Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 229: Came to Collect the Life Debt?

A man stepped down from the carriage.

He had a well-built physique and a cold demeanor. The phrase "not even a drop of blood would come out if you stabbed him" seemed to exist just for him; his expressionless face suited him perfectly. He was both eerie and impeccably tidy.

The man who got off the carriage walked into a mansion with its gates wide open. At the entrance of the mansion was a plaque that read ‘Great Night Sect’.

Inside, a horrific scene unfolded.

More than a hundred corpses were scattered everywhere. It appeared that all members of the Great Night Sect had been massacred. Among the corpses, martial artists clad in uniform red garb were hunting down and killing the survivors.

Though it looked like a battlefield, the man walked through without even batting an eye.

Blood splashed onto his shoes and trousers as it flowed across the ground, but he paid it no mind.

In fact, his stride through the sea of blood seemed almost fitting. He exuded a presence from his very steps—an intimidating aura that suggested no one could block his path unless he stopped on his own.

The man was none other than Yaryuhan, the second-in-command of the Unorthodox Alliance. 1

The martial artists in red garb who had slaughtered the people here were from the Extreme Forces Brigade.

Extreme Forces Brigade—the elite group under Yaryuhan's command in the Unorthodox Alliance.

As Yaryuhan passed by, the members of the Extreme Forces Brigade bowed their heads respectfully. Each of them emanated an unusual aura.

Yaryuhan entered the main hall.

In the center, a large chair held the Great Night Sect's leader, Jong Shim, who was slumped over. He was grievously injured and covered in blood, surrounded by the corpses of Extreme Forces Brigade members.

“You scoundrel!”

The Great Night Sect's leader shouted, but blood gushed from his mouth as the hall shook from his outburst.

“How dare you! How could you do this!”

In contrast to the agitated leader, Yaryuhan was incredibly calm.

He walked towards a corner. There lay a member of the Extreme Forces Brigade, still breathing, but clearly in agony. His injuries were too severe to recover from.

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Yaryuhan placed his palm on the man's chest.

Moments later, the man exhaled his last breath as if falling asleep. From behind, the leader's voice rang out.

“Now that I think about it, every time I saw your face, it made my skin crawl. I always felt uneasy.”

Yaryuhan showed no signs of emotional disturbance.

“You always hid your emotions.”

The leader of the Great Night Sect had never sensed any emotions from Yaryuhan—neither happiness, nor sadness, not even anger.

“Does that body of yours even contain human emotions?”

Yaryuhan calmly stood up and replied.

“Do I need to have them?” 2

His deep, yet pleasant voice resonated throughout the hall.

“What?”

“The human emotions you mentioned—do I really need to have them?”

The question was so bold that Jong Shim didn't know how to respond.

“It's a bit unsettling to hear that from you. You haven’t exactly lived like a decent human yourself.”

“Shut up!”

The old man yelled, then once again coughed up blood, staining his clothes with dark crimson.

“Still, I haven't lived a life where I'd falsely accuse someone and massacre an entire sect.”

His sect was annihilated today under the accusation of conspiring with the Martial Alliance for rebellion. The evidence was clear. A letter, supposedly written by him, bore his handwriting. A large sum of money, which he was unaware of, was found deposited in the bank from the Martial Alliance. There were also indications of him leaking secrets from the Unorthodox Alliance, testimonies supporting this, and witnesses who had seen him in secret conversations with people from the Martial Alliance. Even he would have judged himself a traitor.

“At least tell me the reason. Why?”

The Great Night Sect's leader was certain that Yaryuhan was the one who had set him up.

“You’ve forgotten, haven't you?”

At Yaryuhan’s words, the leader flinched. It was as if Yaryuhan was saying that he had made a huge mistake.

“What are you talking about?”

“You once told me this: if someone goes too far, it can upset others.”

The Great Night Sect's leader couldn’t remember ever saying that. Had he said that? His memory was hazy.

“You always blurt out whatever you want to say. Living in the martial world, unable to control your emotions? I despise such people.”

“So what?”

Yaryuhan said nothing more.

In that moment, the leader was struck with shock.

“That’s the sole reason?”

“Killing those I despise—what more reason do I need?” 3

Jong Shim furiously shouted.

“You madman!”

Compared to the agitated leader, Yaryuhan remained calm.

“There are as many people in the world as grains of sand. Why would I bother to walk with those I dislike?”

Fine, the Great Night Sect's leader could understand up to that point. He didn’t actually understand, but he could pretend. However, this particular part was something he just couldn’t grasp.

“Then you should have just killed me!”

“That wouldn’t have been enough to improve my mood.”

“No matter what, how could you kill all those innocent people for such a petty reason?”

Jong Shim let out a pained sigh.

Tears flowed from his eyes. If this had happened because of some deep-seated grudge, it would have felt less unjust. He would have felt less guilty toward his family and the sect's martial artists. Was his entire clan annihilated over a single remark he didn’t even remember making?

