Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 40

'...'

Yang Soryeong's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the plaza where over a thousand people were prostrating themselves.

She had never stood in front of so many people before.

There is power in a person's gaze. The power of many people looking is not small.

As Yang Soryeong's heart trembled, overwhelmed by the gazes of over a thousand people, Baekji was unfazed.

It was a familiar feeling.

No, it was lacking.

'I would be proud if there were ten thousand. It's too few.'

Then, he noticed Yang Soryeong's legs trembling.

Baekji stepped forward and shouted, "Lower your eyes."

At Baekji's words, those in the plaza all lowered their heads.

When the gazes disappeared, Yang Soryeong felt much less burdened.

"The brat who raises his head will have his head smashed."

Baekji threatened.

Yang Soryeong sat on the sect master's seat.

"Honored One, if you have something to say, say it. The members of the third-rate sect are waiting."

Yang Soryeong's anger had not yet subsided.

Baekji cleared his throat, stepped forward, and stood leaning on his bamboo staff.

"Today is the day of the Sect Master's inauguration banquet. But some thoughtless sect members engaged in a brawl, and it almost led to a situation of killing and being killed."

"..."

Baekji said.

"Your lives are not your own. They belong to the White Mountain Sect. The White Mountain Sect belongs to the Sect Master, and I am the Sect Master's disciple. Since the master and the disciple are one in heart and body, the White Mountain Sect is also mine. Therefore, your lives are mine."

'Such an unreasonable argument!'

Mo Dahou was dumbfounded as he listened.

'Endure it, he's a crazy brat.'

The brat he had thought was a fool turned out to be a crazy master who had suffered from cultivation insanity.

As a result of his investigation, he had found that the more of a master one was, the more likely they were to be possessed by a heart demon and go crazy, and the symptoms he had heard of were similar.

One could not reason with a crazy brat.

'I wish I could become a master like that, even if I go crazy.'

Hu Yeonjo had such thoughts.

General Manager Ximen made a vow, filled with malice.

'Just endure it a little longer. Once my body recovers, I can learn the Blood Sun Sword Manual and take revenge. I'll kill them all! For a gentleman's revenge, ten years is too short.'

Bai Renguang, who had suddenly become a sect member from being the sect master, was so humiliated that he had no thoughts.

'As long as Yandu fully recovers.'

He planned to escape the White Mountain Sect.

Yang Soryeong's heart was relieved when Baekji said that the master and the disciple were one in heart and body.

'But aren't a husband and wife one in heart and body?'

Baekji continued.

"I really hate it when someone touches my things. Your lives are the same. If someone touches your lives, I will be very angry."

"..."

"Bai Renguang!"

Bai Renguang, unable to answer due to his pride, just nodded.

"Don't you have a mouth?"

"What do you want?"

It was a mistake to ask back out of his last bit of pride.

Thwack-!

The bamboo staff exploded on his head.

"Keuk!"

Bai Renguang gritted his teeth and endured it.

'My son!'

He persuaded himself to endure the humiliation for the sake of protecting his son.

"Know this. I really hate being asked back. I hate being asked questions. I hate it as much as someone touching my things."

"..."

"Bai Renguang!"

"Yes..."

"If you kill Mo Dahou, you are touching my things. Then I will want to kill you. But!"

Baekji looked at Yang Soryeong on the dais and then turned his gaze back and said, "Since my master doesn't like to see blood, what can I do? Let's just lightly break his limbs, shatter his dantian, and then excommunicate him. How about that? That should be enough, right?"

"..."

"..."

Although Baekji said it was a light punishment, fear flowed through the plaza. For a martial artist, it was better to die than to have their limbs broken and their dantian shattered.

Even in war, it was a courtesy to the enemy to cleanly cut off their head and kill them.

Cutting the tendons of the limbs and sealing the dantian was a punishment reserved for the most heinous criminals who had committed the sin of betraying their sect.

'That brat might really do it.'

The sect members, who knew that Baekji was a half-crazy absolute master, trembled without realizing it.

"So be good to each other. Be good to even that stray dog over there."

Baekji said, pointing to the stray dogs tied up at the back of the plaza.

Jang Sam suddenly muttered, "Even the stray dogs? Then we can't eat them?"

Baekji glared at Jang Sam.

