Absolute Regression

Chapter 579: The White Snake Won’t Come

Geom Mugeuk looked up at the back of Yeon Baekjin, who had stepped in front of Seo Jin.

He had always been this kind of person since young. Someone who would willingly stand against death for the sake of another.

But before the regression, he had strayed to a different path—he had walked the darker side of that heroic image. Back then, perhaps even his older brother and the Sword King had only ever seen the flip side of the coin.

Seo Jin asked Yeon Baekjin,

“Why are you trying to save me?”

She couldn’t say that, strangely, her eyes and heart kept turning toward him.

“Because it’s something my brother did wrong.”

Yeon Baekjin turned to Geom Mugeuk and said,

“You two said you came out here to protect Seo Jin too, right?”

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

“Then help me protect her!”

He was clearly agitated. He knew better than anyone that moments like this called for composure, but the three masked men standing before him were no ordinary threats. For them to reveal themselves so boldly meant they were experts who didn’t even need the advantage of a surprise attack.

‘The highest-ranking members of the White Snake Corps have come out.’

His hand trembled as he gripped his drawn sword. It wasn’t just out of fear. The rage surging inside him was directed at his own brother. Sending assassins of this caliber was a declaration—a vow not to fail.

‘So you really do want me dead.’

If Yeon Baekjin was going to die anyway, he wanted to at least save this woman.

“I’m just the younger brother of a lowly martial hall leader, but the woman standing next to me is blood of the Ghost Clan. If you kill her, the Ghost Clan will wipe you all out.”

Seo Jin, who had been standing behind Yeon Baekjin, stepped forward to stand beside him.

“I don’t think these men are the type to back down from that.”

Yeon Baekjin looked at Seo Jin. She should’ve been terrified, but she was calm.

‘Is it because she was raised by a prestigious clan?’

Partly, it was Seo Jin’s nature, but more than anything, she was composed because she trusted the two standing behind her. What was there to fear when Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn were right there?

Yeon Baekjin’s gaze shifted to Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn behind him. He misunderstood the two.

‘Are you planning to just stay back there?’

He had that thought but didn’t voice it. Right—how terrifying must this be for them at such a young age? He understood.

Among the three masked figures, the first to speak was Baek O-Sa.

“There are only three things a dying man ever says to us. He threatens, he hates, or he begs.”

Baek O-Sa’s gaze toward Yeon Baekjin was laced with mockery.

“In my experience, the ones who threaten are always the weakest.”

Yeon Baekjin didn’t waver. He forgot his anger toward his brother for the moment—he had to stay calm.

“You should know this isn’t a threat. Do you think the Ghost Clan Leader would just let his daughter’s death slide?”

At that, Baek Pal-Sa opened his mouth.

“The younger brother of the Golden Dragon Martial Hall's Hall Master, who was bewitched by the beauty of the new female officials, tried to molest them and disappeared.”

That single line made it clear how they intended to handle the matter.

Yeon Baekjin felt a surge of fury. It wasn't enough for him to lose his life—they were going to drag his name through the mud as well.

He pointed his sword forward and spoke coldly.

“Go on, try it.”

Baek Pal-Sa drew his sword and turned to Baek Il-Sa. All that remained was Baek Il-Sa's permission.

At that moment, Baek Il-Sa was staring at someone. His gaze was fixed on Lee Ahn.

Baek Pal-Sa and Baek O-Sa assumed he was simply captivated by her beauty, but that wasn’t the case. Baek Il-Sa was seeing something the other two could not.

‘Now I understand why the Division Leader sent me.’

Yeon Baekjin and Seo Jin were within Baek Pal-Sa’s capabilities.

The real issue lay with the two young ones standing behind them. Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn gave off a strange presence. Their skills were difficult to gauge. If they were masters, they should feel overwhelming; if they were novices, they should feel lacking. But their presence seemed both beyond his own and also unremarkable at once.

‘The woman is the stronger one!’

On the other hand, Baek O-Sa came to a different conclusion.

“She’s too pretty to kill.”

It seemed he had judged her to be of mediocre skill.

