Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
========================
< Chapter 163: A Pea Pod with One More Layer >

Geom Yeom entered the main hall.

He had shaved his beard cleanly and neatly arranged his hair, wearing a splendid new martial robe and gown. With every step he took, all eyes were drawn to him.

It wasn’t just because he was handsome. There was a peculiar aura about him that attracted people. It was the calm presence sensed only in those who had approached the pinnacle of martial arts and a unique, noble air that no one else could imitate.

Jin Haryeong did not recognize Geom Yeom. What struck her in the moment she saw him was pure admiration.

‘He looks amazing!’

He really did. If someone had asked her what kind of person she liked, she would have answered just like that. Just like him. 1

But she wasn’t the only one who thought so. Women were staring at Geom Yeom, captivated. Not just the women; even the men couldn’t take their eyes off him.

“Who is he?”

“I don’t know either. Who could he be?”

“He’s a swordsman I’ve never seen before.”

“He’s so handsome!”

These comments were openly exchanged here and there.

Geom Yeom, drawing everyone’s attention, walked over to where Jin Haryeong and Jo Sohyeop were standing.

‘Why is he coming to us? Oh, is he someone Jo Sohyeop knows?’

As she was thinking this, Geom Yeom greeted her first.

“You’ve come too, Miss Jin.”

Jin Haryeong was startled.

‘He knows me? Who is he, acting familiar?’

The voice sounded familiar. Yet, even after hearing the voice, she couldn’t recognize him. The difference between the Geom Yeom she had seen before and the one now was that stark.

“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me?”

Even at this moment, she didn’t recognize him. Even though the voice was similar, she could only think he was a different person, not the same one.

“Who are you?”

“Didn’t you tell me to let you know if someone was bothering me? How are you going to help me like this? At this rate, you won’t even recognize me and join in with the bullying.”

Jin Haryeong’s eyes widened at once. Those were her exact words. If anyone bothers you, tell me. After all, the Murim Alliance Leader’s granddaughter is your friend.

“No way! You!”

“That’s right. It’s me.”

Jin Haryeong screamed unintentionally.

“I’m not sure if this situation warrants a scream, but yes, it’s me, Geom Yeon.”

Despite his new clothes and his uncharacteristic shaved face, he still had his clear and deep gaze. It was indeed Geom Yeon.

A shiver ran through her body. Her hair stood on end all over.

It was already nerve-wracking to have such a handsome man so close, but to find out this man was none other than Geom Yeon, the attendant?

With a trembling voice, she asked, “Is it really you? How did this happen?”

“I shaved my beard, tidied my hair, and bought new clothes.”

Jo Sohyeop, who was standing next to her, was just as flustered.

He was so shocked and bewildered that he couldn’t react at all. He just blinked his eyes and stood there in a daze.

Initially, he didn’t recognize Geom Yeom either. Jo Sohyeop, who took great pride in his appearance, felt an instant aversion whenever he saw a man more handsome than himself.

So from the moment Geom Yeom made his entrance, Jo Sohyeop had already been in a foul mood.

It was bad enough that someone more handsome than him was attending the banquet, but when Geom Yeom walked towards him and Jin Haryeong, it set Jo Sohyeop’s nerves on edge. What the hell, why is this guy coming over here?

‘Wait, what? This guy is that guy? That scruffy attendant is this guy? No way! That’s impossible!’

Jo Sohyeop almost shouted and cursed on the spot.

‘That jerk was this handsome?’

If this was the case, his whole plan was completely derailed. His intention was to strip away the mystery and reveal plainness, but instead, true mystique had emerged. What infuriated him even more was the fact that he had inadvertently financed this transformation.

Geom Yeom greeted Jo Sohyeop, who stood behind him.

“Young Master Jo here gave me the money to buy these clothes.”

Jin Haryeong looked at Jo Sohyeop with a surprised expression.

“Is that true?”

“Uh, yes, it is.”

Jin Haryeong misunderstood the situation.

“Oh, you really intended to apologize, huh? To be honest, I didn’t believe you. I’m sorry.”

“No, no.”

Jo Sohyeop was truly at a loss, unable to either laugh or cry.