"No! The stray dogs' lives are also mine."

Then, the ten or so stray dogs tied up at the back barked, 'woof, woof'.

"Look at that. Even the dogs understand, so it's not like you humans can't understand, right?"

"We understand!"

Baekji went forward to Yang Soryeong and said, "I've explained it so they can understand, so they won't fight anymore."

Yang Soryeong sighed inwardly.

If a broken bowl is forced together, will it stick?

Yang Soryeong stood up and went in front of Bai Renguang.

"Please stand up."

Yang Soryeong said to everyone.

"The former Sect Master will become the Grand Sect Master. The rest of the people will also continue to perform their original duties. The general manager will be changed. General Manager Ximen, please hand over your duties to Ajok."

General Manager Ximen protested.

"Why am I the only one being dismissed?"

Thwack-!

"Isn't it enough that you've eaten that much?"

General Manager Ximen had been hit by Baekji, then by Bai Renguang, and then had been beaten by Bai Yandu, so his whole body was a mess, and when he was hit again with the bamboo staff, his head throbbed.

"Stop hitting him. You'll kill him."

Yang Soryeong stopped Baekji and said to General Manager Ximen, "First, recover from your injuries and then come and see me. There will be other things for you to do."

When Yang Soryeong went up to the dais again, Baekji gestured to Ajok.

Ajok stepped forward.

"I am the new general manager, Ajok. From now on, everyone return to your positions and prepare for the Sect Master's inauguration banquet. Let's all eat our fill today."

Senior Oh was jealous that Ajok had been given a major role. He grumbled from behind.

"For a general manager's inauguration, that's a pretty cheap first speech. Just talking about eating. I should have done it. In terms of age and character, I'm the perfect fit."

* * *

The White Mountain Sect members ate and drank all night. Then, at dawn, when everyone had collapsed and fallen asleep.

In the still dark dawn, those dressed in black martial arts uniforms surrounded the White Mountain Sect estate.

A man with his white hair neatly tied back and wearing a blue long robe got off his horse and stood in front of the main gate.

"To be drinking without even setting a guard. Is this really the White Mountain Sect?"

The Meixian Fang Master, Mei Zhongjun, clicked his tongue as he looked at the White Mountain Sect estate, shrouded in the dawn darkness.

The White Mountain Sect controlled the northern part of Sichuan, and the Meixian Fang controlled the southern part of Shaanxi, so they had been in a subtle standoff. He was rather disappointed that the opponent he had considered his rival was so pathetic.

"They say Bai Renguang was ousted, and it seems to be true."

The Vice Fang Master, Wu Tai, who was standing next to him, revealed his teeth and laughed.

Mei Zhongjun and Wu Tai were fellow disciples who had trained at Huashan and were sworn brothers.

When Mei Zhongjun's step-granddaughter, Yang Zhaoling, and Wu Tai's grandson, Wu Quanhua, married, they would become in-laws.

At the news that Bai Renguang had been ousted, Mei Zhongjun and Wu Tai had hurriedly brought the elite of the Meixian Fang.

Mei Zhongjun was a man who possessed both the prudence to look before he leaped and the decisiveness not to miss a golden opportunity like the internal strife of the White Mountain Sect.

"I could have come alone."

"No. That brat did that to my daughter. I have to tear that brat Bai Renguang's mouth myself."

Although he said he would tear the mouth of the top one hundred master, Bai Renguang, his voice was calm, and it sounded as casual as if he were going to catch a chicken.

It was rare for the Fang Master and the Vice Fang Master to go on an expedition together.

He was worried that the trouble at the White Mountain Sect might be a self-inflicted wound by Bai Renguang.

Mei Zhongjun was also one of the top one hundred masters. He was three or four ranks ahead of Bai Renguang. Just in case, he had also brought along the peak master, Wu Tai.

The underlings would have a dogfight, but the two of them would decide the outcome.

"We have to cut off their breath in one go. In any case, they must have the underlying strength to have controlled northern Sichuan."

As Mei Zhongjun was about to raise his hand to give the attack signal.

Creak.

The main gate opened, and a skinny old man came out.

His round eyes sparkled unusually.

'True Man Changshan? It's a good thing he came out on his own.'

