The Art of Survival
Jang Yeong held his breath, waiting for his chance. He had not dared to step forward even when the salt clouds blanketed the sky and the waters of Yangseo Lake churned, nor had he dared to poke his head above the surface when this brutal clash first began. Though he was anxious, his body twitched repeatedly with the urge to move. He could hardly contain himself, terrified that before he could even find an opening, one of them would be gravely injured—or worse, killed. It would be one thing if the Black Flood Dragon was harmed, but if Ha Yuseong were to suffer...
"Not yet. Wait." Just as Jang Yeong was about to rush out, unable to bear it any longer, the dry voice of the turtle calmed him down.
"Both of them still have strength left. Intervening between them now will only cost you your life in vain."
"Mmm." The cold, rational words of the turtle, Hyeongu, brought Jang Yeong back to his senses. Taking a deep breath, he nodded in gratitude. "I am fortunate to have Fellow Daoist Hyeongu by my side."
"Do not mention it. We cannot allow the relationship between Yojeong and Heukgyodo to be shaken by an incident like this."
"Of course." He knew how to look at the bigger picture. This fellow Hyeongu was not only calm, but he also possessed a keen understanding of the grand scheme of things.
"I will handle our side. Fellow Daoist Hyeongu, please take care of Fellow Daoist Jekyeong."
"Of course, I shall do so. Do not worry." Though he spoke confidently, Hyeongu was secretly unsure of himself. Yet, even if he lacked confidence, he had to do what needed to be done. His previous statement—that the relationship with Yojeong must not be ruined—was entirely sincere. Surely, the Dragon Lord shared the same sentiment.
The Dragon Lord may be temporarily swept up in the heat of the moment, but once he regains his composure, he will surely change his mind. Hyeongu knew that the Dragon Lord was as wise as he was powerful. Wisdom could be temporarily obscured by dust, but it would never vanish. Once his brief excitement subsided, the Dragon Lord would regain his cool head. Hyeongu took a deep breath and watched the battle, which was gradually losing its initial ferocity.
Boom! A trident pierced through scales, and a fang as thick as a pillar of the Black Cult Palace grazed Ha Yuseong's arm. Had his evasion been even a fraction of a second slower, his arm would have been severed completely.
"Ugh!" Even a mere graze had left his arm in tatters. Suppressing the agony, Ha Yuseong stumbled backward.
"Roaaar!" His eyes rolled back, the Black Flood Dragon roared ferociously as he pressed his opponent. Even with his reason clouded, his predatory instincts remained razor-sharp. Trading blows like wild beasts, neither missed even the slightest opening. Their bloody duel remained terrifyingly lethal, even as their strength waned.
"Aaaah!" Ha Yuseong let out a thunderous roar. Even as he was pushed back, bleeding from his wounds, a smile never left his lips. The blood of the Yaksha, which craved conflict and slaughter, boiled furiously within him. Because that blood granted him endless fighting spirit and strength, he could keep fighting no matter how exhausted or battered he became.
Yet, endless did not mean infinite. Ha Yuseong could still muster strength, but the sheer magnitude of his power had visibly diminished compared to the start of the battle. Consequently, he could not gain the upper hand against the equally exhausted Jekyeong, barely managing to maintain a tense deadlock.
"Whew. Whew." Jekyeong licked the trace of blood on his fangs and looked up. By now, his reason had returned to some extent. Perhaps it was due to his depleted strength, the throbbing pain radiating from various parts of his body, or perhaps the sharp, metallic taste of the blood he had just savored.
What a persistent bastard! Jekyeong now shared the exact same thought Ha Yuseong had held about him earlier. He had not realized it in the heat of the moment, but now that his head had cooled, he saw just how monstrously tenacious Ha Yuseong was. His versatile techniques, rich combat experience, and above all, a constitution that seemed to draw more strength the longer he fought, were truly dreadful.
