Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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< Chapter 164: Once You Step Onto That Path >

That night, an unexpected visitor came to Jin Haryeong’s quarters, where she lay restless and unable to sleep. It was her grandfather, Jin Paecheon.

“Are you still awake?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to take a walk with your old grandfather? It’s been a while.”

“I’d love to.”

She walked through the inner courtyard with Jin Paecheon. The martial artists who were guarding various spots respectfully stepped aside and disappeared from view.

“You’ve been worried because of me lately, haven’t you? I’m sorry, Grandpa.”

Jin Paecheon didn’t mention anything about it, but neither did he show any signs of anger.

“I heard you attended the banquet today?”

“Yes. It was hosted by Young Master Jo of the True Dragon Manor.”

“How was it?”

Her grandfather had never asked such a question before. Knowing that she had attended, he would also be aware that Geom Yeon had been there.

“Grandpa, have you ever looked at someone and had an impression come to mind? Like an animal or something else entirely?”

“I have. Even recently.”

The person Jin Paecheon had thought of was Geom Mugeuk. The image that came to mind during the shock and surprise when Geom Mugeuk blocked his momentum still hadn’t faded.

“This was my first time experiencing it. When I looked at someone, I thought of a snake.”

Even without saying it explicitly, her grandfather would know who she was talking about.

Sure enough, Jin Paecheon didn’t ask who it was.

She had expected him to defend Jo Sohyeop, but her grandfather showed no particular reaction.

Taking advantage of the rare moment alone, she shared her honest feelings about Jo Sohyeop.

“Even if I were to enter into a political marriage, it wouldn’t be with Young Master Jo.”

Then, Jin Paecheon said something unexpected.

“I have no intention of arranging a political marriage between you and Young Master Jo.”

“Really?”

“I’m a man who already has everything. Why would I have any regrets that would make me do such a thing?”

At her grandfather’s resolute words, Jin Haryeong beamed brightly. He was truly a wonderful grandfather.

“I knew it.”

Jin Haryeong took her grandfather’s arm.

“What’s a grown-up like you doing?”

“Let’s walk like this for just a little while.”

Jin Paecheon looked at his granddaughter with a loving smile. She was the child who had brought him joy in his arduous life as a leader. It felt like just yesterday that she was toddling around, and now she had grown so much.

“Have you ever felt disappointed in this old grandfather?”

“No. I understand you, Grandpa. What kind of grandfather would like seeing his granddaughter mingling with an attendant?”

“It’s not because that child is an attendant.”

“Then why?”

Jin Paecheon didn’t explain further. He didn’t see the need to reveal Geom Mugeuk’s true identity.

Jin Paecheon changed the subject.

“How is the Soaring Dragon Tournament?”

“Doing my best.”

“Do you think you can win?”

“You know how hard I’ve worked for this tournament. I’m definitely going to win!”

Knowing this well, Jin Paecheon hesitated. Truthfully, he wanted to advise her to forfeit. Even though he was aware that the Heavenly Society was involved, his initial wish was for Jin Haryeong not to be involved at all.

However, knowing how much effort she had put into this tournament, he couldn’t bring himself to tell his granddaughter to give up.

“Do your best.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

The two of them continued walking under the moonlight for a long time. Jin Paecheon realized that as they walked, his granddaughter was thinking of someone.

He had a good idea of who it was… He could only hope it would pass as a fleeting infatuation of youth. 1

* * *

Seo Daeryong returned from training, looking rather elated.

“Do you know how many people recognized me on my way back?”

“More like, how many women recognized you, right?”

“You’re always so perceptive. How many do you think?”

“That depends on how slowly you walked.”

When walking on busy streets, especially those filled with women, Seo Daeryong would display the Turtle Technique, moving at a crawl. The moment someone recognized him, he would excitedly scurry back like a thrilled rabbit. 2

“Five?”

Seo Daeryong flinched for a moment.

“How did you know?”

