Absolute Regression Chapter 522

522
Early in the morning, we inspected the horses, checked the carriage, and loaded the luggage. Today is finally the day to return to the main school.

I decided to ride in the carriage with Hyeoncheon Doma and Seo Daeryong. It was a large carriage so there was plenty of space, but the problem was Seo Daeryong.

“Can I ride on the horse’s oxcart?”

“It’s the Hwangcheonjeokju, so we have to ride inside together.”

Seo Dae-ryong flinched at Geommu-geuk’s answer. You’re going that far with the leader and your master?

“I’ll age ten years on the way. I won’t be able to breathe properly, and I won’t be able to close my eyes. Please let me go from the stables. Please!”

I could tease him by taking him along, but Seodaeryong was too desperate.

“Actually, it’s not my place to ask for permission.”

Geommugeuk took Seodaeryong to find Hui.

“There is no one else who can save our Lord of the Underworld except you.”

Even though he only said that, Hui realized what he was asking for.

Whiga said to Seo Dae-ryong.

“The horse seat will be more uncomfortable than you think.”

“It’s okay. I’ll take turns driving, so you can get some rest then.”

Is this the carriage driven by Seodaeryong? The sword dance didn’t just pass by.

“What if the carriage makes a big bang while you’re driving? What if your father happens to be drinking tea and it spills on his face? If it makes a big bang, your neck will snap! Can you handle it?”

Even though he knew it was a joke, Seo Dae-ryong became serious.

Whiga reassured Seo Dae-ryong.

“No matter how hard it rattles, the car won’t fall on the leader’s face.”

Even if you poured a ton of poison into the carriage, the cult leader would walk out without getting a single drop wet.

And there was no reason for Seo Dae-ryong to drive anyway. There was no need to hand over the reins of the chariot the cult leader was riding to someone else.

“Okay. Let’s go together.”

When Hui gave permission, Seo Dae-ryong expressed his gratitude with a face that looked like it had come back to life.

“thank you.”

Meanwhile, Geum Woo-jin and Hyeolcheon Do-ma came out.

First, Geom Woo-jin got on the carriage, followed by Hyeolcheon Do-ma. The two sat facing each other, and Geom Mu-geuk sat next to Hyeolcheon Do-ma.

Hwi’s voice was heard from the stable.

“Then let’s go.”

The carriage left Anga and started to run.

Father closed his eyes and ate breakfast while Hyeolcheondoma read a book.

After looking at the two for a moment, Geommu-geuk leaned out through the window on the opposite side. The gusting wind blew the hem of his clothes.

“You know, sir? We’re going to take it slow!”

* * *

When the carriage stopped at the riverside, Geommu-geuk gave the words he had been saving to Hyeolcheon Doma.

“That match is a fishing match.”

“Fishing?”

When I asked if I had tried the fish dish the leader made, I thought it was a no-no, but did it really turn into a fishing competition?

“It’s a bet that the winner will cook. This is our third match.”

“Who won before?”

“I’m so curious about my father’s third fish dish.”

Hyeolcheon Doma looked at Geom Woojin. His eyes looked like they were saying, ‘Oh, you lost to your son twice?’

Geom Woo-jin looked back and forth between his proud son and the bloodthirsty horseman who was carrying such a thing, and then walked towards the carriage without saying a word.

Geum Woo-jin came out of the carriage with a fishing rod. It was the very same fishing rod he had been making all along at his residence.

“This is a fishing rod filled with my father’s love. It is more valuable than the poisonous weapon of Donghae Eoong.”

At the end of the sword dance, Hyeolcheon Doma slyly provoked his father.

“There are many things more important than fishing equipment.”

Indeed, the corner of my father’s mouth slightly went up to one side.

“Have you ever tried fishing, sir?”

Bloodthirsty Horse shrugged.

“I used to fish a lot when I was young.”

This provocation cannot be overlooked.

“What do you think? Would you like to participate in the competition? I’m in first place anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

How could I just sit there with my father’s pride?

“I don’t mind either.”

The sword dance even included Seodaeryong.

