Absolute Regression Chapter 746

Shall we go on the 746th treasure hunt?

A new star shines, completing another constellation.

“ha.”

A sigh escaped the lips of Princess Ga-ye, who was looking up at the ceiling.
Lights were on in the constellations surrounding the largest star in the center.

“The rate of destruction is accelerating.”

Behind her, as she reported with trembling eyes, stood the Dark Princess Hwamu-gyeong.

“If things continue like this, the seal of the Seventy-Two Golden Souls will be broken sooner than expected.”

Hwamu-gyeong remained unmoved, silently staring up at the ceiling. His wrinkles, piled high and high, concealed his emotions.
A dark aura enveloped him, making it impossible to even guess what was going on in his mind.
That’s why Gaye had to ask him directly.

“Aren’t you afraid, Your Majesty?”
“I am afraid.”

His voice, ringing like an ancient bell, spoke the truth.
Gaye knew. The only person this Dark Princess feared in the world was the one within the seal.

That is why this plan to kill the enemy must succeed.

“This is our last chance. Can he handle the Young Leader alone? And isn’t he also accompanied by Blood Heavenly Sword Master and Ilhwa Sword Master?”

In response to Gaye’s worries, Hwamu-gyeong said something unexpected.

“He is not alone.”

At those words, Gaye’s eyes lit up.

“Who did you send?”
“Someone trustworthy enough.”

There was one more important fact there.

“He finished the song.”
“!”

Gaye asked in a trembling voice.

“How? There’s still a long way to go before we achieve greatness.”

Then, surprising words came out of Hwamu-gyeong.

“I gave him the Heavenly Will Elixir.”

Gaye knew. The Heavenly Sword was the most powerful elixir in the Heavenly Palace, reserved for the Dark Princess to use at the most crucial moment.
He decided that moment was now.

“We will retrieve all the Six Paths of Awakening, and the Young Master will die this time.”

* * *

“The entrance to the sword is in an underwater cave hidden under the pond.”

Taesu’s voice trembled as he spoke of the entrance.
He felt inwardly nervous. Now that he had broken his last card, his life was naturally in danger.
Out of fear, he couldn’t dare say anything about the sword dance.

Of course, the sword dance couldn’t miss the opportunity to tease him, who was very nervous.

“You are no longer needed.”

When he was stared at with cold eyes, Taesu flinched and then mustered up his courage.

“Did I really tell you the real location?”
“If it’s not the left lake, then you should go to the right lake.”
“Could it be that it’s not this mountain?”
“Not this mountain?”

When asked so bluntly, Taesu was momentarily speechless. He’d been watching the sword dance all this time. How could he possibly deny it now?

Taesu sighed instead of answering.

“I’ll bury you in a sunny spot by the pond.”
“No, bury me somewhere else. Every time you lie there and look at the pond, won’t you regret it? Then you’ll wish you’d run away.”

The playfulness disappeared from Geommugeuk’s face.

“Give me this chance now so you won’t regret it.”

As Geommugeuk’s expression became serious, Taesu also became nervous inside.

“From now on, think carefully and decide. Even if I don’t kill you, you know you’re at great risk of dying there, right? You can leave now. If you want to leave, I’ll let you go.”

Taesu hesitated for a moment at Geommu-geuk’s offer. If he left, he would certainly survive.
He’d touched Jang Bo-do, a place he shouldn’t have been, and yet survived. It wasn’t a bad outcome.
If he just let go of his greed, he could live. Leaving when they offered to spare his life would have been the wiser choice, though.

“I want to be with you until the end.”

This time, there was a reason he had to stay until the end.
The choice wasn’t just his. Geommugeuk asked Jihan.

“You? You don’t have to risk it. Just wait for me at the village at the foot of the mountain.”

Jihan answered right away, as if he had already thought about this part.

“How could I be safe when my lord is in danger? I too want to serve him to the end. But please promise me one thing.”
“What promise?”
“Treat me as if I don’t exist. If I ever find myself in danger, you don’t have to rescue me. You don’t have to even look at me.”

He said this out of concern that his lack of martial arts skills would make him a burden to Geommu-geuk. His
martial arts skills weren’t the kind that would be easily overlooked, but Geommu-geuk’s prowess was so impressive that he couldn’t help but worry.

“I probably wouldn’t have cared before. Now that you mention it, I’m starting to care.”
“Oh! That’s not what I meant.”

