Absolute Regression

Chapter 666: Who is That Person?

The Chief Steward of Humble Haven, Joo Somyeong, was dashing swiftly along a mountain path, fleeing from Wuhan.

— If the Black Pearl is shattered, it means I’m dead.

After Hwa Yulcheong went out to fight a great battle that would change the course of fate, the Divine Relic, the Black Pearl, had shattered.

He had never, even in his wildest dreams, thought that Hwa Yulcheong, his superior, would be defeated. If his true identity had been exposed, then it would inevitably be revealed that Joo Somyeong had been one of his hands and feet.

‘Damn that Young Cult Leader!’

This was all because of the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

When he had failed to notice Joo Somyeong’s presence in the residence corridor…

When Hwa Yulcheong had said that the Young Cult Leader knew about him…

That had been his chance.

He should have persuaded Hwa Yulcheong to leave Wuhan for the time being and return only after the Young Cult Leader had departed. But he had placed far too much trust in Hwa Yulcheong’s strength, and that had been the problem.

‘I will kill him without fail!’

Joo Somyeong vowed to avenge Hwa Yulcheong. He was determined to report to the organization with the utmost insistence that the Young Cult Leader had to be eliminated first.

Even as he ran along a secluded forest path, he kept scanning his surroundings.

Judging from the recent situation, the Martial Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s surveillance net must be spread like a spider’s web.

If the two sides were to exchange information, no one would be able to escape from Wuhan. All he could do was pray that such a situation had not come to pass.

As he was running, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Up ahead, he saw two people gathering herbs. They had appearances that immediately drew the eye.

The older one was extremely short, while the younger one was an extraordinarily handsome boy, a herb pouch tied at his waist.

Their appearance was so striking that he instinctively tensed, but they were undoubtedly herb gatherers.

They were gazing only at the herbs, admiring them, not even sparing him a glance.

“To think we’d find Dark Blood Grass in a place like this! Remarkable.”

“Truly, Wuhan is a treasure trove of poisonous plants.”

“It’s not a treasure trove that opens for just anyone.”

“We were just lucky. Here, you dig it up.”

“Would that be all right?”

Did digging up herbs have some special satisfaction to it? When the short man ceded the spot, the young man’s face lit up in delight.

Watching the scene, Joo Somyeong slipped sideways, launching himself into the forest. Their appearance was unusual, but they seemed to be genuine herb gatherers.

Still, there was no need to cross paths with them. If they had turned their heads and seen him, he would have killed them on the spot. They might have alerted whoever was pursuing him that he had escaped along this route.

But they were entirely absorbed in digging up herbs.

‘Consider that the reason your lives were spared.’

He took a detour and emerged from the dense forest.

Once again, voices reached his ears.

“Here’s another one!”

“This time, it’s the Everchanging Flower!”

The Everchanging Flower was as rare a poisonous herb as the Dark Blood Grass.

The two men rejoiced, but Joo Somyeong’s expression was completely stiff.

He was certain he had come from a different direction than they had. Were they such skilled herb gatherers that they could cut through the forest and arrive here ahead of him?

With a nagging suspicion in his mind, Joo Somyeong turned back the way he had come and ran.

When he had veered off entirely onto another path, a chill ran down his spine.

Up ahead, they were there again.

At this point, how could Joo Somyeong not understand the situation?

‘Masters!’

They were true experts—so skilled that one could never guess they were martial artists just by looking.

Of course, they were the Poison King and the Demonic Buddha.

“Is this really necessary?”

At the Poison King’s question, the Demonic Buddha looked at Joo Somyeong and replied.

“Still, it might not be a bad idea to give him one chance.”

“He looks stubborn.”

Joo Somyeong knew. They were talking about him.

There was no need to even test their martial skills.

‘In that case…’

Without hesitation, Joo Somyeong pulled something from his robe.

What he aimed at his own head was a counterfeit hidden weapon—the Blitz Blade. It was the very same Blitz Blade used when Hwa Yulcheong had staged being ambushed.

