten letter from the Heavenly Demon was something he saw as an unrefusable summons of destiny.

He didn’t believe he was being summoned to be killed. From all he had heard and gathered, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult wasn’t that type of person. He trusted the Galaxy Trading Company’s information network.

He wasn’t just going to give and return empty-handed. He would give what was desired and take what he wanted in return. That’s what a transaction was—give and take.

In moments of crisis like this, he would recall that time from his youth. That time when he had been on the brink of death and survived. No one else could know just how much that experience helped him in life.

A life lived on borrowed time—might as well live it without regrets.

Sometimes with courage, sometimes with more effort.

Perhaps that was what had allowed him to become the master of the Greatest Trading Company Under the Heavens.

The carriage sped swiftly toward the appointed place.

*         *         *

‘Is he really grocery shopping?’

Geom Mugeuk began buying various ingredients at the marketplace.

“When it comes to vegetables and fruits, choose ones with even, vivid colors. They should be firm, not soft, and avoid anything with spots like these.”

As he explained, Geum Arin watched him shop in disbelief.

At first, she had suspected this was just a ploy to stall for time. But he really was carefully selecting ingredients for cooking. He even had a written list of what to buy.

“Alright, now that we’ve got the meat too, we’re good!”

After finishing the grocery shopping, Geom Mugeuk led her toward the manor.

“You think I’d just walk into the trap you set without question?”

“Are you scared?”

Geum Arin glared at Geom Mugeuk. Even after suppressing his internal energy, she still couldn’t figure him out. What was with this composure? Or was he just insane?

Geom Mugeuk raised the ingredients he was holding high in both hands.

“It’ll be a very delicious trap.”

Geum Arin turned to Hwang In, who had been with her, and said,

“Go deliver the message. If he wants to save his son, he should come alone to the place I tell him to.”

At that, Geom Mugeuk let out a sigh.

“My father won’t come. He’s not someone who moves just because he’s told to.”

“Even if his son’s life is at stake?”

“Even then, he won’t come.”

Geom Mugeuk spoke to Hwang In.

“If you do happen to see my father, don’t meet his eyes. Be polite. Explain everything that’s happened in full.”

“Understood.”

Hwang In nodded, then flinched. Geum Arin was looking at him with clear disapproval in her eyes—‘Whose side are you even on?’

Geom Mugeuk said to her,

“Well, since we’ve bought all the ingredients, I’ll cook dinner tonight. My cooking’s not something easily tasted either. You truly are a woman blessed with fortune.”

Geum Arin looked at him, speechless. No one had ever told her in her life that she was a woman with a blessing for food.

“What the hell are you? Who sent you?”

Geom Mugeuk smiled as if she would find out soon enough and began walking ahead.

“I’m hungry, so let’s eat first.”

Then he paused and asked her,

“By the way, where are we headed? Let’s go somewhere we can cook.”