Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 34

The fight broke out again.

The intimidated escort warriors were no match for Ajok and the others.

Baekji was not interested in the fight.

He was thinking about the moment he had just made a move.

'What is it? Why didn't my hand go out?'

When he was pushing away the escort warriors to catch Menghua, for some reason, he couldn't use his poison techniques.

He had intended to sever the escort warriors' necks, but at the last moment, a voice saying 'Don't kill!' had echoed in his head. Thanks to that, although the escort warriors were thrown in all directions, they did not die.

Right now, it didn't matter because they were ridiculously weak opponents, but if he hesitated when fighting a master, it would be extremely dangerous.

Hadn't he almost died last time because he couldn't use his internal energy?

'Is Baekji in my head?'

He thought about it for a moment, but it didn't seem so. His memories as Baekji were intact.

Although his identity was coming and going, his consciousness was continuing.

'I must have been influenced by the kind Yang Soryeong while living as Baekji. Isn't there a saying, 'he who touches pitch shall be defiled'?'

While he was thinking, Ajok and the others had beaten all the escort warriors.

Baekji stopped thinking and said to Ajok, "Wake her up."

Ajok shook Menghua awake.

When Menghua woke up, Baekji asked, "Why did you suddenly cause a ruckus? Do you have something to hide?"

Menghua was dumbfounded. To say that she had caused a ruckus.

Ajok explained it so she could understand.

"He's asking why you suddenly swung your sash and made a scene. Answer quickly."

When Menghua thought about it, that was also true. She was the one who had swung her sash first.

She sighed deeply and asked with a pitiful expression, "Why on earth are you doing this to me?"

"Why are you doing this? I asked about the girl who uses the nine-tailed fox technique, and you suddenly caused a ruckus."

"That's because, this brat... these people were trying to catch me..."

"Enough. Your martial arts are quite good. Do you know the nine-tailed fox technique?"

"What's so special about that fox dance? Yes! I know how to do the fox dance too."

Menghua played dumb.

Baekji stared at Menghua.

Even Menghua, who had been through all sorts of hardships, could not meet his gaze. She pretended not to know anything, lowered her eyes, and then shed tears.

"Sob! Sob! Sob!"

She thought as she cried.

'As Sister Hongyan said, he's an incredible master. What should I do?'

If she confessed about the Nine-Tailed Jade Shattering, she would have to leave this business. If she could, she had to avoid it at all costs.

'That bastard isn't budging.'

When a woman cried sorrowfully, it was common for even a man with a heart of stone to soften.

In fact, Senior Oh, who saw this, was dazed and muttered, "Miss, don't cry. It feels like my heart is tearing."

But Baekji just stared blankly.

'Is this not it? Then...'

Since crying was useless, Menghua used her next move.

She prostrated herself with a thud and bowed her head.

"I did not recognize that a master had graced us with his presence."

In the midst of that, Menghua opened her chest and showed a glimpse of her cleavage.

Since tears didn't work, the remaining method was seduction.

Whether a man was old or young, a beauty trap worked nine times out of ten. At the very least, she could avoid a fatal blow.

But a sharp intake of breath came from an unexpected place.

Senior Oh's eyes were wide, and he was covering his own mouth.

Menghua, with high expectations, glanced at Baekji.

Baekji was still expressionless.

-Swish!

Baekji threw a chopstick.

-Thud!

"Ack!"

A chopstick was embedded in the back of the prostrated Menghua's hand.

"Don't change the subject."

'This, this... cruel and ruthless brat!'

Menghua realized she was properly caught. There was no escape route.

She sighed deeply and said with an expression of having resigned herself to everything, "The Nine-Tailed Jade Shattering... is Sister Hongyan's life-saving secret technique."

"..."

Baekji just stared blankly.

'Does he not know?'

The eyes of the bowed Menghua sparkled. She thought that Baekji didn't know properly.

She quickly racked her brains.

She was confident in lying.

'If I add a little lie to the truth?'

It always worked.

"Sister Hongyan is from the Yaoyao Sect."

