Absolute Regression

Chapter 522: A Bet Must Be Won

Early in the morning, Hui inspected the horse, checked the carriage, and loaded the luggage. Today was finally the day they returned to the main cult.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Daeryong were to ride together in the same carriage they had taken to get here. It was a large carriage, so there was enough room. The problem was Seo Daeryong.

“I can ride up front on the driver’s seat, right?”

“You’re the Underworld Pavilion Leader—you should ride inside with us.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s reply, Seo Daeryong flinched. Riding that long road with the Cult Leader and his master?

“I’ll age ten years on the way. I won’t even be able to breathe properly, can’t close my eyes even once. Please let me sit on the driver’s seat. Please, I beg you!”

It would be fun to bring him along and tease him, but Seo Daeryong was just too desperate.

“Actually, you don’t need to get my permission.”

Geom Mugeuk brought Seo Daeryong to Hui.

“There’s only one person who can save our Underworld Pavilion Leader—Uncle.”

Even with just that, Hui understood what they were asking.

Hui said to Seo Daeryong,

“The driver’s seat might be more uncomfortable than you think.”

“It’s fine. I’ll take turns driving, so you can rest then.”

Seo Daeryong driving the carriage? Geom Mugeuk couldn’t just let that go.

“What if it jolts while you’re driving? And just then, Father is drinking tea and it splashes all over his face? One jolt, and your neck’s off! Can you handle that?”

Seo Daeryong knew it was a joke, but still turned serious.

Hui reassured him.

“No matter how much it jolts, the tea won’t spill on the Cult Leader’s face.”

Even if the carriage were filled with venom, he would walk out dry and unstained—that’s the kind of man the Cult Leader was.

And besides, Seo Daeryong was never going to drive. There was no way the reins of the Cult Leader’s carriage would be handed to someone else.

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

Once Hui gave his permission, Seo Daeryong looked like he had narrowly escaped death and expressed his thanks.

“Thank you so much.”

Meanwhile, Geom Woojin and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stepped outside.

Geom Woojin boarded the carriage first, followed by the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. The two sat across from each other, and Geom Mugeuk sat next to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. ṞἁNỔ𝖇ÈꞨ

From the driver’s seat, Hui’s voice could be heard.

“Then we’ll be departing.”

The carriage left the safehouse and began to roll forward.

Father closed his eyes and practiced breath control, while the Blood Heaven Blade Demon read a book.

After watching the two for a moment, Geom Mugeuk leaned out the opposite window. The wind fluttered his robe.

“Uncle, you know, right? We’re taking our time getting back!”

When the carriage came to a stop by the riverside, Geom Mugeuk finally said to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon what he had been saving.

“This match is a fishing competition.”

“Fishing?”

He had a hunch when they mentioned eating fish dishes made by the Cult Leader, but he didn’t think it would really be a fishing contest.

“It’s a bet where the loser has to cook. This is the third round.”

“Who won the previous rounds?”

“I’m just really curious about Father’s third fish dish.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon glanced at Geom Woojin. That look clearly said, ‘You lost to your son twice?’

Geom Woojin looked back and forth between his smug son and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who seemed to say, ‘And you tolerated that?’ Then, without a word, he walked toward the carriage.

He returned with the fishing rod he had made while staying at their lodging.

“This rod holds Father’s dedication. It’s worth more than the secret weapon of the Fisherman of the Eastern Sea.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s words, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon subtly provoked father.

“Fishing requires a lot more than just good equipment.”

As expected, the corner of Geom Woojin’s lips curled slightly.

“You’ve fished before, Elder?”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shrugged his shoulders.

“Used to hook a few back in the day.”

There was no way such a provocation could be left unanswered.

“What do you say? Will you join the match, Elder? It doesn’t matter to me—I’ll be first place anyway.”

There was no way Father’s pride would let that pass quietly.

“It doesn’t matter to me either.”

Geom Mugeuk pulled Seo Daeryong into it as well.

“While we’re at it, let’s make it a four-way match. Father and son, master and disciple—who will end up dead last?”

They had made several rods in preparation for this, so there were plenty to go around.

