WeTried Translations
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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 89: Blood-Bound Forbidden Technique
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After seeing off the four Great Demon Beasts, Jegyeong returned to Black Jiao Palace and reviewed the gains from the exchange gathering.
More than half the items he had obtained at the gathering were things he could trade for Spirit Stones, while none of the rest was particularly useful to him.
At a glance, it seemed Spirit Stones were his only gain from the exchange gathering, but that was not the case.
His true gain was the standing he had established as a Great Demon Beast.
The four Great Demon Beasts who had attended the gathering would have acknowledged his abilities to some extent. After all, Jegyeong had produced several things they desperately needed but could not acquire themselves.
If he held another exchange gathering later, he would not need to put so much effort into inviting them. He would only have to drop a hint, and they would come running with their storage bags stuffed full of goods.
'I should gradually increase the number of participants. But...'
Jegyeong clicked his tongue inwardly.
If his exchange gathering had been one for Human Race cultivators, the participants would have spread word of it themselves. The Human Race liked to mingle with one another.
The Demon Race was different.
Rogue Great Demon Beasts possessed strong territorial instincts and were highly wary of one another, so they rarely interacted. It was difficult to expect them to spread word of the gathering on their own.
'For now, I'll wait and see. There's no hurry.'
The amount Gwak Jeongsin could procure would likely remain around this level going forward. Trying to increase his purchases any further would draw suspicion, so even if Jegyeong could obtain more, he had no intention of doing so.
For the time being, four participants were enough.
'I need to find a way to acquire what I need without relying on Gwak Jeongsin or letting him notice.'
He had been thinking this way for ten years, but he had yet to find a suitable method. Even if he went through cultivators in the Forget-Me Garden, the goods would ultimately pass through the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association, so he could not avoid Gwak Jeongsin's attention. He needed to find a method directly in the Azure Basket Realm.
'The best option is still to use the Human Race cultivators under my command.'
The problem was that he could not trust them, whether in terms of ability or loyalty.
Until now, Jegyeong had only entrusted them with minor errands. He did not give them many Spirit Stones at a time, so the risk of betrayal was low, and the dangers they faced were not worth worrying about.
But what if he entrusted them with more important tasks? In other words, what if he gave them a larger number of Spirit Stones and sent them out?
The dangers they might encounter would increase, and those holding so many Spirit Stones would be more likely to entertain other thoughts.
Jegyeong trusted Han Cheongyu to some extent, but he believed it was best not to test trust when it could be avoided. Besides, Han Cheongyu was the only one who was somewhat reliable. The rest were untrustworthy in many ways, so how could he entrust major matters to them?
'Should I send Han Cheongyu alone?'
The thought briefly crossed his mind, but he soon gave up on it.
It was best to avoid uncontrollable risks from the start.
'Control... Right. It would be good if I had a reliable means of control.'
The thought of control brought soul contracts to mind. Human Race cultivators used soul contracts to turn Demon Beasts into servants. Could he not use such a contract in reverse?
'Probably not. It may not be impossible, but it would be extremely difficult.'
Jegyeong immediately set aside the idea of a soul contract, though he did not abandon hope in another direction.
He trusted in the cruelty and inventiveness of the Human Race.
They surely had devised methods of controlling their own kind as well.
At first, it was only a vague expectation, but as he thought further, that expectation gradually turned into certainty. Jegyeong considered asking Gwak Jeongsin, then decided to be more careful.
Forget-Me Garden.
“Of course there are.”
Uh Dobaek's immediate reply secretly pleased Jegyeong, and he asked again.
“What methods are there?”
“There are too many to explain. Speaking only of those I know, there are contracts, restrictions, and curses.”
Soul contracts were one thing, but restrictions and curses...
Jegyeong was impressed. Those methods sounded sinister enough just from hearing their names. As expected, the Human Race had not disappointed him.
“Still, such methods are not easy to use. You said you wanted to control the Human Race cultivators under your command, correct? Is a Great Dao Oath not enough?”
