“Centipede Formation!”
Then, they started nibbling at the bamboo cutely.
A gasp of awe followed.
“Oh, how adorable!”
“Aww, how cute!”
Hwa-eun and Seol’s faces lit up as they gushed over the sight of the little creatures.
Using the Beast Heart Technique taught by my adoptive father and the Beast Formation taught by Seol, I had executed the Centipede Formation.
Originally, the Beast Heart Technique allowed one to use beasts connected to oneself for consecutive attacks, but when our little centipedes performed it, it somehow looked incredibly cute.
While the speed of their movement was quick when they lunged to bite, they were crawling on the floor, so maybe because of that—or perhaps due to the skill level of their execution—there was a slight delay in their movements. It made them look even more endearing as they slowly crawled and nibbled at the bamboo.
Although Hwa-eun and Seol were clearly enchanted by their cuteness, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
I had expected something more impressive.
I had imagined something like Seol's fierce and stylish attack sequences, but why did it turn out so cute...?
Without thinking, I muttered under my breath.
“This isn't it...”
At that, the little centipedes seemed to convey the question, “Did we do something wrong?” So, I hurriedly waved my hands in reassurance.
“No, no. You did great. Good job, my little ones.”
I had hoped they would perform more grandly, biting at the target with force, but it was clear they still needed time to grow.
Though I was a bit disappointed, I called them to me.
After all, they weren’t even a full year old yet.
“They’ll grow someday. I believe you’ll become giant centipedes, just like your mother.”
“Alright, let’s head back now. You did well.”
The little ones happily crawled back to me, pleased with their accomplishment.
I petted their little heads as they climbed up.
What I was doing wasn’t much.
It had only been two weeks since I learned the Beast Heart Technique from my adoptive father and registered the centipedes.
Since the core technique of the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art had evolved from the Beast Heart Technique, it didn’t take long for the fundamentals to be incorporated into my training.
Moreover, since I could directly build on what I had learned, my proficiency increased quickly.
I had recently decided to test the Beast Formation with the three centipedes I had registered, so I practiced it once, as Seol had taught me.
Of course, I didn't lie down and let myself be drained of energy as my adoptive father had suggested when registering the centipedes.
No matter what, I couldn’t bring myself to do that in my right mind.
It just felt wrong, like I would lose a part of my humanity.
So instead, I had made the registration process by letting them suck on my little finger.
“Honestly, that was not okay.”
As I recalled that moment, I shuddered and asked Seol.
“Seol, has there been any news?”
“Hmm, the warriors went to check on it, and it’s about a three-day journey from here, so we should hear something soon. Just wait a little longer. But really, you ask about it every day.”
“Ha, haha. I’m just curious...”
I asked about the news from the Bicheon Shrine, but Seol looked a little upset.
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“By the way, So-ryong, I’m a bit disappointed.”
“Huh? Disappointed?”
“I know you like poison, but it feels like if the Bicheon Shrine wasn’t there, my little brother wouldn’t have come to me at all.”
“W-Well, I don’t think that’s true!”
“Hmmm... I don’t think so.”
After spending a few days together, it seemed like Seol had already made up her mind about me.
I quickly shook my head and responded.
“No, no! What I was thinking about was whether someone like me could even become your younger brother. That was my worry.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
Sigh. Having a kind older sister was more terrifying than I expected. Honestly, if it had been like in my past life, I think I would’ve preferred having a sister who was less caring and more demanding.
I hadn’t had an older sister, so I didn’t know, but the current Seol was far from the ideal older sister I had imagined from the past.
After listening to Hwa-eun’s story, I was starting to think maybe not all older sisters were like this.
“By the way, Hwa-eun, how about we take the centipedes to the flower garden today? There are a lot of mushrooms there, and if we pick them and stir-fry them, they’re delicious.”
“Sure, shall we?”
Once Hwa-eun and Seol were distracted by something else, I quickly snuck out of the training ground and headed for the area where the Tang Clan warriors were.
I knew if I stayed too long, Seol would end up dragging me to the garden, so I decided to leave early.
But it wasn’t like I was outright avoiding them.
While I had been adapting to the Beast Heart Technique mixed with the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art over the last two weeks, the Tang Clan’s warriors had been stationed here at the Beast Palace, hunting venomous creatures in the surrounding area. I was just going to check on their progress.
I’d been following up daily, so I had an excuse.
“Alright, we’ve been asked to keep things clean, so we’ll take care of this by today.”
“Yes, of course, Daeju!”
“By the way, where are the scorpions that the Venom Blood Squad caught yesterday?”
“They’re over here, Daeju.”
I headed to the area where the Venom Blood Squad’s guests were tied up, and I heard Gu Pae Daeju and the warriors talking.
As I entered, Gu Pae greeted me warmly.
“You’ve arrived, So-ryong?”
“Thank you for your hard work, Gu Pae Daeju.”
Yesterday, I reported on a few points that were raised.
“No, So-ryong. As you instructed yesterday, we’ve been cleaning up and catching mice and locusts outside to feed them.”
“Are they eating well?”
“Some of the younger ones haven’t eaten yet, but the adults are eating well.”
“The younger ones might not eat for a few days, so it’s not a big deal.”
I continued listening to a few reports while checking the bamboo cages.
“So-ryong has arrived?”
Turning my head at the sound of the voice, I saw Mandok Shingun, my grandfather, entering the courtyard. Following him were the deputy leader of the Venom Blood Squad and a few other members.
They had gone on a collection mission five days ago and were now returning after completing it.
