WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations
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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 94: Great Demon Hunting
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Just as Jegyeong had expected, Jang Yeong was backed by Dragon King Palace.
‘Is this one also a guest elder of Dragon King Palace?’
Probably not.
The status of guest elder only proved that one stood under Dragon King Palace's protection. It served no purpose beyond that.
Otherwise, Makgye could not have handed out the position of guest elder so casually before, nor would they have left looking pleased, as though they had received a gift, when Jegyeong accepted it.
“You attacked Dae-yeong because you knew there would be no repercussions, didn't you?”
Jegyeong looked down at Jang Yeong as though he knew everything.
It was half an act and half sincere.
The convincing performance, combined with his oppressive appearance, kept even a clever and perceptive Great Demon from noticing anything strange.
“That is correct.”
“Oh? It seems you know the creatures around here quite well.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You are cautious. If someone like you acted without hesitation and killed Dae-yeong, it must have been because you had already weighed the matter. In other words, you knew who could be provoked and who could not.”
“...”
“I'll be honest with you.”
Jegyeong raised his body and moved a little closer to Jang Yeong.
Jang Yeong flinched and drew back slightly.
Cultivators were living creatures in the end.
To some extent, they could not help being affected by what they saw.
That was even more true when their momentum had already been suppressed.
Jegyeong's enormous body and vicious appearance were enough to intimidate an opponent with the slightest movement.
“Not long ago, Fellow Daoist Makgye came to recruit me into Dragon King Palace. When I said I had no interest, they suggested that I become a guest elder instead.”
At the mention of Makgye's name, Jang Yeong reacted.
Their gaze changed for only an instant, but Jegyeong, who had focused all his attention on them, did not miss it.
“They asked twice, and I couldn't refuse them both times, so I accepted. But afterward, I came to regret it a little.”
“Regret it?”
“As you know, the simplest way for beings like us to cultivate is through hunting. Is that not so?”
“...”
Jang Yeong flinched again.
At that moment, they realized that the snake eyes looking down at them held a deeper meaning.
It was as though, if they gave the wrong answer, that enormous mouth would open wide and tear them apart at once.
Jang Yeong forced themself to speak in agreement.
“Fellow Daoist is right.”
“Exactly. But now that I am, at least in name, a guest elder, would Dragon King Palace not become involved if I made a mistake? Yet I know almost nothing about the state of affairs in Yangseo Lake. So...”
A long tongue swept over the edge of Jegyeong's mouth.
Jang Yeong knew it was an open threat, but they could not help feeling afraid.
The fierce and cunning Jiao Dragon's presence completely overwhelmed them.
Whether they answered was no longer the issue. They should be grateful that this creature had not come to harm them.
“You seem to know well, so tell me. Which creatures around here can be hunted, and which ones should not be hunted?”
Jang Yeong moved their mouth several times but made no sound.
They were clearly hesitating.
Jegyeong did not press them.
He had already pushed hard enough.
If he pressured Jang Yeong any further, he might force them into complete submission, but he might also earn their resentment.
Was there any need to take that risk?
Jegyeong believed Jang Yeong would eventually make the wise choice.
“Very well. I will tell you. But I have a condition.”
“A condition?”
Jegyeong put on a dissatisfied expression and replied bluntly.
Naturally, that was also an act.
Hmm. A Jiao Dragon had to be arrogant and violent.
“Let me hear it first.”
“I can help you, Fellow Daoist. But I would like compensation for that help.”
“What compensation?”
“I can feel heat from you. It is unlike the feeling I get from any of my kind in this lake. We are all cold, deep water, but you... you are fire. Am I wrong?”
“Oh.”
The brief exclamation was an affirmation.
Jang Yeong continued in a firmer voice.
“As I thought. You came here from the outer region, so perhaps it is only natural that you are different from us.”
Their calm gaze held a faint glimmer of scrutiny.
Jegyeong felt a little displeased by that look, but he pretended not to notice.
He knew excessive sensitivity could sometimes be seen as weakness.
“So? What do you want?”
“I wish to join your hunts.”
“Do you think I need you?”
“I do not believe so.”
“Then why?”
“Your hunts would become faster and easier. I do not ask for much. A little of the prey's flesh will be enough. I do not think that is an excessive demand.”
Jang Yeong was not wrong, and Jegyeong could understand why they wanted to join the hunts.
Jang Yeong was a Water Demon, and most of their prey would likely be Water Demons as well. They would not want to miss such an opportunity.
Jegyeong believed Jang Yeong's Bloodline was unusual, but even if it belonged to a Demon King, cultivation was still necessary to reach the Demon King Realm.
And Blood Meals were almost the only method of cultivation available to the Demon Race.
‘Not bad.’
Jegyeong weighed Jang Yeong's proposal and soon made his decision.
“Fine. But I choose the prey.”
“Of course. I will follow your decision completely.”
Jang Yeong bowed respectfully, though not servilely.
* * *
Bringing Jang Yeong in had truly been the right choice.
Jang Yeong's information network was even better than Jegyeong had expected. They seemed to know the details of every Great Demon in the area.
