Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 247: Drunk on Wine and Moonlight 1

The Demonic Buddha opened his eyes.

Startled, he sprang up, but he was still in the world of the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique, with Geom Mugeuk soundly asleep beside him.

"I fell asleep?"

Ma Bul, who had once thought Geom Mugeuk was merely pretending to sleep on the rock, had actually dozed off himself.

Since becoming a Demon Supreme—or even long before that—he had never fallen asleep so unguardedly. This was the first time.

Silently, the Demonic Buddha looked down at Geom Mugeuk.

He was asleep, his face peaceful.

"Now I understand."

No more words were necessary. He finally grasped why the other Demon Supremes had given their hearts to the Second Young Master. How could anyone refuse someone like this who asked you to become their Demon Supreme?

Sensing Ma Bul’s movement, Geom Mugeuk also woke up.

"I hope I didn’t wake you?"

"No, it’s fine. I slept well, even if only briefly."

"Let’s get going then."

"Sure."

Before leaving, the Demonic Buddha turned to look back at the cave behind them.

"I don’t think I’ll miss this cave anymore."

The Demonic Buddha, who once hid in that cave as a child, had now emerged from it. Suddenly, he thought that perhaps it was time for his adult self to leave his own cave.

"Then I’ll dispel the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique."

As the technique faded, the two of them found themselves back by the stream in the Thousand Poisons Forest.

"Let’s head back now."

"Already?"

"What do you mean, already?"

"I want to play some more."

"What’s so fun about hanging out with an old guy like me?"

"It is fun. And besides, I need to score some free drinks."

"Drinks?"

"We should get some drinks from the Poison King, who used us as gatherers."

They had made a bet that whoever found the Seven Life Herb first would get a free drink.

"Today? Right now?"

"Would you really bring it up next time you see him? 'Hey, Poison King, didn’t we agree that the loser of our last bet would buy the drinks?' Would you really do that?"

Of course, that wouldn’t happen. Even if they ran into him occasionally, they wouldn’t mention it. In fact, if Geom Mugeuk hadn’t brought it up, they both might have gratefully forgotten about it altogether.

"If today passes, we won’t have the chance to hold the Poison King to his word."

"You really want to go all the way with this?"

"What if you’re already tired? We might seem like we’ve been playing a lot, but it’s only been half a day. Not to compare, but I’ve gone out with other Demon Supremes for days, even weeks. You know that, right?"

"That is a comparison."

"Come on, let’s go. You’re not so old that you’re already tired of having fun, are you?"

Feigning reluctance, Ma Bul let himself be pulled along, but his steps toward the Poison King’s quarters were quick and light.

*         *         *

The owner of the Flowing Wind Tavern, Jo Chunbae, spoke politely to the youthful-looking young man who had just entered the tavern.

"We are not accepting any more guests today. My apologies." 2

He knew better than to speak rudely to someone just because they were young. In fact, the younger they were, the more cautious he had to be. As a business owner, the most frightening thing was an immature blade swinging recklessly without considering the consequences.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk, who was standing on the second-floor railing, looked down and spoke.

"It seems I must bid farewell to the owner."

He had arrived here with the Demonic Buddha about half an hour earlier.

"Are you leaving already?"

"No, it’s just that I probably won’t be able to see the owner again."

"What do you mean by that?"

As Jo Chunbae looked at him in confusion, Geom Mugeuk spoke ominously.

"You just told the Poison King of our Cult that he wouldn’t be served any drinks here and that he should go back."

Jo Chunbae’s gaze shifted to the young man, and soon, he was startled out of his wits.

"Oh! I didn’t recognize you. I’m terribly sorry!"

Jo Chunbae was about to bow deeply, but the Poison King stopped him.

"No need to make a fuss."

Then Geom Mugeuk added.

"He can’t help but make a fuss. If I’m not mistaken, our owner here fears the Poison King more than any other Demon Supreme."

When the Poison King looked at Jo Chunbae, the tavern owner couldn’t even meet his eyes and shamefully bowed his head.

"Am I truly the scariest one?"

"You used to be, but you’re so young and handsome now that I’m surprised. You’re the most handsome man in the Central Plains." 3

Watching this, Geom Mugeuk didn’t let it slide.

