The Food Chain
Biyong's yawn—mouth stretched wide enough to tear—wasn't from sleepiness. It was unmistakably mockery.
Even a spiritual beast was still a beast. No one enjoyed being ridiculed by one. Of course, Biyong wasn't some ordinary spirit creature but a dragon, a divine beast by any measure—yet Lee Hui-yeong had no idea.
"You little bastard!"
The moment Lee Hui-yeong unleashed the spiritual power in his body, Biyong flinched and sprang down to the ground. This wasn't mere physical reinforcement of a cultivator's body—he was pouring spiritual force into it. Biyong's snout twitched; the creature looked a little tense.
"Kyaang."
With a sharp cry, Biyong faced Lee Hui-yeong and scraped its front paws against the dirt. Lee Hui-yeong barked a hollow laugh.
"I was going to go easy and not hurt you since you're cute, but you're just begging for an early grave."
Powerful arts began to condense fiercely in both of Lee Hui-yeong's hands. Earlier he had only meant to grab the creature, lift it, and maybe scratch its belly. Now he looked ready to lift a corpse.
Strictly speaking Biyong was Han Yuhyeon's property, but Lee Hui-yeong could hardly care less about some Qi Condensation cultivator's assets.
"Haht!"
Lee Hui-yeong drove off the ground with a short shout. Biyong flicked a glance at Han Yuhyeon. Han Yuhyeon shook his head just enough for Biyong alone to see.
In truth, as a dragon Biyong could have met the attack head-on and given Lee Hui-yeong a proper fight. But before they ever stepped onto the stage, Han Yuhyeon had ordered unconditional flight. First reason: constant running made for a better show. Second: Biyong must not be revealed as a dragon. Even a dragon, Biyong was still young. Facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator would force it to draw on its true power—and once discovered, it would become soup before the day was out.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
Lee Hui-yeong swept the arts coiled around his hands, trying to seize Biyong. Destructive techniques poured endlessly from both palms, yet Biyong dodged them with lightning speed.
"Oh—ohhh!"
As the exchange intensified, the defensive barrier wrapping the stage shuddered and the ground itself trembled. What truly seized the audience's eyes, however, was the staggering spectacle unfolding on the platform.
Whenever Lee Hui-yeong's black-and-white arts swallowed the stage, Biyong's red fluorescent band—tied around its tail—cut a blazing line straight through them. Their interwoven dance was a laser show no one on Earth had ever seen.
"Go, raccoon!"
"Waaaaah!"
The red streak of Biyong weaving past by a hair's breadth, the black-and-white lines chasing after it—Han Yuhyeon, who in his previous life had watched the drone light shows over the Han River, found himself staring in open-mouthed awe at the brilliance.
In truth the only spectacle Han Yuhyeon had prepared was Biyong's red ribbon. He had figured that alone would be enough to work this crowd of uncultured cultivators. Yet Lee Hui-yeong, bless him, had obligingly wrapped light around both hands and started thrashing it about, making the stage even richer.
"That's it, that's it!"
So the one Han Yuhyeon was clapping and cheering for wasn't Biyong at all—it was Lee Hui-yeong. The harder the man struggled, the more dazzling the light show became.
In this game, stats roughly followed set bands. A four-star Qi Condensation cultivator's total spiritual root stats averaged around eighty; five-star hit a hundred; six-star about a hundred thirty. Speed, spiritual power, stamina—unless someone was an outright genius, none of it strayed far from the realm average.
By that measure, even if Han Yuhyeon generously pegged Lee Hui-yeong at mid-stage Foundation Establishment, Biyong—pouring every ounce into pure escape—could never be caught no matter how hard the man tried.
"Damn this blasted raccoon!"
Oblivious to Han Yuhyeon's encouragement, Lee Hui-yeong's eyes burned with rising fury. At first the raccoon had looked cute; now, after slipping free by a whisker time after time, it was so infuriating he could hardly stand the sight of it.
"Kyaaaaaang!"
When Lee Hui-yeong finally stopped, panting, the detestable raccoon was already sitting opposite him, thumping the floor with its tail and crying out. At this point it had passed mockery and entered the realm of outright humiliation.
