Absolute Regression

Chapter 561: I Want to Live Like This Person

Geom Mugeuk silently watched as Blood Heaven Blade Demon brewed the tea.

He had made tea many times before, but today felt different.

“I’ll do it.”

Unable to just sit and watch, Dan Ah stepped forward and offered to do it in his place.

“It’s fine.”

Though his words were blunt, the gaze Blood Heaven Blade Demon directed at Dan Ah was gentle.

Dan Ah assisted him from the side. She tried her best to appear proper before the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. As a wanderer, she couldn’t afford to be seen as lacking in manners.

“You lived with your younger siblings as a wanderer?”

“Yes.”

“You must have gone through a lot.”

Those words sounded unfamiliar to Dan Ah. She had never heard anything like that from an adult before. Everyone around her, child or grown, had only ever been focused on surviving desperately.

“If that boy ever gives you trouble, come talk to me anytime.”

Geom Mugeuk could feel it. The kind of heart Blood Heaven Blade Demon had today.

To him, today was the day his son brought home the woman who would become his daughter-in-law.

Unlike Seo Daeryong, who fidgeted restlessly some distance away, One-Slash Sword Supreme quietly observed the back of Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

What was she thinking about right now?

Was she recalling the youthful days when he used to recite poetry to her? Or perhaps the image of herself back then, listening to those poems?

Back when the Cult Leader roamed the Central Plains with Fist Demon King—those days when everyone was young.

As One-Slash Sword Supreme turned to look out the window, her gaze met Geom Mugeuk’s.

“Young Cult Leader.”

“Yes, senior.”

“Now that it’s passed, time really feels so fleeting.”

“Don’t we still have many days ahead?”

“Do you really think so?”

“You might even regain your youth, perhaps.”

One-Slash Sword Supreme shook her head with an exaggerated expression.

“Don’t think it’s over. Ten years from now, you might look back on today and regret not doing more while you were still full of life.”

She turned her eyes back toward the window. Her gaze deepened, and it was impossible to know what thoughts lay behind those eyes.

Meanwhile, Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Dan Ah returned with the tea.

“It smells wonderful.”

Geom Mugeuk inhaled the aroma and savored its scent.

The first to express amazement was Dan Ah.

“It’s so good. It’s the best tea I’ve ever had.”

To that, Geom Mugeuk responded to her.

“Of course. This is the kind of tea he’d only serve to esteemed guests—never to us.”

Dan Ah took it as a joke, but Seo Daeryong nodded with a completely serious face.

Even One-Slash Sword Supreme joined in.

“This is my first time tasting this tea as well.”

Naturally, Dan Ah’s face turned red.

She was truly happy. Most of the joy she had known in life came simply from surviving. From thoughts like: ‘This commission went smoothly. My sisters are safe.’

But the joy she felt now was different from that kind of joy.

She was drinking tea personally prepared by the teacher of the man she liked. In front of her was One-Slash Sword Supreme, whom she had always admired, and beside her was the Young Cult Leader who had saved her and her younger siblings. And most of all, Seo Daeryong was right next to her. It was a moment that felt like a dream.

When was the last time she had been around others without being tense and guarded?

When was the last time she had felt this sense of relief, of being loved and protected?

That was why the tremor that rang deep within her heart was something she was feeling for the first time.

“Thank you so much.”

Dan Ah’s trembling voice contained all the emotions she felt.

“You can stay here while Daeryong is training.”

Seo Daeryong often trained late after finishing his daily duties, so this meant she could remain by his side.

At that moment, more moved than even Dan Ah, Seo Daeryong was overcome with emotion—when One-Slash Sword Supreme suddenly interjected.

“She’s someone who wields a sword. What good would it do her to watch someone swing that crude saber?”

“Crude, you say?!”

“Watching that frustrating master-disciple pair would only infuriate you. So...”

Then, she said something shocking.

“If you have time now and then, come to me.”

Dan Ah’s eyes widened. The very person she had admired so deeply was inviting her to come. One-Slash Sword Supreme—someone so lofty that Dan Ah hadn’t even dared to look her in the eye or dream of standing in the same space.

“Can I really do that?”

One-Slash Sword Supreme nodded.

“Thank you so much. I will definitely come.”

Geom Mugeuk could sense it—new winds of fate had begun to stir for Dan Ah as well.

Geom Mugeuk turned to Seo Daeryong and said,

“You’ll be buying the drinks today!”

*         *         *

Meanwhile, Han Seol was crossing a lake by boat.

The one steering the boat was the third-generation drunkard, Lyu Bin.

Han Seol had ordered Cold Ice Twin Swords to wait on the far side of the lake and boarded the boat alone. Though Sahan opposed the idea, Sobing had sent her out with those instructions.

“Why are you doing this?”

Sahan couldn’t understand his wife. She had once been even more concerned than him about providing protection.

“The Cult Leader, the Young Cult Leader, even that Evil Smiling Demon we saw. Did you see any gaps in them?”

