Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis, Mani

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 228: What Happens When You Mess with My Woman

As the Evil Smiling Demon's words came to an end, the Black Night Three Ravens took flight.

The murderous intent in his words was clear, so they didn’t hesitate. If their opponent had decided to kill Lü Bugai, there was no way they could survive without taking these three down.

The Black Night Three Ravens charged from three directions.

From the left, one aimed for his shoulder; from the right, another targeted his side; and from the front, the third went for his neck.

No one had ever withstood this combined attack before. The Ravens were masters skilled enough to elevate Lü Bugai to the King of the Night. Everything about the attack was perfect—except for the fact that their opponent was Soma.

With a single step, the Evil Smiling Demon dodged their combined assault. Although the three swords narrowly brushed past his body, the eyes beneath his mask remained calm. He dodged smoothly and precisely—ping!

They couldn’t avoid the Blood Disaster Finger that flew at them from point-blank range.

Ilgwe’s neck was pierced, killing him instantly. Seeing this, Igwe let out a sorrowful wail and swung his sword wildly.

The gap created by his rage was enough for a single gust of wind to pierce through.

Thud!

Samgwe, the last remaining Raven, unleashed his most brilliant strike of his life, but all he managed to do was clip the end of his opponent’s bamboo hat.

Had he known who he was up against, that alone would have been a tale worth boasting about for years. But having committed countless misdeeds under Lü Bugai, he never got the chance to boast even a single word. He too died, a hole pierced through his forehead.

It was then!

Swaaaaaaang!

Something flew with tremendous force, aiming for Soma's back. It was the spear of the Blood-Crying Spear.

Slash!

The spear, hurtling at terrifying speed, stopped right behind the Evil Smiling Demon.

The one who caught the spear with his bare hand was Geom Mugeuk.

The Blood-Crying Spear was stunned. His spear wasn’t something that could be caught bare-handed. If it could be, how would he have become a renowned spear master in the Unorthodox Alliance?

Geom Mugeuk planted the spear into the ground.

As Soma turned around, he lightly flicked the spear shaft embedded in the ground with his finger.

Ching!

The clear sound that resonated was the Evil Smiling Demon's expression of gratitude.

Taking that sound as his cue, Geom Mugeuk charged at the Blood-Crying Spear.

The Blood-Crying Spear quickly combined the two short spears strapped to his waist. Given the distance, he had just enough time to assemble them and defend himself. That is, if Geom Mugeuk hadn’t charged in with the Underworld King Step.

Swish!

The spear, just barely connected, was cut cleanly along with its owner’s body. Though Geom Mugeuk held the blade used by the White Blade rather than his usual Black Demon Sword, he was a master calligrapher who didn't discriminate against his brush.

At that very moment.

Ssssss!

Vines suddenly shot up from the ground, wrapping around Geom Mugeuk's entire body. It was a sorcery technique that bound the target's body in an instant.

The Ying-Yang Specters, who had been sitting in front of the garden, swiftly moved to Geom Mugeuk’s sides and grabbed his wrists.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Through Geom Mugeuk's wrists, the internal energy of the Ying-Yang Specters poured in like a waterfall.

Their martial art was known as the Heart-Breaking Star Absorption Technique.

It was a vicious technique where they injected their immense internal energy into their opponent, causing the victim's heart to burst, killing them, and then harvesting all of their internal energy and life force.

Their combined attack was enough to easily kill most martial artists, so they believed Geom Mugeuk had no chance of resisting.

But this was a mistaken assumption, as they were unaware of the true extent of Geom Mugeuk’s internal energy.

The internal energy continued to flow into him.

By now, he should have been coughing up blood, suffering internal injuries, but Geom Mugeuk remained completely unscathed.

Yang Specter shot a serious look at Yin Specter, signaling to stop immediately, but Yin Specter firmly shook her head in refusal. She knew from experience that the stronger the opponent, the more delicious their internal energy and yang essence would be. 1

Just a little more, just a little more!

It seemed as though Geom Mugeuk would collapse, coughing up blood any second.

