Little Demon Reversion to Youth

Chapter 200

Not only Weizhi Shouchuan, but the other successors also had the same thought.

They had never thought of a case where the Cult Leader and the Young Lord would pass away at the same time. They wondered if there had ever been such a case in the history of the sect.

It was a situation where it would not be strange even if a civil war, not an internal strife, were to break out to seize hegemony.

No, the possibility of it happening was extremely high.

That was why no one had raised an objection even though the 'Great Successor War' had been postponed for a month.

In a situation where a bloody wind was about to blow, a pledge of submission was practically meaningless. The hierarchy of the sect was observed only when it was strictly observed, and no one would talk about regulations in such an emergency situation.

A situation where only the logic of power worked.

But Baekji, by having them receive a pledge of submission, had at least secured a justification for the families, except for the Hyuk-ryeon family, to support the So family. Of course, if the So family were to be pushed back, it could become a piece of waste paper at any time... but anyway, they could at least take the form of following the regulations of the sect.

"The So family is holding us hostage... what can the Hyuk-ryeon family say?"

Wu Wen-sheng went a step further and feigned injury.

All of this had happened because they were not sure that the Cult Leader was actually alive. No, since the Cult Leader had not shown himself for a long time, it could be seen as an event triggered by the death of the Young Lord.

Bi Jun-hua clicked her tongue.

"You should be ashamed. Are you so afraid of the old ancestor of the Hyuk-ryeon family?"

"What are you talking about? What do you take the Wu family for? More than that... I heard there is also a bloodline that came from outside in the Bi family. Who is it?"

"What? You planted a spy in our house too?"

Wu Wen-sheng waved his hand and made a fuss.

"What are you talking about? Why would I plant a person in the Bi family when I have nothing to gain? It's just that the rumors are like that."

As Bi Jun-hua looked, everyone was looking at her. It was a gaze that said they already knew. The appearance of a new direct descendant in the twelve guardian families would affect the succession structure, so everyone was curious.

'These brats...?'

She could not say anything to them. Because the Bi family had also planted people in other families.

Bi Jun-hua, thinking that she would have to turn the house upside down and to root out all the spies when she returned home, said.

Since it was a fact that would be revealed anyway, it was better to tell them properly.

"It is the bloodline of a branch family elder who left the Heavenly Mountains a long time ago. Coincidentally, her name is the same as my great-aunt's. She is like an older sister to me."

As she said Bi Yun-seol was from a branch family, everyone lost interest. In any family, it was rare for a branch family to succeed. Only Wu Wen-sheng could not give up his lingering attachment and asked in a subtle voice, "I heard her beauty is amazing."

"How did you know that? The women of our family are all beautiful. Look at me."

Wu Wen-sheng sighed deeply.

"Do you know that's a misconception? If you don't wake up from your dream, it will be difficult to get married."

"What?"

As the angry Bi Jun-hua was about to use her hands, Wu Wen-sheng ran away.

"Don't you stand there!"

Bi Jun-hua flew after him.

Weizhi Shouchuan looked at their backs and muttered, "It's a good time."

The other successors, whether that was the case or not, were busy rolling their heads, trying to predict the future.

.

.

.

The successors, who were staying at 'Shi Fortress' as Baekji's hostages, became close as time passed.

They were the ones who would lead the twelve guardian families in the future.

Since the alliance between families was also an important matter, they moved to lay their own groundwork.

From the morning, they came to the main hall of the back garden and discussed martial arts or the family's business with each other.

Due to the closed nature of the twelve guardian families, they had not had frequent exchanges, but as they had gathered in one place for a few days, they soon opened their hearts and talked.

Since they were all successors with a temper, they would never have been able to become close so quickly under normal circumstances.

But since they all had the feeling of 'misery loves company', having been defeated by Baekji, no fights broke out.

To Bi Jun-hua, this atmosphere came as a fresh surprise.

"What are you thinking?"

Weizhi Shouchuan approached and asked.

"Did So Baek-cheon intend this and tie us up?"

Bi Jun-hua's gaze was on Wu Wen-sheng and Zhu Tian-yang, who were giggling in a corner of the main hall, as she spoke. The two seemed quite close.

"To be honest, there haven't been many exchanges between the twelve guardian families, right? Even if there were, it was just to the extent that the family heads would have a meeting, right? But since we are together like this, I'm starting to feel an affection that wasn't there."

