Absolute Regression

Chapter 613: Can You Withstand the Awakened Cult Leader?

While the Poison King had been looking up at a tree, the Demonic Buddha had been staring up at a fierce-looking golden Buddha statue in the Dharma Hall.

At that moment, a calm greeting came from behind.

“It’s been a while.”

As Geom Mugeuk entered the Dharma Hall, the Demonic Buddha asked without turning around.

“What brings you here?”

“I came to see you, Demonic Buddha. It’s been a long time since I saw your face.”

Even though all he saw was the back of the Demonic Buddha’s mean-looking head, he felt a surprising sense of joy—it really had been a while.

“Have you been well?”

The Demonic Buddha turned toward Geom Mugeuk, his back now facing the Buddha statue. The massive golden statue behind the short Demonic Buddha formed a strange contrast.

Whenever he looked at the Demonic Buddha, he was reminded—what you see isn’t all there is. Geom Mugeuk knew well that the little giant, the Demonic Buddha, was a man far greater than that golden statue.

“Is acting as the Cult Leader manageable?”

“Oh, don’t even get me started.”

Geom Mugeuk waved his hand exaggeratedly, feigning exhaustion.

“I thought my father wasn’t really interested in the Cult’s internal affairs. I figured he’d just make a decision or two on important matters. But I was wrong. He managed even the smallest movements of the troops.”

“The Cult Leader oversaw internal matters more meticulously than any other leader in history.”

It became clear to Geom Mugeuk just how well the Demonic Buddha knew of his father’s work. He had always been deeply involved in politics, so he must have understood the situation in the Cult Leader’s Hall better than anyone.

“Do you know why the Cult Leader paid such close attention to those matters? Because of his meticulous nature? Not at all.”

“Then why did he?”

The answer that came from the Demonic Buddha was astonishing.

“For the unification of the martial world.”

“!”

“The Cult Leader believed that only when the Cult was firmly ruled, could the world be governed as well.”

It seemed Geom Mugeuk had heard something along those lines from his father once before.

His father had shown different sides to each Demon Supreme. That’s why each of them saw him in a different light.

“In the end, five years from now, you’ll be standing at the forefront of the martial world’s unification.”

He had said that before too. That his father wouldn’t acknowledge him.

But the Demonic Buddha’s certainty had a reason—one he hadn’t revealed back then.

“It’s not because your determination was lacking.”

If it had been, he wouldn’t be standing here now, saying these things.

“Then why are you so certain?”

The reason he held Geom Mugeuk in such high regard, yet believed he still wouldn’t win—

“It’s because of you that the Cult Leader is awakening.”

The Demonic Buddha stared at Geom Mugeuk and asked,

“Can you withstand the awakened Cult Leader?”

Geom Mugeuk understood. What the Demonic Buddha referred to as an awakening wasn’t merely about strengthening martial arts through seclusion training. It meant that Geom Woojin himself, as a person, was growing stronger.

“That’s why there are nine of us, isn’t it?”

In jest, he referred to all the Eight Demon Supremes being on his side.

“Last I saw, it was just the two of you.”

Because on the day they promised to meet again in five years, the only Demon Supreme who remained with Geom Mugeuk until the end had been the Evil Smiling Demon.

“Then I’ll just have to push myself harder.”

The Demonic Buddha, wearing an expression that seemed to say ‘you think that’ll be enough?’, stepped outside the Dharma Hall.

Geom Mugeuk quietly followed, walking through the temple grounds alongside him. Passing mad monks joined their palms and bowed respectfully in greeting.

“Did you give up working on those statues?”

“I did.”

In a corner of the yard, the statues he had been sculpting still remained. The dust-covered tools suggested it had been a while since he put them down.

Geom Mugeuk had expected to tease him for being weak-willed.

“You did well to stop.”

“Did well?”

“To be honest, it didn’t really suit you, Demonic Buddha. Calming the mind by carving statues? That’s not the kind of person you are, is it?”

The Demonic Buddha came to a halt and asked,

“Then what kind of person am I?”

“You’re someone who moves among people, who understands their hearts, who persuades them with passion, and fights with everything you have for your goals. You’re the type to find calm only after clashing with others until you’re out of breath.”

“Is that an insult or a compliment?”

“If it makes you feel bad, it’s an insult. If it feels good, then it’s a compliment.”

Geom Mugeuk added with a smile,

“Right now, I’m just telling you the truth.”

The Demonic Buddha resumed walking, wearing the kind of face that said, ‘you talk too much.’

“So why did you come? A busy man like you wouldn’t just stop by for leisure. Do you have something to assign me as Cult Leader?”

“No. I came to report something I wasn’t assigned to do.”

The Demonic Buddha looked at Geom Mugeuk, wearing an expression that asked what he meant by that.

Geom Mugeuk knew. That doing something unassigned was far more difficult than carrying out orders. Just like asking someone to leave is much harder than asking them to come.

That’s why this conversation with the Demonic Buddha required far more care than the one with the Poison King.

“My brother decided to leave on his own, so I quietly asked the Poison King for a favor. To keep an eye on him.”

