Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 35

"..."

The father and daughter sat facing each other, silent for a long time.

Finally, Yang Jongu opened his mouth.

"I will mediate."

"You, father?"

Yang Jongu smiled bitterly.

"The Meixian Fang is my wife's family, and the White Mountain Sect is my in-law, isn't it? It is only natural that I should mediate and bring about a reconciliation."

Although he smiled, his heart was heavy.

Since Mae Yeoncheong had suffered the humiliation of having her mouth torn, the Meixian Fang would not stop.

'I was too greedy.'

He had tried to gain control of the commercial rights of Shaanxi and Sichuan by using the Meixian Fang and the White Mountain Sect as his left and right wings. It was a dangerous gamble against martial sects that prioritized strength, and the result was the worst.

'I was overconfident.'

The Yang Merchant Guild was shattered by the White Mountain Sect's single blow. He had thought that as a mid-sized merchant guild in Shaanxi, he had some power, but neither the government office that had taken his money nor the martial hall that had received his tribute helped.

Law and money were useless in the face of martial power. Now, the Yang Merchant Guild was caught in the middle of a fight between two martial sects. It would be torn to shreds.

Yang Jongu was not foolish. He judged that it would not be easy to protect the Yang Merchant Guild anyway and decided to abandon it without any lingering attachment.

'Let's hand it over to the Meixian Fang. Instead...'

Yang Jongu knew the Meixian Fang well. Among the secular branches of Huashan, it had the greatest power and many masters.

The White Mountain Sect would be no match for the Meixian Fang. Since Yang Soryeong had become the sect master, she would not be safe if they lost the fight.

'Soryeong's life... if only I can save her life.'

Yang Jongu planned to hand over the Yang Merchant Guild and in return, secure Yang Soryeong's safety.

Although he had made the bitter decision to hand over the Yang Merchant Guild that he had built up his entire life, he did not tell Yang Soryeong.

Yang Jongu looked at his daughter.

'My greed has put you in danger. It is shameless of me to say now that I am doing this for you.'

Yang Soryeong was not foolish either.

She knew what Yang Jongu was thinking.

Yang Soryeong said, "No, father. From the beginning, the Meixian Fang intended to swallow the White Mountain Sect. The Meixian Fang's interest is in the Sichuan martial world. They will not accept mediation."

Yang Soryeong had seen through Mae Yeoncheong's true intentions in sending her to marry into the White Mountain Sect.

Yang Jongu nodded.

"I know. But I want to try as much as I can."

"If it's because of me, you don't have to. If you actively cooperate with the Meixian Fang, they won't necessarily take away the merchant guild. Don't worry about the White Mountain Sect. I am the White Mountain Sect Master."

Yang Jongu shook his head.

"You are a married daughter. It is not because of you. You, as the White Mountain Sect Master, do your best. Handing over the Yang Merchant Guild is for my own survival."

"..."

"Soryeong. In any case, you are the sect master of a sect. You must make a cold decision."

After speaking, Yang Jongu let out a sigh.

His young daughter was the sect master of a martial sect.

It was an absurd situation that made no sense.

"I will leave right away."

"I will provide you with an escort."

Knowing that Yang Jongu's decision was firm, Yang Soryeong did not try to stop him further.

Yang Jongu stood up and said, "It would be best to bring your mother as soon as possible."

He could not bring himself to say that the Meixian Fang would retaliate.

* * *

General Manager Ximen, Mo Dahou, and Hu Yeonjo were also gathered.

The three of them were half out of their minds.

Hu Yeonjo, whose face was swollen from being hit by Baekji, mumbled with his busted lips, "General Manager Ximen, say something. Are you planning to die like this?"

Baekji had said he had no intention of getting involved in the fight. In that case, the battle with the Meixian Fang would inevitably end in defeat.

General Manager Ximen reluctantly opened his mouth.

"Somehow, we must get the Honored One into the fight..."

General Manager Ximen stopped talking and looked around. He was afraid that Baekji might be listening.

He lowered his voice as much as possible and said, "We must draw him in. We must come up with a plan."

"Is there a need for that? Although he said that, if his master is in danger, he will intervene."

Mo Dahou said. He did not say the rest.

