Absolute Regression Chapter 577

577
When the blacksmith opened the guest room window, cold air came in. A hazy morning fog was drifting through the alley in front of the guest house.

I went into space-time transference in the evening and was just coming out after finishing it.

Although four hours had passed in terms of time, in reality, he had only been practicing for two full days. This was because the time-honored art of the Heavenly Secret Technique, which he had steadily achieved, was now providing him with six times more time than was actually available.

For two days, I exhausted all my internal energy, then recovered it, exhausted it again, and recovered it again. I don’t know how many evil spirits appeared and disappeared repeatedly.

And at the end of the training, he created a space just for himself within the space-time transfer technique.

It is a hot spring in a snowy field where the rising steam creates a dreamy atmosphere.

Soaking myself in it relieved the fatigue of the training that had lasted a whole day and a half.

Seriously, I had to repeat the magic spell so many times that it seemed like the evil spirits would show up in the rising steam, asking me to relax a bit.

I had a feeling that the Seven Stars’ Guhwamakong was about to go up a level.

The experience and enlightenment gained from fighting the Dark King combined with the enlightenment felt while reinterpreting the first form of the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique, and the martial arts realm was shaking.

This experience of reinterpreting the Sword King’s reinterpretation gave me a special and unexpected realization. This is because reinterpreting the martial arts of a non-combatant with a master like Sword King was something I had never done before.

‘We have to keep doing this.’

He felt that this work with the Sword King would bring him great accomplishment.

Just then, the window of the guest room next door opened and someone stuck his head out.

“Aren’t you sleeping?”

She was Ian.

“you?”

“While practicing the mind method, time passed by so quickly.”

She felt that the atmosphere flowing these days was not normal. In this place full of rookies, the enemy that makes the sword dance most tense had appeared. So how could she possibly sleep?

“Training is good, but sleep is also important.”

“Who would say that?”

She always knew that Geommu-geuk would practice until dawn. Of course, since they practiced quietly in their rooms, she thought Geommu-geuk would also practice the mind method, but she didn’t know. Just in the next room, there was so much sword energy and sword power.

“You can sleep well after you die!”

At her words, Geommugeuk smiled faintly.

‘You’ve already had a good night’s sleep.’

So, stay awake in this life.

Until you grow old and turn white, stay awake and look at the world with those beautiful eyes.

Ian, with his white hair, will age beautifully. Will we still be able to stand side by side like this and see the world together?

“That guy… is strong, right?”

Ian asked about the Sword King for the first time.

Geommugeuk nodded honestly.

“How much?”

“Have you ever seen a truly expert barefoot?”

“no.”

“Just that strong.”

Ian knew that it meant that he was a very special person, but he tried to act as if it was no big deal.

“Well, that’s fine. Your Highness, you’re not lacking in anything special, are you?”

Then she tapped her left breast twice.

“If you want to pierce the young master’s heart, you’ll need to pierce not one, but two.”

He laughed half-jokingly as if he found the sword dance performance fun. However, his gaze towards her deepened. What he had just said was something she had already experienced.

“Is this the advantage of having two hearts?”

“Just trust me!”

“Your heart must never be pierced! I go to sleep only trusting in that heart!”

“Please get some good sleep for me too.”

Of course, in the mind of the swordsman, the order is reversed.

If you want to break her heart, you’ll have to break your own heart first.

There would be no way that his own heart would be pierced and the blade would touch Ian’s heart. All of this effort was to prevent that moment from ever coming.

As Ian gazed at the stars in the dawn sky, a fierce battle was silently taking place in the next room, with the ground splitting and cliffs collapsing.

* * *

The sword king showed up for class on time the next day too.

He even prepared the next three forms of the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique.

“Okay, today I’m going to teach you from the fourth to sixth steps.”

What on earth does this guy want?

Geommu-geuk could not help but think this as he looked at him, but at least he could understand why he was teaching the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique again.

His gaze towards the sword dance said this.

-Let’s have another go!

Yesterday’s reinterpretation was that he lost. He admitted that the reinterpretation of the first-class swordsmanship was better. That’s why he wanted to fight again today.

―No matter how much you base your reinterpretation on mine, you won’t be able to make it any better.

The swordsman spoke to him with his eyes.

‘Let’s do that. Even if we kill each other, let’s have fun for now.’

