Absolute Regression

The fiery liquid slid down Da-ho’s throat.

It was a taste he had never experienced in his life. The moment he swallowed it, Da-ho realized that he had consumed something he absolutely shouldn’t have.

The Poison King approached and handed him a black pill.

“Chew it thoroughly and swallow it. If you don’t, your insides will dissolve.”

Startled, Da-ho quickly took the pill. As the antidote took effect, he felt a cooling sensation within his stomach. 1

“Until I fully detoxify you, you must take this antidote once a day. For every two-hour delay, one of your internal organs will melt. The last thing to dissolve will be your heart.”

Da-ho’s vision darkened. But at the same time, there was a sliver of hope. They were keeping him alive because he had some use.

“What do I need to do now?”

“You’ll take us to Jisaeng. That person over there is I-ho, I’m Sam-ho, and that gentleman over there is Sa-ho.”

The Poison King asked in surprise.

“Why me?”

“We need three people, and as you can see, our friend can’t step forward with that mask on.”

Intentionally, they did not use the title ‘Evil Smiling Demon’ in front of Da-ho.

The Poison King and Soma exchanged glances again.

“Given the situation, I ask for your help.”

It wasn’t the sort of thing the Evil Smiling Demon would normally ask, but he spoke respectfully to the Poison King.

Just as Soma had readily stepped back earlier, the Poison King also accepted the request without hesitation.

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

At that moment, Da-ho spoke cautiously.

“You all look so young, I’m not sure if they’ll believe it.”

To this, Geom Mugeuk responded with a cryptic remark.

“Making them distrustful is the key to this operation.”

Da-ho couldn’t understand what he meant. However, there was one thing that had been bothering him, and he decided to ask.

“I’ve even taken poison, so just tell me one thing. Who the hell are you people?” 2

“Who else could we be? We’re your beloved little brothers.”

As Geom Mugeuk pressed a pressure point on him, Da-ho collapsed into a deep sleep.

After putting him to sleep, Geom Mugeuk spoke to the two Demon Supremes.

“Strategist Go is already working on the operation, so Jisaeng will contact us within a few days. We’ve dangled an irresistible, dazzling bait in front of him.”

This entire operation was unfolding precisely according to Gowol’s plan. Geom Mugeuk had told Gowol not to feel burdened and to plan comfortably.

Gowol’s real enemies were neither the Unorthodox Alliance nor Jisaeng. His challenge was the pressure of fulfilling his role as a strategist properly, to make a good impression on Geom Mugeuk.

Seo Daeryong tucked the corpses of the dead Four Tigers of Iron Sword under his arms.

“I’ll take care of the bodies.”

“I’ll help.”

Geom Mugeuk picked up the remaining bodies, securing them under his arms, and followed Seo Daeryong outside.

Together, they dug a deep pit in the backyard and buried the three corpses. Considering the evil deeds these men had committed, they deserved to be thrown into the wild for animals to feed on, but since they were going to impersonate these men, they couldn’t do that. 3

“As expected, when I go out with the Pavilion Leader, bodies start piling up.”

“It might be because of you.”

“Because of me?”

“When you first met me, you said that the Cult would never change. That’s what made me determined. I decided I would change it no matter what.”

Seo Daeryong looked at Geom Mugeuk silently before speaking in a low voice.

“I only gave you one thing, and the Pavilion Leader repaid me with ten.”

It was his way of saying that he was deeply grateful and encouraged by those words.

For a person who knew gratitude like this, Geom Mugeuk would have given not just tenfold, but a hundredfold. That was Geom Mugeuk’s mindset.

Looking down at the corpses in the pit, Seo Daeryong said,

“Sorry. You died because of me.”

After covering the bodies with dirt, Seo Daeryong pressed down on the ground with his foot, making sure it blended in. Once the burial was complete, Seo Daeryong turned to him.

“Aren’t we going back inside?”

“Let’s wait a bit. Give the two of them some time to get closer.”

Seo Daeryong glanced at the building.

“Come to think of it, the two scariest people in the Cult are inside.”

Seo Daeryong was curious. How would Geom Mugeuk describe those two?

* * *

Soma was staring out the window, while the Poison King busied himself organizing the poisons in his bag.

Then, the two spoke almost simultaneously.

“Poison King…”

“About you, Soma…”

“Oh, please, go first.”

“No, you go ahead.”

This brief exchange led to another silence before the Poison King spoke first.

“Never thought I’d end up in a place like this with you.”

“I feel the same.”

“Did you know? When the Young Master speaks of the Demon Supremes, his eyes light up the most when he mentions you, Soma. It’s like he’s excited. That’s the feeling I get.”

Maybe it was because he had heard something pleasant, but the eyes behind the Evil Smiling Demon’s mask smiled.

“I feel the same way. I also seem to get excited whenever I’m with the Young Master. I don’t know why, though.”