Their names, habitats, and even their realms.
‘This one's backer is an important figure in Dragon King Palace. Or perhaps this one is a member of Dragon King Palace.’
Jegyeong grew even more wary of Jang Yeong.
At the same time, he was pleased that this unexpectedly valuable information had given his hunting plans tremendous momentum.
‘Even if this one is a member of Dragon King Palace, there is no reason for me to hold back. In a sense, I am cleaning up troublesome creatures on Dragon King Palace's behalf.’
Besides, he was a guest elder of Dragon King Palace.
It would not be wrong to call him half a member of Dragon King Palace.
Even if Dragon King Palace later learned of his active hunting, they would not blame him.
Jang Yeong laid out information about the Great Demons living nearby.
They offered Jegyeong no recommendations or suggestions, as though determined to keep their word about following his decisions completely.
‘There is not much to gain from hunting ordinary Great Demons. I need to target... creatures that might possess Essence Blood.’
The higher one's realm, the greater the chance of possessing Essence Blood, but it was only a chance. Enemies of a higher realm were also difficult to hunt.
No, it was questionable whether he could even defeat them.
Jegyeong was confident in his combat ability, but he had not yet reached the middle stage of the Great Demon Realm.
Even if Jang Yeong helped, they were only at the initial or middle stage of the Great Demon Realm. Jegyeong did not expect them to assist him with all their strength.
Instead, he regarded Jang Yeong as both an ally and a potential enemy, perhaps even a future betrayer.
If he exposed an opening during a hunt, or suffered serious injuries...
Who could guarantee that this clever demon fiend would not covet a Jiao Dragon's blood and flesh?
‘The initial or middle stage of the Great Demon Realm is appropriate. I should choose among those that fight with their bodies.’
This hunt was a long-term plan. He could not rush it.
‘The initial stage is still best. The chance of obtaining Essence Blood is slim, but this is the first hunt...’
He could also use this first hunt to test Jang Yeong's attitude.
‘A Demon Beast would be best.’
Among the Demon Race, no race surpassed Demon Beasts in physical strength.
It sounded crude, but it would not be wrong to say that Demon Beasts relied on their bodies to survive.
Naturally, they also had the greatest chance of producing Essence Blood.
“This one, then.”
Jang Yeong only nodded at the prey Jegyeong had chosen and said nothing.
* * *
“Grrraaaah!”
A thunderous roar shook the surroundings.
The enormous crocodile thrashed, but the streams of water binding it neither snapped nor stretched.
This mysterious and powerful Binding Technique left a deep impression on Jegyeong.
“It is too strong. I do not think I can hold it for long.”
Before Jang Yeong even gave the warning, Jegyeong was already charging through the water.
The giant crocodile, which had been struggling to shake off the streams binding it, noticed Jegyeong's approach too late and widened its eyes.
Fear quickly filled those wide-open eyes.
The crocodile was certainly enormous.
It was more than twice the size of Jang Yeong, whose body measured well over ten meters when their tentacles stretched straight down.
Yet even such a massive crocodile looked somewhat pitiful beside Jegyeong.
It was like a kindergarten child standing before a secondary-school student.
Size was not everything, of course, but the presence Jegyeong displayed as he rushed forward with his mouth wide open was not something a Great Demon Beast at the initial stage of the Great Demon Realm could withstand.
Crunch!
Jegyeong bit down hard on the crocodile's nape as it lay bound by streams of water and frozen in fear.
At the same time, he skillfully moved his tail and body, coiling around the crocodile's entire body.
“Graaah!”
Around then, the streams of water binding the crocodile lost their strength and vanished, but the crocodile still did not regain its freedom.
An unfamiliar pain, as though its entire body were being crushed, mercilessly shook its mind.
Whoosh!
That was not the end.
Demon Flame burst forth without warning and burned the crocodile.
The crocodile could not put up any meaningful resistance as it roasted golden-brown.
Its desperate screams soon faded, and its frantic struggles gradually stopped.
Jang Yeong watched the entire scene from afar.
“...”
Jang Yeong always tried to remain calm.
In truth, they did not need to try very hard. They had always been calm.
Ever since settling in their current cave abode, almost nothing had happened that could disturb that calm.
Even when they hunted that foolish fish-headed creature before, they had only been a little excited. A few days ago, when the black jiao came to pressure them, they had felt slightly tense, but that was all.
Now, though, after witnessing the black jiao's strength firsthand, their mind was in turmoil.
‘Is this the power of a Jiao Dragon?’
It was impressive enough that he had crushed a powerful Great Demon Beast with raw strength, but that destructive fire...
‘Truly incredible. He has every right to be arrogant.’
The flames had only burned for a moment, yet the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth in the area was already trembling.
More precisely, the fierce fire qi was suppressing the water qi in the water.
Jang Yeong could not even imagine how powerful that fire had to be for such a thing to happen.
Crack!
The black jiao tore the golden-brown crocodile's neck off in one violent pull.
At that brutal display of strength, Jang Yeong unconsciously swallowed.
Footnotes:
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