A Spark of the Fire Dragon
"What else did you lie about?"
"Nothing else."
"Hard to believe."
"I understand. But it is the truth."
Jekyeong glanced at Ju-hyeong, who looked as if he were about to suffocate to death, and released his monster power to block the ghost qi flowing into the human. Only then did Ju-hyeong gasp for breath and collapse weakly to the ground.
"All I wanted from you was to act as a guide. Beyond that, you mean nothing to me. In other words... I have no reason to go through the trouble of deceiving you."
Jekyeong looked straight at U-jam as he spoke. His calm voice carried a completely indifferent, dry tone. Perhaps sensing this, the ghost qi that had been surging as if to spill out of U-jam's physical body suddenly flinched.
"I won't force you. Think and decide for yourself."
His tone made it clear he had nothing to lose, and indeed, he didn't. While it would be convenient to have U-jam as a guide, it wouldn't be a devastating loss if he refused. Jekyeong already possessed the jade slip U-jam had recorded. Of course, if U-jam had tampered with the jade slip, it could prove troublesome... but judging by U-jam's behavior so far, it was unlikely he had played any tricks with it.
"Damn it."
U-jam's expression shifted rapidly, displaying a kaleidoscope of emotions that rivaled Ju-hyeong's panic from moments ago. Though the final emotion to settle on his face was anger, the words that left his mouth were submissive.
"Let me ask you once more. Is there anything else you hid from me?"
"No."
"Good. I hope that's the truth. You seem to think I can't do anything to you, but I assure you, if you push me too far, it won't end well for you."
"I will keep that in mind."
As U-jam's hostile aura subsided, Jekyeong turned his gaze back to Ju-hyeong.
"You are a clever fellow, so you must have realized by now."
"M-My Lord..."
"Do you still call me that?"
Ju-hyeong might not have recognized U-jam as a ghost demon, but he surely realized the creature was not human. Consequently, he must have also vaguely guessed the true identity of Jekyeong, who traveled alongside such a being.
"If you want him disposed of, I can do it," U-jam offered.
Already paralyzed with fear, Ju-hyeong completely broke down at those words.
"M-My Lord! Please spare me!"
Ju-hyeong dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, tears and snot streaming down his face as he begged.
"If you only spare my life, I will become your dog, your horse! I will serve you with absolute loyalty for the rest of my days!"
Everyone values their own life. However, not many can pour out their emotions so rawly when faced with a terror that freezes both body and soul. Ju-hyeong's desperate pleading laid bare just how desperately he clung to life and feared death. If Jekyeong gave the slightest sign of permission, the man looked ready to crawl forward and cling to his robes immediately.
"Oh?"
Watching Ju-hyeong wail so pitifully, the icy tension on U-jam's face melted away. A playful smirk played on his lips as he asked Jekyeong, "What will you do? He's begging so desperately. Are you moved at all?"
Jekyeong let U-jam's mocking words slide in one ear and out the other. Looking down at Ju-hyeong, he brought out the scales in his mind that he had briefly put away. On one side of the scale lay 'interest,' and on the other, 'utility.' Right now, the scale was tipping heavily toward 'interest.'
"Tell me. What utility do you have to offer me?"
"That..."
Dozens, hundreds of thoughts flashed through Ju-hyeong's eyes in an instant. "Y-You must have a reason for coming to Gwangyang City, My Lord. I can assist you with your business. I can..."
"A cultivator at the late stage of Qi Condensation. He must be the strongest among those with no physical defects. Can you guide me to one?"
"O-Of course!"
There was no hesitation in his reply. Jekyeong liked that.
"K-Keu-heuk..."
The human cultivator, dangling limply by his throat, convulsed violently.
"..."
Ju-hyeong trembled in unison as he watched black smoke erupt like a fountain from U-jam and pour into the seven orifices of the limp cultivator. Disbelief, shock, and terror washed over his mind in succession.
A moment later, the spasming cultivator fell still.
"Phew."
The eyes, which had rolled back to reveal only the whites, returned to normal. However, the pupils that refocused were noticeably darker than before.
"Not bad... but that's about it."
U-jam, now wearing his new 'clothes,' casually swatted away the hand gripping the corpse's neck—the hand that had belonged to his previous body just moments ago. Deprived of its host, the discarded vessel instantly collapsed. Flesh crumbled away from the bones, and the bones disintegrated into dust, settling down alongside the tattered garments.
"At this rate... it'll barely last two months."
"Two months is plenty."
After confirming that U-jam had successfully changed his clothes, Jekyeong immediately turned around. Ju-hyeong, still shivering, scrambled to follow him.
"Are we leaving already? No more fun?"
"Staying here any longer is a waste of time."
U-jam smacked his lips in disappointment. "Well, if you say so. Are we heading straight to the Yuk family estate then?"
"Yes. We go immediately."
The Yeongpyeong Yuk family was a cultivator clan that had made quite a name for themselves in alchemy. By occupying Yeongpyeong Mountain and monopolizing the spiritual herbs grown there, they manufactured and sold alchemical pills, accumulating immense wealth and influence. The bustling settlement known as Yuk Village, or Yeongpyeong Village, was a testament to the clan's prosperity. The village was always crowded with those seeking pills and merchants wanting to sell raw herbs, allowing the Yuk family to rake in spirit stones while sitting comfortably at home.
