Chapter 286: The Gates of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult are Open
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 286: The Gates of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult are Open
“Hero Go, do you really have to go with that red cloth tied to you?”
Soyeong questioned the ribbon tied to my tail.
“Kiong….”
Tus and Pus also wore expressions of unfamiliarity, lifting one leg to gently poke my tail.
It seemed they were wary of my new look.
“Heehee.”
Only Nephila was humming as she tied the cloth around my tail.
It seemed Nephila understood me, but the others didn't.
They had no idea how important this process was.
“…Um, Spider Lady? Don't you think you're wrapping it a bit too tightly?”
“Hm?”
Of course, Nephila had also tried to turn me into a cocoon, but I considered that a mistake.
These things happen.
Though the drool that fell on my head didn't seem like a mistake, surely Nephila wasn't still thinking such thoughts.
This cloth held great significance.
It’s a bit awkward to say this myself, but in this state, I have that special kind of cuteness you only find in small animals.
Part of it is my fondness for scales, but a lizard that looks like this is extremely rare.
Do you know what the most evil animal is?
An animal that knows it’s cute.
They’re the ones who know humans will forgive them for anything and use it to their advantage.
“Gekgekgek….”
With my human mind and pride, I tried to refrain from such behavior.
I had to consider my dignity as a divine beast, and my true form, unlike this small one, was far from cute.
But things were different in front of my master.
She was the type to dote on me and shower me with affection, defying the laws of physics even when I was in my true form.
So, imagine how happy she would be if I appeared in this small form, with a ribbon tied on top of it all.
She was already a frail person (at least Profound Realm), so I should at least put on a little show for her.
If I had my way, I’d bring the entire Gaegaek Cult to introduce them one by one, but that would obviously cause an uproar.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was generally friendly toward spirit beasts, but they would surely freak out if a horde of Transformation Realm spirit beasts suddenly appeared.
So, for today's visit to my master, I formed a group of those she was at least somewhat familiar with.
And by familiar, I meant, of course, the four sisters of the Tang Clan.
“Kiong!”
Hearing that we were going to see my master, Tus and Pus began grooming themselves diligently.
After staring at the ribbon on my tail, they started using the leftover cloth to make similar decorations for themselves.
The clothes looked quite good on Swish-Swish; maybe I should have some made for Tus and Pus too?
…What am I thinking?
The Heart Demon must be having some effect on me.
“Chirp.”
The four Tang sisters weren't the only ones coming along.
There was a joker in this journey, and that was Chirpy.
“Cherorong.”
She didn't have a separate connection with my master, but there was no better time to utilize Chirpy's ability.
And Chirpy's ability was, of course, flight.
And how would we utilize that ability?
“Chiiirrrp!”
By riding on Chirpy.
She had grown to the point where she could fly while carrying me and the four Tang sisters at the same time.
Of course, it was physically impossible for us to climb on top of Chirpy, so we used another method.
We connected spider silk from Pus and Nephila to Chirpy's feet, creating something that looked like a hot-air balloon.
“Chirp!”
Even though it was just light spirit beasts and a very frail Soyeong, the combined weight must have been considerable, yet Chirpy flew with absolute ease.
Well, she wasn't a titmouse anymore, but a Great Peng.
…Looking at her size, she wasn't quite a Great Peng, more like a Small Peng, so this much must be easy for her.
It would be nice to fly like this all the way to my master's room, but we would definitely be shot down.
What group would stand by and do nothing while an unidentified flying object zipped through their airspace?
So, unfortunately, the Chirpy-balloon had to be content with just reaching the entrance.
“Chirp.”
Chirpy slowly landed, flapping her wings.
“My goodness, to think I’d fly on a titmouse. It feels just as good as riding Hero Go.”
Riding me was a pleasant experience?
Then again, I suppose there’s nothing more romantic than riding a giant lizard that understands human speech.
Since we had almost arrived at the entrance, all we had to do was walk confidently through the gate.
There would naturally be guards, so we would just have to state who we were and enter.
The only downside was that there was no one here who could speak fluently.
Tus and Pus hadn't learned to talk yet, and Nephila couldn't form long sentences.
The same went for me.
I could speak reasonably well now, but I’d have to use Dragon's Word, which felt like a waste of the power I had stored in my tail.
“Why are you worrying? I’m here, you know?”
Soyeong tilted her head.
Right, you were here.
She was so otherworldly that I’d forgotten she was definitely human.
“Um, is that a compliment?”
“Gekgek.”
“Hehe. To think Hero Go would compliment me….”
It’s convenient how simple-minded she is.
This incident had greatly expanded Soyeong's role beyond being just an internal energy pouch, but I deliberately hid that fact because she would surely get cocky if I let it show.
Soyeong was great in every way, but the problem was that she occasionally did strange things, so I had no choice.
To avoid startling anyone, the spirit beasts waited at a distance, and I gave Soyeong the simple task of talking to the guards.
“Seize her!”
“W-Why?!”
Of course, Soyeong failed to complete that simple task.
“I-I’m Tang Soyeong! You’ll regret this if you treat me like this!”
“Tang… Soyeong?”
At her shout, the guards hesitated for a moment.
Was there something special about the name Tang Soyeong?
“Then, from the Tang Clan…?”
“Yes, that’s right. You’re well-informed.”
It was Tang Soyeong, flaunting the prestige of one of the Five Great Families for the first time in a while.
She usually appeared clumsy, but her true essence was that of the Flower of the Tang Clan.
She was the precious child of the Tang Clan, who wouldn't bow her head anywhere.
“How dare a spy from the Tang Clan enter our cult’s territory! Seize her!”
