Absolute Regression

Chapter 571: Our Family Has a Few Things to Inherit Too

“How are we going to strike back?”

At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Lee Ahn mentioned a name.

“Through Yeon Baekjin.”

Lee Ahn had precisely grasped that he was at the center of this incident.

“Approaching Unit Leader Seo, showing up here today—he definitely knows something.”

Geom Mugeuk and Seo Jin nodded.

“First, we need to figure out if he’s an enemy or not.”

Lee Ahn’s gaze turned to Seo Jin.

“And Yeon Baekjin will definitely approach Unit Leader Seo again.”

“When that happens, I’ll try to figure out his intentions.”

“No! There’s no need to go that far. That man… something about him feels off. The way he looks at Unit Leader Seo isn’t ordinary.”

Geom Mugeuk could sense it.

So could Lee Ahn. The ominous feeling in his eyes. The foreboding intuition of the disastrous fate that tied the two of them together.

Right now, it was just a simple fondness, but that emotion would grow beyond control, eventually dragging both of them into ruin.

Lee Ahn, we must change that fate.

Lee Ahn spoke to Geom Mugeuk.

“Young Cult Leader, please find out what Yeon Baekjin reveals to Pyo San.”

“Alright.”

Who else could she have asked this of? And who else would have answered so readily?

She felt it again—how she was fighting this battle with the finest sword and shield in all of the murim. And that made it a battle she could never afford to lose.

“In the meantime, I’ll visit the Heavenly Communication Pavilion and the Hidden Moon branch with Unit Leader Seo to gather the necessary information. The counterattack will begin based on what we find.”

The reason for going with Seo Jin to the Heavenly Communication Pavilion and the Hidden Moon branch was to show her how they made contact and received information.

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

As Geom Mugeuk turned to leave, Lee Ahn called out from behind.

“Thank you, Young Cult Leader.”

“For what?”

“For everything.”

Lee Ahn knew better than anyone. How hard it was to be the one standing beside someone. It would be much easier to step forward himself. But Geom Mugeuk was giving her the chance. A chance to gain experience and grow.

Geom Mugeuk was thankful for Lee Ahn, who always said thank you like this. She probably didn’t know how powerful a simple word from someone you care about could be. That it was the ultimate strength that helped him hold on until the end.

The power of that simple word—thank you.

We know it, and yet we make the mistake. We say those words countless times a day to others, but never to the ones we truly should. Simply because they’re close to us.

“If you're grateful, pay me back in cash!”

Geom Mugeuk leapt away with a swift motion.

As she watched him vanish in an instant, Lee Ahn muttered to herself.

“Then I wouldn’t be able to repay him even if I went bankrupt dozens of times.”

* * *

By the time Pyo San came to his senses, he found himself sitting in a chair with his meridians suppressed.

He had blacked out while following Yeon Baekjin, and when he woke up, he was here.

‘Where is this?’

The scorching heat felt across his entire body, the weapons hanging everywhere, the scorched walls, the blazing flame in the furnace burning red like lava—

Pyo San understood. This was the foundry run directly by the Golden Dragon Martial Hall.

Because the hall had so many officials, dozens of weapons were damaged or destroyed every day. That was why the Golden Dragon Martial Hall operated its own foundry to produce weapons, and any excess stock was sold externally.

‘Why bring me here?’

No one working the foundry was present. In front of him, one man stood with his back turned.

He instantly recognized him from the snow-white hair.

Yeon Baekjin was staring at the pile of weapons in the corner, but he noticed that Pyo San had awakened without turning around.

“All of these piled up here are rejects. They look fine on the surface but are completely unusable. Eventually, they'll be melted in that pit and reborn as new weapons.”

Pyo San spoke cautiously.

“No matter if you're the Hall Master's younger brother, you shouldn’t treat an instructor like this, should you?”

Yeon Baekjin didn’t turn around, but Pyo San could sense the cold smile forming on his face.

“Someone who tries to kill an official isn’t an instructor.”

“Kill an official? What are you talking about?”

Pyo San flatly denied it, but if denial worked, he wouldn’t have been brought here in the first place.

Yeon Baekjin turned and approached Pyo San. He bent down to meet Pyo San’s eyes. Despite the heat all around, only Yeon Baekjin felt cold.

Pyo San suddenly recalled what Gi Seok had once said.

—Yeon Baekjin is more calculating and ruthless than anyone.

Pyo San realized that his life was now hanging by a thread.

“I only want one answer.”

