Absolute Regression

Chapter 567: Even Ghosts Can’t Stop Human Greed

Upon seeing the man, the martial artist who had been on alert politely bowed with formality.

The expressions of the martial artists facing him were bright. From their reactions, one could guess what kind of person this man was to his subordinates.

"I asked if you're a new recruit."

Seo Jin answered respectfully.

"Yes, I joined today."

The man’s taut skin made him appear young, yet the maturity in his expression and eyes suggested he might be older. His long, flowing white hair made it even harder to guess his age.

"Are you curious?"

"Sorry?"

"I asked if you're curious about what’s inside."

Before she could even answer, the man strode confidently inward and spoke.

"What are you doing? Not coming?"

"Yes, sir."

Seo Jin followed the man inside.

She didn’t know who he was, but it wasn’t a situation where refusal seemed appropriate.

The White Dragon Class district was completely different from the outside.

Unlike the other districts, which consisted only of training grounds and buildings, this place was well-maintained. The buildings were larger and more beautiful, and alongside a neatly arranged gravel path stood aged ginkgo trees. Between beautifully blossoming flower gardens, there were individual training grounds available for personal use.

It was a clear statement: You should train hard and come here too.

Passing White Dragon Class martial artists respectfully bowed their heads upon seeing the man.

He clearly wasn’t a White Dragon Class martial artist, nor did he seem to be an instructor. Was he one of the Seven Instructors? Just who was this man?

The deeper they went inside, the tighter the security became. At the end of that security stood a building as large as a fortress.

"What place is that?"

A strange emotion stirred in the man’s eyes as he looked at the building.

"That is the Golden Dragon Martial Hall's Master’s place. It’s where the master of this place resides."

At that, a sentence flowed naturally from her mouth.

"The master of the martial hall is the Hall Master."

The man turned to look at her.

"That’s what it said right at the top of the entry form I filled out yesterday."

A flicker of emotion passed through the man's eyes. It was unmistakably closer to curiosity than anger.

"So? Do you think you’re the master?"

"I’m not sure yet. Like I said, it’s my first day."

Uncomfortable with meeting the man’s eyes, her gaze turned back toward the Hall Master’s Hall.

Suddenly, the man asked.

"Do you want to go inside?"

"Would I even be allowed to?"

"You don’t seem to acknowledge the authority of the master of that place."

She declined respectfully.

"You misunderstand. Just seeing this much today is more than enough. Thank you for showing me."

Though part of her wanted to see inside the Hall Master’s Hall, it would’ve been too attention-grabbing to do so on the first day. No—she already stood out enough.

"Then I’ll be on my way now."

Just as she bowed politely and began to turn away, the man spoke from behind.

"Who said you could leave?"

Startled, she turned back toward him.

"I didn’t give you permission to go, did I?"

Seo Jin stared directly at the man and asked,

"May I go?"

Was it because she didn’t show any fear? The words giving her permission to leave never came from the man’s mouth.

It was then that someone approached.

"Master Yeon."

The one who appeared was Gi Seok, one of the Seven Instructors. A little behind him stood his subordinate, Pyo San.

Seo Jin noticed something at that moment. The expression the man wore when looking at Gi Seok was not pleasant. He didn’t bother to hide his dislike.

"It’s been a while."

Though Gi Seok greeted him respectfully, the man only gave a slight nod in return.

As if this sort of interaction was nothing new, Gi Seok showed no signs of being offended.

His calm gaze turned to Seo Jin.

"What are you doing here?"

"This gentleman was giving me a tour of the place."

Gi Seok addressed the man.

"It’s her first day at the martial hall. Is it right to teach her by breaking the rules?"

Then, turning back to Seo Jin, he spoke again.

"Leave!"

"Yes, Instructor."

It was then that Seo Jin realized something.

Gi Seok wasn’t stepping in for her sake. In other words, he simply didn’t like her being with this man.

‘At the very least, he’s probably not on the same side as this man.’

Of course, no assumptions could be made. This was the martial world, where those pretending to be enemies might actually be allies, and those who fought like enemies yesterday might become friends today.

Just as she turned to leave, the man with white hair spoke again from behind.

"I haven’t said you could go yet."

She turned again and looked back and forth between the two men.

The victor in this clash of wills had already been decided. Gi Seok immediately stepped back.

"Then I’ll be going now."

Gi Seok began walking away, with Pyo San following behind.

