Absolute Regression Chapter 717

Episode 717: Hold That Hand Tight

Can you handle it?

Chae-ran stared silently at the sword dance.
He was a man who, for him, found his life of fishing with his father more difficult than the martial arts world. He
was a man who created this situation for a subordinate, not even his own, but a mere assassin .
He was a man who ran far away to buy alcohol, hoping the two would escape in the middle of the night.
He was a man who reached out to the man who had attempted to kill him. And this man was the leader of the Cheonma Sect.

This is the first time I’ve seen someone like this in my life as a martial artist. How could I handle it?

“You don’t need a means of living, do you?”

He felt that if the cult leader before him truly desired such a life, he wouldn’t be averse to killing.
Geommu-geuk readily accepted her conjecture.

“That’s right. I need you, not the means to kill.”
“Why me? You must have countless masters who will do your bidding.”
“To be honest, at first I was nervous because I liked that guy, Akgunhak. Then I admired your courage in boldly giving up the contract. And now you saved my life.”

In fact, this alone didn’t need any further explanation. There was another reason.

“You’re beautiful enough to rival the most beautiful in the world, and your martial arts skills are also excellent. And above all else, there’s one reason why I like you so much.”

Chai-ran wondered what it was. It seemed like everything she wanted to say had come out. No, so much had come out that it was embarrassing.

The decisive reason that Geommugeuk spoke of was something she had never thought of.

“You are the leader who tells people to grit their teeth and try to live to the end if they have the strength to bite their own teeth.”
“!”
“I want someone like that as my person.”

Chai-ran now knew for sure why Akgunhak hadn’t killed this man.
No, he even wondered if perhaps, as Akgunhak had said, this man hadn’t killed him.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I can just accept the offer.

“Do you really need me in that ordinary life you pursue?”
“Didn’t I say before? That life feels more difficult than the martial arts world.”

Even if you eliminate all the powers behind the scenes, that’s not the end.

A promise with my father.

If he couldn’t convince his father, war would break out. Still, Geommu-geuk believed that preventing this would be more difficult than eliminating the masterminds.

“I’m not trying to deny the life you’ve lived as a murderer. If you come with me and feel this isn’t the right path for you, then I’ll truly let you go.”

It was a suggestion she made because she needed it, but it was also for her own good. Since they were destined to be together, he hoped she would live a life beyond the ordinary
. Before her regression, she had lived her entire life as a nameless assassin. He believed that if someone could live that kind of life quietly, they could live other lives well, too.

“If your subordinates are concerned, give them a choice.”

It meant that those who had no intention of joining the Cheonmasin Church were free to go.

“Please give me time to think about it.”
“Think about it slowly. We have to return to our school together anyway.”

The Geommu-geuk’s gaze returned to the pavilion on the lake.
Seventeen Bridges and the Crescent Moon Masked Guest were still there. The awkwardness made it seem like they’d leave at any moment, but the two remained, seemingly talking about something.

The Sword Dancer, demonstrating his divine power, saw the Seventeen Schools laughing. What on earth could that blunt, faceless stranger possibly be saying to make Salsu laugh?

“Ah! I’m dying of curiosity. I need to hear what those two are talking about! Is there really no way to eavesdrop from afar during a secret meeting?”

* * *

That night, Chai Lan couldn’t sleep, consumed by various thoughts.
She eventually left her quarters to get some fresh air.
She wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep late into the night.

Ian was gazing up at the night sky in the courtyard of the hospital.
When Chayran walked toward him, Ian greeted her first.

“Aren’t you asleep yet?”

Ian’s gaze toward Chai Ran was incredibly gentle. There was good reason for that.

“I didn’t know before. That Lady Cha had risked her life for the Soryu.”

Ian bowed his head politely to Chai Lan.

“Thank you so much for saving me, Master.”

Chai Ran could tell from her extremely polite greeting. She truly cared for the young cult leader.
Young cult leader, you’re so greedy. You want to take me under your wing, leaving behind someone like this.

“I did it for myself, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Still, Ian’s eyes were filled with gratitude, so Chai-ran looked up at the sky and changed the subject.

“What were you looking at?”
“No matter how busy you are, look up at the sky at least once a day! That’s what the Master always says. I often forget, so I often end up looking at the stars so late.”

