Absolute Regression

Chapter 697: If You Can’t Answer, Three Glasses of Punishment Liquor

Cha Iran arrived, and the Secret Box reacted?

‘Could it be that she has an orb?’

Geom Mugeuk was inwardly shocked. Until now, whenever he had met her, there had never been a reaction. Yet today, for the first time, it reacted.

Geom Mugeuk asked the Secret Box hidden in his chest.

‘Do you perhaps absorb something other than orbs? Are you the kind of creature that just picks up and devours anything when you’re hungry?’

Of course, Geom Mugeuk knew well that this was not the case. He had clearly seen the Secret Box and orb symbols drawn in the mural.

In the end, this could only mean that she had brought an orb.

Out of the six orbs, only two remained. The red orb, Red Eyes, and the violet orb, Violet Eyes.

‘Does Cha Iran have one of those two orbs?’

Geom Mugeuk’s heart pounded.

He had never once thought that someone else might possess the orbs that the Secret Box absorbed. Until now, the Secret Box had always been kept hidden in the most secretive place.

Was it because the Secret Box had reacted?

Could it be possible? That something good might happen when they were alone together?

Even the words she had spoken a moment ago while walking over now sounded meaningful.

Could it be that she knew he had absorbed the energy of the orb? Or was it that, unaware, she happened to possess the orb for another purpose?

And if she had brought it knowingly?

‘If you can, kill me and take it?’ Was that her intention?

What would she do if he actually did so?

Cha Iran naturally sat down beside Geom Mugeuk. Normally, the reaction should have grown stronger, yet this time it was different. The moment she came close, the reaction stopped completely.

“Won’t you congratulate me? I’ve entered the finals.”

“Congratulations.”

“Even if it’s by poking at your side, being congratulated still feels good.”

An Hu-pyeong came over at that moment and quickly introduced Bih Sa-in.

“Lady Cha, this person here is the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance.”

Cha Iran looked at Bih Sa-in with a deliberately surprised expression.

That reaction secretly pleased An Hu-pyeong, who subtly placed himself on the same level as Bih Sa-in.

‘You’re surprised, aren’t you? Meeting the Vice Gang Leader of the Divine Transformation Gang, and now even the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance?’

Bih Sa-in felt much the same way.

‘Well? This isn’t the first time I’ve met such a beautiful woman.’

Cha Iran smiled enchantingly as she greeted Bih Sa-in.

“I am Cha Iran.”

She had her own way of dealing with men. Even without intentionally seducing, the gaze and smile she used in greeting were enough to drive the other party restless and make them fall deep.

Bih Sa-in gazed at her silently.

Through the letter that Geom Mugeuk had sent beforehand, Bih Sa-in already knew that this woman intended to kill his master. Yet he revealed no hostility whatsoever.

The fact that Geom Mugeuk naturally set up such a situation meant that he trusted him. If he was to be the one leading the Unorthodox Alliance in the future, then of course he should be capable of at least this degree of emotional control.

Wasn’t this woman, who planned to kill his master, facing him now without the slightest change in expression?

“Bih Sa-in.”

At Bih Sa-in’s belated reply, An Hu-pyeong was inwardly delighted. He assumed that the greeting had been delayed because Bih Sa-in had been captivated by her. Naturally, he took the chance to boast.

“For this special occasion, I rented out this entire place!”

No matter what, he had to be the main figure behind arranging today’s gathering.

“I wanted to be sure to introduce Lady Cha to our Young Leader.”

“To me?”

At Bih Sa-in’s questioning gaze, An Hu-pyeong smiled obsequiously.

“I thought the two of you would suit each other very well.”

He laughed boldly as he spoke, yet Bih Sa-in’s reaction was not what he had expected.

“I think today’s gathering is an inappropriate one.”

An Hu-pyeong asked in surprise.

“What do you mean by that?”

“How could these ladies be present in a place where you are?”

He meant that the women who had advanced to the finals should not be meeting privately with the event organizers.

‘What nonsense is this from someone destined to be the supreme leader of the unorthodox world!’

Truthfully, he wanted to say that outright.

“Since this is a special place with the Young Leader, surely everyone will understand.”

“You’re using me as your excuse?”

“No, that’s absolutely not what I meant.”

Bih Sa-in did not bother to hide his thoughts or feelings. He acted as if he knew nothing of her true identity, showing Cha Iran his natural self.

But she was not an ordinary woman. Here she was, appearing alone before him and Geom Mugeuk. Perhaps it was because she assumed they did not know her identity, but even so, it required an extraordinary degree of courage.

Cha Iran looked toward Geom Mugeuk and said,

“Thank you for the introduction to such an esteemed person, but I am devoted to one alone.”

There was an expression she showed only when looking at Geom Mugeuk.

An Hu-pyeong could not understand it. Just what was so good about that mere guard?

“Perhaps that guard has some hidden charm that I don’t know of.”

Whatever it was, he was determined to belittle it somehow.

“Can’t you see? To my eyes, it’s plain to see.”

