At Least Within the Heukgyo Water Territory
"Why did you come?"
Muk-su's speech could no longer be called clumsy. It wasn't due to its own efforts, but entirely thanks to Cheong-o, who, having shaken off its sleep addiction, would drop by at every opportunity to chatter away. However, while it hadn't been noticeable when the tree spoke in halting, single-word sentences, now that its eloquence had improved, its manner of speaking was remarkably insolent. It spoke as if it regarded Jekyeong as an equal, much like Cheong-o did.
"I've told you countless times, this is my island. I come and go as I please."
"I know. But you never come unless you have business."
Perhaps because it had lived for so long, the wood spirit occasionally struck right at the heart of the matter despite its nature. Smacking his lips, Jekyeong pulled out the elderly cultivator—a mid Foundation Establishment stage captive who had outlived his usefulness—and tossed him toward Muk-su.
"If you don't need this, I'll just leave."
Several thick roots wrapped around the old man, cradling him as if he were a sacred treasure. Simultaneously, two or three branches that had been reaching high into the air lowered themselves. Hanging from them were plump, mouth-watering spiritual fruits that looked delectable just to behold.
"If you don't need them, you can just leave."
"..."
Jekyeong silently reached out, staring at the branches swaying gently as if to tease him. How did this fellow end up like this? It was all because of Cheong-o. That bird had babbled about everything under the sun, turning a once-innocent wood spirit into a cunning merchant. It was truly a lamentable state of affairs.
Though he lamented that the morals of the cultivation world had hit rock bottom, he was nonetheless highly satisfied with the spiritual fruits in his hand. Compared to when Jekyeong had first reached the Great Yao stage, Muk-su had grown significantly in size, and the quantity of spiritual fruits it produced had also increased. This was thanks to Jekyeong consistently providing it with high-quality nourishment. Of course, Muk-su's innate ability to digest absolutely anything fed to it also played a major role.
Unlike other members of the Beast Race, who had to carefully consider the elemental attributes of spiritual energy and Dharma Power when consuming humans, Muk-su was not a picky eater. It devoured everything. Consequently, most of the intruders and plunderers who had occasionally shown up over time ended up as Muk-su's food.
"How is it?"
"Good."
"Better than before?"
"Yes."
Even if the captive had been withered and drained, there was still a world of difference between the early and mid Foundation Establishment stages. Such was the nature of a cultivator's realm. It might seem like a single step, but the gap was by no means small.
Having absorbed the old man's corpse without leaving behind so much as a speck of dust, Muk-su unconsciously released a trace of its monster power. Although the quantity wasn't vast, its density and purity were nearly on par with Jekyeong's. This was astonishing, no matter how many human cultivators it had devoured.
Because Jekyeong practiced human cultivation techniques, the quality of his monster power was comparable to the Dharma Power of any human cultivator. Yet Muk-su had achieved a similar level of refinement through nothing but pure blood food.
"Can you give me more of these in the future?"
"That will be difficult," Jekyeong replied, immediately shaking his head at Muk-su's tentative request. Bring you mid Foundation Establishment cultivators? He would love to do so if he could, but it was practically impossible. He couldn't even guarantee a steady supply of early Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone mid-stage ones.
Unlike in the past when his name was virtually unknown, rumors of Heukgyodo and the Black Flood Dragon had spread so widely that everyone in the vicinity knew of them. Moths willing to throw away their lives by approaching his territory were no longer easy to find. This meant he would have to venture outside to secure more food... but hunting cultivators in Human Territory was no simple task. Even if he could, Jekyeong had no desire to do so.
But I do need to establish a new channel. Currently, Jekyeong obtained all his human cultivators through Gwak Jeong-sin. However, the number of human cultivators he required was steadily growing. Aside from Muk-su's burgeoning appetite, the demand from the small gathering he had formed was also considerable.
Originally, Jekyeong had dismissed the purchasing power of the Great Yao. He believed that the Beast Race lacked the eye to recognize treasures and had no habit of hoarding wealth, meaning it would be difficult to get a fair price even if he continued to sell Foundation Establishment cultivators. As it turned out, this was a massive miscalculation. He had vastly underestimated the wealth of the Great Yao.
They certainly lacked an eye for treasures and the habit of saving. Instead, they possessed fertile lands that the vast majority of humans could only dream of. Normally, they paid no attention to their vast, rich territories because they had no reason to. Whatever treasures those lands produced, very few ever caught their eye, so they felt no need to dig around.
The criterion for "catching their eye" was not monetary value, but utility. A spiritual item that would make a human's eyes turn red with greed might be utterly useless to a demon. A significant portion of the treasures harvested from the waters fell into this category.
However, through Jekyeong's exchange meetings, they realized that the things they had previously ignored could be traded for immense value. They began to scour their territories, scraping together anything that seemed remotely valuable. Consequently, Jekyeong suddenly found himself acting as a pseudo-appraiser, carefully examining all sorts of items brought forward by the Great Yao. After all, genuine treasures were occasionally mixed in among their offerings.
I recall him saying he planned to expand the trade items on Haeyeon Island. The first place that came to mind was Haeyeon Island, which was practically half his own business venture, but Jekyeong quickly dismissed the idea. While routing through Haeyeon Island would be the most reliable and cleanest method, Myeong-ha's influence there was far too strong. Jekyeong had no desire to let Myeong-ha—who was already showing an unsettling interest in his small gathering—pry into his affairs.