Chae-ran, who had been looking at the stars for a while, suddenly asked.

“Who is the leader of the small group?”

Perhaps because it was a sudden question, Ian found it difficult to answer.

“Did I ask too abruptly? If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.”

That wasn’t why Ian didn’t answer.

“No. It’s not that I don’t want to answer. It’s just that he’s someone who’s hard to describe.”

Chai-ran understood Ian’s words. Yes, Geommu-geuk wasn’t someone who could be easily explained, even though he’d been watching it for a long time.

“The young sect leader made a proposal. He wants to take me under his wing.”

Ian nodded with an expression that suggested he had expected it.

“Did the young cult leader say anything to this young lady?”
“No.”
“But I’m not surprised.”
“I think I would have done the same thing if I were the young cult leader.”

Chayran, who had been looking at Ian for a moment, said.

“I learned something bad from the cult leader. Saying things that make others happy.”
“Is that bad?”

Ian looked at her intently and said.

“You’re putting in effort, aren’t you? At least you’ve considered what the other person wants to hear. It would be bad if your words harmed them. But I don’t think becoming a subordinate of the Young Master is a bad thing.”

Chai-ran felt a little different from the Ian she’d seen before. When he spoke about the cult leader, Ian’s eyes lit up.

“Are you afraid of your past life changing?”

Chai-ran didn’t answer Ian’s question. Yes, if he hesitated, that was probably the biggest reason.
Living a life of murder and then becoming the swordsman of the Demonic Cult’s cult leader? He couldn’t readily offer that. No matter how special the sword dance drama might feel.

“I’ve lived my entire life as the cult leader’s bodyguard. It was something I loved, and I never thought about any other life.”

Ian spoke more than usual today, as if he’d made up his mind. At first, he was just trying to help the Sword Dance Theater if it wanted her.
But as we talked, his true feelings began to surface, even without him realizing it.

“But the Soryu-ju changed his life. Now, he’s not just the Soryu-ju’s bodyguard, he’s the leader of the Guiying clan. Do you know what I felt during that process?”
“What did I feel?”

Ian’s gaze deepened again as he looked at the stars in the night sky.

“A life spent doing what you love is more difficult than enjoyable.”

This is exactly what I felt when I quit my escort mission and became a nobleman.

“Because it’s something I love, I want to do it well, and to do it well, I have to work really hard. I have to endure even the things I don’t like. I thought doing something I love would always be fun, but it turns out it’s really hard. It’s hard because it’s something I love.”

Ian’s gaze, which had been gazing at the stars, turned to her.

“Do you know what comes to mind when I wake up these mornings? Ah! I don’t have to protect anyone. I just have to take care of myself. You have no idea how much relief that thought brings. It’s a feeling I never knew I had when I was working as a bodyguard. I’ve also learned that some feelings can only be felt when you quit the job.”

It was a stark contrast to her diligent efforts to protect Cheonhwaruju. But both her efforts and her words were sincere.

Ian’s honest words made Chai wonder inwardly. What would life be like without commissions? Would she ever feel the same sense of relief as Ian?

“Just try to experience what it’s like. Even if you have to live as a swindler again, it will definitely help you, Miss Cha.”

Chai Ran could feel that Ian sincerely wanted her to become a subordinate of the Sword Dance Theater.

“Why are you saying this? If I become the leader’s subordinate, it won’t be beneficial to you, young lady, right?”
“If you’re saying that the leader’s affections will be divided?”

Ian added with a smile.

“You don’t yet know the magnitude of our Master’s heart. His heart could hold the entire world, and still have room to spare.”
“Young lady, isn’t your heart big?”
“I’m just pretending to be big.”

Ian bowed his head in greeting and walked away.
He turned around and said, “I’m walking a little way.”

“Oh, don’t worry about being unable to leave. The Soryu is someone who tries to get those around him to leave, no matter what.”

At first, I told Ian to leave for the sake of his own happiness.
And Chai-ran already knew that. He was the one who was trying to get Akgunhak to leave.

Ian’s words today were ultimately meant to say this.

“So when you hold my hand, hold it tight.”

* * *

The next morning, preparations for departure were in full swing at the Shinwha Hall.
The Geommu Theater troupe was preparing to return to the school.
Several carriages were ready. Aside from the carriage for the leaders, the remaining carriages carried the wounded.

