Absolute Regression

Episode 171: Desire is like clothes.

I completely entrusted this situation to Seo Dae-ryong.

Seo Dae-ryong looked at the badge and spoke in a voice that did not seem intimidating at all.

“I want to make a lot of money and gain fame. And I hope that the path is easy. I want to walk a path without limping and bleeding. “I will do anything if I can go down that path.”

A smile appeared on my face as I lay face down in the back with my head down. What Seo Dae-ryong just said was the opposite of what he said to me. It was Seo Dae-ryong who showed his wit even in this situation.

The reaction behind the badge was not bad.

“Honest.”

Seo Dae-ryong passed the first question safely. Now the eyes behind the curtain are on me.

“You want to make that servant your right hand man?”

“He’s quick-witted and good-looking, so he’s sure to find something useful.”

Joybaek asked me.

“What if your master’s commands and my commands conflict?”

“I only follow your will. This is a fact that will not change even if the Murim Lord comes.”

“He is very loyal.”

Even though he said that, Joybaek was laughing behind the curtain. I could see that he was a person who did not trust people in the first place because he did not know people’s loyalty. In his eyes, Seo Dae-ryong must have been laughable, especially since he was a servant. His interest in me ended there.

Joy Baek asked Seo Dae-ryong again.

“Would you kill someone if I asked you to kill them?”

Seo Dae-ryong, who was startled, answered cautiously.

“It will depend on who it is. “If someone deserves to die, we can kill them.”

“What if I tell you to kill someone you don’t even know who they are?”

Seo Dae-ryong hesitated before answering.

“I will kill you! “Just leave it to me!”

There was silence for a moment.

Soon after, Joybaek spoke from behind the curtain with a big smile.

“It was a joke. A joke. “Man, if we weren’t demons, would we commit such an evil act?”

Seo Dae-ryong tried hard to hide his embarrassment and made an expression that could neither cry nor laugh.

“I know you were joking. “Would you, the winner of the Little Dragon Battle, commit such a terrible thing?”

“you’re right. “I was joking too.”

Seo Dae-ryong answered awkwardly and wiped away his cold sweat. Seo Dae-ryong was acting well. Anyone could see that he was a kid who came up from the countryside and was crazy about success. You will be seen as a really honest hillbilly who comes to a place like this with a servant and makes you his right hand man.

“Desire is like clothes. “If you try to wear something that doesn’t fit your body, your clothes will tear or your appearance will look unsightly.”

It sounded like an admonition to be ambitious enough. Then Seo Dae-ryong raised his head and suddenly asked.

“Then what kind of clothes are you wearing?”

It was a truly bold and cheeky question: “What are your ambitions?”

Well done, Daeryong. To find out what kind of person the other person is, you have to keep shaking them.

“If you don’t entrust me with such a tedious task, what benefit will you gain by helping me? As a country guy, I don’t know anything else, but I know this one thing. “The world never gives favors without reason.”

Behind the badge, Joy Baek did not show any uncomfortable feelings. The sound of pleasant laughter flowing out showed that Seo Dae-ryong actually liked this attitude. Because you will feel that it is easier to take advantage of this type of person.

I had my head down, but I was radiating energy and feeling Joyback’s emotions. The person I was dealing with at the front was Seo Dae-ryong, but I was doing the real fighting.

“You are investing for the future. If you want to become a giant tree, shouldn’t you start from a sapling?”

“ah! I had no idea what the elder’s great intentions were. sorry.”

Daeryong, there is no need to be sorry. Most evil people I have experienced do not make long-term investments in people weaker than themselves. Use it and throw it away. Use it and throw it away. To them, their subordinates are always just expendable items.

If they invest in saplings, they might use those trees as windbreaks to become giant trees themselves.

The reason for investing in Seo Dae-ryong is the same. I have something to do for him. Whether it’s having people kill people or stealing Murim Alliance secrets. I will try to accept as much as you push me. No, I will try to take more than I gave. Because that’s the villains’ way of dealing.

This is exactly what I need to check.

Are you the Lord of Cheonmyeonghoe? Or have you been taken in too?

Joy Baek said to Seo Dae-ryong.

“I liked how honest you were. “I hope that it will grow into a giant tree that will support the martial arts kingdom in the future.”

“thank you.”

After that conversation, we left the room.

