Chapter 82: Valley of Venomous Creatures (5)
Translator: bjgoofy
Since Grandfather was following behind leading the main force, I was the one responsible for this situation for now.
I stepped forward and clasped my fists in greeting in response to the man's question.
“Pardon us, sir. We are from Sichuan's Tang Family.”
“Sichuan's Tang Family? What is the Tang Family doing in the deep jungles of Yunnan?”
Even as he questioned, his gaze moved back and forth between Yohwa, who held my leash, and me.
It seemed he realized this wasn't a setting for a serious conversation. That’s probably why Nunim stepped forward and answered on my behalf.
“I am Tang Hwa-eun, direct descendant of Sichuan’s Tang Family. My father is the Family Head of the Tang. We had no intention of trespassing on the territory of the Beast Palace. We were merely catching venomous creatures in the Yunnan jungle.”
Nunim offered an apology first and explained our situation. However, when she stepped forward, Yohwa and Nunim ended up standing on either side of me.
Seeing the same face, Nunim’s, on both my left and right, the man opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“Tw... twins? People of the Central Plains consider twins to be ominous, so how...”
‘Did that backfire more...?’
But the man quickly regained his composure and responded.
“Ah, forgive me, Young Miss. I am the Black Wolf of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace. I understand your reason. However, the area ahead is part of the Beast Palace's territory. Please turn back from here.”
“This area ahead belongs to the Beast Palace?”
“Yes. Just ahead lies the Valley of Beasts.”
The word “valley” in Central Plains speech has several meanings, but usually refers to a narrow ravine, a gorge, or a narrow path.
I looked at the hill behind him in response to the man's answer.
If what he said was true, that the place called Valley of Beasts was a gorge or ravine, then we were in quite a dangerous situation.
We were in the path of the army ants, after all.
Worse still, if it was indeed narrow and long, that made it an even more dangerous situation.
And if the rear was also blocked by mountains, this was a very serious crisis.
“Hwa-eun...”
I looked at Nunim’s face, silently asking whether we should give a warning. Nunim nodded.
She immediately spoke to the man who appeared to be in charge.
“Sir Black Wolf, before we retreat, we must warn you that a significant threat is advancing from the rear.”
“Threat? Warning?”
The man tilted his head, puzzled, and looked at me upon hearing the words ‘threat’ and ‘warning’.
Pointing at the hill behind, I said,
“It would be better to go up the hill and see for yourself rather than explaining it in words.”
In response to my words, the man signaled his subordinates with a tilt of his chin. Two warriors leapt up the hill at his command, looked down, and then wore expressions of disbelief and shock.
“What is this!?”
“L-Leader! Y-You must come and see this yourself!”
At their shocked cries, the man glanced at me once and quickly ran up the hill.
Nunim and I followed behind, and upon reaching the top, the man also cried out in disbelief.
Under a large tree, ants glinting crimson under the red sunset were slowly forming a massive ball.
“W-What in the world is this!?”
His face showed utter disbelief at the bizarre sight he was seeing for the first time.
-Beeeep!
The man quickly came to his senses, pulled out a flute and blew into it, and soon after, men holding lanterns and beasts began pouring out from within the Valley of Beasts.
Wondering how there could be so many animals, I asked Nunim in a whisper, and she told me that the Beast Palace was the top breeding group for pets inside and outside the Central Plains.
'Are these kindred spirits?'
Different animals they raise, perhaps, but it was a place where people with similar hobbies gathered.
***
According to Nunim, the people of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace belonged to the outer murim beyond the borders and were not particularly friendly to people from the Central Plains. Still, we were relatively courteously guided into the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
Along with a request to explain in detail what was happening with the ants outside.
“So this is the Valley of Beasts of the Beast Palace?”
"This would be the Tang Family's first visit in a hundred years."
As we entered the Valley of Beasts under the setting sun, the first thing that caught our eyes was a large circular clearing.
At the center stood a sharply pointed rock rising tall, surrounded by a vast circular clearing covered in calm grass, welcoming us.
It looked like several soccer fields stitched together into one gigantic clearing.
