Absolute Regression

Chapter 541: The Unorthodox May Be Ruthless and Shameless

Pyeong Wi stepped into the Baekgye Trading Company.

On days he met with the palanquin, his whole body felt as though it would die from the pain.

He glanced briefly at the empty training ground bathed in cold moonlight.

After taking a deep breath, he cautiously moved his feet. He had to stay sharp. A single mistake wouldn’t just hurt—it would kill him for real.

He walked, stepping precisely where he was supposed to. The area had been rigged with a formation so lethal that stepping even a single foot wrong would shatter him to pieces.

He passed through the training ground and entered a building.

In a hallway filled with eerie energy, he knocked on the wall twice.

A moment later,

Sssssss.

As the formation inside was released, the scenery before his eyes changed. To his surprise, the narrow hallway had been embedded with a formation.

Setting up a formation in such a confined space was far more difficult than placing one outside. Just from this alone, one could tell the level of the person who had crafted it.

He passed through the hallway and entered the room at the very end.

Two people were in the dark room.

One man lay on the bed. His face clearly showing signs of illness—he was the Trading Company Head, Seo Jungtae.

Sitting before him, with her back turned, was his wife.

“It’s finally tomorrow.”

Pyeong Wi spoke with resolve in his voice.

By contrast, the woman’s voice sounded tired and weary.

“I’m counting only on you, Vice Head.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Pyeong Wi bowed deeply and left the room.

At the doorway, he took a deep breath.

He couldn’t understand how things had come to this point.

When he’d finally lifted his head after being relentlessly swept along by fate, the black palanquin had been floating right before his eyes.

*         *         *

Geom Mugeuk had slept in for the first time in a while.

He had pushed himself late into the night, conserving even sleep while training in martial arts using the Heavenly Time Secret Art.

He repeatedly replayed his bloody battle with the Evil Smiling Demon. Over and over again, to the point of exhaustion.

Realizations always came the day after one stormed out, yelling that they couldn't take it anymore.

Having slept plenty, his head felt clear and his mood refreshed.

Rising from bed, Geom Mugeuk threw open the window and took a deep breath.

“Ah! This feels great!”

He was about to look up at the exceptionally clear, sunny sky when he noticed someone standing in the yard with their back turned.

It was a back he hadn’t expected to see.

Leaning against the window, Geom Mugeuk called out.

“You must’ve really wanted to hang out if you came by this early. The brothels don’t open in the morning, you know.”

At that, the man turned toward Geom Mugeuk.

A face that now felt strangely familiar, even welcome—a rough face, but sometimes, he even thought it was a manly kind of handsome. It was none other than Bih Sa-in.

“The sun’s already at its peak, what morning! Can a martial artist really sleep so deep without a care for the world? A hundred assassins could’ve passed by you already.”

Of course, if Bih Sa-in had tried to enter the room or even revealed the slightest hint of killing intent, the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique would have activated and awakened Geom Mugeuk.

“Unlike you, I'm a pacifist, am I not? There’s no reason for assassins to come after me.”

A smile that couldn’t be hidden crept over Bih Sa-in’s fierce face.

He had run over in person to warn him of danger. And now, Geom Mugeuk had prepared today in advance at the Sky Flower Pavilion for his sake.

“Are you ready to save me?”

Bih Sa-in’s cold and calm eyes met Geom Mugeuk’s clear and profound gaze in midair.

“I’m ready to die with you.”

Bih Sa-in knew. Those words weren’t said to sound good.

“I’d rather not die on the same day at the same hour as you. So make sure to save me.”

“We have a reliable righteous hero friend, don’t we? Leave it to him.”

With that, Geom Mugeuk leapt out the window.

“Oh right, you brought the stylish clothes that go with white, didn’t you?”

“Who are you even meeting that you’re doing all this? Don’t tell me—it’s a woman?”

It wasn’t just any outfit—he’d specifically said stylish, so it had to be a woman.

“And if it is?”

“I’m not interested in women.”

