Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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< Chapter 171: Desire is Like Clothing >

I entrusted this situation entirely to Seo Daeryong.

Seo Daeryong, without showing any signs of intimidation, looked towards the curtain and spoke.

“I want to make a lot of money and gain fame. And I want that path to be easy. I want to walk a path where I don’t have to limp or bleed. I’ll do anything if I can take that path.”

A smile formed on my lips as I bowed my head, kneeling in the back. What Seo Daeryong had just said was the absolute opposite of what he had told me. Even in this situation, he showed his wit.

The reaction from behind the curtain wasn’t bad.

“Honest words.”

Seo Daeryong had successfully passed the first question. Now, the gaze behind the curtain turned to me.

“You want to make this attendant your right-hand man?”

“He’s quick-witted and has an outstanding appearance, so I’m sure he’ll be useful.”

Jo Ryongjang asked me.

“What would you do if your master’s orders conflicted with mine?”

“I follow only my young master’s will. This fact won’t change even if the leader of the Murim Alliance arrives.”

“Such great loyalty.”

Although he said that, Jo Ryongjang was smirking behind the curtain. It was clear that he didn’t trust people’s loyalty—or people in general. To him, even Seo Daeryong would seem laughable, let alone an attendant. His interest in me went only that far.

Jo Ryongjang asked Seo Daeryong again.

“What if I asked you to kill someone?”

Seo Daeryong, startled, cautiously answered.

“It would depend on who they are. If it’s someone who deserves to die, I could kill them.”

“What if I told you to kill someone you don’t even know?”

Seo Daeryong hesitated before answering.

“I would kill them! Just leave it to me!”

A brief silence followed.

Soon, Jo Ryongjang laughed loudly from behind the curtain.

“I was joking, just joking. My friend, we’re not from the Demon Cult to be committing such wicked acts, are we?”

Seo Daeryong tried to hide his embarrassment, showing a conflicted expression, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

“You, too, know it was a joke. Could someone like you, the champion of the Soaring Dragon Tournament, commit such heinous deeds?”

“That’s right. I was joking, too.”

Seo Daeryong answered awkwardly, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. He was playing his role really well. To anyone watching, he would seem like a young, ambitious bumpkin from the countryside, desperate for success. Bringing even an attendant to a place like this and proposing to make him his right-hand man—he surely looked like a genuinely naive countryman.

“Desire is like clothing. If you try to wear something that doesn’t fit, the clothes tear, or you end up looking ridiculous.”

It sounded like a lesson to have ambitions that match your station. At that, Seo Daeryong lifted his head and abruptly asked.

“Then, what kind of clothes are you wearing, sir?”

It was a bold and cheeky question, asking what his ambitions were.

Well done, Daeryong. To figure out who your opponent is, you have to keep prodding.

“If you don’t give me such unpleasant tasks, what benefit do you gain from helping me? Even though I’m a country bumpkin, I know one thing: the world never offers favors without a reason.”

Jo Ryongjang, behind the curtain, didn’t show any discomfort. Instead, a pleasant laugh flowed out, suggesting that he rather liked Seo Daeryong’s attitude. He probably thought it would be easier to use someone like this.

Though I kept my head down, I had released my energy to sense Jo Ryongjang’s emotions. Seo Daeryong was the one dealing with him directly, but the real fight was mine.

“It’s an investment for the future. A great tree starts as a sapling, doesn’t it?”

“Ah! I failed to realize your grand vision, sir. My apologies.”

Daeryong, you don’t need to apologize. From my experience, most villains don’t invest long-term in people weaker than themselves. They use them and discard them, over and over. To them, subordinates are always just expendable tools.

If they ever invest in saplings, it’s to use those trees as windbreaks so that they themselves can grow into mighty trees.

The reason they’re investing in Seo Daeryong is the same. It’s because there’s something they want him to do, whether it’s killing someone or stealing secrets from the Murim Alliance. They’ll want to get back as much as they’ve pushed, if not more. That’s how deals work for villains.

This is what I need to confirm.

Are you the leader of the Heavenly Society? Or have you been roped in as well?

Jo Ryongjang said to Seo Daeryong.

“I like your honest demeanor. Grow into a great tree that will support the righteous Murim.” 1

“Thank you.”

With that conversation concluded, we left the room.

As we walked out the main gate, Seo Daeryong spoke in a dejected tone to So-ok.

“I think I made a mistake with my answers.”

Seo Daeryong, with a regretful expression, asked her.

“Did you also get asked that question, Team Leader So? About whether you could kill someone you didn’t know?”

