Absolute Regression

Chapter 643: Whether You're Right or Wrong, It's Okay

"Do you think you'd be able to bear it if someone died?"

Jin Paecheon couldn’t answer easily. It wasn’t because he had never thought about it before.

Losing someone precious.

He had once experienced a grief deeper than anyone else in the world because of this. People tried their best to forget sorrowful things, but how could one forget a child buried in the heart?

That was why he had been haunted countless times throughout his life by this one worry.

What if he were to lose even his grandchildren?

How could Geom Mugeuk not understand that feeling?

He understood it more than anyone else, having once had an open conversation with Jin Paecheon about the death of his son and daughter-in-law.

He knew that his question might end up reopening old wounds.

But it had to be asked.

Because right now, they were facing a despicable enemy who aimed solely to stab at their wounds.

He was fully aware that his question was far too inconsiderate toward the Alliance Leader.

"Just the first person that comes to mind will do."

Jin Paecheon had no intention of answering. He had already said everything he needed to — and didn’t need to — to this young acting Cult Leader today.

"Do you truly believe they're coming here to kill someone close to me?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded firmly.

"Yes. That’s what I believe."

"Why are you so certain?"

"Because I can’t find any other reason."

Couldn’t it be for something else? It would’ve been easier if he could say that — but Jin Paecheon couldn’t come up with any other reason either.

"I’d rather they came to kill me or my brother."

But that wasn’t the case. If the goal had been to kill him, So Jeongrak’s actions would have been entirely different from the start.

The name that hadn’t come from Jin Paecheon’s lips was spoken by Geom Mugeuk.

"Where is Lady Jin right now?"

The next moment!

A powerful surge of qi burst from Jin Paecheon's body.

Chwaaaaaaaa!

The bamboo stalks all leaned in unison under the force of Jin Paecheon’s qi that radiated in every direction.

Geom Mugeuk’s hair and clothes whipped wildly in the storm-like wind.

It was the kind of terrifying qi that looked as if he might draw his sword at any moment and strike.

Chak chak chak chak chak chak chak chak chak!

Sensing Jin Paecheon’s qi, the bodyguards flew in and landed. His qi had reached even those guarding the outer edge of the bamboo forest.

Jin Paecheon spoke to the bodyguards.

"Find Haryeong and bring her to the Alliance Leader’s Hall."

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Half of the bodyguards immediately disappeared as they launched themselves away.

Jin Paecheon didn’t question whether Geom Mugeuk’s words were true or not.

"Next, it’ll probably be Leader Jin."

Once again, the authenticity of that statement was a problem for later.

"Tell Leader Jin and the Demon-Slaying Brigade that the Demon Flame Lord and the White-Bone Soul Demon may be targeting them."

Another bodyguard launched into the air and vanished from sight.

Only then did Jin Paecheon dismiss the bodyguards to a distance.

As he withdrew the qi that had been as sharp as a blade, Jin Paecheon asked,

"Does that answer your question now?"

"Yes, more than enough."

Outwardly calm, but a storm was raging within Jin Paecheon’s heart. The moment he thought his grandchildren’s safety might be at stake, his mind felt clouded with fog.

The command should have been issued the moment the question of who he couldn’t bear to lose came up.

When Geom Mugeuk asked where Haryeong was, his senses snapped back into clarity.

"I have one more thing to report."

This too was something that would deliver a major shock to the Alliance Leader. But it was something that had to be shared.

"Do you know about So Jeongrak of the Clearheart Clinic?"

At the mention of So Jeongrak, Jin Paecheon's gaze turned cold. It was a name that shouldn’t have surfaced in this chaotic web of conspiracy.

"I know him well."

"What kind of person is he?"

Jin Paecheon felt a surge of unease. What was he about to say now?

"Don’t circle around. Get to the point."

After the Hermit of Heaven and Earth, now So Jeongrak too. The Alliance Leader’s trust in him might fall even further, but Geom Mugeuk had no other choice.

"He is also one of those behind the scenes. He’s also a master of poison techniques."

He had expected a violent and explosive reaction.

But instead, Jin Paecheon quietly turned his head to look at the bamboo forest, gazing at it with eyes calm beyond measure.

"You’re not surprised."

"After learning that even my only friend might be an enemy, what could possibly surprise me anymore?"

Though he said that, Jin Paecheon’s heart was a tangled mess.

So Jeongrak, like the Hermit of Heaven and Earth, had done many good deeds as a physician. Jin Paecheon had heard countless people praise him, and he had met him several times himself.

And now he was being told that man was also behind it all?

It was so absurd that he couldn’t even feel anger.

The mist scattered by his qi now began to gather again. The surroundings once more filled with fog.

"Do you have any proof?"

"The most definitive proof."

"What is it?"

"Me."

Jin Paecheon turned his head with a puzzled look, as if to ask what he meant.

