Absolute Regression

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon swept his gaze over the seated people. The meaning in his disapproving eyes was clear:

“Are you telling me to sit among these riffraff?”

Before he could say it aloud, I greeted him warmly.

“Welcome, sir. Please, have a seat here.”

As everyone stood up and greeted him respectfully, he reluctantly sat down.

“Why have you called me here?”

Just like before when the Sword Supreme misunderstood, he seemed to think I would be alone.

In truth, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon didn’t care much about who was at the drinking party. He just found such gatherings unfamiliar and burdensome. Just like when I gave him a birthday present, he wasn’t used to this kind of private atmosphere.

“Why would I call you to a tavern? To drink together, of course.”

“Mixing with young people helps you stay young.”

“And what do I do with that youth?”

“It’s good to be young even for a day. What use is being a master or having power? In the face of time, everyone has to kneel.”

“You’re talking about time when you’re still so young?”

Everyone listened with surprised faces. They never expected that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and I would have such a relaxed conversation.

“I’m saying we should live enjoying this moment. What regrets do people have when they die? That they didn’t master martial arts more? That they didn’t build more inner strength? That they couldn’t defeat some sword ghost living somewhere? I don’t think so.”

“That’s why everyone causes such a ruckus before they die, so they don’t die with those kinds of pathetic regrets.”

“You will be different, sir.”

“What about me then?”

“You are young and enlightened for your age, aren’t you?”

Compliments given in front of others are always the best, aren’t they?

“Hmph!”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon snorted and swallowed his drink, but his expression wasn’t entirely displeased.

Since his arrival, Seo Daeryong had a very complex look on his face. His drunken eyes seemed to say:

—I don’t like this, no way! Right? Is this a joke?

I felt sorry for his shock and fear, but it was true. I intended to make the Blood Heaven Blade Demon Seo Daeryong’s master.

Jangho offered a drink to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

“Thank you for recommending me before. I’m just now getting the chance to thank you.”

“It wasn’t my intention, it was this young master’s doing, so give your thanks to him.”

“I have received more than enough, so please accept their thanks, sir. In fact, it would have been impossible without you.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at Jangho and said,

“I recommended you because I thought you could handle it, so don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.”

Hearing praise from the Demon Supreme for the first time, Jangho’s expression brightened.

Human nature doesn’t change easily, but attitudes can change according to circumstances. There was a significant difference between the Blood Heaven Blade Demon when I first met him and now. It was enough for me to make this proposal.

“I have a favor to ask of you, sir.”

“What is it?”

I looked at Seo Daeryong. Unable to withstand the effects of alcohol and anxiety any longer, he had his eyes closed and his head bowed.

“Please teach this friend martial arts.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was startled by the unexpected request.

“Who is this little mouse?”

Just as I was about to introduce him, Seo Daeryong suddenly lifted his head and, slurring his words, shouted at the top of his lungs,

“A ruthless power-seeker but a true man who loves only one woman, a rebel who raises his hand alone while everyone else remains silent, a pacifist and the right-hand man of the Second Young Master, Seo Daeryong! And I’m not a little mouse!”

After spouting this, he let his head droop again and began to snore. We could tell that Seo Daeryong was completely drunk.

“Hahaha.”

I laughed out loud, and Lee Ahn lowered her head, trying to suppress her laughter. Jangho chuckled as he drank his alcohol.

Even in his drunken state, Seo Daeryong accurately remembered my words, showing he had a genius-level memory.

“What kind of crazy fool is he?”

“Please understand, he’s very drunk.”

“What martial arts! Consider yourself lucky I’m not killing him just for your sake.”

“We really need him.”

“No.”

“Sir!”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon glared at me.

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the best. I want him to learn from the best.”

“How can I pass on my martial arts to someone who isn’t my disciple?”

“Then take him as your disciple.”

“What?”

“I don’t think any of your current disciples are fit to inherit your position. Your youngest disciple is kind, but his personality makes it hard for him to be a successor. What do you think of this friend here?”

“No!”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon flatly refused.

“You’ve lived your whole life doing what you want, haven’t you? Now, do something you dislike for a change.”

“I said no.”

“Why do you dislike it? There must at least be a reason.”

“I just don’t like it. Do I need a reason?”

It was at that moment.

“I don’t like it either!”

Everyone’s attention turned to the owner of the voice. It was Seo Daeryong, the protagonist of this drunken scene who surprisingly woke up mid-snore.

“Do you think I like this?”

Lee Ahn, shocked, tried to stop him, but he was already staring at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with bleary eyes and issuing a challenge.

“Master Demon!”

Thankfully, he didn’t call him “demon”.

“I clearly said I don’t like it. So, don’t even think about teaching me! No! Way!”

He emphasized each word of “no way”. With each word, everyone tensed, fearing the Blood Heaven Blade Demon might lash out.

Seo Daeryong, who had been raising his voice, now turned to look at me. His eyes were completely unfocused. Well, he wouldn’t dare act this way toward the Blood Heaven Blade Demon if he were sober. Ah, this was a moment of clarity before his final descent.

“Respected Young Master! I have a question for you!”

“Since it looks like you’ll soon be killed, I’ll answer you sincerely.”

“Why are you throwing me to this cold and ruthless person? Oh, I’m so sad.”

A vein bulged on the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s forehead. I smiled at him, silently asking for his understanding.

“Why else? To learn martial arts.”

“Why?”

“To boost your self-esteem.”