“Since we’re doing this, let’s have four of us compete. Between father and son, between priest and disciple, who will come in last?”

I had plenty of fishing rods, having made several while competing with my father.

Geommugeuk and Geomwoojin walked to the riverside first, holding fishing rods.

The scenery was so beautiful. Nameless wild flowers were blooming along the river, and the river flowed gently, sparkling with slivers of sunlight.

Just the fact that he was fishing with his father in a place like this made Geommugeuk feel so good.

“Have you prepared a new recipe?”

The showdown began with the provocation of Geommu-geuk.

Wheeeeeek.

My father’s hand movements as he cast the fishing line were extremely smooth and flexible.

The fishing line flew straight across the water and sank into the water.

Just by looking at the way my father cast his fishing line, it seemed as if he was displaying martial arts skills of the highest level.

But fishing is not a skill, Dad. When I think about all the fish I’ve caught in my life, I’m sorry, but I still have a long way to go.

The Geommu Theater also started fishing in earnest.

When he saw the two fishing, Hyeoncheon Doma’s heart boiled. When it came to competitive spirit, he was no less than anyone else.

‘Cultist, why are you fishing for something like that? I’ll show you what I can do.’

Hyeolcheon Doma, who was confident in fishing, walked to the river with Seodaeryong.

“There is a place where fish are caught well.”

“What about the positions of the leader and sub-leader?”

Bloodthirsty Demon shook his head.

“They only know how to kill people. What do those two know about fishing? Let’s just wait and see.”

Bloodthirsty Horse looked at the riverside with the eyes of an expert.

“There. Slow-moving water, rocks, stones, aquatic plants, and shaded areas under trees. These are places where fishing is easy.”

The Bloodthirsty Horse stood beneath a large, bending willow tree.

He also found a place for his disciple.

“You do it over there. It’s as good a seat as mine.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Seodaeryong’s position was between the Blood Heavenly Sword and the Sword Dance.

Seo Dae-ryong said, throwing the fishing line with awkward movements.

“I am new to fishing. What I know is that the real fun of fishing is waiting! It is patience that catches the years!”

“Who said that? The fun of fishing is the feeling of pulling in the fish! I can wait all day just to see that feeling! Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master!”

Four people started fishing in that place where the river flowed gently.

Hwi stood in front of a carriage parked far away and watched the scene.

There were so many unexpected experiences on this trip, and this was another one to add to the mix.

I never thought I would see the leader, the sub-leader, the Bloodthirsty Demon and his disciple fishing together.

The fishing rod of the person responsible for this amazing change was greatly bent.

“Here it comes, the first bite!”

Geommugeuk caught it without missing it with his skillful hands.

“It’s big, it’s big!”

Geommugeuk smiled brightly and showed off the fish he had caught to everyone.

A look of regret at missing the first fish crossed Geum Woo-jin’s face.

Only Hwi saw that fleeting expression. Had he ever seen such a regretful expression on the leader’s face? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t remember. That’s why the expression at that moment was so precious to Hwi.

How much more time has passed?

The next person to be caught was, unexpectedly, Seo Dae-ryong.

“Ouch! I got it!”

Seodaeryong really caught the fish.

“It’s my first time, the first fish I’ve caught in my life!”

Seo Dae-ryong jumped for joy.

Bloodthirsty Doma came and showed me how to get the caught fish out. Bloodthirsty Doma put it in the net and spoke to the fish.

“You must be quite the crazy one, seeing as you got caught by a rookie like this.”

And in this river there lived many blind and mindless fish.

“I caught you again.”

Seo Dae-ryong shouted in joy.

“Beginners are always lucky. That’s how it is for everyone at first.”

Blood Heavenly Demon’s gaze, slightly anxious, turned to Geom Woo-jin. Blood Heavenly Demon’s fighting spirit burned at the sight of the cult leader’s eyes, which said that he would never give up.

A cry to put out the flames.

“I caught you again!”

This time, Geommugeuk caught the fish.

“Oh! Your Majesty! It’s a big fish!”

Seo Dae-ryong, who had been enjoying it with me, shuddered once.