Cha Iran leaned her face closer to Geom Mugeuk’s, so near that a little more and they would touch.

Geom Mugeuk did not withdraw but looked directly into her face.

“In this man’s eyes, death is brimming—yet how can they be so clear?”

It was as if she was saying she could see that aura of death in his eyes, but Geom Mugeuk said nothing.

The one who spoke in his stead was Lee Ahn.

“I have never once felt death in those eyes.”

When Cha Iran slowly turned her head toward her, Lee Ahn added,

“In another’s eyes, it is one’s own reflection that shows.”

What she meant was that the death Cha Iran saw was, in the end, her own.

A subtle smile appeared on Cha Iran’s face.

“This young lady truly likes this man.”

“I’m not foolish enough to dislike my guard.”

She meant, how could one dislike the person who protected one’s life?

An Hu-pyeong’s expression hardened as he listened. It felt as though those words were directed at him, who had just been in conflict with Sa Chu.

What was worse, from the beginning, the attention of both women had been focused on Geom Mugeuk, and this displeased An Hu-pyeong. He had always lived a life where he was the center of attention wherever he went, yet here he felt repeatedly pushed aside.

An Hu-pyeong lifted a wine bottle, trying to pour Bih Sa-in a drink.

“Here, Young Leader. Please have a drink of my wine.”

But Bih Sa-in didn’t even pretend to listen, only gazing at the two women. The wine bottle in An Hu-pyeong’s hand suddenly felt pointless, and his face flushed. Damn these people!

And yet he was the Vice Gang Leader of the Divine Transformation Gang. Was this really how he was to be treated?

‘What a filthy lust after women.’

If not for that, then it meant he was being utterly disregarded.

The truth was, Bih Sa-in was trying to gauge just what kind of person Cha Iran was. In some sense, she was more deeply tied to him than to Geom Mugeuk. If she killed his master, he would become the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance.

In other words, she was the woman trying to put him into the Alliance Leader’s seat.

‘But for what reason?’

Did she hope to gain something by placing him, unprepared, into the position of Alliance Leader? Or was there some other intent?

Suppressing his anger with effort, An Hu-pyeong spoke again.

“In this upcoming final, I still cannot decide whom I should support.”

He was determined to flaunt his influence somehow.

An Hu-pyeong deliberately chose the word “support” instead of “cheer,” as though implying that he had the power to affect the outcome of The Greatest Beauty Under the Heavens.

“Which lady will our Young Leader support? Truthfully, your support is the most important.”

This time, Bih Sa-in did respond to his words.

“What meaning would my opinion have? The decision of the examiners and the gathered heroes is what matters.”

“Are you not in a position to overturn all such decisions?”

It was meant as flattery toward Bih Sa-in, but his reaction was cold.

“Are you telling me to do something unjust?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“I meant only that you are such a great person, that’s all I was trying to say.”

Yet under Bih Sa-in’s still cold gaze, An Hu-pyeong drained his cup. Nothing was going the way he had planned.

“Why is the food taking so long?”

An Hu-pyeong rose from his seat and walked toward the kitchen. Even when he stood up, no one spared him a glance. That only made his anger boil hotter.

“What are you doing? Bring the food out already!”

The moment he stepped into the kitchen, he barked out. He had intended to take his frustration out on the cooks, when—

“Please return now.”

The voice came from behind. When he turned, it was Sa Chu. The same man who had yelled at him earlier was standing in a corner of the kitchen.

“What did you say?”

“I said, let’s go back.”

An Hu-pyeong, face twisted in anger, strode toward him. Normally, Sa Chu would have bowed his head low and apologized, but today he stared straight back at him.

“Do you even know what kind of gathering this is?”

“And what kind of gathering is it?”

“What?”

It was a gathering with a clear purpose. To ingratiate himself with the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance! To ingratiate himself with Lee Ahn. For Sa Chu to act like this while knowing that—

“Are you ignoring me too?”

“If I were ignoring you, I’d have kept pretending to know nothing, like always.”

By instinct, he could feel it. He didn’t know why Sa Chu was acting this way, but it was for his sake.

Though his words were rude, Sa Chu was the only one here who wasn’t disregarding him.

“This is not a place for you, Young Master.”

All four of them were people An Hu-pyeong could not handle. He alone was blind to that truth.

“Stay hidden in your burrow until that storm passes. The only reason the Vice Gang Leader is unharmed right now is because he’s standing in the storm’s eye.”

“!”

The storm had told him to keep silent, but he had broken that warning. Still, it was fine. This was his last piece of advice.

Of course, An Hu-pyeong did not take it graciously.

“You insolent bastard.”

He knew full well the words were for his own good, but he was offended. He had lived a life where the truth always left him displeased.

“You’ll pay for this later.”

Just as An Hu-pyeong turned to leave—

Tak.

Sa Chu suddenly struck a pressure point on his back. Never expecting such a thing, An Hu-pyeong slipped into unconsciousness.

After calming the startled cooks, Sa Chu opened the back door of the kitchen and summoned the subordinates waiting outside.

