Absolute Regression

As soon as the Blood Heaven Blade Demon sat down, he asked for a drink.

I brought the liquor I had stored at home and filled his glass to the brim.

“Did something unpleasant happen?”

Only after drinking several glasses in a row did the Blood Heaven Blade Demon reveal the reason for his anger.

“Those damn fools are openly ostracizing me.”

“Hahaha.”

“I’m not saying this to make you laugh.”

“Sorry. I never imagined a Demon Supreme would be ostracized.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon glared at me, showing he was serious.

“No one talks to me.”

“Wasn’t it always like that?”

“Well, they didn’t talk to me much before, but not like today. If they had confronted me openly, I wouldn’t be this angry.”

“What did they confront you about?”

“You, of course. You!”

“Me? What about me?”

“They suspect you and I conspired to kill the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. That’s why they’re avoiding me.”

“Did we do that?”

“We didn’t.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon glared at me coldly.

“You did it, didn’t you? You killed him?”

“Why does everyone suspect me lately?”

“Lately, you’ve had the most blood on your hands. What’s to say the Soul Reaper’s blood isn’t on them too? It was you, right?”

Instead of answering, I stared at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. He must have seen it in my eyes—that I had killed the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.

“Why are you telling me the truth?”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Right, you didn’t say it. But your eyes did.”

If I had intended to deny it, I would have done so. There were two reasons I didn’t.

The first was to create tension. Friendship is friendship, but he and I would be tied together as master and subordinate. I intended for him to trust and follow him without any hidden motives. A proper amount of tension in human relationships reduces mistakes. ṝÂΝОβЕŠ

The second reason was that I trusted him. I wanted to tell him the truth and believed that doing so wouldn’t cause any problems.

“You really do trust me.”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have placed you in the position of left-hand advisor.”

“I am one of the Eight Demon Supremes before being a left-hand advisor.”

“You are one of the Eight Demon Supremes, but you are my left-hand advisor.”

“If you trust people so easily, someday you’ll get stabbed in the back.”

“It wasn’t easy to trust you. Think about what we’ve been through together.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon asked abruptly.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Of what?”

“Becoming an enemy of the Eight Demon Supremes.”

“Technically, it’s the Four Demon Supremes.”

“Four Demon Supremes?”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon, who had been staring blankly at me for a moment, suddenly slammed the table with his glass and sprang to his feet.

“What? When did you kill three more? Who did you kill?”

As he shouted furiously, I quickly responded.

“Calm down, that’s not what I meant.”

It was only a brief moment, but it was surprising that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon thought that way. How highly does this person think of me?

“Then what do you mean by the Four Demon Supremes?”

“Listen to my reasoning. Since the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme is dead, there are now Seven Demon Supremes, right? If you are excluded, there are Six Demon Supremes. The Sword Supreme is only half on my side, so let’s consider her as only half an enemy. That leaves me with Five and a half Demon Supremes as enemies. In this situation, you and Senior Sword Supreme wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing, right? If the two of you handle one and a half Demon Supremes together, then I’m left with exactly Four Demon Supremes as my opponents. So, I said my opponents are the Four Demon Supremes. In fact, there could be fewer. If just two more out of the Seven Demon Supremes join hands with me, I’ll only have to face Two Demon Supremes. Simple, right?”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon looked at me with the most incredulous expression I had ever seen.

“Alright, I know well enough that you’re this much of a madman, so I’ll let it pass. But there’s one thing you’re not considering.”

“What is it?”

“Neither I nor the Sword Supreme will ever fight against the Demon Supremes.”

I knew that too. It was an ironclad rule among the Demon Supremes, handed down for ages.

“I understand. I will do the fighting, just don’t betray me.”

“Betrayal isn’t something people do; it’s something situations cause. So, you shouldn’t trust me.” (EN : What about all the Thots and backstabbing comrades who intended to use you from the start ?)

“Yes, I won’t create situations where betrayal can happen. So, please help me, Elder.”

I treated the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with trust. I believed that was the best way to make him one of my people.

After drinking, he spoke in a torrent.

“One wrong move, and you’ll get yourself killed, you fool!”

In that moment, my heart stirred. In his outburst, I felt genuine concern.

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

We drank in silence. I poured his drink when his glass was empty, and we drank again. As the bottle was nearly empty, he revealed one fact.

I had said before that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was more emotional than me. At that time, he had denied it, but he was definitely an emotional person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have told me this now.

“The Demon Supremes have called someone to uncover this incident.”

“Who is it?”

The name that came out of his mouth was unexpected.

“The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult.”

I was shocked. Of all people, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult? It was the very same Heavenly Wind Cult where I had once taken the Thunder Bell and recently obtained the Blood Eye Essence.

“Why the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult?”

“The Soul Reaper’s sorcery is based on the Blood Sect’s demonic arts. As you know, the Blood Sect was the precursor to the Heavenly Wind Cult. So, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult can accurately determine the cause of death by examining the Soul Reaper’s body.”

“I’ve heard that the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult never leaves his seat of power.”

“He will definitely come.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Because we’ll make him come somehow. Don’t underestimate the power of the Eight Demon Supremes. They will ensure the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult comes here, whether through threats or offering treasures, by any means necessary.”

This would have been impossible during the Blood Sect era. We had several wars with the Blood Sect, and they were a force we could never coexist with.

But things changed after they reformed and became the Heavenly Wind Cult. With the Eight Demon Supremes aligning with them, the Heavenly Wind Cult became an ally of sorts.

