WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations
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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 56: The Pale Man
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“Jegyeong, are we moving?”
“That’s the plan.”
As usual, Cheongo was rolling about in the nest.
This time, though, they had a small sweet resembling fruit candy clamped in their beak. It was a confection Jegyeong had obtained through Gwak Jeongsin.
Having eaten nothing but insects and dripping bloody meat all their life, Cheongo could barely think straight after tasting such a sweet snack for the first time. Less than a day had passed, yet they had nearly finished an entire bundle.
“There’s something I need you to do.”
“Okay. What is it?”
A short while later, Jegyeong and Cheongo headed toward Black Shark Island.
As a precaution, Jegyeong traveled deep underwater, while Cheongo flew high enough that cultivators would not spot them.
‘It’s quiet.’
All kinds of living things naturally gathered where Spiritual Energy was dense. Yet even as he approached Black Shark Island, Jegyeong saw almost no Demon Beasts or cultivators.
It was certainly strange, but not unfamiliar to him.
His first Spiritual Land, the Spirit Spring, had been just like this. More precisely, it had been like this before, when the catfish had kept the Spirit Spring under strict control.
‘It looks like Black Sect Hall manages the waters around the island thoroughly.’
They had held a Spiritual Land for decades, after all. At the very least, they had the ability to keep their territory this orderly.
‘We should be close by now.’
Based on what he had heard from the turtle and the information he had obtained from Gwak Jeongsin, Jegyeong judged that Black Shark Island should soon come into view.
“Caw!”
Cheongo’s faint cry reached him then, and Jegyeong’s eyes flashed.
* * *
They stopped far from Black Shark Island.
“Understand? Don’t get too close.”
“But I can’t see well from here.”
Cheongo landed on Jegyeong’s head and preened their feathers as they complained. Thinking he had been too strict, Jegyeong changed his mind.
“Hmm. Fine. Let’s get a little closer.”
Jegyeong did not know the range of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator’s Divine Sense, so he estimated it based on his own.
He assumed the old Black Sect Hall Master’s Divine Sense had greatly weakened, but he did not let down his guard.
Jegyeong and Cheongo moved closer to Black Shark Island. When the faint dot had grown into a somewhat larger one, Jegyeong stopped again.
“How about now? Can you see it?”
“Yeah. But do I just watch?”
“That’s right. Watch the ships traveling to and from the island. Where they come from, where they go, how many there are, and how often they travel.”
“Got it!”
Perhaps because they had finally gotten out into the open, or because they had been given a proper task, Cheongo brimmed with energy and enthusiasm.
Jegyeong gave a few more instructions to keep Cheongo from getting ahead of themself and making a mistake.
Cheongo only nodded halfheartedly, but Jegyeong trusted they understood well enough. Cheongo was smart by nature, and since their own safety was at stake, they would not act carelessly for no reason.
“Remember. Keep this distance. If you go any closer, you might be discovered.”
“Okay!”
“Good. Let’s go back for today.”
Jegyeong had no intention of rushing things with Black Shark Island.
This was another hunt, and he had never been hasty while hunting.
A hunt required preparation, and the more thorough the preparation, the better. Of course, one should not focus on preparation alone and miss the right moment, but this prey was not going to run away or disappear. There was no need for such concern.
After returning to the island, Jegyeong cultivated for several days until both body and mind were worn ragged, gathering as much demon power as he could.
Then, after resting for a while, he went to find the turtle.
“Dragon Lord.”
As if they had been waiting for him, the turtle greeted Jegyeong calmly but respectfully.
“You said the water bandits took out their anger on the Human Race living on the nearby island?”
“Yes. It was loud enough to hear even from far away. After those water bandits left, it became even louder.”
“I see...”
Jegyeong told the turtle to keep watching that island.
“By watching the island, do you mean I should monitor what is happening there? And confirm whether Black Sect Hall’s water bandits continue traveling back and forth?”
Despite the vague instruction, the turtle had understood at once.
Jegyeong looked at the turtle with approval, and they humbly drew their flippers together.
“That’s exactly right. If the water bandits keep coming and going, find out their schedule.”
“Understood.”
Before leaving, Jegyeong took another look at the turtle, who still had not raised their head.
The more he looked at them, the more he liked them.
They knew a great deal, read situations well, and above all, were wise. Talking to them never felt troublesome or irritating, and he never had to repeat himself.
‘If I successfully take Black Shark Island...’
A plan, still a little premature, briefly passed through Jegyeong’s mind.
* * *
To see how much poison a person’s eyes could hold, one only needed to look at Han Cheongyu.
His eyes were filled with resentment and venom, and those feelings naturally showed through even as he cultivated.
“Cheongyu...”
Han Cheongyu was not alone. Children his age stood beside him, and though their moods resembled his, they lacked the same vicious edge.
They had exhausted themselves in duels of techniques and were resting, but Han Cheongyu continued cultivating even while they rested.
A few children tried to follow him out of stubbornness, but they could not last long before collapsing, tongues hanging out.
“Cheongyu, take a break. They say rest is part of cultivation too.”
Han Cheongyu shook his head at his friend’s words.
“Thanks, but I’m fine.”
No matter how they worried or tried to stop him, Han Cheongyu paid them no mind.
His cultivation continued even after everyone he had trained with went home. It lasted until his Qi and Blood were exhausted and his mind had grown dull, ending only when the night wind brought him back to his senses.
