Absolute Regression

There are two ways to avoid getting caught after putting the Blood Essence into my eyes.

The first method is Complete Rebirth. When the body completely changes, it’s impossible to tell that the Blood Essence was placed in the eyes. This method is as difficult and as time-consuming as mastering the Nine Calamities Demon Art, so it’s not worth considering now.

The second method is to change not the entire body but only my eyes.

Can I change my eyes?

Yes, there is exactly one person in this era who can change my eyes. He is even within our cult. The question is, will he agree to my request?

That person greeted me, reeking of blood.

“Second Young Master, come on in.”

“How have you been, Demon Doctor.”

That person was indeed the Demon Doctor. The blood on his clothes was from a patient.

“Take a break while you work. You look tired.”

“Thanks for your concern.”

I hadn’t had much interaction with the Demon Doctor, but after becoming the leader of the Underworld Pavilion, I had met him several times for work and we had built some rapport.

“I came to give you some herbs that I came across by chance.”

I gave him the gift I had prepared. These were not the usual herbs found in the medical room, but ones I had specially purchased from outside at a high price.

“Oh, such precious herbs. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Come, let’s have some tea.”

“Yes.”

I drank tea with the Demon Doctor. After a few words of small talk, he subtly asked.

“It seems like you have a purpose for coming to see me?”

“You’re right. In fact, I came to ask a favor.”

“Go ahead.”

“You’re a busy person, so I won’t beat around the bush. Please perform the New Eye Technique on me.”

The Demon Doctor was momentarily shocked.

The New Eye Technique.

It’s a procedure that enhances the eyes of a martial artist. If one undergoes the New Eye Technique, not only does their normal vision improve drastically, but their dynamic vision also becomes exceptional. Additionally, they are not easily affected by external influences entering through the eyes. Light or darkness, underwater or in smoke, all external environments do not affect them.

As the name suggests, it means to be reborn with new eyes. The effect is so outstanding that it is sometimes called the Divine Eye Technique.

If I undergo the New Eye Technique, even the leader of the Heavenly Wind Cult would not be able to detect that I had placed the Blood Essence in my eyes. However, unfortunately, the New Eye Technique was known to be a lost secret technique from long ago.

The Demon Doctor’s expression turned completely serious.

“How did you know that I could perform the New Eye Technique?”

It wasn’t something that could be mentioned by coincidence, so the Demon Doctor didn’t deny it. What he was curious about was how I knew.

I learned that the Demon Doctor had mastered the New Eye Technique far in the future.

When I returned to the cult to gather materials for the Great Regression Technique, the Demon Doctor was already dead. His disciple, Hobaek, had taken his place, and I learned everything through him.

Hobaek had offered the New Eye Technique to Joo Baekdo, who was the cult leader at the time.

Through this event, it was revealed that the Demon Doctor had passed on the New Eye Technique and the necessary medicinal materials to his disciple, Hobaek.

I didn’t mention to whom I had heard it from. Instead, by not revealing it, the Demon Doctor would recall a certain person.

“Ah!”

His expression became more cautious. He would think that my father had told me. There was a reason he would believe that.

According to Hobaek’s recollections, my father had refused the Demon Doctor’s offer to perform the New Eye Technique. Thanks to this, the materials for the New Eye Technique were passed on to Hobaek, who could then offer it to the cult leader. Hobaek recalled that everything was thanks to his master.

Therefore, the Demon Doctor would fulfill my request.

Although my father had refused the New Eye Technique, telling me about it could be interpreted as his intention for me to receive the procedure.

“Are you aware that one of the ingredients needed for the New Eye Technique, the fruit of the Nirvana Guanyin Herb, is extremely difficult to obtain, making it possible to perform the technique only once in a lifetime?”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“Even knowing that, you still want the New Eye Technique?”

“Yes.”

The Demon Doctor fell into deep thought. I gave him time to ponder. I waited quietly while drinking tea, and eventually, the Demon Doctor spoke.

“If I perform the New Eye Technique, what will you do for me in return?”

“I have nothing to offer you right now. Instead…”

I looked at the Demon Doctor with a determined gaze and spoke.

“I will become the cult leader.”

“!”

“When I become the cult leader, I will grant you whatever you desire.”

The Demon Doctor’s eyes wavered. I knew what he wanted.

The Demon Doctor had wanted it until the day he died, but my father had never granted it. My father refused the New Eye Technique for that very reason. If he received the New Eye Technique, he would have to grant the Demon Doctor’s request.

However, unlike my father, I had no intention of refusing. I intended to grant the Demon Doctor’s request.

“Will you grant me anything?”

“Yes. But only one thing.”

“One request is enough.”

“I promise.”

Now, the Demon Doctor had one final judgment to make.

“Are you confident you can become the successor?”

“Yes.”

This time, I asked him.

“What do you think? Do you believe I can become the successor?”

Given my recent actions, the Demon Doctor must have been paying attention.

“I believe your abilities are more than sufficient. In fact, they might be excessive. However… you are too pure. I am not sure if you are suitable for the position of cult leader.”

“That works out perfectly.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hide these pure eyes with the New Eye Technique. Create new eyes for me.”

I said it jokingly, but the Demon Doctor did not laugh. He knew that he was making a life-altering decision and that this decision would determine his fate.

“It’s an important decision, so think it over carefully and let me know.”

I stood up.

“Second Young Master, let me ask you one last thing.”

“Yes.”

“If you become the cult leader, how will you deal with the Murim Alliance?”

“That will depend on the situation at the time. However, one thing is certain. Whether they are orthodox or unorthodox, individuals or organizations, men or women, if I judge them to be absolutely evil, I will surely eliminate them.”

