Absolute Regression

Chapter 631: Even Just a Little Leniency Ends Up Like This

As dark clouds gathered, the surroundings quickly dimmed.

A flash of lightning drew nearer and nearer—

Boom! Crash! Craaack!

The sky, which had been holding back, roared with thunder one after another and poured down rain.

Swooooshhhhhhh!

Geom Muyang stood by the window, gazing at the falling rain.

After Jin Hagun departed with the Demon-Slaying Brigade, Geom Muyang and the martial artists of the branch remained at the manor.

The White Dragon Branch Leader had been taken by Jin Hagun. Geom Muyang couldn’t keep him by his side forever.

Jin Hagun wouldn’t be able to hold on to him for long either. If news broke out that the White Dragon Branch Leader had gone missing—not just anyone, but him—the Martial Alliance would be thrown into chaos. How would Jin Hagun handle this?

If it were Geom Muyang, he would have confronted the matter head-on. He would have taken him to his father and made him confess everything in front of him. What to do with the long-standing friendship would be entirely up to his father.

Of course, Geom Muyang hadn’t said such things to Jin Hagun. He didn’t ask how he planned to handle it. He had entrusted him with the task of rescuing Gwak Yeong’s younger sibling—that was enough. They weren’t in the kind of relationship to join hands on anything more.

At that moment, Gwak Yeong spoke from behind.

“It’s raining… makes me crave a drink.”

In truth, it was the rain that made her yearn desperately for her sibling. Where could he be? In what state? Was he eating properly? Was he being beaten? How frightened must he be right now? This ordeal would haunt him like a lifelong nightmare.

What would happen now?

Deep down, Gwak Yeong was afraid. Before the name "Hermit of Heaven and Earth" was mentioned, she believed—if it was this person, and if it was the Commander of the Demon-Slaying Brigade—they would be able to save her sibling.

But the Hermit of Heaven and Earth?

A man who had devoted his entire life to the orthodox martial world… was the one behind it all?

Even though she had witnessed Geom Muyang and Jin Hagun uncover it with her own eyes, she still couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t it be a mistake? A setup? A conspiracy?

Even seeing it for herself, it felt unbelievable—who would believe it just by hearing? The Hermit of Heaven and Earth was such a revered figure among the orthodox sects.

Counterfeiting weapons for money, kidnapping, and even blackmail.

She had assumed the culprit was some wild beast scavenging with a pack, tearing off flesh. But what lurked behind the scenes was a massive whale that seemed capable of swallowing the entire sea.

“Why didn’t you hand me over to the Demon-Slaying Brigade?”

He could have sent her straight to Jin Hagun.

A promise to rescue her sibling was one thing—but she had committed a grave sin, disgracing the honor of the Iron Workshop artisans by forging counterfeit hidden weapons. Handing her over would’ve been the easiest way to wash his hands of her.

Geom Muyang, who had been gazing out the window, turned to look at her.

“Was it a lie?”

“Pardon?”

“That you’d make weapons for me.”

From the look in his eyes, Gwak Yeong could tell. Ah. This man… he truly plans to take me with him and put me to use.

"Didn't know. I didn’t realize your Iron Workshop was suffering from such a labor shortage."

She replied with a pointless joke instead. Fortunately, Geom Muyang turned his gaze back to the window without saying much else.

What she had said about making weapons for him—she had meant it. She had even been prepared to live as one of the demonic.

But what truly terrified her was this: what if she never saw her sibling again?

Swooooooshhhhh.

She silently stared at the rain pouring down beyond Geom Muyang’s shoulder.

“The one behind this…”

‘With the Hermit of Heaven and Earth involved… can the Demon-Slaying Brigade really save my sibling?’

The words didn’t leave her mouth. She couldn’t even bring herself to say the name Hermit of Heaven and Earth.

‘What if the Demon-Slaying Brigade fails to investigate him due to internal pressure?’

She was afraid that if she voiced it recklessly, it might come true.

As though he understood her inner thoughts, Geom Muyang responded without turning around.

"Nothing’s changed."

Had she not known that he was the Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, she would have dismissed it as arrogance.

But now, she could tell that those words were sincere. No matter who was behind it, he intended to face them just the same.

And those words brought her immense comfort.

At that moment, Branch Leader Ho Myeong came in and reported.

“A message came from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion regarding the whereabouts of Hwa Yulcheong.”

Ho Myeong relayed the information to Geom Muyang.

“Hwa Yulcheong currently resides in the Humble Haven manor of Wuhan. It’s known that he travels frequently around the Central Plains and is absent most of the year, but it seems he has recently returned to Wuhan.”

“He’s in Wuhan?”

“Yes. Report says he returned a few days ago.”

Someone who was rarely present all year had returned just days ago—and now, of all times, when they were in Wuhan? Could it be coincidence?

