Jo Chunbae had been in an excellent mood lately.
He had taken the most precious vacation of his life, and had played the part of a fine father-in-law as well.
There was truly nothing more he could ask for.
All because of that man.
“Proprietor, have you been well?”
He was living a life in which the Young Cult Leader of the Demon Cult greeted him with a bright smile.
“Young Cult Leader, what brings you here at such an early hour?”
“I came because I have something to tell you, Proprietor.”
“Please come in.”
Jo Chunbae escorted Geom Mugeuk inside.
Geom Mugeuk looked around Pungryu Tavern. It had been a long time since he had come, but nothing had changed.
“As expected! The moment I step inside, my heart feels at ease.”
“I hardly know what to do with myself when you say such things.”
Geom Mugeuk sat in his usual seat on the second floor.
“You sit too, Proprietor.”
Jo Chunbae sat across from him, inwardly tense.
‘What could he have to say to me?’
Geom Mugeuk handed him a paper with the date of the meeting written on it.
“I think I will have to rent out the entirety of Pungryu Tavern for this one day. Would that be all right?”
“Of course.”
Geom Mugeuk had saved both his family’s lives and his own. Jo Chunbae would gladly lend it for a month, not merely a day. If he asked to have the tavern, how could he refuse?
“But who is coming, for you to do this?”
Until now, everyone had simply dropped by without warning. The Heavenly Demon dropped by, the Demon Venerables dropped by. So who could be coming that he would notify him in advance and rent out the entire tavern?
“There will be a meeting of our cult. I boasted about you, Proprietor. I said I wished to host them here no matter what.”
“Thank you very much, Young Cult Leader.”
There was a slight misunderstanding then.
He thought a meeting normally held within the Divine Cult would be held here so they could sell liquor and spread the name of Pungryu Tavern far and wide.
“Please take care in preparing the liquor and dishes. I apologize that I cannot reveal in advance who the guests are. Also, I ask that you not let this meeting become known outside until the day itself.”
“Of course. Please do not worry.”
Jo Chunbae laughed heartily with confidence.
‘At last, an opportunity has come to repay even a little of the debt I owe the Young Cult Leader.’
His gaze turned toward the back wall. No matter how honored the guests were.
‘I am a man who has even received the Cult Leader!’
And that was not all. He had also hosted drinking gatherings for the Demon Venerables, as well as the Demon Lord and the Lord of Hwangcheon Pavilion.
“When it comes to receiving honored guests, have I not been through every hardship there is? Please leave it to me!”
Proprietor, these guests are people who mainly wage aerial battles.
Though it was top secret, he could have given Jo Chunbae a hint in advance about who was coming. But that would only have the opposite effect.
Jo Chunbae would not sleep a wink all night from worry, and he was the sort of man who would scale a cliff to find fine ingredients. No, Jo Chunbae’s heart might not even last until that day.
“Then I will trust only you, Proprietor.”
In truth, if Geom Mugeuk had his way, he wanted to barge in as usual. There would be customers on the first floor, and the Martial Alliance Leader would say, “Let us pass,” as he made his way through the people and went up to the second floor.
He simply wanted to show them the place as it usually was. As he always had, Jo Chunbae would handle them well too. A three-way summit among the customers!
Of course, he could not bring himself to insist that far. It would put the guards in far too awkward a position.
“I will come back a little later to eat with my brother.”
“I will prepare what you usually enjoy.”
After leaving the tavern, Geom Mugeuk walked toward a middle-aged man standing across the street, wearing a bamboo hat.
“Did you not come in because of me?”
At that, the middle-aged man removed his bamboo hat.
“You recognized me.”
Surprisingly, he was Chef Wang, the chief representative chef of the Cult Leader’s Hall.
It seemed the Chief Strategist had sent Chef Wang to ensure this meeting was flawless. Apart from trusting Geom Mugeuk, the people to be entertained were the Martial Alliance Leader and the Unorthodox Alliance Leader.
“I came to see if there might be anything the tavern needed.”
