WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 91: Those Who Seek Rewards
──────
Jegyeong examined the reddish stone closely.
A faint red light flowed across its rough surface. Unless one looked closely, it was easy to mistake the color for something inherent to the stone itself.
Yet, upon closer inspection, it looked as though blood were flowing through the stone.
‘What is this?’
Its appearance alone made it clear that it was no ordinary object.
That was why Hyeon-gwi had happily brought it back.
Still, extraordinary was one thing. What exactly was this object?
Even Jegyeong, who had memorized the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association's catalog, could not tell whether it was truly a stone or something else entirely.
‘Hmm.’
Rather than being troubled by an item he could not identify, Jegyeong found the situation enjoyable.
In his view, anything absent from the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association's catalog fell into one of two categories. It was either too worthless to include or so rare that it was seldom traded and could not be listed.
Jegyeong was certain this belonged to the latter.
Beyond its unusual appearance, he sensed something from it. He simply could not grasp what that feeling was.
“You did well.”
Jegyeong praised Hyeon-gwi, then awarded him a Spirit Fruit on the spot.
Hyeon-gwi's eyes seemed to burn with excitement.
“Where did you find this?”
“Reporting to the Dragon Lord, I found it in Lord Jang Yeong's territory.”
“Jang Yeong's territory? You went quite far.”
“Hehe. Since its owner had disappeared, I thought it would be a good chance to search a wider area.”
Jegyeong did not know whether to call that bold or reckless, so he merely clicked his tongue.
Of course, Hyeon-gwi carried Jegyeong's blood, so there was no need to worry about ordinary riffraff. But what if he had encountered Great Demon Beasts who had come to claim an ownerless territory?
Even with Jegyeong's blood in him, Hyeon-gwi likely would not have returned in one piece.
Still, the result had been good, so Jegyeong did not scold him.
As for his recklessness, Hyeon-gwi must have wanted the Spirit Fruit badly enough to push himself this time. Normally, though, the turtle was cautious in his own way. There was no need to worry too much.
After sending Hyeon-gwi away, Jegyeong examined the strange object that was a stone yet did not seem like one.
He lightly touched it and dripped a couple of drops of saliva onto it.
He even considered putting it in his mouth.
Well, he only considered it for a moment.
He had no idea whether it was poison or medicine. No matter how tough his body was, he could not simply put it in his mouth without thinking.
‘I've got no idea.’
His limited experience showed itself here.
Not long ago, he had secretly laughed at several Great Demon Beasts for being fools who possessed treasures without realizing they were treasures. Looking at it now, he did not seem much different from them.
‘Forget it. I'll find out eventually.’
Anything placed in a Storage bag would not run away, so he had plenty of time.
His knowledge might be lacking, but Forget-Me Garden had many experienced seniors. Surely one of them would recognize this strange stone.
* * *
There was no hurry about the stone.
Jegyeong first completed the basic training for the Bloodline Restriction Art, then immediately summoned Han Cheongyu.
Anyone capable of breathing and thinking would not want to entrust their life to another.
The Bloodline Restriction Art was no different from a slave mark forcibly placed on someone. A method like this could shake even those with firm loyalty.
That was why Jegyeong tested it first on Han Cheongyu, whom he judged to be the most loyal among the Human Race cultivators under his command.
He gave Han Cheongyu a rough explanation of the Bloodline Restriction Art and offered him a choice.
Of course, it was a choice in name only. It was little different from coercion disguised as a choice.
Han Cheongyu was no fool, so he must have understood that.
Jegyeong did not care.
He spoke calmly and watched Han Cheongyu's response.
Han Cheongyu listened to every word without speaking. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding.
“Dragon Lord. I understand.”
“What is it that you understand?”
“I understand. Please bestow the bloodline restriction upon me.”
Jegyeong had expected Han Cheongyu to agree, but even so, this calm response was unexpected.
Was he truly all right with selling his life for a drop of blood?
Jegyeong was a little curious, but chose not to think deeply about it.
In any case, he liked this obedient attitude.
“Take these.”
One should not assume that Han Cheongyu held no resentment simply because he had submitted.
Jegyeong did not know whether several bottles of Medicinal Pills would be enough to dissolve that resentment, but he understood one thing. If he put a collar around someone's neck, he had to put meat in their mouth as well.
In the end, what mattered was showing sincerity.
“Thank you, Dragon Lord.”
Whether the gratitude was genuine or not, Han Cheongyu accepted the Medicinal Pills and expressed his joy.
Jegyeong exchanged a few meaningless words with him before sending him away, without saying anything about the other Human Race subordinates.
There were no secrets on Black Shark Island.
There were especially no secrets among the Human Race cultivators. Gathering into groups was an instinct of the Human Race.
They gathered together to lessen their loneliness, increase their pleasures, forget their fears, and satisfy their vanity.
“Cheongyu, has your cultivation improved?”
The Human Race cultivators on Black Shark Island immediately noticed that Han Cheongyu's Aura and bearing differed from the day before.
It was not because Han Cheongyu had strutted before them, nor because their senses were unusually sharp or they took special interest in others.
There was simply little else to enjoy on that boring island besides comparing themselves to others and taking pleasure in small accomplishments.
