Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 11

"Ah. Ah. It hurts..."

Baekji tapped his head, suffering.

His head, above the Yintang point, felt like it was splitting apart.

"What's wrong? Master, where does it hurt?"

Ajok examined Baekji's head.

There were no wounds on his chestnut-like hair.

"The inside of my head hurts."

Senior Oh said, "It's because you're making us train too hard."

"That's right."

Jang Sam chimed in.

"We're the ones training, so why does the master hurt? Make some sense."

The one who trained the hardest was Eldest Senior Brother Ajok.

Senior Oh had the least perseverance and the worst stamina.

"Our pain is being transmitted to the master. We have to stop training."

Senior Oh, who wanted to avoid training at all costs, insisted.

The pain had come on suddenly and disappeared in an instant.

"It's fine now."

Baekji said, shaking his head from side to side.

"I'm all better. Let's train."

Senior Oh's face fell.

'What kind of training is this?'

Baekji had them hold various stances, including the half-step and the forward-step, after the horse stance and the bow stance.

Since Ajok and the others couldn't follow the forms properly, he was having them hold the stances first, but this was actually proper training.

In prestigious sects, they consistently train stances from a young age to build a foundation.

Although neither Baekji, who was teaching, nor Ajok and the others, who were learning, knew it, they were on the right path.

"Master, you show us a demonstration too."

Having seen Baekji speak informally to Yang Soryeong, Ajok and the others decided they should follow suit and spoke informally to Baekji.

"A demonstration? I don't need one."

"We need it. It's more accurate if we watch and learn."

"Alright then."

Baekji, who always answered coolly and simply.

Baekji, Ajok, Senior Oh, and Jang Sam gathered in the backyard and took their stances.

Forward-step.

It was a stance where one foot was slightly extended, and then one sat down, putting strength into the back leg.

It was a very difficult stance to hold, relying on the back leg for support.

After a quarter of an hour, Jang Sam's legs began to tremble. Then, Senior Oh's back leg started to shake, and after another quarter of an hour, Ajok's legs trembled.

Baekji stared blankly ahead without a thought. He was as still as a stone statue.

"Kraaah."

When Senior Oh finally broke his stance, Baekji glared at him.

Senior Oh flinched and then resumed his stance.

Jang Sam said with tears in his eyes, "Master, this is torture."

"Ahhh."

Senior Oh chimed in with a groan.

"Breathe properly."

Baekji said.

"Breathe in slowly and hold it in your lower abdomen. Then, send that energy to your legs. Then it won't be hard at all."

Ajok and the others did as Baekji said.

Bullshit, not only was it not easy at all, but they were also out of breath and couldn't think straight.

"Keuk! I can't do it anymore."

Jang Sam collapsed.

As if waiting, Senior Oh crumbled.

Ajok gritted his teeth and endured, trembling.

Baekji picked up the bamboo stick.

"Disobeying the master's orders and being lazy in training is a crime of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors."

Everything was a crime of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors. And Baekji did not forgive the crime of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors.

Thwack! Thwack!

As he struck with the bamboo stick, it felt like being hit with an iron rod to Senior Oh and Jang Sam.

"Keok! Master, save me."

"I'll do it, I'll do it!"

The two of them shot up and resumed their stances.

Baekji resumed his stance and said, "To surpass the master, you have to endure longer than the master."

At Baekji's words, Senior Oh and Jang Sam's minds went blank.

To them, it seemed Baekji could stay like that all day, no, for days on end.

He didn't look tired at all.

Even when he hit them with the bamboo stick, he approached and hit them in the forward-step stance.

Baekji, holding the forward-step stance, breathed and then fell into a state of complete absorption.

As he held on with his back leg, strength naturally gathered in his dantian. As the gathered energy became full, it naturally flowed out and spread throughout his body.

In most cases, the energy should flow along the main meridians, but in Baekji's case, it just spread throughout his body.

It was as if his entire body was a dantian, but Baekji thought everyone was like that.

As he was quietly absorbed in a state of complete absorption, the energy that filled his body suddenly disappeared. It was as if his body had disappeared.

For some reason, Baekji was familiar with that state.

Even though his eyes were half-open, he couldn't see anything. He couldn't even hear any sounds.

Thump!

