Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 125

A guard from the main gate ran in and reported to Ajok.

"Chief Steward. There's a strange brat standing in front of the main gate."

"A strange brat?"

Ajok went out to the main gate.

A middle-aged man with a tall, slender build stood there. He was well-dressed in a gray martial arts uniform, and a coiled whip hung from his waist.

"I am Ajok, the Chief Steward of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect. You seem to be a martial artist, what brings you here?"

"I heard I have two rivals here."

The man said curtly.

"Rivals? By rivals, you mean... no, before that, who are you?"

"In the martial world, they call me the Iron Palm Divine Whip."

Ajok tilted his head.

"Ah, I see. So you were the Iron Palm Divine Whip."

A perfunctory tone.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip's eyes narrowed sideways.

'How dare... he mock me?'

Does it make sense that a brat who lives by the sword doesn't know the third-ranked of the top ten masters, the Iron Palm Divine Whip?

He thought he was pretending not to know and mocking him.

But Ajok, who was formerly a servant, did not know.

His only interest was the prosperity of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect.

"Who is it you are looking for? I will call them for you."

"Hmm..."

The Iron Palm Divine Whip was secretly angered, but he suppressed it and said, "Mado and the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect!"

Ajok looked at the Iron Palm Divine Whip again.

"Please come in for now. If you stand there like that, you'll scare the people coming and going."

"...?"

Does he really not know me?

The Iron Palm Divine Whip looked at the sign.

Yang-Bai Merchant Sect.

'If it's a merchant sect, it could be... no, but it still doesn't make sense.'

The Iron Palm Divine Whip, feeling suspicious, followed Ajok to the empty hall.

"If you wait here, I will inform them."

Ajok disappeared, and serving maids brought tea.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip did not even glance at the tea and drank the water he had brought.

A moment later.

Senior Oh, in charge of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect's eccentric affairs, came.

"Ahahaha! It is a pleasure to meet you. The third-ranked of the top ten masters! To meet the great hero, the Iron Palm Divine Whip, like this!"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip tilted his head.

This brat knows me, but he treats me like a neighborhood friend.

The Yang-Bai Merchant Sect... are these brats intentionally ignoring me?

He was not one to flaunt his name. But at some point, he had become accustomed to the attitude of people who reacted when his title was mentioned.

Once again, he was slowly getting angry.

'What do these brats take me for?'

The Iron Palm Divine Whip glared at Senior Oh.

'They said the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect looks like he's in his teens.'

"Who are you?"

"Ahahaha... I am the protagonist of the bloody battle in Xi'an, the Wandering Great Hero, Senior Oh."

"?"

"My master has gone to the back mountain for a moment to dig for medicinal herbs... I thought I would entertain you for a while and have a chat."

"Master... if you mean master..."

"The Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect is my master."

"..."

He had come to find the master, but if he was not there, his disciple could greet him.

Since it made sense, he held it in and said again, "If your master is not here... bring Mado."

Senior Oh flinched.

After the full moon incident, Senior Oh did not even go near Mado.

"It seems you have come for a martial arts contest... but it would be better for you to just go back..."

Senior Oh trailed off.

He had a very serious expression.

"Does that mean... Mado is here?"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip had a strong competitive spirit.

He had risen to the third rank by chasing after the top ten masters and having martial arts contests.

But he had not been able to find Mado, so he had been in that position for over ten years.

Hearing that Mado had appeared, he had rushed to Shaanxi in one breath, but he was late.

Hearing that she had already crossed over to Sichuan, he had followed her.

"Yes. She is here. But it would be better not to face her..."

He spoke seriously, lowering his voice as if there was some reason.

"The white-haired witch..."

"What does that mean?"

"Do you know the legend of the white-haired witch?"

"..."

"A serpent that failed to become a dragon, filled with resentment, transformed into a white-haired beauty and absorbed the vitality of men... you don't know the legend of the white-haired witch?"

"..."

What on earth is he trying to say? It's absurd.

"I can't say more. I just... told you out of concern for you, great hero. It's an absolute secret."

At that moment, Mado, came in.

"Eek!"

