Absolute Regression

Chapter 538: A Battle One Cannot Fight Without Faith

Yeo Jeong strolled through the rear garden of the Sky Flower Pavilion with the Evil Smiling Demon.

They walked between well-tended flowers and trees, and came to a stop when they reached a pond. Beside the quietly floating water lilies, carp splashed droplets across the surface.

This time spent together with the Evil Smiling Demon after so long was deeply joyful and precious to Yeo Jeong.

She decided not to worry at all about the scheme of the Baekgye Trading Company. She also didn’t care why they had tried to use her.

“Where did the Young Cult Leader go? Haven’t seen him the past few days.”

“He went to meet the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance.”

Yeo Jeong asked with a smile.

“Is it so easy for the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult and the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance to meet like that?”

At her teasing, the Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes behind the mask curved in a pleasant smile.

“He’s the one who summoned both the Martial Alliance Leader and the Unorthodox Alliance Leader to that very tavern. This much is nothing.”

In truth, there was a certain image of Geom Mugeuk that Yeo Jeong had come to see and feel.

“When I look at the Young Cult Leader, I get a certain feeling.”

The Evil Smiling Demon grew curious about what she was about to say. He expected something grand, like feeling a special destiny.

“He feels like someone who knows everything inside and out.”

If someone else had said it, it would simply have meant that he was intelligent or well-informed. But the Evil Smiling Demon knew better.

He knew that Yeo Jeong had a special ability. She was someone who could read the fate of others. Of course, it was rare for her to actually speak about what she had read.

“It’s different from knowing a lot or knowing things deeply. It’s hard to explain, but the Young Cult Leader has his own kind of ‘inside and out.’ Sounds odd, doesn’t it?”

The Evil Smiling Demon gave her a look that showed he understood. This matter was related to the two people closest to him in life—how could he not understand?

“Not at all.”

The Evil Smiling Demon, more than anyone, knew that the Young Cult Leader was not someone who could be understood easily.

“That’s why I don’t try to understand the Young Cult Leader. I just feel.”

At that moment, something rapidly flew toward where they stood.

What had been a mere dot in the distance crossed the space in an instant, rushing toward the two. It looked like an arrow being shot, or perhaps a bird in a swift dive.

The Evil Smiling Demon moved Yeo Jeong behind his back and raised his qi.

And only when it had almost reached them did the Evil Smiling Demon finally relax. The one who had flown in was Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk landed in the yard. What surprised the Evil Smiling Demon wasn’t that Geom Mugeuk’s movement technique had gotten faster. It was the way he landed.

Geom Mugeuk came to a stop as if he had simply jumped down from the roof. Considering the speed he had flown in, the soft and light landing was unbelievably graceful.

The Evil Smiling Demon knew well—once one’s movement technique reached its peak, the hardest part wasn’t running but stopping. The true level of one’s movement technique was defined by how one stopped.

The Evil Smiling Demon had just witnessed that answer.

“Your movement technique has become faster.”

“I wanted to see the two of you so badly, I ran without rest.”

Geom Mugeuk had run tirelessly using the Star Light Step, faster than a bird. To run, and run again, pushing past his own limits, brought a thrill distinct from growing stronger through martial arts.

“Did you meet the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance?”

“Yes, I did. He had already accepted the invitation from the Baekgye Trading Company.”

“So those bastards really were targeting the Young Leader.”

“On the way, I also sent word to Hidden Moon and the Heavenly Communication Pavilion. I ordered a full investigation into the Baekgye Trading Company. They’ll certainly uncover something.”

When the intelligence networks were mentioned, Yeo Jeong quietly stepped aside.

“You must be hungry after running here. Time for me to show off my skills. It’s been a while—how about a home-cooked meal, prepared by me?”

She was someone who knew better than anyone when to step in and when to step out. Though the background of this scheme was her own Sky Flower Pavilion, the true protagonists of this battle were the two men who had run here on her behalf.

As Yeo Jeong left the garden, the Evil Smiling Demon cautiously asked,

“Do you think it’s the ones behind all this?”

“Perhaps. Even if not, we should proceed with caution as if they are.”

After all, plotting to kill the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance wasn’t something just anyone could do.

“Well then, shouldn’t we begin with what we came here to do?”

The Evil Smiling Demon understood what he meant. Before leaving, Geom Mugeuk had said that once he returned, they should have a bout.

“Where shall we fight?”

Geom Mugeuk seemed to have already decided.

“I know the perfect place. Ah, but before that, we eat. A home-cooked meal, after such a long time.”

*         *         *

Amidst a forest thick with trees, Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Smiling Demon stood.

“Truly incredible.”

The Evil Smiling Demon held out his hand. Sunlight streamed over the back of it. The rays piercing through the leaves shimmered like sword energy, warm and radiant.

He brushed his hand against a tree. The rough texture met his skin, and the air was crisp and fresh.

“I didn’t know this Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique could feel this real.”

This place was the very world Geom Mugeuk had created with that technique.

The Evil Smiling Demon knew that Geom Mugeuk could use the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique.