Someone poked his shoulder.

"Huh?"

Baekji woke up from his state of complete absorption.

"Master, it's time for dinner."

Ajok looked at Baekji with a worried face.

Senior Oh and Jang Sam were so intimidated that they couldn't even come close.

Baekji had been in that stance from morning till evening.

'Is that a person?'

Baekji felt as refreshed as if he had had a good night's sleep.

"We have to eat."

But even though it was dinnertime, no one came.

"Why aren't they giving us food?"

"Eldest Senior Brother, you go."

Jang Sam said to Ajok.

Ajok ran as if flying and returned with a food basket.

"How could these bastards forget to give us food?"

Jang Sam grumbled.

"That's not it. There's a huge commotion at the White Mountain Sect right now."

"A commotion?"

"They say the Sect Master and the Young Sect Master are seriously injured."

"The Sect Master? Isn't the White Mountain Sect Master an incredible expert? Who did it?"

"I don't know. No one is saying anything. Everyone is out of their minds."

Baekji just ate silently.

"What happens if the Sect Master dies?"

"What does the Sect Master have to do with it? The groom is the Young Sect Master."

"But they said the Young Sect Master is also seriously injured."

"That's why it's a big deal. The grandmaster might not be able to get married."

"Then do we have to go back to the Yang estate?"

"I like it here."

Ajok was disappointed. He had been able to learn the martial arts and reading he had so desperately wanted since coming to the White Mountain Sect.

On the other hand, Senior Oh was pleased.

'If we go back to the Yang estate, the Young Miss will go home too, right? Then the master will follow. Then I'll be free!'

Even though he was the oldest, Senior Oh was the one who always tried to get out of things. He had long since forgotten his resolution to learn martial arts and live like a man.

Jang Sam was the simple-minded one.

"I'm worried about the Young Miss. To become a widow before even getting married. Then her chances of getting married are over."

Baekji, who had been eating silently, asked when Yang Soryeong's name came up, "Why can't she get married?"

"Families with any name care about etiquette. If it was just an engagement, it might be different, but if she comes all the way to the groom's house to get married and then becomes a widow, no one will even look at her."

Senior Oh explained patiently.

"Why?"

"She's not a bride anymore. It's as if she's been married once."

"I see."

Baekji thought deeply.

"Then the Young Sect Master can't die."

"That's right. If the Young Sect Master dies, the Young Miss will have to live her whole life as a widow without even getting married."

Baekji was lost in thought. Even so, his hands continued to move towards the rice and side dishes.

After dinner, Baekji said, "We didn't study during the day today, so we'll do it in the evening. Ajok, since you're the eldest senior brother, read with your junior brothers. I'll come back and check."

Baekji went to Yang Soryeong.

"Master, it seems the White Mountain Sect Master and the Young Sect Master are going to die."

"I heard."

Yang Soryeong said calmly.

"You're not bothered at all?"

"About what?"

"They say your groom is going to die."

"What am I supposed to do?"

It wasn't a marriage she wanted, and she hadn't even seen his face, so Yang Soryeong felt nothing.

"If the groom dies, you'll become a widow before you even get married. They say you won't be able to get married later either."

"I don't have to get married. I'd rather live with my mom."

"Aha! Really? Then that's a relief."

Baekji was relieved.

"What's a relief?"

"The Young Sect Master is a madman. He bites people indiscriminately. It might be better if he dies."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's better if you don't know, Master. It was a truly gruesome event."

"But who could have harmed the White Mountain Sect Master and the Young Sect Master?"

"A wicked Taoist did it."

"A Taoist?"

"Yes. He was a strange Taoist. He threw his own chest onto the White Mountain Sect Master's sword and killed himself."

Yang Soryeong couldn't understand Baekji's words.

"How do you know that?"

"I saw it."

Although Yang Soryeong couldn't believe Baekji's words, she was worried.

"You, never say that to anyone else."

"Why?"

"The White Mountain Sect warriors are searching for the culprit with fire in their eyes right now. If they find out you saw it, they'll drag you away and interrogate you."

"I can just tell them the truth."

"They won't believe you. Never say anything. This is an order from your master. If you disobey, it's a crime of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors."

"Okay."