Geom Mugeuk and Geom Woojin were the first to grab their rods and walk toward the riverbank.

The scenery was breathtaking. Nameless wildflowers bloomed along the river, and the sunlight sparkled on the gently flowing water.

Just the thought of fishing with his father in a place like this made Geom Mugeuk feel incredibly happy.

“Have you prepared a new recipe?”

With that provocation, the match began.

Whiiing—

Father’s motion as he cast the line was smooth and fluid beyond words.

The fishing line flew in a straight arc over the water and quietly submerged into the stream.

Truly, even the act of casting a line looked like he was demonstrating a supreme martial art.

But fishing isn’t martial arts, Father. If I think back on all the fish I’ve caught in my life… I’m sorry, but you’re still far behind.

Geom Mugeuk began fishing in earnest.

Watching the two of them fish stirred something in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. If it was about competitive spirit, he had plenty.

‘Cult Leader, really? You’re losing a fishing match to a kid? Let me show you how it’s done.’

Confident in his fishing skills, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon took Seo Daeryong and walked toward the riverbank.

“There’s a spot where fish bite better.”

“What about the spots the Cult Leader and Young Cult Leader picked?”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head.

“They only know how to kill people—what would they know about fishing? Let’s see.”

With the eyes of an expert, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon scanned the riverbank.

“There. The current is slow, there are rocks, stones, aquatic plants, and shade under the trees. That’s the kind of place where you catch the good ones.”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon positioned himself beneath a large, drooping willow tree.

He also found a spot for his disciple.

“You fish over there. It’s just as good a spot as mine.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Seo Daeryong’s position ended up between Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Geom Mugeuk.

As Seo Daeryong awkwardly cast his line, he said,

“This is my first time fishing since I was born. But what I do know is that the true charm of fishing is in the waiting! It’s the patience to reel in time itself!”

“Who told you that? The real thrill of fishing is in the tug you feel when you catch one! That one feeling is what makes you wait all day! Got it?”

“Yes, Master!”

And so, the four of them began fishing where the river flowed gently.

Hui stood in front of the carriage parked at a distance, quietly observing the scene.

So many unexpected things had happened on this trip—and now, yet another was being added to the list.

Who would’ve thought he’d witness the Cult Leader, the Young Cult Leader, Blood Heaven Blade Demon, and his disciple fishing together?

Just then, the rod held by the very person responsible for this unbelievable development bent hard.

“Here it comes, the first bite!”

With a skilled flick of the wrist, Geom Mugeuk reeled it in without letting it escape.

“It’s big, really big!”

Grinning brightly, Geom Mugeuk proudly held up the fish for everyone to see.

A flicker of regret passed over Geom Woojin’s face at missing the first catch.

Only Hui noticed that fleeting expression. Had he ever seen such disappointment on the Cult Leader’s face before? No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t recall. And so, that moment’s expression became something precious to Hui.

How much time passed after that?

The next person to pull up a fish, surprisingly, was Seo Daeryong.

“Ah! I caught one!”

Seo Daeryong had actually landed a fish.

“This is the first fish I’ve ever caught in my life!”

He jumped up and down with joy.

Blood Heaven Blade Demon came over and showed him how to unhook it. As he dropped the fish into the net, he said to it,

“Getting caught by a beginner like this... You must be pretty mindless yourself.”

And indeed, this river seemed to be full of blind and dazed fish.

“I caught another one!”

Seo Daeryong shouted joyfully.

“Beginners usually have good luck. That’s how it always is in the beginning.”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon, now slightly nervous, cast a glance toward Geom Woojin. Faced with the Cult Leader’s unwavering eyes that declared he would never lose, Blood Heaven Blade Demon burned with determination.

But that rising flame was doused by a cry.

“Got another one!”

This time, it was Geom Mugeuk who reeled in another fish.

“Oh! Young Cult Leader! That’s a big one!”

Seo Daeryong, genuinely happy for him, gave a cheer—then shivered.

“Why does it suddenly feel cold?”

At Seo Daeryong’s words, Geom Mugeuk laughed. From his left came his father’s aura, and from his right, the chilling presence of Blood Heaven Blade Demon. The cold was practically radiating from both sides.

