Absolute Regression

Chapter 557: Demons Do Not Part

Seo Daeryong was waiting at the safehouse together with the Three Dan Sisters.

Thanks to continuous treatment here, their injuries had mostly healed, and now they were only waiting for news from Geom Mugeuk.

During that time, he had spent a lot of time with Dan Ah.

They shared many stories—about their pasts, and about martial arts.

And through those conversations, Seo Daeryong became certain.

This was the one!

He felt that if he missed the chance with Dan Ah, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

But he couldn’t confess to her. While she was recovering from injuries at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s safehouse, there was no way he could place that kind of emotional weight on her. That would have been no different from pressuring her with his life on the line.

The problem was, even after she was fully healed, nothing would change. He was a pavilion leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. How burdensome must that be?

That’s what made this relationship so difficult. It had been far better when she didn’t know his identity and he recited poetry to her.

That afternoon, a martial artist from the safehouse delivered a written message.

After reading it, Seo Daeryong went to the Three Dan Sisters with a bright expression.

“We’ve received word from the Young Cult Leader. He has taken care of them all.”

The Dan Sisters were delighted. The youngest, Dan Yeon, even shouted in joy.

“You are all safe now.”

But Dan Ah’s gaze soon darkened.

This message also meant she would soon part with Seo Daeryong.

Silence filled the room.

To be honest, Dan Ah had considered a life where she followed Seo Daeryong.

The Leader of the Underworld Pavilion who read poetry anthologies.

Someone who spoke frankly about his gloomy and dark past, and someone trying to free himself from that past.

The more she talked with him, the more she realized what a genuinely pure person he was. For some reason, she felt that she could be happy if she built a life with him. No, she *wanted* to.

But she couldn’t leave her younger sisters. They had only survived this far because the three of them had stayed together.

What if she left? Could her sisters survive in this martial world alone?

She knew she wouldn’t be able to feel happiness, constantly worrying about her sisters.

But she couldn’t force them to become demonic practitioners either. That would mean too drastic a change in fate.

“We will be taking our leave now. Thank you so much for saving us.”

Seo Daeryong was taken aback. He had secretly hoped she might come with him to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. But it seemed she had already made up her mind to leave. He hadn’t expected their farewell to come so suddenly.

Dan Ah looked at Seo Daeryong with tender eyes.

‘I'm sorry. I have to protect my sisters.’

Over the past few days, he had come to understand how she had lived. He understood her heart, so full of concern for her sisters.

Seo Daeryong, overwhelmed by sorrow, turned his gaze aside to stop the tears. But in the end, they rolled down his face anyway.

Tears welled up in Dan Ah’s eyes as she saw Seo Daeryong cry. But she clenched her teeth and held them back. If her sisters saw her grieving, it would only hurt them.

“Thank you so much, Pavilion Leader Seo.”

She forced her voice to sound bright as she gave her farewell.

Seo Daeryong knew that if he let her go now, it would be the end. If they were truly fated to meet again, they wouldn’t be parting like this. He had to stop her now, even if it meant begging or holding her back.

It was at that moment the youngest, Dan Yeon, spoke.

“We’ll pack up, unnie.”

The two younger sisters immediately began packing. There wasn’t much to pack, but they started putting things into their travel bags.

Seeing that, the last courage he had mustered to stop Dan Ah crumbled.

A wave of sorrow rushed in.

He had grown close with her sisters too. No—he had just mistaken it for closeness.

He’d been so happy when the youngest called him “brother-in-law.” Of course, he knew it was a joke—but it had still made him happy. Maybe he’d been so intoxicated by that small jest that he’d misunderstood the whole situation.

‘Yeah, who do I think I am to even dream of love?’

As his heart weakened, a malicious voice whispered in his ear like a devil.

—You really think a woman like her would ever like you? She was just pretending because you’re a Pavilion Leader of the cult. Are you that stupid? You think reciting one poem was enough? Look at her expression! Look at yourself!

Dan Ah’s heart ached watching Seo Daeryong struggle in such anguish.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, she stepped out of the room.

“I hope you achieve something great. I’ll be cheering for you from afar.”

Dan Ah walked out.

‘Yeah, who do I think I am to be with a man?’

Just like she had done until now, she would survive this harsh world by relying on her sisters. They had lived well enough so far without a man.

Just as she was about to leave through the safehouse gate—

“Where are you going?”

The voice calling her from behind belonged to the youngest, Dan Yeon.

When Dan Ah turned around, she saw Dan Bi and Dan Yeon standing beside a carriage.

“You’re supposed to ride this.”

“What?”

Dan Yeon turned to Seo Daeryong, who had followed them out and was standing there dazed.

“You’re going back to the cult in this carriage, right?”

