Absolute Regression

< Chapter 4: Is This the Chicken Noodle Soup I’m Eating After Decades? >

Back in my quarters, I stood in front of a bronze mirror.

The reflection of my younger self was vibrant and full of life. I felt like I could spend all day just looking at the mirror.

After enjoying my rejuvenated appearance for a while, I suddenly thought of Hwa Moogi. What was that guy doing now?

Was he undergoing hellish training somewhere to get stronger?

If I could find him and kill him before he got stronger, it would be an easy solution. The problem was that finding Hwa Moogi wasn’t easy. He had appeared in the martial world as if he had dropped from the sky, and after achieving the Tri-peak, he had secluded himself from the martial world. Therefore, no information about him was known. Furthermore, sending people across the entire central plains to find someone named Hwa Moogi could provoke unpredictable actions from him, making it a risky attempt.

In the end, the best solution was for me to become stronger than Hwa Moogi.

Fortunately, the heavens had given me enough time to prepare. I would use time as my ally to grow stronger.

Was it because I thought of Hwa Moogi? The internal energy in my dantian responded and stirred.

The Energy Dispersing Poison had vanished as if it had never been inflicted in the first place. Since there were no traces of poisoning after the duel, it seemed Gu Pyungho had procured the proper version.

Indeed, he had dared to try to poison the Heavenly Demon’s bloodline with the Energy Dispersing Poison, so it would be terrible for him if evidence remained behind after its use.

Lost in these thoughts for a moment, I called out the name of the person I was most grateful to in my life.

“Lee Ahn.”

A cheerful voice responded from outside the door.

“Yes, young master.”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a young woman entered. She was so large that her martial clothes seemed ready to burst. The term ‘overweight’ didn’t quite capture her size; ‘obese’ was more fitting.

She was Lee Ahn, my personal guard.

At that time, I didn’t know. I didn’t know that her immense size was due to her martial arts. No, it was because of me.

The Full Body Petrification Technique.

It was a secret technique that temporarily made her body as hard as stone, a confidential skill passed down only to her. The massive size of her body was a fatal side effect of this martial art.

I looked at her through the mirror and asked,

“How do I look?”

In the mirror, she answered cheerfully.

“You’re the most handsome man in Jianghu.”

Lee Ahn’s voice was so pleasant.

I was confident that if there were a competition in the central plains for the best voice, she would definitely win.

“That’s boring.”

“The question from the person who gives me monthly payments always has a fixed answer.”

Your voice isn’t the only good thing about you; you have such a cheerful personality too.

Lee Ahn, whose eyes met mine through the mirror, asked me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

That day, I survived thanks to Lee Ahn.

She threw herself to block Hwa Moogi’s sword energy, which was meant to kill me.

Hwa Moogi’s sword energy pierced through her entire body’s petrification skill, but in the process, it slightly altered its direction. That’s why it narrowly missed my heart. ȓå₦ȪＢΕʂ

Hwa Moogi didn’t check if I was dead. He wouldn’t have thought that his attack had missed. Lee Ahn’s sacrifice and his arrogance saved me.

‘Thank you, Lee Ahn.’

She was ready to sacrifice her life for me, but back then, I only regarded her as a mere guard. I took her presence for granted, just like we often forget to appreciate the air we breathe.

“You did well in the duel today. It was really amazing.”

I turned towards her, not just in the mirror, but actually walked slowly towards her.

There was a difference between the Lee Ahn in my memory and the real Lee Ahn.

‘She’s taller than I thought.’

I quietly stared at her, recalling her childhood appearance.

She had gentle eyes, a prominent nose, and a doll-like face that was so pretty when she smiled.

Everyone said that she would grow up to be the most beautiful woman in the world.

That beautiful girl had one day appeared chubby. I didn’t know how much she cried and how swollen her eyes were because she had gained too much weight for me to see.

That young girl had also said to me back then, with the same eyes she has today.

‘Young master, I will protect you.’

What could that girl have been feeling?

Her only crime was being born in the Divine Cult and growing up as a guard warrior. The price she had to pay was too high.

She gave up the appearance that would have made her the most beautiful woman in the world, but did I ever comfort her heart? Maybe I gradually treated her coldly after she became chubby. I don’t remember our memories together well.

On the other hand, she kept her promise. She threw her large body to block the sword energy, and thanks to her, I lived.

I think that saving Lee Ahn alone makes this return worthwhile.

‘Lee Ahn, I’ll make a promise too. I’ll definitely eliminate the side effects of the petrification skill.’

I suddenly said to her.

“We shouldn’t become close.”

She asked with a puzzled look.

“Huh? Why?”

“Building affection with a guard warrior is just like scoring points for them to die in my place, isn’t it? It’s a sneaky thing to do.”

“What are you talking about? It’s only natural for me to protect you, young master.”

“There’s no such thing as a ‘natural sacrifice.’ It should always be yourself first, then your family, and then the person you’re guarding. I want someone rational like that to protect me.”

Lee Ahn didn’t hesitate for a moment.

“That’s not possible. For me, you come first, and second, it’s still you. Besides, I have no family.”

I couldn’t even begin to measure the depth of her loyalty towards me.

“You’re acting strange today.”

“Want to see something even stranger? Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

I said as I strode out.

“To flip the dinner table.”

I went straight to the kitchen.

I gathered everyone in the kitchen, including the head chef, Chef Lim.