It wasn’t about Seo Jin, nor the deceased Im Hyeon, nor Bang So of the dead White Dragon Corps.

What Yeon Baekjin wanted was a single location.

“Where is that place?”

“!”

Pyo San’s heart sank.

‘He knew. Yeon Baekjin already knew.’

Pyo San forced himself to meet Yeon Baekjin’s gaze calmly as he replied.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

An obvious look of displeasure spread across Yeon Baekjin’s face. He didn’t bother to hide his emotions.

“I’m not someone who asks twice. But just this once, I’ll ask again. Where is that place?”

Pyo San could feel it. If he didn’t answer, he really would die.

But he also knew—answering wouldn’t save him either. And if he revealed a secret here, those above would never let him live.

He truly hadn’t expected Yeon Baekjin to act so boldly.

When no reply came, Yeon Baekjin rose without hesitation and turned his back.

“In this place, there’s only one fate for the useless.”

Yeon Baekjin’s subordinates came and lifted him up.

As if they intended to burn him alive, they dragged him toward the furnace where flames blazed high.

“Wait! Hero Yeon! Everyone in the White Dragon Class saw you take me. If you kill me, you won’t get away with it either.”

Yeon Baekjin stood silently, his back still turned.

‘He won’t kill me.’

But the subordinates pushed his face toward the blaze.

Feeling the scorching heat, Pyo San was seized by extreme terror.

Even if they didn’t kill him, his face would be permanently destroyed.

“Please! Don’t do this! I don’t know anything!”

As if they had no intention of merely threatening him, the martial artists kept pushing. He resisted desperately, but with his internal energy suppressed, how could he possibly overpower them?

“Uaaaargh!”

It was unbearably hot. They said death by fire was the most agonizing. He had never imagined his life would end by being burned alive.

It was then.

“Are you really going to burn that man to death?”

A calm voice rang out.

At those words, the martial artists pushing Pyo San suddenly halted.

“Aaaaaagh!”

Pyo San tumbled back from the flames.

One side of his face was red as if half-cooked. Had they been even slightly later, his face would’ve been completely ruined. Pyo San gasped for breath.

The one who had appeared was none other than Yeon Baekjin’s older brother, the Hall Master of the Golden Dragon Martial Hall—Yeon Baekin.

He was no ordinary figure. Those who hadn’t seen him might dismiss him as just another hall master, no matter how big the hall was, but in person, he radiated the aura of a true master.

He was just a year older than Yeon Baekjin, and the resemblance between the brothers was unmistakable. But their temperaments were completely different.

Where Yeon Baekjin gave off a free and unrestrained aura, Yeon Baekin had a composed and restrained presence. His hair, too, was pitch-black.

Behind him stood the elite martial artists directly assigned to protect the Hall Master, and among them was Gi Seok, Pyo San’s superior from the Seven Instructors.

Even with his brother’s sudden appearance, Yeon Baekjin showed no surprise. He was so composed it seemed as if he had expected Yeon Baekin’s arrival.

In response to their appearance, Yeon Baekjin’s subordinates silently withdrew through the rear door.

“What brings such a distinguished person to a shabby place like this?”

“What are you trying to do right now?”

The eyes of the two brothers met in the air. Their gazes were filled with words left unsaid—both holding back despite having much to say.

“What do you mean? I was just having a conversation with Instructor Pyo.”

Yeon Baekjin walked over to Pyo San. Glancing at the flames where Pyo San had nearly burned to death, he spoke.

“It was quite a heated conversation between men. Wouldn’t you agree, Instructor Pyo?”

Pyo San said nothing, but his eyes were filled with resentment.

Gi Seok stepped forward and asked Pyo San,

“Report to the Hall Master what happened.”

Pyo San bowed politely to Yeon Baekin and recounted the events of the day.

“During today’s sparring match of the White Dragon Class, an official died in an accident. Hero Yeon apprehended me over the incident and tried to force a confession, suspecting I was involved.”

Since there were many eyes watching, he didn’t mention the location Yeon Baekjin had questioned him about.

Yeon Baekin asked his younger brother,

“Is this true?”

“Except for the fact that the one who died today was a guy from the White Snake Corps.”

Pyo San quickly added,

“You can’t make such a conclusion based on a tattoo alone.”

“You also left out the part where that man already had a history of killing an instructor.”

At those words, Pyo San fell silent.

Yeon Baekin calmly declared,

“I will personally investigate this matter as Hall Master.”