As he walked out the front door, Seo Dae-ryong spoke to So-ok in a dejected voice.

“I guess I made a mistake with my answer.”

Seo Dae-ryong asked her with a self-reproaching expression.

“Have you also been asked that question, Commander So? “The question is, can you kill someone you don’t know?”

“I got it too.”

“What did you answer?”

“I said I couldn’t kill him.”

“ah! I should have answered that way too. “I guess something was written in my eyes because I wanted to look good.”

I insinuatingly joined the conversation and asked So-ok.

“Are you really not going to do something like that?”

Sook stopped walking and glared at me.

Ever since we met, she hasn’t shown the slightest interest in me. A normal woman would show rational interest when she saw me, but So-ok paid no attention at all.

I know what kind of people these women are. People who ran only for their own goals were like that. Even though she has no interest in me, I can see how big her ambition is just by seeing her treat Seo Dae-ryong so well. She was trying to wear clothes that were too big.

“Of course I won’t do it. “What are you talking about?”

At first glance, her cold reaction seemed like anger at how dare an attendant ask such a question, but I could feel it. That sharp-edged reaction that came out of nowhere was a different kind of guilt.

‘You committed it.’

He must have killed someone under Joybaek’s orders.

“Sorry, I suddenly got curious.”

I quickly lowered my head and took a step back.

Seo Dae-ryong came forward and scolded me.

“Don’t go out rashly!”

“yes.”

So we parted ways with her in front of the manor’s gate.

“Thank you so much for introducing me to you. “I will definitely repay this favor.”

“you’re welcome. “We need to stick together.”

So-ok smiled brightly at Seo Dae-ryong. Then he glared coldly at me behind him and walked away.

When she disappeared, Seo Dae-ryong spoke to me.

“I wish all women in the world treated me and Gakju like she did.”

“Are these words too harsh to me?”

“I’ve been living like that my whole life.”

Seo Dae-ryong bowed his head and walked away.

“Is this also acting?”

“This is my reality.”

“Because the person you are has changed, reality will also change.”

Seo Dae-ryong stopped and looked back at me. I couldn’t bear to look at that expectant face and say, ‘But women will still like good-looking men,’ so I nodded vigorously.

Seo Dae-ryong asked with a brighter face.

“Did you find out anything from this meeting?”

First of all, a great achievement was achieved by revealing that Jo Shin’s father, Joy Baek, was behind it.

Seo Dae-ryong also noticed something.

“It looks like something bad is being done under the leader, right?”

When I nodded, Seo Dae-ryong became angry. It was anger directed at both So-ok and Joy-baek.

“shit! How are you trying to succeed by doing something like that? Just take advantage of people who don’t have money and are desperate! “Mr. Lee, you can’t just leave these people alone.”

Could it be that only Seo Dae-ryong was angry? I’m just holding on to make sure I pull out the roots. If it weren’t for that, Jinryongjangju wouldn’t have come out of that manor alive.

“But in the process, Sook will also have to pay a price.”

“Of course I should.”

Seo Dae-ryong sighed sadly. Perhaps Seo Dae-ryong felt some kind of kinship with her. He said that both he, who jumped into the school with no money and no background, and her, who jumped into the Murim Alliance, must have felt the same way in the end.

“I’m going to send Jeon Seo-gu to Tongcheongak for a while, so go back first.”

“Are you going to call the mazons?”

“I will only report on the current situation.”

Although I have not been given permission to receive further help from them, this is still a test for succession. It was best to handle it with my own hands as much as possible. I wanted to see the Mazons, but be patient.

“I plan to handle this matter with the Murim Lord.”

Because forming a deep relationship with him was essential for the future.

I sent Seo Dae-ryong off first and spoke into the air.

“You must have heard the voice of the person behind the curtain.”

The hiding warrior could not have seen beyond the curtain, but he must have heard Joybaek’s voice.

“There is no need to worry about it. He is who you think he is. “It’s an emergency, so please let me see the leader right away.”

* * *

A carriage was parked in the alley.

When I got on the carriage, the Murim lord Jin Paecheon was riding.

“You probably received a report from your subordinate. “We have met someone who is trying to recruit the winner of Soryongjeon.”

“I heard.”

From now on, I conduct my conversations in full sound mode.

―You probably heard the brief story from Suha, so I’ll tell you the main point. He was the Lord of Jinryong.

