Absolute Regression

Episode 168 I am not angry because it is not ordinary.

“I forgot!”

Seo Dae-ryong shouted. He had completely forgotten about the bag of tricks his master had given him.

“How could I forget this?”

“I guess that’s why the old man gave it to me instead of giving it to you?”

“ah! I lived. “I’m finally alive!”

“Is that really true? “Originally, I would have easily lost, but if I open this bag, I could die from overexerting myself, right?”

Seo Dae-ryong was startled.

“Are you using my tactic of making you lose your temper by thinking of the worst possible situation?”

“no. This time, I was talking about a possibility that was truly possible. Are you still going to open it?”

“We have to see. Regardless of whether I win or lose, this is the first plan Master left for me. “I have to see it.”

I opened my pocket. Inside was a rolled up piece of paper.

I handed it to Seo Dae-ryong. Seo Dae-ryong took a deep breath and slowly opened it and read it.

Seo Dae-ryong was surprised when he checked the contents. Seo Dae-ryong handed it back to me trembling without even reading it all.

“Look at this!”

There was a rule written there.

The details of the first form of the Myeolcheon Demon Dosik (滅天魔刀式), which is a German martial arts method of Hyeolcheon Doma, were written down. Only the first-style structure was written, not the entire structure.

[…It is the first of the nine schemes of the Destruction Demon Scheme, but it will be a great help in the fight against the later exponents. You can learn the parts you don’t understand as taught by the expert, and the expert will also teach you how to hide your martial arts skills.] Seo

Dae-ryong had a half-fazed expression on his face.

“what’s the matter?”

“It is said that the Destruction Demonic Style is a martial art that is only passed down to formal successors.”

“Of course it is.”

“But Mr. Gakju, why aren’t you surprised?”

“Why should I be surprised?”

“It means that you think of me as your elder’s successor, not just a disciple.”

Seo Dae-ryong’s voice trembled. I was shaking the most I had since I met him.

“It’s natural, right?”

“Of course? “Master thinks of me as the next Hyeolcheondoma. Is that natural?”

“Among your disciples, is there anyone other than you who could become a mazon?”

Seo Dae-ryong was so moved that he did not know what to do.

In fact, I also found out this time that Hyeolcheondoma thought of Seo Dae-ryong as his successor. I expected it, but the decision was made faster than I expected. This means that I liked Seo Dae-ryong that much.

“But you’re teaching this important martial art by writing it down on a piece of paper like this?”

“That’s why you gave it to me. “Because I won’t lose anything.”

Although it is only a part of it, he also taught me the rules of German martial arts. It was also a part where I could clearly see how much Hyeolcheondoma believed in me.

“Ahhh!”

Seo Dae-ryong was so moved that he couldn’t come to his senses, going back and forth.

Then I showed him the last part of the paper.

“Did you read this part too?”

“Which part?”

There was a separate line written at the end of the phrase.

[If you lose, you will die by my hands.]

“Gasp!”

For a moment, Seo Dae-ryong was startled.

On the contrary, I burst out laughing. That’s right, there’s no way he wouldn’t have said something like this with his personality.

“ah! This writing appears to be particularly dark, as if you had pressed it hard. Even if you lose… they won’t really kill you, right?”

There was no way I was going to miss this great opportunity to make fun of him.

“Is that really the case? Did you lose while fighting against late Ji-soo with your own martial arts skills? “Is it just because of that stubborn pride?”

“Oh, you might really kill me.”

Seo Dae-ryong held his head.

“Even if they save me because they see me, I will still be training in hell for a while.”

“It will be hellish training for the rest of my life. Footnote! I must win! Please let me win!”

“Don’t get excited. If you accidentally hurt or kill Jin Soje, the Murim Lord will kill you. In that case, you really die.”

Since he already knows the identity of himself and Seo Dae-ryong, he must never hurt Jin So-je. The reason we made it to the final dance like this is because of the common goal of eliminating Cheonmyeonghoe.

“Footnote! Please help me win without hurting Jin Soje! Be sure to use the first eclipse of the Destruction Heaven Demonic Style to win, but make it look like no one is master of the martial arts.”

“Are you asking this because you know how impossible it is?”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t ask you this.”

There are five days left until the finals.

Fortunately, the first meal didn’t seem that difficult, and a smart Seo Dae-ryong could give it a try. The goal was not to achieve greatness anyway, but to defeat Jin Ha-ryeong by using Chosik’s mysteries. It only takes one night’s sleep.

“This is a favor from my right hand man, so I have to listen to it. let’s go!”

We went up that way to the training center in the mountains. Jin Ha-ryeong, Maeng Ju, and Cheon Myeong-hoe did not care.

