Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
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< Chapter 194: Choosing a Handsome Face >

“Heeya, you shouldn’t move yet.”

Mrs. Shim held her daughter Heeya’s hand.

Heeya, who was getting dressed, had a face and body covered in wounds. The girl had experienced the greatest misfortune of her life. Three days ago, on her way to work, she was brutally assaulted. She was beaten and violated by a man. 1

“Mom, you heard him too, right? He said he’d kill us all if he’s released!”

The one who committed the unspeakable act against her was a man named Kongpae, a member of the Beast Sect that dominated the area. He was so brazen that he committed the atrocity in the morning, not even at night.

Heeya, with her broken body, personally reported the incident to the local branch of the Murim Alliance. But less than three days after Kongpae was arrested, she heard the news that he had been released. It was said that even while being dragged to the branch, he loudly proclaimed his innocence and openly threatened to harm Heeya and her family once he got out. And yet, the branch released such a man. 2

“Mom, we have to leave.”

Heeya tried to stand up, but dizziness overcame her, and she collapsed back down. There wasn’t a part of her body that didn’t hurt.

“Where do you think you’re going in your condition?”

“We have to go. He said he’d kill us!”

Tears welled up in Heeya’s eyes. She never imagined that they would release him so easily. What are we supposed to do? What are we supposed to do now!

Mrs. Shim hugged her daughter tightly.

“It’s all my fault. It’s because of me.”

She had raised her two children alone after losing her husband. She had lived a hard life, but a year ago, she had a bad fall and seriously injured her leg.

Unable to work, her barely ten-year-old son started working as a waiter, and her fifteen-year-old daughter Heeya, who had been helping her mother at a textile shop, took on an additional job washing dishes at an inn at night.
These were such good children trying to earn money for living expenses and their mother’s medicine. And yet, such misfortune had befallen her daughter.

Tears streamed down Mrs. Shim’s face. She gritted her teeth to avoid crying in front of her daughter, but the tears came of their own accord.

Heeya gritted her teeth and stood up again.

“Mom, pack our things. I’ll bring the cart.”

Mrs. Shim pulled her back.

“You go. Take your brother and hide somewhere for now.”

“Mom, we don’t have time for this. You know I won’t leave without you.”

“Where will you go with me? Just hide yourself for a while, okay?”

Heeya’s mind was filled with countless thoughts.

Where could she go with her sick mother and young sibling? Or should she just accept it as being bitten by a mad dog and beg for forgiveness if that person ever showed up? She couldn’t decide what the right choice was.

‘Someone, please tell me what to do! Please, help me!’

At fifteen, she had no one to cling to but the heavens. 3

Just then, her younger brother, Seok, opened the door and walked in.

“Mom! Sister!”

Seok looked flustered, as if something was wrong.

Seeing her brother, Heeya snapped to attention. She thought that leaving was the only way to save him.

“Pack your things, Seok.”

“Why should I pack?”

“We’re leaving. Just pack the essentials.”

“Sister! Wait! Listen to me first. I asked a warrior for help. He said he’d help us.”

Heeya and her mother, Mrs. Shim, were both stunned by his words.

“Who is it? Do you know him?”

“No. I just met him today.”

Hearing that it was a stranger, Heeya sighed.

“Seok, listen to your sister. You shouldn’t ask just anyone for help. What if that warrior gets killed by people from the Beast Sect?”

“No, he really looked terrifying and strong.”

Heeya let out another sigh.

“Then where is he? Why did he come alone?”

“He told me to go first.”

“He’s not coming. He probably said that because he was annoyed by a kid like you asking for help. Just pack your things.”

Heeya staggered as she got up. It was hard for her to even walk, but she was determined to get her mother into a cart and leave.

When she opened the door to go outside, she was shocked.

Kongpae, looking furious, was just behind and stormed inside.

Heeya collapsed in fear.

Kongpae spoke coldly.

“You dared report me? Because of you, I was locked up in prison for three days.”

Over the past three days, the only thing she had wanted to do was kill Kongpae. In her mind, she had stabbed him with a kitchen knife, beaten him to death with a hammer, and bitten his neck off. She had killed him dozens, no, hundreds of times in her imagination.

But now, seeing him in person, she was so terrified that she couldn’t think of anything. Her whole body trembled, and her mind went blank. 4

Then, Mrs. Shim, still seated, dragged herself out of the room.

“Look here, I was the one who reported you. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame me.”

Kongpae scoffed.

“Instead of crawling around like a worm, why don’t you take care of yourself, huh?”

When he insulted her mother, Heeya screamed as if she were having a fit.

“Shut up! Shut up! Who do you think you are? Who are you to say that! Aaaaargh!”

She screamed louder because she was scared.

“Is this girl crazy? A good beating will set her straight.”

When Kongpae tried to hit her, Seok burst out of the room.

“Stop it! Don’t touch my sister!”

Seok stood in front of Heeya, shielding her.

Heeya pulled Seok behind her. He resisted, refusing to budge, and they ended up falling backward together.