Only after belatedly sensing the atmosphere did Seo Daeryong realize his mistake. Caught up in the excitement of his first fishing experience, he had completely failed to read the room. He blamed himself.

‘You idiot, Daeryong! You’ve survived this far by reading the mood—what the hell are you doing right now? From now on, don’t catch anything! Nothing!’

But something was off. Every time Geom Mugeuk caught a fish, Seo Daeryong pulled one up as well.

And he couldn’t just stop catching them on purpose either. If he did, his master’s temper would explode.

Geom Mugeuk reeled one in, and Seo Daeryong caught another. As if by some absurd miracle, the fish only went for the bait of the two younger men.

Then, for the first time, Geom Woojin caught a fish.

“Congratulations, Father. That’s the biggest one so far.”

Geom Woojin’s expression eased, and Blood Heaven Blade Demon grew anxious.

By the time an hour had passed, the score stood like this:

Geom Mugeuk — eight fish,

Seo Daeryong — six fish,

Geom Woojin — three fish,

Blood Heaven Blade Demon — three fish.

Since they agreed on a two-hour match, only half the time remained.

Geom Woojin reeled in his line and began walking somewhere. The place he headed was between Seo Daeryong and Blood Heaven Blade Demon. Realizing he might lose at this rate, he decided to change spots.

As the Cult Leader stood beside him, Seo Daeryong very slowly and discreetly edged closer toward Geom Mugeuk.

—Young Cult Leader, please move over a bit more!

—You’ve got the makings of an assassin!

Seo Daeryong, almost imperceptibly, kept inching away from Geom Woojin’s side.

And in the middle of all this—his float sank again.

‘Aaargh!’

Please don’t bite! He pleaded, but the fish seemed to love him far too much.

So Seo Daeryong kept drifting toward Geom Mugeuk, while Geom Woojin and Blood Heaven Blade Demon now stood side by side, fishing together.

Blood Heaven Blade Demon saw it—that heat flaring in Geom Woojin’s eyes, a fire that refused to accept defeat. He hadn’t come to chat—he had come to catch fish.

‘Right… this man with such a fierce will to win is the Cult Leader.’

And suddenly, he recalled the divination he had tucked into his robes.

‘The Young Cult Leader’s reading said "Unification of the World."’

What would the Cult Leader think if he saw that?

His dream was to unify the martial world, and his son’s fate foretold a unification of the entire world—how would that play out?

Beyond the river, between the mountain ridgelines, clouds floated slowly by. As he looked at those drifting clouds, Geom Woojin suddenly spoke to Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve gone fishing.”

At that, Blood Heaven Blade Demon was startled and asked,

“You remembered?”

Geom Woojin nodded.

There had been a time in their youth when they went fishing together. Just once. Back then, Blood Heaven Blade Demon had taught Geom Woojin how to fish. What bait to use, where the best fishing spots were—just as he was doing now with Seo Daeryong, he had taught him everything. That had been Geom Woojin’s first time fishing.

“Guess I must’ve taught you wrong back then.”

At Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s words, Geom Woojin gave a faint smile.

That day still felt as vivid as if it were yesterday.

And now, decades later, here they were again, standing side by side and fishing together.

“A bet must be won. I’ll go find a new spot.”

With a sparkle in his eyes, Blood Heaven Blade Demon began scanning the area.

An hour later.

Geom Woojin was cleaning the fish.

Beside him, Blood Heaven Blade Demon was trimming vegetables.

Last place went to Geom Woojin, third place to Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

Watching this unfold were Geom Mugeuk, Seo Daeryong, and Hui.

“At last, there’s something I can beat my father at!”

While Geom Mugeuk was thrilled, Seo Daeryong looked like the sky had fallen on him.

He had caught the second most fish. And the two people he had beaten were precisely the two he absolutely shouldn’t have beaten.

“It was all thanks to the spot Master gave me. I just got lucky.”

Of course, that comment didn’t offer any real comfort to the third-place Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

“Luck is part of skill.”

At that, Seo Daeryong, looking half out of his mind, sent Geom Mugeuk a voice transmission.

—You don’t think I’ll get marked for something like this… right?

