Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 148

Baekji couldn't help but sigh.

It was clear that the Blood Cult Leader was planning something heinous, but both the Martial Alliance and the Demonic Cult were in a state of disarray due to internal strife.

Seeing Baekji's silence, Hyuk-ryeonhu, who thought his threat had worked, said in an arrogant tone, "If you let me go now... I will consider what has happened until now as if it never happened. Have you thought about the reason why I told you the family's secret? Aren't you the disciple of the Alliance Leader? I want to make a deal with the person who will become the Martial Alliance Leader in the future."

"What kind of deal?"

"Perhaps... there will be many things that will be helpful to each other. By any chance, is there someone you want to kill? But if you can't do it yourself because you are a person of the Righteous Path? We will take care of it for you. Conversely, if there is someone we want to take care of but can't step forward ourselves, and the Alliance takes care of it... isn't that good for both of us?"

"Oho? That sounds good."

Hyuk-ryeonhu nodded his head and said, "Even if they are enemies, it is the way for the leaders to know each other. Clashing with swords is something that only the underlings do. The leaders are the ones who read the general trend, coordinate with each other, and complete the big picture. We will be helpful to each other."

"Yes... that makes sense."

As Baekji responded favorably, Hyuk-ryeonhu let out a triumphant smile.

"What will you do? Will you draw a big picture with me, with the world at stake?"

"The Blood Sect is a concern. It seems they will cause trouble soon..."

"The Blood Sect? You don't have to worry about those brats."

"What?"

Hyuk-ryeonhu gave a meaningful smile.

"The main family can take care of the Blood Sect."

What? What is this brat saying?

A bright light flashed in Baekji's two eyes, and a tremendous momentum flowed from his entire body.

At that moment, Hongyeon placed her hand on Baekji's shoulder.

It was a sign to calm down.

'Hongyeon is helpful at times...'

Baekji quickly hid his energy.

Hyuk-ryeonhu, lost in the thought that things were going his way, did not notice the change in Baekji's eyes.

"What do you mean, you can take care of it?"

"Just know that. The Blood Sect has no choice but to follow the words of the main family."

To think that the Hyuk-ryeon family was related to the Blood Sect. It was unexpected.

Hyuk-ryeonhu uttered some cryptic words and then closed his mouth. It was a sign that if he wanted to hear more, this side had to offer something.

Should I feed him a truth-telling pill?

Baekji seriously considered it.

'Let's leave him for now. It would be troublesome if he went crazy. I have to coax it out of him.'

Baekji said to Hongyeon, "It turns out your a precious person. I don't think it's right to keep him in the prison. Take him to a good place."

Since his blood points had been pressed, he could not run away.

"Haha. You're a friend who can talk."

Hyuk-ryeonhu, thinking he had escaped the crisis with his own wit, laughed heartily.

'As expected, I have the qualities of a Cult Leader. To think I have the eloquence to persuade even the disciple of the Alliance Leader.'

.

.

.

"I really don't know."

Baekji muttered as he came out of the prison.

It was clear that there was some kind of deal between the Hyuk-ryeon family and the Blood Sect, but he couldn't understand it.

'To join hands with the Blood Cult Leader even after losing Hyuk-ryeonjong to the 'Great Soul Reincarnation Art'...'

Hongyeon, for her part, was indignant.

"To think that a wimp like that is a high-ranking member of the main base!"

To her, Hyuk-ryeonhu was a brat who had sold out the cult to the Martial Alliance.

The branch manager who had admired the great young master of the Hyuk-ryeon family had disappeared, and she had returned as the great demoness of the Hongmeng Brothel, Hongyeon.

"If you give me just one day, I'll strip him bare."

"Are you going to torture him?"

"What can he do if I grind his soul?"

"What if he dies?"

A poisonous energy flowed from Hongyeon's eyes.

"He deserves to die. A human who treats the cult members as tools... besides, he even tried to harm the Young Lord. I can't understand the reason why you're just leaving him alone. In the past, it would have been, 'sseuk'..."

As Hongyeon made a gesture of slitting a throat, Baekji shook his head.

"Until we find a way to enter the Heavenly Mountains, we have to leave him completely alone. Feed him plenty of delicious food and alcohol. Then he'll spill the beans on his own."

"Hmm... the food is a waste. To think we have to feed a bug like that."

Hongyeon, who was grumbling, said, 'ah'.

"Some noteworthy figures have appeared in Joga-hyeon."

"Noteworthy figures?"

"Masters from Shaolin, Wudang, Qingcheng, and Emei Sects had a meeting. People who seemed to be from the Nangong family, the Zhuge family, and the Peng family also came."

