Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 172

Pung!

As the firecracker that had gone up into the sky exploded, red smoke spread. By the time the smoke disappeared, Oh Jeong-ri tilted his head.

"That's strange?"

Although he shot up a firecracker again, there was still no news.

"What? Were they supposed to come?"

"We were definitely supposed to meet here."

Since it was a matter of bringing back a bloodline, the So family had decided to use force as a last resort. The best plan was to first send the guests of the So family to negotiate and to bring back So Jin-ha by agreement.

The 'Blood Wind Squad' was supposed to be waiting nearby and to provide support in case of an emergency, but they were not coming.

The 'Silent Saber' pointed to the western sky and said, "It seems something has happened. I'll go and see."

In the sky where the 'Silent Saber' was running, eagles were floating. Eagles live by tearing and eating dead animals.

The 'Silent Saber', who had returned after a while, said, "It seems the 'Blood Wind Squad' has been defeated. There are dozens of corpses."

"What? The 'Blood Wind Squad' has been defeated? Who on earth did it?"

Oh Jeong-ri was greatly surprised. The 'Blood Wind Squad' was the martial force of the So family and was a well-known force even in the Demonic Cult.

"There is no mark. It must be one of the twelve guardian families of the Demonic Cult."

"It would be better to flee quickly. If it's to the extent that the 'Blood Wind Squad' has been defeated, it won't be an easy force."

Although Oh Jeong-ri said that, Baekji shook his head.

"Let's find out what kind of brats did it."

"What if the enemy is ambushing..."

"We have to know what kind of brats the enemy is and how many there are to run away or hide, right?"

Baekji took the lead and went.

When they went to the canyon behind a small rocky mountain, dozens of corpses were scattered.

A few eagles, which had been tearing and eating the corpses, flew up when they saw Baekji's party.

"Demonic person... do you have any idea?"

Baekji said to the demonic person, who had woken up in the meantime and was sullenly following behind.

"Why are you asking a low-level person like me?"

"You hold a grudge for a long time. You have a lot of experience in this neighborhood. You have to pay for your meal."

The demonic person glared at Baekji with a resentful look, got off his horse, and examined the corpses. Then he examined the surrounding terrain and said, "It seems they were attacked at dawn while they were camping. They were ambushed from this side and that side. The 'Blood Wind Squad' resisted... and must have fled that way. It seems they have lost thirty percent of their force. But it's a bit strange."

"What is?"

"The side that ambushed seems to be a minority. There are two great masters. It seems those two have killed most of them."

"Two masters? How many masters in the twelve guardian families of the Demonic Cult can kill thirty percent of the 'Blood Wind Squad' at once?"

"..."

"You're guests, so did you just eat and pat your stomachs? What on earth do you know?"

As Baekji grumbled, Oh Jeong-ri said as if to make an excuse, "The activities of guests are extremely limited within the sect. In fact, you could say they are like mercenaries who are used when needed."

That was right. It was the guests who were mobilized when there was a difficult matter that a Demonic Cult member could not directly step in, like this time.

The party headed west, where the demonic person had pointed.

Indeed, corpses were seen from time to time. It seemed they were suicide squads to stop the pursuing enemy.

"This is it."

"What is?"

"The enemy's goal was not to annihilate the 'Blood Wind Squad', but to pursue them to drive them here. Seeing the corpses so far, about half of them must have died."

"They said it was the best martial force of the Demonic Cult... it seems it was a great exaggeration."

"That's not it. The enemy is strong. Since there are two masters of the 'flower realm', the 'Blood Wind Squad' would have had no choice."

The demonic person pointed to one side. It was a low cliff, and a mark that had been gouged out by a sharp energy was visible.

The 'Silent Saber' suddenly kicked the back of his horse and went up, then landed in front of the sharp energy mark. Then he swept the sharp energy mark with his hand.

"What is it?"

Although Baekji asked, the 'Silent Saber', without answering, examined another sharp energy mark and then flew up to the top of the cliff.

As the 'Silent Saber's' actions were unusual, the demonic person also went closer and examined it.

The demonic person, who was touching the sharp energy mark like the 'Silent Saber', let out a short scream and hastily stepped back.

"Heok!"

