A Convenient Misunderstanding
"Um... how should I address you?"
"You may call me Jekyeong... hm, yes, that will do." He replied with a haughty, downward gaze, though he softened his tone slightly at the very end.
Makgye realized that this slight concession was not out of respect for him, but for the Jansu Whale King. In other words, the entity before him did not care about him at all.
Despite being ignored to his face, Makgye felt no anger. Instead, his demeanor grew even more cautious.
"Are you... by any chance, of the Sacred Race?"
At Makgye's tentative question, Jekyeong's mind grew complicated.
The Sacred Race? What is that? Jekyeong was bewildered, but he did not let it show. After a split-second of deliberation, he smoothly continued his act.
"I do not know."
"Pardon?"
"I have been alone since the moment I was born. Therefore, I do not know what this 'Sacred Race' you speak of is, nor do I know if I belong to it."
This was an act, but it was also the truth. Those who speak the truth carry themselves with natural confidence, and Jekyeong was no exception.
Not knowing one's own origins? Makgye did not find this strange. In the society of the Beast Race, such occurrences were commonplace.
Yao generally possessed little affection for their kin. Many abandoned their offspring immediately after birth, and even those who raised their young would leave them to fend for themselves once they reached a certain level of maturity.
The Sacred Race might be slightly different, but they were still Yao at their core, so their instincts would not differ drastically. Furthermore, this fellow seemed far too weak to be a true Gyoryong. This was likely because his bloodline was incomplete. This, too, was a common phenomenon. The stronger the bloodline, the harder it was to inherit in its entirety, occasionally resulting in such half-breeds.
That must be why he was abandoned, Makgye thought, almost certain of his conclusion. This creature undoubtedly possesses the bloodline of a Gyoryong, but its purity is likely abysmal—so diluted that he wouldn't dare claim kinship in front of a true Gyoryong.
Yes. He is not of the Sacred Race. Makgye felt a wave of relief wash over him. The gaze he directed at Jekyeong softened considerably.
"I see." If the serpent was not a true member of the Sacred Race, there was no reason to fear or avoid him. Of course, even if diluted, the blood of the Sacred Race still ran through his veins, so Makgye could not treat him poorly. However, as a representative of Gyeongwang Palace, Makgye needed to carry himself with more dignity. This was Yangseo Lake, and Gyeongwang Palace was the absolute master of all Yao within its waters.
"Ahem. How should I address you, then?"
"Call me Jekyeong."
"Mhm. Fellow Daoist Jekyeong, then."
Having concluded their mutual probing, a proper conversation finally began. Jekyeong acted wary of Makgye's superior cultivation and the backing of Gyeongwang Palace, while Makgye remained cautious due to Jekyeong's presumed Gyoryong bloodline. Since both had reasons to respect their counterpart, their dialogue flowed smoothly without any friction.
Jekyeong maintained the haughtiness expected of a Gyoryong while carefully staying within bounds, showing a measured level of reverence toward the Jansu Whale King and Gyeongwang Palace. Observing this, Makgye concluded that this half-breed Gyoryong, though arrogant, was someone who could be reasoned with.
"Fellow Daoist Jekyeong, though you claim not to know, it appears to me that you have indeed inherited a portion of the Sacred Race's bloodline. Your future prospects are bound to be limitless."
"Is that so?"
There was a subtle edge to Makgye's words. On the surface, it sounded like praise for his potential, but in reality, it was closer to a warning. It was a reminder that no matter what his future held, at present, he was merely an unremarkable Great Yao.
"I assume this is your first time coming to Yangseo Lake, Fellow Daoist?"
"It is."
Makgye did not pry into Jekyeong's past. It was unnecessary, and digging too deep risked leaving a bad impression.
"My visit today was primarily to offer my greetings."
"Greetings?"
"Yes. But it was also to assess the situation. As the master of the Yangseo Lake cultivation world, Gyeongwang Palace bears the responsibility of managing the various Yao factions."
Countless Yao inhabited Yangseo Lake. Setting aside the ordinary beasts, even the number of Great Yao was by no means small. Yet, only a handful of Great Yao were formally affiliated with Gyeongwang Palace. This was partly because the Jansu Whale King had little interest in controlling them, but it was primarily due to the inherent nature of the Beast Race.
Yao were difficult to handle, and even harder to rule. By nature, they lacked Spiritual Intelligence and possessed wild, violent temperaments.
Even if the Jansu Whale King used his bloodline and cultivation realm to suppress the Great Yao and force them into submission, they would immediately return to their wild ways the moment his back was turned. They were like sand—held firmly in one's palm, they remained, but the instant the grip loosened, they slipped away through the fingers.
Consequently, very few Great Yao officially served under Gyeongwang Palace. Those who did were generally intelligent or possessed relatively mild temperaments, allowing them to truly submit to the Jansu Whale King. Makgye was one of them.
"Fellow Daoist Jekyeong, would you have any interest in entering Gyeongwang Palace to serve the Jansu Whale King?"
Makgye had been assessing Jekyeong throughout their conversation. He began to think that it might actually be possible to recruit this fellow into Gyeongwang Palace. Though arrogant, the serpent knew his limits, and above all, he was not foolish. He seemed capable of basic calculation—which, for a Yao, was an immense advantage and a rare trait. It meant he did not merely react to what was directly in front of him, but could contemplate the consequences of his actions.