“You won’t get anything out of me.”

His hand trembled as he pointed the Blitz Blade at himself. The thought that he might actually die made fear surge within him.

Meanwhile, the Poison King and the Demonic Buddha simply watched him blankly.

The first to speak was the Demonic Buddha.

“That’s going to hurt.”

He gestured slightly lower.

“The bone there is the hardest. If it doesn’t go all the way through and just lodges there, you’ll die feeling your skull melt away.”

The Poison King added a remark.

“The poison’s lousy too, so it’ll hurt even more.”

From their words, Joo Somyeong understood—they were masters from the Demonic Cult.

“You damned Demonic Cult bastards! You think I’ll be scared into spilling anything with that kind of dogshit threat? Take one more step and I’ll pull it!”

A brief silence passed.

The Demonic Buddha and the Poison King no longer paid him any attention.

“When we go down, let’s take that ridge.”

The direction the Demonic Buddha pointed was one they hadn’t yet explored, and the Poison King’s face brightened.

“Sounds good.”

Just like that, the two of them left.

Left alone, Joo Somyeong was bewildered.

‘They’re letting me live? Really?’

But soon, he realized their true intent.

‘Those bastards! They’re tailing me to find our location.’

That was a trick that showed just how little they knew about him.

‘Idiots! You think I’d fall for such a shallow ploy and obediently head back?’

They also knew far too little about the organization. He himself didn’t even know where it was located—he only left a message for reporting.

But there was something he didn’t know.

He knew far too little about his opponent.

His feet would not move.

‘Why?’

Why wouldn’t his body move?

That was the last conscious thought Joo Somyeong had while still alive.

Ssshhhk.

In an instant, his body melted away.

There was no pain, but there was no trace left behind either.

---

A carriage arrived at the residence where Geom Muyang was staying.

Gwak Ju stepped down from the carriage, his face flushed with excitement. His heart was pounding at the thought of finally seeing his older sister again.

Jin Hagun did not go inside. Instead, he sent a subordinate to inform her of his arrival.

A short while later, Geom Muyang came outside.

“Why don’t you come in?”

“My role ends here.”

Jin Hagun did not think of himself as the one who had saved Gwak Ju. And it wasn’t because the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme had helped him.

“This person was saved by the Great Young Master.”

Jin Hagun knew well that it had not been an easy thing for Geom Muyang to entrust him with the task of rescuing Gwak Ju.

That proud man had set aside his pride and asked for help, believing that the Demon-Slaying Brigade’s involvement would give Artisan Gwak’s brother a greater chance of survival.

That must have been when this person was truly saved.

It was something he wouldn’t have considered in the past. But after meeting Geom Mugeuk, he had changed. He had started making an effort to see people clearly, and he had come to understand Geom Muyang a little more deeply.

He now knew that sometimes, enduring silently could be harder than charging forward to fight.

Geom Muyang looked over Jin Hagun and the other Demon-Slaying Brigade martial artists. Their uniforms were soaked in blood, proof of how fiercely they had fought.

What more needed to be said?

“Thank you. I will surely repay this debt someday.”

The two of them exchanged a single nod. That was enough. Because of this matter, their relationship would no longer be the same as before.

Jin Hagun left immediately.

He wanted to see his grandfather as soon as possible.

When Gwak Ju stepped inside, his older sister, Gwak Yeong, was waiting there.

She had originally been staying at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s safehouse in Wuhan, but upon receiving word from Jin Hagun that her younger brother had been rescued, she had been brought straight here.

“Sis!”

He could hardly remember a time in his life when he had been so overjoyed to see her. His emotions surged.

Gwak Ju ran toward Gwak Yeong.

“Ugh, don’t be so clingy!”

Gwak Yeong dodged his embrace, but her face was lit with a broad smile.

The first thing Gwak Ju said was the one thing he had promised himself he would tell her when they met.

“I’m fine. Nothing happened to me.”

So it’s okay for you to be fine too.

