Absolute Regression - Chapter 21

Episode 21 Four steps are enough.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!”

The sound of my father’s laughter rang through the main hall.

“Is the idea of killing people something to laugh at?”

My father stopped laughing and spoke decisively.

“You can kill the demon lord, but you can’t kill the blood-splitting demon.”

They say they can’t kill you yet.

“Then why did you make me clash with Blood Heavenly Demon? Take responsibility!”

“Don’t take responsibility for it.”

He took responsibility as cool as he answered.

“I will entrust the Nether Footprint to you.”

I was shocked. I never dreamed that they would appoint me to the Nether State.

“Is that possible?”

Of course, nothing is impossible with the will of the Heavenly Demon.

“Is it possible that a single investigator killed the demon lord?”

As things progressed like this, it occurred to me that maybe my father had even considered appointing me as Lord of the Nether in the first place.

“You said you want to get your discipline right?”

I heard those words like this.

I’ll give you a knife, so try running wild.

To put it a little worse, you become a shield and a sword bearer.

There will be many things that would be difficult for the father to step forward on his own. But what if you are the youngest son of the reckless Heavenly Demon?

‘Are you trying to use me to take care of the things your father has been putting off? ‘It doesn’t matter whether I die or not.’

I couldn’t tell if it was heartless infidelity or a choice born out of a decision to make me his successor. Okay, let’s not get emotional about this.

What my father said the other day is right.

―The human mind is something that can never be known.

Don’t try to read minds, just judge based on what you see and hear. You are judging the situation as it unfolds, not by reading the other person’s mind.

My father was originally this kind of person. They are people who leave messages on the wall for their children, and they are also people who throw their children into dangerous situations if they are worth using.

Rather, I feel comfortable having a father like this. Because I just have to do what my father wants and get what I need.

“If you send me out to kill a cow, you have to give me a knife.”

“Is there anything you want?”

The name of one of the places I must visit after returning came out of my mouth.

“Please put me in the Heavenly Demon Book.”

Cheonma Seogak was a place where all kinds of valuable martial arts monuments were stored, and only a few authorized people, including Cheonma, were allowed to enter.

“Why Cheonma Seogak?”

My father’s expression made me wonder.

“If you think that you can learn the magic of saving money by going there, you are greatly mistaken. “It will be over after just reading the non-level titles.”

There were a lot of downsides to that extent. Even if you are lucky enough to find the best martial arts technique, it is at a similar level to the Bicheon Sword Technique I have learned.

My father’s eyes contained doubt and reprimand, saying, ‘There’s no way you wouldn’t know that, right?’

“I want to try my luck.”

My father will be curious. I wonder what on earth this guy’s intention is doing this.

My father stared at me for a moment and then made a decision.

“I don’t know what evil intentions you have.”

Only after saying something that would have been better without adding it did my father give permission.

“Entry to Cheonmaseogak is permitted for seven days.”

“Thank you, father.”

Seven days It was truly an unprecedented time for me, who was not yet an heir. This also meant that entrusting Hwangcheonju was an important task.

“Our school’s discipline tells us to wait just seven days!”

* * *

Ian was very excited about the fact that I was going to enter Cheonmagoseogak.

“Boss, when you enter Cheonma Seogak, you must concentrate on memorizing one martial art before leaving. If you are greedy, you will get nothing. Be sure to eat rice. If you skip meals just to save time, you will actually lose money because your memory will decline. Oh, and it’s so big you could get lost…”

I reflected once again as I watched Ian chattering non-stop.

In my memories, Ian was a very quiet person.

She is such a talkative person.

I guess I was like that back then. It seems that he was just staring at the roof of Cheonmajeon, filled with the desire to become the successor. The people who will help me achieve my dream are standing right in front of me.

That’s probably why Ian became quiet. I am the one who made this talkative and cheerful woman quiet.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard. “Focus on one thing and eat well.”

“Sleep well. Well, I hope there are good results. Do not forget it. “It is a heaven-sent opportunity to be able to enter the Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion even though I am not the heir.”

“Ugh, my ears are bleeding. Ugh, maybe it’s already healing.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. “I will talk less from now on.”

“no. A reception escort with depression is even worse.”

“Then, please keep my words in mind. Another thing you need to think about is when you are looking for a secret…”

“Please!”

Actually, Ian didn’t have to worry that much.

Because I knew exactly where to go in that wide Cheonmaseo Pavilion.

To explain why I want to enter the Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion, I have to go back to the time when I was looking for the Bima Soul, the last ingredient in the method of return.

I returned to the Heavenly Demon God Church after Bongmun to save Bima Soul.

His face was deeply scarred, making his face unrecognizable. No one recognized me because I was already dead, it had been decades since I left the church, and my face was disfigured.

I rose from an ordinary warrior to a position where I could stand alone with the new religious leader through my own efforts. It took a really long time.

The last year I saved Bimahon, I was able to hear a story about a martial artist.

Wind God’s Four Treasures.

The person who obtained the Poongshinsabo was Joo Baek-do, the leader of the Bongmun Demon Church at the time. You can imagine how chaotic the church must have been as the religious leader changed six times in the decades since Bongmun.

I clearly remember what he said to me at the bar.

“…I was able to become the leader of the religious sect because I found the lost Pungshinsabo.”

Poongsinsabo.

The best footwork, both in name and reality, consisting of only four herbal formulas.

It is said that it was once used to assist Cheonma’s martial arts, but it is said that it was put into practice at some point and was no longer passed down. However, Joo Baek-do obtained the Pungshinsabo.

