Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 92

Baekji, not knowing Hongyan's inner thoughts, spoke loudly.

"It's because I'm happy to meet someone from the same hometown. I stopped by the inn next door. The food at the Martial Alliance is not very good."

"Ah... I see. Hoho. I'm happy to see you too, but I have urgent business right now... later..."

"Really? If it's urgent business, are you going to catch the Blood Fiend? Shall I help you?"

Hongyan thought her liver would drop.

Just then, the door to Jian Yi's guest room opened.

Jian Yi, in the style of a scholar, stood there.

"Oh, are you really from the same hometown? It's really nice to meet you... Please come in. Yeon-ah, what are you doing? Not showing the guest inside."

When Jian Yi and Baekji sat down with the tea table between them, Hongyan brought tea.

Of course, Jian Yi knew Baekji.

'He said this person is either in the 'manifestation realm' or the 'life and death realm'.'

Since Tie Yantai had said so, it must be true.

'But if we don't fight, what does it matter? From ancient times, it has been said that influencing the enemy without fighting is the best strategy.'

Jian Yi cleared his throat and offered tea.

"This is a tea I carry with me. Even if the water changes, the taste of the tea does not change."

He first raised his teacup and savored a sip.

"Tea is like an old comrade. When you come to a foreign land like this, it's even more precious, shall we say? What kind of tea do you like?"

Baekji immediately knew what kind of person Jian Yi was.

He was the same kind as Quan Bai.

'A person who, once he starts flapping his mouth, doesn't know when to stop!'

Looking at Hongyan's expression, who was sitting next to him, it was certain.

Her eyes were distant, as if she were already wandering in another world.

Baekji waved his hand.

"You know why I came, right? The Blood Fiend, where is he?"

"..."

"Don't tell me you haven't found him yet?"

Jian Yi was flustered for a moment.

"What is that..."

"I heard everything from Menghua. You're chasing the Blood Fiend, right?"

Jian Yi composed his expression, 'jwak', spread his fan, and fanned it gently.

"The Blood Fiend is not a common ruffian..."

"So it's easier to find him. You can't even find one old man with red hair, and you're going to go around saying you're from the Demonic Cult?"

"...!"

Jian Yi's ki, 'ssak', changed.

"Yes, that's right. Now it's fun to talk. Drink the tea. Since you like it, drink a lot. And let's only speak the truth. It's not polite to the tea to drink good tea and lie. Don't you think so?"

"Umm... a young person has a rough mouth. I don't know, but even if I did, is there any reason I should tell you?"

"That fan, you've hidden a hidden needle, right? You're trying to ambush me with that. Attempted ambush! I'll turn a blind eye."

"Heo. How would you know whether I will ambush you or not? Do you have eyes that see the future? I've been really curious for a long time. What does it feel like to see the future? Is it really a blessing?"

Baekji clicked his tongue.

"Ho? Your skill at digressing is at the level of 'old and pure'. And seeing that your teeth are still intact, you must have lived an easy life?"

"...?"

At Baekji's words, Hongyan trembled.

She felt the poison of the 'demonic art of the tongue and mouth' that she had suffered from Jian Yi for so long being drained away.

"You brat! If you just blabber with your open mouth, what's the difference between you and a beast?"

Jian Yi finally exploded.

In his life, the number of times he had been so enraged could be counted on a few fingers.

Surprisingly, even in the midst of it, he was concerned with formalities.

"You seem like a terrible person in the world! Even if you are a master, to treat a person so carelessly! Alright! Let's see your skills! Whether you have the skills to run your mouth like that!"

"Good. Good. It's troublesome here, so let's go out."

Baekji readily accepted and stood up.

Since his original purpose for coming was to see Jian Yi's martial arts techniques, there was no reason to refuse.

Not knowing his inner thoughts, Jian Yi followed him out.

"Yeon-ah, you stay here."

Jian Yi said to Hongyan.

The two walked down the main street.

'Men...'

Hongyan muttered to herself.

For some reason, it looked like the backs of her older brothers from her childhood neighborhood going to have a fight.

"Scholar! Be careful."

Hongyan cheered only with her mouth.

'He won't kill him, right?'