Of course, the problem was that the members of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult fundamentally disliked the Five Great Families.
“Kyaaaaah!”
Soyeong fled in a flash, her dumpling buns flying, but she was so bad at running that it was only a matter of time before she was caught.
“I told you, I’m Tang Soyeong! The one Hero Go cherishes the most!”
“Who the hell is Hero Go! Surrender quietly!”
No, if you’re going to run, you should run toward Tus and Pus. Why did you come this way?
Could it be that she was trying to make a noble sacrifice to avoid harming the others?
“There are other suspicious spirit beasts besides me, you know? You should catch them first….”
Never mind, she just took a wrong turn.
“What are you talking about! Drop your weapons and surrender now!”
“Kyaa! O-Okay!”
Soyeong emptied the items hidden in her sleeves onto the ground.
Clatter, clatter.
“She really does seem to be from the Tang Clan. What’s with all these hidden weapons….”
Soyeong’s clothes—not the ones my master gave her, but her original green outfit—had incredibly wide sleeves.
I had wondered why they were so wide, and it seemed she kept things in there.
“…A dragon’s scale! To bring such a suspicious item.”
Isn’t that my scale?
Why does she have that?
When did she pull it out again?
“I see… so the Tang Clan has declared war!”
“It’s not a declaration of war….”
“Shut your mouth! You, drop all your weapons and surrender immediately!”
“Gah! I already dropped everything!”
Tang Soyeong trembled.
As she frantically shook her body, more glass vials hidden here and there clattered to the ground.
“What’s this now?”
“Gasp, don’t open that! It’s poison!”
“Gah! The Tang Clan has sent an assassin!”
Do assassins usually so kindly inform you that something is poison?
“This one still won’t drop her weapons?”
“What are you talking about! I took everything out!”
Tang Soyeong shouted as if she’d been wronged.
“What do you mean, you dropped everything! Then what’s that lizard on your shoulder!”
“A lizard?”
“Yes, it must be a lizard you’re raising, right?”
“A lizard I’m raising? What do you mean… Kyaa!”
Tang Soyeong looked at her shoulder and shrieked in surprise.
“Gekgek.”
I’d been clinging to her shoulder this whole time. Why was she only noticing now?
I know Soyeong too well to have sent her alone.
I anticipated something like this would happen and secretly followed her.
Soyeong, exit.
Time for me to make my entrance.
“Ho, it’s small, but it seems to be a spirit beast. Good, for my collection….”
“W-Wait!”
Another guard from the side rushed over.
His face looks a little familiar.
“The size is clearly different, but… aren’t you the divine beast I saw back then!”
Right, I remember now.
I remember those three First-Rate martial artists struggling against the Terror Bird.
The woman was a bit Gerong-like, so she was slightly more memorable.
Were their names Michael and Hoikle?
“It’s Jo Am!”
Right, Jo Am.
“Gekgek.”
Nice to see you.
“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden? Do you know this lizard?”
“‘This lizard’?! That is the Divine Beast!”
“The Divine Beast?”
“Yes, the Divine Beast who saved my life when I was about to be eaten by that monstrous bird!”
“That tiny lizard defeated a monstrous bird?”
The guard looked back and forth between me and Jo Am.
“Hmph… Even so, you know we can’t let them in. Besides, someone attacked the guards just a few days ago, so we were ordered to strengthen security.”
“The Divine Beast is different! He must have come here for the good of our cult!”
It seemed some unknown assailant had dared to attack the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
It made sense that security was tighter than before.
“What’s all this commotion!”
A voice came from behind.
“Captain!”
Being called captain, he must be of a higher rank than Jo Am.
It seemed talking to the grunts wouldn't get me anywhere, so it was probably better to talk to someone in management.
“It’s nothing, just someone from the Tang Clan… no, a spirit beast insists on entering the cult….”
“Not just any spirit beast, the Divine Beast!”
The guard and Jo Am were busy explaining the situation to the captain.
There was nothing I could do.
All I could do was wait while fiddling with Soyeong’s hair.
“Hmph, Divine Beast, my ass! As if we aren’t already on edge because of the last attack….”
As he spoke, the captain’s gaze shifted, and his pupils widened.
“Y-Y-Y-You…!”
Does he know me too?
Come to think of it, he also looks familiar.
“Gasp! P-Please, come in!”
The guard captain, terrified, tried to let me in.
“Hero Go? What on earth did you do?”
I didn't do much.
I had visited the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult recently.
It was about the matter concerning the Black Cloud Gang.
I had informed them that Bixi and Qiongqi had attacked.
To avoid receiving my master’s help, I only told Seol-hwa at first. If I lost, they would target the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult next, so they needed to prepare in advance.
To do that, I had no choice but to go to the cult myself, and in that urgent situation, I merely disciplined the guards who blocked my way a little.
And this captain fellow was one of them.
“…Then doesn’t that mean you were the intruder, Hero Go?”
“Gekgekgek.”
Look at that expression. He’s clearly happy to see me.
“Um… Captain… about strengthening the security alert….”
“Sh-Shut up! This isn’t what you think it is…!”
Chomp.
“Hyaaaak! P-Please…! Anything but my head in your mouth…!”
After lightly dispatching the guard who had blocked the path of an innocent lizard, I entered through the main gate with the spiders, fair and square.
It seems doing good deeds gets you rewarded like this.
To think I could enter so easily just because I defeated a Terror Bird.
“I don’t think we got in because of him, but because you threatened them with a bite, don’t you think?”
Why would she say such a thing?
Where else could you find a lizard who only does good deeds like me?