Fueling the Flames of Greed

A monstrous pressure bore down on Jang Yeong, threatening to crush him to pieces. As he lay sprawled on the ground, unable to even breathe properly, the cheerful caw of a crow echoed from above.

Humans possessed a vast array of useful methods. Setting aside their renowned cultivation arts, even their various secret techniques like the Presence-Concealing Technique and Soul-Searching were incredibly convenient. How efficient it was to directly search an opponent's soul to extract ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠information, completely bypassing the need for tedious interrogation or torture.

Yet, the Beast Race rarely paid much attention to these useful human heritages. Was it because they were too foolish to recognize their utility? That was certainly possible. Even a Great Demon was merely a step or two removed from a wild beast; they lacked the discernment and intellect to distinguish gold from stone. However, it was a different story once one reached the level of a Demon King. They likely understood the utility of human heritages, but had given up on them due to a lack of means.

Secret techniques were kept secret for a reason. The excessively powerful and wild Monster Power of beasts was ill-suited for mimicking the delicate methods of humans. Soul-Searching was one such technique. To search an opponent's soul and extract the desired information, delicate control of energy was essential, but Monster Power was far too coarse, making mistakes incredibly easy. To use an analogy, it was like trying to eat with chopsticks made of heavy iron clubs, or a pair of razor-sharp swords.

Jekyeong was quite confident in his control over his Monster Power, but even so, whenever he performed a delicate task like Soul-Searching, he always enlisted Cheongo's help just to be safe. If the target's cultivation was low, Cheongo would perform the Soul-Searching directly. If the target's cultivation was high, Jekyeong would do it himself with Cheongo's assistance. This time, it was the latter. Although Jang Yeong's cultivation was negligible, Jekyeong decided to take charge personally given the octopus's importance.

As Jang Yeong's eyes glazed over under Cheongo's hypnosis, Jekyeong immediately activated the Soul-Searching technique. Since he was dealing with the soul of a Great Demon who had lived for nearly a thousand years, extracting the desired information was no easy feat. It was fortunate that Jang Yeong had been rendered completely defenseless by Cheongo's hypnosis; otherwise, it would have been a grueling struggle.

Jekyeong did not rush, calmly extracting the desired information piece by piece. During the process, Jang Yeong's eyes rolled back completely and his body convulsed with increasing violence, but Jekyeong did not care in the slightest.

A moment later, having obtained all the information he wanted, Jekyeong fell into deep thought, not sparing a single glance at Jang Yeong, who had collapsed like a doll with its strings cut.

'I knew he wouldn't be so easily dealt with.'

Mu-ara was a formidable schemer who had backstabbed the Jansu Whale King, shaking up the stagnant Beast Territory and sending shockwaves through the entire cultivation world of Yangseo Lake. Although the Heumwon Clan had been backing him, and he himself was essentially a puppet they set up... not just anyone could play such a role. Furthermore, he had eventually betrayed even the Heumwon Clan in an attempt to truly grasp Yojeong in his own hands, proving he was by no means an ordinary being.

Jekyeong had never believed such a man would die so easily. However, because the great battle at the Seongya Archipelago had been so devastating, he hadn't been certain whether the schemer had survived. Fortunately, Jang Yeong's arrival had brought him the answer. Mu-ara was not dead. Though he was in poor condition, it was impossible to tell exactly how bad it was, as Mu-ara had hidden his true state even from his own son, Jang Yeong.

'So... is this a trap? Or is it...'

In Jang Yeong's memories, Mu-ara had never clearly stated his reason for sending him. He had merely told him, "Submit to the Black Flood Dragon and earn his trust." He hadn't explained at all what he was supposed to do once that trust was gained. However, considering Mu-ara's current predicament, his intentions were easy enough to guess. He likely wanted his son to procure items to aid his recovery, or to gather various pieces of intelligence...

While this was the most plausible assumption one could make on the spot, Jekyeong remained skeptical. The reason was simple: he found the scheme far too sloppy. Sending a spy who was bound to arouse suspicion in this manner was something unimaginable in the Human Territory. Since humans possessed methods like Soul-Searching, such a shallow trick would be exposed the moment it began.