"That's... because we were careful with each other. There was an incident where the successor of the opposing family was assassinated in the past."

Weizhi Shouchuan knew quite a lot about the history of the sect.

When an outstanding talent was produced from one family, he would become the Cult Leader through the Young Lord. So the other families would watch with keen eyes.

But about five hundred years ago, a turmoil called the 'successor assassination incident' had occurred.

It was an incident where the promising Young Lord candidate of the So family had been assassinated.

Because of that, the 'Great Successor War' had heated up, and to eliminate the successor before the duel was held, they had sent assassins to each other.

Because of that, as many as four successors had been assassinated, and in the end, a Young Lord had been produced from the Hyuk-ryeon family.

After that, each family had especially protected their talents, such as successors or Young Lord candidates, and had avoided external exposure.

"We need to change the way we elect a successor. Otherwise, an unfortunate history will repeat itself. What is a pledge of submission? Isn't it too outdated?"

"That's right! It would be over with a duel... what is that piece of paper..."

Shi Fengsheng, who had appeared at some point, added a word.

"Hey. I didn't know there was something we could agree on. As expected, do people have to be together to understand each other?"

"Don't act friendly. My heart will weaken in a situation where we have to have a match anyway."

"Oho. It seems you have the intention of yielding if we become a little closer."

At Weizhi Shouchuan's words, Shi Fengsheng snorted.

"Not a chance!"

At that moment, a commotion arose outside.

"What is it?"

Shi Fengsheng called a warrior who was hastily passing by and asked.

"They say a three-stage beacon has been lit."

Although the beacon was lit regularly, normally, only a one-stage beacon was lit. A two-stage beacon meant that an enemy was approaching, and a three-stage beacon meant that they were under attack.

"A three-stage beacon?"

"Is it a drill?"

"No, sir."

"No?"

A three-stage beacon was lit when they had a drill once in the spring and autumn. Even when Shi Fengsheng thought about it, there had been no talk of a drill.

Weizhi Shouchuan, who was listening next to him, was surprised and said, "If it's a three-stage beacon, it means an enemy has invaded, right?"

"An enemy, where?"

Although Shi Fengsheng asked again, the warrior answered that he did not know.

"Didn't some stupid brats light it by mistake?"

"I don't know. They said to gather, so we are gathering."

"Alright. Go... wait, wait a minute. Which beacon did they say it was?"

Shi Fengsheng, who was about to send the warrior away, caught him and asked again.

There were three beacon towers every hundred 'li' until 'Shi Fortress'.

"They say it's the third beacon."

Shi Fengsheng's brow furrowed. If it was the third beacon... it was a distance of a hundred 'li'. If a proper martial force ran with determination, it was a distance of half a 'shichen'.

Shi Fengsheng's voice became urgent.

"The first, the second beacon?"

From the watchtower of 'Shi Fortress', all three beacons were visible. If a three-stage beacon was lit from the third beacon tower, but the first and second were not lit... it was a surprise attack.

"I don't know."

"What do you know!"

As Shi Fengsheng shouted, the warrior flinched. Weizhi Shouchuan stepped forward instead and said, "It seems this person also doesn't know. Isn't it faster to go and to confirm it yourself in the time you are nagging?"

"E-ing. Alright. You go."

In the meantime, the successors had gathered in groups of three or five. They were a generation that had never seen a real beacon lit.

Even during the war with the Blood Sect ten years ago, the main headquarters had not been attacked.

"What's going on?"

"They say a three-stage beacon has been lit."

"Is it the Martial Alliance?"

"Of course not. Why would those brats come all the way here, tens of thousands of 'li' away? We would go to conquer them."

Even during the 'Righteous-Demonic Great War' a hundred years ago, the battlefield had been the Central Plains.

Shi Fengsheng said as if it were no big deal, "What kind of brats would dare to invade our sect? The beacon keepers must have made a mistake. I will go and see."

At the same time, he took his great saber and left the main hall.

"It doesn't seem like a simple mistake. If it's really an enemy, what kind of brats are they to have such bad luck? I'm here, right? I'll show you the 'Wu family saber art' properly."

Wu Wen-sheng followed.

The successors of the other families also took their weapons and stepped forward.

It was the first time they had been born that a three-stage beacon had been lit. They flocked with a light heart, thinking, 'what could possibly happen?'.

