Absolute Regression

The moment Ilsun saw the Fist Demon King, he realized that things had gone terribly, irreversibly wrong.

His survival instincts screamed at him to run. But the Fist Demon King’s overwhelming aura froze both his will to fight and his will to flee.

At that moment, eight martial masters who had been hiding nearby revealed themselves.

Seeing them surround and encircle the Fist Demon King, Ilsun’s frozen heart thawed a little.

They were the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen.

These eight moved as one, and they had once been infamous throughout the martial world. In martial combat, adding one person doesn’t simply double the power, nor does having a hundred fighters make you a hundred times stronger.

But the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen felt eight times stronger. While that might not be literally true, they gave off that impression. Their coordination was so perfect that it created the illusion of unparalleled synergy.

This was why they faced the fearsome aura emanating from the muscular man before them without flinching.

Strictly speaking, the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen weren’t Ilsun’s subordinates. They were enforcers sent by their financier to ensure the job was done well.

Thus, they served as both Ilsun’s protectors and executioners of any command, as well as overseers of their actions.

“Kill him!”

At Ilsun’s command, the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen leaped into action without hesitation, aiming their strikes at eight pressure points on the Fist Demon King’s body simultaneously.

As they moved, the Fist Demon King also struck forward, targeting the Swordsman directly in front of him.

Boom! Crash!

A thunderous noise erupted, accompanied by the sound of flesh and bone shattering. One of the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen was sent flying, smashing into a tree. It was the first technique of the Thunderous Asura Fist, the Black Cloud Asura.

Though one had fallen, the remaining seven swords struck the Fist Demon King’s body.

Clang!

The sound that rang out was not that of steel piercing flesh but of metal clashing. The fifth technique, the Diamond Asura, had activated, momentarily hardening his entire body like steel.

The Eight Ghostly Swordsmen were stunned.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Fist Demon King unleashed the second technique, the Myriad Winds Asura. His strikes were so swift it seemed as though multiple arms of an Asura were punching simultaneously.

In this single move, six of the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen were blasted away in all directions. Struck instantly upon contact, they crashed into trees and rocks, lifelessly tumbling to the ground.

As the last of the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen lunged at the Fist Demon King’s eyes!

The Fist Demon King’s massive figure tore through the air with incredible speed. His powerful strike, delivered with his full weight behind it, landed perfectly.

Boom!

The victim’s flesh and bones twisted violently, as if caught in a whirlwind.

The last of the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen, struck by the third technique, the Heavenly Strike Asura, was sent flying above their heads to a place so far away that he was no longer visible. 1

It had all happened in an instant.

To the eyes of the Immortals, there was a thunderous roar, a flash of something, and the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen were reduced to corpses strewn about. It felt as if divine retribution had descended from the heavens.

A heavy silence fell.

It was so surreal that Ilsun and the other three stared in stunned disbelief.

Ilsun had witnessed the skills of the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen many times over the years. When ordered to kill, they did so without hesitation, regardless of the opponent. They even killed renowned masters using their perfect joint techniques. 2

Ilsun had established a principle after observing their fights:

If four of them fell, it was time to run without looking back.

He had judged that the moment their flawless teamwork broke down, it was the moment to flee. But what should he do now? What if they all died instantly?

Geom Mugeuk realized what was happening. Dan Woo-gang had deliberately demonstrated all his fist techniques, apart from Iron Leg Asura and Yama’s Thunder Asura, for Geom Mugeuk to see.

His martial arts were clearly different. They were tyrannical and possessed even more power. It wasn’t merely a matter of internal energy—his strikes were imbued with a more vigorous and potent force.

“Ah! That was truly impressive.”

Seeing it once was indeed better than hearing it a hundred times.

While Geom Mugeuk expressed admiration, Ilsun thought the young man from the Right Fist Sect was spewing nonsense. He hadn’t even been able to see the fists—what was there to admire? Who on earth could display such divine prowess… Gasp!

‘It’s the Fist Demon King! You idiot! How did you just figure that out?’

Those massive fists, those thick arms that seemed like they had burst straight out of the gates of hell. If that wasn’t the Fist Demon King, who else could it be? If not the Fist Demon King, who else could have so effortlessly sent the Eight Ghostly Swordsmen to the afterlife?

“Please spare us, Fist Demon King!”

Ilsun dropped to his knees. At the mention of the Fist Demon King, the other three followed suit, trembling in terror upon realizing they were facing a Demon Supreme of the Demonic Cult.

Still groveling on the ground, Ilsun sent a furious telepathic message to Samsun.

—Wasn’t that Right Fist Sect brat trying to kill the Fist Demon King?

—Yes, he was.

—You idiot! Do those two look like enemies to you?

—I’m not sure what’s going on either.

—You goddamn fool!

Ilsun wanted nothing more than to jump up and beat Samsun half to death. But he couldn’t.