“What a pathetic scene. What’s the point of living like this? Just die by my hands today. I’ll bury you all in one place.”

It seemed like he truly intended to kill them all, as he pulled out a dagger. The sight of the gleaming blade froze both Heeya and Seok in place.

“Please spare us! Please spare our family!”

It was at that very moment that a calm voice spoke from behind them.

“Aren’t those pleas something that scoundrel should be saying to you?”

Kongpae turned around in surprise to see Geom Mugeuk and the Fist Demon King entering.

At a glance, Kongpae realized these two were not ordinary warriors. Especially when he met the gaze of Dan Woo-gang, who looked at him like he was nothing but an insect, Kongpae felt every hair on his body stand on end.

Seok shouted joyfully.

“The warrior! You’re here! That warrior is here!”

Mrs. Shim and Heeya immediately recognized that these were the warriors Seok had mentioned earlier.

Kongpae also realized that the young boy had called these warriors over.

“Sirs, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I’m in love with this woman,” Kongpae tried to excuse himself. 5

Geom Mugeuk motioned for silence with a finger to his lips.

“You’ve lost your chance to speak in this life. You have only one word left, and even that isn’t your right.”

Geom Mugeuk turned to Heeya.

“Miss, do you want an apology from that scoundrel before he dies?”

Before he dies?

Heeya looked at Geom Mugeuk, startled. Geom Mugeuk gave her a single nod.

Heeya shook her head. She didn’t want to exchange words with him at all.

“Not even his last nonsense will be allowed.”

The moment Kongpae tried to open his mouth to speak, Geom Mugeuk subdued his acupoints with a swift movement, blocking his blood and energy flow. He truly didn’t give Kongpae even a single chance to say anything.

The Fist Demon King slowly walked over to Heeya.

Knowing what he was about to do, Geom Mugeuk covered Seok’s eyes and ears.

Dan Woo-gang stood in front of Heeya. She looked up at him and swallowed hard. She had never seen someone so terrifying in her life.

“Show me your fist.”

Startled, Heeya extended her trembling hand into a fist. The Fist Demon King’s large hand enveloped her small one. He wrapped her hand in his and extended it forward together.

Very slowly, they extended their united fist toward Kongpae.

At that moment, a look of confusion spread across Kongpae’s face as if to say, ‘What is this?’

Fwoooosh!

With a deafening sound that tore through the air!

Bam! Bam! Bam-bam-bam! Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam-bam!

Kongpae’s entire body shattered as his bones broke apart and burst. From his toes to his arms and legs, ribs and spine, shoulder bones, and neck bones—nothing was left unbroken or uncrushed.

‘Aaaaaaaah!’

It was excruciating pain he had never experienced in his life. With his acupoints sealed, he couldn’t even scream, making the agony all the worse.

Only after enduring all that pain did his face finally cave in with a sickening thud, and he collapsed to the ground.

All of this was contained in that single strike when Dan Woo-gang enveloped Heeya’s hand and thrust it forward.

But it didn’t end there. As if not even allowing his corpse to remain in this house, the Fist Demon King flicked his hand, and Kongpae’s body flew up into the air.

The Fist Demon King’s other fist struck into the air.

Boom! Crash!

It sounded like thunder from the heavens, as if divine punishment had been delivered.

Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!

A tremendous force of martial energy swept through Kongpae’s corpse. In an instant, as if by magic, Kongpae’s body vanished into thin air.

“Aah!”

Heeya couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It felt like she was witnessing a hallucination.

Then, Dan Woo-gang’s hand tightened once more around her fist.

At that moment, Heeya felt something in the fist that held hers.

Keep living with strength.

Heeya looked up at the Fist Demon King. He gazed down at her with an unreadable face.

She no longer found his face frightening. He didn’t seem like a demon but rather like one of the Four Heavenly Kings standing guard at a temple gate. He felt like a guardian deity protecting her from evil spirits. 6

Seok hadn’t seen Kongpae disintegrate into dust, but he could feel it. He knew Kongpae was dead.

Geom Mugeuk felt Seok’s tears trickling down his palm.

After lifting his hand from Seok’s eyes, Geom Mugeuk turned the boy to face him.

“If you keep living with the same courage you showed today, you’ll be just fine.”

The bravery it took for Seok to approach the terrifying Fist Demon King and ask for help—if he had that kind of courage, he would surely live well.

“Yes.”

Seok hugged Geom Mugeuk. The child trembled in his embrace, and Geom Mugeuk gently patted his head.

“Please, accept my bow of gratitude.”

Heeya tried to bow to Dan Woo-gang, but an unseen force stopped her from doing so.

“That’s not necessary.”

“Please, accept my bow. It’s the only thing I can offer.”

“I merely granted your brother’s request.”

With those words, the Fist Demon King clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.

Heeya looked at Seok. He ran to her and hugged her tightly.

“Sister.”

“Seok.”

Now, with Seok nestled in his sister’s arms, he looked over at the Fist Demon King. Although the child’s gaze was filled with admiration, respect, and gratitude, the Fist Demon King simply kept his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky. 7

Mrs. Shim expressed her gratitude through her tears.