Even the demons they encountered while passing through the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had shown strict discipline.

“If someone is truly targeting the Young Palace Master, then it must be with the Cult Leader’s permission. Do you think we can stop that?”

“So you're saying we should give up protecting her?”

“This isn’t giving up. I’m saying we should let the Young Palace Master observe and play freely.”

Sahan guessed the reason behind her attitude.

“You… trust the Young Cult Leader.”

“I don’t trust the Young Cult Leader.”

She answered firmly, her gaze directed far away, to Han Seol standing on the boat.

“Han Seol is no longer the little girl we used to know. We’re putting our trust in the Young Palace Master, who’s now stepping into adulthood.”

The boat carrying Han Seol arrived at the island in the middle of the lake.

With Lyu Bin guiding her, she entered the Tower of Drunken Dreams.

Drunken Demon was drinking alone inside the Tower of Drunken Dreams.

“Greetings to the Demon Supreme.”

“Young Palace Master, come in! I heard you had arrived.”

Though she had come to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, she hadn’t planned to visit the other Demon Supremes—but she felt she had to pay her respects to Drunken Demon. After all, he had helped save the Northern Sea Ice Palace together with the Young Cult Leader.

“The lake is beautiful. This building is beautiful too.”

“The problem is that a hopeless drunkard lives in this beautiful place.”

Han Seol smiled at Drunken Demon’s joke.

“It suits you well, this place.”

Drunken Demon sensed she had changed since he last saw her at the Ice Palace.

“Come, sit.”

Han Seol noticed the cup hanging at his waist.

Drunken Demon placed the cup in front of her.

“Do you know what this cup is?”

“Yes, it’s the Ice Palace Chalice, one of the sect’s treasures.”

“Have you ever drunk from this cup?”

When Han Seol shook her head, he poured her a drink.

“It’s been cleaned thoroughly. Have a taste.”

“Thank you, I will.”

Han Seol drank from the Ice Palace Chalice. She wasn’t someone who particularly enjoyed alcohol, but her eyes widened in surprise.

“This is really good.”

“A fine drink in a fine cup—that’s the combination.”

Like that, the two exchanged a few more rounds of drinks.

After gazing at the lake for a moment, Han Seol spoke to Drunken Demon.

“I never thought I would end up here.”

Drunken Demon gave her a look of understanding.

“You were with the Young Cult Leader, then blinked, and suddenly you’re in the Cult, right?”

Han Seol gave a faint smile and nodded slightly. It was an exaggerated way of putting it, but not far from the truth.

“When I’m with him, I find myself thinking things I’ve never thought of before.”

“Like what?”

After a short pause, she answered.

“I want to live like this person.”

Drunken Demon refilled her empty cup and said,

“That’s normal.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve thought that way dozens of times myself.”

Han Seol looked at him in surprise, not expecting such a response.

“I compare myself, I get jealous. Then I get angry and want to make excuses. But do you know something? The moment you get angry or want to defend yourself—that’s when you come to understand yourself the most.”

When you feel anger or the urge to argue, that’s where the real ‘you’ exists?

She felt like she understood, and at the same time, not quite.

Drunken Demon smiled and emptied his cup.

“The conclusion is, we can’t live like the Young Cult Leader. That guy’s insane!”

Han Seol smiled as she shared another drink. The word “insane”—it felt like something only Drunken Demon could say so casually.

“Come now, let us drink as comrades!”

She felt glad that she had decided to visit Drunken Demon. She had hesitated a little at first. But it was Geom Mugeuk’s words that pushed her to come.

Make sure you take in a lot during this trip.

One way or another, she realized, it was hard to break away from Geom Mugeuk. She had thought that if she came here, it would be just her and Drunken Demon talking about themselves—but here they were, talking about the Young Cult Leader again.

Still, the reason she was able to talk with Drunken Demon so naturally was thanks to having Geom Mugeuk as a common topic.

“Looks like there’ll be drinking at the Flowing Wind Tavern tonight.”

“How did you know?”

“Because it’s about alcohol, isn’t it?”

Drunken Demon handed her an entire crate of liquor from a corner of the Tower of Drunken Dreams.

“Give this to the Young Cult Leader and congratulate him on his safe return.”

By the time Han Seol arrived at the Flowing Wind Tavern, no one else had shown up yet.

“Welcome!”

Jo Chunbae greeted her respectfully. He already knew she was the Young Palace Master of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, having been introduced earlier.

“This way, please.”

“Before that, please accept this.”

She handed him the crate of liquor that Cold Ice Twin Swords had carried.

“This is a gift from Drunken Demon for the Young Cult Leader.”

“Understood. We’ll serve this for tonight’s drinks.”

Even though it could be off-putting to have outside liquor brought in, Jo Chunbae didn’t mind at all. Han Seol didn’t yet know how tightly connected Geom Mugeuk and Jo Chunbae were.

Jo Chunbae guided her to the fixed spot on the second floor.