Of course, it was not that he actually grew stronger as the fight dragged on. It was simply that his rate of exhaustion was vastly slower than Jekyeong's, creating that illusion. But even that was terrifying enough. To call such combat endurance a mere "constitution" was an understatement; it was no exaggeration to call it a divine gift.
Even so, there must be a limit. When Jekyeong had first fiercely retaliated against Ha Yuseong's provocation, he never expected to find himself thinking this way. He knew Ha Yuseong was one of Yojeong's top powerhouses, but he had not been particularly worried. Even if he could not win, he was confident he would not be embarrassingly overwhelmed, believing they could just spar until their tempers cooled.
But how could he have known? This fellow, Ha Yuseong, defied all his expectations. His skill was formidable, but it was his temperament that truly stood out. The bastard was like a rabid dog. He lunged as if determined to fight to the bitter end, to the point where Jekyeong briefly wondered if Yojeong had genuinely decided to make an enemy of him... but seeing Jang Yeong desperately screaming for them to stop from the sidelines, he realized that was not the case. Fortunately, Yojeong still had its wits about it. The only madman here was Ha Yuseong.
Having grasped the situation, Jekyeong's patience began to wear thin. If he were to snap this rabid dog's neck today, would Yojeong truly be enraged? Initially, he had no intention of testing those waters, but after taking several heavy blows from Ha Yuseong, his mind gradually shifted. Since he had already met with the Jansu Whale King, what was the worst that could happen if he ended up facing the Simjeon Demon King as well? With the spiritual sense brand still active, it might not be a bad idea to take this opportunity to see the face of that ambitious, newly ascended Demon King.
Once his mind was made up, he hesitated no longer. Jekyeong lunged forward with genuine intent to kill. However, the rabid dog's martial prowess exceeded his expectations. Though they clashed fiercely until both of their bodies were covered in wounds, he could not overpower his opponent.
How much longer can he hold out? It was a question directed at his opponent, but also one he asked himself. Jekyeong bared his fangs fiercely, refusing to back down as he glared at Ha Yuseong, whose eyes were completely bloodshot as he grinned like a maniac. At the same time, Jekyeong cast a sidelong glance at Jang Yeong, who was hiding in the distance.
Unlike Ha Yuseong, Jekyeong had maintained a degree of rationality throughout the brutal struggle, so he had not missed the suspicious movements Jang Yeong had made from time to time. At first, he had been on guard, suspecting Jang Yeong might join forces with Ha Yuseong to strike him down. However, seeing him huddled next to Hyeongu, Jekyeong realized that was not the case. The fellow simply did not want the relationship between himself and Yojeong to completely rupture, and thus wished to stop the fight. He merely lacked the strength to intervene directly and was waiting for an opportune moment.
This aligned perfectly with Jekyeong's own desires. His head had already cooled down sufficiently. In a situation where victory was uncertain, he had no wish to keep wrestling with a rabid dog to the bitter end.
In that case... I should drain a bit more of our strength. Jekyeong clashed with Ha Yuseong once more. This time, however, he did not charge with murderous intent but instead paced himself, fighting defensively. Ha Yuseong remained aggressive, but with Jekyeong refusing to fully engage, their battle naturally devolved into a test of sheer physical endurance.
"Stop!" When Jekyeong and Ha Yuseong's breathing finally grew ragged, Jang Yeong, who had been watching with bloodshot eyes, finally bellowed and threw himself between them.
"Both of you, stop! Must you shed blood over a trivial dispute?!" Jang Yeong's intervention was timely, but his words were utterly ridiculous. Their dispute was by no means trivial, and though their heads remained attached, they had already shed plenty of blood. Yet, despite his absurd words, his actions were appropriate.
"Hmph!" Jekyeong halted his movements and glared at Ha Yuseong, whose eyes, previously filled with nothing but murderous intent, finally showed a faint glimmer of reason.
The earth-shaking battle had concluded, and the two envoys from Yojeong had departed days ago, yet the residents of Heukgyo Island still could not shake their anxiety. The simple-minded water beasts had been forced back into their daily routines under Hyeongu's strict supervision, but the more contemplative humans could not do the same.
