The fake Namgung Seol's eyes widened dramatically in shock, staring at me with a look of utter disbelief.
The expression was one of betrayal, its gaze accusing as though I had shattered a sacred trust.
The beautiful face that mirrored Namgung Seol’s twisted into a pitiful expression—a mix of decadence and allure, something entirely unlike the real Namgung Seol’s fresh, springlike beauty.
The transformation was so convincing it was almost awe-inspiring. Even though I knew it was just mimicry, the emotions seemed so real.
The expression is so lifelike, I marveled.
There’s a snake in Iran known as the spider-tailed horned viper, with a tail that mimics a spider to lure birds.
This creature’s behavior wasn’t all that different. It had evolved to mimic human expressions, likely to seduce and prey on men.
And Namgung Seol’s appearance? A stroke of brilliance. As the woman hailed as the greatest beauty in Zhongyuan, using her face to bait men was undoubtedly effective.
With Cho still latched onto the creature’s back, I gently pulled the centipede off and returned it to my sleeve. Then, I released the creature from my arms and stepped back.
The spider-like creature trembled, its fake Namgung Seol form quivering as it staggered toward me.
As it moved, its true form began to emerge from the underbrush, revealing itself in the moonlight.
Its body was a brilliant red, adorned with four large spots on its back. The velvety, densely packed fur shimmered under the pale light.
It looked like a larger, more striking version of Korea’s red-backed spider—except even its legs were crimson.
"Beautiful..." I muttered in awe.
The creature’s eyes, or what passed for its eyes, widened again, this time in apparent disbelief at my reaction.
It tried to step closer, but after only three steps, it faltered. Its movements grew sluggish, likely due to Cho’s venom coursing through its body.
Finally, the creature, still wearing its Namgung Seol disguise, stretched out an arm toward me, as if to grasp me, but its strength failed.
With a heavy thud, it collapsed to the side, its body rolling over and exposing its underside. Its legs twitched helplessly, like an insect sprayed with pesticide.
“Let’s see how paralyzed you are,” I muttered, stepping closer to examine it.
Although it appeared to be dying, I knew it wasn’t actually dead.
The reason I had confidently sent Cho to bite it was simple: the spider couldn’t die from centipede venom.
In nature, centipedes hunt spiders, insects, and small animals using their neurotoxic venom to paralyze their prey. Even though O-gong and the other centipedes were more venomous than average, this spider was large enough to resist outright death.
As I suspected, the creature was only paralyzed. Its abdomen was still moving as it breathed.
“Still alive, huh?”
Seeing it lying there, I couldn’t resist the urge to examine it more closely.
This was a new species of spider, one I had never encountered before. The scientific curiosity burning within me demanded answers.
What does its true face look like?
Spiders have incredibly diverse facial structures. Was this one like a tarantula, with massive fangs?
I reached for the pedipalps, the limbs it had disguised as Namgung Seol, and began to pry them apart to reveal its true face.
"Let’s see how beautiful you really are."
Just as I was about to take a closer look, a panicked voice called out from behind me.
"Little Dragon, no!"
Startled, I turned to see Lady Hwa-eun running toward me, with Binna and Hyangyi perched on her shoulders.
She rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace, speaking urgently.
“Focus on your breathing. Use the Tang Clan’s internal energy technique. Inhale... exhale... You can do it, Little Dragon.”
“Uh... what?”
Her sudden instruction left me blinking in confusion.
Lady Hwa-eun peered intently into my eyes, her expression one of disbelief.
“You’re not affected by the fog? Then, what were you doing just now!?”
Her face turned bright red as she looked at me and then at the scene behind me.
I followed her gaze and realized how it must have looked: I was kneeling over the spider, prying apart the legs that mimicked Namgung Seol.
"Lady Hwa-eun, it’s not what you think! I can explain!" I stammered.
“You wanted to... see how beautiful it was!?” she exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch.
“No, no, that’s not— I mean, yes, but not like that!”
The misunderstanding deepened, and I could feel her growing disbelief. This was not going to end well.
***
"You're saying you were just trying to see how beautiful the spider is? That this isn't a human body, but the spider imitating one?"
Lady Hwa-eun crossed her arms, staring me down like she was trying to uncover some twisted personality quirk.
It seemed the man she had thought was potential husband material was now showing signs of an unusual preference.
I quickly answered while petting the spider’s soft, velvety abdomen, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Yes! That’s exactly what I mean. I was just curious about how beautiful the spider is. Look, isn’t the red color absolutely stunning? And the fur—so smooth and soft, isn’t it?"
"Alright, alright, just stop petting it!"
