Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor : TheBattleSage
Editor Notes/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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< Chapter 14: These Days, The Knowledgeable Ones Are Braver >

There were those blocking our way even in front of the office of the Demonic Army Commander.

“No one is allowed to meet him without an appointment.”

“We’re here for an official investigation. Step aside.”

“That’s not possible.”

Not wanting to see Seo Daeryong’s ongoing tussle with the Demonic Army members any longer, I took the order he was holding and showed it to the Demonic Army.

“Do you see the emblem engraved on this order?”

Since it was an official document, the symbol of the Heavenly Demon was embossed on the background.

“Blocking this order isn’t just blocking us; it’s blocking the Lord.”

At the mention of the Heavenly Demon, the Demonic Army flinched. I was probably the first person to show the background of an official document and mention the Heavenly Demon.

“You can take us lightly, but not this. Right? Or are you going to take the Lord lightly as well? Should I report it that way?”

“No, of course not!”

“Absolutely not.”

At that moment, a voice was heard from inside.

“Let them in.”

The Demonic Army, relieved, opened the door.

Seo Daeryong must have realized that this was how he should have handled the gatekeepers earlier. It might have been hard for him to mention my father, but he needed to understand that the authority of the Heavenly Demon exists for situations like this.

“Come in, sir.”

Demonic Army Commander Gu Cheonyang was an individual of ordinary build but possessed an overwhelming aura that could intimidate even the largest of Demonic Army.

However, he was still overshadowed by his elder brother, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. They had similar faces and eyes, but the ardent yet cold flames I saw in the eyes of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon were absent in Gu Cheonyang’s.

“It’s harder to meet you than to meet my father.”

“It seems my men have been rude. They’re inherently ignorant, so I hope you can understand.”

“They all came rushing out and picked a fight. They seem to have no work to do. Perhaps you should make them read some books.”

“Isn’t ignorance a form of bravery?”

“That’s an old saying. These days, the knowledgeable ones are braver. They plan better strategies and know exactly what needs to be done.”

“It seems I’ve grown old and out of touch with the times.”

Even as we exchanged brief words, we were engaged in a battle of wills. The Demonic Army Commander, seasoned by the internal politics of the Cult, responded to my words without any emotional disturbance.

“But why have you taken charge of this investigation, sir?”

“It seems my father wants to punish me.”

“Punish you?”

“I made a mistake during a hunting trip.”

“Ah!”

The Demonic Army Commander now wore a look of understanding. Upon hearing that I had been sent as an investigator, he must have speculated about all kinds of hidden motives.

“So, why did this investigation of the Underworld Pavilion begin? Was there another anonymous letter, like before?”

Although he pretended not to care, the Demonic Army Commander would be nervous inside. Any other organization could be overlooked, but the Underworld Pavilion was not a place that could be brushed off lightly. If a crime was revealed, the Underworld Pavilion was known for carrying out the punishment according to the established laws.

“I cannot disclose details related to the investigation.”

“Can’t you at least tell me that much?”

To use the phrase “between us” so naturally—indeed, it takes this level of brazenness to be at the center of the faction fights within the Cult.

“I’ll be honest with you then, Lord. Yes, an anonymous letter has been received.”

“Just as I thought.”

As I spoke honestly, Seo Daeryong, who was sitting next to me, looked at me. His eyes said, ‘Are you really telling him everything?’ My eyes responded, ‘It’s fine, we can tell him everything.’

Exchanging these glances made the Demonic Army Commander’s lips curl up. In his eyes, such actions would seem amateurish, which actually worked to my advantage.

“When an anonymous letter is received, the Underworld Pavilion must dispatch an investigator unconditionally. I only found out about this recently.”

The Demonic Army Commander naturally claimed his innocence.

“When you lead rough and ignorant people like the Demonic Army, you are bound to suffer all kinds of slander.”

“I thought such things wouldn’t happen. Isn’t slandering a task that requires some cleverness? As you said, would ignorant people even think of sending an anonymous letter?”

“Ignorant people are unusually ambitious. Even you should be careful. When ignorance and ambition combine, things that should never happen can indeed happen.”

Despite the subtle threat, I didn’t lose my smile.

“I’ll complete the investigation as quickly as possible, so please bear with any inconvenience.”

Demonic Army Commander’s slightly tense expression relaxed.

“Inconvenience? Are we such people? That’s disappointing.”

