The Weight of a Favor
He was a man who, given the right opportunity, could ascend to the Nascent Soul realm at any moment and become a True Lord. In other words, it was only natural for someone like Jekyeong, who was merely at the late Great Yao stage, to feel intimidated in his presence. Jekyeong found this self-consolation rather pathetic, but he had no choice. If he did not comfort himself like this, he felt as though his inner demons would come clawing at him. The pride that had quietly swelled within him upon reaching the late Great Yao stage shattered in an instant, like glass struck by a boulder.
"Impressive." After Jekyeong finished a story he could barely remember starting or ending, Seongsu Jinin offered that single word as his evaluation of both Jekyeong and his tale.
"You are not confused at all. You are remarkably stable. Such a case is rare. Extremely rare. At least, it is the first time I have ever witnessed it."
Jekyeong could feel Seongsu Jinin's probing gaze. To put it politely, it was an inquisitive look; to put it bluntly, it was the gaze of a researcher examining a lab rat. Jekyeong felt fear, discomfort, and displeasure, but he dared not show any of it, quietly enduring the scrutiny.
"Is it excellent self-control, or are you just quick-witted? Either way, it is fine. You are truly splendid material." With a light chuckle, the gaze that had bound him like iron chains finally lifted. Only then did Jekyeong's heart, which had been wound as tight as a bowstring, find some semblance of peace.
"I might have been a bit mischievous, but pray understand. When I find something interesting, I simply cannot help myself. It is a bad habit I picked up somewhere along the way." What began as something resembling an apology gradually devolved into a monologue. By that point, Jekyeong began to doubt whether the senior cultivator was even aware of his presence anymore.
"I shall help you. Did you say that fellow Daoist, the Jansu Whale King, is at the mid-Yao King stage?"
"Yes."
"Mhm. Very well." The gaze vanished, and the condensed cluster of light scattered in all directions. A moment later, just as the light faded so much that it seemed on the verge of disappearing entirely, a tempest raged, and a colossal pillar of light descended from the heavens.
Jekyeong felt another gaze lock onto him. However, this one was not as gentle as Seongsu Jinin's. It was not malicious; it was simply that the owner of this gaze did not bother to exercise restraint. Jekyeong felt like an ant standing before a giant. In the presence of this overwhelming existence, he felt utterly insignificant and powerless.
"Yu Gon. Has your eyesight deteriorated already? I recognized him at a single glance, yet you must stare so intently to see?" Along with Seongsu Jinin's mocking words, the pressure that had felt like a mountain crushing down on him vanished without a trace.
"Indeed. My eyes are not as sharp as yours. But I can still see everything I need to. So do not try to provoke me with such wordplay, Seongsu." The voice sounded somewhat clumsy. It seemed to be trying to sharpen its edge, but that edge was as blunt as a club.
"Why would I tease you? More importantly, if you have agreed to do it, get on with it."
"Do not nag. I will handle it myself."
"Yes, yes." Jekyeong felt the Yao King named Yu Gon look back at him. An immense pressure still radiated from his gaze, one that could not be compared to Seongsu Jinin's. Clearly, this senior named Yu Gon was not as amiable as Seongsu Jinin.
"Little one. You owe me a debt." Those words reverberated through Jekyeong's mind like thunder.
"Tsk! Are you really going to play debt collector to a junior who is light-years behind you?"
"It is my prerogative."
"Right. Of course it is." Yu Gon paid no heed to Seongsu Jinin's scolding. He stubbornly emphasized to Jekyeong, 'Remember that you owe me a debt,' and then stamped a vivid Divine Sense Brand upon his spiritual body. Jekyeong could not comprehend the process. He merely felt a vague sensation of something approaching, and by the time he snapped out of it, Yu Gon had already vanished.
Is this the Divine Sense Brand? Jekyeong felt as though something had been smeared onto his mind... but that was all. He knew something was there, but he had no way of knowing what it was or how it had been placed.
"Do not worry. He will not demand any payment from you." Seeing Jekyeong's silence, Seongsu Jinin kindly tried to ease his concerns.
"He is incredibly naive, so he has been taken advantage of many times. Because of those experiences, he developed a pathological hatred of losing out at some point. The 'debts' he speaks of are mostly just self-consolation born from that psychological trauma."
Jekyeong noted the word "mostly." It meant that while the senior named Yu Gon might be somewhat simple, he was by no means a pushover.
Of course he isn't. How could a Yao King—especially one close enough to speak casually with Seongsu Jinin—be a pushover? His simplicity was likely only in comparison to the cunning human race.
"I am deeply grateful for your assistance, Senior. I shall never forget this favor."
"It matters not if you do."
"How could I dare?"
"Then exert yourself. Do not give up, and do not act foolishly. And, well, do not take too long either. The lifespan of the human race is not that long." Watching Seongsu Jinin chuckle heartily, Jekyeong was at a loss for words. He was beginning to realize that associating with Core Formation cultivators was highly detrimental to one's mental health.
That fellow Jang Hu-am is truly remarkable. If it were me... Huh? Glancing to the side, Jekyeong was startled to realize that Jang Hu-am had vanished at some point.
"The Jang boy was kicked out a long time ago."
"Kicked out?"
"If your spiritual body collapses, you get expelled. Did you not even know that?"
"..." Jekyeong shut his mouth tight under the gaze, which now held a faint trace of suspicion that was markedly different from before.