—If you knew how much effort Father put into making that fishing rod, you wouldn’t be asking that.

—So… what’s going to happen to me now?

—What do you mean what? You’ll probably be stripped of your Underworld Pavilion Master position and go back to being an investigator. Elder will probably select a new top disciple. Didn’t you say there was a really nice one among the existing disciples? You’re fine, right? No ambition, no desire for glory?

—…Actually, I have a lot of that.

Meanwhile, Geom Woojin’s cooking continued.

Blood Heaven Blade Demon tossed vegetables into the air and swung the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber.

Swish swish swish swish swish swish swish swish!

The enormous saber sliced the vegetables into fine pieces that fell neatly into a bowl. It was nothing short of a miracle—something never before seen in a lifetime.

Father joined in, matching Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s enthusiasm. With a wave of his hand, the spice jars flew from the pack using Void Telekinesis and danced in midair. Chili powder scattered like blood, salt fluttered down like snow.

Both men looked genuinely delighted. Especially Father—he should have been in a bad mood after losing three times in a row, yet he seemed happier than ever.

So Hui subtly asked him,

“This is different from last time, isn’t it?”

“It seems that way.”

There was no way someone like Father—the very embodiment of competition—would feel good after losing three times in a row.

Geom Mugeuk found one possible reason.

“Could it be that he wanted to cook for Elder Blade Demon? Or maybe he’s just enjoying this moment of cooking together?”

If not for this occasion, there would never have been a reason to cook for Blade Demon, nor a chance to cook alongside him. It had never happened before, and it likely never would again.

Hui smiled and nodded slowly.

‘Do you know, Young Cult Leader? It’s been a very long time since the Cult Leader looked this happy.’

Geom Woojin personally plated the fish he had cooked and handed it to Seo Daeryong.

“Oh my! You’re giving it to me first?”

Seo Daeryong, flustered, accepted the dish with both hands, unsure what to do.

Geom Mugeuk teased him.

“Second place deserves to eat first!”

Seo Daeryong’s face turned pale as he shouted silently with his eyes. Please stop! Please stop calling me second place!

Blood Heaven Blade Demon picked up on Geom Mugeuk’s joke and chimed in.

“Then third place must not deserve to eat.”

As he tried to stand, Seo Daeryong desperately stopped him.

“Master! Please, you must eat!”

Pretending to give in, Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat down and sent a voice transmission to Geom Mugeuk.

—You little brat, couldn’t you have let your father win just once?

—He’ll want a rematch if he loses. You know what he’s like. He’ll practice fishing and come back.

—You like him that much?

What should he say?

—Yes. I do.

That one line was enough.

Blood Heaven Blade Demon glanced over at the Cult Leader.

‘With a son like that, how could I not be envious?’

Plates filled with food were placed in front of everyone.

Seo Daeryong was already worrying whether such an honored dish would even go down his throat.

But his concerns were unfounded. The grilled fish cooked by the Cult Leader was unbelievably delicious.

“It’s amazing! I swear I’m not exaggerating or flattering you—it’s truly delicious!”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon also tasted Geom Woojin’s cooking. Come to think of it, it was the first time he had ever eaten a dish made by the Cult Leader.

He quietly continued to eat with his chopsticks. Instead of commenting on the flavor, he expressed it by cleaning his plate completely.

“This is the best it’s ever been.”

Geom Mugeuk beamed at his father.

Geom Woojin watched his son, Blood Heaven Blade Demon, Hui, and Seo Daeryong enjoy the meal with a satisfied expression on his face.

And so the five of them sat around and shared a meal. To a passerby, it would look no different from a group of travelers having lunch together.

This was exactly the kind of moment Geom Mugeuk desperately wished for.

He etched the scene into his heart like a painting.

‘More than the times Father defeated his enemies in battle, I prefer this moment. That’s why I’m going to keep trying to create moments like this.’

After the meal, Geom Mugeuk turned to look at Seo Daeryong.

Seeing the mischievous glint in Geom Mugeuk’s eyes, Seo Daeryong made a silent plea with a slight shake of his head. I don’t know what it is, but please don’t!

“Since third and last place cooked, cleanup duty goes to us—first and second place.”