We knew instinctively that living alone, we would encounter an enemy like this only once in our lifetime.

The Sword King demonstrated the four basic techniques from the Four Beginnings to the Six Beginnings.

The officials who were watching the scene looked at each other and whispered.

“What is that?”

“It’s different from yesterday?”

“I can do as I please.”

The interpretation of the herbivore that the Sword King presented today was another interpretation.

The Yellow Dragon Sword Technique that was shown yesterday was as soft and flexible as water. It even looked like a dance.

But today, he was careless. There was no other way to describe him than to say that he was really careless. He swung his sword carelessly. He walked slowly and stabbed. He continued to make movements that felt like he was kicking rocks off the ground.

Of course, the officials could not know the deep essence of ignorance contained in each and every move, so this time too, it seemed like a half-hearted demonstration.

On the other hand, Geommugeuk took off his shoes and followed his movements barefoot.

The officials frowned even more at that sight.

I thought that being Ian and Seojin’s shield was just a ploy to look good to them, but now I thought that they were training barefoot to look good to their teacher.

“Shouldn’t we call the seniors of the Black Dragon Class and ask them to help us out?”

“You really are a disgusting person.”

There are even people who whisper like this.

Of course, not all officials were like that.

Yoo-kwang and Kyo-seok were following along diligently. Kyo-seok did it because of his friend, and Yoo-kwang did it because of Ian. Ian was following along so diligently, so I couldn’t just sit back and watch.

“Is that woman that good?”

When Kyo-seok shook his head, Yoo-gwang shook his head even more vigorously.

“That’s not it.”

“then?”

“I’ve been so anxious lately that I can’t sleep well. But when I see this lady, I feel at ease. Strangely, all my anxiety disappears. There’s something about that woman.”

“It’s just because it’s pretty.”

“No!”

Yoo-kwang tried hard to follow along. He imitated the movements of the teacher, pretending not to be able to overcome them. He would always tell him to stop fantasizing, but he knew that his friend had something special about him.

That’s how the second day of classes ended.

The Sword Dance and the Sword King met again at the place where they had met on the first day.

The Sword King smiled happily as he watched the martial arts performed by Geommugeuk.

Yesterday he was reinterpreting what he had taught, and today he was unfolding it exactly as he had taught it.

“Today’s recipe is perfectly reinterpreted by the instructor. It would be rude to ruin this good recipe out of greed for winning, wouldn’t it?”

Let’s admit defeat honestly. This time, the Sword King sighed.

“Why are you sighing when I lose?”

“Because you admit it so clearly.”

And then, unexpected words flow out.

“A cult leader like you is hard to come by in the history of the Demonic Cult. I can’t help but sigh when I have to kill a person sent from heaven with my own hands.”

Still, he was confident that he could kill the swordmaster.

“You will be the one to die, Master. Just like the comrades who died before me.”

This was the first time I had ever told him about the other twelve zodiac signs. I wondered how he would react.

“Colleagues? Who are your colleagues?”

The Sword King did not consider the twelve Zodiac Kings who had died earlier as his comrades. Rather, he, who had always been easygoing, expressed his displeasure for the first time at placing himself on the same level as them.

“Show me my colleagues.”

The next moment, the Sword King let out a prayer. It was the first time since I had met him that I had revealed my prayer.

Saaaaaaaah.

The whole place was sparkling.

At first glance, it looked like jewels sparkling in the sunlight.

But no. They were all blades.

Blades were sticking out from the walls, floor, and ceiling, everywhere. There were hundreds, thousands of blades. It was as if the slightest movement would cut you, as if every inch was filled with blades.

When Geommu-geuk turned his head to the side, the blade was pointed at his face. There was another blade sticking out on the other side. There was another blade sticking out in front, above his head.

Geommugeuk reached out his hand and touched the blade.

wickedness.

My finger was cut by the blade and blood flowed out. The blade was so sharp that it actually cut my finger. Of course, it was also cut because I didn’t use my self-defense gi.

Between the flashing blades, the figure of the Sword King could be seen in the distance.

“How are my friends?”

It meant that only the sword was his friend.

Where can I find friends in this lonely place?

The swordsman smiled pleasantly and said to him.

“You have so many friends that I don’t have any room to join in.”

The Sword King also laughed, as if he liked the answer.

Sssssss.

As the Sword King’s prayer disappeared, the swords around him also disappeared in an instant.