After enjoying Jihan’s flustered and helpless appearance, Geommugeuk spoke to him.

“Don’t expect my help. I’ll help you when I can, but in dire straits, you’ll have to fend for yourself.”
“You’re right. I won’t be a burden to you.”

Geommugeuk looked at his eyes, which were determined to die, and conveyed words of relief with a soft gaze.

“You don’t have to worry about that when you’re with me. If I can’t protect you, then I can’t defeat you on my own anyway.”

Jihan was truly grateful that Geommu-geuk had taken him.
He didn’t know what his future would hold for the Cheonma Sect, but he knew this would be his first and last time working with the cult’s junior leader. And not just the junior leader? Working with the two demon lords, too, would be the greatest moment of his life.
He couldn’t give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity out of fear.

Geommugeuk gave orders to Taesu and Jihan.

“You go to that village right now, get a room, and leave the carriage there. Wait, unload this luggage.”

Geommu-geuk gathered his cloak from the carriage.
Seeing this, Blood Heavenly Demon asked.

“You’re not planning on taking that luggage, are you?”
“We should. You two might end up sleeping there, right?”
“We’re fine.”
“I’m not. When you’re away from home, you have to be more selective about where to sleep.”

After disembarking, Jihan and Taesu led the carriage to the village.
Now only Geommu-geuk and the two demons remained.
Geommu-geuk took a small piece of leather from the Hyeoknang and spread it on a rock.

“Please sit here.”

The two sat side by side. The soft leather felt comfortable on their buttocks.
Then, the sound of weapons clashing atop the mountain was heard.
Even on their way, they’d already seen the unmanned people gathering here in Zhejiang. Yet, even in this vast province, they were converging precisely on this very Tienmu Mountain. This meant someone was directing them this way.

“Is this a trap?”

Geommugeuk nodded at Bloodthirsty Demon’s question.

“Yes, it seems so.”
“Does setting a trap so blatantly have any effect?”

Then Geommugeuk looked up at the mountain.

“It works, doesn’t it? Everyone’s gathered here.”

Ilhwageomjon, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, asked Geommugeuk.

“Are those guys involved in this incident as well?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I think so.”

The sword dance drama was a guess, but the blood claw dance was a conclusion.

“If that’s what you think, then it must be their doing.”

It was the Blood Heavenly Sword that trusted the judgment of the Sword Master to that extent.

“Did you know this from the beginning?”
“I expected that might happen. That’s why I brought you here, Elder. If my guess is correct, this could be a tough fight.”

Bloody Heavenly Sword and Ilhwa Sword Lord met eyes.

“I guess I’ll have to pay for the elixir, right?”

Ilhwageomjon smiled and answered Hyeolcheondoma’s words.

“I have to do it properly. It shows on my face, both mine and my brother’s.”

A smile crept onto Bloodthirsty Doma’s lips. Did his internal energy increase significantly? It didn’t matter. These days, being told I looked younger was the most pleasing thing of all.

Meanwhile, Jihan and Taesu returned.

“I saw on the road today that unmanned vehicles are arriving here one after another.”

It seemed like the rumor was spread properly.

“Well, shall we go look for treasure too?”

With the sword dance in the lead, they began to climb Cheonmok Mountain.
The sounds of fighting echoed from all around, and the governor spoke softly.

“The map on the map said this was Cheonmok Mountain, but the entrance was through the pond on the western peak. Only by deciphering the secret code could I know the way. I’d been trained by my father to decipher the secret code since I was young, but others wouldn’t have the same problem.”

How far up the mountain did they climb?
Halfway up the mountain, there was a large clearing, and a fierce battle was raging there. It wasn’t just a casual fight; people were being stabbed to death.

“Give me the shopping list!”

Surprisingly, even here, the reason they fought was because of Jang Bo-do.

“I said there isn’t one!”
“He has Jang Bo-do!”
“That’s a lie!”

It was a veritable pandemonium. They killed, searched through their bodies to find Jang Bo-do, and then framed someone else for the crime.
Judging by the situation, it was clear that most people didn’t even know the entrance to the Sword Cannon was here, and were simply swept up in rumors.

But the real masters didn’t get involved in the fight, but stood back and observed the situation.

The Geommu-geuk group also stayed away and waited for the fighting to calm down to some extent.

As the fight to the death continued,
someone spoke with renewed energy.

“Everyone stop fighting! I will lead you all to the sword!”

At those words, all those who were fighting stopped fighting and retreated.

