Preparing the Safety Net
If any other demon had displayed such a suspicious transformation, Jang Yeong would have immediately schemed to uncover what miraculous encounter they had obtained and how he might seize it for himself. But against Jekyeong—a Great Demon inheriting the bloodline of a Flood Dragon—such thoughts were impossible. He could only smack his lips in bitter envy of the other's superior lineage.
"If you want to call it a breakthrough, I suppose it is one," Jekyeong said.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist."
"Thank you. To be honest, I am quite bewildered myself. I merely slept a bit longer than usual, and when I woke up, I found myself in this state."
"It must be the awakening of your bloodline inheritance, Fellow Daoist."
"Perhaps. I have been feeling incredibly drowsy at all hours lately."
Jekyeong shook his head as if he truly had no idea. It was an insurance policy for the future, just in case. After all, he had never once claimed with his own mouth, nor admitted, that he possessed the bloodline of a Flood Dragon.
"Anyway, I doubt you came all this way just to check on my well-being. I heard you visited not too long ago as well."
"Indeed. Fellow Daoist Cheongo received me in your stead."
"Was it urgent?"
"I thought so at the time, but looking back, it wasn't. Surely you are already aware, Fellow Daoist?"
He was referring to the mobilization of allied Great Demons to raid the human transport ships.
"I wanted to inform you as well, but you were away."
"Yes. I had business at Gyeongwang Palace."
"Because of this matter?"
"Yes. You have heard of the disaster that occurred in Jimagwon, I assume?"
"Mhm." Jekyeong nodded.
"Do you know what kind of disaster it is?"
"I only know that it is severe enough to force a massive influx of human refugees."
"They call it the Demonic Disaster. Demonic resentment and killing intent have completely blanketed the heavens and earth of Jimagwon, exposing anyone who attempts to cultivate to its corrupting influence. Those with low cultivation or weak minds go completely mad on the spot, and even those who don't are affected so severely that normal cultivation becomes impossible."
"No wonder they are fleeing."
"Indeed. The Demonic Disaster has already consumed all of Jimagwon, but strangely, it does not spread beyond its borders. Because of this, some speculate that this disaster was not caused by a simple demonic invasion, but is rather the result of a powerful curse."
It was an accurate speculation. However, identifying the nature of a disaster and resolving it were two entirely different matters.
"We do not know how long the Demonic Disaster will persist, but it is highly unlikely to be resolved within a few years. Which means the humans of Jimagwon will continue to flee to Yangseo Lake."
While Yangseo Lake was not the only cultivation region near Jimagwon, the other regions were mere backwaters by comparison. Furthermore, those small, humble territories already had established masters, meaning there was virtually no room for outsiders to squeeze in.
"With such a massive influx of outsiders, the Human Territory will not remain peaceful. Constant disturbances are bound to arise. To resolve this unrest, the humans have only two options: thoroughly suppress the newcomers, or redirect the pressure outward. Historically, humans have always favored the second option. This time will be no different."
"Is this your opinion, or the opinion of the one residing in Gyeongwang Palace?" Jekyeong asked nonchalantly.
At Jekyeong's casual question, Jang Yeong wore a meaningful smile.
"Does it matter? What is important is that events are highly likely to unfold this way."
"Be that as it may, what are your thoughts on the matter?"
"My thoughts... are that with a little effort, we can nudge those odds even higher."
Jang Yeong had intended to instigate a war with the humans from the very beginning. Now, before he had even taken any major steps, the perfect atmosphere was practically creating itself, leaving him naturally elated. The sentiment of 'that person' in Gyeongwang Palace was likely very similar.
"I say 'effort,' but it is nothing particularly special. It is not much different from what you did recently, Fellow Daoist."
"I understand what you mean."
Since the humans were already playing with a familiar hand, the demons would provide them with the perfect pretext.
"Let me make this clear beforehand: I will not be stepping forward," Jekyeong said firmly.
He was willing to cooperate with Jang Yeong and his backer in Gyeongwang Palace, but he had absolutely no intention of becoming their pawn and suffering the consequences.
"Ah, of course. How could I possibly ask such a thing of you, Fellow Daoist?"
Jang Yeong shook his head vigorously as if he had been terribly misunderstood, but Jekyeong did not believe him for a second. If he had shown even a sliver of vulnerability, this fellow would have dangled all sorts of bait to lure him in.
"You are our vital ally, Fellow Daoist. My father also holds you in high regard, so how could we ever assign you such a dangerous task?"
Jang Yeong placated Jekyeong with sweet words for a while. Once he felt Jekyeong's guard had lowered slightly, he spoke in an insinuating tone.
"My visit today was not only to update you on the situation, but also to advise you to prepare in advance. We do not know when the humans will take the bait, nor where they will strike."
"I understand. I will keep that in mind."
After Jang Yeong departed, Jekyeong's heart remained heavy for some time.
War.
He had braced himself ever since Jang Yeong first tried to recruit him, but now that war was truly on the horizon, the weight of it felt entirely different. Moreover, this was not some minor skirmish like the previous clash between Sangyo Forest and the Jeyeon Sect. This was a war in the truest sense. A massive conflict where even the lives of Demon Kings might hang in the balance.
Jekyeong possessed a fair amount of confidence in his own strength, but he could not guarantee his safety in the midst of such a colossal war. Even if he could hold his own against late-stage Great Yao or late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, it made no difference.
What if two or three late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators set upon him at once? In such a situation, would he even be able to escape into the water?
Jang Yeong wasn't just trying to scare me.
