Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 189

Baekji's fist broke through the 'protective energy'.

In that moment, Shi Fengsheng thought he was going to die. The years until he had ascended to the 'Great Successor War' flashed through his mind.

'Ah, damn it...'

To die like this was both absurd and futile.

Baekji's fist was stuck in his stomach, and a heavy pain swept through his internal organs.

"Kku-we-ek!"

Shi Fengsheng had never imagined that a day would come when such a scream would erupt from his own mouth.

Then another fist flew in. His body reacted before his mind.

In that moment, he crossed both his hands and blocked the fist, but his chin turned.

Peo-eok!

"Keu-heo-heong!"

Screaming a strange scream once again, Shi Fengsheng turned half a circle and then collapsed. His face was buried in the ground.

Kung!

As his body was large, the sound of him falling was also loud.

"The scream is truly... unique."

Although he had committed countless beatings... it was the first time he had seen a human who screamed such a variety of screams. Baekji approached Shi Fengsheng and kicked him with his foot.

"Get up. Why are you acting like you're dead?"

Shi Fengsheng, who had collapsed stood up. His tiger-like, ringed eyes were filled with a light of astonishment.

"I-I'm not dead?"

He should have died. He had been properly hit in the abdomen and chin with a ruthless sharp energy that had pierced his 'protective energy' and had broken his internal energy...

Shi Fengsheng looked at Baekji with an expression that said, 'am I alive?'.

"You're not dead. Get a hold of yourself and come at me properly."

Although Shi Fengsheng tried to raise both his fists, he lowered them powerlessly. He had realized that he was no match.

"Why?"

"I lost."

The large frame, dejected, did not look good.

"...Thank you."

He was talking about saving his life. He had only given him a shock and had not even inflicted an internal injury. This was not a simple difference.

He was desperately realizing that it was a wall that could not be overcome.

"Why are you standing there when you know?"

Shi Fengsheng's gaze was fixed on the ground. It was not just a duel, but a duel for a pledge of submission. He had to kneel.

His knees would not go down.

No matter how much his opponent was a master... who was he? The fifth in the ranking of the twelve guardian families. To think that he, who had gathered the expectations of the Shi family, had to kneel.

'Shall I just die?'

If he had died fighting, this would not have happened. But he could not die.

As Shi Fengsheng hesitated, Baekji's cold voice was heard.

"You don't want to kneel, and you don't want to die, right?"

Shi Fengsheng came to his senses. A duel for a pledge of submission was different from a normal duel. The winner could even take the loser's life.

Even if Baekji were to kill him like this, he would have nothing to say.

Kung!

Shi Fengsheng knelt. If someone had seen it, they would have criticized him for not being like a martial artist. But... although he had lost, he was the future of the Shi family. He could not die in vain like this.

"Hmm. The Shi family is also finished. To kneel because you are afraid of your life."

Shi Fengsheng's face turned red. He closed his eyes and said bluntly, "Since I lost, I will submit. So don't insult me any further."

"Your words are short?"

"..."

His tightly closed lips would not open.

"Hmm."

Baekji looked at Shi Fengsheng as if he were interested.

"It's okay."

"What do you mean?"

Shi Fengsheng opened his eyes and then said bluntly. Since Baekji had not told him to get up, he was still kneeling.

"Seeing how you cherish your life, you are not completely without a head. Your martial arts are also usable."

Baekji circled around Shi Fengsheng and then stood in front of him again.

"Alright. Get up."

As soon as the words fell, Shi Fengsheng stood up.

Baekji gestured with his chin to take the lead.

"Let's have a taste of 'Shi Fortress' food."

.

.

.

A guest hall with no particular decorations other than swords, sabers, and axes hanging on the walls.

"No matter how much it's a martial family, this is too much. To hang a blood-stained sword even where you eat. That's why you're called the Demonic Cult. Go to the Righteous Path. Even a brat with nothing in his head hangs a painting. There's no culture at all. No culture..."

Baekji nagged, constantly moving his chopsticks.

