Absolute Regression

Instead of returning to his own place, Ma Bul went to see Geom Muyang again.

After meeting Geom Mugeuk, he felt the need to see Geom Muyang once more. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to sleep otherwise.

“Have you arrived?”

He was always upright and courteous.

Given that they had just met and parted ways earlier, it would have been natural to ask why he had come again, but Geom Muyang rarely showed personal curiosity or emotions.

It was to the extent that Ma Bul thought he might have an obsession with such behavior to become the Heavenly Demon.

Although today, the sense of distance was more pronounced than ever, the Demonic Budha was not one to be swayed by such matters.

“The Second Young Master came to see me.”

“Mugeuk did?”

“I see.”

Geom Muyang did not ask what they had talked about. He simply nodded once.

“Why don’t you ask? Why he came, or what we talked about.”

“It’s fine. I trust you, Elder.”

Ma Bul felt that coming to see Geom Muyang was the right decision.

‘Yes, the Eldest Young Master has always been like this. Not delicate and rather blunt, but a genuine person. Yes, I should trust him. This is how I let go of everything.’

The Demonic Budha tried to release all the pent up emotions he had been holding in.

Meeting with the former Cult Leader, offering the position of the Supreme Demon Lord to Gu Cheonpa, he tried to let it all go.

“Then, please rest.”

Ma Bul stood up. It would have been nice if it ended there. If only he had just left himself to discard all these remnants of emotions.

Geom Muyang spoke from behind him.

“The proposal to give the position of the First Demon Supreme to the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was to win him over.”

The Demonic Budha halted, startled.

‘Why? Why now? When you didn’t say anything when I desperately wanted you to, why do you bring this up just after I met Geom Mugeuk?’

Ma Bul didn’t immediately turn around, fearing his inner turmoil might show on his face.

From behind, Geom Muyang spoke again.

“When I become the Heavenly Demon, the position of First Demon Supreme will naturally be yours, Elder.”

Ma Bul felt a deep anger rising.

It seemed like he was being treated like a caught fish, with Geom Muyang only saying this now because he feared Geom Mugeuk might sway him.

‘Why make me feel this way? You said you trusted me.’

Even if he tried to understand it as human nature, it still hurt badly.

‘Eldest Young Master, weren’t you the one who looked down on your brother? Weren’t you the one who was confident, saying someone like Mugeuk was nothing?’

However, he couldn’t afford to be angry. After all, he was the one who had gone to great lengths to show how much Geom Mugeuk had changed, even mobilizing the Yunan Twin Freaks.

Yes, your brother is someone you need to be wary of.

But it didn’t have to lead to distrust towards me…

The Demonic Budha forced a smile as he turned around.

“I knew that you would.”

“I worry you might misunderstand my intentions, saying this right after meeting my brother.”

Ah, he shouldn’t have said that either. If he hadn’t, I might have thought it was just a coincidence, or that he was simply careless. I would have forced myself to think that way.

“What misunderstanding could I have? I am just grateful that you hold me in such high regard.”

“It’s only natural. Please, don’t mention it.”

“Then I shall take my leave now.”

With that, the Demonic Budha bowed respectfully and left Geom Muyang’s quarters.

As he walked alone back to his residence on the dark path with no moonlight tonight, Ma Bul organized his jumbled thoughts.

‘He’s still young. If the Second Young Master were perfect, why would I be needed? The Eldest Young Master with his weaknesses is better than a crafty Second Young Master. I just need to look after him well.’

His loyalty to Geom Muyang shone as brightly as the aura that emanated from him.

* * *

The One-Slash Sword Supreme came to see me in my office at the Underworld Pavilion.

“Here, this is a gift.”

She handed me a pot of flowers in full bloom.

“Thank you. They are beautiful.”

I placed the pot on the windowsill.

We exchanged a few words about the flowers when Seo Daeryong entered with tea. Feeling mischievous, I addressed him sternly.

