Absolute Regression Chapter 484

484
The swordsman stared at the master without saying a word.

Myeongsin also calmly received that gaze.

They felt at the same time that this meeting would determine the fate of the two people, and of many others.

“Surprised?”

Geommugeuk answered Myeongsin’s question with a look of no surprise.

“Have you already forgotten? The last time I saw you was when you poured poison on me and ran away.”

Then Myeongsin smiled and said.

“Have you forgotten? You were the one who pulled that handle.”

This time, the sword dance was the one who laughed.

“What do you think? Want a drink?”

I asked without missing the good atmosphere, but Geommugeuk didn’t accept it right away.

“What kind of person is Nalan written in your investigation? A person who foolishly follows a terrifying assassin who tried to kill him when he asks to go for a drink?”

“That’s exactly what it says. That’s why I came.”

Geommugeuk, who had been blinking his eyes, let out a long sigh.

“I’m angry, but you investigated me properly.”

Have you ever seen anyone answer like this at this moment? Will you ever see one in the future?

Myeongsin was sure that this would be the first and last time. The only person who would accept this absurd meeting would be the Sogyoju.

This time, Geommugeuk calmed his gaze and spoke quietly.

“But what if I kill you here and create a variable?”

Myeongsin reacted without any embarrassment.

“The report on you also said you would make this threat.”

It was a joke. How could something like that have been written?

Of course, he had thoroughly researched the Sword Dance Theater in the list, and he knew a lot about the leader of the Demonic Cult. Myeongsin was fully aware of the contents, but he still couldn’t believe much of them. There had never been a leader like that in the world.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Geommugeuk gladly accepted the offer and came out of the gate.

Rather, Myeongsin was surprised and asked.

“Are you really going? It could be a trap.”

“Of course.”

“But why do you accept it?”

“But you can’t just stay at home your whole life, right? You can’t wait for me to come out your whole life either. Especially for you, isn’t time money?”

Geommugeuk took the first step, and Myeongsin followed him.

The hidden Hwi will be following secretly. As he said, from now on, Hwi is someone who exists but does not exist. The moment he reveals himself will be the moment when everyone’s life or death will be decided.

The two walked toward the market, a few steps apart. Even though they were apart, they were still close enough to launch a fatal surprise attack on each other if they wanted to.

Myeongsin imagined a surprise attack on the Geommu Theater.

Since I am a murderer, I naturally imagine this when I meet a master. Will the author be able to block my ambush? If I make a surprise attack, he will block it like this, and then he will attack again. I could roughly imagine what would happen.

But for some reason, that picture didn’t come to mind for Geommugeuk, even though he had read so much information.

At that moment, Geommugeuk suddenly asked.

“Why you?”

It was a random question that cut off both the beginning and the end, but I could understand what he meant.

Myeongsin recalled his conversation with King Sal.

-Why are you quitting?

-The young leader resembles you.

Myeongsin did not convey that message.

“I guess I was a thorn in the side of the organization.”

His joking self-mockery was corrected by the sword dance.

“Or maybe you have the best skills.”

Myeongsin did not deny it. After all, he was the second most skilled assassin in the underworld after King Salwang.

“I thought there would be other people involved since it was a business deal. I didn’t know you guys were behind it.”

Myeongsin knew the reason. The reason the organization entrusted the management of money to the register was because they knew that Salwang had no greed for money.

What did you promise him?

To him, moving the empty heart of the King of Sal felt like the most difficult thing in the world.

“Oh, by the way, I saw you that day and you were a master at making weapons.”

“It’s just something to pass the time.”

“It’s a waste of skill to use it to kill people.”

If it had been just a thoughtless remark, I would have been angry, but the sect leader truly valued what he had created.

“If Master Kwak of the main school’s ironworks had seen this, he would have asked him to kidnap you and bring you back.”

“You could ask me to kill you because you’re jealous of me.”

Geommugeuk smiled at the pride of Myeongsin and said.

“Not to that extent.”

Rather, when he said that, Myeongsin could tell that Geommugeuk’s praise was not just words meant to make him feel good.

“Sell me some of the knives I made next time. I’m running out of knives right now.”

“Are you trying to kill me with that?”

“You don’t look so weak that you could kill me with a knife I’m not used to.”

Myungsin didn’t feel uncomfortable at all having this conversation with the cult leader. The cult leader certainly had the ability to lead the conversation in a comfortable manner. Even when it came to uncomfortable topics, it didn’t feel uncomfortable at all because he was the one talking about them.

