Absolute Regression

Lee Ahn and I continued our journey.

Our destination was the Gwi Gate, the family home of Spirit Master. There was still time before the wedding, so we traveled according to schedule, enjoying the journey together.

Along the way, we met many people. We encountered a lecher who sought her, a naive scholar who was willing to devote his life out of love for her, and an old man who came with a sack of gold to propose. The lecher died, the scholar wept, and the old man was humiliated. 1

Meeting various people was a new and enjoyable experience, but unexpectedly, what she liked more was seeing beautiful scenery and eating delicious local dishes. While people might have been bothersome, the sights of the Central Plains were undoubtedly new to her.

She seemed to be trying to remember each moment as if she might never be able to return. She even wrote down the events of our journey.

“This dish is really delicious. You should try it, young master.”

“I prefer this one.”

“That one’s too spicy. If you keep eating such spicy food, you’ll ruin your stomach.”

“You couldn’t live in Sichuan then.”

She no longer paid any attention to the stares around us. People still glanced at her beauty, but since we didn’t mind, they became invisible to us.

“But young master, is it okay for us to be enjoying ourselves like this?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“The Eldest Young Master is probably trying to ally with the Demon Supremes right now.”

“Probably.”

“What if the Blood Heaven Blade Demon joins forces with the Eldest Young Master again?”

“Let them try. It would be so much fun to bring him back again.”

“You’re too carefree, it makes me anxious.”

“Don’t worry. If I’m destined to become the successor, then we can take our time. If I’m not, meeting the Demon Supremes every day won’t change anything. Besides, we’re doing something much more important than gaining the support of the Demon Supremes right now, aren’t we?”

“What do you mean?”

“Feeding the fish we’ve caught.”

She pointed at herself with her finger, and I nodded.

How easily I forgot. If it weren’t for the fish already caught, there wouldn’t even be a chance to catch new fish. How easily I took people’s kindness for granted. How could I compare the gratitude of the one who was already caught and stayed by my side?

She smiled and said,

“The fish is eating well these days.”

“So later, don’t complain! Don’t say there was a lack of affection or trust!”

“In that sense, can you order me just one more of those?”

“Order everything next to it too!”

Of course, while traveling, we didn’t neglect our martial arts training.

We ran, jumped, and sparred. Except for the times we ate, enjoyed the scenery, or rested, we devoted all our time to martial arts training.

Lately, I had been reflecting on the essence of martial arts left by the Great Evil Sect Master whenever I had the chance.

That realization, combined with the Twelve Star Greatness of the Soaring Sword Art, was tingling within me. Knowing that such tingling sensations always led to growth, I never neglected my martial arts training for even a moment.

Lee Ahn was equally focused on her martial arts training. Especially after opening her Ren-Du meridians, Lee Ahn had reached the brink of the Nine Star level of the Soaring Sword Art. With just a bit more effort, she would soon achieve Ten Star mastery.

In addition to swordsmanship training, we diligently practiced lightness skills.

“Aaaargh!”

Lee Ahn screamed as she fell from the cliff, but her movements were different from before. Her flailing limbs moved calmly.

At the last moment, she twisted her body several times and landed on the ground. Although she staggered and fell forward, she had successfully descended the cliff on her own.

“I did it!”

She jumped up and down in joy.

I landed beside her after following her down. At the last moment, I seemed to walk down the invisible steps in the air, surprising her.

“After jumping so much to follow you, I’ve improved too.”

“Are you trying to make me feel inferior? I came down with such a fuss, and you do this!”

“I’m human too; I want to show off and boast sometimes.”

“You don’t need to show off to be impressive.”

“Ah, I want to keep showing off to hear you say that.”

“Go ahead, I’ll keep saying it until you’re tired of it.”

She was so devoted to me, yet she was playful, cheerful, bright, intelligent, and valued personal happiness. That’s why I appreciated and liked her even more.

Lee Ahn drew her sword.

“Now, for the compliment fee. Please, spar with me.”

We fought fiercely.