Hongyan, who was worn out from being an informant, also had a hunch. Since he had spared both Menghua and Tie Yantai, it seemed unlikely that he would kill Jian Yi.

'It's not like I can stop him anyway...'

She also thought that if Jian Yi disappeared, she might be able to return to the Hongmeng Brothel.

Jian Yi, who was walking with Baekji, had many thoughts.

He rolled his head, looking at Baekji with a sidelong glance.

''Manifestation realm', 'life and death realm'... is it true?'

Tie Yantai's words echoed in his mind.

'I couldn't control my anger for a moment and messed things up. If I am defeated by that brat, the task of finding the Blood Sect's base will end in failure.'

'No. As a scholar who reads, as a martial artist who holds a sword, to endure such an insult is worse than death.'

'Shall I ask to fight later? How about we fight after we find the Blood Sect's base first?'

As all sorts of thoughts passed by, the houses ended, and a forest appeared here and there.

"Wait a moment."

Baekji went into a bamboo grove by the roadside, broke off a bamboo, and came out.

Since his bamboo staff had broken while fighting Mado, he had to make a new one.

Thwack!

When he cut the front and back with his hand, the cross-section was cut smoothly.

Baekji, 'hwik, hwik', swung the bamboo staff.

"Good."

Jian Yi's pride was hurt.

"Get a proper weapon. I am not the kind of person you think I am."

"That kind of person? Do you mean you're not a novice?"

"Umm. For some reason, I cannot reveal my identity, but..."

"On what grounds are you not a novice?"

"Ugh... you're really an unbearable person."

Finally, the two stood facing each other in a clearing in the forest.

Jian Yi, shaking his fan, said, "This is not a fight but a match, so let's follow the etiquette of a match. I will use this fan as my weapon. Ten hidden needles are hidden in the fan's ribs, and the edge, when imbued with ki, is no different from a blade, so be careful. I also use a sword, but since I didn't bring a sword, I will use the 'Soul-Slaying Eighteen Hands', a capturing art..."

Baekji felt an impulse to beat up Jian Yi, who was rambling on about his martial arts.

But that feeling was somehow not unfamiliar.

He had a sense of déjà vu, as if it had happened before.

'This can't be... was I really a Demonic Cult member?'

"...I will not use a killing move. Just purely with skill and internal energy..."

'I want to beat him up!'

A familiar anger surged.

"Just take it!"

Baekji rushed forward and brought down his bamboo staff.

"Ugh, you coward!"

As Jian Yi blocked with his fan, it skillfully deflected and struck his wrist.

"Keuk!"

Jian Yi was also not to be trifled with. The Four Divine Generals of the Demonic Cult were not made of their mouths.

He folded his fan, immediately turned his wrist, and snatched the bamboo staff, then tried to strike Baekji's chest with his other hand.

It was a move that combined defense and attack at the same time, and the hidden force carried in his hand was sharp.

'Soul-Slaying Eighteen Hands...'

Baekji could see Jian Yi's move.

The more he saw, the more his heart felt heavy.

'Am I really a Demonic Cult member...?'

* * *

"Where is the office of the Chief Investigator Nangong?"

"It's the room at the end over there."

Tang Yunseol passed the long corridor and opened the door at the end.

Nangong Zhao was sitting at his desk, reading something.

His expressionless face was unfamiliar.

When the door opened, Nangong Zhao's face, which had looked this way, was drawn with a bright smile.

It was a completely different expression from a moment ago.

'They say he's a 'cold-hearted iron gall'... is it really so?'

"Seolmae, what's wrong? To come all the way to the military affairs department."

The two had become much closer after almost dying while fighting together. They were on comfortable terms with each other.

"The Honored One has left the Alliance. He left a letter."

"Hmph!"

While Tang Yunseol was disappointed, Nangong Zhao snorted.

"What did the letter say?"

"Nothing much. That he will be leaving the Alliance..."

She could not say the words, '...and to travel well with Brother Nangong'.

"That brat, he's at the Tianlong Inn."

"What?"

"He says the food at the Martial Alliance is not good."

At that, Tang Yunseol smiled.

"The Honored One is really... a person you can't predict."