“If it’s a woman, you should start by asking whether she’s pretty!”

Geom Mugeuk asked with a look that said surely not.

“So? Don’t tell me you didn’t bring the clothes?”

“…I brought them.”

As Geom Mugeuk looked at him with a strange smile, Bih Sa-in changed the subject.

“What about Leader Jin?”

“He’s found a new profession.”

Geom Mugeuk took Bih Sa-in to the back quarters of the Sky Flower Pavilion.

There, in front of a storeroom, stood Jin Hagun.

“What are you doing?”

At Bih Sa-in’s question, Jin Hagun put down the liquor crate he was holding and answered.

“As you can see, organizing the liquor.”

“Did you fall into the Young Cult Leader’s trap again?”

At Bih Sa-in’s words, Jin Hagun laughed. It was the only moment when he and Bih Sa-in shared a sense of camaraderie.

Their mutual nemesis—Geom Mugeuk.

“Wearing clothes I’ve never worn in my life and doing things I’ve never done before… Maybe I’ve fallen into another trap.”

Bih Sa-in nodded at Jin Hagun’s self-deprecation.

“When it comes to clothes, I think I fell into the same trap.”

As Jin Hagun gave him a look asking what he meant, Bih Sa-in replied,

“It happens. So, do I move this?”

Bih Sa-in began helping him move the liquor crates.

Geom Mugeuk raised his voice.

“Why are you two suddenly acting friendly? You’re not close! Without me around, you’d be too awkward to say a word to each other!”

Pretending not to hear, Bih Sa-in said to Jin Hagun,

“Thanks for coming. If you ever need me, make sure to let me know.”

“I will.”

“If you’re thankful, you should say it to me!”

Geom Mugeuk shouted, but the two acted as though they didn’t hear.

Sitting in an old chair, Geom Mugeuk watched the two carry liquor crates.

"Don’t just sit there watching—how about lending a hand?"

"If I did, wouldn’t that damage our Young Leader’s friendship toward you?"

"Excuses."

While lazily shirking work, Geom Mugeuk suddenly spoke up.

"There's a dangerous mechanism formation and formation technique spread throughout the Baekgye Trading Company. Traps have been laid, so don’t enter that area recklessly. It's been confirmed as a very high-level mechanism formation and formation technique. I’m warning you in advance so you can be careful when dealing with it later."

Bih Sa-in set down the crate and sat on it.

"I can't understand this."

The fact that the Baekgye Trading Company was trying to kill him, and that such mechanisms and formations had been deployed—none of it made sense. They were closer to the Unorthodox Alliance than anyone.

"Is it them?"

At Bih Sa-in’s question, Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"Seems likely."

There were too many parts that didn’t add up if this had been the Baekgye Trading Company acting alone—and more than anything, it was too reckless.

"Just like always, they probably dug into the weak points of the Baekgye Trading Company. Their shadowy world must be hidden somewhere no one could predict."

Jin Hagun and Bih Sa-in’s faces turned serious. They had experienced firsthand how secretly and viciously those people could infiltrate others.

"But this time… it feels different. There’s something rough about it."

Bih Sa-in and Jin Hagun knew well what Geom Mugeuk meant. That feeling—was danger itself.

Especially in this case, neither the Cult Leader nor the Alliance Leader would be involved. The three of them would have to resolve it on their own.

"We’ve got to show them we’re all grown up now."

At Geom Mugeuk’s words, Bih Sa-in and Jin Hagun both nodded.

"By the way, what about the Thirteen Wolves?"

At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Bih Sa-in replied,

"They’re scouting in and around the Sky Flower Pavilion. Probably engaged in a psychological battle with your men."

*         *         *

The Thirteen Wolves had been surprised twice upon arriving at the Sky Flower Pavilion.

Once outside, and once again inside.

Outside, it was because of the Faceless Swordsmen.

The Thirteen Wolves had begun their sweep of the surroundings. Whenever the Young Leader drank at a brothel, they would of course inspect and investigate the area thoroughly.

