Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 93

"Achoo..."

Jian Yi, who had sneezed, rubbed his waist and let out a groan.

Unlike Hongyan's wish, Jian Yi had returned unharmed.

At least, on the outside.

"How did the match go?"

"A person who has emptied their mind does not dwell on victory or defeat. What has passed is past... Sometimes, there are things that must be buried."

'Your mouth is fine.'

Hongyan was glad that Baekji had not come with him.

"How long do we have to stay here?"

Whether the 'thousand-li tracking scent' had been completely erased, the 'yellow weasel' was running around on its own.

There was no way to know where the Blood Fiend had hidden.

"Impatience ruins things. So when the time comes..."

"Please rest."

Hongyan quickly closed the door and came out.

Jian Yi, left alone, rubbed his bruised buttocks and relieved the congestion.

'It seems... he resembles him.'

There are not many people who know about the hidden needle in the fan.

Moreover, he had skillfully countered as if he knew his martial arts inside and out.

The only person in the world who knew the 'Soul-Slaying Eighteen Hands' better than him was the young cult leader.

Is that all?

The sly smile he made while hitting.

The skillful technique of hitting only where it would not leave a mark on the outside, while not damaging the bones.

He knew because he had been hit a lot.

It was the young cult leader's technique.

'Even the way he talks, driving a person to the point of not being able to live or die... he's exactly like the young cult leader. Could it be...?'

Jian Yi had a hunch.

After the young cult leader had gone missing, the 'Life and Death Divine Physician' had also disappeared.

The 'Life and Death Divine Physician' was the one who was preparing the elixir needed for the cult leader to ascend to the 'Heavenly Throne'.

Because he had disappeared just before the completion of the elixir, various rumors had spread in the cult.

'I have to meet Hogeukryeong.'

Among the Four Divine Generals, the Southern Divine General, Hogeukryeong, had a close relationship with the 'Life and Death Divine Physician'.

He might know why the 'Life and Death Divine Physician' had disappeared.

If his guess was correct...

'Hehe...'

It meant that he had uncovered the greatest secret in the history of the martial world.

He was not resentful that Baekji had hit him.

* * *

A deserted shrine that no one knew who it was dedicated to.

Mado was lost in thought, looking at the flickering bonfire.

It seemed as if the souls of her parents and siblings, who had perished due to the schemes of the 'Hundred Ghosts Sect' and the 'Qingling Sect', were flickering in the fire.

The 'Qingling Sect' had already disappeared.

Because of the Alliance Leader, she had not been able to finish them off herself.

Is that why?

It seemed as if the souls in the fire were resentful.

Although the tragic memories of that day had faded with the merciless flow of time, the lump of resentment had become even more solid.

The bonfire was dying down.

Suddenly, she felt that something was strange.

How much time had passed?

It had been a long time since Cho-hye had gone to get more firewood.

"..."

After waiting a little longer, Mado picked up the 'Heaven-Shattering Divine Saber' and stood up.

A road passed in front of the deserted shrine. The left was the road to the village, and the right was the road into the forest.

An eerie energy flowed in the forest, which was bathed in the dimming sun.

As Mado was walking along the road to the forest, Cho-hye's voice was carried on the wind.

Thwack!

An ominous feeling that was felt as soon as she raised her senses.

In an instant, Mado's figure disappeared.

* * *

Baekji was sitting in his guest room.

He was half out of his mind and in a daze.

At first, he had thought it was just that.

So what if he was a Demonic Cult member?

But as time went on, the more he thought about it, the more serious it became.

What did it mean that his life before and after his 'rejuvenation' were inconsistent?

It was a path that no one had experienced.

Since he seemed to know but didn't, he became even more anxious.

'It can't be. A kind person like me... me, who can't even kill a person... was a Demonic Cult member? What kind of a cruel joke is this...'

He remembered the days when he had woken up as Baekji, had learned about the world from Yang Soryeong, and had lived reading books.

Although it was only about a year ago, it felt like a distant past.

At that time, life was simple, and the future was bright.

Dreaming of the day he would go to see the sea with Yang Soryeong...

Baekji shook his head.