That was what he said, but he had come to inspect it. How the cooking was, how the hygiene was.
“Do not mind me. Do the work you were assigned.”
“Would that truly be all right?”
Since he knew Geom Mugeuk had chosen the venue for this meeting, Chef Wang was inwardly concerned.
“I am fine, but that tavern will not be.”
“Pardon?”
“You are none other than Chef Wang, and if you inspect that shabby tavern, how could it possibly satisfy you? From one to ten, nothing will please you.”
Chef Wang acknowledged it as well. After all, he himself had wondered whether it made any sense to hold this meeting at a tavern like that.
“Then may I ask why you chose that place?”
There were many reasons, but he gave the one that would resonate most deeply with Chef Wang.
“The food is delicious.”
Sure enough, Chef Wang immediately accepted it and nodded.
“If that is the reason, it is sufficient.”
“Then I will see you later.”
Geom Mugeuk watched Chef Wang enter Pungryu Tavern, then turned his steps toward the main compound.
The person he met at the main compound was his elder brother, Geom Muyang. He was in his office, handling work related to this meeting.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see your face, Brother.”
“I am busy. If you have seen my face, go.”
He was acting curt for no reason, but there was a look of welcome on his face.
“Let us eat together. We can look over the meeting place as well.”
“I told you I am busy.”
“Our brother has all sorts of bad points, but I never imagined you would even become the very embodiment of armchair theorizing! If you sit in your office and make decisions without even looking at the scene, how can anything run properly? You should go yourself, see it with your own eyes, and say, Proprietor, should this not be fixed like this? Little brother, should you not yield on this as well?”
Geom Muyang covered his ears and rose from his seat.
* * *
The two of them walked side by side toward Maga Village.
“You will attend the summit too, right, Brother?”
“Why? Do you wish I would not?”
“As if that could be true. I must boast to the people of the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance that I beat this man and became the successor.”
Geom Mugeuk had been worried that Geom Muyang might say he would not attend.
But Geom Muyang was unexpectedly堂堂.
“If I do not go, will they not say I was ashamed of being pushed out of the successor’s seat and therefore did not show myself? I must go, if only to avoid that disgrace.”
It could not have been something he wanted. He was grateful to his brother for saying he would attend like this.
“Now that I think about it, I should not let you come, Brother. Everyone might start whispering, why did he make the younger brother his successor when he had such a fine eldest son?”
“So long as you understand.”
“This time, Captain Jin and his sister from the Martial Alliance will come too. We have to show them that we are the better blood siblings.”
“Did you call them just to show that?”
“Yes. I called them to boast about what kind of people I have around me. I mean it.”
“How childish.”
As they talked about this and that, Geom Mugeuk suddenly asked.
“Do you still dream these days?”
“What dream?”
“The dream where you become the successor.”
Now that he thought about it, he had not had that dream lately. At first, he had dreamed it so often.
“I dream it every day.”
Geom Muyang finally realized that the dream had left him. No matter how busy he was, it was not something he would simply forget. Somehow, he felt both relieved and disappointed.
“I will dream it even the day before I die of old age.”
“How unsightly.”
“I will dream it even after I am in my grave.”
Perhaps he found his own words funny, for Geom Muyang gave a faint smile.
Geom Mugeuk could sense that his brother had let it go.
“If you keep dreaming, it may become reality someday. How can anyone know what will happen?”
Geom Muyang, who had been walking beside him, stopped and shouted with an angry face.
“Do not even dream it!”
Very occasionally, it occurred to him. The sight of Geom Mugeuk handing the Heavenly Demon’s position over to him and leaving. The more he came to know about his younger brother, the clearer that scene became.
“Why are you trying to awaken my dream?”
Geom Muyang deliberately looked at his younger brother even more coldly. This point had to be made clear.
“If you have taken it once, you carry it to the end. I will not forgive you for yielding it. Understood?”
“Understood. I will not yield it. Do you take me for a fool? Why would I yield something so good?”
The two of them started walking again. They did not say a word until they arrived at Pungryu Tavern.