"You son of a bitch!"
Rage finally boiling over, Lee Hui-yeong fused the black-and-white arts in both hands. A tremendous roar rose; a whirlwind spun outward from his body.
"Let's see you dodge this!"
The technique looked powerful enough to swallow the entire stage. The Wonhu Gate host, who had already retreated outside the spectator area with Han Yuhyeon, blanched.
"Senior! That might be a bit—!"
But nothing the Wonhu Gate underling said could reach Lee Hui-yeong once his eyes had gone red. Before any of the other senior cultivators could intervene, the explosion centered on Lee Hui-yeong's body filled the whole stage.
A blast thundered. Acrid smoke blanketed the platform.
"Hoo… hoo…"
Visibility was zero; the dust refused to settle. Inside the barrier, amid the choking smoke, only Lee Hui-yeong's ragged breathing could be heard.
Biyong's cries had vanished.
"Oh dear. Is it dead?"
"The spiritual beast was a bit too cheeky. Cross a cultivator like that and this is what you get."
The cultivators in the stands clicked their tongues, certain Biyong had perished. To Lee Hui-yeong the raccoon had been an eyesore, but to the audience it had been an adorable creature that put on a delightful show.
Chiiiik.
Wind rose from the stage floor and swept the smoke away. The cultivators showed no surprise—apparently a formation often used in So-ui-ju. City folk indeed.
"Can you see it from there?"
"No, nothing from here either."
"Tsk…"
The cultivators murmured, searching for Biyong, but nowhere on the stage could they find so much as one of its tiny paws.
"Tch tch. Completely obliterated, it seems."
"Tried to show off and lost a precious spiritual beast instead. That Yeongil-ju country bumpkin must be sick about it."
"Still, it was worth the bragging rights. Dodging a Foundation Establishment cultivator's attacks that long isn't exactly easy."
With not even a scrap of raccoon left on the floor, the cultivators concluded Biyong had been caught in the technique and erased without so much as a drop of blood remaining. Even the host standing beside Han Yuhyeon kept glancing at his face. Yet Han Yuhyeon, arms folded, looked utterly serene.
Through the thinning smoke, the first thing visible from the ground up was Lee Hui-yeong's feet planted arrogantly on the scorched floor. The haze lifted far enough to reveal legs, then torso—still no trace of Biyong.
At last Lee Hui-yeong's face appeared. His complexion was deathly pale.
"…Son. Of. A. Bitch."
Each syllable chewed and spat with pure sincerity. The audience wondered if perhaps he felt guilty for killing the cute raccoon.
"Kyaang."
Thump. Thump.
When the smoke finally cleared completely, the cultivators understood exactly why Lee Hui-yeong had sworn.
Biyong was sitting on top of Lee Hui-yeong's head, lazily thumping its tail against his crown. The drowsy, insolent expression on its face looked capable of driving a man straight into qi deviation.
"And that, everyone, concludes my performance!"
The moment the smoke was gone, Han Yuhyeon stepped in at the perfect instant and called out. It was a flawless rise-and-fall, complete with reverse twist.
How Biyong had dodged Lee Hui-yeong's attack barely even mattered anymore. Everyone erupted in applause for the exquisitely choreographed piece of performance art.
"Incredible!"
"Well done, Senior Lee!"
"Most memorable stage I've ever seen at a specialty contest!"
Cheers poured down for both Lee Hui-yeong and Biyong, yet Lee Hui-yeong wore the face of a perfect loser. With the stage already over, he no longer had any pretext to catch and kill the creature.
"Ha… haha. That was fun, junior. You've trained your spiritual beast remarkably well."
Lee Hui-yeong forced a hearty smile onto his haggard face and greeted Han Yuhyeon. Han Yuhyeon returned a gentle smile and bowed his head.
"It was only thanks to Senior carefully modulating his power that we produced such a splendid stage."
This, at least, was not mockery but Han Yuhyeon's genuine feeling. Without Lee Hui-yeong driving Biyong that spectacularly, no such stage would have existed.