But... nothing else really comes to mind. Pondering a question with no clear answer was beginning to give him a headache. He had to maintain a steady supply of Foundation Establishment cultivators. They were the sole exclusive product and the ultimate bait that kept his exchange meetings viable.
In truth, he didn't strictly need to cling to the exchange meetings anymore. The small gathering that had started with just five members, including himself as the host, had grown to include over ten Great Yao. It could no longer be considered small. Furthermore, having attended a few sessions, the Great Yao had realized how useful and enjoyable it was to trade away useless junk and purchase what they actually needed. Even if Jekyeong stopped taking the lead, the exchange meetings would likely sustain themselves.
Of course, Jekyeong's presence remained essential for the meetings to run smoothly. At their core, the Great Yao possessed fierce temperaments, and their trust in one another was thinner than a sheet of paper. To gather such beings in one place and establish rules and order required a force capable of suppressing them all. Among the members of the exchange, Jekyeong was the only one who possessed that level of power and majesty. Though they might not admit it openly, they needed him. One could even say they relied on him.
This was exactly what Jekyeong had intended when he first conceived the idea of a demon exchange, so it was safe to say he had already exceeded his goals. Even if he were to step back slightly at this point, his influence would only grow, not diminish, as long as the meetings continued to be held.
And yet... The profits are just too good. While he had initially focused on expanding and maintaining the scale of the exchange, he had now grown quite fond of the gains it brought. The various goods he imported from Human Territory were wildly popular among the Great Yao, sold at prices that human cultivators would denounce as absolute extortion. And this was excluding the Foundation Establishment captives. If he could secure a steady supply of them to sell, the resulting profits would dwarf his shares in Haeyeon Island or his trade earnings with the Yeongbu Merchant Group.
How could he possibly let go of the exchange under these circumstances? Though Foundation Establishment cultivators were hard to come by, once obtained, the big spenders of the exchange would buy them at prices that made him grin. If possible, he wanted to acquire even more of them to hand over to his loyal, wealthy patrons.
Enough. There is no need to force what cannot be done. In the end, it was greed. No matter how much he suppressed this persistent desire, it would eventually grow so tall he'd have to look up at it; no weed in the world was as stubborn. Yet, such greed could not be entirely eliminated, nor should it be. The desire for self-improvement and the pursuit of the Dao were, after all, forms of greed as well.
It was the engine that drove one forward. Theoretically, if a cultivator's mind were infinitely resilient, infinite greed would be a reliable force propelling them faster and farther. But because they were not, a cultivator had to constantly suppress their desires to prevent them from growing too large. Jekyeong cleared his mind and calmed his heart. A moment later, a midsummer-like heat descended upon the once-cool Heukgyodo.
"Fellow Daoist, how many are we getting this time?"
"It's no fun if you know in advance. No cheating," Jekyeong replied with a chuckle to Jang Yeong's subtle inquiry.
"Come now, please tell me. My circumstances have been rather difficult lately."
If your circumstances are difficult, you can just wait for the next opportunity. Jekyeong wanted to retort with those words but held himself back. They had built up some camaraderie through their hunting trips, and Jang Yeong's background was far too formidable for Jekyeong to treat him lightly.
Judging by the way Makgye spoke, his status seems to be equal to or even higher than Makgye's. This was something Jekyeong had learned from Makgye, who had visited him not long ago. Previously, Jekyeong knew that Jang Yeong was connected to Gyeongwang Palace, but he had assumed it was merely a slightly deeper involvement than that of a Guest Elder. But that wasn't the case. Jang Yeong's backing wasn't derived from his own status, but from his father. And his father's position seemed to be equal to or higher than Makgye's.
He didn't know the inner workings of Gyeongwang Palace, but considering that status in the cultivation world was generally proportional to strength... Jang Yeong's father was highly likely a late-stage Great Yao, or perhaps an existence bordering on the Yao King realm.
Cunning bastard. He had suspected the fellow wasn't simple, but he hadn't realized he was this deep. Why on earth was someone with such an illustrious father living so miserably in a backwater place like this?
"Then at least tell me if the quantity is sufficient." Jang Yeong showed no signs of giving up unless he got an answer. This behavior was quite uncharacteristic of him.
"You seem to be in quite a hurry."
"I truly am," Jang Yeong sighed.
"Are you trying to make a breakthrough?"
"Yes. But I have no certainty." Having gone on over ten hunts together, they had grown close enough to discuss various matters regarding cultivation. Even if they harbored different thoughts internally, their outward relationship could easily pass for that of close friends.
"But I can feel it. I feel like with just a little more refinement, I can do it." If cultivation was like carving out a stream of water, a bottleneck was a massive wall. Being blocked by a bottleneck was like water trapped by a wall, and breaking through was using that water to shatter the barrier. Ordinary people would continuously move their water to slowly wear down the wall. It was like a mouse gnawing at a castle wall—it required immense time and effort, and even then, success was never guaranteed.
Talented individuals could shatter the wall more easily and quickly, but the process itself was similar. In Jekyeong's eyes, Jang Yeong was one of the talented ones. Given that he was barely over a thousand years old and already eyeing the mid Great Yao stage, he was undoubtedly highly talented by the standards of the Beast Race.
"Four."
"That's a bit lacking," Jang Yeong sighed again, his brow furrowing. Perhaps due to his appearance, his emotional expressions were indistinguishable from those of a human. Had it not been for the dozens of massive tentacles writhing beneath his waist, one might have mistaken him for a human.
"It hasn't been easy to acquire goods lately, you see."