Since he didn't want to accept it, he felt a sense of denial.

'It can't be...'

But what about the fact that the 'Soul-Slaying Eighteen Hands' was so clearly visible?

And when he had beaten Jian Yi, he had been engulfed in a strange sense of déjà vu.

It felt like something like this had happened before... because of that, his strength had drained, and he hadn't even been able to hit him a few times.

He remembered a dream he had once had.

A battlefield that had become a sea of blood, bodies rolling around with their limbs cut off...

Covered in blood, he had swung his sword like a madman...

'No wonder it was ominous...'

Baekji stood up and paced around the guest room.

'If I had the martial prowess to have undergone 'rejuvenation', I must have been very high up in the Demonic Cult. The Cult Leader? Was I the Cult Leader?'

Even the old scholar, Jian Yi, was a master of the 'manifestation realm'.

If he could beat him, then...

'I must have been the Cult Leader!'

His heart sank.

The heavy responsibility that came rushing in.

The sky of a hundred thousand demons...

He remembered the sight of a hundred thousand demons prostrating themselves and stretching out their hands, crying out for salvation.

"No!"

He shouted.

Just as he didn't want to be the Martial Alliance Leader, the role of the Demonic Cult Leader was also a terrible thing.

"I have to bury it. This is something that must be buried. I have been reborn."

―It's not that you were reborn. You have a place in the Demonic Cult. They must be waiting for their master.

Someone in his heart answered.

"What are you talking about! I have no memory now. My place must have disappeared too."

―Is that really so? You don't want to go? If you say one word, everyone will kneel and serve you.

"I don't want that! As long as I have delicious food, that's enough!"

―Really? They say the Demonic Cult Leader has more power than an emperor. You can enjoy enormous wealth and power. While tasting all sorts of delicacies...

"Yes? Is that really so?"

As his heart was secretly leaning, another heart from the opposite side was heard.

―Do you want that? Is it good to live, intoxicated by power, without Yang Soryeong, the disciples, or Zhong Jia?

"I can just take them all with me, can't I?"

―What kind of a place is the Demonic Cult? Why else would it be called the Demonic Cult? Do you think they can live there?

"How would I know! It must be a place where people live too!"

―Have you forgotten the sea of blood you saw in your dream? Did you undergo 'rejuvenation' just to repeat that life?

"..."

Baekji, exhausted by his racing thoughts, thud, lay down on the floor.

When he had no memory, there was a sense of emptiness that he had lost his roots, but now that he seemed to be about to find them, he wanted to deny it.

Creak.

The door opened, and a familiar voice was heard.

"What are you doing? Why are you lying on the floor?"

Nangong Zhao was looking down.

"I'm thinking about what life is. Can you not disturb me and go?"

"Really? Then continue."

As Nangong Zhao turned around without any lingering attachment, Tang Yunseol's disappointed voice was heard from outside.

"Did you tell him we're going to see the 'River Frost Performance Troupe'?"

"It seems he's thinking about something important. Let's not disturb him..."

Baekji, springing up, stood up and rushed out.

"I'm going too."

"You said not to disturb you."

"I can think later. If I don't see the 'River Frost Performance Troupe' today, it's over."

"They're performing tomorrow too."

"The feeling is different. Even the same play is different from day to day."

Huh?

Life is like that too.

Although a person is the same person, every day is different.

It seemed he had realized something.

* * *

Although the bizarre scene was unfolding before her eyes, Mado's expression did not change at all.

From the body whose neck had been cut while standing, blood gushed out. In front of it, an old man with red hair stood with his hands outstretched.

The red blood turned into a crimson blood mist and was being sucked into the old man's palm.

On one side, Cho-hye was lying collapsed.

When Mado appeared, the red-haired old man felt her ki and turned around.

His two eyes were bloodshot.

"What are you doing?"

"Kekeke..."

The Blood Fiend, whose cognitive ability had declined due to being intoxicated by the blood ki, saw Mado as prey.

Mado did not ask any further.

Ssaeaek!

The pure white of the 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Saber' shot towards the Blood Fiend.

The Blood Fiend's eyes flowed with a thick blood ki.

Thwack!