"Yes, yes. Raise it well. After a showing that impressive, there will be people wanting to snatch it."
"Haha. I'll keep a close watch, of course."
Lee Hui-yeong offered the advice in a chilly voice; Han Yuhyeon brushed it off as if he hadn't noticed.
In any case, it had been a stage for the ages. Biyong, unprompted, took a basket in its mouth and waddled a full lap around the spectator stands.
"Heh."
Watching Biyong pull cute tricks he had never ordered, Han Yuhyeon felt like applauding. Dragons really were intelligent. Biyong knew it needed to collect as many spirit stones as possible and knew exactly how to behave so that cultivators would dig into their storage pouches.
After one circuit and a successful collection run, Biyong handed the basket to the host. The host quickly tallied the spirit stones, then shouted:
"Four hundred sixty-two low-grade spirit stones! A new record!"
Han Yuhyeon scooped Biyong up and planted a kiss on its cheek. Biyong rubbed its face back against his, purring contentedly. The adorable display drew another roar of heated approval from the crowd.
The previous record had been Lee Hui-yeong's roughly two hundred twenty low-grade stones; this nearly doubled it. With the current audience size it seemed almost impossible—yet here it was.
"Waaaaah!"
Han Yuhyeon and Biyong raised their hands in answer to the cheers.
After that there was nothing left to watch. Few turns remained, and every contestant who had witnessed Biyong's dazzling performance with their own eyes simply forfeited one after another.
"The winner of this Arts Showcase is Han Yuhyeon of the Baekun Sect, come from Yeongil-ju!"
With his overwhelming score, Han Yuhyeon took first place without the slightest upset.
The prize, the Cloud-Water Heart, was presented by Yang Mok-i, sect master of the Wonhu Gate, who waited on the platform with his waist bent.
"Truly magnificent. I've lived two hundred and fifty years, and never once seen a stage like that."
"If it brought you enjoyment, that is glory enough."
Han Yuhyeon received a fragrant jade box from Yang Mok-i.
"Check it once."
At Yang Mok-i's words Han Yuhyeon carefully opened the lid. Crystal-clear, densely concentrated water qi seemed to wash coolly through his entire body.
The Cloud-Water Heart was his now. With the Great Wood Essence of the Wood lineage and the Cloud-Water Heart of the Water lineage already in hand, he needed only the Foundation Establishment pill materials for Fire, Metal, and Earth. Still at merely eight-star Qi Condensation, he had time to spare.
When Han Yuhyeon lifted the jade box toward the stands, another wave of cheers rolled out. He stepped down from the platform and headed back toward the Baekun Sect group.
On the way he felt countless jealous gazes from other cultivators.
"Congratulations."
"Well done, junior brother!"
"That was amazing!"
After tucking the jade box containing the Cloud-Water Heart into his storage pouch and returning to the Baekun Sect side, every cultivator there joined in praise.
"But when did you learn beast-taming arts and raise it that far?"
Baekri-wan asked quietly. Han Yuhyeon answered so only she could hear.
"It's not beast-taming."
"Hmm?"
"Biyong is just that outstanding. I don't know any beast-taming arts."
Baekri-wan stared at him as if he were absurd. Biyong's show had been accepted as Han Yuhyeon's specialty only because he had mentioned beast-taming. Strictly speaking, though, he possessed no such technique; he had simply leaned on Biyong's personal skill. Which meant the cultivator who first raised the objection had been right: this was Biyong's specialty, not Han Yuhyeon's.
"So it was a scam?"
"Yes."
Han Yuhyeon admitted it without a shred of shame. He had a point of his own, though.
"This Wonhu Gate is scamming other sects to collect cultivators for their own use. Why can't I scam them back?"
"…Not wrong. You scammed the scammers of the Wonhu Gate and walked off with the Cloud-Water Heart."
"Exactly. This is what we call the food chain."
Han Yuhyeon beamed. Baekri-wan, apparently finding the sight of the scale-covered Han Yuhyeon smiling distasteful, turned her head away.
One way or another, the winner of the Arts Specialty Contest was Han Yuhyeon.