The Gathering Storm over the Lake
As Jekyeong's razor-sharp fangs sank deep into its flesh, the demon bird snapped back to its senses, but it was already too late. Although the demon bird possessed a massive body that could easily be called a monster compared to Cheongo, and a strength to match, it was nothing more than a fragile sparrow before Jekyeong.
"Screeech!" Clamping down on the shrieking demon bird, Jekyeong submerged deep into the water. He intended to interrogate this creature. Although it didn't seem particularly intelligent, it was still a Great Demon, so some level of communication should be possible. Jekyeong wanted to know if it had come from Muryangae, and if so, whether its arrival in the Heukgyo Water Territory was a mere coincidence or something more.
Gurgle! Plunged into the depths, the demon bird thrashed violently, squeezing out every ounce of its remaining strength. It must have instinctively realized that if it kept being dragged down like this, there would be no hope left. But how could a mere sparrow, no matter how desperately it struggled, escape the maw of a giant serpent? Jekyeong simply let the demon bird struggle. No matter how hard an egg strikes a rock, it is the egg that breaks, not the rock. At some point, the demon bird seemed to realize this as well; it stopped resisting and went completely limp. Jekyeong could feel the fear and despair slowly creeping out from the creature.
Having completely subdued the demon bird, Jekyeong tore its wings halfway to prevent any escape and dragged it back to the Black Cult Palace. Along the way, an incredibly smug Cheongo perched on Jekyeong's head, chattering incessantly.
"I was just enjoying the breeze like usual, and then this guy suddenly lunged at me! I kept telling him I didn't want to fight, but he just wouldn't listen!"
Cheongo had been quite furious at first, but seeing the demon bird reduced to a half-dead state mollified the spiritual bird slightly. The creature was already miserable enough and bound to die anyway. There was no point in staying angry at a dying beast.
"What are you going to do with him? Can I eat him?"
"After I'm done with him."
Cheongo nodded in satisfaction. Deep within the Black Cult Palace, Jekyeong interrogated the demon bird. The process was no different from interrogating a human. First, Jekyeong questioned it verbally, and then, with Cheongo's assistance, performed a Soul Search. The interrogation went smoothly and successfully. The demon bird was a textbook Great Demon Beast—meaning it possessed rather low intelligence and strong primal instincts. Under a moderate amount of pain and threats, it spilled everything. By the time the verbal questioning was over, Jekyeong felt a Soul Search might be redundant, but he proceeded with it anyway just to be absolutely sure. As expected, the information obtained through the Soul Search perfectly matched the verbal confession.
This demon bird had indeed come from Muryangae, and its arrival in the Heukgyo Water Territory was pure coincidence. Originally, it had tried to settle down in a suitable spot elsewhere, but after being chased away by a rival, it had no choice but to wander in search of prey. Following its food source, it had eventually drifted all the way to the Heukgyo Water Territory. As for the overall movements of the Beast Race migrating from Muryangae, there was nothing to be gleaned. This ignorant birdbrain simply hadn't paid attention to such matters. To reiterate, it was a very standard Great Demon Beast, and an unintelligent bird at that. Its behavioral patterns were far closer to a wild beast than a cultivator.
"That is baseless racial discrimination!" Cheongo shrieked in anger, pointing at itself with the tip of its wing.
Jekyeong had no intention of arguing with an intelligent birdbrain, so he replied nonchalantly.
"Most birdbrains are stupid. You are simply the exception."
Cheongo snorted, but looked quite pleased. The sense of exclusivity carried by the word "exception" seemed to taste rather sweet.
"So we're all done now, right? I can eat him, right?"
"Go ahead."
It had been a long time since Jekyeong had seen Cheongo show such greed for food. If his memory served him right, it was the first time since Cheongo had reached the Great Yao realm.
Is it simply because it's angry, or did it sense something else?
Actually, it wasn't that strange. After all, Cheongo was also a spiritual bird. Since the path of blood food was the very source of the Beast Race's power, it was entirely natural for Cheongo to react this way if it sensed something beneficial within that demon bird.
