“This is strange.”
“It definitely is. Seol, sister. They should have arrived by now.”
Gazing up at the gaping black ceiling of the cave, Seol and I exchanged puzzled looks.
It was strange, after all. The main group, led by my foster father and grandfather, still hadn’t reached this location even though two days had passed since our arrival.
By all logic, they should have been only an hour or two behind us at most.
When we descended through the hole, Yohwa had left a strand of her web to mark our path. Even accounting for delays, they should have caught up by now. Yet, after two full days, there wasn’t even the faintest sign of their presence.
“Yohwa? Do you still sense nothing?”
— Hiss!
In response to my question, Yohwa poked her head out from the darkness above and shook it.
Worried that the cave might be a labyrinth, Yohwa had spun an incredibly fine silk thread all along the path as we moved. When she climbed back up to check, she found that there were no vibrations at all.
Spiders have an incredibly sensitive ability to detect vibrations through their webs.
Back in my previous life, the Darwin’s Bark Spider was known to spin webs that stretched up to 25 meters—about 250 times its own body length. Despite its tiny size of barely a centimeter, it could detect the slightest tremor from an insect caught at the far end of its web.
Given Yohwa’s much larger size, her sensory range should be at least 2–3 kilometers. And since she was an enlightened creature, it was likely even greater.
If even she couldn’t detect anything, then perhaps they hadn’t even managed to enter the passage.
Thinking about it, the main group should have caught up with us before we even reached the end of the tunnel.
We had been moving as cautiously as possible, unable to see ahead. But Grandfather and my foster father knew we were in front of them. There was no reason for them not to have caught up.
“What could be the reason?”
“Hmm... Could they have missed the writing I left behind?”
“But I wrote it in two big places. It was on the wall. There’s no way they wouldn’t have seen it.”
As Seol and I puzzled over why the main group hadn’t reached us yet, Hwa-eun, who was perched on the coiled body of Cho, spoke in a cautious tone.
“Maybe...”
“Maybe what?”
“Now that I think about it... I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off with the mechanism formation.”
“The mechanism formation?”
“Yes, So-ryong.”
The mention of the mechanism formation made me frown in thought.
“Ah, you mean... it could have broken down after a hundred years?”
If a century had passed, that would certainly be enough time for it to malfunction.
I nodded at what seemed like a plausible theory, but Hwa-eun shook her head.
“No, that’s not it. It’s not just about wear and tear. It’s the energy that worries me. The inscription outside mentioned the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art. What if the door doesn’t open with just any energy but only with the internal energy cultivated using that specific technique?”
“Ah!”
Of course! A secret door wouldn’t be much of a secret if just anyone could open it. That would make it an automatic door.
Since it was a door made by the Five Poisons sect, it made sense that it would only respond to energy cultivated through the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art, just as Hwa-eun suspected.
“But Grandfather also knows that technique, doesn’t he?”
Grandfather had even had the Daoist master Jinggi personally teach me the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.
Surely, he should be able to pass through, too.
Hwa-eun shook her head again.
“Of course, Grandfather knows the technique. But he didn’t cultivate his internal energy solely with it. You, on the other hand, only built your internal energy through that art.”
That made sense.
Grandfather knew the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art, but it was just a foundation. His primary internal energy cultivation was the Ten Poisons Twin-Origin Art.
Meanwhile, my body was entirely attuned to the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.
If that difference was what prevented them from opening the passage, then it was a reasonable explanation.
“Hmm... That does make sense. But what do we do now?”
If Hwa-eun was right, Grandfather would never appear through that hole.
That left us with two options: continue our search on our own or return on foot to Namna Mountain.
Or perhaps to the Beast Palace.
Seol, standing beside the extinguished campfire, picked up a piece of charcoal and pointed upward.
“We can’t just sit here waiting forever. Let’s leave a message on the cave wall that we’ve returned to the Beast Palace and then head back to wait for them.”
“The Blood Cult’s people could still be lurking nearby, right? It’s too dangerous for just the three of us to keep going alone. If the elders can’t open the entrance, they’ll have to return eventually. Once we reach the Beast Palace, we can send word to Namna Mountain. What do you think?”
