Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 155

Baekji got up and went to the Songhwa Hall dining room.

Yang Soryeong, the Seven Plums, Ah-jok, Zhang San, Tie Yantai, and Menghua were gathered.

The head of the family was also standing in front of the kitchen with a serious face.

They were the family members who always ate breakfast together. But their expressions were not good.

"What's going on so early in the morning? Where's the food? Why is there no food?"

Baekji looked back and forth between the empty dining table and the head of the family.

Ah-jok hesitated and then said, "This junior disciple was captured by the Blood Demon while climbing the back mountain at dawn."

"The Blood Demon? Why would the Blood Demon capture Senior Oh?"

Ah-jok looked at him with eyes that said, 'how would I know'.

"The estate was in an uproar, and you didn't know?"

"Yes... I didn't know."

These days, he was learning the 'Great Soul Weaving Art' and the 'Great Soul Spirit Art'.

Since both great arts were sensitive techniques that required dealing with the soul and the spirit, he trained in a state of being cut off from reality, with his consciousness severed.

So even if a thunderbolt exploded outside, Baekji would not know.

Yang Soryeong was worried.

"The Blood Demon is a person who trains with human blood... we can't just stay like this. Let's all go out and look for him."

"No. It's dangerous if even you, Master, are captured. You and the Seven Plums should stay in Songhwa Hall. Elder Tie Guang, please guard Songhwa Hall. Junior Disciple Zhang and I will go and look for him."

When Ah-jok spoke, Baekji waved his hand.

"Senior Oh will be fine. Let's eat first."

"..."

Everyone was silent.

Ah-gwa stood up and said to Yang Soryeong, "Please allow me to look for him too."

"Yes, let's all look for him together. To do that, we have to eat first."

At Yang Soryeong's words, the head of the family went into the kitchen.

"The dining room is quiet without Senior Oh."

They say you don't know the space a person fills until they're gone... everyone realized anew how talkative Senior Oh had been.

Baekji said, "The Blood Demon will also be regretting it. I'll go and bring him back after I eat."

"What do you mean by that? The Blood Demon is regretting it?"

Menghua, who had asked back, covered her mouth. It was a habit of the Demonic Cult members to cover their mouths after asking a question.

"The reason why the Blood Demon captured Senior Oh was not to burn his blood. He has already achieved the 'Blood Demon God', so there is no need to burn blood. The Blood Demon has been doing all sorts of things to lure me for some time now. Since I didn't fall for it, he used Senior Oh as bait."

"Ah! Then Master, you knew that the Blood Demon was loitering around? But you didn't tell us?"

Ah-jok asked.

"If I had told you? Do you think you could have prepared? Although he's a half-baked one, he has still achieved the 'Blood Demon God'. He's not someone you can deal with."

"Still... you should have told us... as the chief steward who is responsible for everything in the estate, I should have known."

Ah-jok grumbled. Everyone was relieved that Baekji said Senior Oh would be safe and that he would bring him back himself. Although he seemed to throw out words without thinking, they knew well that Baekji kept his word.

Zhang San said, "Master, I will follow you. I'll even carry your bamboo staff."

"But... why did Senior Oh go up the back mountain at dawn?"

"You ordered him to."

"I did?"

"Didn't you say he was in charge of Elder Mado's food and daily necessities?"

"Yes. I did. I switched him with Bang-bang. Bang-bang almost got captured."

At Baekji's words, Bang-bang shuddered. The mere thought of being captured by a demon who trained by drawing human blood was terrifying.

"If Senior Oh was captured... wouldn't Mado also starve? Someone has to bring her food."

"Since the Blood Demon might appear again, a master must go."

"Can't a group of underlings go?"

"You said underlings like us are no match for him. And Elder Mado will not like it if many people come and make a fuss."

"Hmm..."

Baekji's gaze turned to Tie Yantai.

Tie Yantai suddenly stood up and hastily went out.

"What's wrong with him?"

Menghua seemed to know. Since he could not do someone else's chores with the honor of the Demonic Cult's Eastern Divine General, he had fled before Baekji's order was given.

"Hmm... who should I send?"

The pushover of the century crossed Baekji's mind.

'He wanted to meet her anyway, right?'

After finishing breakfast and leaving the table, Zhang San approached hesitantly.

"In a situation where this senior disciple has been kidnapped... it's a bit much to say this..."

