Absolute Regression

As Jisaeng forced himself to swallow the poison, Da-ho felt a sense of relief.

Another person had now fallen into the same plight as him.

‘They’re treating Yaryuhan’s subordinate like this?’

It was truly a scene that was hard to believe, even while witnessing it.

Naturally, this made him even more curious. Who on earth were these people?

Geom Mugeuk spoke to Jisaeng.

“If you don’t take the antidote daily, your organs will melt away, and you’ll die. You’ll probably experience the greatest pain a human can endure. So, if you want to scream, go ahead and scream.”

Geom Mugeuk released the pressure points on Jisaeng. However, Jisaeng’s mouth remained tightly shut, like a clam.

He was so shocked and overwhelmed that his mind felt completely blank. Just like Da-ho, there was only one thought running through his head.

Then, a thought crossed his mind.

‘Wait! Could this be a test of loyalty?’

Thinking along those lines, it seemed plausible. They might be torturing him to make him spill the secrets of the Alliance, testing his loyalty.

But then, his gaze shifted to his four subordinates, lying lifelessly on the ground.

‘Would they sacrifice them just to test me?’

That didn’t seem likely. So why then?

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk approached and presented an unexpected box.

“Open it.”

When Jisaeng opened the box, inside were three top-grade night pearls. These were the same night pearls that Geom Mugeuk had received as a reward for saving the Golden Manor Lord, Geum Asu, his daughter Geum Sayeon, and grandson Yang.

Jisaeng couldn’t make sense of the situation.

Just then, Geom Mugeuk spoke.

“Deliver these to the real Jisaeng. We know he’s your coachman.”

The fake Jisaeng was so stunned that he couldn’t say a word.

“You planned to kill us and take these, didn’t you? Or is that not the case?”

That was true, but he never expected to receive them like this.

“You can either deliver them as we instructed, or you can hand them over while revealing everything that just happened here. The choice is yours.”

“Why are you doing this?”

Why were they giving him the choice?

“Know this before you decide: the poison you ingested has no antidote anywhere else. Only this gentleman here possesses it.”

The Poison King was sitting in his usual spot, gently fanning himself. He seemed completely uninterested in what was happening around him.

“Oh, one more thing. Think about what your master will do if you reveal the truth. Will he really risk his safety to come find us and negotiate for your release? He’ll not only have to return these three night pearls but also hand over other things as well.”

Throughout the conversation, Jisaeng’s expression remained tense. He knew better than anyone what the real Jisaeng would choose.

“You can die while remaining loyal, or you can give up the night pearls and live. We’re not telling you to kill him. Just hand over the night pearls.”

“You’re not planning to harm my master?”

“Wouldn’t that work out better for you? The higher-ups might just replace Jisaeng with you if this story come to light.”

“!”

It would be a lie to say that he had never considered such a situation before. Perhaps it was because this opportunity arose from a dire situation that their words sounded even more tempting.

“Think it over on your way back.”

Geom Mugeuk didn’t give him time to dwell on it.

‘They’re letting me live? They want me to give the night pearls to the elder? Why?’

In his current state of confusion, his mind was unable to function properly.

Jisaeng, almost thrown out, exited the building and walked towards the carriage waiting in the courtyard. As always, the real Jisaeng was sitting on the coachman’s seat, staring blankly up at the night sky.

The fake Jisaeng climbed into the carriage.

“Let’s go!”

The carriage started moving. The real Jisaeng didn’t seem concerned that the usual direct subordinates who followed him were missing. He assumed they had stayed behind to deal with the corpses of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword.

The real Jisaeng’s voice transmission came through.

— How did it go?

— It was resolved well.

Jisaeng handed a box through the small window connected to the coachman’s seat.

He knew. The real Jisaeng would never sacrifice his wealth to save him. That was an unchanging truth, no matter how long he worked under him, even a hundred years.

The real Jisaeng opened the box containing the night pearls and broke into a bright smile. His eyes seemed to be drawn into the glow of the pearls.

Even at this moment, the fake one was struggling internally.

‘What exactly is their intention?’

Why would they just give away the night pearls like this? For what purpose?

However, the moment he uttered that everything had been resolved well, the situation became irreversible.