At that moment, Chef Wang was admiring the food.
It tasted better than he had expected. It seemed ordinary, yet there was a deep flavor to it. It was a taste anyone could enjoy without strong likes or dislikes, and yet it had a distinctive flavor of its own.
“How did you make this broth?”
“It is pork broth, with secret ingredients added. Even if you are from the cult, I cannot tell you the secret ingredients.”
“That is all right.”
This elderly man had said he was from the cult and that he wanted to taste the food here before the meeting.
Having run his business here for a long time, Jo Chunbae knew better than anyone how the Divine Cult handled affairs. It was only natural that someone would come out to inspect.
After taking another sip of the soup, Chef Wang was greatly moved.
“It tastes different from the first sip.”
“Oh my, no. Not at all.”
Jo Chunbae waved his hands in humility, but his shoulders had risen as high as the corners of his mouth.
“Ah, then please try this as well.”
This is what the Cult Leader ate too!
Chef Wang tried the dish he recommended and looked very satisfied.
“This is good too. This suits my taste best.”
At that, Jo Chunbae casually said,
“Shall I pack some for you?”
“Would you do that?”
“To tell the truth, ever since I was young, I was often told I was born with a good touch for cooking. My tongue is sensitive as well, so I understand flavors. I do not know if you know this, but cooking, like martial arts, is something that requires talent.”
“Sometime, I would like to bring the chefs of the Divine Cult here and let them taste it. To show that even with such common ingredients, one can create a deep flavor.”
“Oh my, what are you saying? Not at all, not at all.”
Jo Chunbae waved his hands again. He was so pleased that his hand-waving was cheerful enough to turn into butterflies and fly off.
Jo Chunbae, who had been in high spirits, only then noticed that Geom Mugeuk and Geom Muyang were standing at the entrance, watching them.
“Ah, Young Cult Leader. First Young Master! When did you arrive?”
Jo Chunbae respectfully greeted the two.
“This guest here is someone who came from our cult for a preliminary inspection.”
Geom Muyang greeted Chef Wang first.
“Chef Wang.”
“First Young Master.”
At the words Chef Wang, Jo Chunbae flinched in surprise. Chef? This man was a chef? Chef Wang?
Having run his business here for so long, how could he not have heard stories about Chef Wang? Surely not? That Chef Wang?
Jo Chunbae asked Geom Mugeuk in a trembling voice.
“Do you mean this person is? No, surely not?”
Geom Mugeuk said with a smile,
“That is right. This is the head chef of the Cult Leader’s Hall.”
Jo Chunbae, startled out of his wits, nearly jumped. The butterflies that had taken flight all came crashing down.
“Oh dear!”
Not just any chef, but the head chef of the Cult Leader’s Hall—and he had bragged about how to make seasonings, how to simmer broth, and all sorts of things.
“This foolish man has swung a stick before the Sword God and lectured on martial learning.”
At that, Chef Wang shook his head.
“At times, that stick can be sharper than the Sword God’s sword.”
They said truly delicious restaurants were hidden in unexpected places, and Pungryu Tavern was such a place. Even when Geom Mugeuk had said it was delicious, he had inwardly looked down on it, thinking, how delicious could it be?
Chef Wang said to Geom Mugeuk,
“I am someone who believes there is fate even between food and people. This taste must have played a part in the fate between this tavern and the Young Cult Leader.”
It was the moment Jo Chunbae received recognition from the chef of the Cult Leader’s Hall.
“I ate well.”
“It was an honor, Chef!”
Before leaving, Chef Wang took all the food Jo Chunbae had packed for him. That sight alone moved Jo Chunbae.
“Please bring those delicious dishes to the second floor.”
Leaving him steeped in emotion, Geom Mugeuk and Geom Muyang went up to the second floor.
Geom Muyang sent a voice transmission.
—It is not that delicious.
—Why send it by voice transmission? Be wicked and say it aloud in front of the Proprietor.
—He is so moved right now that I doubt he would hear me even if I said it.
