Absolute Regression

Chapter 523: The Most Cultured Demon Supreme

After finishing their meal, he walked by the river with his father.

He had followed along as his father went out for a walk alone.

The two paused for a moment and watched a small boat pass by in the distance. Reflected in the glow of the setting sun, the boundary between the river and the sky disappeared. The oar rowed by the fisherman standing on the boat split the twilight and the sky together.

“There are a few things I’d like to ask you about martial arts.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about when you fought the Twelve Masters the other time.”

The entire battle from that day was etched in Geom Mugeuk’s mind. Just witnessing that fight had brought him tremendous realization and learning.

And if he could resolve a few questions he had from that fight, it would help him more than training alone for several years.

Of course, he was certain it would serve as great stimulation for his father as well. For martial arts of an absolute being like his father to shift, he would have to keep asking endlessly. Is this correct, or is that?

The learning gained through teaching would surely have the greatest effect in moving his father’s martial prowess.

“When you fought the Qilian Demonic Enchantress, you used a footwork technique like this.”

Geom Mugeuk then replicated the very footwork his father had demonstrated that day.

As he precisely reenacted the footwork from that day, Geom Woojin showed an expression of surprise.

“You memorized all of this?”

“Not just this, I memorized everything from beginning to end.”

Of course, he added a bit of a joke.

“It pushed the limits of my memory, so I figured I should hurry up and ask you to empty some of it.”

Geom Mugeuk began asking the questions he had prepared, one by one.

“Why did you dodge to the left instead of the right at that moment?”

“Because I thought the Black Emperor, who was also an enemy, would attack from the left.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to evade to the right?”

“I was aiming to use his sword energy, if he released it, to deflect it into the Qilian Demonic Enchantress and seize the opportunity.”

Geom Mugeuk recalled the sight of his father rushing toward her while striking away the flying sword energy toward the Qilian Demonic Enchantress.

“That certainly does seem like it would have been more efficient.”

At that time, his father had fought in a way that brought maximum effect with minimal internal energy. On top of that, he was trying to teach his son.

“Then if someone else had intervened at that moment, how would you have dealt with it? If the remaining ones were over here, and over there…”

Like that, question followed question, and the two’s conversation spun a new battle in their minds, becoming a gateway once again into the elevated world of martial mastery.

While speaking, Geom Mugeuk did not miss his father’s hand gestures, his gaze, or his reactions. Just as important as the content were those responses. ṙá𝐍∅ΒЕᶊ

His father never spoke as if he knew something he wasn’t sure of. When there was something he didn’t know, he simply shook his head slightly.

He didn’t pretend to know things just because he was speaking to his son. Only those who were truly strong could admit what they did not know. Yes, when we are uncertain, we tend to insist. His father was personally showing what the pride of the truly strong looked like.

There were those watching the two from atop the riverbank.

They were none other than Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Daeryong.

Seo Daeryong was the first to speak.

“The Young Cult Leader worries about the outbreak of a Demon War, but the Cult Leader and the Young Cult Leader both seem to be growing stronger.”

Seo Daeryong voiced his honest thoughts to his master. He felt they had grown closer through this recent journey.

“If they become too powerful and the balance of power collapses, it increases the likelihood of war—I’m sure the Young Cult Leader knows that well. So why would he strive to become so strong?”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon suddenly replied.

“Perhaps he’s hiding a dream of uniting the martial world.”

Seo Daeryong laughed, thinking his master had made a joke.

“There’s no way, is there?”

“How can you know what’s in a man’s heart? Especially someone as extraordinary as that one.”

But Seo Daeryong responded with conviction.

“I may not know what’s in the Young Cult Leader’s heart, but I can say one thing for sure. There is absolutely no war in that unknowable heart.”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon turned to look at Seo Daeryong. Though his master was fearsome and stern, in this moment, Seo Daeryong stood proud.

“I may not know much else, but I can say this with certainty. If he were such a person, he would never have kept someone like me at his right hand.”

The words *What about someone like you?* almost escaped from Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s mouth but were left unsaid.

Indeed, how could his thoughts differ from Seo Daeryong’s? He simply knew that when something called fate pushed forward, people were often helplessly swept along.

He gazed for a moment at the two in the distance, still discussing martial arts, then turned to Seo Daeryong and asked,

“How has your training been?”

The sudden question startled Seo Daeryong.

“Show me, then.”

Seo Daeryong hadn’t expected his master to ask him to demonstrate martial arts here. He wondered if he was about to be scolded for being stubborn—but it wasn’t that.

“He’s running that fiercely ahead. If we don’t train as if our lives depended on it, we won’t even get halfway.”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon began correcting his disciple’s stance again and resumed teaching him the essence of the Heaven-Extinguishing Saber Style.

By the river, there were Geom Mugeuk and Geom Woojin.

On the riverbank, there were Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Daeryong.

And leaning against the wagon, Hui looked up at the sky dyed in twilight.

Training continued until the sunset turned to dawn.

The journey continued.

Compared to the path they came from, the road back felt far more free and relaxed.

