Absolute Regression

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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The Demon Doctor was serenely gazing out the window.

There were fewer patients today. Days like this happened sometimes—a day when even you could rest, watching the clouds drifting lazily across the sky.

But today was not one of those days.

The door to the clinic burst wide open, and someone stumbled in.

It was Geom Mugeuk, drenched in sweat, carrying the Evil Smiling Demon on his back. A tremendous heat radiated from him. 1

“...Please save him!”

Startled, the Demon Doctor quickly took hold of Soma and laid him on a bed.

He then turned to Geom Mugeuk, who had begun to regain his senses, and tried to help him onto another bed, but Geom Mugeuk protested.

“I’m fine... Please treat Soma-nim first.”

“You’re clearly not fine.”

The Demon Doctor could tell that Geom Mugeuk was completely exhausted. He was only staying conscious and moving through sheer willpower.

“Soma-nim first.”

Since the Evil Smiling Demon’s condition was more critical, the Demon Doctor quickly checked his pulse. He noticed that some powerful energy was suppressing the rampant meridians.

“What is this energy?”

“It’s Millennium Snow Ginseng.”

Geom Mugeuk had risen and approached the bed. His legs were trembling, making it difficult to walk, but he couldn’t just sit still when Soma’s condition worried him so much.

As the Demon Doctor removed Soma’s upper garments, he spoke.

“If not for the Millennium Snow Ginseng, he would’ve already died.”

The Evil Smiling Demon’s condition remained precarious.

The Demon Doctor swiftly opened his acupuncture kit. The leather bag was packed with needles of various sizes.

He began to insert the needles. The Demon Doctor’s hands moved with expert precision. Each needle embodied his pinnacle of medical skill that no other physician could replicate.

After the acupuncture, the Demon Doctor placed an unknown herb over Soma’s dantian and started moxibustion. A distinctive medicinal aroma filled the clinic. 2

“Ughhh…”

The Evil Smiling Demon let out a pained groan.

Next, the Demon Doctor pulled out a long red needle and inserted it deep into a pressure point. It went so far in that one might wonder if such a long needle could really penetrate so deeply.

For a moment, Soma’s expression seemed to ease, but soon he began convulsing violently.

The Demon Doctor swiftly withdrew the needle and started inserting new ones into different acupoints. His movements were quick and precise.

The Evil Smiling Demon’s convulsions soon ceased.

Up until now, the energy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng had kept him alive, but it was now becoming the greatest threat to his treatment. The overwhelming energy had to be concentrated in one place and kept contained until the treatment was complete.

Crisis after crisis arose, but the Demon Doctor skillfully navigated through each one, proving why he was called the Divine Doctor. If it weren’t for him, Soma’s condition would have been too dire to even attempt treatment. The effort required was so immense that sweat poured from the Demon Doctor’s forehead and body as if he were standing in the rain.

Geom Mugeuk watched the treatment with tense eyes. He was so exhausted he felt like he might die. He had run like a madman. It was no exaggeration to say it was much more difficult than the battle against Yaryuhan.

Yet, he couldn’t take his eyes off the scene for even a moment.

The treatment, which felt like a war in itself, finally concluded, and the Evil Smiling Demon entered a stable phase.

“We’ve passed the first critical point. It’s still too early to be completely relieved, but given his resilience, I believe he’ll pull through.” 3

“Please, save him!”

The reason Geom Mugeuk had run without rest over such a long distance was because the one waiting was the Demon Doctor. He believed that even if no one else could save him, the Demon Doctor could.

The Demon Doctor nodded.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you.”

Only then did Geom Mugeuk’s tension release, and he collapsed to the floor.

The Demon Doctor checked Geom Mugeuk’s pulse and assessed his condition. Geom Mugeuk was completely spent, void of internal energy.

“How did you manage to get here in this condition?”

The Demon Doctor was astonished. With a body like this, carrying someone on his back and running should have been impossible—just moving by himself would have been a struggle.

“Here, take this first.”

The Demon Doctor handed him a pill. It was a medicine to restore energy when one was utterly exhausted.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m not fine with you refusing. Take it quickly.” 4

“Thank you.”