I knew that, for both of me and him, this was the ideal answer, so I left with a calm mind.

* * *

Three days later, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stealthily visited the medical office at midnight.

The Demon Doctor was sitting idly in the consultation room, his face showing the fatigue accumulated from days of worry.

As the Blood Heaven Blade Demon entered the room, he spoke.

“Are you about to die? Why are you doing things you don’t usually do?”

The Demon Doctor had sent someone to secretly ask for a meeting. That’s why he had come quietly at this late hour.

“Our time to die isn’t far off.”

“Cut the unlucky talk. Either drop the ‘our’ part or stop talking.”

“Why are you so attached to this world?”

“Those who claim they have no attachment to the world usually have the most hell inside.”

Not many people knew that the two of them were such close friends.

“What’s the matter? Seeing as you called me, are you tired of saving lives? Shall we go kill some people together instead?”

The Demon Doctor smiled faintly. He had an oddly good rapport with the blunt-talking Blood Heaven Blade Demon. The saying that friends have different personalities made sense when you saw their relationship.

There were times when he wished he could live as freely as the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, saying whatever he wanted.

“I called you because I wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you choose the Second Young Master?”

For a moment, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon stared intently at the Demon Doctor. Then he burst into laughter.

“That guy really has his hands everywhere. To think he’d drag even a medical office scholar into the battlefield. Why are you asking about that?”

The Demon Doctor took a moment before answering.

“Just like you said, I’m tired of saving lives.”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon laughed heartily, but the Demon Doctor remained serious.

“Why the Second Young Master?”

“Why else? Because he seems like he’ll become the Cult Leader.”

The Demon Doctor nodded. He misunderstood that the Cult Leader had taught Geom Mugeuk of the existence of his New Eye Technique.

Judging by that fact, the Young Master had a high chance of becoming the successor.

But the Demon Doctor needed more than that. He was at the crossroads of deciding whether or not to use an opportunity he had only once in his life. This decision would also determine whether he could achieve his lifelong ambition.

“So what’s the real reason?”

The Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s honest answer was this:

By chance, I got involved with him. By the time I came to my senses, I was giving him the Celestial Elixir.

He couldn’t possibly say that.

“The Second Young Master said this: In his Demonic Path, he doesn’t break the inn’s tables. That’s why I chose him.”

The Demon Doctor stared blankly at the Blood Heaven Blade Demon for a moment. He hadn’t expected such an absurd answer, but strangely enough, he felt like he understood both Geom Mugeuk’s and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon’s feelings.

“Well, it’s about time for you to stop breaking things.”

The Demon Doctor stood up from his seat.

“Where are you going after calling me here? We should have a drink.”

“Next time. I’ll treat you then.”

“Do we old men have a next time? Pay up today!”

But the Demon Doctor had already left.

Watching his retreating figure, the Blood Heaven Blade Demon let out a wry smile.

“He’s diligent, so he won’t die easily.”

Of course, he was referring to Geom Mugeuk, not the Demon Doctor.

—

I woke up from my sleep.

The Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique had alerted me to the presence of a visitor.

I got up from my bed, put on my sword, and went outside to find the Demon Doctor standing in the yard.

“Elder, you’ve come?”

“I did not emit any demonic energy. How did you know I was here?”

“I woke up suddenly from my sleep. As if it were fate.”

The reason I added the trite word “fate” was because it resonated well with older people. At their age, they faced many things that were hard to understand unless they believed it was all fate.

“I’ve spent my life saving people.”

“That’s a noble thing to do.”

The Demon Doctor shook his head.

“I am not a self-sacrificing person. I saved people because I wanted to kill one person.”

“What do you mean?”

I pretended not to know, but I already did. That was the reason the Demon Doctor had joined our sect.

“As a doctor, killing someone goes against the will of Heaven. That’s why I’ve tried to save as many people as I could to atone for that sin.”

The Demon Doctor let out a long sigh and asked me.

“When you become the Cult Leader, will you kill that person for me?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you curious who it is?”

“If it’s someone you want to kill, he must be a wicked person. I trust you, Elder.”

“How do you know what’s inside me?”

“Sometimes the shell is more important than the core. The title of ‘Demon Doctor’ isn’t something just anyone can attain. I trust the effort and dedication it took to earn that name.”

Of course, my trust in him wasn’t based solely on that. It was because I knew everything about him—his life, his death, and the person he wanted to kill. Otherwise, I would never entrust my eyes to him.

“Killing him won’t be easy. If something goes wrong, many people could get involved and die. That’s why my wish is to kill only him without any other sacrifices. Can you promise me that?”

That must have been why my father refused his request. For my father to fulfill his request, he would have had to act personally, and the position of the Heavenly Demon was too burdensome to move for personal grudges.

“I will become stronger and kill only him without unnecessary sacrifices.”

“Can you promise that?”

“Yes.”

“Even if I die first, will you keep this promise?”

“I promise. When I thrust my sword into his heart, I will whisper to him that it was sent by the Demon Doctor.”

The thought seemed to please him, as a weak smile appeared on the Demon Doctor’s face.

Finally, he made his decision.

“Good. I will perform the New Eye Technique on you.”

“Thank you very much.”

I bowed deeply to him.

“Save your thanks until after the New Eye Technique is done. Come, let’s go.”

“Are you doing it now?”

“Once I’ve made up my mind, I need to do it right away. Who knows what I’ll think tomorrow? Why? Do you not want it?”

“Of course not. Let’s go.”

I followed the Demon Doctor, who was striding ahead.

As I did, I carefully looked around. This would be the last time I saw the world with these eyes.

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