Rather, I thought this was a way to not arouse Cheon Myeong-hoe’s suspicions. Can you imagine what kind of conspiracy people who disappear to practice before the finals are planning? You would think that they were really honest warriors from the countryside.

We were purely into the martial arts competition, and I thought it was the best way to approach Cheonmyeonghoe.

A few days passed and it was the day before the finals.

On the eve of the decisive battle, the Murim Alliance was in a truly festive mood. The surrounding area was crowded with numerous warriors from all over the central plains. There were many merchants who came up to sell goods to warriors, and there were also those who demonstrated martial arts on the streets to promote the martial arts of their own clan.

Fraudsters rushed to defraud Murim Chochul, and there were many thieves looking for money.

The Murim League released warriors from various elite organizations, including the Blue Dragon, and cracked down on them to prevent any unpleasant incidents.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle, Jin Ha-ryeong entered the guesthouse wearing a hat. When I asked the owner of the inn about Geomyeon, I was told that he and his owner had not been home for several days.

‘Where on earth did he go?’

I wanted to see the sword test before the finals. I wanted to make this joke with him. Should I take care of your master or not? I really wanted to tell this joke with him.

I was also curious about how I would feel if Geomyeon asked me to look at it. As of now, I have absolutely no intention of looking at it, but maybe it will shake me up a little?

With a regretful heart, she left the guesthouse. Now that things are like this, I have no choice but to change the joke like this. I should tell him this after I win.

If you had asked me to come and watch it in advance, I would have watched it. Where on earth did you go, friend?

* * *

The day of the finals finally dawned.

A large crowd gathered and, as expected from the finals, all important figures were present.

First of all, the leaders of the Murim League organizations, including the Murim leader who held this competition, and Murim masters from all over the Central Plains filled the seats.

The topic of this competition was definitely Seo Dae-ryong. Attention was focused on whether he, who came from a small sect, could write a new history.

In particular, since his opponent was Jin Ha-ryeong, the granddaughter of the Murim Lord, the moment he beat her, Seo Dae-ryong truly became a hero.

Of course, there were far more people who predicted Jin Ha-ryeong’s victory than those who predicted that he would win.

After the referee’s introduction, Seo Dae-ryong came onto the off-stage first.

The look in his eyes was different from other times.

He has been burning white for the past five days. I have never worked so hard at something in my life and never will again. Even if I lose, I have no regrets. Oh no. You can’t lose. Because the thought of a lifetime of hell training was terrifying.

Shouts of praise for him erupted from all directions. Seo Dae-ryong closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed this moment. It was a gift that life gave me. When I return from this job, I may have to live the rest of my life in the Heavenly Demon Church as an investigator at Hwangcheon Pavilion. A moment that will never happen again in one’s life.

Seo Dae-ryong looked back at the sword dance below the off-stage.

Geommugeuk, who was looking up at the off-stage with his arms crossed, looked at himself and nodded. Seo Dae-ryong also nodded once. The rapport between the two before the match was enough.

This time the referee introduced Jin Ha-ryeong. A shout louder than the one that had come from Seo Dae-ryong erupted.

Standing on the off-stage, her gaze was directed to the sword dance beyond Seodaeryong.

He was looking at Seo Dae-ryong and himself with indifferent eyes. I don’t know why I felt this way, but at this moment, Geommugeuk felt like a different person. Not like a servant or a friend, but like someone else.

“Now, let’s start the final dance!”

At the cry of judgment, the dance began with a shout that shook the heavens and earth.

The person who moved first was Seo Dae-ryong. His sword quickly crossed the air.

There is only one chance to win. I practiced and practiced just for that one time. You should never be attacked first until you create that opportunity.

Seo Dae-ryong attacked harshly, but Jin Ha-ryeong easily blocked the attack. Jin Ha-ryeong’s martial arts skills are definitely superior.

The good news was that thanks to the increased endurance this time, he was not outgunned.

The close fight continued.

However, Bimu gradually began to lean towards Jin Ha-ryeong.

Seo Dae-ryong’s attacks became slower and slower, but Jin Ha-ryeong’s sword became faster and faster. Seo Dae-ryong had to use all his might to stop her attack.

It was thanks to Seo Dae-ryong’s efforts and qualities that he was able to endure this much. However, nothing could overcome this obvious skill gap.

Those who watched as they gradually lost ground expected that the fight would soon end. The Murim lord also watched his granddaughter’s dance with a relaxed mind.

That was when Seo Dae-ryong was pushed to the end of the off-stage.

The moment has arrived.

The distance between the two, the position of her feet, the position of the sword, her feet and body, the exact moment when the sword and sword came to exactly the position they had been waiting for.

Seo Dae-ryong did not miss this one opportunity.