Seol was right. There was no point in waiting here any longer.
Continuing our search on our own?
If my foster father and Grandfather hadn’t been able to enter, waiting here or exploring further would be just as dangerous.
After all, the remnants of the Five Poisons sect could still be in the area. Not to mention the Blood Cult.
Seol’s suggestion to return to the Beast Palace and send word to Namna Mountain seemed like the safest option.
‘But going back won’t be that simple, either.’
It wasn’t just waiting here that was dangerous—returning would be just as risky.
The fact that the Martial Alliance’s warriors and other sect elites were gathering intelligence in this area suggested a high likelihood that the Blood Cult had a stronghold nearby.
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Returning wasn’t going to be easy, and as I hesitated over Seol’s plan, Hwa-eun proposed an alternative.
“Instead of heading back to the Beast Palace on our own, why don’t we join up with Do-ryong’s group and move toward the rendezvous point?”
“The rendezvous point?”
“Yes. From what I heard, they’re searching the area extensively, so they should know the safest routes.”
“If they found traces of the Five Poisons sect, we might even learn something from them.”
“Since there might be a Blood Cult base nearby, wouldn’t it be safer to move with them instead of just the three of us? Sword Master said they planned to return to the rendezvous point if they found anything, so we could meet up with them and go back together.”
That was a solid idea.
If we went to the designated rendezvous point, we might gather crucial intelligence from those carrying out the search.
And if we returned with them, we could move based on whatever information they had gathered—ensuring a safer trip back.
As I nodded in agreement, Paeng Gyu-seong, who had been quietly listening, clapped me on the shoulder.
“Good, let’s do that, brother. You can count on me, Paeng Gyu-seong, to get you three back to the central plains safely.”
“Alright, then. Let’s go with that plan.”
With our course of action settled, I nodded at Gyu-seong’s words.
That was when Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon) , who had been silent up until now, cautiously spoke up.
“So-ryong, sir... I wanted to ask, do you know how to hunt? Or find water?”
“Hunting? And water?”
An unexpected question.
Thinking back, for the past two days, Azure Dragon had been the one single-handedly handling all our meals.
I had wondered why he was doing all the hunting and gathering like a servant. Now, as he asked, both Sword Master and Gyu-seong exchanged glances in the dim cave.
Ahem...
Hmm...
I found their reactions, combined with Azure Dragon’s question, quite odd.
“Well, of course, I do. Seol does too, and so does Hwa-eun.”
I had lived in the Yunnan jungles before, so catching and eating snakes wasn’t a problem. More importantly, I had Yohwa, which meant hunting wouldn’t be an issue.
And it wasn’t just me—Hwa-eun, with her paralyzing poison projectiles, wouldn’t miss a target in sight, and my sister, Seol, was from the Beast Palace.
For people of the Beast Palace, hunting was a basic survival skill.
“R-really?!”
Azure Dragon’s face lit up as he grabbed my hand with a tearful expression.
“In that case, since we’re comrades now and not just guests, could you please help me?! Please!”
From the first time we met, he seemed a bit lacking, and I had suspected he was being bullied by the others.
“Well, of course we should help, shouldn’t we?”
“Then let’s go hunting right away! If we’re heading to the rendezvous point, we’ll need supplies. We’ve already run out of food, and we can’t keep hunting on the move.”
Since I had agreed, Azure Dragon immediately brought up the need to prepare provisions now that our group had grown.
Given that Blood Cult members might be lurking nearby, constantly stopping to hunt along the way wasn’t a viable option.
And since the area around this cave was relatively safe, it made sense to stock up on food before setting off.
We only had enough dried meat and rice cakes for a day at best, so I nodded at his reasoning.
“Understood.”
“The problem is, I’ve only been able to find rabbits around here.”
Azure Dragon sighed, worried about the lack of larger prey.
But his concerns were quickly resolved.
“Oh! Yohwa, you caught a deer?”
—Hiss!
I had never explicitly asked her to, but I figured she’d be good at it, so I told Yohwa to go find something.
