Washing Blood with Blood
Choi Ju-tang fell silent. He parted his lips a few times before finally asking with hesitation, "...Is his condition that bad?"
"His temper has flared up terribly. If things go on like this, he'll blow up again."
"Sigh." A heavy sigh was followed by a long silence.
"So, there is no other way."
"Yeah. It's already been decided."
Choi Ju-tang cast his gaze out the tavern window. The bustling city was slowly preparing for the night. Its dynamic energy gave the illusion that the entire city was a living, breathing entity.
Decades had passed since the destruction of Beonseo Island. And for three hundred years before that, the lives and deaths of countless cultivators had built this magnificent city. Soon, it too would be reduced to ashes and vanish.
He felt neither surprise nor fear. Choi Ju-tang accepted the fact with relative composure. He knew it was inevitable—like a natural disaster. In the face of a colossal, indifferent phenomenon, the feelings of living beings held absolutely no value.
"And him? Has he already departed?"
"I don't know."
Cheongo, who had finished its own share long ago, slyly reached toward the refreshments placed on Choi Ju-tang's side. The entire plate of pastries floated over to the bird. Watching this, Choi Ju-tang's lips twitched, and he asked in a low voice, "...Should I order more?"
"Yes!"
Bul-mang-won.
Jekyeong deliberately ignored the blatant disapproval radiating from Yu Gon and asked, "I do not know if this has any meaning."
"If you doubt it, then don't believe it. Did anyone force you to?"
"Does suppressing terror with terror actually work?"
"Do you expect to be full from the first bite? Talk about greedy."
Their conversation ran in parallel lines. It was only because Jekyeong had reached the Core Formation realm and become a Demon King that Yu Gon showed him this much courtesy; in the past, he would have been kicked out long ago.
"Did you think demonic obsession was something you could shake off so easily? Moreover, you suffered a qi deviation when breaking through your realm—at the very moment a cultivator is most vulnerable. You should count yourself lucky you didn't degenerate completely into a demonic beast."
After returning from Jimagwon, Jekyeong had sought Yu Gon's advice to resolve the inner fire that refused to die down. Upon hearing the whole story, Yu Gon had mocked him mercilessly, saying he hadn't seen such an idiot in a long time, before offering a single solution.
But that solution was simply to endure and endure until the moment he absolutely couldn't hold it in anymore, and then unleash it all in one clean burst. It sounded absurd, but having no other choice, Jekyeong followed the advice. As a result, a prosperous island in the Human Territory vanished.
Washing blood with blood.
After successfully breaking through in Jimagwon, Jekyeong had struggled for a long time to suppress his demonic obsession. It was fortunate that Cheongo had constantly assisted him; otherwise, disasters would have been nonstop. He might have even succumbed to qi deviation once again.
However, Cheongo's fanning had its limits. In the end, the Summer-Chasing Fan was merely a Dharma Treasure, and its efficacy was not particularly extraordinary. Later, Jekyeong searched the Human Territory of Yangseo Lake and inquired through the Yeongbu Merchant Alliance for items and elixirs with similar effects.
But the conclusion he reached was that no miraculous external object could serve as a fundamental solution. Demonic obsession was like an endlessly growing monster; using external power to lop off its head would only buy a brief moment of respite. The roots of the demonic obsession, which dug deep into his soul, had to be dealt with through his own strength.
Yu Gon had told Jekyeong to have sufficient patience.
"Even if you forced your cultivation by drinking poison, a Demon King is still a Demon King. Besides... if you truly awakened your dragon bloodline, your lifespan will be at the absolute peak even among Demon Kings."
Yu Gon had also said:
"You have plenty of time, so cast away your impatience and anxiety, and master your mind. Since the demonic obsession has already taken root, qi deviation is unavoidable, but it can be delayed. Wash blood with blood, delaying and delaying it until you can overcome it on your own."
Jekyeong did exactly as he was told. Spending spirit stones like water, he endured as long as he could with the help of external items sourced from all over. When he reached the absolute limit of his endurance, he went out. He slaughtered tens, hundreds of thousands of living beings, cooling his demonic obsession with their blood.
The incident threw not only the Human Territory but the entirety of Yangseo Lake into an uproar, but Jekyeong was unaware of it. Even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. Though he was somewhat flawed, he was still a genuine Demon King who had achieved Core Formation. He now stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Yangseo Lake cultivation world. Neither human Golden Core cultivators nor even the Insect Mother would seek him out over a minor matter like a single vanished island.
'It was quiet back then, too.'
When he had destroyed Beonseo Island in the past, Jekyeong had regained his senses late and remained on guard, expecting human Golden Core cultivators to come after him. Yet, to his surprise, his anxiety proved entirely groundless; nothing happened. Forget Golden Core cultivators, not even a single Foundation Establishment cultivator showed their face. The only one who came was Myeong-ha's Lost-Soul Puppet. Quick-witted as always, Myeong-ha had immediately sensed something was amiss and rushed over—though even then, he didn't come in his true body, sending a Lost-Soul Puppet instead to assess the situation.
"My congratulations."
His satisfaction at being treated with such polite respect as a senior was short-lived. Hearing Myeong-ha use his puppet to flatter him with terms like "senior" and "Demon King" made Jekyeong's skin crawl, so they eventually agreed to speak to each other as they had before.