Cold Ice Twin Swords didn’t follow her up, choosing instead to wait downstairs.

Normally, Sahan would have gone up to the second floor and picked a quiet corner, but this time Sobing insisted they just wait below. And to top it off:

—Dear, let’s have a drink too. We haven’t had a proper one since we came to the Central Plains.

—Let’s do that. If something does happen to the Young Palace Master and we end up dying too, we should at least have one last drink.

It sounded like a comment made in resignation, but that wasn’t how it truly felt.

Whenever something big was at stake, he always trusted his wife’s instincts and judgment. That trust had kept them alive until now. Even now, he trusted her decision.

Just as Han Seol was about to sit down on the second floor, her eyes were drawn to the writing carved into the wall—and she was startled.

“Are these writings really left by the Cult Leader and the Alliance Leader?”

Jo Chunbae answered proudly.

“Yes, they are. They left these during the Three-Way Summit.”

Not just them—there were also writings left behind by the Demon Supremes.

It was the first time she had seen such inscriptions in a tavern. It felt both refreshing and surprising.

Jo Chunbae had the urge to say, “Young Palace Master, you should leave your own words too,” but he didn’t dare say it aloud.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong entered the tavern.

“Tavern Owner, this person here is footing the bill tonight—treat him well.”

“Why are you doing this to me? I’ve got people to provide for now, you know?”

“They’re the kind who’d do just fine without you.”

Right after, the Three Dan Sisters entered the tavern. Since they would be joining a new organization starting tomorrow, tonight would likely be their last chance to drink freely for a while.

Dan Yeon took Seo Daeryong’s side.

“Don’t bully our brother-in-law!”

Dan Ah, surprised, scolded her not to be rude, while Seo Daeryong burst into hearty laughter.

“You’re too much, youngest miss! A man without a sister-in-law—how could he live with such sorrow?”

Jo Chunbae, who had come down from the second floor, addressed them.

“No need to worry about the tab tonight. Drunken Demon has sent over drinks. As for food, allow me to treat you myself—it’s been a while.”

Seo Daeryong’s face lit up brightly. He leaned toward Dan Yeon and whispered,

“Since I saved some money, I’ll give you a little pocket change!”

Geom Mugeuk couldn’t help but laugh. It was the first time he had seen Seo Daeryong look so genuinely happy.

Yes, smile like that.

That smile was the reason he had regressed. To protect it. So laugh your heart out, and enjoy yourself.

Just then, someone stepped into the tavern.

“Young Cult Leader!”

This time, the newcomer was the Demonic Army Commander, Jangho.

“Commander Jang! How have you been?”

“Young Cult Leader! I’m glad you returned safely.”

The two greeted each other warmly. Jangho, always reliable, seemed even more muscular than before.

“Commander Jang!”

But the one who was truly glad to see him was Seo Daeryong. He was bursting with the urge to boast about Dan Ah in private with him.

Aside from Geom Mugeuk, the only ones he felt comfortable bragging to were Lee Ahn and Jangho.

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk spotted someone peeking inside the tavern through the doorway, then hesitating and walking past.

“Leader Kang!”

It was none other than Kang Dal. He had come because Geom Mugeuk had invited him, but he had hesitated several times before arriving. It could’ve been a courtesy invitation, after all. Even now, he was debating whether to just walk past and leave.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

Geom Mugeuk greeted him so warmly that Kang Dal’s tension melted away.

“I wasn’t sure if I belonged here.”

“You are the reason this gathering exists, Leader Kang! If it weren’t for you, this whole meeting wouldn’t even be happening.”

Those words brought joy to Kang Dal. Ever since he arrived at the Main Division, he had been too busy adjusting to even realize how numb he had become. But now that Geom Mugeuk had returned, it was finally starting to feel like life among people again.

“Greetings to the Commander!”

Kang Dal bowed respectfully to Jangho. He hadn’t expected the Demonic Army Commander to be present at this gathering.

“Good to see you.”

Perhaps it was because Geom Mugeuk was by his side, but the Commander seemed different here compared to how he appeared within the cult grounds.

The last to arrive was Cheon So-hee, heir to the Fist Demon King.

“It’s been a while, Young Cult Leader.”

Knowing she had been entirely focused on martial arts training since becoming the Fist Demon King's successor, he had invited her today on purpose. Not for Han Seol, but for Cheon So-hee—so she could see people, take a breath.

With the entrance now filled with guests, Geom Mugeuk looked up toward the second floor.

“Everyone’s here now.”

Han Seol looked down at them, surprised. He had mentioned he wanted to introduce some friends from the sect, so she expected maybe one or two people.

She hadn’t imagined he’d bring this many. Why not just invite the entire cult while you’re at it?

Then she recalled Drunken Demon’s words.

‘Yes, this man is insane.’

Geom Mugeuk led the way as he climbed the stairs.

“Tavern Owner, close the doors and bring out the drinks!”