"What is it?"

"There is a patient I need to ask Changseon Jin-in about."

Zhang San had brought Zhang Hua and his mother to Joga-hyeon. His mother had gotten a chronic disease after her family had died all at once, and Zhang Hua also could not speak due to the shock.

"Oh dear... you should have said so earlier..."

Baekji felt that he had been too indifferent to his disciples.

"Changseon Jin-in is too concerned with the price... there is a more outstanding 'Divine Doctor'. The 'Divine Doctor of Life and Death'... I will ask him."

"Thank you. Master!"

The sturdy giant was so moved that he even shed tears.

"No. I was too indifferent... tell Bang-bang to open the medicinal herb warehouse. Bring everything your mother and sister need."

As Baekji patted Zhang San's shoulder, he fell to the ground.

"Master! I will devote my body and soul for you and Master's master."

Zhang San, who had learned to write, used literary language. Baekji grabbed Zhang San and helped him up.

"There's no need for that. We are master and disciple. Not a superior and a subordinate. Think about it. If a grandson devotes his body and soul for his grandfather, would the grandfather be happy? Just take care of yourself."

"Keu-heuk!"

Zhang San shed tears.

"Aigoo... a grown brat..."

The head of the family, who had accidentally overheard the conversation between the two... could not understand the relationship between that master and disciple at all.

Although Zhang San was clearly older... just looking at their conversation, they seemed like a grandfather and a grandson.

'Does one's thoughts also grow old when one's martial arts become high?'

The head of the family tilted his head and went into the kitchen.

.

.

.

Baekji went to see Jin Tiansuo.

"You said you wanted to meet Mado?"

"Mado?"

"The descendant of the Silver Moon Sect."

"Are you saying the Ten Great Masters' Mado was a descendant of the Silver Moon Sect?"

Jin Tiansuo asked back, as if he were slightly surprised.

"Yes."

"You're telling me now. If you had told me earlier, I would have gone and found her myself."

Jin Tianxiang pouted.

Baekji handed over the bundle of food he had brought.

"If you take this, she will greet you warmly. Just say I sent you."

"What is this?"

"Food. She's currently training in seclusion with her disciple in the back mountain. For your information, her disciple is also of the 'Heavenly Vein'."

"Oh, are you saying her disciple is also a descendant of the Silver Moon Sect?"

"No, I don't know the disciple's origins. Jin Tiansuo might know if he sees her."

"I understand. I will go and see right away."

The pushover of the century immediately stood up.

"By the way, on your way, be careful if you meet an old man with red hair... called the Blood Demon. He has achieved the 'Blood Demon God', so he's quite tough."

"What? The Blood Demon? The Blood Sect's Right Honored One?"

Jin Tianxiang's eyes widened.

"Why did the Blood Demon appear here?"

"That's what I'm saying. He's loitering in the back mountain... you might meet him, so be careful."

"Ugh... now that I see..."

As Jin Tianxiang was shouting something, Baekji came out without even pretending to listen.

* * *

"Come back home. The Alliance is dangerous now. You don't know what will happen if you get caught up in the dispute."

Although Nangong Hao spoke sternly with a hardened face, Nangong Zhao did not answer.

"You can't sever blood ties just by saying you will. At that time, our father also suffered a lot."

"..."

"The dead do not return. If that child had lived, she would not have wanted you to live with your back to the family like this."

"..."

"There is a new connection by your side. You can't lose the new connection by being tied down by the past connection, can you?"

"What does that mean?"

"Don't ignore a woman's intuition. If she finds out that you approached her because you were obsessed with a past connection... how would Miss Yunseol feel?"

"..."

As he was still silent, Nangong Hao sighed.

"Aren't we brothers from the same mother? Our father is old, but our uncles are in good health. Honestly... it's overwhelming for me to handle the family's affairs alone."

"......?"

"The third uncle's movements are unusual. The reason why I stepped forward in the Alliance's affairs this time was largely due to the influence of the third uncle, who insisted and drove the family's atmosphere."

The face of his third uncle, Nangong Heng, flashed in Nangong Zhao's mind. Although the outside world regarded the 'Heavenly Dragon' Nangong Wu as the representative master of the Nangong family, within the family, they regarded Nangong Heng as the top master.

