Translator: bjgoofy

In the shade of the trees within the jungle.

The group, which had been heading toward the rendezvous point, had taken a short break, sitting on the moss-covered rocks beneath a large tree.

Seol noona, who had been looking up at the sky, turned to Sword Phoenix and asked.

That was because the leader of this party, composed of Blade Dragon, Sword Phoenix, and Spear Dragon, was clearly Sword Phoenix.

Blade Dragon, Gue-sung hyung-nim, being from the Peng Family, didn’t like using his head much, and Spear Dragon seemed completely powerless in front of Sword Phoenix. So although no one had officially decided who the leader was, everyone just naturally thought of Sword Phoenix as the one leading the group.

“Sword Phoenix, is it okay if I make some animal sounds?”

“A-animal sounds?”

At Noona’s sudden request to make animal sounds, Sword Phoenix blinked, and the others also looked at her, wondering what on earth she was talking about.

Then came Sword Phoenix’s gaze, directed at me.

Since Yunnan is treated by people here not just as a borderland but as a whole different world, almost like a foreign country, it seemed like she wanted me to explain whether such a culture existed in the Beast Palace, which gave off that exotic atmosphere.

But I had nothing to say either.

‘It's only been a short while since I became a member of the Beast Palace myself.’

Then Noona answered with a smiling face.

“I was thinking of calling out to see if any of the Beast Palace’s animals are nearby. There are some of them scattered around Yunnan. Like eagles, owls, or monkeys, and wolves, that kind of animal.”

“But this isn’t Yunnan, is it?”

Sword Phoenix voiced her opinion that this might be a meaningless act since we were no longer in Yunnan, but Noona shook her head and replied.

“National borders are drawn by people, not by animals. If there are any that have crossed over, I want to send word to the Beast Palace.”

As Seol noona said, national borders are drawn by humans, not something animals would be aware of.

Noona explained that she wanted to check if any of the Beast Palace’s animals had crossed into the Great Viet Kingdom, and Sword Phoenix gave her permission.

Although they were moving cautiously due to the possibility of the Blood Cult being around, animal sounds wouldn’t draw much attention anyway.

“Ah, I see. If it's just animal sounds, it should be fine, right? You can still hear them now and then in the jungle.”

-Beeeek.

With Sword Phoenix’s permission, a sharp whistle immediately escaped from Noona’s lips and spread through the jungle.

It sounded exactly like the cry of a hawk. Noona gazed at the sky for a while, then shook her head.

“Looks like there’s not a single one nearby.”

It was probably because they were still quite far from Yunnan.

At the sight of Noona’s disappointed face, the ever-polite voice of Spear Dragon, who had almost come to revere no, possibly even love Noona, rang out.

“We're still a bit far from Yunnan, so let’s try again once we get closer. Young Miss Seol. By the way, I’m amazed you can call animals like that with just a sound. As expected! Beast Palace.”

“Sounds good. Hehe. Thanks for the compliment.”

At Noona’s response, Spear Dragon grinned idiotically.

Then Sword Phoenix looked at Spear Dragon with a gaze full of disdain and began to bring up his dark past.

“Maybe it’s because you use a spear that bends like a reed? Why is your heart as flimsy as a reed? Just a little while ago, you were going on about dueling for the honor of Tang.... Mmph!”

“H-hey! Sword Phoenix, that, that was... just as a friend. That’s all....”

Spear Dragon hurriedly covered Sword Phoenix’s mouth and gave an awkward smile as he tried to explain to the rest of us.

But before he could finish, Hwa-eun’s emotionless voice shot out like a hidden weapon.

“We’re not friends, Spear Dragon.”

“W-what? Uh.... Th-that is, I mean....”

He had tried to escape Sword Phoenix’s venom with his hand, but at the words saying they weren’t friends, Spear Dragon shriveled up.

Unable to say anything, he just stared down at the ground and began to pluck at the moss on a rock.

‘Oh no. The kid’s gonna cry at this rate.’

Thinking he might actually start crying soon, I jumped into the conversation and asked Sword Phoenix a question.

I needed to change the subject before Spear Dragon’s mental state completely collapsed.

