Chapter 63: Spiderweb (4)

Translator: bjgoofy

“Eun is alive!?”

“Yes, of course. Please check for yourself.”

Namgoong Seol had drawn her sword, thinking her younger sister was dead, at the sight of Namgoong Eun collapsed like a log.

But upon hearing that her sister was alive, Namgoong Seol quickly rushed to her side.

She checked Namgoong Eun’s pulse and then urgently asked in a panicked voice,

“But why is she like this? Why can't she move her body at all?”

“She appears to be paralyzed by the poison of the spider.”

“Poison!? Then isn’t that a big problem!? Is there no way to detoxify it!?”

I answered casually, but Namgoong Seol’s shocked expression turned toward me as she asked again.

The wide-open eyes of Namgoong Seol, upon hearing the word poison.

It’s only natural for ordinary people to react like that since they instinctively think poison is always terrifying.

Seeing her visibly startled, Nunim placed a hand on Namgoong Seol’s shoulder and explained.

“No, Young Miss Namgoong, it’s simply paralysis of the body. It should wear off in a day or two. That might also be the reason why the missing people returned after just a day or two.”

“Is that really true?”

“Yes. If it were a deadly poison, she would already be dead. I'm from the Tang Family, so you can trust my words. If it were a deadly poison, there would already be strange symptoms manifesting in her body, not just paralysis.”

Only after hearing Nunim’s explanation, who was an expert in poisons, did Namgoong Seol’s expression ease with relief.

Namgoong Seol steadied her younger sister’s body, which was lying on the ground, and then turned her gaze toward my spider.

Her cold gaze fell on the spider collapsed in a form identical to her own.

The tip of her sword, which she had been gripping in reverse while checking on her sister, trembled slightly, probably because she was thinking about the shame and humiliation she had endured because of that creature.

‘I better stop her before she does something rash.’

Although I called it mine, she might still be blinded by the humiliation she endured from the spider and do something impulsive, so I spoke to her.

Just to emphasize once more that the creature belonged to me.

“Young Miss, because of everything you've been through...”

But before I could finish, I heard Nunim’s sound transmission.

Nunim stopped my words and stepped forward, saying she would handle it.

[Soryong, let me take care of it. Will you trust me?]

At Nunim’s sound transmission, I stopped speaking and gave a slight nod.

Then Nunim met my gaze briefly and, placing her hand again on Namgoong Seol’s shoulder, continued.

“You must want to kill that thing out of anger, but if you kill it here, there will be no way to clear your name, Young Miss Namgoong.”

“What? No way to clear my name? What do you mean?”

“This spider can mimic a person’s face and body. But how can we guarantee that it won’t revert its form once it's dead? If it reverts upon death, your unjust situation will never be cleared, Young Miss Namgoong.

Think about it. You need to take that thing and show it to your family members to prove your innocence. You should also show it to the villagers, so all those wild rumors can be completely dispelled.”

“Grr…”

Nunim's words were not wrong, so Namgoong Seol trembled as she slowly withdrew her sword.

‘That logic? As expected, Nunim! Nunim is smart!’

Nunim’s intellectual reasoning made a lot of sense upon reflection.

As she said, there was no guarantee that the mimicked form would remain after death.

Of course, it might retain Namgoong Seol’s form even after dying, but if it didn’t, that outcome would be the last thing Namgoong Seol wanted.

Although the evidence gathered at the Crystal Palace had proven her innocence to the family members, there was no way to dispel the suspicions or the spread of rumors among the villagers who had seen the mark on her upper chest. Many of the victims were said to be almost forcibly confined to the Namgoong Family’s guest rooms, and if the spider died and the proof disappeared, there would be no way to prove her innocence to them.

Following that, Nunim, sharp and clear as always, emphasized the point I had been wanting to make all along.

“And that creature was captured by Soryong. It was Soryong who acquired the elixir that was to be given to the Young Miss. It was also Soryong who saved Namgoong Eun’s life, captured that thing, and made it possible for Young Miss Namgoong to clear her name. Surely, you wouldn’t just swing your sword as you please, would you?

The decision to spare or kill that creature belongs to Soryong.”

Nunim skillfully pressed Namgoong Seol by pointing out something that would make her feel guilty.

She had said to leave it to her, and the way she handled it was indeed decisive. I couldn’t help but be impressed by Nunim’s words.

‘I must really have a thing for older, intelligent women.’

Namgoong Seol, hearing Nunim’s words, fell into thought for a moment.

Then she responded, clearly reluctant but without any better option, her expression showing resignation.