Food was spread out on the table.

"..."

Shi Fengsheng pretended not to hear and did not answer, and he shoved food into his mouth. He bit his molars.

He was chewing on Baekji.

"You'll be hit if you do that."

At Baekji's one word, his chewing motion became gentle. The two finished their meal without a word.

Baekji, who had filled his stomach, took a sip of tea and said, "Tell me. How many pledges of submission did you receive?"

"..."

"You didn't get even one?"

"It's over ten and not twenty."

Shi Fengsheng spat out with a hardened expression. He hadn't even come out for the 'Great Successor War', so why was he talking about a pledge of submission?

"Are there any from the twelve guardian families?"

"..."

In the Demonic Cult, there were hundreds of large and small families. A family meant a place with an estate and a martial force of a certain size.

To ascend to the position of Young Lord, one had to receive the pledges of submission of these families. Among them, the pledge of submission of the twelve guardian families was more important than a hundred small families.

A pledge of submission was a kind of loyalty pledge, and it was strange. There were also families that considered it an honor just to receive an invitation to make a pledge of submission. They were usually small families that had never been heard of.

The families that ran for the 'Great Successor War' were large families among the twelve guardian families. Because they were such families, they did not send pledges of submission to all of the hundreds of small and medium-sized families. Since they only sent them to important families that could be of help, most small families did not even receive an invitation.

In a word, it meant to crawl on their own.

During the seven days that the successor's torch was placed, there were not many families that made a pledge of submission. Unless they were a very close allied family with the successor candidate, they would watch each other.

If they had sent a pledge of submission in advance and the successor candidate's torch was extinguished, it would be a disaster. Because their pledge of submission would be passed on to the family that had extinguished the candidate's torch, and it could be a family with which they were not on good terms.

So when the successor candidates were confirmed, they would line up on their own from then on. If there was a clear candidate like So Ya-hu in the past, there was no need to hesitate. Because they could just stick to the one who would win.

But when it was difficult to determine superiority, like this time, they had to rack their brains.

There was too much at stake to decide based on simple friendship.

The winner of the 'Great Successor War' would ascend to the position of Young Lord. From the Young Lord's point of view, how would he treat the family that had brought a pledge of submission on their own and the family that had come over after supporting a failed candidate? It was natural for one's arm to bend inwards.

This time, they had to choose even more carefully. Because it was the same as electing the Cult Leader.

According to the Elder Hall, the Young Lord could immediately enter the 'Heavenly Demon Martial Library' and learn the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Art'. After that, if he refined his 'Heavenly Demon Qi' and brought out the inheritance of the previous Cult Leader from the 'Heavenly Demon Flying Cave', he would immediately become the Cult Leader.

Since it was a 'Great Successor War' to elect a person who would become the Cult Leader in a few years, the watching of each family was extreme, but coincidentally, the skills of the successors were on par.

Although the Hyuk-ryeon family and the Weizhi family were outstanding as families, the Shi family was also not to be trifled with. Although the family ranking was low, it was only a difference of one or two ranks. Above all, rumors were spreading that Shi Fengsheng's martial prowess had reached the 'flower realm'.

It was a situation where no one could guarantee who would win. So most families were holding on to their pledges of submission and were worrying until four days before the duel.

In fact, it was known that very few families had sent a pledge of submission during the seven days that the candidates' names were placed.

One might think that they could just not send a pledge of submission and kneel to the winner of the 'Great Successor War'.

But the politics within the sect made it impossible.

What did it mean that the key positions and important roles of the sect had been given to the families that had offered a pledge of submission first for generations?

Above all, a family that had not submitted a pledge of submission to any place could not have a martial force. So, although it might be possible for an individual, the heads of families could not just pass over the pledge of submission.

Shi Fengsheng opened his mouth with a heavy tone.

"It will be decided by a duel anyway. A pledge of submission is not necessary!"

"But why did you send one to the So family?"

"...Because it is the head of the twelve guardian families... I thought it had meaning."

