Absolute Regression Chapter 292

Episode 292: If only there were more guests like this.

Bian Zhong was lucky.

I came from Jiangxi to Hubei by horse-drawn carriage and for two days I couldn’t catch a carriage to return.

But then I happened to catch a carriage going to Gangseo.

The places that rented carriages hired coachmen like this, connected them with work, and took a portion of the money the coachmen received.

Bien-jung asked the manager who was renting the carriage.

“Where are you going, sir?”

“To the Cheonmasingyo Gangseojidan.”

Biyeonjung lowered his voice and asked softly.

“Are you mine?”

“It didn’t seem like it at first glance.”

Even so, the bias was tense and scary. How many grooms would have died in the fights between Saphain and Mines?

While Bianzhong was cleaning the carriage and waiting, a guest finally arrived. He was a young and handsome man.

“They say it’s biased. I don’t know much about it.”

“Please take care of it. It’s not that urgent, so there’s no need to rush.”

“All right.”

The bias was evident from the way the young man greeted him.

‘It’s not mine.’

I’ve ridden many mines before, but I’ve never seen one this polite.

Of course, it was a biased illusion. The opponent was the most famous of the mines. The young man was none other than Geommu Geuk.

Geommugeuk plans to rent a carriage and go to Gangseo. While practicing Cheonmahosingong in the carriage, they stop to look around when they come across a place with a nice view. They plan to take their time and rest.

“Okay, then let’s go.”

So the carriage set off.

When Biyunjung, who had been running for a while, glanced back through the window connected to the horse’s back, Geommugeuk had his eyes closed. It was unclear whether he was sleeping or lost in thought.

‘Yeah, this kind of customer is the best.’

The swordsman riding the carriage was practicing the Cheonmahoshinkong. When moving like this, he was able to concentrate better. The sound of the wind blowing past the carriage, the birds chirping in the distance, the voices of passersby. Sometimes, these sounds helped him concentrate even more.

And when I get tired of practicing, I just look at the scenery outside the window like I do now.

‘This is resting.’

The rest that Ian was talking about probably wasn’t just taking a short break while practicing Cheonmahoshin Gong, but in his current situation, even that kind of rest was a luxury.

Geommugeuk, who had been looking at the scenery outside, closed his eyes again.

I began to recite the verses of the Cheonmahosingong, which were so boring, with all my heart, as if I was learning them for the first time. Another drop of water was added to the water jug.

* * *

That evening, the carriage stopped at an inn. Each coachman had a different place to rest, but they had one thing in common.

“I heard that the inn where the grooms rest is a place with good food.”

“That’s right. We go there so often that we know which restaurants are good.”

So the two people entered the guest house.

“Then take a rest.”

“Let’s eat together.”

“I’m fine.”

It was the rule for the coachman to eat separately from the guests. Some guests bought them meals, but most ate and slept on their own until departure.

“I don’t want to eat alone. Let’s do it together.”

I sat down with him, pretending that I couldn’t win. If I could get one meal, I could save money, so it was a good thing from my perspective.

“You must know it well, so please recommend it. What is the best dish in this house?”

Bien-jung recommended several dishes. Geommu-geuk ordered all of them.

“Okay, I’m hungry, let’s eat a lot.”

The swordsman was the best guest for the groom.

He invited me to sit down and eat with him, but he didn’t ask me questions or nag me.

There are such people. People who do favors and make a big deal out of them, people who brag about themselves so much that it hurts your ears, and people who ask about the groom’s income and advise him to live a different life.

But Geommugeuk just stared blankly outside the guest house.

Rather, Bias wanted to speak to him.

What does Sohyeop do? Why do you go to the Demonic Cult?

Of course, Bias didn’t ask anything. He was old enough to know that there was nothing good to come from getting involved with the Murim people.

After a while, the food came out and Geommugeuk also ordered some drinks.

He also poured drinks for the biased person.

“I have to drive the carriage, so I’ll only have one drink.”

After a long time of drinking and eating delicious food, Biyun felt like she was going to die. These days, she was barely able to satisfy her hunger by saving money.

‘If only there were more customers like this, I could become a coachman.’

The life of a coachman was a series of anxious days rather than lucky days like today.

I felt ashamed to say nothing even though he bought me a meal, so I asked him cautiously.

“Is this your first time in Gangseo?”

“no.”

“I see.”

The thought of asking why I was going to the Demonic Cult’s headquarters rose to the tip of my tongue, but I held it back.

“I ate well.”

Geommugeuk didn’t bother to talk to him because he was afraid that he would feel uncomfortable. He had experienced this enough during his life as a ronin. In times like these, it was better to just stay quiet for the other person.

