The Broken Mad Dog
Before his overwhelming bulk—which rivaled even the most fearsome of Vicious Beasts—and the suffocating Dragon's Might radiating from his head, even the most ill-tempered of the Great Yao could do nothing but grumble under their breath. None dared to openly bare their fangs.
"Jekyeong! Jekyeong! They all look so angry! Are you just going to leave them like that?" Cheongo chattered tirelessly from his perch atop Jekyeong's head, having just returned from scouting the crowd.
The blue bird babbled on and on about how there was a particularly strong-looking fellow over there, a nasty-tempered one over here, and how many of them Jekyeong actually planned to recruit.
"Not yet," Jekyeong replied. "If I'm going to test them, I might as well do it thoroughly."
"A test?"
"Indeed."
What was the chronic affliction of the beast race? Their foul, impatient temperaments, of course. Monsters who lacked even this basic level of patience were useless to him, no matter how powerful they might be. What he needed was an obedient hunting dog, not a wild wolf that would turn on its master the moment his back was turned.
"Quiet down." Jekyeong didn't actually need Cheongo's running commentary. His Divine Sense had already mapped out every single Great Yao gathered around the archipelago.
Most of them are only at the early Great Yao stage, with barely any at the mid-stage.
It was a bit disappointing, but to be expected. While the Ghost Disaster had thrown the demon territory into chaos, those powerful enough to fend for themselves weren't particularly anxious; they knew they could simply pack up and leave if things went south. Expecting such independent powerhouses to voluntarily submit to him was wishful thinking.
Well, so be it. Early-stage or not, a Great Yao is still a Great Yao.
As the days dragged on, the number of beasts who lost patience and left grew, but Jekyeong remained unfazed, keeping his eyes closed as he continued his meditation.
Hmm? Several days later, Jekyeong's tranquil state of mind was suddenly disrupted. A powerful yet highly unstable aura had appeared among the crowd of Great Yao waiting outside the archipelago. Jekyeong was initially drawn to its sheer strength, but a moment later, a sense of familiarity washed over him.
"Brother, doesn't this remind you of the old days?" Jo-gang murmured, looking around in awe at the sheer volume of demonic qi saturating the air.
"What old days?" Ha Yuseong asked, his eyes remaining closed.
"Yojeong. When the Simjeon Demon King gathered his forces to establish the Court of Demons back then, wasn't it just like this?"
"It is different. Back then, there were at least a few decent warriors among them. Here, there is nothing but riffraff."
"That may be true, but you have to consider the circumstances, Brother. The Dragon Lord of Yangseo merely put out a word that he was recruiting, whereas the Simjeon Demon King had to personally travel around and drag everyone in one by one."
"...Yes. You have a point there."
"Dragging them in" was a polite way to put it; in truth, the Simjeon Demon King had beaten them into submission before offering a few hollow carrots. The Great Yao, wishing to avoid death or crippling injury, had no choice but to yield to his brute force. In contrast, the beasts gathered here had come solely because of the legendary reputation of the Black Flood Dragon of Yangseo. In terms of sheer prestige, the Simjeon Demon King of the past could not even begin to compare to the Black Flood Dragon.
"Cough!"
"Brother! Are you alright? Has your wound flared up again?"
"I am fine. It is nothing."
Ha Yuseong's demonic qi fluctuated wildly. At one moment, it flared with an intensity that made even Jo-gang shrink back in fear; the next, it withered away, plummeting to the level of the mediocre, early-stage Great Yao around them.
"Brother, should I hunt down one or two of these fools for you? Consuming them might stabilize you for a while."
"No. You know as well as I do that it is useless. The effects of blood food are practically negligible now."
Furthermore, the nourishment gained from blood food was merely a temporary band-aid; it could not heal the deep internal injuries ravaging his core. Had he known this sooner, he would have sought other remedies long ago. Unfortunately, he had placed too much faith in the legendary resilience of his Yaksha bloodline, assuming that because he had bounced back from previous injuries, this time would be no different.