So the two of them arrived at the market, chatting about this and that in a haphazard manner.

The place prepared as a trap was not in this market place. It was a shelter that existed between this village and another village.

“Where are you going to drink?”

Myeongsin gave Geommugeuk the choice to choose the tavern.

The swordsman looked around several taverns there and chose one.

“Let’s go there.”

The place that Geommugeuk chose was the most shabby tavern among them. Myeongsin obediently followed whatever Geommugeuk said.

The inside of the tavern had a similar atmosphere to the place where Salwang was preparing.

‘This cult leader really likes this kind of atmosphere in bars.’

Myeongsin asked Geommugeuk.

“I heard that the three-party talks were also held in a bar like this.”

“Isn’t it charming and nice?”

The sword dance looked at the owner.

“The food and drinks here are delicious.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I can tell the taste just by looking at the owner’s face. It’s an innate ability.”

But after a while, Geommugeuk put down his chopsticks with a sad face.

The food that came out as a side dish was not very tasty. On top of that, the alcohol didn’t taste that good either.

Geommugeuk said with a dead face.

“It looks like the owner has changed his face. This might be a place where a former salesman washes his hands and does business.”

Myungshin smiled faintly at Geommugeuk’s joke.

There was bitterness in the smile that accepted the joke. The words “former killer” came to me with a heavy weight.

Up until now, he has been killing people according to his own principles.

Don’t kill children. Don’t kill those who haven’t learned martial arts. Don’t kill those who aren’t evil.

But at some point, King Salwang started to mess with this principle.

Especially the last principle.

―Who can decide what is good and what is evil? If you live by these principles, are you a good person?

Myeongsin couldn’t answer that question in the affirmative.

―I admit that you won’t kill children. I also admit that you won’t kill anyone who isn’t an innocent person. But I can’t admit that you won’t kill anyone who isn’t an evildoer.

It meant that when the organization’s orders came down, they were to kill without complaint.

―This is also for your own good. If you set such a useless rule and make a mistake later on? Will you wash your hands of the guilt? Or will you commit suicide? Why do you want to make life even harder on yourself in a world where it is difficult to live?

The King of Sal’s persuasion is becoming increasingly more pressing.

Myeongsin could feel that the moment had come when he would have to tell King Sal.

I will break my own principles.

No, I won’t break it.

At the end of those worries, there is always one doubt waiting for you.

‘What if I’m not second best on the list?’

Could he have survived until now? Could he have stuck to the icy cliff in the heart of the King of Murder? Could he have survived because he was a friend? Could he have survived because he had skills too valuable to throw away?

As the moment approached when he had to make a decision regarding his principles, his mind was complicated in many ways.

What he said to Geommugeuk earlier was not an empty promise. He said he sent him because he was a thorn in his eye. Geommugeuk may have been trying to remove that thorn by borrowing the help of his formidable enemy.

Geommugeuk looked at Myeongsin, who was silently looking down at his glass, and then looked out the window.

The two people were lost in their own thoughts for a moment.

The one who broke the long silence was Geommugeuk.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Ask as much as you want.”

“Why didn’t you run away? Don’t you know that many of your comrades have died by my hands?”

Are those colleagues ordinary masters? They are absolute masters who will later become the Twelve Zodiac Kings.

He is the right-hand man of the King of Sal, so he would know the basics.

Indeed, judging by their expressions, he knew that they belonged somewhere.

Myeongsin answered calmly.

“Because we’re the ones needed in times like these. We’re experts at killing people.”

Myeongsin added slyly as he watched Geommugeuk silently nodding his head.

“Aren’t you as much experts as we are in killing people? No, you are even better than us. We won’t move unless we’re paid, but aren’t you the kind of people who kill people regardless of the amount of money?”

This is how the martial arts world has viewed the Cheonma Shingyo up until now.

“You just killed him? That’s all in the past. Our school has changed a lot these days. It must have been detailed in your report.”

Of course, Myeongsin knew. That this little cult leader was at the forefront of this change.

“Okay, while we’re on the subject, let me ask you something.”

The sword dance drama raised an unexpected question.

“Is buying things fun?”

It seemed like a casual remark, but it was a question with intent.

“Do you do work for fun? I just do it because it’s work. But why do you ask?”