I didn’t say it out loud at this moment, but it was to prepare him to become the next Underworld Pavilion Master. Learning martial arts from the Blood Heaven Blade Demon would give him a powerful backer.

“Ah, my self-esteem is a bit low.”

He dropped his head again. Lee Ahn supported his body from the side.

“You’re very drunk. Let me take you home.”

As she tried to help him up, Seo Daeryong rejected her hand.

“I’m not drunk, my dear heart.”

“Heart?”

“Yes, I’m the arm. Lee Ahn is the heart. The heart is more precious than the arm. You can lose an arm, but you mustn’t hurt the heart.”

Lee Ahn must have thought he was spouting nonsense in his drunken state.

This jealous guy, even in this situation, remembers everything he should, and especially what he shouldn’t.

I respectfully asked the Blood Heaven Blade Demon again.

“Please teach him for just half an hour after work. It doesn’t matter if it’s for a few days or a few years. If you don’t like him, you can teach him for just one day. Just give him a chance.”

“You really believe in this drunkard.”

“I believe in you, sir.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and Seo Daeryong had an inexplicable similarity. They were slightly off the mainstream, yet possessed a greater passion than anyone hidden within them.

Just as the words of refusal were about to come out of the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s mouth.

“I said I didn’t want to!”

Seo Daeryong interjected first.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon frowned. I saw it then, the emotion in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes.

‘Do you want to find out what true dislike feels like? Want to go through hell?’

Unaware of this, Seo Daeryong, with his eyes nearly closed, stood staggeringly before the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, pouting and shaking his head. If he had stuck his tongue out, he would have definitely been decapitated.

Fortunately, before the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s blade could fly, Seo Daeryong crashed his head onto the table and fell asleep while happily drooling. A valiant warrior. This would be the bravest move he had made in his life so far and would continue to be so for the rest of his days.

It was also the move that changed his life.

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked me.

“If I teach that damned fool martial arts, what will you do for me?”

A prepared answer came out of my mouth.

“I will resolve your long-held feelings.”

“!”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon immediately understood what that meant.

A moment of silence passed, and we resumed drinking. We didn’t talk about teaching martial arts anymore. We just drank quietly, talking about this and that.

Two more bottles were emptied when Lee Ahn passed out, and Jangho stayed until the end to drink with me and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

We were drinking when I stepped outside the tavern for a moment.

As I was taking a breath of fresh air, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon came and stood next to me.

“You weren’t joking earlier, were you?”

“No. I can’t have you teaching martial arts for free, elder.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon was silent for a while.

Did he really want to reconcile with the One-Slash Sword Supreme that badly?

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, looking across the street, suddenly asked.

“Does that branch over there work?”

“It’s running well.”

“No, I mean, is it effective? Does it help in improving your reputation?”

He probably thought I set it up to boost my popularity.

“Yes. It helps a lot.”

I didn’t bother to convince him that it was established for the villagers of Maga Village. He wouldn’t understand that helping them was as important as killing the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.

“Investigator Seo, please take good care of him.”

“I’m really doing all sorts of things. Leaving a young one in my care, what will you be doing?”

“I’m busy.”

“What’s keeping you so busy?”

“How to kill those inhuman things, ponder on my martial arts every day, run around trying to secure the right wing, and flatter my father.”

He realized right away that the right wing referred to the One-Slash Sword Supreme.

“So, could it be… am I the left wing?”

“Yes. If you’d prefer the right, I’ll switch.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shook his head in disbelief.

“You’re truly insane. You’re thinking of tying the Sword Supreme and me as one wing.”

“You said to me in the beginning, that with my madness, you could take a chance on fate. You said let’s devour everything with madness. Have you already forgotten?”

“I didn’t realize you were this mad.”

“Let’s go mad together. Why hesitate when you don’t have many days left to live?”

“Is that something you should say to an elder?”

“Because I’m a madman.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon chuckled softly.

“Soon, I’ll leave the cult for a few months. Please take good care of our guys while I’m gone.”

“Got it.”

That single, short reply, without any questions, felt incredibly reassuring.

I could sense that through tonight’s drinking session, his door had opened a little more. But I still couldn’t be sure what lay inside that door.

To open it fully, another wing was needed. When the two wings faced each other, fluttering and clashing, we’d finally understand why those wings moved as they did.

“It looks like the rain will stop soon. The birds will fly.”

It was on the way back with Lee Ahn after the drinking session.

“I messed up again today.”

“What mistake? It’s natural to fall asleep after drinking that much.”

“Falling asleep is also a drunken habit.”

“You wouldn’t drink like that unless you were with me, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Then it’s not a drunken habit. It’s rest.”

Lee Ahn smiled at my words.

“How many times can I ask the same question?”

“It depends on the question.”

“For example… why are you so good to me?”

That question, I was willing to answer for a lifetime.

“About five times?”

“Starting now?”

“Yeah, starting now.”

“Why are you so good to me?”

“So I can work you to death in the future. Why are you so curious about the same answer you’ll always hear?”

Lee Ahn chuckled.

“I’ll ask again.”

“Four times left.”

So we walked under the soft moonlight together. Suddenly, as if remembering something, Lee Ahn asked.

“By the way, what about Investigator Seo? I saw earlier that he was quite drunk. Did he leave first?”

“Before you woke up, his master took him away under his arm.”

“His master?”

Lee Ahn’s eyes widened in surprise.

“No way! They went together?”

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