After finishing the meal, Geommugeuk, who was going up to the guest room, asked Pyeonjung.

“Why don’t you go?”

“I can sleep in the carriage. Go and get some rest.”

Bianzhong usually slept in the carriage. He had to save every penny.

The blacksmith also paid for his room with his own money.

“I’m fine.”

“I want to ride in a carriage driven by a person who has slept well.”

I couldn’t refuse after hearing this. If only there were more customers like this!

The feeling of being in the guest room was pleasant.

‘How long has it been since I slept in bed?’

I slept very comfortably that day. I didn’t even envy the leader of the martial arts world.

The favor of the Geommu Theater continued the next day.

He offered to eat together and even gave me a room. I waved my hand and said it was okay, but he argued that taking care of the person holding the reins was for my own safety.

In the end, we ate together and slept in a nice bed.

The first day, I felt good and ate and slept well, but the second day, while I was eating, I thought of my wife and children. It was because it was a dish that the children liked. It was the dish I bought for my first birthday last year. No, was it the year before last?

If only I could take this. I really wanted to take it if I could.

Then he raised his head and saw Geommugeuk looking at him. As if he had read his thoughts, he asked if he had any children.

“Do you have any children?”

“There are two.”

“How old are you?”

“Seven or nine years old.”

“I bet you miss it.”

Bien-jung smiled and nodded. Do you just want to see it? Sometimes, I feel the urge to drive a carriage and run there right away.

And that night, children appeared in my dream.

* * *

Sometimes the sword dance would stop the carriage at a scenic spot.

The sun was setting far across the river. The sight of the red glow spreading across the sparkling river was truly spectacular.

Geommugeuk watched the scene silently with his arms crossed.

Thanks to that, I was able to look at the sunset for the first time in a long time. Now that I think about it, it’s been a really long time since I’ve seen the sun set like this. I can’t even remember how long it’s been.

When the sun set, he would hurry to drive the carriage, thinking that he had to get to the inn before it got dark. Rather, the sunset was a signal that made him anxious. Today, I felt it again. The sunset was so beautiful.

“My heart said that. It looked tired, so it told me to rest. That’s why I’m trying to listen to my heart.”

“Oh, I see.”

I pretended to know what he was saying, but Bi-Jung didn’t understand what he was saying. Heart? What does that mean? It only led to the misunderstanding that he might be a person with a sick heart.

After running and running like that, it was the day before I reached my destination.

Bien-jung was returning the room he had rented to the innkeeper and getting his money back when he was caught by Geom-mu-geuk. Geom-mu-geuk happened to be out for some fresh air and saw him. Geom-mu-geuk pretended not to see him and went outside.

“ah!”

Prejudice sighed. It was something I shouldn’t have done, considering the other person’s sincerity. Even if the other person understood, I felt so miserable.

The next day, while driving the carriage, Bi-Jung, who had been on his mind the whole time, approached Geommu-Geuk when the horse was resting for a while in the field.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s okay.”

I could have just left it at that, but then this thought suddenly occurred to me.

I thought it was cowardly to just say sorry and move on to such a nice person, while I would have been scared to make excuses for such a foul-tempered person.

Yeah, at least make a proper excuse.

“Last year, my second son had a terrible fever. I borrowed money to buy medicine. I was living a tight life, so I borrowed money I shouldn’t have borrowed in a hurry.”

“You borrowed the King of Hell’s House.”

“you’re right.”

Bias sighed.

“I didn’t borrow much. I borrowed ten nyang for medical expenses… … Now, a year later, it’s seventy nyang. Even though I’ve paid back over twenty nyang in interest.”

That was the reason he slept in the carriage. He had to pay the interest and feed his family. But the debt just kept growing.

“It’s my fault. I borrowed it even after hearing that the interest rate was so high.”

I have no regrets. If I hadn’t borrowed the money then, my second son would have died or become disabled.

Then the sword dance said.

“How could that be Mr. Pyeon’s fault? It’s the fault of those who put the King of Hell on the line with interest rates that defy common sense.”

When I heard the words “Mr. Pyeon,” my heart ached with pride. No one had ever spoken so highly of the coachman.

And when I told them about borrowing money, they all said it was their fault. Why did they borrow money from there in the first place?

“What is the name of the place you borrowed the money from?”

“It’s called Tongjeonso (Money Exchange Office).”

“Let’s start from there.”

“No. They are violent and savage. Some of them have mastered martial arts, and I’ve heard rumors that there are scary people behind them. They’ve been in the area for a very long time, but they’re still alive and well.”

