As I heard the faint hiss of my golden centipedes slithering back toward me, I quickly reached out and grabbed Bin-ah before she could leap to the ground to take another bite out of Yang Seong-hoo. Her tiny legs wriggled, full of determination to pursue the "strange man" who had angered her. Holding her firmly, I spoke in a soft voice to calm her down.
“Bin-ah, calm down. Were you upset because of that strange man? It’s okay, calm down... If you kill him, Daddy’s going to be in a lot of trouble. Bin-ah, come on now!”
Just as I secured her safely back on my wrist, an icy voice sliced through the air, making me freeze.
“What exactly is going on here?”
I turned my head, feeling the chill of those words, and there she was—my sister, Tang Hwa-eun. Her expression was colder than I’d ever seen before, her eyes practically shooting daggers at Yang Seong-hoo as she strode toward us.
‘Oh... this is bad,’ I thought, the realization hitting me like a falling rock.
For a moment, my thoughts scattered. My sister's icy demeanor struck a nerve I didn’t know I had. Was it possible that my type was, in fact, cold and intellectual women? Judging by her frosty stare, it seemed undeniable. Her sharp features, the calm authority in her walk, and the scorn she directed at Yang Seong-hoo—all of it was mesmerizing.
‘This must be what they call rewarding contempt,’ I mused, storing this rare side of her away in my memory.
As she reached me, she extended her arm, and my centipedes obediently crawled onto her. Even then, they continued to twitch their antennae in frustration, clearly still angry at Yang Seong-hoo. My sister gently stroked their antennae with her finger, her tone softening slightly as she addressed me.
“So-ryong, what exactly happened here? Why are the centipedes so agitated, and what does Yang Seong-hoo have to do with this?”
Her piercing questions left me at a crossroads. I had two options:
The first was to play the victim. I could adopt a pitiful expression and say, “Sister, that man appeared out of nowhere and tried to force me into a duel, even though I’m young and inexperienced. When I refused, he even emitted killing intent! Boo-hoo...” That might prompt her protective instincts to kick in, and she might even hug me to comfort me.
The second option was to take the high road. Yang Seong-hoo belonged to the Yang Family, one of the Seven Great Clans. My sister had mentioned that every three years, the heirs of these clans gathered for a meeting known as the Seven Families’ Bonds, a sort of networking event for the elite. Since we’d have to see him again in the future, making an enemy of him might not be wise.
After a moment of thought, I chose the second option. Yang Seong-hoo was probably already crushed after his failed confession to my sister. He’d likely come up with five names for their imaginary children, only to have his dreams shattered. There was no need to kick him while he was down.
I gently tugged on my sister’s sleeve and said, “Sister, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. As I was leaving Tianwu Pavilion, I lost my way, and Yang Seong-hoo happened to find me. He offered to show me the way, and we were walking together when this happened.”
“Lost your way? And Yang Seong-hoo just happened to be there?” she asked, her expression skeptical. “Then why are the centipedes so worked up?”
Smiling, I continued, “Oh, we were chatting as we walked, and we got along better than I expected. To thank him, I thought I’d show him something interesting and told him to emit a bit of killing intent. It was just a little prank, but it seems Yang Seong-hoo got more startled than I anticipated.”
Finally, my sister nodded, though her expression remained unreadable. She turned to Yang Seong-hoo, addressing him in an emotionless tone that somehow cut deeper than outright scorn.
“Thank you for guiding So-ryong. I’ll take it from here. You may go now.”
With that, she turned on her heel, dismissing him as though he were nothing more than an afterthought. Then, she looked back at me with a warm smile, as though the earlier frost had never existed.
“So-ryong, let’s go have lunch. You can tell me what you discussed with the Alliance Leader. I’m curious.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” I replied, returning her smile. “I was just thinking about grabbing some hot dumplings.”
As we started to walk away, I suddenly stopped, a thought crossing my mind.
“Oh, wait, Sister. Just a moment.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Just a little man-to-man talk,” I said.
I approached Yang Seong-hoo, who still looked dazed and overwhelmed, and gestured for him to lower his head. Since he was taller than me, I had to pull him down to my level.
The poor guy obeyed, utterly confused. Leaning in close to his ear, I whispered, “That’s twice now that I’ve saved your life.”
His eyes widened, and he quickly nodded, his head bobbing like a puppet on strings.