Lady Hwa-eun flinched as I continued to stroke the spider’s plush abdomen. When I pulled my hand away, she finally looked relieved.
It wasn’t like I was in love with spiders or anything—it was purely admiration for its appearance. But her reaction was definitely over the top.
With the misunderstanding cleared, I set aside my curiosity for now and got to work.
Not knowing how strong the creature might be if it recovered, I gathered some of the spider silk from the ground, braided it tightly, and used it to bind its legs.
Spider silk is incredibly strong and elastic, so it should easily hold against the spider’s strength.
As I secured the bindings, Lady Hwa-eun broke the silence.
"But, Little Dragon, why were you here in the first place? It doesn’t seem like you were lured here by the spider."
Her question reminded me of why I was here in the first place. I had completely forgotten while examining the spider.
"Oh! That’s right! I heard a scream from here."
"A scream!?"
"Yes, I followed the sound of someone screaming..."
"Then we should check the area. Someone might have been attacked by the creature."
Having been distracted by the spider, I realized I had neglected the others' safety.
We searched the surroundings, but there was no sign of Namgung Eun or Namgung Seol.
"They’re not here," I said.
"That’s odd. I’m sure I heard someone scream. Could the spider mimic sounds, too?"
As I crouched next to the spider, pondering whether it could produce human-like screams, a droplet of liquid landed on my head.
Thinking it might be rain, I looked up to see something dangling from the treetops.
"No way!"
My exclamation drew Lady Hwa-eun’s startled voice.
"Eun!"
In a flash, a throwing dagger shot through the air, severing the silk cocoon holding Namgung Eun. Lady Hwa-eun caught her as she fell.
"Eun, are you alright?"
Namgung Eun didn’t respond, tears streaming silently down her face.
It seemed the spider had bitten her, but judging by the way her eyes still moved, it was likely just paralysis venom. She didn’t appear to be in any immediate danger, so we laid her on the ground.
"That just leaves Namgung Seol," I noted, glancing around.
Lady Hwa-eun surveyed the dissipating mist.
"She probably won’t make it in here until the fog clears completely. Even I hesitated to enter at first. Are you sure you’re alright, Little Dragon? Oh, wait, you didn’t seem affected by it..."
Foll𝑜w current novels on fɾēewebnσveℓ.com.
"Just the low visibility," I replied.
Lady Hwa-eun shuddered as though recalling an unpleasant experience.
"This fog—it must be something the spider produced. Breathing it in stirs... impure desires. It’s as potent as an aphrodisiac—though not quite as strong."
"The fog did that?"
"Yes, I had to quickly leave the mist and use my internal energy technique to expel its effects. Namgung Seol probably can’t enter until the fog clears. The Tang Clan’s internal energy techniques are particularly strong against poisons and intoxicants—few techniques can rival them."
"Then the villagers who seemed bewitched... that was because of this fog?"
Lady Hwa-eun’s explanation tied together the clues.
The mist had intoxicated the villagers, making them susceptible to the spider’s influence. That explained why their accounts were so similar.
It also clarified why Lady Hwa-eun had reacted so strongly to me earlier—she must have thought the mist had clouded my judgment, leading me to act strangely toward the spider.
Still, the fog... could it be releasing some sort of pheromone that incites desire?
This spider’s abilities were fascinating. Its identity piqued my curiosity even further.
"So, do you know what this creature is called?" I asked.
If anyone would know, it would be Lady Hwa-eun, given her knowledge of poisons and venomous creatures.
But her face quickly turned awkward, her expression unusually stiff as she replied, "W-well, I’m not entirely sure. I’d have to check back at the clan records to confirm. I think I know, but it’s just not coming to mind right now."
"Even Lady Hwa-eun doesn’t know? I thought the Tang Clan memorized the names of all venomous creatures."
"I-I don’t know everything!"
Her evasive response made me suspect she was hiding something, but I let it slide.
As we spoke, Namgung Seol appeared, stepping into the clearing.
Seeing her unconscious sister and the bound spider, her expression twisted in fury.
"This monster dared sully my honor and even harmed Eun!"
Her sword sang as she drew it, radiating a murderous aura.
She intended to end the spider in a single stroke.
I quickly jumped between her and the creature, spreading my arms wide.
"Wait! Namgung Eun is alive, and I caught the spider. It’s mine!"
"What?"
Namgung Seol blinked in confusion, clearly not expecting such a claim.
Apparently, the Namgung family had no sense of the unspoken rules of insect hunting. The implicit rule was that whoever caught the creature first had ownership.
This family... First, they grind lizards into powder, and now they want to claim my spider? Do they have no sense of ethics?