A Double-Edged Invitation
What Jekyeong found so absurd was not the act of eating itself, but Cheongo's idea of prioritizing quantity over quality. He didn't know whether to call it whimsical or just plain foolish. Fortunately, the little fellow's digestive capacity seemed far superior to what he had initially estimated. Though the bird would likely roll around like a ball for a while, at least it wouldn't suffer any serious indigestion.
I really want to give it a good kick. Hearing the bird mutter about how grueling its cultivation was while rolling back and forth, Jekyeong felt a sudden, fleeting impulse. However, he quickly mastered his emotions. This, too, was the influence of his demonic obsession. He had to keep his mind calm and tranquil...
Time flowed like running water. He had merely closed his eyes for what felt like a brief moment, yet the world he opened them to was no longer the same. Jekyeong was accustomed to such changes. In all likelihood, he would only grow more used to them. As his cultivation realm rose and his training deepened, his divine soul would continue to transcend the limitations of ordinary mortal beings.
"Fellow Daoist. It has been a while."
When Myeong-ha's voice drifted in from outside the Island Protecting Grand Array, Jekyeong opened his closed eyes. It was unexpected, but not surprising. He wasn't surprised because he had believed from the very beginning that Myeong-ha would succeed, but it was unexpected that the fellow would seek him out so directly.
Fellow Daoist, is it? His shift in attitude was incredibly swift. Then again, he had always been like that. Jekyeong rose and made his way out of the Island Protecting Grand Array. Since the man had addressed him as a fellow Daoist, it was only proper that he show a corresponding level of courtesy.
"Fellow Daoist."
In the skies above the Seongya Archipelago, Jekyeong spotted Myeong-ha wearing a bright smile. Nodding half-heartedly in response to Myeong-ha's greeting, Jekyeong swept his gaze up and down the man. Myeong-ha's aura was perfectly concealed, and the fluctuations of his Dharma power were so faint that one wouldn't even notice them without conscious effort. It appeared that Myeong-ha had not only broken through safely but had also fully adapted to his new realm.
In that regard, he might actually be doing better than me. Even though a significant amount of time had passed since Jekyeong had formed his Core, he still had to remain constantly on guard against the encroachment of his demonic obsession, perpetually keeping himself in check. Compared to him, Myeong-ha, despite having broken through only recently, seemed far more stable—at least on the surface.
Yet, that was merely the surface. Jekyeong never for a single moment forgot that Myeong-ha was a servant of Docheol. He would never believe that Docheol's shadow had played no part in the man's breakthrough. Though Myeong-ha appeared perfectly fine on the outside, he was far more dangerous within. That was why Jekyeong had never underestimated him even before his Core formation, always maintaining a thread of vigilance. Now that Myeong-ha had actually formed his Core, it went without saying. While Jekyeong maintained a calm, indifferent facade, his guard was raised to its absolute peak.
"I knew it would turn out like this, but now that we are fellow Daoists again, I find myself slightly disappointed."
"Hahaha! If you find it so disappointing, Fellow Daoist, I would be more than happy to address you as Senior. After all, it is an undeniable fact that you formed your Core long before I did."
"Forget it. I have no desire to force a bow out of you."
"Force a bow? What an amusing expression." Myeong-ha let out a warm, gentle laugh. Judging solely by that smile and his serene voice, one might easily mistake him for an entirely harmless individual.
"I left the affairs of Haeyeon Island in Hyeongu's hands. I told him to summon me if anything unmanageable occurred or when the auction date drew near. But since you returned much faster than anticipated, there will be no need for that."
"Indeed. I must thank you for your assistance, Fellow Daoist."
Jekyeong led Myeong-ha inside the Black Cult Palace.
"Oh?"
The moment they stepped inside the Island Protecting Grand Array, Myeong-ha's eyes gleamed as if he had sensed several things at once. His gaze drifted briefly toward the island where Muk-su was situated, but he followed silently behind Jekyeong as though he had noticed nothing at all. Once they arrived inside the Black Cult Palace, Jekyeong looked down at Myeong-ha and asked,
"I assume you didn't come all this way just to exchange pleasantries?"
"It is half and half. I certainly needed to greet you, Fellow Daoist, but we also must discuss our future plans."
"Our future plans?" Jekyeong had a fair idea of what he meant, but he feigned ignorance—just as Myeong-ha had done moments ago when glancing toward Muk-su.
"As you are well aware, Fellow Daoist..." Seeing Jekyeong's sly act, Myeong-ha offered a wry smile as he broached the subject. "Now that I have formed my Core, the Heukgyo Water Territory and Haeyeon Island alone are no longer sufficient to sustain my cultivation."
"Hmm."
"There are three ways. I can seize someone else's spiritual vein, leave Yangseo Lake entirely, or... create a spiritual vein of my own."
None of those options were easy. Having grappled with the exact same dilemma before, Jekyeong understood the difficulty better than anyone. "So? Do you wish to fight me over a spiritual vein?"
"How could I possibly do that?" Myeong-ha's wry smile deepened. Just as Jekyeong could not fully read Myeong-ha, the reverse was also true. If what shrouded Myeong-ha's true intentions was his characteristic insidiousness and the shadow of Docheol, what veiled Jekyeong's inner thoughts was his utterly unpredictable temperament.
Jekyeong himself considered it mere acting, but to Myeong-ha, it looked like his true nature—a wretched temperament born of a dragon's characteristic arrogance combined with sheer capriciousness. At times, he was so violent that he was impossible to restrain, while at others, he was as cunning as a fox. This unpredictable nature made it incredibly difficult for Myeong-ha to read his counterpart. Consequently, when dealing with this black Gyoryong, Myeong-ha would occasionally reveal a degree of sincerity to share his thoughts. This time was no different. Myeong-ha laid bare his situation without concealment and sought Jekyeong's cooperation. Of course, he wasn't asking for help for free. They were business partners, and their cooperation had always taken the form of transactions. This occasion would be no exception.