***
While eating dumplings with my elder sister near the reception hall, I mentioned that the alliance leader had entrusted me with the Iron Vault Technique. Her eyes widened in shock.
After glancing around, she moved closer to me, as if even that wasn’t enough to ease her nerves. Then, gripping the dumpling in her hand tightly, she sent a private message with a startled expression.
[You mean to say you’ve received the secret manual for the Iron Vault Technique, the exclusive martial art of the Fist Emperor!?]
Judging by her reaction, it seemed I’d made a very wise decision. I whispered into her ear.
[Yes, he said we resemble each other... Do you think it was the right move?]
[Of course! While I’ve heard the training process is grueling, once mastered, the Iron Vault Technique is said to block even swords and Qi attacks. It’s often compared to Shaolin’s Vajra Indestructible Divine Art. This is the Fist Emperor’s exclusive martial art we’re talking about...]
According to my sister’s explanation, the Iron Vault Technique was an external martial art that trained the body’s muscles and bones, reinforcing them to be as tough as steel. It was supposedly a superior technique that made the body impervious to even sharp blades.
‘So, if I master this, I’d essentially be bulletproof?’ It reminded me of certain concepts from my past life.
My sister added that the Blood Sect, known for their tactics of injuring enemies with concealed weapons or their nails to draw blood, would find someone who had mastered the Iron Vault Technique to be an absolute nightmare. Back when the alliance leader was active, he was considered a calamity to the Blood Sect because they couldn’t injure him to draw blood, and he would beat them senseless without giving them a chance to recover. In essence, the technique made him an overpowered nemesis, at least when facing the Blood Sect.
[And because this is an external martial art, it won’t conflict with your cultivation methods, So-ryong. The reason people can’t learn multiple techniques is that they often clash with their internal energy methods, but external techniques like this are less influenced. Even someone with lesser talent like you could achieve great success through effort.]
Everything she said pointed to this being an incredibly beneficial martial art for me. It was a reminder not to forget the alliance leader’s kindness.
Then, in a slightly excited tone, my sister added:
[And I can help you train for this martial art. I heard the Fist Emperor used to whip himself every morning to harden his skin—I can do that for you!]
[Wh-whip me?]
[Yes, So-ryong. It’s to toughen your skin.]
Essentially, she was offering to whip me as part of the training. While the thought sounded painful and filled me with apprehension, I couldn’t deny that it might be valuable in terms of experience. My parents used to say that the more experiences you have, the better.
‘Let’s think of this as a purely academic pursuit.’
***
The next day, Chang-ryong arrived with Geom-bong at dawn, just as we were preparing to depart.
The night before, Dol-ryong had invited us to join him for dinner, and I thought he might apologize then. Instead, he had remained silent, only to show up unexpectedly in the early morning.
Claiming he came to see us off, Chang-ryong avoided my sister’s gaze and sent me a private transmission through sound.
[Thank you, my friend.]
Surprised by his unexpected gratitude, I glanced at him. Geom-bong, standing beside him, smacked the back of his head and sent me a quiet message as well.
[That idiot told me everything. Thank you for your generosity, my friend.]
It seemed Chang-ryong had confessed his embarrassing actions to Geom-bong last night and had been dragged along for a scolding and an early-morning apology. As expected, Chang-ryong followed up with his own private message.
[I deeply apologize, my friend. Thank you for your kindness yesterday. After speaking with Geom-bong last night, I realized how foolish I had been. Seeing your magnanimity yesterday, I now fully understand. Please accept my apologies once more.]
‘Well, it looks like you’ve come to your senses. Don’t worry, I’ll be watching you closely from now on.’
With a slight nod to both Chang-ryong and Geom-bong, I boarded the Zhuge family’s ship again.
From Wuhan, it took ten more days to reach Anqing. There, we transferred to a smaller ferry, eventually arriving at a place called Seoktae. We continued traveling on the main road for another five days before finally reaching Huangshan.
The mountain, with its sparse trees growing atop rocky peaks, appeared as if it had been pulled straight from a scenic photograph in my past life. The peaks were beautifully bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun.
Gu Pae, the team leader, pointed toward a distant peak.
“It’s getting late. We should stay at an inn in the village at the base of the mountain tonight. The terrain of Huangshan is steep, and it will take at least half a day to reach the Namgung Clan’s residence.”
The mountain was far larger than I had expected, and the Namgung Clan’s estate was reportedly located atop one of the many peaks. Grumbling internally about who would build a home at the top of a mountain, I followed the group into the only modest inn in the village below.