Then, Baek Il-Sa issued the command.

“Start by killing that one.”

Immediately, Baek Pal-Sa stepped forward.

“I’ll take care of him.”

Baek Pal-Sa charged at Yeon Baekjin. He gave him no time to prepare mentally.

His sword flew toward Yeon Baekjin’s throat, heart, and vital pressure points.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Thankfully, Yeon Baekjin responded calmly. One mistake would have cost him his life, yet he continued exchanging blows.

Lee Ahn focused on Yeon Baekjin’s movements.

Yeon Baekjin was someone who had mastered the Golden Dragon Sword Art. Watching him fight revealed how the traditional techniques of the Golden Dragon Sword Art played out in actual combat.

One had to fully understand the original Golden Dragon Sword Art to recognize how it had been reinterpreted.

In an instant, over thirty moves were exchanged. Yeon Baekjin, who had reached the peak of the Golden Dragon Sword Art, was no weakling.

However, as time passed, he became increasingly disadvantaged. His martial arts were those of a proper martial hall—classic, orthodox swordsmanship. Baek Pal-Sa’s martial arts, on the other hand, were meant purely for killing. On top of that, Yeon Baekjin’s real combat experience was sorely lacking.

Blood sprayed from Yeon Baekjin’s arm.

Seeing his own blood riled him up, and the situation turned more unfavorable.

Baek Pal-Sa didn’t miss the opening and pressed the assault.

Now, he could hold out no longer.

Screeeeeeech.

Suddenly, with a ghastly wail, Yeon Baekjin’s shadow lunged at Baek Pal-Sa.

The one who saved him in that critical moment was Seo Jin, using her Ghost Art. She was not yet capable of direct attacks, but she could use her abilities to create illusions or obscure her opponent’s vision.

However, that single move in this fight became the decisive one that could overturn the entire outcome.

Because of the shadow that rushed toward his face, Baek Pal-Sa momentarily lost sight of Yeon Baekjin.

Yeon Baekjin did not miss the opportunity. Instead of retreating, he slid diagonally and surged forward, swinging his sword.

Shhhik.

Splat!

Blood burst from Baek Pal-Sa’s side, unable to block in time.

Now the tides had turned. As Baek Pal-Sa staggered and retreated, Yeon Baekjin charged to finish him off for good.

Just then, Baek O-Sa, who had been watching, threw concealed weapons. They flew toward both Yeon Baekjin and Seo Jin.

Shraaaaak!

As the weapons flew, Yeon Baekjin instinctively threw his body over Seo Jin. He couldn’t let the woman who had saved him die.

‘Is this the end?’

He expected several blades to pierce into his back—

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of weapons deflecting came from behind.

When Yeon Baekjin looked back, he saw that Lee Ahn had already stepped in front of them.

‘She deflected all of those?’

There must’ve been over a dozen blades scattered all at once. Yeon Baekjin looked at Lee Ahn in astonishment. But that wasn’t all.

Thud.

Baek Pal-Sa collapsed forward. Few of the very concealed weapons Lee Ahn had deflected were now embedded in his throat and heart.

Baek O-Sa stepped forward.

“So you were hiding your strength.”

He turned to Baek Il-Sa. The way she had deflected those weapons was no ordinary technique, and he sent a look suggesting they should join forces. But Baek Il-Sa didn’t move.

‘Too proud to cooperate with others?’

He hoped that was the reason. If it was because even he was wary of the opponent’s skill, then they were in a truly dire situation.

Meanwhile, Seo Jin was pressing on Yeon Baekjin’s arm to stop the bleeding. He was the one who had leapt in front of her when the weapons flew earlier.

Watching them, Geom Mugeuk became certain that the two’s fates had completely changed. Now they were people who had saved each other’s lives.

‘It’s done.’

This was the moment the greatest purpose of coming to the Golden Dragon Martial Hall had been fulfilled.

Soon, the fight between Baek O-Sa and Lee Ahn began.

Since Lee Ahn was using the Golden Dragon Sword Art, Yeon Baekjin, who was watching her swordplay, was secretly surprised.

