The Spoils of the Auction

There were even a few items that Jekyeong himself ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had secured, mostly byproducts of Yo-beasts or demons.

"One Ye-eo!"

As the auction item he had submitted was brought up, Jekyeong leaned forward slightly.

A massive fish with a head resembling a dog flopped around, letting out a bizarre shriek that sounded like a crying baby. Its appearance was remarkably bizarre even for a Yo-beast, causing the eyes of not only the Qi Condensation cultivators but also the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the upper floors to gleam with interest.

The bidding began almost before Myeong-ha could finish his explanation. Some might have heard of the Ye-eo before, while others had not, but the brief description was more than enough to set the cultivators' hearts ablaze. According to him, every single part of this medium-sized fish Yo-beast was a treasure. Since one could simply win the bid, take the necessary parts, and resell the rest, urgent voices naturally began to erupt from all directions.

From the VIP room, Jekyeong watched the spectacle with a pleased expression alongside Hyeongu.

"Lord Dragon, the humans truly have deep pockets," Hyeongu remarked.

Jekyeong nodded at Hyeongu's words. "What holds little value to us can be a priceless treasure to them."

Although the Human Territory of Yangseo Lake was by no means small, their sheer numbers meant that local resources had practically been picked clean. As a result, they frequently encroached upon the territories of other races to sweep up resources, but even that had its limits. After all, humans could not breathe underwater.

"Three mid-grade spirit stones!"

Watching the bidding price soar, Jekyeong couldn't help but nod in satisfaction. He was no stranger to auctions, nor was this the first time he had put items up for sale, but watching the bidding unfold from the perspective of the host tasted entirely different.

The cultivators drawn to this auction—not to mention the Foundation Establishment experts—were all seasoned veterans of the cultivation world, even those at the Qi Condensation stage. Once they had spent a portion of their spirit stones and secured an item or two they desired, they quietly began to leave one by one.

Jekyeong wondered if Myeong-ha had structured the auction lineup with this exact intention in mind. Perhaps it was a form of consideration, allowing the weaker ones to slip away before they could be targeted by their formidable seniors outside.

Are there people waiting in ambush outside?

While all the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the island seemed to be attending the auction, there was no telling who might be lurking just beyond the boundary of the defensive array. No, they were undoubtedly waiting. Though Jekyeong had personally shown himself multiple times to make it clear whose territory this was, the greed of cultivators was not something that could be suppressed by raw power alone.

This was the greatest side effect of partnering with Myeong-ha. All kinds of pests had begun to swarm his once-quiet territory. Even if he crushed them whenever they appeared, the peace was only temporary; they would inevitably crawl back out from some ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠other shadow.

I wish there were some useful ones among them.

Running around to handle everything personally had its limits. While he was confident he could manage it if he worked tirelessly, he had no desire to do so. If he spent all his time playing policeman, when would he find the time to cultivate?

Jekyeong wanted to train subordinates to patrol the waters in his stead. In the past, the intruders had mostly been lost refugees or petty pirates, so leaving them to Hyeongu or Han Cheongyu had been more than enough. However, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ever since Haeyeon Island began to make a name for itself, late-stage Qi Condensation and even Foundation Establishment cultivators had started showing up. He could no longer send his subordinates out to face them as before.

Myeong-ha had also taken this into consideration, setting up defensive arrays around Haeyeon Island and arranging secret boat routes to manage the flow of cultivators... but in the end, water would always find a way to leak. Whether they were targeting the cultivators visiting the island or trying to test Haeyeon Island itself, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all sorts of dangerous characters were stealthily slipping into the Heukgyo Water Territory.

Jekyeong occasionally hunted them down or drove them away, but such examples only served to spread his fearsome reputation; they did little to maintain the actual peace of his waters. Thus, he had concluded that he needed to raise a proper force of subordinates. There was only so much he could do running around on his own.

"This is the egg of a Sangryu."

The Lost-Soul Puppet controlled by Myeong-ha presented an egg larger than a human torso, its surface rough and bumpy. Its appearance alone made it clear that it was no ordinary object, but rather than admiration, most of the onlookers displayed curiosity.

