Absolute Regression

Chapter 616: We've Never Been Kind to the Martial World

What brought silence over the hall was Hwang Pa’s sudden change in demeanor.

Just moments ago, he had been rampaging like a madman, and now that he had calmed down, all eyes turned to him.

Only then did Hwang Pa realize he had made a mistake. He had been spewing curses and then asked, “What do you want?”? But honestly, he had been so shocked earlier, it felt like his liver had jumped out of his mouth.

As if trying to cover up his slip of the tongue, Hwang Pa roared and returned to his original manner.

“I asked what the hell you want!”

On the other hand, Geom Muyang remained as calm and indifferent as ever.

“The person who made the deal with them.”

Hwang Pa blinked a few times before urgently calling someone.

“Gu Yong! Where is Gu Yong!”

He was the one who had orchestrated the current deal.

Gu Yong acted as a general manager within the Black Hand Faction. He had a good nose for the scent of money and often brought in profitable opportunities. This time, he had come with something no one had anticipated—an opportunity to purchase hidden weapons from the Demonic Cult, ones designated as one of the Ten Great Golden Dragon Hidden Weapons.

The fact that these were Demonic Cult weapons was troubling, but that also made them all the more tempting.

Hwang Pa didn’t dwell on it for long. It required a huge amount of money, like bleeding out silver, but since it was a postpaid deal, there was no risk of being scammed out of payment.

Above all, with those hidden weapons in hand, taking down the experts of the Great Light Faction wouldn’t be difficult. If they could eliminate them one by one, it was only a matter of time before he became the Greatest Dark Saber of Honam.

He had pursued that grand dream, only for everything to fall apart like this. All because of that bastard.

“Gu Yong, where the hell are you!”

He called desperately, but among the martial artists kneeling before him, Gu Yong was nowhere to be found.

Hwang Pa ran forward, grabbed one of his subordinates by the collar, and shook him while shouting.

“Where is Gu Yong?”

“I don’t know.”

He grabbed another and shook him, but the answer was the same.

Just then, another subordinate standing in the back spoke up.

“He went to Flower Reflection Pavilion to drink.”

At that moment, Hwang Pa’s eyes flipped.

“That crazy bastard!”

All this chaos was his doing, and he went off to drink at a brothel? The sun hadn't even set yet.

Furious, Hwang Pa slapped the subordinate he was holding by the collar across the face and shouted.

“Go get him right now! Move!”

As he roared, Branch Leader Ho Myeong silently raised a finger and made a shushing gesture.

Hwang Pa’s face twisted with anger.

‘This bastard dares to point his finger instead of speaking?’

But those words never made it out of his mouth.

Ho Myeong and the demonic cultists standing around him were staring at him with utterly indifferent eyes, looking as if they might suddenly lunge at him and cut him to pieces.

‘Damn Demonic Cult bastards!’

He was known for charging in like a madman without regard for his life in battle, but in this moment, his madness was selective.

He hadn’t felt fear when fighting those black-clad bastards who bled and cursed while throwing punches. But when faced with those who stabbed people to death without a hint of emotion in their eyes, fear gripped him.

“Get up.”

Ho Myeong stood up the man who had said Gu Yong went to Flower Reflection Pavilion.

Then, he personally led four subordinates and followed after. The fact that he was taking action himself showed how serious this matter was.

Hwang Pa looked back at Geom Muyang. Compared to these butchers, he felt like he could reason with the man who seemed to be their leader.

Hwang Pa’s forceful demeanor waned.

“When Gu Yong returns, take him with you. Then let’s pretend nothing happened today and I won’t report this to the Unorthodox Alliance.”

This was Hwang Pa, the man who would cut a person’s ankle just for stepping on his foot. And yet now, even with a few of his teeth broken, he was offering to pretend it never happened.

“Fine.”

When Geom Muyang answered so readily, Hwang Pa felt a surge of relief.

‘He made that promise in front of everyone, so he won’t go back on his word.’

He glanced over at Myeonggwi. Myeonggwi, seemingly lost in thought, noticed the gaze and turned toward Hwang Pa.

Hwang Pa nodded at him as if telling him to endure it a little longer, trying his best to appear natural.

A short while later, the group that had gone to bring Gu Yong returned.

But Gu Yong was not with them.

With a grim expression, Ho Myeong reported to Geom Muyang.

“The man named Gu Yong was found stabbed to death in the pleasure house.”

Geom Muyang’s gaze turned cold. They had come straight from the Escort Bureau without rest, yet their enemies had acted one step faster.

“They’re really pushing it.”

With those few words, demonic energy surged from Geom Muyang’s body, making the air around them cold and heavy.

Ho Myeong could tell that Geom Muyang was truly angry. As he and the branch’s martial artists held their breath, knowing it was a moment best left untouched, Hwang Pa, unable to read the mood, stepped forward in haste.