“Yes, I did.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I couldn’t do it.”

“Ah! I should have answered like that, too. I must have been blinded by my desire to make a good impression.”

I subtly interjected into the conversation and asked So-ok.

“Do they really not make you do those things?”

So-ok stopped walking and glared at me.

Since the moment we met, she hadn’t shown the slightest interest in me. A typical woman would usually show some interest when looking at me, but So-ok showed none at all.

I know what kind of people women like her are. They are those who only chase after their own goals. Her complete lack of interest in me, yet her kind treatment towards Seo Daeryong, clearly showed how big her ambitions were. She was trying to wear clothes that were far too big for her.

“Of course not. What are you talking about?”

Her cold response seemed like she was angry that a mere attendant would dare to ask such a question. But I could feel it. The sudden sharpness in her reaction hinted at a different kind of guilt.

‘She’s done it.’

It was clear that she had killed someone under Jo Ryongjang’s orders.

“I apologize. I was just suddenly curious.”

I quickly bowed my head and stepped back.

Seo Daeryong stepped in to scold me.

“Don’t speak out of turn!”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, we parted ways with her at the manor’s front gate.

“Thank you so much for introducing us to the esteemed elder. I will surely repay this kindness.”

“No need to thank me. We should stick together, at least among ourselves.”

So-ok gave Seo Daeryong a bright smile, then glared at me coldly before walking away.

Once she was gone, Seo Daeryong said to me.

“I wish all the women in the world would treat me and our lord like she does.”

“That’s a bit harsh on me, isn’t it?”

“I’ve lived my whole life like that.”

Seo Daeryong lowered his head and kept walking.

“Is this part of the act too?”

“This is my reality.”

“Your reality will change, now that you’ve changed.”

Seo Daeryong stopped and looked back at me. Seeing the hope on his face, I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘But women still like good-looking men.’ Instead, I nodded vigorously.

Seo Daeryong, looking much brighter, asked.

“Did you find out anything from this meeting?”

We had made significant progress by uncovering that Jo Ryongjang, Jo Sohyeop’s father, was behind everything.

Seo Daeryong had also noticed something.

“So Team Leader So is probably up to something bad under that guy, right?”

When I nodded, Seo Daeryong exploded in anger. His rage was directed at both So-ok and Jo Ryongjang.

“Damn it! How far do they think they can go with such dirty deeds? Taking advantage of desperate people with no money! My lord, we can’t just leave them be.”

Was Seo Daeryong the only one who was angry? I was just holding back to make sure I uproot everything completely. If not for that, the Master of the True Dragon Manor wouldn’t have walked out of that manor alive.

“But in that process, So-ok will have to pay a price too.”

“Of course, she has to.”

Seo Daeryong let out a sorrowful sigh. Maybe he felt some kind of kinship with her. He might have thought that both he, who jumped into our cult without money or background, and she, who leaped into the Murim Alliance, were of the same mind in the end.

“I’m going to send a messenger pigeon to the Heavenly Communication Pavilion, so head back first.”

“Are you going to call the Demon Supremes?”

“I’m just going to report the current situation.”

Although I had permission to receive more of their help, this was still the successor’s test. It was best to handle this matter with my own hands. As much as I wanted to see the Demon Supremes, I held back. 2

“I plan to handle this matter with the Leader of the Murim Alliance.”

Forming a deep connection with him was essential for the future.

After sending Seo Daeryong ahead, I spoke into the air.

“You must have heard the voice of the person behind the curtain.”

The martial artist in hiding wouldn’t have seen beyond the curtain, but he surely heard Jo Ryongjang’s voice.

“There’s no need to second-guess. It’s the person you’re thinking of. This is urgent, so arrange a meeting with the Leader immediately.”

* * *

A carriage was parked in a narrow alleyway.

As I boarded the carriage, the Leader of the Murim Alliance, Jin Paecheon, was already inside.

“You’ve probably been informed by your subordinates that we met with the person trying to recruit the winner of the Soaring Dragon Tournament.”

“I’ve heard.”

From that point, I continued the conversation through sound transmission.

—I’m sure your subordinates have given you the gist, so let me get straight to the point. He was the Master of the True Dragon Manor.

—The True Dragon Manor has been one of the prestigious sects representing the orthodox Murim for generations. There’s no way they’d have been roped in by something like the Heavenly Society. 3

—I verified it myself.

—There was a curtain, wasn’t there?

—I could see through that curtain. It was definitely him.

