Absolute Regression Chapter 721

Farther from the 721st Daeseong

When Geommu-geuk and Seodae-ryong left the Namdojong, the surroundings had become dark.
Seodae-ryong, walking thoughtfully, seemed troubled by something.

“Now that you’re actually getting married, all kinds of worries come up, don’t they?”
“My youngest sister-in-law once casually told me something like that.”

Seo Dae-ryong, who had been following Dan-yeon as his brother-in-law, now called her his youngest sister-in-law even more comfortably than before.

“My sister said she was feeling uncomfortable about having a wedding.”

Geommugeuk could understand her feelings. She didn’t know anyone here, and her only family was her two younger siblings.

“She said she wasn’t embarrassed about not having any guests, but she was worried that someone might come to me. I laughed it off, saying I had no friends or family myself.”

But even so, Seo Dae-ryong was there, along with Ian and Jang-ho, investigators, and executors. Even with just them, the groom’s wedding party would be packed.

“I will take care of the guest problem, Miss Dan.”
“Will you really do that?”

As Geommugeuk nodded, Seodaeryong’s face brightened.

“When marriage talks seriously, feelings can get hurt over trivial things. Just be careful what you say.”
“Okay!”
“Well, see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow!”

Geommugeuk smiled as he watched her run away excitedly.

Yes, marriage is something that should be done without any care when things are going well like this.

The swordsman took another step. He was headed not for his residence, but for Magachon.

* * *

The lights went out in the Pungryu Tavern.
Jo Chun-bae was alone, cleaning up the empty tavern, which had been emptied by the time he returned to Jeomsoi.
Then, a very welcome voice came from outside.

“Master.”

The moment he heard that voice, Jo Chun-bae shouted and ran out.

“Little Master!”

But he came out in such a hurry that his foot got caught on the threshold.

“Oh my!”

Just as he was about to fly forward and crash to the ground, he stopped in midair.
A soft aura supported him.
He felt as if he were riding a soft cloud, soaring through the air and landing in front of Geommu-geuk.

“I’m so happy, I can’t stop! Thank you, Master!”
“Our master must now be more careful about falling than about flying swords.”

The two faced each other and smiled brightly.
Jo Chun-bae was so delighted to see her that I wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t come. It had been quite some time since I’d seen him, having been so busy the last time I returned from school.

“How have you been?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well. Our little master has become taller and more handsome.”
“The women of the world should have eyes like our master’s.”

The two men, having exchanged greetings, entered. They had already finished their business, but Jo Chun-bae rolled up his sleeves.

“How many people are coming? I’ll prepare the food in advance.”
“I don’t have anyone to meet. I just wanted to have a drink with the owner.”

For a moment, Jo Chun-bae’s heart ached. What could he possibly be? He was nothing more than an old man, a bar owner. He was truly grateful to Geommu-geuk for not forgetting him and coming to visit him.

“No need for a snack. Let’s just have a drink.”

The sword dance performance went up to this floor. The seats were always spotless and spotless. Even though he wasn’t accepting guests, you could tell how much Jo Chun-bae cared about the place.

Jo Chun-bae brought some alcohol and light snacks.

“Okay, master. Have a drink from me first.”

As always, Jo Chun-bae accepted the drink with embarrassment and poured it politely.

“Come on, let’s have a drink.”

After the two toasted, they emptied their glasses. Jo Chun-bae turned around and downed his drink.

“Did your trip go well?”

In response to Jo Chun-bae’s question, Geommu-geuk looked back at the writing on the wall and spoke.

“I just came back to rescue one of the people who left a comment over there.”
“Oh my!”

Jo Chun-bae shook his head with a surprised expression, saying that it was something he could not even imagine.

“Are you sure everything is fine in Magachon?”
“There’s always something going on because we live in such a bustling place.”
“Tell me something.”

Jo Chun-bae told me all sorts of stories. A baby was born to a merchant’s house, someone else had a leg injury, and someone else had moved.

Even as the plot to kill the Apostle Lord unfolded, their lives continued. Even if another plot unfolded tomorrow, even if the Great Battle of the Demon Kings broke out, Jo Chun-bae would still open the doors of the Pungryu Tavern in the morning.

Geommu-geuk finally realized he was home. As he cleared his mind of the greed for Daesung that had blinded him, Jo Chun-bae’s face came into clear view.

“Do you know the guy selling dolls up ahead?”
“Of course I do.”
“There’s a new Archduke doll.”
“Ah! It’s finally here.”

Jo Chun-bae ran towards the cash register and brought out a small box.

“I bought it to give it to you if you ever come.”

Geommugeuk opened the box. His blunt face was unmistakable.

The sword dance brought to mind the dolls displayed in his father’s room. Perhaps these dolls were already displayed on his display case.

“Come to think of it, sir, you didn’t buy my doll, you just bought my sister’s.”

As if I knew this would happen.

“I’ve already bought three of yours, Sogyoju. I have them at home and I’ve sent them to my hometown.”