“It isn't.”
Not every cultivator was desperate to pursue the Immortal Path. At least, the Human Race cultivators under Jegyeong were not.
If he wanted to control them as he wished, he needed stronger methods.
Unfortunately, Uh Dobaek seemed only to have heard of such methods and had never learned them.
“I know a Bloodline Restriction Art. Are you interested?”
Just as Jegyeong was swallowing his disappointment, Choe Jutang's words caught his attention.
“What is a Bloodline Restriction Art?”
“Just as it sounds. It is a method of imposing a restriction through a blood contract. It is a simple restriction, but its binding force is not especially strong. No, perhaps I should say its conditions are demanding.”
“Conditions? What conditions?”
“The one imposing the restriction must be at a higher realm than the recipient. A difference of one minor realm is somewhat uncertain, but with a difference of one major realm, there is no need to worry.”
Choe Jutang paused for a moment.
“I heard that the Human Race cultivators under your command are mostly at the Qi Refining Stage, is that right?”
“Yes, that's correct.”
“Then there's no need for concern.”
Jegyeong could sense Choe Jutang's strong certainty from those words. Choe had clearly used this Bloodline Restriction Art himself.
'This one's background may not be ordinary.'
Jegyeong had already gained a rough grasp of the backgrounds of the cultivators in the Full-Wing Gathering.
Uh Dobaek, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was an elderly cultivator who might be an important figure or even an ancestor within a cultivation clan.
Ye Janggyeong, an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was clearly a sect cultivator.
As for Choe Jutang, also an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, Jegyeong had thought he was a Rogue Cultivator, as Choe had stated before. Looking at things now, it did not seem so simple.
At the very least, Choe did not seem like an ordinary Rogue Cultivator who was busy simply looking after himself.
'Methods like this are needed only by people like me.'
In other words, Choe, who knew of such a method and seemed to have used it before, was likely not just a lone Rogue Cultivator. There was a high chance he was the leader of a group.
A Rogue Cultivator with subordinates?
A certain thought naturally came to Jegyeong's mind.
Of course, Choe's earlier words might have been lies. He might not have been a Rogue Cultivator at all, but someone belonging to a sect or cultivation clan.
Still, Jegyeong thought that possibility was low.
Why would Choe tell such a pointless lie to Fellow Daoists in the Forget-Me Garden, whom he would never even meet in person?
'Well, that doesn't matter.'
Jegyeong cut off the thoughts that had continued branching out.
What mattered now was not Choe's identity, but the Bloodline Restriction Art being offered.
“What do you want for it?”
Choe bringing up the Bloodline Restriction Art first meant he was willing to trade it. Unless the demand was too unreasonable, Jegyeong intended to purchase the art even if he had to pay a premium.
“A water-aspect spiritual treasure that a Foundation Establishment cultivator can use. If you don't have one, Spirit Stones will do.”
“I don't have a spiritual treasure. Let's use Spirit Stones.”
Jegyeong almost laughed when he heard that.
A spiritual treasure that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could use.
He could not decide whether Choe was being bold or shameless.
But after thinking about it again, Jegyeong realized Choe's position might be different. In the end, it depended on the value of the Bloodline Restriction Art.
'If this restriction art is better than I thought...'
After the gathering ended, Jegyeong stayed behind with Choe to discuss the trade in earnest. Choe mainly gave a broad explanation of the Bloodline Restriction Art, while Jegyeong asked questions about what he wanted to know.
Not long afterward, once he had heard the full explanation, Jegyeong had no choice but to admit that Choe's pricing, which had seemed shameless moments ago, was not entirely unacceptable.
If Choe had not mixed lies into the explanation, the Bloodline Restriction Art was certainly an excellent method.
It might have had shortcomings compared to other restriction arts, but Jegyeong did not want to compare it in that way. If it was useful, then it was useful. Why bother comparing it needlessly just to find its flaws?
According to Choe, apart from requiring a difference in realm between the caster and recipient, and the fact that it could not control many people at once, the Bloodline Restriction Art had no drawbacks.
