The ship of the Prosperous Treasure Guild was no ordinary vessel. This ship required neither wind nor oars. Just as horses pull a carriage, giant spiritual beasts resembling sharks, called ship-towing sharks, pulled the vessel, and their speed matched that of most cultivators moving at their full capacity.
Of course, the cultivators mentioned here were Qi Refining cultivators.
“Um… Dragon Lord.”
The captain of this ship, Yang Yo-hyeon, watched Jaekyung with some anxiety as he stood at the bow, looking at the ship-towing sharks. He knew that the pale-faced man was the master of Black Flood Dragon Island, the much-rumored Black Flood Dragon.
Although he believed this Black Flood Dragon was not a true flood dragon and had, at best, inherited a minuscule amount of dragon blood… even so, he could not afford to be disrespectful.
After all, the man was the master of Black Flood Dragon Island, and over the past ten years, his fearsome reputation had spread quite far among those in the know. Moreover, he was an important partner of the Prosperous Treasure Guild, so Yang Yo-hyeon wanted to avoid upsetting him if at all possible.
‘I should have brought a spirit ship.’
Most of the demon races were staunch individualists, but very rarely, there were those who felt pride in their identity as a demon race. Some of those types despised the existence of their leashed kin, whom humans called spiritual beasts. Could this Black Flood Dragon be one of them?
“Ah. Do not worry. I have no particular feelings about these things called spiritual beasts.”
Jaekyung was quick-witted. He discerned what Yang Yo-hyeon was thinking and put him at ease.
“These creatures… called ship-towing sharks. Do they have any intelligence?”
“You could say they have almost none. At best, they are slightly smarter than a dog.”
His complexion brightening, Yang Yo-hyeon came to Jaekyung’s side and diligently answered his questions. Noticing Jaekyung’s interest in the ship-towing sharks, he even spoke at length about things he wasn't asked.
“They certainly seem convenient.”
“Indeed. While this kind of ship is not as safe as a spirit ship, spirit ships have high maintenance costs.”
The operation of a spirit ship consumed spirit stones. If a battle were to occur, that consumption would increase exponentially, an expense that even the wealthy Prosperous Treasure Guild could not afford. Therefore, they only brought out the spirit ships when transporting important goods, using regular ships like this for all other cases.
“Of course, had we known that the Dragon Lord would be joining us this time, the guild would naturally have sent a spirit ship.”
Jaekyung merely nodded at Yang Yo-hyeon’s flattering words, offering no reply. Aside from the people, the only things loaded on this ship were Meat-Scaled Fish and spirit rice, so there was no reason for the Prosperous Treasure Guild to send a spirit ship.
Moreover, this transaction was, strictly speaking, Gwak Jeong-shin’s personal deal rather than one of the Prosperous Treasure Guild, so it was even more so the case.
“It was called Star Rock Island, was it not?”
“That is correct. It is one of the most prosperous places in the outer regions.”
The human territories of Western Twin Lake are divided into an inner region and an outer region, centered around the Lone Reed Plain, which they call the Great Capital. The Star Rock Island they were heading to was one of the largest and most prosperous islands in the outer regions, with a market square of considerable size.
The Prosperous Treasure Guild and several nearby cultivation forces would jointly hold regular grand auctions, and now was that time. Jaekyung had continued to trade with Gwak Jeong-shin. Their transactions might be nothing in the eyes of the great cultivation forces, but for a lone mountain sect, it was an unsettlingly large business.
In fact, after word of the Meat-Scaled Fish business spread to some extent, a few greedy individuals had come calling. Of course, they all became sacrifices that enhanced the fearsome reputation of the master of Black Flood Dragon Island.
‘An auction.’
Jaekyung thought of the spirit stones sleeping in his storage pouch. He had spent spirit stones generously to increase his cultivation speed even a little, but a considerable amount of spirit stones still remained in his storage pouch. This amount should be enough to acquire one or two desired items at the auction without issue.
‘Spirit stones are not the problem. The problem is whether there will be anything worth buying at the auction.’
What he was aiming for were fire-attribute spiritual objects, or cultivation techniques and pill recipes for cultivation pills. The possibility of a spiritual object appearing was not very high, but he had some hope for cultivation techniques or pill recipes.
“We will be arriving soon.”
Even without Yang Yo-hyeon’s words, Jaekyung had guessed as much. He had felt the spiritual energy growing denser for a little while now. According to what he had heard before, Star Rock Island was the center of a Spiritual Land, and this Spiritual Land was incomparably vast compared to the one centered around Black Flood Dragon Island.
A vast Spiritual Land meant that the spiritual energy at its center was also dense. Such a massive Spiritual Land, though it fell short of a spirit vein, was a sacred ground for cultivation that any cultivation force would covet. Star Rock Island was also such a sacred ground for cultivation.
On this large island, there were several cultivation forces, large and small, and they were the masters of Star Rock Island. However, as mentioned, because there were several masters playing the part, Star Rock Island was always noisy.
“The auction period is when Star Rock Island is at its most orderly.”
Star Rock Island’s profits come from the market square and the auction. The auction, in particular, was a peak season that came around every few years, so the masters of Star Rock Island did not want to give a bad impression to the outside guests visiting during this time.
“But you must be careful. As you know, your identity could become a problem.”
“Do not worry. I am well aware.”
Despite Jaekyung’s words, Yang Yo-hyeon could not feel at ease. One should not be deceived by the calm exterior. After all, the man before him was a Great Spirit Beast, and a Black Flood Dragon with a fearsome reputation at that.