A golden glow flared a bit brighter from the Demonic Buddha’s body, as if his emotions had stirred.

“Why are you reporting that to me?”

“I thought you should be informed.”

After a short silence, the Demonic Buddha asked,

“Why the Poison King, of all people?”

“This time, the counterfeit hidden weapon my brother is investigating had deadly poison on it. I was worried there might be someone handling poisons involved, so I asked the Poison King.”

“And why are you telling me this?”

“In case you misunderstand later. You might think my brother requested it himself and that he took the Poison King along.”

In other words, it was because Geom Mugeuk feared a misunderstanding might arise between Geom Muyang and the Demonic Buddha. His older brother wasn’t the type to explain himself, and the Poison King wasn’t someone to offer lengthy clarifications either.

“So what if there is a bit of misunderstanding?”

“What do you mean, so what? It’d hurt. If it were me, I’d be so upset I might just curse you out. ‘Do you know how dearly I’ve treated you, and yet you take the Poison King over me?’”

“A petty guy like you might curse. I don’t.”

“You should. If you don’t, my brother will be the one hurt this time.”

Eventually, the Demonic Buddha burst into laughter.

“Do you really go around worrying about every trivial thing like that?”

“Because I believe it’s those trivial things that push people apart and make them start to hate each other. Even a grand dream like unifying the world begins from these small intentions, doesn’t it?”

Geom Mugeuk’s sincerity continued.

“So don’t step back. Step forward even more actively. Even if it’s not about the successor fight, there are countless matters in our Cult where your help is needed. Please move for the sake of the Cult.”

In the Demonic Buddha’s eyes that had been staring at Geom Mugeuk, a streak of golden brilliance shimmered—and soon, the intense golden light softened.

Lately, the Demonic Buddha had been grappling with an unknown lethargy. Sculpting statues had been his way of coping.

But not backing down, and confronting things head-on in his own way—perhaps those words from Geom Mugeuk were the way to overcome that helplessness.

“No thanks. I’ll go back to carving statues.”

“Then at least sell them. Make statues you can sell. I’ll be your first customer.”

It was a way of saying: whatever you do, don’t let yourself sink.

At that moment, something Geom Mugeuk had said made the Demonic Buddha think of something he wanted to say to Geom Woojin.

‘If you want to defeat your son, you’ll have to awaken properly.’

After offering a polite bow, Geom Mugeuk turned to leave.

“Ah, I’m so busy I don’t know when I’ll be able to drop by again.”

From behind, the Demonic Buddha called out to him.

“Your brother is a strong person.”

The Demonic Buddha trusted his older brother more than anyone. He was someone who had staked his life on him.

“So there’s no need to worry too much. The same blood that runs through your father and you flows in the Great Young Master as well.”

Seeing the golden light radiating brightly, Geom Mugeuk bowed respectfully.

“Yes. I believe in him too.”

But Geom Mugeuk’s words and actions didn’t match.

Belief was belief. But worry was worry.

‘It’s precisely because it’s the same blood that I worry even more.’

After leaving the Demonic Buddha’s quarters, he spoke to Jeokyeon, who was standing by.

“Contact Hidden Moon and have all possible intelligence networks focus on my brother and the Poison King. And one more thing.”

Geom Mugeuk added one more long-pending order to Hidden Moon.

Several days had passed since Geom Muyang’s mission outside.

During those few days, Geom Mugeuk’s speed in handling affairs had only accelerated.

And today, he was working even faster than before.

It wasn’t simply because he had become more efficient. Today, he was handling his duties with the urgency of someone pressed for time. Normally, Geom Mugeuk would crack a few silly jokes after finishing a task, but today, he didn’t make a single one.

“Is there something going on today?”

“Well, if we finish early, we get more rest time, don’t we?”

But today, there was a different reason.

Having finished his work earlier than usual, Geom Mugeuk followed Sima Myung.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No, since I finished my tasks early, I thought I’d pay a visit to the Heavenly Communication Pavilion. It’s been a while. Would that be alright?”

As if anyone would say no to him.

“Yes, let’s go.”

And so, Geom Mugeuk followed Sima Myung into the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.

After passing through an area more heavily guarded than even the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, they stepped into a vast space filled with the figures of countless Heavenly Communication Pavilion soldiers.

The place was bustling. Truly, if one needed to define the word “busy,” this place would serve as the perfect example.

Shoo, shwoop, shick!

Cylinders containing encoded letters continuously arrived through holes installed in one side of the wall.

The soldiers sorted the messages by importance upon arrival.

Depending on the contents of the messages, flags pinned on a map of the Central Plains were sometimes moved to other locations.

Sima Myung could tell. Geom Mugeuk had come here because he wanted news about Geom Muyang. Even if he acted indifferent, it was clear he was deeply worried about his brother.

“Since you’re here, you might as well hear some updates about your brother.”

Sima Myung turned to one of the subordinate soldiers and said,

“Bring us the latest information related to the Great Young Master.”

The soldier quickly retrieved a file and reported.