"Yaoyao Sect?"

"It is outside the pass."

"But is Hongyan your older sister? She looked young."

"My sister has learned the Youth Retaining Art."

"Are you also from the Yaoyao Sect?"

Menghua shook her head.

"I received some martial arts, including the 'Ghost Fox Hand', from my sister, but I could not learn the Nine-Tailed Jade Shattering because it is a unique martial art of the Yaoyao Sect."

"..."

Baekji stared at Menghua and said, "A lie."

"It's true."

"Ajok. Tear her mouth."

"..."

Ajok, surprised, covered his own mouth, which was about to ask back.

Senior Oh stepped forward. Although Menghua was old, she was a beautiful woman. He couldn't stand by and watch such a beautiful woman's mouth be torn.

"Master. If you tear her mouth, she can't speak. I will try to persuade her to tell the truth."

"Tear it. She'll lie again. I'll find out when I catch that Hongyan or whatever."

Baekji stood up without any lingering attachment.

Menghua's mind snapped to attention. She thought her mouth might really be torn.

She prostrated herself again with a thud, struck her head on the floor, and said, "My sister said it would be better not to learn it. She said I might be branded as a public enemy of the martial world..."

"..."

When Baekji was silent, Menghua became desperate.

"She said that what she had learned should never be known to others..."

"..."

"Why? Tell me in more detail."

Ajok, who was anxious that Baekji would kill Menghua, asked instead.

"That, that's... because it contains the technique of 'Plucking Yang to Nourish Yin'... so I didn't learn it. It's true."

Menghua even shed tears.

"Plucking Yang to Nourish Yin? What's that?"

When Jang Sam whispered, Senior Oh struck his head.

"You don't even know that? It's sucking out a man's yang energy. It means she's a demoness."

"Gasp, a demonic art?"

Baekji stared at Menghua. His eyes sparkled unusually.

Menghua stealthily lowered her head.

Then Baekji said, "Another lie."

"No. Please believe me."

Menghua prostrated herself, crying as if she were truly wronged.

"Where is Hongyan?"

"She left without a word a while ago."

"A lie... that's the third time."

When Baekji even counted the number of times as if giving a warning, Menghua could not carelessly run her mouth.

It seemed he would not let her off the fourth time.

'What am I supposed to do if he just says it's a lie?'

Menghua screamed inwardly.

"..."

A heavy silence fell.

Even the fallen escort warriors could not dare to let out a groan.

Ajok and the others were curious, not knowing where the lie was in Menghua's words.

Baekji just stared at Menghua without a word.

As the silence continued, Menghua could not bear it.

She shouted in a state of desperation, "Just kill me! What on earth is a lie! What is a lie!"

When Menghua struggled, Baekji said in a cold voice, "You were the one who lied, so why should I have to explain it? Ajok, just cut off her head."

"...!"

Ajok, who had received a special order from Yang Soryeong, could not kill Menghua.

Ajok took a step forward, bowed his waist, and said, "Master. I have a good idea."

"..."

"If we capture the brothel owner, Menghua, won't that courtesan named Hongyan or whatever come looking for her?"

"Those brats don't have that kind of loyalty."

"If you promise not to kill her if she comes of her own accord and seize the property of the Hongmeng Brothel, won't she come? Won't she come, feeling it's a waste of the money she has saved from doing business for decades?"

"..."

Ajok licked his lips.

"Master, the White Mountain Sect is on the verge of a war with the Meixian Fang. To fight the Meixian Fang, the Grandmaster needs money. But I heard that the White Mountain Sect's finances have hit rock bottom. You have to think of the Grandmaster."

"Are you telling me to rob a brothel now?"

When the corner of Baekji's eye rose, Ajok quickly changed the subject.

"Let's just say the White Mountain Sect is borrowing it. We can return it after we win the fight with the Meixian Fang."

"..."

"..."

Everyone watched Baekji's expression.

Baekji thought for a moment and then said, "Should we?"

Money is a good thing.

"Alright. Tie that bitch up and bring the general manager."