Tang Yunseol's gaze swept around Nangong Zhao's office and then went to the desk.

There was a pile of reports.

Nangong Zhao was the chief investigator of the military affairs department. She was reminded of that fact.

"Oh dear, I've disturbed your work."

"No, if it's Seolmae, you're always welcome. Have a cup of tea and go."

Nangong Zhao personally boiled tea and served it.

Tang Yunseol, watching Nangong Zhao boil tea, was reminded of Tang Yunlong.

"My brother wanted to come to the Martial Alliance so much... he said he wanted to work at the Alliance if he wasn't the young family head."

"..."

Nangong Zhao silently took out the tea leaves and placed the kettle on the brazier.

"If my father hadn't opposed it, he would have worked at the Alliance. Then he wouldn't have been tricked by the Blood Sect..."

"It may look good to work at the Alliance from the outside..."

"It sounds like you're saying it's not like that in reality."

"..."

Nangong Zhao did not answer.

In his eyes, the Tang siblings were clearly different from the children of other great families.

Although they were members of the 'Five Great Families', they were frugal and did not stand on ceremony.

The bond between the siblings was deep, and above all, their personalities were gentle.

It seemed that the Poison King's personality was like that.

'With that kind of heart, it's difficult to survive in the Alliance.'

Tang Yunseol let out a light sigh.

It seemed she was reminded of the unconscious Tang Yunlong.

Nangong Zhao comforted her.

"The Poison King has invited True Man Changshan, so don't worry too much. Since he has saved a person who was tricked by the 'Soul Transformation Grand Art', there must be a way."

Then he changed the subject.

"You met the Alliance Leader, right?"

Tang Yunseol's eyes sparkled as she answered, "He said it had been years since the Alliance Leader had met an outsider."

Perhaps thinking that he had met her in person out of consideration for the Tang family's face, she was proud.

"I told him what had happened at the Tang family. He asked me in detail."

"If the Tang family had fallen to Tang Tian'e, the Martial Alliance would also have been in danger."

"Ah!... I hadn't thought that far."

"The influence of the 'Nine Great Sects' and the 'Five Great Families' in the Martial Alliance is quite large. Of course, although the Tang family has not been involved in the Alliance's affairs for a while, since they have potential, no one can ignore them."

"Is that really so? Coming to the Alliance, I just feel like I've been living as a frog in a well."

"Haha. The 'Poison Hibiscus' of the world, no, the 'Snow Hibiscus' is a frog in a well?"

"Don't laugh."

"Alright. Miss Yunseol Frog."

When Nangong Zhao laughed and joked, Tang Yunseol looked at him with a strange expression and said, "It's strange."

"What is?"

"My brother is so kind, but why don't people know? They say your moniker is 'iron-faced young master'?"

Nangong Zhao cleared his throat.

"Who said such a thing..."

"Young Master Yan Jikyeon of the Yan family came to see me."

'Yan Jikyeon, that brat?'

Yan Jikyeon, who belonged to the 'Nine Dragons', was the deputy leader of the 'Righteous Warehouse Brigade'. There was a rumor that he would soon rise to the position of leader.

"Why did he come to see Seolmae?"

"He invited me to join the 'Dragon and Phoenix Society'."

"The Dragon and Phoenix Society..."

Nangong Zhao let out a groan.

It was a gathering of the latter-day prodigies from the great sects and the great families.

Nangong Zhao's expression hardened coldly.

"Did you say you would join?"

"No. I said I would think about it. I was going to ask my brother about it anyway."

"I'm not qualified to say this, but... I hope Seolmae doesn't join such a gathering."

Tang Yunseol smiled and answered, "Alright."

But Tang Yunseol did not mention the other proposal.

―Do you have any thoughts of working at the Alliance?

At the Alliance Leader's proposal, she had said she would think about it.

When Tang Yunseol obediently agreed without even asking for a reason, Nangong Zhao was inwardly pleased, but his expression hardened at the following words.

"After work, let's go see the Honored One."

"How about we go see a play instead? It seems the 'River Frost Performance Troupe' is performing."

"Ah! That's good. The Honored One also really likes stories."

Let's leave that brat out...

(End of Chapter)