Chapter 39
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Poisonous Pets (2)
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A vibration of some sort traveled up from the floor.
*Ssssk.*
The white tiger, overcome with an unknown fear, let out a low growl and wet itself.
The red bear frantically clawed at its own body before its tongue lolled out and it fainted.
The silver fox rolled onto its back, exposing its belly and closing its eyes.
It was as if it was allowing itself to be devoured by whatever was coming.
Naturally, the three owners were dumbfounded by this unprecedented behavior.
But a moment later, they understood why.
It came through the inn's window.
To be more precise, it had coiled itself around the inn to climb up.
"Shasha!"
Its massive body could only be described as a great serpent.
Its presence was so overwhelming that just looking at it was intimidating.
It felt like confronting a wild, untamed beast.
In that instant, the three of them became prey before a colossal predator.
Dang Mandok's words snapped them back to their senses.
"Did my pretty baby come to visit?"
'Our?'
'Pretty baby?'
'Come to visit?'
What on earth was that way of speaking?
"Shasha!"
Dang Mandok approached the Black-Scaled Blood Serpent, which had only poked its head through the window, unable to fit its massive body inside, and rubbed his face against it.
"Say hello. This is the youngest granddaughter of our family."
"Granddaughter?"
"Youngest?"
"Of the Tang Family of Sichuan?"
Where were they even supposed to begin to understand this?
Still, the three were seasoned pet lovers. They were well-acquainted with the practice of calling pets sons or daughters.
In fact, Cheong-ran referred to herself as "mommy" to her white tiger, Jeok-bi called himself "daddy" to his red bear, and Hye-ul called himself "big brother" to his silver fox.
Treating a pet as family was a perfectly normal thing to do.
So, they could understand him calling it his granddaughter (?).
"Um, Grand Elder?"
"Yes. You want to touch my youngest granddaughter too, don't you?"
The moment he finished speaking, the Black-Scaled Blood Serpent yawned.
Two venomous fangs, each the size of a grown man's arm, were revealed in their full glory.
'I absolutely do not want to touch it!'
He'd be lucky not to get eaten.
Worse, that serpent had been eyeing his white tiger and licking its lips ever since it appeared.
"Slurp!"
"Well then, shall we begin the Sichuan Alliance meeting."
And so, the meeting began.
Throughout the meeting, the Black-Scaled Blood Serpent rested its head on the windowsill, remaining perfectly still.
The meeting, which lasted all morning, ended sooner than expected.
This was because the attendees were all top executives in their respective fields who didn't need approval from higher-ups, and this meeting had been held for over a decade.
So, as was customary, they ended by asking after one another's well-being.
Eventually, a certain topic came up.
"Your white tiger is as magnificent as ever."
"Th-thank you. I caught it myself on the snowy mountains."
Cheong-ran had spent a year searching the snowy mountains to find a pet white tiger, finally managing to find and bring back a cub that had lost its mother.
He was a child she could be proud of anywhere she went.
"Shasha?"
The Black-Scaled Blood Serpent tilted its head.
At the sight, her child fainted, woke up, and fainted again.
At first, she was terrified, but the longer she looked at it...
'It's so cool!'
Its scales glistened with a black sheen.
When the sun hit them, the scales even took on a faint, five-colored iridescence.
Cheong-ran's eyes grew hazy.
Dang Mandok casually made a suggestion.
"Would you like to touch it?"
"W-won't it bite?"
"Heh heh. My baby doesn't bite."
There it was. The most popular phrase in the pet market, and a taunt used when one's pet was superior to another's.
*My baby doesn't bite.*
It just rips people to shreds!
She never expected to be on the receiving end of it, but given who was saying it, Cheong-ran could fully understand.
*Gulp.*
The Grand Elder of the Tang family, a former Grandmaster of the World, had personally certified that it wouldn't bite (?).
Besides, another one of his titles was Divine Healer.
Even if she were bitten and poisoned, he would surely do something about it!
Cheong-ran mustered her courage.