Senior Oh was startled and stepped back to one side.

Mado, with a cold face, looked around the empty hall, saw the Iron Palm Divine Whip, and said, "Were you looking for me?"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip was flustered.

He had heard that Mado was a woman and a beauty, but he had not known she would be this beautiful.

"..."

"What is your business?"

She even spoke informally...

The Iron Palm Divine Whip circulated his internal energy. Then, a calm mind descended.

He was a master of the 'flower realm'.

He was not one to be swayed by a woman's beauty.

But his words came out politely.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip, who was said to be unparalleled in arrogance in the world... requested.

"I have come to receive a lesson."

"A lesson?"

"You are Mado, the second-ranked of the top ten masters... it seems the world thinks I am your inferior. So I wish to determine our superiority through a martial arts contest."

"..."

Mado thought.

Baekji had already told her. That if the fact that she was one of the top ten masters became known, this brat and that brat would come looking for her.

"Are you saying you will ambush me?"

"An ambush... I am formally requesting a martial arts contest."

"There's no need for that. You can be the second-ranked."

Mado spat out and turned to leave.

Mado, who until recently had not even known that she was one of the top ten masters.

Her only interest was in how to earn money and reclaim the 'Heaven-Shattering Divine Saber'.

"Wait!"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip, flustered, shot up.

"I did not come to beg for the second rank! I have already defeated Senior Guyang Shingai and Seongseung to rise to the third rank. Now I intend to compete with you and take the second rank."

Mado turned her body.

"Why must we compete? I'm telling you to just be the second rank."

"If so, who would acknowledge the ranking?"

"Who do I need to be acknowledged by? Who is that?"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip was at a loss for words.

"The people of the world..."

Looking at Mado's transcendent expression, he somehow felt like he was a person chasing after an empty name.

'No. If you are a martial artist... it is right to take one step at a time towards the top.'

He could not stop his march towards becoming the number one under heaven.

Mado muttered, "So the people of the world must acknowledge you as the second-ranked."

A single word that struck his heart.

He said, as if making an excuse, "To pursue a higher realm is a path that a martial artist should naturally walk. I have challenged you accordingly. I am by no means obsessed with an empty name."

At that moment, the door burst open and Baekji entered.

"Those are cool words. Mado... why don't you give it a try?"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip saw the brat who had suddenly appeared. He was carrying a medicinal herb basket woven from bamboo on his back.

It seemed he had heard the news as soon as he came from the mountain and had rushed over.

"Are you the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect?"

"Yes. The Iron Palm Divine Whip? You're on the young side for the third-ranked of the top ten masters. They said the fourth-ranked, Guyang Shingai, is an old man on his last legs."

"Watch your mouth. Although I won, Guyang Shingai is a respected senior of the martial world. And for you to say I'm on the young side... are you ignoring the etiquette of seniority just because you are of the Alliance Leader's disciple's generation?"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip shouted at Baekji with a frightening face.

The conversation with Mado was somehow burdensome... but this young brat...

"Ah. Right... he must be a respectable person. I haven't met him yet... his disciple is the 'Eight-Armed Divine Beggar', right? I've met him, and he was a bit greedy... I guess the master is different?"

Baekji, as if it were no big deal, waved his hand and took off the medicinal herb basket.

A fragrant smell of medicinal herbs wafted from the basket.

Baekji took out a large root of 'hasuo' (fleeceflower root) from the basket and threw it to Senior Oh.

'A hundred-year-old hasuo?'

The Iron Palm Divine Whip's eyes widened.

A hundred-year-old hasuo, which was rare these days...

"Senior Oh, your complexion is still pale. You must have lost too much blood. Hurry up and eat it and regain your energy. Because you have no energy, you're seeing things... Mado. Do you know what Senior Oh said?"

"Master!"

Senior Oh shouted, but Baekji paid no heed and said, "That Mado is a white-haired witch. A man's vital essence..."

Senior Oh rushed in to cover Baekji's mouth.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip was startled.

'Hmm! A supreme master?'

Senior Oh's movements were extraordinary.

Hwik.

He missed Baekji's figure as he dodged it.

