Chapter 189: The Sun
“Hmm… It seems like making the Maeido Garments will take time, let alone the Sculmizu. The material isn’t exactly common.”
Master mumbled while reading the Snake Queen’s letter.
As expected, it seemed she had requested a Sculmizu.
The Snake Queen and Master’s Sculmizu.
“Geh-heh-heh…”
Smack!
“Gyaah!”
Thus, more time passed.
In the basement, we continued our so-called sparring sessions, which were more about increasing my endurance.
During the day, I experimented with the spiders on various things.
When I felt a little tired, I would sneak into Baek Seolhwa’s room and steal snacks.
I almost got caught a few times, but who am I?
Having reached the realm of Paryong (Soaring Dragon), I had a body that was hard to catch.
To be precise, I developed a skill that allowed me to sense where Baek Seolhwa was roughly located.
It wasn’t just based on smells I remembered but more like an intuition that a large presence was nearby.
“Gek-gek-gek…”
Spending peaceful days like that, I would sneak into Master’s bedroom at night to fulfill my role as the bamboo wife.
It was a continuous cycle of peaceful daily life, but I couldn’t stay here forever.
There was still the matter of the Yongsaengguja and the Arhat of Shaolin to be wary of.
It was about time I prepared to take my followers with me.
“But Hiya, are you planning to bring the young lady of the Tang Clan into your domain as well?”
Master stretched out my body and asked.
“Gek.”
“Even though she’s from the Tang Clan, I wasn’t planning to kick her out since she’s connected to my disciple.”
Tang So-yeong came to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult for the Nephila’s treatment.
The facilities to treat her existed here in the cult.
To be exact, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was the only place Tang So-yeong could go at the time.
Had I carried her back to the Tang Clan myself, we might’ve been captured by hunters and turned into grilled lizard skewers.
Thanks to Master’s consideration, Tang So-yeong, a member of the Nine Schools, was able to stay at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
But now, the Nephila’s treatment was complete.
This meant she no longer had a reason to remain in the cult.
Of course, judging from Master’s words, it seemed she didn’t intend to expel her outright.
Master also knew that sending Tang So-yeong back to the Tang Clan as she was now would likely lead to an unfortunate outcome.
“She has become a follower, so I won’t object to you taking her into your domain. Physicians of her caliber are rare, especially those skilled in treating mystical beasts.”
Tang So-yeong was a capable physician in her own right.
Seeing how she managed to save the Nephila, who was on the brink of death, it was clear her abilities as a physician were exceptional, even if her appearance didn’t suggest it.
Of course, I personally didn’t find her medical skills all that necessary.
After all, I had the absurd ability to fully recover from any condition just by leveling up.
But my other followers didn’t share that luxury.
As my domain expanded and the number of followers increased, Tang So-yeong’s skills would undoubtedly be indispensable to the Gecko Faith.
“However, no matter how attuned to mystical beasts she is, her essence remains human. As the leader of your faith and religion, you must always keep that in mind.”
Well, I suppose I shouldn’t only consider things from my perspective.
Thinking back to my time with Tang So-yeong, she must’ve had her own struggles too.
Lying sprawled in the nest I made.
Engaging in serious discussions with the spiders.
Secretly snacking on the jerky I painstakingly made.
…She seemed to have been doing just fine, didn’t she?
“Gek-gek.”
No matter how I think about it, Tang So-yeong seems born to live with me.
She’s too comfortable here.
She even seems to have gained a bit of weight.
Though nothing important has changed.
“What concerns me the most is her appetite. I tried to ignore it, but that child eats a surprising amount for her size.”
For Master to say that, how much does she eat?
And to think she hasn’t grown at all despite eating that much—it’s a bit disappointing.
“Of course, it’s not food I’m worried about. No matter how much she eats, it’s nothing compared to the mystical beasts’ meals.”
“Gek.”
That’s true.
No matter how much Tang-whatever eats, it’s nothing compared to what I consume.
“But even though meat is good, humans can’t eat it every day. And eating raw meat instead of cooking it isn’t good for their health either.”