"A Sangryu? What is a Sangryu?" A Foundation Establishment cultivator, harboring the same question as Jekyeong, spoke up.

As if he had anticipated the question, Myeong-ha smoothly launched into a detailed explanation. "The Sangryu is a demon that primarily inhabits Cheongye Province. It possesses nine heads with human faces, while its body is that of a blue serpent. Its breath spreads a deadly poison, and its blood carries a curse so potent that if even a single drop touches the ground, that land becomes a barren wasteland teeming with evil qi for at least several decades."

"Such a demon exists? It sounds like nothing but a walking venomous plague!" Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some even doubted Myeong-ha's words. Having spent half their lives, or even their entire lives, solely within the cultivation world of Yangseo Lake, few of them had ever heard of Cheongye Province, let alone the Sangryu. In other words, they lacked the knowledge to discern whether Myeong-ha was telling the truth or spinning a yarn. They could always investigate it later, but doing so right now in this hall was impossible.

"Indeed. That is why hunting a Sangryu requires extreme caution. It demands the cooperation of at least three or four cultivators of at least the mid Foundation Establishment stage, and one of them must be capable of dispelling curses. The hunt cannot be rushed; they must avoid wounding the beast as much as possible, slowly draining its strength to exhaust and capture it alive."

"Since you know the details so well, Fellow Daoist, do you perhaps have experience hunting one? Did you obtain that egg yourself?"

"Well, I do not believe that is of importance. What truly matters is the utility of this egg, is it not?" Myeong-ha deflected the question without giving a direct answer, but the cultivators in the hall were about eighty percent certain that he had acquired the egg himself. At the same time, they were reminded once again that the background of the Ghost Spider was far from ordinary. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and there was a ninety percent chance he had come from the outer regions.

As everyone fell deep into their own thoughts, the Lost-Soul Puppet's hand brushed against the Sangryu's egg. "First, let me clarify that this Sangryu egg will not hatch. So, if anyone here is hoping to raise a demon beast, you may discard that notion." At those words, several cultivators smacked their lips in disappointment.

"A Sangryu's egg is an exceptionally potent spiritual medicine. However, the method of consuming it is quite unique, and even if one knows the method, it is not something just anyone can utilize. Thus, it is not widely known."

Cultivators were naturally cautious, and even more suspicious. Jekyeong guessed that more than half of the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the hall had already abandoned any intention of bidding. Even if they did bid out of lingering curiosity, they would undoubtedly back out the moment the price exceeded a certain threshold. The Sangryu egg was an item Myeong-ha had put up, and Jekyeong knew Myeong-ha was far too clever to be ignorant of the cultivators' psychology. The only reason Myeong-ha had put it up for auction despite this was likely to leave a lasting impression of himself on the participating cultivators. An impression of being knowledgeable, mysterious, and formidable.

A curse, is it?

Putting the egg aside, Jekyeong pondered the demon called the Sangryu. He had heard of toxic blood containing poison, but blood carrying a curse? Should that be called cursed blood? He was well aware of how bizarre and monstrous demons could be, but this was a rather novel concept.

As Myeong-ha finished his explanation, a stir went through the crowd. In truth, quite a few faces had already changed color midway through the explanation, right around the mention of an "outstanding boost to Dharma Power."

"The starting bid is 100 mid-grade spirit stones. Bidding increments will be 1 mid-grade spirit stone. Let the bidding begin."

The heated atmosphere cooled down slightly. The formidable price of 100 mid-grade spirit stones was more than enough to sober up those who had been momentarily swept away. Moreover, that steep price was merely the starting bid, and there was no way to verify if the egg truly possessed such miraculous effects. After all, they hadn't even known a demon called the Sangryu existed until today. They couldn't simply pour their precious spirit stones away based solely on the seller's word, so they watched the situation unfold with caution. Yet, even in the midst of this hesitation, there were still a few brave souls who called out bids.

"One hundred and sixty!"

However, as the price climbed past a certain point, most of them quickly gave up. Jekyeong scanned the remaining bidders who had yet to yield. They were all elderly cultivators. With their lifespans drawing to a close and their cultivation stagnating, their desperation was driving them to pin their hopes on this unfamiliar spiritual item.

"One hundred and seventy," Jekyeong bid.