‘It’s similar to the Golden Dragon Sword Art.’

It was similar, yet clearly different from what he had learned.

‘That instructor must have taught her!’

Yeon Baekjin saw, in those techniques, the flow of a gentle river, the rush of a fierce wind, the heat of blazing flames, and the strike of lightning.

As the fight continued, Yeon Baekjin’s eyes grew wider and wider. Today was the first time he realized that the Golden Dragon Sword Art could be so powerful—and so beautiful.

He didn’t know. That the sword technique currently being displayed had been learned just today. And that she was wielding it so flawlessly in actual combat.

In the earlier fight with Yeon Baekjin, the more moves exchanged, the more favorable things became for Baek Pal-Sa. But in this fight, with every passing exchange, the advantage shifted to Lee Ahn. Her Golden Dragon Sword Art was stabilizing with each strike in this, her first real battle.

Baek O-Sa had thought at the beginning that he could handle her, but the balance quickly crumbled and he began to fall behind.

The moment Baek O-Sa shouted for help—

Shhhik!

Thud!

Lee Ahn's sword pierced straight through Baek O-Sa’s chest. The moment she had heard the word “molest” from Baek Pal-Sa earlier, she no longer held any hesitation about killing them.

“…You’ll die miserably. That man outranks everyone in the division.”

Even with Baek O-Sa’s warning, Lee Ahn showed not the slightest fear.

“You also say the same things before dying, huh?”

It was the same line Baek O-Sa had used earlier.

He had said that, before dying, a person could only threaten, hate, or beg. And now, he too had fallen into one of those categories.

Splatter!

Lee Ahn pulled her sword free, and he collapsed, blood spraying.

Geom Mugeuk looked at her with a satisfied expression.

For her to display this level of ability with a technique she had only learned today—this clearly showed both her exceptional talent in martial arts and the current height of her cultivation.

‘Grow stronger, Lee Ahn.’

In this Martial World full of all kinds of wicked people, if she wished to live with that face exposed to the world, she had to become so strong that no one would ever dare to lay a hand on her.

But Lee Ahn showed neither joy nor satisfaction. She merely stared quietly down at her own sword.

It was the first time for both.

The first time she had killed using the Golden Dragon Sword Art.

The first time she had stained the Sun and Moon Sword with blood.

The reinterpreted Golden Dragon Sword Art felt perfectly streamlined, without a single wasted motion. And though its destructive power was less than the Soaring Sword Art, it consumed far less internal energy.

That made it the ideal secondary sword art. There would be times she had to conceal her identity, and times when she needed to conserve her energy during combat.

Baek Il-Sa’s expression had gone completely rigid. This was truly an outcome he hadn’t anticipated.

But that didn’t mean he felt fear. He was Baek Il-Sa, after all.

“Who are you people?”

Geom Mugeuk answered calmly.

“Aren’t we the new members of the White Dragon Class at the Golden Dragon Martial Hall? You came here after investigating, didn’t you?”

Their investigation had been completely wrong.

‘Division Leader! If something felt ominous to you, you shouldn’t have accepted the commission and sent me here!’

Still, it wasn’t something to blame the Division Leader for. When he first came here, he had been arrogant, thinking that the reason they sent him instead of Baek I-Sa was because of some unspoken caution.

“You’re telling me you’re the top-ranked member of the White Snake Corps? That the number one is clashing with a beginner in the White Dragon Class of the Golden Dragon Martial Hall? If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed not to hide my rank.”

Geom Mugeuk spoke from the very back, provoking and mocking with his words, but Baek Il-Sa did not take the bait.

He faced Lee Ahn with caution. Just as he always had, he intended to kill them one by one. In the end, he would be the only one left standing.

Sssshhhreeeeeek!

A sudden burst of sword qi erupted from Baek Il-Sa’s sword.

Boom!

The sword qi released from Lee Ahn’s sword collided with Baek Il-Sa’s strike. With an ear-shattering explosion, dust surged into the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks burst forth from the dust as their swords clashed.

