The sound of pigs crying out comes from all around. Shadows dance like sparks beneath the vibrant lights, and grotesque music plays.
In the center lies a massive banquet table. The offerings sprawled across the table are so grand that they mirror the sight of a mighty general surveying his vast army.
“Pigggg! Piggy!”
“Grunt grunt!”
All sorts of pigs bury their heads into the table, greedily gulping down the food. They are all pigs—beastly pigs, demon pigs, and even human pigs.
All of them, lost in pleasure, laugh and cry as they fulfill their desires.
At the head of it all, a gigantic pig demon gazes down from the most prominent seat in the banquet hall.
With the head of a pig yet an excessively human physique, Jeopalgi wears a robe, but his chest and belly are so huge he can’t even fasten it.
Jeopalgi raises his prized weapon, the Moonblade, and shouts.
“Treasure!”
At the fierce shout, the banquet momentarily halts.
“Bring me treasure! I demand treasure that can satisfy this Jeopalgi!”
Every pig looks up at Jeopalgi, eagerly awaiting the next command.
“If you seek pleasure, bring treasure! Offer it before this Jeopalgi!”
This is Jeopalgi’s Pleasure Palace.
“Treasure! Treasure! Treasure!”
“Treasure! Treasure! Treasure!”
Gold and jewels are piled high at the edges of the banquet hall, but Jeopalgi is not satisfied.
The mountain of riches, the feast overflowing on the table, and the jars filled with liquor reaching to the heavens cannot satisfy his greed.
“I said bring me treasure!!!”
As the king of pigs rages, all the pig dancers rush over to appease him. Though they are several times shorter, the pig dancers gently caress Jeopalgi’s flesh, trying hard to please their master.
“I shall obey!”
The pig-headed generals rise from their seats. Their bodies, having rolled over the table, are filthy from the spilled food and liquor, yet their eyes blaze with fiery desire.
Together with the pig generals, all the other pigs stand up too. They trample over the piled food and treasures, making their way out of the banquet hall.
“Bring me treasure!!!”
Jeopalgi’s mad shout fills the Pleasure Palace.
Even after his subordinates leave, Jeopalgi does not stop the banquet. He moves his heavy body, drinking liquor, and swims over the table, devouring food.
Jeopalgi’s subordinates will disturb the mortal realm and eventually bring treasures to offer him.
—
“Damn it!”
As I regained consciousness, self-loathing surged from my toes. Once again, I was drained dry by the Four Fairies.
How much longer must I endure this?
I’m being drained of seeds that would even be insufficient for my wives by an outside woman. And she’s not just any woman; she’s the Great Witch of the Central Plains.
I want to end this secret relationship sooner rather than later, but being entangled with a mad overlord leaves me with no way out.
“However…”
I heard Jeopalgi is moving.
Though not clearly stated, it’s pretty much a warning that the Great Demon is starting to act.
But what can I do by merely knowing the Great Demon is moving? The Four Fairies surely tasked me with investigating Jeopalgi’s forces and, if possible, subduing them.
If a Great Demon like this is on the move, I’m just an insignificant pest.
But if a Great Demon is personally showing itself, it’s on a whole different level compared to the last incident. Officially, it was a matter involving the Four Fairies, but it didn’t show itself before.
In contrast, if Jeopalgi is on the move, not only the imperial forces but also various martial experts will appear. If that happens, I’ll be left with nothing to do.
“Wait…”
What if this is a test from the Four Fairies?
At least the Four Fairies view me as something akin to a son and hope for my growth. If Jeopalgi appears, it raises the stakes. Maybe I’m supposed to leverage this to gain an advantage and grow.
But I don’t have any real information yet… I guess I’ll just have to prepare properly.
—
A short while later.
“Crisis report! Urgent message!”
Galbi Jong came rushing in, panting heavily.
“What brings you in a hurry, Gal? I told you to send subordinates for such things.”
“I deemed this matter too important to pass on to others!”
“What is it?”
Right now, our information office is operational. Compared to the intelligence networks of other great sects, it’s insignificant, but we have a rough grasp of things happening within our area.
Naturally, such reports first reach Galbi Jong, but if he’s in a fit about it, it must mean something ‘massive’ has come into our realm.
“Is it an intruder?”
“No, it’s news from outside.”
“Oh, they’ve gathered rumors.”
“It’s not rumors, it’s information! Just now, we received a message from the Fuzhou region!”
“Fuzhou?”