Even if the truth were revealed later, he would still be killed for having even briefly entertained the thought of betrayal.

With the conflicting emotions of the two Jisaengs, the carriage slowly carried them back to their residence.

* * *

There were moments when Jisaeng would shift from being the coachman to revealing his true self as the real Jisaeng.

It happened when he met Yaryuhan, and it was happening now.

The secret location hidden beneath the stables.

In this small underground room, spanning just over ten meters, lay everything he possessed.

A small chair sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by display cases that held hundreds of top-grade night pearls.

It was the treasure he had amassed over his lifetime. 1

Jisaeng added the three new night pearls to his collection. His hands trembled. One would think that after accumulating so much wealth, he’d feel indifferent by now, but this moment still brought him immense joy.

Every time he added another night pearl, he felt the thrill of being alive. Nothing else brought him this level of joy. Especially when he turned off the lights and watched the pearls glow in the darkness like stars in the night, he would sometimes let out wild screams like a madman.

He had led a ruthless life for this joy. To meet Yaryuhan’s demands, he had to be even more ruthless and cruel. Guilty conscience? He didn’t think he had ever felt it. Whenever someone spoke of guilt, this was his thought: who told you to live like an idiot? If you feel wronged, you could live like this too. 2

As he was immersed in his euphoric bliss, Jisaeng suddenly sensed someone behind him.

Startled, he spun around like lightning, and there, at the door, stood the fake Jisaeng.

Only now did the fake Jisaeng finally understand.

Why they had given the night pearls to the real Jisaeng. They were waiting for the moment he would bring the pearls to this place. It was all to uncover the location of this secret vault. But how did they even know he was collecting night pearls?

The real Jisaeng was equally shocked.

This secret space under the shabby old stable was a place no one would ever suspect. Who in the world would guess that treasures were hidden in such a place?

Moreover, to enter, one had to correctly operate a series of hidden mechanisms discreetly installed throughout the stable or else the vault would self-destruct.

Of course, before coming in, Jisaeng had checked his surroundings multiple times. There had been no one. With the skills of the fake Jisaeng, he shouldn’t have been able to get so close. Unless someone had the vision of a beast at night, they wouldn’t have understood what was happening even if they were watching. 3

‘Damn it! Damn it all!’

A surge of self-reproach overwhelmed him, realizing that he had let his guard down after so many years of nothing happening.

One thing was clear, though.

Betrayal!

If someone had targeted his wealth and planned for a long time, perhaps they could have infiltrated this secretive place.

Instead of asking how the fake Jisaeng got in or why he was there,

Shhh!

The sound sliced through the air.

Jisaeng’s hand moved swiftly, sending a dagger flying in a surprise attack. He was a master of throwing knives, a skill that had made his role as a coachman much easier, as he didn’t need to carry a sword or blade.

The dagger aimed at the fake Jisaeng’s throat froze in mid-air.

Someone had reached out from behind Jisaeng and caught the flying dagger. It was Geom Mugeuk.

Rage boiled up inside the fake Jisaeng.

He had devoted over fifteen years of loyalty to him. Yet, without a single question, Jisaeng tried to kill him. He didn’t even bother to ask, ‘Why did you betray me?’ before deciding to end his life.

From behind the fake Jisaeng, Geom Mugeuk stepped out, followed by Seo Daeryong and Da-ho.

“You bastards!”

Seeing Da-ho, Jisaeng mistook the group for the Four Tigers of Iron Sword. In this situation, it was only natural for him to think that the fake Jisaeng and the Four Tigers had conspired to steal his wealth.

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!

Once more, Jisaeng launched his daggers.

But every single one of his throws, known for their perfect accuracy, was lazily caught by Geom Mugeuk.

Jisaeng was stunned. His attacks were not something that the likes of the Four Tigers could block.

Geom Mugeuk didn’t give him another chance to throw. He closed in with the Underworld King Step, suppressing Jisaeng’s pressure points with a swift strike. In a flash, Jisaeng’s body stiffened, and he found himself staring in terror at Geom Mugeuk, who was now standing right in front of him.

“You’re not the Four Tigers of Iron Sword!”