Well, she did complain in the past about eating only meat.
I may lean towards being a carnivore, but I’m not incapable of eating plants.
You could say I’m a biased omnivore.
Maybe I should consider introducing vegetables for Tang So-yeong.
The Igaksu may look intimidating, but they’re probably herbivores to some extent.
If I ask them, they might bring edible plants.
Since I’ve got people to rely on now, maybe I should try my hand at cooking when I get back.
It wouldn’t be easy with my lizard hands, but I could ask those with human bodies for help.
“Eating aside, you’ll also need to pay attention to her accommodations. It might be fine for mystical beasts to live together, but it’s different when a human is involved.”
“Gek-gek.”
Don’t worry about that.
You could toss her into a grassy field, and she’d still roll around contentedly, scratching her belly.
“Hmm… If I have the time, I might visit your domain myself.”
“Gek.”
That’s a bit…
I’d welcome Master visiting my domain.
It’d be an honor.
But my domain wouldn’t welcome it.
The prey might all scatter in fear of Master’s power.
“Gehh…”
“What’s with that expression?”
…It’s just that I feel a little self-conscious.
It’s like having parents visit your bachelor pad unannounced.
Not that I intended it, but all the creatures in my domain happen to be female.
If Master discovered that?
She wouldn’t say anything directly, but I’d feel her judgment in countless ways.
“Are you hiding something?”
“Gehhhh…”
It was impossible to deceive Master.
“I respect your privacy, but keep things within reason.”
“Gek!”
As expected of Master!
“If you dare do something before getting my permission…”
Why are you suddenly like this?
What permission?
And what are you even implying?
I swallowed hard.
“Snip.”
Master gently ran her finger along my tail.
“Gek-gek-gek!”
And I instantly realized she wasn’t talking about cutting my tail.
“This is no joke.”
Right. Don’t joke about such scary things…
“Gek?”
“I could cut it off right now if you’d prefer.”
“Keeek!”
You shouldn’t say things like that so casually!
At night, I was the bamboo wife.
And during the day?
“It's a lizard!”
“Catch it!”
I had become a spectacle of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
All I did was occasionally sneak into Baek Seolhwa’s room to steal dumplings or watch passersby, yet people were chasing me with blazing determination.
“That lizard was lurking near the bath!”
“With a suspicious look for a long time…!”
The followers clung to me despite me being innocent.
“Gek-gek-gek…”
Even though I had applied miniaturization, I was not at a level where ordinary followers could catch me.
No.
If anything, being smaller might have made it harder to catch me.
Swish!
“Kyaaah!”
“D-did you see that? It darted across the water like a skipping stone!”
“A water spirit…?”
When I demonstrated the Soaring Dragon's Ascension Step, which I had retained from my Basilisk days, they were beside themselves with amazement.
But it wasn’t just ordinary followers who were after me.
“Gotcha!”
Hmm…
This one seemed to be on Baekwoon’s level.
I spotted several martial artists who had reached the pinnacle of first-class martial arts.
A formation of over five first-class warriors surrounded me.
An ordinary lizard wouldn’t have been able to overcome this predicament.
Swish!
Suddenly, massive plants grew and immobilized their movements.
“Ugh! Why are vines suddenly appearing…?”
“Eek! These plants are strange! They’re wrapping around me…!”
“Gehehehek…”
I made the difference in our levels clear to these first-class martial artists.
Even if they brought a martial artist at the peak of transcendence, it wouldn’t be easy to catch me.
At the very least, they’d need someone in the realm of extreme transcendence to stand a chance.
“…I even changed the drawer’s position this time.”
A formidable figure appeared.
A large pouch emanating profound internal energy.
It was Baek Seolhwa.
“Today, I’ll turn you into a captured mouse.”
Her blue eyes blazed fiercely.
“Gek-gek-gek!”
Her gaze was sharp enough to match me blow for blow.
Alright.
Bring it on!
“You little lizard!”
“Gek-gekk!”
And thus began the thrilling Lizard Grand Battle.