“Why does it suddenly feel cold?”

Geommu-geuk laughed at Seo Dae-ryong’s words. A cool aura flowed out from his father on his left, and from Hyeolcheon Doma on his right.

Only when he felt the energy belatedly did Seo Dae-ryong realize, “Oh no!” He was so excited about his first fishing trip that he didn’t understand the atmosphere. He blamed himself.

‘You bastard, Daeryong! What are you doing now, you who have lived by your wits? Don’t get caught anymore, don’t get caught!’

But something was wrong. Every time Geommugeuk caught a fish, Seodaeryong also caught a fish.

But I couldn’t avoid fishing on purpose. If I did, my master would probably scold me because of his personality.

Geommugeuk caught one, and Seodaeryong caught another. As if it were a lie, the fish only bit the bait of the two young men.

Then, for the first time, Geumwoojin caught a fish.

“Congratulations, Dad. This is the biggest fish you’ve ever caught.”

Geom Woo-jin’s expression relaxed, and Hyeolcheon Doma became anxious.

After half an hour had passed, the results were as follows.

Eight swordsmen, six dragons of the West, three swordsmen of the West, and three bloody swordsmen.

Since they had decided to have a one-hour showdown, there was only half an hour left.

Geom Woo-jin put away his fishing rod and walked somewhere. The place he was headed to was right between Seo Dae-ryong and Hyeolcheon Doma. He moved because he thought he would lose to Lee Dae-ron.

As the leader stood next to him, Seo Dae-ryong slowly and steadily moved towards the sword dance.

-Master, please move further to the side!

-You have a talent for killing!

Seo Dae-ryong was slowly and unknowingly moving away from Geom Woo-jin.

In the meantime, Seo Dae-ryong’s spear went down again.

‘Eww!’

Please don’t catch me! I begged, but the fish loved the dragon too much.

So, Seo Dae-ryong went towards Geommu-geuk, and there, Geom Woo-jin and Hyeolcheon Do-ma stood side by side and fished.

Bloodthirsty Doma saw the heat rising from Geom Woojin’s eyes, refusing to give up. He didn’t come to talk to him, he really came to fish.

‘Yes, the person with this kind of competitive spirit was the cult leader.’

Then suddenly I remembered the fortune I had kept in my heart.

‘The divination of the small religious leader has come out as the best in the world.’

How will the cult leader react when he sees this?

The leader’s dream is to unify the martial arts world, but what if his son’s horoscope says that he will unify the world?

There was no way to know what the fate of the two would be.

Clouds were slowly drifting between the mountain ridges across the river. Geom Woo-jin, who was looking at the clouds, suddenly spoke to Hyeolcheon Do-ma.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve gone fishing.”

At those words, Hyeolcheon Doma was surprised and asked.

“Did you remember?”

Geum Woo-jin nodded.

They went fishing together when they were young. It was only once. At that time, Hyeolcheon Doma taught Geom Woojin how to fish. What kind of bait is good, where is the best place to catch fish. He taught him everything, just like he did with Seo Daeryong. That was Geom Woojin’s first time fishing.

“I guess you taught me the wrong thing.”

Hyeolcheon Doma smiled faintly at Geumwoojin’s words.

That day seems vivid as if it was just yesterday.

After several decades, we were once again standing side by side and fishing.

“I have to win the bet. I will find a new seat.”

Bloodthirsty Demon began to look around with sparkling eyes.

* * *

After half an hour.

Geum Woo-jin was cleaning the fish.

Beside him, Hyeolcheon Doma was chopping vegetables.

The last place winner was Geumwoojin, and the third place winner was Hyeolcheondoma.

The scene was watched by Geommugeuk, Seodaeryong, and Hwi.

“Now I finally have something that can beat my father!”

Unlike the excited sword dance, Seo Dae-ryong had an expression as if the sky was falling down.

The second person to catch the most was himself. He had defeated two people in the world who should never be defeated at the same time.

“I was lucky because the position that the Master gave me was good.”

Of course, those words did not comfort the third-ranking bloodthirsty demon.