Deliberately, we sparred while flying up and down the cliff using lightness skills. Sword energy flew in the air, and I dodged it while kicking off the cliff to soar upwards.

She felt close to death several times. Falling off the cliff, she climbed back up, and sword energy flew at her. She narrowly dodged the sword energy and unleashed her own, climbing the cliff.

It was a real battle between true masters. Although I set the stage and guided it, she handled it excellently. I could feel her skills improving. I, too, learned things while teaching her.

We ended our fight when we were back on top of the cliff.

“After opening my Ren-Du meridians, the flow of my energy and the power of my techniques have changed.”

“You know this is an important time, right?”

“Of course.”

Her eyes were filled with determination. While she loved the beautiful scenery and delicious food, she was inherently a warrior. Nothing could compare to the joy of her martial arts advancing.

“You’re doing well.”

“Who wouldn’t do well with a master like you?”

Her eyes were full of gratitude and respect as she looked at me.

“You said you wanted to see the wedding, right? If we cross that mountain, we’ll reach our destination.”

“Then why are you debating whether to stop the wedding?”

“I was asked to. To stop the wedding.”

“By whom?”

“Someone who helped me greatly.”

Explaining everything was difficult, but this part was particularly hard.

I had indeed told him harshly to go ahead and live another hellish life by marrying, but my heart ached for him.

If it weren’t for Seo Gong, I wouldn’t have been able to regress. I understood why he betrayed me to pursue his own goals.

Given the chance to return to the past, who could resist such a temptation? Perhaps he wanted to go back, even if it meant betraying me, to avoid that marriage.

I would make my final decision after meeting him, but if possible, I intended to prevent the wedding. He had been so desperate.

“Is the person marrying someone he loves?”

“I doubt it.”

There could be no greater enemy than that. Spirit Master had described married life as hell.

“There are people I want to see, even if it’s not for the wedding.”

Seo Jin.

My only friend during my wanderer days. If she, the Spirit Master’s sister, hadn’t told me about the Great Regression Technique, I would never have known about it and lived in utter despair.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I leaped off the cliff. From behind, I heard Lee Ahn shouting.

“I told you I’m afraid of heights! You can’t just leave like that!”

Despite her words, she didn’t hesitate to leap after me.

* * *

The night of the Gwi Gate deepened.

Ever since Spirit Master Seo Gong became the successor of the Gwi Gate, he had been so busy that he barely had time to sleep.

During the day, he had to master the secret ghost techniques passed down only to the position of Spirit Master, successor of the Gwi Gate, and at night, he had to study the Great Regression Technique. It was the long-cherished wish of the family for many generations, and there were thousands of volumes of materials handed down through the ages.

Today, he was reading late into the night again.

Then, a familiar voice came from behind.

“If you devoted this much effort to mastering swordsmanship, you would have become the greatest swordsman in the world.”

Seo Gong replied without taking his eyes off the book.

“If you spent this time practicing swordsmanship, you would have become the number one swordsman.”

The person who entered the room was his younger sister, Seo Jin.

“If you overwork like this, you’ll get sick. If you collapse, all this work will fall on me.”

“Don’t worry. I made a deal with a ghost. It promised not to take me until I finish this research.”

“The ghosts I met never said such things.”

Only then did the Spirit Master take his eyes off the book and look at her.

“Oh, brother, you already have an unattractive face, and you look even worse because you’re tired.”

“Aren’t I still decent enough?”

“That delusion is accepted only by the mirror, brother.”

Seo Gong laughed loudly. In his monotonous daily life, his sister was the one who gave him a breath of fresh air.

Seo Jin placed the book she had brought on the desk.

“Here. I finished organizing everything you asked.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It was hard. I’m not a genius like you, brother. I have to look at everything five times more than you do. Why is everything so unnecessarily difficult? It’s really tough.”

“I know, I know.”

The Spirit Master felt sorry for his sister. She was spending her prime years solely on research.

She had a beautiful appearance and a cheerful personality. She was popular outside, but these days, she was stuck in the research lab.