“By the way, Sword Phoenix, how much farther is it to the rendezvous point?”

At Sword Phoenix's contemptuous gaze toward Spear Dragon, who was still tearing at the moss in shame after being told he wasn't Hwa-eun’s friend, she answered with a smile different from the one she showed when she looked at him.

“If nothing comes up, we’ll arrive by evening, Young Hero Soryong.”

“Then I think we’ve rested enough. Let’s hurry. It’ll get troublesome if the sun sets.”

"Ah, shall we? Then?"

As the group rose from their resting spot and began moving toward the rendezvous point, Spear Dragon, who had shriveled up and apparently hadn’t heard the conversation, was still just yanking at moss on a random rock. Sword Phoenix’s scolding followed immediately.

“Aren’t you coming!? You’re the guide, remember!”

“Huh? Ah, yes, I got it!”

Startled, Spear Dragon jumped up and hurriedly followed behind Sword Phoenix, and seeing that, a thought briefly crossed my mind.

‘Don’t tell me... Sword Phoenix likes Spear Dragon?’

But honestly, what business is it of mine who likes whom, who used to like someone and now likes someone else?

I know I’m a bit dense when it comes to things like this, but still, something about it felt off.

As I followed behind, stroking my chin and thinking how odd it was, Seol noona came up beside me and asked in a quiet voice.

[Why, Ryong-ah? What are you thinking about?]

[Ah, it’s nothing. I was just wondering if maybe Sword Phoenix likes Spear Dragon.]

[You're only noticing now?]

[What?]

Noona’s response made it sound like it was completely obvious.

Then I heard Hwa-eun’s voice from nearby as well.

[I’ve been keeping my distance from Spear Dragon on purpose because Sword Phoenix likes him. It’s been several years now, but that idiot hasn’t noticed at all.]

[Seriously, I’ve never seen a guy that dumb. Even when we eat, she secretly gives him the tender cuts of meat. She covers him with grass when he sleeps, and yesterday, she didn’t even eat half the rabbit and gave it to him, saying she was full.]

Not only had he been told they weren’t friends, now he was being called stupid too.

It was honestly kind of pitiful.

But if a girl had been looking after you wholeheartedly for years, liking you all that time, and you didn’t notice, chasing after some other girl instead, then the other women’s criticism was fair.

‘So that’s why Hwa-eun’s been cold to him. He brought it on himself.’

I found myself shifting from pity to thinking he was hopeless too, and looking at Sword Phoenix, I spoke in a sympathetic tone.

[Still, he seems to be smitten with Seol Noona now. I feel bad for Sword Phoenix.]

It seemed like he had more or less moved on from Hwa-eun, and now it was Seol Noona.

At my words, Seol Noona glanced at Spear Dragon and said,

[I can’t stand guys like that.]

I had thought it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Noona met someone she liked, but if the guy already had someone and acted like that, of course Seol Noona wouldn’t be interested either.

So I figured I might as well ask what kind of man Noona liked.

If someone who fit her type appeared later, I could introduce him to her.

Noona was a healthy beauty with a wild charm, after all.

[Then, Noona, what kind of man do you like?]

At my question, asked to find out her ideal type, Noona wrapped her arm around mine and replied.

[Me? A guy like our Soryong, of course.]

‘Gasp! Noona, that’s dangerous talk!’

Startled, I wondered if Seol Noona had feelings for her younger brother no, if she actually loved me in that way but then she looked at Spear Dragon and Gue-sung hyung-nim walking ahead, and with a coy smile, said,

[Hmm. If I had to choose, I’d say... rather than a rat, I prefer a flower bear? They’re cute, aren’t they?]

[Flower bear?]

[Soryong, there’s a bear that’s black and white that looks very cute.]

‘Black and white bear… then she means a panda?’

She was clearly referring to a panda with the term flower bear, and as she looked toward Spear Dragon and Gue-sung hyung-nim, I understood what she meant.

The rat was Spear Dragon, and the panda was probably Gue-sung hyung-nim.

I wasn’t sure if it was a Peng Family trait, but Gue-sung hyung-nim’s build was practically that of a bear.

‘That build is no joke. Maybe that’s why Seol noona likes beastly men....’

