Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 135

"Wait!"

When the old general Zheng Qiu spoke, the officers stopped.

"Somehow, he's a suspicious brat. Bring him back."

Although he was in a position to be pushed out of political strife and just clean up the Black Path on the border, the old general Zheng Qiu was a seasoned man. He had survived countless wars until he became a great general.

He thought he knew how to read people, but Baekji was hard to gauge. Because Baekji was so calm, he had ordered an interrogation to try to shake him up, but there was no sign of fear at all.

"Give him a seat."

The officers sat Baekji down in a chair.

"What is your name?"

"Yang Baekji."

He couldn't bring himself to speak honorifics. It was even more so after he had learned the fact of his reincarnation.

"Are you going to continue to mock me? State your real name."

"Aigoo. How frustrating. I'm still quite famous. Yang Baekji, the Honored One of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect. The disciple of the Martial Alliance Leader... heok! I shouldn't have said that."

The old general Zheng Qiu frowned.

"So you were a martial artist. The disciple of the Alliance Leader? I know the Martial Alliance is the Righteous Path, so how is it that the disciple of the Alliance Leader is associating with the Black Path of the Four Shrines Heaven?"

"I wasn't associating... I was trying to reveal the truth because I saw it myself. The culprits were all killed by the Four Shrines Heaven. But it was a pity that they were framed for it..."

"How dare this brat wag his tongue carelessly in front of the Great General!"

The officer who had given him a warning earlier roared again.

The other officers also became wary when they learned that Baekji was a martial artist.

"...sir."

Baekji shrugged his shoulders and said to the officers, "Actually... since I am the disciple of the Martial Alliance Leader, my status in the martial world is very high... shall we say, like a crown prince? That's why my way of speaking is like this. Please understand even if I make a mistake from time to time."

"How insolent. A mere commoner dares to compare himself to His Highness the Crown Prince..."

"I'm saying it's like that in the martial world."

The old general Zheng Qiu, as if he were interested, looked at Baekji and said, "If you are the disciple of the Alliance Leader, your martial arts must be very high."

"Haha. I don't know if you've heard of the absolute master who led the 'Four Hegemons of Shaanxi Great Assembly'... sir."

Baekji, noticing the glaring eyes of the officers, used honorifics to the old general.

"The 'Four Hegemons of Shaanxi Great Assembly'?"

"Shall we say it's the story of a hero who stopped the sects that ruled Shaanxi from fighting and brought peace... sir."

An officer said, "Seeing as he's talking nonsense, he doesn't seem to be of sound mind. The Black Path groups must have been flustered when the Great General personally stepped forward. To send a brat like this as a lobbyist. Cut off his head and put it on a pole..."

"What? You're going to put my head on a pole?"

Baekji's eyes turned fierce.

Swa-a-a-a!

An formless wave of energy erupted, and a flesh-cutting killing intent swirled inside the military tent.

"Heok!"

"Aat! This brat is a master!"

Even the officers who had lived their entire lives on the battlefield froze for a moment and could not move. When someone shouted, they finally gritted their teeth and were about to draw their swords and sabers, but Baekji had already grabbed the collar of the officer who had said he would cut off his head.

"Say that again. How dare you say you'll put the head of the protagonist of the 'Four Hegemons of Shaanxi Great Assembly' on a pole? Are you in your right mind?"

The old general Zheng Qiu was old, but he was a martial artist who had not neglected his training. He, who had reached the peak of the 'true realm', immediately recognized Baekji's realm.

'A young brat is an absolute master!'

So he must have come to see him alone.

It was a mistake to have looked down on him because he was young. Who would have imagined? But he was also a brave general and a wise general who had gone through all sorts of hardships.

He did not forget the intention of Baekji, who had come without a weapon and had tried to persuade him with a few words.

"Stop! I know your intention, so stop."

Baekji, struck the back of the officer's head. The officer almost lost his mind from the shock, as if his eyeballs would pop out.