When Seo Daeryong nodded with a puzzled look, Dan Yeon said something shocking.

“Second Sister and I want to join the cult.”

Both Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah were stunned.

“Will you accept us?”

Flustered, Seo Daeryong looked back and forth between Dan Ah and the two younger sisters.

Dan Ah quickly turned to Seo Daeryong.

“Don’t mind them. She’s just joking.”

“I’m not joking, unnie.”

“Stop it! Even as a joke, that’s rude to the Pavilion Leader.”

Dan Yeon’s face was serious.

“We’re not joking.”

At that moment, the second sister, Dan Bi, spoke up for the first time.

“It’s not just because of you, unnie.”

All eyes turned to Dan Bi.

“Living as wanderers... I'm tired of it now.”

Dan Ah could feel that her sister was being sincere. Dan Bi wasn’t the type to say things she didn’t mean over something like this.

“I want to settle down now.”

Dan Ah understood her sister's heart. How many ordeals had they gone through, just the three of them surviving as wanderers? She herself hadn’t even realized it was hardship, simply driven by a sense of duty to protect her sisters—but their feelings must have been different.

“Our goal was to save money and find a place to settle, wasn’t it? I think the time’s come.”

A brief silence followed.

Dan Ah looked toward the youngest. In response to her gaze—asking if she felt the same—Dan Yeon answered with a question of her own.

“Will you accept us?”

Seo Daeryong wanted to shout with joy. He felt so ashamed of himself for even briefly resenting these sisters.

“Young miss, I know I may not look very authoritative, but the Underworld Pavilion Pavilion Leader is actually a pretty high-ranking position.”

He humbly said “pretty,” but in truth, the Underworld Pavilion Pavilion Leader held a central place in power.

Dan Yeon raised a cheer of joy.

“Today marks our first day as demons!”

Even Dan Bi, who rarely showed emotion, smiled.

Dan Ah already knew. Though fatigue and hardship played a part, the decision to become demons was because of her.

“Are you really okay with this? You’ll have to live as demons from now on.”

In response to her composed question, Dan Bi replied,

“We’ve survived from the bottom as wanderers. Why couldn’t we do the same as demons?”

Dan Yeon revealed her ever-cheerful personality as well.

“If it gets too hard, the three of us can just make a midnight escape! You know how great we are at running away, right?”

She said it to lighten the mood, but tears welled up in Dan Ah’s eyes. How could she not know what her sisters were feeling?

Dan Bi then said the most decisive words.

“Too much sacrifice is a burden to us. What if we have to leave someday? Don’t give up everything for us. We’ll manage just fine.”

After a moment of reflection, Dan Ah raised her head. Her expression made it clear—she had made her decision.

Seo Daeryong looked at her with eyes silently pleading, *Please don’t say it’s not possible.*

Dan Ah took a deep breath and declared powerfully,

“Pavilion Leader Seo, the Three Dan Sisters pledge themselves to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!”

At that moment, Seo Daeryong raised both arms high. He was so happy that he couldn’t even shout.

This wasn’t just the moment three more cultists joined the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

This was the moment a woman accepted him as a man. A woman who was even willing to devote herself to the cult for him.

A man who had never once in his life been chosen by a woman, had now been accepted by such a wonderful woman.

“I’ve already told you about myself. Even someone like me—is that really okay with you?”

In response, Dan Ah gave her characteristically meaningful smile and said,

“You probably don’t know everything about me yet. I’ve got plenty of bad sides I’ve kept hidden. Would you be alright with someone like me?”

Seo Daeryong nodded.

“It’s alright.”

The youngest suddenly chimed in.

“You can’t back out now, brother-in-law!”

At the word “brother-in-law,” Seo Daeryong’s face flushed bright red.

“I’ll never back out, sister-in-law.”

For the first time, he used the word “sister-in-law,” mustering all the courage he had. His earlobes turned red with embarrassment.

Just then, Dan Bi said offhandedly,

“But what if you’re all over each other now and break up later?”

The youngest replied in a mock-deep voice,

“We demons don’t break up. We just kill!”

Seo Daeryong waved his hands frantically.

“That’s a misunderstanding! Our cult isn’t like that!”

Dan Bi and Dan Yeon were the first to board the carriage.

Seo Daeryong turned to Dan Ah and spoke sincerely.

“I will protect you for the rest of my life.”

Dan Ah smiled and replied,

“From now on, we protect each other.”

Seo Daeryong was so happy he felt like he could fly. It truly felt like a dream. He wanted to see Geom Mugeuk right away and boast about it. He wanted to brag all night to Lee Ahn and Jangho.

As Dan Ah passed by him to board the carriage, she whispered softly,

“And I’ll kill you.”

