Absolute Regression

Chapter 627: I Am Someone Used to Killing

Who called whom?

The White Dragon Branch Leader hoped he had misheard.

“What nonsense is this?!”

He shouted in disbelief and turned to look at Jin Hagun, who had walked up beside him.

“Is that true?”

He asked, still holding on to a sliver of hope. But Jin Hagun gave an answer like a bolt from the blue.

“It is true.”

The White Dragon Branch Leader felt his chest sink. The Demon-Slaying Brigade should have come in place of Han Wolgaek.

‘Even if late, Han Wolgaek must come.’

If he arrived and launched an attack before any words were exchanged? Everyone knew just how much Han Wolgaek despised the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

If a fight broke out that way, the Demon-Slaying Brigade would fight alongside Han Wolgaek. No matter the reason, they would never side with the cult.

‘Please, come!’

It was a silent plea he wouldn't have made if he knew Han Wolgaek's current situation.

But it wasn’t just the White Dragon Branch Leader who was shocked. Gwak Yeong and the martial artists of the branch were just as startled.

The Great Young Master had summoned the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader?

Only Ho Myeong, who had passed the message to Jin Hagun through the Heavenly Communication Pavilion under Geom Muyang’s order, knew in advance.

Gwak Yeong’s gaze turned to the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader. As a member of the Martial Alliance, she knew better than anyone who he was.

The grandson of the Martial Alliance Leader, and the most likely successor to that title.

The Demon-Slaying Brigade he led was the most elite force in the Martial Alliance. That’s why the best-quality weapons from the Iron Workshop were always issued to them first.

‘You called someone like that? He’s not someone who comes just because you ask. Just who are you?’

Gwak Yeong stared at Geom Muyang, her mind full of questions. The one who answered them was Jin Hagun. He asked the White Dragon Branch Leader,

“Branch Leader Do, do you know who that man is?”

“I do not.”

Then Jin Hagun calmly spoke.

“He is the Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”

The White Dragon Branch Leader was shocked. Or rather, he pretended to be.

In truth, he already knew the man was Geom Muyang. If the opponent had been an ordinary cultist, he wouldn’t have waited for Han Wolgaek—he would’ve handled it himself.

But the one most truly shaken by those words was Gwak Yeong.

‘That man is the Great Young Master of the cult?’

That meant he was the older brother of the next Heavenly Demon. The peaceful resolution of the cult’s succession battle had once been the talk of the martial world.

She had never imagined it. The man she had been living alongside was the cult’s Great Young Master. She had shouted at him, begged him to spare her life.

She had done all that to someone who had nearly become the Heavenly Demon.

‘No, seriously! If you were such an important person, couldn’t you have mentioned it beforehand? Didn’t you ever feel like bragging, saying “I’m that kind of person”?’

If they’d been alone, she might have said exactly that.

Geom Muyang was the first to greet Jin Hagun.

“It has been a while.”

“Have you been well?”

Jin Hagun gave a respectful greeting to Geom Muyang. It wasn’t a gesture toward the Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, but rather a greeting to the older brother of Geom Mugeuk.

“Thank you for coming.”

“It was only natural that I should.”

In that moment, Jin Hagun recalled what Geom Mugeuk had once told him during the Three-way Summit.

—My older brother’s always been blunt. You resemble him quite a bit.

Do I really resemble that man? Jin Hagun couldn't say. He had never once had a personal conversation with him.

When he received the letter from Geom Muyang, it had surprised him. He was not the type to reach out no matter what happened.

The letter stated the following:

There was an organization forging and selling weapons belonging to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and in the process of tracking them down, he had ended up here.

Still, no matter the reason, their entry into Wuhan was a grave violation.

Even if the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was currently carrying out an operation, Wuhan had always been a restricted zone.

Had the presence of Geom Mugeuk not acted as a buffer, the atmosphere by now would have been far more hostile.

The White Dragon Branch Leader didn’t miss this chance.

“What kind of relationship does Brigade Leader Jin have with the cult’s Great Young Master? You appear to be quite close.”

There was a clear intention behind his question.

‘He summoned the Demon-Slaying Brigade? I’ll make sure that becomes a misstep instead.’

The White Dragon Branch Leader had seized on Jin Hagun’s greatest weakness.

“If word spreads that you’re on familiar terms with the Great Young Master of the cult, it will cause great unrest among the martial artists of the orthodox factions. Does the Alliance Leader know about this?”

Since he hadn’t yet formally become the successor, if he were to fall out of the Alliance Leader’s favor or cause a public scandal, he could lose his chance to succeed him.

That was the very leverage being used to prevent the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader from leveraging his connection with Geom Muyang.