The Great Night Sect's leader spoke in a self-mocking tone.

“I guess this must be fate.”

“You might want to blame fate, but this is your fault. It’s because of your careless habit of attaching ‘just’ to other people’s feelings.”

The leader gestured for Yaryuhan to come closer.

“There’s something I must tell you before I die.”

Did he sense his impending death? The anger faded from the Great Night Sect’s leader’s face.

Yaryuhan approached him.

Closer, a little closer. The leader struggled to wave him in.

Yaryuhan complied with his final request without hesitation.

The distance between the two shrank.

Swoosh!

The leader mustered all his remaining inner power to launch one last strike. That seemingly weak gesture moments ago had been a ruse for this single blow.

Flash! Slash!

But Yaryuhan’s sword was faster. His blade moved so swiftly and precisely that it was nearly invisible.

Thud.

The decapitated head of Jong Shim rolled across the floor. Yaryuhan gazed at the severed head and spoke coldly.

“You old fool, did you really think I did all this for such a petty reason?”

With those words, which would haunt the Great Night Sect’s leader even in death, Yaryuhan stepped outside.

As he emerged, rain began to fall.

Whoosh.

Yaryuhan stood briefly under the eaves, gazing up at the pouring rain.

A man ran up through the rain and handed him a raincoat. It was Cha Hwan, a man covered in dragon tattoos, who was among the last two living members of the Four Guardian Beasts with Lü Bugai.

Despite the dragon tattoos that covered his body, the animal Cha Hwan most resembled was a black panther. His sleek physique, dark skin, and bright white sclera accentuated by his dark complexion all contributed to this impression.

Yet, more than a panther, he aspired to become a dragon. He prided himself on being the most loyal among the Four Guardian Beasts. He believed that Yaryuhan kept him close because he recognized this unwavering loyalty. 4

“It’s fine. It’s been a while since I got wet in the rain.”

Yaryuhan walked on through the rain, and Cha Hwan silently followed behind him. The martial artists of the Extreme Forces Brigade lined up and trailed after them.

*         *         *

I arrived at the safehouse with the Evil Smiling Demon.

Gowol was waiting for us with some new information.

“Something unusual is happening within the Unorthodox Alliance.”

“What kind of thing?”

“Recently, the Great Night Sect was annihilated.”

“By whom?”

“They were accused of conspiring with the Martial Alliance in a rebellion. The evidence was clear, and during the process of apprehending them, they were completely wiped out by the Extreme Forces Brigade under Yaryuhan’s command. I believe this was orchestrated by Yaryuhan.”

Gowol had accurately assessed the situation.

Even before my regression, the Great Night Sect was annihilated by Yaryuhan. However, the timing had changed. Events that were meant to happen still occurred, but the timing or cause could shift in subtle ways.

“What makes you think that?”

“First of all, from what I know, the leader of the Great Night Sect would never betray the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.”

Gowol had another critical reason for his suspicion.

“The timing is too coincidental. Do you know when the Unorthodox Alliance started investigating the Great Night Sect after receiving a tip-off about this?”

“When was it?”

“It was right after Aechak died.”

The timing was indeed remarkably coincidental.

Gowol had analyzed it this way.

“When two of the Four Guardian Beasts were killed, Yaryuhan seemed convinced that someone had interfered.”

“Could it be?”

“Yes, he seems to believe that the Unorthodox Alliance Leader is behind it.”

This was truly unexpected.

“He attacked the Great Night Sect as revenge?”

“The leader of the Great Night Sect is known to be a staunch ally of the Alliance Leader. Yaryuhan wanted to send a warning about what happens if anyone messes with him.”

It was a plausible assumption.

It was an open secret that Yaryuhan coveted the position of the Alliance Leader. While the current Unorthodox Alliance Leader was too powerful for him to challenge, if Bih Sa-in were to take the position, the situation would change.

There were even widespread rumors that for the Unorthodox Alliance Leader to pass his position to Bih Sa-in, Yaryuhan would have to be killed. 5

This tense power dynamic, with both sides keeping each other in check, was the current state of affairs.

“Yaryuhan seems to believe that the Alliance Leader has started cutting off his limbs to secure Bih Sa-in as his successor.”

Events that were bound to happen eventually had been accelerated due to our actions.

“This is a golden opportunity. If we can take advantage of this situation, we won’t have to worry about the aftermath of killing Yaryuhan.”

We were facing a situation we hadn’t anticipated at all.

“So, you’re suggesting we kill Yaryuhan and have Bih Sa-in take credit for his death?”

"That's correct. This won’t be bad for Bih Sa-in either. He will firmly establish himself as the successor, and we will succeed in our operation."

I glanced at the Evil Smiling Demon who had been listening alongside me. He had been silent the whole time, his eyes conveying his willingness to follow my lead, no matter how the situation unfolded.