When it came to pets, she was an enthusiast who wouldn't be outdone.
Cheong-ran's hand cautiously reached out and touched the Black-Scaled Blood Serpent's face.
The serpent flicked out its tongue and licked her hand.
In that moment.
"Hah!"
A thrill she had never felt in her entire life shot through her body.
Th-this is!
It was her first time, but she knew.
Why did people keep carnivorous animals like tigers and bears as pets?
It was for the paradoxical sense of superiority that came from fear.
The paradoxical pleasure of having a creature that could rip and bite others show you and only you infinite affection!
Of course, a martial artist could easily subdue them with force, but Cheong-ran was just an ordinary person.
And the texture of the tongue she had just felt.
Rough yet slippery.
It was just like that of a feline.
And Cheong-ran was, naturally, a cat person.
"This is awesome!"
Dang Mandok spoke again, ever so casually.
"Want me to get you one? A pet snake."
Cheong-ran's eyes sparkled.
"Really?"
"Of course. It won't be on the level of my Mukrin, but if you want one, I can get it for you. Our Mukrin knows a lot of snakes. Right, Mukrin?"
"Shasha!"
Cheong-ran immediately bowed her head to Dang Mandok.
"Thank you, Grand Elder!"
"Ho ho! No need for thanks between us. It's all a token of our friendship."
The moment he said that, the other two immediately spoke up.
"Th-then, could I have one too?"
Jeok-bi had been secretly envious. The same went for Hye-ul.
"Excellent. Stop by the Tang estate after a week. I'll have some specimens ready that you'll all like."
"Yes, sir!"
At their resounding reply, Dang Mandok grinned.
It seemed the first part of his plan, winning over the powerful figures of Sichuan, was a success.
***
When Ha Yuseong was surrounded and bitten by the venomous creatures, he realized one thing.
He had assumed all venomous creatures had venom, but surprisingly, some didn't.
If you were to ask what that meant...
Ha Yuseong didn't know either. So he asked Agong for a favor.
Normally, there's no communication between humans and insects. But strangely, he felt a strong sense that his intentions were being conveyed to Agong.
Fortunately, this time too, Agong carried out Ha Yuseong's request precisely.
"So, these are the ones?"
"Agong!"
Behind the vigorously responding Agong, numerous venomous creatures were lined up.
Just in case, Ha Yuseong checked each and every one of them.
"Hello?"
"Inmyeon?"
A fake human-faced spider, resembling a real one, replied.
"Want to bite me?"
The fake human-faced spider gently nipped Ha Yuseong's finger.
"Hoh!"
Ha Yuseong felt only a stinging pain, with no sensation of venom entering his body.
"You really don't have any venom."
"Inmyeon..."
The fake human-faced spider replied weakly.
Ha Yuseong stroked the fake spider's thick back.
He couldn't communicate with them, but from what he understood through Agong, the fake human-faced spider—and all the fake venomous creatures here—were forced to live lives they didn't want because they looked so similar to the real ones.
The fake venomous creatures just wanted to live in peace.
But because they looked so much like their venomous counterparts, they had to endure a tumultuous life in the wild.
For the record, the fake human-faced spider here, despite its appearance, enjoyed a herbivorous diet.
And most of the other fake venomous creatures were also herbivores.
After confirming that none of the fake venomous creatures had venom, Ha Yuseong repeatedly checked through Agong whether they had come here of their own free will.
"If any of you want to go back to the wild, you can leave right now. I will never force you to stay."
The moment Ha Yuseong finished speaking, the fake venomous creatures all shook their heads from side to side.
He said he'd provide free food.
He said he'd provide a free home.
He said they could escape the precarious life of the wild.
A life with a warm back and a full belly.
How much sorrow had they endured from being mistaken for real venomous creatures?
They just wanted to eat grass and live peacefully, but because of their appearance, they had to learn to act intimidating or pretend to be venomous just to survive.
Then, the leader came.
-Agong! (Listen up, you lowly creatures! Our new master has taken pity on you and granted you an opportunity for a new life!)