The amount of internal energy they had poured in had already surpassed half, then two-thirds. As time passed, they found themselves unable to stop. They couldn’t bear to abandon the effort now, not after pouring in so much energy. 2

Yang Specter attempted the Strange Shadow Technique.

Typically, no other techniques should be used while absorbing internal energy, but the situation left him no choice.

Geom Mugeuk's shadow began to rise. Normally, the shadow should have invaded Geom Mugeuk's mind and inflicted internal injuries.

Sssss!

Instead, the shadow merged back into Geom Mugeuk and quietly returned to its original position.

"Sorcery doesn't work!"

Yang Specter coughed up a mouthful of blood.

It was only when the two were beyond the point of no return that Geom Mugeuk revealed his true power. Far from dying, he spoke to them calmly.

“What should I do? Sorcery and internal energy are the areas where I excel the most.”

The Ying-Yang Specters realized they had been completely played by Geom Mugeuk. He had deliberately offered his wrists from the start. Now, even if they wanted to stop, they couldn’t. Their energy was being endlessly drained, as if falling into an abyss. 3

With their internal energy completely exhausted and their meridians shriveled, the Ying-Yang Specters collapsed to the ground. They had recklessly poured water into a bottomless vessel and, as a consequence, lost their lives in the process.

The Ying-Yang Specters' internal energy seamlessly merged into Geom Mugeuk's dantian. With his natural Heavenly Martial Body and his internal energy having recently reached a new level, Geom Mugeuk's internal energy absorbed theirs far more quickly and efficiently than before, much like how even the strongest river merging into the sea still leaves the sea vast and boundless.

Lü Bugai stared blankly at the scene, watching in disbelief as his last hope—the Ying-Yang Specters—also met their demise. He looked around the area in a daze; all the martial artists were dead, except for himself and Hwangyeom.

'If only this were a dream.'

To his surprise, Lü Bugai wished that all of this was just a bad dream. He had spent his entire life indulging in every base desires, supported by Yaryuhan. 4

'I can't give up!'

Lü Bugai gritted his teeth.

—’Grab that woman as a hostage!’

Despite Lü Bugai's secret command through telepathy, Hwangyeom didn't move.

—’What are you waiting for? Take her hostage, now!’

But Hwangyeom was already subdued, her acupoints sealed. When had she been overpowered in the chaos of this battle?

Lü Bugai’s original plan was for Hwangyeom to take the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress hostage while he took the other women hostage himself.

But now that things had turned out this way...

Lü Bugai lunged towards Yeo Jeong. 5

'If I can just take her hostage, I can survive this.’

Just as he was about to subdue her, Soma intercepted him first.

Lü Bugai unleashed his full strength, launching a powerful palm strike. But how could an old lecher who spent his whole life in debauchery ever hope to contend with the Evil Smiling Demon, whose entire existence had been devoted to martial training?

Soma neutralized the force of Lü Bugai's strike effortlessly with a dismissive backhand swipe, the same everyone uses to push away a mosquito.

It was at that moment that Lü Bugai finally saw the ‘face’ beneath the bamboo hat. Staring at the white mask, Lü Bugai froze in terror.

"You—!"

Before he could utter another word, the Blood Disaster Finger technique was unleashed.

Ping! Thud!

A razor-sharp gust of qi pierced Lü Bugai's mouth like a beam of light that had been barely restrained until now. Lü Bugai let out a short gargling scream, clutching his mouth as blood poured between his fingers.

Then, Yeo Jeong soothingly spoke to the women.

"Now, open your eyes and see."

The women opened their eyes. They were shocked by the scene before them. They had heard the sounds of fighting and desperately hoped for the situation to end up like this, but they still had never imagined that Lü Bugai's once formidable subordinates would be lying dead all around them.

Among the corpses scattered everywhere, Lü Bugai's body was being riddled with more holes.

Ping! Thud!

His shoulder was pierced. The back of the hand that tried to clutch his shoulder was pierced.

Realizing that his opponent was none other than the Evil Smiling Demon of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Lü Bugai lost all will to fight and just flailed in desperation. He tried to beg for his life, but his mouth had been pierced by the first strike of the Blood Disaster Finger, rendering him unable to speak properly. 6

He crawled on the ground, pleading for his life.

