Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 4

The Yang Merchant Guild and the Yang estate were adjacent to each other.

The carriage passed through the main gate and stopped in front of the middle gate.

No one came out to greet them.

Wu Ping pointed to a waiting maid and said, "That girl will show you to your quarters. I will report to the Guild Master."

When Wu Ping left, the maid approached. The round-faced maid bowed her head slightly.

"You will be staying here. My name is Bangbang. I will be serving you during your stay."

Bangbang led the way. They walked along a long wall and stopped in front of a cozy detached building with a small courtyard.

Bangbang said to Baekji, who was looking around, "Servants have separate quarters in the outer court."

At Bangbang's words, Yang Soryeong said, "He's not a servant."

"What? He's not a servant?"

"No, he's my disciple."

"Disciple?"

Now in an unfamiliar place, Yang Soryeong was glad to have Baekji close by.

Bangbang looked at Baekji again and said, "Still, he's a man, so for him to stay here..."

"It's fine."

Bangbang retreated with a hesitant expression.

"If you rest for a while, I will bring dinner."

It soon became clear why Bangbang had acted that way.

The building had a living room in the center, with a study on one side and a bedroom on the other. A small kitchen and a bathroom were attached to the outside.

Baekji looked around and asked, "Where do I sleep?"

"Right? I should ask them to prepare a separate room for you."

"No. A disciple must stay by their master's side."

Baekji looked around, then went over to the study and lay down on the writing desk.

"It's a bit lacking, but well, this will do."

Baekji had a tendency to be obsessed with food and a place to sleep. Knowing this, Yang Soryeong said, "It's uncomfortable. You can just tell Bangbang to get you a room."

"No. This is fine too. There are lots of books."

Yang Soryeong looked at the bookshelf and saw that they were all books necessary for a merchant.

'This must have been where Father used to stay.'

She could tell that the small but elegant building and the well-tended courtyard were not for just anyone.

Yang Soryeong pulled out and opened various books from the bookshelf and said, "These aren't storybooks. You'll find them boring."

"No? They're interesting."

Baekji had already pulled out a book and was reading it.

It was a record of the merchants in the Shaanxi region.

Yang Soryeong glanced at it and saw that it only recorded the names and deeds of merchants.

"What's so interesting about that?"

But Baekji didn't answer and sat in a corner, reading intently.

Yang Soryeong organized the belongings she had brought.

Just then, she heard a presence outside, followed by a woman's voice.

"This is the study where Father stays when he wants to be alone and quiet."

Then, a handsomely dressed young man and a woman who looked to be about eighteen appeared.

The woman entered the living room and spotted Baekji.

"Huh? Who are you? What are you doing in Father's study?"

Yang Soryeong went out to the living room.

"It's nice to see you, sister."

The young woman was Yang Joryeong.

Yang Joryeong did not recognize Yang Soryeong right away.

She had only seen her once when she was young.

Yang Joryeong immediately noticed Yang Soryeong's beauty.

"It's Soryeong, sister."

"Soryeong? Ah, I heard you were coming. But why are you here?"

"They told me to stay here for the time being."

"Who?"

"I don't know either. Bangbang guided me here."

"There must have been some mistake."

Just then, the young man interjected, "This is the first I've heard of you having a younger sister."

When the young man showed interest in Yang Soryeong, Yang Joryeong's mood soured.

"You can't really call her a sister. She's just..."

She was about to say the daughter of a concubine but closed her mouth.

She didn't want to tell the young man that her father had a concubine.

'Why did Father bring her here?'

Unaware that she was the reason for her own marriage to the White Mountain Sect, Yang Joryeong grumbled inwardly.

"Let's go, brother."

However, the young man greeted Yang Soryeong.

"My name is Wu Jeonhwa."

"Yes. I'm Yang Soryeong."

"He's going to be your brother-in-law."

Yang Joryeong interjected, emphasizing the word "brother-in-law."

Yang Soryeong nodded.

"Ah. I didn't realize."

"He's a registered disciple of the Huashan Sect. It's very difficult for a secular disciple to become a registered disciple. Ah, you wouldn't know about such things."

"I see. I don't know much about it."

Yang Soryeong wasn't particularly interested, so she answered perfunctorily.

"But what's with that kid?"

Baekji, who had been reading, looked up and answered, "I'm Soryeong's disciple."

"What?"

Yang Joryeong was so dumbfounded that she let out a small laugh.

Wu Jeonhwa also smiled and said, "What kind of disciple calls their master by their name so freely?"

Baekji rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong with that?"

"You shouldn't call your master by their name so freely."

"Really?"

Baekji rolled his eyes once more and said, "I'm Master Yang's disciple."

It still sounded awkward.

Yang Soryeong said, as if making an excuse, "I taught him how to read, so he calls himself my disciple."

"Still, he's a boy. How can you stay in the same room together? Anyway..."

She was about to say that lowly people can't be helped, but Yang Joryeong closed her mouth.

She was trying to act demure in front of Wu Jeonhwa, so she couldn't utter such vulgar words.

She quickly changed the subject.

"I think something's wrong. There's no way Father would give up his study."

"So this really was Father's study. There must have been some mistake."

Yang Soryeong answered obediently and lowered her eyes, looking very pretty.

'Is she playing the fox?'

For some reason, Yang Joryeong felt displeased and pulled on Wu Jeonhwa's sleeve.

"Let's go. There are still many places to show you."

Wu Jeonhwa followed Yang Joryeong out.

Yang Soryeong said to Baekji, "Don't call me master. People will think it's strange."

"You taught me how to read, so you are my master."

