WeTried Translations

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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈

Chapter 95: Business Expansion

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The giant crocodile looked impressive, but it was rather underwhelming for its size.

The hunt had been the same, and so had the result.

All Jegyeong gained from hunting it was a great deal of meat and plenty of blood.

Of course, it was not Essence Blood, but ordinary Demon Blood.

He had heard that even the blood of a Great Demon Beast was in demand, so Jegyeong extracted and stored the giant crocodile's blood.

It was not worth much, but every little bit added up.

Besides, the creature had been enormous, so there was no shortage of blood.

Jegyeong put forth his full strength and tore the giant crocodile's body in half.

He gave one half to Jang Yeong.

"This is your share."

"Thank you."

Jang Yeong accepted the drained meat without complaint.

All he had done during the hunt was exert a little strength, so he was more than satisfied with this much.

Crunch, crunch.

Jegyeong chewed the pale, dry meat a few times, then frowned.

The giant crocodile's flesh contained a fairly distinct demon power.

That damp, cold demon power seeped into his Spirit and Flesh, causing an indescribable discomfort.

If he had to compare it to something, it was like pouring oil into a basin full of water.

'Tch. Just as I thought.'

Jegyeong tore off one more bite, then looked regretfully at the half of the crocodile's corpse, which barely seemed any smaller.

He could eat it if he wanted to, but he would suffer indigestion for some time afterward.

It seemed this meat simply was not meant for him.

Jegyeong put the half of the crocodile's corpse into his Storage bag.

"Let's leave it at this for now. I'll let you know when it's time for the next hunt."

"Understood."

Without another word, Jang Yeong departed.

Before leaving, Jegyeong headed for the giant crocodile's nest.

Considering how foolish it had seemed until the moment it died, he did not expect it to have gathered anything valuable. Still, there was no harm in checking.

'As expected, there's nothing here.'

The only thing inside the cave, thick with Spiritual Energy, was a massive boulder shaped like a sea urchin.

Some dead skin clung to the sharp, spine-like protrusions on its surface, so it seemed the crocodile had used it to rub against when it itched.

Jegyeong turned to leave, but something suddenly came to mind. He lightly rubbed his body against the jagged rock.

Crack!

A harsh scraping sound rang out.

When he pulled away and checked, not a single scale had been scratched. Yet the pointed stone was also completely undamaged.

Only then did Jegyeong open his eyes wide and examine the huge, strange boulder with interest.

'It isn't an ordinary rock.'

He suddenly wondered what would happen if he rammed it with all his strength.

Would his body be injured, or would the rock shatter?

Jegyeong restrained the urge to try it at once.

Testing it would not be difficult, but this was not the place.

He needed to leave first, before the other nearby Great Demon Beasts noticed something was wrong and gathered there.

* * *

Thud!

A huge, bloodless corpse landed on the floor of the spacious hall.

Hyeon-gwi and Fat Turtle instinctively flinched, then examined the corpse with astonished eyes.

Fat Turtle's eyes in particular filled with wild joy.

Drool streamed from his slightly open mouth, and his feet twitched as though he might pounce at any moment.

"Dragon Lord. This is..."

Hyeon-gwi had already guessed, but he still asked carefully to confirm it.

"Eat. Consider it a reward for your efforts."

"Thank you, Dragon Lord!"

Drool had been dripping so heavily from Fat Turtle's mouth that it soaked the floor beneath him. He shot forward like an arrow.

It was a speed no one would have expected from a turtle.

Hyeon-gwi opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw his son's agility for the first time in his life, he only opened it wider.

"Chomp!"

Fat Turtle was so much larger than Hyeon-gwi that it was hard to believe they were father and son, but he was still a turtle.

His mouth was small for his body, and even half the giant crocodile was far bigger than him. No matter how much he bit and tore at it with that small mouth, there was barely any sign of damage.

"You brat!"

Hyeon-gwi stood there at a loss, veins bulging in his neck.

"Enough."

"Dr-Dragon Lord..."

"I brought it for you two to eat, so don't hold back."

Jegyeong had originally intended to give it to Muk-su, but Muk-su had refused.

The Wood Demon, with its refined palate, wanted meat that still retained its original fishy scent, not dry flesh drained of all blood.

Jegyeong grumbled inwardly that it had plenty of demands for something that sat around and waited to be fed, but there was nothing he could do.

After becoming a Great Demon Beast, Muk-su had apparently grown even more intelligent and realized that its Spirit Fruit held considerable value. Its demands had gradually increased lately.

It asked him to bring dripping meat, sprinkle cool water over it, and said it missed the refreshing taste of the Human Race...

At this rate, it would soon be walking all over him.

At least its activity level was low. Otherwise, it might have marched into this hall and loudly demanded that he supply it with nutrients.

Of course, if that happened, he would teach that arrogant tree who the boss was through a physical lesson.

Chomp, chomp!

Jegyeong turned his gaze toward the hearty eating sounds.

Fat Turtle had buried half his body in the meat, chewing and swallowing over and over.

Watching that greedy yet hearty sight, Jegyeong could no longer tell whether it was a turtle or a pig.

Far away, Hyeon-gwi tore off mouthfuls of meat one at a time. Compared to Fat Turtle, he was as slow as an old man swallowing thin gruel with difficulty.

