Absolute Regression

Chapter 494: The Original Avatar of Greed

When Geom Mugeuk returned to the safehouse, preparations for departure were already in full swing.

The luggage had already been loaded, and Hui was checking the condition of the horses and the carriage.

Father was standing in the yard with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky.

Geom Mugeuk walked over to stand beside his father.

“I’ve finished things with the Golden Dragon Family.”

As always, Geom Mugeuk reported everything to his father in detail. His father did give him a look that seemed to ask if all that detail was really necessary, but still, he explained as thoroughly as possible.

Geom Mugeuk knew that this practice of reporting had done much to help his relationship with his father. At the very least, he was now used to the act of conversation itself.

“I left the final handling to those directly involved.”

Fortunately, the Martial Alliance also actively helped with this matter. Thanks to the Three-way summit, they had agreed to jointly take care of the force behind it, and that’s why they gladly accepted the Heavenly Communication Pavilion’s request.

“In the end, we solved it by pushing forward with the authority and strength of the Cult.”

Geom Woojin, who had been looking up at the sky, turned his gaze toward his son.

“The Cult’s strength is your strength too.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled, feeling pleased. It was a statement that acknowledged the authority of the Young Cult Leader. But that wasn’t the important part.

Thank you, Father. For putting it into words like that.

Geom Woojin climbed into the carriage first, and Geom Mugeuk followed.

“Farewell, Shaanxi!”

At Geom Mugeuk’s farewell, the carriage driven by Hui began to roll away from the safehouse, heading toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

“My father and I once said we should see who’s more popular with the ladies here in Shaanxi, but we’re leaving without ever settling that. Father, next time we get the chance, let’s settle it properly.”

Geom Woojin didn’t say he wouldn’t. He also didn’t say something like, You’re younger, of course it’d be in your favor.

‘That’s my father for you.’

A quiet pride appeared on Geom Woojin’s face.

It was a subtle change in expression that others would hardly notice, but Geom Mugeuk could sense it now.

His father was a man too.

Geom Mugeuk stuck his head out the carriage window and shouted to Hui on the driver’s seat.

“Uncle! Don’t forget we have to stop by Chongqing on the way.”

They needed to stop by the treasure vault gifted by the Head of the Galaxy Trading Company.

“I said I’d choose thirty items from there.”

Then came Geom Woojin’s voice right away.

“There was no such promise.”

“Right? Even I think thirty is too many. I’ll just pick ten.”

“……”

“Actually, ten is a lot too. People might start calling me the avatar of greed. Alright, I’ll settle for eight. It just so happens there are eight Demon Supremes in the Cult.” ŗＡƝỗ𝐛ЁS̩

“……”

“Right? What does the Demon Supremes have to do with gifts. Fine, just five. No, Father! Then how about three! Please!”

Hearing the conversation from behind, a smile crept onto Hui’s lips. Had there ever been a time in his life when he had smiled this much?

This journey had been an incredibly precious time for him. It was a trip for the Cult Leader and the Young Cult Leader, but at the same time, it had also been a journey for him.

It was the Cult Leader and the Young Cult Leader who had made it so.

This time the Cult Leader allowed him to stop by his hometown, and the Young Cult Leader split the money in thirds, giving him a large share. They had even given him the chance to personally kill the King of Killing. The Cult Leader had handed over the Golden Wound Medicine himself.

And they always walked together, never once leaving him hidden in the shadows.

Had any escort of the Heavenly Demon in history experienced something like this? Hui was confident. Absolutely not.

‘Thank you, both of you.’

A little while later, Geom Mugeuk, having failed to secure even three treasures, pouted his lips and leaned out the carriage window to catch the breeze.

“You’re being too much! How can you be so cold!”

Hui glanced back. Despite the complaining words, Geom Mugeuk’s face, gazing out at the distant scenery, was lit with a cheerful smile.

In truth, Geom Mugeuk was feeling a tinge of regret in that moment.

When would he ever get the chance to go out like this with his father again? Once they returned, his father probably wouldn’t be able to come out for a while.

Why did time have to fly by so quickly? They had just departed, yet it already felt like they were arriving.

“Uncle, let’s take our time heading back. Even slower than we came. If you see any scoundrels trying to rob us, stop the carriage. If bandits show up, stop anyway. Hostage situations are fine too! Don’t overlook a thirsty traveler or a lost kitten by the roadside either. Please, let’s go back slowly!”

He hoped his father also felt the same sense of regret. But the man said nothing.

Only the fishing rod sticking out of the carriage window swayed gently in the wind.

The carriage arrived at the base of Jade Blossom Mountain in Chongqing.

The Head of the Galaxy Trading Company had told them to find Joongsong, who was out gathering herbs here.

Asking around in the market, they learned of his whereabouts and found his home at the foot of the mountain. Joongsong was already at home, waiting for Geom Mugeuk’s group to arrive.

“I heard that the key’s owner has appeared.”