He would never know. In Geom Mugeuk’s life before regression, Soma was the one who wanted to be friends with him. He was the only person who had died by Geom Mugeuk’s sword and who he had shown his face to. The deep connection between them had existed even before the regression, something the Evil Smiling Demon would never be aware of.

On the other hand, the Poison King had a different impression.

“When I look at the Young Master, I feel uneasy. It’s like a poison without an antidote.” 4

He meant that once you’re hooked, there’s no remedy. It was also a way of saying that he didn’t want to get entangled in such a relationship.

“When we make poisons, we consider those without antidotes to be failures.”

Soma’s gaze returned to the window. In the distance, in the courtyard, the poison without an antidote was conversing with Seo Daeryong and walking toward them.

In a voice so soft it was barely audible, Evil Smiling Demon said,

“I don’t mind.”

* * *

A few days later, Jisaeng received a report from one of his subordinates.

“I’ve heard some strange rumors about the Four Tigers of Iron Sword.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“About a month before they came here, they robbed a trade caravan and obtained three top-grade night pearls.”

Jisaeng was startled at the mention of top-grade night pearls. Not only were they incredibly expensive, but they were also so rare that even with money, they were difficult to procure. The wealthiest individuals in the martial world would buy them as soon as they appeared. And they had obtained three of them?

“There are also rumors that several members of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword died during the process.”

“When we investigated them beforehand, there was no such incident, was there?” 5

There had been several candidates to handle the Divine Debt. They had been thoroughly vetted, and the Four Tigers of Iron Sword were ultimately selected.

“It seems this happened recently, which is why it didn’t come up.”

Even so, Da-ho hadn’t shown any signs of distress. When Jisaeng had asked to see his brothers, Da-ho had readily agreed, saying he could show them anytime. If several out of the four had died, that would mean all but Da-ho were dead.

“Confirming this shouldn’t be difficult. I was planning to meet them anyway. Go tell the Four Tigers of Iron Sword I want to meet them.”

Half an hour later, at the same manor where they had met last time, Jisaeng met the Four Tigers of Iron Sword again.

As before, there was a partition that allowed only Jisaeng to see their faces.

“Greetings, sir. These are my younger brothers. Go on, greet him.”

At Da-ho’s words, the three men removed their bamboo hats. The moment Jisaeng saw them, he was taken aback.

The young man on Da-ho’s left was quite handsome. His clear and deep eyes made it hard to believe he was one of the notorious Four Tigers of Iron Sword. The man on the other side was small in stature, which also didn’t fit the image of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword. The last one looked so young that he seemed like he had just entered the martial world, not fitting the image of a member of the Four Tigers at all.

“You’re younger than I expected.”

“Being young means we’ll work with more passion, don’t you think?”

Neither Geom Mugeuk, the Poison King, nor Seo Daeryong bothered with even the simplest disguises. If they had at least worn fake beards, they might have avoided suspicion, but they deliberately didn’t. This was all part of Gowol’s strategy.

Jisaeng turned to Geom Mugeuk and asked,

“When did you become part of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword?”

Geom Mugeuk glanced briefly at Da-ho, then responded in a shaky voice,

“It’s been quite some time.”

His vague answer and reluctance to be precise made the corners of Jisaeng’s mouth curl up.

‘The rumors might be true after all.’

He thought that the group might have lost some of their brothers during the caravan raid and replaced them with new recruits.

Da-ho spoke confidently, as if he had nothing to hide.

“Recently, some of my brothers got injured or left, so I took in new ones. You can trust all of them, so there’s no need to worry about the Divine Debt job.”

Jisaeng, concealing his sinister thoughts, spoke in a friendly tone.

“Seeing young and vigorous tigers gives me confidence. I trust you’ll dedicate yourselves to the cause. You will be rewarded with wealth and glory.”

“We will be loyal.”

Thus, the first meeting between Jisaeng and the Four Tigers of Iron Sword concluded.

* * *

Three days later, while riding in a carriage, Jisaeng sent a voice transmission to the real Jisaeng.

— Da-ho of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword possesses a top-grade night pearl.

The real Jisaeng immediately stopped the carriage. Despite the importance of the discussion, it was unusual for him, who normally exchanged voice transmissions while driving, to halt the carriage altogether.

— Is that true?

— Yes.

The real Jisaeng could not hide his excitement. Top-grade night pearls were his favorite treasures, and he would go to any lengths to collect them. 6

There were two treasures whose prices would never drop, only rise: night pearls and detoxifying pearls.

Jisaeng spent every bit of money he earned on purchasing night pearls. He didn’t bother with cheap ones; he only sought the highest quality.

He never kept his wealth in money exchanges. He knew that Yaryuhan or the Unorthodox Alliance could one day raid his exchanges and take all his accumulated wealth. They had the power and were certainly capable of doing so.

Thus, he only kept a portion of his money in the exchanges and converted the rest into night pearls. Unlike gold, paintings, or artworks, night pearls were small, light, easy to store, and simple to transport. 7

— Are you sure this isn’t some kind of trick?

