Absolute Regression

I went to the Maga Village branch office for business, then stopped by the Flowing Wind Tavern.

As always, Jo Chunbae greeted me warmly.

“Welcome, Leader.”

“I stopped by because I was hungry.”

“I’ll prepare your favorites deliciously.”

Jo Chunbae, who was about to run to the kitchen, suddenly turned around and asked.

“Leader. May I ask you something?”

“Feel free to ask.”

“As the Underworld Pavilion Leader, you could visit a better tavern, but why do you always come to ours?”

“Please, tell me.”

“The drinks are delicious, the food is great, the atmosphere is pleasant, you always know what I like and bring it promptly, and the owner is handsome. Do you need more reasons?”

“That’s enough. I’ll prepare everything deliciously.”

He smiled broadly and ran lightly to the kitchen.

He wouldn’t know how important this place was to me. This Maga Village was the foundation of the Demonic Path I intended to establish.

Even the current Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and the Eight Demon Supremes, along with Jo Chunbae and the residents here, weren’t as important as this place. Forgetting this place, no matter how well I present myself, it wouldn’t be easy to distinguish myself from the Eight Demon Supremes.

It was when Jo Chunbae brought out the food.

There was a commotion outside.

Looking down from the window, I saw a person collapsed and a large man in front of him, angrily shouting. He was obviously very drunk.

“Why are you glaring, you bastard.”

“I wasn’t glaring.”

“You were glaring.”

Without hesitation, the large man hit him.

“How dare you lie!”

The beaten man was traveling with his family. His wife stepped in to stop it.

“Please stop!”

“Move aside! What a nuisance!”

The man didn’t spare her because she was a woman. He pushed her roughly, causing her to fall, and a child around six or seven years old ran to her.

“Mom!”

Seeing his parents getting beaten, the child was extremely frightened.

Even with the child there, the large man didn’t stop. Instead, he got more annoyed when the child cried.

“Shut up, you brat!”

He raised his hand, about to hit the child.

Whack!

The large man flew backward.

The man who had been knocked down was suddenly on his feet and struck the large man powerfully.

His wife and child ran to him.

The wife was surprised that her husband had knocked down the large man.

“How did you do that?”

“My fist moved on its own.”

The man who struck back also looked confused.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Let’s do that.”

The family avoided the large man and left the area.

After they left, the large man finally came to his senses and stood up.

“You bastard! Where did they go? I’ll find them and kill the woman and the kid too. Does anyone know who that guy was? Speak up!”

He grabbed one of the onlookers by the collar and started causing a scene again.

Just then, a voice came from the second floor.

“Is this something worth going that far over?”

At those words, the large man looked up to where the voice came from.

“Who the hell said that?”

The person waving from the second-floor window was me.

The drunken man didn’t recognize me. There were countless low-level martial artists who didn’t know my face.

Jo Chunbae, standing behind me, whispered that this guy was notorious for causing trouble in the marketplace. Even without being told, I could tell what kind of person he was by his behavior. There were several people among the onlookers who recognized me, but none of them wanted or bothered to warn him, preferring instead to smile and enjoy the spectacle.

“Is it really necessary to beat a father in front of his child just because he looked at you?”

“Who do you think you are, lecturing me? And I got hit too!”

That part was my doing.

If I had personally punished him, the child would have to live with the memory of seeing his parents beaten.

So, I used Void Telekinesis to move the man’s body as if it was an object, making him strike back. I wanted the child to remember his father as his brave hero.

“Is it necessary to kill a family because you got hit once? Is it worth taking things this far?”

“Come down here! You’re the one who needs to die instead.”

“I was planning to come down anyway.”

As I jumped down, the large man seized the opportunity and threw a punch at me.

I dodged his flying fist slightly, then grabbed and twisted his wrist. Crack! His arm twisted like laundry being wrung out.

“Aaargh! It hurts! You bastard!”

