Absolute Regression Chapter 761

Episode 761: Where are you, youngest?

“It seems like the formation has been activated!”

The one who shouted was Jihan.
The sword master, the two demons, and the master known as the evil brother vanished in an instant.
If only they had vanished, the situation would have been dire, but fortunately, all the enemies standing opposite vanished as well.

In fact, it wasn’t surprising. In this unbelievable battle, where even the dead spirits were summoned, it wasn’t at all surprising that they disappeared into the formation. Everyone assumed this was someone deploying a formation.

Jihan said to Taesu.

“If you want to get out of this room, now is your chance.”

If the person who reappears is not the Geommu-geuk group but the Iron-faced Man, everyone here will die.

“And you?”

Jihan answered Taesu’s question.

“I will wait for the young sect leader.”

It wasn’t a decision I made because I had no choice but to wait. It was a decision steeped in the resolve to share life and death with the young sect leader.

―Aren’t you also a sword that has been fighting alone for a long time?

It was something no one had ever said to me in my life. The words of Geommugeuk kept lingering in my mind.

Taesu knew that Jihan’s words to get out came from good intentions, but he was not happy.

“I’ll wait too.”

Why are you saying that to me when you’re not going out? What do you think I am!

But the reason he couldn’t say these words was because he was intimidated.

Until I came here, I thought I was the main character, possessing a Jang Bo-do. Even if I wasn’t the main character, I considered myself to be an important character.

But it wasn’t. The young man carrying the load was the leader of the Demonic Cult, and the old man and woman with him were demon lords.
The man who identified himself as Feng was a warrior sent by the Apostolic Lord, and another man said he was the head of the family that managed the tombs of past Apostolic Lords.

The only person who seemed easygoing was Lee Ji-han, who had already earned the trust of the Geommu Theater.
Even though he knew that in such a precarious situation, the more important one’s position, the more dangerous it was, he felt a strange sense of alienation.

Suddenly, I remembered what Geommugeuk had said.

-You have a lot of pride.

Now he knew clearly why he’d said such hurtful things to his father.
He wanted to live a life in the spotlight. A life where he was the main character. A life where he wouldn’t be told to hurry and leave, because now was his chance to escape.
And that was a life he could never achieve while living as a thief.

Jihan wasn’t the only one who recommended escape. Apostle Muin Feng advised Baekjonggaju Dansojin.

“Your Majesty, please leave now.”

If he was the head of the family that managed the tombs of the past Apostolic Lords, he was the one who had to protect them.

But for some reason, he didn’t leave his seat.

“I’m fine.”

Dan So-jin sensed it. This moment was impossible to avoid.
Unless the one escaping the formation was Geommu-geuk, avoiding it now would ultimately lead to his death.
The die had already been cast. He could only hope that the die he had cast, exposing himself to the point of throwing, would yield the number he desired.

How much time had passed?
The dice, which had been rolling, stopped.

They appeared as suddenly as they disappeared.

“iced coffee!”

A gasp of joy burst from Jihan’s lips.
The Sword Dancer, the Sword King, and the two Demon Lords had appeared safely. And no one was injured.
Everyone was relieved to see them.

“Are you here?”

Jihan welcomed the sword dance with a thrilled expression. Not only Taesu, but also Poong and Dansojin were overjoyed.
Dansojin was the most delighted of them all. Not only his own life, but the life and death of his entire family were at stake.

Bloody Heavenly Sword said to Geommu Geuk.

“First, recover your internal energy.”
“Yes, sir.”

Geommugeuk sat cross-legged and began to practice his martial arts. Then, Blood Heavenly Demon, Ilhwa Sword Master, and Geomwang surrounded Geommugeuk and stood guard.

It was a scene that made you feel that Geommu-geuk was truly the leader of the Cheonma Sect.

The Sword King, Blood Heavenly Sword Master, and Ilhwa Sword Master were recalling the scene they had witnessed in the space-time teleportation technique. How could they easily forget that battle?

The image of Geommu-geuk dodging attacks from all twelve Zodiac Kings came to mind.

If Taesu or Jihan had witnessed the fight, they’d have thought Geommugeuk dodged so easily that his opponent seemed insignificant.
But they knew. They knew how difficult it was to dodge every single move. Geommugeuk had fought every single one of those who unleashed such threatening attacks.

And one unforgettable move.
That final move that destroyed everything will be a scene I will never forget until I die.

Geommugeuk, having completed his training, opened his eyes. The sight of three people protecting him made him jump.

“If there is anyone in the martial arts world who has received protection from greater figures than this, let them come forward!”

As Geommugeuk got up from his seat and started chatting, Hyeolcheon Doma took the first step.

