The Vanguard of the Tide
"Yes. Revenge is a fine thing." The man smiled with satisfaction. "Then let us talk about this revenge of yours. Who knows? Perhaps I might be of help?" As he took a few steps closer, Han Cheongyu realized a strange, fragrant scent was wafting from the man's body.
A turtle poked its head slightly above the water's surface. "How is it, Lord Dragon?"
"It is quite fine." Jekyeong stood quietly by the water's edge, letting the cool night breeze wash over him. It was the same wind he always felt, but experiencing it in human form felt entirely different, bringing a strange sense of satisfaction. Was it because his plans were progressing smoothly, or was it due to the lingering warmth of the alcohol?
Of course, the warmth of the alcohol did not mean he was actually drunk. No matter how human his body appeared, Spirit Wine could never truly intoxicate a Great Demon. "Turtle."
"Yes, Lord Dragon."
"For the next step, find some beasts that aren't completely brainless. Make sure they are ones you can control."
He felt the pleasant warmth of the alcohol slowly fade. As it did, his dark pupils gradually turned yellow, eventually slitting vertically.
"Lord Dragon," the turtle bowed respectfully. "If I am to gather and command such ignorant beasts, I will need to borrow your majestic authority."
"Is that so?" Jekyeong chuckled softly, extending his hand and clenching it into a fist. As his claws dug deep into his palm, a few drops of brilliant, glowing blood welled up. Jekyeong flicked the droplets toward the turtle. The blood landed precisely on the turtle's head, dissolving and vanishing in an instant. The turtle shuddered violently, as if struck by lightning. It looked like a mixture of sheer terror and ecstatic rapture.
"I will surely live up to your trust, Lord Dragon!" the turtle cried out vigorously before hastily submerging back into the water.
Left alone, Jekyeong tried to enjoy the night breeze a little longer. However, the wind that had felt so refreshing just moments ago now felt irritating. Clicking his tongue, he walked into the water. Soon, the pale man vanished beneath the surface, leaving only a colossal shadow gliding along the currents into the deep depths of Yangseo Lake.
When Jekyeong declared his intention to deal with the Black Flood Dragon Gang, Gwak Jeong-sin had expressed deep concern. His worries stemmed from several factors, but they boiled down to three main reasons: the strength of the gang's leader, his political connections, and finally, the sheer number of gang members.
Jekyeong had shown absolute confidence in handling the leader of the Black Flood Dragon Gang, and Gwak Jeong-sin had agreed to take care of the political connections himself. But what about the third issue—the massive horde of gang members? Even if Jekyeong dealt with the leader, what was to be done about the countless subordinates beneath him?
Granted, the vast majority of those gang members were only at the early to mid-stages of Qi Condensation, making them negligible. However, there were bound to be dozens at the late stage of Qi Condensation, and perhaps even some knocking on the doors of Foundation Establishment. A force of that scale was something even a Great Yao beast had to take seriously.
Yet, Jekyeong had confidently assured the worried Gwak Jeong-sin that there was no need to fret. Gwak Jeong-sin had been skeptical of this seemingly baseless confidence, but he had no choice but to let it slide for the moment. After all, this Great Demon named Jekyeong was undeniably extraordinary, and unlike other beasts, he showed no signs of mental instability. In fact, he appeared just as cold and calculating as any human cultivator, leading Gwak Jeong-sin to believe the beast had a plan of his own.
Gwak Jeong-sin's assumption was correct. Jekyeong did indeed have a plan. 'In the past, the Great Demons of Sangyo Forest freely mobilized thousands of beasts.'
Whether it was brainwashing or some other unique ability, that formidable power had left a deep impression on Jekyeong. If possible, he wanted to possess such a power himself. Even if he couldn't wield it as fluidly as his own limbs, who would refuse the ability to mobilize such a massive army?
Thus, after reaching the Great Yao realm, Jekyeong had spent his spare time pondering that ability. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he concluded that such mass brainwashing was impossible for him. Paralyzing the reasoning of thousands of beasts and making them completely unafraid of death was simply beyond his current capabilities.
Yet, as the saying goes, there are many roads to the capital. He could achieve a similar effect through a slightly different method. From Jekyeong's own experience, cultivators naturally suffered from the pressure exerted by higher cultivation realms. This applied to all who walked the path of cultivation, but it was far more pronounced among beasts than humans. This was because beasts possessed bloodlines.
When the pressure of cultivation was combined with the pressure of bloodline, a beast lacking a powerful bloodline's protection had no choice but to be utterly suppressed by a higher-ranking existence. Of course, this was not absolute; individual differences existed. For instance, Jekyeong had been able to hold his own against Sagaewan, whereas Cheongo and Muk-su had barely been able to keep their wits about them.
However, the vast majority of beasts—especially the so-called common beasts without any notable bloodline—were completely bound by this suppression. 'Since I am a Great Demon, I now possess a bloodline equivalent to the Great Yao realm.'
Ordinary beasts would flee in terror at the mere sight of him, and some would roll their eyes back in fright. They would hold their breath if he drew near, and if he roared fiercely, the weak-hearted ones might drop dead on the spot. It was a perfectly natural, instinctive reaction. Jekyeong intended to exploit this very instinct.
By giving the turtle a few drops of his blood and thoroughly coating it in his aura, he had designated the creature as his proxy. Carrying his blood, the turtle would seek out various aquatic beasts, conveying his will and persuading them. Of course, while he called it persuasion, it would actually be blatant intimidation... But what did it matter? As long as it was effective, that was all that counted.
The turtle set out on his mission with solemn determination. Yes, a mission. If his previous tasks had been minor errands, this was a proper, full-fledged mission. 'Because I haven't disappointed Lord Dragon so far, he now trusts me and has entrusted me with a much more important task.'