Geom Mugeuk understood all too well what that desperation would turn into later. He knew how a moment of mercy and forgiveness could lead to countless, unecessary deaths.

Fortunately, today, his opponent was the Evil Smiling Demon.

Smack!

Soma ruthlessly kicked Lü Bugai’s crotch. The very desires that had driven him to a lifetime of evil shattered, uselessly and he let out a wretched scream. 7

“Aaaaargh!”

Blood spurted from Lü Bugai's mouth as he screamed.

‘I’ll survive this somehow and take my revenge!’

Lü Bugai crawled slowly toward the Evil Smiling Demon.

‘You bastard! You scum! I’ll repay this pain a hundredfold, a thousandfold!’

Covered in blood, Lü Bugai forced a smile with kind eyes, filled with the understanding and regrets of his sins.

“…I’ll live a good life.” 8

Though his words were garbled, it was clear he was begging for a chance to turn over a new leaf.

Of course, it didn't work.

This time, Soma targeted his joints, piercing them with pinpoint precision using the Blood Disaster Finger, hitting only the places where he could feel the most pain and avoiding vital areas to prolong his suffering. He didn’t offer a single word of advice like ‘Live a good life in your next life’. The Evil Smiling Demon completely ignored his existence, wishes and hopes.

Finally, he grabbed the spear that was still stuck in the ground and plunged it into Lü Bugai’s writhing stomach.

The hell that the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress had foretold for Lü Bugai wasn’t some distant afterlife—it was unfolding right here.

Soma coldly stared at the dying Lü Bugai before extending his palm toward him. The fiery pit Yeo Jeong had spoken of was none other than the Evil Smiling Demon’s Frantic Demonic Palm.

Boom!

Lü Bugai’s entire body was sent flying.

Splash!

He disappeared, his grounded body spread over the floor like jam, while the remains of the shattered spear embedded themselves deeply into the ground. This was the Evil Smiling Demon’s answer to what happens when someone dares to lay a hand on his woman.

One of the women cheered, another cried tears of joy, and yet another couldn’t bear to watch the gruesome sight and turned her head away.

Their reactions varied, but they all shared the same feeling—a profound sense of joy at finally escaping from this unending hell.

Rumble, boom!

As if the heavens themselves were watching, rain began to pour down.

Ssssssshhhh!

The women all looked up at the sky. It felt as though all the pain and suffering they had endured was being washed away by the rain. 9

The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress walked over to them.

“It’s time to go home now.”

Of course, until this ordeal was fully resolved, Yeo Jeong would be taking care of the women. Geom Mugeuk could tell that she was the only one who could truly help them now. She would be able to soothe their wounds better than anyone.

The women bowed deeply to the three of them.

“We will never forget the grace of being saved.”

Tears streamed down their faces at the thought of seeing their families again. How much had their families missed them? How much had they been searching for them? 10

The Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress helped them up.

The middle-aged woman who had earlier tried to protect the younger one asked with a tear-streaked face.

“Please, at least tell us the names of our saviors.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled and replied.

“As you heard earlier, this lady here is the owner of a pavilion, that gentleman is the gigolo, and I am the gigolo’s friend.” 11

Understanding that they did not wish to reveal their identities, the woman asked no further.

Instead, she expressed their gratitude.

“We will live the rest of our lives never forgetting this kindness.”

It was time to leave this place.

Geom Mugeuk approached Hwangyeom, who was left alone, the acupoints of her lower abdomen and waist sealed.

As he released the seals, he asked.

“Do you want to live?” 12

“Yes!”

Hwangyeom nodded frantically.

She was a subordinate befitting her master. With her master dead, what loyalty could she possibly hold on to? After all, who in the world could have so easily dealt with Lü Bugai and his subordinates?

Geom Mugeuk quickly dug a pit using his sword energy and used Void Telekinesis to throw all the bodies and the jam into the hole. He then covered it up in an instant.

The heavy rain pouring down washed away all traces of blood.

During this time, the women cleaned up the area, and the Evil Smiling Demon brought around the large carriage that had been stationed in the backyard.