Myeongsin thought he had investigated everything about Geommugeuk, but in fact Geommugeuk also knew about Myeongsin. Myeongsin knew more detailed information, but Geommugeuk knew the crucial facts.

His end. Why he was loyal to King Sal and why he was eventually killed by King Sal.

“You somehow don’t suit the world of killing people.”

“I can’t believe that feeling you have.”

Myungshin’s gaze turned to the owner sitting at the counter and he added.

“Haven’t we already proven how poor your judgment of people is?”

Geommu-geuk laughed pleasantly. Myeong-sin also laughed along with that unpretentious laugh. At this moment, he thought to himself, who would be more careless at this moment?

Geommugeuk asked Myeongsin.

“The alcohol doesn’t taste that good. Let’s move. Do you know any good bars?”

Myeongsin slowly shook his head.

“None.”

I was tempted to say, “There’s a regular place a little bit away from here.”

But he didn’t do that. He thought that Geommugeuk was asking him to test himself.

You have to make it happen naturally. At the moment when he lets his guard down. At the moment when you can’t help but say, “Could this be him?”

Rather, Myeongsin was the first to rise from his seat.

“That’s all for today. Let’s drink again next time.”

“Are we done already? Let’s play some more!”

“I’m busy. There’s a line of people waiting to be killed.”

Before leaving, Myeongsin asked.

“Why did you take the risk to come out and drink with me?”

An unexpected answer came from Geommugeuk.

“As you’ll see in your report, I like making friends. But I don’t have any friends I can live with.”

“!”

Myeongsin looked surprised and dumbfounded.

The sword dance spoke to him.

“Everyone starts with that kind of expression.”

* * *

When Myeongsin returned to Salwang’s tavern, the street had already been completely cleared.

The salesmen were the owners and clerks of each building. They were the best salesmen, and they were the owners of lumber shops, the owners of dharnas, and the customers. Even if they were the same salesmen, they did not feel any discomfort at all.

In addition, there were also ordinary travelers who were not assassins. Rather, their presence was the most important. They would be the best shield to hide the assassins.

‘If you come here, the sect leader will definitely die.’

Myeongsin came to Salwang’s tavern. There, too, were travelers passing by drinking and eating.

King Sal, who was talking to them while sitting together, met Myeongsin.

“welcome!”

Myeongsin sat down in the corner and ordered some snacks and drinks.

After delivering the order, Salwang chatted with the guests again. He looked like a talkative owner who you would meet at least once while traveling around the Central Plains. Who would consider that person the master of the underworld?

As soon as the travelers left, King Salwang finally came to Myeongsin.

“Have you met the cult leader?”

“Yes, I met you.”

“Whatever?”

“You said I look like you?”

Of course, I didn’t mean it in a good way. On the subject of mine, on the subject of murder. I said that they were similar in that they were trying to take different paths.

“Then you overestimate me.”

That means that Geommugeuk is no ordinary person.

“In what way?”

“It’s strange. It’s hard to put into words.”

King Salwang poured a glass of wine from the seat of Myeongsin and drank it.

I already expected it. I already knew that Geommugeuk was no ordinary guy.

“You said you wouldn’t kill anyone unless they were evil. Is he evil? Or is he good?”

Myeongsin couldn’t answer. Normally, a leader of a demonic cult would naturally be considered a villain. But was the person I was talking to today a villain?

King Sal tried to persuade Myeongsin through sword dance.

“That’s why. It’s a question that can’t be answered. Let go of your principles as the folly of youth.”

Myeongsin didn’t answer. Seeing how uncomfortable that statement was, it seemed like he couldn’t accept it yet.

“Can you do this?”

“I can do it.”

I even heard that if it weren’t for my friend, I would have died several times. The killings have already begun, and there is no stopping them now.

“We will be remembered in the history of martial arts with this murder.”

Myeongsin did not respond to King Salwang’s words.

“If we can’t just bring them, we’ll use the Golden Dragon Sega. After all, we’ll have to clean them up and leave after this incident is over. Even if we don’t kill them, they’ll be destroyed. The moment the leader dies, the Demonic Cult will wipe out all those involved, leaving nothing behind.”

Myeongsin stood up from his seat and greeted him politely.

“I’m going to go now.”

The king of death spoke to him as he was leaving. What he said was the patience of the killer that Hui had spoken of, and the determination of a man standing at the peak of that patience.

“If you don’t bring the young sect leader, I will live here as the master for the rest of my life.”

Absolute Return Episode 485