The Undercurrents of Yangseo Lake

"Fellow Daoist. I know you are a wise man. To be completely honest, I share your sentiments. When a great wave rises, I would rather avoid it than try to ride it."

"If you know that, then why are you trying to drag me into this?"

Now that their intentions were laid bare, Jekyeong did not bother to hide his sharp edge.

"Because this is a wave we cannot avoid, no matter how much we might wish to."

Jang Yeong let out a heavy sigh. With his furrowed brow and clenched teeth, his expression was remarkably human. The frustration and sense of injustice he felt were palpable.

"Fellow Daoist, you are someone special. Your talent would shine even in the deepest depths of Yangseo Lake. But such talent is both a blessing and a curse. At least, it is here in Yangseo Lake."

"Are you referring to the Jansu Whale King?"

Over the past ten years, Jang Yeong had dropped more than a few hints about the Jansu Whale King. Though he had never spoken of him outright, Jekyeong had sensed a subtle undercurrent of criticism and mockery directed at the Whale King in those roundabout remarks.

"Indeed, Fellow Daoist. How much do you know about the Jansu Whale King?"

"Only as much as you have told me."

"Haha."

Jang Yeong let out an awkward chuckle. He had spent years trying to paint the Jansu Whale King in a negative light, a clumsy effort that Jekyeong had seen right through from the start. And now he was asking what Jekyeong thought of him? Was this a joke?

Jekyeong refrained from further sarcasm not out of generosity, but because he had already formed his own conclusions about the Whale King. Jang Yeong's information was heavily biased, but even biased information yielded useful truths if parsed correctly.

"The Jansu Whale King... that man is simply unfit to be the leader of the Yangseo Lake Yao."

"Does a Great Demon dare to judge the qualifications of a Yao King?"

"I speak not as a Great Demon, but as a member of the Yangseo Lake Yao."

Jang Yeong possessed the upper body of a human, but it was only his upper half. Even that torso resembled a giant's rather than an ordinary human's; at his core, he was a monster, not a man. His exceptional intellect and composure were remarkable only by the standards of the Beast Race; compared to true humans, he still fell short in many ways.

"Ever since the Jansu Whale King founded the Whale King Palace and styled himself the master of Yangseo Lake, our race has steadily declined."

This attempt at persuasion was a perfect example of his shortcomings. His intentions were transparent, his arguments flimsy and unconvincing. Moreover, Jekyeong had absolutely no interest in the grand, altruistic concept of the Beast Race's prosperity. The only thing he cared about was himself. To him, the future of the Yangseo Lake Yao was trivial compared to the spirit stones he could line his own pockets with. He had never gone out of his way to hide this pragmatic nature, yet this fellow had observed him for so long without grasping even this much.

Just as Jekyeong was beginning to feel a touch of disappointment, Jang Yeong lowered his voice and continued.

"The decline of our race is entirely of the Whale King's own making. Because he has desperately suppressed the birth of any other Yao King, the other races—including the humans—have diligently built up their strength while we have stagnated for thousands of years. No, stagnation is too mild a word. Every powerful cultivator who stood a chance of becoming a Yao King was systematically slaughtered by his hand."

"Is that true? The Jansu Whale King personally intervened?"

"If not for that, how else could Yangseo Lake have gone so long without a single new Yao King rising?"

Jekyeong remained skeptical. "So long," he mused. He turned the phrase over in his mind, finding it a rather awkward expression for a member of the Beast Race to use. Just how long was the "so long" Jang Yeong spoke of? Hundreds of years? Thousands? Such spans of time were certainly "long" to humans, but to the Beast Race... well.

Had the Jansu Whale King really interfered? It was possible, of course, but Jekyeong had his doubts. Was a Yao King really something that could be born so easily? Even if they both occupied the Core Formation stage, a human Gold Core cultivator and a demon's Yao King realm were fundamentally different. If a Gold Core cultivator was a flower, a Yao King was a tree. Flowers bloomed and withered in the blink of an eye, but trees did not. They grew at a painfully slow pace compared to flowers, but they endured far longer.

Was the prolonged absence of a new Yao King in Yangseo Lake truly due to the Whale King's schemes? Perhaps, perhaps not. However, one thing was now abundantly clear: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the undercurrents swirling within the Whale King Palace had reached a point of no return.

