On the journey back to Sichuan, I found myself deeply preoccupied with a serious dilemma. Now that I had secured the Ice Jade, it was time to retrieve the stone centipedes. But the question remained: how should I organize my itinerary?
‘Nonstop to the centipedes? Or should I stop by the Tang Clan first?’
Stopping by the Tang Clan would delay me further, so heading straight to where the stone centipedes were waiting seemed like the better choice. But the issue was Yo-hwa.
Would Yo-hwa be able to endure the extended journey? And given Yo-hwa’s intelligence—far higher than any venomous creature I’d encountered before—how would it feel about being left behind? Could I really expect it to accept me going off for ten days without it, especially when it hadn’t even fully adjusted to the Tang Clan?
Taking Yo-hwa with me was risky, but leaving it behind felt irresponsible. It was an awkward situation.
In my previous life, raising various creatures at home meant I could never take a proper vacation. Here, though the circumstances were different, the nature of my worries remained the same.
‘Well, it’s my responsibility. I’ll just have to manage.’
As I mulled over these thoughts, standing at the edge of the boat to keep an eye on Yo-hwa, which was concealed under a cloth, our vessel briefly docked at Wuhuan. The boarding passengers began sharing the latest news.
“Did you hear? The Alliance Leader personally led the Azure Dragon Unit on an expedition this time.”
“Oh, you heard too? Apparently, when they raided the Blood Cult’s base near Wuhuan, they captured some members who revealed the location of another hideout.”
It seemed the conflict with the Blood Cult was escalating. For us, that meant more work for the Tang Clan and the Venom Blood Squad. We’d be extracting poison for a long time.
But it also meant things were becoming more dangerous. The fiercer the fighting grew, the harder it would be to leave the clan for extended periods.
I decided it would be best to thoroughly check Yo-hwa’s condition and handle the stone centipedes while I was already out. Just as I made up my mind, I overheard more of the passengers’ conversation.
“By the way, did you hear why there were so few casualties during the raid on the Blood Cult’s base near Wuhuan?”
“Why? What happened?”
“Well, apparently, someone developed a poison that works especially well on Blood Cult members.”
‘Wait... that’s me, isn’t it?’
My ears perked up as I realized they were talking about my work. I leaned closer, listening intently to what they were saying. This felt like reading live comments on a stream.
“A poison that only works on the Blood Cult members!?”
“Yes, they say once infected, the Blood Cult members are completely paralyzed, like frogs frozen before a snake, just waiting to die.”
“Whoa! That’s incredible. So, we’re finally getting payback for everything the Central Plains suffered during the Blood Cult’s rampage? Truly amazing. Who discovered such a remarkable thing? Surely a great hero!”
“Of course, a hero.”
There wasn’t a single negative comment—only praise. Hearing them call me a hero made my face flush and my ears burn.
When I glanced to the side, I saw the Venom Blood Squad, Gu Pae, and even my sister smiling in approval. They all nodded knowingly as if proud of me.
“But who was it?” someone asked.
“Well, the Alliance didn’t reveal their identity, fearing the Blood Cult might target them. They only said it was a young martial artist.”
“If a young person accomplished something so significant, it’s only right to protect them. I can’t wait to find out who they are. They must have a bright future ahead. If you hear any more stories about this martial artist, let me know.”
“I don’t know who they are, but I’ve decided to respect them.”
‘Wait... is this world’s equivalent of “subscribe and like”?’
Not only was everyone leaving positive comments, but they were also subscribing to my story and showing their support. Now I was starting to wonder: how many likes and subscribers could I rack up in this world?
***
Contrary to my concerns, Yo-hwa adapted to the journey far better than I expected.
I’d worried about whether its condition might suddenly worsen, but it absorbed yang energy well, was surprisingly sociable, and followed instructions without issue. However, there was one problem: Yo-hwa was a picky eater when it came to yang energy.
In simple terms, it wouldn’t consume just any yang energy. Perhaps because the old man had been its sole provider for so long, Yo-hwa refused to take energy from anyone but me under normal circumstances. Based on what I’d observed so far, it seemed Yo-hwa would become aggressive enough to forcefully take yang energy from others only when extremely hungry. Otherwise, it was a selective eater.
Other than that, there were no significant issues, and we finally arrived at Gongga Mountain, the destination I had in mind.
-Kwaaaah!
A massive waterfall roared as water thundered down into the pool below, generating a dense mist that obscured the cliff above. Pointing to the top of the cliff, I called out to Yo-hwa.
"Your friends are up there, Yo-hwa!"
-Kssh?
Tilting its head, Yo-hwa seemed confused by the mention of friends. We’d grown quite close during our travels, so I instinctively reached out to pet its head, but stopped myself mid-motion. Instead, I stroked the pedipalps it had morphed to resemble my sister.
I avoided touching its real head because my sister had expressed discomfort about how intimate it felt to place my hand between the legs of something mimicking her appearance. Even though it wasn’t truly her body, she said it felt embarrassing, so I had to respect that.
After patting Yo-hwa, I turned my gaze toward the cliff and said, "I can’t cross over there myself, so could Lady Hwa-eun and the deputy commander bring back the stone centipedes?"
I would’ve preferred to go myself, but there was no one here like Clan Leader Peng who could toss me to the other side. Reaching the cliff required a double jump, a feat I wasn’t yet capable of with my current martial arts skills.
Worries arose immediately.
"Will they follow us without So-ryong present?"
"Should we tie a rope vine across the gap to make it easier?" Gu Pae suggested.