Baek Il-Sa was strong. He was on an entirely different level from the two who had died before him.

His martial art was a sword technique forged by climbing to the top of a tower of slaughter.

But Lee Ahn’s Soaring Sword Art, having reached the pinnacle, was a martial art so powerful that no tower of killing intent could ever withstand it, no matter how high it reached.

Her Soaring Sword Art was nothing like the Golden Dragon Sword Art she had previously shown, and it was also different from the version Geom Mugeuk used.

Her swordsmanship was delicate, elegant, yet at the same time sharp and overwhelming.

To his shock, Baek Il-Sa had already sensed defeat from the very first exchange with her.

He wished Baek Pal-Sa and Baek O-Sa were still alive. They needed to witness this fight to understand—Ah! So this is why we lost.

No—no, even if they had seen it, they wouldn’t have understood. Just how strong this woman truly was.

Shaaaarrrrk.

Her sword sliced through the air, tracing a radiant arc he could never hope to follow.

In that instant, he saw it. In Lee Ahn’s eyes, the countless people he had killed flashed by like a phantom slideshow.

Shhiiik.

Thunk!

Even with her sword piercing through his chest, there was no pain.

His final words were not a plea, not hatred, nor a threat.

“Perfect.”

His last words were praise for Lee Ahn.

With that, Baek Il-Sa collapsed and died.

Lee Ahn was dazed. She had expected this fight to be much harder. Hadn’t she even sent a secret transmission to Geom Mugeuk earlier?

—Is this really the top-ranked member of the White Snake Corps?

A pleasant reply came from Geom Mugeuk.

—Now do you understand your own strength?

Lee Ahn’s level was already beyond anything the White Snake Corps could contend with.

Yeon Baekjin stared blankly at Baek Il-Sa’s corpse. That woman had just killed the highest-ranked expert of the White Snake Corps?

With a trembling voice, Yeon Baekjin thanked Lee Ahn. He no longer dared speak to her casually.

“Thank you… for saving me.”

“You tried to save our Seo Jin too, didn’t you?”

Rather than the joy of surviving, Yeon Baekjin felt a heavy gloom. He hadn’t known his own brother was trying to kill him. And he had failed to recognize just how exceptional this woman truly was.

‘I deserve to die.’

His gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk.

From the moment they met, Geom Mugeuk had given off an inexplicable feeling. Perhaps, he was even stronger than that woman.

“You’ve killed the top-ranked member. The White Snake Corps won’t stay quiet. They’ll all come after us!”

At Yeon Baekjin’s worried words, Geom Mugeuk gave a smile that was hard to interpret.

“In time, all kinds of creatures might come to the Golden Dragon Martial Hall. But the White Snake won’t be one of them ever again.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Geom Mugeuk turned to Lee Ahn.

“Send word to the White Snake Corps. Tell them to stop meddling in our affairs.”

“Yes.”

With a trembling voice, Yeon Baekjin asked,

“Just who… are you people?”

Did they mean that even the infamous White Snake Corps would back off just because they said so?

At last, Geom Mugeuk revealed his true identity.

“I am Geom Mugeuk, Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

“!”

In that instant, Yeon Baekjin froze.

Lee Ahn and Seo Jin also revealed themselves.

“I am Lee Ahn, Tenebrous Ghosts Corps Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

“I am Seo Jin, Unit Leader of the Tenebrous Ghosts Corps of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

Yeon Baekjin turned pale and was left speechless.

Would anyone believe that a blood relative of the Ghost Clan was serving merely as a unit leader? Yes—if it were in one place, only there could such a thing be believable.

And a man who traveled with the most beautiful woman under the heavens, one who killed the top-ranked member of the White Snake Corps with ease? Yes—if it were one person, it could only be him.

‘Still… to think he’s the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult!’

He had spoken so casually to him until now.

Toward that confusion and disbelief, Geom Mugeuk calmly said,

“Whether I vanish from your life like smoke, or remain in your memory as a ruthless Young Cult Leader, that’s up to you now.”