Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 28

Although many people had entered, the White Hall Great Light was as quiet as a dead mouse.

Bai Renguang was sitting on the head seat of the main hall.

Bai Renguang, who had changed into a black long robe, had a brilliant light flashing in his eyes.

A fierce energy flowed through his entire body, as if his internal energy had become more profound than before he was hit by the Blood Hand Grand Seal.

In front of Bai Renguang, General Manager Ximen, Hu Yeonjo, Yu Mungwang, and Mo Dahou, who had returned after hearing the news, were kneeling.

"What on earth are you brats? Is it not enough that you gave up your home to the enemy, but you're telling me you didn't even know there was a thief?"

Bai Renguang had gone to his secret vault and had become furious upon seeing that it had been completely emptied.

"General Manager Ximen. Speak!"

When Bai Renguang spoke quietly, it was even more frightening.

General Manager Ximen prostrated himself and said, "I am sorry. Just in case, I moved the items from the Sect Master's study to a safe warehouse, but I did not know there was a separate secret vault."

"You didn't take it?"

"How could I dare? I have never lost my loyalty to the Sect Master. Please believe me."

General Manager Ximen struck his forehead on the floor.

"The sect's property has been depleted."

"To procure the Sect Master's medicine, I gathered all the money I could..."

"Enough! I will check it myself, so bring all the ledgers to my study."

General Manager Ximen was inwardly chilled, but on the other hand, he was relieved.

He had already prepared the ledgers for a time like this. Even if Bai Renguang looked at them, he would not be able to tell.

Bai Renguang glared at Mo Dahou and Hu Yeonjo.

Hu Yeonjo prostrated himself with a thud and shouted, "I congratulate the Sect Master on reaching the absolute realm."

"Hmph!"

Bai Renguang snorted. He had already heard from Yu Mungwang how Mo Dahou and Hu Yeonjo had acted.

However, he had no intention of making an issue of it.

Mo Dahou and Hu Yeonjo were just swords to be wielded anyway.

"For the brats of the Meixian Fang to dare to aim for the White Mountain Sect. I cannot overlook this. You two, take the heads of the Twin Swords of Meixian, go and crush the Meixian Fang, and bring back the Fang Master."

"What?"

"The two of us?"

Mo Dahou and Hu Yeonjo were utterly astonished. The White Temple Brigade and the Great Light Brigade combined were two hundred men. It was a force that could wipe out an ordinary sect, but the Meixian Fang was by no means an ordinary sect.

"They are the ones who tried to kill me. I must make an example of them. Isn't that right? Mo Dahou!"

"Of course. I will follow your orders."

When Mo Dahou bowed his waist, even Hu Yeonjo could not refuse.

Bai Renguang turned to General Manager Ximen again and said, "Have the daughter of the Yang Merchant Guild come in."

When General Manager Ximen gestured, the side door of the main hall opened, and Yang Soryeong and Baekji entered.

"I greet the Sect Master."

Yang Soryeong bowed her head.

"I heard you acted as the acting sect master. You have worked hard."

"I have done nothing."

Seeing the politely answering Yang Soryeong, Bai Renguang nodded and then said to General Manager Ximen, "General Manager Ximen, now that Yandu has woken up, we must hurry with the marriage."

"Yes, Sect Master."

"Choose an auspicious day and raise it. The wedding is much delayed."

"I understand."

Yang Soryeong stepped forward.

"True Man Changshan of Qingcheng has gone into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs to treat the Sect Master. It is time for him to return, and when he does, he will be able to cure Young Master Bai's illness. How about holding the wedding after he has recovered his health?"

"True Man Changshan?"

Bai Renguang was puzzled. He did not yet know that the Qingcheng Sect had visited.

"That... they came from the Qingcheng Sect."

General Manager Ximen explained the events that had transpired.

"Are you saying the real True Man Changshan came?"

Bai Renguang, having been deceived by the fake True Man Changshan, could not shake his suspicion.

"He went to the mountains for a month, so he will return within a few days. Since the Sect Master has recovered, I did not mention it, thinking it was useless."

"General Manager Ximen has worked hard for me."

"I am moved that you recognize it."

Although Bai Renguang was cruel and ferocious, he was also smart. Even though he knew that General Manager Ximen had harbored rebellious thoughts, he praised him on the surface.