At those words, Gwak Yeong’s eyes grew red. She acted as if nothing was wrong, but no one could know how much she had worried about her younger brother. She had even thrown away the honor of being the youngest master craftsman of the Iron Workshop in the Martial Alliance to save him.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s blood!”

“It’s not mine. The Commander of the Demon-Slaying Brigade saved me.”

The gratitude he felt toward the man who had looked out for him until the very end was something he could never forget.

“What about the Commander?”

“He left first.”

Gwak Yeong felt a pang of regret. She had wanted to at least express her thanks to the Commander of the Demon-Slaying Brigade.

This was also part of the reason why Jin Hagun had left without entering. So that all the gratitude would be directed toward Geom Muyang. So that the effort she had made to save Gwak Ju would not be overshadowed.

Gwak Yeong walked over to Geom Muyang.

She knew. All of this had started from her meeting with this Great Young Master.

Because it had all begun when he had tracked down the counterfeit hidden weapon she had made.

Gwak Yeong bowed her head to Geom Muyang.

“Thank you.”

But Geom Muyang credited the man who wasn’t here.

“It was the Commander of the Demon-Slaying Brigade who saved your brother, so you need not thank me.”

Gwak Yeong knew otherwise. If not for Geom Muyang in the first place, her younger brother could never have been saved. She herself would only have been used and eventually met her death at their hands.

“Now, return to the Martial Alliance with your brother.”

At Geom Muyang’s words, Gwak Yeong revealed her decision.

“I will go with you to the Divine Cult.”

The sudden declaration from his sister startled Gwak Ju, but Geom Muyang showed no surprise.

“I promised, didn’t I? That I would make you a weapon.”

To this, Geom Muyang replied,

“There’s no need for that. It’s all in the past.”

“Let me keep my promise.”

Her resolve was already firm.

Gwak Yeong turned to Gwak Ju, who was simply watching.

“Why aren’t you stopping me?”

At the very least, he should know this was a den of Demonic Practitioners. Yet her younger brother simply stood by.

“You’ve always made the right choices.”

“You know you’ll have to come along too, right?”

Even though it meant joining the Demonic Cult, Gwak Ju showed no surprise.

“If you’re going, then I have to go too.”

He couldn’t send his sister into that dangerous place alone.

Gwak Yeong’s gaze trembled as she looked at her younger brother.

“Hey, you!”

“Yeah, you should be grateful. Where else would you find a brother like me? I don’t even resent you for getting me kidnapped, and now that I’m out, I’m as lively as ever. Right?”

Gwak Ju had inherited his sister’s bright personality.

Gwak Yeong turned back to Geom Muyang.

“Please take us with you. We’ll take care of our own living expenses. We won’t be a burden.”

Geom Muyang gave her one last chance.

“When war comes, the weapon you make will kill someone you know.”

Gwak Yeong had already made up her mind.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to make a lot of acquaintances once I’m in the Demonic Cult.”

At her words, Geom Muyang gave her a look of disbelief.

“To be honest, I’m looking for a way to survive.”

She spoke her true feelings.

“I abandoned the honor of being a master craftsman of the Iron Workshop and made counterfeit weapons.”

“The Martial Alliance will understand. Your brother was kidnapped.”

“Even so, I could never return as a master craftsman in the Martial Alliance’s Iron Workshop.”

She was probably right. Even if it had been for her brother’s sake, they would never bring back someone who had once crafted counterfeit hidden weapons.

“I can’t go from making weapons for the Martial Alliance’s elite to scraping by making hoes in the marketplace. I’m doing this to survive. If you called me a selfish woman, I was even ready to cling to the hem of your robe.”

Geom Muyang could see that her resolve was firm.

“You may have to start from scratch.”

“That won’t happen. My skill is far too great for that.”

She smiled faintly as she said it. Beside her, Gwak Ju pressed his palms together and bowed his head as if apologizing for his sister’s shamelessness.

“The Iron Workshop in our cult will be even harder to endure as a woman.”