He sent a telepathic message directly to Geom Yeom.

—You bastard! Get out of here! Get lost right now!

He meant for Geom Yeom to leave the banquet, but Geom Yeom intentionally interpreted it as an instruction to move away from them, so he walked over to the table where the late-stage martial artists were gathered.

“Oh! There are so many expensive and exquisite dishes here. May I eat as much as I want? Ah, there’s wine here too. It smells wonderful.”

Everyone watched his every move. Geom Yeom didn’t feel pressured at all by the attention. He ate the food with relish and drank the wine. It was as if he were the protagonist of the event, moving naturally and confidently. 2

Jin Haryeong, as if bewitched, approached him. Damn it, Jo Sohyeop thought as he followed her.

“You really seem like a different person.”

“It’s because I usually look so unkempt.”

“Why didn’t you always dress like this?”

“What reason would an attendant have to dress up?”

Seeing the sparkle in Jin Haryeong’s eyes as she looked at Geom Yeom, Jo Sohyeop’s heart grew urgent.

‘This is wrong. This isn’t right!’

Somehow, Jo Sohyeop needed to change the situation. He had intended to peel off the infatuation, but instead, it was being reinforced even more strongly.

Jo Sohyeop sent a nervous telepathic message to Geom Yeom.

—You bastard! Why did you come dressed up looking so damn good!

Geom Yeom glanced at him dismissively. His expression clearly said, “You’re the one who told me to dress up like this”, leaving Jo Sohyeop with no grounds to argue.

Besides, it wasn’t as if Geom Yeom had gone out of his way to dress up. He had simply shaved, tidied his hair, and put on new clothes. Yet, even with just those small changes, Geom Yeom radiated a captivating aura.

Jo Sohyeop had to bring Geom Yeom down somehow.

“You really dressed up to impress Miss Jin, huh?”

“Yes, I did put in some effort to look nice.”

Jin Haryeong’s cheeks flushed slightly, as if she took it to mean that he had dressed up for her.

Watching this, Jo Sohyeop grew even more exasperated.

‘Damn it! This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.’

He wanted Geom Yeom to look awkward as if he had dressed up forcibly. But Geom Yeom naturally looked like someone to whom such refined clothing was well-suited.

Moreover, his demeanor openly conveyed, ‘I dressed up for the banquet’, without a hint of embarrassment, which only made him seem more confident.

“It’s quite a coincidence that your martial robes match in color with Miss Jin’s.”

“Yes, it is.”

Unable to stand the sight any longer, Jo Sohyeop sent a telepathic message to one of his men to approach Jin Haryeong and strike up a conversation.

While she was momentarily engaged in greeting the man, Jo Sohyeop dragged Geom Yeom to a corner.

“You crazy bastard! Do you want to die?”

“What’s the matter?”

“Do you want to break Miss Jin’s infatuation and earn one hundred thousand nyang, or lose it all and die by my hands? It’s up to you.”

“So what should I do?”

“You need to do things that would make a woman lose interest in you. Brag, pick fights with others, act drunk and make a scene! Got it?”

Jo Sohyeop never thought such words would come out of his own mouth. Had he ever tried to bring someone down in such a disgraceful way? He would’ve rather killed someone outright than resort to this.

But he was desperate. He needed to humiliate Geom Yeom before Jin Haryeong’s new infatuation took hold. The frustration was making his blood boil.

“Then give me the money first.” 3

“What?”

“Give me fifty thousand nyang now, and the remaining fifty thousand once I’m done.”

“You bastard! Do you want to die?”

Jo Sohyeop raised his hand, ready to strike, but Geom Yeom didn’t flinch.

“That’s how deals work. I need to make a living too.”

“You worthless, conniving piece of trash!”

Just then, Jin Haryeong began walking towards them. Jo Sohyeop lowered his raised hand and pretended to adjust Geom Yeom’s clothing.

“Our attendant really looks like a completely different person now.”

Geom Yeom responded, “As I mentioned earlier, it’s all thanks to you, Young Master.”

“To be honest, I gave you that money for Miss Jin’s sake.”