But reality was cold and unforgiving. He had gravely underestimated the power of a Core Formation cultivator. Ha Yuseong, who had once looked down on the likes of the Zhanshu Whale King and the Simjeon Demon King—believing the only difference between them and himself was a few centuries of cultivation—was forced to pay a bitter price for his arrogance. His towering pride and unyielding spirit were slowly being chipped away alongside his deteriorating health.
Had this been fifty—or even twenty—years ago, he would never have set foot here. Submitting to another was humiliating enough, but to bow before the very Black Flood Dragon he had once fought as an equal? Back then, he had come close to flaying the hide right off that serpent's back!
Though a few careless blunders on his part had led to an unsightly stalemate, he had not lost. Yet now, he was reduced to begging his former rival for a lifeline...
"Do you really think that Dragon Lord has a way to heal you, Brother?"
"Who knows. But if he does not have a cure, then no one else in the entire demon territory will."
"I suppose that is true."
The brothers had not sought out the Black Flood Dragon of Yangseo simply because he was a Demon King. Before he was a Demon King, he was a Horned Dragon—a magnificent creature highly regarded even by the prestigious Sacred Heaven Dragon Palace. A being of such lineage would possess esoteric knowledge far beyond the reach of ordinary beasts. Perhaps he held the key to mending Ha Yuseong's shattered meridians.
Of course, even if Jekyeong knew of a cure, whether he would deign to share it was another matter entirely. Destitute and desperate, the brothers had nothing of value to offer in exchange. They had no choice but to throw themselves at his mercy and offer their absolute loyalty.
"Brother... is it just my imagination, or is that giant turtle heading straight for us?"
"No. You see correctly."
Ha Yuseong hacked up another mouthful of bloody phlegm and narrowed his eyes. The colossal turtle acting as the gatekeeper was slowly lumbering toward them. Its sheer scale made it look like a floating island was drifting closer, a sight so surreal it defied belief. Ha Yuseong had never seen a turtle of this size in his entire life—indeed, he had rarely seen any creature so gargantuan.
"You two. Go inside."
Bigu stared down at the two tiny figures with a sullen expression. His grumpy demeanor wasn't merely because "Lord Crow" had rudely interrupted his afternoon nap.
These two... they make me feel uneasy.
Bigu's small, bead-like eyes darted between Ha Yuseong and Jo-gang. Looking at Jo-gang merely ruined his appetite, but looking at Ha Yuseong made his stomach churn. Bigu knew exactly what this sensation meant: these two were incredibly dangerous. Especially the one with the fluctuating aura—he was definitely not prey. If Bigu tried to eat him, he would likely end up severely injured instead.
Wait... have I seen these two somewhere before? Up close, their faces seemed vaguely familiar. Was it just his imagination? Hmm... I don't know. He tried to rummage through his simple mind, but after blinking a couple of times, the fleeting spark of curiosity vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Jekyeong looked down with mild amusement at the two figures before him: one kneeling flat on the ground, and the other caught in an awkward posture that was neither standing nor kneeling. Jekyeong was currently in his true form. Coiled in a massive heap, the colossal Black Flood Dragon stared down at the two Great Yao, who looked like mere insects before his titanic scale.
"It has been a long time, both of you."
"Indeed," Ha Yuseong replied. Unlike Jo-gang, who trembled and kept his eyes glued to the floor, Ha Yuseong showed a remarkable amount of grit. Despite his awkward, half-bent posture, he managed to look Jekyeong in the eye and squeeze out a response.
"You are injured. Quite severely, at that." Jekyeong recognized Ha Yuseong's condition instantly. The wild, erratic fluctuations of his demonic qi spoke volumes. The Yaksha had suffered a devastating blow, one from which he had yet to recover.
"Your eyes do not deceive you," Ha Yuseong admitted readily. Jekyeong pieced together the situation. So that is why this mad dog swallowed his pride and crawled all the way here.