Half a month had already passed since the conclusion of the third Bulmang Assembly. After returning from Bulmangwon, Jekyeong had slept deeply to recover his exhausted mind. It was the first time since becoming a Great Yao that he had fallen into such a dead sleep. Not even when he had been severely wounded by the human race had he slept like this—though back then, the sheer pain had prevented him from sleeping deeply even if he wanted to.
He has more patience than I thought. Facing two seniors at the late Core Formation stage when he had only recently reached the late Great Yao stage had drained his mental energy far beyond his expectations. Fortunately, two days of solid rest had fully restored him. Even so, the reason he was currently idling about was to wait for Makgye. He had expected Makgye to return immediately to hear his deferred answer, but the seahorse Yao was surprisingly patient. Or perhaps he was simply showing Jekyeong a sufficient amount of "respect."
Viewed that way, the delay in Makgye's visit was not a bad thing, but Jekyeong still felt a tinge of anxiety. If Seongsu Jinin had not informed him that the Divine Sense Brand would last for quite a long time, and if he could not be absolutely certain that the Jansu Whale King was currently at the Gyeongwang Palace, he would have headed straight there the moment he woke up.
It's fine. There won't be any problems. Jekyeong recognized that he was feeling somewhat intimidated. It was because his encounter with the two seniors in Bulmangwon had made him realize just how dangerous Core Formation cultivators truly were. Although the Jansu Whale King could not be compared to those two seniors, he was still a Yao King and the absolute ruler of the Yao factions in Yangseo Lake. Jekyeong was about to meet such an entity, so how could he possibly put his mind at ease?
"Daoist Jekyeong!" Makgye revisited Heukgyodo at the perfect time. In other words, he arrived just before Jekyeong's patience ran out.
"Daoist Makgye." Jekyeong greeted him calmly. Looking at the seahorse Yao, who displayed blatant expectation mixed with a hint of suspicion, Jekyeong spoke. "I will meet the Whale King."
"A wise decision. There is no need to take the hard road when an easy one lies open before us." Makgye smiled brightly, praising Jekyeong's prudent choice. "Shall we depart immediately, then? Since you have made up your mind, there is no reason to drag things out, is there?"
Jekyeong noticed the lingering trace of doubt in Makgye's eyes. Was this fellow worried that he might change his mind later? "Very well. Let us do so."
Makgye and Jekyeong immediately departed from Heukgyodo. Once they cleared the Heukgyo Water Territory, Makgye unleashed his demonic power without restraint. Sensing his overwhelming energy, the local Yao quickly fled. Not only the ignorant low-level water beasts, but even the Great Yao who had poked their heads out to investigate the intruders retreated in terror, scurrying back to their dens.
"I have shown you an unsightly display. Unlike you, Daoist, I cannot control my power with such precision, so I must resort to this crude method to clear the way." Makgye looked at Jekyeong, who was perfectly concealing his demonic power, with deep admiration.
"It is merely a trivial trick I picked up during my travels. It is not as grand as you make it out to be."
For a split second, Makgye's eyes gleamed. He likely believed he had just extracted a useful piece of information from that single remark. Jekyeong saw right through him and sneered inwardly. After trembling before those ancient seniors, dealing with someone so manageable made him feel remarkably comfortable. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but the ugly seahorse was starting to look almost endearing...
"Let us go!" They continued their journey to the northwest. Even after traveling at full speed without rest for over half a month, they had still not reached Gyeongwang Palace.
"We are about halfway there," Makgye said reassuringly. Jekyeong nodded, staring down into the lake water, which had turned as dark as ink. Over the past three days, they had passed through numerous spiritual territories, and the area they were currently traversing was one as well. The spiritual energy here was easily three times denser than that of Heukgyodo.
The Whale King Palace... He could feel sharp gazes prickling him from all directions. These were not physical stares, but sweeps of divine sense. The owners of these senses were all Great Yao at the mid-stage or higher.
"Please understand. As you know, due to recent events... everyone's nerves are on edge."
"It is fine. I have entered their territory, so such a reaction is only natural."
"Haha. You truly possess a broad mind, Daoist."
"Of course, if they had glared directly into my face, I would have plucked their eyes out."
"..."
"I jest. Let us hurry. We cannot keep the Whale King waiting." Leaving behind a stiff, awkwardly frozen Makgye, Jekyeong accelerated once more.
The appearance of Gyeongwang Palace was vastly different from what Jekyeong had imagined. First of all, he doubted whether this place could even be called a "palace." In the pitch-black water, reminiscent of the deep ocean floor, a massive vortex—far larger than the one protecting Heukgyodo—was raging violently. Yet Makgye claimed this was Gyeongwang Palace.
"Let us enter," Makgye said with a smile, but Jekyeong did not move. He stood frozen in place for a moment, dazed, taking a moment to adapt to the majestic sight before him and the spiritual energy so dense it made his scales tingle.
"Do you need a moment to adjust?" Makgye asked, chuckling. Jekyeong keenly detected the probing look and the glint of suspicion hidden behind that smile.
"Yes. As you know, Daoist, the territory I reside in is rather barren." Jekyeong did not hide it. He knew that trying to make up a clumsy excuse while the other party was already suspicious would only fuel their doubts further. In such a situation, it was better to be straightforward. However, he must not show any weakness.