Absolute Regression

The Fist Demon King and I stood at the top of a cliff where a waterfall cascaded down.

Splash, splash, splash!

The powerful spray created by the waterfall had a refreshing effect on anyone watching.

“Now, don’t use your internal energy.”

“You better not break your promise either.”

What we were about to do was jump from this high place. There was no wager on the line; it was purely a battle of pride.

When we were kids, the girls used to look up at us from below… Now, here we were, in the middle of these endless mountains, pulling off the same dangerous stunt with the Fist Demon King.

“Your scrawny body might shatter against the rocks.”

“Your large body, Fist Demon King, will hit the rocks twice as hard.”

We jumped at the same time.

At my level, jumping off without using internal energy wouldn’t scare me or make my heart skip a beat, but I still let out a loud yell just for the thrill of it.

“Wooooooah!”

Splash!

With a massive splash, the Fist Demon King’s figure hit the water first.

He quickly lifted his head out of the water.

Meanwhile, I was hovering above the surface, using water-walking technique to stay afloat. I had used my internal energy before hitting the water. I crouched in front of the Fist Demon King, who was still in the water, and said playfully:

“I lost.”

The mischief on my face left him speechless for a moment, but then he burst out laughing, his laughter echoing through the valley.

Well, at least it was funny.

I dove into the water with a splash.

The icy cold water jolted me awake.

As I swam, Dan Woo-gang climbed onto a wide rock on the opposite shore.

Jumping off a waterfall without using any internal energy.

Had the Fist Demon King ever done something like this in his life? Probably not, and he likely never even thought of it.

“The water is really clear.”

After swimming for a while, I climbed onto the rock where Dan Woo-gang sat.

I could have used my internal energy to create heat and dry my clothes, but instead, I took them off and laid them out on the rock.

“I’m going to lie down for a bit.”

I sprawled out on my back and stared up at the sky.

“You should lie down too, Fist Demon King.”

“I’m fine.”

“When was the last time you lay down in front of others?”

“I can’t even remember.”

“Then at least do it now.”

Despite my encouragement, Dan Woo-gang remained seated.

We stared up at the sky in silence for a while.

If he wanted to shake off the fatigue that had piled up over time, he would need to cross the entire Central Plains and keep going. That’s why I intended to keep my distance from the cult.

“Let’s get going.”

“Let’s stay a little longer.”

The Fist Demon King looked anxious and restless. I understood him. His life in the cult was a whirlwind of constant activity. Teaching everyone from the Red Fists to the Black Fists! It wasn’t an easy life by any means.

After sitting there for a long while, the Fist Demon King suddenly stood up.

Frustrated and ready to burst into martial arts moves, I quickly stopped him.

“You’ve been throwing punches your whole life. Just hold off this once.”

“Just sitting here makes my body feel stiff and achy. I can’t stand it.” 1

“Come on, let’s sit back down first.”

I got him to sit down again. He wasn’t adjusting well to this idle time.

“That’s right. It’s harder for people to just stay still. But they say doing nothing like this is good for your mental health.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Somewhere along the way, I picked it up.”

Beyond the Fist Demon King, the sky was a deep blue as he looked down at me.

“Dan Woo-gang, look at those clouds drifting behind us.”

He turned his head and gazed up at the sky. As he watched the clouds, I could see stray thoughts creeping into his eyes.

“Don’t worry about your subordinates.”

The Fist Demon King looked at me as if wondering how I knew what was on his mind.

“They’re probably all cheering right now. Tell your subordinates to relax and take a break too. The leader slacks off, and so do the subordinates. Isn’t that great?”

“If that happens, the whole organization would fall apart.”

“So what if it does?”

The Fist Demon King flinched for a moment.

“You’ve never thought, ‘So what if it falls apart?’ have you?”

“Of course not.”

“If it falls apart, there are other Demon Supremes. If it falls apart, there’s my father. So what if you get scolded? So what if your pride takes a hit?”

A slight smile tugged at the corner of the Fist Demon King’s mouth. It seemed like a mix of mocking, as if to say, “What do you know?” but also somehow liberating.

“Just forget it all. Forget those fighters with their colored fists.”

How long did we stay like that?

The Fist Demon King began to relax his posture. He leaned back slightly, supporting himself with his arms behind him. He didn’t lie down completely, but he looked a bit more at ease than before.

We continued to stare blankly at the sky until our clothes were completely dry.

* * *

We descended the mountain and walked along a narrow path.

“Aren’t we going to use our light footwork?”

“The view is nice. Let’s just walk to the end of this path.”

As expected, he was restless.

“Wouldn’t it be better to rest when we get to our destination?”

