Absolute Regression

Chapter 464: The Son Who Became the Incarnation of Greed

"Benefactor!"

Yong Jamyeong shot up from his seat. A tingling chill ran through his entire body. Never in his life had he been this shocked.

’Benefactor was the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?’

His heart pounded violently. It wasn’t just anyone—it was the Cult Leader? He truly couldn’t believe it.

’Could I have been mistaken?’

But no. The appearance of Benefactor he had seen that day and the appearance of the Heavenly Demon he met today overlapped as if they were one and the same. They were unmistakably the same person.

While Yong Jamyeong was staring at the portrait, Geom Mugeuk looked up at him.

Geom Mugeuk could tell. He knew Yong Jamyeong had realized that the man who saved him in the past was his father.

Of course, someone like Father—how could he not be recognized?

Geom Mugeuk carefully folded the paper, which bore an image of his father in his younger days, and wrapped it in silk. He then held it out to Yong Jamyeong once more.

"Thank you for letting me see."

But Yong Jamyeong didn’t take it.

"That should be kept by the Young Cult Leader."

Feigning ignorance, Geom Mugeuk asked him,

"Why are you giving this to me? Isn’t this drawing precious to you, Company Head?"

The answer he received confirmed that his guess had been right.

"From now on, that may become even more precious to the Young Cult Leader. Come, let us return to the quarters now."

Geom Woojin was drinking tea in his room.

"Father, I have returned."

Geom Mugeuk and Yong Jamyeong stepped inside.

Geom Woojin sensed that something had changed in the way Yong Jamyeong looked at him. He could guess very well where the passion in that gaze came from, but he pretended not to notice and asked his son, ȒαɴŐβΕ𝓢

"Did you have a good conversation with the Company Head?"

"Is there a story more interesting than one about money? On top of that, I heard stories of the Company Head’s younger days."

Geom Woojin looked at Yong Jamyeong and replied calmly,

"And how was it for the Company Head?"

"It was a more precious time than any other."

Ever since Yong Jamyeong had entered the room, his eyes had not left Geom Woojin’s face. Just earlier, such a thing would have been unthinkable.

"Cult Leader."

Yong Jamyeong’s voice trembled. He had gone through countless things to raise the Galaxy Trading Company to the top, but never had he trembled like this.

"Would you remember me?"

His father stared at him in silence for a moment.

From that reaction, Geom Mugeuk could tell.

‘Father already knew.’

Thinking back, of course he would have known. Yong Jamyeong could never have imagined that the one who saved him was the Heavenly Demon, but his father was different.

When Yong Jamyeong had recounted what happened that day, he said that Father had seen the contract that Bloodshade Fiend and Manso had tried to force him to sign.

Back then, Father must have realized that the one he had saved was the young Division Leader of the Galaxy Trading Company.

Since that day, the Galaxy Trading Company had grown while maintaining balance among the three factions.

If he had wanted to, Father could have revealed, “I’m the one who saved you,” and turned the Galaxy Trading Company into one that served the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. But Father never disclosed such a thing. He must have received reports that the young man he saved had been desperately searching for his benefactor.

The richest man in the world seeking to repay a debt of gratitude, yet not a word of contact?

Truly, that’s just like Father. How could I not respect him?

Yong Jamyeong asked about the incident from long ago.

“Do you perhaps remember the day in your youth when you punished Bloodshade Fiend for his crimes?”

Despite the trembling in his voice, Geom Woojin still gave no reply.

And that silence, more than anything, convinced Yong Jamyeong that the benefactor from that day was indeed the Cult Leader standing before him. If it weren’t true, he would have said, “That never happened,” or at least “I don’t remember.”

But Geom Woojin merely listened without a single change in expression.

And those eyes, silently gazing at him.

‘Those eyes.’

He was sure now. Those were the very same eyes. Come to think of it, back then too, the man who saved him hadn’t said a single word. He had left only those eyes behind.

“That day, Cult Leader, you saved me, who had been captured there. If it hadn’t been you, I would’ve died that day.”

It would have been an unjust death—he hadn’t even lost his fortune, just a single warehouse stolen due to some lecher’s escape fund, and still he would have lost his life. He probably wouldn’t have been able to rest in peace even in death.

Yong Jamyeong slowly prostrated himself on the ground.

“Please accept my bow first.”

He bowed with all his heart. Ever since the Galaxy Trading Company had risen to the top, had he ever bowed his head to anyone?

“To finally meet you now... I have longed to see you all these years.”

Truthfully, his mind had been in a daze up until now. He had been afraid to stand before the Heavenly Demon, harbored a lingering sliver of doubt that it might not be him, and had simply been overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions.

And then—it happened.

Geom Woojin rose from his seat and walked toward him.

Then, bending down in front of him, he took Yong Jamyeong’s arm and helped him up.

Geom Mugeuk, who had been watching, was startled. He never imagined that Father would personally help him up.

