Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 41

"I drank too much?"

Baekji muttered and then said to Mei Zhongjun, "I'm sorry. You came a long way, and it turned out to be a mess."

"...?"

"I think my tolerance for alcohol has weakened. I don't think it used to be like this."

Although Baekji himself didn't know, his body had been completely reborn.

It seemed he had enjoyed alcohol quite a bit in the past, but his body couldn't handle it.

His stomach was a mess from drinking all night until dawn.

Baekji's hollow gaze turned to True Man Changshan.

He was stuck close to Mei Zhongjun's side.

'That old man?'

He had been sleeping off his drunkenness when he had felt the presence of the Meixian Fang and had woken up.

He had come out with the intention of beating all the brats who had disturbed his sweet sleep, but True Man Changshan had somehow known and had come out first.

'Will that Taoist brat interfere?'

Baekji said, tapping his head with his bamboo staff.

His head was dizzy from the hangover.

"What did you say?"

"..."

"I couldn't hear you properly earlier because I was trying to hold back my vomit."

He was dumbfounded that the young brat was speaking informally.

'He's really a crazy brat.'

"I asked if you were the Honored One of the White Mountain Sect."

Although he couldn't curse due to his pride as Gentleman Mei Zhong, his voice was cold.

"That's right. But isn't it a bit cheap?"

"..."

"To launch a surprise attack while others are having a banquet. In my time, we didn't do this. We sent a challenge letter, set a time, and had a showdown. Even the dark path didn't do things like secretly climbing over walls. Since when did the ways of the martial world become like this?"

Mei Zhongjun frowned.

Sending a challenge letter to set a time and place for a decisive battle was an old method from decades ago.

After the Blood Sect appeared, the aspect of martial world fights had changed, and martial force brigades were organized, and all sorts of military tactics used by the army were mobilized.

For a young brat to lecture him, talking about the old ways.

'This bastard? Is he making fun of me?'

Mei Zhongjun was a man of deep schemes. Although he was furious, he immediately composed his expression.

"A surprise attack? You have misunderstood. As I said again, I have come because my step-granddaughter has become the sect master."

Since Yang Soryeong was the daughter of his son-in-law, Yang Jongu, if he insisted, he could call her his step-granddaughter.

Baekji looked around. The Meixian Fang warriors who had surrounded the estate were ready to climb over the wall as soon as the signal was given.

"The gifts?"

"Gifts?"

"Did you come empty-handed? Even if she's your step-granddaughter, she's become the sect master of a sect, and you don't even have any gifts?"

There was no way there would be any gifts.

"..."

"See? You came to fight, didn't you?"

"I'll be honest. The Twin Swords of Meixian died here. They were esteemed guests of our Fang and masters cherished by the Huashan Sect Master. Bai Renguang must take responsibility for their deaths."

"Revenge? Should I give you Bai Renguang's head?"

He said it as if he were giving away something from his pocket.

Mei Zhongjun glared at Baekji and said, "I will receive it from the person concerned."

"You have nothing to say to me? Me neither. I wasn't originally a person who talked this much, but I must not be sober yet. I'm sorry."

Although Baekji was speaking to Mei Zhongjun, his eyes were on True Man Changshan.

"Let's fight first. I won't kill you."

True Man Changshan, understanding Baekji's intention, took a step back.

The moment Mei Zhongjun thought something was strange.

Whoosh!

The bamboo staff thrust forward.

"Hmph!"

Mei Zhongjun raised his left hand to strike the end of the bamboo staff. No, he tried to strike it.

'...?'

The force contained in the bamboo staff was not ordinary.

Mei Zhongjun immediately stepped on a footwork. Mei Zhongjun's clothes fluttered like flower petals, and in an instant, he retreated a zhang's distance.

Chwa-ra-rak!

He immediately drew the sword from his back.

Seeing that, Wu Tai tilted his head.

To draw his sword against a child. It was not like Mei Zhongjun.

Mei Zhongjun had no time to consider such things.