From the glimmering eyes of beasts scattered around the clearing, it was clear that the wolf-like creatures brought out earlier by the man named Black Wolf were roaming about here and there.
The sky was still dimly lit.
After passing through the enormous circular clearing, we came upon another space, not as large as the previous one, but still quite sizable.
That area was already lit up brightly with lanterns scattered all around.
Naturalistic buildings that seemed to be part of the Beast Palace, along with residential quarters, were lined up in neat rows.
It looked like two circles joined together.
Around the circular clearing, sharp rocks jutted upward like a folding screen, enclosing the inner part of the valley.
“The area we just passed through is the pasture where we release and raise the fierce beasts of our Beast Palace. And this here is the residential area where people live. The Valley of Beasts is shaped like a gourd bottle.”
“Don’t tell me the back is also blocked by rocks like this?”
“That’s right. The rear is a rocky mountain, making this a natural fortress.”
According to Black Wolf’s explanation, the Valley of Beasts was gourd-shaped, with steep rocky cliffs rising all around, so that blocking the entrance would turn it into an impregnable natural fortress.
But that might be true only when dealing with people. If the army ants surged in, it would be like being a rat trapped in a jar.
‘This doesn’t feel good. We’d better explain quickly and get out.’
Though the feeling was ominous, we intended to issue our warning and leave immediately. These people could also evacuate quickly.
Thinking nothing serious would happen, we followed Black Wolf’s lead into the largest building.
What entered our sight was a round table, and at its center sat a massive man reclined deeply in a large chair draped with a leopard skin, his body appearing muscular like a fitness trainer.
On either side of the man were two black panthers, baring their teeth at us.
-Grrr.
Beside him, a number of men and women sat, each with an animal by their side.
“Come in. I am Meng Hu (TL: fearless tiger), the Palace Head of the Beast Palace. These beside me are our Elders.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Palace Head. And Elders of the Beast Palace. I am Wei Soryong of the Sichuan’s Tang Family.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Tang Hwa-eun of the Sichuan’s Tang Family.”
The Palace Head glanced toward Yohwa, who had followed us all the way and was standing at the rear. When I said that she couldn’t speak, he nodded.
"She can't speak? I understand. In any case, welcome. I hope you’ll forgive us for not being able to properly receive our guests due to those creatures outside.”
"Please don't worry about it."
After exchanging greetings and sitting down, what was placed on our table was not tea, but a few army ants that had apparently already been captured.
A few crushed ants were laid out on a tray, and as the Beast Palace Head gazed at them, he asked,
“What exactly are these things, and do you know why they’ve come all the way here?”
I nodded at Meng Hu’s question and explained what had happened so far.
“We had come to Yunnan to capture venomous creatures.”
“Hmm... I’ve long known that the Tang Family occasionally ventures to Yunnan to catch venomous creatures. So?"
“At first, we went to a place called the Valley of Venomous Creatures, but there wasn’t a single venomous creature inside.
Not just venomous ones, there weren’t even any living beasts or bugs. At first, we suspected a massive venomous creature, and while investigating the lifeless land, we discovered these things and followed them all the way here.”
“What are these? I know they’re ants, but I’ve never seen any this large.”
The Beast Palace Head made a confused expression while holding up a red ant’s leg.
“This is also the first time our Tang Family has seen this type of ant. We temporarily named it the Army Ants because it marches like an army.”
“ Army Ants...”
The Beast Palace Head repeated the name Army Ant many times.
He then immediately sought my opinion.
“Even if this is your first time seeing it, the Tang Family knows more about poisons and venomous creatures than we do. So, what should we do?”
‘What else can you do? You run.’
Even if each individual ant is truly an insignificant creature, the real terror of ants is the colony.
Without fear or terror of death, ants are drawn by pheromones and simply move forward, hunting everything that appears in front of them.
Therefore, when facing such a colony, there is only one choice.
Evacuation.
“Before dawn breaks, you must evacuate your people as quickly as possible. The ants stop in place once the sun sets, but once daylight comes, they will surge into this Valley of Beasts.”
In my past life, the indigenous people who lived in areas where army ants roamed would vacate their villages for a time if the ants began to march in.