“The Great Young Master has currently arrived at his destination, Changsha. Along the way, he stopped at only two inns, and aside from time spent eating and sleeping, he traveled without pause toward his destination.”

How could one not worry hearing that?

‘Brother, I told you not to dwell on what almost killed me! Even if it had hit me, I wouldn’t have died!’

“At this rate, we could even find out what my brother’s been eating.”

The soldier began flipping through the documents.

“We have records of what he ate at the inns. Would you like to hear them?”

“No, that’s fine.”

It truly showed just how thoroughly the Heavenly Communication Pavilion was monitoring his brother. No doubt the cooperation of Hidden Moon played a large part in that as well.

“My brother might even have a hidden lover somewhere in the Central Plains. I suppose we’ll find out this time.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s nonsense, Sima Myung asked with a slight smile,

“Are you worried about your brother?”

Geom Mugeuk replied with a grin,

“Do you know how nasty my brother is? I’m more worried for the martial world.”

But contrary to his words, Geom Mugeuk’s gaze landed on the flag labeled “Muyang.” The flag was placed over the region of Changsha, and next to his brother’s flag, there was another one marked with “Changsha Escort Bureau.”

And a little distance away from those two, a single extravagant green flag had been planted.

999

Geom Muyang was striding briskly through the streets of Changsha.

If he had come here with Geom Mugeuk, he would have stopped by every tavern and attraction along the way. But now, he passed all of it without a glance. He had run toward one thing only—his goal.

Only by capturing the one who had created the counterfeit hidden weapon—an act that nearly killed his younger brother and burdened him with an irreparable mistake—would he be able to enjoy the freedom this rare mission outside the cult offered.

That said, he did not move recklessly.

Geom Muyang knew precisely how to handle matters like this. He didn’t thoughtlessly flaunt his status as the Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, nor did he try to resolve the situation with brute force. He wasn’t the kind of person to let urgency ruin his execution.

A middle-aged martial artist was waiting for him in front of the Changsha Escort Bureau. This was Ho Myeong, the Branch Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Changsha Branch, who had come upon prior notice.

“It is an honor to meet you, Great Young Master.”

“Thank you for coming out to meet me, Branch Leader Ho.”

“All of our elite personnel are currently standing by nearby.”

Ho Myeong had been truly startled to receive the Great Young Master’s message. No matter how much he may have lost the succession battle, this was still the Heavenly Demon’s eldest son. A single misstep in words could cost one’s life.

“Just give the order, and we can bring the entire Changsha Escort Bureau to its knees within an hour.”

“That won’t be necessary. Let’s meet the Bureau Chief with just the two of us. Don’t reveal my identity.”

“Yes, understood. Please wait a moment.”

Ho Myeong spoke a few words to the guard at the entrance of the Escort Bureau. The guard turned pale and dashed inside, while another martial artist escorted Geom Muyang and Ho Myeong into the building.

As they waited in the Grand Hall, the Escort Bureau Chief Ji Dae-hyeong appeared, flanked by his lead escorts. One of the escorts recognized Ho Myeong’s face and sent a covert message to Ji Dae-hyeong confirming that he was indeed the branch leader.

Thus, Geom Muyang had used the Changsha Branch Leader to gain swift access to the Escort Bureau Chief. It wasn’t the fox borrowing the tiger’s authority—rather, it was the tiger borrowing the fox’s.

“What brings a branch leader of the Divine Cult to our humble Escort Bureau?”

To Ji Dae-hyeong, only Ho Myeong was visible. A visit from the Changsha Branch Leader of the Demonic Cult, with whom they had no prior relations, was a deeply serious matter.

“There’s something I need to ask regarding the delivery you recently made to the Black Hand Faction.”

At Ho Myeong’s words, Ji Dae-hyeong’s expression stiffened for a brief moment.

“We do not divulge the contents of our deliveries to outsiders.”

In response, Branch Leader Ho Myeong revealed a cold demonic aura.

The lead escorts, however, did not falter easily. They summoned their internal energy, ready to draw their swords at any moment. What they relied on was this:

“No matter who you are, if you touch us, the Central Plains Escort Bureau Union won’t sit idle.”

As one of the most powerful interest groups in the martial world, not even the Orthodox Sects dared to treat them carelessly.

At that moment, Geom Muyang, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.

“We haven’t come to threaten or trouble you.”

The moment Geom Muyang opened his mouth, Ji Dae-hyeong realized something. Until now, he had assumed this young man was just an escort accompanying the Branch Leader.

‘This man did not come with the Branch Leader. The Branch Leader came with him.’

From the moment he spoke, the grace and pressure emanating from Geom Muyang were anything but ordinary.

“The item you delivered was a counterfeit of our Cult’s weapon.”

Ji Dae-hyeong was visibly startled. Judging by his expression, it seemed he had truly been unaware of that fact.

“A large bureau like the Changsha Escort Bureau wouldn’t pass on goods to the underworld without at least verifying what they were.”

With cold eyes, Geom Muyang looked over the assembled lead escorts and asked,

“Who was it that deceived the Bureau Chief?”