To Wu Tai and the others around, the movement of the bamboo staff was simple, but to Mei Zhongjun, who was directly facing it, it was not.

It came at him with the weight of an iron rod, not a bamboo staff. Moreover, he didn't know where it would fly.

'A real master!'

Pa-pat!

Mei Zhongjun raised his sword to defend.

Thwack!

The bamboo staff flew lightly and aimed for his neck. Mei Zhongjun took a step back and, deflecting his sword, tried to wrap and strike the bamboo staff with his internal energy.

Clang-!

When the light bamboo staff and the sword collided, a metallic sound was heard.

Mei Zhongjun, unable to handle the internal energy contained in the bamboo staff, hurriedly retreated three or four steps.

It was a disgrace.

Baekji asked, "You said you were one of the top one hundred masters? What's your rank?"

"..."

"If I were at my level, what rank do you think I would be?"

"..."

Mei Zhongjun's face turned bright red.

After being counted among the top one hundred masters, the number of times he had exchanged hands with someone could be counted on one hand. He had not crossed swords with anyone for the past few years.

For him to be unable to properly receive Baekji's single move and retreat, there was no greater humiliation.

Moreover.

'At that age?'

He couldn't believe it.

The hand holding the sword trembled.

"How far have you learned the Huashan sword? Do it properly."

"Yiik!"

Mei Zhongjun abandoned his pride and swung his sword.

It was the Plum Blossom Sword Technique that Huashan prided itself on.

Although the name was ordinary, it was a secret technique of the Huashan Sect that was not passed down to the secular branches.

Mei Zhongjun, who had outstanding talent among the secular disciples, had been exceptionally taught it.

Ssssss...

Strong energy gathered at the tip of the sword, and plum blossoms bloomed in the air.

Each flower blossom was a mass of strong energy.

Mei Zhongjun, having preempted the air with the plum blossom strong energy, thrust his sword at Baekji's chest with a final blow.

For him, it was a blow with all his strength.

"It's not completely shabby."

Baekji nodded, took a step back, and then struck the ground with his bamboo staff.

Boom-!

With a thunderous explosion, the ground shook. An energy wave exploded, and the plum blossom strong energy that Mei Zhongjun had laid out was thrown back.

"Get, get away!"

When the fragments of the strong energy flew, Wu Tai and the others hurriedly retreated.

Mei Zhongjun's sword, which had been aiming for his chest, uselessly stabbed the air. Even that, swept away by the force Baekji had created, his legs trembled.

His sword path was disrupted, and he couldn't even stab properly and just flailed.

Baekji, who had been sitting down, stood up.

"Are you one of the top one hundred masters? This is serious. Why is the level like this?"

Baekji tapped the head of the dazed Mei Zhongjun with his bamboo staff.

"Get a grip."

"..."

In one move, Mei Zhongjun had lost his will to fight.

He had seen it.

When Baekji had struck the ground with his bamboo staff, a thick strong energy had shot out.

It was on a different level from the plum blossom strong energy he had created.

It was as if the bamboo staff had stretched out long.

If he had been struck with that, he would have disappeared without a trace.

Baekji had gone easy on him.

'An absolute master.'

Those who had surpassed the realm of humans.

It was the first time he had seen such a person directly.

Although he knew it didn't make sense, since he was seeing it with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.

"Fang Master!"

Wu Tai, seeing the dazed Mei Zhongjun with his sword lowered, shouted urgently.

Mei Zhongjun slowly turned around.

'Run away.'

The words would not come out.

His eyes had lost their focus.

Wu Tai sensed the danger and ran over.

"You brat!"

Wu Tai, who had never met a rival except for the Fang Master. He ran and then, jumping into the air, swung his sword wildly in the air.

'First, I'll push this brat back and then pull the Fang Master back...'

Thwack-!

The moment the bamboo staff exploded on his head, his arms and legs spread out like a flattened frog, and his thoughts were cut off.

"Kek!"

Thump-.

Wu Tai fell to the ground like a kite with its string cut.

