Absolute Regression

Chapter 587: When You Cut It in One Slash, It Lingers Even More

The interior was filled with a dazzling radiance.

A pile of gold bars lay in the center. Quite literally, a heaping pile.

And the display cases surrounding the room were lined with jewels—top-quality Night Pearls, rubies, sapphires, jade, pearls, and even crystals. Every kind of gem was showing off its brilliance.

It was, in every sense of the word, a treasure vault.

“The people I wanted to see appeared in my dream last night, and now I’ve struck gold!”

Geom Mugeuk glanced over at the Sword King. He, too, was clearly surprised by the immense treasure, but his gaze held no trace of greed.

Just from his composed expression, it was obvious that what he pursued wasn’t wealth. That was what made this battle difficult. He wasn’t your average villain.

“Do you regret agreeing to split it in half?”

At Geom Mugeuk’s question, the Sword King nodded.

“It’s far more than I expected.”

“No take-backs allowed.”

Geom Mugeuk flopped down right on the pile of gold.

“To fall asleep surrounded by gold! There probably isn’t a more blissful bed than this.”

Then came the Sword King’s voice.

“You like cotton blankets more than gold, don’t you?”

Still lying down, Geom Mugeuk lifted just his head and asked in protest.

“Who said that?”

“Isn’t it true?”

“I’m called the embodiment of greed, you know?”

“Who calls you that? Sounds like something you go around saying yourself.”

Staring back at the Sword King, Geom Mugeuk said firmly,

“You’re trying to pull some tricks so you don’t have to give me my share, aren’t you? It won’t work. Half of this is mine.”

Geom Mugeuk leaned his head back again, relaxing.

A ceiling that high and ornate, hidden underground? Staring up at it naturally made him wonder.

Who on earth built this place? Was it a secret vault of some ancient tycoon?

No, that couldn’t be it. The Sword King wouldn’t have dug through the earth just to seize some rich man’s treasure vault. What he sought was clearly something else.

Then who could have made this?

The outer formation, the illusion technique in the corridor—this place was constructed with an era’s greatest power.

While still lying down, Geom Mugeuk looked at the Sword King. Come to think of it, the rope that had connected their waists had been severed. As he glanced down at his waist, the Sword King responded.

“I cut it during the fight earlier.”

“I get that you cut it to fight more freely, but it still feels like the bond between us has been severed. Don’t tell me you’re going to cut ties with me the same way—with a sword slash?”

Of course, the Sword King wasn’t the least bit sentimental.

“As you can see, I cut it in one slash. I’m the kind of person who cuts clean and forgets.”

Geom Mugeuk let out a feigned sigh and spoke.

“Human relationships are harder to sever than they are to tie.”

Then he suddenly asked an unexpected question.

“Don’t you think that when you cut ties with someone in one slash, they linger in your mind even more?”

The Sword King turned his gaze toward Geom Mugeuk, silently waiting for an explanation.

“If you cut someone off completely just because you’re sick of them and want to avoid them, they end up lingering in your thoughts for a long time. You think about them while saying, ‘It’s better not seeing them.’ You think about them while convincing yourself, ‘I did the right thing cutting them off.’ You think about them while regretting, ‘Why didn’t I cut them off earlier?’”

This time, the Sword King asked,

“Then how do you handle it?”

“The more I hate someone, the more carefully I plan my retreat.”

At the word ‘plan,’ the Sword King gave a dry laugh.

“You really need a strategy just to end a relationship?”

“Of course. If you just cut it off recklessly, you’ll never be able to forget it. That’s why so many worthless connections stay stuck in your heart, even when they’re not worth remembering.”

“!”

“Cutting something off cleanly doesn’t make you forget faster. You need to slowly scoop out a handful of your feelings at a time. Bit by bit, until you even forget that you were ever tied to that person. No need to rush. The more you hate them, the slower you should go.”

“If you put that much effort into it, wouldn’t it make you think of them even more?”

“It does. But the quality of those thoughts changes.”

“How so?”

“They don’t cling to you. They don’t hit you out of nowhere like a strike. They don’t make you suddenly clench your fists.”

The Sword King stared silently at Geom Mugeuk for a moment.

“So don’t try to cut me off so cleanly. If you do, I’ll linger in your thoughts.”

The Sword King placed a hand on the shoe tucked at his waist and asked,

“And after all that, you’re still going to try to cut me in one slash, aren’t you?”

“Ah! How are you so sharp!”

With a snort, the Sword King walked toward a corner. There was a door there.

“Let’s go.”

“What’s the rush? Can’t you enjoy the treasure for a bit before we leave?”

“There’s nothing in this room for us to enjoy.”

Geom Mugeuk rose to his feet and walked toward him.

“Don’t tell me once we open that door, we have to break through another gate?”

The Sword King opened the door.

And there it was—the dark passage they had seen before, once again revealing itself.

This time, an even more powerful aura was flowing out of it. The enticing energy beckoning them to enter was also stronger than before.

