Absolute Regression Chapter 718

Episode 718: When in a corner, take off your mask.

The carriage raced powerfully toward the headquarters of the Cheonmasin Sect.
The lead carriage carried Geommu-geuk, Geukak Soma, Cheonhwaruju, Ian, and Chai Lan. They would have been divided into three carriages, but due to the large number of injured, they were grouped together.

The evil soma and the thousand-year-old lord sat side by side, and across from them sat Ian, Geommu-geuk, and Chai-ran.

During this carriage ride, Chai Lan was able to witness an unexpected aspect of the sword dance: its working form.

Eunwol continued to send him messages.
While fighting the enemy, the messages had stopped, but now, with his free time, he was able to receive the accumulated information. What was happening in which region? Which master had been killed by whom? What deals were being made at the merchants? Gowol was collecting and sending carefully selected information.

Hurruruk.

Whenever he read a letter, he would raise a yulyangjigi and burn it. If a question required an answer, he would write it down and send it immediately.
Sometimes, he would even exchange information with the evil soma. It was the first time he had seen him work so seriously, so it was difficult to adjust.

There I learned that the field of sword dance was truly broad.

“There’s a restaurant called Gwanho in that town. It’s run by a brother, and the fish dishes there are truly amazing. Be sure to visit next time you get a chance. In the next town over, there’s a very brave doctor named Gu. If you get hurt around here, run to that town.”

And that’s not all. I knew every nook and cranny of the road well.

“You can get there much faster if you take the left path instead of that one and go down the road.”

He also gave directions to an unsuspecting traveler driving a carriage.

“I really envy your good eyesight. I have such poor eyesight.”

When Cheonhwaruju was envious, Geommu-geuk smiled and said.

“Don’t you see a path more important than mine, Lord Rouge?”

Cheonhwaruju smiled pleasantly. “Yes, even if you exchange just a few words, there are people who want to talk to you like this.”

Before the sun set, the sword dance stopped the carriage.

“Okay, let’s rest here today.”

They were moving along, avoiding villages as much as possible. Their numbers were so large that they were likely to be noticed, so they decided to camp on their way back, even if it was inconvenient.

They parked their carriages around a central space, then let the horses loose in the field to rest.
A large bonfire was lit in the center and a place to sleep was prepared. Both the masked men and the assassins were skilled in everything, so they moved without any direction.

“Okay, I’ll show off my skills tonight.”

Geommu-geuk rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. Chai-ran whispered to Ian, as if to say, “Surely the So-gyo-ju is good at cooking?”

“Isn’t this a dish that you have to eat out of loyalty?”

To Chai’s worry, Ian praised Geommu-geuk’s cooking skills.

“Once you try it, you will naturally develop a loyalty you never had before.”

Chai-ran thought it was just empty boasting. He knew that Geommu-geuk was versatile, but he doubted he’d be good at cooking as well.

The masked men and women who went out in search of food hunted wild boar and gathered vegetables and fruit.
Geommugeuk looked for someone to help with the cooking.

“Okay, someone who has cut meat and vegetables, not just people!”

Everyone just looked at each other and didn’t step forward. It wasn’t easy to volunteer as an assistant to the leader of the Cheonma Sect.

“Then I can’t help it. I’ll just choose two people to assist me.”

The Sword Dancer chose one from the Myeon-gaek and one from the Salsu. Of course, those two were the Crescent Moon Myeon-gaek and the Seventeen Religions.

“Okay, you two, wash and trim the vegetables over there.”

The three of them met in the pavilion, and it was clear that Geommu-geuk had deliberately chosen them.
They had laughed and chatted in the pavilion, but now they were working without even looking at each other.

At that moment, the sound of Chai Ran’s voice came flying in.

“You’re too persistent.
” “I really need to hear what they’re talking about!”

Chai-ran shook her head, her expression disapproving.
But Geommu-geuk was only obsessed with words, concentrating on cooking. There were more than a few mouths to feed.

The swordsman began to prepare the wild boar he had caught.

Swish swish swish!

He was incredibly quick. He quickly groomed the fur, cut open the belly, removed the intestines, and drained the blood. It had been a while since the sword dance had truly demonstrated its skills.

After preparing the meat, he began making the secret seasoning.
Chai Lan discovered for the first time that there was no seasoning that wasn’t in the Sogyoju Hyuknang.

The seasoning made in this way was applied repeatedly to the meat.