Without hesitation, I twisted his other arm until it shattered.

“Aaargh!”

The man screamed in agony, claiming he was in unbearable pain. Had he not been drunk, he would have passed out already, but he was enduring because of that same alcohol who drove him to attack. (EN : Karma~~ ^ ^)

“Right? It’s not worth going this far, is it? It’s not right to hit someone just because they looked at you, not right to try to kill a family over one punch, and not right to end up with a crippled arm just because you got drunk and acted like a fool. So why are you doing this? It could have all been avoided.”

The man glared at me as if he would kill me instead of asking for forgiveness. Having lived a life of hitting and tormenting others, he didn’t show a single moment of wisdom even at the end. Later, he would probably bitterly regret it and blame the alcohol instead of himself.

“Die!”

When I shattered the dantian of the guy who lunged at me to headbutt, he finally passed out.

I had the man transported to the Underworld Pavilion by the main sect’s martial artists on patrol. I intended to reveal all the crimes he had committed so far and imprison him with the maximum sentence.

Even in his miserable state, those who knew him looked very pleased.

I spoke to the onlookers.

“There is no law in our sect that allows demons to commit evil acts. If any of our martial artists behave like this in the future…”

I pointed to the branch of Underworld Pavilion across the tavern.

“Report them there!”

Starting with Jo Chunbae’s applause, everyone cheered and clapped. Without exaggeration, my popularity in Maga Village had clearly surpassed my father’s.

Jo Chunbae approached with a delighted expression.

“I’ll buy dinner today.”

Then someone from behind spoke up.

“Can I join you for a meal too?”

When I turned around, surprisingly, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult was standing there.

I looked at Jo Chunbae and said,

“If you refuse, you’ll be dragged to the wilderness. He’s the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult.”

Jo Chunbae’s eyes widened as if he would faint. He had recently welcomed many high-profile guests because of me, but now even the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult was appearing as a guest.

We sat facing each other at the spot on the second floor where I always sat.

“Did you mean what you said earlier? That being demons shouldn’t justify their evil acts.”

“Yes.”

“That’s not something you’d expect to hear from the Second Young Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.”

“I don’t like being conventional. This is how young people are these days.”

“I guess I’m old-fashioned then.”

“Keep young people close to you with an open mind. Thanks to that, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon has been feeling younger these days.”

“Is that so? Hahaha.”

As I filled the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult’s glass, I said,

“It seems the rumors were wrong.”

“What rumors?”

“I heard that the Cult Leader never leaves his house, but I see you often outside.”

Just like the last time you visited, and now again. The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult was breaking his own rules.

“Maybe it’s because I trust the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect more than your cult and yourself?”

He meant that he trusted my father. Although he said it jokingly, it must have been sincere. At least within the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, he believed that my father wouldn’t let his artifact be stolen.

I smiled and picked up my chopsticks.

“Come on, eat.”

I had expected the food here wouldn’t suit the palate of the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult, who was accustomed to gourmet dishes, but he cleaned his plate. I thought he might be less particular about formalities than I had assumed.

“The taste is quite good.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

After the meal, we drank tea instead of alcohol. The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult not only disliked drinking but also always drank tea right after a meal.

“Have you tried the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique?”

“Yes.”

“Everyone fails at first, so don’t be too concerned.”

He assumed I had failed to create a space. He had said that the first attempt usually took at least a few days, so naturally, he thought I had failed since I was still here.

“I succeeded.”

“What?”

“The space is magnificent. I think I’m going to be deeply absorbed in this technique.”

The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult was astonished.

“You’ve already succeeded?”

“Yes.”

“How long did it take you to activate it?”

“About two hours.”

The Cult Leader was so shocked that he even let out a short gasp.

“Is that true?”

He looked at me with a face full of disbelief.

“It seems this technique suits me well.”

“Honestly, I can’t believe it.”

“Why would I lie?”