“What in the world is at the end of that path?”

At last, the Sword King spoke about this place for the first time.

“Something that could change the fate of this murim.”

Still staring into the darkness, Geom Mugeuk asked the Sword King,

“For the better? Or for the worse?”

After a short pause, the Sword King replied,

“That depends on what kind of people we are.”

The two of them walked into the darkness once again.

* * *

“Track them all down and eliminate them!”

At Yeon Baekin’s words, Gi Seok flinched for a moment. He too had thought it had to be done, but he hadn’t expected Yeon Baekin to make such a decision so easily.

When the report came in that all the officials underground had departed, Yeon Baekin felt a cold shock drop in his chest.

‘He let all of them go?’

At first, he thought it had to be a false report. He couldn’t even imagine that the one underground would just let them leave. Naturally, he had assumed they would all be silenced.

But he even gave them money and let them go?

Maybe that man could afford to be lenient, but Yeon Baekin could not.

There’s a treasure vault beneath Golden Dragon Martial Hall!

Even if just one person slipped up, a horde of jackals would swarm this place. Yeon Baekin didn’t believe for a second that they would keep the secret.

Even if that place was empty now, they would come just to see it with their own eyes.

Perhaps this was the man underground’s ploy to drive him into a corner.

‘He really screwed me over.’

Either way, he would track them all down and kill them. Wasn’t it he who said it? That villains walk their path amid curses.

“We can’t use the White Snake Corps. I’ll look into another contract group and send out the commission.”

“Make it quick.”

Now, Gi Seok understood clearly.

Yeon Baekin hadn’t become wicked—he had always been this kind of person. A command to kill dozens of people wasn’t something just anyone could give.

At that moment, a subordinate’s voice came from outside.

“You have a visitor.”

“Who is it?”

“They said they’re the parent of a member of the White Dragon Class.”

Yeon Baekin and Gi Seok exchanged glances at the report. He never met with the parents of trainees directly. There was no way the subordinate didn’t know that. And yet he reported it?

Just then, the door opened. It wasn’t usual for the door to open before he gave permission. In other words, it meant the person outside was someone they dared not stop.

The person who entered the office was a middle-aged woman.

The moment he saw her, Yeon Baekin’s eyes widened. She was truly an elegant woman who drew the eye at a single glance.

“I’ve come because of my daughter.”

At the sound of her gentle voice, Yeon Baekin’s stiff expression naturally relaxed.

“Who is your daughter?”

“Lee Ahn.”

The woman who had entered was none other than the One-Slash Sword Supreme.

Gi Seok, standing beside her, sent a sound transmission.

—She’s the one who used to associate with Seo Jin of the Ghost Clan.

Even without the transmission, Yeon Baekin already knew about Lee Ahn. There had been a lot of talk about a stunningly beautiful trainee who had recently joined.

‘She must’ve taken after her mother.’

Yeon Baekin spoke to her with an easy smile.

“Very well. Please, come in.”

He thought she had come alone, but another person followed in behind her.

When the man who filled the doorway entered, Yeon Baekin’s eyes widened fiercely. A muscle-bound man entered, like a moving hunk of iron, with a face so intimidating it was difficult to even make eye contact.

“I’m the one who fathered Lee Ahn.”

It was Lee Ahn’s real father—the Fist Demon King.

Only now did Yeon Baekin understand why the subordinates outside hadn’t been able to stop them. It wasn’t just that terrifying face—those massive fists said it all.

As soon as he stepped in, the Fist Demon King asked Yeon Baekin,

“Where is my daughter right now?”

The reason the Fist Demon King and the One-Slash Sword Supreme had come here were two.

First was the report from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion. The officials who had been underground had all emerged in secret.

Even without hearing the details, it was clear now that Geom Mugeuk had let them go.

Cotton blankets had gone into the underground, they’d all come out to see the stars, and in the end, everyone had been allowed to live. It was exactly the kind of action one would expect from Geom Mugeuk.

The problem was the Hall Master standing before them. Based on his past conduct and what Yeon Baekin’s younger brother had said, it was hard to believe he would spare the officials who came out from underground.

That was why the One-Slash Sword Supreme had come along. To rescue those people.

Mugeuk was likely thinking,

*I’ll entrust them to the Demon Supremes.*

Such intent was clear. At this moment, the two Demon Supremes shared complete mutual understanding with Geom Mugeuk.

The second reason for revealing themselves was to apply pressure and deliver a warning to the powers behind this place.

*We’re here, so don’t act rashly! The Young Cult Leader is under our protection.*

It was also meant to prevent another powerful force from sending reinforcements underground. Just as they were watching this side's movements, the others were surely doing the same.

The Fist Demon King asked bluntly,

“I heard she didn’t return after following her instructor?”

Yeon Baekin was caught off guard internally. He hadn’t expected a terrifying father like that to arrive hand in hand with such an elegant mother. With parents like these, it seemed Lee Ahn had no reason to ever be sent to a martial hall.

