Absolute Regression

Chapter 773: There Will Be No Way I Would Run Away

"Do you like him that much?"

Dan Ah was lying on the bed, while Seo Daeryong was gazing at the baby in his arms. The moment the Underworld Pavilion ended, he had rushed straight home.

"I do. I truly do."

Five days ago, Dan Ah had given birth to their son. Until now, Seo Daeryong had never realized what an arduous ordeal childbirth truly was. He had once thought that pregnancy simply led to birth without much difficulty—but only after watching it up close did he come to understand how wrong he had been.

"Stop staring already."

Despite his wife’s dissuasion, Seo Daeryong had no intention of putting the baby down. On the first day, he had trembled in fear of dropping the child, but now—

"You should eat and go train your martial arts."

"I’ll stay a little longer. Ah, he just smiled! Yes, that’s right, I’m your father."

Even as he held his son, it still didn’t feel real. To think that he had truly become a father—he couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality.

"Thank heavens he takes after you."

The boy resembled his mother entirely. Seo Daeryong had worried that if the child looked gloomy like him, it would be unfortunate.

"I wanted him to resemble you, though."

"What nonsense! How could I ever handle the resentment if he grew up blaming me for that?"

"What’s wrong with you?"

"I’m happy as I am now. I’m so glad he’s a handsome boy who takes after you."

"His lips are exactly like yours."

Seo Daeryong mimicked the baby’s mouth shape. Seeing the child in person was completely different from when he had merely felt him moving inside the womb.

"My son! My handsome boy!"

Then, a voice came from behind.

"Already bragging about your son?"

Startled, Seo Daeryong turned around—Geom Mugeuk was standing there.

"Young Cult Leader!"

"Congratulations, Daeryong."

"Young Cult Leader! I’ve become a father!"

He should have first greeted him properly and asked if he had returned safely, but the moment Seo Daeryong saw Geom Mugeuk’s face, a surge of emotion overwhelmed him. The feeling was akin to how women burst into tears when seeing their mothers after childbirth—Seo Daeryong felt almost similar toward Geom Mugeuk.

Geom Mugeuk stepped closer and looked at the baby.

"He’s worth bragging about."

"I did well, didn’t I?"

"A great success. What’s his name?"

"I named him Yeongha."

"Seo Yeongha. That’s a fine name."

Geom Mugeuk also turned to Dan Ah to offer his congratulations.

"Lady Dan, congratulations. You’ve worked hard."

"It’s all thanks to the Young Cult Leader."

She meant it sincerely. It was something her husband often said as well—without the Young Cult Leader, they would never have known this kind of happiness.

Geom Mugeuk handed Seo Daeryong a small package of medicine.

"I asked the Demon Doctor to prepare this specially. It’ll help your wife recover after childbirth."

"Thank you, Young Cult Leader."

Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah bowed deeply together to express their gratitude.

"Would you like to hold him?"

"Of course, he’s your son. I must hold him at least once."

As he handed the baby over, Seo Daeryong spoke quickly.

"Support his neck and head properly. Hold him with your arm like this, and use the other hand to support his waist and hips. Yes, just like that. Relax your strength a bit."

But it turned out his worries were unnecessary—Geom Mugeuk held the baby with surprising ease and grace.

"Wait, even holding a baby, you’re doing it perfectly? You don’t have to be good even at this, you know!"

"You’re saying that because you don’t understand. I’m actually using a great deal of internal energy right now."

As if to prove his words, a soft aura of energy gently surrounded the baby like a cloud.

Seo Daeryong spoke to his son.

"Son, greet him. This is the Young Cult Leader."

As if he had understood the words, the baby gave a bright smile.

A faint smile appeared on Geom Mugeuk’s lips as well.

"Yeongha, congratulations on being born to such wonderful parents."

After carefully handing the baby back to Dan Ah, Geom Mugeuk turned to Seo Daeryong.

"So, how does it feel to be a father?"

"It still doesn’t feel real."

Geom Mugeuk promised Seo Daeryong the greatest gift of all.

"When the child grows older, I’ll open his Ren and Du meridians myself."

Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah were both taken aback. The opening of the Ren and Du meridians required immense internal energy and carried serious risks—it was something one would only do for family.

"Young Cult Leader! Thank you. Truly, thank you!"

It meant that Geom Mugeuk regarded the child as if he were his real nephew. That made Seo Daeryong as overjoyed as when the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had once opened his own meridians. No—he was even happier now.

Even in that moment, Seo Daeryong couldn’t resist a touch of humor.

"To think, not only do we serve with loyalty for generations, but now even our descendants are blessed with your affection."

It was truly a kindness that not even death could repay.