When I hear things like that, I keep thinking about who I was before the regression.

Back then, when I went around collecting materials for the Great Regression Technique, I was like that. No matter what, I would run straight to the destination. The idea of walking was unimaginable.

“They say walking is really good for people.”

“Staying idle is good, walking is good… Is there anything that’s not good?”

“There are plenty of bad things. Like worrying about work when you’re out slacking off. Thinking about someone who isn’t even thinking about you. Planning to knock down a cliff while you’re supposed to be out having fun. There’s a lot.”

After a brief pause, he asked.

“Does my life seem that bad to you?”

“Yes.”

Without hesitation, I answered, and the Fist Demon King stopped in his tracks to look at me.

“It’s not bad because it’s actually bad. It’s bad because it’s too perfect.” 2

A flicker of relief crossed his face.

“I know what you’re worried about, but I’m not someone who crumbles easily.”

“Are you sure?”

“What?”

“Are you really someone who doesn’t fall apart easily? How do you know? You’ve never fallen apart before.” 3

The Fist Demon King had no response.

“When I see my father standing there in his regalia, it reminds me of you standing and watching over your subordinates. I feel like you’re both trapped up there.”

“!”

Dan Woo-gang, you’ve come this far with that unchanging strength, so isn’t it time for you to rest a little?

He remained silent. We walked on in silence for quite some time.

At the end of the path, I asked the Fist Demon King.

“Is there anything you want to do?”

Dan Woo-gang didn’t answer easily and instead asked me back.

“What about you?”

“I’m already doing it.”

A faint smile appeared on the Fist Demon King’s lips. Though Lee Ahn and Cheon So-hee always said they found him intimidating, I never found his expression scary. In fact, I wasn’t scared of him from the beginning.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Alright, first let’s go get something delicious to eat. After all, isn’t food an essential part of any trip?”

I ran ahead, and the Fist Demon King ran alongside me. Finally unleashing the speed he had been holding back, he surged ahead.

* * *

“Here we are. A place with 200 years of tradition!”

We arrived at a place called Lantern Pavilion, a popular spot that served both food and alcohol. It was so popular that there was a line of customers waiting outside.

“How did you know about this place?”

“This isn’t the only thing I know, you know? The signature dish here is bamboo shoot, which you likes.”

“How do you even know that?”

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t look it up to poison your food or anything. You’re going to be my future master, so it’s only right I know these things.”

The man standing in line ahead of us glanced back and, upon seeing the Fist Demon King, jumped in fright. Trembling, he stuttered.

“W-Would you like to cut in line?”

“No need.”

At Dan Woo-gang’s response, the man quickly turned back and didn’t dare look again.

I laughed and asked the Fist Demon King, “You’ve never stood in line to buy food before, have you?”

His expression made it clear that he hadn’t, so I asked again.

“Isn’t it fun?”

Dan Woo-gang looked around. He observed the people standing in line, others joining the queue, passersby on the street, and peddlers calling out to attract customers.

“It’s not bad.”

With over ten attendants, the Lantern Pavilion was such a large restaurant that the line moved quickly.

When it was our turn, we found seats and ordered several dishes along with some alcohol.

“Why did you order so much?”

“It’s been a while since I came here; we should try everything.”

The drinks arrived first, and as I poured a drink for the Fist Demon King, he cast a displeased glance outside at the martial artists hurling curses at each other as they passed by.

I reached out to block his line of sight.

“We’re slacking off! That’s a rock. That’s a chair. Got it?”

“I got it.”

Dan Woo-gang poured me a drink and spoke.

“At your age, with your level of martial arts, it must be hard to keep your temper in check.”

“That’s why I’m hanging out with Demon Supremes, isn’t it? To avoid getting into unnecessary trouble.”

“I’m sure you have other reasons for associating with us, but staying out of trouble is commendable.” 4

“Oh! That’s the first compliment you’ve ever given me, Fist Demon King.”

I raised my glass, and we toasted.

Soon, the food arrived. Dan Woo-gang took a bite of the bamboo shoot dish he liked and was pleasantly surprised.

“This is really good.”

“There’s always a reason for the long lines.”

My gaze shifted towards the kitchen.

“What do you think? Should we kidnap the head chef and bring him back to the cult?”

“You’re just saying that.”

“Why are you so sure? We could just take him.”

As the Fist Demon King stared at me, he said something unexpected.

“I heard your Demonic Path is one that doesn’t break the tables at a tavern.” 5

I was stunned. I didn’t expect him to know that.

“How did you find out?”

“I have ears, you know.”