Baekji buried his head in the book again.

Yang Soryeong went to the bedroom and packed her things again.

Just then, Bangbang came with a male servant, carrying a food basket.

"They say this is Father's study. I think you were given the wrong information."

Bangbang shook her head.

"No. General Manager Wu clearly said it was here. And you should speak down to me."

"You seem older than me..."

"Still, if you don't, I'll get in trouble."

"R-really? For something like that?"

While Yang Soryeong and Bangbang were talking, the male servant took the food out of the basket and placed it on the living room table.

There was a lot of food.

"Please have your dinner."

As Bangbang and the servant were about to leave, Yang Soryeong stopped them.

"Eat with us."

"No. How could we dare..."

Bangbang was flustered and hurried out.

"There's too much food..."

"No. There isn't."

Baekji had already sat down and was putting food in his mouth.

"Well, with you here, I guess I can't say there's a lot."

* * *

Ten days had passed since they arrived at the Yang Merchant Guild, but Yang Jongu had not visited once.

"He says he's busy now and will contact you later. And he said to refrain from going out as much as possible."

She had told Bangbang she wanted to see her father, but the only reply she got was "later."

Yang Soryeong didn't particularly want to go out either. She knew well that the people of the Yang Merchant Guild did not like her.

Baekji and Yang Soryeong spent their days reading the books in the study.

"Huh? This is a martial arts manual."

Yang Soryeong pulled out a book while browsing the bookshelf.

"A martial arts manual?"

Baekji's head popped up over Yang Soryeong's shoulder.

"Yes. It seems to be an explanation of the Six Harmonies Fist."

Yang Soryeong handed the book to Baekji.

After reading the book for a while, Baekji suddenly stood up and threw a punch.

Thwack!

"Gasp!"

A hole was punched in the wall.

Bangbang, who happened to be passing by, ran over.

"What happened?"

Baekji hid the book behind his back and said, "A hole suddenly appeared in the wall."

"Why is there a hole in the wall?"

Bangbang looked at the wall, dumbfounded. There was indeed a hole the size of a fist.

"Did someone throw a rock?"

Baekji said, sticking his fist through the hole.

Bangbang went outside to check, but there was no such trace.

Yang Soryeong said, "Baekji! You shouldn't lie. You did it."

"Uh-huh. Did I?"

Baekji scratched his head.

"What should we do?"

Yang Soryeong was at a loss.

"It's fine. We can just fill it."

Baekji said as if it were no big deal.

"I'll bring some bricks and mud."

They put in the bricks Bangbang brought, applied mud, and then plastered it over again.

"Doesn't it look perfect?"

Although a slight trace remained, it seemed you wouldn't notice unless you looked closely.

"That was a close call. The Guild Master is coming this evening, and he would have been angry if he saw a hole in the wall. This is a study he cherishes."

Bangbang said.

"Father is coming?"

"Oh, right. I was in such a hurry I forgot to tell you. The Guild Master is having dinner with you today."

"Then I should prepare some food."

"No. The servants will bring it."

"Still, I want to serve him food I made myself. Could I possibly get some ingredients?"

Since the study had a small kitchen, all she needed were the ingredients.

"Then I'll bring them. What do you need?"

As Yang Soryeong told her, Bangbang muttered to herself, memorizing, and left the study.

"Father is coming, so be quiet."

Yang Soryeong said to Baekji.

"But how did you break the wall?"

Yang Soryeong asked Baekji.

"I did as it was written here, and that's what happened."

"Do you know martial arts?"

"No."

"Then are you a martial arts genius?"

"Me? Didn't you say I was a fool?"

"You must be a genius in the field of martial arts."

"Am I?"

"Anyway, if you learn it, you won't get beaten up by anyone."

"It wasn't fun. It was too obvious."

"Obvious?"

Yang Soryeong picked up the Six Harmonies Fist manual and read it, but it was quite difficult. Even the terminology, such as the principles of the six harmonies and the method of issuing force, was unfamiliar.

"It's difficult for me."

"No, it's easy. Should I teach you?"

"What would I do with martial arts?"

"Didn't you say if I learn it, I won't get beaten up by anyone?"

"That's true, but."

"Come out."

The two closed the main gate and practiced the Six Harmonies Fist in the courtyard.

"Like this, like this..."

Baekji demonstrated diligently, but Yang Soryeong found it difficult to follow properly.

"Easy, right?"

"No. It's difficult."

She had only performed the sequence once, but beads of sweat formed on Yang Soryeong's forehead.

The movements were difficult for a woman who hadn't even learned the basic stances to follow.

Yang Soryeong thought of Shang Yiqing.

'His master took him, so he should be fine, right?'

Then she muttered, "Learning martial arts is this hard, but Brother Sang did this for years."

"What's so hard about this?"

As if the Six Harmonies Fist manual wasn't enough, Baekji rummaged through the bookshelf again.

"This is the Seven Stars Saber Technique."

Both the Six Harmonies Fist and the Seven Stars Saber Technique were widely known martial arts.

Baekji glanced through the Seven Stars Saber Technique, then picked up a large broom and performed a sequence.

Whoosh, whoosh.

He was just swinging a broom, but the sound of it cutting through the air was sharp.

Crack!

This time, a section of the wall collapsed.

"Aack! Are you going to keep doing this?"

Yang Soryeong shouted and ran over.

Baekji had already disappeared.

"Oh my! What happened here?"

Bangbang, who was entering the main gate, was so startled that she dropped the basket she was holding.

The food ingredients spilled out and rolled around.

Yang Soryeong just wanted to cry.

(End of Chapter)