“Gu Yong’s death isn’t our fault. So just leave now. Keep your promise!”

When Hwang Pa pushed the point about their promise, Geom Muyang strode toward him.

Startled, Hwang Pa instinctively tried to draw upon his inner energy.

But his energy center had already been sealed. When he had been thrown into the courtyard earlier, Geom Muyang had subdued his internal energy.

In his half-dazed state, he hadn’t even realized it had been sealed.

SMAACK!

Hwang Pa’s face was struck again by Geom Muyang’s fist. He flew through the air and tumbled across the ground. As he tried to get back up, another three or four broken teeth flew from his mouth. When he opened it, his front teeth were completely exposed.

“If you touch us…”

He had meant to say that the Unorthodox Alliance wouldn’t stand by quietly—but Hwang Pa couldn’t finish the sentence.

The look in Geom Muyang’s eyes as he walked over and looked down on him coldly was absolutely terrifying.

Then, something came from Geom Muyang’s mouth—something Hwang Pa could never hope to understand.

“This is all because of my brother.”

Thud!

Geom Muyang kicked Hwang Pa in the face, and he crumpled to the ground again.

This time, his nasal bone and cheekbone shattered. Hwang Pa groaned in pain.

“You think someone like you has the right to shout at us.”

Geom Muyang walked toward him again.

“We’ve never been kind to the martial world—not even once.”

As Geom Muyang raised his foot as if to crush Hwang Pa’s skull, the man screamed for his life.

After glaring down at him like he was nothing more than an insect, Geom Muyang lowered his foot and looked over at the Black Hand Faction martial artists kneeling on the floor.

“Is there anyone here who knows about this deal?”

Not one of the Black Hand Faction’s men opened their mouths.

Then Geom Muyang spoke coldly.

“Kill them all.”

Without hesitation, Ho Myeong and the branch’s martial artists drew their swords.

“Please spare us!”

Screams and pleas burst out, but the swords were raised mercilessly.

Just as they were about to massacre the Black Hand Faction—

“I know!”

One person shouted. It was the man who had earlier revealed that Gu Yong had gone to the pleasure house. His name was Seok Soo. He was a friend of Gu Yong.

“I heard about the deal!”

Geom Muyang raised his hand to stop the subordinates.

The swords aimed at the Black Hand Faction halted just behind their necks.

Ho Myeong pulled Seok Soo out to the side, and the martial artists quickly surrounded him on all sides.

“What did he tell you?”

It was at that moment. One of the kneeling martial artists suddenly sprang up. In his hand was a Blitz Blade.

“Stop him!”

Ho Myeong shouted as he stepped in front of Seok Soo.

Even though he knew he couldn’t stop a Blitz Blade from that range, Ho Myeong did not dodge.

Just as the Blitz Blade was about to be unleashed—

Shiiiiiing.

A flash of swordlight tore through the air.

Slick.

The sound of flesh and bone being severed rang out.

Thump.

The attacker’s arm, which had been ready to release the Blitz Blade, was severed and fell to the ground.

Soaring Sword Art, Fifth Form: Azure Sky.

The fastest sword form of the Soaring Sword Art, executed to perfection by Geom Muyang, who had reached the level of Greatness.

Thwack! Thwack!

Ho Myeong rushed forward, sealed the demon blood point of the man whose arm had been severed and was gushing blood, then pressed down on the pressure point of the severed arm to stop the bleeding.

“Heeheeheehee.”

Even with his arm cut off, the man was laughing like a lunatic. He looked exactly like the one who had killed himself at the Escort Bureau.

Thwack! Thwack!

Ho Myeong swiftly pressed down on his suppression and control points. The man collapsed in a heap, and the branch’s martial artists formed a circle around Seok Soo and the fallen man, guarding the area in every direction.

Ho Myeong shouted to the kneeling men.

“Strip. All of you!”

He strode up and stabbed one man in the chest when he hesitated.

At that, the remaining ones quickly undressed. Fortunately, none of the stripped men were carrying hidden weapons.

Before leaving, Geom Muyang turned to Myeonggwi and spoke one last time.

“What’s the point of blaming the one who deceived you? You’re the fool who got tricked.”

The moment he heard that, a chill ran down Myeonggwi’s spine, and his whole body shuddered.

In truth, Myeonggwi had already felt something off earlier, when Hwang Pa suddenly changed his demeanor. He had been startled into silence when Myeonggwi mentioned investigating his wife’s death.

And now, at this very moment, Myeonggwi understood. The one who plotted and carried out that incident in the past had been Hwang Pa. It had all been orchestrated to win him over.

Myeonggwi approached Hwang Pa. With his teeth broken and nose crushed, his face was a complete mess.

“Was it you?”