In the past, during the fight against the Odd Demon and the Cheol Soeja, when the Evil Smiling Demon had been in danger, Geom Mugeuk had used this technique to save him. He had said then that he’d learned it.

“Back then, it was too hectic to take a proper look, but it was a place like this.”

To create such a vast space from within Geom Mugeuk’s room?

Even after scanning the surroundings, there was nothing mystical. It simply felt like they were on a mountainside. That made it all the more astonishing.

Geom Mugeuk, in his heart, wanted to pass down the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique to his father or to the Demon Supremes. But he could not. This martial art was the exclusive technique of the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult. That was why, within the realm of the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique, he treated that man as his master.

“I deliberately created it as a dense forest.”

The Evil Smiling Demon used earth-based qi and palm techniques as his exclusive martial arts. If they fought in an open field, the martial arts he used would vanish without a trace. But in a place filled with trees, the traces of his techniques would remain.

This match would be a fierce battle, but it was ultimately a training session.

And while it was training for the Evil Smiling Demon, it was also training for himself.

Drawing the Black Demon Sword, Geom Mugeuk spoke.

“Shall we begin?”

The Evil Smiling Demon stared at Geom Mugeuk. Today's battle hinged on whether one believed in a single, crucial premise. Whether or not that premise was believed would determine whether the battle could be brought to its highest potential.

‘I cannot kill the Young Cult Leader, no matter what I do.’

If he believed in that premise, then he could exert his full strength without hesitation.

But… what if, by the slimmest chance, the Young Cult Leader made a mistake?

As if reading the Evil Smiling Demon’s doubt, Geom Mugeuk spoke.

“You saw my movement technique. You know I’ll dodge well.”

The Evil Smiling Demon nodded.

‘Then I’ll place my trust in you, Young Cult Leader.’

The two bowed respectfully to one another with the martial artists' salute.

Thus, the battle began.

Swish!

The Evil Smiling Demon was the first to strike, launching the Blood Disaster Finger from his hand.

The stretched-out Blood Disaster Finger pierced through a distant tree in an instant. Geom Mugeuk, who had been standing in its path, was already descending from midair with his sword swinging down.

Shiiing!

The Evil Smiling Demon twisted his body to evade and fired the Blood Disaster Finger again.

At such close range, could the Young Cult Leader truly dodge the Blood Disaster Finger?

He did worry, of course. But even so, the Evil Smiling Demon unleashed his absolute best technique.

Shoooosh!

The Blood Disaster Finger shot forth like light, splitting into three strands that aimed for Geom Mugeuk’s head, chest, and legs.

Geom Mugeuk’s form moved like the wind and slipped through them flawlessly. The Wind God’s Four Steps had been unleashed.

The moment he witnessed that move, the Evil Smiling Demon released the final restraint in his heart.

‘To worry about the Young Cult Leader is arrogance.’

And the same applied to Geom Mugeuk. His next strike came at the Evil Smiling Demon with the sharpness of someone who truly meant to kill.

Shiiing!

Geom Mugeuk surged forward like a bolt of lightning, and his sword moved so fast it was nearly invisible to the eye.

The Evil Smiling Demon leapt up a tree like a squirrel.

Slice! Slice! Slice!

In an instant, the tree was cut through repeatedly from base to top.

The moment the Evil Smiling Demon soared through the branches—

Shuk shuk shuk shuk shuk!

From above, the Blood Disaster Finger rained down. Between the branches that the Evil Smiling Demon had just broken through, earth-based qi poured toward Geom Mugeuk like a downpour.

Shuk shuk shuk shuk shuk shuk shuk!

The Blood Disaster Finger fired with the rapidity of hidden weapons being continuously launched from a machine. The previous strikes had been fast and powerful—but this couldn’t be compared to them.

Papapapapapapapapak!

Over twenty holes were torn into the ground as the Blood Disaster Finger narrowly missed Geom Mugeuk.

Both of them knew very well that the more precarious the fight, the more it contributed to the advancement of their martial arts. That heart-stopping tension continued relentlessly.

Kwakwakwakwakwa-KWAANG!

The Frantic Demonic Palm flipped the surroundings.

A devastating palm technique swept in with overwhelming force. Everything in its path—earth, trees, even rock—was turned to dust, carving a new path far into the distance.

“Are you alright?”

From within the dust cloud, Geom Mugeuk’s voice rang out in response to the Evil Smiling Demon’s question.

“Alright? I’m not exaggerating. I really almost died.”

But of course, he was exaggerating.

Shiiing.

A sword energy cut through the dust cloud and grazed the Evil Smiling Demon's shoulder. If he hadn’t instinctively dodged, his shoulder would have been severed. He had escaped the crisis, and yet, the Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes were smiling brightly.

The spar was fierce. The two fought as if facing a true enemy in battle.

It was a perilous exchange that would have been impossible without deep trust in each other’s abilities, and it was a dangerous venture that could only be attempted if they genuinely wished to help one another grow.

Though brutal and wild, the battle was incredibly wise.

They paused in between. Whenever it was time to speak, Geom Mugeuk never failed to stop. He identified those moments precisely—moments where one word was more effective than a thousand strikes.

