Chapter 257: The Lizard Gets Angry!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 257: The Lizard Gets Angry!
“It’s been a while, so I wasn’t sure, but seeing you like this, I’m certain.”
Is this really Seol-hwa?
Then again, she’s the only person who would call an innocent lizard a thief.
So the person in front of me isn't Arin, but Seol-hwa?
What in the world is going on?
Does she have a dual identity or something?
…Come to think of it, didn't she wear a disguise like Master when we first met?
I thought it was possible because they were related by blood, but it turns out she's just skilled at the art of disguise.
Well, I guess a priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult should have that kind of ability.
But why is the priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult here?
“Hui, why are you here?”
Seol-hwa spoke to me after seeing the Heugunbang Leader leave.
“Gek gek.”
That’s what I want to ask.
Why are you here?
And can you let go of me so we can talk?
“Ge-ek.”
You’re holding me a little too tight.
“I can’t let you go. If I do, you’ll just run away again, won’t you? You little thief.”
I was in deep trouble.
The innocent lizard could only feel wronged.
What did I even do?
Of course, I did have a history of stealing every single dango from Seol-hwa's drawer, but there were extenuating circumstances.
Tus and Pus like them, Soyeong likes them, and Swish-Swish likes them too.
Most importantly, they're a food that the Snake Queen, Parsil, loves so much she lets out a silly ‘ehehe’ laugh. How could I just stand by?
Of course, I ate a fair amount myself, but it was unavoidable—it was for the public good.
“I put other snacks in there for you to take, but who takes both the dried persimmons and the dango?”
“Gek…”
I thought you left them for me to eat so I’d have strength.
Squeeze.
Baek Seol-hwa tightened her grip on me.
A ‘kkyek’ sound escaped me automatically.
She had really picked the perfect day to catch me.
As my realm increased, I could now sense Seol-hwa's strength to some extent, which I couldn't before.
Judging by the internal energy flowing from her, she was a powerhouse at least on par with Ak Bulhwi.
You could call her a master of the Transformation Realm.
And in my current state, I couldn't escape from such a master.
“Gerorong…”
Kuh, how frustrating.
If she'd held me with her Internal Energy Pouch instead of her hand, I would have been perfectly behaved.
“…Hui, do you realize you have a very lecherous look on your face?”
What’s wrong with my expression?
Just as I was struggling in Baek Seol-hwa's hand…
“Baby!”
The hissing Mr. Centipede came running, not one step, but about two hundred and seventy.
“Hyung-niiim! This younger brother has arrived!”
The mantis also leaped forward, flapping its wings.
I get Mr. Centipede, but why are you here?
“Kirreuk!”
The millipede joined in too.
Seriously, what’s with this one?
Objectively, it was a reckless charge by a duo of insignificant bugs and the kind Mr. Centipede.
But I was proud that they were doing this to save me while I was caught in the hand of such a powerful person.
“Let the baby go!”
“Kireuk, Hyungnim!”
“Kieek!”
I could understand the kind Mr. Centipede, but I never thought the mantis and the millipede would do the same.
“…Do you know Hui?”
“Gek gek.”
Yes, we’re acquaintances.
No.
We’re comrades.
*
Comrades, my ass.
“Kirreuk…. Hyungnim, the soil here is excellent! Kuh, so damp and dark…!”
“Kieek.”
“Baby…. Who is this distinguished guest? How does she know my heart so well!”
In that short time, the Three Insect Trio had been won over by Baek Seol-hwa.
We had now moved to Seol-hwa's temporary lodging.
The ones who tried to save me had been captured by Seol-hwa's charm and were now quietly settled inside a large container.
It was a transparent container made to resemble a cave-like environment, and they seemed to like the place.
To my eyes, it didn't look any different from the cave we were in before, but it seems the bugs saw something else.
I was a little touched, but didn't they get won over too easily?
The moment Seol-hwa's finger touched them, they were completely disarmed.
Still, it was a relief that the misunderstanding was cleared up, but my own restraints hadn't been loosened yet.
“Kkerororong.”
“Hey, Hui. When did you get in there again?”
Seol-hwa had finally returned to the appearance I knew.
Her face, and this incredible pouch.
“Hmph.”
As I tried to sneak my way in, Baek Seol-hwa grabbed my tail and pulled me out.
“Ge-eek.”
It’s not like they’ll wear out from a little touch. How stingy.
“What’s with that shameless look in your eyes? You’re so small, yet you’re only interested in things like this…”
Come to think of it, has Seol-hwa never seen my true form?
It seems like she’s only seen me in my small form whenever we've met.
…Is she treating me like this only because she’s seen my small form?
I’d better hide my large form.
If she finds out, I might not be able to gerorong anymore.
In the end, left dangling, I was placed on a nearby desk by Seol-hwa's hand.
“Let’s continue our earlier conversation. There are no prying eyes or listening ears here. …Of course, it’s not like there are any other humans who can understand you.”
“Gek gek.”
Someone like Seol-hwa is talented enough to interpret ‘gek gek’.
Soyeong can understand exactly what I'm saying, and Master can understand most of it.
Compared to them, she’s a little lacking, but we can still hold a conversation.
“So, Hui, why are you here? Did you get caught or something?”
As if a supreme lizard like me would be captured by humans.