“It tastes better if it’s aged for a while, but I don’t have time.”

Geommugeuk extended his hand. The energy emanating from his hand enveloped the meat.

“Ah! So that precious martial art is used to season meat.”

Ian’s sigh-like joke was answered by Geommugeuk.

“It’s going to go into your mouths, so it’s the most precious thing to use.”

The swordsman picked up a log that had fallen on the ground and spoke to those around him.

“Okay, everyone, get ready to applaud!”

After focusing his gaze on himself like that, he threw the log upwards.

Whoosh.

The black magic sword was drawn out as quickly as light.
In an instant, dozens of filaments of sword light flashed, instantly enveloping the tree. Immediately after, something poured down.

Step step step step step step step step!

Surprisingly, what fell into Geommugeuk’s hands were dozens of chopsticks.

It was a move so effortlessly executed that I thought, “I could do it too.”
But those who witnessed it firsthand were left speechless. They knew it was a move absolutely impossible for anyone to pull off.

They had just witnessed chopsticks being made at a level they might only see once in their lifetime.

The swordplay didn’t stop there. He threw his chopsticks in all directions.

Choaaaak.

The chopsticks flew like a scattering of magical energy, landing precisely on everyone.
Chai Lan stared down at the chopsticks in her hand with a surprised expression.
They were all the same size and thickness. They were so perfect that it was almost believable even if someone had dazzled her with their sword light and then swapped them for something else.

The masked spectators applauded in unison. The assassins joined in.
The sword dance, in response to their genuine admiration, waved their hands, as if nothing special.

The cooking of the sword dance drama, which was full of all kinds of secrets, ended like that.

“Eat it with confidence. It’s not a chance that comes often.”

Even though the maskless guest was a maskless guest, the Gain Cult members truly agreed with that statement. When in their lives would they ever get to eat the cuisine of a Cheonma Sect leader?

Surprisingly, the food was truly delicious. Chai-ran thought she had never tasted such delicious meat, even in a guesthouse.

But what really surprised her wasn’t the fact that the meat was so delicious, nor the fact that he had made the chopsticks himself.

The swordsman distributed the prepared food to each person individually. He placed meat, rice, and vegetables on large, clean leaves and distributed them. Like a sergeant volunteering for battle, he distributed the food to everyone and spoke. Chai Ran was surprised by these words.

“I thought you all like being alone, so I prepared it separately.”

It was his consideration to have each person take their meal and go somewhere to eat quietly.

Chai-ran imagined. What if he had been camping with his subordinates and eating?
He probably would have eaten the food they prepared for him. He would have eaten with Ilgyo and Igyo. The other subordinates wouldn’t have cared. They would have taken care of it themselves.

But the sword dance drama was also observing the people who were the masked guests and assassins. Even I, who had been with them for so long, had never thought about it.

“Keep those chopsticks safe. When I become the leader, they’ll sell for a fortune.”

After taking care of the innocent and the murderers, he prepared food for Chai Ran, Cheon Hwa Ru Ju, and Ian, and finally prepared food for himself and the evil Soma.

“You three can eat. I will eat separately with Soma-sama.”

So, Geommu-geuk and Geukak Soma flew to a distant hill and settled down.
Once they were alone, Geukak Soma slowly removed his mask and placed it on his head. Geukak Soma followed suit, following what Geummu-geuk usually did when he wore his mask.

How could the Sword Dance Theater forget the praise for Soma’s face?

“If by any chance your enemy is a woman and you find yourself cornered, take off your mask with the force of a final blow. Then you’ll have a chance to turn the tables.”

The evil Soma smiled brightly because he always felt good hearing the praise of the cult leader.

The two ate together. The sword dance was so good, seeing the evil Soma take off his mask in front of him. It was wonderful to share this joy of eating and drinking together with him.

When he finished eating, the evil Soma said something he had not been able to say.

“When I stabbed the heart of the young sect leader…….”

The honest feelings that follow.

“I was scared.”

The sword dance was silent for a moment, lost in thought.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t worried at all.”
“What if I made a mistake?”

After speaking, the evil Soma put the mask back on his head. At least for the moment he was making that assumption, his facial expressions were not well controlled. I hadn’t noticed it when I stabbed him, but afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment.

Because he felt the heart of such an extremely evil soma, Geommugeuk calmly conveyed his feelings.