But now, all of that was nothing more than past glory. In the village where thousands of people used to bustle about daily, not even a single ant could be seen. The charred, ruined landscape was no different from what they had witnessed in Gwangyang City.
"It's filled with resentment. Quite thick, too."
U-jam sniffed the air, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He seemed to quite enjoy this desolate ruin.
"You didn't say anything like that back in Gwangyang City."
"The resentment in Gwangyang City was chaotic, so it was diluted. But here, it's incredibly concentrated. It means the target of their hatred is very clear."
His gaze shifted toward a grand mansion standing completely intact in the middle of the ruins. Shrouded in a faint barrier of light, the mansion looked as if it existed in an entirely different world, appearing utterly out of place compared to the surrounding landscape, which looked like a war zone.
"I can practically see it happening. The villagers of Yeongpyeong Village must have run to the Yuk family, begging for their lives, only for the clan to turn them away and shut their gates."
U-jam's steps grew lighter. He licked his lips, looking back and forth between the people hiding inside the barrier and the resentment lingering everywhere.
"How simple-minded. This disaster had nothing to do with the Yuk family, yet simply because they didn't help when it was right before their eyes, all of the villagers' resentment was directed at them."
U-jam opened his mouth wide, and the surrounding resentment was sucked inside. At that moment, a desperate shriek brushed past Jekyeong's ears—the screaming of the resentful spirits.
"Thick indeed," U-jam muttered, smacking his lips and nodding. "I don't need to help with this, right? My only role is to be your guide, after all."
"Yes."
Leaving behind U-jam, who was still smacking his lips at the resentful spirits, Jekyeong walked toward the grand mansion of the Yuk family.
Ju-hyeong clenched his teeth, trying to control his uncontrollable trembling. Even though he knew they were already far away from that terrifying Great Yao, he still couldn't shake off his fear.
Damn it. Damn it all!
He cursed the heavens and resented the earth. How on earth had he gotten tangled up with such monstrous beings?
These monsters are absolutely not ordinary Great Yao.
Whether it was that ghostly creature U-jam, or 'My Lord' walking right in front of him who could silence such a beast with a single word—they were all terrifying entities beyond anything he could have imagined in his entire life.
What sin did I commit to deserve this?
Though Ju-hyeong cursed the world and wept over his tragic fate internally, he maintained a calm exterior and quietly followed behind Jekyeong. Jekyeong had told him he could stay behind with U-jam, but Ju-hyeong had insisted on following, claiming that a loyal dog and horse must always follow their master.
Am I crazy enough to stay with that ghostly freak? Who knows when he'll suck out my soul without anyone knowing?
Even though he knew U-jam couldn't lift a finger against Jekyeong, Ju-hyeong feared U-jam far more than he feared Jekyeong. It was an instinctive dread that the living felt toward the dead. Furthermore, the ghost qi naturally exuded by U-jam, a Great Yao-level ghost demon, was far too overwhelming for Ju-hyeong, who was only at the middle stage of Qi Condensation. Just standing near him made Ju-hyeong feel a chilling sensation, as if his soul were being squeezed at any moment.
"My Lord. That mansion is protected by a formation array, is it not? Shall I go and pretend to be a refugee seeking help? Perhaps if they open the formation and let me in..."
Ju-hyeong knew the chances were slim. If U-jam's guess was correct, the Yuk family had shut themselves in, ignoring even the villagers of Yeongpyeong Village. Why would they open their formation for a complete stranger? Ju-hyeong was merely trying to show his eagerness, wanting to plant the impression that he was willing to do anything for Jekyeong.
"I have a few alchemical pills on me. If I subtly reveal them while begging for help, they might open the formation and come out. Since I am only at the middle stage of Qi Condensation, they won't hesitate to make a move on me."
"No need."
Jekyeong didn't care about Ju-hyeong's shallow schemes. The idea of baiting the Yuk family with pills sounded plausible, but after a brief moment of thought, he shook his head. He found it tedious and troublesome. Why take the long way around when there was a much simpler and easier method?
"Stand back."
"Yes? Ah, yes." Ju-hyeong quickly retreated.
"Further."
"Yes, yes!"
After confirming that Ju-hyeong had retreated to a distance that was more than sufficient—bordering on excessive—Jekyeong raised his hand toward the Yuk family mansion.
Whoosh!
As his intent stirred, Yokai Fire flared up. From the moment his Dao heart began to trace the Path of the Fire Dragon, his mind had become fire itself. Though his cultivation was still insufficient and he was far from becoming a true fire dragon, he could at least mimic its form. This was a small achievement gained from locking himself in the Black Cult Palace and burning himself countless times.
Go.
Jekyeong lightly flicked the spark that had ignited at his fingertip. The moment it left his finger, the fire energy of heaven and earth converged around that tiny ember. The spark, initially smaller than a fingernail, swelled into a massive fireball in an instant. By the time it reached the barrier surrounding the Yuk family mansion, it had transformed into a colossal wave of flame capable of engulfing the entire barrier.
Boom!
The moment the wave of fire crashed against the barrier, the earth shook, and the clouds in the sky evaporated. Even from his distant position, Ju-hyeong felt a searing pain as if his flesh were burning from the sudden, raging storm of heat.