"Owner, what about me?"

"You, Sir, are the most handsome man of all time."

The Poison King coldly asked.

"So I’m not the best?"

"Oh no! That’s not what I meant…."

Leaving the flustered Jo Chunbae behind, the Poison King lightly ascended to the second floor.

Jo Chunbae looked up at Geom Mugeuk with a grateful expression.

‘Thanks to you, I even got to host the Poison King. I have no regrets now.’

Geom Mugeuk smiled, conveying with his eyes.

‘It’s not over yet. Who knows who else might show up?’ 4

With that, the Poison King joined them at their table on the second floor.

"I didn’t think you’d come."

"How could I not when you left this?"

The Poison King pulled out a letter written by Geom Mugeuk. When Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Buddha had gone to his quarters, the Poison King had naturally slipped away through the back door. So Geom Mugeuk had left a letter with his attendant, which the Poison King had read.

—If you don’t buy us drinks, I’ll storm into your quarters with drinks in hand. I’ll bring the Demonic Buddha, of course, as well as Investigator Seo, Lee Ahn, the Demonic Army Commander, and even Cheon So-hee! 5

The Poison King scowled and said.

"How could I not come when you put it like that!"

If Geom Mugeuk had written in the letter that he would spread rumors about the Poison King not honoring his bet, the Poison King would never have come. He was the kind of person who didn’t care what others thought.

But what if a crowd of people went to his house in the Thousand Poisons Forest, drank, and made a ruckus? That was something the Poison King could never tolerate.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason he came. He also saw this letter as another request for help from Geom Mugeuk. It was an extension of their earlier plea, “Please spend time with us today.”

"I apologize. I must have really wanted to spend time with you, Poison King, to do something like this."

"Haven’t you had your fill of fun already?"

"Playing for seven days and nights is what you’d call really having fun. I’m prepared to stay up all night." 6

The Poison King waved his hand, saying he couldn’t stay up past midnight because he’d be too tired in the morning.

"And the one who looks the youngest is the one complaining the most!"

"Wait until you’re my age!"

The Demonic Buddha felt uneasy again with the Poison King around, but in a way, he was also a little pleased. He understood that the Poison King didn’t come because of that letter. It meant his relationship with Geom Mugeuk was that deep.

He could understand getting close with the Great Drunken Demon—it made sense since drinking together could forge a bond. But for the Poison King, who lived in his own world, to become this close? Even seeing it with his own eyes, it was hard to believe. For the Demonic Buddha, the Poison King was an incredibly difficult and uncomfortable person to deal with.

"Come on, let’s have a drink."

The three of them raised their glasses and drank. It was the first time Ma Bul had shared drinks with them.

Geom Mugeuk noticed how the Demonic Buddha downed his drink smoothly and asked, "Isn’t it true that you usually never eat at gatherings with the Poison King?"

"That's correct."

"But you’re eating comfortably now."

"If the Poison King intended to poison me, does it really matter whether I eat or not?"

The Poison King gave a faint smile, as if to say, ‘Yes, that’s exactly right’.

That was why the Poison King was so fearsome. If he decided to poison someone, not even a Demon Supreme could even dream of stopping him.

The Poison King sent a telepathic message to Geom Mugeuk.

—You came out quite late. What were you two doing?

—We were resting by the stream with our feet in the water.

—Him too?

—Yes.

—I can't picture it.

He would never believe that they had also fallen asleep side by side.

We had another drink. With the fine liquor Jo Chunbae had saved and the delicious food, our mood naturally lifted.

"This is why I come to the Flowing Wind Tavern."

When Jo Chunbae brought out another dish, Geom Mugeuk turned to the Demonic Buddha.

"Why don’t you leave a message or a mark of your martial arts on that wall over there, to show you’ve been here?"

"Why?"

"Most of the Demon Supremes have visited this place, and even my father has been here. From now on, I plan to leave a mark each time one of them comes. Isn’t that a great idea? And you, Demonic Buddha, would be the first!" 7

The idea of being the first stirred something in the Demonic Buddha. If everyone was going to leave their mark anyway, why not be the first? A competitive spirit flared within him.