Although the turtle hadn't received a detailed explanation, he used his self-proclaimed brilliant mind to deduce the Lord Dragon's grand scheme. This was a massive hunt. Not some petty skirmish to catch a few water bandits, but a grand hunt targeting an entire human sect.
"Listen up, you lot!"
Although there were several fierce beasts present that he would normally avoid, the turtle did not shrink back in the slightest. Instead, he raised his voice, adopting an incredibly arrogant posture. Yet, despite the turtle's insolent behavior, the aquatic beasts didn't dare utter a peep and bowed their heads. A few tried to show a rebellious attitude, but they ultimately tucked their tails in the face of the menacing aura radiating from the turtle.
"The Lord Dragon has declared that he will hunt the humans soon! You must all follow the Lord Dragon!"
"Lord Dragon? We don't know who this Lord Dragon you speak of is!" shouted an aquatic beast with a rebellious glint in its eyes. Seeing as it could speak despite not having reached the Great Yao realm, it seemed to possess a somewhat extraordinary nature, much like Cheongo or the turtle.
"Of course you don't! You've never laid eyes on him!" the turtle shrieked.
At his outburst, the speaking beast shrank back in fear and shut its mouth. The turtle's own natural aura was nothing special, but the few drops of blood on his body amplified his pressure several times over. To use a metaphor, the turtle was currently like a child wearing a tiger's mask. However, this mask snarled and bared its fangs as if it were alive. The aquatic beasts, being mere ordinary monsters, could not withstand this pressure.
"Consider yourselves lucky that I was the one who came! If you had acted this insolently before him, you would have been eaten alive!"
The aquatic beasts gathered before the turtle were all relatively intelligent. Even those who couldn't speak could understand the turtle's words and react accordingly. Listening to the turtle's threat-laden words, they imagined a colossal dragon chewing them up alive.
"If you do not obey the Lord Dragon's command, none of you will die a peaceful death! But there is no need to be too terrified! If you follow the Lord Dragon's orders well, not only will you survive, but depending on your performance, you might even feast on human flesh to your heart's content!"
As the turtle spoke, he slowly turned his head. Every single beast that met his gaze quickly looked away. The turtle's heart swelled with joy. When had he ever experienced anything like this? Though born with a clever mind, his combat ability was pathetic, forcing him to constantly avoid other aquatic beasts. He had been reduced to eating seaweed and tiny fish that others ignored.
Yet now, he had lined up beasts he would have normally fled from, lecturing them with absolute authority. It felt like a sweet dream. His chest swelled with pride. 'This is it. This is the true life of a turtle.' If one was born a turtle in this vast world, one ought to display this level of grandeur. He had been living his life all wrong up until now. 'No, I didn't live it wrong. I just hadn't met my time yet.'
The turtle shouted once more at the demoralized beasts. His voice was beginning to crack from all the yelling, but he didn't care in the least.
"There are many humans! We are far from enough! So summon every single beast you can gather! Bring them all!" the turtle screamed passionately.
Jekyeong nodded inwardly upon receiving the turtle's report. 'He is indeed a useful fellow.' Jekyeong had instructed the turtle to recruit intelligent aquatic beasts. He hadn't expected it to be a particularly difficult task, but the turtle had performed far better than anticipated. With dozens of beasts directly recruited, even if each of them only gathered ten more, they would secure hundreds of aquatic monsters. Although it felt like a mere handful compared to the members of the Black Flood Dragon Gang, Jekyeong was highly satisfied with this result.
Beasts were simple-minded creatures. Most of them were just wild animals with strengthened bodies, and even if they grew slightly smarter, they were easily swayed by instinct. Since they were such creatures, they would gather on their own if he simply spread the scent of blood.
"How is the situation on Heukgyo Island?"
"Yep, it's the same. Small boats go in and out every day, and a large ship departs once every five days."
While gathering the aquatic beasts through the turtle, Jekyeong had also ordered Cheongo to keep watch on the Black Flood Dragon Gang. Cheongo meticulously memorized the number of ships entering and leaving Heukgyo Island, as well as their travel routes, and reported them to Jekyeong. 'The leader of the Black Flood Dragon Gang. He is certainly an ambitious and capable man.'
After revealing his intention to target the Black Flood Dragon Gang to Gwak Jeong-sin, Jekyeong had steadily gathered information on them. The more he learned, the more he had to acknowledge that the gang's leader, Gong Byeok-un, was quite an outstanding figure. 'This is practically a business enterprise. It differs from a typical sect, but it is a highly structured organization.'
Every member of the Black Flood Dragon Gang was both a fisherman and a water bandit. Their primary source of income was selling Fleshy-Scaled Fish, but the profits they reaped from piracy were also substantial. They controlled dozens of islands, of which Three Frogs Island was merely one. 'Their piracy isn't just for making money. It is a means to control those numerous islands more effectively.'
The members of the Black Flood Dragon Gang numbered only a few thousand, certainly fewer than ten thousand. Yet, how had such a small force managed to thoroughly control a population dozens, perhaps over a hundred times larger, for so long? It was because that massive population was scattered across dozens of islands. The Black Flood Dragon Gang strictly regulated the population of each island and prohibited inter-island communication. Whenever an island violated their rules, they meted out brutal punishment, and Three Frogs Island was one such example. One-third of the island's population had been killed or dragged away into slavery.
'But thanks to that, my job has become easier.' There was no such thing as perfect rule. No matter how sturdy a fortress wall, a mouse hole would always appear. When struck by an iron fist, some would cower and submit, but others would harbor a burning resentment even as they fell. Jekyeong recalled the boy whose eyes had shone with a fierce desire to become his collaborator.