The Benefits of a Terrifying Appearance
Its overall appearance was close to a crab, but it possessed two pairs of massive claws instead of just one. As a Great Yao, its size approached ten meters. Though it was certainly massive, it looked rather pathetic in front of Jekyeong.
"Who are you?" Jekyeong asked in a cold voice, watching the giant crab flounder in the depths of its own delusion.
Jekyeong, playing the part of a terrifying Great Yao Beast, glared at the visibly intimidated giant crab and twitched his body as if he might pounce at any second. He had no real intention of attacking; it was purely a performance to display his aggressive stance.
This water territory was his. And this giant crab was an uninvited guest who had trespassed without permission. Just like humans, the Beast Race possessed an incredibly strong sense of territory. Trespassing into another's domain was practically a declaration of war.
"I-I am called Daehae."
"I did not ask for your name." As Jekyeong growled fiercely, looking ready to tear him apart, Daehae—already thoroughly intimidated—shrank back even further.
Although the crab's terrified demeanor suggested he had fully accepted his inferior position, Jekyeong did not let his guard down. The only reason this Great Yao named Daehae was acting so submissively was because he mistook Jekyeong for a Flood Dragon. If he ever realized his mistake, he might instantly discard his timid act and turn violent.
Therefore, Jekyeong pressed his advantage while the foolish creature was still dazed. He was fully prepared to fight if it came to that. He didn't know the crab's exact combat strength, but since he had completely seized the momentum, starting a battle now would give him at least a twenty percent advantage from the outset.
Besides, Daehae looked like an opponent he had a natural advantage against. Judging by his massive build, overdeveloped claws, and thick carapace, he was a classic physical brawler... and that was the exact type of opponent Jekyeong welcomed most.
"This is my domain. Why has a stranger crawled in here? Did you come to pick a fight?"
"I-It is a misunderstanding! I only... I heard a new master had claimed this place, so I merely came to pay my respects!" Daehae cried out, frantically waving his massive claws as if shaking his hands in denial.
"And you expect me to believe that?" Jekyeong's slitted serpentine eyes slowly swept over Daehae. The chilling gaze made the giant crab shudder violently.
"It is the truth! I-I know it is hard to believe, but..." The creature retreated a few steps, stammering to assert his innocence. He was so utterly terrified that Jekyeong wondered if it was even fitting for a Great Yao Beast to act this way.
At this point, Jekyeong began to wonder if the mere existence of a Flood Dragon was truly that terrifying, or if this crab was just exceptionally cowardly. Of course, a brief passing thought did not stop him from playing his part. He continued to glare savagely at Daehae, baring his fangs to threaten him.
"How can I believe such an absurd story? Whether this is an excuse or a lie, you have put far too little effort into it."
"Ugh..." Mumbling, Daehae decided he had to say something—anything—and began to babble details he hadn't even been asked about. He rambled on about being one of the masters of a spiritual territory to the west of this water region, how he had heard about the incident in the Heukgyo Water Territory from a lobster Yao, and poured out all sorts of disjointed stories.
This guy... isn't very bright. If this wasn't an act, the crab seemed even stupider than Hyeongu. While marveling at Daehae's lack of intellect, Jekyeong focused on filtering out useful information from the torrent of words. Once he had gathered enough key details, he was finally able to relax slightly.
So he isn't one of Jansu Whale King's subordinates. The Yao of Yangseo Lake were divided into two categories: those under the command of the Jansu Whale King, and those who were not. As the sole Demon King of Yangseo Lake, the Whale King's power and authority were absolute. However, he seemed to have little interest in expanding his faction. Although he had established the Whale King Palace and gathered a few followers as subordinates, that was the extent of his ambition. He had never shown any desire to unite the Yao cultivation world of Yangseo Lake.
Thanks to the Jansu Whale King's indifferent attitude, all kinds of Great Yao lived freely in Yangseo Lake, holding a status equivalent to human rogue cultivators. Daehae was one of those rogue cultivators. Lacking any powerful backing, he scraped by solely on his cultivation realm as a Great Yao. The word "scraped" was key here.
Although the spiritual territory where Daehae currently resided was larger than the Heukgyo Water Territory, it was shared by quite a few others, making it a cramped and stifling environment even for someone who wasn't particularly active. Consequently, occasional conflicts broke out over residency rights, and Daehae admitted to having been swept up in such fights several times. That was precisely why he had traveled all the way to the Heukgyo Water Territory. He had come to scout out the new master of the region, to see if he could drive him out and claim the territory for himself, or, failing that, if he could somehow carve out a small corner to live in.
"If I had known the master of this place was someone of your stature, I would never have dared to set foot here." Jekyeong glared at Daehae's groveling flattery. "Hmph! Save your sweet talk. If you do not wish to die, get out of my sight this instant!"
"Y-Yes, right away!" Daehae retreated with remarkable speed, as if he had been waiting for those exact words. Jekyeong kept his eyes fixed on the direction the crab had fled, not turning away until Daehae's figure vanished and his presence could no longer be detected by his Divine Sense.
Daehae's sudden appearance left Jekyeong deep in thought. I must remain vigilant against the Beast Race as well, not just humans. Once word spreads further, more opportunists like Daehae will undoubtedly come sniffing around. This was a matter that required his utmost attention. Fortunately, a fool like Daehae had frightened himself into retreating, but future intruders might not be so easily deterred.
Rogue cultivators. Rogue Yao... He had never given much thought to rogue Yao before. But after hearing Daehae's ramblings, the concept of independent rogue Yao—whom he had previously ignored—began to capture his interest.