The venom filling his eyes vanished in an instant, and Han Cheongyu collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
When he saw the darkened waters of Yangseo Lake, he released the emotions he had suppressed for so long.
“Sniff! Ugh...”
Tears poured down his face, blurring his vision.
What saddened Han Cheongyu was not anything else, but his own powerlessness and cowardice.
The day before, when Black Sect Hall’s water bandits stormed Three Frog Island and demanded to know where their missing comrades had gone, Han Cheongyu could not step forward. Even as they harmed and humiliated the villagers, he could not resist.
He had comforted himself by saying he lacked strength now, that it was not yet time, and that he would wait for another day.
But he knew the truth.
The reason he had failed to step forward was not because he was waiting for the future. He had simply been afraid.
Facing one’s real self, which did not match what one believed about oneself, could sometimes leave a deep wound.
Han Cheongyu was struck so hard by the sight of his own pathetic cowardice, which fell far short of the vengeance he imagined, that his Heart State nearly collapsed.
The resentment and venom he displayed were a desperate struggle to deny and forget that cowardly self.
“...”
Lost in self-reproach and self-consolation, Han Cheongyu did not notice the turtle staring at him from far beneath the water.
“Hup!”
More than half a month had passed since the night Han Cheongyu had wept bitterly alone in the night wind.
The boy who had collapsed that day, questioning his own life, continued his grueling cultivation the next day as though nothing had happened.
Anyone unaware of the truth might have admired his strong will. In reality, it was closer to escape than an expression of resolve.
If he did not do this, he could not overcome the guilt and self-loathing in his heart. Han Cheongyu continued this harsh cultivation simply to survive.
Today, after everyone else had left and he had continued training alone, Han Cheongyu stopped for a moment to cool his throbbing head and catch his breath.
Then, when he turned as usual to look at the lake, he noticed a pale man standing not far away, staring blankly at him.
“Gasp!”
Han Cheongyu’s expression changed. He did not know why, but instinctively, he held his breath.
No, he had not held it. His breath had stopped on its own.
It felt as though someone had dragged a sharp ice awl across his back. His body turned cold and stiff, and even his mind grew faint.
The man looked Han Cheongyu over from head to toe with an expressionless face, then casually said one word.
“Relentless.”
Han Cheongyu forced himself to stop trembling.
His body calmed, but his heart was already tossing about like a reed in a storm.
“Who are you? There is no one like you on this island.”
“Are you sure? The island is large, and there are plenty of people. You can’t know every face.”
“No. If someone like you were here, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.”
“Is that so?”
A faint smile appeared on the man’s expressionless face.
It did not put Han Cheongyu at ease in the slightest.
“More importantly, was what you were doing self-torment or cultivation?”
“Cultivation.”
“Relentless.”
“...”
“Why? Are you planning to take revenge?”
Han Cheongyu tightly shut his mouth, but the man nodded faintly as though he knew everything and slowly approached.
As the distance between them narrowed, Han Cheongyu was finally able to see the man more clearly.
He had a lean build and skin so pale that he looked ill.
There was none of the pressure one felt from a high-realm cultivator. If anything, Han Cheongyu could not sense anything from him at all, enough to make him wonder whether the man even cultivated.
Even so, Han Cheongyu could not relax.
That instinctive reaction told him that everything about the man was abnormal.
“Yes. One day... one day, I’ll wipe out every last one of those water bandits with my own hands.”
Why was he saying this?
What if this man belonged to Black Sect Hall?
Han Cheongyu did not understand why he was saying this either, but he could not bring himself to lie.
“Good. Revenge is good.”
The man smiled in satisfaction.
“Then let’s talk about that revenge. Who knows? I might be able to help.”
When the man stepped a few paces closer, Han Cheongyu noticed a fragrant scent coming from his body.
* * *
The turtle poked their head above the water.
“What did you think, Dragon Lord?”
“Not bad.”
Jegyeong stood quietly by the shore, feeling the cool night wind.
It was the same wind he had always felt, yet experiencing it in human form felt different. The unfamiliar sensation put him in a strangely good mood.
Was it because things had gone well? Or because a faint trace of Spirit Wine still lingered in him?
Of course, that did not mean he was drunk.
Even in a human body, Spirit Wine could not intoxicate a Great Demon Beast.
“Turtle.”
“Yes, Dragon Lord.”
“Next, find some that aren’t too stupid. Ones you can command.”
Jegyeong could feel the pleasant lingering effect of the Spirit Wine gradually fading.
His black pupils slowly turned yellow, then split vertically.
“Dragon Lord.”
The turtle respectfully lowered their head.
“To gather and control such ignorant creatures, I will need to borrow Dragon Lord’s prestige.”
“Is that so?”
Jegyeong gave a short laugh and extended one hand, clenching it into a fist.
His nails dug deeply into his flesh, and soon several drops of brilliant blood gathered in his palm.
Jegyeong flicked those drops of blood toward the turtle.
They landed precisely on the turtle’s head and vanished in an instant, as though melting away.
The turtle trembled as though struck by lightning.
They looked frightened, yet also filled with ecstasy.
“I will certainly live up to Dragon Lord’s trust!”
The turtle shouted loudly, then hurriedly disappeared beneath the water.
Left alone, Jegyeong intended to enjoy the night wind a little longer.
But the breeze that had felt refreshing moments ago now felt unpleasant. Clicking his tongue, he walked into the water.
Soon, the pale man disappeared beneath the surface, and only a massive shadow drifted with the current toward the depths of Yangseo Lake.
Footnotes:
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