Jekyeong had waited until their faces began to contort in fierce competition before quietly calling out his bid. In an instant, numerous gazes darted toward the VIP room he occupied, but Jekyeong calmly took a sip of his Spirit Wine.

"One hundred and seventy-five!"

The grit-toothed bid carried a sense of desperate resolve. But the world rarely bent to one's desires.

"One hundred and eighty."

The tug-of-war between Jekyeong and the elderly cultivator, who refused to back down, continued. By the time the price crossed 200 mid-grade spirit stones, Jekyeong was starting to feel annoyed, briefly wondering if the old man was actually one of Myeong-ha's Lost-Soul Puppets driving up the price.

"Two hundred and thirty."

"Ugh..."

The elderly cultivator let out a choked groan and fell silent. Though Jekyeong could practically feel the old man's gaze burning with resentment, he paid it absolutely no mind.

"Lord Dragon, that old man who doesn't know his place is glaring at you. Do you think he might be plotting something malicious?" Hyeongu asked with concern.

"It doesn't matter. It would actually be better if he made the first move," Jekyeong replied indifferently.

He was entirely sincere about it being better if the old man attacked first. He didn't know who the old man was, but judging by his seat, his cultivation was likely at the mid Foundation Establishment stage. Even if the old man possessed some hidden trump card, his vital energy and blood had already begun to decline with age; he would never be a match for Jekyeong. If three or four of them banded together to attack, that might be a different story, but even then, Jekyeong could simply dive into the water and escape at a moment's notice. He had nothing to worry about.

"Two hundred and thirty mid-grade spirit stones. Sold! Congratulations."

Two hundred and thirty mid-grade spirit stones. Jekyeong felt as though the congratulations coming from the Lost-Soul Puppet's mouth sounded rather loaded, but he brushed it off as his imagination.

Following the Sangryu egg, Jekyeong bid on several other spiritual items, winning more than half of them. Some were for his own use, while others were intended for Hyeongu. He didn't consider anything for Han Cheongyu for the time being. For human cultivators, alchemical pills were far more effective than raw spiritual items, and pills suitable for late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators could be easily purchased anywhere as long as one had enough spirit stones.

"The next item is..."

The auction, which spanned several days, concluded with great success. Since quite a few participants had departed midway through, only a handful remained by the time the auction officially ended.

"It is finally over," Hyeongu murmured.

Jekyeong was among the few who had stayed until the very end. His Storage Bag had grown significantly lighter long ago, but he had remained at Myeong-ha's request. But now, the auction was over.

"Lord Dragon, where are you going?"

"I am going out for a bit. If Myeong-ha comes by, tell him exactly that."

"Ah, yes, understood."

Jekyeong left the auction hall at a measured pace. As expected, the moment he stepped outside, probing gazes swept over him from all directions. Ignoring the scrutiny, Jekyeong boarded a boat leaving the island.

The vessel soon set sail, and a thick mist shrouded his vision. After two full days of travel, they finally crossed the boundary of the defensive array, and the mist began to thin. They had left the waters of Haeyeon Island.

From this point onward, passengers could choose to leave the boat depending on their abilities, or continue their journey aboard. Most Qi Condensation cultivators, unable to fly, remained on Haeyeon Island's vessel. However, Foundation Establishment cultivators capable of piloting flying swords or flying boats frequently departed on their own for various reasons.

Jekyeong also retrieved a flying sword from his Storage Bag—one he had stashed away so long ago he had nearly forgotten about it. Then, under the envious gazes of the Qi Condensation cultivators, he soared high into the sky.

"Where are you heading in such a hurry?"

After about half a day of traveling on his flying sword, a dry, raspy voice echoed as a brilliant light erupted from below.

A defensive array?

Jekyeong examined the six pillars of light that had risen to surround him, trying to deduce what kind of array it was. Judging by its sturdy yet non-lethal aura, it was likely a trapping array designed for containment, though he couldn't be entirely certain.

"Old man. What is the meaning of this?"

Just as he had anticipated—and hoped—the figure who emerged was the very same old man who had contested him to the bitter end for the Sangryu egg. Unlike his pathetic display back in the auction hall, he now carried himself with an air of supreme confidence.