From those lined up, I called out the assistant chef who had been working here for three years.

“Why did you do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you put Energy Dispersing Poison in my food?”

Everyone was shocked at my words.

“No, it wasn’t me!”

One good thing about regression is that I didn’t need to look into people’s hearts. I already knew why he poisoned my food. He was deep in gambling debt. Having squandered his parents’ money and his friends’ money, he had the audacity to poison the food of a descendant of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult for a price. Gambling can be terrifying.

“You took the three thousand nyang and went gambling again, didn’t you?”

The assistant chef flinched and then fell to his knees.

“Please spare me. I made a terrible mistake, driven by my greed for money.”

“Did Gu Pyungho come to you directly and give you the money?”

“Yes.”

The moment he admitted it, I beheaded him in one swift motion.

Swish!

It was my first kill since the regression, but I felt nothing. I had lived a life where I mercilessly killed those I considered evil. Killing him without pain was the last mercy I granted him.

Even in my life before the regression, he died today. On the night of the martial arts tournament, he was stabbed and killed in a gambling den. It was likely the work of an assassin sent by Gu Pyeongho to silence him.

Poisoning food is something that can never be forgiven. One act of forgiveness could lead to another attempt.

“Poison in the food, and from a chef, no less!”

Chef Lim, who had a sorrowful expression, knelt down.

“I’m sorry, young master.”

“Why are you doing this? Your knees are bad.”

“Everything is my responsibility.”

“How is this your fault, Chef Lim? It’s the poisoner’s fault.”

“Anything that happens in the kitchen is my responsibility.”

I helped him up.

“Lim Suksoo. If something unjust happens in our Cult, is it my father’s responsibility?”

“What? No, absolutely not.”

“Then why does Lim Suksoo take it upon himself? Stop saying unnecessary things and prepare chicken noodle soup for dinner! I’ve been craving it for a while.”

How many decades had it been since I last ate it?

“But you just had it the day before yesterday.”

“Lim Suksoo, I still have a sword in my hand. It’s dripping with blood.”

“I will prepare it deliciously and serve it.”

As I left the kitchen, Lee Ahn, who had been waiting outside, asked urgently.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault as the head of security.”

“Why are you all so eager to take responsibility? Are you suffering from responsibility syndrome?”

“I will make sure this never happens again.”

“Enough. Spread the word about this incident throughout the Cult. Tell them Gu Pyungho orchestrated it, and I beheaded the cook who poisoned the food.”

“The Blood Heaven Blade Demon side will deny it.”

“Let them. There are too many eyes and ears here who saw and heard.”

Since the kitchen staff all witnessed it, denying it would be futile.

“If they did something dirty, they should have a bad reputation. Spread the word wide! Even the dogs in the Cult should be barking ‘Energy Dispersing Poison, Energy Dispersing Poison!’”

“Understood.”

“Let’s go.”

Lee Ahn, who was following me, spoke cautiously.

“Oh… you really seem different today.”

Since she was the one who had served me closest, she was the first to notice my change.

“You’re even making jokes, and your actions and words seem different too.”

“I decided to live a different life from today.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes, suddenly. I don’t believe people change little by little every day. They change all at once when there’s a trigger. Since it’s difficult and doesn’t happen often, people say that others don’t change, right? Let’s go.”

Without giving her a chance to ask what the trigger was, I moved forward again.

* * *

“Do we really need all of this?”

Lee Ahn was astonished as she looked at the items I had prepared for the hunting trip with my father.

I nodded while carefully packing the items into a large leather sack.

“We need it.”

“I didn’t know you were so well-versed in camping, young master.”

Lee Ahn, there isn’t anyone in our Cult who has camped as much as I have.

“Since I’m going with my father, I need to be well-prepared.”

“I hope you have a wonderful time.”

“Will that really happen?”

It wasn’t just idle talk. I was confident in many things, but my relationship with my father was not one of them. Especially since I had lived longer than my father’s current age… I was even less confident.

“You need to make it happen. It will happen.”

Lee Ahn smiled as she wished me goodnight.

“Have a good dream tonight.”

However, I didn’t sleep well that night.

I had a terrible nightmare. In the dream, I was still searching for materials for the Great Regression Technique. The materials were not where they were supposed to be, so I wandered all over, looking for them.

Then I heard Lee Ahn’s beautiful voice.

“Young master, are you alright?”

I must have screamed in my sleep.

“I’m not alright. It was a disgusting dream.”

“What kind of dream did you have?”

“Imagine starting over as the lowest rank martial artist in your case.”

“Oh, please, just kill me instead!”

I sat up in bed and looked at the mirror leaning against the wall. As if to remind me that a dream was just a dream, I saw my younger self reflected in the mirror.

Seeing my younger self again lifted my spirits.

Yes, if I could greet mornings like this, it wouldn’t matter if I had nightmares every night.

“You seem tense.”

“I’m about to spend time with someone scarier than a tiger.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t even be able to breathe properly.”

“I’m going to wash up. Prepare a new uniform for me.”

“Yes.”

In my past life, whenever things got tough, I used to imagine what I would do if I could return. Just the thought of it lifted my spirits and helped me endure the pain.

But in all those countless imaginations, not once did I think of hunting with my father on the second day of my return. Whether my instinctive choice was correct would be known the moment the hunt ended.

Having finished all preparations, I slung the large leather sack over my shoulder and slowly walked toward the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, where my father was waiting.

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