"He personally poisoned me."

"!"

What proof could be more solid than that? If he truly trusted Geom Mugeuk.

But if he didn’t?

"Isn’t that the most unreliable proof, then?"

Geom Mugeuk only gave a faint smile, knowing exactly what the Alliance Leader meant.

"You claim to have been poisoned, yet you appear completely fine?"

Geom Mugeuk let out a quiet sigh.

"What I’m about to say may make you very angry."

After laying down that warning—

"The Poison King is currently in Wuhan."

It would be a shock after shock for the Alliance Leader.

The Hermit of Heaven and Earth, the Forbidden Demon Order, So Jeongrak, and the Poison King.

“Hoo…”

Jin Paecheon’s quiet sigh echoed throughout the surroundings. Geom Mugeuk could feel it—just how hard the Alliance Leader was trying to keep his emotions in check right now.

The Poison King being here was a matter far graver than any other Demon Supreme arriving.

“There was a powerful poison applied to the counterfeit hidden weapons. Since it was related to brother, I asked the Poison King to protect him.”

Geom Mugeuk bowed his head respectfully.

“I apologize for not informing you in advance.”

Jin Paecheon asked in a cold tone,

“You said you trusted me. Then why didn’t you tell me?”

Geom Mugeuk lifted his head and looked at Jin Paecheon. It was the coldest gaze he had seen since they first met.

“After learning that the Hermit of Heaven and Earth was behind it, I believed I had to act cautiously. At the time, I couldn’t leave the Cult either.”

It was an honest excuse, but Geom Mugeuk didn’t stop there.

“I thought it was the best decision back then. But thinking back now, I should’ve found a way to inform you first, no matter what. I’m sorry.”

He conveyed his heart just as it was.

“To be completely honest, I was worried. The person behind all this had been your friend for decades. I feared that saying something carelessly might ruin everything. In short, I didn’t trust you. I have no right to speak of trust with you, Alliance Leader.”

Jin Paecheon silently looked down at Geom Mugeuk’s bowed head.

How much time had passed like that?

“I accept your apology.”

“Thank you.”

The issue with the Poison King was something that would have warranted a harsh rebuke.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Poison King entering Wuhan without Jin Paecheon's permission was something that should never have happened.

Even so, there was a reason Jin Paecheon accepted the apology.

“As I stared at that mean-looking back of your head, this thought suddenly occurred to me. What if everything you said was true? What if you hadn’t told me any of this? Then we would’ve been completely in the dark when this all happened.”

It was a train of thought he truly hated to imagine.

“What if that friend, the Hermit Hwa turned out to be an enemy, what if So Jeongrak was an enemy, and that Forbidden Demon Elder who broke free came to kill Haryeong and Hagun?”

Jin Paecheon shivered just from speaking the words aloud.

With his gaze, Jin Paecheon asked:

Is it really all true?

Then, Geom Mugeuk, who had remained serious all this time, suddenly smiled brightly and said,

“If I were you, Alliance Leader, I’d be overjoyed. I’d have danced in the middle of Maga Village thinking, ‘Heaven has given me a chance to protect what’s dear to me.’”

And with that dance, Geom Mugeuk pulled Jin Paecheon into it.

“So, if we managed to save Leader Jin and Lady Jin, wouldn’t you dance as well, Alliance Leader?”

Faced with an unexpected question, Jin Paecheon was momentarily flustered, but his answer was resolute.

"Of course I’d dance. If the children are safe, what reason would I have not to?"

"Yes, same for me. If everything I’ve said turns out to be true, and we save Lady Jin and Leader Jin thanks to that—then you must dance with me! That’s a promise!"

Looking at Geom Mugeuk beaming brightly, Jin Paecheon couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘Wait, I never promised!’ Perhaps it was because the lives of the children were at stake.

"If it turns out I was lying, wouldn’t that be the perfect opportunity to pull this dangerous friend from the Demonic Cult away from your grandson? So be happy. Whether I’m right or wrong—it’s a joyous thing either way."

Jin Paecheon's gaze as he looked at Geom Mugeuk deepened.

Was it because of those clear and profound eyes? Or was it the boldness of his words?

Listening to Geom Mugeuk made everything he said feel like the truth. Even someone as old as he was found himself pulled in, utterly captivated.

"I have one last thing to say."

At that, Jin Paecheon gave him a look of disbelief.

"After talking this much, you still have more?"

"This is something I truly wish to say to you, Alliance Leader."

It was about the trust between him and Jin Paecheon.

"From now on, I will trust you, Alliance Leader. So from now on, no matter what happens, I’ll tell you everything, so there’s no misunderstanding. Please watch over me."

The young acting Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult says he trusts the Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance. He asks him to watch over him. He invites him to dance. And the more he spoke, the more he seemed like someone who would truly follow through with every word he said.