“I just had this belief. I could die at any moment, but at least I wouldn’t be stabbed by Soma-sama. I don’t know who I’ll die by, but at least it won’t be Soma-sama. Of course! Thinking that way brought me peace.”

Darkness was beginning to fall around us now. I could have made a small fire, but I didn’t.

They enjoyed the darkness and silence. The sword dance, which had been cheerful and cheerful in public, was remarkably calm and quiet when alone with the evil Soma.

The evil soma knew. This was the true nature of the sword dance. Perhaps even more reserved than himself.
So, he wanted to give him a quiet respite, if only when he was with him.
The evil soma said nothing until the meeting was over.

* * *

Now, the carriage was one day away from the main headquarters of the Cheonmasin Church.
Today, the sword dance drama served its final course.

“Well, I’m sorry, but this fantastic dish of mine ends today.”

Everyone was disappointed, but there was one person who was the most disappointed. It was Sipshilgyo, who had been helping Crescent Moon’s faceless guest cook since the first day.
Thanks to the sword dance drama, I was able to create memories of washing and preparing vegetables with Crescent Moon’s faceless guest.

‘Thank you, Master.’

She was truly grateful for the consideration of the sect leader.

At that time, Chai Ran came to Geommu Geuk and asked.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Her words drew everyone’s attention. She had spoken provocatively in front of everyone.

Throughout the journey, Geommu-geuk greeted everyone with a lively energy. He cooked for them himself, and lightened the mood with jokes and teasing.
The maskless guests had always been fond of the young sect leader, but now they could tell that even the sect members were feeling a sense of affection for him.

“I never got tired of the fun of scoring points with you.”

If that was acting for the sake of scoring, you’d be watching the best actor in the Central Plains. No one considered it acting.

“And how could you get tired when your internal energy is overflowing?”

After a moment, she asked.

“Don’t you get tired of people?”

This wasn’t a question solely about this incident.
She cared for her subordinates, but aside from that, she lacked trust in people.
What difference would it make if she fed them with such devotion? If the situation called for betrayal, she’d feel sorry and do it anyway.

“Aren’t I cheating?”
“What do you mean?”
“Leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. This seven-letter shield protects me. There’s no situation that’s difficult or frustrating for me.”

He said that he would never be hit by a person.

But Chai knows. Those seven letters hold more than just a shield.
They also hold the blade of a desire to dominate, to show off, to enjoy. It’s also the blade of a primal desire to reign with fear.

He didn’t swing it. Yes, perhaps the reason he came here, the reason he stands here having this conversation, is because he never once swung that blade.
He made chopsticks out of it.

Geommugeuk returned the question with a deep gaze.

“Aren’t you tired?”

A small sigh escaped Chayran’s lips.
She straightened her back and looked up at the sky.
After staring at the sky in silence, she finally made a decision.

“The bridge we’ve crossed so far has been a bridge of death. From now on, we’ll build a new bridge.”

Chai Ran bowed respectfully to Geommu Geuk.

“The difference is, I will dedicate this body to serving the Soryo Master with loyalty.”

The women who were lined up behind bowed all at once.

“I will serve the young sect leader with loyalty.”

By the time they got here, they had already decided to act according to Chai’s will.

Geommu-geuk smiled brightly and lifted Chai-ran up. Her face was filled with joy.

“Thank you, thank you so much.”

Chai-ran looked at Ian, who was standing before her. Her face was also filled with joy.

“Someone told me to hold on tight when you grab someone’s hand.”

* * *

The next day, the carriage arrived at the main headquarters of the Cheonmasin Church.
Chai-ran and the others were astonished by the overwhelming scale of the headquarters.
The carriage stopped as it entered the main headquarters. Chai-ran and the others disembarked, astonished by the sight before them.

All the masked guests from the evil song were there, waiting. Having only seen ten masked guests, they were overwhelmed once again when they saw the countless masks filling their eyes.

No! Honestly, the Seventeen Religions were the most surprising. If I got mixed up in there, I felt like I’d never be able to find the Crescent Moon Masked Guest.

At that moment, Chai Lan was looking the other way. Among the giant demon statues erected around her, one caught her eye.

A demon statue stood with its hand outstretched.
Gazing up at the giant demon’s hand, Chayran realized anew what kind of hand she was holding.

Next to her, Geommu-geuk stood side by side and looked up at the evil spirit statue.

“Different, welcome back home.”