Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 6

Baekji slept frequently.

He was taking a nap, leaning against a sun-drenched wall, when Jang Sam, who was passing by, approached him.

"I was sorry about that day."

Jang Sam felt vaguely uneasy about having slapped Baekji's cheek, so he apologized.

"For what?"

"That day... for waking you."

He couldn't bring himself to say he had slapped his cheek, so he spoke indirectly.

"Oh, did that happen?"

Baekji didn't seem to care. It was as if he didn't even remember being slapped.

'It's a relief he's a fool.'

Once his unease was gone, Jang Sam felt more at ease.

"If there's anything inconvenient while you're here, let me know. I'm pretty well-connected, you know."

Baekji looked at Jang Sam's feet. Since he was big, his feet were big too.

"I see that."

"If anyone bullies you, tell me. I'll take care of them for you."

"Alright. Now, could you move? You're blocking the sun."

Jang Sam felt a surge of anger at Baekji, who was younger than him, speaking so informally, but he held it in.

'This brat, just because he serves the guild master's daughter, he's acting so high and mighty.'

Jang Sam glared at Baekji before continuing on his way.

Baekji basked in the sunlight and fell into a sweet sleep.

How long had he slept?

His lower abdomen stirred, and a hot energy swirled through his entire body.

"Ugh..."

Baekji thrashed in his sleep and rolled on the ground.

A moment later, Baekji came to his senses and thought, "Was the sunlight too hot?"

He went to his quarters to sleep, but strangely, the sleepiness had completely vanished.

His mind was clear.

Just then, Senior Oh arrived with a group of people. They were all able-bodied men, ten in total.

"You can stay there for the time being."

Senior Oh pointed to the building next to the servants' quarters. It was also a servant's lodging that hadn't been used for a while.

It seemed they had spent the last few days dusting and repairing it to welcome guests.

"If you rest, we will bring you a meal."

Senior Oh said and then disappeared.

"What is this? They say the Yang Merchant Guild is so great, but this is worse than our quarters."

One of the men grumbled.

"How can a mere merchant guild compare to our White Mountain Sect?"

The men were chattering amongst themselves in front of the lodging when they saw Baekji.

"Hey, bring us some water."

A dark-faced servant shouted at Baekji. The men looked like manual laborers, but they acted with complete arrogance.

When Baekji just stared blankly, the servant who had shouted frowned.

"Hey, didn't you hear me? I said bring water!"

"Heukbo, you shouldn't act like that in someone else's house."

A man who seemed to be the leader among the servants, being slightly older, stopped Heukbo and spoke to Baekji.

"Friend, we've come a long way and are thirsty. Could we have some water?"

Baekji nodded and pointed a finger to one side.

"There's a well over there."

"Friend, we are guests too. Couldn't you draw some for us? We can't just wander around someone else's house."

Baekji thought for a moment, then pointed at Heukbo.

"Follow me."

"What's with this brat? A young kid speaking so informally?"

Heukbo rolled up his sleeves, but the man who seemed to be the leader frowned.

"Heukbo, this isn't a martial arts family. If you cause trouble and damage the Young Master's reputation, you won't keep your head on your shoulders."

At the mention of the Young Master, Heukbo immediately backed down.

"Who said anything? I just said a word because that brat has no sense of hierarchy."

Heukbo followed Baekji.

Baekji led him to the well. At the well were a bucket, a water container, and a water-carrying yoke.

"Draw as much as you want and drink."

Baekji said as if doing him a great favor.

"This brat is speaking informally again?"

Heukbo smacked the back of Baekji's head with his fist.

Thwack!

"Kuaack!"

The scream burst from Heukbo's mouth.

Heukbo clutched his right hand with his left, letting out a continuous stream of groans.

It felt like he had hit a lump of iron. If he had hit any harder, his knuckles would have broken.

Baekji rubbed his head, where spiky hair like a chestnut burr was growing, and frowned.

Then, he reached out his right hand and hit the back of Heukbo's head.

Thwack!

