Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 62

A boy, not even wearing a cloak, hurried his steps, supporting a young woman who seemed three or four years older than him.

"Sister, just a little more strength."

The woman's steps were heavy, as if she were injured.

The two resembled each other in some way, and it was clear they were siblings. From their refined appearance, they seemed to be from a noble family, but their attire was a mess.

The woman's beauty could not be hidden even by her disheveled hair.

Her clear phoenix eyes, painted-like eyebrows, high nose, white cheeks, and red lips gave her a splendid look.

A thin line of dried blood at the corner of her mouth added a tragic beauty.

The boy also had clear eyes and clean skin.

Their clothes were torn here and there, as if grazed by weapons or hidden weapons.

The two, who had been running, supporting each other and looking only ahead, suddenly stopped.

A group of people was approaching from a distance, and it was clearly a martial force.

"What should we do?"

To the left was a cliff, and to the right was a river.

The two turned to go back, but then stopped again.

They saw people running from behind.

They were in a dilemma.

Just then, a person on horseback came running from the group in front.

The boy and the woman stood with their backs to the cliff. The boy drew his sword, and the woman held a dagger in her hand.

Clatter, clatter.

The running horse stopped.

The one who had come on horseback was Baekji.

He had been bored and had come running, curious after seeing the group chasing and being chased.

At the same time, the ones who had been chasing from behind arrived.

The three groups stood in a '品' formation.

Baekji looked back and forth between the siblings and the group that had chased them.

The group that had chased the siblings was about ten people, and a middle-aged man with a very sharp impression seemed to be the leader.

"It's cold, so why are you all doing this?"

At Baekji's words, the middle-aged man frowned.

He had already seen the group coming from behind.

A flag with the character '맹' (Alliance) was held at the front.

It meant the Martial Alliance.

The middle-aged man ignored Baekji's words and said to the young woman, "Young Miss, please come quietly. Why are you making such a big deal out of something that can be resolved by asking for the family head's forgiveness?"

"Lord Go! Do you think you can survive after doing this to my sister and me?"

The boy shouted, holding his sword in front of him and blocking the young woman.

Lord Go said with an expressionless face, "Young Master Yi, please lower your sword. It is not right for family members to point swords at each other."

"Hmph! Do you not think about what you have done? How dare you block the path of a direct descendant of the family!"

Although the boy was young, he had considerable dignity.

Go Hyeonggi was the head of the Tang family's law enforcement hall.

All the key positions in the Tang family were held by the Tang clan. The reason Go Hyeonggi was the only one with a different surname to hold the important position of the law enforcement hall was not only because of his martial arts, but also because his work was thorough.

Even with the status of the boy and woman in front of him, he did not back down at all.

"It is a grave crime to have ignored the family head's order and escaped from the prison. If it were anyone else, they would have no words even if they were to die on the spot. I apologize for my subordinates' excessive use of force."

Although he said that, there was no sign of apology at all.

The Tang family's Young Master Yi, Tang Yunqing, was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

His older sister, Tang Yunseol, was a criminal who had tried to assassinate the young family head. According to the strict family law of the Tang family, anyone who used poison on a clan member would have their limbs cut off and be killed.

Although Tang Yunseol was the daughter of the Tang family head, since she had tried to kill her brother, she could not avoid death. Unable to watch, Tang Yunqing had secretly opened the prison and had saved his sister, but before they could even leave Chengdu, they had been pursued and were on the run, engaged in a close battle.

"Yunqing, you get out of here."

Tang Yunseol said. Although she also looked to be only seventeen or eighteen, she was very calm.

"Lord Go! I came out of the prison because there is something I must confirm. Give me ten days."

"Young Miss, you know well that I cannot do that."

The cold Go Hyeonggi was also inwardly perplexed.

He could not understand why Tang Yunseol had used poison on her own older brother and the young family head, Tang Yunlong.

The three siblings of the Tang family had a deep bond.

Although there must be a story, he, who had to follow orders, was not in a position to consider Tang Yunseol's circumstances.

In the meantime, the group, including Nangong Zhao, approached.

Tang Yunqing looked at the group and saw the flag stuck at the front.

"The Martial Alliance!"

Go Hyeonggi could no longer pretend not to know.

"Who is in charge?"

Zhang Li stepped forward.

"I am Zhang Li, the deputy brigade leader of the Martial Alliance's Swift Wind Brigade. What is the matter?"

Go Hyeonggi cupped his fists and said, "I am Go Hyeonggi, the head of the Tang family's law enforcement hall. We are currently handling an internal matter of the Tang family, so I would appreciate it if you did not interfere."

"I can't do that."

Baekji said.

"How can you pretend not to see someone in trouble? Isn't that right? Look there. Blood at the corner of her mouth! It's clear she's seriously injured."