Bias felt both the hope that he might escape this hell and the fear that this good man might be killed by them.

Geommugeuk looked at him blankly and said.

“I think there’s some misunderstanding. I’m going because I need money.”

For a moment, Biyeonjung hesitated whether to believe this or not. He was the one who spent so much money on the way here, and now he’s borrowing the King of Hell? All of a sudden?

“Let’s go.”

What can you do when a guest wants to leave? The carriage changed direction from where it was supposed to go.

* * *

Surprisingly, the sword dance that arrived at the power plant really did borrow money.

“How much can you lend me?”

Zhou Yang, the person in charge of lending money, looked up and down at Geommu-geuk’s activities.

“We don’t lend money to outsiders very often… … .”

He didn’t speak clearly and trailed off. He meant that he would lend it to me.

“Do you have collateral?”

“No. Should I leave this sword to you?”

“How much does a sword cost? I won’t accept a sword as collateral.”

Most of the swords that the unmanned merchants wanted to leave as collateral were of poor quality. Where else could there be a few people who bought cheap swords and pretended to be famous swords?

“I would be upset if my sword heard that.”

Joo-yang looked at the sword. He couldn’t help but snort when he saw the blood-stained cloth wrapped around the sword. It was well-decorated to look like it was made to look good.

“If you don’t have collateral, you can have someone who will serve as a surety.”

At Juyang’s words, Geommugeuk looked back at the biased people who had come with him.

“Could you please stand as guarantor?”

Bias was startled. He wondered if the flea had brought him here to ask for a certificate of guarantee.

“I’m joking. My father said that a guarantee doesn’t even apply to family members.”

The tense bias breathed a sigh of relief.

“How much can I borrow without collateral or guarantee?”

“I can lend you up to ten nyang.”

“Okay, let me borrow ten nyang.”

“Now, please write your personal information on this loan certificate and stamp it.”

The sword dance drama was written as instructed and even stamped with watermarks. When lending it, it was done conveniently and in a very quick manner.

“If you don’t pay on time, you’ll have to pay interest. There are always people who will complain about the high interest rates later. They are shameless people who come to you on their own and then say things like that.”

Bien-jung bowed his head. Joo-yang was telling Bien-jung to listen.

At that time, Geommugeuk took the biased side.

“Why would you borrow money at such a high interest rate if you were in such a hurry? Those who take advantage of desperate people are shameless.”

For a moment, Joo-yang’s expression hardened. However, Joo-yang, who was worn down, did not get angry. He knew better than anyone what kind of ending a person who would do something like this would have.

‘You idiot. Let’s see if you can say something like that again later. I’ll show you what it’s like to want to pay back money but not be able to.’

Jooyang checked the contents written on the loan certificate.

“Your hometown is Gwangseo City. You came from far away. I believe you wrote the address correctly. Your father’s name is Geumwoojin. What a wonderful name. I don’t know if you know, but we have branches in each province. I will check what you wrote and contact you soon.”

“Okay then.”

“I’m telling you in advance, don’t even think about running away without paying back the money. Your family will have to pay for it instead. I’m telling you I’m going to find your father.”

“My father has a lot of money.”

I left there with that bias. There were many people with swords walking around the yard. It was a fairly large-scale Yeomwangchae.

As soon as I left there, I asked the question that I had been holding back.

“Why on earth did you come here?”

I was worried that there might be a fight. I was worried, but I was also looking forward to it.

I expected this thief to pull out his sword and sweep everything away, and say, “From now on, I have no more debt.” It was selfish and petty, but honestly, that’s what happened.

“Didn’t you say you came to borrow money?”

“Are you here to borrow just ten nyang? Your Majesty… … You don’t need that money, do you?”

Thinking about the experience of the sword dance I had had on my way here, I couldn’t understand borrowing ten nyang.

“It is absolutely necessary.”

It wasn’t because of the Silk King’s House. It was because I wanted to start the secret inspection of Gangseojidan from here. Corruption is always related to money.

Behind the sword dance, two men followed them far away. They were blatantly stalking them, telling them not to do anything else while they were watching them.

“Wouldn’t it be a loss if I lend ten nyang and hire two people to watch over me?”

Geommugeuk asked back, showing the ten nyang he was holding in his palm.

“Isn’t this ten nyang?”

Bias let out an exclamation. He realized what Geommugeuk meant.

Starting with these ten nyang, they will stick a pipe in you and suck your blood for the rest of your life. So the money you borrowed now is not ten nyang. It is hundreds, thousands of nyang. Just like what you are going through now.

“Let’s see how they get these ten nyang.”