He struck the corpse, and with the rebound, he retreated and swung his twin palms to block the saber energy.

Papapat!

As the crimson blood ki and the saber energy collided, a bizarre bursting sound exploded.

Mado ran forward and swung the 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Saber'.

Paang! Ssaeaek!

With a sharp ki wave, a crescent-shaped saber aura flew in succession.

"...!"

The Blood Fiend, startled, alternately struck with both hands. A crimson blood wheel poured out in succession and collided with the saber aura.

Boom! Boom!

As the strong ki exploded, a roar vibrated through the empty air.

Mado went straight through the exploding fragments of the strong ki. The fragments of the broken strong ki hit her protective ki and bounced off.

Saaaak!

A ki sound that was heard from far away in the sky.

As the 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Saber' was thrust straight, a proper 'One Saber Shattering Heaven' exploded.

A saber aura that poured down as if the sky were collapsing rushed towards the Blood Fiend.

"Kaaah!"

The Blood Fiend let out a monstrous scream and stretched his hands straight above his head. As if to support the sky, a red pillar, 'sook', shot up from both his arms.

Boom, boom, boom!

As if an earthquake had occurred, the ground shook, and a series of explosions erupted.

Even in the midst of it, a piece of Mado's consciousness was looking at Cho-hye.

The wall of ki that Mado had created was blocking Cho-hye's front, so she was unharmed.

"...!"

The Blood Fiend, whose cognitive ability had recovered, realized that the beautiful woman in front of him was an absolute master comparable to himself.

He did not want to have a life-and-death battle with an unknown master before the great event.

Paat!

The Blood Fiend's entire body was covered in a thick blood mist. Then, a storm of red strong ki rushed towards the approaching Mado.

Mado raised the 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Saber' and split the storm of strong ki.

Kgagagagang!

The ki sound of the splitting strong ki seemed to tear the eardrums.

When the 'Heaven-Shattering Demonic Saber', which had been heated white, finally split the sea of blood, the Blood Fiend had disappeared.

'Cho-hye?'

Cho-hye was gone.

Paang!

A ki wave exploded from Mado's entire body, and the ki spread in a circle.

The ki of the Blood Fiend, who was disappearing in the distance, was caught.

Shiik!

Mado flew like a saber thrown towards the sky.

* * *

"Let's meet again in our next life. At that time..."

A young hero who had led the war to victory but had fallen to the last arrow shot by the enemy.

At the news that her beloved had died, the beautiful woman, promising reincarnation, threw herself from a dizzying cliff.

The two, who had been reincarnated at the same time like a desperate wish.

But the two families they were born into were enemies. The lovers, who were wandering between love and family, fell into the vicious scheme of a wicked person and plunged their swords into each other's chests.

At the last moment, the two realized that they loved each other and were a pair destined from their past lives.

"In our next life..."

Caressing each other's faces, the two silently exchanged gazes and died.

With a faint smile...

The tragic ending of the 'River Frost Performance Troupe'.

As Tang Yunseol dabbed her teary eyes with a handkerchief, the sound of someone sniffling was heard from the side.

"Keuheup. This is absurd! Why do they keep talking about the next life? They should live well in this life!"

Baekji was shedding tears.

Tang Yunseol thought that although Baekji's martial arts were high, since he was young, his sensitivity was delicate.

"That's how the story goes."

When Nangong Zhao said calmly, Baekji criticized him.

"That's why you're called an 'iron-faced young master'! Miss Yunseol, I think you should reconsider. It's not good to be close to such a heartless person."

"Brother Zhao is such a kind and affectionate person."

"He's just trying to look good now. Once he has a child, he's a brat who will leave in a flash..."

Thwack!

Nangong Zhao, unable to listen any longer, hit Baekji's back.

But his own palm tingled.

Baekji, not even knowing he had been hit, was looking at the back of the stage.

The male protagonist was surrounded by people.

"What are they doing over there?"

"The actor is greeting them. This is a popular play. People are trying to at least touch the protagonist's clothes."

Nangong Zhao, who had dared to hit an absolute master, quickly explained.

"Really...? You can meet the actor? Wait a moment."

(End of Chapter)