"Keok!"

Heukbo saw stars flashing before his eyes and collapsed, unconscious.

Baekji glanced around furtively and disappeared.

A short while later, two White Mountain Sect servants came and were shocked to see the collapsed Heukbo, helping him up.

"Heukbo!"

"Get a hold of yourself. Who did this?"

Heukbo shook his head, gathered his wits, and said, "That brat from before! That brat..."

"You caused trouble again."

The White Mountain Sect servants, knowing Heukbo's usual behavior, blamed him instead.

If he needlessly started a fight, they would be the ones to suffer a harsh punishment.

"You should control your temper when you're in someone else's house."

Heukbo felt wronged. He hadn't even hit him that hard, but the brat had hit him hard enough to make him faint.

The back of his head swelled up like a lump and throbbed.

'But what happened? Has he learned martial arts?'

He couldn't believe that an ordinary-looking, young boy possessed such strength.

'Wasn't he a servant?'

Baekji hurried to the west building. It was almost lunchtime, so he had to eat.

Bangbang, who had come looking for Baekji, met him on the way.

"Why are you so late? The Young Miss was waiting."

"I was sleeping."

"What do you do besides sleep? You said you'd fix the wall, but we don't see hide nor hair of you except at mealtimes."

Because Baekji kept sleeping in the servants' quarters, Yang Soryeong had secretly sent Bangbang to call someone to repair the wall.

Bangbang had never seen a servant act so willfully.

"Nothing."

Baekji said confidently and entered the living room.

Yang Soryeong was sitting at a table laden with food.

When Baekji sat down, Bangbang sat down as well. Soryeong had repeatedly invited her, and since Baekji also sat and ate, it became natural for Bangbang to eat with them.

As Baekji was about to leave after eating, Yang Soryeong stopped him.

"The physician will be here. Wait."

"Physician?"

"We need to see if you have amnesia."

Before Baekji could answer, there was a presence outside.

Bangbang entered with an old physician who had a goatee.

"Is this boy the patient? He looks fine."

"I think he has lost his memory, so I wanted you to check his pulse."

"Memory? Mental problems are difficult to diagnose through pulse-taking."

The goatee-wearing physician showed his reluctance.

"Please, just take a look."

As Yang Soryeong pleaded earnestly, the physician reluctantly said to Baekji, "Give me your left arm."

Baekji extended his arm.

The goatee-wearing physician placed his fingers on Baekji's wrist and closed his eyes.

'—!'

The physician immediately opened his eyes and examined Baekji. His expression was strange.

"Huh... this is quite..."

The physician closed his eyes again and took the pulse.

After a moment, the physician removed his fingers and said to Baekji, "Stick out your tongue."

He examined the tongue, flipped the eyelids, and touched the stomach.

"That tickles."

Baekji pushed away the physician's hand as it groped his side.

"Stay still. Do as the physician says."

After thoroughly examining Baekji, the physician sighed.

"I have been practicing medicine for over forty years, but this is the first time I've seen a case like this."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You said his mind is strange? His body is strange too."

"How so? What's strange about it?"

Yang Soryeong grew anxious.

"Umm..."

The physician thought for a long time before speaking.

"His pulse is slow. So slow it's almost undetectable. Moreover, his energy flows erratically."

"..."

"You said his mind is strange? Usually, that can happen from a head injury or a great mental shock, but this isn't that kind of case."

"Then what is it?"

"Perhaps his energy is flowing erratically, causing a Qi Deviation. I can't be sure. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

"Qi Deviation?"

"When martial artists suffer from Cultivation Insanity, various symptoms can appear. This might be one of them."

"Cultivation Insanity?"

"Usually, they become madmen or cripples. To only lose one's memory and become a blank slate might be a blessing."

"Can't it be cured?"

"I don't know. I've heard that a master can control Cultivation Insanity by injecting their internal energy to correct the flow of Qi. But I've never heard of a case where it was actually cured."

"It must be very difficult?"