"I’ll watch my child grow and will always try to raise him in a way that suit him best."

If that was the advice Geom Mugeuk had once given before the baby was born, now he offered a new one.

"I once heard this saying—raise your child as if they were a guest. Just as we treat guests with respect and kindness, we should raise our children the same way. And like a guest eventually leaves, children too will someday depart from us. It means to treat them well, but not to cling to them."

Seo Daeryong repeated those words silently in his heart.

"I’ll remember that and raise him well. Though, I’m not sure I could ever bring myself to let this guest go."

Yes, perhaps that’s why parents still tell their fifty-year-old children to be careful crossing the road.

Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly.

"One day, you’ll tell me this yourself—‘Young Cult Leader, you have no idea how big the gap is between theory and reality! When it comes to children!’"

Hearing that, both Seo Daeryong and Dan Ah laughed together.

"Come to think of it, I was so busy with my child that I haven’t asked about the Master’s well-being. I heard he didn’t return with you this time."

"The Sword Supreme decided to travel the martial world a bit longer before returning."

"Tell him to take his time returning."

"Why? So you can slack off on your martial arts training and play with the baby?"

Seo Daeryong straightened up with renewed resolve.

"No, I’ll train twice as hard now. No—ten times harder."

Geom Mugeuk believed him. Seo Daeryong would surely become a truly good father.

"I’ll be on my way now. Lady Dan, please take good care of yourself."

Seo Daeryong, reluctant to part, reached out to stop him.

"Young Cult Leader, it’s been so long since I last saw you. Please stay for dinner."

"I have dinner plans with my father. I’ll go for today."

Finally, Geom Mugeuk turned to the baby in Dan Ah’s arms.

"My dear nephew, welcome to this world. Grow strong and healthy."

When Geom Mugeuk left, Seo Daeryong looked at his son and said,

"Don’t grow up like your father—become someone like the Young Cult Leader."

But Dan Ah immediately objected firmly.

"No, grow up like your father. Mother prefers that far more."

* * *

Geom Mugeuk went to his father’s chamber.

He waited in the room while his father changed his clothes.

One thing immediately caught his attention—a scroll painting hung on one side of the wall, depicting him and his elder brother. Beside it lay the flower-patterned pajamas he had once gifted his father, neatly folded.

On a small display table next to it stood a collection of figurines—one of his father, the Demon Supreme, Geom Mugeuk, and Geom Muyang.

If he hadn’t grown closer to his father, he would never have known such things. That his father kept such paintings in his room, wore those floral pajamas, and even bought these dolls to display—it would have been unimaginable before.

At that moment, his father entered the room.

"There’s some kind of conspiracy here. Both the painting and the dolls—they made my brother look more handsome than me."

"When coincidences repeat, perhaps they’re not coincidences anymore, don’t you think?"

Geom Mugeuk turned to him with a grin. His father truly adored his eldest son.

"I’m hungry, Father."

"Then let’s go eat."

Since they had already arranged it beforehand, dinner was ready and waiting.

"It’s been a while. I’ve missed tasting the dishes made by the Heavenly Demon Pavilion’s chefs."

It had indeed been a long time since they had shared a meal together.

While they ate, Geom Mugeuk recounted what had happened during his recent journey outside the cult. Though his father had already heard the essential reports through the Heavenly Communication Pavilion, Geom Mugeuk added vivid details only he could tell.

"By the way, did you know that the Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Sword Supreme had feelings for each other?"

His father nodded knowingly.

"Ah, don’t even mention it. The old Blade Demon was doting on the Sword Supreme so much that I felt completely neglected."

"You make it sound like you didn’t tease the Demon Supremes yourself."

"You call that teasing? You’re misunderstanding, Father!"

"So, where did the two of them go?"

"They went to Taihu Lake."

At the mention of Taihu Lake, a faint smile formed on Geom Woojin’s lips. He remembered that long ago, he and the Fist Demon King had once gone there together, the four of them sharing a meeting by those very waters.

Sensing that there was some story behind that expression, Geom Mugeuk asked,

"Have you been to Taihu Lake before?"

When his father nodded, Geom Mugeuk continued,

"Then next time, let’s all go together—with my brother too. We’ll set a boat adrift on the lake and share a drink with your sons."

Then Geom Mugeuk shifted the topic to their enemies.

"……They used the Soul-Return Melody to summon the souls of all those we had faced before. It was possible because they gave the legendary elixir, the Heavenly Will Divine Pill, to a man who practiced sound-based arts."

He then went into detail about the battle that followed. Among all the descriptions, it was the account of the fight itself and the martial arts used that interested Geom Woojin the most.

"……And that’s how we completely dealt with them."

"You used the Heavenly Demon World Annihilation?"