After chatting about this and that, Jo Chun-bae went down to the first floor, telling me to drink alone and comfortably. He had declined, saying it would be a mistake to drink on a day like this, so I didn’t force him to drink. He had just one drink, his first.

So, Geommu-geuk looked down at the first floor while drinking alone.
Jo Chun-bae was sitting at the moonlit counter, gazing out the window.

Suddenly, the image of Blood Heavenly Swordsman reading a book overlapped his image.
Geommu-geuk knew.
What Blood Heavenly Swordsman had been talking about was Jo Chun-bae’s current appearance.

No matter how happy he was, no matter how much he longed to drink with him,
Jo Chun-bae lived his life unwaveringly, unwaveringly, according to his own principles, unswayed by fleeting emotions.
His current state embodied the teachings of the Bloody Sword. The master had already achieved greatness.

“Master.”

When the sword dance was called, Jo Chun-bae looked up at this floor and asked.

“Do you need anything else?”
“Bring me some good alcohol.”
“I guess you’re going to meet someone nice.”

The swordsman smiled and said something incomprehensible.

“I want to run away from Daesung.”

* * *

In the torchlit practice hall, warriors were training late into the night.
Twelve warriors.
Unleashing a single swordsmanship and swinging their swords in unison, they were the escort warriors of the Sword Dance Theater.
They were all training together, day and night, without distinction.

They drew a circular pattern and simultaneously swung their swords in all directions.
The swordsmanship they unleashed was a protective swordsmanship, protecting one individual.
The essence of swordsmanship lies in harmony and connection. They complemented each other’s weaknesses and moved as one body.

The momentum they carried with their swords was extraordinary. Their spirit was incomparably sharper than when they first came to the Sword Dance Theater.

And so, a round of training was over.

Haa, haa, haa.

Only the sound of held breaths echoed there.
Then, suddenly, a voice was heard.

“Now it’s pretty good.

The escort drones suddenly turned around in surprise.
In the center of the sword they had been guarding, a swordsman was sitting.

“Little Master!”

At the shout of the escort leader, Jeokyeon, Geommugeuk smiled and said.

“Everyone, sit still.”

The guards sat down, facing the inside of the circle. Their faces were filled with surprise. There were twelve of them, but no one noticed until the leader of the cult entered the center and sat down.

“Is it hard for everyone?”
“No!”

In response to the loud response, Geommugeuk took care of the red smoke first.

“Enemy escort, I know you have it the hardest.”

Jeokyeon was delighted by those words. He hadn’t gone through all this trouble to ask for recognition, but he was truly grateful that he had.

“I also know very well that living as my escort is not easy.”

When I was assigned the mission to escort the Young Leader, I probably expected something different. I imagined following him through the Central Plains and experiencing all sorts of things.

However, except for one exile and a temporary leadership role as an escort within the school, he spent most of his time practicing martial arts.

Jeokyeon said to Geommugeuk.

“I trained with the sole purpose of becoming stronger so I could protect the Young Master. But….”

Jeokyeon said with an expression that made him wonder whether he should laugh or cry.

“You came back stronger.”

The sword dance smiled at the sight of the red smoke.

“Am I not the kind of person who would readily accept anyone’s escort?”

Geommugeuk opened the bundle he had brought with him. The contents flew out to everyone.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

At the same time, a glass flew out.
They had brought twelve glasses, determined to drink with them.
The glasses didn’t fly away, but remained suspended in front of them.
The escorts stared in surprise at the floating glasses. A thought crossed everyone’s mind.

Is this possible?

The sword dance was now displaying the divine power of moving twelve objects simultaneously through the air.

There were thirteen glasses there, and soon fourteen.
Slowly, the bottle rose into the air and he began to pour alcohol into the glasses floating in front of the red smoke.

Thump thump.

The bottle, now empty, found its way to another unmanned man’s glass. It didn’t reach the man next to it. The glass it found was Lee Ho’s.
He had previously told Geommugeuk that, during his time outside, the units were known by their operational names, from Ilho to Twelve.

The liquor bottle that filled Iho’s glass was then transferred to Samho’s glass, who sat a short distance away, and then to Saho’s.
Geommugeuk remembered exactly what he had heard, from Iho to the youngest, Twelve.

The guards were secretly touched, as they thought that the sect leader did not know much about them.

“You remember us all.”

Geommu-geuk looked apologetic at Jeokyeon’s emotion. How indifferent must he have been to be moved by something like this?

“Become stronger. Only then can you protect me!”

The Sword Dance Theater didn’t apologize to them. “I only trained them so I could go about my day.” An apology like this would only further hurt their pride.

I made a big decision today that I absolutely must not be impatient.

“Be impatient. Be more impatient than others. You never know when our little cult leader might become the leader! Wake up and swing your sword! Do you understand?”
“Yes!”