The kind-hearted shrine maiden began throwing objects to catch the lizard, inevitably drawing the attention of the followers.
Most of the followers ended up watching the game of tag between the shrine maiden and the lizard.
Even the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Baek Yeonyeong, took notice.
“Cult Leader, are you really going to leave that mystical beast be?”
A voice spoke from the empty air.
“There’s no one here, so speak freely.”
“Yes.”
Swish.
A figure in a black mask emerged slowly from the shadows.
It was the Left Protector of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The Shadow Sword Ghost, Woo Jinwoon.
“I told you to speak freely.”
Baek Yeonyeong gave Woo Jinwoon a glance.
“But…”
“Are you defying the Cult Leader’s order?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Woo Jinwoon removed her mask.
Flowing black hair spilled out.
“Well, that’s better.”
“Thank you.”
Woo Jinwoon’s voice softened.
From a neutral yet masculine tone, her voice shifted to one you’d expect from an ordinary woman.
The Shadow Sword Ghost, Woo Jinwoon.
To the world, she was known as the darkest blade of the Demon Cult.
If one were to describe Woo Jinwoon in a word, assassin would suit her best.
She earned the moniker Shadow Sword Ghost for her ghostlike presence lurking in the shadows.
For an assassin to earn such a title could be seen as an insult.
But as the Left Protector of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, it was impossible for Woo Jinwoon’s identity to remain unknown.
For an assassin, being exposed meant failure.
Yet Woo Jinwoon had never failed a mission.
So how was her identity revealed to the world?
The answer was simple.
Every piece of information about her that was known to the public was a lie.
Her face, her voice, her name—everything.
Even her gender.
Narin.
That was the Left Protector’s true name.
“Continue where you left off.”
Baek Yeonyeong spoke with satisfaction, finally seeing Narin’s face.
A face so memorable that it would be etched into any man’s mind at first sight—a face unsuitable for the path of an assassin.
But Baek Yeonyeong had recognized her talent and trained her to reach the position of Left Protector.
“…Are you going to leave that mystical beast roaming freely?”
Because of this, Narin was one of the few people who could express her opinions to the Cult Leader.
Baek Yeonyeong listened to her words quietly.
It was a sign to continue speaking.
“The elders seem displeased with the mystical beast.”
Narin knew the relationship between Baek Yeonyeong and the Black Lizard to some extent.
She had observed them from the shadows.
“If it continues to be exposed like this, one day, there might be a severe backlash.”
Baek Yeonyeong didn’t answer her question.
Instead, she posed a new one.
“What do you think of the Heavenly Demon?”
Though puzzled, Narin answered the Cult Leader’s question.
“Our sun.”
“The sun…”
She murmured the word “sun” again.
While thinking of the lizard to whom she had given the name “sunlight.”
“When you say sun, what do you mean?”
She gazed at her own ring finger for a moment.
“Is the Heavenly Demon an invincible, overwhelming existence? Or is it an absolute entity that grants our wishes?”
The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult pondered the nature of the Heavenly Demon.
“Yes, the Heavenly Demon is a being no one can oppose.”
“Hmm.”
Baek Yeonyeong continued casually.
“Do you think such a being exists in this world?”
The Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult denied the Heavenly Demon’s existence.
It was unthinkable.
“No matter how grand an ancient tree, it will fall someday with time.”
No, she wasn’t denying the existence of the Heavenly Demon.
She was redefining it.
“To me, the sun is…”
Baek Yeonyeong’s gaze shifted to her feet.
A red fruit had rolled there.
It wasn’t yet ripe.
“A being that keeps one from starving.”
She had been thirsty and hungry.
That was why Baek Yeonyeong had joined the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and why she had brought Narin, who shared a similar fate.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was such a place.
A haven for the poor and starving.
The sun they worshipped was a being that kept them from going hungry.
Crunch.
Baek Yeonyeong bit into the red fruit.
Autumn had not yet arrived.
And yet, the abundance of autumn was present within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
Because of one lizard making odd "gek-gek" noises.
No, it was because of a single dragonkin who had begun walking the path of the dragon.