Chapter 65: Return (Illustration Included)
Translator: bjgoofy
On the way back to Sichuan, I was deeply preoccupied with a single concern.
Now that I had acquired the Ice Jade, I needed to go pick up the Lizards, but the issue was how to arrange the journey.
‘Non-stop? Or should I stop by the Tang Family?’
If I went into the Tang Family and came out again, it would cause another delay, so I felt I had to go straight to where the Lizards were waiting. But the problem was Yohwa.
Could Yohwa endure a longer journey? That was one issue. Yohwa had the highest intelligence among the venomous creatures I had encountered so far. How would she take it if I went somewhere and left her behind?
I was worried about taking her along, but even if I left her behind, it weighed on my mind to leave a creature who hadn’t even fully adapted to the Tang Family alone for nearly ten days while I was away.
It was a situation where it was awkward to first visit the Lizards, but also awkward to leave Yohwa behind.
In my past life, I raised many creatures at home, so things like vacations were practically a dream. Even here, the nature of my worries hadn’t changed, just the setting.
‘What can I do? It’s all part of what I have to take on.’
I was pondering over the schedule while guarding Yohwa, who was covered with a cloth on the boat’s deck.
Just then, the boat we were on made a brief stop in Wuhan, and the people who boarded started exchanging news.
“I heard the Alliance Leader personally led the Azure Dragon Division on an expedition this time?”
“Oh, so you’ve heard too. The ones who got captured in a sudden raid on a Blood Cult hideout near Wuhan apparently spilled the beans on another base.”
It seemed like the fight with the Blood Cult was escalating.
In other words, there would be more work for our Tang Family and the Venomous Creature Squad.
We had to diligently extract poison, after all.
And at the same time, it also meant things could become more dangerous.
The more dangerous the fight with the Blood Cult became, the harder it would be to go out. That was only natural.
As I thoroughly checked Yohwa’s condition, I resolved that since I was already out, I should deal with the Lizards as well.
Then I overheard more conversation nearby.
“By the way, did you hear why there was barely any damage when they raided the hideout near Wuhan last time?”
“The reason?”
“Yeah. Apparently, someone created a type of Energy Scattering Poison that works only on those Blood Cult bastards.”
‘That was me, though?’
My ears perked up at the sudden mention of me.
I strained my ears to hear what else they’d say.
It felt like I was reading real-time comments or something.
“A poison that only works on Blood Cult bastards!?”
“Yeah. From what I’ve heard, once they're poisoned with it, those bastards can't move at all. They turn into helpless prey, like frogs in front of a snake, just waiting to die.”
“Whoa! Then that’s an incredible poison, isn’t it? The Central Plains murim has finally paid back the suffering it endured during the Blood Cult’s bloody chaos? So, who was the hero that discovered such an amazing thing?”
“Of course, it was a hero.”
Not a single bad comment, only praise.
Being called a hero made my face flush for no reason, and I felt a rush of heat.
When I looked to the side, I saw the Venomous Creature Squad, Leader Gu Pae, and Nunim all smiling proudly and nodding as they listened to the conversation.
“But who was it?”
“Well, the Alliance didn’t reveal their identity in case the Blood Cult tries to take revenge on the young hero.”
“If a young hero accomplished such a great feat, of course they should be protected. I’m curious to know who they are when their identity is eventually revealed. If someone did something so big at such a young age, imagine how great they’ll become later! If you ever hear more about this hero, be sure to tell me.”
“As for me? I don’t know who they are, but I’ve decided to respect that young hero.”
‘Gasp. Is this… a subscription and like?’
After all the praise, now people were practically hitting the subscription and like buttons for my accomplishments.
Now I was starting to wonder how many subscriptions and likes I could collect in this world.
***
Contrary to my worries, Yohwa adapted to the journey faster than I had expected.
I was concerned her condition might suddenly deteriorate, but she absorbed yang energy well, was unexpectedly sociable, and obedient too.
The only issue was that this little one was picky about her yang energy.
What I mean by that is, she didn’t consume just any yang energy.
Perhaps it was because an old man had raised her alone for almost a lifetime, sharing his yang energy with her. Unless it was my yang energy, she wouldn’t willingly take in any other.