Geom Muyang didn’t think so. This fact alone was enough to confirm that Hwa Yulcheong had a hand in the matter.

“Send every last piece of information on Hwa Yulcheong. His personality, family background, martial arts, everyone who follows him—everything.”

“Yes, understood.”

Once Ho Myeong stepped out, Gwak Yeong cautiously asked,

“Are you really going to confront him?”

Geom Muyang gave a silent nod.

“You know he’s got a lot of formidable followers, right?”

Flash!

A lightning strike lit up Geom Muyang’s face. His gaze resembled that lightning. He was the kind of man who, no matter who blocked his path, would push forward in silence. The kind of man who would simply say, nothing’s changed—and mean it.

At last, Geom Muyang quietly spoke.

“People like that…”

He was someone who had weathered difficult times alongside him, had seen his worst sides, knew better than anyone how lacking he could be—yet was also the person he trusted the most.

"I have too."

*         *         *

Jin Hagun stepped into the Alliance Leader’s Hall.

"Alliance Leader, have you been well?"

As always, Jin Hagun addressed his grandfather with the proper respect due to the leader of the Martial Alliance.

"Come in, my child."

Jin Paecheon’s gaze toward his grandson was gentle. Lately, Jin Hagun had fulfilled his role as the Commander of the Demon-Slaying Brigade more admirably than any of his predecessors. He had become more mature, and his reputation among his subordinates was solid.

"I heard you changed the Demon-Slaying Brigade’s original itinerary to return here."

"Yes. There was a reason."

"What is it?"

Jin Hagun delivered unexpected news.

"A message came from the Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."

At the mention of the Great Young Master, Jin Paecheon’s expression stiffened slightly. Although Geom Mugeuk had surpassed him as successor, he was still well aware of the man’s grand ambition.

"They say someone forged their hidden weapons and distributed them across the Central Plains. They’re tracking down the force behind it and have requested our cooperation."

Jin Paecheon showed a hint of surprise. It wasn’t in the nature of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to ask the Martial Alliance for help.

"What business do they have with us?"

"One of our Iron Workshop artisans was involved."

Jin Hagun reported that Gwak Yeong had been involved, and that it was because her younger sibling had been taken hostage.

"Because of that, the Great Young Master is now in Wuhan."

Jin Paecheon’s expression hardened completely. The Great Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had entered Wuhan without his permission? That was not something Jin Paecheon would take lightly.

"That’s just like them—give them an inch, and this is what they do."

Jin Paecheon made no effort to hide his displeasure toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

It wasn’t just the rudeness of not informing him in advance that angered him, but also the fact that the Martial Alliance’s intelligence network had failed to catch wind of Geom Muyang’s movements. That stung more deeply.

"You sent them back, I assume?"

"No, they’re still in Wuhan."

Jin Paecheon’s reprimand came flying toward his grandson.

"You should have sent them back!"

"I apologize."

Jin Hagun understood. This wasn’t dissatisfaction with him—it was strictness. The time for naming a successor was drawing near. His grandfather wanted him to be flawless in every regard.

Jin Paecheon stared at Jin Hagun in silence for a moment, then rose from the Throne Mat and descended.

He approached his grandson and spoke to him gently.

"Hagun."

Jin Hagun could feel it—this wasn’t the Alliance Leader speaking to the Commander of the Demon-Slaying Brigade. This was his grandfather speaking to his grandson.

"Yes, Grandfather."

"I know well how deeply you trust the Young Cult Leader."

Even at his age, he had been captivated by the man named Geom Mugeuk—how could a young man like Jin Hagun remain unmoved?

And that was exactly why these words had to be said. Words that would need to be repeated again and again in the future.

Because it was precisely because Geom Mugeuk was a good person, that this warning had to be emphasized even more.

“No matter how close you grow, no matter how deep your relationship becomes—never, not even for a single moment, forget that he is one of the demonic.”

No matter how good of a person he may be, everyone around him was a member of the demonic cult.

Jin Hagun understood exactly what kind of heart his grandfather spoke from.

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

He had thought it was understandable, forgivable even, because Geom Muyang was the Young Cult Leader’s older brother.

“I have one more thing to report.”

In truth, this report was the core reason for his visit today.

“I am currently investigating the White Dragon Branch Leader in relation to this matter.”

“The White Dragon Branch Leader? Why?”

“He is one of the people behind this incident.”

Jin Paecheon thought it was preposterous.

“Do you have proof?”

“Yes. The one who rented the warehouse where the counterfeit hidden weapons were produced was the White Dragon Branch Leader. Not only that, but we also uncovered signs that there is another person behind him.”

He didn’t name that person directly.

Jin Paecheon would have to hear with his own ears from the White Dragon Branch Leader that Hwa Yulcheong was involved.

“I will speak to him myself.”