The Head of the Galaxy Trading Company had informed him that someone would be coming soon. So recently, he had stopped going out to gather herbs and stayed home, waiting for the visitor.

“I’ll guide you. Let’s go.”

Perhaps, in that moment, it wasn’t the treasure-seekers but the one who had been guarding it that had waited more eagerly. It was the moment he would be freed from the thing that had bound him without him even realizing it.

Joongsong led the three up Jade Blossom Mountain.

Once they reached the summit, he looked down over the cliff below.

“You have to jump down from here. As you descend, there’s a ledge sticking out halfway down the cliff. You have to land precisely on it.”

“You go first.”

Joongsong looked at Geom Mugeuk with a somewhat concerned expression. Of the three, Geom Mugeuk was clearly the youngest, and that seemed to worry him.

Geom Mugeuk reassured him.

“Don’t worry. I was raised by a father who threw his child off cliffs to toughen him up.”

From Geom Mugeuk’s words, Joongsong could confirm his assumption had been correct.

‘As I thought! Those two really are father and son.’

They were different in aura yet similar in essence.

Joongsong leapt off the cliff in one fluid motion. As he plummeted, he spread his arms and legs to slow his descent.

About halfway down, a ledge jutted out from the cliff.

Even for someone confident in his lightness technique, this always made him nervous. Jumping from a cliff and landing on such a narrow spot—no matter how easy it looked, it was never easy in reality.

You needed high-level mastery of lightness technique, nerves of steel, and ideally prior experience. And on top of that, today was particularly difficult because of the strong wind.

Joongsong landed on the protruding rock ledge.

‘Will they be able to come down safely?’

He looked up in worry.

Geom Mugeuk swooped down and landed lightly beside him.

“What?”

Joongsong looked at him in surprise.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

He had dropped—literally dropped. Normally, anyone would slow their fall by manipulating their limbs with lightness technique.

But Geom Mugeuk had simply plummeted like a rock, and yet when he landed, he came down like a feather. He hadn’t even moved his hands or feet.

‘I’ve never seen lightness technique like this before. If the young one is like this, then what about the others?’

Just as he thought that, Joongsong happened to glance to the side—and flinched.

‘What!’

Hui was already standing right next to him. There had been no sound, no presence. For a moment, Joongsong even wondered if Hui had come down with him earlier.

The final surprise came from Geom Woojin.

At some point, Geom Woojin had descended and was now floating mid-air, his clothes fluttering.

He stood there in the air before the ledge, with a calm expression as if his feet were on solid ground.

Seeing the martial skills of the three, Joongsong ended up saying something he hadn’t originally intended to.

“The Head of the Galaxy Trading Company would visit each year and bring new treasures and a key. Then I would enter this place and store them. This place is known only to the Head and myself. At first, I thought it was the Head’s personal vault, but one day he told me. That this place was for gathering gifts for his benefactor. I couldn’t understand it. What kind of benefactor could possibly warrant something like this?”

After saying this, Joongsong bowed his head lightly toward the three.

"Now I understand."

These weren’t just martial artists of notable strength. It was the kind of moment where one meets masters so rare that even encountering one in a lifetime would be remarkable—and here stood three at once.

"There were hard times while I waited, but in the end, it feels like a worthwhile wait."

He was a master capable of gauging another’s ability just by observing their lightness technique.

At that, Geom Mugeuk expressed his gratitude to him.

"Thank you for waiting."

"There’s no need to thank me. I only took this role because of my connection with the Head of the Galaxy Trading Company. I was well paid, too."

"Even so, I know how hard it is for a martial artist to be tied down somewhere. Truly, you endured a lot."

Through this journey, Hui had come to understand clearly. When Geom Mugeuk expressed gratitude like that, it was sincere. That someone who charged forward with such honesty was the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Hui’s gaze shifted subtly toward Geom Woojin.

‘I think I finally understand just how difficult a battle the Cult Leader has been fighting all this time.’

From what Geom Mugeuk had shown him on this journey.

‘I think I’ve already lost.’

Not because of the money being split in thirds. He had already lost when Geom Mugeuk laid out leather bedding for him during a camp and said it had been brought for him. He had already lost when he was pulled over to eat together.

‘Cult Leader, will you be able to win? There are still five years left.’

Meanwhile, Joongsong removed a small stone embedded in the cliff wall.

There was a hole behind it—one of the countless small holes commonly found in cliffs.

"You just need to insert the key here and turn it."

No one in the world could have guessed this was the entrance to a treasure vault. Even if someone miraculously survived falling and landed on this very ledge, they would never think that this small hole in the rock face was a keyhole.

"Then, I’ll take my leave."

Joongsong gave a deep, respectful bow, then leapt down the cliff in one fluid motion. Freed at last, his body soared through the air like the wind.

Geom Woojin walked through the air to where Joongsong had been standing and stepped down onto the ledge.