Ju-hyeong was one of them. He was now deeply regretting his decision to follow the "Dragon Lord" to Heukgyo Island.
At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if I died at any moment. The events of a few days ago had been a disaster. While one of the two culprits behind that catastrophe had departed, the other still remained on this very island.
If the Lord so much as thrashes in his sleep one day, my life could be snuffed out. Even if an elephant has no intention of harming an ant, the ant should never dare to linger near its feet. Possessing a highly developed survival instinct, Ju-hyeong understood this truth all too well.
I cannot run away. In that case, I must find a suitable pretext. Like the other humans staying on Heukgyo Island, he had bound himself to the Dragon Lord through a blood covenant. Far from defying him, escaping was entirely out of the question. Therefore, if he wished to leave Heukgyo Island, he needed a legitimate reason.
This task was not difficult. Since arriving on Heukgyo Island, Ju-hyeong had made sure to keep a close eye on the local affairs, and he had even managed to build a few connections along the way. Of course, those connections amounted to little more than recognizing names and faces and exchanging brief greetings upon meeting... but it was still far better than having nothing at all.
Yes. Let's do it. If I stay here any longer, I won't live out my natural lifespan. Having made up his mind, Ju-hyeong immediately gathered his precious alchemical pills and spirit stones and left his house.
Heukgyo Island was vast. In the past, a sizable faction known as the Heukgyobang had occupied this place, but ever since the Dragon Lord wiped them out, only the Lord and a few of his subordinates resided on this expansive island. Ju-hyeong's house was located on the southern side of the island, and since the residence of the person he was seeking was also nearby, it did not take long after leaving his home for him to meet his "target."
"Senior Han."
"Is that you, Ju-hyeong?" Han Cheongyu, who had been sitting in meditation since early morning, nodded as he looked at the visitor.
"You are diligent today as well."
"If one does not move forward, one only regresses."
Ju-hyeong spoke in admiration. "With your cultivation being so profound, Senior Han, it is surely only a matter of time before you cross the barrier of Foundation Establishment."
"I appreciate your high regard, but the barrier of Foundation Establishment is not so easily overcome." Han Cheongyu sighed and shook his head. When he had first reached the late stage of Qi Condensation, he too had believed that Foundation Establishment was within arm's reach. However, as time passed, he came to understand why it was called a "barrier." This hurdle was truly not something just anyone could overcome. Just when he thought he was ready, a new obstacle would present itself, leaving him still lacking the confidence to make the breakthrough. All he could do was avoid rushing, taking it one step at a time each day.
"That is enough flattery. What brings you here?" Han Cheongyu knew a bit about Ju-hyeong. He had heard a brief account of his background from the Dragon Lord, and by observing Ju-hyeong's behavior, he had formed his own assessment of the man's character. This fellow was highly calculating; he would never have paid a visit without a good reason.
"Since you have already guessed, Senior, I will not beat around the bush. It has already been quite some time since I escaped that disastrous land and came here through the grace of the Dragon Lord. Having done nothing but idle about and consume the Lord's benevolence all this time, my conscience can no longer bear it. I wish to contribute what little strength I have to the Dragon Lord, to repay even a ten-thousandth of his grace."
Han Cheongyu stared at Ju-hyeong in silence for a long moment. Only when Ju-hyeong began to squirm under his gaze did he slowly speak.
"...Do you have a concrete plan?"
"I wish to board a vessel, patrol the waters, and widely proclaim the benevolence of the Dragon Lord."
Han Cheongyu nodded. "I shall report this to the Dragon Lord. There should be no issue."
"Thank you!" Ju-hyeong bowed deeply once more, a broad smile spreading across his face.
"Is that so?" Jekyeong fell into deep thought upon hearing Han Cheongyu's report. Ju-hyeong's desire to go out and work was unexpected, but not incomprehensible. Naturally, Jekyeong did not believe a single word about wanting to repay his grace. Jekyeong kept his thoughts simple.