The man, who briefly watched them, turned his gaze back to Seo Jin.

"Please let me go now. I’m very tense on my first day."

She was calm, confident, and followed her instincts. It was better to face this man with poise than to appear intimidated or fearful.

"If you're going to leave, you should at least know who I am."

"Who are you?"

"I am Yeon Baekjin."

The man added flatly,

"A man who, because he was born too late, couldn’t become the master of this place."

He was Yeon Baekjin, the biological younger brother of the Golden Dragon Martial Hall’s master. The freest person in this place, the most fearsome, and also the most popular. He was a man whose nature changed depending on whom he faced.

After giving him a polite bow, Seo Jin turned away. As she took a few steps, she spoke.

"Don’t be too disappointed. It clearly stated that the master of this place is the Hall Master."

Yeon Baekjin silently watched her as she walked away.

Two others were watching that same scene from afar—from a corridor window inside the building. The observers were Gi Seok and Pyo San.

"Looks like Master Yeon is interested in Seo Jin. There's quite an age gap though."

At Pyo San’s comment, Gi Seok shook his head.

"Everyone thinks Yeon Baekjin is a bold and carefree man. The kind who loves women and enjoys playing around."

As the Hall Master’s younger brother and a man with exceptional martial strength, he was adored by many women. So, rumors with various women had often surrounded him.

But the Yeon Baekjin in Gi Seok’s eyes was different.

"But Yeon Baekjin is a colder, more calculating person than anyone else."

"Then you mean he's deliberately approaching Seo Jin?"

"Yes. He caught the scent of what happened with Instructor Im."

Pyo San’s expression hardened at those words. If that were the case, this was no small matter. One was the daughter of the Ghost Clan’s Leader, and the other was the Hall Master’s brother.

"The final excavation isn’t far off. What should we do?"

"We shift the attention outward."

Gi Seok had already reached his decision.

"No matter what, we can’t kill the Hall Master’s own blood, can we?"

999

That evening, Seo Jin sat alone at the inn, drinking.

She wasn’t someone who usually enjoyed drinking, but tonight, she felt the urge. It was because of her encounter with Yeon Baekjin earlier.

‘Use him to get to the bottom of this incident.’

That was her first thought. If what she saw earlier was true, and the relationship between him and Gi Seok wasn’t good, then it was definitely worth trying.

But something made her hesitate.

Whether it was instinct for danger or a woman’s intuition, something warned her.

Told her to stay away from that man. To exchange as few words with him as possible.

Even if reality was heading in the exact opposite direction.

"Are you staying at this inn?"

When she looked up, it was Yeon Baekjin. He sat down in front of her without asking for permission.

Without revealing her thoughts, Seo Jin spoke calmly.

"I didn’t get to greet someone as distinguished as you properly earlier."

"You didn’t? You weren’t exactly courteous either, were you?"

Yeon Baekjin already knew her identity.

"You’re the daughter of the Ghost Clan’s Leader, I hear."

He spoke as if he had only learned this after meeting her.

"Can you show me some of the Ghost Clan’s Ghost Art? I’ve never seen it before—I'm curious."

Of course, she wasn’t someone who would show it so easily.

"I’m still inexperienced. I might end up killing the target."

Yeon Baekjin, pouring himself a drink in a new cup, replied,

"How arrogant."

"If it came off that way, I apologize."

After downing his drink, Yeon Baekjin looked at her and asked,

"Do you truly believe the name of the Ghost Clan can serve as a shield to protect you?"

Taken the wrong way, it was a statement that insulted her clan. Yet Yeon Baekjin issued his warning to the very end.

"Even ghosts can’t stop human greed."

This man… he knew something.

That was the feeling Seo Jin got. And he didn’t seem to be hiding it, either. What was his intention in approaching her?

Gi Seok, Pyo San, and now this Yeon Baekjin.

All of them were connected to brother Im Hyeon’s death. Whether directly involved or entangled indirectly.

This time, she emptied her drink and asked,

"Why do you assume the Ghost Clan is my only shield?"

"What else is there?"

She wanted to tell him:

I am the squad leader of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

If she said that, would he still dare to look at her with such arrogant eyes?

She truly wanted to come here under the identity of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps and uncover every last scheme they were plotting.

But she hadn’t yet officially joined the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps. She had decided to do that only after finishing this matter.

Her final task before becoming a demonic being.

