We were flying toward the small island in the Jusan Archipelago where Bo-ta Temple was located.
Sister Jeokwol, Moji, and Soji clung to my back, making distressed little cries.
– Myuu myuu.
– Myuuu.
– Chiii.
“What’s wrong? What’s the matter, Sister?”
I tilted my head and asked, and Cho translated:
– Sssrhhk. (Dad, they say they can’t see anything—it’s hard to fly.)
So that’s why they’d clung to me. With visibility gone, they were struggling to navigate through the air.
Moths can absorb photons during the day and store them in their neural circuits, which lets them see at night as if it were broad daylight.
But mist disrupts visibility itself—so of course, they couldn’t see.
Sister Jeokwol must have eye structures similar to Moji and Soji’s, making it difficult for her too.
Meanwhile, creatures like Hwanji, Hwana, Cho, and Hyang can directly sense heat, so they could move through the fog without trouble.
“In that case, let’s just go like this. Hang on, Sister.”
– Chiiiii.
With all three of them on my back, I resumed flight.
I looked up at Cheonhae, who was riding on my head, and thought:
Even if my synergy with Moji, Soji, or Sister Jeokwol isn’t perfect, Cheonhae and I are a great match.
Of course, I didn’t mean romantically—I meant her fog and my Mysterious Moth Night Vision Art.
After all, the fog infused with Cheonhae’s venom was so dense and gray that you couldn’t see even an inch ahead.
Aside from its poisonous effects, it also stole everyone’s vision—a weakness for most, but a strength for us.
Even Moji and Soji couldn’t see properly, but by activating the infrared vision of the Mysterious Moth Night Vision Art, I was the only one who could see clearly.
It was like walking through the night with night-vision goggles—me, and only me.
“That way.”
A short time later, we arrived at a rocky outcrop near Bo-ta Temple’s harbor. Through my infrared vision, I spotted the ship the enemy had arrived on.
It was anchored just ahead.
As soon as I saw it, Hwanji and Hwana coiled themselves around the rocks and lay in wait as planned.
『“I’ll signal when it’s time. Just wait.”』
『– Shhh. (Yes, So-ryong-nim.)
– Shuuu. (Just leave it to us.)
– Kishishi. (Don’t worry, brother.)』
With Hwanji, Hwana, and Yo-hwa ready per the plan, I headed for the Grand Hall.
Flying inland from the harbor, I reached the top of the Grand Hall where the Chiwi ornament stood.
The chiwi—decorative ridge-ends shaped like fish tails or bells placed on temple roofs—rang constantly in the wind and rain.
Through my infrared vision, I could see Five Venoms Sect warriors sheltering from the rain beneath the eaves, keeping watch.
I scoped the area and dropped off Gun Hye-rin and Hyehwa a little ways in front of the Grand Hall.
That spot was within a blind zone of the scattered guards.
A good place to wait and launch the strike.
『“Lady Gun, I’m counting on you.”』
“Don’t worry, Master.”
She might not know the lyrics to a nursery rhyme, but if it came to combat, she was more reliable than anyone.
Nodding, I flew toward the sky above the prison.
There, I left Yeondu behind.
『“Yeondu, I’m leaving this one to you.”』
– Shaaa. (Understood, So-ryong-nim. I just need to keep anyone from getting near the people inside, right?)
“Exactly.”
The hostages were divided into three locations.
I would rescue the princess, Gun Hye-rin would free the temple disciples—but that left no one to save the temple master.
So I decided to entrust that to Yo-hwa.
Now that everyone but me was in position, I headed toward the hermitage where the princess was held.
After flying a bit through the rain, the hermitage came into view below.
Descending slowly, I sent the group chat the signal.
『“It’s time. Let’s begin.”』
BOOM!
KWA-KRRAAANG!
Thunderous booms erupted simultaneously from the prison and the Grand Hall.
***
[I’ll charge in and take out the ones at the entrance. You go inside and free your sisters and disciples.]