So how shocked must Yong Jamyeong have been?

But his true shock came just after that.

“I remember you.”

“!”

With that one sentence piercing straight into his heart, Yong Jamyeong opened his eyes wide.

‘It really is the Cult Leader! He remembered me!’

His whole body trembled uncontrollably. The man who pulled him to his feet was both the one who had saved his life and the current Heavenly Demon of this era.

“Then... you knew it was me from the start?”

Geom Woojin nodded.

“So you knew the person you saved back then was me!”

And then, from Geom Woojin’s lips, came the words Yong Jamyeong had longed to hear all his life.

“I had heard of your meteoric rise in the trade world.”

“Ah! So you knew!”

Yong Jamyeong’s chest swelled with emotion, and his voice caught in his throat.

He didn’t ask why the man hadn’t come to see him. After all, could the Heavenly Demon be treated like an ordinary person? Was he the type to go boast to someone he saved just because that person had become the head of the Greatest Trading Company Under the Heavens? No—what truly mattered now was this:

‘Benefactor remembered me. He knew I had become the Greatest Merchant in the World.’

At last, true joy surged in. That exhilarating relief that comes when everything is finally, undeniably clear enveloped Yong Jamyeong.

What delighted him most was the certainty that the passing years hadn’t been meaningless. He knew now that he had kept his promise. He knew that this man had been watching over his life.

And then, Geom Woojin said a priceless line to him.

“You’ve endured much.”

At those words, he could no longer hold back.

Tears welled up in Yong Jamyeong’s eyes.

He had lived his entire life without shedding tears, driven by ruthless determination, but the passion rising from the depths of his chest now could not be suppressed.

No matter how much praise he received from the world, there had always been an emptiness in one corner of his heart. Now, he finally understood why—it was because he wanted to be recognized by this man.

“…I truly longed to see you.”

You probably don’t know just how much I wanted to tell you that I kept the promise I made that day.

“Now, I can die without regret.”

And at last, tears streamed down from Yong Jamyeong’s eyes.

He had harbored two life goals.

To become the master of the Greatest Trading Company Under the Heavens—and to find his benefactor and repay his debt of gratitude.

Now, the moment of fulfilling the second had come.

Yong Jamyeong pulled something from within his robes. It was a key he had treasured for a long time—ornate and striking in appearance.

Anyone could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary key. It was forged from millennium-cold iron and held immense value just by its material alone.

“It is the key to a secret treasury I prepared, gathering things I intended to give when I found my benefactor.”

Yong Jamyeong respectfully offered it to Geom Woojin.

But his father immediately refused.

“No repayment is necessary.”

And his reason for refusing was exactly like Father.

“Just the fact that you spent all these years trying to find me is more than enough.”

Because of that, Yong Jamyeong was even more willing to give it.

“Precisely because you are the Cult Leader, I feel at ease offering this. You are someone who can obtain anything in this world anyway. So please, accept it. To the Cult Leader, these are trivial things.”

Even with just this, Geom Mugeuk could tell that Yong Jamyeong was no ordinary man.

Where in the world could one find someone who carried a debt of gratitude for so long with such sincerity? And more than that, who prepared for the day they might meet again with this much thought?

It was precisely because he was such a person that he had achieved such great success.

“If Father doesn’t want it, I’ll accept it instead.”

As Geom Mugeuk moved to take the key, his father reached out and took it first.

“Come on, just give it to me. Your son, the very incarnation of greed, is right here!”

With an expression that said “absolutely not,” Geom Woojin tucked the key inside his robe.

Watching the scene, Yong Jamyeong gave a faint smile. He could tell that Geom Mugeuk had intentionally stepped forward to help Geom Woojin accept the key.

“If you go to the man named Joongsong who gathers herbs beneath Jade Blossom Mountain in Chongqing, he’ll guide you to the secret treasury.”

“I accept your sentiment with gratitude.”

Geom Mugeuk asked his father. After all, Chongqing was situated between Shaanxi and their cult. They could stop by on their way to or from the journey.

What could possibly be inside that secret treasury the key would open? Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed likely he had stored a gift he had prepared over many years.

‘Compared to Father, I really do seem like a materialistic man. I want to go there right now and see what’s inside.’

Then again, what could possibly intrigue the master of the Heavenly Demon Treasury?

And more than anything, that key was not the greatest gift for Father.

It was the fact that Yong Jamyeong had realized he was his benefactor!

Until now, the Galaxy Trading Company had skillfully balanced its relations with the Three Factions, but now it had become a company that followed the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Yong Jamyeong didn’t bother to declare that resolve aloud. Just as Geom Woojin had never come seeking anything from him, he too did not express his loyalty through words.

He would continue to operate the company as if he were still walking a tightrope between the Three Factions, but in truth, he would serve his father with a deep and unseen loyalty.

Geom Mugeuk looked at his father.