Geom Mugeuk took the medicine.

The Demon Doctor also applied ointment to Geom Mugeuk’s wounds. Judging by the wounds on both Geom Mugeuk and the Evil Smiling Demon, it was clear they had fought in a truly fierce battle.

Just then, a martial artist entered and delivered a message.

The Demon Doctor read the contents and, shocked, turned to Geom Mugeuk.

“Where did you run here from?”

The message stated that Geom Mugeuk had set off with the injured Evil Smiling Demon, instructing the recipient to prepare in advance. Astonishingly, Geom Mugeuk had arrived even faster than the message.

‘Is this even possible?’

Especially considering that he had been carrying the Evil Smiling Demon on his back and was completely spent.

Anyone else would have assumed there was some mistake. But seeing Geom Mugeuk’s current state, the Demon Doctor began to believe he might have actually outrun the message.

In truth, the Demon Doctor had something he wanted to ask.

Geom Mugeuk had set out to kill Yaryuhan, so he was curious about how things had turned out.

However, he felt he already knew the answer, just from seeing how injured Geom Mugeuk was when he returned.

The Demon Doctor felt guilty towards the two of them. Even knowing how difficult it would be to achieve revenge, his desire had been too great.

‘I’m sorry, truly sorry.’

As the Demon Doctor gloomily turned to check on the Evil Smiling Demon’s condition, Geom Mugeuk tiredly spoke from behind him.

“I delivered your message to Yaryuhan.”

“!”

Startled, the Demon Doctor turned around. Geom Mugeuk was sitting against the wall in a slump, looking up at him.

“I looked Yaryuhan in the eyes as he was dying and told him clearly. I said, ‘This is the will of the Demon Doctor’.”

The Demon Doctor was so shocked that his eyes widened, and for a moment, he couldn’t speak. After a long pause, he finally asked stoppingly.

“Did you, did you really kill Yaryuhan?”

“Yes, I killed him.”

“Like… you really, really killed him?”

The Demon Doctor’s voice trembled, and soon his whole body began to shake with grief and liberation.

“Yes, I killed him.”

“Thank you, thank you so, so much.”

The Demon Doctor collapsed on his knees in front of Geom Mugeuk and clasped his hands with fervor.

“Now, live the rest of your life in peace. Your family would want that for you.”

Hearing those words, the Demon Doctor was overwhelmed with emotion. Still holding Geom Mugeuk’s hands, he bowed down deeply in front of him. It was a flood of feelings that words could not capture. How long had he waited for this moment? He had imagined this scene thousands, tens of thousands of times, and it was never enough.

Suddenly, the image of his son came to mind.

“Father, you’re busy for our sake, right? If you’re not busy, you’ll play with me, won’t you?”

Tears streamed down the Demon Doctor’s face. If his son had lived, he would have been middle-aged by now… but to the Demon Doctor, his son remained forever a child.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t play with you more. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how much I loved you more often.’

In the Demon Doctor’s heart, his son was smiling brightly.

Tears flowed even more.

‘Yes, when we meet again, I’ll play with you a lot.’

It was the moment when the Demon Doctor finally laid down the heavy stone that had weighed on his heart all his life.

As he was reminiscing about his son and shedding tears, the Demon Doctor looked up to see that Geom Mugeuk had fainted. The relief that everything was over had allowed all the exhaustion that had built up to finally overwhelm him. He was in such a deep sleep that he wouldn’t have noticed even if someone carried him away.

‘Thank you, Young Master. I will never forget this kindness.’

Just then, someone arrived at the clinic.

The person who entered, with a worried expression, was none other than the Blood Heaven Blade Demon. He had rushed over as soon as he heard that Geom Mugeuk had arrived and gone straight to the clinic.

The first thing he noticed was the Evil Smiling Demon lying on the bed receiving treatment, but he attended to Geom Mugeuk first.

“Is he alright?”

“He ran all the way here without rest, carrying that man on his back. How do you think he’s doing?”

Despite the tense atmosphere, the Demon Doctor wore a calm expression. It was clear that Geom Mugeuk was safe.

Gu Cheonpa couldn’t resist making a snide remark.

“What’s so precious about that masked fool anyway?”