"Well then, let’s see…"

Just then, they heard a sound from behind.

Scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch. 8

Geom Mugeuk and the Demonic Buddha turned around.

The Poison King was already carving something into the wall with his chopsticks.

A single line of elegant writing appeared:

**The Poison King was here.**

The Poison King looked at Geom Mugeuk and said, "Is this how it’s done?"

"Yes, but I was just giving Demonic Buddha the first chance."

"Oh, really? I didn’t hear that."

While Geom Mugeuk might have believed that the Poison King was lost in his own world and hadn’t listened to the conversation, the Demonic Buddha took this as a challenge.

Ma Bul’s body glowed with a golden light as he formed hand seals.

Flash!

A mark of the Golden Vajra Demonic Art appeared on the wall. A golden dragon, with its mouth open, seemed ready to devour the words left by the Poison King. 9

It was the Demonic Buddha’s subtle revenge for losing his chance to be first, and it showcased a supreme martial art that left a mark without piercing the wall.

"Wow!"

Before they knew it, the patrons of the tavern had come up and were marveling at what had been left on the wall.

The Poison King’s writing and the Demonic Buddha’s martial mark complemented each other so perfectly that it seemed deliberate. Who would have imagined that the dragon appeared as if it was about to swallow the words?

As the crowd cheered, Ma Bul sat back down as if it were no big deal, though his face radiated satisfaction.

The Poison King sent a telepathic message to Geom Mugeuk.

—He gets upset over things like this. He’s such a kid.

—And who couldn’t wait and rushed to write first? You two should just be friends!

—I refuse! That guy makes everything uncomfortable!

When Geom Mugeuk looked back, he saw Jo Chunbae in the distance, grinning ear to ear in delight.

We drank more, freely. No one insisted, and no one tried hard to keep the conversation going. If silence fell, it was left alone. If they chatted about random things, that was fine too. They drank at ease.

As Geom Mugeuk drank, he looked out the window on the second floor. Since it wasn’t too late, many people were still passing by outside.

While absentmindedly watching the crowd, Geom Mugeuk spotted the Poison King blending into the people and disappearing. He had already settled the bill and left without a word of farewell.

Just then, the Demonic Buddha asked from behind.

"How can I trust you? How do I know that you won't change your mind when you become the Heavenly Demon?"

Here I thought we were just going to relax, drink, and have fun.

Without turning around, Geom Mugeuk answered.

"I don’t know."

Even taking a day off seemed this difficult for these people.

*         *         *

When Ma Bul staggeringly returned to his quarters, someone was waiting in the courtyard. It was Geom Muyang.

"Young Master!"

The Demonic Buddha was drunk, holding a bottle of liquor in his hand.

"Have you been drinking?"

"Yes, I had a drink for the first time in a while."

"Let me have some as well."

"Sure. I’ll get us some cups."

"No, just give me the bottle."

Both of them were acting out of character.

The Demonic Buddha wasn’t one to buy and bring alcohol, and Geom Muyang wasn’t someone who drank straight from the bottle.

"I met with the Second Young Master and the Poison King today. I also drank with the two of them."

"I see."

As they each took a sip from the bottle, their gazes naturally turned towards the night sky.

Ma Bul realized that he had been looking up at the sky a lot today. During the day with Geom Mugeuk, and now at night with Geom Muyang.

Geom Muyang glanced at the Demonic Buddha. His flushed cheeks, tinged with a golden glow, shone in a peculiar hue. It wasn’t just the color that was different; the Demonic Buddha was unlike his usual self today.

Geom Muyang had a heavy heart, knowing what might have caused this change. While everyone else could leave, he hoped that the Demonic Buddha, at least, would stay by his side. Though he had never expressed it, there had always been a lingering worry in his heart.

To be honest, there were times when he had wished that Blood Heaven Blade Demon or another Demon Supreme would become his right-hand man. That was back when he didn’t realize just how much the Demonic Buddha supported him.

"It seems the Poison King has fully turned towards Geom Mugeuk."

Ma Bul spoke honestly.

It was time for Geom Muyang to face reality. Words like, "It will be fine, I’ll try harder", would only push Geom Muyang further to the edge of the cliff.