‘Father… did you foresee this outcome? Is that why you introduced me to this man? Did you hope his loyalty would pass on to me?’

It had been an entirely unexpected moment when Father said he would introduce him.

Maintaining a good relationship with Yong Jamyeong would surely be a great strength in leading the cult. When Father introduced him, he had said this to Yong Jamyeong:

—It wouldn’t be a bad thing for you either.

Because he hoped their bond would continue. Because he knew this situation would come to pass.

“Father, would you take a look at this?”

Geom Mugeuk pulled out the portrait he had received from Yong Jamyeong and showed it to his father.

“This is you from back then.”

Father rarely revealed his emotions, but seeing an unexpected image of his younger self brought a glimmer to his eyes.

Indeed—how could even Father not miss the days of his youth?

“Leader Yong remembered incorrectly and said you were better-looking than I am.”

Then Father said firmly,

“You do have the memory of a true top-class merchant.”

“Maybe it’s just your eyesight getting old.”

At the exchange between the two, Yong Jamyeong laughed and looked down at the faded portrait.

“I really miss those days.”

Father’s gaze lingered on the picture for quite a while without breaking away.

A little later, Geom Mugeuk took the drawing back from his father and folded it neatly.

“This one is mine. I might yield the key, but not this.”

A faint smile appeared on Geom Woojin’s lips. To Geom Mugeuk, that smile was more valuable than any treasure hidden in the secret treasury.

That night, Yong Jamyeong was strolling through the front courtyard.

His heart was restless, and sleep wouldn’t come.

“Can’t sleep?”

When he turned around, Geom Mugeuk was walking out.

“My mind’s a bit stirred up. Guess that’s why I can’t sleep.”

The way Yong Jamyeong looked at Geom Mugeuk now was incomparably softer than when they had first met.

With a much lighter heart, Yong Jamyeong asked,

“May I ask why the Cult Leader summoned me this time?”

He could sense clearly that it wasn’t related to the incident from the past.

Geom Mugeuk revealed the reason for their visit.

“The reason Father and I came here this time was because of the Golden Dragon Family.”

“I thought so.”

Yong Jamyeong didn’t seem surprised in the least, as if he already knew something.

“We received information that the Golden Dragon Family had been secretly operating an underground organization, so we were also keeping an eye on them.”

In the world of trade, the game of intelligence was no less fierce than in the martial world. As the Greatest Trading Company Under the Heavens, the Galaxy Trading Company surely had exceptional intel on rival companies.

“Yes. It appears the money they’ve earned through that organization is flowing into martial organizations that pose a threat to the martial world. That’s what we came to investigate.”

And of course, their intelligence network wasn’t limited to the trading world alone.

“The three-way summit was also connected to them, wasn’t it?”

To Yong Jamyeong’s low voice, Geom Mugeuk nodded.

“The woman we saw earlier today seems to be the one leading that underground organization.”

“So I was summoned here because of her.”

“That’s right. The fact that the Company Head of the Galaxy Trading Company visited in person will be considered major intel on their end. We plan to use that to get into the core of the Golden Dragon Family.”

“Is there anything more I can do to help?”

“Just by coming here personally, you’ve already helped more than enough.”

“I’d like to help more.”

He couldn’t help but feel reluctant to leave just like this.

“It could be dangerous.”

“Do you think I walked a safe path to build the Greatest Trading Company Under the Heavens?”

Yong Jamyeong had no intention of leaving yet. This was his benefactor, whom he had finally met again after all these years. He wanted to spend just a little more time together. If he weren’t the Heavenly Demon, he might have asked him to return to the trading company together—spend a month, even a year, at his side.

“Very well. Then please stay just three more days and help me. It will be a great help to me.”

A bright smile spread across Yong Jamyeong’s face.

The truth was, Geom Mugeuk had enough confidence to deal with that woman and create an opportunity even without Yong Jamyeong.

The reason he asked him to stay was out of consideration—for Yong Jamyeong. He fully understood his desire to spend a little more time with his father.

You’ve waited decades. Enjoy three more days.

True to his years as a seasoned merchant, Yong Jamyeong had a keen sense.

“Thank you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know this was a decision for my sake.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled and replied,

“To be honest, it’s for me. When else would I get to spend time with the Greatest Merchant in the World?”

What Yong Jamyeong wanted to say was this:

‘From now on, anytime.’

Because now, he was no longer just the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult—he was the son of his benefactor.

And the fact that this benefactor was also the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult only made him happier. It affirmed that he hadn’t become the head of the Greatest Trading Company Under the Heavens through luck alone.

It made him feel as if one great fate had given birth to another.

“Now then, say the word. What do you want me to do?”

These three days with the Heavenly Demon and the Young Cult Leader would be unforgettable for a lifetime. As if to prove that already, the smiling Young Cult Leader asked him,

“Pardon me, but do you have any money?”