―Jinryongjang was a prestigious figure among the sects that represented the martial arts faction for generations. There is no way he could have been taken in by people like Cheonmyeonghoe.

―I checked it myself.

-I heard there was a badge?

-I could see through that veil. It was definitely him.

The Murim Lord still looked suspiciously. It would be even more difficult to believe since this was the place where he and Jin Ha-ryeong were planning to marry. If you doubt me, then doubt yourself. It is not easy to doubt Jinryongjangju.

―It’s not just that. It is possible that his son Josin was also included in the Cheonmyeonghoe. And he doesn’t know that his father is in league with Cheonmyeonghoe.

The leader’s surprise grew even greater.

―Are you saying that the Cheonmyeonghoe recruited them separately?

-I think so. Or it could be that the father recruited the child without revealing his identity.

If that were true, then Cheonmyeonghoeju was truly a great guy. Because he was a person who recruited the rich separately and used them separately.

It was the same even if Joy Baek was a Cheonmyeonghoeju. This is because he lied to his children about his identity and co-opted them.

―Because the other person is such a crazy person, you should not trust anyone until this matter is completely resolved.

The Murim Lord frowned. Hearing those words from a magician from the Demonic Cult must make you feel really frustrated.

-If it had been someone else, I would have dealt with it secretly. However, I am saying this because I am the person who was going back and forth between marriage and marriage with the Lord.

―Why are you favoring me?

―I won’t lie and say that I respect the lord. Not even for Jean Soger. It’s for our school. If an accident occurs at the Murim League, it will eventually affect the school as well. I do not want my father to use the crisis of the Murim alliance as an opportunity to unify the martial arts.

When I mentioned my father, Jin Feichian’s eyes became intense. In addition, the provocative phrase “Murim Unification” was even said.

-I am not a person with enough guts to dare to lie about my father. So please take my word for it.

I did not avoid the eyes of the leader who was attacking me like a tiger. Since he had been through all sorts of hardships, I believed that he would have the insight to see the truth in my words.

―Okay, just like you said, let’s call him Jinryongjangju. Why do you think he did this?

– Proceed with marriage with the leader and recruit the warriors of the Murim League. Well, isn’t there one reason?

Jin Peicheon also knew the answer.

-Is this my place?

―It may be a prelude to placing Jo Shin in the position of Murim lord in the future. It may be a profane statement, but it could be to assassinate the leader. You’ll have to hear it from their own mouth to know exactly what their intentions are, but whatever it is, it won’t be pleasant for the leader to hear.

Jin Feicheon was not a gentleman-type leader with a benevolent personality. He was more subversive and had a fiery personality than any other leader in history. Because his granddaughter’s business was involved, he was being as careful as possible, but if the seal was released, it would be difficult for anyone to handle him.

-I understand. From now on, I will check it myself.

He wanted to catch Jinryongjangju right away and reveal the truth.

-You can’t do that. He has not committed any apparent sins at this time. Sponsoring the martial arts warriors is something that is done openly by merchants or members of the martial arts clan who have a deep relationship with martial arts. We need to find direct evidence that he is related to Cheonmyeonghoe.

I gave him a suggestion.

―Don’t tell anyone about this matter, and just resolve it between you and me. If you trust me, there is a way.

―Don’t ignore your hometown. If you have a way, we have a way too.

―I am not saying this in disrespect of the Murim Alliance.

-then?

-Do you remember? The first time I risked my life and revealed my identity.

I made them aware that they were able to dig into this case because I told them all these facts. Jin Feicheon could not deny that fact. Because he was a man and a real warrior.

Nevertheless, I understood the leader. Under these circumstances, it is natural that I do not feel like leaving this matter in my hands. So I made him an unconventional offer.

-I will resolve it within five days. If the deadline is exceeded, the leader himself will resolve it.

Jin Feicheon was surprised by my words.

“Do you really think we can solve it within five days?”

“Instead, the leader must actively help.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“They tried to use the Lord’s blood relatives to plot things. Then, we should return it to them.”

Jin Peicheon smiled coldly.

“I like that one.”

After pondering for a while, Jin Peicheon made a decision.

The words that announced the start of a joint operation between the Murim lord and the demonic cultist, which had never happened before in the history of the martial arts, flowed from Jin Pae-cheon’s mouth.

“Go ahead!”