Absolute Regression

I didn’t stop the Evil Smiling Demon.

“Do as you please.”

When angry, you need to express your anger. As long as he’s not about to run off to kill someone right now, there’s no reason for me to stop him.

From experience, most mistakes happen when emotions run high. It’s the same now. If I intervene when there’s no need to be hasty, it means I’m the one feeling rushed.

At times like this, it’s best to just let it be. Until that soaring anger subsides. Don’t judge, don’t try to persuade, just stay still.

While Lee Ahn and Cheong Myeon, who were a step late, examined the corpses, the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress stood in front of the Evil Smiling Demon. There were still bloodstains on her face.

“Elder.”

The title changed from “brother” to “elder.”

“What is it?”

Unexpected words came out of her mouth.

“Make it so that I can sleep peacefully from now on.”

“Alright. I’ll show the martial world what happens when they mess with the Sky Flower Pavilion.”

The leader of the Sky Flower Pavilion bowed. Although I knew she wasn’t an ordinary woman, I didn’t expect her to say such things in this situation.

It wasn’t in a bad sense. I was admiring her. Perhaps she was using the best method to calm Soma’s anger.

If she had said something like, ‘I’m worried you might get into danger because of me,’ which would hurt his pride, the Evil Smiling Demon would have gone even more berserk.

What a perfect match these two people make. 1

At that moment, Cheong Myeon found something on the corpses.

“This was found on them.”

What Cheong Myeon handed over was a palm-sized willow leaf flying dagger.

“This is a dagger used by the Guiju branch of the Unorthodox Alliance. If you look here, you can see their mark.”

“You mean it’s from those Guiju guys?”

“No. They wouldn’t have the skill to infiltrate this place.”

Cheong Myeon looked at me for confirmation.

I nodded, agreeing with his opinion.

“Yes. They were certainly more skilled than those who were guarding the Sky Flower Pavilion.”

Having heard my response, Cheong Myeon cautiously made a guess.

“I suspect they intended to assassinate the pavilion leader and leave this willow leaf flying dagger at the scene.”

“Trying to pin it on the Unorthodox Alliance? Do they think I’m a fool? Did they really think such a shallow trick would work on me?”

The annoyance of being ignored only added to the original anger, making the surrounding atmosphere even heavier.

“Maybe that trick would have worked,” I said.

Soma’s eyes turned cold at my words, but I continued calmly.

“Right now, the pavilion leader is not dead. If we had found this next to her body, it would have been completely different. We would have rushed to the Guiju branch of the Unorthodox Alliance to find the owner of this willow leaf flying dagger first, wouldn’t we?”

The Evil Smiling Demon couldn’t refute this.

“Maybe they had something prepared over there too. Perhaps the owner of this dagger would have provoked you, or there could have been another plan in place.”

It’s a fleeting moment for someone to go berserk. Never underestimate the excitement and anger that come from the death of a loved one.

“If it’s not the Unorthodox Alliance, who are these people?” asked the Evil Smiling Demon.

Cheong Myeon turned to me with a question.

“What kind of martial arts did they use?”

Cheong Myeon was known for being smart even in the Valley of Wicked. He was quick with calculations and bookkeeping, and he was also knowledgeable about martial artists, martial arts, and the situation in the martial world. 2

“The first one who revealed himself used a dagger.”

I reenacted the motion of the first masked man stabbing the pavilion leader as I explained.

“And they were masters of stealth. Until they revealed themselves to attack the pavilion leader, we didn’t know they were there.”

Cheong Myeon deduced their identity.

“Based on the posture you demonstrated, their mastery of stealth, and the fact that there were five of them, I suspect they are the Five Shadow Blood Hands.”

“Five Shadow Blood Hands? I’ve heard of them,” said Soma.

Cheong Myeon explained, “They are skilled warriors from the White Night Valley.”

The White Night Valley was a notorious sect in the martial world, known for all kinds of nefarious deeds, including assassination for hire. The Five Shadow Blood Hands were some of their top fighters.

“They probably accepted the contract without knowing the relationship between the Sky Flower Pavilion and us.”