“Thank you. I will never forget this kindness, not even in death.”

Geom Mugeuk spoke to Mrs. Shim and Heeya.

“We know this man was part of a gang. We’ll take care of everything, so you don’t have to worry about further retaliation from them anymore.”

But the good fortune bestowed upon this family didn’t end there.

Perhaps moved by a desire to extend his kindness to the very end, the Fist Demon King suddenly approached Mrs. Shim and asked abruptly.

“Since when?”

“Pardon?”

“Your legs. How long have they been hurting?”

“Oh, it’s been about a year.”

“May I take a look?”

Before the bewildered Mrs. Shim could respond, Heeya quickly spoke up.

“Please, we beg you!”

Dan Woo-gang examined Mrs. Shim’s legs.

“It might hurt, so please bear with it.”

Before she could say anything.

Crack. Pop. Crackle.

The sound of bones realigning filled the air. As the long-stiffened bones shifted, Mrs. Shim screamed in pain. But the pain didn’t last long. The Fist Demon King, with his superior knowledge of human bones and muscles, surpassed even the Demon Doctor in this expertise.

Moments later, surprising words came from the Fist Demon King.

“With some rest and care, you should be able to get up and walk again.”

Mrs. Shim was so stunned that she couldn’t close her mouth, and Heeya and Seok shouted with joy.

“Thank you, benefactor.”

“Thank you so much. Thank you.”

The three of them clung to each other, crying tears of gratitude.

Finally, Geom Mugeuk handed Heeya an envelope. Inside was enough money for the three of them to start a small shop and make a living.

Heeya, surprised, asked in a trembling voice.

“Why are you giving this to us?”

“It’s not from me. It’s money we’ll collect from that gang of his, so don’t worry and take it.”

How could this money, how could Kongpae’s death, ever heal her deep wounds?

This incident would haunt her for the rest of her life. She would have nightmares, and her distrust of men would only grow. She might even have trouble finding a partner.

But this was as far as Geom Mugeuk could help. “I hope you overcome this and live the rest of your life well.”

“Why are you showing us such great kindness?”

Heeya felt like she was receiving all the blessings she had never gotten in her life all at once. It seemed almost too much to be true.

Geom Mugeuk glanced at the Fist Demon King and said, “It’s because your brother chose the handsome face over there.”

* * *

After leaving Mrs. Shim’s residence, we headed straight for the Beast Sect.

If we didn’t clean up after ourselves, Seok’s family would eventually face danger.

Before going, we found out that the Beast Sect was involved in all sorts of vile deeds. They terrorized and threatened the residents, extorted money, beat people, and even killed. They were truly the dark rulers of this area, acting like kings.

Though such behavior was expected from those scoundrels, the real issue was with the Murim Alliance branch that allowed it to happen.

“That martial arts technique you used earlier was really impressive.”

In truth, it was far too refined a move to waste on a lowlife like Kongpae.

Nevertheless, Dan Woo-gang killed him personally because of Seok. Since Seok had asked the Fist Demon King for help, he had been the one to deliver the final blow. It was to instill in Seok the pride that he had saved his family through his own choice.

However, what moved me more was the sight of the Fist Demon King holding Heeya’s hand and sending that scoundrel flying. I believe that, thanks to the hand the Fist Demon King held, the girl will live well. In tough times, she’ll remember those large, strong hands, and the warmth they carried.

“I admire you.”

“All you do is flatter whenever you open your mouth.”

“It’s sincere, Master.”

I subtly addressed him as ‘Master,’ but he remained as unyielding as ever.

“It was a good attempt, Young Master.”

Soon, we arrived at the mansion where the Beast Sect resided.

The guard at the gate, upon seeing the Fist Demon King, panicked, slammed the gate shut, and ran inside.

“Emergency! Emergency!”

Hearing the guard’s shouts, the Fist Demon King remarked wryly, “Did you see that? Just my face alone is enough to cause a state of emergency.” 8

If Seo Daeryong had been here, he would have teased Dan Woo-gang about it for days, but as long as the Fist Demon King was with me, I wouldn’t let his appearance bother him.

“I saw it. The look of admiration in that girl’s eyes as she gazed up at you.”

Perhaps that comment lifted his spirits.

The Fist Demon King placed his palm on the gate, and with a resounding crash, the heavy gate tore apart like paper.

Dan Woo-gang was the first to step inside. From behind, his massive back seemed to fill the entire entrance.

1 : Okay, this trash gets killed.
2 : And this Murim branch too.
3 : Don’t worry, old man Heavens sent help.
4 : It’s not a proof of weakness, in fact she was really courageous to report him. A trauma is hard to control, especially when it is coming to kill you.
5 : First, try a better lie, second, that doesn’t change anything, killing that family in the name of ‘love’ is still a heinous crime.
6 : A terrifying face to drive away evil and a powerful back to protect the innocents…. I agree, this description fits him well.
7 : Oh look, he’s shy ^^
8 : Lol, he might also have good instincts and noticed your anger ^^