Absolute Regression

Chapter 706: If I Die to the Handsome Young Cult Leader

“Lee Ahn.”

At the call of the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion, Lee Ahn, who had been standing by the door keeping watch on the situation outside, turned her head.

“Take a short rest.”

Ever since she had been given the mission to guard her, Lee Ahn had not let her attention wander for even a moment. She had blocked the windows, checked the ceiling and walls, and kept listening for movements in the hallway outside the door. She repeated the cycle again and again.

Pressing her ear back against the door, Lee Ahn said,

“There is a saying that has been handed down among bodyguard martial artists. Accidents always happen the one time you turn your head away.”

Only after checking outside once more did she turn back to the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion.

“I am fine, Mistress.”

“Guarding truly isn’t an easy task.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Lee Ahn felt at ease whenever she was with the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion.

When she had first met her, it had been at a time when her body was suffering side effects of her martial arts. From the start, the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion had looked at her with warmth, and so Lee Ahn felt like she was both an older sister and a friend.

That was why she guarded her with even more care. She could not bear the thought of losing her just because she could not endure turning her head that one time.

“Do not worry. After all, I am someone who once had the title of a bodyguard for the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult…”

The very next moment!

Lee Ahn spun around swiftly and drew her sword.

Shhhhhh!

Her blade flashed like lightning as it split through the air.

Srrrrrk, thud! Thud-thud!

The door was cut into the shape of a slanted cross and collapsed.

Behind the fallen door stood no one.

“Come out.”

At her single command, something shot out from the wall next to the door.

Chwararararak.

What unfolded was a fan with a beauty painted on it. Like a flag of surrender, the fan fluttered lightly.

The person who then stuck his face out was none other than Hwa Do-myeong. He greeted Lee Ahn as though they were already close acquaintances.

“Beautiful martial artist, congratulations on making it to the finals!”

Because of the ridiculously heavy makeup, it was impossible to clearly discern what his face looked like or what expression he was making.

But one thing was certain.

‘He is no ordinary master.’

When she had cut the door, he had definitely been standing behind it. Yet in that fleeting instant, he had dodged her strike.

The mere fact that she could not gauge his strength meant he was by no means inferior to her.

“Of course, the whole tournament has been overturned thanks to you all overturning everything.”

Hwa Do-myeong inspected the cross-section of the door that had been sliced and dropped to the floor.

“To think you’ve reached such a realm at that age.”

Only then did he enter, gently fanning himself.

Lee Ahn, concentrating all her focus on her sword and her opponent, slowly retreated backward.

“With that appearance and such skill as well. You could afford to be arrogant, but you are truly impressive!”

He folded the fan in his hand and then began tapping his palm with it, as if clapping.

Lee Ahn took something out from her sleeve and put it into her mouth. It was an antidote pellet. Those who used fans often folded and unfolded them while releasing poison, and this was her preparation against it.

In such situations, the one she had to guard was not the first priority. If she were poisoned, then the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion would inevitably be poisoned as well, so she had to protect herself first by taking the antidote.

Only then did she place the hand that wasn’t holding her sword behind her back and gave the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion a signal. At that moment, the enemy could attempt a surprise attack, so hand signals were safer than speaking.

The Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion placed the antidote pellet Lee Ahn had given her earlier into her mouth.

Seeing that, Hwa Do-myeong shook his fan side to side as if waving his hand.

“Do not worry. I don’t use poison. I’m not a meticulous person. I’d end up poisoning myself from being careless.”

Lee Ahn, still listening closely, asked curtly,

“Who are you?”

Since the other side was being polite, Lee Ahn also kept basic courtesy in her questioning.

“Think of me as nothing more than a messenger today. Or a congratulatory guest, if you prefer.”

“You’ve already given your congratulations, so state your business.”

“Before that, let’s put the sword down. Just looking at the blade makes my stomach turn.”

But Lee Ahn did not lower her sword. It would have been nice to feign ease like him, but he didn’t seem to be someone to let her guard down around.

At that moment, the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion spoke calmly from behind.

“Were you the one who called me here?”

She was asking if he had summoned her as an examiner for the tournament. She had a feeling that this bizarre man had come looking for her.

And indeed, her intuition had been correct.

“You could say it’s something like that.”

The Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion, who had been staring at him, walked over to the table in the middle and sat down first.

“Sit.”

She glanced at Lee Ahn.

“It’s alright.”

Normally, Lee Ahn should not have let this mysterious man come near the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion. But since she believed her mistress was acting boldly because she had something in mind, she stepped back and let Hwa Do-myeong sit.

Once seated, Hwa Do-myeong stared straight at the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion and asked,

“They say you see things that we cannot, is that true?”

The Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion only looked back at him without answering.

“Do you see something in me as well?”

She stared intently at him for a moment, then shook her head.

“I see nothing.”

Whether that was true or not was something only she herself knew.

This time, the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion asked,

“For what reason have you sought me out?”

“I have a message to deliver.”

“Go on.”

From within the thick makeup, his two eyes suddenly grew cold. Just that change in his gaze, and the man who had seemed frivolous a moment ago felt like a completely different person.

Chwaaaak.

Hwa Do-myeong opened his fan and completely hid his face behind it. From behind came a voice—cold, grim, and chilling. It was so natural that it felt less like an imitation and more like this might be his true voice.

“The Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance must die. If this fate is defied, the martial world will be destroyed.”

The Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion widened her eyes in shock. Standing between them, Lee Ahn was also deeply shaken.

Just as that astonishing message ended, the fan flicked lightly.

Srrrk.

His figure vanished suddenly, like a ghost dissipating into thin air.

Lee Ahn immediately gathered her qi and scanned the surroundings, but Hwa Do-myeong had already disappeared completely.

“Are you alright?”

At her question, the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion nodded and rose from her seat.

“I must see the Young Cult Leader at once.”

---

“The Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance must die?”

After hearing the account, Geom Mugeuk looked at Evil Smiling Demon beside him. He, too, received the look with a shocked expression.

And then came the even more startling revelation.

“He said if that fate is defied, the martial world will be destroyed.”

The one who relayed the words was Lee Ahn. The Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion had fallen silent, lost in deep thought.

“What sort of person was he?”

At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Lee Ahn described him. His features were so distinctive that it was easy to explain.

“He was a man, heavily painted with makeup, dressed in ornate clothing laden with ornaments. He carried a fan with a beauty painted on it. His stealth and movement techniques were extraordinary. I couldn’t measure how strong he truly was.”

Geom Mugeuk glanced toward Evil Smiling Demon, silently asking if he knew this person. Evil Smiling Demon shook his head.

Geom Mugeuk, too, had never known of such a man in his life before the Great Regression. At the very least, it meant he was not one of the Twelve Zodiac Kings.

For someone with such skill and such peculiar traits to be unknown suggested only two possibilities: either he never acted on the front stage of the martial world, or he perished before the era of the Twelve Zodiac Kings.

One thing, however, was certain.

“The reason they are targeting the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance is connected to the words that man delivered.”

Both Evil Smiling Demon and Lee Ahn nodded in agreement.

Then the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion, who had remained silent until now, spoke.

“What he said was a prophecy.”

From her lips came a shocking truth.

“The moment I heard it, I knew. Those words were prophecy.”

It seemed she possessed a sense that only she could feel.

Naturally, a question arose.

“Other than you, Mistress, is there anyone in your generation capable of prophecy?”

At Geom Mugeuk’s question, the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion nodded.

“The Palace Master was able to bestow prophecy. But since I left the palace early, I do not know who may hold that ability now.”

Geom Mugeuk could guess from her words. She had once been the one destined to become the next Palace Master.

She had abandoned the fate placed upon her and left the palace.

And from that, another fact naturally followed. The reason the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion had been invited as an examiner for this tournament was connected to the prophecy the man had delivered.

The Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion looked at Geom Mugeuk with worried eyes.

She knew he and the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance maintained a good relationship, and her heart grew heavy. If the man’s words were truly a prophecy, then it would inevitably come to pass.

Though he sensed her unease, Geom Mugeuk gave a gentle smile.

“Do not worry. It isn’t that I doubt your prophecy, Mistress, but I believe it can be changed. Otherwise, my fate would be to fall to Brother Soma’s dagger, wouldn’t it?”

Yet even through the smile the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion forced, Geom Mugeuk could still feel her lingering concern.

Yes, until now, prophecies had always been fulfilled. That was why she worried so deeply.

But Geom Mugeuk also held firm to his own belief.

If prophecy showed the path, it was humans who chose how to walk it.

‘I will surely find another path!’

With that conviction, Geom Mugeuk left the room to meet someone.

“I must see the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance.”

---

Not far from the Divine Transformation Gang stood a manor.

Assassins of the Court of Beauties guarded all sides.

Inside the room, Cha Iran was alone.

Seated, she silently stared at the box upon the table, inside of which lay the Red Essence.

In her heart, the words Geom Mugeuk had spoken echoed.

—Since you, their leader, came here in person, how could I let you leave without your subordinates? That would make you lose face, would it not?

From the eyes her subordinates had given her, her face had certainly been upheld. Some might say it meant little, but it meant much indeed. She had become the leader who had taken them out from Evil Smiling Demon’s den.