“From now on, it’s your responsibility to take care of these flowers when I’m not here. They were a special gift from the Sword Supreme. You know what will happen if they die, right?”

If it had just been the two of us, all sorts of gloomy yet amusing remarks would have spilled out. However, with So Yeonrang present, Seo Daeryong simply answered “Yes” and left.

We had all visited the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult together before, but Seo Daeryong still found the Sword Supreme an intimidating figure.

“I hope I’m not interrupting your work.”

“Not at all. The investigators handle all the work. I’m just lazing around.”

Sadly, there were too many documents piled up on my desk for that to be true.

There was indeed a lot of work at the Underworld Pavilion.

No matter how many were captured and imprisoned, more villains kept emerging. It was as if the number of evildoers was fixed from the beginning. It made me wonder if the empty spots were automatically filled whenever someone was taken down.

Despite my busy schedule, the work of the Underworld Pavilion was as important as becoming a successor.

Although I bore the lifelong task of killing Hwa Moogi, I was also living in this era.

“Did my brother visit you too, Senior?”

I accurately guessed the reason for her visit today.

“Yes, he did.”

“He’s very diligent, isn’t he?”

“That’s why he’s so popular.”

I nodded in agreement. Although he treated me with contempt and cruelty, his outward appearance was different.

As the eldest son, it was only natural for him to become the successor. He didn’t exhibit arrogance or complacency. He was a diligent person who strategized a lot, worried a lot, and worked hard.

“I know many people like him.”

“The eldest son fits well with our cult. He gives a sense of stability, making it seem like he will lead us well if left in charge.”

“And what about me?”

“You don’t fit in at all. People feel uneasy, wondering where you will lead us. Yet, despite that, you have this much popularity…” 1

After a brief pause, Seo Yeonrang continued.

“It makes me think there’s hope for us too.”

“What kind of hope?”

“The hope that the new Demonic Path you mentioned might be established.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

“But don’t forget. Many people in our cult still dislike change. Many believe that evil is our strength and essence.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“By the way, while the eldest son is moving quickly, are you just going to watch?”

“Besides old man Blade and you, Senior, I don’t know any other Demon Supremes well. I don’t know who to bring to our side.”

I pretended to be ignorant, curious about what the One-Slash Sword Supreme was thinking.

Then she said something unexpected.

“Do you know who voted for Cheong Seon besides Gu Cheonpa and me when we selected the new Soul Reaper Demon Supreme? It’s the person Blade Demon persuaded.”

“I don’t know. The elder didn’t tell me.”

“Shall I tell you?”

Decisions and matters among the Demon Supremes were kept strictly confidential. She intended to break that rule for me.

“Is it alright for you to tell me?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then why?”

“I want to try living while breaking the rules too.”

She smiled as she spoke. How could I not be won over by someone like her?

“To be honest, I am a rigid and inflexible person. When there are set rules, I don’t like to break them. If I have an appointment with someone, I must arrive early. If there’s a misunderstanding, it bothers me so much that I can’t sleep. I worry about things that don’t need worrying and am sensitive to public opinion about me. Overall, I’m a tiring person.”

“Isn’t that weariness what built your current reputation, Senior?”

The One-Slash Sword Supreme gave a bitter smile.

“In some ways, that might be true. Anyway, I am trying to be more flexible now. What’s the harm in breaking a few rules? If it helps you, then it’s worth it.”

“Is there a reason for the change of heart?”

“I must be getting old because I keep looking back on my life. It’s full of regrets. Out of all the regrets, this is the biggest one.”

Clang.

She drew her sword gently. Her eyes focused on the blade.

“I devoted my entire life to ensure this sword wouldn’t break for anyone. In exchange, my life became just as rigid.” 2

She lifted her gaze from the sword to look at me and said,

“I regret living my life too stiffly.”

I could feel her genuine regret.

I spoke softly, as if to console her.

“Are you upset because it feels like no one recognizes that life? You’ve lived meticulously, but it seems like no one truly understands it. Everyone else seems to get by just fine, and you wonder if you were the only one being foolish.”