People often said that past grievances could be laughed off in time, but Jekyeong still vividly remembered the chaotic battle he had fought against this rabid beast. To think that the very monster who had once lunged at his throat with such feral madness was now voluntarily offering to serve him. Even if Ha Yuseong's motives were far from pure, the fact remained that he had come to bow his head. To Jekyeong, who had now reached the Core Formation stage, his former rival was no longer a threat. Yet, seeing him like this finally dissolved the lingering knot of resentment Jekyeong had harbored all this time. It was a petty, childish satisfaction, but a deeply satisfying one nonetheless.
"So? What brings you to my domain?"
"Did you not put out a call for capable hands?"
"I did. But do you truly believe you are of any use to me? From where I sit, you look far too broken to be of any value."
Ha Yuseong's entire body began to tremble. His already pale complexion flushed a deep, angry crimson before turning a sickly, dark hue. His ragged breath carried the metallic tang of blood.
"Are you mocking me?"
"That is my line," Jekyeong sneered. "You claim to have come to submit to me, yet you dare hold yourself with such arrogance? Do you truly believe I cannot crush both you and your brother to death with a single claw?"
Jekyeong slowly reared his massive upper body. The Dragon's Might, which had been drifting lazily through the hall, erupted like a volcano, crashing down upon the two brothers with crushing force. *Thud!* Jo-gang's forehead slammed violently against the stone floor, while Ha Yuseong's legs buckled, forcing him hard onto his knees.
"Mind your attitude. Lest there be any unfortunate misunderstandings."
Jekyeong's patience was wearing thin. He wanted capable subordinates, and the stronger they were, the better. But no matter how powerful a beast was, a servant who did not know his place was a liability. If Ha Yuseong bowed his head like his brother, Jekyeong would gladly take him in. But if he persisted in this half-hearted defiance, Jekyeong would not hesitate to cast him out—or simply swallow him whole.
"Urgh!" A thick stream of blood escaped Ha Yuseong's clenched teeth. His already precarious state deteriorated rapidly under the crushing pressure; he looked as though he might lose consciousness at any second. Yet, Jekyeong saw the sudden tremor in the Yaksha's eyes. It was not born of physical pain alone.
"I have no time to waste on you. Make your choice, right now."
"B-Brother..." Jo-gang whimpered, his voice strained under the pressure. Whether the plea reached him or not, the murderous pride that Ha Yuseong clung to even on the verge of death finally began to crumble.
"If we submit... what do we gain?"
"Your lives," Jekyeong replied flatly. Ha Yuseong's lips twitched at the blunt, uncompromising answer.
"Those brothers... they were once quite famous," Hyeongu reported. "It seems they have been wandering around, picking fights with anyone and everyone since the fall of Yojeong."
The Yaksha brothers—particularly Ha Yuseong—held a notorious reputation within the demon territory. While their martial prowess was undeniable, it was their reckless, self-destructive temperaments that truly set them apart. Though the beast race was naturally violent, most monsters possessed enough survival instinct to choose their battles wisely. They would readily bare their fangs at the weak, but when facing a formidable opponent, they would swallow their grievances and play nice. It was a matter of basic survival. Clashing with a powerful rival carried a high risk of injury, and in the brutal wild, showing any sign of weakness invited immediate death from opportunistic predators. Thus, a beast's savagery was typically reserved only for those they could easily crush.
Ha Yuseong, however, was an anomaly. Whether due to the volatile nature of his Yaksha bloodline or some innate defect in his character, he unleashed his savage temper on everyone indiscriminately. Consequently, his life had been an endless cycle of brutal conflicts and severe injuries.
"Is that so?" Jekyeong murmured, listening to Hyeongu's report with an indifferent expression. According to the turtle demon, the brothers' lives had been utterly miserable since the collapse of Yojeong. The local Great Yao, eager to avenge the oppression they had suffered under the Court of Demons, had hunted them relentlessly. To make matters worse, the Whale King Palace had quietly sanctioned a purge of Yojeong's remnants, leaving the Yaksha brothers with no choice but to live as hunted, desperate vagrants.
