Absolute Regression

Just when he was about to overturn the table, a surge of energy flowed over, pressing down on it.

Looking up, it was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

He sent a sound transmission to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader.

– Restrain yourself. If the table is overturned, what will be revealed is not the table’s bottom but the Cult Leader’s.

Feeling that it was a gesture of goodwill, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader withdrew his hand from the table. The look in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s eyes said, “I understand you to some extent.”

Geom Mugeuk spoke again to the shackled man.

“You’ve been confined here for a long time, so I thought you might want something made from these shackles.”

Without hesitation, the shackled man made a request.

“Then please make me a fan.”

“That will suffice.”

I handed the shackles to Jangho.

“Take these to Master Gwak from our sect’s Iron Workshop and have him make a fan with ribs of eternal cold iron. With the rest, have him make eight daggers, one for each person gathered here today. Let’s commemorate this gathering by sharing them.”

Eight daggers included ones for the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and the shackled man.

Then Seo Daeryong spoke.

“I’m not sure if I should accept such precious daggers.”

“Me too.”

“I feel the same.”

Lee Ahn and Jangho chimed in as well.

“Instead of being humble, work your hardest to repay it!”

At my joke, everyone lowered their heads in gratitude.

“Thank you so much.”

On the other hand, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s reaction was cold.

“Why are you including me?”

“I want to commemorate today.”

“I have no desire to commemorate it.”

At that moment, the shackled man sent a sound transmission.

– Accept it graciously. Even though you’re agitated because of me, you still have to accomplish the grand task of advancing into the Central Plains, don’t you?

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was immensely grateful to the shackled man. Until the very end, he was making an effort. It was just that he, himself, couldn’t meet those expectations.

“I was joking. Give me one too. Those shackles mean something to me as well.”

“Yes, I will.”

“By the way, you’re really something. Daggers made of eternal cold iron are hard to find even in the Central Plains. Yet you’re giving them to everyone.”

“These people are that precious to me.”

“What guarantees that these precious people will remain so in the future?”

“This gift isn’t for the future.”

“Then?”

“It’s a gift for the gratitude they’ve shown me up till now.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s words, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader couldn’t continue. Understanding his feelings, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon poured him a drink and spoke.

“Didn’t I say it earlier? We can’t handle ascending dragons. It would be best to just let them go with peace of mind.”

The leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult silently emptied his glass.

The tense atmosphere at the drinking table continued.

As they exchanged drinks one by one, everyone became drunk.

“Investigator Seo, stop drinking. Otherwise, you’ll be clinging to your master’s pants again today.”

Seo Daeryong shouted loudly at Lee Ahn’s attempt to dissuade him.

“I am perfectly fine!”

“You’re already slurring your words.”

“Don’t worry! I’m not drunk.”

Lately, Seo Daeryong seemed to be holding back a lot and started drinking heavily. Even Lee Ahn, who had been restraining herself throughout his training, began to sip his drink.

Geom Mugeuk looked at Jangho. Jangho sent a glance indicating that he would take care of the two, so there was no need to worry.

“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? You getting drunk, and those two stopping you.”

“Exactly.”

“If they start to act up, give them a good punch with your big fist.”

“That’s not easy. Both of them are not in an ordinary state these days.”

Of course, Seo Daeryong still had a long way to go, but in the case of Lee Ahn, it wasn’t certain that Jangho would always win. If he let his guard down, even Jangho could be killed by Lee Ahn’s Soaring Sword Art.

Watching this scene, the leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult spoke to the Demon Supremes.

“The world has turned upside down. We have to cater to the whims of the underlings now.”

He wasn’t referring to Lee Ahn and Seo Daeryong but lamenting about the shackled man. Then, he asked Geom Mugeuk.

“What do you think, Second Young Master? Are you planning to lead the cult by always considering the subordinates’ feelings?”

Instead of answering, Geom Mugeuk asked the cult leader.

“Do you know what the common trait of incompetent people is?”

“Isn’t it because they are incapable and lazy?”

“That could be. But there’s a more common trait.”

“What is it?”

“They lack awareness.”

