Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 138

The next morning.

Baekji, who had eaten breakfast early, packed his luggage, found Oh-ryong, and went to the pier.

Gong-chil recognized him and gestured.

"Young Master, over here."

Baekji, who had approached, was dumbfounded.

"Is this a boat?"

It was a raft made of long logs tied together. The raft was about two 'jang' (approx. 6 meters) wide, and in the middle was a hut made of logs. It could protect from the sun and rain, but it couldn't be called a boat in the first place.

"It may look like this, but it's quite fast."

Gong-chil said tapping a long pole.

It meant that he moved the raft by pushing it with the pole.

It was a possible means of transportation because it was a calm lake, not a flowing river.

As Baekji hesitated, Gong-chil quickly brought Oh-ryong on board and tied him next to the hut.

In the meantime, Baekmae's party came and got on their boat. Baekji waved his hand at Somae.

Somae, seeing Baekji's boat, gave a slight eye-smile and then went into the cabin.

Baekji said to Gong-chil, "Can you follow that boat?"

Gong-chil, after showing a troubled expression for a moment, said, "This boat usually goes along the lakeshore, but if you give me a little more money, I can also go to the middle of the lake."

"I'll give you more."

At that, Gong-chil disappeared for a moment and then came back with two people.

"This is my older brother, Gong-yuk, and my younger brother, Gong-gu."

The men showed off their sturdy forearms and, revealed their white teeth and smiled.

"If we spread the sail and row from both sides, we can follow most boats."

"Can I trust you?"

"Haha, my title is the 'Yuankang Dragon King'. Please trust me."

Gong-chil boasted.

The boat that Baekmae's party was on immediately left the pier.

"Follow it."

The raft boat stuck to the lakeshore from the mouth of the river. While the boat of Baekmae's party went to the middle of the lake, the raft boat went along the lakeshore.

It was unavoidable, as they had to go to the shallow lakeshore to row with the pole.

"It's getting farther away. Aren't we going to lose it?"

"No. The path that boat is taking is obvious. It's enough to follow the lakeshore. Don't worry and rest in the cabin over there."

Gong-chil beat his chest, as if to say, 'leave it to me now that we're on the water'.

Baekmae's boat went to the middle of the lake and then went upstream. Gong-chil and Gong-gu diligently pushed the raft boat with their poles.

Although Gong-yuk rowed from one side, they could not catch up to Baekmae's boat, which had all its sails spread.

'Ugh...'

Baekji resolved to check what kind of boat it was in advance the next time he got a boat. Seeing Baekji's unhappy expression, Gong-chil, as if he had made a decision, went into the hut and pulled a rope.

At that, the sail on the roof of the hut went up.

As the sail caught the wind, the raft boat seemed to have gotten a little faster.

This time, Gong-yuk and Gong-gu rowed from both sides, and Gong-chil pushed the boat with the pole. At that, it seemed to gain some speed.

At that moment, a sleek boat approached from behind like an arrow. Hyuk-ryeonhu was standing at the bow, and seeing Baekji's raft boat, he sneered as if it were pathetic.

Hyuk-ryeonhu's boat passed the raft in an instant and chased after Baekmae's boat.

"That...?"

Baekji turned around to encourage the Gong brothers, but they were all doing their best, so he couldn't urge them on any further.

'This is crazy...'

At that moment, Baekmae's boat, which was ahead, stopped. It seemed they had seen Hyuk-ryeonhu's boat following them.

Since they couldn't shake them off, it seemed they were going to face them directly.

When Hyuk-ryeonhu's boat approached to a distance of about ten 'jang' (approx. 30 meters), Baekmae appeared and shouted, "Young Master Hyuk-ryeon, do you have some business with me?"

"Hahaha. I will be honest. I am looking for someone, and I think I might be able to meet them if I follow you, miss."

Baekmae shouted with a hardened face, "I don't know who you are looking for, Young Master, but we are just women who dig for and sell medicinal herbs. I think you have mistaken us."

Hyuk-ryeonhu glanced at Baekji's approaching raft and then shouted at Baekmae, "I am not an enemy. I have no intention of using force, so just tell the 'Divine Doctor of Life and Death' that I will be waiting in Yuankang County."

At Hyuk-ryeonhu's words, Baekmae flinched, but she soon feigned composure and shouted, "I have no idea what you are talking about. Anyway, don't follow us anymore."

After Baekmae spoke and gave a hand signal to the captain, the boat moved again.

Hyuk-ryeonhu watched Baekmae's boat silently, then turned his body and glared at the approaching Baekji.