Fuzhou is a locality just below our Anhuizheng. Directly below Anhuizheng is Gangseo, and right next to that is Fuzhou. As far as I know, Fuzhou includes coastal areas, leading to constant skirmishes with pirates.
The warriors from that region, having honed their skills fighting pirates, need to be approached cautiously.
“They say the Pleasure Palace has appeared in Fuzhou!”
“The Pleasure Palace?”
“It’s a realm overseen by that infamous Jeopalgi!”
“What!”
The Pleasure Palace of Jeopalgi?!
“Explain in detail!”
Galbi Jong began to explain.
The Pleasure Palace can be considered a maze or a certain kind of dimensional space. It isn’t normally present in this world, but it opens its gate either by Jeopalgi’s will or other factors, allowing it to manifest.
It has no fixed position and can appear anywhere, yet whenever Jeopalgi’s Palace shows up, swarms of pig demons cause enormous havoc.
“It seems that in Fuzhou, the Pig Clan has appeared along with all sorts of pig demons, creating utter chaos! Their momentum is terrifying! Some pig generals are even heading north, causing damage in parts of Gangseo!”
“Does that mean pigs could come here soon?”
“Yes, exactly!”
This is serious!
Is this what the Four Fairies were talking about?
“Galbi Jong, can our information network handle the pig demons?”
“To be honest, we can’t precisely gauge the various pig demons since they are so diverse. However, the main force comprising the Martial Force of the Pig consists primarily of the Pig Clan.”
“The Pig Clan.”
The Pig Clan is a demon with a pig’s head mounted on a human body. Their stout builds give them considerable weight class, and being demons, they’re brutal and difficult to handle.
At the very least, you need two or three good warriors to take one down.
“Pig Clan isn’t a problem for us.”
However, our fighters, despite lacking individual prowess, show unrivaled coordination in group battles. They all have war experience.
There’s no way a few lowly demons can defeat us.
“Don’t jump to conclusions, Jeorig!”
At that moment, Galbi Jong’s gaze sharpened.
“While it’s true wild Pig Clans can’t match us, the Ten Great Demon Beasts led by Jeopalgi… they can be called an army of demons. They’ll be wearing armor and wielding weapons meant for battle!”
“What!”
So those massive pig demons would be wielding Moonblades while wearing armor? And all as a collective unit?
“That’s why Fuzhou is being devastated. The Imperial Army is currently mobilizing to suppress them, and various martial sects are sending rescue teams. But Jeopalgi is a bona fide Great Demon! No one knows how this war will end!”
“…”
“Prepare! It’s possible that we may have to send reinforcements from our information office as well.”
“Understood. Galbi Jong, from now on, minimize accepting demon-exterminating requests except for essential ones. We need to conserve our strength.”
“Got it!”
With a vigorous reply, Galbi Jong dashed off.
“… Seosengwon.”
I sought out Seosengwon.
If anyone knows something about Jeopalgi, it’s him.
“Hey, Seosengwon!”
“Chirp!”
Upon opening the solitary room, Seosengwon was startled and twitched.
“I have something to ask!”
“Chirp chirp. Is it about Jeopalgi?”
“What? How do you know that?”
“Just know it. So, you seek my wisdom, huh?”
This guy.
His expression radiates overconfidence.
“Wow! As expected of our Seosengwon! You understand me so well!”
“Creeeep! That’s enough! Stop it!”
At the same time, I twisted him into a headlock to display my friendliness, and Seosengwon flailed, almost dying in the process. This guy’s physical abilities are pretty weak, which makes teasing him fun.
“It’s like that. I’m curious about Jeopalgi.”
“Chirp chirp… I can lend you my wisdom, but you must pay the price!”
“Price?”
“Right! Set me free! You’ve been using me well, so this is fair trade!”
“…”
“I’ll give you information on Jeopalgi! So, set me free!”
This guy.
Looks like he’s trying to negotiate this.
“If I don’t set you free?”
“I won’t cooperate!”
“Then it might hurt a bit… hehehe.”
“Chirp! I’m not scared!”
Suddenly, Seosengwon’s eyes widened as he released intangible energy.
“I fear not death any longer! I’d rather die than endure a lifetime trapped here!”
“This brat.”
Determination.
His eyes hold strong conviction.
So he’s taking that stance.
Honestly, I’d love to drag him and teach him a lesson right here. However, will I get any decent information that way? A guy ready to face death might pull some tricks.
Conversely, if I promise to set him free, sure, Seosengwon will cooperate wholeheartedly.
I could break that promise later… but either way, if this crisis impacts us, the help of a demon like Seosengwon will be invaluable.
What to do…?
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