Before long, she returned with a massive deer.
Without missing a beat, Seol immediately got to work, expertly skinning and butchering the animal.
“For dinner, we’ll wash and grill the heart, intestines, and liver over the fire. The meat we’ll smoke and carry with us. The organs spoil too quickly otherwise.”
As Seol efficiently handled the deer, Azure Dragon’s eyes widened in shock.
“H-holy! Not only can you butcher an animal, but you can also smoke the meat!?”
“Well, of course. If you live in the jungle, that’s just basic survival.”
“Y-you’re incredible!”
As Seol answered matter-of-factly, Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon) looked at Sword Master triumphantly. Sword Master pouted in response.
“What! What now?!”
It turned out Azure Dragon had been stuck playing servant for almost two months while traveling with Gyu-seong and Sword Master.
As we went to wash the organs, Azure Dragon, now acting like he had finally been freed from servitude, tagged along.
When I bent down to scoop some of the clear, gently flowing stream water to drink, Seol grabbed my hand.
“So-ryong, don’t drink that. Drink this instead. You might get sick from the stream water.”
“Sick?”
“Yeah. A dead animal might have fallen in upstream or something. Better to be safe.”
With that, she climbed up a nearby tree and cut down a vine, handing it to me with a smile.
“This?”
“Yeah, water drips from it.”
The moment she finished speaking, drops of water started trickling down.
Taking a sip, I noticed it had a faintly sweet taste—just like gorosoe sap from my previous life.
“A-amazing!”
Azure Dragon stared at Seol with reverence.
No... more than just reverence.
‘Is this guy one of those instant fall-in-love types?’
From the look in his eyes, it seemed Azure Dragon fell for people at the drop of a hat.
***
“So-ryong, sir, you’re incredible. I can’t believe those tiny creatures grew so big. And one of them even flies now.”
As we walked through the undergrowth, Azure Dragon pointed at Hyang and Bin perched on my shoulder, then gawked in disbelief at Cho, now a distant speck floating in the sky.
He had seen them before when they were much smaller. Now, he was astounded by how much Cho, in particular, had grown.
And he wasn’t wrong.
Cho had developed rapidly, not just in size but in flight capability as well.
Back when we were traveling with Bi-cheon Shin-sa, she couldn’t fly for long. But now, whether it was because she was one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures or because she had fully absorbed the Neidan she ate last time, she could now stay airborne for three to four hours at a time.
She also recovered quickly—only needing a short rest before taking off again.
At this rate, she’d probably be able to fly all day soon.
Seeing my girl grow up so well was a source of pride.
Just as I was about to respond with a smile—
—Tsssssk!
—Tsssk!
Hyang and Bin suddenly hissed at Azure Dragon, their eyes burning with anger.
For a moment, I didn’t understand why.
Then I realized.
He had compared them to their “big sister.”
‘Oh boy. Comparing someone’s growth to their sibling is never a good idea...’
As I hesitated, wondering how to handle this, Cho and Bin’s antennae twitched violently.
—Tsssssk!
I could sense their thoughts.
“We can’t let this slide.”
It wasn’t quite a killing intent, but they were clearly upset. Their antennae wavered as if adjusting their levels of hostility.
Seeing their clear aggression, Azure Dragon flinched and turned toward Hwa-eun in disbelief.
“What!? W-why are they doing this!? Huh?!”
Hwa-eun simply nodded with an icy expression.
Then, without a word, she seemed to transmit a message through telepathic voice transmission.
Azure Dragon’s eyes widened in horror.
Then, as if suddenly struck by an invisible force, he collapsed onto the ground, rolling around dramatically.
“Agh! I’m dying! It hurts so much!”
It was clearly fake, but I could see what was happening.
Hwa-eun’s voice echoed in my mind through telepathy.
[I told him to pretend he was being hit by a killing intent. So-ryong, step in and “stop” them at the right moment. Honestly, comparing Cho’s size and calling them small? How thoughtless can he be?]
I, someone who loved venomous creatures, hadn’t even picked up on the slight at first.
But this...
This was a mother’s instinct at work.