It felt like I had caught a glimpse of the secret behind how a seemingly dimwitted Peng Family managed to continue its lineage.

***

As the setting sun dyed the sky yellow-orange, Spear Dragon, who had been walking at the front, spoke up.

“We’re almost there. The abandoned wolf den just below that hill is our rendezvous point.”

Looking in the direction Spear Dragon pointed, I saw a low hill at the foot of a mountain, formed of rocks and tall grass about the height of a person.

The remaining distance was maybe one or two kilometers.

“Got it. Let’s hurry before the sun sets.”

“Yes, Young Miss Seol.”

At Spear Dragon’s words, Noona nodded and came over to me, whispering quietly in my ear.

[Ryong-ah, we’re close to the rendezvous point now, so tell Cho not to come down until we call her. No matter what happens, absolutely not.]

There was an unusual firmness in her voice.

Tilting my head, I asked again.

[Cho? Why?]

[Just in case. We're assuming the rendezvous point is safe and heading there, but what if someone got caught and the location was leaked to the Blood Cult bastards?]

At Seol noona’s words, I snapped out of it like I’d been struck on the back of the head.

Certainly, as she said, if someone had been captured, it would be like walking right into a tiger’s mouth.

[Then wouldn’t it be better to call Cho down and bring her along? If she’s with us, the others might be intimidated.]

But I had the opposite opinion from Seol noona.

My idea was to show Cho openly and scare the enemy into backing off, but Noona shook her head and replied.

[There’s no need to reveal all our cards. If someone really was captured and the location was exposed, we might have to escape all the way to Yunnan. If we reveal our full strength right from the start, they might prepare a response.

Ryong-ah, remember this. In the murim, you always have to hide at least thirty percent of your strength.]

[Understood, Seol noona.]

Indeed, if we ended up on a long retreat and the enemy already knew our strength and prepared traps ahead of us, our escape could be blocked partway.

So in my mind, I asked Cho to stay up high no matter what happened below and not to come down unless called.

<Cho, until Daddy calls you, don’t come down at all. Got it? Unless it’s a safe place to rest, you must not come here until Daddy calls you. Okay?>

At first, Cho sent me the thought that she didn’t understand, but after I kept repeating the request, she reluctantly sent back a response that she understood. Once I had settled things with Cho, I then went to Yohwa and told her not to get involved unless I gave the order, even if something dangerous happened.

[Yohwa, if something dangerous happens, take good care of Seol noona and Hwa-eun, alright? Don’t jump in first.]

-Kishi?

[I have Cho, so I’m counting on you to look after those two. Okay?]

-Kishit!

Just as Seol noona had warned, we prepared thoroughly and resumed our approach toward the rendezvous point.

The sun had already set, and darkness was settling in when, about 200 to 300 meters from the abandoned wolf den that served as the rendezvous point, Spear Dragon raised his hand and brought us to a halt.

He looked around as if checking something, and after a moment, a man stepped out from the nearby grass with magistrate’s brushes in both hands.

“It’s been a while, Spear Dragon. I was surprised to hear that four unknown individuals had joined you.”

“It’s good to see you again, Elder Shin Haeng-ja. Since it surprised us too, of course you’d be surprised.”

The man who appeared was already someone Spear Dragon had informed in advance, the one who held overall responsibility for intelligence operations under the secret orders of the Murim Alliance. He was the Vice Pavilion Master of Flying Dragon Pavilion, Bang Soon, also known by the nickname Shin Haeng-ja, or “Swift Traveler.”

He had earned that nickname due to his incredibly fast qinggong. As he looked over our group, he spoke.

“To think that the Beast Palace and Tang Family’s young ones would be here. Let’s talk inside.”

“Understood, Elder.”

Following his words, we approached the entrance of the fairly large earthen cave referred to as the abandoned wolf den.

As Shin Haeng-ja lowered his head and stepped inside the cave, a loud sound came from above.

-Beeeeeee!

“Signal arrow!?”

Shin Haeng-ja’s eyes widened in shock at the sound.

And in the next moment, the surroundings were engulfed in the light of torches.

"It, it's an ambush! Aaahhh!"

And along with someone's warning, agonized screams echoed through the night sky.