Geom Mugeuk turned to Hwangyeom and instructed her.

“Tell the subordinates on the way out that Lü Bugai has somewhere to go for a while. If you even think about playing games, go ahead and try. I’ll throw you into a torture chamber and keep you alive, making sure you live a miserable life until you die of old age.”

“I won’t do anything like that.”

The women were loaded into the carriage. Hwangyeom took the reins, and Geom Mugeuk sat beside her.

And so, the carriage sped away from Lü Bugai's residence. Hwangyeom handled the reins as ordered, playing her part well. At this rate, news of Lü Bugai’s death wouldn’t reach Yaryuhan until long after they had made their move.

Waiting about ten li away from there were the Poison King and Seo Daeryong.

Seo Daeryong took the reins, while the Poison King took charge of the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress and the rescued women.

“Please, as promised, let me live!” Hwangyeom pleaded.

“I never promised anything. I just asked if you wanted to live.”

Just as Hwangyeom tried to protest further—

Thud!

Geom Mugeuk’s fist struck her chest. The price of her cooperation was a painless death. Truthfully, this underling who had served as Lü Bugai’s lackey deserved to die a more painful death, but there wasn’t time for that now. 13

Geom Mugeuk dug a deep hole in the nearby forest and disposed of the body.

Meanwhile, the Poison King and Seo Daeryong finished their preparations for departure.

“Please take good care of them,” Geom Mugeuk said, entrusting the women to the Poison King. He replied with an unexpected suggestion.

“When you get back, let’s try making that poison we failed at last time again.”

It was an invitation to visit the Heavenly Poison Forest once more, a roundabout way of wishing him success in this mission and a safe return.

“If you’ll allow me to stand far by the door again.”

Yeo Jeong also didn’t say a solemn goodbye to Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Smiling Demon.

“Please take good care of my brother.”

“As I always say, it’s Soma who needs to be taking care of me.”

The one who seemed the most worried was Seo Daeryong. As he handed me back the Black Demon Sword he had been safeguarding, he repeatedly urged.

“I know your skills well, Leader, but still, be careful. Be careful and be careful again. If things go south, just run! Don’t take unnecessary risks!”

“If you’re that worried, come along.”

Seo Daeryong flinched and took a step back.

“I’d love to, but there’s no one else to drive the carriage.”

The Poison King casually remarked from the side.

“I could drive the carriage. It’s been a while; I wouldn’t mind taking the reins.”

Seo Daeryong pretended not to hear and continued speaking to me.

“We’ll be waiting for you, as always.”

Geom Mugeuk smiled and gave Seo Daeryong a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Keep growing, Seo Daeryong. Someday, there will come a time when we’ll fight side by side.

With their farewells said, Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Smiling Demon took off towards the place where Gowol awaited. They would now face Yaryuhan, but Geom Mugeuk was not afraid. After all, the one guarding his back was Soma.

Ssshhhh!

Pushing through the pouring rain, the two of them ran without rest.

1 : She should have listened to him… In fact, she should have never started a life of crimes and murders.

2 : Sometimes you just gotta accept your defeat and cut your losses.

3 : Nomnomnom, karmic death ^ ^

4 : Yama has sent his reapers to enact your judgement. Or, in simpler words : KILL HIM, KILL HIM !!!!

5 : The fool.

6 : You tried to harm the woman he loves in the worst way possible. Of course he would make sure to shut you up before torturing you.

7 : Yeah !!! I don’t even feel an ounce of empathic pain, it shows how much of a trash he was !!!

8 : This kind of evil is really hard to destroy without a ruthless heart. It’s all a question of balance. Be compassionate towards others, and ruthless when you need to kill.

9 : Old man Heavens trying to help reduce their trauma….

10 : There’s a chance that their husbands remarried, it’s been years, and they were probably declared dead. Good luck for their reentry into society.

11 : “For the safety of everyone, I ask for your understanding.”

12 : Ah, it’s a trap question. Who doesn’t want to live ? Except those who want to kill themselves.

13 : Aaah, I thought she was a pavilion mistress too, just one that had earned his trust. Yeah, if you willingly worked for that trash, you deserve death too.