Absolute Regression

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

========================

“Soma-nim!”

I rushed towards the Evil Smiling Demon using the Divine Lightning Step.

Fortunately, I managed to catch his falling body before he hit the ground.

After laying him down gently, I channeled a thread of my inner energy into his chest to examine his internal state. Most of his meridians were blocked and twisted, leaving him with severe internal injuries.

The situation was more serious than I anticipated. Just as I was about to infuse him with my inner energy for treatment, my heart sank. I had exhausted my internal power using the Return to Heaven Form.

I gathered the remnants of my inner energy, squeezing out every last bit. A small amount of energy flowed into Soma’s body once more. I carefully attempted to clear the blockage, but it wasn’t enough. If left untreated, his inner energy would flow back and would run wild, causing irreversible damage.

My heart pounded with urgency. I drew upon the last of my reserves, pushing myself to the limit until blood welled up in my throat. I was already in poor condition from the injuries and energy depletion from fighting Yaryuhan, but this wasn’t the time to worry about my own body.

After putting in all my effort to stabilize him, the Evil Smiling Demon finally regained consciousness and opened his eyes.

I spoke in my usual cheerful tone.

“That was one hell of a fight, wasn’t it?”

His eyes, hidden behind the mask, smiled. If it hadn’t been for him, we wouldn’t have achieved such a spectacular fight or such an impressive result.

“Yes... it truly was.”

His voice was weak, unlike his usual self. He seemed to sense his own end approaching.

“Young Master.”

“Yes, Soma-nim.”

“...I’m glad I met you.”

As his eyes slowly began to close, I squeezed out every ounce of inner energy I could muster and injected it into him. Like a drop of water in a desert, a small amount of energy tenuously clung to his life.

“When I become the Heavenly Demon, you have to protect me.”

The Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes trembled. His gaze, filled with regret, spoke to me. Apologizing that he couldn’t stay to see me ascend as the Heavenly Demon.

“You know my temper, right? I’ll never give up on you, Soma-nim. If you don’t plan to take me with you, then you’d better hang on. I won’t let you go like this. So, stay with me.” ℞Α₦ǑΒĚŠ

Soma tried to hold on, but the situation was beyond his control.

“If you die like this, I’ll live in regret for the rest of my life. So don’t you dare die on me!”

Suddenly, he coughed up blood. His meridians were already starting to rampage. If I couldn’t calm them, he would die.

“No!”

The thought that the Evil Smiling Demon might actually die made me feel like I was losing my mind.

“Please! Soma-nim! Hang on!”

I squeezed out my inner energy again and again. All I could think about was saving Soma, no matter what. I had regressed to avoid losing anyone… I couldn’t lose Soma like this.

But I had no more energy left, and the Evil Smiling Demon’s convulsions quickly grew even worse.

Suddenly, my vision blurred as tears welled up in my eyes.

Had I ever cried before?

At that moment, Soma grabbed my hand. He must have known. He must have realized how much I cared for him. And I realized it too—just how much he meant to me.

Slowly, the Evil Smiling Demon raised his hand to his mask.

He was trying to show me his face for the last time.

Through the eye holes, Soma’s eyes were smiling. Brighter than any smile he had ever shown me before.

I grabbed his hand, stopping him from removing the mask.

“I’m not looking! You’re probably better-looking than me, so I’m not seeing that face! Show me in fifty years!”

The Evil Smiling Demon laughed and then coughed up blood once more.

With the last of his strength, he left me with some final words.

“Young Master… you will be a great Heavenly Demon.”

Even as life faded from him, he continued to smile at me until the very end.

“I don’t regret the time I spent with you, Young Master.”

For the first time, I prayed to the heavens.

‘Please save him!’

Not when I wandered all over the Central Plains searching for the ingredients for the Great Regression Technique, not when I was so lonely and exhausted that I wanted to die, not even when I was on the brink of death—I never prayed to the heavens.

But now, for the first time in my life, I begged.

‘Please! Save him! Just this once, help me!’

And then, it happened.

Thud.

As Yaryuhan’s lifeless body finished slumping over, something fell from his robe onto the ground.

It was a box.

Seeing something poking out of the open box, I ran towards it.

To my surprise, it was a Millennium Snow Ginseng. He must have brought it as a birthday gift for the Five Thunder Divine Sword.

‘With this!’

I rushed back and helped Soma sit up. Then I placed the Millennium Snow Ginseng in his mouth.

“Endure with the energy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng! Just hold on until I complete a cycle of circulation!”

Normally, this was a choice I shouldn’t have made. Consuming a potent elixir like the Millennium Snow Ginseng while in a severely injured state could cause even more harm.

But it was the only way. I trusted in the Millennium Snow Ginseng, and I trusted in the Evil Smiling Demon.

“Soma-nim, chew it and swallow it with all your remaining strength!”

Our eyes met.

‘Don’t give up!’

Soma struggled, but he began to chew and swallow the Millennium Snow Ginseng.

I immediately circulated my inner energy through a full cycle. It was the most urgent circulation of my life. The seconds stretched endlessly.

‘Please! Please!’

