Absolute Regression

Lee Ahn sent me a telepathic message.

—What should I do?

—It’s up to you since they offered to buy you a drink.

I decided to watch how she handled the situation.

—This is the first time for me in this kind of situation.

—It’s also the first time for me to watch something like this.

—Can I really do as I please?

—Yes.

—I’m really going to do it.

While the Soaring Sword Art and the Ren-Du Meridians Opening were good, the most important weapon to protect her was experience.

The man introduced himself.

“I am Gok Sa, the Lesser Gate Leader of Heavenly Sun Gate.”

He was adorned with expensive silk clothes and all sorts of costly jewels on his wrists and fingers. Even his fan was studded with lavish gems.

“Have you heard of our sect?”

“No. My knowledge is limited, so I haven’t come across it. I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize, it’s understandable.”

In fact, Heavenly Sun Gate was a fairly well-known sect in the vicinity.

Just by his attire, he seemed to be flaunting his family background, so it was a significant blow to him that she didn’t recognize him.

“What sect do you belong to, miss?”

“You wouldn’t know it; it’s an unnamed sect from a distant countryside.”

“Then at least tell me your name.”

“Baekmyeon.”

She answered, thinking of a white mask. Gok Sa was slightly taken aback by the peculiar name but soon smiled.

“Miss Baekmyeon, shall we move to a different place to continue our conversation?”

“That would be difficult. We are in the middle of a conversation ourselves.”

Only then did Gok Sa look at me. He hadn’t glanced my way since sitting down.

“Who might you be, sir?”

As Lee Ahn hesitated on how to introduce me, I answered first.

“I am Miss Baekmyeon’s bodyguard.”

Gok Sa’s expression slightly twisted for a moment. The implication was clear: why was a bodyguard sharing a table? This one reaction revealed the shallowness of his character.

I sent a telepathic message to Lee Ahn.

—I’ll be your bodyguard for today. You’ve spent your life guarding me, so it’s okay for a day, right? Enjoy it. It’s not an opportunity that comes often.

—I’m really enjoying this.

Gok Sa spoke to Lee Ahn.

“You seem quite close to your bodyguard.”

Lee Ahn looked at me with playful eyes and said.

“No matter how much I tell him to live his own life, he refuses to leave my side.” 1

Gok Sa glared at me. His look clearly said: isn’t it because your master is beautiful and you’re trying to take advantage of her?

“I wonder what you have to discuss with your bodyguard.”

“We talk about all sorts of things.”

“One piece of advice: it’s best to keep a distance from your bodyguard.”

Lee Ahn responded to Gok Sa’s words.

“Building a bond with a bodyguard is like earning points for them to die in my place, isn’t it?”

I laughed inwardly. She was echoing the words I had said to her in the past.

With a look that clearly indicated he found her words nonsensical, Gok Sa said, “That’s not the reason.”

“Then why?”

“Subordinates will start to have other thoughts if given the chance. It’s not good for them either.”

He had a serious expression, but with all the jewels he was adorned with, did he really speak from a wealth of life experience? It felt like he was trying to impress a woman.

“That’s cute.”

“Pardon? Ah, right. It can be cute when subordinates have such thoughts.”

“No, I meant you, Gok Sa.”

Gok Sa was momentarily flustered. He hadn’t expected to be called cute so directly.

“Alright, buy me a drink. Take me to the most expensive tavern in this town and get me the most expensive liquor.”

Lee Ahn stood up.

“What is it? Did you change your mind because I asked for expensive liquor?”

“How could I? Let’s go.”

We left the tavern. Lee Ahn was acting differently than I had expected. I hadn’t thought she would agree to a drinking session so readily.

Soon, we settled into a private room at the most expensive tavern in town.

“Gok Sa, since we’re having fun, invite all your friends. Bring everyone, both men and women, and let’s have fun together. What, don’t you have any friends?”

Gok Sa’s face flushed slightly.

“In the martial world, the only thing you can trust is yourself.”

He seemed to have been taught this way since childhood, to trust no one.

“So, you don’t have any friends. Then I’ll have to be friends with our lonely Gok Sa.”

Lee Ahn led what could have been an endlessly gloomy situation with her unique cheerfulness. The atmosphere brightened, and she genuinely tried to enjoy herself. It felt like this:

Want to drink? Sure, why not? Since we’re here to have fun, let’s have a good time!

In the meantime, a lavish feast was prepared. As his attire suggested, his only possession was money, a result of his family’s single martial art.

“This liquor costs over fifty nyang per bottle.”

At Gok Sa’s boast, Lee Ahn made a big fuss.