Then Yeon Baekjin chuckled and said,

“I’m sure you will.”

His tone implied that even his brother was on the same side, which caused Yeon Baekin’s expression to harden.

“Escort Instructor Pyo to the Hall Master’s Hall.”

The subordinates behind him led Pyo San away.

Yeon Baekin issued a stern warning.

“From now on, stay out of hall affairs entirely! If anything like this happens again, I won’t forgive you either.”

With that cold statement, Yeon Baekin turned to leave—when Yeon Baekjin spoke behind him.

“Do you even care about hall affairs, brother?”

Yeon Baekin briefly stopped walking.

When he turned around, Yeon Baekjin was still facing the flames of the furnace, his back turned.

Yeon Baekin stared at his younger brother for a moment, seemed about to say something, but swallowed his words and resumed walking.

Yeon Baekjin stood there for a while, silently watching the flames.

As he finally turned to leave, he suddenly stopped.

Someone was standing before the pile of rejected weapons in the corner.

Yeon Baekjin was startled. Despite being lost in thought and staring at the flames, how had he not noticed someone entering? If that person had meant to attack him, he might have been struck down.

“Who are you?”

A man dressed in the White Dragon Class uniform turned to face him.

It was Geom Mugeuk. For some reason, he had chosen to reveal himself directly.

“Ah, martial artist Yeon?”

Yeon Baekjin’s gaze grew cold on its own.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was just checking if any of these weapons could still be salvaged. Some of them are perfectly fine but end up getting mixed in by bad luck and are destined to be melted down, aren’t they?”

Their eyes locked in the air.

Yeon Baekjin became certain—Geom Mugeuk was no ordinary man. Moving around with a beauty like Lee Ahn, quickly growing close to Seo Jin right after joining, and now appearing here like this.

‘He revealed his presence on purpose. If not, he would have quietly disappeared. How much did he hear?’

Yeon Baekjin asked Geom Mugeuk.

“So? Did you find anything worth fixing?”

Geom Mugeuk stared directly at him and replied.

“Hard to say just by looking. They seem alright at a glance, but once you try them, most turn out to be trash, I’d imagine.”

Geom Mugeuk walked over to the flames where Yeon Baekjin stood.

Yeon Baekjin quietly gathered his internal energy, preparing for a surprise attack.

But Geom Mugeuk simply crouched before the furnace. As he stared into the fire for a while, memories of the past surfaced.

“I remember playing with fire when I was young, with my older brother.”

Yeon Baekjin looked down at him coldly, silently listening.

‘Full of openings.’

Everything about him seemed full of gaps. He looked like someone who could be killed with a single blow—back of the head, neck, back. All seemed like targets.

But strangely, he didn’t feel like striking. Oddly, he didn’t feel like fighting at all. He wasn’t the type to overlook strange people or situations like this.

“I remember being afraid my brother might push me into the fire. That fear still lingers to this day.”

Hearing the odd story, Yeon Baekjin’s expression hardened. It was obvious he brought that up after seeing him with his brother.

‘He was there from the beginning.’

Which meant that even his brother and the other martial artists hadn’t noticed him hiding.

“You and your brother don’t seem very close.”

“We tried to kill each other. Our family has a few things to inherit too.”

“How much are we talking about?”

“Quite a lot.”

“Then your brother must be dead by now.”

The flames flickered as the smile formed at the edge of Geom Mugeuk’s lips.

“No. He’s still alive. Actually, we get along fairly well now.”

“Then you must not have had much to inherit.”

With a subtle smile, Geom Mugeuk replied.

“If you’d like, I can share the secret. How to avoid bloodshed between siblings in a power struggle! What do you say? Buy me a drink, and I’ll tell you.”

“Not interested.”

He was certainly not an ordinary man, but he rambled so much that it was hard to get a grasp on his true nature.

Geom Mugeuk stood up from his crouch and returned to the pile of scrap metal.

“Shall we have a look? Maybe there’s something in here that doesn’t need to be melted down.”

He was truly a strange one. Regardless of skill, Yeon Baekjin hadn’t expected anyone to suggest such a thing.

“Why are you so fixated on this?”

“There’s just too much in this world that gets thrown away.”

Turning back to him, Geom Mugeuk added,

“Don’t you think it’s unfair? Being discarded like this when there’s nothing wrong with you.”

The flames of the furnace flickered intensely across Yeon Baekjin’s face as he stared at Geom Mugeuk.

“Who are you?”