Jekyeong quietly watched Cheongo, who was tearing into the meat and hastily spitting out feathers, before turning his gaze away. His mind was currently in a tangle. He had just realized something he had overlooked until now.
Until now, he had believed the Heukgyo Water Territory was safe—or at least, that it would remain so for the time being. He had assumed that for the beasts of Muryangae to reach this place, they would have to cross numerous other waters, where they would naturally be blocked by the local Great Demons.
The beasts migrating from Muryangae aren't just aquatic monsters. In fact, aquatic monsters might only make up a small fraction of them.
Come to think of it, even the Heumwon clan weren't aquatic monsters. According to what he had heard before, though they couldn't strictly be classified as demon birds, their habits were not much different. Their primary stage was the sky, and their domains were high mountains and dry land.
Was that also why Mu-ara allied with them?
Of course, his primary motivation must have been his desire to break through to the Yao King realm, and perhaps he lacked the courage to defy a mighty power like the Heumwon clan. But that couldn't have been all. Mu-ara was a scheming creature, so he must have planned for what would happen after stabbing the Jansu Whale King in the back. As an aquatic monster himself, his interests would rarely clash with the Heumwon clan, who operated outside the water. Mu-ara had undoubtedly taken this into account before joining hands with them.
Could I do the same?
Jekyeong asked himself, and quickly found the answer. He could not. Perhaps in the past, but not now. The foundation he had built for his future cultivation was entirely outside the water, and he could not afford to abandon it.
I must find a way. This incident is only the beginning. In a sense, it's a vaccine. Thanks to this, I've been alerted, and I've bought myself at least a little more time to prepare.
So, what do I do?
Coiling his massive body, Jekyeong sank deep into thought. Behind him, the sound of tearing flesh echoed like white noise for quite some time.
While diligently patrolling his territory, Jekyeong contacted Choi Ju-tang to ask if he could purchase a formation through the Yeongbu Merchant Alliance. However, this time, it wasn't a standard formation he wanted, but a large-scale one capable of covering an entire water territory.
"Uh... I will look into it for now."
Choi Ju-tang, whose face had brightened at the mention of acquiring a formation, immediately shifted his tone upon hearing Jekyeong's specific requirements. Though he was practically a layman when it came to formations, even he could tell that Jekyeong's request was far from ordinary.
"If you can obtain it, I will pay you handsomely."
"Mmm, I shall do my best."
Meanwhile, Jekyeong also contacted Han Cheongyu, though he didn't hold high expectations. He knew a formation capable of covering an entire water territory was not something an early Foundation Establishment cultivator could easily obtain. Thus, while handing down the order, he made sure to add that Han Cheongyu should absolutely not overextend himself.
"A detection formation that can cover an entire water territory? Such a thing is incredibly difficult to obtain."
Even Myeong-ha, who rarely lost his composure, showed a look of difficulty this time.
"I understand what you are worried about, Fellow Daoist, but protecting an entire water territory seems somewhat unrealistic."
Jekyeong guessed Myeong-ha's meaning. He was advising him to narrow down the targets that needed protection and concentrate his strength there.
"What we must protect are your island, Haeyeon Island, and the waterway leading from Haeyeon Island to the Human Territory. Ah, and of course, those few islands you pay special attention to."
After a brief silence, Jekyeong gave a heavy nod.
Ten years. It was a long time to some, and short to others, but it was certainly not enough time for the chaos of Yangseo Lake to subside. The turmoil that had started in Muryangae swept across the entire demon territory in an instant and even spilled over into the Human Territory. Countless cultivators perished, and factions great and small crumbled. Among them were not a few so-called prestigious sects that had endured for hundreds of years.
"Prestigious?" mocked a young man standing with his hands clasped behind his back. From afar, he possessed handsome features, but up close, his skin was webbed with fine, crack-like fissures, giving him a bizarre and grotesque appearance.