“First, let’s get out of this unpleasant place.”

Even though the Iron King was dead, the organs on all sides remained open. There was no need to remain in such a place.

After leaving the room, they completely escaped from the Jangbo Tomb. They swam through the passage they had entered, crossing a large pond as large as a lake.

It felt refreshing to come out of the stuffy basement.
The sword dance shouted happily.

“I feel like I can finally live!”

It wasn’t as if they were going to survive, but they actually came out alive.
Everyone’s eyes were focused on him. Seeing their relieved expressions, Geommu-geuk finally felt that this fight was over.

Geommu-geuk looked up at the sky.
The Sword King, the two Demon Lords, and the other four followed suit, looking up at the sky.

After looking up at the sky for a while, Geommugeuk took care of Taesu first.

“Are you okay?”

He had been thinking that he was the most unnecessary being here, but when Geommugeuk took care of him first, his heart was touched by those words.

“Yes, I’m fine.”
“I guess I know what you want to say to me. Are you still feeling the same way?”

I used to think that I wanted to live as a subordinate of the Sword Dance Theater.

“I don’t know.”

Taesu answered honestly. Geommugeuk nodded.

“Meet your father, think about it carefully, and then take your time deciding.”

Before his return, Geommu-geuk had a connection with Tae-gon, Tae-su’s father, and was indebted to him. Therefore, he plans to give Tae-su a chance.

“You can come back in a year, or in ten years.”
“Is that really okay?”

Geommugeuk nodded at his trembling question.

“But you need to know this. Accepting you into our school may be possible because of our connection, but once you join, you’ll have to live a life unrelated to me. It might be difficult to even see my face. It’s the same with Jihan. I’m just providing the opportunity; you’re the one living the changed life. Remember, even if your circumstances change, if you don’t change, nothing will change.”

Taesu looked at the sword dance without saying a word.

“Come to me when you’re ready to take charge of your own life.”
“Thank you, Young Master. But first, I need to see Father.”

I felt compelled to apologize to my father for the hurtful words I had said that day.
Taesu politely greeted Geommugeuk and the others before leaving.

It was unclear whether he would return to the Cheonmasingyo or live on as a distant memory.
Geommugeuk thought it would be fine if he didn’t come. Wouldn’t it be nice to have at least one thief who stole from the wicked and helped the poor?

The sword dance went to Dansojin and Sadomaeng Pung.

“Your Majesty, return to the fortress immediately and report what happened.”

His mission is to report on the Jang Bo-do incident, so all that remains is to return and report.

“And the Apostolic Alliance will take care of the machinery installed in the sword.”

Even if it wasn’t a real tomb, it was known as the tomb of the Lord of the Apostles, so they thought it was right for them to take care of it.

“Yes, we will take care of it.”

Pung, who was walking over there, looked back at Geommugeuk and said.

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, Young Master, I wouldn’t have returned alive.”

Although he did not participate directly, he was active in observing everything.

“If I hadn’t existed, they wouldn’t have existed. So, I should be the one apologizing to the Wind Warrior. I’m glad you’re safe.”

After staring at the sword dance for a moment, Pung politely bowed and disappeared.

Now the only one left was Dansojin.

“Thank you for saving my life.”

He treated Geommu-geuk with the utmost respect. It wasn’t just because he’d saved his life. The way he treated Ji-han and Tae-su revealed the kind of person he was. He was a man worthy of respect.

“I know they’re looking for something in the tomb. Do you happen to know what it is, Young Master?”
“I know.”

But it was not something I could tell you as it was.

“It’s of no use to anyone else. It’s only meaningful to them and to me.”

Judging by the faces of the enemies mobilized this time, Dan So-jin could guess that the item was truly important.
He really wanted to take Geommu-geuk and have him find it. Geommu-geuk had saved not only his own life, but his entire family.

“Do you remember that I promised to grant you a favor if you helped me with the single-family home?”
“I said I would grant you any favor I could.”

Dansojin anticipated the request from Geommu-geuk. Naturally, it would be a request to enter the tomb. In this situation, what else could the leader of the Cheonma Sect possibly ask of him?

But that was his judgment, as he still didn’t know much about Geommugeuk.
Geommugeuk’s request was truly unexpected.

“When the Apostle Lord passes away later, please take good care of him.”
“!”

Dansojin was secretly very surprised.

“Is that what you wanted to ask, Young Master?”
“Yes. Please treat me especially well.”

The leader of the Cheonmasingyo sect is worried about the death of the leader of the Apostles?

“Didn’t you want to enter the tombs of the past Apostolic Leaders?”
“Of course I would.”
“But why didn’t you ask?”