Yang Soryeong knew that Baekji took the crime of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors seriously. She silenced Baekji by saying it was her order as his master.

Just then, they heard the presence of many people rushing outside.

When Yang Soryeong and Baekji went out, they saw White Mountain Sect warriors holding torches, rushing over and lining up.

The one in front was General Manager Ximen.

"Young Miss, I have come to escort you."

"What?"

"You must go to the White Hall Great Light."

"What's wrong?"

"The Sect Master and the Young Sect Master have been seriously injured and have entered seclusion. Before they did, they entrusted the affairs of the White Mountain Sect to you, Young Miss."

"What are you talking about? I'm just a young girl, how can I take charge of the White Mountain Sect?"

A look of anxiety appeared on General Manager Ximen's face.

"I will go in and explain."

General Manager Ximen turned and instructed the warriors, "Do not let anyone into the Songhua Hall."

When General Manager Ximen entered the living room, he saw Baekji next to Yang Soryeong and gestured with his eyes.

"You, get out."

"No. He is a disciple I particularly cherish, so I want him to listen as well."

General Manager Ximen was in a hurry. He didn't argue further and said, "The Sect Master said that since the Young Miss has already crossed the threshold of the White Mountain Sect, she is a member of the Bai family. The Young Sect Master has also been seriously injured and has entered seclusion with him, so the Young Miss is the only master of the White Mountain Sect. He said he was entrusting the position of acting sect master to you."

Even hearing it again, it sounded absurd to Yang Soryeong.

Baekji also tilted his head.

"He's lying."

To Baekji, Bai Renguang had been properly hit by True Man Changshan's palm.

Even if he wasn't dead, he wouldn't wake up for several days.

"He was hit so hard he was half-dead, so what could he have said?"

Baekji muttered, but General Manager Ximen didn't hear him properly. However, he scolded him for interrupting while he was speaking.

"What do you know to be interrupting!"

General Manager Ximen turned to Yang Soryeong again and said, "The White Mountain Sect was founded by the Sect Master, so it is the sect of the Bai family. Although the Young Miss has not yet held the wedding ceremony, she has already come to be married, so she is a member of the Bai family. Since the Sect Master and the Young Sect Master are in seclusion, she is also the only member of the Bai family."

General Manager Ximen explained logically.

Yang Soryeong still couldn't understand.

"The White Mountain Sect is a martial arts family. I don't know martial arts, so how can I lead a sect?"

"You are not being asked to become the sect master. You are to act as a temporary substitute, yes, a substitute, until the Sect Master finishes his seclusion and comes out. Of course, I will take care of all matters. You just need to sit in the seat."

General Manager Ximen was in such a hurry that he spat out his words.

"So that's what it is."

Yang Soryeong nodded as if she finally understood.

General Manager Ximen hesitated for a moment and then said, "Actually, as soon as the Sect Master entered seclusion, there have been signs of internal strife. The White Temple Brigade and the Great Light Brigade are trying to seize power."

The main forces of the White Mountain Sect were the White Temple Brigade and the Great Light Brigade.

"The Young Miss must act as the sect master to stop their fight. I will mediate between them, so do not worry."

"Oho, General Manager Ximen is a loyal subject."

Baekji, who also enjoyed reading history books, was impressed, recalling a passage he had read.

"Master, you must understand the heart of a loyal subject who is trying to protect the safety of his lord. Look, he's even tearing up."

General Manager Ximen was bewildered.

A mere servant was calling the Young Miss 'master' and speaking informally.

'Who on earth is that brat?'

But right now, time was of the essence.

If things went wrong, the White Mountain Sect could be split in two and engage in a bloody battle tonight.

At Baekji's words, Yang Soryeong stood up.

"Alright. Let's go to the White Hall Great Light."

General Manager Ximen's face brightened, and he led the way.

Yang Soryeong went to the White Hall Great Light with General Manager Ximen and the Sect Master's personal guards, the White Mountain Brigade. Of course, Baekji followed as well.

In the vast plaza in front of the White Hall Great Light, the warriors of the White Mountain Sect were lined up.

But a strange killing intent hung between the two groups, which were split on either side.

As soon as General Manager Ximen entered the White Hall Great Light, he shouted, "The Acting Sect Master has arrived!"

(End of Chapter)