At the suspicious question, the fake Jisaeng answered confidently.

— That’s why I double-checked through an information broker. It’s confirmed. They raided the caravan, and in the process, three of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword died.

He had no idea that the one spreading the rumors and controlling the flow of information in this region was Gowol.

— But there’s one strange thing: even after making such a large sum of money, they took on this job.

— Have you ever seen greed being satisfied? 8

This was something Jisaeng often felt when observing the real Jisaeng.

— Maybe he’s trying to hide under your shadow, sir.

— How many does he have?

— They say he has three.

Not just one, but three. There was no need for further deliberation.

— Get rid of him as soon as possible and retrieve the night pearls. Find someone else to handle the Divine Debt.

— There are plenty of scum like the Four Tigers of Iron Sword in the Central Plains anyways. I’ll find replacements soon.

His greed for wealth was insatiable, something no one could restrain.

— I set out to catch deer but ended up with a tiger’s pelt! 9

Jisaeng laughed heartily as he set the carriage in motion again.

There was only one thing that could make him laugh so freely.

* * *

The Four Tigers of Iron Sword were invited again by Jisaeng.

When they arrived, the room was set with dishes and liquor. The food was meager, and the alcohol was so cheap it was almost undrinkable.

Guessing the intent behind the meager offering, Geom Mugeuk smiled and said,

“Now that we’re one family, why not remove the partition? I’d like to see the esteemed sir’s face.”

Beyond the partition, Jisaeng chuckled.

“As expected of youth, full of spirit. I like it.”

The partition between Jisaeng and the Four Tigers of Iron Sword was removed. Since Jisaeng intended to kill them all anyway, he was comfortable showing his face.

Geom Mugeuk raised his cup high.

“Let’s have a drink together!”

But Jisaeng didn’t lift his cup. His expression turned cold, and naturally, the atmosphere chilled.

“Da-ho, I’ve heard a rumor about you.”

“What kind of rumor, sir?”

“I heard you struck it big.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“We’re all family here. Why don’t you show us?”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Da-ho stubbornly denied it.

Jisaeng nodded.

“Yes, that’s only natural. I would’ve done the same. I understand.”

As soon as he finished speaking, four martial artists entered the room. Filled with murderous intent, they possessed martial skills superior to those of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword.

They were Jisaeng’s most trusted henchmen, typically used when discreet killings were required.

“Since the three newcomers won’t know any better, kill them first.”

At that, Geom Mugeuk spoke to Da-ho.

“Our poor Da-ho is about to lose his brothers again.”

At Geom Mugeuk’s remark, Da-ho let out a sigh and looked at Jisaeng while shaking his head. His gaze full of pity seemed to say:

‘Now you’re in big trouble too.’

For some reason, a sense of unease crept over Jisaeng, sending a chill through his heart. He shouted at his henchmen,

“Kill them now!”

As soon as he gave the order, the four men collapsed simultaneously as if they were toppling over.

Jisaeng was so shocked that his face turned pale. His four henchmen were dead without even having drawn their swords. The command was to ‘kill’, not ‘die’. So why did they fall?

“Poison!”

The Poison King was already leisurely waving his fan. It was his unique weapon, the Fan of Unending Tourment.

Despite the four men dying from poison simultaneously, everyone else in the room remained unharmed. This was an astonishing feat, something only the Poison King could achieve with his poison skills. When wielding poison, the usual cuteness and freshness in his demeanor vanished. Instead, he became cold and ruthless, appearing as an entirely different person.

Jisaeng leapt to his feet and drew his sword.

He was about to shout to alert the real Jisaeng and the other subordinates outside. But before he could, Geom Mugeuk raised a finger to his lips.

Shh!

With just that quiet gesture, Jisaeng’s pressure points were sealed.

“Serving such cheap liquor to your guests. This would be better.”

Looking at the small vial of poison being offered to him, Jisaeng realized that the greatest crisis of his life had arrived. 10

It was a crisis far beyond anything he had ever imagined, coming after a life of reckless abandon under the Unorthodox Alliance’s protection.

1 : Lol, the poison is just a distilled extra spicy salsa sauce XDXDXD And the antidote a peppermint candy Hahahaha ^ ^

2 : No way we’re blowing our cover just to satisfy your curiosity. Mugeuk have read the Evil Overlord List ^ ^

3 : They can’t use poison to get rid of their faces before leaving them to be eaten by beast since it would poison the beasts too.

4 : Funny to hear the Poison King treat someone with poison immunity as a poison XDXDXD

5 : That’s because Hidden Moon hadn’t yet spread this rumor ^ ^

6 : Yeees, bite on that delicious, perfect bait…. ^ ^

7 : Thank you for being so helpful ^ ^ Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of the money ^ ^

8 : Humans always want MORE. They are, sadly, never satisfied.

9 : This tiger is but a snake who have already poisoned you ^ ^

10 : More than the greatest crisis of your life, it’s more like your time to die and pay for your sins have arrived.

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