Seo Jin brought up something she had never mentioned before.

“Brother, do you really believe the Great Regression Technique is possible?”

“I believe it.”

Seo Gong answered without hesitation.

“Even if it means going against the natural order?”

“I still believe.”

How could the Spirit Master not understand why she was asking this?

“Is it hard for you?”

“It’s frustrating. If we pass this research on to our children, they will be trapped in this lab for their entire lives too, won’t they?”

“I will succeed in my generation.”

“If you’re going to succeed, please do it before I get any older. Otherwise…”

Seo Gong felt it. His sister was reaching her limit. She had always been an active person. Although she was reluctantly following their father’s orders, there was no telling how much longer she could endure.

As Seo Jin was about to leave, she stopped at the door.

“Fine, let’s say the Great Regression Technique is possible. Then what? If we go back to the past, what will you do? Will you lock yourself up and research again? Will you study reincarnation since you’ve accomplished regression?”

“!”

“If you thought of something else… Brother, aren’t we living the wrong life? Shouldn’t we be doing that now? We should be living the life we want to live now, not later, right?”

The Spirit Master couldn’t say anything.

He had a lot to say, but Seo Jin didn’t push him any further.

“Get some sleep early. Your face really looks worn out.”

After she left the study, Seo Gong sighed and leaned back in his chair.

She was right. If he lived his life fully now, there would be no reason to go back. However, accomplishing the Great Regression Technique was the family’s long-cherished wish. As the successor, it was an unavoidable fate.

At that moment, an attendant came in with some good news. The person he had been eagerly waiting for would arrive here tomorrow.

* * *

Lee Ahn and I arrived at an inn in the village where the Gwi Gate was located.

Lee Ahn wore her mask on her waist and a veil, leaving only her eyes visible.

After securing a room with two beds, we ordered a meal.

When traveling together, we usually shared a room at inns. Even when I suggested that we sleep separately for comfort, Lee Ahn preferred it this way. She said she enjoyed chatting and then falling asleep. 2

We were having our meal on the first floor of the inn.

The guests around us were discussing the wedding news of the Spirit Master of the Gwi Gate. It seemed to be the recent hot topic in the village.

“I didn’t expect the Gwi Gate to form an alliance with the Im clan sword family.”

“I was surprised too. Hasn’t the Im clan sword family traditionally married into other sword families?”

“I heard Miss Im persuaded her father.”

“The union of the Gwi Gate and the sword family is certainly an interesting development.”

“Hey, isn’t that the successor of the Gwi Gate?”

Lee Ahn and I followed their gaze outside.

A man appeared on the roadside. Seeing him stirred my heart. He was none other than the young Spirit Master. I had seen him since his middle-aged years, so I remembered his younger face well.

“Nice to see you, Seo Gong.”

In my previous life, I had only met him briefly a few times, but each meeting spanned decades during the most crucial moments. The hardships of gathering materials for the Great Regression Technique came to mind.

The Spirit Master was looking across the road as if he were waiting for someone.

A moment later, five or six people arrived on horseback. When the woman at the front dismounted, the others followed suit. It seemed they were martial artists escorting her.

Seo Gong ran towards her.

“Lady Im!”

She was Im Hyang, Seo Gong’s fiancée.

“Young Master? What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were coming and came to greet you.”

The Spirit Master’s eyes were filled with affection as he looked at her. 3

“Thank you for accepting my proposal.”

“It was a decision made in trust of you, Young Master.”

“And your father?”

“He has given his permission… but it seems he still needs more time.”

“I will definitely win over your father’s heart.”

Seo Gong spoke loudly, ignoring the stares of the people around them.

“I will dedicate my entire being to making you happy. No one can stop my feelings for you.”

I watched in astonishment.

“What the… Did you love your wife this much?”

1 : Ouch, the ravages of the jade beauty continues !!!!

2 : You can do it Lee Ahn, break through his defenses !!!

3 : Wait affection ? What’s going on ?

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