Absolute Regression Chapter 170

Episode 170: The body knows first.

“How did you come here, young lady?”

Seo Dae-ryong’s voice trembled as he asked the question. He really never imagined he would see her here.

“I was invited too.”

“How do you say that?”

Today’s banquet was only attended by people related to the Little Dragon Tale.

Then a surprising fact came out of the woman’s mouth.

“I advanced to the eighth level in the Little Dragon Tournament held three years ago.”

Not only Seo Dae-ryong, but also the surrounding followers were surprised.

The Little Dragon Tournament was held once every three years, so the woman had been a finalist in the previous tournament. It was customary to send invitations to the Little Dragon Tournament celebration banquet to those who had previously advanced to the main tournament and were members of the Martial Arts Alliance.

“Let me formally introduce myself. I am Shao Yu, the third division leader of the White Dragon Corps.”

“Ah, you are a martial artist belonging to the Murim Alliance.”

She was also the leader of the Baekryongdan. When she came shyly to cheer me on, I never dreamed that she was a martial arts leader since she wasn’t wearing martial arts uniforms.

“I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t know. Because I didn’t tell you.”

“Why did you cheer me on?”

The two people’s gazes met in the air. Seo Dae-ryong’s excitement was felt from the side. It was like meeting his first love again.

On the other hand, So-ok was calm compared to him.

“When I saw the West, I thought of myself when I used to participate in the Little Dragon Tournament. I came up from the countryside and didn’t know anything. I didn’t know anyone, and no one knew me. I even didn’t have enough money to stay at a guesthouse, so I ended up camping in the mountains and came down to participate in the competition.”

So-ok said such things without any shame. That appearance made Seo Dae-ryong feel even better. She had a good scent.

“I watched all of the Seo So-hyeop’s martial arts without missing a single one. They were really great techniques. Especially the final martial arts were so cool. My heart was pounding so hard that I wanted to jump up onto the stage.”

While others might have taken it to mean that he was impressed by the great performance and wanted to compete again, to Seo Dae-ryong, it could have been misunderstood as meaning that he wanted to come up because he liked it.

“You beat Lady Jin. It was truly the best martial arts in the history of the Little Dragon Wars.”

Seo Dae-ryong felt as if he was flying. He had received many compliments and praises since winning, but this moment he was receiving from her was the best. A smile naturally appeared on his lips.

“Are you going to the Demon Squad now?”

The Extermination Corps was the elite organization of the Murim Alliance, comprised of young masters. For generations, the winners of the Little Dragon Tournament joined the Extermination Corps.

“You can also apply to the Baekryongdan where you are.”

Then So-ok’s face turned slightly red.

“Thank you for your kind words, but please don’t do that. Starting from the Demon Slayer Corps is the best path to advancement in the Murim Alliance.”

“Thanks to your support, we won. So I’d like to treat you to a special meal.”

It was a truly courageous proposal.

Because he had been rejected more often than accepted by women, Seo Dae-ryong was nervous inside. Fortunately, his nervousness was insignificant, as So-ok readily accepted his proposal.

“I’m honored. The winner of the Little Dragon Tournament is buying me a meal.”

Seo Dae-ryong was so happy that he felt like he was flying.

Geommugeuk and Jinharyeong were watching the scene from outside the window.

I could tell it was a sword dance.

That she had been recruited by Cheonmyeonghoe in the Little Dragon War three years ago. In other words, Cheonmyeonghoe had been active in the martial arts world three years ago.

‘These guys are more deeply entrenched in the Murim Alliance than I thought.’

It was a moment when the woman’s identity was revealed and an unexpected fact was discovered.

I asked Jin Ha-ryeong, who was standing next to me.

“Do you know that woman?”

“Chief of Staff? We’re on friendly terms, at least.”

“What kind of person are you?”

“He’s easygoing, has a good personality, and is popular with people. But that’s unexpected. I didn’t know he’d be rooting for you so much. Why? Are you worried about him? Are you afraid he’ll be so captivated by the fox that he’ll give you all the prize money?”

“Of course I should be worried. I’m always there.”

At that moment, Jin Ha-ryeong’s true feelings suddenly came out.

“Can’t you just stop doing that?”

After she spoke, she said, “Oops.” She had always told me not to say things I was hesitating to say, but the words she had thought she shouldn’t say came out. Thinking it was a rush, she said what she wanted to say.

“Can’t you just live as an ordinary person? Since you’ve learned martial arts, you can take the entrance exam, right? I’ll help you if you need to.”