He pulled out the Millennium Cold Iron Key he had received from Yong Jamyeong and handed it to Hui.

When Hui inserted the key into the hole and turned it—

Srrrk—

A door concealed in the cliff opened.

"I’ll wait here."

But Geom Mugeuk looked after him.

"This journey is something we’re all doing together, no matter what."

Geom Woojin gave a nod.

"Let’s go in together."

"Yes."

And so, the three entered the cave.

There were no traps or mechanisms to guard against intruders. It was hidden in such an impossible location that the core defense of this treasure vault was trust—trust in Joongsong.

If he had ever harbored ill intentions and truly decided to open this place, he could have smashed through the wall and entered.

Geom Mugeuk could now understand—there was a reason the Head of the Galaxy Trading Company had become the wealthiest man in the martial world.

He had trustworthy people he could entrust treasures to. And once he trusted someone, he trusted them completely, with real confidence and boldness.

The interior was lit by Night Pearls embedded all around, and fresh air flowed in from somewhere, keeping the space comfortable.

The first thing that caught the eye was a large mirror at the center. It was big enough to reflect the entire body.

On either side of it, treasures were displayed.

On the left wall, robes were hung. Of course, they weren’t ordinary martial robes.

“Father, isn’t this the Black Dragon Soaring Armor?”

The black robe embroidered with a dragon was a famous treasure throughout the martial world.

And that wasn’t the only one. The robe hanging beside it was also impressive.

“This is the Flying Tiger Iron Garment. Ah! That’s the Invincible Vajra Robe.”

From easily recognizable treasures at first glance—

“What’s this one?”

“That’s the Laughing Pride True Armor. A very old treasure.”

—To those only his father could recognize.

In a typical treasure vault, such robes would be grandly displayed on the wall. The rarest at the center, others arranged around it.

But here, there were so many robes that they were layered and hung like regular martial garments.

With robes collected to this extent, how could there not be weapons?

The treasured swords displayed to one side now gleamed proudly as if finally getting their moment to shine.

“That’s the Supreme Sword of the Great Principle, and the Lotus Sword, and that one’s the Blood Wind Radiance Sword, right?”

Not just swords, but treasured sabers, spears, and daggers—this place was overflowing with all kinds of treasures.

And that wasn’t all.

Martial arts manuals were shelved too, and judging by the quality of the swords and robes, these manuals were likely rare and powerful techniques.

There were also Antidote Pellets, Night Pearls, and many other valuables. Truly, it was a hoard of treasure worth a fortune beyond estimation.

It was clear that Yong Jamyeong had gathered these over many long years. These weren’t things money alone could buy overnight.

“Our father really did pick the right man.”

Here was the lifelong collection prepared by the richest man in the Central Plains, all for his benefactor. It was a moment that made one feel the weight of the wealthiest in the martial world.

“This robe here looks like the White Dragon Martial Armor. I’ve heard it’s one of the most favored by orthodox martial artists, and here it is. Father, look at this. Huh?”

Turning around, Geom Mugeuk was startled.

His father was already wearing one of the robes, standing in front of the mirror.

It was a black robe that suited him perfectly.

“What is that robe?”

Then his father answered.

“It’s the Startling Soul Armor. I’d wanted to try it on for ages, but could never get my hands on it. So it was here all along.”

He had thought his father wouldn’t wear any treasure armor, saying such things weren’t fitting for a martial artist.

But his father had deeper insight into martial world artifacts than anyone.

He reached out again, and something hanging on the wall flew toward him.

Snap snap.

He fastened it around both his wrists. It was a pair of wrist guards.

“They’re the No Mark.”

That was something even Geom Mugeuk had heard of. Legendary wrist guards said to be uncuttable by any blade or sword.

His father reached out once more, and this time, a dagger flew into his hand.

“Heaven’s Edge, True Heart.”

It was one of the top five daggers in the martial world. He sheathed the dagger into the No Mark, which had been made to hold such a blade from the start.

Watching all this, Geom Mugeuk couldn’t resist a joke.

“Now I know why I always wanted to keep every treasure I saw. The blood of the Original Avatar of Greed flows in me!”

At his joke, a smirk appeared on his father’s lips.

It had been a while since Geom Mugeuk had seen that smirk, and it lifted his spirits.

Yes, this was his father. The man who looked so dignified standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky—but that wasn’t his essence.

He was someone who wanted to try on armor when he saw it, wanted to wield a treasured sword when it was nearby. When facing a strong opponent, he wanted to fight them, and when he fought, he wanted to win—always.

What made this moment so precious to Geom Mugeuk was that his father was now showing that side of himself without reservation.

As he dressed in the martial gear before the mirror, his father suddenly spoke.

“Aren’t you two going to pick something?”

Eyes wide with joy, Geom Mugeuk asked,

“We can choose too?”

With a look that said of course, his father replied from within the mirror’s reflection.

“Both of you, suit up properly. Don’t think about giving them away—choose only for yourselves.”