Go Hyeonggi looked at Baekji.

Since he was young, he was not like the Martial Alliance. From his clothes and the horse he was riding, he seemed to be a descendant of a prestigious family.

It had been almost twenty years since Go Hyeonggi had eaten the Tang family's food.

He had experienced many descendants of prestigious families.

"You don't seem to be a person of the Martial Alliance."

"Yes, I'm not."

He only answered when asked to reveal his identity. Then, he said to Tang Yunqing, "You, isn't that poison?"

Tang Yunqing's left hand, wearing a leather glove, was in the poison pouch at his waist.

Tang Yunqing was startled and was about to sprinkle the poison, but Tang Yunseol grabbed his wrist.

"You can't use poison on family members!"

The law enforcement members quickly retreated a distance of three zhang.

Baekji looked at them, and nine of them were wearing face guards with the character '법' (Law) written on them, and two, whose affiliation was different, had the character '익' (Wing) embroidered on their chests.

As Baekji was carefully looking at the two warriors with the character '익' embroidered on them, his side profile stung.

When he turned, Tang Yunqing was panting and glaring at him.

It had been a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack, but it had been ruined because of Baekji.

That was just Tang Yunqing's thought; in reality, it would have been useless even if he had sprinkled the poison.

Go Hyeonggi, knowing that Tang Yunqing would come out like that, had deliberately given him an opening. If he used poison, he had planned to subdue him immediately.

The Martial Alliance would not be able to protect Tang Yunqing, who had used poison on a family member.

Although his inner intention had been thwarted, Go Hyeonggi did not show it and said to Baekji, "Thank you for the warning. May I ask for your esteemed name?"

He could not know the status of the Swift Wind Brigade in the Martial Alliance, and he had never heard of a deputy brigade leader named Zhang Li.

Although the Martial Alliance's martial forces were also differentiated, if it wasn't a main force like the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, or Black Tortoise Brigades that Go Hyeonggi also knew, it had to be seen as the same.

Therefore, Go Hyeonggi thought that he just had to deal with the ruffian-like noble son in front of him well.

If he were a descendant of a high-ranking family, he could not carelessly touch him.

"Why do you keep trying to know my name? You don't know me, right? It's better not to know."

His way of speaking was quite arrogant.

Go Hyeonggi's head spun rapidly.

'The Zhuge family?'

From the way he spoke, he seemed to be from one of the Five Great Families.

The closest family would be the Zhuge family.

The Nangong, Peng, and Murong families were on the opposite side of the Central Plains, so it was rare to encounter them here.

'A direct descendant of the Zhuge family, to the extent that the Martial Alliance is escorting him?'

Since the Sheng-Ying Brigade was surrounding Bai Renguang and Mei Zhongjun, Go Hyeonggi could not see.

He had mistaken the Martial Alliance's martial force for Baekji's escort.

The Zhuge family, which formed the Five Great Families with the Tang family, was close to the Tang family, but they were not on very good terms.

Go Hyeonggi had to be careful not to let the Tang family's scandal leak to the Zhuge family.

A single trivial mistake could trip him up.

Go Hyeonggi ignored Baekji and said to Tang Yunseol, "Young Miss. I will escort you. Do we have to fight among family members in front of outsiders? I will take responsibility and arrange a private meeting with the family head. Is that alright?"

Although Tang Yunseol understood what Go Hyeonggi was saying, she didn't know what would happen if she returned like this.

"..."

Baekji interjected again, "If you don't want to go, say so. I'll help you."

Tang Yunqing looked at Baekji with a disdainful eye.

"Who are you?"

"Yunqing, watch your mouth!"

Tang Yunseol also thought that Baekji's status was not ordinary.

She had made the same mistake as Go Hyeonggi.

But she could not involve an outsider.

As she was about to refuse, Baekji called Nangong Zhao.

"Chief Investigator Nangong! There is an innocent person here."

"...!"

Everyone's gaze turned to Nangong Zhao.

Baekji approached Nangong Zhao and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Even though he looks like this, he is the chief investigator of the Martial Alliance's military affairs department. He's quite clever. Tell him what happened. He'll sort out the rights and wrongs."

Was it a compliment or an insult?

Nangong Zhao frowned.

Go Hyeonggi looked at Nangong Zhao. Although he looked to be about thirty, his aura was well-refined.

He had not missed that Baekji had called him Nangong.

He could not ignore a person holding a key position in the Martial Alliance from the Nangong family.

He sighed inwardly. If he were a Tang, he could have been stronger, but since he had a different surname, there were many restrictions.

"No matter how much it is the Martial Alliance, they cannot interfere in the internal affairs of the Tang family."