He squatted down in front of Geom Mugeuk. Through the parted collar of Geom Mugeuk’s robes, the Ghost Protector Garment that he had given him was visible, stained with blood.

“Causing such troubles in my old age.”

Gu Cheonpa took the blood-soaked Celestial Silk that had fallen beside the bed and wrapped it back around the hilt of the Black Demon Sword. He then replaced the sheath at Geom Mugeuk’s belt.

“Causing trouble, is he?”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at your face reflected in that mirror.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon lifted his head to look in the mirror.

“What am I supposed to see?”

The Demon Doctor merely smiled mysteriously. He was certain of it—recently, Gu Cheonpa had changed. And he knew what had triggered this change.

At that moment, the Fist Demon King arrived.

“What’s going on here?”

As his massive figure entered, it felt as if the entire clinic was filled.

After greeting the others, Dan Woo-gang first inquired about the condition of the Evil Smiling Demon lying on the bed.

“How is Soma?”

“We’ll need to monitor him for a while, but it seems he has passed the critical stage.”

Though it might have seemed as if he had come just to check on Soma, the Demon Doctor could tell that the real reason was concern for his disciple.

“Your disciple is simply exhausted. After a few days of rest, he’ll be fine.”

A look of relief briefly crossed the Fist Demon King’s intimidating face. The Demon Doctor realized for the first time that even Dan Woo-gang had expressions, and he now understood just how deeply he cared for Geom Mugeuk, enough to let his relief show. To have changed these two fearsome Demon Supremes so much…

‘Young Master, you truly are remarkable.’ 5

But it didn’t end there. Someone else entered the clinic, speaking as they came in.

“What’s with these appearances? Did the two of you fight the entire martial world?”

The Great Drunken Demon entered, reeking of alcohol.

Skipping any formalities, he squatted down in front of Geom Mugeuk. After silently observing him for a moment, Song Sa-hyuk turned to the other two Demon Supremes and said,

“When he wakes up, he’ll probably go around boasting about his exploits, so we’ll need to avoid him for a while.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon chimed in.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t break into a long speech.” 6

At that moment, yet another person entered the room.

“What are you all doing, standing around an injured person?”

The last to arrive was So Yeonrang. Her timeless beauty was as striking as ever.

The Demon Doctor was inwardly surprised. He had known that Geom Mugeuk associated with most of the Demon Supremes, but he hadn’t expected all of them to show up like this.

The Great Drunken Demon clicked his tongue as he looked at Geom Mugeuk.

"Brother, what’s this? No pretty girls came."

“I’m here, aren’t I?” the One-Slash Sword Supreme replied.

Ignoring her, Song Sa-hyuk continued, “Brother, no young and pretty girls came—just all these old folks showing up? Back in my day...”

At that moment, Lee Ahn and Cheon So-hee arrived. 7

Seeing the gathering of Demon Supremes, Lee Ahn’s eyes widened in surprise. She hesitated, unable to approach, until Gu Cheonpa gestured for her to come closer.

As the Demon Supremes tactfully made way, she gently sat down in front of Geom Mugeuk.

“He’s just asleep, so don’t worry,” said the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.

Tears welled up in Lee Ahn’s eyes. The moment she heard that Geom Mugeuk was safe, tears flowed freely. It wasn’t just seeing him injured and collapsed; it was the exhaustion that seemed to seep from his sleeping form that moved her. How tired must he have been to not wake up even in such a situation?

She felt overwhelmed with guilt and regret that she hadn’t been by his side. If not for the presence of the Demon Supremes and the Demon Doctor, she might have burst out crying, declaring she would quit leading the Haunted Shade Corps and follow him everywhere from now on. Begging him to take her along.

She wanted to lend her shoulder for Geom Mugeuk to rest against so he could sleep more comfortably, or at least brush his cheek with her fingers. But with all the Demon Supremes watching, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. 8

Cheon So-hee stood nearby, watching the scene with concern. She was near the Fist Demon King and stayed back without stepping forward.

Then, the final visitor of the day made their appearance.

All eyes turned towards the door simultaneously. Even before entering, everyone knew who had arrived. Without emitting any aura, the presence alone announced their arrival.

