‘-Kisit. “...Oppa, are you alright?”’
Yohwa had just molted and should’ve been tending to her own body, yet she was worried about me first.
I calmed my racing heart and gently advised her to focus on drying her body.
“Yohwa, I’m fine. Just make sure you dry your body properly, okay?”
‘-Kishishi. “Okay, Oppa.”’
After molting, the outer shell remains soft, and if it gets compressed by any external force, it can stay deformed until the next molt.
Worse yet, if the body’s distorted, it can cause molting failure next time.
The inner body might get caught and not be able to exit fully.
That’s why this is the most critical time for caution.
Once Yohwa stretched out her limbs and started drying herself in earnest, I made sure to clear people away from her.
“Yohwa just molted, so please make sure not to touch her body.”
“Got it, So-ryong.”
“Understood, So-ryong.”
With everyone moved back from Yohwa, I asked the question that had been nagging me since earlier.
“Grandfather, what is the Golden-Faced Spider Queen?”
I was incredibly curious about what Grandfather meant when he said that name.
The literal meaning was “Golden-Faced Spider King” or “Queen,” and from the sound of it... was it some kind of mythical spirit beast?
It gave off that vibe.
Maybe others wouldn’t understand, but for gatherers like us, we often hear rumors like, “There’s a rare beast in that area,” but most of them are nothing but hearsay.
Most are baseless gossip.
But sometimes, the intel turns out to be spot-on, and when that happens, we shout something just like what Grandfather had said earlier.
That tone of certainty, like someone finally confirmed an urban legend.
“No way, there’s a crimson spider here?! Whoa, that old rumor was real?!”
Grandfather smiled at my question and replied,
“Go wash up first.”
I looked down at myself. Because of all the expelled impurities, soot and grime clung to me everywhere, giving off a strange odor.
Hwa-eun had washed herself after her transformation too, so I figured it was the right thing to do.
I quickly nodded.
“Understood, Grandfather. Yohwa, Oppa’s just going to wash up real quick.”
–Kisit. “Yes, Oppa.”
I took off my outer robe, trying to clean the gunk off my body—only for Hwa-eun to snatch it from me.
“I’ll take care of that. You go ahead.”
“Thanks, Hwa-eun.”
“Don’t thank me. You helped clean me up when I transformed, remember?”
Grateful to Hwa-eun, I was about to step out of the training room when a voice echoed in my mind.
Kishishit. “...Um, Oppa...”
“Hmm? Yohwa? What’s wrong? I’ll be back soon, don’t worry.”
I thought maybe she felt anxious about me leaving, so I reassured her I’d return quickly—but what she said next made me freeze.
‘-Kishishi. “Oppa... um... about what happened inside... don’t worry, I won’t tell Hwa-eun. I just... really wanted to say it myself. I-I like you.”’
HUUUUHH?!
Cold sweat ran down my back.
Our Yohwa was definitely the type of girl who never let her guard down—even for a second.
***
My head was spinning from Yohwa’s confession, but I tried to convince myself: She didn’t say she loves me. She said she likes me. That’s... probably okay... right?
“Like hell that’s okay!”
Still, I knew deep down this was definitely not okay.
And in moments like this?
Escapism.
I focused on washing my body and checking what had changed.
Physically, I looked like I was in my early twenties.
Well-defined abs, broad chest.
My arms and legs weren’t overly bulky from muscle—just lean and perfectly proportioned.
“Damn. This transformation is seriously awesome.”
Now I understood why martial artists in Murim were so obsessed with this bone-shedding and marrow-cleansing process.
When I looked down at the water, I saw that even everything was ready for the wedding night.
So-ryong had vanished, and Great Dragon had taken his place.
“Might need to change my name again. This body doesn’t fit the name So-ryong anymore.”
Back when I picked the name, I’d chosen it because it was the only martial arts actor I could think of at the time—but now I realized that was a huge mistake.
In my past life, there were parents who gave their kids cute names like Choryongi or Saetbyeoli, but those names didn’t really suit them once they grew up.
That turned out to be true.