“It’s my first time having such an expensive drink! Thank you very much. Ah, I’ll give a glass to my guard as well.”

Without waiting for his response, Lee Ahn poured the drink.

“Guard Geom, have a glass. This is a very expensive drink, so don’t leave any.”

“Before that, let me inspect it first.”

I took out a silver needle and checked the drink and dishes one by one. Of course, Gok Sa had a displeased look on his face, but Lee Ahn smiled and spoke to him.

“Young Hero Gok, you wouldn’t dare mess with the food, right? If you do, you’ll be in big trouble! Real trouble.”

“How dare you accuse me of such things! I have women lining up for me without needing to resort to such tricks.”

With that, Lee Ahn gave a charming smile that could melt even the heart of an enemy.

“I figured as much. Alright, let’s drink.”

The three of us toasted. After emptying her glass, Lee Ahn looked regretful.

“It’s such a shame to drink this good liquor just among ourselves. Guards outside!”

She then called in Gok Sa’s guards who were outside. Four guards entered the room.

“Young Hero Gok, let’s drink with them too, shall we?”

Gok Sa immediately showed a displeased expression.

One of the four guards stepped forward.

“We are fine. We need to guard the young master.”

Lee Ahn responded to him.

“Can you really protect the young master from out there?”

At her meaningful words, the guard couldn’t respond. Up until now, they had only been guarding a spoiled brat who used money to woo women.

Soon, Lee Ahn gently persuaded Gok Sa.

“Young Hero Gok, don’t think too much about this. It’s just a drink together. Come on, sit down.”

The guards glanced at Gok Sa for his approval.

Seeing a slightly disappointed look on Lee Ahn’s face, Gok Sa couldn’t resist any longer. He nodded, and the four guards took their seats.

“Come on, each of you take a glass.”

She poured them drinks. Perhaps she felt a sense of affection for them since they were all guards like her.

“Let’s all have a drink together!”

She raised her glass high, and we all toasted.

“Ah, the drink tastes great. Young Hero Gok, order more drinks! Ah, are they too expensive?”

“What nonsense! Order as much as you want.”

Her beauty overshadowed everything.

Combined with Lee Ahn’s unique cheerfulness and vitality, nothing could stop her.

Who would have thought we would create such an atmosphere with these people?

She was unrestrained. Without harboring any prejudice against others, no one felt emotionally uncomfortable around her.

I could tell it wasn’t just because I was next to her.

It was due to her confidence in her skills. The successful opening of her Ren and Du meridians must have greatly bolstered her self-assurance.

We drank and talked about various topics. Initially, the guards who were extremely reticent began to answer questions one by one, revealing things even Gok Sa didn’t know.

“You had a son ten days ago? Oh, congratulations!”

Lee Ahn didn’t press Gok Sa for things he obviously wouldn’t have known. Instead, she created a celebratory atmosphere for everyone.

“Alright, a gift from our young master! A gift! A gift!”

I admired her. She managed to celebrate without upsetting Gok Sa. Honestly, at that moment, I thought, she’s better than me.

Gok Sa, having never given gifts to his guards before, didn’t know what to do.

Lee Ahn calmly spoke to him.

“I know people who like to draw lines.”

She picked up a chopstick, dipped it in the liquor, and drew a line on the table.

“This is when they were hired, and this is the end. When they reach the end, they might die for their employer. Going to the end? That’s really not easy. But guards hope for it. They hope their relationship with the one they protect reaches this end. Even though it’s the line where they die. These are the guards here.”

Her calm words stirred the emotions of the four guards slightly. Her words were also directed at me, implying she understood them.

“You know a lot about guards.”

One of the guards asked.

“I had the experience when I was young.”

At that moment, Gok Sa glared at the guard, his eyes asking why he dared to speak out. The guard who had spoken shrank back and bowed his head.

Lee Ahn gently spoke to Gok Sa.

“If you look at people like that, the line goes the other way.”

“I don’t believe it. That someone can purely sacrifice their life for someone else. Do you believe it?”

Lee Ahn nodded and extended her glass.

“Young Hero Gok, try believing it once.”

“Believe and get stabbed in the back.”

“Do you think you won’t get stabbed in the back just because you don’t believe?”

“!”

“We often associate betrayal with trust. But that’s only from the perspective of the betrayed. How could you betray me when I trusted you so much! But for the betrayer, it’s not because the other person didn’t trust them, right? It’s usually for other reasons, like money, power, or personal matters. I’ve never seen someone say, I betrayed because my master didn’t trust me. That’s just an excuse they use later. They claim they betrayed because they weren’t trusted. So, what I’m saying is, it’s okay to trust. Betrayal happens for different reasons anyway!”