They no longer considered Han Cheongyu a competitor. He was so diligent and talented that it made them click their tongues in amazement.
That was precisely why they paid even more attention to him.
After all, the one in first place was bound to draw attention.
“Mm. The Dragon Lord bestowed Medicinal Pills upon me.”
“The Dragon Lord gave you Medicinal Pills? Why?”
The Human Race cultivators were envious, but they also felt dissatisfied.
They believed the Dragon Lord favored Han Cheongyu too much.
Han Cheongyu's cultivation was the highest among them, and he had followed the Dragon Lord the longest. Even so, was this not excessive favoritism?
Han Cheongyu could sense the heat in his companions' gazes and hearts.
How could he not?
He devoted most of his attention to cultivation, but he had not completely ignored the mood around him.
“The Dragon Lord asked whether I would accept the Bloodline Restriction Art. I willingly agreed, and the Dragon Lord must have liked my attitude, because he rewarded me with Medicinal Pills.”
“The Bloodline Restriction Art? What is that?”
Some frowned, while others' eyes lit up.
The former instinctively rejected the sinister-sounding name, Bloodline Restriction Art. The latter perked up at the words Medicinal Pills and reward.
Han Cheongyu explained slowly and calmly.
He had already guessed the Dragon Lord's intentions.
This Bloodline Restriction Art was a means of controlling the Human Race cultivators more securely. Those who did not accept the restriction could no longer remain under the Dragon Lord's command.
Of course, before that, they would have to consider whether they could survive after refusing it.
‘The Dragon Lord intends to use me to lessen their resistance to the restriction as much as possible.’
Why had he alone received the restriction? Was it because his late Qi Refining Stage cultivation made the Dragon Lord uneasy?
Han Cheongyu was no fool.
Once he cast aside several absurd possibilities, only one answer remained.
He was bait.
Bait meant to make the restriction seem like a symbol of favor.
Once Han Cheongyu understood that, he also knew how he needed to act.
He needed to do nothing.
There was no need to step forward and extravagantly praise the Dragon Lord's grace. Nor did he need to downplay the restriction as though it were nothing.
Thoughts planted by others did not sink deep or last long. The best approach was to let them judge for themselves.
So Han Cheongyu acted as calmly as usual.
If he did anything deliberately, it was only to leave a faint scent of Medicinal Pills on himself.
‘It seems to have worked well.’
Han Cheongyu pressed his lips together as he watched his companions visibly waver.
* * *
About ten days after Han Cheongyu returned holding his Medicinal Pills, Jegyeong felt that the time was ripe.
He summoned another person.
Their cultivation was unremarkable, but aside from Han Cheongyu, they were the most diligent of the group.
Perhaps they had guessed why they had been summoned, because they had been flushed with excitement from the moment they arrived.
As he had with Han Cheongyu, Jegyeong asked their intentions about accepting the restriction. As though they had been waiting for it, they accepted the restriction.
Anyone watching might have thought the restriction was a reward rather than a restriction.
‘The effect is good.’
Was it because of several bottles of Medicinal Pills, or because of the small misunderstanding Han Cheongyu had created?
Either way, Jegyeong's fishing seemed successful.
After a second person received a “reward” following Han Cheongyu, the Human Race cultivators of Black Shark Island no longer concealed their thoughts.
When Han Cheongyu had received his reward, they had felt somewhat bitter, but they could still accept it.
After all, Han Cheongyu being the best among them was an undeniable fact.
This time was different.
The person summoned this time barely ranked near the middle of the group in cultivation. Other than being steadfast, they had nothing that stood out.
So why had someone like that been summoned by the Dragon Lord and rewarded?
They were jealous and thought about it, until before long, they reached one suspicious answer.
Steadfastness.
In other words, diligence.
And if they stretched that meaning even further...
Loyalty?
It might have been a ridiculous leap and an unfounded suspicion, but they truly could not think of anything else.
Even a doubtful answer was hard not to believe when it was the only answer.
So they believed it.
That belief became firm when the third person was summoned.
The third person was much like the second.
Their ability was nothing remarkable, but they had a simple and honest nature. They rarely complained and often spoke of gratitude for the Dragon Lord's grace.
By then, they could no longer doubt it.
This so-called Bloodline Restriction Art was a symbol of favor, and the condition for receiving that favor was not ability, but loyalty.
As cultivators, they desperately wanted the Dragon Lord's Medicinal Pills.
No, they wanted his favor.
Yet obtaining that favor did not seem easy.
If loyalty was the condition, how were they supposed to prove it?
Should they cut open their chests and show him their hearts?
As more people received “rewards” every few days, and the number passed six, the hearts of those who remained grew heavy, as though a lump of iron pressed down upon them.
The reward itself mattered, but they were even more worried that the Dragon Lord doubted their loyalty.
In truth, Jegyeong had no thoughts about them at all.
The rewards were delayed only because his training in the Bloodline Restriction Art was progressing slowly.
With his current attainment, even controlling ten people was burdensome. How could he hand out “rewards” one after another?
But the Human Race cultivators of Black Shark Island did not know this.
They could only blame their own disloyalty and blame themselves for being unable to open their chests and show the Dragon Lord their hearts.
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