“I see.”
At the mention that Jegyeong had no spiritual treasure, Choe could not hide a trace of disappointment.
It lasted only a moment before bargaining began.
“Thirty-five mid-grade Spirit Stones.”
“Let's make it thirty.”
“Restriction arts are rare, and one of this quality is even rarer.”
“Fine. Thirty-two.”
“Thirty-three.”
“Hoo... Fine. Thirty-three.”
Honestly, it would not have mattered much to Jegyeong whether he bargained or not.
Still, it was better if he could lower the price even slightly, so he had spoken up.
After settling on thirty-three, Jegyeong watched Choe's expression. He appeared quite satisfied.
That was understandable. With thirty-three mid-grade Spirit Stones and a little luck, Choe could acquire a decent spiritual treasure. Besides, knowledge such as cultivation methods and secret arts was not lost by selling it. By that logic, he had earned Spirit Stones without doing anything.
'Knowledge and inheritances truly are the strongest power and the most valuable wealth.'
Jegyeong thought of the many cultivation methods, secret arts, and other pieces of knowledge he had gathered over the past ten years.
He had collected them diligently in his own way, but both their variety and quality remained crude.
'Take it slowly. I have plenty of time.'
Cultivation was a battle against time and a battle against impatience.
Whenever impatience raised its head, Jegyeong steadied himself by repeating those words over and over.
* * *
Jegyeong asked Choe whether it was possible to send goods through a route other than the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association, but unfortunately, he did not receive the answer he wanted.
According to Choe, countless large and small merchant associations existed in the Human Territories, along with many ways to deliver news and goods. Still, the Human Territories were too vast, and very few organizations extended their reach into such insignificant backwaters.
'An insignificant backwater...'
Jegyeong did not want to admit it, but he was a local lord over a speck-sized stretch of water in Yangseo Lake. His refusal to acknowledge it would not change the truth.
No deliveries even reached the remote countryside where he lived. What could he say?
He had no choice but to use the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association once again. Gwak Jeongsin would then learn that Jegyeong had separately purchased something in the Forget-Me Garden, but that should not be a problem.
Jegyeong had asked Choe to place a seal on the Jade Slip.
As long as the seal was not damaged, Gwak Jeongsin would not know what the Jade Slip contained, and he would not ruin their relationship over a little curiosity.
'Now I only need to wait a few days.'
He was about to continue cultivating at ease when unexpected news shattered his calm.
“What? Is that true?!”
With Hyeon-gwi prostrated before him, Jegyeong unconsciously released a fierce Aura.
That was how violently his emotions were roiling.
“I-it is absolutely true!”
Hyeon-gwi said this while trembling all over, leaving Jegyeong no choice but to believe it.
Still, the news was truly absurd.
Trouble had struck the Great Demon Beasts after they returned to their territories following the exchange gathering.
Dae-yeong had attacked Ha Sonseo. Both suffered severe injuries and withdrew.
Then, before even a day had passed, Jang Yeong raided Dae-yeong's nest and killed Dae-yeong, who had been treating those injuries.
“Ha!”
It was difficult to believe, but if all of it was true, it was not hard to guess the cause and outline of the incident.
'That stupid fish got greedy.'
Dae-yeong had likely started it.
Dae-yeong must have launched a surprise attack to obtain the Foundation Establishment cultivators in Ha Sonseo's possession, only to retreat after shedding blood without gaining anything. In doing so, Dae-yeong had drawn cunning Jang Yeong into the matter.
'But the response was too fast. Could Jang Yeong have already expected it would turn out this way?'
He could not know without asking Jang Yeong directly, but Jegyeong suspected Jang Yeong had anticipated Dae-yeong's movements.
After all, the demon fiend whose upper body alone was human had responded far too quickly, and Jang Yeong was the only one to profit from this matter.
'Tch. They're all like jackals.'
Jegyeong calmed his turbulent emotions and clicked his tongue.
Footnotes:
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