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

Hwang Pa’s voice trembled with panic. Of all the moments that day—even compared to the butchers from the Demonic Cult or the expert who had beaten him down—this was the moment he feared the most.

“I was willing to be your blade.”

He had devoted five years of loyalty to Hwang Pa. He hadn’t always agreed with the man’s actions, but he wanted to repay the kindness of saving his son.

But as time passed and he learned more about Hwang Pa, a single doubt grew steadily.

This man would never act for someone else’s sake.

He was the kind of man who tormented, stole from, and killed others. So why had he, on that day, killed the wanderers and saved his son?

SMAACK! CRACK! SMAACK!

Myeonggwi’s fists crashed into his face in rapid succession.

“Say it! Was it you?!”

Wincing in pain, Hwang Pa replied with a twisted expression.

“It hurts. Stop it.”

Blood streamed from his nose and mouth.

But the blows didn’t stop.

Thud! THUMP! THUD! THUD!

There was so much emotion behind the punches that Hwang Pa couldn’t endure them even through sheer pain tolerance. He instinctively understood—no matter what excuse he made, Myeonggwi would kill him. If he was going to die anyway—

“You’re throwing this fit over that guy’s words when you barely even know him? Tch, right, you believed me like an idiot when I said I saved your son.”

At Hwang Pa’s own confession, Myeonggwi’s face twisted in fury.

“That damn wench—what was she worth? Do you even know how well I treated you all this time? Ungrateful bastard.”

Myeonggwi asked with a cold gaze.

“Then why did you spare my son?”

“You idiot. That’s how I kept you chained!”

He grinned with his wrecked face.

Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!

Myeonggwi’s sword tore into his body over and over.

Yes, the bastard’s words were right. Despite the gnawing sense of wrongness and doubt, he couldn’t leave Hwang Pa. It was because of his young son.

The fear that his child might be harmed if he got caught in a fight had smothered his suspicion.

Holding the blood-dripping sword, Myeonggwi stood and looked toward Geom Muyang.

“You’re right. I was the fool who got tricked. If you intend to kill me, go ahead.”

He was worried about his son, but at least he had taken his revenge before dying. That much brought him peace.

Geom Muyang looked at him for a moment, then silently turned away.

As he began to leave with his subordinates, Myeonggwi urgently called out from behind.

“You’re just going to leave?”

“And if I don’t?”

If it had been his younger brother, he would’ve taken care of the aftermath one way or another. He might have punished those whose evil deeds crossed the line.

But Geom Muyang didn’t care. Depending on the situation, he might kill everyone or let them all live.

Cleaning up after worthless lives like these was the job of his nosy younger brother.

“If you hadn’t revealed the truth, I’d have spent my life being used by that filthy man. Thank you.”

He bowed deeply in gratitude.

“I didn’t reveal the truth. That man confessed it himself.”

Myeonggwi blinked in confusion, not quite understanding.

But Geom Muyang offered no further explanation and simply walked outside.

There was no record of that incident from five years ago. He had only brought it up to test the waters, and Hwang Pa, gripped by guilt and fear, had gone into a panic and destroyed himself. If Hwang Pa ever realized this, he wouldn’t be able to close his eyes in peace, even in death.

In any case, since it was Myeonggwi who had killed Hwang Pa, there would be no conflict between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Unorthodox Alliance over this matter.

Geom Muyang never once looked back as he departed, and Myeonggwi did not lift his head until Geom Muyang had completely disappeared.

Geom Muyang and the branch’s martial artists from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult left the Black Hand Faction and arrived at the nearest branch.

“Torture them if you must—get everything they know. Use any means necessary.”

“Yes, understood.”

At Geom Muyang’s command, the martial artists took the two captured men to the investigation room of the branch.

Then, he issued his next order to Ho Myeong.

“Send emergency messages to all other branches and divisions in Honam and summon the elite.”

Today confirmed it—these people were far more meticulous and part of a far larger organization than he had imagined.

Geom Muyang recalled the man who had laughed like a lunatic even after having his arm severed. Hwang Pa had only pretended to be mad, but that man—he was the real lunatic.

To deal with lunatics like that, they would need proper military strength on their side.

“Have every Guard Armor stored in the divisions and branches equipped and deployed.”

“Yes, understood.”

Ho Myeong answered firmly, then added cautiously,

“But if we do that, the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance may grow tense.”

This incident had nothing to do with his younger brother. Even if his brother maintained deep ties with the successors of the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance—

Setting aside his personal fury over nearly killing his own brother with his own hands, this matter was an official mission to capture those who had forged the hidden weapons of their cult.

“There’s no need to explain every little detail to the Martial Alliance or the Unorthodox Alliance. Don’t expect them to understand either. Just relay this one sentence.”

Geom Muyang added curtly.

“Operation of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”