If people evacuated even for such tiny ants, then there was absolutely no choice but to flee from these gigantic army ants.
"Evacuation?"
At my suggestion to evacuate, the Palace Head of the Beast Palace raised a questioning brow, and the elders shouted in protest, their voices full of disbelief.
“Evacuate? Leave the home we've maintained for three hundred years?”
“You’re telling us to flee in fear of some ants!?”
“Their mandibles are sharp, yes, but even a common man with a club can crush them. And you suggest evacuation? That's a bit much...”
They must not have seen the ants hunt. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talking like that, these fearless elders of the Beast Palace.
I hurried to explain further.
I had a bad feeling, as if the ants were going to devour everything. And once they devoured, their numbers would only grow.
“Ants touch nothing except what they eat, so your buildings and such should remain intact.
While we were on our way here, Black Wolf mentioned that if the entrance is blocked, no one can get out. So I advise that you evacuate your people quickly before that happens.”
But perhaps because there was a particularly belligerent person among the elders, a woman snorted at me and spoke.
“Hmph! Palace Head, although those ants are numerous, if you lend me five hundred Flying Wolves, I will wipe them out. They are numerous, yes, but nothing special.”
Dark eyebrows and tanned skin.
A woman who looked quite young to be an elder.
Judging by her mention of Flying Wolves, she was likely referring to wolves. But if frightened wolves, tails tucked, went up against fear-immune army ants, they were bound to lose.
Looking at the elder, I responded in a regretful tone.
“If by Flying Wolves you mean five hundred wolves, then all of them will instantly become food for the ants.”
The female elder glared at me with an incredulous expression.
“Are you insulting the Flying Wolves of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace!? Palace Head, please allow me to demonstrate the Thousand Wolf Annihilation of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace to this outsider from the Central Plains!”
Along with the woman’s fury came Nunim’s urgent cry.
[Soryong, that was a rude thing to say just now!]
Looking around, I could see the Palace Head’s expression wasn’t too pleased either, so I quickly rose to my feet, clasped my fists toward the people, and offered an explanation.
“I had no intention of showing disrespect. I only said this because I’ve heard that the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace cherishes its beasts dearly. Wouldn’t it be truly sorrowful if those beloved animals were hurt or killed?
Those ants know no fear and, once they bite, never let go. Even if you win, you will surely suffer heavy losses.”
The woman snorted again and retorted.
“Hmph! People of the Central Plains are said to be brutal, even eating their own dogs. And now you pretend to care about the animals we raise?”
‘Now hold on, woman. We’re the same kind, just raising different species!'
Had she criticized me for something else, I might have let it go. But to have my love for my pets questioned and scorned?
That was unacceptable.
Because that’s my very identity.
So, staring straight at the elder, I responded in a firm voice.
“What you just said is extremely disrespectful to me. I, Wei Soryong, will prove that what I said is not false.”
“Prove it?”
“Hmph? Prove?”
The Palace Head of the Beast Palace tilted his head, and the woman snorted once more.
Rolling up my sleeves, I spoke.
“Come on out, everyone.”
-Tsurur.
-Kkuk?
At my call, Cho, Hyang, and Bin, who had been hiding while clinging to my body and Nunim’s skirt, climbed up onto my shoulders, along with Ice and Snow. Yohwa also revealed her body, which she had been concealing.
-Kishi!
The people of the Beast Palace stared in disbelief, shocked.
“T-This! A centipede!?”
“A lizard!”
“A spider larger than a human!?”
I had Cho crawl around my body once and climb atop my head, then spoke again.
“These children are also ones I raise. I, too, fully understand how painful it is when the creatures you raise get hurt or fall ill.”
The woman who had snorted at me and looked down on me earlier now asked in disbelief.
"Th-those things are...?"
Since I had just demonstrated how sincere Wei Soryong is when it comes to pets, I replied with a smiling face.
“What do you mean ‘those’? These children are my companion venomous creatures. Each of them has a name, so please don’t treat them like mere objects.”
At that, the corners of the Beast Palace Head’s mouth lifted in satisfaction, and he nodded approvingly. The gazes of the other elders also became much more friendly.
Because people who raise pets all share the same heart, after all.
*****
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