Cheong Myeon speculated not only their identities but also the background of their actions.

He was spot on. In my previous life, the Five Shadow Blood Hands were deeply connected with the Evil Smiling Demon. In the end, they were killed by him.

However, at least today, they did not attack the pavilion leader here.

In other words, the appearance of the Evil Smiling Demon had altered their fates. While they couldn’t escape the result of death, the timing and location had changed.

Soma did not hesitate.

“We are going to White Night Valley.”

“Yes.”

Cheong Myeon hurriedly prepared for departure without a word.

The Evil Smiling Demon also considered the safety of the Sky Flower Pavilion Mistress.

“You should move with us for the time being.”

Once targeted, it was wise to stay together until this matter was resolved.

“I will follow your wishes, sir.”

Yo Jeong obediently agreed to the Evil Smiling Demon’s words.

She glanced at me briefly. I could sense her emotions in her eyes: ‘I’ll leave stopping the Evil Smiling Demon to you.’

Once the preparations were complete, everyone got into the carriage. Watching me not boarding until the end, the Evil Smiling Demon asked from inside the carriage.

“Aren’t you getting in?”

“I was contemplating how to get you out of the carriage, Soma.”

“Let’s hear your reason for stopping me.”

“The incident has already happened, and we know who is behind it. If we charge in now, all that will happen is a fight. If you and I join forces, we could annihilate them. You might even get a new nickname: the Annihilating Demon.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“No. I hate White Night Valley. They deserve to die since they take money to do all sorts of filthy things, even killing people. However, there is a better way than getting our hands dirty.”

“And what is that?”

“We leave it to someone else.”

“To whom are you suggesting we leave it?”

“You are so agitated right now that you’re forgetting something. We made a deal with Bih Sa-in. If we provide a clue about the mastermind, they promised to withdraw from Guiju and compensate for the losses over the past two years. Now we have that clue.”

Even though it was advice for him, the Evil Smiling Demon mocked me.

“Calculating even in this situation, you truly are exceptional, Second Young Master.”

I remained calm and continued to persuade him.

“If I were truly exceptional, I’d find a way to stop you, Soma. Will you give me a bit more time to persuade you?”

“Go ahead.”

Seeing his eyes challenging me to try if I could, I began to persuade him.

“No matter how much we pressure him, the leader of the White Night Valley will never reveal who commissioned the job. No, he can’t reveal it. The moment he does, no one will ever pay the White Night Valley to take on a job again.”

The Evil Smiling Demon must have already been aware of such facts. He knew more about villains than I did.

“Exterminating the White Night Valley would be an even bigger problem than annihilating the Unorthodox Alliance’s Guiju branch.”

“Why is that?”

“Three years ago, the daughter of the leader of the White Night Valley married the son of the deputy leader of the Unorthodox Alliance. The two families are in-laws.”

Soma, unaware of this, was startled and asked Cheong Myeon.

“Is that true?”

Cheong Myeon, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, answered loudly.

“Yes, it’s true.”

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“I just remembered now.”

The Evil Smiling Demon looked at me with a surprised expression and asked.

“How did you know, Second Young Master?”

“I wondered why they would hire the White Night Valley when there are so many other assassin organizations in the martial world. Then I remembered this event.”

Soma had experienced my sharp mind several times, so he wouldn’t find it strange that I remembered this.

This was the crucial point to persuade him.

“It’s a double scheme.”

“What do you mean?”

“The mastermind behind this incident planned for both outcomes. They left the willow leaf flying dagger to frame the Unorthodox Alliance’s Guiju branch, and even if the ambush failed like now, it wouldn’t matter if the White Night Valley got blamed. The scheme to provoke a clash between you and the Unorthodox Alliance will succeed either way.” 3

The Evil Smiling Demon’s eyes grew cold. The disappearance of the smile in his eyes signaled that his anger had subsided somewhat.

“Is there any need to act according to their plan? Please leave this matter to me.”

Yo Jeong, sitting next to Soma, as well as Lee Ahn and Cheong Myeon in the driver’s seat, all listened to our conversation in silence.