“I just analyzed your current level of excitement.”

“Impossible! Were you watching over me? Worried that I might end up in danger?”

“Oh! Now that you mention it, that could be the case. Never once did it cross my mind that our young master could be in danger.”

“…Is it because you trust me?”

“…Of course.” 3

“No, it’s not! You completely forgot, didn’t you? What if I ended up in danger, how could you just leave me like that?”

“Well, experiencing danger, being taken hostage, getting hurt—that’s all part of becoming a real martial artist. Why are you acting like this? You know it well.”

“I’ll pass! I’d rather live quietly, without getting hurt, avoiding plots, and just focusing on my martial arts training as an investigator for the Underworld Pavilion. I practice martial arts for health!”

“Are you disappointed? Because I didn’t pay attention?”

“No.”

“Maybe not paying attention is actually helping you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s say someone notices us. If I act like I don’t care at all, do you think they’d find you useful? If they mess with you, there’s a high chance they’ll only expose their own identity.”

“Ah! So you’ve thought that far ahead.”

“Of course. It’s better to keep things distant, like strangers.”

At that moment, Seo Daeryong glanced outside the inn and spoke.

“There comes our Pavilion Master’s sponsor.”

The person walking toward us was Jo Sohyeop. Seo Daeryong had mocked him endlessly after shaving his beard and buying him new clothes. 4

“Alright, then. Let’s scatter like strangers.”

Seo Daeryong quickly scampered up to the second floor.

Shortly after, Jo Sohyeop entered the inn and sat down across from me.

“The noodles here are good. Would you like some?”

At my words, Jo Sohyeop scoffed as if to say this wasn’t the time for eating noodles.

Looking at Jo Sohyeop, I couldn’t help but think that even villains need a process to mature. The difference between Jo Sohyeop, who was once the head of the Divine Dragon Family, and the current Jo Sohyeop, was as significant as the difference between shaving my beard and not shaving it.

“Should you have won that match yesterday? Or should you have just gotten beaten up?”

“I just couldn’t help it. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry won’t fix it. Lady Jin has fallen for you even more now.”

Jo Sohyeop pulled out a dagger.

“Now, the only thing left to do is to turn that handsome face of yours into a checkerboard.”

If it were the middle-aged Jo Sohyeop, instead of pulling out a dagger, he would have taken me to the place with the finest food in the area and treated me with a bright smile. He would have fed the ones he disliked with even better food, praising them all the more. Subtle and persistent, he would never show his emotions until he got what he wanted. In that case, handling him would have been as difficult as dealing with the Demon Supremes, but the current Jo Sohyeop was in the palm of my hand. 5

“If you use me instead, you might win Lady Jin’s heart. I understand women well. If I help, you can marry Lady Jin.”

I knew Jo Sohyeop was determined to marry Jin Haryeong. That’s why it would be hard for him to refuse this proposal.

“What do you know, anyway?”

“If I knew nothing, how would I have made Lady Jin fall for me?”

“So, it was all intentional?”

“Of course. Every word, every action must go according to plan. When it comes to matters between men and women, rushing doesn’t work.”

I once knew a wandering swordsman who was a notorious womanizer. During breaks, he would share his tales with everyone, and just by recounting what I’d heard from him, I could easily catch Jo Sohyeop’s interest.

“What’s your real motive for wanting to help me?”

“What motive could there be? It’s all about the money.”

“Now I see, you’re quite something.”

Until the winner emerges, I need to make sure Jo Sohyeop doesn’t stir things up. When the Heavenly Society formally approaches the winner, we’ll see how Jo Sohyeop behaves, and then we’ll know whether or not he’s connected to them.

Until then, I have to become the kind of person who swindles women for money. This way, Jo Sohyeop might divulge his secrets to me. Not because he trusts me, but because he sees me as someone he can kill once everything is over.

“Do you know why Lady Jin is avoiding Young Master Jo right now?”

“What is it?”