This was an unavoidable phenomenon. The moment one became the head of the family, all sorts of arduous tasks would pile up, and there would be a lack of time to learn martial arts. Although they supplemented with all sorts of miraculous medicines, it was difficult to bridge the gap in the time invested in training.

The difference would become even greater when one became a master. Because enlightenment was also achieved through accumulated training and was not something that could be obtained suddenly one day.

"The third uncle seems to have entered the 'flower realm'. The forces that follow him are also increasing. You know, don't you? That in a martial family, strength comes first."

"..."

"The third uncle wants the position of Alliance Leader. To do that, he has no choice but to clash with the nine sects or other noble families. Neither my father nor I want the warriors of the family to shed blood in a power struggle. When the Blood Sect, which we should be dealing with, is there, we can't exhaust our strength to obtain the position of Alliance Leader, can we?"

"What do you mean, it was because of the third uncle that you came with the Zhuge family?"

"It was a preemptive move before the third uncle threw his hat in the ring. But it is clear that he will not agree."

"..."

Nangong Zhao did not forget Shangguan Ming's warning. Before he was dismissed, Shangguan Ming had been planning to dispatch an investigation team, saying that the forces of the Blood Sect might have infiltrated the great sects or the noble families.

'Wasn't the sudden dismissal of the Alliance Leader the work of the Blood Sect?'

It seemed there was some reason why the great sects and the noble families were in a hurry to elect the Alliance Leader.

Nangong Zhao organized his thoughts and said, "Even if I go to the main family now, there is nothing I can do. It will be more helpful to stay in the Alliance."

"The Alliance is dangerous. The moment you are known as the Alliance Leader's force, you could become a target for assassination."

"But I can't avoid it. I am already a person of the Alliance."

As Nangong Zhao's will was firm, Nangong Hao could not persuade him any further.

"... perhaps someone from the third uncle will look for you. He will tell you to support him. If you refuse, you could be branded as a traitor to the family. Since the family members consider the election of the Alliance Leader as an opportunity for the main family to seize hegemony, they will agree with the third uncle... and then you might really not be able to come back."

He conveyed his final thoughts and stood up from his seat.

Nangong Zhao asked, "Brother, do you know what the Zhuge family is thinking?"

"The Zhuge family made a deal with the Peng family. They said they would take control of the military advisory department in exchange for handing over the position of Alliance Leader. They said they would give us the position of great elder of the Elder Hall... but I can't believe they will really do so. I am with them to find out their exact true intentions."

"You'll have to be careful. Chief Military Advisor Shangguan suspects the Zhuge family is behind the assassination of the Alliance Leader this time. Although it seems he has been dismissed for now, the forces of the Alliance Leader that remain in the Alliance are not to be trifled with. It would be better to maintain a suitable distance. If the forces of the Alliance Leader come to the surface... they might see blood with the Zhuge family."

"I understand."

Nangong Hao answered curtly, and as he was about to leave, he turned around and said, "Take care of yourself... Miss Yunseol, she really looks a lot like her. This time..."

Nangong Hao trailed off and just left.

* * *

"We are searching the north, following the traces."

Mak Dae-hu, who had been chasing the Blood Demon, came back and reported.

"Tell them all to come back."

"Yes?"

"What are you going to do if you meet the Blood Demon while searching? Do you want to die?"

"If you avoid an enemy because they are strong, you are not a martial artist."

"Don't you know the saying that you have to know your place to die to be a master?"

"..."

"I will go."

As Baekji took his bamboo staff and was about to leave, Ah-jok came to see him.

"A Shaolin monk and a Wudang Taoist have come to see you. They say they have something urgent to tell you."

"What story? I have to go and find Senior Oh, so tell them to come next time."

"I will do so."

Mak Dae-hu, who was listening to the conversation between the master and the disciple from the side, was surprised anew.

'To treat the visit of Shaolin and Wudang... like a peddler...'

He was proud anew that he had taken refuge in the Yang-Bai Merchant Sect.

Baekji left the estate and went to the northern mountain.

He was curious about the Blood Demon's true intentions.

'What on earth is he thinking, doing this? Has he completed the 'Blood Demon God' in that short time? Is he trying to have a go at me?'

As he was grumbling and climbing to the top of the mountain, he saw an old man with red hair standing on a pine tree in the distance.

His transcendent appearance was reminiscent of a demonic immortal.

'Aigoo... he's acting like a divine being because he has achieved 'demon-shedding'.'

(End of Chapter)