Perhaps the tactic worked, because Jin Hagun turned to Geom Muyang and responded, almost defensively.

“What does this have to do with the White Dragon Branch Leader?”

“I believe the White Dragon Branch Leader has been compromised by that organization.”

At Geom Muyang’s reply, all the martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade turned their gazes toward the White Dragon Branch Leader.

In response, the White Dragon Branch Leader raised his voice with confidence.

“Even if you are the Great Young Master of the cult, you’d best watch your tongue. Framing me like that is no different from showing contempt for the righteous martial world and insulting the Martial Alliance itself!”

His voice echoed thunderously.

He then turned toward Jin Hagun, hoping he would side with him. He had deliberately invoked the Martial Alliance. If the honor of the alliance was at stake—

‘As long as the position of Martial Alliance successor is on the line, the Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader will have no choice but to take my side.’

That was what he believed.

But instead of agreeing, Jin Hagun posed a question.

“Branch Leader Do, do you even know what kind of organization we’re talking about?”

“No, I do not.”

Jin Hagun stared at him and asked again.

“Then why didn’t you ask? Shouldn’t that be the first thing to make you curious?”

For a moment, the White Dragon Branch Leader flinched. In his agitation, he had overlooked that point entirely.

Then, as if it were nothing significant, the White Dragon Branch Leader spoke.

“It’s obvious they’re an organization created by the cult bastards.”

Jin Hagun nodded once, then asked again.

“Who were you waiting for?”

“What are you talking about?”

“When I arrived earlier, I heard you. Didn’t you ask someone to come out?”

The White Dragon Branch Leader was momentarily at a loss for words. Earlier, thinking Han Wolgaek was present, he had shouted out for someone to show themselves. Jin Hagun must have heard that. What should he say?

“I was pretending someone was there to keep these people from acting recklessly.”

Even though he answered with quick thinking, Jin Hagun stared at him in silence, and the Branch Leader raised his voice instead.

“Are you doubting me too, Brigade Leader? Me, who has served the Alliance loyally all my life?”

Did he not realize that the more he shouted, the weaker and more suspicious he appeared?

Jin Hagun’s gaze shifted back to Geom Muyang.

In truth, he didn’t know much about Geom Muyang. And yet, for some reason, he trusted him—because of Geom Mugeuk.

He was the older brother Geom Mugeuk had so desperately tried to protect.

“Do you have proof?”

“The place used to forge the counterfeit hidden weapons was rented by that White Dragon Branch Leader.”

At Geom Muyang’s reply, the White Dragon Branch Leader once again protested his innocence.

“That’s an outrageous accusation! If I were truly part of that organization, would I have rented the place myself?”

At that moment, a cold voice rang out.

“Hypocrite.”

All eyes turned to Gwak Yeong, who had spoken. When the two of them had been alone earlier, he had showed that he was in league with those bastards.

“And yet I still believed in you.”

Jin Hagun, of course, knew who Gwak Yeong was. A rare woman at the ironworks, and the youngest artisan ever. It was impossible not to know her. He also knew that the recent White Dragon Branch search of Wuhan had been because of her.

“How were you involved, Artisan Gwak?”

Jin Hagun’s question was met with silence. Whatever the reason, she had brought shame to the honor of the Alliance.

After taking a deep breath, she confessed honestly.

“I made the counterfeit weapons.”

Jin Hagun was surprised. She had never struck him as someone capable of that. But she had a reason.

“My younger sibling was kidnapped by them.”

Jin Hagun nodded. He had a younger sibling himself—how could he not understand her?

But there was one thing he couldn’t accept.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

The one who answered in her place was Geom Muyang.

“I believe the leader of that organization is among the highest ranks of the Martial Alliance.”

Jin Hagun’s face hardened. It was hard enough to believe the White Dragon Branch Leader was involved—but someone even higher?

At that moment, Gwak Yeong hesitated. Should she grab Jin Hagun’s pants and beg? Should she plead with him to save her sibling? That would likely be the best thing to do—for her sibling’s sake.

However, the promise she had made with Geom Muyang held her back. She couldn’t ask someone else for help when a promise had already been made by the Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

At that moment, Geom Muyang suddenly spoke to Gwak Yeong.

“I’ll only keep the second promise.”

The second promise?

Gwak Yeong realized it referred to her request to be saved along with her sibling—if he was going to save one anyway, please save her too.

Then… what about the first promise? That was the more important one.

That promise was passed on to someone else.

“Brigade Leader Jin. Please save this woman’s younger sibling.”

“!”

Jin Hagun was surprised—and Gwak Yeong even more so.