Baekji tilted his head.

"Why did they suddenly flock here?"

"I don't know."

Hongyeon did not know the fact that the Martial Alliance Leader was recuperating at the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect.

"They also came from the Martial Alliance. They said it was Elder Qiu Ganyang."

"Yes. A lot of them have flocked."

"Besides them, martial artists whose identities are unknown are continuously coming in."

He remembered Quan Bai's warning that the great sects or the noble families would not stand still.

Even so, since this side had done nothing wrong, he was upright.

Rather, he was pleased.

If people flocked, the merchant sect would do well.

"Yes. Joga-hyeon is prospering day by day."

"It's thanks to Big Sister Mado's martial arts contests. Even the riffraff are coming with money and setting up camp."

"As expected... my thoughts were right."

Baekji was satisfied. Having Mado do the martial arts contests had been effective.

It was Baekji's plan to gather as many martial artists as possible in Joga-hyeon before the fight with the Blood Sect.

If something happened, if he organized them into a force, it would be a considerable strength.

Building the 'Yang-Bai Guesthouse' was also part of that plan. He was planning to make masters or renowned figures the guests of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect and have them stay at the 'Yang-Bai Guesthouse'.

"Big Sister Mado is suffering too much. It's also difficult to deal with brats who are not even good enough, while holding back and fighting them appropriately."

"Mado is going to quit."

"Ah... then the martial arts contest boom will be over."

As martial artists flocked, the Hongmeng Brothel also enjoyed a boom. If Mado quit the martial arts contests, they would leave like a receding tide, so Hongyeon was disappointed.

"No, Tie Zhangshenbian will take her place. Whether it's the second-ranked or the third-ranked, isn't it all the same?"

"Yes? That arrogant person is going to have a martial arts contest for money?"

"I asked him. To do it just a hundred times."

Tie Zhangshenbian had agreed to grant one favor as a condition for his martial arts contest with Baekji.

Baekji had suggested that Mado go into seclusion for training and had instead asked Tie Zhangshenbian to do a hundred martial arts contests.

Although Tie Zhangshenbian had strongly protested that he could not have a martial arts contest for money, since he had agreed to grant Baekji's favor, he had no choice.

"Hoho. Then it's good for our Hongmeng Brothel. The boom will continue."

"Say that Tie Zhangshenbian was on par with Mado but lost by half a move after seven days and nights. Then, people will flock even more."

"I understand."

Baekji left the Hongmeng Brothel and came out to the street.

Indeed, the number of people coming and going seemed to have increased significantly.

'If so, the price of the land that Ah-jok bought must have also risen quite a bit. Shall I go and see?'

Baekji, after walking a few steps, turned around at the energy that pricked his back. He saw the Blood Demon hiding.

'That brat?'

He was constantly loitering around and pestering him to follow.

'Ugh. To catch that brat, I'll have to use quite a bit of strength...'

He was a brat he had to catch and kill someday, but not now. There were more than one or two things to deal with in front of him.

More than that.

'If I learn the 'Great Soul Spirit Art' and the 'Great Soul Weaving Art'... I'll be able to catch him easily.'

If he subdued him by force, the Blood Demon would rebel, so what he could find out would be limited. Since he had achieved the 'Blood Demon God', a truth-telling pill would not work either.

'If I figure out the 'Great Soul Spirit Art' and the 'Great Soul Reincarnation Art', I'll be able to pull out all your memories. Wait until then.'

Baekji went to the street that Ah-jok had newly created by purchasing land. On the square road, newly built inns, shops, and taverns were lined up, and behind them were private houses.

'Huh? Isn't that a Shaolin monk?'

He saw monks dressed in the same attire as the great elder Haiyue, whom he had seen in the Martial Alliance.

It seemed they were looking for a room, going from one inn to another.

He also saw a group of Taoists.

'Isn't that the Wudang Sect? Hongyeon said Qingcheng and Emei also came...'

Qingcheng and Emei were not seen.

At that moment, a carriage entered the street, and Ah-jok got off.

The Chief Steward of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect, Ah-jok, was a big shot and a noble in Joga-hyeon. People came out from here and there to greet him.

Baekji was dumbfounded.

He felt somehow wronged. It felt as if the bear was doing the tricks and the person was collecting the money.

"Ah-jok!"

At the familiar voice, Ah-jok looked around and found Baekji.

"Ah! Master! I didn't know you were in the county."

"Yes. You're riding in a carriage... I walked..."