He had lived his whole life acting on his impulses. He had never once restrained his anger. If someone glared at him on the street, he’d chase them down and gouge out their eyes. He never let anyone who provoked him off the hook. But now, that fury was well controlled.

“Please spare us!”

The four men begged for their lives in perfect synchronization.

The Fist Demon King slowly walked toward them.

“So, these fools believed that without a hint of doubt?”

Behind him, Geom Mugeuk chuckled.

“Yes, they live their lives that way, so they assume others do too.”

I stepped in to clear up the misunderstanding about the Fist Demon King.

“Raise your heads. Straighten your backs.”

The men, still on their knees, raised their heads.

“You idiots! Do you really think the Fist Demon King would lay a hand on the fiancée of a successor from one of our cult’s affiliated sects? Does that even make sense? I made that up to lure you in. Got it?”

“Yes! Yes, we understand.”

The Immortals nodded fervently, bowing their heads in agreement.

Geom Mugeuk turned to Dan Woo-gang.

“How do you feel? A bit relieved?”

The Fist Demon King shook his head. Of course, he wouldn’t feel relieved.

Geom Mugeuk knew that if it had been for any other reason, Dan Woo-gang wouldn’t have reacted so strongly. He wouldn’t have blinked an eye if it had been about killing someone or being disrespected.

But the Fist Demon King truly despised the idea of committing such acts against women. It made sense when you thought about it. He was the kind of person who punched cliffs, and he had never once been involved in any scandal concerning women. That’s just who the Fist Demon King was.

“Coming out here for a little break and even playing the part of a lecher—thank you.”

Geom Mugeuk was genuinely grateful.

“I know you truly hated this whole thing because of who you are. Thank you for putting up with it.”

He expressed his gratitude in words. With someone like the Fist Demon King, you might think you wouldn’t need to say it out loud, that he’d just know. But no, it had to be said. How else would he know if it wasn’t spoken? 3

What Geom Mugeuk appreciated most was this: the Fist Demon King didn’t bottle up his dislike but expressed it all, which gave Geom Mugeuk the chance to ease his mind.

“In the past few days, the lecher who appeared and disappeared in the martial world without anyone knowing might just have been the best fighter among all lechers in history.”

The Fist Demon King finally laughed at Geom Mugeuk’s joke.

Their gazes met under the moonlight. Geom Mugeuk sensed that Dan Woo-gang’s expression had softened. His anger hadn’t been soothed by revealing the truth to the fools but by hearing the words of gratitude and apology for asking him to endure it.

That’s why you could even hear something like this from the Fist Demon King:

“You said this would save hundreds, maybe thousands of young people? Then maybe playing the role of a benevolent healer isn’t so bad after all.”

As if he regretted saying it, the Fist Demon King looked up at the moon. His broad back seemed even larger and stronger than before.

Meanwhile, Ilsun was sending a telepathic message to Saseon.

—The Fist Demon King isn’t going to let us live. Our only chance is to take that young man hostage when the opportunity arises. That’s our only way out.

Judging by the atmosphere, it was clear that the two were close. If they could just take him hostage, they might have a shot at survival.

Right at that moment, Geom Mugeuk approached them.

As he passed Saseon and walked toward Ilsun, Saseon sprang up like lightning, successfully pointing his sword at Geom Mugeuk’s throat.

“Move, and this bastard dies!” Ilsun shouted.

“Enough!”

The Fist Demon King glanced at the scene briefly and then looked back up at the moon.

“You should’ve taken me hostage instead.”

The meaning behind the Fist Demon King’s words was unclear, but the moment he finished speaking, Geom Mugeuk had already turned to face Saseon.

‘When did he turn around?’

That was a question Saseon should never have asked himself while holding a sword.

Geom Mugeuk’s fist lightly tapped Saseon. It seemed like a mere tap, but the outcome was anything but light.

Thud!

Saseon’s head snapped backward and then returned to its original position. Could he really be okay with his neck bent like that? He wasn’t. Saseon collapsed weakly to the side and didn’t get back up. His neck was broken, and he died instantly.

Geom Mugeuk looked coldly at the remaining three.

“I’ve disliked you ever since you started calling yourselves ‘Immortals.’”

At that moment, Ilsun realized.

‘Ah! This guy isn’t the successor of the Right Fist Sect!’

There was no way the young heir of a mere Right Fist Sect could have so effortlessly subdued Saseon, who had a sword at his throat.

‘Damn it! Damn it all!’

Ilsun regretted everything. He had always been cautious. If it were anyone else but the Fist Demon King involved, he would have never revealed himself. But he couldn’t avoid it when it concerned the Fist Demon King. One wrong move could ruin the carefully built Cooperative Contract.

‘Get a grip! Get a grip!’

He was already caught in the tiger’s jaws. Luckily, there were three of them, not just one. Perhaps the tiger would spare at least one of them.

‘Survive! I must survive.’