“I’m someone more accustomed to killing than saving. Rescuing people… that’s something you’re far better at, isn’t it?”

In that moment, Jin Hagun thought: perhaps the reason Geom Muyang had summoned him wasn’t because of the White Dragon Branch Leader, or even because of that leader hiding within the higher ranks.

If it had been just about that, Geom Muyang likely would have handled it on his own.

So then why had he called him?

Perhaps… it was to keep a promise to this woman.

Because with their current restrictions, it was far more feasible for Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade to carry out a rescue than for the cult members to act directly.

‘So this is the kind of person you are?’

The two men’s gazes crossed in the air. If it had been him, he might have made the same choice. A life that needed saving mattered more than pride. Maybe that was why Geom Mugeuk once said they resembled each other.

Eventually, Jin Hagun spoke calmly to Gwak Yeong.

“Understood. We’ll definitely rescue your sibling.”

Since Gwak Yeong was part of the Martial Alliance’s ironworks, they had enough justification to intervene.

Gwak Yeong was overjoyed.

“Thank you so much, Brigade Leader.”

She briefly worried that expressing such happiness might offend Geom Muyang, but she couldn’t contain it.

The finest martial artists she knew were the Demon-Slaying Brigade.

And she knew better than anyone just how considerate Jin Hagun was. There could be no better outcome for her sibling.

After thanking Jin Hagun, Gwak Yeong turned to Geom Muyang.

He still looked at her with the same calm, stoic face.

But she could feel it.

That this taciturn man had chosen the surest path to save her sibling.

He had set aside his pride to do so. A man who seemed like he would value his pride above all else.

‘If my sibling returns safely, I’ll dedicate my life to crafting weapons for you.’

That was the vow she made in that moment.

Then she offered one more statement on Geom Muyang’s behalf.

“The White Dragon Branch Leader has already been recruited by them.”

“How do you know that?”

In response to Jin Hagun’s question, she looked coldly at the White Dragon Branch Leader and said—

“Because today, I saw another side of that man here.”

It was a statement that couldn’t be used as evidence, so the White Dragon Branch Leader scoffed.

“Brigade Leader Jin, that woman is already under the influence of the cultists. She may have been subjected to Soul Reaping Art, or perhaps she was threatened. Surely you wouldn’t believe the words of these cultists over mine?”

Jin Hagun had not yet made any judgment.

“We’ll know once we investigate.”

“Let’s go. I’ll tell you everything.”

The White Dragon Branch Leader felt secretly relieved. As long as he could leave this place and return to the Alliance, that man would save him.

Jin Hagun was about to tell Geom Muyang to leave things to them and return as he was. He had intended to cover up the matter of his unauthorized entry into Wuhan on his own authority.

But then, Geom Muyang said something unexpected.

“Leave the investigation to us.”

A moment of heavy silence. Everyone understood what that meant: they would personally interrogate the White Dragon Branch Leader.

“That is unacceptable.”

Jin Hagun flatly refused. He might concede other things, but not this.

“If they find out he’s been captured, they’ll sever every connection.”

Then he looked at Gwak Yeong.

Jin Hagun understood what he was implying. That the woman's younger sibling would be the first to be killed.

“Before that happens, we need one clue to lead to the next.”

This was a race against time.

They couldn’t torture the White Dragon Branch Leader when his crimes had yet to be proven.

And if, as Geom Muyang claimed, the leader of that group was within the top levels of the Martial Alliance, then once they cut off the tail, the head might never be found.

“Give us just two hours.”

The  White Dragon Branch Leader looked at Jin Hagun standing beside him.

“You’re not really going to hand me over, are you?”

When Jin Hagun gave no response, the White Dragon Branch Leader struck at his weakness again.

“The moment you hand me over to them, your position as the successor ends, Brigade Leader Jin. The Demon-Slaying Brigade Leader who gave the White Dragon Branch Leader to the cultists—can you shoulder that? No! I swear on my life—I am innocent!”

Shhk.

Thwack.

Jin Hagun sealed his pressure point.

Then he said firmly to Geom Muyang:

“You have exactly one hour.”

Geom Muyang and the branch martial artists took the man and entered the building.

There were countless reasons why it shouldn’t be done—but only one reason why it should.

Jin Hagun followed his instinct. The instinct that told him this choice was the right one.

The martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade knew how dangerous this decision was.

If the White Dragon Branch Leader truly was innocent—

The consequences would be immense.

But ever since the last time they escaped the formation together, the bond between Jin Hagun and the Demon-Slaying Brigade had deepened. Not a single one of them questioned his choice.

And one hour later—

Geom Muyang walked out of the building, shaking blood from his hand as he spoke.

“He confessed.”