Gi Seok’s voice transmission came again.

—Lee Ahn is currently underground.

After the Sword King took Geom Mugeuk, Lee Ahn, Seo Jin, Yu Gwang, and Gyo Seok, none of them had returned to class.

Yeon Baekin, unaware they were in a secret safe house of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, naturally assumed the Sword King had taken them underground.

“I’m asking you—where is our girl?”

Under normal circumstances, Yeon Baekin would have protested such disrespect. But there was no way he could say such a thing to the Fist Demon King. Even though he hadn’t revealed any demonic energy, the Fist Demon King’s presence alone was so overwhelming that Yeon Baekin couldn’t even breathe.

At that moment, the One-Slash Sword Supreme stepped forward.

“Please be understanding, Hall Master. This man’s temper is just... fiery by nature.”

Truly, how could such contrasting people be married? Looking at the woman brought a smile to one’s face, while looking at the man made one’s expression harden.

The One-Slash Sword Supreme asked gently,

“We came to see our daughter, but no one seems to know where she went. I’m getting worried too.”

Though she rarely appeared in public, she was more skilled than anyone at dealing with people.

Gi Seok stepped in to answer on Yeon Baekin’s behalf.

“She went out for outdoor training with the White Dragon Class instructor.”

“But I saw other White Dragon Class officials attending their lessons.”

“Only a few were specially selected to go out. They must’ve demonstrated exceptional skill.”

Gi Seok answered calmly, without a trace of panic.

“They should return in just a few days.”

“Is it common for training to take place outside like this?”

This time, Yeon Baekin replied.

“Even I, the Hall Master, cannot interfere in how the instructor chooses to teach.”

Yeon Baekin looked at the two with a confident gaze.

“If you’ve entrusted us with her education, then you must trust us.”

The One-Slash Sword Supreme rose from her seat with a pleasant expression.

“We’ve acted rudely out of urgent concern. We’ll take our leave for today.”

Before leaving, the Fist Demon King left one final statement.

“That’s right. We entrusted our child to you because we believed in you.”

The weight behind those words was clear—it was a final warning to Yeon Baekin. A command to never lay a finger on the officials and trainees.

But could the current Yeon Baekin even understand what that truly meant?

Only after the two had left the office did Yeon Baekin finally exhale in relief. The Fist Demon King’s presence had been so overwhelming, his heart was still pounding.

“That trainee named Lee Ahn really is extraordinarily beautiful.”

He could understand the Fist Demon King’s reaction. Anyone would be on edge with a daughter that stunning.

But still, to come and raise such a ruckus? It was all because they looked down on the Hall Master. If only he had mastered a supreme divine technique, he wouldn’t have had to suffer such humiliation.

“So right now, only the trainees taken by the White Dragon Class instructor are left underground?”

“That’s correct.”

He still couldn’t figure out what that man was thinking. But judging from the fact that the officials had been released, it was clear the end was near.

“What will you do about that couple? They didn’t seem like ordinary martial artists.”

Yeon Baekin, however, had already made up his mind.

“The one who has their daughter should take responsibility.”

He meant to leave it to the Sword King.

“You deal with the officials as soon as possible.”

Gi Seok, hat pulled low, walked off quickly.

This time, the organization they planned to commission was the Black Tiger Faction. Like the White Snake Corps, they were a contract group that would do anything for the right price. They didn’t get along well with the White Snake Corps, which made them perfect for this particular job.

When dealing with contract groups, meetings were usually held either in very secluded places—or, like today, in crowded ones.

They had arranged to meet at a tea house in the market street.

Walking among the passersby, Gi Seok glanced at the tea house up ahead. At the window seat they had agreed on, a man was waiting.

As he began walking toward him—

‘Huh? Those people?’

He spotted Lee Ahn’s parents, whom he had seen back at Yeon Baekin’s office. The woman noticed him and waved cheerfully.

Gi Seok, about to greet her absentmindedly, suddenly flinched.

‘I’m wearing a bamboo hat—how did she recognize me?’

The man beside her didn’t wave. Instead, he slowly extended his fist in Gi Seok’s direction.

From far across the crowd, a fist slowly pushed forward between the masses of people.

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

Gi Seok assumed it was a warning. Bring my daughter back, now.

But the warning—it tickled. No, it literally tickled.

Gi Seok suddenly felt an unbearable itch on his chest.

Unable to resist, he opened his collar and looked down at his chest.

“!”

Gi Seok’s eyes went wide.

His chest had started to sink inward, and a distinct shape was forming.

A massive fist—its contours clearly taking shape, filling his chest.

But then, that shape began to fade.

As if it had never been there, the outline of the fist vanished without a trace.

Standing dazed in the middle of the street, still staring at his chest, Gi Seok slowly sank to his knees. His lifeless head dropped forward.

It was a silent fist—one that flew without a sound, left no scream, and left no mark on the body.