Thinking about all that while admiring Great Dragon’s reflection in the water, I suddenly heard Unmirang’s voice from outside.
She must’ve heard from the other servants and brought me fresh clothes.
“So-ryong-nim, I brought your new clothes!”
“Oh, thanks.”
Splash.
I got out of the water and sniffed myself.
The stench had been so strong I had to wash three times.
“I think this is good enough now.”
Luckily, the smell was gone.
I cracked the door open, took the towel and new clothes from her, and quickly got changed.
But Unmirang must not have realized my body had grown.
She brought my old clothes.
So when I stepped outside wearing cropped pants and what now looked like a crop top, Unmirang gasped in shock.
“W-Who are you?! Wait—So-ryong-nim?!”
“Hahaha... Yeah, I went through transformation. Looks like I’m gonna need new clothes.”
“Tr-Transformation?! J-Just wait a moment!”
Apparently she hadn’t known I was going through bone-shedding, since I didn’t tell any of the servants.
Soon after, I changed into a martial artist’s outfit Unmirang fetched and headed to the training hall.
People had moved ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) their tea and chairs to the entrance, away from where Yohwa occupied the center of the hall.
When I appeared, Hwa-eun’s face flushed red.
“Grandfather.”
“Oh, you’re back?”
“Yes. Please, tell me—what exactly is the Golden-Faced Spider Queen?!”
“Ha-ha. You rascal. First, we need to examine your body. Come, sit here.”
Even though I had just begged to know what the Golden-Faced Spider Queen was, Grandfather Mandok Shingun insisted we check my body first.
I sat down and extended my arm. One after another, Grandfather, Sister Seol, and then Cheong-yu Sojeo examined me closely.
“The Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art has clearly evolved.”
“Yes, Elder. That’s exactly it.”
–Shiaaa. “That’s definitely it.”
It seemed my internal technique had indeed progressed into something new. From the feel of it, Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art had transformed into Six Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.
“So then my martial art is now Six Poisons Returning to the Origin Art?”
Since I’d assimilated one more poison beyond the original five, it made sense to call it that.
When I said it aloud, Grandfather smiled softly and replied,
“In time, won’t it increase to ten poisons?”
“Oh, so then should I call it Ten Poisons Returning to the Origin Art?”
The name had a nice ring to it—fitting for a fellow poison freak, I thought. But Grandfather chuckled and said,
“Let’s just call it All Poisons Returning to the Origin Art instead.”
“All Poisons Returning to the Origin Art?”
The original name meant that five types of poison would return the enemy to origin—a poetic way of saying, to death.
So, All Poisons Returning to the Origin Art must mean a martial technique that slays with every poison under heaven.
When I tilted my head in curiosity, Grandfather explained further.
“Think about it, So-ryong. Do you really think you’ll stop at just ten poisons? Don’t you plan to register all twenty-four of the Venomous Children?”
I couldn’t help but agree. Grandfather was absolutely right.
Even with ten poisons, I was still a hungry man.
I still wanted to register every single one of the Twenty-Four Venoms.
I wanted to talk with all the kids.
But wait—wasn’t there a limit beyond ten?
Even with the Beast Heart Art, which allowed me to form unlimited contracts with venomous beasts, my martial art was still based on poison cultivation, which imposed restrictions.
Sure, I could register a few more—but it didn’t feel like I could go infinite.
With a puzzled look, I asked,
“But wasn’t I only able to register up to ten?”
Instead of Grandfather, it was Hwa-eun who answered.
“In the Tang Clan, we divide people by Five-Poison Physique or Ten-Poison Physique depending on how much poison their body can endure.
But that only applies up to the peak master level. Once someone ascends to Flower Realm and undergoes bone-shedding and marrow-cleansing, their body transforms to best match their cultivation technique.
So now, your body has adapted perfectly to the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art. Which means you can now handle even more poisons than before. And if you keep absorbing poisons from the Ten Venomous Beasts, your limit will eventually vanish completely.”
“Ohh!”
So, it's like being born dirt-poor, but after rising to the upper class through skill and success, nobody really questions where you came from anymore?