"Dragon Lord, did you hunt this Great Demon Beast?"

"Yes."

"Then... shall we go there?"

"No."

Hyeon-gwi was truly a loyal and capable subordinate.

Few could hold such tempting meat in their mouths and still think about work.

"This one shared a Spiritual Land with others. If you go stirring things up, the others will definitely notice."

That was why Jegyeong had left without delay after the hunt.

He regretted it, but there was no helping it.

Great Demon Beasts that occupied an entire Spiritual Land, or even controlled a broad territory alone, were rare.

At least, that was what the information Jang Yeong had given him indicated.

"Urp."

After eating for a long while, Fat Turtle finally let out a long belch and flopped onto his back.

His body, already excessively plump, had swollen like a balloon. If someone nudged him, he looked as though he would roll away like a ball.

"Take the rest. Whether you keep it and eat it, or share it with the others, do as you please."

"Understood."

Hyeon-gwi put the remaining meat into his Storage bag and went over to Fat Turtle.

"Get up at once!"

"But Father, I can't move."

Anyone who wanted to know what it looked like for someone's eyes to blaze with fire only needed to look at Hyeon-gwi now.

His face had turned red with shame, and his bulging veins seemed to embody his rage.

Hyeon-gwi kept urging his son while watching Jegyeong's reaction, but he finally lost patience and kicked Fat Turtle hard.

It was a picture-perfect kick, far too powerful to have come from those short legs.

* * *

As the ruling power of Yangseo Lake's Demon Race, Dragon King Palace had its authority and majesty recognized by every intelligent member of the Demon Race.

It could not have been otherwise.

In the Cultivation World, cultivation was the foundation and everything, and the Remnant Water Whale King was Yangseo Lake's only Demon King.

So, willingly or not, the Demon Race of Yangseo Lake bowed their heads before Dragon King Palace.

Yet once Dragon King Palace's attention turned away, they raised their heads as if nothing had happened and strutted about as they pleased.

"A Jiao Dragon? A black jiao?"

A huge shape stirred deep within the pitch-black water.

"Ah, I remember now. Makgye mentioned a Jiao Dragon with a thin Bloodline before."

"That should be him."

Jang Yeong did not relax. Tentacles larger than most Human Race boats moved irregularly through the water, and he feared one might strike him.

His father was inattentive and lacked self-awareness.

He did not know, nor did he care to know, that a small careless movement from him was a natural disaster to others.

"So? Why are you telling me about him?"

"I've agreed to hunt with him."

"Hunt?"

"We will target nearby Rogue Cultivators. I plan to deal with them as quietly as possible, but just in case..."

"So you want me to watch your back?"

"Is that so difficult? And... it is only a precaution."

At that moment, a dizzying sensation swept over him as though the entire space had warped.

Jang Yeong regained his senses and raised his head, only to realize that a single enormous eyeball, large enough to contain his entire body, was staring at him from right before his face.

He had experienced it many times, but the instinctive horror and fear never became familiar.

"Insolent brat. You still think too much. But do you know this? If you weren't my son, I would have already sucked you dry to the marrow."

"I know."

"Hmph! Go back."

A violent current swept through the water.

Tossed about like a fish caught in waves, Jang Yeong soon found himself outside Dragon King Palace.

'He has grown stronger.'

Jang Yeong was certain that his father's strength had deepened since the last time he had seen him.

His realm was far too low to glimpse the cultivation of a Great Demon Beast with one foot in the Demon King Realm, but the resonance of their Bloodline told him much.

His father had definitely grown stronger.

It felt as though his father could enter the Demon King Realm immediately without any problem.

Yet although he could advance, he did not.

Jang Yeong even felt that his father was deliberately suppressing his breakthrough.

'He says I think too much?'

What a joke.

Who was saying that to whom?

Jang Yeong wanted to sneer, but the moment he remembered the huge eye that had stared at him, his heart turned cold.

'Dragon King Palace... the Whale King...'

Fear rose within him as he thought of what he should not think of.

When light returned to his clouded eyes, Jang Yeong's expression had darkened.

* * *

Jegyeong expanded the Fleshscale Fish schools even further and began seriously increasing his trade volume.

He knew it could lower the unit price, but he had no choice.

Fleshscale Fish were said to greatly benefit Qi and Blood, but they had almost no effect on him.

Wondering whether the amount was too small, he had swallowed several hundred at once, yet the effect was still negligible.

It was much better to exchange them for Spirit Stones and consume those instead.

"Fellow Daoist's business acumen is truly remarkable."

When Jegyeong increased the trade volume by half at once, Gwak Jeongsin came to him in alarm and lavished him with praise.

Though he spoke solemnly, it was no different from flattery.

"There's no need to be so surprised. The Demon Race has its own advantages."

"That is certainly true."

Increasing the Fleshscale Fish trade volume was only the beginning.

Jegyeong devoted himself fiercely to earning Spirit Stones, and his business gradually expanded.

As it did, the amount of Spirit Stones he consumed every day also increased rapidly.

Those efforts did not betray him.

Thud!

Jegyeong sensed a powerful reverberation within himself and smiled in satisfaction.

Footnotes:

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