“Lady Jin values her freedom. But when she’s being forced into a political marriage, of course, she’ll resist. Her rejecting you and showing interest in me stems from that defiance.”

Jo Sohyeop’s expression eased slightly. It meant that her dislike wasn’t because of him.

“Did she say that?”

“Do you really need her to say it? You can tell by reading between the lines.”

“And so?”

“Right now, she’s completely focused on the Soaring Dragon Tournament. If you push for marriage at this moment, do you think it would work? You should be encouraging her to win the Soaring Dragon Tournament instead.”

Jo Sohyeop nodded, as if the idea hadn’t crossed his mind. People like Jo Sohyeop are always like that. They think only of themselves, never understanding or considering others. 6

“When Lady Jin has a match, go and congratulate her.”

“Congratulate? Should I buy her flowers or a gift?”

“If she wins the whole thing, maybe. But if she just wins at the preliminary stage, a gift might feel burdensome. Just go and congratulate her with words.”

“Then I should prepare a gift in case she wins.”

“Brilliant as always! In martial arts, in family status, and even in looks, Young Master Jo is perfect in every way. If you just choose the right approach, Lady Jin will have no reason to reject you.”

Jo Sohyeop smiled at my compliment, pleased. But I could still see the hidden murderous intent in his eyes directed at me. He was likely already imagining the moment when he would deem that I have outlived my usefulness and then kill me.

“You cunning bastard! If she ever saw your true self, she’d be horrified and run away.”

As he stood up from his seat, I added.

“Make sure to prepare the full hundred thousand nyang!”

When I disappear from the Murim Alliance like smoke, this small-time villain, the future leader of the Divine Dragon Family, will also vanish from this world.

The moment Jin Haryeong extended her hand to the attendant and suggested they become friends, she wasn’t just grasping my hand—she was grasping her new life.

* * *

Two days later, Seo Daeryong won his match in the preliminary stage of the Soaring Dragon Tournament.

However, during the match, he sustained a severe injury, getting stabbed in the shoulder by his opponent’s sword.

The overseeing martial artists quickly ran to carry him to the tent where the physician was waiting.

I ran after them as well.

As he was being carried, Seo Daeryong sent me a telepathic message.

— If I die, please tell our drinking buddies! Tell them Seo Daeryong fought bravely without any regrets!

— If you have any last words, now’s the time. Should I give your right-hand position to Jangho?

— No way!

— Then to whom? Lee Ahn?

— Absolutely not!

— Then who?

— Even if I become a ghost, I won’t give up that position.

The physician’s treatment was completed.

Fortunately, his life wasn’t in danger, but the wound was quite deep.

The Murim Alliance physician applied a gold wound salve and prescribed some medicine, recommending he rest for a while.

Back at the inn, I helped Seo Daeryong sit down.

“Sit.”

“Yes.”

I injected a strand of my inner energy into Seo Daeryong’s back. My qi slowly flowed along his meridians, soothing the injured area. The speed of recovery from his injury would be significantly different depending on whether or not I did this process.

“Thank you, I feel much better.”

“Don’t worry. From what I can tell, you were lucky to miss any major meridians, and your bones are intact.”

Seo Daeryong’s skills were originally only sufficient to get him to the preliminary stage. His narrow victory this time was the result of pouring in all his luck, talent, and effort.

However, it seemed Seo Daeryong was eager to keep going until the end.

“Do you think I can compete in the semifinals with this body?”

I knew how much he wanted to participate, so I didn’t stop him on purpose.

“Of course you should. Wrap it up tightly with bandages and go out there and win. Even if it means you can’t use one arm anymore, you still have to go out there. This is too important.”

But Seo Daeryong’s reaction was unexpected.

“Yes.”

His obedient response made me jump up in surprise.

“Yes? You’re supposed to say you can’t! Why would you risk an arm for some match? You need to stand your ground!”

“There’s something too important at stake.”

“What could be so important? What’s so crucial about the Murim Alliance’s tournament?”

