Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 209

'Could it be?'

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu felt as if he were rolling down into a distant abyss.

He staggered, unable to hide his surprise.

Baekji just looked at Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu with an indifferent eye. Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu hastily avoided his eyes and bowed his head.

'It can't be.'

He had also studied the 'soul spirit art' of the So family for a long time. As someone who had learned the 'soul weaving art' of the Hyuk-ryeon family, he was confident that he had a perfect grasp of it, even if it was not a great achievement.

Although the 'soul spirit art' of the So family had the ability to suppress the spirit, it could not see into a person's memories.

But...

The anxious Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu raised his head again.

"Did you use the 'soul spirit art'?"

Baekji just looked with an indifferent gaze.

"How could you use the 'soul spirit art' on me!"

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu shouted as if he were in a frenzy and stood up from his seat. Everyone in the great hall was surprised.

A tension had been circulating between the two, so they had been holding their breath.

At the words 'soul spirit art', their hearts trembled.

'The Cult Leader can see into our hearts!'

Everyone was in a state of despair. If he could see into their hearts, would he not also notice the seeds of rebellion that they had briefly harbored?

But they could not run out of this place.

Baekji opened his mouth.

"I would like to ask. How does the Hyuk-ryeon family know the 'soul spirit art'?"

No matter how much it was the 'soul spirit art', it could not read the thoughts that had arisen in the other person's mind.

However, after entering the 'realm of harmony', Baekji could understand the emotions of the other person's spirit through the 'soul spirit art'.

Although Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu, who had learned the 'soul spirit art', had defended himself, he could not be compared to Baekji.

Baekji had read Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's change in emotion and had thrown a bait, and Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu, having made a hasty guess had taken it.

"Th-that's..."

"How did you obtain the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Art'? If the achievement is at the third star... you must have trained quite a bit."

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's gaze shook mercilessly. It had not even been one 'shichen' since the Cult Leader had appeared. He had not met anyone else in that time. He had just swept his gaze over them with an indifferent look.

How could he have grasped everything in detail just by looking?

Baekji still said with an indifferent gaze, "Where is Hyuk-ryeon Gi?"

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu trembled violently as if he had been struck by lightning.

* * *

The 'Blood Love Cave'.

The Blood Cult Leader, Zhong Yue, who had been sitting in meditation in the middle of the 'blood pool' opened his eyes.

The voice of the soul that was echoing in his mind.

―I am entering the great art.

His own 'soul division'.

The soul transcends time and space. After dividing the soul, they had lived as different individuals, but at important moments, they communicated with each other.

―Give me your soul power.

Zhong Yue frowned.

He himself was also striving towards the final hurdle. If he could overcome this hurdle, he would be able to enter the 'realm of harmony'.

After continuing his soul for thousands of years, dreaming of ascending to godhood, what he had realized was that there was no heavenly realm.

When he had questioned the existence of a god and had assumed that there was none, everything had been clearly resolved.

Another hundred years had passed until he had acknowledged that fact.

When he had given up the dream of ascending to godhood, the world had seemed even more precious.

If he entered the 'realm of harmony'... he could take control of the world forever.

No matter how much it was his own soul... he could not share it.

Zhong Yue indifferently lowered his eyes and cut off communication.

* * *

The deep place of the Zhuge family.

The family head, Zhuge Jing-wu, was reading a book, relying on a small lamp.

Reading a book in this quiet moment was an old pleasure.

There was even a little excitement because of the rare ancient book.

The characters engraved on the iron plate that the military affairs department had offered, saying they could not decipher it. That had brought back a sense of nostalgia for a distant time to Zhuge Jing-wu, who had a piece of an old soul.

It was so old that he was also deciphering it by retracing his old memories...

―I am entering the great art.

―Give me your soul power.

The voice of the soul that was echoing in his mind.

The corner of Zhuge Jing-wu's mouth twisted.

His own 'soul division' in the distant Heavenly Mountains.