His cultivation realm is a bit low, but with his Gyoryong bloodline, he's still far better than the common rabble, Makgye thought.
While a human cultivator's combat strength was determined by their cultivation realm, techniques, and Dharma Treasures, a Yao cultivator's strength was heavily dictated by their bloodline. Thus, a Yao possessing a noble bloodline could sometimes display combat prowess that defied the gap in cultivation realms. While this fellow might not be an extreme case, he would still be far more capable than ordinary Great Yao of the same realm. Even if he fell short in some areas now, looking to the future, bringing him into Gyeongwang Palace early might...
"I have none."
"Pardon?" Startled, Makgye blinked his four eyes in rapid succession.
"I know my own limits. Entering a power like Gyeongwang Palace with my current level of strength would only invite ridicule."
"No, that is..." Makgye, who had been about to snap at him for daring to look down on Gyeongwang Palace, fell silent. The anger that had flared up at the rejection quickly dissipated. It wasn't that no one had ever declined Gyeongwang Palace's invitation before, but none had ever done so in this manner. Most who refused did so out of sheer arrogance, questioning why they should bow to the Jansu Whale King, or claiming they refused to be bound. This was the first time someone had declined on the grounds of "I am too lacking."
"Hmm."
"I merely wish to focus on my cultivation in my newly acquired territory. I would prefer to consider joining Gyeongwang Palace only after my cultivation realm has reached a higher stage."
Put this way, Makgye had no further arguments. It would be absurd to force someone who simply wished to focus on their cultivation to join them.
He merely wishes to cultivate in his territory? This was not something an ordinary Great Yao, driven by base desires, would say—indeed, they were barely capable of such thought. This single statement was enough to prove that the half-breed Gyoryong before him was no ordinary beast.
"I can only admire your steadfast devotion to the Dao, Fellow Daoist. Very well. I shall not force the matter. The gates of Gyeongwang Palace are always open, so should you ever change your mind, you are welcome to seek us out."
"I shall do so."
Jekyeong parted ways with the Great Yao envoy, Makgye, in a reasonably amicable atmosphere. Only after Makgye's figure vanished from sight and his presence could no longer be sensed did Jekyeong finally let his rigid expression slip.
That was exhausting, Jekyeong thought. As the tension drained from his body, fatigue washed over him like a tidal wave. Maintaining an act in front of someone like Makgye was no easy feat. A single slip-up could have aroused immediate suspicion, forcing him to remain in a state of extreme alertness throughout their entire encounter.
Fortunately, he's the overthinking type. Jekyeong had not actively lied to Makgye. Had he attempted an outright deception, Makgye would surely have caught on. Instead, Jekyeong had simply played his part with calm indifference, leaving Makgye to fill in the blanks and jump to his own convenient conclusions.
It went well. This is the best possible outcome. Before departing, Makgye had mentioned registering Jekyeong's name as a Guest Elder of Gyeongwang Palace. Jekyeong had been in no position to refuse. Had he declined, their parting would not have been nearly as amicable.
A Guest Elder, is it? According to Makgye, the position of Guest Elder carried only benefits. With no duties or restrictions, he could live freely as a friend of Gyeongwang Palace. When he heard those words, Jekyeong had to exert considerable effort to keep from scoffing aloud.
Only a fool would fall for that. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. In his eyes, the status of Guest Elder was a loose shackle. It was a silent warning: You are now under the watchful eye of Gyeongwang Palace, so do not act rashly.
Well, it doesn't matter. Jekyeong had not lied to Makgye. He had no intention of stirring up trouble in Yangseo Lake, and even less desire to offend Gyeongwang Palace. He truly wished for nothing more than to quietly cultivate on Heukgyodo. In that sense, Makgye's words held true. The status of Guest Elder of Gyeongwang Palace was indeed highly beneficial to him. He was now an officially recognized member of the Yangseo Lake Yao. Should any human cultivators set their sights on Heukgyodo in the future, they would be forced to take his official backing into consideration.
But the Yao are a different story. From what Makgye had said, Gyeongwang Palace's control over the Yao of Yangseo Lake was quite weak. Many Great Yao acted entirely as they pleased, and some even openly challenged the authority of Gyeongwang Palace. While Makgye claimed that such insolent fools would eventually face the palace's wrath, whether that was actually true remained to be seen. After all, Makgye was a subordinate of the Jansu Whale King, so his account was bound to contain some degree of exaggeration and bias.
The Yao. Gyeongwang Palace. His thoughts grew complicated. Until now, although he was aware of his existence as a Yao, he had never given it deep thought. His philosophy had always been to utilize both Yao and humans as tools for his own benefit, with his cultivation always taking absolute priority. But things were different now. While cultivation remained his ultimate goal, being registered as a Guest Elder of Gyeongwang Palace meant he was now officially recognized as a member of the Yao race, whether he liked it or not. In a manner of speaking, a massive canopy had been cast over his head. Was this a good thing? Perhaps, and perhaps not. A canopy blocks the scorching heat, but it also shuts out the warmth of the sun.
Throughout his journey back to Heukgyodo, Jekyeong's mind remained troubled.
The gray haze that had hung over Heukgyodo had almost entirely vanished.