It was a weird analogy, but the point stood—my body had changed to perfectly match my martial art, extending my capacity, and eventually, the concept of a “Ten-Poison Limit” would become meaningless.
So-ryong had become a Great Dragon, and everything else had grown to match.
Nice!
I clenched my fist in excitement, and just then, I saw Hwa-eun’s delighted face.
I immediately expressed my gratitude.
“Hwa-eun, thank you. It’s all because you gave someone like me a chance.”
If she hadn’t agreed to marry a beggar-looking kid from Haenam Island, I’d have never received the Tang Clan’s support or made it this far.
That’s why I wanted to say thank you. Hwa-eun blushed and shook her head.
“N-No. I don’t deserve that. I’m the one who should be ashamed for ever doubting you, even for a moment.”
Sure, there had been a moment like that—but today, I was the Great Dragon.
I spoke magnanimously.
“Anyone would’ve had the same reaction, bringing home an orphan living alone on a remote island. But even so—you chose me, didn’t you?”
“S-Stop it, you’re making me shy...”
As she rubbed both cheeks with the back of her hands, Sister Seol said with a grin,
“Our Hwa-eun’s absolutely smitten. These two might cause some trouble tonight—we’ll have to keep an eye on them.”
“Haha, I’d say you’re right. But I’ll just pretend I don’t know anything.”
Their teasing made my face flush, too.
Tonight might be the first time the Great Dragon got used for... a different kind of martial purpose.
All those educational videos I’d seen in my past life began playing in my mind like a panoramic slideshow—when suddenly, a glint of light caught my eye from Yohwa’s direction.
She had stretched out her body, and the way it reflected the light reminded me of something I’d completely forgotten.
“Ah—right. Yohwa! Grandfather, what about the Golden-Faced Spider Queen?!”
“Ah, yes. Now that we’ve finished the physical inspection, it’s time I told you that story. Where should I begin... yes. So-ryong, you’ve been gathering the Ten Venomous Beasts and the Twenty-Four Venoms, but you’re aware, aren’t you, that there are spirit creatures outside of that system?”
“Yes, of course.”
Just as Grandfather said, even though I’d focused on the Ten and the Twenty-Four, I knew that system was something the Tang Clan had arbitrarily created.
There were countless venomous creatures that didn’t fall into those categories.
Like the mountain goat spirit beast I saw in Yizhou.
Or venomous beasts like Yeolbi or Ranghu, who weren’t part of either group.
And then there was Cho, Hyang, and Bini’s mother—clearly outside the classification.
I nodded, and Grandfather continued.
“Our Tang Clan is one that collects poison. In venom arts, spirit beasts and their Neidan play a powerful role, so our clan has a long history of battles with poison-possessing spirit beasts.
And among those, one type shows up the most frequently: the Human-Faced Spider. Do you know why?”
Yohwa consumed human yang energy—but only a little. I figured that’s because she learned restraint from her father, who raised her from a young age.
Normally, they drained people until they died.
I’d discovered that while researching for the So-ryong Venom Bestiary.
Hwa-eun once told me there was even a record in the clan’s archives of a Human-Faced Spider draining a man until he became a husk.
“Oh—because Human-Faced Spiders feed on human yang energy, they tend to harm people?”
Grandfather nodded.
“Yes. Because they require human vitality to survive, they often come into conflict with people.
In our clan’s records, there are many instances where a spider like that appeared, and a subjugation team was sent to eliminate it.
But there was one case—a single, devastating failure.
Every martial artist in the unit was killed, and only one person survived. Or rather, after contact was lost, we sent reinforcements—and found only one survivor.
Before that man drew his last breath, the final word he spoke was: Golden Face.
Some thought it might’ve been a different spider spirit beast that resembled the Human-Faced Spider—or perhaps the king of their species.
But since it couldn’t be confirmed, we simply recorded the name: Golden-Faced Spider Queen.”
“Ooh... Then are you saying our Yohwa might be that very queen of the Human-Faced Spiders?!”
“Doesn’t it seem likely? Look at her.”
Everyone turned toward Yohwa.
Her face shimmered faintly with a radiant golden hue.
Damn it—my heart started pounding again.