“He’s waiting outside.”

“Bring him in.”

At first, his grandfather would be confused and find it hard to believe—but in the end, he was the only one who could resolve this matter.

Because the only one capable of confronting the Hermit of Heaven and Earth… was Jin Paecheon.

Moments later, martial artists of the Demon-Slaying Brigade brought in the White Dragon Branch Leader and exited again.

Jin Hagun had already finished speaking with the White Dragon Branch Leader beforehand. He had promised that if the truth was revealed before the Alliance Leader, not only would he be spared from execution, but the sentence would be reduced to the minimum in exchange for the confession.

In fact, when the White Dragon Branch Leader accepted that promise, Jin Hagun had thought to himself:

‘So it really is him… he was truly behind it all.’

It seemed he had continued doubting it in a corner of his heart. No—even now, he hadn’t fully let go of that doubt. Is he really behind it? This was someone he had respected since childhood.

Jin Paecheon looked down at the man and said,

“Raise your head.”

The White Dragon Branch Leader raised his head. He was trembling in fear.

“Explain yourself. Were you truly involved in this incident?”

Jin Paecheon asked in a calm tone, but his gaze was as cold as ice.

With a trembling voice, the White Dragon Branch Leader finally opened his mouth.

“This matter… was…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence and hung his head low.

“I am truly sorry, Alliance Leader.”

He sighed instead of confessing, too ashamed to speak.

Jin Hagun urged him,

“It’s all over now. Confess the truth.”

And at last, the White Dragon Branch Leader revealed it.

“This… was ordered by the Hermit of Heaven and Earth.”

It was a shocking revelation, and yet Jin Paecheon showed no sign of surprise. Instead, he calmly asked again,

“Who did you say gave the order?”

“It was the Hermit of Heaven and Earth.”

At that exact moment—

Flash!

Jin Paecheon’s form blurred, and his hand gripped the White Dragon Branch Leader’s throat in an instant.

“How dare you try such tricks with me?!”

Jin Hagun naturally assumed his grandfather was enraged because the Hermit of Heaven and Earth had been mentioned.

But that wasn’t the case.

Jin Paecheon shouted, his voice like a sharp war cry, right in front of him.

“Haaaaaaaap!”

Like a typhoon had erupted, a fierce gust of wind surged around the White Dragon Branch Leader.

It was the Lion’s Roar, infused with the profound internal energy of the Martial Alliance Leader.

In that instant, when the immense force seemed as if it would send the White Dragon Branch Leader flying and shook his face and body—

Jin Hagun saw it.

The White Dragon Branch Leader’s eyes flipped upward, then returned to normal. It was as if his black pupils had disappeared behind his eyes and then reappeared.

“Haaaaaaaap!”

With a louder Lion’s Roar, the pupils rolled back once more. This time, they didn’t return. Only white sclera remained visible.

“Uuuuuuuugh…”

As a moan escaped his lips, black liquid began to stream down from both of his eyes. It was as if the vanished pupils had liquefied and were now dripping out. The White Dragon Branch Leader seemed unaware of what was happening to him.

The next moment—

“…This is the doing of the Hermit of Heaven and Earth.”

The words that slowly spilled out did not belong to the White Dragon Branch Leader. The voice sounded distorted, as if some monstrous presence had taken hold.

Then his body gave a violent shudder—and collapsed on the spot.

Jin Paecheon looked down at him, his expression conflicted.

“What… what happened?”

By the time Jin Hagun examined him, the man was already dead. When he infused internal energy to probe his condition, he discovered that the blood vessels throughout his body had been severed strand by strand.

Since his internal energy had been suppressed, it wasn’t suicide.

‘A sorcery that ruptures the blood vessels upon confession?’

But hadn’t he already confessed under Geom Muyang’s interrogation? Why hadn’t it triggered then?

Jin Paecheon quietly spoke.

“It was Mind-Control Sorcery.”

Jin Hagun was shocked. Mind-Control Sorcery—a dark technique that manipulates a person’s will and mind as if it were the caster’s own.

His grandfather had recognized that the White Dragon Branch Leader was under Mind-Control Sorcery and used the Lion’s Roar to forcibly break it.

“If the technique is forcibly broken, all blood vessels rupture, leading to instant death.”

But why?

If someone had cast Mind-Control Sorcery on him, why force him to confess to the Hermit of Heaven and Earth? Shouldn’t they have hidden the truth about the one behind it…?

Suddenly, a chill ran down Jin Hagun’s spine.

‘No…!’

His grandfather would now believe that someone had used Mind-Control Sorcery to falsely accuse the Hermit of Heaven and Earth.

Since the spell was broken and he spoke the name, it couldn’t have been him.

And naturally, Jin Paecheon’s suspicion turned toward one man.

“Where is the Great Young Master right now?”