Why else would Jang Yeong openly display such hostility toward the Whale King? For the greater good of the Beast Race? Or because he feared the Whale King's venomous hand when he eventually attempted to break through to the Yao King realm a thousand years from now? Of course not. Jekyeong strongly suspected that Jang Yeong was merely parroting his father's words. If the slanderous rumors about the Whale King were true, the one who truly stood to lose—the one with a fire lit under his feet—was undoubtedly Jang Yeong's father, the powerful figure lurking within the Whale King Palace. And if they weren't true... who knew what kind of bloody power struggle was brewing inside those palace walls?

Sensing Jekyeong's indifferent attitude, Jang Yeong spoke in a heavy, meaningful tone.

"Fellow Daoist. Do you think this has nothing to do with you? It does. Regardless of your current cultivation realm, your Flood Dragon bloodline ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alone is more than enough to draw the Whale King's attention. The only reason he has not laid a hand on you yet is because he is still unaware of your existence."

"The Whale King doesn't know about me?"

"It is nothing to be surprised by. Beings like the Yao Kings can easily spend a century in meditation with a single close of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their eyes. It is only natural that your name has not reached his ears yet. Of course, you also had a bit of help."

Jang Yeong's gaze as he spoke was as loaded as his tone. To Jekyeong, he looked like a puppy that had just performed a trick and was eagerly waiting for a treat from its master.

"So? Are you saying we are already in the same boat?"

"In the same boat? A strange expression, but I believe I understand its meaning." Jang Yeong nodded. "Yes. We are in the same boat. In fact, we have no choice but to share it, so long as the Jansu Whale King remains the master of the Whale King Palace."

Jekyeong kept his face as rigid as stone, but internally, he sneered at Jang Yeong's foolishness. If he were truly forced to settle down and live out his days in Yangseo Lake, he might have agreed that they were in the same boat. But unfortunately for Jang Yeong, Jekyeong had other options. If the narrow-minded, ruthless master of Yangseo Lake refused to tolerate his existence, he could simply pack up and leave. Though it would be a shame to abandon the foundation he had built here, no amount of influence or territory was worth his life.

Of course, that was a last resort. Until everything became clear and he was absolutely certain he had to flee, he would not abandon the hard-won foundation he had established. For now, Jekyeong decided to play along with Jang Yeong's tune.

"Even so, do you have a plan? I do not know the extent of your faction's strength, but your opponent is a Yao King who has reigned over Yangseo Lake for thousands of years."

"We are well aware. Better than anyone, in fact, so there is no need for you to lecture us, Fellow Daoist."

"Good to hear. So... do you have a plan?"

"Of course." Jang Yeong nodded. "But before that, I must ask you once more. Fellow Daoist, will you join us?"

"Do I have any other choice?"

Jekyeong's acting, honed to absolute perfection, was not something a half-witted Great Demon could ever hope to see through. His solemn expression, his subtly trembling gaze, and his sigh-laden voice blended into a flawless performance—the very picture of a desperate cultivator searching for a path to survival.

Jekyeong's prickly attitude actually put Jang Yeong at ease. To his mind, Jekyeong's reaction was entirely natural. After all, Jekyeong was being shoved onto a ship that could sink at any moment; it would have been stranger if he weren't upset.

"Fellow Daoist, you will not regret this."

"We shall see."

Compared to Jekyeong, who remained sharp and defensive, Jang Yeong's attitude softened considerably now that they were allies.

"Then, let me share our plan. We are going to... start a war."

"A war?" This time, Jekyeong couldn't hide his shock.

"Yes. As you know, the Jansu Whale King's strength is formidable. He is in the mid-stage of the Yao King realm. The only one in Yangseo Lake who can match him is the Insect King. However, we have no way to make the Insect King act, and even if we did, we shouldn't attempt it."

"I understand that, but what does it have to do with war? Surely you aren't planning to borrow the strength of a foreign powerhouse to kill the Whale King?"

"Something like that. We will borrow the hands of the humans."