The demonic person's complexion was pale.

"Why on earth are you doing that?"

"The 'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts'! It seems to be them..."

"'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts'?"

"Look. The mark where the sharp energy passed is worn out as if it were weathered by the wind. Only the 'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts' can perform this kind of 'weathering sharp energy'."

Baekji did not know much about the martial world outside the pass.

"Are those brats that great?"

"They have been dead for a long time... I heard that the previous Cult Leader personally went to 'Mount Ming' and killed them."

"If it was that long ago, it must be their disciples... why are you so surprised?"

"That's not it... if they are alive..."

The demonic person could not continue and looked around. His complexion was white, as if he had seen the god of death.

"The brats called the 'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts' must be great. Seeing how the demonic person is so scared."

As Baekji was muttering, Seomun Jeong-ha interrupted.

"It must not be because of the 'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts', but because of the 'Old Ancestor of Mount Ming'."

"'Old Ancestor of Mount Ming'?"

"I heard it when I was in the 'Yao-yao Sect', and they said the original ruler of the martial world outside the pass was the 'Mount Ming Sect'."

After the 'Righteous-Demonic Great War' a hundred years ago, the Demonic Cult also suffered great damage, and its power was weakened. At that time, 'Mount Ming' appeared and reigned in Xinjiang and Qinghai.

"They called it 'Mount Ming' in comparison to the Demonic Cult's Heavenly Mountains, and they said it was the very personification of fear. Because they killed those who did not follow, regardless of men, women, old, or young."

In the end, the Demonic Cult and the 'Mount Ming Sect' had a head-on collision, and the 'Mount Ming Sect' fell. That was all Seomun Jeong-ha knew.

"Demonic person, do you know anything more?"

The demonic person stammered and said, "They said all the masters of the 'Mount Ming Sect', including the 'Old Ancestor of Mount Ming' and the 'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts', had died... but if the 'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts' are alive... could the 'Old Ancestor of Mount Ming' also..."

"When was that?"

"Fifty years?"

"Aigoo... if he was called an 'old ancestor' then... he would be a skeleton by now. Haven't you heard the saying that there is no one who can beat time?"

The demonic person, who had come to his senses at Baekji's words, let out a dry cough.

"You wouldn't know how terrifying the 'Old Ancestor of Mount Ming' was, since you weren't even born. At his one word, a tribe of several hundred households once disappeared."

"He's a brat who deserves to be killed."

At that moment, the 'Silent Saber' came down from the cliff.

"It seems they have fled to the west."

The party ran in the direction where the 'Blood Wind Squad' had fled. The west was the way to the Heavenly Mountains, where the Demonic Cult was anyway.

How far had they run? At the end of the highlands was a small village. Beyond that was a desert.

The party got more water and food from the village and then immediately entered the desert.

It was a desert where the hot sun was beating down. The horses could not go far and were panting from exhaustion. The party got off their horses and walked.

Although everyone in the party was a master, they lost their words and walked silently in the harsh sunlight that was beating down like a heavenly punishment. If they used their 'lightness skill', they would be exhausted and would fall after not going far.

"Ugh... is there no other way? Do we have to cross the desert?"

"This is the fastest way to cross the desert. If we take a detour, it will take another month."

As Baekji was grumbling, Oh Jeong-ri said in a soothing tone.

The demonic person tilted his head.

"This is a road that many caravans travel on..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a long caravan was seen in the distance.

"If we go with them... it will be a little easier. Let's hurry."

As the party used their 'lightness skill' and ran, Baekji muttered, "That's a bit strange. It seems something is going on."

Although it looked close because it was a desert, it was actually a very long distance. No one in the party could know what was going on with the caravan.

"I'll go first, so follow me."

Baekji ran. He did not follow the road but just ran across the sand, and not even a trace was left.

"It's not 'treading on snow without a trace'... I should say 'treading on sand without a trace'."

Running on sand that would slide down when stepped on was more difficult than 'treading on water'. And yet, Baekji ran as if he were walking on flat ground.

"A-ak!"

"Raise your shields!"

"Block the arrows!"

Screams and shouts were heard.

Baekji whistled loudly and then flew up.

Hwi-i-i-ik!