“What?”

Startled, he turned, only for the youngest to smile and say,

“I clearly said no backing out!”

The three women in the carriage smiled as they looked at Seo Daeryong.

He felt it in his bones—this was the beginning of a new life. When he had first set out to find his master, he had been alone. Now, he was returning with four people.

As he climbed into the driver’s seat, Seo Daeryong said,

“I’m definitely not backing out—not with my sister-in-laws around.”

The carriage, carrying this new destiny, rolled swiftly toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

* * *

All the while, the Cold Ice Twin Swords, tasked with guarding Han Seol, remained tense.

The martial world of the Central Plains, teeming with schemes and conspiracies, was already dangerous enough. But the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?

They had tried to stop her, telling her not to go near that place—but Han Seol hadn’t listened in the end.

The reason the Cold Ice Twin Swords hadn’t persisted in stopping her was because of Geom Mugeuk. They knew he was a great benefactor of the Northern Sea Ice Palace and had earned the trust of the Ice Palace Master.

—Will she be alright?

—We must protect her well.

The Cold Ice Twin Swords were a married couple.

The husband was Sahan, and the wife was Sobing. Their alias, Cold Ice Twin Swords, came from their names.

They had been renowned masters in the Northern Sea for many years as a couple.

The reason the Ice Palace Master trusted them wasn’t just their strength—it was also because they had lived as a loving and respectful couple for a long time. A couple who could respect one another was one you could trust.

Though they were trying to return to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult as quickly as possible, whenever they passed a scenic spot, Geom Mugeuk insisted on stopping the carriage so Han Seol could take it in.

“It’s beautiful.”

Han Seol looked up at the jagged cliff and gasped in awe. It truly was an overwhelming spectacle.

But it wasn’t just grand scenery that Geom Mugeuk had shown her.

He took her to historic sites where famous masters had fought, places where she could see things never found in the Northern Sea.

“I believe what one hears and what one sees in person are often very different. I hope your journey to the Central Plains becomes one where you see many things.”

Han Seol clearly felt how different Geom Mugeuk’s heart was.

Had she invited someone to the Northern Sea Ice Palace, she would’ve hurried to show off the palace—how grand, beautiful, and powerful it was.

But Geom Mugeuk wasn’t focused on showing off the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Rather, he cared about the significance of her first trip to the Central Plains.

He genuinely wanted her to see and experience as much as possible.

“Now, repeat after me! I’m going to see a lot!”

When Han Seol hesitated, Geom Mugeuk urged her on.

“Thinking it and saying it aloud are different things. Go on, repeat after me.”

Pressed continuously, Han Seol eventually gave in with a reluctant voice.

“I’m going to see a lot!”

As they continued their travels, they made sure to stop at inns or taverns known for having good cooks.

During those times, Geom Mugeuk always looked out for the Cold Ice Twin Swords.

“You two will enjoy this dish.”

“There’s no need to mind us.”

“You should be eating meals that suit the Young Cult Leader and the Young Palace Master.”

To their polite refusal, Geom Mugeuk replied,

“We’re young—young enough to chew rocks.”

He turned to Han Seol for confirmation, and she nodded. The moment came when even her, with her small appetite, became a youth capable of chewing rocks.

The dishes Geom Mugeuk selected matched the tastes of the Cold Ice Twin Swords well.

They tried this and that—foods they had never encountered in the Northern Sea.

Thanks to that, they began to awaken to the culinary delights of the Central Plains.

—Still, they are demons. Let’s stay cautious.

—Agreed. Who knows when someone with such a kind face might suddenly change?

—Especially, be wary of poison.

At first, their sound transmissions often included such warnings. But gradually, those transmissions lessened in frequency—and eventually, they began to discuss what today’s meal might be.

And today, Geom Mugeuk shouted joyfully,

“We’ve finally arrived!”

The carriage had reached Maga Village.

“This is the start of Maga Village. Let’s walk from here and have a look around, shall we?”

She tensed up. She had heard stories about Maga Village since childhood. The village where the demons lived, located right in front of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s main division—its name was Maga Village.

They said no one who entered came back with their body intact.

Some had lost both arms, others came back insane. Rumor had it they made dumplings with human flesh, sold cursed dolls crafted by Demon Supremes. Truly, a place wrapped in terrifying rumors.

People with wicked eyes would roam the roads, and drunkards would lean against walls, casting eerie glances. Of course, with the Young Cult Leader beside her, no one would dare cause trouble openly...

—No matter what happens, please hold back as much as possible!

After sending a sound transmission to the Cold Ice Twin Swords, Han Seol stepped down from the carriage behind Geom Mugeuk.

This was the moment she set foot for the first time on the front courtyard of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.