When the brothel owner's life was on the line, the general manager obediently handed over the property hidden in the secret vault.

Senior Oh was surprised.

There were ten chests of silver ingots and a pile of bank notes.

"Was a brothel a place that made this much money?"

Menghua shed tears of blood.

"Twenty years! It's the property I exchanged for my youth. You devil-like brats!"

"Miss, do not worry. We are not thieves. Didn't you hear? We are just borrowing it."

Although Senior Oh comforted her, Menghua felt as if her liver were being torn apart.

"Just kill me."

"If you die, that money is useless. It would be better to tell Miss Hongyan to come at once."

"Sob! Sob! Sob!"

When Menghua cried, Senior Oh's heart ached. He got a brush and paper and held it out to Menghua.

"If you really can't believe it, write a promissory note. I will risk my life for you, miss, and get my master's signature."

Menghua looked at the serious Senior Oh and thought.

'This brat is completely absorbed in acting like a great hero. It's worth a try.'

Menghua wrote a promissory note.

Senior Oh took the promissory note and went to Baekji.

"What is it? What is that?"

When Baekji asked, Senior Oh hid the promissory note behind his back.

"It's nothing."

Senior Oh couldn't bring himself to say it and just retreated.

'What should I do?'

As he was worrying, Ajok passed by and saw him.

"What are you doing?"

Senior Oh explained the situation.

"We're not thieves. If we're borrowing, we should write a promissory note."

When Ajok thought about it, it was so.

"Give me the promissory note."

Ajok signed it and handed it to Senior Oh.

"Take it to her."

"Is this okay?"

"I said we were borrowing it earlier."

"You did?"

"I'm the Grand Senior Brother. I'll take responsibility."

"Yes. Grand Senior Brother. Yes, as expected of the Grand Senior Brother."

Senior Oh happily took the promissory note to Menghua.

Since it was getting dark, they decided to stay the night.

The news that the Hongmeng Brothel had been robbed spread quickly.

Late at night, in a certain place, the merchants who wielded some power in the prefecture gathered secretly.

"They say the Hongmeng Brothel has been ruined."

"I can't believe the White Mountain Sect Master has changed."

"They say that person called the Honored One is a terrifying master."

As they shared the news they had each obtained, their complexions darkened.

The clothing store owner's expression was even worse.

'Those brats are the Sect Master's disciples?'

He felt uneasy, wondering if he had taken the money for nothing.

"They say the White Mountain Sect is fighting the Shaanxi Meixian Fang. They say they robbed the Hongmeng Brothel because they needed funds."

"Umm. Won't they ask us for money too?"

"..."

It would be a relief if they just asked for money, but they were worried that they would completely empty their warehouses like the Hongmeng Brothel.

As the night deepened, their worries also deepened.

A merchant said, "The Meixian Fang is a Shaanxi sect. If the White Mountain Sect loses, the Shaanxi brats will take our commercial rights."

"Wouldn't it be better to offer to support them with funds first?"

"That would be better. If the White Mountain Sect wins, and we go to Shaanxi and take the commercial rights, wouldn't that be a gain?"

"I don't wish for that much. I just need to protect my own business."

"If you get caught up in the winds of war, that business of yours will be blown away in an instant."

The merchants, who had been worrying until dawn, came to a conclusion.

The next morning.

Carts and merchants were lined up in front of the Hongmeng Brothel.

Creak.

The main gate of the Hongmeng Brothel opened, and Baekji's group came out.

The oldest of the merchants came out and bowed his waist.

"I heard you are the Honored One of the White Mountain Sect. Since you are fighting the Meixian Fang, we thought you would need funds, so the merchants of the prefecture have gathered our sincerity. Please win."

The merchant held out a list with the names of the contributors and the amounts.

Ajok received it on their behalf and smiled broadly.

The moved Senior Oh stepped forward and shouted resolutely, "Justice will always win. We will fight the wicked Meixian Fang until the last man! I, Senior Oh! Promise!"

(End of Chapter)