I must have said “please” more times today than I ever had in my entire life.

After completing the fastest cycle of inner energy circulation in my life, I quickly infused my energy into the Evil Smiling Demon and checked his condition.

Thankfully, Soma had barely managed to suppress his rampaging meridians with the energy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng. However, it wasn’t that the ginseng’s energy had been absorbed into his inner power; the backlash was merely temporarily held down by its immense energy.

There was no telling when his meridians might go berserk again. I needed to get him to the Demon Doctor as soon as possible. 1

“Thank you, Soma-nim.”

My voice quivered. I was grateful to him. Grateful that he had held on. Grateful that we had reached a point where I could give someone a Millennium Snow Ginseng and be the one thanking them.

The look in the Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes spoke to me.

‘Thank you, Young Master.’

What more needed to be said?

I untied the high-grade Celestial Silk that had bound the two of us together.

Then, I hoisted the Evil Smiling Demon onto my back and secured him tightly with the Celestial Silk.

He had done his part, and now it was my turn.

Soma, who said you could just leave? You think I’ll let someone like Yaryuhan board the boat to the afterlife and take you along with him?

I wrapped him in my energy to keep his body steady and comfortable, then I started to run.

I felt as if I had mastered the Starlight Step for this very moment, pouring every ounce of my strength into my steps as I sprinted faster than the wind.

*         *         *

Bih Sa-in was sitting in front of the manor’s gate.

Ilrang soon arrived and stopped at his side.

“You shouldn’t be wandering around alone like this. You promised you wouldn’t do that anymore.”

“Just this once, please let it slide.”

Bih Sa-in had summoned only Ilrang here. Ilrang was the one person in the world Bih Sa-in trusted completely.

Ilrang’s gaze shifted towards the manor behind him. From the scent of blood seeping through the broken walls, it was clear a fierce battle had just taken place here.

“No matter what you see inside, try not to be too shocked.”

“This isn’t just the scent of one or two people’s blood. What exactly is this place?”

Bih Sa-in spoke softly.

“This is where my future will be decided.”

Ilrang stepped inside and replied.

“Then my future will be decided here too.”

The place, a sea of blood, bore the unmistakable marks of a fierce, desperate battle.

As Ilrang surveyed the surroundings, he rapidly discovered Yaryuhan’s corpse and was absolutely bewildered.

‘Yaryuhan!’

Ilrang was so shocked that he stood there for a moment, staring blankly at the corpse. Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it.

‘Yaryuhan is dead? That Yaryuhan?’

Yaryuhan could truly be summed up with just that one phrase. That Yaryuhan. 2

But that wasn’t all.

Ilrang’s eyes caught sight of another corpse.

‘Even the Five Thunder Divine Sword!’

Baek Haeng.

Ilrang already knew he was associated with Yaryuhan. Whether he was stronger or weaker than Yaryuhan was unknown, but one thing was certain: to compare his strength, Yaryuhan had to be the standard.

‘And he died with his body severed in half?’

It was truly a sight that was hard to believe, even after seeing it with his own eyes.

But that wasn’t the only surprise.

Ilrang was even more shocked when he saw Bloodwheel lying on the ground.

‘That weapon is the Bloodwheel. The only one who uses it is the Bloodwheel Calamity!’

Following Damal, Ilrang also identified the Three Evils.

‘Since they are triplets, these ones must be the Three Evils!’

With this much, even Cha Hwan and Sa Hyo’s death were hardly surprising.

Ilrang hesitantly stumbled back out of the manor. Bih Sa-in was still sitting at the front gate.

“What on earth happened here?”

“Please sit down.”

Ilrang collapsed next to him. His heart was still racing, unable to calm down.

“These people… they could have declared war on the Murim Alliance on their own.”

Of course, it was an exaggeration, but not an entirely baseless one.

If these individuals decided to attack someone, what martial sect could possibly stand against them?

When Bih Sa-in first saw the scene, he was just as shocked as Ilrang.

Even when Geom Mugeuk had affirmed he would kill Yaryuhan, a part of Bih Sa-in couldn’t help but think, ‘Could he really do it?’

But he actually did.

This unbelievable feat was accomplished by the same person who nagged him about eating meals properly. 3

‘You really are something!’

It suddenly struck him anew that this person was truly the son of the Heavenly Demon. Moreover, he had accomplished something that no heir in history had ever managed.

“Who on earth did this?”

Ilrang asked, and Bih Sa-in answered.

“It was me.”

“What?”

Ilrang was once again taken aback.

“I’m going to take responsibility for this.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I promised to handle the aftermath.”

“Who actually killed them?”

“There’s no need for you to know that. Actually it’s better if you don’t, for your own sake.”

Ilrang was confused, but he knew it wasn’t the most important issue at the moment.

“Fine. Let’s say that’s how it is. But do you really think the Leader will believe that Yaryuhan was killed by you?”

“That’s why I called you here.”

“What?”

“We need to clean up now. We have to figure out how to make it believable that I took care of Yaryuhan.”

Ilrang could tell that, just as Bih Sa-in had said earlier, Bih Sa-in’s future and fate were tied to this matter.