"Ah, this? I also find it stuffy, but I have no choice but to ride it, considering the status of the Chief Steward of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect."

"Yes. The status of the Chief Steward must be great."

When Baekji looked at the carriage with half-closed eyes, Ah-jok hastily said, "Master's carriage is bigger and more splendid."

"...I also had a carriage?"

"Of course. A four-horse carriage is always on standby."

"Why did no one tell me that?"

"Master is so elusive... there has to be a time to report."

Ah-jok quickly changed the subject.

"What are you doing here? The newly opened 'Yang-Bai Restaurant' over there is quite good. The chef received guidance from the main family. Would you like to go and have a taste?"

"No. More than that, do you see the Shaolin monk over there? And the Wudang Taoist."

Ah-jok looked where Baekji was pointing.

"Yes."

Baekji told Ah-jok something.

A moment later, Ah-jok approached the Shaolin monk who was coming out of the inn empty-handed and spoke to him.

"Are you perhaps looking for an inn?"

The Shaolin monk looked Ah-jok up and down. Although he was young, he looked like a rather wealthy merchant.

"That is so."

"If you go straight up that hill, there is a newly opened inn called the 'Yang-Bai Guesthouse'. Since it has just opened, there will probably be an empty room."

"Ah, is that so? You have told me something very important. May the Buddha's protection be with you. Amitabha."

The Shaolin monk, who had heard the good news, hastily went to find Wu Tian.

Ah-jok reported to Baekji that he had lured the Shaolin monk and the Wudang Sect.

"Drive the rest to the 'Yang-Bai Guesthouse' too."

"Don't worry. In Joga-hyeon, just mentioning the name of the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect is enough."

Ah-jok was confident.

* * *

"What? You still haven't found an inn?"

The great elder of the Peng family, Peng Yitian, roared. Although he was over sixty, he couldn't help his quick temper. When Peng Yitian, who boasted a physique and muscles comparable to a young man, got angry, the martial artist of the Peng family was at a loss.

"Great Elder Peng, please calm down. They said people were flocking to Joga-hyeon these days, and it seems to be true."

The military advisor of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Jiao, who was sitting opposite him, said in a calm voice. Zhuge Jiao, who looked to be in his mid-forties, had a clear face that made him look like an incarnation of Zhuge Liang.

"We're on the verge of sleeping on the street, so of course."

Peng Yitian glared with a displeased expression.

"The great young master of the Nangong family, the richest in the world, has come in person, and you're talking about the street? How about just buying a house?"

Zhuge Shu said, looking at the great young master of the Nangong family, Nangong Hao, who was sitting on the left.

Nangong Hao cupped his fists and said, "You two seniors, please do not worry. If we really can't find one, we can just buy a room by paying extra."

At that moment, a restaurant waiter passing by must have heard them. He approached, gave a sly smile, and said, "Are you perhaps looking for a room?"

"That is so..."

"It's like picking a star from the sky to find a room in Joga-hyeon these days. But as it happens, the 'Yang-Bai Guesthouse' opened today. If you go quickly, you might be able to find a room."

"'Yang-Bai Guesthouse'?"

"It's an inn directly operated by the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect, and they say it's very large."

Peng Yitian, who was listening to the waiter, said to the martial artist of the Peng family, "You go and get a room at the 'Yang-Bai Guesthouse' right away."

"Yes, I understand."

The martial artist of the Peng family hastily disappeared.

* * *

Qiu Ganyang was drinking with the Martial Alliance's Outer Hall Master, Gu Heng, at a tavern on the outskirts of Joga-hyeon.

The Five Elite Squad Leader, Wang Qishan, who was in disguise, came in and whispered something in Gu Heng's ear.

Gu Heng cleared his throat and said, "Elder Qiu, it seems we will have to sleep outdoors. They say there are no rooms in Joga-hyeon."

Qiu Ganyang nodded his head as if it were no big deal.

"What's so difficult about a martial artist sleeping outdoors?"

"Haha. As expected, Elder Qiu is so unpretentious. How about drinking with me all night instead?"

Gu Heng, who liked to drink, raised his glass.

At that moment, a martial artist from the Outer Hall ran in like an arrow and reported, "We have secured a room at the 'Yang-Bai Guesthouse'!"

* * *

"Big brother, this neighborhood is really strange. It's a rather large county, but there are no rooms in any of the inns."

"Then we have no choice. We'll have to be indebted to our younger brother."

The Four Shrines Heaven Lord, Jin Tiansuo, said to his sister, Jin Tianxiang.

Scholar Bing led the way.

"This is the way to the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect."

(End of Chapter)