Upon hearing those words, Jekyeong immediately recalled what he knew of the human powerhouses in the region. Anyone capable of facing the Whale King would have to be a Gold Core cultivator, so he didn't need to think long. "The two major Gold Core sects, the Geumyang Sect and the Myeongseomun Sect, each have two Gold Core cultivators. The two sect masters are in the early Gold Core stage, while their Supreme Elders are in the mid-stage, if I recall correctly. However, I heard their lifespans are nearing their ends."

If his information was correct, the combat strength of those two Supreme Elders couldn't be relied upon too heavily. Jekyeong had already experienced firsthand how much a cultivator's power deteriorated as they neared the end of their lifespan. "Still, with four Gold Core cultivators in total, it might actually be worth a shot."

The real question was whether they would actually agree to intervene. They weren't firefighters; why would they risk burning themselves to put out a fire in someone else's house?

As if sensing Jekyeong's doubt, Jang Yeong smiled and said, "I cannot share too many details. To be honest, I do not know much myself. The higher-ups are drawing the grand picture; we can only watch the tip of the brush and follow along."

"Is that so? Must be nice not having to think."

A puppet of his father, Jekyeong grumbled inwardly.

Even after that perilous conversation with Jang Yeong, Jekyeong's daily routine remained unchanged, at least on the surface. He continued to dedicate himself to his cultivation, and whenever he acquired spirit stones, he frequented auctions to purchase suitable cultivation resources. Meanwhile, he gathered information on the minor cultivation societies around Yangseo Lake, keeping an eye out for any opportunities to seize fortuitous encounters.

One day, as the peaceful time slipped by...

"Hmm?"

Jekyeong, who had been scanning the contents of a jade slip with little expectation, suddenly narrowed his eyes at a particular passage.

This was the origin of the Sect-Guarding Heavenly Fire, a flame revered to this day as the sacred relic of the Heavenly Fire Sect.

The story itself was a cliché legend of the cultivation world. There was a ninety percent chance that the Heavenly Fire Sect had simply fabricated it to bolster their own prestige. But that wasn't what mattered.

"The Heavenly Fire Sect."

The Sect-Guarding Heavenly Fire? The name was grand, but what was its actual worth?

Jekyeong withdrew his divine sense from the jade slip and unconsciously licked his lips.

Ever since he had established himself in Yangseo Lake and begun gathering various pieces of information on Gwangyang City in Jimagwon, Jekyeong had also kept tabs on the Jugye Mountain Range, where he had lived in his past life as a serpent. Specifically, he had collected information on Sangyo Forest and the Jeyeon Sect, the two factions that split the mountain range between them.

Back when he was nothing but a lowly spiritual beast, Jekyeong had been dragged unwillingly into the war between those two powers, narrowly escaping death. The memory of crawling on the earth like a mere insect to avoid the devastating aftershocks of the battles raging in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠skies remained vivid, even now that he had become a Great Demon. No, it was more than a memory—it was a shackle. The terror and humiliation he had felt back then remained a scar on his heart, even after he had risen to become a Great Demon and earned the title of Dragon Lord.

That was why Jekyeong had looked into the two factions of the Jugye Mountain Range. It wasn't because he wanted to take any specific action; he simply wanted to know. Perhaps one day he would return to the Jugye Mountain Range in grand majesty and look down arrogantly upon those who had once terrified him, but for now, that was nothing more than a pipe dream.

As he gathered more information, he naturally came to realize that neither the Jeyeon Sect nor Sangyo Forest was a place he could afford to provoke at his current level.

"The late stage of the Great Yao realm."

He had also learned about the identity of the powerful demon whose sheer pressure had felt as if it were sucking his very soul away with just a glance.

Chaesan Noyao. A monster of the late Great Yao stage. One of the three grand elders of Sangyo Forest. He had been slain by Shin Baekrim, the Supreme Elder of the Jeyeon Sect, during their conflict.

"He's dead?"

The memory of the cold ghost qi that had blanketed the sky and the suffocating pressure that had crushed the earth was still vivid in Jekyeong's mind. Yet, a being who had seemed so utterly transcendent was dead.

"The Jeyeon Sect. Sangyo Forest."

Even if they were merely Foundation Establishment-level factions squabbling in a backwater place like the Jugye Mountain Range, they were not to be underestimated. At the very least, Jekyeong was in no position to look down on them.