When Geommugeuk didn’t say anything, Jin Ha-ryeong spoke hurriedly.

“Don’t misunderstand! I’m not saying this because I’m embarrassed to be your servant. I’m just saying that there is a new life.”

Her face was slightly flushed. I was worried that I might have hurt the pride of the sword dance.

Finally, Geommugeuk opened his mouth.

“It’s something I often tell people. Try living a new life.”

“To whom?”

“Yes. A stubborn person who hates change.”

“Like you?”

Geommu-geuk smiled and looked back at Seo Dae-ryong. Although he was still surrounded by people and enjoying great popularity, Seo Dae-ryong’s gaze was always drawn to one place.

* * *

The next day, Seo Dae-ryong went out to meet So-ok.

He got up the morning before dinner, took a bath, combed his hair, and changed his clothes, causing a huge fuss, and then he said this.

“Rather than saying that I like her, it’s meeting someone who supports me. She’s pure-hearted.”

“If you are innocent just twice, my mouth will be torn. Stop laughing.”

I was worried because Seo Dae-ryong liked her too much. He would be heartbroken if he found out the truth.

Seo Dae-ryong, who had gone out with such great spirit, looked somewhat lethargic when he returned.

“Why? Didn’t it work out well?”

“No. I had a good time. He said he likes tea more than alcohol and likes going for walks. So he ate, drank tea, and went for a walk.”

“But why is your expression like that?”

After a moment, Seo Dae-ryong sighed and said.

“I was sitting there in such a good mood, and then at some point, I suddenly had this thought. Isn’t this right? My life can’t possibly go this well. It was as if someone was whispering in my ear. If something good like this happens, I should prepare for something bad.”

It seems that the instinct that had been dormant until now has awakened. Once fate starts moving, it shakes people awake like this.

“Did you tell that woman?”

“I didn’t. I tried my best not to show my face and just smiled and parted ways.”

“Inspector Seo. I told you. The path you chose was the path to the stage with your injured arm tied up.”

“He said it was a path where you had to walk with blood flowing out of your body, limping, and without being able to see with one eye.”

“Yes. It’s a path where you have to be suspicious of people you meet. That’s why it’s not easy to make friends or truly love someone.”

Seo Dae-ryong, who had been silently lost in thought for a while, blurted out words he absolutely did not want to say.

“Let me explain in that context. This woman seems suspicious. I think she approached me intentionally. Could she be someone from Cheonmyeonghoe?”

I didn’t answer. He stared at me, startled.

“that’s right?”

“… … .”

“Is that really true?”

Seo Dae-ryong’s voice trembled. He felt something was fishy, but he still had the thought that it couldn’t be true.

“That’s right. She is from Cheonmyeonghoe.”

“!”

Seo Dae-ryong opened his eyes wide. I expected him to react in a way that made the sky fall, but unexpectedly, Seo Dae-ryong was calm.

“My hunch was right. Well then. What’s wrong with my subject? It was strange from the beginning. There are so many handsome reviewers, but I recognized you when you came to cheer me on. How pathetic must you have thought of me?”

“Instead of torturing ourselves like that, how about we celebrate and rejoice that you have figured out her true identity?”

“How did you know, sir?”

“During the final match.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m afraid I’ll get criticized for acting awkwardly.”

“Then why are you telling me now? You could have just pretended not to know.”

“Because there’s a more important issue than whether I’m good at acting or not.”

“what is that?”

“It seems like your survival instinct has truly awakened.”

Seo Dae-ryong was surprised by my words.

“Everyone has a survival instinct. However, the survival instinct of a warrior is different. The more skilled you become, the more different it becomes. The body knows first. No matter how much the other person smiles and says nice things, the body rejects it. The hairs on your body stand on end, and your heart races. On the other hand, you may feel depressed like you did today.”

“It seems my survival instinct has kicked in.”

“Yes. Remember well how this survival instinct was triggered and what it felt like.”

Seo Dae-ryong was touched. He was considering his own survival instinct more important than catching Cheonmyeonghoeju.

“Thank you, my lord.”

“I have to act well from now on.”

“You worried for nothing. I’m a better actor than you think. You’re saying I’m a sinister guy.”

“You’ll know when you see.”

“What are your plans for the future?”

“You have to do it. You have to get her to lead Janelle to the Heavenly Council. And as soon as possible.”

There was no time. If she wanted to slowly become close, it could take months or even a year. But we had to resolve this quickly and get back.

After thinking for a while, Seo Dae-ryong came up with a solution.