“Before you die, will you grant me one favor?”

The sword dance drama could feel it. The reason the Sword King appeared in front of him, and the reason he was teaching him so leisurely, might have been to ask him that favor.

“Okay. Before I kill you, Master, I have a favor to ask.”

Of course, I didn’t just make the promise without any hesitation.

“Instead, please grant me one favor. I will speak here and now.”

“Tell me.”

“Please continue to reinterpret the Yellow Dragon Sword Technique as you have done so far, up to the last step. Please continue betting with me.”

A look of doubt naturally crossed the Sword King’s face.

“No matter how well I reinterpret it, it’s probably a useless skill for you.”

“There are three reasons.”

“Three each?”

“First of all, this bet is so much fun.”

I thought that the Sword King would also enjoy this pleasure. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here having this conversation right now.

“The second is someone I would like to pass on this completed martial arts to.”

Lastly there.

“I have a feeling that by the end of this course, my martial arts level will have increased.”

“But, you want me to teach you?” the Sword King asked with a smile.

“Where on earth did you learn such shameless honesty?”

“From people who aren’t petty. They don’t use my honesty as a weakness.”

A strange emotion flowed over the Sword King’s face. He said that when we parted ways yesterday. There are too many petty people in this martial arts world.

“Didn’t we meet as a government official and a teacher? Since fate has brought us together like this, I want to learn everything I can.”

Although it was clearly not an easy request, the Sword King’s worries did not last long.

“If you want to be a non-trivial person, you can’t even refuse. Okay, I’ll do you a favor.”

“thank you.”

The Sword King suddenly asked as he was about to turn around.

“What if I have a favor to ask of you that you cannot grant?”

Geommugeuk answered with an apologetic smile.

“So, why don’t I ask you first?”

* * *

Even though he had told me that he intended to become stronger first and kill me if I tried, the Sword King taught me all of the techniques of the Yellow Dragon Sword Style, as promised. This was something I hadn’t planned on doing when I first became his temporary instructor.

Some days, Geommugeuk did a better job of reinterpreting the story, and other days, Geomwang did better. Sometimes, they combined and supplemented each other’s work, and sometimes they created something completely new.

The grass flowed like water, the wind blew, hot flames shot up, and on other days, lightning struck.

It was as if the two were playing a game of Go, one move at a time. It was a game that would never happen again in their lives, and it was also a battle of pride.

The officials sensed that something was happening, but they did not know exactly what was happening, for none of them could grasp the essence of the deep ignorance.

On that day, when I learned the last form of the Yellow Dragon Sword Style, the Yellow Dragon Sword Style was newly perfected.

The recipes the two people completed were different. They were endlessly influenced by each other, but they came to different interpretations until the end.

Although they were burning with competitive spirit when they started, when it was over, neither of them cared about who won more.

The sword master handed something wrapped in a sword to the sword king.

“What is this?”

“It’s a gift.”

“Is this a gift of death? When you open it, it spreads invisible poison?”

“But I packed it too sloppily.”

The Sword King unwrapped the package. What was inside was something he had never expected. It was a pair of shoes.

“It looks so old.”

For the first time, confusion flashed across the Sword King’s eyes. But soon, he turned his shoe over and shook it. It seemed as if he was checking to see if there was a secret weapon inside.

“Why are you giving it to me?”

To him who was curious, Geommugeuk spoke honestly.

“My martial arts skills have risen to the eight stars.”

The realm of the turbulent Nine Flower Demons finally reached the eighth level last night.

I can’t even begin to imagine how delighted Geommu-geuk was at the power of the increasingly stronger Guhwa-ma-gong. He was the one who had reached the level of Eight Saints in the shortest amount of time among all the previous cult leaders.

Even though it was news that should have made him fearful and wary, the Sword King smiled brightly.

“Why are you laughing? Aren’t you worried?”

“Even if you win, it’s more proud to win against eight stars than against seven, and even if you lose, it’s less shameful to lose against eight stars than against seven, right?”

The sword dance drama could definitely feel that it would be more difficult to deal with this person than the King of Fighters and the King of Darkness combined. In any sense.

The two people stared at each other in silence. The Sword King asked with a calm look in his eyes.

“You’ve become stronger, so why are you holding out your shoes instead of your sword?”

The sword dance was honest with him until the end.

“I guess I want to become stronger.”