Baekji grinned at True Man Changshan.

"As expected, he's not dead?"

* * *

"Paaeng~!"

Baekji sniffled and then blew his nose.

Slurp.

He sniffed up the remaining snot.

Tears welled up in his innocent eyes.

Now, even the fierce gaze was gone, and it was the eyes of the pure Baekji.

White Hall Great Light.

On the left sat Bai Renguang, Yu Mungwang, Mo Dahou, and Hu Yeonjo, in the order that Baekji had determined.

On the right sat Mei Zhongjun and Wu Tai.

Bai Renguang glared at Mei Zhongjun, whom he had once considered his rival.

'You pathetic brat! To kneel as soon as you arrive.'

The lingering thought that if Mei Zhongjun had subdued Baekji, an opportunity might have come to him again crossed his mind.

It was already water under the bridge.

Mei Zhongjun was dazed and had become a puppet who did as Baekji said.

It was the same for Wu Tai, who had stepped on the threshold of hell with one blow from the bamboo staff and had returned.

As if he had not yet come to his senses, his gaze was cloudy.

They were just watching what Baekji was doing, completely stiff.

Baekji blinked his eyes and said, "A mother is a good thing. If you guys had a mother, you would have become better humans."

The image of his ninety-year-old mother crossed Mei Zhongjun's mind.

She was living well in the back garden of the Meixian Fang.

Baekji was moved by the reunion of Yang Soryeong and her mother, Zheng Qing.

The mother and daughter had hugged and cried for a long time.

Even Ajok, Senior Oh, and Jang Sam had shed tears.

Baekji, unable to watch, had come out.

"This is really... I wasn't originally a person who was so easily moved, but I've become strange from living kindly for a while. Understand."

"..."

The people in the main hall could not understand what Baekji was saying.

It was just a crazy brat rambling.

Baekji was a master. A master knows well about the state and function of the spirit and body. Baekji roughly guessed his own state.

He had lost his memory, woken up, and had lived as Baekji for over a hundred days. A hundred days was enough time for a new personality and habits to be ingrained.

Although his former self had woken up, he had no complete memory.

'It's just that the seven hundred residual souls have gathered again because of the Qingling Huanhun Pill.'

So, he could not recover his complete identity and was mixed with his personality as Baekji.

As a result, he met an unfamiliar self.

The fact that he had become more talkative was also like that. After waking up again, he was becoming more and more talkative.

'How uncool...'

It couldn't be helped. This was also himself.

"Fang Master Mei."

"Yes."

"I wasn't originally a person who just spared anyone. Keep in mind that your head is still attached thanks to the merit of bringing my master's mother."

"I know... yes."

Mei Zhongjun had brought Yang Soryeong's mother, Zheng Qing. Of course, it was to threaten her in case Yang Soryeong didn't listen, but he had put her in a carriage and had treated her well on the way.

'I was saved because of that.'

Mei Zhongjun was half out of his mind. The thought that he was fortunate just meaninglessly crossed his mind.

"Since my master, no, the Sect Master is busy with the mother-daughter reunion, I, the Honored One, will have to resolve the current situation."

When Baekji got to the main point, everyone became tense.

"Fang Master Mei."

"Yes."

"I need Xi'an."

"..."

"The Meixian Fang controls Xi'an, right?"

"..."

"Am I deaf? Why can't I hear an answer?"

"That... Xi'an is a buffer zone for the Four Hegemons of Shaanxi."

"What does that mean?"

"Our Fang controls the southern part of Shaanxi, and the northern part is occupied by the Iron Horse Fang, the western part by the Zhaoling Sect, and the eastern part by the Nanil Sect. Xi'an is a buffer zone for the four hegemons and cannot be said to be the territory of any one side."

The reason Mei Zhongjun had married his daughter, Mae Yeoncheong, to Yang Jongu was also to plant a connection in Xi'an.

"Why is it so complicated? You haven't been able to unify even one Shaanxi even though your hair has turned white? How can you live so carelessly?"

Mei Zhongjun couldn't answer.