When Baekji let go of his collar, he could not stand properly and staggered.

"Think before you wag your tongue."

Those next to him quickly supported the officer and aimed their weapons, but Baekji, as if he had performed a 'shape-shifting technique', was already sitting in his chair again and continued to speak.

"Ah... where was I... right. Have you not read the 'Four Hegemons of Shaanxi Great Assembly'... sir?"

The excited appearance from just now was gone, and he was demure.

As he spoke as if nothing had happened, the situation just now felt unreal, as if it were a dream.

A strange light flashed in the old general Zheng Qiu's eyes.

"I have not read it."

"I'll have to make more copies. I made a hundred copies... why haven't you read it? Anyway... I'm a master."

He had just confirmed it with his own eyes, so there was no need to say more.

"The reason you came forward for the Black Path... is it because they were unjustly framed?"

"Even a bad brat feels wronged if he's framed. Besides, those brats weren't heinous Black Path members. If they were, wouldn't I, the protagonist of the 'Four Hegemons of Shaanxi Great Assembly', have punished them... sir?"

"Hmm..."

The old general Zheng Qiu was lost in thought.

He had been puzzled when he received the request to suppress the Black Path of Guangxi because they were robbing escort groups and killing people mercilessly, causing the public sentiment to become agitated.

No matter how rampant the Black Path was, it was an unprecedented event. If it was to the extent that even the army had to step in, it should have been a situation comparable to a rebellion... but he had not felt such a sign while marching.

'If this brat's words are true...'

Some brats had used the army to strike the Four Shrines Heaven.

'How dare...'

Once the army moves, it costs a lot of food and funds. This, in turn, becomes a burden on the people.

After hesitating, he had made a bold decision and had come with only five thousand men...

While the old general Zheng Qiu was lost in thought, Baekji looked at the map on the table.

"Oho? If I had something like this, I wouldn't get lost."

Baekji was bad with directions. To be precise, he would get lost while looking for an easy path. He had gotten lost on his way to the Four Shrines Heaven and had become an escort good of the Guangdong Escort Agency.

The officers, having just seen Baekji's martial prowess, could not speak carelessly. When an officer stealthily tried to take the map, Baekji stopped him.

"Don't be so cheap... let me see. I think I'll need this to go home."

When Baekji grabbed the map and didn't let go, the officer frowned.

It was illegal for an ordinary commoner to possess a map. Of course, showing it was also not allowed.

"This is for an ordinary commoner..."

"That's enough. Give him a copy."

The old general Zheng Qiu's voice was heard.

"Isn't he the disciple of the Martial Alliance Leader? Since he is working hard for the martial world, it's okay to give him that much."

"Oho... the old general finally recognizes me."

Baekji was pleased and took the map.

"Did you say the Four Shrines Heaven has disbanded?"

"To be precise, they have feigned disbandment. What can they do when the army is coming? They took down their sign and scattered to avoid dying. In the professional terminology of the Black Path, they call it 'going underwater'."

Baekji mostly did not lie. He told the truth that the Four Shrines Heaven had not completely disbanded.

"Hmm. I see."

The old general Zheng Qiu said, "Since the army has stepped in, we must see a result. We will occupy Half-Moon Fortress and suppress the nearby Black Path."

Even so, there's no one there.

"Since the Black Path has scattered, it will be difficult to catch them... I must return before the farming season, so I must hurry."

Baekji knew the meaning behind the old general Zheng Qiu's words. Since the army had stepped in, there had to be a result. It meant that he would be stationed for a while under the pretext of maintaining public order and then retreat before autumn.

The fact that Great General Zheng Qiu would not push to root out the Four Shrines Heaven was a success in itself.

Baekji stood up and cupped his fists.

"The people of Guangxi will be pleased that the army is pacifying the Black Path. Then, the commoner who came to report will take his leave."

"Wait... can we talk a little more?"