From what I had observed so far, if she was truly starving, she’d get aggressive enough to forcibly take someone else’s yang energy, but otherwise, she was a picky eater.
Well, aside from that, we arrived safely at our destination, Gongga Mountain, without other concerns.
-Kwaaaah!
A massive waterfall thundered down with great force.
Through the mist rising from the crashing torrents hitting the surface below, I pointed toward the cliff above and shouted.
“Your friends are over there, Yohwa!”
-Kishit?
Yohwa tilted her head at the mention of friends waiting for her.
We had gotten quite close during the journey, so I reached out to pat the cute creature’s head, but then flinched and instead gently stroked her pedipalp, now transformed to resemble Nunim’s.
The reason I touched Yohwa’s mimicked pedipalp instead of her real head was because ever since she transformed into Nunim, Nunim had expressed discomfort with anyone putting their hands between her legs.
It was just the calves, but bare calves, apparently even that was considered very risqué here?
Though it wasn’t her real body, she said it felt like her own and felt embarrassed, so I had no choice but to respect that.
One must respect the right to one’s own image.
After petting Yohwa like that, I looked past the cliff and spoke.
“I don’t think I can cross, so could Young Miss Hwa-eun and Squad Leader please go bring the kids back?”
Though I should have gone myself, the reason I asked Nunim and the Squad Leader to fetch the Lizards this time was because Peng Family Head wasn’t here to toss me across to the other side.
To reach that spot, I’d need to perform a double leap, but my qinggong hadn’t reached that level yet.
That’s when the doubts arose.
“Will they follow us without Soryong?”
“Then should we try hanging some kudzu vines across from the other side?”
Gu Pae asked whether we should try suspending kudzu vines on the opposite cliff, while others wondered if the children would obey them in my absence.
As various concerns were being exchanged, over the roar of the waterfall, a startled cry suddenly rang out from one of the Venomous Creature Squad members.
“Gasp!”
It was a voice swallowing a breath of air, clearly shocked by something.
We all turned toward the direction of the voice simultaneously, only to see the martial artist pointing toward the opposite cliff with eyes wide in shock.
When I followed his finger, I saw that Yohwa, who had been next to me just a moment ago, was now clinging to the cliff like a magnet.
“Gasp! Y-Yohwa! How did you get up there!? Come down!”
It was only natural that my reaction would mirror that of the martial artist from the Venomous Creature Squad.
No, I was even more shocked, afraid that Yohwa might hurt herself, and couldn’t help but shout.
But despite my cries, Yohwa rapidly climbed up the cliff, hooked her silk to the fist-shaped rock I had pointed out earlier, and gracefully soared back toward us.
Like a bungee jump, Yohwa’s body launched, trailing a long strand of silk behind her.
The silk she spun fluttered through the air like Nunim’s hair, and carried gently by the wind, Yohwa floated across the river, passing right over my head.
‘Yohwa, so you really are a spider, you can fly too!’
I was struck with awe at the sight of Yohwa flying.
Most people don’t know this, but spiders are insects that can fly even though they don’t have wings.
Though they lack wings, spiders have the ability to let the wind carry them across distances of tens or even hundreds of kilometers. This is called ballooning.
Apparently, Yohwa had that same ability.
I dazedly followed Yohwa’s movements with my eyes.
Because a spider’s flight, it was simply beautiful.
-Kishit!
Yohwa gently landed a short distance away, like a feather.
Yohwa scurried over and pushed her head forward, as if asking to be praised.
Although she needed yang energy to survive, which was unusual, her poison was only a Paralysis Poison and not particularly strong. Her pheromone ability had turned out to be unexpectedly powerful, but throughout the journey, she had been docile.
I had been curious why such a creature was considered one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures. But if she possessed a body light enough to be carried by the wind and strong as well, then Yohwa did indeed qualify as one.
The reason creatures in an ecosystem can't grow beyond a certain size is that, beyond that limit, they can’t support their own weight.
So, for a spider the size of Yohwa to be able to fly meant she was extremely lightweight, with an incredibly high body durability.
“Yohwa!”
-Ki, Kishit!?