The Leader of the Murim Alliance still gave me a doubtful look. Since it was the family he was even considering a marriage alliance with Jin Haryeong, it was understandably hard for him to believe. If anything, he’d rather suspect me than doubt the Master of the True Dragon Manor.

—That’s not all. His son, Jo Sohyeop, might also have been recruited by the Heavenly Society. And he doesn’t know that his father is allied with the Heavenly Society.

The leader’s shock grew even more.

—Are you saying that the Heavenly Society recruited them separately?

—I believe so. Or, it could be that the father recruited his son without revealing his own identity.

If that was true, then the leader of the Heavenly Society was truly a formidable character, recruiting father and son separately to use them in different ways.

Even if Jo Ryongjang was the leader of the Heavenly Society, it was the same. He would have hidden his identity even from his own child while recruiting him.

—Since we’re dealing with such a madman, you can’t trust anyone until this is completely resolved.

The Leader of the Murim Alliance scowled. Hearing such words from the Second Young Master of the Demon Cult must have been truly frustrating.

—If it were anyone else, I would have handled it discreetly. But since we’re dealing with someone tied to marriage negotiations with you, I had to tell you this.

—Why are you offering your help?

—I won’t lie and say it’s out of respect for you. And it’s not for Lady Jin either. It’s for my own Cult. If something happens in the Murim Alliance, it will ultimately affect us as well. I don’t want my father to use a crisis in the Murim Alliance as an opportunity for the unification of the martial world.

When I mentioned my father, Jin Paecheon’s eyes sharpened. And the provocative term “unification of the martial world” had come up as well.

—I’m not bold enough to lie while bringing up my father. So, please believe what I’m saying.

I didn’t shy away from the leader’s gaze, which bore down on me like a tiger’s. He had been through countless battles, so I trusted that he could see the truth in my words.

—Alright, let’s say it’s the Master of the True Dragon Manor, as you say. Why do you think he’s doing this?

—He’s pursuing a marriage alliance with you and recruiting Murim Alliance martial artists. Doesn’t that suggest only one thing?

Jin Paecheon already knew the answer.

—My position?

—It could be a preliminary move to place Jo Sohyeop in the position of the Murim Alliance Leader in the future. And forgive me for being so blunt, but it could even be to assassinate you. Whatever their true intentions are, we won’t know until we hear it from their own mouths, but it won’t be something you’ll like.

Jin Paecheon was not a benevolent, gentlemanly leader of the Murim Alliance. He was more domineering and fiery-tempered than any leader before him. He was only being cautious because his granddaughter was involved, but once the seal was broken, he would be someone no one could easily handle.

—Alright. From now on, I’ll confirm things myself.

He was eager to capture the Master of the True Dragon Manor right away and uncover the truth.

—You mustn’t do that. As of now, he hasn’t committed any overt crimes. Sponsoring martial artists from the Murim is something closely connected trading companies and sects openly do. We need direct evidence of his connection with the Heavenly Society.

I made a proposal to him.

—Let’s keep this between the two of us and resolve it quietly. If you trust me, I have a way.

—Don’t underestimate the Murim Alliance. If you have a way, so do we.

—It’s not out of disregard for the Murim Alliance.

—Then?

—Do you remember the moment when I risked my life to reveal my identity to you?

I reminded him that it was only because I had shared all this information that we were able to delve into this case. Jin Paecheon couldn’t deny that fact. He was a man, a true martial artist.

Still, I understood the Leader’s reluctance. It was natural that he wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving this matter in my hands. So, I made him a bold offer.

—I will resolve this within five days. If I exceed that deadline, you can handle it yourself.

Jin Paecheon was taken aback by my words.

—Can you really resolve it in five days?

—As long as you actively assist me.

—What do you plan to do?

—They tried to use your kin against you. So, we’ll do the same in return.

Jin Paecheon smirked coldly.

—That’s one thing I like.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Jin Paecheon made his decision.

For the first time in the history of Murim, the words that marked the beginning of a joint operation between the Murim Alliance Leader and the Second Young Master of the Demon Cult came from Jin Paecheon’s lips. 4

—Proceed!

1 : Secret society planning a coup/terrorist attack always use such sophistry, to justify their filthy desires and madness. If only the Bonk Dog was there to punish them….
2 : Plus, you’re, like, in the middle of the Murim Alliance. A blitz assault on the Valley of Wicked is okay, but one in the middle of the Murim Alliance is pushing it waaayyy too much.
3 : Keeping the same rank for generations also means that their envy, ambition and cupidity had all this time to mature and rot.
4 : The first to a mutually beneficial relationship where one side scammed the other into doing his bidding ^^