When they knocked on the door of the closest house, it opened.

Inside, ten Faceless Swordsmen were waiting. Although they’d already been informed of their presence, the inspection still had to be done.

A strange tension rose between the inspecting Thirteen Wolves and the observing Faceless Swordsmen.

"Thank you for cooperating."

After the inspection, Il-rang offered a polite thanks, and the Faceless Swordsmen nodded silently.

It wasn’t just that house. Every home adjacent to the Sky Flower Pavilion was occupied by Faceless Swordsmen.

In the past, they might have driven out the residents completely. But this time, they had paid a proper amount and rented the homes for a day.

It was partly for surveillance, but more importantly, if a major fight broke out here, the residents’ lives would be at risk—so Geom Mugeuk had asked the Evil Smiling Demon to have the area entirely cleared out.

The Faceless Swordsmen were hidden in nearby houses, in carriages, in temporary buildings, and up in trees. It was, in every sense, a fortress-like defense on the outside.

They were stunned once outside, and stunned again once inside.

“It’s the Demon-Slaying Brigade.”

Even without Irang whispering beside him, Il-rang knew. He recognized the person sweeping the courtyard over there.

Especially since the Thirteen Wolves and the Demon-Slaying Brigade were direct-affiliate units of the successor, there was always an undercurrent of competition between them. So they naturally knew plenty about each other.

Those martial artists from the Demon-Slaying Brigade had disguised themselves as workers at the brothel, blending in and performing various tasks—chopping firewood, carrying loads, serving drinks.

The Thirteen Wolves could feel the severity of the situation in their bones. Escorting Bih Sa-in here, they hadn’t expected such a tight and impenetrable defense.

“This is a first.”

At Il-rang’s remark, Irang looked at him.

“This is the first time Unorthodox Alliance is conducting a joint operation since I joined the alliance.”

That’s why this scene felt so unfamiliar.

“The Demon-Slaying Brigade may have already checked the place, but go through it thoroughly anyway. We do our job.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, the Thirteen Wolves conducted a thorough inspection of the interior of the Sky Flower Pavilion as well.

They checked for any ambushes, ensured the ingredients for food were safe—in short, they took every measure to guarantee the Young Leader’s safety. They exchanged only silent nods with the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade.

Fortunately, the search concluded without any conflicts.

Il-rang could feel from that alone how much the atmosphere of Unorthodox Alliance had truly changed. That the Thirteen Wolves, the Faceless Swordsmen, and the Demon-Slaying Brigade could all be in one place—peacefully, at that.

Il-rang felt that a new world of the martial realm was coming.

Up on a tree branch beyond the courtyard wall, above the head of the Demon-Slaying Brigade member sweeping the yard, a white mask was smiling.

*         *         *

The three successors were gathered at Geom Mugeuk’s residence.

Geom Mugeuk was showing them the intel received from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.

“These are the documents on the Baekgye Trading Company. Read through them.”

“Are you sure it’s okay to just show us confidential materials like this?”

Jin Hagun saw that the documents were indeed from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.

“It’s not.”

“Then?”

“You guys just have to keep it secret.”

“I’ve heard there can be secrets between two people, but not three.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled as he replied.

“I don’t worry about you two. Even if the secret gets out, I’ll be the one to leak it first. That’s how little secrecy there is between me and my friends! I want to brag about that.”

Bih Sa-in and Jin Hagun nodded with expressions that said he really would do that. The two, seasoned in combat against formidable foes, were perfectly in sync.

The mischief disappeared from Geom Mugeuk’s face.

“It’s nothing new, and maybe not even important, but I still thought it was worth showing you—just in case we miss anything.”

This was Geom Mugeuk’s way. Just like how he would always report everything that happened to his father after returning from outside, he made sure to do the same with the Demonic Supremes and with these two here. His life’s principle was to never allow misunderstandings to form because something was left unsaid.

At that moment, while reading through the documents, Bih Sa-in found something.

“When was this information obtained?”

“Recently.”