“Even a genius in martial arts wouldn’t be able to do it in two hours!”

I half heartedly shrugged and sipped my tea.

“Is it really true?”

I nodded.

“Can you show me later?”

It was impolite to persistently doubt someone out of courtesy. However, I understood his skepticism, so I nodded willingly.

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

As if feeling anxious, the Cult Leader quickly drank his now cold tea.

I waited for him to calm down a bit before asking calmly,

“But why did you come to see me today?”

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Go ahead.”

“The Demonic Buddha is trying to send me back to my Cult.”

“Why?”

“It’s because of you.”

“Because of me?”

“He’s wary that you and I might join forces. So, help me find a reason to stay.”

I had a feeling that wasn’t the only reason he came to see me. How could he know whether I could create a reason for him or not? This was an excuse to get closer to me. There was a way to confirm if this was really the case.

“What will you give me in return?”

“You’re quite harsh.”

“There is no ‘relationship’ between us yet, Cult Leader. We’ve had one transaction.”

I left no gaps. To conduct a favorable deal with him, I needed to show an impeccable demeanor. Telling him I had mastered the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique in two hours was also for this reason. To give him boundless trust that he could rely on me.

“What do you want?”

“May I choose one of the artifacts you brought?”

For a moment, the Cult Leader’s expression hardened.

“Are you out of your mind?”

I responded calmly, as if asking a rhetorical question.

“Not as much as a Cult Leader trying to expand into the Central Plains amidst the chaos following the death of a Demon Supreme.”

* * *

I entered the Cult Leader’s quarters with him.

He had accepted my proposal. As I had anticipated, he wanted to form an alliance with me, even if it meant offering his precious artifacts. This wasn’t just a payment for a favor, but a gift.

Why was he going to such lengths to ally with me? There must have been some change in his mind.

In the room, a man with shackles on his ankles sat with his back turned, staring at the Thunder Bell.

When I had extracted the Blood Eye Essence, I had briefly considered rescuing him. I had thought I wouldn’t see him again in this lifetime, but here we were, meeting again less than a month later.

“Who is that person?”

When I feigned ignorance and asked the Cult Leader, I saw it. The look in the Cult Leader’s eyes as he gazed at the man. It wasn’t the look one would give to a subordinate or a slave. There was exhausted exasperation, and deep affection.

The man did not greet the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult, even when he entered the room. Normally, one would turn around and greet him.

I was sure that their relationship was not the usual master-servant one.

“He’s a subordinate who guards the Thunder Bell.”

“I see.”

The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult quietly remarked as he looked around at the divine artifacts.

“You should not ask for the Thunder Bell and the Blood Buddha among the divine artifacts.”

“Understood. That bell must be the famous Thunder Bell of the Heavenly Wind Cult.”

I walked toward the Thunder Bell as if seeing it for the first time.

In my previous life, memories of the moment I obtained this Thunder Bell flashed before me. The evil spirit engraved on the bell seemed to look at me and dejectly say, ‘You again?’

“What do you think, seeing it in person?”

“It’s impressive.”

Meanwhile, I glanced at the shackled man. In truth, I was more interested in him than the Thunder Bell. I approached this area as an excuse to see him up close.

At that moment, the man who had his head bowed lifted it slightly to look at me. Our eyes met through the long, flowing hair. He was much younger than I had expected, and his eyes were clear.

The man bowed his head again. Though it was a brief encounter, it was a gaze I felt would be hard to forget.

“Go ahead, choose one.”

“Alright.”

I slowly examined the display of divine artifacts. Of course, I knew very well what each artifact was.

I chose one of the divine artifacts.

“I’ll take this one.”

In an instant, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult’s expression hardened.

At that moment, I saw it.

Just as the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult was about to reflexively say no, he flinched and closed his mouth.

I instinctively realized something as important as the divine artifact I had chosen.

‘The shackled man sent a telepathic message to the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader!’

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