“S-Soryong. Please don’t… It’s embarrassing… It feels like I’m the one being hugged.”
I had hugged Yohwa out of joy over her incredible abilities, only to be stopped by Nunim.
A little later, after Nunim had calmed down, I clung to Yohwa’s body and, riding her silk thread, we crossed the river and climbed up the cliff.
“Young Miss, could you look after the children for a moment?”
“Alright, Soryong.”
At the entrance of the cave, I entrusted the centipedes to Nunim and hurried inside, running straight toward the Lizards’ home.
How far I had traveled to find food for these little ones?
Now that everything for their adoption was ready, all that remained was to adopt them.
My heart pounded. The moment just before adopting a creature was always an exhilarating one, filled with anticipation.
Even in my past life, when adopting animals, the most exciting moment was going to bring them home, after preparing the habitat, environment, and food supply.
-Kyaahak!
-Kyaah!
As I quickly approached their home, I heard warning cries triggered by the sound of my footsteps.
Their warning cries only filled me with joy as I dove into the thick foliage.
“Hey, you guys!”
And as I pushed aside the underbrush and revealed myself with a shout, the two Lizards, who had been huddled in fear, widened their eyes.
Their clear, round eyes reflected my image, and their surprised little cries rang out.
-Kkukku!
-Kku!
As if to confirm it was really me, they stretched their bodies forward.
The two Lizards bolted through the grass like puppies greeting their returning owner.
Then they leaped into the air and into my arms, like puppies jumping into a hug.
-Kkukku!
-Kkuuuwuu!
They let out indignant, whining cries, as if protesting, "Why did you come so late?"
Holding the two of them in my arms, I pulled out the Ice Jade and showed it to them, saying,
“Let’s go together, you two. I can take care of you now. What do you think?”
-Kkuuw!
-Kkukku!
The two of them licked my cheeks over and over like puppies.
I took it as their way of saying yes and spoke to them again.
“Then you’ll be Ice from now on, and you’ll be Snow. Let’s live well together, okay?”
I had chosen their names a while ago, but only now could I finally give them and call them by those names.
***
***
In the middle of the night, we arrived at the Nine Progress Gate of the Tang Family.
The Tang Family’s martial artists widened their eyes in shock upon seeing us.
“T-Two Young Misses!?”
“How can there be two Young Misses!?”
Yesterday, I had given her some yang energy, and when a few lizard scales briefly appeared, it had startled me. But now, upon seeing Yohwa in her restored form as Nunim, the martial artists were clearly astonished.
Two Nunims suddenly appearing out of the darkness, of course the martial artists wore expressions of disbelief.
Since Yohwa’s back was still cloaked in darkness, it seemed to them like there were two Nunims standing side by side.
When Yohwa’s full form finally emerged under the light of the lanterns, revealing her clearly, the martial artists shouted once more in astonishment.
“Gasp! Look closely, it’s a spider in the Young Miss’s form!?”
“A spider!”
To the martial artists shouting in disbelief, I boldly proclaimed:
Now that I had brought Yohwa back, I was officially the son-in-law of this family.
And thanks to the promise Nunim and I had exchanged, there was no need to act reserved anymore.
So I could declare it with pride.
“Please inform the elders of the family that the proud official son-in-law of the Tang Family has captured, no, brought back, one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures.”
“T-The Ten Great Venomous Creatures!?”
When I turned my head, the lantern light revealed Nunim’s face, flushed bright red.
She covered the area beneath her nose with her sleeve, looking so flustered that she didn’t know what to do.
‘My Hwa-eun is just too cute.’
Turning away from Nunim’s embarrassed expression, I looked up at Tang Family Mountain.
This place was now truly my home, and my wife’s home.
Even though it was the middle of the night, the news that the son-in-law had brought back one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures was already spreading like wildfire across the entire Tang Family Mountain.
How could I tell?
Because I could literally see it spreading in real-time.
The lights of Tang Family Mountain, which had been off, began to flicker on one by one.
And so, countless lanterns lit up, illuminating the mountain in splendid light.
Soon, people of the Tang Family gathered en masse to praise the achievements of the son-in-law who had brought back one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures.
*****
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