‘I will resolve this, no matter what, and return.’

Just as she set her empty cup down on the table—

A young man approached them and said,

"Are you from the Golden Dragon Martial Hall?"

He must have recognized her by the martial robe of the White Dragon Class.

"We’ve also come to take the entry test! What a delightful coincidence!"

A woman followed behind the young man.

"This must be fate—please, could you tell us how to take the test?"

The two naturally sat at their table without hesitation.

Seo Jin and Yeon Baekjin were both startled, though for very different reasons. But because of their respective surprise, neither of them stopped the newcomers from joining.

Yeon Baekjin’s surprise came from how strikingly handsome and beautiful the man and woman were. Especially the woman—her beauty was indescribable. At the sight of her, he couldn't bring himself to say anything rude about them joining uninvited.

On the other hand, Seo Jin was shocked for an entirely different reason. The young man was Geom Mugeuk, and the woman was none other than Lee Ahn. The Young Hall Master and the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps Leader had come to find her.

Seo Jin was shaken, but did her best to remain composed. Though she had learned through Lee Ahn during her brother's wedding that Geom Mugeuk was the Young Hall Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, this wasn’t the time to bow and offer greetings.

"I just started at the Golden Dragon Martial Hall today."

"Even better. The memory of the test will still be fresh in your mind, won’t it?"

Geom Mugeuk’s gaze shifted toward Yeon Baekjin.

"Then, is this white-haired gentleman also our senior?"

Seo Jin promptly introduced him.

"This is Master Yeon Baekjin, the younger brother of the Golden Dragon Martial Hall’s Master."

"Oh! A man of high stature! It’s an honor to meet you."

Perhaps it was the discrepancy between his words and his gaze—Yeon Baekjin questioned sharply, almost coldly,

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What kind of gaze do you mean?"

When their eyes met, Yeon Baekjin felt disturbed. That gaze—it was as though the young man were peering deep into his heart. Never before had someone’s eyes shaken him like that.

"Please don’t misunderstand. Whenever I see someone handsome, I get a bit competitive without realizing it."

He wouldn’t know—what Geom Mugeuk felt when he saw Seo Jin sitting across the table from Yeon Baekjin earlier.

Indeed, it all began here—their fateful entanglement.

Though Seo Jin’s death would come much later, the origin of this ill-fated bond was rooted in this very moment.

Geom Mugeuk had come all this way to sever that thread before it ever began. He feared that his regression might have drawn the fate closer instead.

‘Seo Jin, now that I’m here, everything will be fine.’

The moment he and Lee Ahn sat at this table, Seo Jin’s fate had already begun to take a different path.

Geom Mugeuk turned his gaze toward Yeon Baekjin.

And you? Will you walk the path of dying by my hands once more?

"Your white hair looks amazing. I’d love to go around with hair like that someday."

"Shut it."

While Geom Mugeuk had already drawn a "shut it" from Yeon Baekjin’s mouth, Seo Jin and Lee Ahn were secretly exchanging silent sound transmissions.

—Squad Leader, how did you know to come here?

—You told me you were coming to take care of a business here, didn’t you?

That was true. But what she really wanted to ask was why here, specifically?

—I came because I wanted to see you even a day sooner. If we finish things quickly, you’ll join the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps that much sooner.

Was that truly the reason? Likely not. She was certain Lee Ahn knew she was in a difficult situation. But how had she figured it out?

—You came to help me, didn’t you?

—Do you need help?

The gazes of the two women intertwined across the air. Seo Jin spoke honestly. Holding onto pride now would only be foolishness, not dignity.

—Yes, I do. Please help me.

Lee Ahn conveyed her sincerity to her.

—Your task is my task as well, Squad Leader Seo.

That’s why she wasn’t here to help—she was here to handle her own task. That was how Lee Ahn saw it.

—This will be the first mission for us of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps.

Seo Jin felt elated. When she had wanted to tell Yeon Baekjin earlier that she was a Squad Leader of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps, Lee Ahn’s face had crossed her mind. And now, like a miracle, she had come.

Lee Ahn lifted her cup and said,

"Come on, let’s have a drink together—as future comrades."

How could Seo Jin not know that the word comrades referred not to the Golden Dragon Martial Hall, but to the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps?

With strength, Seo Jin clinked her glass. Following her lead, Geom Mugeuk joined the toast.

"Let’s take over the Golden Dragon Martial Hall!"