* * *

'Shi Fortress' was the gate that guarded the front line of the entrance to the Heavenly Mountains. As the front beacon was lit, they lit the beacon of the fortress according to the instructions.

At that, the beacon a hundred 'li' away was lit, and a short while later, two-stage beacon smoke rose from all over the sect.

"What's that?"

Wu Ha, who was going to the training ground ahead of his duel with Zhang Biao, pointed at the beacon smoke and said.

"Isn't it a fire?"

Before Wu Ha's words had even finished, bustling movements arose from here and there.

"A two-stage beacon has been lit!"

"An enemy is coming!"

When Wu Ha went to the training ground, Zhang Biao said with a hardened face, "An enemy has entered the sect. I have to go, so let's have the duel next time."

"The duel is just for a moment... uh, where are you going?"

Zhang Biao disappeared without even listening to Wu Ha's answer.

Wu Ha, who had missed the duel he had been looking forward to and was dejected, saw Oh Jeong-ri and Seomun Jeong-ha. The two were looking at the beacon smoke with hardened faces.

"Is today the day for beacon training? No, it's not."

"Could it be that an enemy has really come?"

"Who would dare to attack the... sect's main headquarters?"

Although it was often called the 'Hundred Thousand Demonic Disciples', this was a greatly exaggerated expression. The sect members who were scattered here and there in the 'Hundred Thousand Great Mountains' of the Heavenly Mountains were roughly a hundred thousand, and not all of them learned martial arts.

Those who had properly learned martial arts were roughly ten thousand, and the rest were ordinary sect members who were engaged in their livelihoods.

The sect members, who had been accustomed to peace for a long time, were just bewildered, seeing a three-stage beacon lit.

At least the twelve guardian families responded nimbly.

The report that an enemy had invaded up to the main headquarters was also immediately reported to Baekji.

"A beacon has been lit at 'Shi Fortress'."

"A beacon? How many stages?"

"At first, it was two stages, but now... it is a three-stage beacon, meaning they are engaged in battle with the enemy."

Baekji's eyes narrowed. He was watching how the Hyuk-ryeon family would come out, but this was unexpected.

"Are you saying they have raised a force outside?"

The men in gray he had seen on his way came to mind. The 'Blood Wind Squad' of the So family had been greatly defeated by the 'Yin Wind Twin Ghosts' and the men in gray, and they were reorganizing their martial force.

Baekji remembered that they had used martial arts similar to Zhuo Ming and Zhu Zhanyan, who had been guarding Hyuk-ryeonhu.

Such martial artists were not raised overnight.

It was certain that the rebellion of the Hyuk-ryeon family had started a long time ago.

When Baekji went to the main hall, So Jeong-hu was consulting with his vassals.

"Baek-cheon has come. Come here."

So Jeong-hu, who saw Baekji, gestured and called, and even in the midst of this, his eyes were full of laughter. He must have felt good, speaking informally to So Ya-hu, who had been his older brother.

'This brat?'

As Baekji frowned, So Jeong-hu pretended not to see and turned his gaze to his vassals.

"They say a three-stage beacon has been lit at 'Shi Fortress'. It means they are in the middle of a battle."

"A messenger?"

"He has not come yet."

As soon as a vassal had answered, a horse with a messenger's flag galloped in.

The messenger came running, whipping his horse like crazy.

The messenger, who had passed through the main gate and had entered the main hall courtyard, hastily got down and cupped his hands.

"I report to the So family. 'Shi Fortress' is under attack. We request support."

"Support? How many enemies have come that 'Shi Fortress' is even requesting support?"

'Shi Fortress', which was in charge of the front line of the sect, had more martial forces than the other families.

Besides, when an enemy invaded, the first support was handled by the martial force of the outer fortress of the main headquarters.

The martial forces of the outer fortress were six.

But the messenger's words now meant that they alone were not enough.

"The number of enemies is over three thousand!"

"What? Is that true?"

So Jeong-hu stood up from his seat.

"Three thousand?"

"And they are three thousand elite martial artists!"

Since a martial force was usually organized in units of a hundred, three thousand meant... as many as thirty martial forces.

So Jeong-hu, as if he had suddenly thought of something, asked his vassals, "Wait, who is in command of the main headquarters now?"

The Cult Leader and the Young Lord were not there.

(End of Chapter)