Heavenly Demon Geom Woojin had entered the room.

The Demon Supremes, Lee Ahn, and Cheon So-hee lined up on either side, bowing respectfully.

“We greet the Cult Leader.”

Geom Woojin acknowledged their greetings and immediately inquired about the Evil Smiling Demon’s condition.

“How is Soma?”

“Fortunately, he has passed the critical stage. He’s a resilient man; he should recover his strength soon.”

“Spare no expense on medicine.”

“That won’t be an issue. Right now, the energy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng used to stabilize his condition hasn’t been absorbed yet. Once he recovers, if he succeeds in integrating it, he’ll become even stronger.”

Everyone was surprised at the mention of a Millennium Snow Ginseng.

Gu Cheonpa glanced at Geom Mugeuk and remarked admiringly, “Looks like that greedy one even gave up the Millennium Snow Ginseng.”

Only then did Geom Woojin’s gaze shift to Geom Mugeuk.

His eyes showed little emotion as he looked at his son. After briefly observing the sleeping Geom Mugeuk, Geom Woojin spoke unexpectedly.

“Keeping him here would only interfere with your treatment, so I’ll take him with me,” said Geom Woojin as he strode forward and lifted Geom Mugeuk into his arms.

Everyone was stunned by the sight. The thought of Geom Woojin holding someone like that was something they had never imagined.

They had expected him to use Void Manipulation to lift Geom Mugeuk into his embrace. Instead, Geom Woojin bent down and physically picked him up. 9

To the Demon Supremes, the sight was unfamiliar and shocking.

Ignoring their reactions, Geom Woojin walked out, carrying his son.

“Still jealous?” So Yeonrang asked Song Sa-hyuk.

She expected a typical response, like ‘Being carried by the Cult Leader? No way! I’d hate that more than anything in the world!’, but instead, the Great Drunken Demon said something different.

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been held by my father.”

The One-Slash Sword Supreme glanced at him.

“Are you drunk?”

Song Sa-hyuk chuckled and took another swig from his bottle.

Gu Cheonpa made a grumpy remark of his own.

“That scoundrel! He hoarded my elixirs so fiercely but gave up the Millennium Snow Ginseng?”

The Demon Doctor defended Geom Mugeuk.

“If he hadn’t given it up, Soma would be dead.”

“Let him die!”

After the Blood Heaven Blade Demon left grumbling, the rest of the Demon Supremes politely bid farewell to the Demon Doctor and quietly exited the clinic. Lee Ahn and Cheon So-hee also gave their respects to the Demon Doctor before leaving.

Left alone, the Demon Doctor let out a small sigh. It felt like an unexpected storm had just passed through.

He walked over to the bed where the Evil Smiling Demon lay sleeping.

The Demon Doctor’s gaze softened as he looked down at him. He was someone who had fought alongside Geom Mugeuk for the sake of his revenge. How could mere words express his gratitude? He would repay it by saving him.

“I’m determined to save you, so you must hold on too. For the sake of the one who ran that long distance carrying you on his back, you need to pull through, don’t you?”

The Demon Doctor looked out the window. The sky he had seen earlier now seemed to say,

‘Like the clouds drifting serenely through that sky, live the rest of your life in peace.’

1 : He ran as fast as a space shuttle re-entering our atmosphere, you can see the straight line of wildfires he triggered on his way back from the Unorthodox Alliance XDXDXD

2 : Poor Soma became a smoked fish XDXDXD

3 : Feeewww, that’s good. Let’s make sure to destroy that flag, we do NOT need it.

4 : *Underlying threat* : “If you don’t, I’ll make you.” Doctors are scary towards recalcitrant patients.

5 : Wait until Jin Paecheon, the Martial Alliance Leader, comes to check on him too XDXDXD

6 : Not the speeches !!! These traitors XDXDXD

7 : You were saying ? XDXDXD

8 : You know, everyone is aware of your feelings, considering how they moved away to let you reach him, no need to be shy ^ ^

9 : He could also have used Void Telekinesis to grab him by the scruff of the neck like a rebellious cat, considering how much troubles he have caused XDXDXD

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