"What is there for the Great General to talk about with a humble commoner?"

"Didn't you say you were the disciple of the Martial Alliance Leader? I would like to hear about the situation in the martial world."

They say old people don't sleep at night.

Since Baekji had achieved his purpose, he wanted to find an inn as soon as possible and rest well.

Baekji let out a light sigh and said, "Actually, I have just come out to the martial world and know nothing. My experience is shallow, so I have nothing to say."

"Didn't you just say with your own mouth that you were a hero of the martial world?"

"Even so, compared to the Great General who receives the respect of the people, it is like a firefly under a full moon. If you wish, I will send you a copy of the 'Four Hegemons of Shaanxi Great Assembly' later."

Since Baekji was firmly refusing, the old general Zheng Qiu could not hold him back any longer.

He said with regret, "Hmm. Did you say the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect? I will remember it."

Did I reveal it for nothing? There's nothing good about getting entangled with the army...

* * *

"There is an ambush ahead."

Zhang Li said. The team sent ahead had reported that a considerable force was in ambush.

"Hah..."

Shangguan Ming sighed. The road to the Tang family had to be considered completely blocked.

If the Alliance Leader went to the Tang family, he would gain the strength to make a comeback. Someone was doing their best to prevent this.

'Should I give up? Then where should I go?'

Shangguan Ming, after worrying for a moment, thought of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect. There were Quan Bai and Seongcheon, and also a hundred members of the martial force.

The fact that there were also Demonic Cult members bothered him.

There was no other alternative.

He could choose Qingcheng, Emei, Huashan, and Zhongnan, or he could go south and rely on the Zhuge family.

But as long as it was not certain who the enemy was, he could not head for the nine great sects and the noble families.

"Let's change the route..."

Shangguan Ming made a decision.

* * *

"Hah... what is this? Why is the map drawn like this?"

Baekji unfolded the map and looked back and forth between the sea in front, no, the sea-like lake.

On the map, it didn't look that big, but seeing it in person, it was not something that could be crossed with something like 'treading on water'.

Baekji was on his way to the Zhuge family.

To do so, he had to cross the lake.

"Oh-ryong, I wish you were a real dragon. Then we could cross a lake like this in no time."

Baekji, patted Oh-ryong's neck and drove him downwards.

As he rode Oh-ryong along the lakeshore, the mountain terrain became rough and was blocked by a cliff.

Below the cliff was a small ferry. A rather large boat was moored at the ferry, which was overgrown with grass as if it were rarely used.

Although one might think it strange that such a large boat was moored at a deserted ferry, Baekji was pleased and ran over.

A sturdy sailor on the boat was touching the anchor rope and saw Baekji.

Baekji approached and spoke to him.

"Can I cross the lake if I take this boat?"

The sailor did not answer and shouted towards the back, "Captain. A strange brat has come."

A moment later, the captain came out.

The captain, seeing Baekji, who was well-dressed in luxurious clothes, and the sturdy Oh-ryong, asked indifferently, "What is your business?"

"I was wondering if I could get a ride on the boat."

"No. This boat has a separate owner."

"Then please ask the owner. I'll pay the fare."

"He is not here right now."

The boat seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Really? Then I'll wait. Can't I wait on the boat? As you can see, there is no place to rest here."

"Impossible."

"You're being very strict."

Baekji grumbled and climbed onto a rock by the lakeshore.

Around sunset, a group of people came down from the mountain.

They were about five or six young women, and it was noticeable that they were all wearing white clothes.

'They must be from a martial arts sect.'

The young women were each carrying a bundle of something on their backs.

Baekji jumped down from the rock and approached them.

"Are you the owner of this boat?"

A woman of about twenty, who seemed to be the leader, looked at Baekji.

"What is your business?"

"Give me a ride on the boat. I'll give you money."

Baekji opened his purse to show her, but the woman, as if she were not interested, said, "This boat does not take outsiders."

(End of Chapter)