This is exactly what I told my brother. Even when it seems like they’re not paying attention, the Demon Supremes are always watching.

“Yes, exactly. If others stand in line, we stand in line too. And if the head chef gets kidnapped, we should go rescue him. That’s my way of the Demonic Path.”

Dan Woo-gang stared at me intently. I wondered how he perceived my interpretation of the Demonic Path.

He hesitated as if to say something but then focused back on his meal.

As we continued drinking, one of the two women seated next to us spoke to me.

“Is this your first time here, sir?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then there are a few places you absolutely must visit.”

“Why don’t you join us and tell me more about them?”

The women glanced briefly at the Fist Demon King, then readily agreed to join us.

I ordered some new dishes for them.

I could sense Dan Woo-gang’s surprise. The casualness with which the women joined us seemed to be a novel experience for him.

A woman approaching a man she just met and then joining his table?

Because of that, the Fist Demon King was wary, narrowing his eyes as if suspecting they were up to something, but the women were just young people who enjoyed having fun.

The reason I had invited them to join us was for the Fist Demon King.

He had lived his entire life as a bachelor. There were no records of him having any dealings with women. Perhaps he had given up on romance from the start because of his appearance.

That’s why I wanted the Fist Demon King to experience something he normally wouldn’t.

As we drank, we chatted with the women about various topics. I told amusing stories that made them laugh. At first, Dan Woo-gang was cautious, but eventually, he found himself enjoying the conversation, his gaze turning curious and engaged.

Sometimes, when there was something the Fist Demon King could answer better, I would defer to him. For instance, things like this:

“Why don’t you tell these ladies about the time you broke through the Heavenly Net of the Murim Alliance in your youth?”

Of course, the women didn’t believe it and burst out laughing, taking it as one of those exaggerated tales men often tell at drinking parties. The Fist Demon King looked at me, silently asking if he should really share the story. I smiled and shook my head. No, they wouldn’t believe it anyway.

After having a great time for about an hour, the women stood up to leave first.

This surprised Dan Woo-gang even more. After all that, they just leave? No promises to meet again?

After they left, the Fist Demon King asked.

“Did you perhaps send them a secret message offering them money? Or did you threaten to kill them if they didn’t join us? Or were they women trying to steal our valuables?”

I couldn’t believe he would think like that.

“If it wasn’t that, why would those women ask to join us?”

“Well, it was because of me.”

“That much I understood. One of the women was staring at your face the whole time.”

“Exactly. That’s why they asked to join us.”

“Even with me sitting right there?”

“Do you think they’d refuse to join us just because they were scared of your face?”

The Fist Demon King nodded.

“There are two things you don’t seem to realize, Dan Woo-gang. First, kids these days are very comfortable mingling and having fun with strangers.”

“Are they trying to get themselves into trouble?”

“They’re fearless these days.”

“And you?”

“Including me. I’m fearless too, aren’t I?”

“Too fearless, if anything. And what’s the second thing?”

“Although it’s true that you look intimidating, your face isn’t unattractive. In fact, you’re quite handsome.”

The Fist Demon King was completely stunned. It was the most surprised I’d ever seen him since we met. He probably had never been told he was handsome in his entire life.

“If you’re going to flatter me, make it something I can believe.”

“I do flatter well, but this isn’t flattery. When women look at you, they might find your face attractive. You also give off a sense of reliability, like you’d protect them no matter what.”

Seeing that he was at a loss for words, I added.

“So today’s conclusion is: the Fist Demon King has a scary but handsome face!”

After emptying his glass, Dan Woo-gang reached his own conclusion.

“You’re a madman.”

“In the end, I hear that from you too, Fist Demon King!” 6

Just then, a young waiter approached us. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old, and his eyes were swollen as if he had been crying a lot.

“I’ve been watching you from earlier. Somehow, I felt like I could ask you for help.”

The child pleaded with the Fist Demon King.

“Please, help me.”

The tears in the boy’s eyes conveyed a weight of pain that even adults would struggle to bear.

I gently patted the boy’s head and said to the Fist Demon King.

“And not only do you have a handsome face, but to an innocent child’s eyes, you look like someone who would help if asked.” 7

1 : It’s hard to let go of an ingrained habit.

2 : Too methodically planned, like clockwork.

3 : True,he built up all his stress and never found a way to release it. That can lead to a full mental breakdown.

4 : I approve the effort, but doubt the results, really.

5 : Can you imagine the Murim Alliance Leader’s face when he heard his motto ? XDXDXD

6 : Those days, I can almost hear him say, “Thank you for the compliment !!!” XDXDXD

7 : This is the best proof of character, when children come to you without hesitation.

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