'But it's important that I'm alive until then.'

If Yang Soryeong was in danger, Baekji would step in, but if he died fighting before that, it would be useless.

Somehow, they had to put Baekji at the forefront of the fight.

Hu Yeonjo came up with a plan.

"How about we incite the Sect Master and put her on the front line? Sect Master Bai also always fought on the front line. Then the Honored One will follow."

"That's because Sect Master Bai was a master. How can we put Sect Master Yang, who doesn't even know martial arts, at the forefront?"

"I also object."

General Manager Ximen shook his head as if it were out of the question. If they put Yang Soryeong at the forefront, Baekji would kill them first.

Mo Dahou muttered as if in passing, "What if, what if Sect Master Yang were to die at the hands of a Meixian Fang assassin?"

"...?"

"..."

General Manager Ximen thought. Baekji cared for his master terribly. If Yang Soryeong were to die at the hands of the Meixian Fang, Baekji would go berserk.

'The Meixian Fang would be razed to the ground by the hands of an absolute master.'

Baekji had half-killed Bai Renguang, who was one of the top one hundred masters, with a single slap. With just that one move, it was clear that he was an absolute master. Absolute masters were beings beyond the norm. No matter how many ordinary martial artists there were, it would only increase the number of deaths.

'But the Meixian Fang also has many masters. If they receive support from Huashan... they might be able to aim for a mutual destruction.'

General Manager Ximen's mind raced.

'If Bai Renguang, the Young Sect Master, and Yu Mungwang are executed at the Sect Master's inauguration banquet, and if Yang Soryeong and Baekji also disappear in the fight with the Meixian Fang...'

General Manager Ximen looked at Mo Dahou and Hu Yeonjo.

'If these two brats also die in the process, it would be the icing on the cake...'

He could become the White Mountain Sect Master himself.

Mo Dahou guessed what General Manager Ximen was thinking. He had deliberately let the words slip for that reason.

'Yes, use your head. If you play your tricks, an opportunity will open up for me.'

Hu Yeonjo replied without thinking, "If Sect Master Yang dies at the hands of the Meixian Fang, he will hold us responsible and kill us first."

"!"

"...!"

At Hu Yeonjo's thoughtless words, a chill ran down the spines of General Manager Ximen and Mo Dahou.

'Wait, wait... that, that's a possibility.'

Mo Dahou quickly racked his brains. Normally, it wouldn't make sense, but for some reason, it seemed Baekji would do that.

Mo Dahou immediately gave up the thought of killing Yang Soryeong.

However, General Manager Ximen's mind, which had been touched by temptation once, could not let go of the lingering attachment and continued to turn.

* * *

"How did he know..."

Ajok was curious. He wanted to know how Baekji knew that Menghua was lying.

Baekji was lying at an angle on the back of a horse without a saddle. As if he had become one with the running horse, he did not fall off.

He gathered his courage and followed next to Baekji.

"Master."

"What?"

"Please give me your teachings."

"What?"

"How did you know that the brothel owner was lying?"

"I don't know. How would I know that?"

Ajok almost asked back, 'What?', but he slapped his own mouth and said, "You didn't know. So that's how it is."

Baekji was lost in his own thoughts.

'It's definitely grating.'

When Menghua had lied, his hand had been about to go out, but he had stopped. He felt that he would be refreshed if he struck Menghua down on the spot, but the thought that he shouldn't do that had echoed in his head.

Just like when he had pushed away the escort warriors, he had felt a hesitation without knowing it.

'To just watch someone lie three times to my face.'

He had an ominous thought.

'What if I can't kill anyone like this?'

If I can't kill the opponent, I will die. As a martial artist, there is no more fatal weakness than that.

'Should I test it?'

Baekji's gaze passed over Ajok, Senior Oh, and Jang Sam, and then to the Menghua Brothel workers who were pulling the carts.

They were going without a thought, not knowing that the god of death was caressing the back of their necks.

'It is not right to kill without reason.'

Although he had no memory, he knew that he was not a demon lord who enjoyed killing.

Baekji's gaze was fixed on Menghua.

'How dare she!'

Since she had shamelessly lied to his face, the reason was sufficient.