'What is this? This... this is.'

Was it staged to show off on purpose?

It didn't seem so.

Senior Oh opened the door and ran away.

Mado glared at his back.

Baekji took out another hundred-year-old hasuo from the medicinal herb basket and handed it to Mado.

"Go and feed this to Cho-hye."

"I don't eat for free."

"Of course. It's one silver coin."

Mado handed over one silver coin and received the hundred-year-old hasuo.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip was startled.

'A hundred-year-old hasuo for one silver coin?'

"Eum. Can I buy one too?"

When the Iron Palm Divine Whip asked, Baekji looked at him blankly.

"Why does a master of the 'flower realm' need a hundred-year-old hasuo?"

A brat who knows how much a hundred-year-old hasuo costs...

It was the look of someone seeing a robber.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip was embarrassed.

'What am I doing right now?'

He had been caught up in a strange atmosphere and had only lost face.

"Eum. Mado... anyway, I will formally challenge you."

"That's enough. Don't bother me."

As Mado turned to leave, Baekji said, "Do it for money."

Mado stopped.

"Money?"

Baekji asked the Iron Palm Divine Whip, "Do you have money? About a hundred silver coins?"

The Iron Palm Divine Whip nodded his head in spite of himself.

Of course he did. The Iron Palm Divine Whip was the guardian of the 'Iron Horse Sect'. He was receiving tribute without any lack.

But...

Do they also have martial arts contests for money?

But...

Mado's attitude completely changed.

She approached and said, "A hundred silver coins?"

Baekji said, "It's worth doing for a hundred silver coins."

Mado held out her hand to the Iron Palm Divine Whip.

"Let's have a martial arts contest. Not for free."

The Iron Palm Divine Whip looked at Mado's palm.

A white and slender hand... a delicate hand was asking for money.

This was the first time, but... for some reason, he wanted to give it to her even for free.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip took out money from his purse.

Seeing the pile of bank notes, Baekji said, "Five hundred silver coins to guarantee your life... how about it?"

"What does that mean?"

"You could die in a martial arts contest. For five hundred silver coins, your life will be guaranteed."

The Iron Palm Divine Whip flared up.

"That's enough."

"A pity."

"After the martial arts contest with Mado, it's you. Do I have to pay money to have a martial arts contest with you too?"

"That's enough. I'll do it for free. It's a bonus."

"Good."

"Instead, if you lose... do me a favor."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you if I win."

"I cannot accept without knowing what it is."

"Hey. Surely I wouldn't ask you to do something unreasonable."

"..."

"Why? Not confident? You can just win."

"Good!"

That day.

Several loud roars echoed from the martial arts stage of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect's training ground.

The Iron Palm Divine Whip... lost to Mado, and was beaten to a pulp by Baekji.

And...

The next day.

A flag was hung in front of the main gate of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect.

―A martial arts contest with the second-ranked of the top ten masters of the martial world, Mado, for only a hundred silver coins!

―For an additional five hundred silver coins, your life is guaranteed!

―For a thousand silver coins, your limbs are guaranteed to be safe.

"Hah... what is this. What do they take the martial world for..."

Nangong Zhao was dumbfounded, looking at the flag. Tang Yunseol, who was next to him, laughed and said, "There is a meaning to everything the Honored One does. Shall we also pay a hundred silver coins and have a martial arts contest with Mado? When will we get another chance to have a martial arts contest with one of the top ten masters?"

"I can never participate in... such a strange act that makes a mockery of the martial world."

"Those people don't seem to think so."

When he looked where Tang Yunseol was pointing, Quan Bai and Seongcheon were talking with serious expressions in front of the reception desk.

"It seems Senior Quan is also thinking of protesting against this act. We should also..."

"Listen carefully to what those two are saying."

"...!"

When Nangong Zhao listened closely, he heard Quan Bai and Seongcheon whispering.

"Five hundred silver coins is enough."

"Let's just pay a thousand... what if our limbs get cut off."

"Should we?"

Nangong Zhao's heart felt heavy.

Ah. The martial world is becoming corrupt.

(End of Chapter)