“Of course not. How could the likes of the Four Tigers ever handle you?”

Geom Mugeuk walked past him, inspecting the display cases behind Jisaeng.

“You’ve gathered quite a collection.”

“Who are you? Who the hell are you?!”

When Geom Mugeuk didn’t answer, Jisaeng’s anger turned towards the fake Jisaeng.

“You idiot! You moron!”

The fake Jisaeng shouted back,

“I served you like a dog for fifteen years! And you threw daggers without asking a single question? You should have asked first, whether I was being threatened or dragged into this, you… you bastard!”

Their relationship, once so seemingly solid, shattered in an instant. The elder’s dignity and composure vanished.

“You’re not supposed to be here!”

“Why not? It’s filthy wealth, stolen, deceived, and killed for. Why shouldn’t I be here?”

“Did I do all that? You’re the one who carried it out.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?”

The two men yelled at each other, veins bulging in their necks.

“You pathetic fool. Do you think they’ll let you live?”

“I will take your place!”

Their heated confrontation had escalated to the point where all respect and loyalty were lost.

“You think the main alliance is that naive? Even if they somehow let you live, they won’t keep you around. Why would they let you, someone who’s tainted by association, continue when I’m dead? They’ll clear everything out and start anew, just like we’re remaking the Divine Debt.”

The fake Jisaeng couldn’t refute this. It was as if Geom Mugeuk had dragged out the fears he had tried so hard to bury deep within himself.

“So, in the end, you’re just going to get eaten up. I’ve been so careful all this time to avoid ending up like this.”

As Jisaeng sighed, Geom Mugeuk stepped forward.

“If you were truly worried, instead of being more cautious, you should have curbed your greed.”

Geom Mugeuk swiftly unleashed multiple air blasts, precisely subduing the pressure points of both the fake Jisaeng and Da-ho, just as he had done with the real Jisaeng. This was his way of telling them to shut up and listen.

“Today, this is what happened here. You hired the Four Tigers of Iron Sword for the Divine Debt. But these bastards betrayed you. From the start, they were after your wealth.”

Geom Mugeuk alternated his gaze between Jisaeng and Da-ho.

“Of course, there’s a difference in martial prowess between you two. But that problem can be resolved with this.”

Geom Mugeuk opened a small vial right in front of Jisaeng’s face.

Sssss.

The smoke from the vial forcibly entered Jisaeng’s nose.

“You’ve been hit with Evil’s Rot, the paralytic powder. You know it, right? It’s something your Unorthodox Alliance frequently use. It’s also a poison that leaves traces when examined later. Poisoned, you’ll stumble and collapse.”

Geom Mugeuk manipulated Jisaeng’s paralyzed body like a puppet, making him stagger and fall.

“At this moment, Da-ho stabs you in the back.”

Seo Daeryong did the same with Da-ho, guiding his hand to grip a sword and move it as if stabbing Jisaeng in the back.

Da-ho’s sword easily pierced Jisaeng’s back. 4

Jisaeng’s face contorted in pain, but with his pressure points sealed, he couldn’t even scream.

“You’re poisoned and stabbed, but you’re not the type to go down easily. You retaliate by throwing your dagger.”

This time, Geom Mugeuk pulled a dagger from Jisaeng’s sleeve and hurled it, taking the angle of his fall into account. 5

The dagger struck Da-ho’s forehead with precision, and he collapsed, dead, his horrified expression forever frozen on his face.

“You succeed in killing Da-ho, but the wound on your back is fatal. In the end, you collapse here, dying as you watch someone steal the fortune you amassed over your lifetime.” 6

Seo Daeryong then started mechanically packing all the night pearls into a sack.

“For you, this is much worse than dying, isn’t it?”

Jisaeng’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. He tried desperately to shake his head, pleading silently for them to stop.

“Just like how you cruelly took from everyone else without listening to their pleas, now it’s your turn to be helplessly stripped bare. This won’t ease the resentment of the many people who suffered because of the Divine Debt, but we aimed to inflict as much pain on you as we could. Yaryuhan will send people after your death. In the end, the culprits will be identified as the Four Tigers of Iron Sword. There will be testimony from your subordinates that you tried to hire them, and Da-ho’s body will be left here as evidence.”