“Alright. I’ve already received too much kindness, and I can’t be someone who forgets such debt. I will follow Young Hero’s wishes. But what exactly do you intend to do with that thing?”

She was asking what I planned to do with it, but the answer was simple.

“Soryong intends to keep it alive and take it back to the Tang Family.”

“You’re going to take that thing to the Tang Family!?”

Namgoong Seol repeated the question in shock at the thought of taking the spider, and I quickly nodded.

“Yes, it’s cute, isn’t it?”

“C-cute!?”

Namgoong Seol turned red with surprise at my words, blushing hard.

She suddenly couldn’t meet my eyes and became extremely flustered, starting to glance nervously at Nunim. But Nunim grabbed both her shoulders, made her meet her gaze, and shook her head.

As if to say, don’t get the wrong idea.

“Soryong didn’t mean that the creature is cute because it resembles Young Miss Namgoong. He simply said that the spider itself is cute. It’s red, has soft fur, and a unique ability, so he said it was cute... Haa…”

‘Well, obviously. That goes without saying.’

Nunim explained something so basic it felt painful to even put into words.

As she finished with an inexplicable sigh, Namgoong Seol awkwardly patted her shoulder with a regretful look.

‘Why? What is it?’

***

With the arrival of morning, the spider and Namgoong Eun were transported back to the Namgoong Family by the martial artists that Namgoong Seol had summoned.

As the spider was loaded into a cart and brought into the Namgoong residence, people were shocked.

At the sight of the spider still limp in the cart, the martial artists and members of the family wore expressions of horror.

“T-the spider has the Young Miss’s face!”

“It’s a demon! It’s definitely a demon!”

“This demon must have mimicked the Young Miss’s appearance!”

Even the Family Head of the Namgoong Family became enraged upon seeing the spider.

“How dare this creature steal my daughter’s face and humiliate her!”

Like father, like daughter, he too instinctively drew his sword, shouting in outrage.

Nunim glanced at me once, then stepped forward to explain directly to the Namgoong Family Head.

“Family Head Namgoong, this spider was captured by Soryong…”

Repeating the same explanation she had given to Namgoong Seol, Nunim spoke calmly. Upon hearing her and looking around, the Family Head lowered his sword.

Nodding his head, the Namgoong Family Head said,

“If all of that is true, then it’s no different than having saved the lives and honor of my two daughters. The Namgoong Family never forgets a favor, so we will follow Young Hero’s will.”

‘Wow, as expected from Nunim.’

There was a saying in my previous life.

If a man listens to three women, the GPS, his mom, and his wife, his life will go smoothly.

And indeed, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

But then, the Namgoong Family Head added a single sentence at the end of his acceptance.

“However, I cannot allow that.”

He pointed his finger toward the cart where the spider was.

More precisely, he was pointing at the pedipalps mimicking Namgoong Seol’s face.

Yes, I had ownership over the spider, but the rights to Namgoong Seol’s face were a different matter altogether.

***

That was the Namgoong Family Head’s concern.

If the spider were to be taken to the Tang Family while still bearing his daughter’s face, and it somehow escaped or caused trouble, wouldn’t his daughter once again be caught in vile rumors without even knowing it?

So, if the spider was to be taken, his request was simple: couldn’t it at least take on a different appearance, anything but his daughter’s face?

“If that creature stole my daughter’s appearance, then it should be able to change into another form as well. At the very least, can’t it appear in a different form? How could I possibly let that thing go while it still has my daughter’s face? I never want to go through something that makes me doubt my own daughter again.”

Honestly, even having a photo of myself hung up somewhere I don’t want makes me feel uneasy. So just imagining a demonic creature with his daughter’s face roaming about without his knowledge, there was no way he’d feel good about it.

That’s why I couldn’t ignore his politely stated request.

‘I didn’t even consider the issue of portrait rights…’

At the Namgoong Family’s training grounds.

Inside a sturdy wooden pen, the still-unconscious spider lay slack and limp.

To find out the conditions under which it changed its face or form, it needed to wake up, but it was still sound asleep.

While I stood in the shade silently watching the creature, a crowd of spectators approached and began observing the drooping spider.

“That monster really did take the Young Miss’s appearance!?”

“It looks exactly like her! No wonder people misunderstood.”

“See! What did I say? I told you Young Miss Namgoong would never do such things!”

The people watching the spider now were all villagers.

The reason they were allowed this far into the Namgoong Family’s training grounds to see the spider was because, ever since yesterday at noon when the creature was caught, word had spread that the culprit behind the village disappearances had been captured, and people were encouraged to come see it.