“Do you remember what she said at the banquet? She said that she was in the same situation as me when she came to participate in the Little Dragon War three years ago. I think that wasn’t a lie. I’ll dig into that part.”

“You want to use empathy? Because it’s a feeling you’ve experienced yourself?”

“yes.”

“One more thing. I must be included in the introduction of the background.”

Seo Dae-ryong nodded.

“Leave it to me.”

* * *

Two days later, Seo Dae-ryong and So-ok were on a hill overlooking the Murim Alliance.

“The view here is beautiful.”

“This is the place I go to when I feel frustrated.”

“What a wonderful place.”

Seo Dae-ryong was secretly surprised by the vastness of the Murim Alliance that stretched out endlessly. He thought there could be no place larger than the Cheonma Shingyo, but the scale of the Murim Alliance was no less.

“Actually, I was touched by what the leader of the small group said that day. He said that when he entered the competition, he didn’t know anything and had no money, so he slept in the mountains. I’m in a similar situation. I will definitely succeed here in the Murim Alliance.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“yes?”

“I hesitate to say this to someone who hasn’t even officially joined the alliance yet, but I’ll say it for Seo Mu-in’s sake. In the Murim Alliance, you can’t get ahead without a supporter. You might be able to become a leader, but you can’t become a major. You might work really hard to become a major leader, but you’ll never become a minor leader. The limits are clear.”

Her acting was as great as Seo Dae-ryong’s. If I didn’t know the truth, it would have sounded like she was really worried.

“Seo Mu-in will probably be even more heartbroken. He is a former champion. He may start as a team leader and end up as a perennial team leader. Overcoming it with skill? How? In these peaceful times, it is impossible. The success story of Red Hand and Empty Fist is something that only happens in storybooks.”

Seo Dae-ryong asked with a serious expression.

“Then what should I do?”

Seo Dae-ryong was expressing his current emotions without any sense of awkwardness.

“Make a line. Put aside your pride and be loyal to the person who pushes you. That’s what I did.”

“Please let me hold the rope that the small lord held. I don’t have any pride in that unmanned person. Please help me.”

She didn’t say anything for a while. Seo Dae-ryong nagged her as she pondered.

“please.”

“Okay, it was fate that we met like this, Seo Muin. Let me explain.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t expect much. The old man might say no.”

“Oh, and I have one more favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Please introduce my servant as well.”

“A servant?”

“If the Murim Alliance is such a place, shouldn’t I also grow my power in my own way? I plan to recruit my attendant and raise him as my right-hand man. In the Murim Alliance where there is no one, there should be at least one person I can trust. I can trust that one person’s loyalty.”

Seo Dae-ryong pushed forward like a country bumpkin showing his tenacity.

“I don’t know if it’s possible.”

Seo Dae-ryong bowed his head with an earnest expression.

“Please do so.”

* * *

It was three days later that I heard from So-ok again.

She took Seodaeryong and me to a manor located far from the Murim Alliance.

Although the number was not large, the level of masked people guarding the area was not ordinary. This meant that the person she was about to introduce was not an ordinary person.

“Sir, it’s jade.”

“Come in.”

We followed So-ok into the room.

In the middle of the large room, a curtain was drawn down, making it impossible to see the other person’s face.

I used my new powers. I strained my eyes and looked through the curtain to see who was behind it. And the moment I saw who it was, I was shocked. It was someone I knew.

Jinryongjangju Jo Ibaek (曺梨伯).

It was Jo Shin’s father.

Either this Jo Yi-baek was the one who recruited Jo Shin, or Cheon Myeong-hoe recruited each of these rich men. If that is the case, it is possible that they were unaware of each other’s recruitment.

In both cases it was surprising.

Joy Baek spoke softly from beyond the curtain.

“You want to succeed in the Murim Alliance?”

His prayer was completely different from the way he looked next to the Martial Arts Leader. His father, Joy Baek, who was trying to somehow establish a marriage with the Martial Arts Leader, was completely different from the oppressive feeling behind the curtain now. This appearance must be his true face.

Seo Dae-ryong bowed his head and spoke politely.

“Yes! I definitely want to succeed.”

I could tell.

After the Hwamugi swept through, the Shinryongga became the pillar of the Jeongpa martial arts world. It was because they had been plotting like this since then.

So is Joy Baek the head of Cheonmyeonghoe? Or is there a separate head of Cheonmyeonghoe?

One thing is certain: the Cheonmyeonghoe, whose torso is gradually being revealed, is a much bigger monster than I had thought.

“If I help you, you will definitely succeed. Then you will… … .”

Joy Baek added softly.

“What can you do for me?”