“The Vice Gang Leader has drunk too much. Escort him back to his quarters and lay him on his bed.”

The subordinates carried him away on their backs and returned him to his lodgings.

Before leaving, this was the last courtesy he could offer him.

If An Hu-pyeong stayed here in his enraged state, he would eventually cause serious trouble, even in the presence of the Young Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance. That was the kind of man An Hu-pyeong had always been.

He would not have allowed Sa Chu to leave peacefully anyway, so this was the only way to depart.

Just as Sa Chu was about to leave through the back door, someone spoke from behind.

“Was it because of your younger siblings?”

Turning back, he saw Il-rang standing there.

His question meant: did he give up his dream and remain under An Hu-pyeong because of his siblings?

Sa Chu admitted honestly.

“No. I merely used my siblings as an excuse to choose the easy path.”

If it truly had been for his siblings, then once their hunger was resolved, he would have tried again.

The money had been good, and following An Hu-pyeong was comfortable. At least here in Anhui Province, no one dared to provoke the Vice Gang Leader of the Divine Transformation Gang.

“Today I realized something. There are two kinds of impossibility. The kind where one vaguely assumes it cannot be done, and the kind where one tries until death and still cannot succeed. I’ve experienced the easy kind, so now I intend to challenge the difficult kind.”

Sa Chu was determined to newly join the Unorthodox Alliance.

His monthly pay would be incomparably smaller than now. Starting over at an older age would be many times harder. And he knew that even if he entered now, becoming one of the Thirteen Wolves was impossible.

But he would try anyway. Meeting the Thirteen Wolves again like this—he considered it the last opportunity heaven had given him.

“If I meet you again, I will formally greet you then.”

Then, smiling awkwardly, he added,

“Though most likely, we will never meet again.”

Sa Chu clasped his fists respectfully in salute, then turned and walked away.

In his youth, he had blocked the Thirteen Wolves’ path to throw questions at them, believing that to be passion and sincerity.

But now there would be no questions.

He was old enough to know that true passion did not ask—it began before asking.

Il-rang silently watched Sa Chu’s retreating back, then went inside.

“Vice Gang Leader An has already returned.”

At those words, no one asked why he had gone back first.

Only Geom Mugeuk felt regret.

“Ah! The one who was supposed to pay for the drinks left first.”

At his joke, Cha Iran unexpectedly made a suggestion.

“How about we decide who pays for the drinks?”

The wager she proposed was something truly unexpected.

“Instead of just drinking, let’s each ask one question as we drink. Whoever can’t answer has to drink three glasses as penalty! The one who drinks the most penalty glasses today will pay the bill. Oh, and no releasing Qi outside to avoid getting drunk!”

Of course, Geom Mugeuk was not the type to refuse such an interesting proposal. All the more so when they each had things they wanted to ask.

He believed that even if she had to drink penalty liquor, she was not someone who would lie. And he himself had no thought of lying either.

“Very well, let’s do it.”

Since Geom Mugeuk accepted, Lee Ahn and Bih Sa-in also nodded with intrigued looks.

“Since I suggested it, I’ll ask the first question.”

Everyone agreed readily to Cha Iran’s words. After a toast together, they emptied their cups.

“I’ll ask Guard Geom.”

Her gaze fell on Geom Mugeuk.

“Do you like this young lady here?”

The very first question was powerful. More than Geom Mugeuk, it was Lee Ahn who was startled. She never imagined Cha Iran would ask such a thing.

“If you don’t want to answer, then drink three penalty glasses.”

“No need. I’ll answer.”

Geom Mugeuk glanced at Lee Ahn as he replied.

“I like her.”

Cha Iran’s expression showed genuine surprise.

“I thought for sure you’d take the penalty glasses.”

Lee Ahn, hearing his answer, felt overjoyed, as though soaring. Even if he had said it as a casual remark because of the wager, it still made her happy.

But the question itself had left her displeased.

‘So her first question was about me and the Young Cult Leader, was this?’

She wanted to ask Cha Iran something immediately, but Geom Mugeuk spoke first.

“Since I’ve answered, I’ll ask the next question.”

“Go ahead.”

“This one is for Lady Cha.”

Again, after they toasted and drained their cups, Geom Mugeuk asked Cha Iran.

“Who is the person you trust most?”

It was a question with many possible meanings. She could answer with family, or with a leader. She might even name someone who had come here with her for this event.

Cha Iran gave him a curious look.

“I asked about the person you like, but you ask about the one I trust. Afraid I’d say it was you if I were asked who I liked?”

Then, with a bright smile, she answered his question.

“The one I trust most is…”

From her lips came astonishing words.

“It’s someone you know as well.”

“!”

Geom Mugeuk stared at her in shock. He couldn’t tell what she meant by such an answer.

“I won’t tell you who it is, even if you’re dying of curiosity. That’s my punishment for your first answer.”

She then downed three penalty glasses in a row, set her cup down, and asked,

“Now, who will ask the next question?”