As concerns bounced around, cutting through the noise of the waterfall came a startled shout from one of the Venom Blood Squad members.
"Whoa!"
Startled, the warrior inhaled sharply, his voice carrying over the rushing water. Everyone turned to look in the direction of his gaze. He was pointing toward the far side of the cliff, his face pale with surprise.
Following his gesture, I turned to see what had caught his attention—and there was Yo-hwa, clinging to the cliff face like a magnet.
"Yo-hwa! What are you doing up there? Get down!"
I couldn’t help but shout in alarm. The sight of Yo-hwa scaling the cliff with ease left me both stunned and worried for its safety.
But Yo-hwa ignored my cries, rapidly climbing the cliff until it reached the fist-shaped rock I had pointed to earlier. Spinning a web, it secured itself to the rock and then, like a bungee jumper, leapt off the edge, gracefully swinging through the air toward us.
The long silk strand trailed behind Yo-hwa like a ribbon, catching the wind as it soared effortlessly over the river. It moved so smoothly, like a feather drifting in the breeze, crossing the gap with ease. Yo-hwa passed right over my head, landing lightly on the other side.
‘Of course, Yo-hwa—you’re a spider after all, so flying is natural for you.’
I couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. Many people didn’t know that spiders, despite having no wings, could "fly." By releasing silk threads into the air, they could ride the wind for miles, sometimes even hundreds of kilometers. The process was called ballooning, and it seemed Yo-hwa possessed the same ability.
My gaze followed Yo-hwa’s flight in awe. The beauty of its movements was mesmerizing.
-Ksssh!
Landing gently on a nearby spot, Yo-hwa approached me with a soft chirp, as if asking for praise.
It was peculiar, needing yang energy to live and having paralyzing venom that wasn’t particularly potent. Still, it had been such a docile companion throughout our travels. I’d wondered why it was classified as one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts, but now it made sense. Its lightweight yet incredibly durable body made it a marvel of nature.
Creatures in the ecosystem typically couldn’t grow beyond a certain size because they couldn’t support their own weight. Yet here was Yo-hwa, a spider large enough to fly—proof of its extraordinary physical attributes.
"Yo-hwa!"
-Kssht?!
"So-ryong, please don’t! It’s embarrassing... It feels like I’m the one being hugged," my sister protested.
I’d been so overjoyed by Yo-hwa’s abilities that I impulsively hugged it, only to be stopped by my sister’s complaints. After calming her down, I clung to Yo-hwa as it carried us across the river and up the cliff using its web.
"Lady Hwa-eun, would you mind looking after the stone centipedes for a moment?"
"Of course, So-ryong."
At the cave entrance, I left the task of guarding the centipedes to my sister and ventured deeper inside to find their nest.
How far had I traveled to secure their food? Now, with everything prepared, the final step was to bring them home.
My heart raced with anticipation. The moments leading up to an adoption always filled me with excitement. Even in my previous life, creating the perfect environment, preparing their food, and finally retrieving the creatures had been the most thrilling part of the process.
-Kyaaaak!
-Kyaaa!
As I approached the nest, I heard the stone centipedes’ warning cries. Smiling at their familiar sounds, I ran toward the dense vegetation where they lived.
"Guys!"
Pushing through the brush, I called out, and two startled figures, initially hunched in defensive postures, turned their wide, bright eyes toward me.
Their shining eyes reflected my image, and their startled cries turned to soft, curious chirps.
-Kkwoo!
-Kwoo!
Recognizing me, the two centipedes stretched forward cautiously, confirming it was really me. Then, like excited puppies, they dashed out of the underbrush and leapt into my arms.
-Kkwoo!
-Kwooo!
Their chirping sounded like they were scolding me for being late. Hugging them tightly, I pulled out the Ice Jade I had retrieved and showed it to them.
"Come with me, you two. I can take care of you now. What do you think?"
-Kwoo!
-Kkwoo!
The centipedes licked my cheeks affectionately, their actions clearly expressing agreement. Smiling, I finally gave them the names I had chosen long ago.
"From now on, you’re Bing and Seol. Let’s get along well, okay?"
The names, which had been waiting to be used, finally felt right.
***
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Late at night, we arrived at the Tang Clan’s Nine-Tiered Gates.
The Tang Clan’s warriors, seeing us, widened their eyes in shock.
"T-there are two Lady Hwa-euns!?"
"How can there be two of her!?"
The warriors, already alarmed by Yo-hwa’s earlier transformations, now stared in disbelief at the second "Lady Hwa-eun" beside me.
As Yo-hwa’s full form became visible under the lantern light, one of the warriors exclaimed, "Wait! That’s not Lady Hwa-eun—it’s the spider mimicking her!"
"It’s a spider!?"
Standing tall, I declared boldly to the stunned warriors, "Inform the elders that the Tang Clan’s proud son-in-law has brought back one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts."
"T-the Ten Great Venomous Beasts!?"
Under the flickering lantern light, my sister’s face turned a deep shade of red, and she shyly covered her nose with her sleeve, clearly flustered.
‘Our dear Hwa-eun is so cute,’ I thought, glancing affectionately at her before turning to look at the illuminated Tang Clan Mountain.
This was now my home and my wife’s family estate.
Even in the middle of the night, the news that the clan’s son-in-law had returned with one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts spread like wildfire.
I could tell because lights were flickering on across the entire estate, one after another.
The countless lanterns illuminated the mountain, creating a dazzling display as the clan members gathered to celebrate the accomplishment of their son-in-law, who had brought home one of the most legendary creatures.