With that, our course of action was set.

“First, I need to meet with a friend. Although I’m not sure if he still considers me a friend.”

* * *

Bih Sa-in was having a meal at one of the upscale inns he frequented.

His face was still hideous—scarred, crushed, and distorted—a sight that sent chills down anyone’s spine. However, he seemed somewhat brighter than before, lacking the dark and heavy aura he carried before becoming the successor.

Surrounding Bih Sa-in, the Thirteen Wolves were eating and keeping guard.

A voice transmission reached Bih Sa-in.

—How have you been?

Bih Sa-in’s chopsticks paused for a moment before resuming.

—You really have no fear. Coming all the way to the main base of the Alliance.

Though his words were curt, his tone was gentle. He owed me a life debt. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have become the successor.

—I have something I’d like to discuss with you privately.

—Do it here. Do you know how difficult it is for the successor of the Unorthodox Alliance to go anywhere alone?

—Soon enough, you’ll live a life where everything happens with just a word from you. So for now, handle some difficult tasks. Let’s meet at midnight at the top of the hill behind the Unorthodox Alliance headquarters.

Just before I left the inn, I saw it—a faint smile on Bih Sa-in’s lips. Whether or not he considered me a friend, at least it wasn’t the smile of an enemy.

* * *

I stood at the summit of the mountain overlooking the main base of the Unorthodox Alliance.

Before my regression, while searching for materials for the Great Regression Technique, I had stood in this very spot, looking down at the Unorthodox Alliance. I had stood here thinking that everything would be resolved once I regressed.

Then, I heard Bih Sa-in’s voice from behind.

“What’s so important that you had to call me out here in the middle of the night? We could’ve just used voice transmissions at the inn.”

I spoke without turning around.

“I was worried you might flip the table.”

“Everyone knows about my bad temper, so it wouldn’t have been a problem.”

Bih Sa-in came to stand next to me.

“What if I pushed you from behind? Aren’t you afraid to not even turn around?”

“Haven’t we become close enough that we don’t need to worry about such things?” 6

When I looked at him, Bih Sa-in scoffed.

“That’s not it, is it? You’re acting calm because even if you fell, you’d land without a scratch.”

“That’s true as well.”

When I looked at him with a smile, Bih Sa-in turned his gaze away and stared off into the distant buildings of the Unorthodox Alliance.

“Have you come to collect the life debt?”

“It’s not just the life debt I’m here to collect. There’s also the successor debt.”

“What is it you want?”

“Will you grant it, whatever it is?”

“If it’s something I can grant.”

I looked at him dead in the eye, and Bih Sa-in looked back at me.

“Let’s kill Yaryuhan.”

He was taken aback by my sudden statement.

“I’ve always known you were strange, but I didn’t realize you were this utterly crazy.”

After a brief silence, he asked, “Are you planning to start a war with us?”

“If that were the case, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’m here to kill Yaryuhan.”

“Why do you want to kill him?”

“The enmity that he dutifully cultivated with so much blood has finally circled back to me.”

Knowing what kind of monster Yaryuhan was, Bih Sa-in didn’t ask further. It wasn’t like Yaryuhan only had a few enemies.

“If you take the position of the Alliance Leader, Yaryuhan will inevitably set his sights on your seat. That’s why the current Alliance Leader is probably struggling with the decision of when to get rid of Yaryuhan. But what if they decide not to?”

“If they don’t?”

“Then the Alliance Leader has chosen Yaryuhan as his successor. It means he’s willing to hand over the position to you, fully aware that you might die.”

“!”

He didn’t say anything. He must have been feeling conflicted. Yaryuhan was an enemy who absolutely had to be eliminated for Bih Sa-in to become the leader, but at the same time, Yaryuhan was also the greatest pillar supporting the Unorthodox Alliance.

“This recent attack on the Great Night Sect was just the prelude of him coming after you.”

Bih Sa-in couldn’t deny it. The death of Jong Shim was undoubtedly a significant shock to both the current Alliance Leader and to him.

“Do you remember? There was a time when I said, ‘If I become the Heavenly Demon and you become the Alliance Leader, let’s meet again and shake hands, reminiscing about the old days’.”

I stared into Bih Sa-in’s conflicted eyes. I knew well that this was not an easy decision for him. But my own success or failure hinged on this as well.

“I want to shake hands with you, not Yaryuhan.”

1 : Here comes the heartless monster. What better way to show his evil ways than to present him with a genocide he ordered in the backdrop ?

2 : This empty shell was never human. That’s what makes it even more dangerous, he can kill his parents without blinking if it offers him benefits.

3 : What a fucker.

4 : Foolish delusion.

5 : What a coincidence !!! Bih Sa-in will receive a nice gift ^ ^

6 : “Plus I jumped off a lot of cliffs with Lee Ahn.”