"A chief investigator can, can't he? Right? Isn't the Tang family also a sect affiliated with the Martial Alliance?"

At Baekji's words, Nangong Zhao shook his head.

"An investigator only investigates and reports on the matters he has been ordered to."

"Really? It wasn't a big deal? I thought it was a big deal because you were acting all high and mighty."

A strange sound came from Nangong Zhao's jaw.

"...However, a Martial Alliance member has a duty to respond if a person from their affiliated sect asks for help."

Baekji grinned and said to Tang Yunqing, "You heard him? You're the Young Master Yi of the Tang family. What do you think? Will you ask for help?"

Go Hyeonggi's face hardened coldly. It was an act that did not even consider him. He could no longer overlook it.

"I don't know who you are, but this is a place where the Tang family head's order is being executed. Keep in mind that if you interfere carelessly, you could turn the Tang family into an enemy!"

Baekji chuckled.

"Aren't these two the daughter and son of the Tang family head? From the way they talk, it seems so. Isn't it right to be grateful if you help the daughter and son? But now that I say it, the situation is strange."

Baekji tilted his head and then said to Tang Yunqing, "You, did you cause trouble? So you're running away without your father knowing?"

"What? What do you take me for!"

As Tang Yunqing flared up, Tang Yunseol stepped forward, tidied her disheveled hair, and cupped her fists to Nangong Zhao.

"Tang Yunseol of the Tang family requests the protection of the Martial Alliance! Please take me to the Martial Alliance."

"...!"

When Nangong Zhao saw Tang Yunseol's face, his heart sank.

He hadn't known because of her disheveled hair, but when he saw her up close, she was a woman he knew.

He thought it couldn't be, but when he looked closely, it wasn't.

She resembled a certain woman so much that he had mistaken her.

As Nangong Zhao stared at Tang Yunseol with a blank expression, Baekji tapped Nangong Zhao's shoulder.

"It will be rewarding to help a pretty woman."

"Wh-what are you talking about..."

Nangong Zhao, realizing his state, hurriedly turned and said to Go Hyeonggi, "I have received a formal request from the Tang family head's children. I need to know what is going on."

"This is not the case. I am currently carrying out the family head's order. If the family head finds out, the Martial Alliance will also be in a difficult position."

Go Hyeonggi retorted.

When Nangong Zhao unexpectedly accepted Baekji's words, Zhang Li was perplexed and stealthily interjected.

"Chief Investigator Nangong, we are carrying out an important mission."

He euphemistically suggested that they just go.

Before Nangong Zhao could answer, Baekji said, "You guys go first. I'm tired of following you slowpokes."

He even gestured with his hand as if shooing away a bird.

Then, he put his arm around Nangong Zhao's shoulder and said, "The Martial Alliance is too far. Let's go to the Tang family first. We need to find out what's going on. The Tang family is in Chengdu, right? It's a huge city, right? Is it as big as Xi'an?"

Go Hyeonggi, thinking that the situation was strange, was even thinking of using force, but when Baekji said to go to the Tang family, he stealthily stepped back and watched the situation.

If he was lucky, he might be able to take Tang Yunseol and Tang Yunqing without any friction.

Then, it would be a good thing for him too. Forcibly dragging the family head's daughter and son was also a burden for him.

Now, they were being chased because they had incurred their father's wrath, but blood is thicker than water. If the two were reinstated later, he would be the one to suffer a disadvantage.

That was why he couldn't treat them carelessly, and it had turned out for the better.

Nangong Zhao said to Zhang Li, "From here on, it is the territory of the Sichuan branch, so there will be no trouble. If you go first, we will follow soon."

Nangong Zhao was also curious about the Tang family's affairs.

It was impossible for the Tang family head's daughter and son to be chased by the family's warriors.

As an investigator for the military affairs department, it was his duty to grasp the trouble of an affiliated sect. He had only said that he had no authority to investigate because he was worried about the sect's backlash.

'This is something a chief investigator should do.'

Nangong Zhao repeated to himself in his mind as he looked at Tang Yunseol.

Although he already had personal feelings, he did not admit it to himself.

When he said to go to the Tang family, Tang Yunseol objected.

"No!"

She had barely escaped, and she could not go back.

Then, she collapsed.

"Oh dear, her internal injuries have relapsed! Young Master Yi, hurry and support your sister!"

Tang Yunqing hurriedly caught Tang Yunseol.

Baekji pointed at his horse.

"Hold your sister and get on the horse. We're in a hurry, let's go."

"Where are we going?"

Tang Yunqing didn't know what to do in the sudden situation.

"We have to go to Chengdu. We have to find a doctor first, don't we?"

Thinking of the greasy food and the comfortable bed, Baekji was in a good mood.

(End of Chapter)