Perhaps Mu-ara was ignorant of techniques like Soul-Searching, or even if he knew of them, he simply hadn't cared. This was the Beast Territory, after all, and most of the Beast Race were ignorant of such trivial human methods. If that was truly the case, it was a stroke of good fortune.

'What should I do?'

After ordering Jang Yeong to be thrown to Muk-su, Jekyeong fell into contemplation. There were many who would covet information on Mu-ara. The humans and the Jansu Whale King immediately came to mind. If he handed this information over to them, he might be able to reap a handsome reward depending on how he played his cards.

He had considered taking action himself, but ultimately decided against it. Even a cornered beast would bare its fangs, let alone a Demon King. Moreover, Mu-ara was no ordinary Demon King; he was an extraordinary one possessing a sharp, calculating mind. Jekyeong did not believe for a second that such a being wouldn't have a hidden trump card. The only things to be gained from capturing Mu-ara were various materials and perhaps a bit of uncertain information. On the other hand, the risks involved were entirely unknown, and Jekyeong had no desire to test those dangers himself.

Thus, he decided to leak the information to others. As for who to leak it to... that required a bit more thought. However, he didn't have much time. Since Mu-ara had sent Jang Yeong, it wouldn't be long before he tried to check on his progress. Therefore, Jekyeong had to set things in motion before Mu-ara recalled his son.

'Looking at where the bastard is hiding... he seems more worried about the Jansu Whale King than the humans.'

Mu-ara's hiding spot was a body of water quite far northwest of the Seongya Archipelago—still within the Beast Territory, but not far from the Human Territory. He was lurking at the very bottom of those waters, keeping his senses keenly attuned to the movements of the outside world.

'The humans would be a better choice than the Jansu Whale King.'

Jekyeong was certain that Mu-ara had left eyes and ears around the Black Cult Palace. Under such circumstances, if he tried to stir the Jansu Whale King into action, Mu-ara might catch wind of it first and flee. In that case, it would be far better to manipulate the humans. It was simpler, and even if the plot was exposed, it could easily be brushed off. After all, human cultivators flocking with bloodshot eyes to hunt a weakened Demon King ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was as natural as jackals gathering at the scent of blood.

Human Territory. Buhwansedo.

"I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes! An aquatic beast several times larger than the Yeongbu Merchant Group's regular trading vessel was wrapped in tentacles and dragged down in an instant! Its screams made everyone's ears bleed, and countless bastards fainted on the spot!"

A red-faced man shouted, slamming his cup onto the table repeatedly. A few patrons, irritated by the commotion, stepped forward to complain, but a middle-aged man beat them to it. The razor-sharp aura radiating from him instantly silenced their grievances.

"An aquatic beast larger than a Yeongbu Merchant Group trading vessel?"

The man, whose mind had been half-addled by alcohol, snapped out of his stupor under the middle-aged man's sharp pressure. "Y-yes, that's right."

"And such a creature was bound by tentacles and dragged down?"

"Yes, absolutely! I saw it clearly with these two eyes! There are a few others who witnessed it besides me!"

The middle-aged man was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Having wandered from place to place for decades, he was quite knowledgeable. Naturally, he knew exactly what the Yeongbu Merchant Group's regular trading vessels looked like, and how massive and sturdy they were. An aquatic beast several times larger than such a vessel was undoubtedly a Great Demon. And if such a Great Demon had been dragged away without being able to put up a shred of resistance, those tentacles... 'Could it be?'

He recalled the Great Human-Demon War of the past. Back then, he had been a mere Qi Condensation cultivator, but he had still overheard plenty of rumors. For instance, the stories about the two Demon Kings who had led the Beast Race. 'Still... I must verify this first.'

He quietly left his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seat. A short while later, as soon as the drunken man stepped out of the tavern and entered a deserted alleyway, the cultivator subdued him in a single motion. Right then and there, he brutally performed a Soul Search on the man to verify the truth of the information.

'It's real.' Perhaps due to sheer terror, or perhaps due to the residual Monster Power of the thrashing Great Demon, the man's memories were somewhat chaotic and fragmented in places. However, a few scenes were crystal clear: the sight of a Great Demon struggling desperately as it was coiled by massive tentacles, and a storm so violent it completely obscured one's vision. Even though he was only catching glimpses through a Soul Search, the overwhelming spectacle made his skin crawl.