"Why are you chasing that boat, brat?"

"Who are you looking for?"

Baekji had heard the conversation between Baekmae and Hyuk-ryeonhu. He did not answer Hyuk-ryeonhu's question and asked back.

"You don't need to know."

"Then I can't tell you either."

Hyuk-ryeonhu's face hardened coldly. Baekji looked behind Hyuk-ryeonhu and asked, "Where are your guards?"

"Little brother, remember that excessive curiosity sometimes brings disaster."

Although he didn't know the reason, Hyuk-ryeonhu's expression showed that he was suppressing his anger.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Baekji waved his hand and continued to follow Baekmae's boat.

Although the Gong brothers rowed with all their might, it was impossible to catch up to the boat from the beginning.

"Stop rowing. You'll die of a heart attack."

Baekji, unable to watch any longer, said to Gong-chil. Gong-chil, his face flushed red, said, panting, "This boat is originally for sightseeing..."

"I know, so just follow slowly."

"Fortunately, I know this area well. Seeing as they are going that way, it seems they are going to the 'Dragon's Nest Valley'."

"The 'Dragon's Nest Valley'?"

"But it's strange. That area is all mountains, so there is no place for a boat to go. Because of the rapids and waterfalls flowing from the mountains, the water is rough, unlike a lake. Moreover, there are many large and small rocky islands, so it is easy to be shipwrecked."

Gong-chil was anxious even as he spoke. His expression was one of 'what if Baekji asks me to go there?'.

"What's in the 'Dragon's Nest Valley'?"

"There's nothing. It's always foggy and there are many reefs, so even though it's a lake, it's as rough as the sea, so even fishermen don't go there."

"But why is that boat going there?"

"..."

It was not something Gong-chil could answer. Instead, he made one thing clear.

"Our boat can only go to the entrance of the 'Dragon's Nest Valley'. If we go inside, we could be shipwrecked because of the whirlpools."

"Hmm."

Baekji looked back. Hyuk-ryeonhu's boat came into view.

"That boat could go, right?"

"Well. If the captain knows the waterways, it might be possible..."

"Well, you've worked hard to come this far. This is the boat fare."

When Baekji gave him a handful of silver coins, Gong-chil's mouth split wide open.

Although he had suffered a lot, he had received more than enough compensation.

"Thank you. But..."

"Instead, take my horse and leave it at the Suryu Inn. The waiter will recognize it."

"Of course. I will leave it without a single hair being harmed."

Gong-chil, moved by the huge amount of silver, bowed his head repeatedly and then became puzzled.

The conversation they had just had was a bit strange.

"But, Young Master..."

Gong-chil, in the middle of speaking, his mouth fell open. Baekji got off the raft and ran on the water.

"A divine being!"

Gong-yuk and Gong-gu's bodies froze completely.

Hyuk-ryeonhu, who was on the sleek boat, was also greatly surprised. He could also do 'treading on water', kicking the water a couple of times, but he could not run on the water like that.

'As expected!'

He had stealthily spread his senses the previous evening, but he could not tell his energy.

He had thought 'just in case', and as expected, he was a master of martial arts. And one who far surpassed his own predictions...

At this, Hyuk-ryeonhu was startled and shouted, "Hurry, hurry and back the boat up!"

The sleek boat had four sailors, but seeing Baekji running on the water, their hands and feet trembled, and they could not move properly.

In the meantime, Baekji got on the boat and said to Hyuk-ryeonhu, "You get off."

Hyuk-ryeonhu stepped back a couple of steps and shouted, "What are you doing?"

Baekji's figure, disappeared and then appeared behind Hyuk-ryeonhu.

"Heok!"

As Hyuk-ryeonhu turned and swung his fist, Baekji pushed his buttocks with his foot.

"Ugh!"

Plop!

Hyuk-ryeonhu lost his balance and fell into the water.

He was so sudden and surprised that he didn't even have time to raise his internal energy.

'You brat... how dare you laugh at the Young Lord...'

He had not forgotten the sneer when he was rowing the raft hard and had paid him back.

Baekji smiled at the trembling sailors and said, "I'll be borrowing this boat from now on. How much is it per day?"

"..."

"What? Was this that brat's boat?"

The one who looked like the captain waved his hand.

"No. We came out for a day for two silver coins."

"Good. I'll give you four. Let's go to the 'Dragon's Nest Valley'."

Pa-at―!

Hyuk-ryeonhu came to his senses, raised his internal energy, kicked the water, and shot up. In his hand was a long sword that he had drawn at some point.

Hyuk-ryeonhu flew onto the boat and swung his long sword fiercely.