“You are truly generous and admirable.”

Geom Yeom didn’t hold back on his praise for Jo Sohyeop.

However, Jo Sohyeop felt uneasy, as if he had opened something that should have remained closed.

But he couldn’t back down now.

Jo Sohyeop changed the subject.

“This time, our family is planning a major investment in the Murim Alliance.”

When Jo Sohyeop began talking about business, Geom Yeom discreetly stepped aside.

Jo Sohyeop went on boasting about his family and wealth, but Jin Haryeong’s gaze kept drifting toward Geom Yeom, who was conversing with other late-stage martial artists. Particularly, when one of the female martial artists listening to Geom Yeom laughed joyously, Jin Haryeong clenched her fist tightly. 4

How could Jo Sohyeop not know what was on her mind?

Even though Jo Sohyeop had stopped talking, Jin Haryeong continued to look in Geom Yeom’s direction.

Jo Sohyeop’s expression hardened.

Jin Haryeong suddenly felt a chill and turned her head. Jo Sohyeop was silently glaring at Geom Yeom. The snake that had once disappeared from her mind resurfaced.

“It’s such a waste for someone like him to be a servant, don’t you think?”

“What can you do about one’s fate?”

Her reply was tinged with regret. Jo Sohyeop was truly infuriated.

‘Damn girl! How dare you ignore me like this?’

A surge of misplaced anger welled up within him.

Jo Sohyeop sent another telepathic message to the late-stage martial artist he had previously instructed to engage Jin Haryeong in conversation.

—Challenge that bastard to a sparring match. Beat the crap out of him without holding back.

The martial artist who received the message was Ho Young.

Ho Young was ambitious, seeking Jo Sohyeop’s favor to elevate his family. So he didn’t hesitate to accept the command.

Ho Young approached Geom Yeom and asked, “I see you’re wearing a sword. Have you trained in martial arts?”

“Yes, a bit.”

“How did an attendant learn martial arts?”

“It’s because my master is a great person.”

“How about showing me some of that martial arts your esteemed master taught you?”

Everyone around expressed curious looks.

When Jin Haryeong tried to intervene, Jo Sohyeop spoke to her.

“Aren’t you curious, Miss Jin? About what martial arts this attendant knows and how much he’s learned?”

Of course, Jin Haryeong was curious, but more than that, she was worried.

“Even so, he’s probably not on the level to compete with late-stage martial artists.”

“Master Ho is from a prestigious family, so he won’t seriously injure an attendant.”

At that moment, Geom Yeom spoke to Ho Young.

“If we use swords, someone might get hurt, so let’s spar with bare-handed techniques.”

“Fine by me.”

Ho Young was inwardly baffled. He hadn’t expected Geom Yeom to so readily agree to the fight.

‘I’ll make sure to break something.’

If he pretended it was an accident and broke an arm or a leg, Jo Sohyeop would be more than satisfied.

“Please go easy on me.”

“All right. In my lifetime, I get to spar with an attendant. Truly a splendid day.”

Ho Young was careless. To him, showing any signs of nervousness would have been an embarrassment.

When Ho Young threw a punch, Geom Yeom dodged it—not just lightly but narrowly, almost stumbling in the process. Laughter erupted from various onlookers.

Ho Young’s fist flew again, and once more, Geom Yeom evaded by rolling on the ground. As Ho Young pursued him like a hunter cornering prey, he looked around and chuckled. 5

“This is too boring…”

“Watch out!”

At the shout from someone, Ho Young turned his head.

Thwack!

Ho Young was sent flying by Geom Yeom’s punch. He had let his guard down and took a solid hit. To make matters worse, he fell against a table, smashing it, and the food from the table splattered all over Jo Sohyeop’s clothes.

Already fuming, Jo Sohyeop couldn’t contain himself and exploded in anger.

“Damn it!”

Meanwhile, Geom Yeom rushed over to check on the fallen Ho Young.

“Luckily, he’s not seriously hurt.”