Just like how his father had taught him, Geom Mugeuk now passed on instruction to the Evil Smiling Demon. Of course, it was completely different from back then. Then, he had been the one learning. Now, he was the one teaching. And Geom Mugeuk did not overlook the realizations that came with that change.

“Please try that last move again.”

With a snap of his fingers, Geom Mugeuk reset the surroundings. The broken trees and shattered stones returned to their original state.

And the exchange resumed.

This time, the Blood Disaster Finger was different. Even the traces left behind showed the difference.

Standing before a newly formed hole—different from where it had been before—Geom Mugeuk said,

“If you had launched it here the first time, this hole would’ve been in my body.”

But the Evil Smiling Demon disagreed.

“Even if that were the case, you would’ve found a way to dodge it, Young Cult Leader.”

The benefits of training within the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique didn’t end there.

Snap!

With another snap of Geom Mugeuk’s fingers, darkness fell around them like pitch.

“This time, it’s night.”

A far more dangerous battle had begun.

As the battle came to an end, a bright full moon appeared through the clouds. Beneath the radiant moonlight, the two men reviewed the fight and exchanged words.

When the spar first began, the Evil Smiling Demon had never imagined it would become such a battle. Now, it was clear that the Young Cult Leader had poured everything into this fight—even his life. And because of that, the Evil Smiling Demon had given his all as well, determined not to make light of the Young Cult Leader’s sincerity.

“This time, it’s rain.”

Swaaaaaaaa—

The two fought in the rain. Dodging the Blood Disaster Finger became even more difficult under falling rain.

Even so, Geom Mugeuk wasn’t hit. He dodged desperately and counterattacked. The moment he got injured, the training would be over.

For his own sake—and for the sake of the Evil Smiling Demon—he absolutely could not allow himself to be wounded.

When the Evil Smiling Demon’s internal energy was completely depleted, he would circulate his energy again, then resume the fight.

Amazingly, the two battled for two days and nights. Truly—without sleep, without food, they fought relentlessly.

And now, at the end of that fierce yet brilliant battle—

The Evil Smiling Demon sat cross-legged, lost in thought.

Geom Mugeuk sat beside him, quietly waiting for him to return from his meditative state.

Geom Mugeuk was sure now—his father, too, had gained many realizations while teaching him. He had gained several himself through this fight.

These past two days of bloody struggle had become a rare and precious opportunity for him—something not easily found.

How much time had passed?

The Evil Smiling Demon opened his eyes. With this single fight, he had solidified the martial realm he had recently ascended to. Normally, even if one rose in realm, it took time for that power to fully become one’s own.

Depending on one’s experiences, that could take years—or one might never fully solidify it in a lifetime.

But through this two-day battle, the Evil Smiling Demon had transcended that process.

“Thanks to you, I’m now able to take the next step forward.”

These two days had given him more insight than all the battles he had ever fought in his life combined. That was only possible because both of their levels were so high.

“Congratulations.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly, offering sincere congratulations.

The Evil Smiling Demon looked toward Geom Mugeuk’s arm with concern.

“Is your arm alright?”

There was a mark where blood had been drawn. Geom Mugeuk grimaced and feigned injury.

“How could it be alright? My arm nearly came off.”

Of course, that wasn’t true. It was just a scratch—a bit deeper than a light graze.

In truth, the part that nearly came off when the blood splattered wasn’t Geom Mugeuk’s arm—it was the Evil Smiling Demon’s liver. At the moment of thud, he had been so shocked that he had even let out a short scream.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to.”

Yes, it was better that way. The Evil Smiling Demon said nothing more. How could words possibly convey such immense gratitude?

The two of them sat side by side, gazing at the place where their final clash had taken place.

The Evil Smiling Demon was once again astounded. Geom Mugeuk had maintained this space continuously for two days. Even amidst such a brutal battle.

“But can your internal energy still hold out? You’re still maintaining this space?”

“Barely hanging on now.”

Because they hadn’t used martial arts that consumed vast amounts of internal energy, like the Nine Calamities Demon Art, and had instead fought using only pure swordsmanship and sword energy, it had been possible.

“Still, I saved the last bit of energy for the most important moment.”

Snap!

With a snap of Geom Mugeuk’s fingers, the surroundings shifted to a new location.

“Ah!”

The Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes, behind the mask, widened.

“After staring at green foliage for two days straight, I thought you might miss this.”

What spread out before them was a pure white snowy landscape.

It was a scene that brought the deepest peace to the Evil Smiling Demon’s heart.

Lately, his thoughts and mindset had changed enough that he had even placed furniture in his room. But still, above all, it was this white scenery that brought the greatest comfort to his soul.

What words could express such thoughtful consideration? The Evil Smiling Demon said nothing, only stared at the vast snowfield stretching before them.

“Soma-nim.”

“Yes, Young Cult Leader.”

“Next time, you must go on a journey with me.”

“When that time comes……”

The Evil Smiling Demon hesitated. Uncharacteristically so—what was it he wanted to say, that made him pause?

At that very moment, from outside the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique—that is, from outside their quarters—Yeo Jeong’s voice called out.

“Young Cult Leader, are you there? Someone has come looking for you.”