Absolute Regression Chapter 244

Episode 244 Because I’m doing nothing.

Mabul came out of the main temple.

It’s meal time, so the sword dance will be waiting at the entrance.

Today is the fifth day since I had dinner with Geommugeuk.

We didn’t talk much. We exchanged a few meaningless words and then had a meal and parted ways. It was like a scouting match where we threw a slingshot at each other in a fight.

Geommu-geuk thought that he would become closer to him as he did this, but it was a total lie. A golden operation? Why would he use his gold to carry out another’s operation?

‘I’m sorry, but that’s my plan.’

Yes, we will become friends. So, in return, we will persuade Geommu-geuk to give up the position of Cheonma.

This was Mabul’s plan.

If you can do that, there is no need to persuade other Amazons. It is the fastest and most certain way.

Of course, Geommugeuk would not give up easily, but Mabul saw the possibility because of Geommugeuk’s nature.

‘The person with the science and engineering degree is a mood person.’

He was more emotional than anyone I’d ever seen. That must be why the other demons fell for him. And there’s one more thing.

‘He is a person who always keeps his word once he says it.’

And, crucially, he wants to end this succession fight peacefully.

‘There is definitely an opportunity.’

It’s not like I’ve only recited Buddhist scriptures in the temple. Hearing that I’m blinded by power means that I’ve been meeting people diligently. I’ll use that experience to deal with Geommugeuk.

‘I’m different from other Amazons!’

When I came out of the Golden Buddha Temple with such determination!

Whew.

There was no one at the entrance. The figure of the sword dance that had been waiting for him every day was nowhere to be seen.

‘Why didn’t you come today?’

The swordplay I’ve seen so far doesn’t seem like someone who would give up so easily, right?

Mabul waited there for a while for the sword dance.

Have you ever stood outside like this, waiting for someone?

The sword dance did not come until all of that precious patience had been used up.

Geommugeuk did not come the next day, or the day after that. On the third day, Mabul finally could not bear it anymore and went to Geommugeuk’s residence.

‘What’s going on?’

And there, Mabul witnessed an unexpected sight.

The sword dance was sprawled like a corpse on a flat rock in the yard.

The surprised Mabul ran over and looked down at Geommugeuk. Only then did Geommugeuk open his eyes. Their gazes, looking up and looking down, met in the air.

“Are you here?”

“I thought you were dead.”

“I hope you had a nice time.”

Mabul sat down on the rock.

“It’s comfortable here. My back is cool too. Why not lie down?”

“I’m done.”

The sword dance was definitely different from usual.

“I came here every day but didn’t come out, so I came to see what was wrong.”

Geommugeuk looked up at the sky for a moment and then spoke softly.

“Three days ago, I was going to see Ma-Bul-nim when I suddenly looked up at the sky.”

Mabul’s gaze also naturally turned towards the sky.

“A bird was flying in the cloudless sky. As I was looking at the bird, I suddenly had this thought: I envy that bird.”

Mabul looked at the sword dance.

“Why are you jealous? I have the air power to fly like that. I can even fly higher and faster. That’s when I realized. Oh, I’m having a hard time.”

The operation was an operation, but it was an operation filled with the sincerity of the sword play.

“I guess I was running too forward without looking back.”

Not only was his life before his return needless to say, but he was also running around like crazy after his return. So what he said just now was his true feelings.

Mabul couldn’t figure out why Geommugeuk was saying such things.

But one thing was certain: he was the one who had been running forward without looking back.

I didn’t want to die being born short and being teased. I didn’t want sympathy or help even more. I really suffered to get to this point.

‘Lee Gong-ja, you don’t know what it means to run forward without looking back.’

Now this rock was carrying two men who were running forward without looking back.

“I’ve been rolling around for four days since that day. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you any news.”

In Mabul’s eyes, it didn’t look like Geommu-geuk was doing anything else. It’s a trick if you have something to gain, so what could you gain by lying here like a loser?

‘Well, it must be hard to have accomplished so much at such a young age.’

I thought that by taking advantage of this difficulty, I might be able to get him to give up his successor more easily than I thought.

Mabul suggested subtly.

“How about taking a break for a while? Put aside the burden of having to become the successor.”

Mabul prayed inwardly. He hoped for an answer like this.

-Yes, I’m thinking of just throwing away the successor and everything.

But instead of answering, Geommugeuk suddenly asked Mabul a question.

“Aren’t you tired, Mabulnim?”

Even when asked a sudden question, Mabul did not reveal his feelings at all.