Fortunately, the Evil Smiling Demon was not the type to stubbornly stick to a decision just because others were watching.

“Then I would look like a fool. I acted as if I was going to show you a world soaked in blood.”

His words implied that he was willing to yield, so I smiled and replied.

“No one would think you’re a fool, but even if they did, what’s wrong with being a little foolish?”

The Evil Smiling Demon laughed. It was a habitual laugh, containing a hint of amusement.

“None of us here want to see a bloodbath. Especially our Pavilion Mistress, who has already been drenched in blood.”

The Evil Smiling Demon looked at the Sky Flower Pavilion Leader.

She spoke as if she had been waiting.

“Please avenge us! Go and kill them all!”

The Evil Smiling Demon laughed again.

“You’re saying things you don’t mean.”

Only then did the leader of Sky Flower Pavilion express her honest feelings.

“Yes. That’s right. I want to rest now because I’m tired. I want to be by your side, brother.”

The term of address had reverted to ‘brother.’ She felt that the Evil Smiling Demon’s anger had subsided completely.

Soma’s deliberation was brief.

He spoke to Cheong Myeon.

“Go tell Bih Sa-in that I want to meet.”

“Yes.”

Cheong Myeon jumped out of the carriage and swiftly vanished.

The Evil Smiling Demon and the leader of Sky Flower Pavilion got off the carriage.

I spoke to Yo Jeong.

“You must be tired, but please stay close to Soma-nim until things are settled. It’s the safest place in the world.”

I ensured her safety and considered the Evil Smiling Demon’s feelings, but he didn’t let it pass easily.

“It seems the Second Young Master’s flattery skill is the greatest of all time.”

His remark was half sarcasm, half genuine admiration.

“These days, it’s the most powerful technique I often use. But it’s not just any ordinary flattery. It’s persistent, it tries to understand the other person, and it’s a life-risking kind of flattery. And what’s wrong with flattering someone like Soma-nim?”

The leader of Sky Flower Pavilion couldn’t help but laugh at my boldness.

“Sorry for laughing. It seems worthy of being called a technique at this level.”

Her gaze towards me was filled with more than just gratitude.

The woman I knew was someone clear about her grudges and favors, and I was certain that saving her life today would greatly benefit my future path.

As the two went inside, Lee Ahn, who had been sitting like a stone statue on the coachman’s seat, let out a long-held sigh.

“How do you withstand such pressure?”

She was now asking the question Seo Daeryong once asked.

“If I don’t? I promised to take responsibility for all the trouble caused by the Evil Smiling Demon, didn’t I?”

“Convincing an extremely furious Evil Smiling Demon? I would have run away without looking back.”

“You would have persuaded him better than I did.”

“That’s an overestimation.”

“It’s not my overestimation.”

“Then whose?”

“The Sky Flower Pavilion’s Mistress said so. That you seem like someone who would accomplish great things.”

“Not someone who would cause great trouble? She must have said it just to please you.”

“If it was to please me, she should have said I would accomplish great things.”

“That’s true.”

Lee Ahn got off the carriage.

“Thinking about drinking?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go in and have another drink. Let’s ask them to sing the song we were about to hear earlier.”

“They’re all gone. Do you think they’d still be waiting?”

“I guess not.”

“…Shall I sing for you?”

“I’ll pass. It was hard enough already.”

“I sing well. You’ve never heard me sing, have you?”

“You don’t have to draw a sword to know someone’s a master.”

“You’re overlooking a hidden master again. Don’t be surprised when you hear it later.”

Following Lee Ahn, I was about to enter the building when I suddenly looked up at the night sky.

Seeing the stars scattered across the sky made me miss my people back at the Cult. I wanted to lie alone on the beach and bask in the warm sunlight using the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique. I wanted to hear Lee Ahn’s song.

1 : Future ship ?

2 : He’s an Alfred then. Also, if you don’t know it, I suggest you read ‘Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader’ to learn just how far Alfred can go to protect his master.

3 : Pretty twisted !!! It even makes me want to praise the mastermind…. Before bashing his head in of course.

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