The more people saw it, the faster the truth would spread, and the sooner the unpleasant rumors about Namgoong Seol would fade.

Just then, while people were still observing the spider,

“That damned demon!”

One angry man picked up a rock and was about to throw it at the spider.

Squad leader Gu Pae quickly threw himself forward and restrained the man.

“What do you think you’re doing! That spider was captured by the Tang Family. How dare you try to damage property of the Tang Family!”

“Eek! I-I’m sorry, sir.”

That was already the third time.

Why were people so eager to throw stones? Again and again, villagers kept trying to hurl rocks at my spider.

Fortunately, we had stationed members of the Venomous Creature Squad nearby, so things hadn’t gotten out of hand yet, but I was starting to worry that my spider might end up hurt at this rate.

“Squad Leader Gu Pae, it seems most people have already seen enough. We shouldn’t let anyone else in. Otherwise, the spider might get injured.”

"Then, shall we stop letting people see it now?"

“That would be best. I’ll inform the Namgoong Family Head, so let’s stop allowing people in.”

Since it was getting too risky, we decided not to accept any more spectators, and I was on my way back after agreeing on that with the Namgoong Family Head.

There was a slight commotion at the entrance to the training grounds.

“Cough, cough! C-could I just take a quick look before I go?”

“Old man, I’m sorry, but we’re under strict orders from above, so we have no choice.”

“J-just a moment is enough. Hhack! Hack!”

“I said no. Please, don’t push it.”

As I approached, I saw an old man in a tug-of-war with Gu Pae.

“What’s going on, Squad Leader Gu?”

“Ah, Young Master Soryong. It’s nothing serious, but I told the old man he couldn’t enter, and he keeps insisting on seeing the spider.”

The old man looked clearly ill.

It seemed he had dragged his frail body from afar just to see it, so I said to Squad Leader Gu Pae,

“Just let him have a look. He probably came a long way in poor health.”

“Shall we? Alright then, Young Master Soryong. Since you’ve given permission, go ahead, but just for a moment.”

“Hhack! Thank you, sir.”

With my permission, Gu Pae stepped aside, and the old man slowly made his way toward the pen.

He stared quietly at the spider for a long moment, then turned his head and asked Gu Pae,

“Hhack! So, what happens to this now? Like people are saying… will it be killed?”

Originally, we had told the people we would kill it, but there was no need to lie to the old man.

I stepped forward and answered in his place.

“Of course not. Why would we? It’s a rare creature. I intend to take it to Sichuan and raise it well.”

At that, the old man looked a little surprised.

He asked again, with an expression of mild disbelief.

“Hack! But it’s a monster... how could you...?”

“Monster? It’s just a simple spider. Its diet may be unusual, but still. What we eat and how we live are things decided by the heavens. This creature has no control over that, so it’s not its fault.”

Hearing that, the old man widened his eyes and looked at us again.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever heard speak that way. Hack...”

Then he came even closer and crouched down right in front of the spider.

“Old man, that’s dangerous...!”

Gu Pae saw what the old man was doing and hurried over to stop him, but I raised a hand to halt him.

Because I could sense something familiar in the old man’s presence.

He was one of us.

That strong scent, only those who cherished and raised creatures could sense it, was wafting subtly from the old man.

‘Yeah, no doubt. He’s definitely one of us.’

And as if to confirm my suspicion, the old man gently stroked the spider’s head, not the one mimicking Namgoong Seol, but its real head, nestled between its legs, and spoke.

“Hack! The child’s name is Yohwa. I brought it down from the mountains when it was no bigger than a fist, back when I had lost my entire family to a plague and was drowning in despair. I raised it for twenty years.

That’s when I learned, if you give it Yang energy, it transforms into the appearance of the person the donor finds most beautiful.”

Just like that, the old man provided the very information I had wanted to know.

As he gently stroked Yohwa’s head, he looked up at me.

“But my strength has withered, and I can no longer give it Yang energy. That’s how this tragedy happened. It ended up doing harm to the Young Miss of the Namgoong Family. Please, Young Master, I entrust Yohwa to your care.”

What I had thought was a wild specimen turned out to be a domesticated, home-raised one.

And domesticated creatures are generally sturdier and more accustomed to people than wild ones.

I nodded at the old man’s words.

“Thank you for entrusting it to me... No, don’t worry, old man. I’ll raise it well.”

What I thought had been a capture turned out to be a transfer of ownership.

Since I had even received it from its former master, I resolved to raise it properly.

But then a question popped into my head.

‘How do you even give it Yang energy?’