[Will you be okay alone?]
[Worry about yourself.]
[R-right.]
Gun Hye-rin and Hyehwa were talking as they waited for So-ryong’s signal.
『“It’s time!”』
The moment So-ryong’s clear voice came through the group chat, Gun Hye-rin vanished like a trained hound on command.
A straight path of swirling mist ripped from where she had stood to the Grand Hall entrance.
She launched herself like a lightning bolt through the thick fog.
Even though the mist was dense, the martial energies of those nearby were sharp and palpable.
Her vision was obscured—but for someone at the Hwagyeong—a high level of martial cultivation—level like Gun Hye-rin, it didn’t matter.
She shot straight between two warriors hiding from the rain under the eaves.
“What’s this wind?”
One frowned as rain spilled toward him from her °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° wake—and just then, he looked down.
His eyes widened in shock.
Gun Hye-rin’s fist was already buried in his abdomen up to her forearm.
The warrior beside him looked over just in time to see Gun Hye-rin’s foot embedded in his own gut—deep, to the ankle.
Their disbelief was frozen on their faces.
Then both were flung in opposite directions, crashing into walls.
CRASH!
BOOM!
The noise drew the attention of nearby guards.
“W-what’s going on?!”
The Five Venoms Sect warriors on patrol rushed toward the Grand Hall entrance, pushing through the mist.
But none of them made it within a step of her.
Each one who approached met the same fate as the first two.
One punch from Gun Hye-rin sent them flying into walls, gates, or tiles—unable to even scream.
“Guhhhhk!”
“S-she’s a master!”
The guards of the Five Venoms Sect fell one by one, in the order they arrived.
Just as ordered, Hyehwa burst through the entrance and shouted into the hall.
CRASH!
“Sisters! Disciples! Hyehwa’s here!”
Faces that had been lifeless moments ago began to fill with hope.
***
As soon as So-ryong’s voice rang out, Yeondu dove toward the entrance of the prison building.
BOOM!
Her landing shattered the door, blowing it apart.
The two guards stationed there were flung aside from the impact.
Just in case, she whipped their heads with her tail and rushed into the prison.
Inside, two men were fumbling with the chain on the wooden bars, trying to unlock a cell.
“A... snake?”
They froze at the sight of Yeondu.
Instead of a greeting, she slammed them both aside in one clean strike.
After all, So-ryong had ordered her to let no man approach the prisoners inside.
KWA-THOOM!
From within the prison came a startled voice.
“W-what is this?! A spiritual beast? Don’t tell me—just like Ji-ryeon said—this is the young lord? But so soon?!”
***
—CRASH!
As the door burst open and I charged inside, I saw a woman with her left hand wrapped in bandages throwing herself over the princess’s body.
Inside were two Five Venoms Sect warriors.
One had his sword drawn and pointed at the woman, the other was guarding against me.
Judging by the scene, they were quick to react.
It had only been moments since the explosions outside, yet they already had their blades out and were moving to respond.
It seemed skilled guards had been assigned to protect the princess.
A sharp shout rang out.
“Take one more step and we’ll kill the princess!”
So that’s why the woman had thrown herself over the princess—she was trying to stop them from using her as a hostage.
At the same time, a new question rose in my mind.
‘Why is the princess unconscious?’
She was lying on the bedding, completely motionless.
According to Hyehwa, just a few days ago the princess had been well enough to help sneak her out by boat.
I shelved the question for now and spoke to Cheonhae.
“Cheonhae.”
‘I got it, Ajossi.’
I gave the signal to Hae-hwa, then turned to the guards and smiled.
“And what exactly are you planning to do? Last I checked, you’re not even able to move.”
“What are you talking about!?”
“Wh-What the—my body!?”
The fog covering the island was Cheonhae’s venomous mist.
Upon hearing my words, Cheonhae distorted their awareness so that the two warriors believed they were paralyzed—and in turn, they truly couldn’t move.
Cheonhae’s venom had the power to twist perception itself.