Zhuge Jing-wu, instead of answering, was lost in thought.

What was that soul? Could it be called my soul?

The moment the soul was divided, it was no longer me.

Although they communicated and communicated with each other... in the end, only one individual would take control of the world.

Zhuge Jing-wu, who had grown up in the Zhuge family and had enjoyed all sorts of luxuries and had tasted the taste of power, could not imagine going under someone else.

No matter how much it was his own soul.

The fact that that soul was performing the great art meant that he was going to challenge the 'realm of harmony'.

He had not yet obtained a clue...

Zhuge Jing-wu sighed.

'I have been too lazy.'

As he had enjoyed the luxuries in his family, the obsession with eternal life had not come to him so desperately.

Even his memories of thousands of years were faint, so didn't it take so much time to decipher the ancient book in front of him?

The other soul in the 'blood love' also did not answer.

Zhuge Jing-wu cut off communication.

* * *

The Hyuk-ryeon family's cave.

Anger flickered in Hyuk-ryeon Gi's eyes.

How should he accept this situation where he was betraying himself? It was an unexpected situation.

There was no time to think for long.

Hyuk-ryeon Gi gave up and glared at Hyuk-ryeonhu, who was soaking in the 'Blood Exhausting Divine Soup'.

A moment later...

Hyuk-ryeon Gi's seated body went limp.

* * *

"Where would the family head be? Of course, he would be in the Hyuk-ryeon family."

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu answered in an anxious voice.

Baekji, disguised as the Cult Leader sighed.

"Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu... haven't we been together for a really long time? What is there to hide between us?"

It was a request to tell the truth. Baekji wanted to give him a chance.

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu suddenly snorted.

"Hmph! Do you really not know? Your son killed my son. At that moment, we crossed a river we could not return from."

"I see..."

Baekji had not found a trace of the old soul in Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu, so he had suspected Hyuk-ryeon Gi.

Seeing Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's attitude, his suspicion had turned into certainty, and he had realized that Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu was also contributing to the old soul.

'To think that the light was under the bushel...'

He had been turning the world upside down, not knowing that it was crouching in the sect.

Since he had cut off his ties with the Hyuk-ryeon family due to the debt of heart of having killed Hyuk-ryeonjong, the old soul would have been able to run rampant as it pleased.

As Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu openly defied him, everyone held their breath.

It seemed as if the Cult Leader would use his hands and would cut Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's neck at any moment.

The one who broke the silence, where even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard, was Jian Yi's voice, which was shouting from outside.

"The Western Divine General, Jian Yi, greets the Cult Leader!"

Then Jian Yi entered the great hall and cupped his hands towards Baekji.

"I congratulate the Cult Leader on his return."

Jian Yi, who knew that Baekji was disguised as the Cult Leader, winked one eye and acted slyly.

Jian Yi's gaze swept around the great hall and then turned to Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu.

"The 'Bright Right Emissary' has revealed everything to me. He said he had obtained the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Art' from the Hyuk-ryeon family. He even harmed the 'Bright Left Emissary' with 'Heavenly Demon Qi'. I was almost killed too. He said it was all your instructions... will you explain?"

No matter how much he was one of the 'Four Guardian Divine Generals', he could not treat the old head of a twelve guardian family like this.

Jian Yi, who had almost been killed by the 'Bright Right Emissary', did not show any courtesy.

"Jian Yi! How dare you act up, not knowing your place? I am speaking with the Cult Leader now."

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu dismissed him as if he were not even worth answering and then said to Baekji, "The day my son died, I also died. Since I have already given up my lingering attachments a long time ago, I have no regrets even if I die now. But you must leave the bloodline of the Hyuk-ryeon family. In the long history of the sect, there has been no small amount of friction between the families. But keep in mind that you have never cut off the line of the other family."

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu, with a tragic face, looked around at the ones who were gathered in the great hall.