“My lifelong nemesis is dead, but my true battle begins now.”

Bih Sa-in had once imagined the Demonic Cult invading. Could Geom Mugeuk really hold off the Demonic Cult, led by his father, the Heavenly Demon?

And why did he have this unfounded certainty that such a thing would never happen?

Bih Sa-in wanted to see Geom Mugeuk. As terrifying as he was, Bih Sa-in still wanted to see him. He wanted to hear his carefree banter. 4

‘How about it? Didn’t I tell you to leave this to me? Now it’s your turn. I know you’ll do great. And make sure you eat properly’!

He could almost hear Geom Mugeuk’s voice in his ears. 5

If he ever became the leader of the Unorthodox Alliance, he wanted to tell Geom Mugeuk exactly what his Unorthodox path meant.

‘So you must also become the Heavenly Demon.’

*         *         *

Night fell, but Geom Mugeuk and Soma had not returned.

Seo Daeryong, anxious, couldn’t leave the courtyard.

At that moment, the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress came out.

“Maybe they stopped for a drink to celebrate killing Yaryuhan,” Seo Daeryong joked, his words lacking conviction.

Yeo Jeong smiled and replied, “Perhaps.”

She seemed more at ease than Seo Daeryong.

“Did you have a new dream, by any chance?”

“No.”

“Then why do you seem so calm?”

“Didn’t Inspector Seo say it wouldn’t work?”

Seo Daeryong let out a light sigh.

“That was until before the sun went down.”

The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress asked Seo Daeryong, “Are you worried?”

“The Pavilion Lord has never failed to return on time. He always walks through the door, as if nothing happened, striding confidently.”

Just then, someone opened the door and walked in.

Seo Daeryong and Yeo Jeong turned, surprised, but it was only a martial artist from the Demonic Cult who managed the premises.

“An urgent message from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.”

Seo Daeryong, startled, quickly took the message and read it.

“The Pavilion Leader says that Soma-nim was injured and has gone ahead to the Cult.”

The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress’s expression hardened immediately. Seo Daeryong glanced at her and carefully added, “There’s no report on how badly Soma-nim is injured.”

At that moment, the Poison King stepped out from behind and spoke.

“It must be serious if they went straight to the Cult.” 6

The Poison King didn’t offer any words of reassurance.

“Prepare to depart immediately.”

“Yes.”

Seo Daeryong was worried about Yeo Jeong but he moved quickly as he had received orders from the Poison King.

Seeing the concern etched on the Pavilion Mistress’s face, the Poison King unexpectedly made a suggestion.

“Let’s go together.”

Yeo Jeong was startled by his words.

“You’ve never been to our Cult, have you?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Then take this chance to have a look around.”

The Pavilion Mistress understood what the Poison King was really saying, though he didn’t put it into words.

‘This could be the last time, so you should go see him.’

Yeo Jeong bowed her head respectfully and said, “I will follow the words of an esteemed person. Thank you sincerely for your great consideration.”

“It’s nothing. When Soma wakes up, he’ll be glad to see that you’re there.”

“If he doesn’t scold me for daring to come, that would be lucky enough.”

“You know better than anyone this wouldn’t happen, don’t you?”

The Poison King snapped his fan open with a loud pop, then waved it lightly as he went inside to gather his belongings. Watching his retreating figure, the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress bowed her head once more.

She then went inside to bid farewell to the women they had rescued. The martial artists of the safehouse would ensure their safe passage.

A short while later, the three of them boarded the carriage.

From the coachman’s seat, Seo Daeryong called out, “We’re off!”

The Pavilion Mistress’s eyes deepened as she gazed out of the carriage. She was worried about the Evil Smiling Demon. She missed him terribly. Though she could see many things, she never felt anything when it came to the fate of Soma.

Times like this frustrated her. She could see the destinies of others so clearly, yet she often couldn’t see her own.

Was she afraid of going to the Demonic Cult? Hardly. If it meant seeing the one in her heart, she would have boarded a carriage heading straight to hell without hesitation.

‘Please, don’t die, Brother.’

And what she always said as a joke to Geom Mugeuk, she now meant with all her heart.

‘Please take care of my brother.’

Knowing her heart better than anyone, the person holding the reins spurred the carriage on, racing toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult faster than ever before.

1 : Feww, at least he’s stabilized for now. Such a relief. Demon Doctor, you’ll need to work overtime.

2 : Reminds me of ‘That person’ from Ruler of the Land, though nowhere near as charismatic and impactful as that character. I wonder if the series will reach its end soon, the authors are getting old, it would be a shame for it to end in hiatus due to their death. Stay alive and well please !!! *A prayer*

3 : You know, sometimes, when you’re lying down with your eyes closed under a bright blue sky for a long enough time, and when you open your eyes everything you see seems more blue, like the world changed without you noticing it ? Bih Sa-in must feel the same kind of unbalance right now XDXDXD

4 : Mugeuk is like honey, sweet to the ears, and impossible to let go off once you’ve tasted it ^ ^

5 : Seems more like nagging to me XDXDXD

6 : No tact at all, tsk tsk tsk.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!