“W-Why can’t I move!?”
The two were frozen like statues, their mouths gaping.
At that moment, the woman who had been shielding the princess suddenly sprang to her feet and snatched the sword from the warrior who had been threatening her.
“Die, you venomous bastard!”
“Kuhhhhk!”
Without hesitation, she threw herself into his chest and drove the sword straight into his heart.
She belonged to Bo-ta Temple—a sect that trains in swordsmanship.
And when she saw he couldn’t move, she didn’t hesitate for a moment to end his life.
Pulling the sword free, she turned toward the other one with a cold expression.
The surviving warrior screamed, spitting as he spoke.
“D-Don’t come any closer—grrrkh...”
His shouting ended as the sword pierced his throat.
‘Damn. This woman is ruthless.’
She was as cold-blooded as they came.
It reminded me of Hwa-eun.
Which meant she was likely worrying about me right now, so I decided to check in and report the situation.
『“Yeondu, how’s your side?”』
– Shaaaaaa. (I took down five or six. No one else is coming. There's an old lady in the prison asking to be let out. What should I do?)
“Go ahead and release her. You did great.”
– Shaaa. (Okay, So-ryong-nim.)
Yeondu’s area seemed cleanly handled.
I checked with Gun Hye-rin next.
『“Gun Hye-rin, what about your side?”』
“All dealt with. Their leader charged in a moment ago, but after I subdued him, he bit his tongue and killed himself.”
“Well done. Any injuries?”
“None.”
As expected from a master of the Hwagyeong level—she’d even handled the ringleader flawlessly.
Lastly, I reached out to Hwanji, Hwana, and Yo-hwa, who were standing by to catch any escaping enemies or stragglers on the ship.
『“Yo-hwa, Hwanji, Hwana—how’s it going over there?”』
– Kishishi. (We caught all the guys from the ship. They’re tied up to the mast.)
“Nice work. Yo-hwa, you okay? No injuries?”
Another clean sweep.
While I was praising them, the woman who had killed the two Five Venoms Sect warriors seemed to have composed herself. She turned toward me and gave a martial bow.
“You must be Young Lord So. Thank you for saving our lives. Just as my sister said... you truly came.”
It seemed the princess had boasted I’d come to rescue her.
I returned the bow and asked about the princess’s condition.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m So-ryong, son of the Beast Palace and son-in-law of the Tang family. You’ve endured a great ordeal.
But what’s the matter with the princess?”
In response, the woman drew her sword from the second corpse she’d killed and gave him another stab—just to be sure—before raising her left hand and showing it to me.
“It’s because of me.”
Her left hand had been crushed, a mangled wreck.
“Because of you?”
“The truth is...”
She said the princess’s current state was her fault—but in reality, it was the other way around.
That hand had been destroyed because of the princess.
“A few days ago, I and two others were punished for helping Hyehwa escape. As punishment, all three of our left hands were shattered. Just to make an example. They said we didn’t need a left hand to wield a sword.”
Apparently, they’d been punished as an example for aiding Hyehwa’s escape. All three had their left hands crushed.
I tilted my head and asked,
“Okay, but then why is the princess like that?”
Even if her left hand had been destroyed, it didn’t explain why the princess was unconscious.
The woman walked over to the princess and gently brushed her cheek.
“She believes it’s her fault that we were hurt. The shock threw her into a heart demon. She hasn’t woken up since.”
“Wh... what? A heart demon?”
At the word heart demon, my chest tightened.
When learning martial arts, you’re always told there are three things a martial artist must avoid at all costs:
Heart Demon. Qi Deviation. Possession by the Demon.
All three are said to be incurable.
This was bad. Really bad.
The whole plan was to rescue the princess and return her to the Emperor in perfect condition. If we brought her back like this—half a corpse—we’d be the ones to take the fall.
Instead of reporting that everything was done, different words came out of my mouth:
『“Hwa-eun... we’ve got a problem here.”』