Although they had built a basic level of trust over more than ten years of trading, no one knew how he would react when faced with a situation that displeased him. Therefore, the best course of action was to not create a situation that would upset him in the first place.
Yang Yo-hyeon planned to contact the guild members as soon as they arrived at Star Rock Island to have them manage this guest of concern.
The Prosperous Treasure Guild was one of the masters of Star Rock Island, and no one would disregard their face, so if the guild took it upon themselves to manage this guest, there would be no cause for concern.
‘The problem is more likely to be internal.’
It had already been over ten years since Gwak Jeong-shin began to seriously increase his influence within the guild. During that time, he had made many friends and subordinates, but at the same time, he had also made a fair number of enemies. Those enemies constantly paid attention not only to Gwak Jeong-shin but also to his important partners.
Of course, they did not commit foolish acts like attacking Black Flood Dragon Island or raiding the Meat-Scaled Fish transport ships. This was because they knew to distinguish between dealing with Gwak Jeong-shin and infringing on the guild's interests.
The higher-ups in the guild were individuals who could see their subordinates’ actions as if they were in the palms of their hands, and while they tolerated a certain degree of childish internal strife, they would not permit self-sabotage.
At least until now, all those who had tried to line their own pockets while infringing on the guild's interests had, without exception, received appropriate punishment. Therefore, Yang Yo-hyeon was not worried about that aspect. However, there are countless ways in the world to achieve what one wants without getting one’s hands dirty.
Jaekyung did not leave the bow of the ship. It was not to cool his head in the wind. Unlike before, he no longer needed such things to lift his spirits.
On the premise that nothing special happened, if he had enough spirit wine, he could maintain his transformation state for over a month.
‘I can’t seem to get tired of this.’
His long hair and the hem of his robe fluttered in the wind. It was this cool and refreshing wind that kept him at the bow of the ship. The vast horizon that caught his eye no matter where he turned also played a part.
“Dragon Lord. I believe we should change your title on Star Rock Island. The current title may unnecessarily attract the attention of others.”
“As you wish.”
Jaekyung roughly guessed what Yang Yo-hyeon was worried about. In his opinion, Yang Yo-hyeon’s concerns were unnecessary. Jaekyung valued his own life, and the characteristic foul temper and unpredictable whims of the demon race were things far removed from him.
Moreover, even though Star Rock Island was in the outer regions, it was still one of the human-centric places, and the vigilance and hostility towards the demon race would be considerable. Unless one had lost their mind, how could they act recklessly in such a place?
“Dao Friend Jaekyung. That is Star Rock Island.”
Jaekyung had his eyes on Star Rock Island even before Yang Yo-hyeon spoke. A moment later, several ships passed by them. Some were ships that had come from Star Rock Island, and others were patrol boats.
He could even occasionally see Foundation Establishment cultivators flying in the sky, whom Yang Yo-hyeon said were the patrollers of Star Rock Island.
“Normally, we would have to go through an inspection, but we have no need for that.”
The prestige of the Prosperous Treasure Guild was once again demonstrated in this aspect. They were able to enter Star Rock Island not only without an inspection but also with polite greetings.
“Dao Friend Yang.”
At the pier, people from the Prosperous Treasure Guild were already waiting. Jaekyung could tell at a glance that the middle-aged man in scholar’s attire at the front was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He acknowledged Yang Yo-hyeon, and Yang Yo-hyeon, in turn, smiled calmly at him.
“Dao Friend Yeon. You were here early.”
After exchanging greetings, their gazes naturally turned towards Jaekyung. The one called Dao Friend Yeon, in particular, did not hide his look of astonishment.
“This gentleman is Dao Friend Jaekyung from Black Flood Dragon Island. Dao Friend Jaekyung, this is Dao Friend Yeon Jung-hyeok.”
“Dao Friend Jaekyung? Black Flood Dragon Island?”
Jaekyung’s arrival at Star Rock Island on a ship of the Prosperous Treasure Guild was an unexpected and sudden situation for everyone. He knew that there were not a few who were after him, and he also knew that they were keeping an eye on Black Flood Dragon Island.
Jaekyung was certain that if he had shared his plans to go to Star Rock Island with others beforehand, the story would have leaked out before long.
“Could it be…”
He could tell just by looking now. Yeon Jung-hyeok’s eyes widened, and his gaze became decidedly more cautious. The probing gaze was subtle, but it could not fool Jaekyung.
“Do not worry. I will return immediately after the auction ends, so I will not be much of a bother.”
It did not matter whether this man, Yeon Jung-hyeok, was Gwak Jeong-shin’s enemy or not. By the time this news spread and his adversaries reacted, he would already be on a ship heading back to Black Flood Dragon Island, or would have already arrived.
“A bother? What are you saying.”
Perhaps it was due to Jaekyung’s piercing gaze, or perhaps due to the fearsome reputation of the Black Flood Dragon, but Yeon Jung-hyeok’s attitude became extremely courteous. Yang Yo-hyeon quietly prompted him.
“Dao Friend Yeon. Please guide us to our lodgings.”
“Ah, yes. I shall escort you.”
Jaekyung followed Yeon Jung-hyeok’s guidance and left the pier. Yeon Jung-hyeok apologized for not having prepared a ride, saying he did not know a distinguished guest would be arriving. Jaekyung let such empty words go in one ear and out the other, taking in the sight of the ‘human territories’ for the first time.