"How many masters are there who can control another person's energy with their own internal energy? Perhaps the Abbot of Shaolin or the leader of the Martial Alliance, but who knows."

"..."

"In fact, it's difficult to definitively say it's Cultivation Insanity. To reach the point of Cultivation Insanity, one must be a martial artist who has trained for quite some time. There's no possibility of someone that age suffering from it. Unless he wrongly consumed a spiritual medicine or something."

"I see."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of help."

The goatee-wearing physician left, feeling rather apologetic.

After the physician left, Yang Soryeong paced back and forth in the living room, muttering to herself.

Although the physician wasn't sure if it was Cultivation Insanity, Yang Soryeong was somewhat convinced.

"Cultivation Insanity... Should I find a master and ask? Where would I find such a master?"

"Master, I'm fine as I am. I don't need memories."

Baekji truly felt no inconvenience at all.

"No, it's a misfortune for a person to have no memories. There must have been people who loved you."

"People who loved me?"

"Your mother or father would have. You might have brothers or sisters. You've forgotten all your friends too."

Baekji tilted his head.

He couldn't remember anything.

"That's a misfortune. Your past life has disappeared. It's as if your very existence has disappeared."

"Me? I'm right here."

"No, not your body. Is a person just a body?"

"Then, what else is needed?"

"It's, how should I put it? The mind that thinks of you as you. That is you."

"The mind that thinks of me as me?"

Baekji tilted his head, then slapped his knee.

"I'm Baekji! And Baekji is me!"

"Huh?"

"There, see? I think of myself as Baekji. Now there's no problem."

Baekji summed it up simply and walked out.

"That's..."

Yang Soryeong was at a loss for words.

She couldn't easily refute Baekji's words.

What is existence? It was a confusing topic for her as well. For some reason, Baekji's words seemed to make sense.

"I am Yang Soryeong. And Yang Soryeong is me."

Yang Soryeong repeated Baekji's words and then looked on the verge of tears.

"Hmph. Why is this so difficult?"

Just then, Bangbang, who had gone outside, ran back in.

"Young Miss. The wedding delegation from the White Mountain Sect has arrived."

"What?"

Yang Soryeong was startled.

"They say they've come to escort you, Young Miss."

"Already?"

Yang Soryeong had thought she would be staying at the Yang estate for a while.

"It's strange. The wedding date hasn't even been set."

Yang Soryeong calmed her startled heart.

'Be calm. It was going to happen sooner or later.'

As she was composing herself, it became noisy outside.

Bangbang looked out and jumped.

"The Mistress is coming."

The Mistress was the lady of the Yang estate, Mei Yancheng.

When Yang Soryeong looked outside, she saw that it was indeed Mei Yancheng, entering with her maids.

Yang Soryeong and Bangbang went to the door and bowed.

"Kneel. It's been a long time, and you won't even show proper courtesy?"

Yang Soryeong had seen Mei Yancheng once when she visited the Yang estate as a child.

Though years had passed, the venom on Mei Yancheng's face had not changed.

Yang Soryeong sank to the ground.

"Come in."

Mei Yancheng said coldly and went into the living room, sitting on a chair.

Yang Soryeong did not dare to sit opposite her and knelt on the floor.

"Everyone, leave."

Mei Yancheng sent out not only Bangbang but all the maids.

"People from the White Mountain Sect have come. Although the wedding date has not been set, they said that since the marriage is already decided, they wish to choose an auspicious day and welcome you into their home, so I agreed."

"Father didn't say anything."

"Shut up. The arrangement of marriages is handled by me, the mistress of the Yang estate. The Guild Master is busy with outside affairs, how can he be bothered with every single household matter? Are you showing off your lack of proper upbringing?"

She said one word and received a torrent of abuse.

"There is something you must keep in mind before you go to the White Mountain Sect."

"Yes."

"You are the second daughter born between the Guild Master and me."

"What?"

"For you, this is truly undeserved treatment. For the offspring of a lowly maid to be married off as the daughter of the official wife."

(End of Chapter)