“Gek gek.”
I infiltrated.
“So you were captured. I knew you’d run into trouble one day, roaming around like that.”
No, I told you I wasn't captured!
“What would you have done if it weren't for me?”
Ugh, let’s not even talk about it.
“Seeing as they wouldn't back down even when I mentioned the Ice Palace Lord's name, that person must be no ordinary figure.”
Right, this is what I was curious about.
Isn't she the priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
“Gegegek.”
So why is she suddenly pretending to be the Ice Palace Lord?
“I’ve known for a while that a place like this existed on the outskirts of the 100,000 Great Mountains. They steal elixirs and hunt spirit beasts. Normally, they're a group that should be wiped out immediately… but I've left them alone for a few reasons.”
Considering Master's temperament, there's no way a place like this would be allowed to exist.
That's why I thought the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult hadn't identified this place, but I guess that wasn't the case.
Seol-hwa picked up the dango the leader had brought.
She glanced at me, smiled faintly, and popped it into her mouth.
“Ge-ek…”
“Hmph. I might give them to someone else, but not to a thief lizard.”
Oh, so that's how you want to play?
“…I feel a chill. Is it just my imagination?”
It’s already too late.
Next time, I won't go easy on you even if you cry and beg.
I'll steal the whole drawer.
Wait, could it be that they're leaving this place alone because of the Okbong honey?
“What do you take the priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult for? I do like Okbong honey, but that’s just a personal preference. I wouldn't do something that goes against the doctrine for it.”
I don't really know the doctrine of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“I was in the middle of gathering information. Ugh, it's so cold. I didn't want to act as the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace because I have to alter my entire constitution.”
Baek Seol-hwa said, having already swallowed two dango.
No wonder her hands felt cold, unlike before. She didn't just change her face; she changed her constitution to be similar to the Ice Palace Lord's.
…Is that even possible?
“Ah, and just in case, don't even think about pouncing on me if you see the face from earlier. I have a personal connection with Arin, but she's not naive enough to stand by while a lizard she doesn't even know clings to her chest.”
What does she take me for?
Still, I could tell that this person named Arin wasn't a fake identity but a real person.
“It's not like she comes all the way from the Northern Sea often, but the real Arin does come here sometimes. I heard about that and infiltrated this time to gather some information.”
I thought the flow of the conversation earlier was a bit strange. So this was the reason.
The leader spoke to Seol-hwa thinking she was Arin, but it seemed Seol-hwa didn't know much about Jin-ryong.
No, as the priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, she must know about Jin-ryong.
She just didn't know that the Black Cloud Faction had a connection with Jin-ryong.
“Since they're a group that worships Jin-ryong, if I had my way, I'd want to crush them right now…”
“Gek?”
You knew they were a group close to Jin-ryong?
Then why did you leave them alone?
It's Jin-ryong, of all things.
The Heavenly Demon, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, were branded as evil precisely because of Jin-ryong.
Even if ordinary followers don't know that fact, someone of the priestess's rank would, and Master would know as well.
Knowing about a group that offers elixirs to that same Jin-ryong, and just leaving them be?
My lizard brain couldn't comprehend it.
“You have a look on your face that says you have many questions. Well, it's you, not someone else, so I suppose it's okay to tell you. …Oh, right, you're not a person, are you?”
I am a person, but I won't argue.
“The Black Cloud Faction is a group that gathers elixirs and spirit beasts and sells them at high prices. Most of what they take is from our 100,000 Great Mountains, so from the main sect's perspective, they're worse than useless.”
It's a place that would naturally disappear if Master just gave it a little poke during one of her walks. So why leave it alone?
“However, the elixirs they collect aren't just from the 100,000 Great Mountains; a small number are mixed in from other places. And the main sect is in desperate need of such elixirs.”
They need elixirs?
Of course, there's no group that doesn't need elixirs, but aren't they scattered all over the 100,000 Great Mountains?
There are enough to feed one to every passing lizard.
“Hui, you can't tell anyone this. I'm only telling you because it's you.”
Baek Seol-hwa said in a serious voice.
The way she was wary of her surroundings, it seemed like a story that really shouldn't be heard by others.
It's probably got nothing to do with me, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is strong enough that I don't need to worry about them, so I'll just listen with half an ear.
While Seol-hwa's attention is elsewhere, I'll steal and eat these dango.
I was only going to eat one, but since she teased me, I'll have to steal three more.
“The Cult… no, my older sister, you know?”
Yeah, my Master.
It feels like it's been a while since I saw Master.
This unworthy disciple couldn't even contact her, yet she went all the way to the Tang Clan to solve my problems.
They say a master's grace is as vast as the heavens. How can I ever repay all of this?
I miss Master.
“She suffered an internal injury.”
The small hand that was about to snatch the dango froze.
My blood ran faster, and my breath quickened.
I doubted my ears, and I doubted her words.
Who suffered what?
“It's an old story, and she doesn't show it, but it's an internal injury that still hasn't healed… So we left the Black Cloud Faction alone, hoping against hope. Wondering if an elixir from this place could heal it.”
Her words no longer registered in my ears.
There’s someone who dared to touch my Master?
Not only that, someone who made her hide her pain?
Just what kind of bastard laid a hand on my Master?
How dare they.