Of course, even though they said that, both Jekyeong and Myeong-ha knew they could never truly return to how things were. Jekyeong, in particular, felt this deeply. Among humans, it was often said that Foundation Establishment cultivators viewed anyone below them as mere insects, and Golden Core cultivators viewed everyone below them the same way. It wasn't out of arrogance; to their eyes, that was simply the reality.
A mouse might look at an ant and call it a mere insect, but wouldn't that same ant look like nothing to an elephant? The gap between cultivators was even vaster. Having ascended to the Core Formation realm, Jekyeong's perspective had inevitably shifted to a completely different plane.
"Are you planning to cause trouble again?" Myeong-ha had asked during a visit. His tone was respectful, as if addressing a superior, but his smiling face and cunningly glinting eyes held no genuine humility.
"How did you know?" Jekyeong didn't deny it. He had no desire to, and there was no point.
"I saw a clever crow flying north."
"Did you happen to see it, or were you watching for it?"
"Is there a difference?"
Jekyeong closed his eyes indifferently. Part of it was that his desire to argue had cooled in the face of Myeong-ha's consistent shamelessness, but more than that, his demonic obsession was beginning to seethe. Sensing the shift, Myeong-ha immediately dropped his smile and adopted a cautious stance.
"I will do my best not to get in your way."
"Do as you please," Jekyeong replied indifferently, lifting his head. Starlight poured in through the open ceiling.
"You may leave now. I assume I don't need to notify you of the timing."
"Of course."
After Myeong-ha retreated as if fleeing, Jekyeong stared up at the glowing sky for a long time, calming his mind.
"Father. Isn't this too dangerous after all?"
"What do you mean dangerous! You're as big as a mountain, yet you're so damn cowardly!"
Hyeongu barked at his hesitating son. Every time he looked at him, Hyeongu thought the world was incredibly unfair. Where in the world did you find someone who broke through to the Great Yao realm while snoring in his sleep?
No matter how easily the Beast Race broke through realms by relying on their bloodline, a breakthrough was still a breakthrough. It was only normal for it to be accompanied by its own share of difficulty and pain. Yet this fellow...
"Then stay behind. I will go alone."
As Hyeongu turned around without regret, Bigu's eyes rolled around. 'Damn brat. He only gets clever at times like this.' Even with his back turned, Hyeongu felt as if he could clearly hear the sound of Bigu's eyes rolling. Seeing his father's firm attitude, Bigu must have realized that this was a guaranteed opportunity to fill his belly. His hesitation was likely because he couldn't gauge the level of danger and hassle that would follow.
"Father. If it looks dangerous, can I run away first?"
"Of course! You absolutely should! Don't worry about whether your old father lives or dies, just make sure to preserve that big, fat body of yours!"
Hyeongu barked with the same intensity as before, but this time his voice was laced with clear anger and disappointment. Realizing his mistake, Bigu quickly stepped forward, despite his massive size, and hugged Hyeongu.
Crack! However, because the difference in their sizes was so vast, the moment Bigu's massive foreleg wrapped around Hyeongu, a sound like something snapping echoed out.
"Gah! Let go, let go of me! You unfilial brat! Are you trying to kill your father?!"
At the frantic scream, Bigu sheepishly loosened his grip, but Hyeongu still couldn't escape his son's embrace. As a proud Great Yao, Hyeongu had built a solid foundation while filling his belly over the years, making his size incomparable to ordinary turtles. Of course, he couldn't compare to the true physical-type Great Yao, but he was still around average.
Yet Bigu, who had become a Great Yao while talking in his sleep, made him look like a newborn baby. His body was so massive that even true physical-type Great Yao wouldn't dare approach him. Even the Lord Dragon back when he was in the same realm...
'No, what blasphemous thoughts am I having?'
The Lord Dragon's majesty did not lie in the size of his body. Furthermore, the Lord Dragon had awakened his dragon bloodline and reborn as a true Gyoryong. How could he compare him to this foolish, cowardly, dull, slow-witted, and unfilial brat? The pain from moments ago must have temporarily scrambled his brain.
"Don't worry, Father. If anything happens, I'll protect you!"
Hyeongu would sooner believe Bigu promising to eat only four meals a day than believe those words. He clicked his tongue inwardly, but outwardly, he patted his son's head and offered words of encouragement. Escaping the brat's embrace was his top priority, so he would say anything to achieve it.
"Elder Muk-su has also agreed to go with us, so you must attend to him. Make absolutely sure you do not make any mistakes."
"Yes."
"..."
"..."
"What are you doing standing there?"
"Huh? Am I leaving now?"
"...Yes."
"Okay. See you later, then."
Bigu turned around and lumbered away. His departure looked as if a small island were moving. In fact, when Bigu had once slept with a portion of his shell exposed above the water, passing humans had mistaken him for an island and anchored their boat on him. Of course, they had fled in terror upon seeing the island shake (his sleep-talking) and the surrounding water boil (his snoring). Since then, tales of a "living island" had been added to the countless rumors circulating in the cultivation world.
"Lord Muk-su!" Arriving in front of a small island south of Heukgyodo, Bigu poked his head above the water.
"Fat turtle. It has been a while."
"Hehe. Yes. It's been a long time."