The One-Slash Sword Supreme looked surprised.

“How do you know my heart so well?”

I’ve felt that way at least once.

“I respect you a lot, Senior.”

Seo Yeonrang smiled brightly and said,

“Alright, I should tell you. Since there is someone who understands and respects me this much, why should I hide it? The one who cast the vote was the Evil Smiling Demon.”

I was taken aback by her words.

“Surprised?”

“Yes. The Evil Smiling Demon is on my brother’s side, isn’t he?”

“That’s right.”

It was unexpected.

It was surprising that the Evil Smiling Demon sided with us, and even more surprising that Old man Blade persuaded him.

The One-Slash Sword Supreme interpreted it this way.

“They’re both villains, so they must have connected well.”

I chuckled, but she was serious.

“I’m telling you because it’s something that involves the Evil Smiling Demon. He’s not someone to be taken lightly. The Blade Demon might have other plans.”

I asked with a smile.

“Do you really dislike Elder Cheonpa that much?”

“I don’t hate him. Hating means having some intense emotion. I just don’t like him.”

She tried to push the Blood Heaven Blade Demon out of her life as she stood up from her seat.

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

“Thank you for sharing such important information.”

“Think of it as a gift from a sparring friend.”

As she was about to leave, Seo Daeryong stood in the hallway holding a watering can for the plants. He had been trying to make a good impression on the One-Slash Sword Supreme, but the problem was that she had become slightly sensitive after mentioning old man Blade.

Seo Yeinrang, now aware that Seo Daeryong had become a disciple of the villain Blade Demon, spoke coldly.

“That flower is my favorite. If it dies due to someone’s mistake, I will be very sad.”

After she left, Seo Daeryong’s face crumpled in distress.

“From now on, I am the third most important thing in this office. That flower’s name is now ‘Second in Command’.”

I laughed at his self-deprecating joke and left the office.

“Where are you going?”

“To meet the Evil Smiling Demon.”

“Yikes! You say such scary things as if you’re just going out for a meal?”

“Are you scared of him ?”

Seo Daeryong asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Aren’t you? Out of all our cult’s Demon Supremes, I find the Evil Smiling Demon the scariest.”

“You said you were most scared of Yasuo before?”

“But he’s dead now.”

“Why are you scared of the Evil Smiling Demon? Because of the ‘evil’ in his name?”

“Haven’t you heard? He’s really terrifying when he’s angry.”

“I’m scary when I get angry too. I think you might be the scariest.”

“Please don’t include me. When I’m angry, I just suppress it. My dream is to live without anything to get angry about. I used to be that way…”

We both knew how much we had changed, and we exchanged a knowing smile.

“Aren’t you really scared?”

“I’m going to meet a funny person. Why should I be scared?”

“A funny person?”

“He’s called ‘Smiling Demon,’ isn’t he?”

People often forget that he’s called ‘Soma’ (Smiling Demon) because of the ‘evil’ prefix. Seo Daeryong was no exception. 3

“It’s not the smiling kind of ‘so’ in his name. If you peel back that character, underneath you’ll find ‘burn to death,’ ‘tear apart to death,’ ‘explode to death,’ things like that. Oh no! You’re not trying to bring the Evil Smiling Demon to our side, are you? Please, tell me you’re not.”

“Are you more afraid of him being an enemy or an ally?”

“Of course… Still, the Evil Smiling Demon is a no-go!”

Though I said that, I knew better than anyone else. The Evil Smiling Demon could never truly be an ally.

The reason I was going to meet him was to ensure that he would be neither an ally nor an enemy.

1: It’s natural to fear an unknown, unbeaten path rather than the good old routine. But the goal and vision of this path is great enough that it nonetheless attracts countless people to it.

2: It reflects what Jeong Dae said, no matter how great the martial art is, it doesn’t matter if it’s not used for people.

3: Soma is a great game on human nature. You should at least watch a quick resume.

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