'There's no mistake.' The middle-aged man's heart pounded. If his suspicions were correct, this was information regarding a Demon King—specifically, the one who had gone missing during that mysterious war. For a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like himself, such information was of little practical use, but the Cultivator Alliance was a different story. If he delivered this intelligence to them, they would undoubtedly bestow a handsome reward upon him.

'I must hurry. But first... I need to silence the loose lips.' The middle-aged man's eyes grew cold. Suppressing his killing intent, he recalled the faces and names of the few others who had survived and returned alongside this man, as seen in his memories. Fortunately, there were only a handful of them, and most were currently bedridden, physically and mentally exhausted.

'One should be enough to keep as a witness.' The fewer people who knew a piece of information, the better. He would leave just one alive to serve as a witness and eliminate the rest. Having made up his mind, the middle-aged man vanished. Shortly after, a puppet emerged from the shadows. Looking in the direction the man had gone, it curled its lips into a smirk.

'Ah, the cold reality of human nature...'

He—Ju-hyeong—carefully reviewed the plan to ensure there were no mistakes. He had sought out suitable targets, staged the scene, subtly manipulated their memories, and then diluted the truth just enough. This way, even if something seemed amiss later on, the first one to draw suspicion would be that proactive Foundation Establishment fellow. There was no need to worry about any loose ends leading back to him.

'Perfect. Now, as long as that fellow moves according to plan...'

Every step of the process was logical and natural. Even if the Cultivator Alliance harbored doubts, the core information itself was true, so there wouldn't be any major issues. Having organized his thoughts, Ju-hyeong sent a report through a messenger talisman to confirm that everything was proceeding smoothly, and then set off to shadow the middle-aged man. As expected, the man dealt with the other witnesses, leaving only one alive, before heading straight for the Cultivator Alliance. At that point, Ju-hyeong washed his hands of the matter. While he could easily manipulate a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator like a toy in his palm, the Cultivator Alliance was not an entity he could hope to outmaneuver. From here on, he could only trust that nature would take its course.

Fortunately, his expectations were met. A few days after the middle-aged man entered the Cultivator Alliance branch, several Foundation Establishment cultivators radiating powerful auras emerged from the building and headed south. Watching them from afar, Ju-hyeong smiled faintly before concealing himself once more.

The official name of the Cultivator Alliance was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Human Cultivator Alliance. As the name suggested, it was a formidable organization that wielded immense influence across the entirety of the Human Territory. Uniting human cultivators of countless conflicting interests under the shared identity of humanity to ensure their survival and prosperity, the Alliance was practically synonymous with the human race itself, involving itself in almost every major affair. They established branches in every cultivation region, and Yangseo Lake was no exception. These regional branches further established sub-branches at key strongholds within the human sectors of Yangseo Lake, and the one Ju-hyeong had been observing was one of those sub-branches.

From what he had just sensed, several of the cultivators who had departed from the Alliance branch were at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. That easily constituted more than half of this local branch's total fighting force—clear proof of how seriously they took this piece of news.

'Not bad at all.'

He had a good feeling about this. However, since this was his very first assignment, he couldn't afford to just sit back idly just because things looked promising. He had to constantly ponder if there was anything more he could do.

'The Dragon Lord intends to borrow the hands of the humans to dispose of the Simjeon Demon King. And in the process, he hopes the humans will suffer heavy losses as well.' This task was either incredibly difficult or incredibly simple, depending on how one looked at it.

'The reason the Dragon Lord isn't dealing with the Simjeon Demon King himself is likely because he isn't sure how much of his hidden strength remains. From that perspective, the extent of the damage the humans will suffer depends entirely on when they cast aside their greed and report this to the Gold Core cultivators.'

This meant that to maximize the humans' casualties, he had to continuously fuel their greed.

'That won't be difficult.'

As a human himself, Ju-hyeong knew his own kind all too well. As living beings, and especially as cultivators, it was no exaggeration to say they lived and breathed greed.