"In that case, we will decide after True Man Changshan comes."

Yang Soryeong bowed and left the White Hall Great Light.

"That's a relief. At least we don't have to hold the wedding right away."

Yang Soryeong let out a sigh of relief. Even so, it was just buying a little time.

Baekji rolled his eyes and asked, "You don't want to get married, Master?"

"Of course not. Would I want to marry someone I don't even know?"

"Yes. Then what about Shang Yiqing? You know Shang Yiqing well."

"Why are you talking about him? We are not fated."

"You never know what will happen in the world."

The world is truly unknowable.

As they were returning to the Songhua Hall, the sound of a whistle and clashing weapons was heard.

"Catch him!"

With a shout, a person came running, and it was Shang Yiqing, whom they had just been talking about.

Shang Yiqing hesitated upon seeing Yang Soryeong.

The White Mountain Brigade members were chasing him from behind. As Shang Yiqing hesitated for a moment and was about to turn and run in another direction, Baekji said, "You can't go that way."

That was the direction of the White Mountain Brigade's quarters. As expected. The White Mountain Brigade was rushing over.

Shang Yiqing, surrounded from the front and back, lowered his sword and approached Yang Soryeong.

"What are you doing here?"

"Soryeong, come with me!"

Shang Yiqing said, looking around urgently.

"It seems difficult to get out."

Baekji threw a wet blanket. The White Mountain Brigade members had already surrounded Shang Yiqing, Yang Soryeong, and Baekji.

"How dare you invade the White Mountain Sect, who are you!"

Yu Mungwang, who had appeared at some point, was standing with a sword.

Yang Soryeong quickly stepped forward.

"This person is not a suspicious person. He is someone I know."

Yu Mungwang looked back and forth between Yang Soryeong and Shang Yiqing with suspicious eyes.

"The fact that the Young Mistress knows him makes him even more suspicious. What is your relationship?"

Baekji suddenly stepped forward.

"Can't you see? These two are, shall we say, star-crossed lovers? A heartbreaking relationship."

"What?"

"What nonsense! It's not like that. Don't misunderstand."

Although Yang Soryeong denied it, Yu Mungwang frowned. He was also a man. He understood what was going on.

'For the person who is to be the Young Sect Master's wife to bring in a man.'

It was an impossible thing.

"Kill him!"

Yu Mungwang thought of killing Shang Yiqing before the scandal spread.

"Who are you to kill?"

An old, raspy voice was heard, and True Man Changshan was walking from the direction of the Songhua Hall.

A thought suddenly occurred to Yang Soryeong. The Qinghai Martial Hall, to which Shang Yiqing belonged, was a secular branch of the Qingcheng Sect.

"It is good that the True Man has come at this time. A secular disciple of Qingcheng has come to see the True Man."

Yang Soryeong winked at the bewildered Shang Yiqing and said, "This is the True Man Changshan of Qingcheng that you are looking for, brother."

"That is True Man Changshan?"

There was no way Shang Yiqing did not know of True Man Changshan's fame. To him, True Man Changshan was a heavenly existence from the main sect.

"You should greet him at once."

At Yang Soryeong's words, Shang Yiqing stepped forward and cupped his fists.

"Shang Yiqing, a disciple of the Qinghai Martial Hall of Shaanxi, greets the Grand Martial Uncle."

"Qinghai Martial Hall? Are you saying you are a disciple of Qiu Yan Hai?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Keke, that snot-nosed brat Qiu Yan Hai has already raised such a big disciple?"

Shang Yiqing was embarrassed that True Man Changshan was treating his master like a child.

Yu Mungwang was at a loss. It was clear that he was not just an ordinary acquaintance of Yang Soryeong, as he had secretly entered the White Mountain Sect and was loitering around the Songhua Hall, but he was a disciple of Qingcheng.

If True Man Changshan were not here, he could have just killed him and said he didn't know, but now he couldn't.

True Man Changshan chuckled, approached Shang Yiqing, took something out of his bosom, and gave it to him, saying, "Here. It's a pine needle dumpling. Your master ate a lot of them too. But what brings you here?"

"That, that's..."

"Didn't you say you had something to say to the True Man?"

When Shang Yiqing couldn't answer, Yang Soryeong interjected.