Was it really alright to take things so leisurely while escorting the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult? Hui found himself wondering this several times.

But no one was in a hurry.

They all knew, no doubt, that this journey was one they wouldn’t easily get to take again.

Especially Geom Mugeuk, who involved himself in everything. If they saw another wagon stuck in a ditch along the road, he naturally got down to help. If they encountered a family carrying heavy loads with children in tow, he invited them onto the wagon.

When they passed by a scenic spot, he’d have the wagon stop so everyone could get out and take in the view together.

Today, too, something caught Geom Mugeuk’s eye.

“Uncle Hui, just a moment.”

As the wagon came to a halt, Geom Mugeuk stepped down and approached an elderly couple working in a field.

“If we help you with your work, could you perhaps offer us a bowl of noodles as a mid-day snack?”

Repaying labor with just a bowl of noodles would normally be a generous offer, but the person making the request was a martial artist wearing a sword.

The elderly couple looked wary, prompting Geom Mugeuk to speak to them with a smile.

“No need to worry. I’m not a bad person. I’m just hungry while traveling.”

“If that’s what you want, we’ll gladly serve you some noodles.”

This was how ordinary citizens typically responded to martial artists.

“No, we couldn’t possibly accept that. We’ll help you with your work.”

The old couple was unsure what to make of this, but they sensed courtesy and dignity in the way Geom Mugeuk treated them.

“Well, then let’s do that.”

“Thank you.”

As Geom Mugeuk set out to work, Seo Daeryong followed.

The old couple explained to the two of them what needed to be done.

The two began working just as they were instructed.

If they used martial arts, the work could be finished in an instant—but Geom Mugeuk didn’t do that. He simply worked like any ordinary person would, sweating as he went.

Geom Woojin and Blood Heaven Blade Demon watched from inside the wagon.

“It seems the Young Cult Leader wants to make some farming memories with the Cult Leader.”

He simply couldn’t bring himself to suggest field work to his father.

“Could anyone ‘last’ for five years with a son like that?”

What sounded like a joke earned an unexpected reaction from Geom Woojin.

He silently watched his son working for a moment, then asked Blood Heaven Blade Demon,

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Ask what, sir?”

“Whether he thinks he could endure me.”

Geom Woojin stepped down from the wagon and rolled up his sleeves.

As he walked toward Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong, he said,

“At that pace, how long do you plan to take?”

It was in that moment that Blood Heaven Blade Demon understood what the Cult Leader’s words truly meant.

That once you grow closer, Geom Mugeuk wouldn’t easily be able to refuse his father’s will. After all, the father had gone this far to support his son’s wishes—how could the son turn his back on that?

‘The Cult Leader has no intention of losing.’

Blood Heaven Blade Demon found himself wondering about that day. Five years from now—who would yield their will?

Blood Heaven Blade Demon sent a sound transmission to Seo Daeryong.

— Daeryong, quietly step away.

Just like the movement of an assassin during a fishing session, Seo Daeryong slipped away from the spot without making a hint of disturbance.

Geom Mugeuk and Geom Woojin began farming in earnest, hoes in hand.

The other three watched with a solemn heart. After all, witnessing the Heavenly Demon farming was a scene they would never see again in their lifetime. And the Young Cult Leader who made the Heavenly Demon farm—he was likely the first since the founding of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

The Cult Leader was working, and it wouldn’t be right to just stand by and watch. But how could the three not know?

The reason Geom Mugeuk stepped forward was, of course, partly out of care for the elderly couple. But more than that, it was because he wanted to make a memory—one where he farmed side by side with his father.

If it had been the old Blood Heaven Blade Demon, he would have thought like this:

You think forcing some labor like this will become a memory? Stop wasting your time!

But now he knew. That this was what memories were. All the transparent acts Geom Mugeuk had done for him, and for other Demon Supremes, had remained with him as memories.

That if one waited for memories to come naturally, all the years would pass by in vain. That without someone taking action, memories would never be made.

“Daeryong.”

“Yes, Master.”

“You must get married.”

Seo Daeryong was startled by the note of regret in his master’s voice. Since becoming a disciple, this was the first time he had been told to marry.

“Yes, Master!”

He answered powerfully, then added honestly,

“But I’m not very popular with women… I’m not sure I’d do well.”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon suddenly turned his head and shouted,

“What’s wrong with you!”

With just that one phrase, Seo Daeryong felt his chest grow warm. He was deeply grateful to have a master who would say such a thing to him.

Meanwhile, Geom Mugeuk and Geom Woojin’s work in the field continued. Even without saying anything, the two naturally divided the tasks.

They pulled weeds, picked out stones, dug the soil, and planted seedlings. The sound of hoes slicing through the earth rang pleasantly.

“How are you even good at farming? At this rate, is there anything I could ever beat you in…?”

*Ping.*

A stone that Geom Woojin had picked up brushed past Geom Mugeuk’s face.

“My hand slipped. There sure are a lot of stones here.”