“Isn’t it well-known that Lord Blood Heaven Blade Demon supports my older brother?”

“That’s true, but your brother is your brother, and I am me. I support you, Second Young Master.”

At this blatant lie, I gave a broad smile.

“Haha. Just hearing that is reassuring. Now, please bear with us for just a few more days.”

“When you leave, they will provide you with a place to stay.”

As I stood up to leave, the Demonic Army Commander added an afterthought.

“Be careful. I really say this out of concern for you.”

“Like the last time when an investigator was murdered?”

“Would the Lord of our Cult send you here to die? I am concerned about you.”

“Haha, just hearing that is reassuring. Well then, I will take my leave.”

I left the office with Seo Daeryong. Judging by the heat on the back of my head, his expression must have been quite rigid.

‘Then you’d better be careful. Since Father sent me, it seems like either you or I are supposed to die.’

* * *

Strategist Advisor Sima Myung was watching Heavenly Demon Geom Woojin as he tended to his sword.

“It’s been a while since you brought out the Black Demon Sword.”

One of the four great swords of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was this Black Demon Sword.

The best sword was the Heavenly Demon Sword that the Heavenly Demon personally carried at all times, followed by this Black Demon Sword. The third was the Evil Spirit Sword, and the last was the White Flower Sword.

Each sword had its unique properties: the Black Demon Sword was rough and destructive, the Evil Spirit Sword exuded a dark and malevolent aura, and the White Flower Sword had a gentle and noble nature.

“Did you bring it out to give it to this young master?”

For a moment, Geom Woojin’s hand paused before resuming.

“If he’s fortunate, he’ll take it.”

Sima Myung could guess that if this young master handled the current situation well, the sword would be given to him as a gift.

“It will not be easy for the Second Young Master to face the Demonic Army Commander.”

Sima Myung couldn’t understand the leader’s decision this time. Although Geom Mugeuk had recently shown unexpected actions, he didn’t think it was enough to face the Demonic Army.

“Reports have already come in about clashes with the Demonic Army. Perhaps him passing through Heavenly Cave might turn out to be a poison instead.”

That confidence might actually cause him to fail. He was still young. Too young to face the seasoned and cunning Demonic Army Commander. Therefore, Sima Myung was sure that this Black Demon Sword would end up back in the depths of the treasure vault.

“I should have handled this matter personally.”

This became clear through the recent incident where the investigator from Underworld Pavilion was murdered.

It indicated that the Demonic Army Commander had either recruited the head of Underworld Pavilion or found his weakness. The head of Underworld Pavilion had covered up the death of his subordinate without proper re-investigation. Hence, instead of leaving it to the Underworld Pavilion, Sima Myung intended to resolve it through his own Heavenly Communication Pavilion.

Then Geom Woojin said something unexpected.

“That guy said we have lost our Demonic Path.”

For a moment, Sima Myung was startled. Those words were an insult not only to the Heavenly Demon but also to Sima Myung, who was in charge of the Cult’s general affairs.

Sima Myung felt more anxiety than displeasure.

“Is that why you sent him?”

This statement was effectively the same as saying, “So, are you planning to kill him?” Since Sima Myung had not yet directly experienced or felt the change in Geom Woojin, this thought was natural.

“If you talk that big, you need to show it through your actions.”

This phrase sounded to Sima Myung like:

“If you act arrogant, you need to take responsibility for it.”

Sima Myung remained silent for a moment, watching Geom Woojin carefully clean his sword. Even though he had sent his blood relatives to their deaths, Geom Woojin did not show a hint of disturbance.

“So, the lost Demonic Path… are you planning to retrieve it yourself?”

“It seems so.”

“If it’s based on the recent actions of the Second Young Master, it’s worth looking forward to.”

Geom Woojin focused solely on cleaning his sword without speaking. Sima Myung, who had been standing and watching, then took his leave.

“Well, I have matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave now.”

After a polite bow, Sima Myung exited the room. As he walked across the red carpet, he glanced back.

Although Geom Woojin seemed uninterested in the life or death of Geom Mugeuk, the way he meticulously cleaned his sword was more dedicated than ever.

‘Could it be? Does he believe that the young master can deal with the Demonic Army Commander?’

Even though he usually did not easily reveal his thoughts, it was even harder this time to understand what the cult leader was thinking.

Sima Myung resumed walking.

When he reached the end of the red carpet, Sima Myung came to a conclusion.