-Inmyeon! (I don't want to do things I don't want to do under another bad human! I want to live in peace!)
-Agong! (The new master is very kind! The choice is yours. But I will say this. In my hundred years of life, these past few days have been the happiest! For the record, the master's blood is delicious!)
Agong showed them its glossy, smooth shell.
The fake venomous creatures stared at it, mesmerized.
-Inmyeon! (We trust you, leader!)
A week passed.
***
Cheong-ran, Jeok-bi, and Hye-ul visited the Tang family in succession.
The white tiger, red bear, and silver fox that usually accompanied them were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation.
The head of the Tang Family of Sichuan, Dang Yu, greeted the three of them.
"You've arrived?"
The three bowed in unison.
"We greet the master of Sichuan."
"Come! Let's go quickly. Everyone is waiting."
At his words, the eyes of the three burned with passion.
A moment later, the three stood with their jaws agape, drooling at the sight before them.
"Choose any one you like."
Cheong-ran's hand trembled as she asked.
"C-can we really choose whichever one we want?"
"Of course. They are gifts for you."
Jeok-bi giggled like a madman.
"Hehehe."
Hye-ul stomped his feet, unable to stand still for even a moment.
"For the record, they are all docile. Well then, I will be back in two hours."
Dang Yu left to give them space to choose comfortably.
Two hours later, Dang Yu returned.
Each of the three had chosen one fake venomous creature.
Cheong-ran was clinging not to a snake, but to a lizard.
"I'll take this one!"
Dang Yu smiled kindly and spoke.
"You've chosen the Great Rock Monitor Lizard. That one's hide cannot be pierced even by a sword. And it only eats cooked food."
"Not raw?"
"Th-that's right. I heard it particularly likes ginseng chicken soup."
-Agong said that as long as you give it ginseng chicken soup, it will be happy anywhere.
Dang Yu couldn't say for sure. He had no way of knowing if what he'd been told was true.
-Are you sure about that?
-That's what Agong said.
-I see.
What could he do? Even he, known as the Dark King, couldn't understand what a centipede was saying.
Besides, the one who had commissioned this was his father; he decided to trust it for now.
That person was a benefactor who had restored his father's spirit, which had been languishing for a long time.
There was a saying in the Tang sect.
Repay grudges twofold, and kindness tenfold.
Even if today's events went awry, Dang Yu was prepared for the Tang sect to take full responsibility and provide compensation for everything.
'Right. This should be fine.'
Jeok-bi had chosen a red snake with a single horn on its head.
"I will take this one."
"Hoh! You've chosen a good one. The Red-Horned Serpent has been known since ancient times to bestow sacred energy."
Of course, it was a fake Red-Horned Serpent, not a real one.
"For the record, it eats raw."
"I am aware."
"You just have to give it washed, uncooked rice. You don't need to give it anything else."
"What? Not raw chicken?"
"Ahem! That's right. It must be uncooked rice. It likes it even more if you occasionally mix in some assorted grains as a treat."
"Ah, yes."
Though hesitant, Jeok-bi replied.
Finally, Hye-ul had chosen the fake human-faced spider.
"I'll take this one! Its face is cute!"
"Hoh! A human-faced spider. You've chosen a very fine creature."
At this point, Dang Yu was starting to feel a prick of conscience. But seeing how happy they were, he decided to ignore it for a little longer.
"You can feed that one grass."
"Not live insects?"
"That's right. That's how mystical creatures are. They're different from ordinary animals, aren't they?"
"Indeed! I see!"
Dang Yu decided to deceive his conscience just one more time.
"For the record, the Tang family has removed the venom from all these creatures, so it won't matter if you get bitten. If any problems arise, you can always come to the Tang family, and we will resolve it."
"As expected of the Tang family!"
"I was honestly scared, but of course, it's the Tang family!"
"So this is why everyone talks about the Tang family!"
The second part of the plan was also a success.
Dang Yu thought to himself once more.
'Is this really okay?'