A Shift in the Balance
'I will find out soon enough.'
Whatever it was, it was clear that something highly unusual was afoot. With so many others likely noticing the anomaly as well, news would surely reach him even if he didn't actively seek it out. Regardless, he had to stay sharp. When quiet waters are violently stirred, all sorts of creatures are bound to rise up and cause a ruckus.
"Hyeongu."
"Yes, Lord Dragon."
Hyeongu quickly approached and prostrated himself. Though not to the same extent as Jekyeong, the Great Demon also seemed to have sensed something faintly, his expression clouded with confusion.
"Go to Yojeong. Meet Jang Yeong and feel him out."
"By feeling him out, you mean..."
"See if he knows anything, or if he has any suspicions."
"Understood."
Jekyeong watched Hyeongu scurry away, feeling quite satisfied. To carry out orders without asking unnecessary questions even when curious—what an exemplary subordinate.
"Jekyeong! Jekyeong! What was that just now?"
On the other hand, how insolent was this talkative crow? Having plopped its rear right onto his head, it was already pecking at him simply because his response was slightly delayed while he was lost in thought.
Granted, this fellow wasn't exactly his subordinate, but was it normal to peck at someone's head with all its might? Well, even if this tiny creature pecked at him for a hundred days, he wouldn't feel so much as an itch.
"It was likely a clash."
"A clash? A fight?"
"Yes. Most likely."
Jekyeong was more than ninety percent certain that the Yokai of Muryangae had entered Yangseo Lake. Whether it was the Demon King who had driven out the Heumwon clan or one of the powerful figures beneath him, he couldn't be sure...
'If one side is the Yokai of Muryangae, who is the other?'
Was it the Demon King of the Heumwon clan who had been wandering outside Yojeong? Or a Golden Core cultivator of the human race?
'When a violent storm rages, the best course of action is to lock the doors and stay inside.'
From that perspective, leaving Yangseo Lake immediately to spend some quiet time elsewhere—like Jimagwon—would be an excellent option. If the shadow of Docheol weren't looming over his head, he would have undoubtedly gathered Cheongo, Muk-su, and a few of his favored subordinates to prepare for a long journey to Jimagwon.
'What a pity.'
What one cannot have always seems more precious, and what remains unaccomplished always feels more regrettable. Jekyeong was no exception. The Malevolent God, Docheol. Just thinking of that name, of that writhing, hideous mass of flesh, made his very soul freeze.
Only after an unknown amount of time had passed and the terrifying dread had subsided did a belated anger surge hotly within him. But it was short-lived. Jekyeong knew all too well that nothing was more meaningless than anger with nowhere to go.
Ultimately, the answer to the problem was simple. An ant's troubles exist because it is an ant; if the ant becomes an elephant, all its troubles will be resolved. Of course, an elephant would have its own elephant-sized troubles, but that was a matter to consider when the time came. No, in truth, there was no need to consider it at all.
'Because no matter the problem, the answer is always the same.'
Jekyeong resumed his cultivation in the quiet Black Cult Palace. Ten days later, Hyeongu returned, looking visibly exhausted. Jekyeong tossed him two alchemical pills, and Hyeongu bowed deeply in profound gratitude.
"Lord Dragon. As you commanded, I felt out Jang Yeong. He definitely seemed to know something. He asked me to convey a message to you."
"Did he tell me to prepare?"
When Jekyeong asked nonchalantly, Hyeongu's eyes, which were quite small compared to his body, doubled in size.
"You are truly wise, Lord Dragon! Your unfathomable wisdom is something a humble turtle like myself could never hope to comprehend..."
After telling the flattering turtle to go get some rest, Jekyeong pondered Jang Yeong's message. To prepare? Had he already grasped the full scope of the situation? Then again, since Jang Yeong had a Demon King for a father, it wasn't surprising that he knew more than most.
'Prepare. Of course I must prepare.'
But prepare for what? If the pursuer from Muryangae had already arrived at Yangseo Lake, there was no way the Heumwon clan didn't know. How would they react? Would they flee again, or would they stand and fight bravely to protect the home they had worked so hard to establish? Sending Hyeongu to feel out Jang Yeong had been to gauge their attitude, but it seemed it was still too early. Or perhaps the Heumwon clan was moving with enough caution that others had yet to notice.
"Fellow Daoist."
Not even a day after Hyeongu's return, Myeong-ha personally visited Heukgyodo. The fact that he had come in person instead of sending a Lost-Soul Puppet allowed Jekyeong to gauge just how seriously he took this matter.
"It has begun."
"Are you certain?"
Jekyeong asked back skeptically, looking at Myeong-ha, who spoke with absolute certainty.
"The human sects and clans have all reacted simultaneously. The same goes for the high-cultivation rogue cultivators. In the span of a few days, numerous meetings, both large and small, have been held all over. In particular, the Geumyang Sect and the Myeongseomun Sect have activated their Mountain-Protecting Grand Arrays and even locked their mountain gates. What do you think this means?"
"..."
It meant their wariness had reached its absolute peak. What else could it mean?
"I heard Jusongtan has been thrown into massive turmoil. The terrain has shifted in various places, whirlpools have formed, and the flow of spiritual energy has become such a chaotic mess that entering the area is completely out of the question."
Jusongtan. It was an unfamiliar name, but Jekyeong knew it was the border dividing the Jusong Sea Region and the Human Territory. And the Jusong Sea Region... wasn't that the domain of the Gakchung Clan?
"Nine times out of ten, the ones who clashed with the pursuer from Muryangae are the Gakchung Clan."