It was exactly because of someone like this that Jin Paecheon kept telling his grandson to be careful, to be careful again and again.

And at this moment, Jin Paecheon thought to himself:

‘I need to be careful first.’

Geom Mugeuk gave a respectful bow and turned to leave.

As he descended from the pavilion, Jin Paecheon spoke calmly from behind.

"Even so…"

Geom Mugeuk paused and turned around.

"I hope everything you said isn’t true."

Toward the half-serious, half-playful gaze, Geom Mugeuk replied sincerely.

"No, I hope that everything I said is true. Because if it’s not… that would mean I’m the enemy."

He let out a light sigh and added,

"That would be a problem in its own right, wouldn’t it?"

*         *         *

Upon returning to his quarters, Geom Mugeuk summoned his older brother and the two Demon Supremes.

"I told the Alliance Leader that their target would be Lady Jin and Leader Jin, but there’s one more person I suspect."

The Demonic Buddha read Geom Mugeuk’s thoughts and named the person.

"The Hermit of Heaven and Earth?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded firmly.

"Yes. I believe he’s the top priority."

The reason was easy to guess. If he were killed by the hands of a demonic practitioner, it would spark a major conflict between the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Martial Alliance.

“But why would he be the top priority? Wouldn’t the death of a blood relative be more shocking to the Alliance Leader?”

At Geom Muyang’s question, Geom Mugeuk nodded.

“Right. That kind of shock is beyond comparison.”

“Then why? Is it because the Hermit of Heaven and Earth is more respected by the martial artists?”

“In that regard, the death of Leader Jin would also carry significant consequences. Think about it—he’s not just anyone. He’s the leader of the Demon-Slaying Brigade, killed by someone from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. In terms of symbolism, it might not match the Hermit of Heaven and Earth, but his death would still set the righteous faction ablaze. And he’s the Alliance Leader’s grandson, no less.”

“Then why are you saying the Hermit of Heaven and Earth is the top target?”

Geom Mugeuk’s reasoning was this:

“Because of the Alliance Leader’s justification.”

Geom Mugeuk knew Jin Paecheon’s character well.

“Would the Alliance Leader really go to war just because a blood relative died?”

He had dedicated his life for righteousness and justice, for the sake of the martial world.

“He’s someone who’s lived his life for the sake of the righteous martial artists—could he really drive them to war ‘simply’ because his own kin died? With that noble nature of his? It might actually be easier if it were someone unrelated.”

On the other hand, if the Hermit of Heaven and Earth were to die—

“A man respected by all righteous martial artists is killed by the hands of a demonic practitioner. If he stayed silent in the face of that, he’d be criticized instead.”

Only then did everyone nod in agreement. If the goal was to fracture the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the righteous sects, the Hermit of Heaven and Earth was certainly a worthy first target.

However, one doubt still lingered.

“Even so, could they really sacrifice someone they’ve raised for decades?”

To that, Geom Mugeuk replied,

“That’s precisely what makes it more meaningful. If a single death leads to the outbreak of the Grand Demon War.”

And Geom Mugeuk added another possibility.

“What if it’s not just one death? What if the Hermit of Heaven and Earth dies and Lady Jin dies? Or the Hermit dies and Leader Jin dies? Or what if all three die? Not only would it ignite the Alliance Leader’s fury, but no one would be able to stop the Grand Demon War from erupting.”

No matter how insane a demonic practitioner was, no one would normally attempt such madness. But what if they had nowhere to return?

A brief silence fell.

Then the Demonic Buddha, who had been listening to the brothers’ conversation, asked,

“How do you plan to handle this?”

The Demonic Buddha couldn’t help but feel relieved that the question was directed at Geom Mugeuk. He hadn’t thought through all the possibilities Geom Mugeuk had.

“One by one. I’ll deal with them one by one.”

And Geom Mugeuk had already decided on the first target.

“Now then—who in Wuhan could possibly release the Forbidden Demon Order’s seal?”

Without hesitation, the Poison King answered curtly.

“So Jeongrak.”

Geom Mugeuk shared the same thought. It had likely been So Jeongrak who performed the great technique that saved the Battle King, who had once been poisoned by the Poison King.

At the time, the Dark King had mentioned it—she said a great technique had been performed multiple times to bring the Battle King back. If he could perform such a technique, that meant he might also be capable of breaking the Forbidden Demon Order’s seal.

Whether he had done it alone or with someone else was uncertain, but what was clear was that So Jeongrak stood at the center of it all.

“Since he dared to challenge the Poison King, let’s start by taking care of So Jeongrak.”

Though they all seemed like separate elements, every piece of this matter was intricately connected. And if even one of them were cut off—

“What will the two Elders of the Forbidden Demon Order do once they find the seal can no longer be undone?”