Pa-pa-pa-pat!

As the air seemed to distort, a black sword energy shot out like rain.

Baekji's eyes were familiar with Hyuk-ryeonhu's sword technique.

''Chaotic Heaven Shattering Emperor Sword Technique'! You're a direct descendant of the Hyuk-ryeon family!'

The essence of the 'Chaotic Heaven Shattering Emperor Sword Technique' is only passed down to the direct descendants. If he was a direct descendant of the Hyuk-ryeon family, he was a high-ranking member of the Demonic Cult.

Baekji picked up a pole that happened to be next to him and swung it wide.

Peo-peo-peo-peok!

The sword energy that Hyuk-ryeonhu had shot out exploded as if it had hit an invisible wall half a 'jang' (approx. 1.5 meters) in front of Baekji. At the same time, the pole, carrying a tremendous sharp energy, tried to strike Hyuk-ryeonhu.

Hyuk-ryeonhu spun his body in the air and struck the pole with his sword.

Kwang!

As the pole and the sword clashed, a loud roar erupted. At the same time, the boat, went down as if it would sink into the lake.

"Ugh!"

The sailors were startled, but fortunately, it did not sink completely and barely rose again.

Hyuk-ryeonhu used the repulsive force to fly, grabbed the middle of the mast in the center of the boat, spun around once, and then stood on the mast's footplate.

His wide-open eyes were filled with disbelief.

Baekji tilted his head, looked up at Hyuk-ryeonhu, and said, "Not bad."

Considering he was a Demonic Cult member, he had not used his full strength, but he had thought he would be able to send him flying into the water.

But Hyuk-ryeonhu's improvisation was better than he had thought.

"Who are you..."

As Hyuk-ryeonhu was about to ask Baekji's identity, a figure suddenly came to mind.

Although the bamboo staff was not visible, there was only one brat with such high martial arts.

Since he was a figure he had heard of until his ears hurt these days, it was natural that he would come to mind.

"Yang Baekji! The disciple of the Alliance Leader!"

Baekji sighed.

It seemed that the fact that he was the disciple of the Alliance Leader was firmly imprinted in people's minds.

To think that the Young Lord of the Demonic Cult had to pretend to be the disciple of the Martial Alliance Leader in front of a cult member.

What a trick of fate.

Baekji said, "Hey. There are many unbelievable things in the world. If you believe what you see, you'll be in for a big surprise."

Just in case. It would be troublesome if they met in the Demonic Cult later, so he had laid a smokescreen in advance.

"Anyway. I'll be using this boat."

Baekji took something out from his bosom and threw it.

Hyuk-ryeonhu flinched and was about to dodge, but there was no energy in it.

He reached out his hand in spite of himself and snatched it, and it was two silver coins.

"Ah! It must be a bit unfair. I'll give you interest too."

Baekji threw another silver coin. Hyuk-ryeonhu, greatly angered, threw the silver coin in his hand and hit the flying silver coin.

Thwack―!

The silver coins clashed and fell.

"To hijack someone else's boat in broad daylight... are you not afraid of the law of the land?"

The desperate Hyuk-ryeonhu brought up the law of the land.

Baekji was so dumbfounded that he laughed. To think that a Demonic Cult member would bring up the law of the land.

But he could not reveal Hyuk-ryeonhu's identity here.

If a Demonic Cult member appeared in Dongting Lake, the Righteous Path would flock in droves.

"Are you in a position to talk about the law of the land now? A brat who chased after and threatened weak women?"

"Who threatened them? Seeing as you're even framing me, I doubt you're the disciple of the Alliance Leader."

"I doubt that too."

When Baekji retorted, Hyuk-ryeonhu flared up in anger. Since it seemed Baekji was dragging out the time with silly jokes, he had no intention of playing along.

"Hmph! I'll hand over the boat. But you won't be able to use this mast."

As Hyuk-ryeonhu was about to strike the mast with the side of his hand, Baekji was startled and gestured.

If the mast broke, the boat would be useless.

"Calm down. Calm down."

Hyuk-ryeonhu stopped his hand and looked at Baekji.

At this, Baekji said in a soothing tone, "Alright. Let's negotiate. Come down here."

Although Baekji spoke, Hyuk-ryeonhu did not come down from the mast.

"Say it from there."

Baekji sighed again.

Why is a brat who is so timid running rampant in the Central Plains?

Baekji said to Hyuk-ryeonhu, "Alright. I also want to meet the 'Divine Doctor of Life and Death'. So let's join hands for a while."

(End of Chapter)