Love it!

Seo Dae-ryong’s Dao created a transformation, and the first form of the modified Destruction Demonic Dao was displayed.

It was the first time she had used bean herb since she started dancing, and it was a move that caught her off guard.

Surprised, she swung her sword to block, but he was also practicing.

Seo Dae-ryong’s sword twisted at a strange angle and struck her sword continuously, flying in to cut off the fingers holding the sword.

The moment the Murim lord who was watching suddenly stood up!

Taaaang!

The sword escaped Jin Ha-ryeong’s grasp and flew into the air, fell in a curved line, and landed on the floor with a clanging sound. Since her fingers would be cut off if she held on, she had no choice but to give up the sword.

Before I knew it, Seo Dae-ryong’s sword was aimed at Jin Ha-ryeong’s neck.

Jin Ha-ryeong couldn’t believe this situation. The last Chosik that blew away his sword was so exquisite that he couldn’t figure out how to deal with it.

Words that she really didn’t want to say came out of her mouth.

“…I lost.”

At that moment, the referee declared Seo Dae-ryong’s victory.

“The winner of the Soyong Tournament is the Soyong of the Gansu Seo Dao Sect!”

At the same time, cheers erupted from all directions. Seo Dae-ryong ran down the off-stage like a child and was hugged by Geommugeuk.

“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

Tears flowed from Seo Dae-ryong’s eyes. It was my first time seeing his tears. It was Seo Dae-ryong who seemed like he rarely cried, but he couldn’t hold back his tears.

Although he wouldn’t have won if it wasn’t for the sword dance, Seo Dae-ryong put in a lot of effort. In other words, because he was such a great dragon, the teachings of sword dance were applicable to him.

Geommugeuk hugged him tightly and whispered softly.

“Good work.”

From being an investigator at Hwangcheon Pavilion, he became a disciple of Hyeolcheon Doma, and has now won the competition to select the late leader of the Murim Alliance, defeating the Murim Lord’s granddaughter. The joy wasn’t just because of winning. I felt so good, like I had now entered the path of a true warrior.

“Stop crying and go up to the off-stage.”

“yes.”

Seo Dae-ryong, who wiped away tears, went up to the off-stage.

At that time, Geommugeuk felt a gaze. From a distance, the Murim Lord was looking at him. Although it was a distance where a decent expert could never send a signal, the sound of a sword dance was clearly transmitted to the leader.

-sorry. The friend who came with me was so sincere that I helped him train.

―What is the final method?

―This is the martial arts of Blood Heavenly Demon.

The Murim Lord was surprised by my honest words.

―It was Doma’s martial arts?

-yes. This friend is Thomas’s best disciple.

I said it on purpose. When Seo Dae-ryong is no longer an ordinary demon, the Murim Lord’s anger will subside. As expected, the Murim Lord did not take this result as an issue anymore.

-Sometimes defeat can be more helpful than victory.

It seems that he thought that this defeat might be of greater help to his granddaughter, who had never known defeat.

―I am just overwhelmed by the Lord’s great generosity.

The gaze of the sword dance turned towards the off-stage again.

And then another moment came.

A person caught my eye on the other side of Seodaeryong, who was helpless with joy. This was the woman who came and congratulated Seo Dae-ryong every time he won.

I saw a sword dance performance at that time. Her eyes and expression were so calm that they were cold. I always saw a shy smiling face, so that expression was very unfamiliar.

She practiced relaxing her face. Laugh, frown, and laugh again. Then he looked up at the off-stage, waved his hand, and called Seo Dae-ryong.

The moment she made eye contact with Seo Dae-ryong, she smiled brightly. He was a completely different person from the person Geommugeuk saw a moment ago. It was thanks to Shinan-sul that I was able to clearly notice these conflicting changes in her expression even from a distance.

‘It’s a heavenly meeting!’

They had been working on it from the beginning.

Perhaps a similar approach may have been taken not only to Seo Dae-ryong but also to other martial artists who advanced to the finals.

For those who like women, give them women. For those who need friends, give them as friends. For those who need money, give them money. Indeed, Cheonmyeonghoe was not an ordinary organization.

Anyway, we finally succeeded in catching the tail of the Cheonmyeonghoe!

But the joy is short-lived. Geommugeuk looked at Seo Dae-ryong with a sad heart. He was waving his hand at the woman at Cheonmyeonghoe and smiling brightly.

‘Ah, Daeryong. ‘What should I do?’

He plans not to tell Seo Dae-ryong until the woman reveals her true colors. Because it would be more natural to say and do not know anything.

I’m sorry, investigator. The more you really like it, the better you will be able to catch them. There is nothing we can do. Be as mature as it hurts!