Mei Zhongjun had emphasized the safety of True Man Changshan to the martial force. He had even given a special order to form a squad to protect True Man Changshan.

It was to avoid getting on bad terms with Qingcheng if True Man Changshan were to be injured or killed in the midst of the fierce battle.

'Or is it not?'

Judging by his shabby Taoist clothes and appearance, it was True Man Changshan, but he was holding a broom and sweeping in front of the main gate.

There was no way an elder of Qingcheng would be sweeping in front of the main gate of the White Mountain Sect.

Still, just in case, he approached, cleared his throat, and offered a solemn greeting.

"Mei so-and-so of the Meixian Fang greets the True Man."

True Man Changshan stopped sweeping, patted his back, and then handed him the broom. Mei Zhongjun inadvertently took the broom.

"Hehehe. How admirable. You've come to help this old Taoist, haven't you?"

"What?"

"I could have swept it myself. I've swept every corner of Mount Qingcheng for decades. See this. These are muscles trained by a broom. Hehehe."

True Man Changshan rolled up his sleeves and showed his forearms.

The shriveled muscles on his skinny forearms were unimpressive.

Mei Zhongjun was dumbfounded.

'He's gone senile.'

It was about time.

'That's a shame.'

"Still, if a young man sweeps for me, I'd be happy. I have a lot to do. The weather is good today, so I'm going to go and pick pine needles. I've run out of pine needle dumplings."

To call him a young man, when they were both growing old together.

'He's definitely gone senile.'

Mei Zhongjun said with a good-natured smile, "True Man. I will sweep here for you, so please go on your way."

Mei Zhongjun said to his subordinate next to him, "Escort him to a safe place."

The subordinate stepped forward and bowed to True Man Changshan.

"Elder, please come this way."

"Why?"

"I'll buy you something delicious."

"Hehehe. Really? That's great. Just wait a moment. Child."

True Man Changshan stuck close to Mei Zhongjun's side.

"I have to leave this pitiful life behind."

Mei Zhongjun frowned.

"Escort him away at once."

Mei Zhongjun's subordinates stuck to True Man Changshan's side, linked arms with him, and were about to drag him away.

Creak.

The main gate of the White Mountain Sect opened again, and Baekji came out.

"..."

Mei Zhongjun's gaze swept over Baekji.

A still young brat was wearing an expensive martial arts uniform and even a long robe.

'Is this brat that crazy brat?'

He had also heard reports about the crazy brat of the White Mountain Sect.

He had heard that he had ambushed the seriously injured and barely surviving Bai Renguang and usurped the sect master's position.

But.

He was too young.

'He said he was a young brat, but isn't this a child? Bai Renguang is finished. To be defeated by a brat like this.'

The suspicion that it was a self-inflicted wound by Bai Renguang crossed his mind.

'Or is it not?'

When he thought about it again, it might not be.

'If he was defeated by a child like this, who would believe it? If he was going to stage it, it would be better to say he was defeated by a trusted subordinate.'

Because he was always using his head for this and that, Mei Zhongjun's hair had turned white earlier than his age.

'If it's not a self-inflicted wound, then this brat must be the top master of the White Mountain Sect.'

Mei Zhongjun was inwardly wary and examined Baekji.

Because of his shaggy hair, he looked even younger. But his eyes were bloodshot. The smell of alcohol wafted from his mouth.

It was Baekji, who had been drinking until dawn.

Mei Zhongjun frowned.

Still, he did not lose his manners. His moniker was 'Gentleman Mei Zhong'.

A gentleman respects the elderly and knows how to bow his head even to a child.

"Are you the Honored One of the White Mountain Sect?"

"..."

Baekji tapped the bamboo staff in his hand. It meant yes.

'An arrogant brat!'

Contrary to his inner thoughts, Mei Zhongjun said with a gentle expression, "I have come from the Shaanxi Meixian Fang. I heard that my step-granddaughter has become the White Mountain Sect Master."

"..."

"I heard that the internal situation of the White Mountain Sect is chaotic, so I have come to help. Will you step aside and let me in?"

"..."

Baekji stared blankly at Mei Zhongjun and then retched, 'Ugh'.

Splash!

Vomit poured out, and it even splattered on Mei Zhongjun's shoes.

"...?"

(End of Chapter)