“Nonsense!”

“Let’s have a drink for today’s nonsense!”

Gok Sa couldn’t refuse the drink Lee Ahn offered.

He was drunk, but Lee Ahn only pretended to be.

I noticed her occasionally releasing the alcohol’s energy through her fingertips. Even though she seemed to be enjoying herself, she was careful. Perfect, Lee Ahn!

―When did you learn to expel the alcohol’s energy?

―I learned it when I was young. I just couldn’t do it until now because I wasn’t skilled enough. Ah, such a waste. This expensive liquor!

She suddenly remembered and shouted.

“Oh, right. The baby gift! The gift! Give the gift!”

Excitedly, she yelled, and Gok Sa pulled out a pouch from his bosom.

“More! More! More!”

Eventually, a considerable amount of money came out of the pouch.

“That’s enough.”

“Take it. Buy some clothes for the baby.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Ahn gave him a thumbs up.

“Young Hero Gok! You’re amazing!”

“It’s nothing.”

Gok Sa’s face turned red for no reason.

Thanks to that, the mood improved further, and we drank all night. Although we had just met, we shared many stories. It was also the first time Gok Sa and the guards had such a drinking session.

With Lee Ahn leading the atmosphere, everyone gradually got into the fun of the gathering. We drank all night, sharing trivial stories. We talked about martial arts, ways to make money, and our families.

As Lee Ahn genuinely engaged with everyone, they also opened up sincerely without realizing it. We drank so happily that parting felt regretful.

“Young Hero Gok, next time I come to this town, I’ll visit Heavenly Master’s Gate first.”

“It’s not Heavenly Master’s Gate, it’s Heavenly Sun Gate.”

“Ah, yes, Young Hero Gok of Heavenly Sun Gate. I’ll definitely remember. Young Hero Gok, from today, we are drinking buddies.”

The joy on Gok Sa’s face was unmistakable at being called a drinking buddy. Maybe, initially, when he approached Lee Ahn, he might have had intentions of sleeping with her. But now, he was genuinely moved by being called a drinking buddy.

“And until we meet again, don’t go around seducing random women! Focus on your martial arts training. Let’s meet again looking cool, okay?”

“Alright.”

Surprisingly, Gok Sa nodded. It seemed that he might change from today onwards. He even gave me some pocket money. 2

“Take good care of the lady.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Ah, Gok Sa wouldn’t know how much I admired her at this moment. It wasn’t admiration for Gok Sa, but for Lee Ahn. In one night, she completely charmed five men. Honestly, make that six, because I was truly impressed by her as well.

With that, we left the place. From afar, Gok Sa and the guards watched us with regret.

“Honestly, I was worried about you at first.”

“Me? Why?”

“I was worried you’d be deceived and manipulated by men. That you’d get excited and cause trouble. That you’d be disappointed and hurt by men.”

When they first appeared, I thought it would end with Gok Sa getting beaten up or causing more trouble until he died.

But it ended in a way I never expected. Would Gok Sa have changed like this if we had taken him to the Underworld Pavilion to scare and beat him up? It felt like the sunlight stripping away a coat that the wind couldn’t. 3

“And now?”

“Now, I’m worried about the opposite.”

“What kind of worry?”

“I’m worried about the men. If I let you loose, all the men in the martial world will be ruined. They’ll squander their wealth, go mad with training to show off their strength, and fall lovesick.” 4

Lee Ahn laughed heartily.

“You know, right? How many tails I have.”

Seeing her today made me determined to help her master the Soaring Sword Art. The stronger she became, the more attractive a person she would be.

“So, where are we going now?”

“If we meet another guy like Gok Sa, we’ll hang out, eat delicious food, enjoy the scenery along the way, and then attend a wedding.”

“Whose wedding?”

“It’s a wedding I’m debating whether to stop or not.” 5

“Why interfere with someone else’s wedding?”

“Right?”

“That sounds fun! I’ve never properly attended a wedding before!”

Excited, she ran ahead.

As I watched her run towards the rising sun, she looked like a scene from a painting, and I slowly blended into the picture myself.

---

1 : I heard that somewhere before ^^

2 : Lee Ahn therapy !!! Amazing results in just one night !!!

3 : Reference to Aesop fable ‘North Wind and the Sun’

4 : Lol, he created an unstoppable monster XDXDXD

5 : It’s been a while ^^ Will Mugeuk keep his promise or not ? Discover it in the next episode !!!

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