"We shouldn't be doing this here. Let's go to the Songhua Hall. It's a matter of Qingcheng, so it would be difficult if outsiders heard, right?"

Yang Soryeong used her wits and guided True Man Changshan and Shang Yiqing to the Songhua Hall. Yu Mungwang watched like a dog that had been chasing a chicken, looking at the roof.

He could not be rude to True Man Changshan, who would be treating the Sect Master and the Young Sect Master.

Yu Mungwang looked at Yang Soryeong and Shang Yiqing and thought to himself, 'Their relationship is not ordinary. If this fact spreads, what will become of the Young Sect Master's face?'

Yu Mungwang said to his subordinates, "It seems there was a misunderstanding. A secular disciple of Qingcheng came to see True Man Changshan, so know that and watch your mouths."

"We understand."

Since the White Mountain Brigade followed Yu Mungwang with loyalty, they immediately bowed their heads and repeated.

"Double the number of guards around the Songhua Hall!"

Yu Mungwang glared at the Songhua Hall and turned away.

* * *

"What do you have to say to me?"

Although True Man Changshan asked, Shang Yiqing could not answer. What was there to say when he had come without even knowing he existed?

Shang Yiqing suddenly prostrated himself in front of True Man Changshan.

"I am sorry, Grand Martial Uncle. Actually, I came here to see Miss Yang. I was cornered and used the Grand Martial Uncle's name, so please forgive me."

"Huh? You came to see Soryeong?"

True Man Changshan was bewildered and then looked at Yang Soryeong and asked, "Is he your partner?"

Yang Soryeong let out a deep sigh.

"He is a brother who grew up in the same neighborhood since we were young."

"I see. I thought you had changed partners in the meantime."

When True Man Changshan looked at Baekji and spoke, Yang Soryeong put her hand to her forehead.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's not like that. He is my disciple, and this person is an brother from the same neighborhood."

"Yes, I see."

When Yang Soryeong spoke clearly in a loud voice, True Man Changshan nodded as if he understood clearly this time.

Shang Yiqing looked at Yang Soryeong with a pitiful gaze and said, "Soryeong. Am I just an brother to you? Don't you know my heart?"

At Shang Yiqing's earnest gaze, Yang Soryeong's heart wavered.

Yang Soryeong had good feelings for Shang Yiqing. However, she could not be sure if those feelings were the love between a man and a woman.

'If you love someone, your heart flutters just by meeting their eyes...'

Yang Soryeong was also still a young girl of sixteen and did not know much about the feelings between a man and a woman.

Moreover, she was now going through the great twist of fate of a political marriage.

The marriage with the White Mountain Sect was a matter on which the fate of the Yang Merchant Guild depended. No matter how indifferent her father was, she could not betray him.

Yang Soryeong sighed and said, "Why wouldn't I know your heart, brother? But since it is a marriage decided by the family, I have no choice but to follow. If I were to run away with you, brother, the Yang Merchant Guild would have to bear all the consequences."

"What has the Yang Merchant Guild done for you and your aunt? Aren't they the ones who actually sold you to the White Mountain Sect?"

"Sold? The Yang Merchant Guild sold me to the White Mountain Sect? For how much?"

Baekji suddenly interjected.

"They are trying to marry Soryeong off to the White Mountain Sect for the benefit of the Yang Merchant Guild, so it's as good as selling her."

"That's not selling. It's called a political marriage."

"Whether it's a political marriage or selling, it's the same thing."

"It's not the same thing. They're different, so the words are used differently. Human trafficking and a political marriage are strictly different."

"How is this any different from human trafficking?"

As Baekji and Shang Yiqing bickered, Yang Soryeong shot up and shouted, "Baekji! brother! Stop it!"

Then she ran into her own room.

Listening to the argument between Baekji and Shang Yiqing, her own situation was so miserable that she could not remain seated.

"You two were wrong. A man who makes a woman cry cannot be called a gentleman."

At True Man Changshan's words, Baekji and Shang Yiqing closed their mouths.

A moment later, Baekji said to Shang Yiqing, "Go and say you're sorry and bring the master back."

"What?"

"The master was upset because you talked about human trafficking. Would she feel good if you said she was sold through human trafficking? She's not even happy with the political marriage."

(End of Chapter)