He was making so much money now. He would live a life of luxury for the rest of his days. He couldn’t die like this.

“Who among you is the worst?”

Geom Mugeuk’s question made the three men flinch.

“Why are you so surprised? You’ve done your share of picking people, haven’t you? Who should you threaten? Who should you cheat? You made your choices, so why can’t I?”

His words were laden with the promise of repaying them for their sins, pressing down on the three men.

“If you don’t choose, all three of you die!”

As if by unspoken agreement, Ilsun and Iseon both turned to look at Samsun. They often joked that he was the worst among them, so the decision wasn’t difficult.

Samsun shouted in protest, his face filled with indignation.

“No! I’ve done the most good. I gave hope and dreams to young people.”

“But we both know that’s not true. You even said it earlier, didn’t you? That it was all for your youth, not theirs.”

“Please, spare me!”

“When those young people begged you for mercy, did you ever spare a single one?”

“…” 4

“That’s what I thought.”

Thud!

With a single punch from Geom Mugeuk, Samsun’s face caved in, killing him instantly.

Thump.

Just as he had told Samsun earlier that he’d forget him completely after today, Geom Mugeuk casually discarded his lifeless body like the trash he was. He felt that this was the only level of respect they deserved. Though he could have promised to spare them to extract information, he had no intention of letting any of them live.

Ilsun made his final decision. He was going to run without looking back. Even if he died from a hidden weapon to the back, he would die trying to escape. There was a sliver of hope—he was confident in his light footwork.

Just as he was about to turn and flee, someone wrapped an arm around his shoulder and stood beside him.

“You won’t get away. I’m not joking—you could start running an hour ahead, and he’d still catch up to you. That man’s best skill is running.”

The middle-aged man who approached him and acted familiar was none other than Jeong Dae.

Ilsun couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

‘Who is this guy?’

Not only had he approached without a sound, but how did he know that Ilsun was planning to escape?

Unable to hold back, Ilsun yelled at Iseon.

“You damn fool! Who on earth did you mess with?”

Choosing their targets had always been Iseon’s job.

The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader laughed and said,

“You’re right. I used to ask myself that question all the time.”

Soon after, Gowol appeared as well.

“We searched their hideout and found the ledgers.”

The thick ledgers contained hundreds of names and the amounts they had borrowed.

“I’ll take care of this ledger myself,” Gowol said, firmly taking charge of the document.

Since Geom Mugeuk trusted Gowol to handle things wisely, he nodded in agreement.

Ilsun’s expression twisted in frustration. How had they even discovered his hideout? He had been so careful, taking every precaution. He felt dizzy; this felt like an act of God.

Geom Mugeuk struck the pressure points on Ilsun and Iseon’s body, immobilizing both their vital and meridian points.

“Only one of you gets to live. Whoever says something more useful to me will survive. If you have something to say, blink your eyes.”

Without hesitation, Ilsun blinked rapidly.

Geom Mugeuk released his pressure points.

“There are eighty thousand nyang left at the Central Plains Money Exchange. The seal is in my possession, and I’ll also tell you the password needed to withdraw the funds.”

Ilsun revealed the password to Gowol.

Iseon watched in shock. Ilsun was giving up the money so easily? Then again, it made sense. How could anyone defy the Fist Demon King?

What truly stunned Iseon was Ilsun’s complete lack of remorse. He didn’t even spare a single apologetic glance at Iseon, giving away the information so readily, without so much as pretending to hesitate before condemning him to death.

Geom Mugeuk turned to Iseon.

“Unfortunate for you, but it seems our First Immortal will soon ascend to immortality.”

In response, Iseon blinked rapidly.

After sealing Ilsun’s pressure points once more, Geom Mugeuk released Iseon’s.

With Ilsun having ruthlessly decided to save himself, Iseon saw no reason to hold back either.

“There’s another ledger.”

Ilsun’s eyes widened in horror, but with his vital points sealed, he was absolutely powerless to act.

Geom Mugeuk spoke to Iseon, as if he had expected this all along.

“The ledger of the financiers.”

It was likely a record of the regular bribes paid back to the financiers who funded them, detailing the amounts and dates.

“The ledger is hidden in Ilsun’s belt.”

Gowol unfastened Ilsun’s belt and found a rolled-up piece of paper inside. It detailed the precise amounts of the bribes, a critical piece of evidence should they need to officially take down the mastermind behind the Immortals.

Geom Mugeuk looked at Ilsun and said,

“It seems the ascension to immortality will have to go to our Second Immortal instead.”

Ilsun began to blink frantically, faster than the speed of light.

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1 : Looks like the Team Rocket is blasting off again !!! *Ragdoll edition* ^ ^

2 : So it’s been years since they started…. F to their poor victims.

3 : If you never speak your feelings, it leads to misunderstandings and rifts in a relationship.

4 : It’s not so funny when it’s your turn, huh ? That’s what you get for barking lies to all those people.

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