Jo Chunbae was endlessly staring at Chef Wang’s departing back.
“Sit over here, Brother. This spot has a good view of outside.”
Geom Mugeuk yielded the good seat.
“Since you will not let me yield the Taishi chair, I should at least yield this seat.”
Brother, do you know? To me, that seat is as precious as the Taishi chair.
* * *
When Jin Hagun came out of the conference room, Jin Haryeong was waiting.
“That took a long time.”
“They are in the middle of a pride contest.”
At Jin Hagun’s words, Jin Haryeong asked,
“What pride?”
“They are agonizing over the number of guards compared to the Unorthodox Alliance.”
“To bring more?”
At that, Jin Ha-gun shook his head.
“To take even one fewer person.”
Those words made Jin Ha-ryeong laugh. He was worried that the other side would think him frightened if the number of guards was too high.
“You worry about the strangest things.”
“Because it’s an important matter to them. But why?”
“I heard you removed me from the summit roster?”
“Yeah, I took you off.”
“Why?”
“Because we can’t both go.”
Jin Ha-ryeong made an expression of disbelief.
“So that if something unexpected happens, one of us will survive?”
Jin Ha-gun nodded.
“Then go in and persuade him. If you can’t, big brother will be the one left behind.”
He was Jin Ha-gun, who knew his younger sister’s temperament better than anyone. He also knew that she truly wanted to see Geom Mugeuk.
“I was already in the middle of persuading him.”
“Then I came here for nothing. For not trusting the best big brother in the world.”
“Am I truly the best?”
Jin Ha-gun went back inside.
Jin Ha-ryeong smiled faintly and looked up at the sky beyond the corridor window.
Though the drifting clouds were so slow they seemed frozen, time was flowing fast.
* * *
Until the moment of departure, Baek Ja-gang remained in his private training ground.
After the date of the assembly was set, he had stayed only there, like a man facing war.
Today as well, he was glaring at the iron dummy.
In his eyes now, Geom Woo-jin stood superimposed over the iron dummy.
He still stared at him with arrogant eyes.
Then someone spoke from outside.
“It is Sa-in. The departure time has come.”
“Enter.”
Into the room came Bi Sa-in.
“Do you know who stands there?”
Bi Sa-in looked at the iron dummy. Superimposed over it, he could see the figure of Geom Mugeuk.
“Who stands there?”
“The Demonic Cult Leader. Exactly as he appeared ten years ago when I met him. He has been standing there ever since the trilateral talks were decided.”
Bi Sa-in looked at the iron dummy together with his master, then suddenly asked.
“Did you cut him down?”
For a moment, Baek Ja-gang was silent. The silence was long, but Bi Sa-in did not think he had made a mistake. His master had clearly been waiting for that question.
“I could not cut him.”
Bi Sa-in liked this about his master. He did not hide the truth to save face or protect his pride.
“Here, I understood why I had resolved to meet him.”
“What was the reason?”
“He loomed too large in my heart.”
Bi Sa-in could guess what those words meant.
“This time, when you meet him, he will become smaller.”
One unease arose in Baek Ja-gang’s heart.
“What if he is a greater man than I have grown to be?”
Had he ever seen such a frank side of his master? Was it Geom Mugeuk who had changed him, or was it Geom Woo-jin?
“Then perhaps you will understand my feelings, even if only a little. The stifling feelings of a disciple who watches his sworn enemy grow larger every time he sees him.”
Baek Ja-gang laughed without a sound.
Bi Sa-in felt pleased to see his master laugh. Each time he smiled, it felt as though he took one step closer. Even if it was an illusion, it was welcome.
Soon after, attendants entered with clothes. They were the splendid garments worn by the Saber Path Alliance Leader during an official procession outside.
But Baek Ja-gang refused all of them.
Recalling the time when he first entered the Saber Path, he put on a clean black martial uniform.
The black martial uniform suited him perfectly, and it carried more dignity than the splendid attire.
“Let us go. To the Demonic Cult.”
Absolute Regression