"They are nothing more than discarded pawns."
"Discarded pawns?" asked a hulking man standing blankly behind the youth. Of his four eyes—two below his cheekbones and two above—three were fixed on the young man.
"Think about it. Weren't all those who got wiped out the ones busy boasting and trying to plant their flags everywhere?"
"Uh... I don't really know. I don't have much interest in humans." At the man's simple-minded reply, the youth clicked his tongue.
"You should start paying attention from now on. They are our competitors, after all."
"Competitors? Heh." At the man's scoff, the youth's expression turned serious.
"Face reality. Our current situation is no different from homeless dogs. We haven't even managed to secure a proper foothold here, so do we really have the right to laugh at them?"
"I was foolish. Please forgive me, Young Master." As the subordinate shrank back and bowed his head, the Young Master continued in a displeased tone.
"Cast aside your arrogance. We haven't even properly seized this small demon territory, let alone Yangseo Lake."
"That may be true for now, but isn't it only a matter of time?"
"Is it really? The Jansu Whale King is no pushover. Father said he possesses a rare treasure. That timid whale's hidden strength is far greater than what meets the eye. Besides... we must also keep an eye on Mu-ara."
"What do you mean by that?"
Although the Simjeon Demon King, Mu-ara, still held the position of the First Palace Master of Yojeong, that paltry title was all he had left. Currently, Yojeong housed four Demon Kings, and above them was the Grand Palace Master. Thus, the title of Yojeong's First Palace Master held nothing but symbolic meaning today. Yojeong, which had once divided the Yangseo Lake territory with Gyeongwang Palace, had now become the enterprise of the Heumwon clan, and the Simjeon Demon King, Mu-ara, had degenerated into their running dog. This was the common consensus both inside and outside Yojeong.
"Do not underestimate him. He is a deep thinker and highly ambitious."
"Would that really be a problem? If he makes you uncomfortable, can't we just eliminate him?"
"Perhaps one day we will. But not right now."
While they conversed, their vessel steadily cut through the waves. At some point, a dense fog had begun to drift in, shrouding their surroundings and blocking their vision.
"Is it a formation?"
"Yes, and a rather decent one at that." The youth tried to peer through the thick fog, but failed. At least in this state, he could not shake off the formation's influence.
Is it a human formation? Even though it was a simple Cloud and Mist Array, it was distinctly different from the crude, poorly imitated formations of the Beast Race. At that moment, the youth recalled the rumors he had heard. The master of Haeyeon Island, the Ghost Spider. Yet, no one knew exactly who the Ghost Spider was. Let alone his appearance, it was unknown whether he was human or beast, or what his cultivation realm was. Some even claimed that the Ghost Spider was merely a fake identity put up by the Black Flood Dragon. However, it was an undeniable fact that some sort of relationship existed between the Ghost Spider and the Black Flood Dragon, and because of this, Haeyeon Island enjoyed the protection of the Black Flood Dragon. After all, Haeyeon Island was located right inside the Heukgyo Water Territory, and the Black Flood Dragon himself had shown his face on the island several times. What was that if not protection?
"Will we be able to see him this time?"
"Who knows." For a Great Demon who ruled over an entire water territory, the Black Flood Dragon was exceptionally elusive. He mostly showed himself only when intruders appeared, and over the past ten years, the number of Great Demons he had slaughtered exceeded dozens. Among them were several renowned Great Demons of the late Great Yao stage, so there was hardly any beast in Yangseo Lake today who had not heard of the Black Flood Dragon's fearsome reputation.
"So that is Haeyeon Island." Through the thick mist rising from the water, the blurry silhouette of an island came into view.
"How much?"
"Five low-grade spirit stones."
"That's absurd! Are you even trying to do business?"
"Is your head just for decoration? If I didn't want to do business, why would I be standing here?" the middle-aged cultivator sneered, curling one corner of his mouth. At his words, the young cultivator holding the jade slip scowled deeply.