As Geommu-geuk grabbed the goblets floating before him, the twelve guards also grabbed theirs.
The cult leader they were supposed to protect spoke like that, leaving thirteen goblets floating in the air. How could one not be inspired by someone like that, someone who was told to grow stronger?

“I allow it. Keep getting stronger.”

After finishing speaking, Geommu-geuk drank his wine, and the guards also emptied their glasses in unison.

“And I have to lose some weight tomorrow, so make sure you iron your clothes properly!”

* * *

Chai Lan gazed out the window.
It was her first day at the Cheonmasingyo. The accommodations provided by Geommu-geuk were truly magnificent.
It wasn’t just her room that was nice.
The rooms provided to her subordinates were also clean and tidy. The beds and bedding were especially new and well-made.
As the saying goes, seeing one tells you ten. There was a reason she was here.

Then Ilgyo came and reported.

“Ready.”
“Let’s go.”

The Sword Dance Theater summoned them all. Instead of wearing fancy clothes, they wore martial arts uniforms.
Now, a new life began.

When they arrived at the training ground a short distance from their residence, there were people waiting there.

It was the Guiyeongdae led by Ian.
The Guiyeong Iljo, led by Cheongmyeon, and the Guiyeong Ijo, led by Seojin, stood in extraordinary prayer. It truly demonstrated the true meaning of a disciplined organization.
And before them stood Ian.

Chai Ran felt that Ian’s appearance in front of his subordinates was different from when he had seen him in Anhui.

‘At that time, I didn’t really reveal my prayers.’

Ian introduced Cheongmyeon and Seojin to Chaeyran.

Cheongmyeon was originally someone who could have become the next evil soma, so his prayers were not ordinary, and Seojin’s prayers had also changed after returning from the Hwangryong Martial Arts Academy due to his arduous training in martial arts and ghostcraft.

Unlike Chae-ran, who looked at them calmly, the women of Salsu felt an unknown competitive spirit.
They had to live as warriors, not assassins. It was time to transform their confidence in their ability to assassinate anyone into the confidence that they could fight and defeat anyone.

At that moment, a sword dance appeared.
Twelve guards followed behind the sword dance, each wearing the guard’s formal attire.

The symbol of the Cheonmajeon Guard engraved on their chests.
A demon depicted within the shield.
Furthermore, the black masks they wore had the single character “Ma” (魔) embroidered in bold handwriting.

Everyone here was formidable, and the escorting warriors were no slouch either.
Seeing them, Chai Lan and the Salsu women finally realized that Geommu Geuk was the leader of the Cheonma Sect.

When the sword dance arrived, everyone there greeted him politely at the same time.

“Meet the Young Master!”

Today, the Geommu-geuk also gave a brief greeting and formal greetings. As it was the right time, I also gave a quick nod to the youngest member of the Guiyeongdae, Danyeon.
Then I asked Chae-ran.

“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I slept very well thanks to your consideration.”

The women standing behind him all bowed their heads in gratitude. How could they not know? They felt special consideration.
“I’m thinking of giving you the position of the head priest. But I need the leader’s permission, so you’ll have to wait a while. In the meantime, choose a name.”

Then Chai Ran said something unexpected.

“If possible, we would like to enter the ghost town.”

That was a really unexpected remark.

“Do you know what that means?”
“I know.”

It means that you will be placed under Ian.

Chai Ran’s gaze turned to Cheongmyeon and Seojin.

“Those two people don’t seem like the type of people who would be just a team leader.”

Then, Geommugeuk properly introduced the two people.

“The first chief of the Iljo clan is the one who gave up the next evil soma, and the second chief of the Ijo clan is a descendant of the Gwimun clan.”

Chai-ran nodded with an expression that said, “As expected!”

“For us, who have lived as sages, to live as unmanned beings will require much effort and time. I will learn from this young lady, no, from this great lord. And since I have decided to serve the young sect leader, I believe rank is irrelevant.”

The sword dance drama thought her choice was indeed wise. But it wasn’t her who had to make that decision.

“Ian. Will you accept them as your third generation?”

Ian looked at Chai Ran. There were reasons to bring him in, and reasons to stop him. Her worries didn’t last long. She had to bring him in for the sake of the sword dance, Cheongmyeon, and Seojin. These burdensome leaders!

“I will accept you as the third general of the Guiyeongdae.”

Chai Ran also politely bowed to Ian.

“Hello, my lord.”
“I ask for your continued support.”

With the addition of Chai Ran, the Guiyeongdae was finally properly completed.

Geommugeuk looked at the three women with a feeling of deep emotion.

Ian, Seojin, and Chai Ran.

The three women who saved his life before his return and in his present life have gathered together under the name of Gwiyeongdae.

The sword dance said to Chai Ran.

“I have a first mission for you, Lady Guiying.”
“Please speak.”

The mission of the Sword Dance Theater was truly unexpected.

“I must be a guest at the wedding.”

Chae-ran, startled, asked with a cold look in her eyes.

“Is it the groom or the bride who must be killed?”