Jekyeong kept his mouth shut, unsure of what to say. The pursuer from Muryangae had clashed with the Gakchung Clan the moment they entered Yangseo Lake? Had the Gakchung Clan joined hands with the Heumwon clan? Or had the pursuer from Muryangae simply knocked on the master's door as soon as they arrived in this unfamiliar cultivation world? But seeing how Jusongtan had turned into a barren wasteland, it seemed like far more than a simple knock...
'Just what on earth is going on?'
His mind was in a state of confusion, but time would not wait for him. The events had already unfolded, and the situation was beginning to change rapidly. Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to keep pace.
"I have an acquaintance in Yojeong."
When Jekyeong spoke, Myeong-ha immediately showed interest.
"Oh? Do you mean the child of the Simjeon Demon King?"
"Yes."
Jekyeong didn't find it strange that Myeong-ha knew of Jang Yeong. This fellow had an almost unfathomable number of eyes and ears.
"Mu-ara wishes to stand on his own. Perhaps we can cooperate with them."
"Excellent. In that case, let us discuss that in more detail."
That day, Jekyeong and Myeong-ha conversed for a long time.
Jekyeong, under the nominal backing of Sobyeok Ikwang, waited for Jang Yeong to deliver more concrete news, but he soon realized there was no need.
The Jusong Sea Region was the domain of the Gakchung Clan, a forbidden area where outsiders dared not set foot. At the very least, because Jusongtan was on the border of the Human Territory, humans could observe the situation from afar. However, what transpired deep within the Jusong Sea Region was not something they could ever know.
Thus, at first, nothing was known about what had occurred in the Jusong Sea Region. However, when the 'disaster' that had turned the Jusong Sea Region upside down boldly crossed the Human Territory shortly after, dyeing the midday sky as dark as midnight, the humans were forced to learn of it whether they wanted to or not.
They did not dare look directly at it. Those who bravely—or recklessly—raised their heads to look directly at it all paid a terrible price. Some went mad, while others wailed like beasts, bleeding from their seven orifices until their breath ceased.
Still, the majority of the humans followed their instinctual warnings and bowed their heads, allowing them to remain safe, save for an unfortunate few. The unfortunate few referred to those who were in high places or possessed an exceptionally sharp, innate spiritual perception. Because they sensed it more closely and clearly, they were more heavily affected.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, it might have ended with their souls temporarily shrinking in fear. But what about Qi Condensation cultivators? A cool breeze to a Foundation Establishment cultivator was like a flesh-tearing, freezing wind to them. Yet, if it was a shock that left even Foundation Establishment cultivators dazed...
'To think they showed absolutely no reaction despite such a commotion.'
The two major Golden Core sects remained silent, acting as though they had neither seen nor heard anything, even as the glaringly obvious, massive disaster swept across the Human Territory. Jekyeong immediately understood what this implied.
They had no intention of opposing that violent Demon King who had crossed over from Muryangae. At least, not until that Demon King marched straight into their sects. Until then, they would watch the situation unfold, trying to figure out what kind of bolt from the blue this was. And once they realized this bolt was aimed at Yojeong... they would likely smile in silence.
'If that happens... the balance will be shattered.'
In truth, the balance was already broken. If the Gakchung Clan hadn't kept the humans in check, the demon territory would have shrunk to less than half its size by now. But what about this time? What if the Heumwon clan fell, and Yojeong collapsed?
Even if the Simjeon Demon King, Mu-ara, survived, he could not support Yojeong on his own. He had been able to establish Yojeong not because of his own meager strength, but because he had the backing of the Heumwon clan. Without that backing... he would have to worry about the wrath of the Jansu Whale King long before he ever had to worry about the human race.
'The Gakchung Clan might be reluctant, but if the balance of power collapses to this extent... unless they openly oppress them, they won't be able to stop the expansion of the human race.'
Would the Gakchung Clan really go so far as to make themselves semi-hostile to the humans just to stop them? More importantly, did they even have the leeway to do so right now?
"They are shaken," Jang Yeong said in a low, subtle tone when he visited again. Though he tried his best to suppress it, the excitement leaking through his voice betrayed his emotions.
"The one descending across the Human Territory is indeed the Demon King from Muryangae. The reason he has come here is to reclaim the Heumwon."
Jang Yeong whispered in a low voice, as if revealing a grand secret. Well, it was indeed a grand secret. The only problem was that the secret wasn't exactly news to Jekyeong.
"A Demon King of Muryangae?"
"Indeed. He must have tracked down the Heumwon."
"Have you already made contact with him?"
"Not yet. We are waiting for the right opportunity."
Jang Yeong informed him that the Heumwon clan had gathered in Yojeong and were preparing to activate their defensive grand array.
"It seems they plan to lock the gates and hold out. Once the defensive grand array is activated, even a powerful Demon King won't be able to do anything to them."
"What difference does it make if they just shut themselves in and endure?"
"I do not know either. But it seems they have a plan."
The Demon King of Muryangae was slowly heading south, making no effort to hide his presence. Unless he had suffered severe injuries from his clash with the Gakchung Clan, his intention was clear. He was putting pressure on the Heumwon clan, waiting for them to react. And the Heumwon clan's response to that was to shut themselves in and hold out.
According to Jang Yeong, they had already begun stockpiling massive amounts of resources in the Seongya Archipelago, enough for the demons currently residing there to easily last ten years.
"What do you want me to do? Surely you aren't asking me to stand on the side of the Simjeon Demon King and fight the Heumwon?"
"Of course not," Jang Yeong shook his head as if the idea was preposterous. "I would never ask you to take such a risk, Fellow Daoist. We will handle the matter of the Heumwon ourselves. However, I would like to ask you to handle what comes after."
"What comes after?"
"As you know, Fellow Daoist, once the Heumwon are driven out, the military strength of the demon race will be greatly reduced."
What I can think of, others can think of as well.