"You be my witnesses. I, Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu, coveted what was not mine due to my resentment towards the So family, so I will accept death. But I did not pass this on to my grandson. Why would I do something that would lead to the extermination of my family if it were revealed? The head of the Hyuk-ryeon family is not related to this matter, so please take this into consideration."

After finishing his words, Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu struck his own 'tianling gai' (a vital point on the head).

"Ah!"

Someone let out a cry of astonishment at Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's sudden action.

The moment Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's hand was about to touch his 'tianling gai', Baekji waved his hand.

"―!"

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu could not move due to the energy that was binding him.

Although he put strength in his hand, it did not even flinch.

To think that he could not even die...

'How can this be...'

He had not thought that the difference between himself and the Cult Leader was so great.

A long time ago, he and the Cult Leader had also competed for the 'Great Successor War'.

At that time, he had been defeated and had devoted himself to martial arts with a determination to get revenge... but now, after the passage of time, the gap had widened beyond words.

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's knees gave out. He collapsed into a chair.

"Give me a chance to commit suicide. I will take everything with me."

Baekji did not answer and swept his gaze over the great hall. He could read the anxiety that the ones in the great hall were feeling.

It was a common thing in the sect to admit one's crime and to commit suicide.

It was a custom not to ask the family for the crime in return for committing suicide.

The ones in the great hall were from various families, including the twelve guardian families. If they were to be asked for the crime of having joined the Hyuk-ryeon family, they were also thinking of admitting it and committing suicide. That way, the family would be safe.

But the Cult Leader had stopped it.

That meant he would not even allow suicide.

Baekji said to the Outer Fortress Lord, Feng Sheng-hui, "Sheng-hui-ya... whose life is yours?"

Feng Sheng-hui, 'heum-chit', trembled and then bowed his head and said, "It is the Cult Leader's."

"What should be done if someone tries to touch what is mine?"

"He should be 'lingchi' (death by a thousand cuts) and his nine generations should be exterminated."

Baekji said, "If there is a brat who commits suicide without my order, I will exterminate his nine generations."

The moment Baekji's words fell, the ones in the great hall all knelt.

"We will receive your order."

Looking at the Cult Leader's attitude, it did not seem like it would be over simply. Even if they died, they had to protect their families, so they had no choice but to kneel.

Baekji said to Feng Sheng-hui, "Go and bring Hyuk-ryeon Gi."

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's face turned black.

He had been asked to hold out for twelve 'shichen', but only one 'shichen' had passed.

He hastily went forward and knelt in front of Baekji.

"Cult Leader, please look at our old friendship and spare my grandson. Are you really going to cut off the line of the Hyuk-ryeon family? All of this happened because of this old man. Please let me commit suicide."

Baekji looked at such a Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu intently and said, "Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu... I have heard a story about an old soul. That soul dreamed of eternal life and had lived for thousands of years."

At the Cult Leader's sudden words, everyone listened. To reveal such a secret story in a place where everyone was.

Baekji told the story of the 'remnant soul' and said, "...because of that soul, your son died. Now it seems it has moved to your grandson."

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu's mouth fell open.

'The Cult Leader knew everything!'

He did not even have the strength to answer.

"What did that soul propose? Did he say he would make it the world of the Hyuk-ryeon family?"

"..."

"That brat has taken over Hyuk-ryeon Gi... can he really be called a person of the Hyuk-ryeon family?"

Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu, clenched both his fists.

'He doesn't know that it's Hyuk-ryeon Ju-pae!'

But in the next words, he was completely broken.

"'Heavenly Demon Divine Art', 'So family's soul spirit art'... you can get them if you become the Cult Leader. Five hundred years ago, there was a Cult Leader who was produced from the Hyuk-ryeon family, right? Jian Yi, who was that Cult Leader?"

"Yes. It was the 489th, Hyuk-ryeon Ju-pae."

Jian Yi answered right away.

Baekji asked Hyuk-ryeon Seung-mu, "Did that soul call himself Hyuk-ryeon Ju-pae?"

(End of Chapter)