—If one were to fight by taking hostage something the other could never give up, wouldn’t that make life far too boring?

As she recalled Geom Mugeuk’s words, her fingers fiddled with the box.

Her thoughts deepened, and then a voice suddenly reached her.

“Weren’t you called the Heartless Assassin?”

Hwa Do-myeong stood at the door, no one knowing when he had entered.

“An assassin, by its nature, must be heartless. Sentimental assassins are the ones who die early.”

Hwa Do-myeong walked closer and sat down opposite her.

“What demand did the Young Cult Leader make in exchange for releasing your subordinates?”

Still staring at the box, Cha Iran replied,

“He asked me to kill any rude fool who dares to barge into a room without the master’s permission.”

Hwa Do-myeong spread open his fan and covered his face.

“Do not forget—I am not an enemy, only a spectator.”

The moment he had appeared before the Mistress of the Sky Flower Pavilion, he had ceased to be a mere spectator and had become an actor on the stage. Yet here, before Cha Iran, he still claimed the role of a spectator.

“I asked what demand he made in exchange for releasing your subordinates.”

When she still gave no reply, Hwa Do-myeong began to guess.

“He must have asked for the orb, right? Or maybe… to abandon the plan to kill the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance? No? Then perhaps he wanted to know who’s pulling the strings above you?”

At last, Cha Iran, still staring down at the box, spoke.

“He made no demand at all.”

From her expression, Hwa Do-myeong could tell it was the truth. What he felt was not surprise, but derision.

“He’s toying with you. The Young Cult Leader is an arrogant man.”

“Then shouldn’t I be grateful he toyed with me?”

“What?”

“If not for that, we’d all be dead. Right there.”

For a moment, silence fell. Then Hwa Do-myeong waved his fan gently, as though fanning her with flattery.

“You’re not someone who dies so easily, are you?”

“When that Young Cult Leader, who had only spoken frivolous words, laid his hand upon his sword’s hilt, the thought struck me. Ah, I could actually die here.”

“Were you afraid?”

Still staring at the box, she slowly shook her head.

“If I die to a handsome Young Cult Leader, will a handsome demon ghost shove me into the flames even in Hell?”

At her words, Hwa Do-myeong chuckled.

“Then kill him instead.”

Cha Iran raised her head and looked at him.

“Not now.”

Avoiding her gaze, Hwa Do-myeong shifted his body sideways and fanned himself lazily.

Without looking at her, he suddenly asked,

“When will it be?”

From Cha Iran’s lips came the words that would change everyone’s fate.

“Tomorrow.”

Hwa Do-myeong rose to his feet.

“Then I should sleep early tonight if I want to enjoy tomorrow’s spectacle.”

At that moment, Cha Iran asked,

“That man, Ak Gunhak… where is he now?”

Hwa Do-myeong’s eyes grew cold.

“Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking I might confess once before I die.”

“Who’s dying before whom? You? Or Ak Gunhak?”

“In your eyes, who looks more likely to die first?”

Silence lingered between them.

Finally, Hwa Do-myeong turned away and spoke.

“A confession doesn’t suit you. When an assassin falls in love, misfortune follows.”

Just as Cha Iran bit down lightly on her crimson lips—

Both of them turned their gaze at once toward one side of the wall.

From beyond it came an overwhelming presence.

The next moment—

Chwaaaak!

With a flick of his fan, Hwa Do-myeong vanished instantly.

Cha Iran seized the box of orbs from the table. Turning her back to the wall, she summoned forth her Protective Energy.

Kwaaaaang!

With an ear-splitting explosion, the entire wall was blasted away. A massive surge of force swept through the place.

Kwoooooooosh!

Everything in its path was engulfed and hurled aside.

When the rising dust finally began to settle—

The room she had been in was blown away completely, leaving nothing behind.

Only Cha Iran remained, standing alone with her back turned.

“This was a new outfit… and now it’s ruined again.”

Slowly, she turned around.

In the distance, a man in black martial robes was walking toward her.

It was none other than Baek Jagang, the Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance.

This was no ambush. By revealing his presence with overwhelming force beforehand, this was his way of greeting her.

First Beauty led the assassins forward and blocked his path.

Baek Jagang gave a quiet warning.

“That child spared your life. Don’t make me kill you with my own hand.”

Cha Iran could feel it. Baek Jagang was prepared to slaughter everyone standing in his way.

She gave an order to First Beauty.

“Stand down.”

For a brief moment, First Beauty hesitated, but then obeyed. The Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance was not someone she or her assassins could possibly block.

Baek Jagang strode right up to where Cha Iran stood.

“From here on, I will ask.”

His sharp gaze pierced into her like a blade.

“I will not ask you twice.”