The sword dance had already read his decision.

“Are you not willing to give up your life and not reveal the location of the grave?”

Dansojin was determined to do just that. She was going to grant all the other requests, but not that one.

“Yes, it’s a matter of long-standing family tradition, so it’s not something I can decide on my own.”
“I assumed so. I couldn’t just throw away this precious favor from someone like that, could I?”

No matter how important it was to obtain the bead, it was not right to pressure this single-minded person into revealing its location.

“Instead, I plan to find the location of the tomb myself. It’s something truly important to me, and it’s also for your benefit, Baekchongga. If I don’t get it, they’ll come after it to the end.”

The process of obtaining the five previous beads was also all achieved through fate, not through greed or force.

“If our fates are connected, I will get it.”

Dansojin hoped that Geommugeuk would discover the grave instead.

‘But it won’t be easy to find, Young Master.’

Even if you were to search for it, it wasn’t an easy place to enter.
Whether or not he knew about my feelings, Geommugeuk spoke in a comforting tone.

“By the way, please take good care of my friend Sa-in later. Sa-in will probably be the next head of the family. Please tell him I asked for his favor when I hand over the throne.”

Dan So-jin could tell that the request was genuine.
The cult leader wasn’t who she’d imagined. Perhaps the dice she’d rolled this time had unexpected numbers on them.

“Meeting the Master, I think he’s like the wind. I hope he continues to live a wonderful life, surrendering himself to the wind.”

Dansojin bowed her head politely and said goodbye before leaving.

Geommugeuk turned to face the Sword King and the Demon Lords.
As soon as his eyes met the Sword King’s, Geommugeuk struck first.

“Don’t even dream about it. This time, you must come with me to the main school. Our evil brother, there’s a woman waiting for you!”

Just as the Sword King was holding back his response,
Blood Heavenly Demon suddenly spoke.

“Let’s go together.”

The Sword King looked at Blood Heavenly Sword. Blood Heavenly Sword said nothing more.
After staring at Blood Heavenly Sword for a moment, the Sword King, for some reason, readily answered.

“Yes, I will do that.”

Naturally, the Geommu Theater expressed its discontent.

“No! You didn’t even answer when I asked you to go!”
“It’s different with you.”
“No, you can’t go! Barefoot, ponytail, and sword-wearing are all prohibited from entering the Cheonma Shingyo.”

He could tell that the Sword King had truly earned a significant point from Blood Heavenly Demon by sacrificing himself for him.
Geommu-geuk suddenly had a thought. The free-spirited Sword King and the bookish Blood Heavenly Demon—the two might surprisingly make a good match.

“Your Majesty.”
“Why?”
“How about inviting Your Majesty’s maternal uncle here on Cheonmok Mountain?”

His remains were contained in a long pouch hanging from the swordsman’s belt.
Ilhwa Sword Master’s worries didn’t last long. Since his uncle had wandered the martial arts world his entire life, it seemed best to bury him here, on Cheonmok Mountain, where he had embarked on his final life-or-death adventure.

“Okay. That’s a good idea.”

Bloody Heavenly Sword said to Geommu Geuk.

“You never forget anything.”

Bloody Cheon Do-ma had even forgotten that he had recovered the body of his uncle, Ilhwa Geom-jon, from the sword.

“Later, there will come a time when I too will forget and miss things.”

Geommugeuk looked at Jihan and said.

“You have to take care of me then.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

He answered forcefully, but secretly worried. I’m older than the cult leader, so wouldn’t I be even more out of it?
He thought he needed to live younger, more alert, for the sake of the sword dance.

So, they buried the body on a sunny hill in Cheonmok Mountain and made a tomb.

“Go down first, I’ll take a quick look around here and then go down.”

The Sword King asked with a hopeful mind.

“Do you believe the Apostolic Lord’s tomb is here?”
“Yes, I believe it’s somewhere on this mountain. It might take a few days, so please rest comfortably.”

The reason Dansojin stepped forward and asked for help was probably because the pressure from them had reached their chins.

“Go down first.”

Bloody Heavenly Swordsman turned, and Ilhwa Swordsman and Sword King followed him down. At least for today, the three had no desire to protect Geommu-geuk.
Geommu-geuk spoke to Jihan.

“Take good care of the three of you.”
“Yes!”

So, Geommu-geuk was left alone on Cheonmok Mountain.
He looked around the various peaks. Yes, it wouldn’t be easy to find him.
But he possessed something the men behind him lacked.

He possessed a secret weapon, and within his body were five energies.
The sword dance’s cry, directed at the last remaining energies, echoed and resonated.

“Where are you, youngest? The older brothers are here.”