To the heavyweights of Yangseo Lake, the Heukgyo water territory was a remote backwater they barely knew existed. However, in this immediate vicinity at least, the name of the Black Dragon had become quite famous. Anyone with real discernment would scoff at the idea of a Flood Dragon residing in such a humble place, but once war broke out... there was no telling what might happen.
I need to prepare.
Jekyeong's eyes darkened with deep thought.
In Bul-mang-won, Jekyeong met with U Do-baek to talk. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Ever since U Do-baek had settled into his role as a comfortable patriarch, they had often met privately like this. They rarely discussed cultivation theories, focusing instead on their daily lives. Today, however, Jekyeong's tone was unusually serious.
"It seems a war between humans and demons is about to break out."
"Can you not extricate yourself from it?"
"I am entangled too deeply. I fear it will be difficult."
"That is troublesome indeed."
"Yes. However, I have formulated a plan, and I would like to seek your opinion on it, Senior."
"My opinion?" As U Do-baek showed interest, Jekyeong began to explain his plan.
In truth, it was a simple idea rather than a grand plan. If he could not escape the war, he would spend the duration of the conflict as safely as possible, avoiding the eyes of others. Of course, this did not mean he would simply hole up on Heukgyodo and do nothing. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't, and the political fallout would be disastrous. He had to at least put on a show of participating and fighting in the war.
"I have a connection with the Yeongbu Merchant Association."
The person Jekyeong had in mind was Gwak Jeong-sin. If Gwak Jeong-sin could assemble a modest force and make a show of attacking the Heukgyo water territory, Jekyeong could put on a corresponding show of defending it. By staging a fierce, deadlocked battle where neither side could overcome the other, they could buy a significant amount of time. If all went exceptionally well, he might even survive the entire war in safety.
"The plan sounds plausible, but the issue is trust. Can you truly trust this Vice Chairman?"
"We share a baseline level of trust."
"But is that trust not forged in spirit stones and maintained by spirit stones? Furthermore, he is no longer the rising star you once knew."
"..."
U Do-baek was correct. That was precisely the point that weighed on Jekyeong's mind. In fact, Jekyeong had not seen Gwak Jeong-sin's face once since the man became Vice Chairman. Even recently, they had only communicated through letters.
"Again, the plan itself is not bad. And it seems there are no better alternatives."
"Do you have a better idea?"
"It is nothing grand, but how about setting up a safety net?"
"A safety net?"
"Fellow Daoist Choi seems to be quite free lately. His pockets aren't looking very deep either. So... why not bring him in as an insurance policy?"
At the mention of a completely unexpected name, Jekyeong was momentarily left speechless.
"You mean Senior Choi Ju-tang?"
At a secluded, quiet ferry dock, several cultivators meticulously inspected an aged vessel. Only after confirming multiple times that there were no issues with the boat did they gather around Choi Ju-tang, who was meditating alone a short distance away.
"Big Brother. Everything is ready."
At the cautious call, Choi Ju-tang opened his eyes.
"Good. What about you all?"
"We are fully prepared as well, of course."
"If everything goes according to plan, there won't be any issues. But if things go awry, we are highly likely to find ourselves in a rough spot. Prepare yourselves mentally."
"Why bring that up now, Big Brother? We've all been through hell and back."
A fierce-looking man with a patchy, unkempt beard replied with a grin. The others chimed in with similar smiles.
"Yes, of course I know." Choi Ju-tang chuckled and shook his head.
"But this time will be different. From what I've gathered, although Yangseo Lake isn't massive, the situation there is incredibly complex. If everything I've heard is true, this war will be a genuine clash against the beast race. The sheer brutality of it will be incomparable to the minor skirmishes we've faced before."
Of course, Choi Ju-tang knew that even if such a brutal conflict erupted, the opponents they would be fighting would not actually be the beast race. However, he could not reveal the inner workings of the plan to his sworn brothers, so he had no choice but to speak in this manner.
"We know, we know. Why are you trying to scare us so much?"
"I'm telling you to stay alert. I hope it doesn't come to this, but if the situation turns dire, I might not be able to look out for you."
"Don't worry. We'll read the room and take care of ourselves."
Though they spoke casually, the gaze they directed at Choi Ju-tang was filled with unwavering trust. They knew exactly how reliable their Big Brother was. Despite the countless hardships they had faced, he had always guided them to victory and success. They, too, sensed that this task would not be easy, but they believed the outcome would be no different from before.
"Stop looking at me with those creepy eyes and get on the boat."
"Yes, sir!"
A moment later, once Choi Ju-tang boarded, the modestly sized vessel cut through the water and departed from the ferry dock.
Back in Bul-mang-won, Jekyeong met with Choi Ju-tang. Upon hearing that the man had just set off the previous day, Jekyeong asked with a hint of skepticism:
"Will you be able to arrive on time?"
"Mhm. There should be no problem."
Choi Ju-tang expressed confidence, noting that his current location was not very far from Yangseo Lake, but Jekyeong could not put his mind at ease. Jang Yeong was brimming with ambition, and his backer in Gyeongwang Palace seemed to share that enthusiasm. Foolish demons, undoubtedly egged on by them, had already begun creeping into the Human Territory to run wild. These ominous movements would have already caught the attention of the humans. It was literally only a matter of time before the humans redirected their internal chaos outward, meaning no one could predict exactly when the war would begin.
"The situation is developing much faster than initially anticipated."
"Is it that bad?"
"Those brainless fools have been pushed from behind, so they're running amok with excitement."
In Jekyeong's eyes, the demons currently crossing into the Human Territory to cause havoc were nothing but reckless fools drenching themselves in oil while loitering near an open flame.