Now was the time to step away from that cliff together.

This seems to be the end, Eldest Young Master.

But the words didn’t come out. He just couldn’t bring himself to say them.

Ma Bul looked at Geom Muyang.

Even with the news that the Poison King had shifted sides, Geom Muyang remained calm. In the past, he would have either pretended to be fine and then suddenly uttered something cold, or shifted the blame onto the Demonic Buddha, reacting sharply.

But today, he was different.

However, Geom Muyang remained calm, as if he had expected it.

"Now, only the Fist Demon King remains."

The Demonic Buddha felt oddly grateful that Geom Muyang phrased it as just the Fist Demon King remaining, rather than lumping him together with Dan Woo-gang. It meant that, at least, Geom Muyang believed he would remain steadfast and unchanging.

This ordeal had shown that Geom Muyang had grown. He had held back and endured, likely struggling with the desire to kill Geom Mugeuk multiple times a day. He had probably been tempted to use every means available just to kill him and get it over with.

But he had remarkably endured. Whether it was out of deference to his father, because of his relationship with Geom Mugeuk, or simply because he wasn’t inherently that kind of villain—regardless, he had held back well.

That's why the Demonic Buddha really wanted to say:

Let’s see this through to the end! I’ll be your strength and fight with the might of a hundred.

But he didn’t. That would have been a lie, deceiving the Eldest Young Master.

Geom Mugeuk is an opponent you cannot defeat.

Did Geom Muyang sense the resignation in his eyes?

Drunk on alcohol and moonlight, the Demonic Buddha finally understood why he was the last to remain. It wasn’t because Geom Mugeuk had approached him last; even if Geom Mugeuk had come to him first, the result would have been the same.

His parents hadn’t been able to protect him, but he wanted to protect the Eldest Young Master to the very end. That desire was why he remained. To the Demonic Buddha, the Eldest Young Master was both his child and, at the same time, a reflection of himself.

Even if Geom Muyang didn’t become the successor, he would never leave his side. 10

"What kind of person is Mugeuk, in your opinion, Demon Supreme? Please, speak honestly."

After a brief pause, Ma Bul replied.

"I don’t really know what kind of person he is."

With that answer, Geom Muyang was convinced. Even the Demonic Buddha was swayed by Geom Mugeuk. The fact that he had brought a bottle of alcohol spoke volumes. A bottle of alcohol in the Demonic Buddha’s hand? It was something Geom Muyang had never seen before.

"In not knowing what kind of person he is, Mugeuk resembles my father more than me."

Geom Muyang smiled, nodded slightly to the Demonic Buddha, and turned to leave.

As he walked away, the Demonic Buddha called out to him.

"Eldest Young Master!"

"What is it?"

"The one who truly resembles the Cult Leader is you, Eldest Young Master."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I’m certain of it."

Geom Muyang, who had been walking slowly, turned around.

The Demonic Buddha, still gazing up at the night sky, drank straight from the bottle. He drank continuously, without pause.

Geom Muyang realized then that it was time for him to make his own decision. 11

1 : [Making a werewolf drunk was probably not the brightest ide-] Twilight fanboy epitaph (Fight me !!!)

2 : Ohoho, it will be good bragging for his customers ^ ^ “One day I told the Poison King to go back because we weren’t accepting more customers !!!” XDXDXD

3 : Wasn’t it Soma instead ? XDXDXD

4 : Who else, the Martial Alliance Leader and the new Leader of the Unorthodox Alliance ^ ^

5 : Lol, that blackmail XDXDXD

6 : Mugeuk would have been a great gamer. Pulling all nighters for entire weeks is a necessary skill if you want to grind more of that sweet, sweet exp.

7 : Didn’t the owner say that doing so would lead to fanboys stealing the walls and roof ? Then again, if even the Heavenly Demon write a message, I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to try XDXDXD

8 : Lol, faster than light, must be first !!! XDXDXD

9 : Those guys are so filled with pettiness and they’re supposed to be the higher ups of the Demonic Cult XDXDXD

10 : Reminds me of Gowol and Jeong Dae relationship. Shame to think of how it all ended back then. Let’s make sure it never comes to pass this time !!!

11 : Let’s hope he takes the right one….