Guiding with a rifle? Who would have thought someone would say something like that in this situation?

Everyone’s surprised gaze turned to the person who had spoken.
Not only Geommugeuk, but also Hyeolcheon Doma, Ilhwa Geomjondo, Jihan, and Taesu all stared in surprise.

The man who offered to guide us wore a metal mask over his face. Perhaps because of the iron mask, his voice sounded peculiar. It was difficult to guess his age.

“How are you going to guide me there? Do you have a map of the market?”

As if to confirm this, the iron-faced man took something out of his bosom.

“That’s right, it’s the sword and gun’s long sword.”

A lustful, murderous glint blazed from the eyes of those surrounding him.
The next moment, the iron-faced man unfolded his plan before the crowd.

“Okay, don’t fight and just watch.”

The unmanned man approached and saw the Jangbodo. He wanted to snatch it and run away, but the iron-faced man’s unique aura and composure, which he sensed up close, prevented him from doing so.

The location written on the map was Cheonmok Mountain, but the exact location was not given and unknown letters and numbers were written on it.

“As you can see, the exact entrance is a secret. So even if you obtain this, you won’t be able to get there right away.”

Then someone shouted.

“How can you believe that your Jang Bo-do is real?”
“The Jang Bo-do is real. I solved this secret code and discovered the entrance to the sword.”

At those words, the warriors murmured.

“But you’re going to take us to the sword?”
“Yes.”

Of course, the unmanned people did not believe that.

“That’s ridiculous. You expect us to believe that? You’re going to take us all away when you’ve already killed everyone?”

There were many there who had the venom to kill even their fellow comrades. So how could anyone believe that?

The iron-faced man revealed the reason.

“Because I can’t get through there alone.”

Everyone looked surprised at those words.

“That place can only be entered by several people working together. It’s a place you absolutely cannot pass alone.”

One of the warlords asked again.

“Who are you?”
“Rumors will spread later that you’ve found treasure. Is there anyone here who wants to reveal their identity? Then identify yourself first, and I’ll reveal mine too.”

After that, I didn’t ask who he was anymore.

Then someone else stepped forward.

“This is a trap.”

The man who appeared this time was a middle-aged warrior with a long scar running from his forehead to his chin. It was a face you couldn’t forget once you saw it.

“Why is it a trap?”

He took something out of his bosom and spread it out in front of the heroes.

“Because Jang Bo-do is here too.”

Those nearby confirmed the contents.

“It’s the same old shopping!”

Indeed, it was the exact same map the Iron Man had shown. It was exactly the same, not a single letter different.

The swordsman spoke to everyone.

“Why would they make multiple copies of the same map? Isn’t this a plot by someone to kill us all here?”

The unmanned forces were commotion and agitation. With two Jang Bo-dos out, the situation was suspicious.

Then the iron-faced man asked loudly.

“So? You’re not going in?”

The iron-faced man understood their desires better than anyone else.

“Even if there were two, three, or even ten Jang Bo-dos circulating, would you just leave without checking? If so, leave immediately. If you think it’s a trap, leave immediately.”

Given the circumstances, it was clearly a trap.
But no one left. What if it was real? Couldn’t Jang Bo-do have created several copies? What if he left and those who remained took possession of the treasures of the sword? That would be unbearable.

Someone spoke loudly.

“Someone must have made two copies of the map to make people think it’s a trap and keep them from going to the sword!”

Then the other drones shouted.

“I won’t leave. Take me!”
“I’ll go too!”
“We won’t leave.”
“I’ll follow you!”

Do you know who that man behind the iron mask is?
But everyone’s eyes were focused on the treasure of the sword.

The iron-faced man spoke to the wounded warrior.

“If you think it’s a trap, why don’t you leave?”

The swordsman said nothing. But in the end, he didn’t leave.

The bloodthirsty demon who had been watching immediately suspected the iron-faced man.

“The author is suspicious.”

At his soft words, the sword dance looked at the swordsman who had warned him that it was a trap.

“If you put it that way, the author is suspicious too.”
“Why?”
“It’s suspicious that he insisted on taking her along, but why did the author go out of his way to stop her?”

Hearing this, it seemed plausible, so Blood Heavenly Swordmaster nodded.
Geommu-geuk looked around at the numerous people around him and spoke softly.

“There must be an enemy among them.”

It was then that Jihan took a deep breath, his expression startled.

“It smells.”