For a moment, the cult leader’s expression hardened. It was clear that Geom Mugeuk intended to counter his words.

“Are you saying to pay attention to subordinates? And how will the cult function properly then? What if we get devoured by the orthodox factions?”

“By being aware, you understand what kind of people your subordinates are. By being aware, you understand their intentions. I refuse to accept forced loyalty.”

“Enough!”

In the end, the cult leader still overturned the table.

Everyone looked at him in surprise as the table crashed, spilling drinks and dishes. No one paid attention to the drinks and food stains on their clothes.

The cult leader shouted.

“It’s all an act. Pretending to get on your good side. They say one thing, but if a subordinate disobeys, they’ll secretly drag them away and kill them. It’s not about watching the subordinates, it’s about watching you. They’re pretending because they want to take you.”

His words echoed loudly. To others, it seemed like an outburst, but to him, it was a long-simmering explosion.

The leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult had restrained himself from overturning the table multiple times. However, the moment he heard the words ‘forced loyalty’ from Geom Mugeuk’s final statement, the dam broke.

Lately, he had been feeling paranoid and self-critical, thinking that the shackled man and possibly other subordinates were all giving him forced loyalty.

The room was filled with silence.

Looking at the overturned table, the cult leader gritted his teeth.

‘Damn it! What am I supposed to do? This is who I am! What can I do if I don’t want to hear such words? Damn it!’

The overturned table marked the end of today’s long and intense confrontation.

“I believe I was rude. Please forgive me. It’s late today, so I will come back tomorrow to apologize.”

With Geom Mugeuk’s apology, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme bid their farewells.

It was an action that should not have been taken in front of the Demon Supremes. Although the two could have gotten angry, they showed no sign of it out of respect for Geom Mugeuk.

Jangho took care of the shackles, Seo Daeryong and Lee Ahn, and followed them out.

Geom Mugeuk expressed his gratitude with a smile. Without these people, this meeting would not have been possible from the start.

They parted at the entrance. No one spoke about the cult leader.

Jangho, Seo Daeryong, and Lee Ahn decided to have another drink at the Flowing Wind Tavern. The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the One-Slash Sword Supreme returned to their quarters, saying they were tired, and Geom Mugeuk also headed to his own quarters.

* * *

The shackled man stood up.

The cult leader found the sight of the shackled man walking toward him very unfamiliar.

The shackled man picked up one of the fallen bottles on the floor and drank from it directly. Then he handed the bottle to the cult leader, who took it and drank as well.

Perhaps they could have sat face-to-face and drunk together like this from the beginning. What had he been so afraid of?

“I shackled you because I was afraid you would kill me. No, to be more honest, I was afraid I would kill you.”

“That’s not it.”

“Not it?”

“The cult leader just didn’t think.”

“What?”

“The reasons you just thought of have only come up recently. Before that, you lived without thinking. You just kept me tied up because you did it at first. Out of habit.”

The leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult could not refute it. He had indeed lived without much thought. He only realized how significant these shackles were recently, after getting entangled with the Second Young Master.

Nevertheless, the shackled man comforted the cult leader.

“It’s okay. Everyone lives like this.”

“How can it be okay? You’re trying to leave because of this.”

“I’m not leaving because of that. It’s not because you kept me in shackles.”

“Then why? Do you think you can change the world with him?”

“I don’t have such dreams of changing the world.”

“Then why? Why on earth!”

The reason was something the cult leader had not anticipated at all.

“I’m leaving because I got everything wrong.”

“What?”

“I handled all matters related to the martial world with you.”

“Yes, you did.”

“In the process, I got everything wrong regarding Geom Mugeuk.”

“But you got things right. He came when you said he would, and he demanded the sacred artifact as you predicted.”

The shackled man shook his head.

“Those were meaningless. There were many reports about the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect lately. Most of them were about the Second Young Master. Each time, he exceeded my expectations. I didn’t know he would kill the Demonic Army Commander or the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. I certainly didn’t expect him to draw in the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. I had no idea he would bring all his people today. I didn’t even anticipate he would demand the shackles. How could this be? Right, maybe the Second Young Master is smarter than I am, and I might be looked down upon when I go. What if they think I’m not as impressive as I seem? They might be disappointed. But still, I have to go and see. Why did I get everything wrong? What kind of person can make such moves? I am genuinely curious.”