He had spent his whole life running around and had occupied the southern part of Shaanxi. But listening to Baekji's words, it seemed he had lived his life wrong.

'What have I been doing with my life?'

His whole life felt futile.

'He's killing with words.'

Those who were listening felt sorry for Mei Zhongjun, who was being lectured by a young child.

"You're not answering?"

"I'm sorry."

Looking at the bowing Mei Zhongjun, it was doubtful whether he could function as a person in the future.

"Bai Renguang, you too. You said the southern part of Sichuan is the territory of the Five Dragons Fang?"

The insubordination of the Honored One treating the Grand Sect Master condescendingly was so natural in this place now.

"The circumstances are different. The Five Dragons Fang's Five Dragons Divine Lord, Wu Ziqing, is my sworn brother. We respect each other's territory and live."

"Don't give me that bullshit. It's because you lack strength. If you were a man who kept the righteousness of brotherhood, would those brats Mo Dahou and Hu Yeonjo have rebelled?"

Mo Dahou and Hu Yeonjo, who had barely avoided being half-paralyzed, nodded.

Baekji sighed deeply.

"For a noble person like me to have to deal with small fries like you, I feel a sense of self-loathing."

"..."

"You said you were the top one hundred masters? Who on earth decides the top one hundred masters?"

"I understand that it is compiled by the military affairs department of the Martial Alliance..."

"The Martial Alliance? What are those brats thinking when they decide?"

"..."

Bai Renguang bit his lip and raised his hand.

"Speak."

"In fact... countless masters died during the Blood Sect's rebellion."

Baekji's ears perked up. Baekji was very interested in the Blood Sect.

"The Blood Sect started a rebellion?"

"They suddenly appeared thirty years ago and committed countless evil deeds for about twenty years until ten years ago. In the process, numerous masters died..."

"Oho. So shabby brats like you became the top one hundred masters. The top heads died, and you just went up?"

Mei Zhongjun and Bai Renguang lowered their heads deeply.

Although it was humiliating, it was also true.

At Baekji's blunt words, they couldn't raise their faces.

"Tsk, tsk."

Baekji clicked his tongue as if he understood and asked, "Then the so-called Ten Great Masters are probably not much either?"

"That is not the case. Those people were the Ten Great Masters both before and after that."

Baekji was not interested in the Ten Great Masters. Judging by his age, there was no way he could be one of the Ten Great Masters.

"Anyway, I need Xi'an. Mei Zhongjun, you go and take over Xi'an."

"I... the Iron Horse Fang and the Zhaoling Sect are not to be trifled with. I can somehow manage the Nanil Sect..."

"Shut up."

Baekji glared.

"If I tell you to do it, you do it."

"..."

"Bai Renguang, Mo Dahou, Hu Yeonjo!"

"Yes."

"Earn your keep."

"..."

In the meantime, Bai Renguang and the others, who had gotten used to Baekji, did not ask back even at the sudden order.

"Go with Fang Master Mei and set up shop in Xi'an."

"..."

"I'll see you in Xi'an in ten days."

The complexions of Mei Zhongjun and Bai Renguang turned dark.

Bai Renguang stammered, "I... my body has not yet recovered... Brigade Leader Mo and Brigade Leader Hu can't even walk properly..."

"In ten days, it's impossible..."

He was about to say that they were half-crippled and couldn't even walk properly, but he closed his mouth.

Baekji was staring at him.

Bai Renguang's words were not wrong. Just by looking at the appearance of those in the main hall, they were seriously injured.

Baekji grinned, revealing his white teeth.

"Do you know what you need to get out of being mediocre local bosses?"

"..."

"It's grit. If you don't have teeth, you bite with your gums! That's the spirit you fight with."

"..."

"Take this opportunity to learn."

Baekji stood up.

"What are you doing? Ten days, it's shorter than you think."

A thought flashed through Mei Zhongjun's mind.

'If I can just get out of here...'

He could contact Huashan and try to fight again.

(End of Chapter)