“Welcome back, Grandfather. You must be tired.”
“So, any progress with the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m making progress.”
“Good, good. By the way, take a look at this. Deputy Gu, bring it over.”
Grandfather gestured excitedly, asking Deputy Gu to bring something he had found, as his hands rubbed together in anticipation.
I waited with eager curiosity to see what he had found, and soon, Deputy Gu brought a small bamboo sieve and opened its lid.
Inside was a single creature—a spider.
But this wasn’t just any spider.
It had a peculiar appearance, with a cut-like shape on its abdomen, revealing a coin-like pattern.
“This is! The Money Plate Spider!”
“Money Plate Spider?”
At the mention of the Money Plate Spider, Grandfather looked at me with curiosity.
Pointing at the spider in astonishment, I explained.
“Yes, this is the Money Plate Spider.”
The Money Plate Spider, known as Cyclocosmia ricketti or the Chinese Hourglass Spider in the West, is a rare ancient species of spider. It is famous for the unique, cut-like shape of its abdomen, which resembles a coin. That’s why in China, it’s called the Money Plate Spider, and in the West, it’s referred to as the Hourglass Spider due to its resemblance to an hourglass.
It was an incredibly rare species.
In my past life, this was a species that couldn’t be found in Korea.
Though it’s often said to block the entrance with its abdomen, that’s not the case. These spiders are trapdoor spiders, living in underground burrows. The flat shape of their abdomen is thought to be due to the vertical burrows in which they live.
“I thought you’d like it because it looks so unique, So-ryong. And as expected, I was right?”
“Hehe...”
I scratched my head awkwardly as Grandfather chuckled and asked, clearly curious about something else.
“So, have you found the location of the Bicheon Shrine?”
“No, the warriors who went to check still haven’t returned from the place they found.”
“Hmm. Well, they know the Yunnan jungle better than anyone, so they should find it soon enough. I took people from the Beast Palace this time, and they’ve been a great help.”
“Really?”
Yunnan was practically like my backyard, so it would be strange if they didn’t know the area.
As I nodded, Grandfather continued.
“The Twenty-Four Poisons, I saw them only once when I was young. It’s been a long time, and I’m excited to see them again.”
The mention of the Twenty-Four Poisons caught my attention again.
Since I hadn’t received a detailed explanation last time, I quickly asked.
“Grandfather, what exactly are the Twenty-Four Poisons?”
They were said to be advanced poisons, not quite on the level of the Top Ten Poisons, but still stronger than the average poison. It felt like a side quest had just opened in the main quest, so I couldn’t ignore it.
‘It sounds like twenty-four types of poison. It should be fun collecting them.’
Honestly, the Yo-hwa, though cultivated by humans, had less hostility toward people, and it was only by chance that I caught it. But the other Ten Poisons were probably going to be true challenges.
Just catching Yo-hwa alone, with its hallucinatory fog, enhanced physical abilities, and ability to alter its form, would have been nearly impossible if we hadn’t caught it by luck.
The other Ten Poisons would definitely be harder to capture.
‘It’s a main quest after all.’
That’s why, instead of just waiting for the other Ten Poisons to fall from the trees, I thought I might focus on the Twenty-Four Poisons as a secondary quest, trying to catch them between the main quests.
I voiced my thoughts aloud.
Grandfather answered with a chuckle.
“Ah, I didn’t explain about the Twenty-Four Poisons earlier. Listen well.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Well, first, let me explain about the name ‘Twenty-Four Poisons.’ It’s like how the twelve hours of the day are divided into twelve parts, and each part is associated with one of the twelve zodiac animals. In our Tang Clan, we divide the day into twenty-four parts, each with its own poison.”
‘Oh, is this some kind of special time system unique to the Tang Clan?’
Just as the twelve zodiac animals are linked to the twelve hours, they’ve divided the day into twenty-four parts, each associated with a different poison. It sounded plausible, and I nodded along.
“Also, the Twenty-Four Poisons refer to the advanced poisons we’ve classified in our clan. They’re not as powerful as the Top Ten Poisons but still stronger than regular poisons.”
“Oh, I see. They’re stronger than regular poisons but not quite as powerful as the Top Ten. That’s impressive.”
“Yes, and there’s a story that our ancestors created the Twenty-Four Poisons out of regret, as they couldn’t rank some poisons among the Ten Poisons.”
The excitement in my eyes grew as I heard this, and Grandfather smiled, amused by my enthusiasm.
“And if you’re talking about flying snakes, then the Bicheon Snake is one of the first in the Twenty-Four Poisons. It corresponds to the first hour of the day, the time of Tian—heaven.”
“Tian!” I exclaimed.
‘Wow, that’s amazing. The first poison is linked to the heavens, and the name is also Bicheon Snake.’
I shivered in awe at the meaning and explanation of the first of the Twenty-Four Poisons.
And just as Grandfather finished explaining, I heard a voice calling out.
“Oh, So-ryong is here! I knew you’d be here!”
It was Seol’s voice.
Had she come all the way here? As she greeted Grandfather, she smiled and said,
“Ryu, we’ve finally received news.”
“News?”
“The news you’ve been waiting for. The Bicheon Snake. Oh, I think they call it Bicheon Snake in the Tang Clan, right? The warriors who entered the jungle found the flying one at the Xie Shui Valley. Your father said he wants to go tomorrow. Heh.”
“Woah!”
At last, the long-awaited news about the Bicheon Snake had arrived.
It meant that the first of the Twenty-Four Poisons, Tian, was within reach.
TL note: Gaju is the title of the clan leader