“It’s not that—it’s your successor test. I need to win so you can go after them.”

I stared intently at Seo Daeryong’s face. His eyes, filled with loyalty and passion, eventually avoided mine. Got him.

“Are you trying to tug at my heartstrings and sneak your way out?” 7

“Was it that obvious?”

“Of course. It was way too much passion for someone like you. You’re the kind of guy who wouldn’t give up an arm even if the sky was falling.”

“Of course. Even if the whole Murim collapses, I can’t give up my arm. Well done, Seo Daeryong! You’re amazing, Seo Daeryong! Making it to the semifinals is more than enough! You deserve praise!”

I laughed at his banter, and Seo Daeryong laughed along, only to cry out in pain.

“Ow, ow, ow! It hurts, it hurts. Don’t make me laugh.”

“You’re the one being funny. Just rest.”

As I was about to leave the room, Seo Daeryong asked from behind me.

“Is it really impossible?”

Unlike before, his tone was serious. I could feel how much he wanted to continue in the tournament.

“No, it’s not possible.”

“I know the pavilion master’s successor test is important, but it’s also for me. I’ve learned a lot from participating in this tournament. I really want to see it through to the end.”

A brief silence followed.

“Investigator Seo, once you step onto that path, it’s hard to turn back.”

“What kind of path is that?”

“It’s the path of stepping onto the martial stage with your injured arm wrapped tightly, with blood streaming from your body, limping as you walk, even when one of your eyes can’t see.”

That had been me when I was gathering the final ingredients for the Great Regression Technique.

Having lived that kind of life, I wanted to dissuade him. Yet, knowing how much that path could make a martial artist grow, I couldn’t bring myself to stop him.

But once you cross that line and taste that world, you can’t just go back to being an investigator at the Underworld Pavilion, practicing martial arts merely for health.

“At least this time, I want to give it a try.”

“Your next opponent will be tough to beat, even if you weren’t injured.”

“Show me the way.”

“If you push yourself too hard, you might lose the use of that arm forever.”

“Then I’ll find myself a new right arm. Oh wait, for me, it’ll be the left arm.”

“You could get even more seriously injured.”

“Then I guess I’ll just take a break.”

The determination in Seo Daeryong’s eyes was no different from the determination I once had.

“Well then, you shouldn’t just be sitting there.”

Seo Daeryong leapt up from his seat.

“Your fate always changes at the inn, doesn’t it?”

“And the Pavilion Lord is always there.”

But how could it be because of me or the place? It was because of the unwavering decisions made by that small, stubborn man not to give up.

I led him out of the inn.

Seo Daeryong, burning with enthusiasm, shouted, “Alright, from now on, it’s hell training!”

As he walked briskly toward the mountain where we used to train, I spoke.

“Not that way, it’s this way.”

I turned and walked in the opposite direction.

“There’s somewhere we need to stop by first.”

The place we stopped by was the Central Plains Money Exchange. There, I withdrew five hundred thousand nyang.

“Why are you withdrawing so much money?”

“Because we’re not going to hell. Training with an injured body would only cause more harm.”

“Then where are we going?”

“Heaven.”

Seo Daeryong looked at me in surprise, and I gave him a meaningful smile.

“We’re heading to heaven. A very expensive heaven.” 8

1 : Difficult to say, Mugeuk always has quite an impact with those he interacts with. If they ever get married, the ‘meet the parents’ moment will be so funny, on both sides XDXDXD
2 : I’m sure if the Moon Walk existed in there, he would use it XDXDXD
3 : That pause, he totally shifted his eyes to the side XDXDXD
4 : As anyone should XDXDXD
5 : The ones who can betray you with a smile in a heartbeat after a lifetime of friendship are the truly dangerous ones. Also the most despicable.
6 : The mark of a true sociopath.
7 : Well done !!! I was touched for a sec XDXDXD
8 : Like the Egyptians, who took all their material possessions in the afterlife.