Baekji looked at Shi Fengsheng and said, "To be honest... you didn't get a pledge of submission, did you?"

"...No. It will be over several dozen."

"Oho? Several dozen? How many of them are pledges of submission from families?"

A pledge of submission could also be sent by martial artists who had not formed a family but had outstanding martial arts and had a reputation within the sect.

"...Two... it is."

The pledges of submission from families were only the two that Shi Fengsheng had received after going to the two successor candidates and defeating them.

"Hmm. Then it must be the Tian family and the Hong family."

They were the families that had put forward candidates.

"Why didn't you go and have a duel with Hyuk-ryeonhu and Weizhi Shouchuan?"

"They will fall on the duel stage. Wouldn't they submit more clearly then?"

"Are you confident?"

"..."

He had nothing to say, having just been defeated.

"How many pledges of submission do you think the Hyuk-ryeon family or the Weizhi family have received?"

"..."

Although he did not know, it would be more than the Shi family. Although there was a rumor that Shi Fengsheng's martial arts were at the 'flower realm', the martial arts level of Hyuk-ryeonhu or Weizhi Shouchuan had not yet been clearly revealed. But since they had the power of their families, it would not be lower than Shi Fengsheng's.

As Shi Fengsheng could not answer, Baekji said, "Go and get them."

"Yes?"

"Except for the Hyuk-ryeon family and the Weizhi family, the rest of the twelve families... go and get them."

"..."

"Are you not confident?"

It was not that he was not confident, but because it was an unreasonable method. There was not a single family among the twelve guardian families that would obediently give a pledge of submission.

Although the Tian family and the Hong family just had to defeat the successor candidate, since the other families had not put forward a successor, they would send out the masters of their clans. If an elder-level master came out, this side would also have to use all its strength. Even if he won, he could be injured, and then he would be at a disadvantage in the 'Great Successor War' duel.

"This is an order."

Shi Fengsheng bit his molars. When he thought about it, he had already been defeated by Baekji. To go out for the 'Great Successor War' duel in this state?

It was a shameless thing.

As he gave up on the 'Great Successor War', his heart became light.

"I understand."

"I will be staying here for a while, so give me a room. And bring the pledges of submission of each family... and the head of the So family."

"Are you saying to bring the head of the So family?"

At the unexpected words, Shi Fengsheng asked back.

"Yes. The head of the So family or the successor to the family!"

"...I understand."

Shi Fengsheng went out.

Baekji had intended to go to the rest of the families and to make them kneel as he had come to the Shi family.

He intended to set the sect straight.

Because the Cult Leader had been concentrating on martial arts for a long time, aiming for 'flying ascension', and he, the Young Lord, had been wandering outside, dealing with the Blood Sect, the hierarchy of the sect had been disrupted.

'Without even thinking of improving their skills... they're just playing politics. I'll smash them all.'

In Baekji's view, who had the memories of So Ya-hu, the level of martial arts had dropped compared to before.

Besides the 'Righteous-Demonic Great War' a hundred years ago, the 'Mingshan Sect' subjugation fifty years ago, and the Blood Sect fight ten years ago, there had been no major fights to speak of.

As peace had continued for a long time, only politics had increased, and martial arts had declined.

Whether it was the Righteous Path, the Heretical Path, or the Demonic Cult... it was the same everywhere.

In any sect, it was divided into those who focused on martial arts and those who managed politics and property. Although the heads of sects or families were known as the top masters, in reality, that was not the case.

It was different depending on the time, and when the atmosphere was brutal, a person with outstanding martial arts would become the head, and in times of peace, a person skilled in personnel and finance would become the head. If a brat who only knew martial arts were to rise... he would just fight and ruin the sect.

As a peaceful period had lengthened, and people skilled in personnel and finance had continued to come in... politics and stratagems were more rampant than martial arts.

Especially since the appearance of the martial force. Since any ordinary master could be dealt with by a martial force, the importance of masters was declining.

The Demonic Cult was also not the Demonic Cult of the past.

'As expected, I have to roll them.'

(End of Chapter)