They had thoroughly investigated only after the incident occurred.

“Is all this accurate?”

“If you’re doubting the intelligence from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion, then you’d best never go to war with us.”

That was how reliable the information from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion was.

“There’s an error here.”

Bih Sa-in held out a piece of paper.

It was the section explaining why the Baekgye Trading Company harbored a grudge against Bih Sa-in.

The Unorthodox Alliance had mistakenly believed that the Evil Smiling Demon had massacred their martial artists and had pushed the Baekgye Trading Company into the region he oversaw, offering them support.

Later, after the misunderstanding was resolved, the Unorthodox Alliance drove out the Baekgye Trading Company and compensated the Evil Smiling Demon for the damages he had suffered over the past two years.

“At that time, the Baekgye Trading Company had to cough up all the money they’d earned over those two years, which caused their finances to deteriorate. Their relationship with the Young Leader soured. Rumors say the Trading Company Head’s health declined as well. In the end, this grudge appears to have begun as revenge. What’s incorrect about this?”

Bih Sa-in calmly replied.

“We may be unorthodox, cold-hearted, and shameless—at least that’s what people say.”

It was a statement Bih Sa-in himself hadn’t expected to say.

“The compensation we gave back then wasn’t from the Baekgye Trading Company. It was paid by the main alliance.”

At those words, Geom Mugeuk’s eyes widened. That was a very important detail—this was the very event that had supposedly triggered the grudge.

There was no way Bih Sa-in would lie. If they hadn’t suffered a loss, yet still acted as though they had paid the compensation and played the victim?

“Then why did they target you?”

Now he finally understood what Bih Sa-in had meant earlier when he said their actions didn’t make sense.

At the time, he had thought: They gave back the money, and now they want to kill the Young Leader? That doesn’t make sense.

Lost in thought, Geom Mugeuk suddenly flinched. A suspicion surfaced—one he hadn’t dared consider.

“What if today’s incident wasn’t actually meant to kill you?”

The sharpness in Bih Sa-in and Jin Hagun’s eyes intensified.

“Then what was the objective?” Bih Sa-in asked.

Geom Mugeuk offered a theory.

“To destroy the Sky Flower Pavilion. What if that had been the sole intention from the beginning?”

Up until now, Geom Mugeuk had been focused on understanding why they had tried to kill Bih Sa-in.

But what if that wasn’t the goal? What if the real aim was to bring down the Sky Flower Pavilion?

“When we met the other day, you were wondering how they’d try to kill you, remember? We even suspected they might use a poison capable of fooling the Thirteen Wolves. But they didn’t even need to go that far.”

Bih Sa-in picked up the thread of thought.

“Just the fact that they tried to poison me would’ve been enough. The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress would be executed, and the Pavilion itself would collapse.”

Why Bih Sa-in?

Because he was the fastest, most certain way to destroy the Sky Flower Pavilion.

Even just the accusation that someone had attempted to assassinate the Young Leader—combined with falsified evidence and fabricated witnesses claiming the Pavilion Mistress ordered it—would’ve been enough.

As for the Baekgye Trading Company, they likely wouldn’t have been exposed as the conspirators at all. They would’ve just seemed guilty of the “mistake” of inviting Bih Sa-in to the Pavilion.

But then the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had gotten involved, and Geom Mugeuk had stepped in—causing the entire plan to spiral out of control.

Bih Sa-in asked in a calm voice,

“Any guesses who’s behind this?”

Geom Mugeuk shook his head. But one thing was certain.

“It would be someone aiming to claim the void left behind by the collapse of the Sky Flower Pavilion.”

Someone trying to steal the Pavilion Mistress’s dream of becoming the Empress of the Night.

Someone aiming to become the new ruler of the night.

At that moment, Il-rang’s voice rang from outside.

“The Baekgye Trading Company’s Vice Head has arrived.”

Geom Mugeuk looked out at the dimming landscape. The feast had now begun—and it was time to take one step closer to the truth.

“Well then, let’s get changed.”