“Luck is also a skill.”

At Hyeoncheon Doma’s words, Seodaeryong sent a message to Geommugeuk with a half-souled expression on his face.

-Surely you two won’t get caught for something like this, right?

―If you knew how much effort your father put into making that fishing rod, you wouldn’t say such a thing.

-Then what happens to me now?

―What’s going on? You’ll come down from the position of the Hwangcheonjoo and become an investigator again. The old man will choose a new disciple. I heard there’s a really good one among the existing disciples? You’re okay, right? You don’t have any ambitions for success or fame, right?

―… … I, there are many.

Meanwhile, Geum Woo-jin continued cooking.

Bloodthirsty Demon threw the vegetables into the air and swung his Heavenly Sword.

Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch!

The vegetables were cut into thin slices and dropped into the bowl on that large knife. It was truly a miracle I had never seen before in my life.

Father also joined in the excitement of the blood clot. When he extended his hand, the seasoning bottles that had flown from Hyuknang danced in the air. The pepper powder scattered like blood and the salt scattered like snow.

Both of them looked excited. My father in particular seemed to be in a bad mood, but he actually seemed to be in the best mood out of the three dishes.

So I asked Whi in a subtle way.

“Isn’t it different from last time?”

“I think so.”

There’s no way my father, the embodiment of competition, could be this happy after losing three games.

The Sword Dance Theater found one reason.

“Is it because you want to cook for Elder Doma? Or is it because you enjoy this moment of cooking together?”

If it weren’t for this opportunity, I would never have cooked for Doma, or cooked with him. It never has been, and it never will be.

Whiga smiled and nodded.

‘Do you know that, Young Master? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in such a good mood.’

Geum Woo-jin personally put the fish he had cooked into a bowl and gave it to Seo Dae-ryong.

“Oh my! You’re giving it to me first!”

Seo Dae-ryong accepted the bowl, not knowing what to do.

The sword dance made fun of him.

“Second class is worthy of eating!”

Seo Dae-ryong became thoughtful and shouted with his eyes. Please stop! Stop calling me second-rate!

Bloodthirsty Demon accepted Geommu-geuk’s prank.

“Then I guess I don’t deserve to eat third place.”

Seo Dae-ryong desperately tried to stop him from getting up from his seat.

“Master! Please eat!”

While pretending not to win, Hyeolcheon Doma sent a message to Geommugeuk.

-Hey, you should’ve given in to your father a little.

– You have to win to do it again. You know my father’s personality, right? He’ll come after practicing fishing.

-Is your father that good?

What should I answer?

-Yes, that’s fine.

This one word will suffice.

Bloodthirsty Demon looked at the leader.

‘How could I not be jealous of this?’

A bowl containing the food was placed in front of everyone.

Seo Dae-ryong was already worried whether this embarrassing fish dish would go down his throat.

But that was a lie. The fish dish the cult leader prepared was so delicious.

“It’s delicious! It’s not an exaggeration or flattery, it’s really delicious!”

I also ate the food prepared by the Bloodthirsty King. Thinking about it, it was the first time I had ever eaten food prepared by the cult leader.

Hyeolcheon Doma continued to use his chopsticks silently. He said that the food was delicious, but instead of saying anything, he emptied his bowl cleanly.

“Today is the best day.”

Geommugeuk smiled brightly at his father.

Geum Woo-jin looked satisfied as he watched his son, Hyeolcheon Doma, Hwi, and Seo Dae-ryong eating well.

Five people sat around and ate like that. To a passerby, it would look like a place for ordinary travelers to dine.

This is the daily life that Geommugeuk desperately desires.

The sword dance drama captured this scene in a single picture and captured it in its heart.

‘I like this moment better than the moment when my father fought against the enemies and won. So I will continue to try to create a place like this.’

After finishing the meal, Geommugeuk looked at Seodaeryong.

Seo Dae-ryong nodded silently at the playfulness in the eyes directed at him. I don’t know what it is, but please don’t do it!

“The last and third place cooked, so let’s clean up after ourselves, first and second place.”