The uninjured innocents and the Gain Cult assassins all rode horses to escort the carriage. They all wore bamboo hats and cotton robes.

Before the Sword Dance Theater departed, a secret visitor arrived. It was to say goodbye and express gratitude.
Thanks to this, the Gain Cult assassins were able to witness the spectacle of the successor of the Heavenly Demon Cult and the successor of the Sado Alliance standing side by side, conversing.

Visain expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you again this time.”

If this incident hadn’t been announced in advance, there’s no way of knowing what would have happened to the Apostle Lord.

“This time, I should be the one to thank you. I’ve gained so much thanks to the leader entrusting me with this task.”

Bisain truly loves this honesty in the sword dance drama. Living in the martial arts world, you feel it. People try to make a show of it, to indebtedness to others, to erase their debts.

But the sword dance drama was different. There was no distortion in his favor.

“I believe the conspiracy targeting the leader is still ongoing. So, you need to be very careful.”

Bisain nodded at Geommu-geuk’s words. He planned to escort Baek Ja-gang along with the Sado 13th Ranger until the full story of this incident was revealed.

“If Tongcheon-gak has any information related to the leader, they’ll send it right away.”
“Thank you. We’ll respond as well.”

The two men exchanged a firm gaze. The playfulness in Geommugeuk’s eyes prompted Bisain to speak up.

“Don’t do that, just go!”

Of course, it wasn’t just a sword dance.

“You have to be this quick-witted to be able to love someone secretly.”

After teasing Visa, Geommugeuk climbed into the carriage. He stuck his head out the carriage window and spoke loudly to everyone.

“Okay, let’s go home now!”

* * *

The ceiling was high.
Large stone pillars supported the domed ceiling.
The walls and ceiling were painted with constellations. Countless stars, as if drawn directly from the night sky, were painted, with a special emphasis on those with special meanings.

And if Geommu-geuk had arrived, there were two things he’d immediately recognized.
First, a large chest sat in a corner of the room. It was the very thing Akgunhak had taken back, stored here.
Second, there was a pattern painted on one wall.
It was the very same pattern Geommu-geuk had seen in the basement of the Hwangryong Martial Arts Center.

Six circular circles surrounded the central pedestal.
A soft light was emanating from four of them.

Black, blue, white, yellow.

Surprisingly, those colors were the colors of the beads that Geommu-geuk had absorbed.

A middle-aged woman sat before him. She possessed a calm yet divine aura. She was Jia Ye, a descendant of the Divine Palace and the current Divine Palace Master.
A large bowl sat before her, filled with blood.

An old man sat in the darkness before Ga-ye. His back was straight, his hands clasped calmly before his dantian. Even in the darkness, his eyes shone, their black pupils a darkness that suppressed the darkness itself.

Just then, I thought I saw a light shining on the stelae painted on the mural behind Gaye.

Hwaaaaak.

The fifth circle began to glow red.
Gaye spoke in a calm voice.

“The energy of the equator has appeared in the world.”

Surprisingly, the mural showed the energy within the bead emanating from the outside.
Then, the old man in the darkness spoke softly.

“Now the young sect leader will absorb even the energy of the equator.”

His voice had a deep resonance like an old bell.

“The bloodless spirit must have entered the body of the cult leader through the energy of the equator.”

The old man in the darkness nodded at Gaye’s words.
For this task, he had used the only bloodletting available at the time. If this task succeeded, all the past failures and sacrifices would be redeemed.

How much time has passed like that?

Ssssssss.

The bowl of blood in front of Gaye began to turn black. Looking down, Gaye’s eyes widened in shock.

“The bloodless one is dead.”

At her report, the old man’s eyes in the darkness shone brightly. Unable to bear the emanating energy, Gaye closed her eyes and lowered her head.

“Since the bloodless one is dead, that means this mission has also failed.”

At the old man’s words, Gaye simply stared down at the darkened water with trembling eyes. She still couldn’t believe it.

At that moment, a quiet worry flowed from the old man in the darkness.

“Should I wake him up after all?”

Then Gaye knelt down before the old man.

“No. Without the Six Paths of Energy, you can’t control him. If you just let him go…”

Gaye added firmly, because even if nothing else was certain, one thing was certain.

“This martial arts world will become a sea of blood.”