Daehae might be simple-minded, but he still knew how to look out for his own interests. Furthermore, he didn't seem particularly volatile. Of course, Jekyeong had to account for the fact that the crab had been utterly terrified at the time, but even so, the encounter felt different from the stories he had heard from the senior cultivators at the Mansi Assembly. Meeting one in person made him realize that communication and interaction with them were entirely possible.
I should... give this some serious thought later. Yes, later. For now, he had to prepare himself to deal with the hyena-like scavengers that could appear at any moment.
Ugh. Preparing himself didn't mean anything grand. It wasn't due to a lack of foresight, but simply because there wasn't much preparation he could actually make. Whoosh! Demonic fire born from his spiritual nature instantly enveloped his entire body at his command. This was not cultivation. It was a form of digestive exercise to soothe the persistent indigestion he had suffered ever since swallowing the leader of the Black Flood Dragon Gang.
I've never experienced this before... I suppose a Foundation Establishment cultivator is on a different level. And he wasn't just a common early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, but a mid-stage one. Perhaps there was still some value in a ruined vessel, for Jekyeong's stomach—which had never rejected anything he ate before—had been bloated and unsettled for over a fortnight. Though it was gradually improving, he wanted to resolve this abnormal condition as quickly as possible.
"Roaaar!" Dragging his burning body, Jekyeong swam around the waters of Heukgyodo. The Yokai Fire clinging to his flesh refused to be extinguished even underwater, and in less than half a day, Heukgyodo was shrouded in thick steam. It was fortunate that Jekyeong's monster power was limited, preventing him from sustaining this "digestive exercise" for too long; otherwise, Heukgyodo would have been completely transformed into an island of fog.
"Lord Dragon! I have found it!" Jekyeong's plan to continue his digestive exercise until his stomach fully settled was interrupted by Hyeongu, who arrived bearing joyful news.
"It was a clam, my lord! There is a species of large clam that the Fleshy-Scaled Fish adore. Even if they go hungry without other food, they absolutely insist on eating these large clams. Just to be certain, I moved some of those clams to a distant location, and sure enough, I confirmed that a portion of the Fleshy-Scaled Fish broke away from the school and migrated toward the relocated clams."
"Excellent." Jekyeong praised Hyeongu, who was as excited as a scholar who had just made the discovery of the century, before asking about the large clam. "Is this clam rare?"
"Yes, my lord. However, judging by my memory of seeing them somewhere before, I believe we can find more if we actively search for them, despite their rarity." "Very well. Find those clams." The information Hyeongu brought helped ease the lingering anxiety in Jekyeong's mind. If those large clams were indeed the key to sustaining the Fleshy-Scaled Fish, he would not only be able to breed and expand the schools in the future, but also relocate the existing schools immediately.
"Leave it to me!" Hyeongu immediately set to work. However, since they lacked the manpower to guard the Fleshy-Scaled Fish while simultaneously searching for the clams, Jekyeong personally subjugated several low-level water beasts in the Heukgyo Water Territory. At the same time, he openly showed his favor toward Hyeongu, even bestowing a few more drops of his blood to empower the turtle demon. It was merely a practical measure to ensure Hyeongu performed his duties more efficiently, but Hyeongu was deeply moved once again, throwing himself into the task with even greater fervor. Driven by that passion, it did not take long for Hyeongu to locate the large clams he had spoken of. The quantity was modest, but a success was a success.
Do the humans not know about this? Jekyeong wondered. According to Hyeongu, those large clams could only be found in deep, dark waters shielded from any light. It wouldn't be surprising if humans were ignorant of them, but... No, they must know. Humans possessed a pathological obsession with resources. There was no way they hadn't thoroughly researched a valuable commodity like the Fleshy-Scaled Fish. They surely knew what the fish fed on, as well as their ecology and traits.
But the humans of Yangseo Lake seem oblivious. Or perhaps the supply of these clams is simply too scarce to meet the demand. Either way, it was highly advantageous for him. Even if he increased the supply of Fleshy-Scaled Fish in the future, selling them would never be an issue. As Gwak Jeong-sin had previously mentioned, the Fleshy-Scaled Fish was a precious treasure fish that was always in short supply.
While Hyeongu dedicated himself to his mission, Jekyeong diligently patrolled his water territory. During his rounds, he detected and drove away several Great Yao that had been lingering near his borders, though none of these encounters escalated into actual conflict. It was for the exact same reason as his first meeting with Daehae. The moment those creatures caught sight of his massive form from afar, they reacted with fear or, at the very least, extreme caution.
Jekyeong had previously assumed that not all Great Yao would be as foolish as Daehae. But perhaps he had been wrong. They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Why were these creatures, who had likely never even seen a real Flood Dragon, so incredibly terrified? Well, it was a welcome development for him either way. Thanks to these foolish cowards, his worries were greatly alleviated.
I'm certainly benefiting from my looks in this life, unlike in my past one. Well, though the "benefit" was of a slightly different nature than usual... a win was a win. Belch. Thanks to his diligent physical activity combined with his cultivation, the bloating that had plagued him for over a month finally subsided. At that exact moment, a faint, tickling sensation began to stir from deep within his body.
Again? Jekyeong couldn't help but feel bewildered. He knew all too well what this sensation signified: shedding. The last time Jekyeong had molted was back in his former territory, the Spiritual Spring. At the time, he had desperately needed the strength to face Sagaewan, so he had forcibly accelerated the shedding process. Of course, this was only possible because the natural time for his molt had already been drawing near. What Jekyeong had done was merely hasten the timing slightly—comparable to running a distance he could have walked, just to arrive a bit sooner.
But Jekyeong had no intention of doing that this time. No matter how minor, forcing the body past its limits always carried a cost. Forcing a premature molt would place an undue burden on his physical vessel and could negatively affect his evolution after shedding.