“You’ve never worked there, have you? Over there, men or women, masters or apprentices—everyone has it hard. No one has the strength left to bully others.”

Geom Muyang’s deliberation didn’t last long. Their bond was deep enough that accepting her felt right.

“If you make shoddy weapons, I’ll have your hide.”

With that, Geom Muyang turned away.

“Thank you, truly thank you!”

Without looking back, Geom Muyang entered the building.

Only then did Gwak Yeong let out a sigh—one that mixed relief from gaining permission with the anxiety of starting a new life.

Once they were alone, Gwak Ju asked her,

“I’ll follow since it’s your decision, but…”

His gaze turned toward Geom Muyang.

“Who is he that you’re so willing to follow him?”

Judging by the aura he gave off, he didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

How could she explain without startling her brother?

“If you want to know who he is…”

Just as she began to answer cautiously, a voice came from behind them.

“He’s my older brother.”

When Gwak Yeong and Gwak Ju turned in surprise, Geom Mugeuk was walking in.

Gwak Yeong blinked for a moment.

‘If he’s the Great Young Master’s younger brother…’

Her eyes widened. She already knew that the Young Master was the successor of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.

Before she could even voice her astonishment, Geom Mugeuk slung an arm around Gwak Ju’s shoulder and spoke like a friend tattling on someone.

“My brother may look dignified on the outside, but he’s got a nasty temper and is full of wicked ambition. He’s especially harsh on his younger brother. So when you get to our cult, make sure you protect your sister from my brother! Got it?”

After saying his piece, Geom Mugeuk went inside, leaving Gwak Yeong standing there dazed, without a proper chance to greet him.

Gwak Ju turned to his sister again.

“What was that about? He just said his part and…”

“Shh! Quiet! Shut it!”

The hand she used to desperately cover her own mouth was trembling. Who could he be for her to be this tense?

“Who is he?”

At that moment, another figure appeared.

“Who else? A worthless younger brother who badmouths his elder from behind.”

The man who appeared was perhaps the last person qualified to scold someone for badmouthing others behind their back.

It was none other than the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

“And that’s not all. If there’s anything valuable, he’ll take it all for himself, work his subordinates to the bone, and just stand there with his arms crossed watching. He’s a vicious leader. So make sure you protect your sister from him! He’s even more dangerous!”

Gwak Ju had seen firsthand how incredible the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was. The image of him riding the waves and soaring to their peak was still vivid in his mind.

Stiff with nervousness, Gwak Ju shouted loudly,

“Yes, I’ll remember that!”

Following behind the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, entering the building alongside him.

Gwak Ju bent so low his back nearly touched the ground. He kept bowing until they disappeared inside. While still bent over, Gwak Yeong leaned toward her brother and asked,

“Who is he?”

With a trembling voice, Gwak Ju replied,

“That’s…”

Just then, yet another voice cut in.

“An idiot.”

The person passing by at the perfect angle for their lowered heads was none other than the Demonic Buddha.

“The biggest fool you’ll ever meet. He’s so nice he’ll give away his liver and gallbladder, throw away wealth and glory, and come running.”

Only someone who had been friends with the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader could say such a thing.

With long strides, the Demonic Buddha went into the building.

Gwak Ju asked in surprise,

“Who’s that now?”

This time, someone else answered.

The Poison King passed by them and spoke casually,

“They’re all crazy.”

Seeing Gwak Ju’s startled face, the Poison King added,

“So make sure you protect your sister.”

With that, the Poison King too went inside.

Blinking, Gwak Ju quickly tried to piece together what had just happened.

“So, let me get this straight. The one you want to follow has a younger brother who badmouths him behind his back, right? But then there’s a terrifying master who badmouths *that* younger brother—the same man who saved me. But there’s also someone who calls that terrifying man an idiot. And all of them are apparently crazy. Did I get that right?”

Gwak Yeong nodded.

Just then, as if rain were about to fall again, dark clouds gathered overhead, and the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance.

“Sis, where exactly are we going?”