“It must be hard because of you. If you step down from the competition for the successor, you’ll feel more energetic.”

Geommugeuk smiled faintly and then suddenly shouted.

“Oh! It’s that bird. The bird that ruined your and my meal!”

A little bird was flying around.

“How do you know it’s that bird?”

“I look exactly like that guy. Look, I’m free. Aren’t you jealous? Aren’t you?”

“In my eyes… … I just look straight ahead, and my wings hurt so much, it’s tiring, it seems like that.”

Geommugeuk looked at Mabul.

Mabul was still looking at the bird. He said it as a joke, but he was serious. He didn’t envy the bird at all.

It seemed as if he was watching himself as he flew away, flapping his wings ceaselessly. He was always busy. Moving with the Grand Duke, meeting people, ruling the madmen, and practicing martial arts.

It’s hard because I’m weak. Those with rotten minds say it’s hard. I’ve lived with those words on my lips. And in the meantime, time passes by so quickly. That’s why I’m more anxious. That’s why my life has been busier.

‘So what’s left for me is… … .’

Ma-Bul, who had been lost in thought for a while, looked at Geommu-Geuk.

Before he knew it, he was asleep next to him. Mabul was secretly surprised at the sight of him sleeping next to him.

‘You trust me this much?’

I thought it was an act. He was such a fox-like scholar, so it was an act to deceive people into believing him.

‘It doesn’t work for me, Lee Gong-ja.’

Mabul rose from the rock without a sound.

‘It doesn’t work on me… … .’

As Ma-bul walked out of the house, Geom-mu-geuk spoke softly with his eyes closed.

“Mabul-ah, put down everything you’re talking about as successor and all. Let’s get some rest.”

I’ll pull gently, so come to me gently.

* * *

The next day, the sword dance did not come.

Mabul naturally walked towards the residence of the swordsman.

The swordsman was not at home, but just then the squire came out of the building.

“Where did the scholar go?”

“He received a message from Cheon Dok Rim and went there.”

“Cheon Dok Rim?”

Mabul, who was about to return to his residence, turned his steps towards Cheondokrim.

I think he is on the Archduke’s side, but the Poison King has not yet officially announced that he supports the Archduke.

Since such a poisonous king called for a sword dance, I want to go and see. What are they talking about and how are they doing?

The steps toward Cheon Dok Rim quickened.

* * *

It’s been a long time since I came to Cheondokrim.

On the way, I met several Germans. After barking at the training ground with the King of Poison, their eyes turned towards me in various ways. From ‘We actively support the Duke of Poison’ to ‘You’re turning our King of Poison into a dog!’

When he arrived at the residence, the Poison King was making something. He approached and saw that it wasn’t the poison he had made before.

“It seems like some kind of unusual poison.”

The Poison King was so absorbed in making poison that he didn’t even answer.

It was nice to see you so absorbed in your own world after such a long time.

I looked around the room for a moment.

It was exactly as it was before. The furniture, the bottles of medicine, and even the tools were all exactly where they were.

At that moment, a sight caught my eye.

“Ouch! This is it!”

When I was so surprised, the Poison King raised his head.

“I had some left over from when I was eating it.”

It was just posted there.

Instead of nagging me to “Oh, please clean up after yourself!”, he nicely packaged my laziness.

“The more dangerous things you deal with, the more everything has to stay in its familiar place, right?”

Then the Poison King looked back at the poison he was making and answered.

“No. I didn’t clean up because I was busy making this. Next time someone says it’s dirty, I’ll have to answer like that.”

Since long ago, even merchants were not allowed to enter this space. The cleaning was also done by the King himself. When I think about it, he only allowed me into his own space.

While I was roughly cleaning up, the poison king finished making the elixir.

“It’s done!”

Judging by the joy that crossed his face, it was clear that this was not an easy poison to make.

It had bright, colorful colors like a flower.

“It looks poisonous. Who on earth are you trying to kill? The leader of the martial arts world? The leader of the apostles?”

Then the Poison King suddenly held it out to me.

“Eat.”

“Are you saying that you would poison the followers of the Heavenly Demon Sect so blatantly?”

“Isn’t that possible?”

“Then my brother is hiding behind that curtain.”

As I said that, I accepted the elixir.

“What the heck is this?”

“It’s Cheon-gi-dan (天氣丹).”

I was surprised by the word Cheon-gi-dan.

Cheon-gi-dan was one of the top three poisons among those who used poison, and at the same time, it was an elixir. Although it was an elixir, it was not a drug that increased internal energy.