Menghua felt someone's gaze and looked around, and her eyes met Baekji's.

Menghua fell into a misunderstanding.

'Could it be that he has belatedly recognized my beauty?'

Menghua slightly lowered her head and gave a pitiful smile.

'The smile of a beauty who has accepted her sad fate. It's impossible not to fall for it.'

When Menghua acted coquettishly, Baekji wanted to fly over and beat her to death right away.

But.

His body would not move.

'Ah, I'm going crazy.'

As his body and mind played separately, Baekji's eyes became bloodshot. Menghua rejoiced inwardly and shed a single tear.

'That, that's...'

Baekji could not stand it when Menghua openly tried to mock him.

'Even if I can't kill her, I can still beat her.'

Baekji, who had been lying at an angle, raised his body from the horse's back.

Just then, Ajok said, "We've arrived."

At the news that Baekji's group was coming with the funds, General Manager Ximen ran out.

His mouth fell open at the sight of the silver on the carts. A year's worth of income had come in at once.

'Hehehe.'

It felt as if all the silver was his.

Falsifying ledgers was his specialty. Although Baekji was frightening, he was confident he would not be caught.

The thought of taking the funds and running away sprouted again.

"With this much, it's worth a fight. If we recruit surrounding sects and gather ronin..."

Baekji glared at General Manager Ximen.

'Should I try killing this brat?'

General Manager Ximen was a brat who deserved to die.

'I might have been a hero who didn't kill children, women, and the elderly. Since this brat Ximen Suo doesn't fall into that category, I should be able to kill him without any burden.'

But what if he couldn't kill him?

As a martial artist, it would be the end. He was afraid to even test it.

When Baekji looked at him with a strange gaze, General Manager Ximen felt a chill.

'Why is he looking at me with such a gaze?'

General Manager Ximen instinctively sensed the crisis and quickly made an excuse.

"I will report back after making a financial plan in preparation for the decisive battle."

"There's no need for that."

Baekji gave up on testing and turned away. He pulled the cart to the Songhua Hall.

Yang Soryeong was surprised.

It was the first time she had seen so much silver.

"Where did you get this? By any chance..."

She was worried that Baekji might have stolen it.

"The merchants gathered it for us."

Ajok explained.

"Then that's a relief."

As Ajok pulled the cart of silver, Senior Oh brought Menghua and asked, "What should we do with Miss Menghua?"

Yang Soryeong tilted her head. No matter how she looked at her, Menghua looked middle-aged. Still, Senior Oh called her 'miss' with a straight face.

"Why is this person tied up?"

Menghua was surprised at Yang Soryeong's beauty.

'Since a bitch like this was attached to him, the beauty trap was useless.'

She was a beauty that even Hongyan would be no match for.

"Untie her."

"No. She's a witch."

Baekji said curtly.

"A witch?"

"She has learned demonic arts, so she is a witch. We don't know what she will do, so we have to tie her up."

Menghua shouted, "No. I have not learned demonic arts. Please untie me!"

"Shut up. You used the 'Ghost Soul Demonic Claw', didn't you?"

"!"

Baekji had seen the technique Menghua had used to scratch Senior Oh's forearm. Then, the moment Menghua mentioned the Nine-Tailed Jade Shattering, the name of Menghua's claw technique also came to his mind.

At Baekji's words, Senior Oh was the most surprised.

"Mi, miss! Were you a lackey of the Demonic Cult?"

"No. Please believe me. Ghost Soul Demonic Claw. That's absurd."

Baekji, not even pretending to listen, said to Senior Oh, "Lock her in the warehouse."

As Senior Oh dragged Menghua away, he asked, "Is she really a Demonic Cult member?"

"I said no!"

"I am a hero who must fight the Demonic Cult. This is truly... is this a trick of fate? It seems there is an uncrossable river between you and me, miss."

"Aack!"

Menghua felt like she would go crazy listening to Senior Oh's nonsensical monologue.

As she screamed and struggled, Senior Oh said with a resolute expression, "Is your madness exploding? They say the greatest weakness of demonic arts is madness. As expected. I will help you. First, calm your mind..."

"Go. Just go. Shut up and let's just go."

(End of Chapter)