By the time the whistle that had echoed high in the sky ended, Baekji had reached the caravan.

"He's a master!"

"Shoot!"

Before he could even land from the empty air, arrows flew. When Baekji drew his sword and swung it, the arrows were deflected.

Seo-geok!

Although Baekji fell from the sky, only the sound of the sand breaking under his feet was heard slightly.

Baekji, who had landed right in the middle between the caravan and the men in gray who were trying to attack it, looked back and forth.

The location was strange.

It was a long sand ridge, and the path was very narrow. The slopes on both sides were such that the sand would slide down even with just a gust of wind.

The two groups, which were stretched out long along the ridge, were just about to have a close fight, with their leaders at the forefront, and Baekji had landed right in the middle of them.

There were about thirty men in gray, and the warriors in front of the caravan were also about that many.

"..."

Both sides were tense, seeing the master who had flown in at a tremendous speed with a sudden whistle. It was difficult to know Baekji's identity because he was wearing a turban and had his face wrapped in cloth, with only his eyes showing.

The one who seemed to be the leader among the men in gray shouted, "Who are you?"

"A passing guest?"

"If you go on your way, I will let you go."

"Hey, would a person who is just going to go on his way have come chasing, sweating profusely in this heat?"

Baekji searched his waist and then said. He was thirsty from running with his 'lightness skill', but he had left his water bottle on Oh-ryong's back.

"First, give me some water."

Baekji held out his hand.

There was no way the men in gray would give it. No one from the caravan stepped forward either.

At that moment...

"Here you go!"

A small water bottle flew from the back of the caravan.

"I don't know who you are, but you will be blessed."

Baekji caught it, untied the scarf that was covering his face, and drank the water.

When his face, which still had a youthful air, was revealed, the men in gray were bewildered. They had thought he was a great master... but he was a child.

The gaze of the leader of the men in gray turned to Oh Jeong-ri's party, which was running in the distance.

'Those brats are also not to be trifled with. Let's kill them before they join.'

The leader shouted to the men in gray, "First, kill them!"

As soon as the leader's order fell, the men in gray all rushed at him.

Baekji held up the water bottle, drank the water, and then drew his sword with his right hand and aimed it.

"Gulp, just wait a little."

There was no way the men in gray would listen. Three or four of them rushed towards Baekji and struck down with their sabers.

"Huh?"

Two swept his lower body, and the other two came to subdue him from the empty air.

They were not just a group of bandits, but were people who had learned a 'joint attack'.

"Catch the water bottle!"

Baekji threw the water bottle back and swung his sword at the men in gray.

Chae-chaeng!

Chaeng―!

The four sabers were deflected.

Peo-peok!

Baekji's kicking began.

"Keuk!"

Two people each fell on the slopes on both sides and slid down. At that, four more people rushed at him.

"Ho-oh, this is quite fun."

It was like a canyon where he could fight a hundred with one if he just guarded the pass.

"Take a detour! We'll get that brat with arrows!"

The leader of the men in gray shouted, grabbed his bow, and drew the bowstring. Since it was a close distance, he was confident that he could hit Baekji the moment he released the bowstring.

Pa-ang―!

Baekji held up his sword.

Tta-ang!

The arrow hit the blade of the sword and fell.

The leader's brow furrowed deeply. His bow was a strong bow that an ordinary person could not even draw. At this distance, it could even pierce an iron plate...

'To think that a young brat would deflect it with the blade of his sword.'

The leader was skilled with a bow. He shot arrows in succession in an instant.

The distance between Baekji and the leader was only three or four 'zhang'.

But it was difficult to get close because the men in gray were blocking the way and rushing at him.

The leader skillfully shot arrows between the men in gray, and Baekji deflected them in succession.

In the meantime, the men in gray, following the slope, bypassed Baekji and attacked the caravan.

Although the men in gray, who were attacking while treading on the slope where the sand was sliding down, were at a disadvantage due to the terrain, each individual surpassed the caravan's guards.

The guards held out for only a moment...

Chae-chaeng!

"Keok―!"

Screams erupted from here and there.

"Hey, why are you fighting in such an inconvenient place?"

Baekji grumbled.

(End of Chapter)