“I found a strange magic herb in a corner of the house. No one noticed how precious it was.”

“Ah! Detective Seo told me. He said that the King dug up the entire house.”

“I was trying to find the Hwaryeongsa (花寧蛇) nearby. Wherever there is a Kirincho, there is definitely a Hwaryeongsa. Cheon-gi-dan is made by combining the fruit of the Kirincho and the inner altar of the Hwaryeongsa.”

“Why are you giving me this scary thing?”

“You should ask why I am giving you this precious thing.”

The Poison King spoke as if boasting about the efficacy of Cheon-gi-dan.

“If you take Cheon-gi-dan, you will have a constitution that can withstand any heat or cold. Even if you are stripped naked and thrown into the desert or thrown into a snowy mountain, you will have a constitution that can survive.”

Not only that, it becomes much more advantageous when dealing with extreme yang or extreme yin martial arts.

“But the problem is that it’s so toxic that if you eat it, you won’t die, right?”

“That’s right. Many people melted while trying to endure the effects of the Cheon-gi-dan.”

The Poison King stared into my eyes and asked further.

“But you can live, right?”

“!”

For a moment, silence flowed.

I could tell from his expression and the look in his eyes.

“You knew that.”

“Yes. I already knew that you were a man of invincible power. We’ve been together for so long, do you think I didn’t know?”

Indeed, the Poison King was the Poison King.

“It’s a shame. I intended to reveal this fact at a dramatic moment sometime.”

“I was trying to make it dramatically clear that I knew.”

“You succeeded. I was very surprised.”

Even though the Poison King knew that I was invincible, he didn’t seem as upset as I thought.

“I thought you would be really upset if you knew this.”

“Why do you feel bad? You’re the one I’ve been waiting for a long time.”

“You want to be able to read and sleep?”

The Poison King’s eyes sparkled.

“You can test various poisons. Now, take this first and tell me everything. What does it taste like? How strong is it? What else should I add?”

I playfully took a step back.

“I’m a student of engineering. I’m the one who will become a Heavenly Horse. I’m a hellhound who went through the training grounds with you. I’m not a test subject.”

The Poison King laughed at my teasing. Of course, the Poison King would hate Mandokbulchim, but I realized after living my second life that this could be a prejudice and preconception.

“Then I will take it.”

I sat cross-legged on the seat and took Cheon-gi-dan. It was really extremely poisonous. If it weren’t for Man-dok-bul-chim, I wouldn’t have been able to completely dissolve this poisonous energy.

The taste was also more bitter and toxic than any elixir I’ve ever taken. It’s a record for being bitter and toxic.

“Did you make me write like this on purpose to make me suffer?”

It was truly a complaint that could not be helped.

In this way, all of Cheon Ki Dan’s energy was melted. Unlike other elixirs, Cheon Ki Dan’s energy permeated not only the dantian but also all of the blood vessels in the entire body.

Now you won’t die of cold even if you fall into icy water. Now you can warm yourself up by a fire as if it were a campfire.

I bowed deeply to the Poison King.

“I will never forget the grace that gave me this precious elixir.”

“Thank you for your kindness. Can you answer a question?”

“Even a hundred would be fine.”

“Who are you trying to deal with?”

The Poison King felt that there was some powerful purpose behind his endless progress.

“I will let you know as soon as I find the Giryeong Elementary School.”

I said indirectly that I couldn’t tell you. That alone was half the answer. Because it wasn’t ‘There’s no such person.’

The Poison King’s gaze towards me deepened. Just as he was about to say something, the merchant came and reported.

“The devil has come.”

“Why did Mabul come here?”

The surprised Poison King glared at me.

“You brought Ma-Bul to Cheon-Dok-Rim. What on earth did you do?”

Perhaps Mabul had never been to Cheondokrim before.

“If I had done anything, he would never have come here. He came here because he didn’t do anything.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The Poison King quickly tried to go out the back door.

“Tell him I’m not here. That guy is uncomfortable.”

I quickly stood in front of him to block his path.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“next time.”

“If you do me a favor, I will come running whenever you need a poison experiment.”

The Poison King sighed and ordered his men to bring Ma-Bul.

“If you don’t listen, won’t you pretend to be busy that day? Or run away through the back door.”

“You know that won’t happen, right?”

“So I’ll listen to you. So, what’s your request? Persuade Ma-bul to abandon the Grand Duke and come to your side? Or should I poison him and bury him in the Cheon Dok-rim without anyone knowing?”

“It might be more difficult than that.”

My request was something the Poison King had never expected.

“Please play with us just for today.”