“…The former leader and his relatives suddenly suffered a disaster, and the Heavenly Demon’s German martial arts, the Nine Fire Demonic Arts, were put into practice. The good news is that only Cheonmajeon was swept away, so we were able to visit the temple with the school’s power preserved. Since then, our school has been in a state of confusion over the position of the leader. “If I had not obtained the Pungshinsabo, our school would have continued to be in chaos and collapsed due to a self-inflicted rebellion.”

He was able to rise to the position of leader just by adding footwork to his martial arts, showing how excellent Pungsinsabo was.

“Where did you get the Wind God Temple?”

“At the Heavenly Demon’s Pavilion. “At that time, I was in charge of managing Cheonmaseogak.”

“If there was a secret weapon there, why was it known that it was put into action?”

“Because it wasn’t on the bookshelf.”

“…!”

If I hadn’t been drinking with him that day, if he wasn’t in a good mood that day, if he hadn’t gotten drunk that day and boasted about his adventures, I wouldn’t have known where Fengshinsabo was.

Cheonmaseoggak was the largest library I have ever seen in my life.

Ninety-nine huge bookshelves filled the library, filled with all kinds of articles on martial arts. There were world-class martial artists everywhere that made the hearts of those watching them race, and these were the best martial arts skills that our school had accumulated over a long period of time.

I slowly walked between the bookshelves, savoring the smell of old books. The bookshelves were filled with endless bookshelves, filled with martial arts secrets, and it seemed like seven days would not be enough just to read the titles.

Of course, I don’t have to look for a needle in the sand.

“It’s here.”

The place where I stopped was in front of the 19th bookshelf.

In this place, there were inscriptions on musical techniques. Of course, I don’t plan on spending my new life with music.

I looked under the bookshelf, not at the bookshelf. A book was supported on one side to match the height of the bookshelf, which was lowered on one side by the weight of the book.

Using my inner strength, I slightly lifted the bookshelf and took out the book supported underneath.

The four letters written on the old secret sign that came out into the world like that.

Wind God Four Days.

“You were really here!”

I was overjoyed.

I thought back to my past conversation with Joo Baek-do.

“Because the Wind God Newspaper was not on the bookshelf.”

“Then where were you?”

“That precious treasure was being used as a pedestal for the 19th bookshelf.”

He said he discovered this because of his obsession. He was the type of person who had to place his chopsticks straight, and when he folded his clothes, he had to fold them neatly without any error. He said he couldn’t eat if there was a glass of water on the corner of the table because he was worried that it would fall.

At Cheonmaseogak, I noticed that the bookcase under the bookshelf was crooked and I discovered it while trying to straighten it out.

I don’t know why this precious piece became a bookshelf holder. Zhou Baek, who discovered martial arts, also did not know.

I think there must have been some secret story in the past.

An incident must have occurred that made it necessary to hide the best treasure in the world here. It could be the process of a succession struggle, or it could be the result of the wrong love of a certain Great Heavenly Demon. Or maybe it’s someone’s misguided ambition.

Anyway, thanks to that, I became connected to Poongsinsabo.

I carefully opened the first page of the book.

Before the actual speech, one line of proudly written words made my heart swell.

-Four steps are enough to walk the world.

Yes, this is it! He is a martial artist who competes for the best in the world, so he must have this level of arrogance.

Pungsinsabo was largely composed of four types.

Dark step,

blinking step, bright king step,

rapid step. The first step

, dark step

, was a walking method used when infiltrating somewhere.

At first, it’s just a matter of avoiding one person’s eyes, but as your level rises, the number of people you can avoid increases. It was explained that if the dark treasure reaches its peak, it can disappear in an instant even with dozens of people watching.

The second step, blinking, was a defensive step and was an evasion method to find a way out when an unavoidable attack came.

The third step, Myeongwangbo, was a step that penetrated towards the opponent and was explained as being able to neutralize any defense or evasion.

It was as if Myungwangbo was saying this.

I will open the road to hell, so you can follow it.

Therefore, the Myeongwangbo and the Blinking Bodhisattva were truly contradictory. If there is a conflict between the two basic methods, the method of dodging and the method of digging, the spear will be broken or the shield will be pierced, depending on the quality of the martial artist performing the martial arts attack.

The last step, the quick walk, was a light technique that showed where speed ends. The higher the level of speed gait, the narrower the midfield will become. I was confident that the great speed walk would demonstrate movement beyond human limitations.

In the end, the Pungshinsabo said this.

Sneaking, dodging, attacking, running.

When dealing with someone, aren’t these four perfect steps enough?

I sat in the corner of Cheonmaseogak and quietly memorized the nine verses.

Ian’s advice was faithfully accepted. I ate the beef jerky I brought with me at every meal, and slept soundly when it was time to sleep. Instead, with a clear mind, I focused all the remaining time on Pungsinsabo.

The depth of the confession was as deep as the sea, and the meaning contained was as wide as the sky.

It was a martial art created to be used by modifying it to suit the situation based on one excellent herbal technique. Therefore, it was much more difficult to understand than martial arts, which were tightly structured with dozens of herbal formulas. It was a depth that I would never have been able to understand if I had not lived my life before returning.

Was that why? The first time I read it was different, the second time I read it was different, and the tenth time I read it was different.

So I lost track of time and fell in love with the structure.

Seven days after entering Cheonmaseogak, I had completely memorized the verses of Pungsinsabo and was able to unfold them. Of course, I was only at the level of Ilseong, and the only thing left to do was to increase my level through continued training.

I tore off the most important part of the book, swallowed it, and placed the rest under the bookshelf. Poongsinsabo’s role changed from being the best treasure in the world to being a bookshelf stand.

I don’t want another lucky person to come along and learn the Fengshinshabo. I want to be honest about my desires.

Then I took my first steps outside Cheonmaseogak.