“What about the sacred relics of the Heavenly Wind Cult?”

“They’ll manage. If they’re really worried, they’ll bring them all along.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to send the body there?”

There was a way to preserve the body and send it by carriage.

“The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult isn’t coming here just for an autopsy.”

“Is there another reason?”

“There are three more reasons. The first is to show the determination of the Demon Supremes to find the culprit. They want to show to the Divine Cult, the Murim Alliance, and the Unorthodox Alliance that the Eight Demon Supremes are not to be trifled with. This is the most important purpose.”

“They want to demonstrate that even the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult will move to their will. That anyone who touches a Demon Supreme will be avenged.”

“Exactly.”

“And the second reason?”

“Because of your father, the Cult Leader.”

“My father?”

“They want to show him that the alliance between the Heavenly Wind Cult and the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect exists only because of the Eight Demon Supremes, not him.”

The Eight Demon Supremes had continuously kept my father in check. Perhaps the reason my father brought me into this was because of that conflict.

“And the third reason?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“If you killed the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult will find out through you. He will figure out who you are and how you did it.”

He was right. The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult might discover that I used the Blood Eye Essence.

I must hide the fact that I killed the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme. If it gets revealed, not only will there be vengeance from the Eight Demon Supremes, but their fierce opposition will also prevent me from becoming the successor.

“But is it alright for you?”

“For me? Why?”

“You’ve become my accomplice, haven’t you? Since we drank together all night, they might think we moved together.”

“They might think I dozed off for a bit while drinking.”

I chuckled at his way of planning an escape.

“Who among the Eight Demon Supremes went to bring him?”

“How did you know one of the Eight Demon Supremes went?”

“Obviously, an important person would go. Isn’t it a situation where it wouldn’t be strange if they all went together?”

“The Demonic Buddha went.”

The Demonic Buddha, one of the Eight Demon Supremes, was known to be close to the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult. Sending him meant they were determined to bring the Cult Leader.

I asked the Blood Heaven Blade Demon with a smile.

“Should I go after and kill the Demonic Buddha? Or should I kill the departing Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult? Or… both?”

“That would spark a war with the entire martial world. If we become divided, those fools from the Murim Alliance would suddenly shout for the extermination of the Demonic Cult. The Unorthodox Alliance would be looking for any scraps they could get.”

“Let’s bathe in blood together.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon stood up and said,

“If you want to die, do it alone.”

“Weren’t we supposed to live and die together?”

“Second Young Master, from birth, our lives have been each to his own. I’m leaving.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon left my room.

I downed the last of the remaining liquor.

“So the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult is coming?”

* * *

The next morning, I was summoned by my father and arrived at the Heavenly Demon Pavilion. My father wasn’t sitting in his usual seat but was standing by the window.

“You called for me, Father.”

“Come here.”

I slowly ascended the stairs and walked to where my father was standing.

“I’ve already heard that the Western Illusion Formation is in turmoil.”

“Would ghosts be any different? It’s the beginning of a power struggle.”

The Western Illusion Formation was in chaos after losing its master overnight.

There was no sorrow at the center of that chaos. The Soul Reaper Demon Supreme, who had always been immersed in his own world, left no one behind to mourn his death. The sorcerers were solely focused on who would become the next Soul Reaper Demon Supreme.

“Go out for a while.”

“Where do you mean?”

“Isn’t it time to inspect the branch of the Underworld Pavilion in the Central Plains?”

I realized that my father also knew the Eight Demon Supremes had summoned the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult. He wanted to send me away to protect me.

“Please reconsider sending me away.”

“Why?”

“The Eight Demon Supremes have called the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult to investigate the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme’s death.”

As expected, my father wasn’t surprised at all. He already knew. I started to wonder if one of the Demon Supremes might be a close confidant of his. Or maybe a highly skilled spy was accurately reporting the movements of the Eight Demon Supremes.

“If I leave the sect at a time like this, they’ll suspect me.”

“They already suspect you. That’s why they called the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult. The Cult Leader is no pushover. I don’t know how you killed the Soul Reaper, but he will certainly find out that it was your doing.”

“It wasn’t me, Father. Couldn’t the Murim Alliance have sent an assassin?”

“If that were the case, it would mean they want to start a war with us, but they are far from wanting a war right now.”

The Murim Alliance and us knew each other inside out. If a war were imminent, we would detect signs of it at least three days in advance, no matter how secretly it was planned.

“Are you really confident you can get through this unscathed?”

“Yes.”

“Where does this confidence come from?”

He had asked me this question before. I gave the same answer in a different way.

“If you were in my shoes, would you leave the sect?”

“No.”

“I’m your son.”

“Yes, you are my son, but you are not me.”

“But I can at least imitate you. If you are the one I’m imitating, the imitation alone will be enough.”

My father realized he couldn’t change my mind.

“Fine, but remember one thing.”

I thought he was going to tell me to be careful. It seemed obvious.

As my father turned and walked away, he said,

“Don’t kill the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult.”

At that moment, I understood.

“Wait, so you weren’t worried about me, but about the Cult Leader?”

As he strode away, my father added,

“And no other Demon Supremes either! Don’t kill anyone for the time being.”

“I told you, I didn’t kill him!”

I protested until the end, but my father had already closed the door and left.

I slowly descended the stairs, walked along the Path of Blood, and exited the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

Kill the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult? How well do I know the Cult Leader and the Heavenly Wind Cult? They are as valuable to me as a treasure trove. But if he comes here to pressure me… he will become even more valuable to me.

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