As the conversation was about to turn toward fishing, he pretended to make a mistake and flicked the stone.

“This handsome face almost got another hole.”

“If you dragged your father out to the fields, you’d better be prepared for that much.”

Geom Mugeuk beamed with a bright smile.

“When I meet successors of the righteous sects and unorthodox sects, this is the first thing I’ll tell them. Hey, you guys. Have you ever plowed a field with your grandpa? With your master?”

Knowing Geom Mugeuk, he really would say that. Seo Daeryong, listening nearby, laughed. His tongue itched—he couldn’t wait to sit at Flowing Wind Tavern with Jangho and Lee Ahn and recount everything that had happened.

As the two began working in earnest, it was over in the blink of an eye. They hadn’t used martial arts—but it was them, after all.

A short while later, the elderly couple brought bowls of noodles. They also brought out a bottle of liquor. They were astonished to see that the work had already been finished.

“You’re already done?”

It was work that would have taken the couple several days to complete.

“I’m starving. Please, give us the mid-day meal!”

Geom Mugeuk said as he glanced at the three who had been watching.

“No food for anyone who didn’t work!”

Of course, the elderly couple had already prepared noodles for the other three as well.

“Come, come. Let’s eat together.”

And so, they all sat around and shared a bowl of noodles with the elderly couple.

With their hearts now at ease, the couple began to speak proudly of how their first grandchild would be getting married in a few months. They shared how they had worked here their whole lives, raising their children.

When Geom Mugeuk’s group departed on their wagon, a payment slip was found beneath Geom Woojin’s empty bowl.

It was more than enough to host a grand wedding for their grandchild. They had been working even harder lately, just to save even a bit more for the wedding.

The elderly couple bowed their heads toward the direction the wagon had gone. It felt like the sky itself had dropped a wedding gift—or rather, the price of noodles—right into their laps.

Once again, the wagon rolled on toward the main division of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Most of the time, it was Geom Mugeuk who stirred up new things like this. But today, it was Blood Heaven Blade Demon who took the initiative.

“Would it be alright to stop over there while we’re passing by?”

The place where they stopped the wagon was an old bookstore.

Blood Heaven Blade Demon must have visited before—the shopkeeper recognized him and greeted him.

Judging by the shopkeeper’s relaxed attitude, he likely thought of him as just another martial artist fond of righteous sect books, never imagining that he was a Demon Supreme.

Everyone spread out inside the small shop to browse the books. Rather than martial arts manuals or theory texts, the bookstore dealt mainly in general literature.

Geom Woojin strolled the shop with his hands behind his back.

“This is your first time in a shop like this, isn’t it?”

To Geom Mugeuk’s question, Geom Woojin nodded.

“Thanks to you, sir, I’ve come to appreciate the scent of books. I imagine there isn’t a book here you haven’t read.”

Then a voice called out from across the shelves—it was Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

“That’s only because you have no idea how many books exist in the world.”

Geom Mugeuk looked over at his father and said,

“Father, you are accompanied by the most cultured Demon Supreme in history.”

His father nodded in agreement. Geom Mugeuk then called out toward the far shelf.

“Even Father acknowledges it!”

“You rascal, don’t be so loud in a bookstore!”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon, looking embarrassed, wandered off to another section.

While meddling with everything in sight and browsing through the bookstore, Geom Mugeuk also bought a book. It was a title no one had expected.

*Exploring the Cuisine of the Central Plains.*

“It introduces a hundred places. Whenever you have free time, Father, I’ll take you to each one. Visiting all of them with you has become my new goal.”

Would he really be able to visit all one hundred gourmet spots with his father before he died? Perhaps it was an even harder goal than uniting the martial world.

Blood Heaven Blade Demon bought three or four books and even bought one for Seo Daeryong. It was a collection of poetry and paintings.

It was the same poetry collection Seo Daeryong had brought with him when he came to Chongqing.

That’s why he bought the book as a gift, even leaving his signature inside.

When you’re in danger someday, send this to me. I’ll come save you no matter what.

Whether he understood the intention or not, Seo Daeryong spoke loudly.

“I’ll recite these poems impressively in front of women!”

And that’s how I’ll succeed in getting married!—that part he shouted only in his heart.

Geom Mugeuk shook his head and said to Blood Heaven Blade Demon,

“You see now, don’t you? Why your disciple still doesn’t have a woman.”

Blood Heaven Blade Demon flinched at those words.

And sharp-eyed Geom Mugeuk did not miss the reaction. He shook his head slowly with an expression that seemed to say, *Don’t tell me, sir… you also recited poetry to women?*

Their eyes locked with a silent exchange—*What’s wrong with that?*—to which Geom Mugeuk turned to his father and said,

“Father, before we return to the cult, you and I should put on a demonstration of how to properly woo women.”

A smile formed on the lips of Geom Woojin, who had been turned toward the bookshelf. A man who had lived his whole life without knowing what laughter was, now found himself smiling from time to time. And the one who always witnessed those rare smiles was Hui.

The journey home was still not over.