"Yes. Even after beheading them, their souls didn’t disappear." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Were you able to control the Heavenly Demon World Annihilation?"

"To some extent, yes."

It seemed his father was not fully convinced yet, for he asked again,

"Still, it wouldn’t have been easy to use indoors."

That was when Geom Mugeuk decided to speak of the secret art.

"So, I used one special technique."

"A secret art?"

Geom Mugeuk smiled faintly and began reciting a mnemonic verse.

"Would you like to guess what this verse is from?"

He began to chant the mnemonic of the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique. When he finished, he asked,

"Do you recognize it?"

"It sounds like a demonic art from the Blood Sect."

"You’re close. I’ll recite it again."

"No need. I’ve already memorized it."

Geom Mugeuk looked at his father in astonishment.

"You memorized it after hearing it once?"

"Yes."

"Impossible! I can’t believe it."

But Geom Woojin calmly recited the entire verse back from beginning to end, word for word.

"Truly incredible."

Moreover, his father even deduced whose martial art it belonged to.

"Is it the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s art?"

"How did you know?"

"From the structure of the verse—it’s unmistakably a top-tier demonic art. And among those who practiced Blood Sect arts of that caliber in this era, there’s only one person fitting that description."

"Correct. It’s a technique from the Heavenly Wind Cult."

When it came to martial arts, his father’s talent was nothing short of prodigious.

"So, what martial art’s mnemonic is it?"

"The reason I was able to freely use the Heavenly Demon World Annihilation was because of this technique."

After a brief pause, Geom Mugeuk revealed the identity of the art.

"It’s the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique."

It was a martial art Geom Woojin was already familiar with.

The exclusive technique of the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader—he never imagined his own son would have learned it.

"I know of the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique myself. Are you saying that stingy man personally taught it to you?"

"Yes. When the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader first came to our cult, I had the opportunity to learn it from him."

"There must be a reason you went as far as to recite the entire mnemonic verse."

How perceptive he was.

"Yes, I wanted to teach this technique to you, Father. I’ve already received the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s permission."

If one could master the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique well enough to open it instantly, it would become the surest way to escape any crisis.

"I refuse."

As expected, his father rejected it outright without hesitation.

"I just wanted to take a walk with you in a new space, Father."

"Even if that illusionary realm looks good, it’s still suffocating."

"No, it isn’t! It’s exactly like reality—no, even more real than reality itself! And it’s such a useful martial art. You’ll understand once you see it for yourself."

Clack.

Geom Mugeuk activated the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique.

A vast blue field unfolded around him. Since he entered alone, it must have appeared to his father as though he had vanished into thin air right before his eyes.

‘Now, will you still say it’s not useful, Father?’

And just then—

Fwoooosh!

The very space before him split apart as something tore through it.

Incredibly, it was the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Zeeeeek!

The world within the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique ripped open, and through that tear, his father stepped inside. He had actually broken through the technique.

"You saw through the counter to it?"

At Geom Mugeuk’s stunned question, Geom Woojin replied with calm certainty.

"You do know that before the Nine Calamities Demon Art, no demonic or illusionary art can stand, don’t you?"

That was the true might of the Nine Calamities Demon Art that had reached the level of the Twelve Star Greatness. A perfected form of that art could even tear apart the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique.

Through the torn space behind his father, the real world outside could be seen. In all the countless times he had opened this technique, Geom Mugeuk had never witnessed such a sight.

"Father may be able to enter, but no one else can. It could serve as a highly useful refuge in times of danger."

His father looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if to ask why he, of all people, would need to hide.

"There is no situation in which I would run away."

At that firm declaration, Geom Mugeuk finally set his plan into motion—the plan to provoke his father’s competitive spirit.

"The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader told me he mastered this technique in three days. He said no one could ever break his record."

Geom Woojin’s lips curved upward in a faint smirk. He could tell his son was clearly trying to provoke him, but it still worked.

"And how long did it take you?"

"Well, I do possess the heavenly martial body, Father."

"I asked how long it took."

Geom Mugeuk knew from the start that using the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s record alone wouldn’t be enough to make his father rise to the challenge. After all, he would surely think his son could learn it faster than anyone else. The only record his father cared to beat was his son’s.

In truth, it had only taken him two hours. But even for his father, mastering it within two hours would be impossible—and he might not even try if he thought it was.

"It took me six hours."

He gave a number that his father would consider achievable.

A harmless little lie—please forgive me, Father! You can refuse to use it afterward if you wish—just learn it first!

"Father, I could never compare to you. Merely breaking the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s record would already be remarka—"

His father interrupted, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"I’ll see you again in five hours."