Indeed… the Black Demon Sword would return to the treasure vault.

* * *

In the room guided by the Demonic Army, we wore expressions of disbelief.

“This is too much.”

The room they provided us had not been cleaned at all. Dust covered everywhere, and there were even cobwebs on the ceiling.

“This is incomprehensible. Even if the Demonic Army Commander follows the First Young Master, you personally came here.”

“In their eyes, I’m someone destined to disappear from the succession battle. What does it mean to be pushed out in a succession battle? It means death, doesn’t it? And that’s not all. Anyone who gets close to me risks being purged along with me.”

I pointed at Seo Daeryong with my finger and then slid my hand across my neck. If you got close to me, you would be eliminated too, but Seo Daeryong didn’t seem to mind much.

“Even so… considering the cult leader, they shouldn’t treat you like this.”

“Of course, I know. Father doesn’t care about these things. In fact, he watches with interest, doesn’t he? And this room is probably not Demonic Army Commander’s doing but rather Godang’s orders.”

“The petty guy harbors quite a grudge…”

“He’s only shortening his own life. Don’t forget my prophecy.”

“Anyway, I’ll do some cleaning. Please step outside.”

“Let’s do it together.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“Why can’t I?”

Together with Seo Daeryong, we cleaned the place thoroughly. He looked at me several times, seemingly puzzled that I was cleaning myself. If he knew how hard my life had been before my regression, he’d realize this kind of cleaning was nothing to me.

After we finished cleaning, Seo Daeryong fetched clean bedding.

“Are you really going to sleep here?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

“We need to find out who sent the letter. Staying here increases our chances of catching them.”

“Then I’ll stay. You should go back to your quarters and rest.”

“If you sleep alone, some perverted guy might sneak in at night. What if a pervert who goes crazy over small-built men, breaks in?”

I said it as a joke, but Seo Daeryong took it seriously.

“Let’s sleep together.”

“What if I’m that pervert?”

“Then I’ll reveal my hidden feelings too.”

The dull guy’s joke made it feel like a cold wind blew between us.

“Anyway I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

As we stepped out of the room and the building, we found Godang waiting at the entrance. His broken hand was heavily bandaged.

I pretended not to notice and greeted him cheerfully.

“Leader Go, have you eaten? If not, let’s eat together. Oh, you hurt your hand. How could this ever happen to such a great guy like you?”

Godang glared at me like an angry beast. Even a mortal enemy wouldn’t look this terrifying. Originally, he probably intended to issue a cold warning, but my annoying response seemed to make him so angry that his face turned red.

“Second Young Master, I won’t forget your cowardly actions.”

He thought his hand was broken because I ambushed him. If he didn’t realize that the outcome would have been the same even without the ambush, all his future schemes against me would be a precarious tightrope walk over death.

“What are you talking about?”

Feigning ignorance, I firmly denied it, and he ground his teeth.

“Some people are under the delusion that noble status means a knife won’t reach their stomach.”

“Can you even hold a knife with that hand?”

“Let’s see if the knife falls or if your guts spill out.”

Despite the harsh threat, I waved at him with a smile, and he stormed off, seething with anger.

“Aren’t you provoking him too much?”

“He’s the one who provoked me.”

“Sorry?”

“He waited to threaten me, and he’s the one who said he’d stab me in the stomach, right?”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

“He’s a villain, and we tend to find reasons to understand such people. But I think that’s foolish. Why should we understand villains? We should hold them to a stricter standard, much harsher than ordinary people. Instead of bowing his head, this villain wants to die so badly he can hardly stand it.”

Seo Daeryong nodded vigorously, fully agreeing.

“Since we’ve seen such an unsavory character, let’s treat ourselves to the most expensive and delicious meal.”

“Yes.”

“You should show some excitement when I’m willing to spend money!”

“Sorry. I don’t enjoy eating that much.”

“What do you even enjoy then? Go eat some noodles.”

“Yes.”

Seo Daeryong indeed had a small appetite. Seeing him leave half of that expensive dish made me decide that next time, I’d really just buy him noodles. Not like his food was wasted anyways since it still ended up in my stomach.

When we returned after our meal, we stared blankly at the bed for a moment. On it lay two dead crows.

Seo Daeryong, already looking gloomy, seemed even more downcast.

“I’ll get new bedding.”

“Before that, grab those and follow me.”

“Why?”

I stepped out of the room briskly and replied,

“Because we need dead crows more than live ones.”