Jisaeng looked like he had a lot he wanted to say, but Geom Mugeuk never released his pressure points.

“What you spent your whole life accumulating, we’re taking it all. We’ll make good use of it in your stead! Thanks for everything, kind sir! Now you can peacefully die.” 7

Jisaeng’s whole body trembled. As he lay dying, all he felt was anger and injustice. Geom Mugeuk wanted him to die that exact way.

Now, Geom Mugeuk’s gaze turned to the fake Jisaeng. The fake Jisaeng looked at Geom Mugeuk with a desperate expression, as if promising never to reveal what happened today.

His face was filled with hope that he might survive and even become the real Jisaeng.

But Geom Mugeuk shattered that expectation.

“There’s one problem with this plan, though. The Unorthodox Alliance won’t believe that Jisaeng fell to the likes of the Four Tigers of Iron Sword. So, we need a convincing mastermind. Someone who knew his identity, could poison him with Evil’s Rot, and would know about a secret vault like this. What do you think? You’ve been his right-hand man for fifteen years, haven’t you?”

Shock and rage filled the fake Jisaeng’s face. But the words that followed were even more devastating.

“Yes, that’s right. The one who fled with the night pearls will be you. And they’ll never find you.”

Geom Mugeuk’s fist struck his chest with crushing force, destroying his insides and killing him instantly. Not a single drop of blood spilled out of his body. Geom Mugeuk had never intended to spare him, a man who had committed countless atrocities without hesitation, just for the thrill of being in power. He would be buried in a place where he would never be found, probably dissolved in a puddle as precaution. 8

The dying Jisaeng looked at the fake Jisaeng’s corpse with a twisted smile, laughing at his fate. His mouth bled as he laughed, giving him a grotesque appearance. But he wasn’t destined to die laughing.

After collecting all the night pearls, Seo Daeryong, who had been waiting on the side, let out a deliberate sigh and spoke.

“The end for the right-hand man is always like this, isn’t it?”

“My right-hand is too smart to end up like this.”

“If you keep flattering me like that, I won’t be able to quit this dangerous job as your right-hand man.”

“People fall for that and end up just like this.”

After this bit of banter, Seo Daeryong approached the dying Jisaeng.

“More importantly, why are you staring over there so much? You’re on the brink of death, after all.”

Jisaeng suddenly panicked, coughing up a mouthful of blood while hyperventilating.

“That really does look suspicious, doesn’t it?”

If it were just a glance, it wouldn’t have been suspicious. But Jisaeng kept looking at the wall with eyes full of regret. Seo Daeryong had noticed that lingering gaze.

Geom Mugeuk and Seo Daeryong exchanged a quick nod before they began inspecting the wall.

As Geom Mugeuk slowly examined the wall, his fingers caught on something, and a satisfying metallic click echoed in the room.

At that moment, Jisaeng felt as though his world had collapsed. It was a despair even greater than when he had lost all his night pearls.

Though his pressure points were sealed and he couldn’t speak, his lips mouthed the words:

‘Anything but that.’ 9

Grrrrr.

The floor in front of the wall began to open, and something started to rise from within.

1 : On one hand, yay, more money for us !!!! On the other, how much blood, tears and screams were spilled for those little things ? *silently mourn*

2 : Can’t wait for Mugeuk to return those words to him. Bastard deserves to helplessly see his wealth stolen away, it will hurt him much more than being tortured and killed.

3 : Say hello to the Dark Shadow Step ^ ^

4 : It’s the same eery feeling as witnessing corrupt cops or government assassins tamper with a crime scene to frame someone. Except this time, we don’t want the truth to come out, or at least not in time to ‘save’ Yaryuhan.

5 : He’s lucky there is no fingerprints recognition in Murim ^ ^

6 : Ah, knew it. *Insert meme of “Know your fucking place, trash”*

7 : *Taunt level max*

8 : Mugeuk is becoming more and more drug cartel/mafia like XDXDXD “If there are no bodies, there were no crimes.”

9 : Hehehe, this is only the start of your nightmare ^ ^ Thanks for the meal *evil smirk*

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