“Owner, we’ll need four rooms,” Gu Pae said.
“Welcome! Four rooms... I suppose one for the young lady, one for the gentleman, and two for the remaining men. Pal-rang! Pal-rang, get down here!”
The innkeeper called for someone, and soon a young boy with a bulbous nose and a freckled face came scurrying down from the second floor.
“Yes, sir?”
“Show the guests to their rooms. Two nice ones for the young lady and gentleman, and the remaining two for the other men.”
“Yes, sir. Please, follow me.”
I felt mildly stifled by the boy’s nasal breathing as I followed him upstairs. Once everyone’s rooms had been assigned, the boy rubbed his hands together and asked:
“What would you like for dinner?”
“What’s your specialty?” Gu Pae asked.
“Our inn is known for dumplings made with deer meat, soup boiled from deer bones, and stir-fried mountain herbs. We also serve yellow wine brewed with herbs from Huangshan. And of course, you must try the Huangshan Stewed Pigeon. It’s made with pigeon and mountain yam—it’s our best dish.”
Deer meat and pigeon... it seemed someone in the area was a skilled hunter. Gu Pae ordered several dishes, and as we prepared to return to our rooms, the boy suddenly stopped and turned back with a hesitant expression.
“Oh, I almost forgot. How long will you be staying, and should we prepare breakfast for tomorrow?”
“We’ll leave for Huangshan at dawn tomorrow. Just one night,” Gu Pae replied casually.
The boy’s face turned pale, and he stammered.
“You’re going to Huangshan?!”
His reaction caused all of us—my sister, Gu Pae, the Zhuge family’s escort, and me—to exchange puzzled glances.
“What’s the matter?” Gu Pae asked.
“You’re not heading to the Namgung Clan, are you?”
“That’s exactly where we’re going. Why do you ask? Has something happened at the Namgung Clan?”
Though we had heard rumors of strange occurrences, Gu Pae feigned ignorance, coaxing the boy for more information. The boy glanced around nervously before reluctantly speaking.
“Well... people who go up the mountain have been disappearing for the past couple of months.”
The boy’s loose tongue was easily persuaded with a few coins, which Gu Pae handed over with a clinking sound.
“Disappearing? Has a tiger appeared in the area?”
“No, sir. They disappear but are later found again.”
“Then it’s not a big deal, is it?”
Gu Pae’s expression suggested he found the story overblown. The boy shook his head vigorously and continued.
“No, sir, please listen. The people who disappeared were either gathering firewood or picking herbs when they suddenly vanished. Search parties found them in bushes or caves, or they wandered back down the mountain on their own after three or four days, looking dazed.”
“That is strange, but what does it have to do with the Namgung Clan?” Gu Pae asked.
The boy glanced around again before lowering his voice.
“Well... when these people came back, they all started behaving strangely. For a day or two, they would repeat the word ‘fairy’ with vacant expressions.”
“Fairy?”
“Yes. After a couple of days, they’d snap out of it, but when questioned, they all claimed to have spent the night with a beautiful woman who looked like a fairy...”
‘Was this guy a YouTuber in his past life?’ I thought sarcastically.
“So, what does this have to do with the Namgung Clan?” Gu Pae pressed, frowning.
The boy nodded as if he had expected the question and replied.
“Well, sir, we couldn’t just ignore these dazed people. When the villagers brought them to a doctor, the diagnosis was always the same: they had lost too much vital energy in one go...”
“Vital energy?” Gu Pae asked, his brows furrowing.
“Yes, sir. And here’s the shocking part: one of them claimed that the woman he spent the night with was a lady from the Namgung Clan. Now, since our village relies on the Namgung Clan for its livelihood, we couldn’t just let someone make such a claim.”
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The boy lowered his voice further.
“So, we reported it to the Namgung Clan. They investigated by questioning those who had returned from the mountain, and to their shock, all of them insisted the woman they spent the night with was indeed a lady from the Namgung Clan.”
“What?! Are you saying a lady from the Namgung Clan has been wandering the mountain, draining the vital energy of men?” Gu Pae exclaimed.
“Yes, sir. As a result, the lady has been confined to her family’s estate, and none of the men who were taken have been released yet.”
A story about a noblewoman enjoying one-night stands in the mountains. Confined by her father after being caught—it made me wonder if we’d even be able to meet her.
Given the situation, I doubted her back or calves would have been spared from punishment.