"My current circumstances do not permit me to covet a spiritual vein that already has an owner. On the other hand, leaving Yangseo Lake would mean abandoning the extensive network we have established here, which would be a terrible waste. Therefore, my only option is to artificially construct a spiritual vein."
"Hold on. You aren't planning to borrow spirit stones from me, are you?"
"Of course not," Myeong-ha replied with a chuckle, shaking his head. "I intend to purchase them fair and square."
"...Purchase them? Spirit stones?"
"Indeed." Watching Myeong-ha state this so confidently, Jekyeong felt his common sense being shaken. Purchasing spirit stones? With what? Isn't it usually the other way around? As Jekyeong fell silent, lost in thought, Myeong-ha spoke again.
"I wish to buy a portion of spirit stones in exchange for a piece of information."
"Information? What kind of information?"
"A fortuitous encounter. A fortuitous encounter meant solely for you." Watching Myeong-ha speak with a heavy sigh, radiating intense envy, Jekyeong knew this was a baited hook, yet he couldn't help but feel his curiosity piqued.
"Fellow Daoist." Sensing that the atmosphere was ripe, Myeong-ha cast his true bait with a highly significant tone. "Have you ever heard of the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace?"
Having concluded his business in the Seongya Archipelago, Myeong-ha immediately returned to Haeyeon Island. After speaking with Hyeongu there, he resumed his duties as the Ghost Spider. "Whew." He settled onto his familiar stone pagoda just as before, but his mind was far from at ease. The sparse spiritual energy of Haeyeon Island dampened his spirits. He briefly considered staying on Heukgyo Island for a time, but quickly abandoned the idea, realizing it wouldn't be much different. He truly needed a spiritual vein. Even a place like the Seongya Archipelago would satisfy him. If only he could get rid of the black Gyoryong, he wouldn't have to worry about this at all...
No, that won't do. Absolutely not. Whether he could actually defeat the black Gyoryong was a secondary issue; he couldn't afford to lose a highly useful collaborator with whom he could work for a long time just for the sake of a single spiritual vein. Furthermore, if the black Gyoryong truly managed to establish a connection with the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace, then...
Well, that is that, but I must resolve the immediate issue first. The black Gyoryong had not been stingy. He had recognized the value of the information provided and paid a substantial sum of spirit stones in return. Thanks to that, Myeong-ha had secured the minimum amount of spirit stones required to construct a spiritual vein. However, he had no intention of stopping there. If he was going to create a spiritual vein, he might as well make it a proper one. He originally possessed a sufficient amount of spirit stones, but his pockets were currently light after spending a vast fortune to acquire the spiritual treasures necessary for his Core formation.
I need time. There is no need to rush. He suppressed the constant wave of urgency. No, in truth, it wasn't mere urgency; it was anxiety. The Malevolent God was pressing him, demanding that he offer more sacrifices as quickly as possible.
"Whew." Amidst his long, drawn-out sigh, an ominous, reddish glow flickered slowly within Myeong-ha's eyes.
Bulmangwon
"The Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace? Where on earth did you hear about that?"
As expected, Yu Gon knew of it. The moment Jekyeong heard about the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace from Myeong-ha, he had thought of Yu Gon. He had wondered if a powerful Demon King like Yu Gon would be familiar with the place, and his assumption proved correct.
"An acquaintance of mine offered to trade information about the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace. It sounded like a decent deal, so I accepted."
"A decent deal, you say?" Although he could only see the spiritual body and thus could not read his expression, Jekyeong got the distinct impression that Yu Gon was smiling. Whether that smile was a chuckle of amusement or a sneer of derision, he couldn't tell.
"It certainly is a decent deal—provided you can actually be accepted by them."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Did this acquaintance of yours explain exactly what kind of place the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace is?"
"They said it is a faction of the dragon race whose lineage has endured since ancient times. They claim its cohesion is exceptionally strong, and they dedicate themselves to recruiting scattered descendants of the dragon race..."
"That isn't entirely wrong, though it is far from accurate." Yu Gon spoke with a sarcastic tone, as if to say, You've been swindled. However, this was well within Jekyeong's expectations. After all, wasn't it basic practice to embellish whatever product you were selling during a transaction? Jekyeong figured Myeong-ha had dressed up the details of the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace as attractively as possible, but he didn't believe the man had fabricated a complete lie. Myeong-ha was well aware of the consequences of doing so, and that clever fellow would never court such danger over a mere handful of spirit stones.
"I won't comment on their claim that their history stretches back to ancient times, as that is merely their own boast. However, it is an undeniable fact that their cohesion is strong. It is also true that they are intent on gathering scattered dragon descendants. But... that recruitment process is likely quite different from what you are imagining."
"How is it different?"
"You are probably thinking of joining the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace as a member and reaping the benefits, correct? But it won't be that simple. While you might wish to become one of them, those bastards will view you as nothing more than a slave or a servant to be used at their convenience."
"Is it because I am an outsider?"
"Yes. The Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace is like a massive clan. They value purity of bloodline above all else. You could call them narrow-minded, but since that very trait has allowed them to preserve their lineage for so long, it is hard to criticize them for it."
Through Yu Gon's explanation, Jekyeong gradually formed a concrete picture of the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace in his mind.
"It is not entirely impossible for you to enter the Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace as a member. However, even if it is possible, it will take a considerable amount of time, during which you will have to swallow countless grievances. The Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace is arrogant to the extreme, and they rarely make for good masters."
"It seems you have interacted with them before, Senior?"
"I wouldn't call it interaction. We merely crossed paths a few times. They weren't particularly pleasant memories."