Geom Yeom checked his opponent’s injuries first, contrasting sharply with Jo Sohyeop, who was cursing over the food on his clothes. Jo Sohyeop felt embarrassed as the onlookers’ silent stares were full of disdain. 6

But what infuriated him even more was that Jin Haryeong wasn’t paying him any attention; she was focused solely on Geom Yeom.

“My apologies, I got carried away and…”

Geom Yeom apologized to the late-stage martial artists who were watching.

Jin Haryeong stepped forward and spoke on their behalf.

“There’s no need to apologize. The fault lies with the one who didn’t stay focused during the sparring.”

Everyone nodded at Jin Haryeong’s words. At least in this sparring match, Ho Young had let his guard down, so Geom Yeom couldn’t be blamed for the sudden strike.

Jin Haryeong bid farewell to Jo Sohyeop.

“Well then, I’ll be leaving now. Come along, you too.”

Jin Haryeong left the banquet hall with Geom Yeom. From behind them came the sound of something crashing and shattering. Though she didn’t know what had broken, it was clear who had caused it.

Geom Yeom and Jin Haryeong walked together along the moonlit path back.

Once again, she found herself worrying about Geom Yeom.

“This whole situation has made things even more dangerous for you.”

Then, Geom Yeom suddenly spoke up.

“Hey, friend.”

Jin Haryeong was startled.

“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t we agree to be friends?”

“No, you’re right.”

“Friend. You are the granddaughter of the Murim Alliance Leader, the most beautiful woman in Hubei, and the leading contender for the Soaring Dragon Tournament. You’re at your best when you’re poised and elegant. This constant worrying about others doesn’t suit you.”

After a brief pause, Jin Haryeong responded.

“Then can I trust you? Can you promise that you won’t end up being defeated by some guy like that and die miserably, leaving me with lifelong guilt?”

“I can.”

“Really? How can I trust that?”

“Because we’re friends. Trust what your friend says.”

“You said I look good when I’m dignified and graceful, but I’m not really that kind of woman. I’m someone with a lot of thoughts, a lot of worries, and a lot of regrets. I don’t like meeting people, and so I don’t really know how to brush off hurt. So don’t startle me later, okay?”

“Alright, I won’t.”

As unreasonable as it seemed, she found herself believing Geom Yeom’s words. There was no solid reason for her belief, but she trusted him.

This time, Geom Yeom spoke.

“In return, I need you to make me one promise too.”

“What kind of promise?”

“If anything strange or incomprehensible happens in your life from now on, you must come find me and tell me about it.”

It wasn’t just about the current situation with the Heavenly Society. It was also about when the signs of that future event—one that would eventually strike the Murim Alliance—began to appear.

“In my life, moments like that…”

No matter how hard she thought about it,

“They’re happening right now.”

Geom Yeom smiled faintly and said, “Right, if something strange and incomprehensible happens, just like now, be sure to let me know. Well, let’s head back.”

Jin Haryeong silently watched Geom Yeom as he walked ahead. Suddenly, she had a thought. Maybe, as he had suggested, instead of needlessly worrying, she could start embracing the poised and elegant image of the most beautiful woman in Hubei.

From up ahead, Geom Yeom waited for her, asking if she wasn’t coming, and she began to walk toward him.

1 : I wonder if it’ll be a harem…. I’m still shipping Lee Ahn, but it could help both factions to stop their hostilities. Ruler of the Land is still the best for that ^^
2 : When you’re at a feast, it’s mandatory to eat as much as possible and not hesitate to bring back all the food you can carry. It might be uncivilized, but it reduces your expenses and can nourish beggars so who cares ?
3 : Hahahaha, knew it ^^ He will only be able to take half of it, but free money is always nice ^^
4 : Aaah youth. I never experienced love by the way. I tried once, but it was more curiosity than a real emotion, the need to understand what so many people found so critical in their lives. It just became a page in my dark history, so I’ll stop talking about it.
5 : Oooh, a Lazy Donkey !!! Pretty much the most frowned upon move among orthodoxes since they consider it a cowardly move. Unorthodoxes prefer to be called an alive coward than a courageous dead, and most of the demonics are too focused on attack to dodge. With that said, it takes a true master to act like a noob.
6 : He can be pretty devious someti… all the time, huh ? ^^