It was the first time the shackled man had spoken so much.

The cult leader understood. He could no longer hold him back. He asked one last question.

“Are you sure it can’t work out with me?”

“It can. Come with me.”

“You madman, where do you keep saying to go together! What would my subordinates think of me? Would they follow me if I go under a kid younger than me?”

“Then leave everything behind and come.”

“What?”

“Hand over the cult leader position to a successor and come with me. We’ll live a new life.”

The cult leader’s mind was filled with all kinds of curses. But more than anger, there was a sense of defeat.

“What use would I be if you take away the title of the Heavenly Wind Cult leader?”

“If you remove that title, you would still be quite an impressive person. You’ve spent your entire life tied to that title, living a mediocre life. I’m not the only one who has lived bound by shackles.”

“What are you talking about?”

The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult threw and shattered the bottle he was holding.

“Step down from the position of Cult Leader voluntarily? The position where I can kill anyone with just a word, eat anything I want, and summon all kinds of beauties?”

“So, are you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy! No, let’s say I’m not that happy. So what? Would I become happy if I stepped down from this position? Would the happiness that wasn’t there when I was the Cult Leader come walking to me on its own?”

“That, I don’t know either. You have to find out.”

“You’re trying to ruin me. You’re making a fuss to make me unhappy.”

“Maybe.”

“Damn it! I’ll just kill you and end it.”

“That’s too late.”

“What?”

“If you wanted to kill me, you should have done it before the Second Young Master came. If you kill me after Geom Mugeuk has freed me from my shackles, how do you think he would feel about you? He would blame himself for my death and that would turn into hatred towards you. If that happens, the Cult Leader will never be able to leave the cult. For your own sake, you must not kill me.”

“Damn it!”

“Accept it as fate.”

“Don’t talk to me about fate! What kind of fate discriminates against people like this?”

“Cult Leader, you are the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult. You have ruled over everyone in the cult, discriminating against them. How can the word ‘discrimination’ come from your mouth?”

The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.

“I lost. Yes, I lost to you smart and eloquent people. Go.”

He spoke sincerely.

At that moment, he gave up on the man in shackles.

“Go and suffer until you die. Regret leaving me for the rest of your life. Go, go. I’m letting you go because it disgusts me.”

Finally, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult truly released his shackles.

At that moment, the man in shackles placed something in front of the Cult Leader. Surprisingly, it was a key that looked exactly like the one that could unlock his shackles.

“What is this? No way, is this the key to the shackles?”

The man in shackles nodded. The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult was shocked. The key that had been on the necklace was taken by Geom Mugeuk’s subordinate along with the shackles, yet another key had appeared.

“I forged it a few years ago.”

“How on earth? No, then why didn’t you escape?”

The man in shackles didn’t answer him.

“If you could have unlocked the shackles, you would have had the opportunity to kill me as well, wouldn’t you? Why didn’t you kill me?”

“Probably for a reason similar to why you didn’t kill me even though I cursed at you. Didn’t you say it yourself? That I am the one who understands and knows you the best. I feel the same way.”

At that moment, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult felt a surge of emotion, and his eyes grew hot.

That’s why. That’s why this farewell is so difficult and regrettable.

The Cult Leader looked down at the key and spoke while crying.

“To bring this out at this moment… In the end, I am a loser to the last.”

With that, the man in shackles bowed deeply. For the first time, he showed the most respectful expression and words.

“That is not true. Not killing me, and letting me go so calmly like this. To me, Cult Leader, you were an impressive person. Perhaps the reason I lived on, despite being able to escape and wanting to die many times, is because I grew fond of you. I will never forget the grace of being freed today. I look forward to the day we can be together again, Cult Leader.”

The man in shackles then left the room.

Left alone, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult pounded the floor with his fist.

He felt relieved yet regretful, empty yet joyous, and also sorrowful.

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