Apparently thinking I couldn’t possibly have been referring to the island, Geum Gi-ryung blinked and asked,

“That, over there...?”

“What else could it be? The island.”

I grinned as I spoke, and Geum Gi-ryung’s blinking eyes widened dramatically.

“Y-You’re saying... you can remove that? That entire island!?”

His eyes and voice screamed disbelief.

“Of course.”

“How on earth...?”

Geum Gi-ryung kept glancing between me and the island.

Then, as if a light switched on in his head, he leaned forward with fervor.

“H-How long? How long do you think it’ll take!?”

With that face and tone, if I were a woman, he might’ve proposed on the spot.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed by his intense questioning, I pretended to think about it.

I’d already calculated the treatment estimate ages ago.

“Hmmm... let’s see...”

Reptiles like turtles don’t show signs when they’re sick.

They’ll just sit still and suddenly die one day.

That’s why many first-time turtle owners say things like, “I thought it was just basking, and then it died.”

Turtles tend to bask to recover when they feel unwell—but sometimes they die in the process.

So it’s hard to tell when a turtle is sick.

But if you can talk to them, that changes everything.

From what Cho confirmed yesterday, Elder Geumdo was weak, yes—but not in any life-threatening condition.

That meant, if I cleaned out the infected area and applied medicine, he could recover sooner than expected. Wild animals tend to have strong healing abilities.

So my upper estimate was two weeks.

“Hmm... it depends, but maybe within fifteen days?”

“Fifteen days!”

Geum Gi-ryung was once again shocked at the answer.

Now that he was basically sold, I added with a casual tone—this was the most important part.

“But I’ll need a few things. The faster they’re prepared, the sooner we can finish...”

I hinted at it, and Geum Gi-ryung jumped at the bait.

“W-What do you need?”

‘There it is.’

Now completely hooked, Geum Gi-ryung looked at me expectantly. I smiled.

“First, could you build a bamboo hut on that island? Nothing fancy—just something without a floor.

And I’ll also need some medicinal herbs...”

That was my plan.

Step one: build a lightweight, floorless bamboo structure big enough to cover the wounded area.

No pillars driven into the ground, nothing fixed—just a movable shell.

I’d seen the Beast Palace warriors whip one up in half a day, so it should be doable here.

Once that was ready, I’d treat the turtle inside.

That way, even if noises came from shell scraping, no one would get suspicious.

And since it wouldn’t be fixed to the ground, we could move it to sunbathe when needed.

At that, Geum Gi-ryung gave me a baffled look, as if wondering how a bamboo hut and a few herbs could possibly remove an island.

I couldn’t blame him—this kind of talk bordered on alchemy, even in this era.

“Huh? A bamboo hut and herbs? Just those?”

“Yes, that should be enough.”

I answered confidently, but he still looked skeptical—maybe because this didn’t sound as straightforward as that weevil incident. He hesitated, then cautiously asked,

“Sir So, could you... possibly explain exactly what method you’ll be using?”

“You want me to tell you the method?”

It wasn’t like this was some secret technique I planned to keep using like I had with the weevils—but I did find the request a bit suspicious.

And then he explained—and it was a jackpot.

“I don’t mean to question you or try to steal the idea. It’s just... if you really can remove the island, the compensation isn’t something I can handle alone.

To persuade the other merchants, I’ll need to explain how...”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you see... this port...”

Geum Gi-ryung went on to explain: this port was the lifeline of everyone in the town.

Lots of laborers worked there. Countless merchants depended on it.

Following the Yellow River, it connected through the Grand Canal and eventually to the Yangtze. All imports and exports moved through here. The entire town heavily depended on the harbor.

So if I removed the island that was blocking traffic, the compensation wouldn’t fall to him alone. Aside from the common workers and small vendors, the larger merchants would all need to pitch in.

Originally, I’d just planned to squeeze him for a small gift.

But now... this could be huge.

There had to be dozens of merchants here.

‘This is why they call it a Golden Turtle!’

Turtles have long symbolized longevity, and in my past life, you could find gold turtle charms in any jewelry shop.

So beyond just a symbol of long life, they were tied to wealth.

And right now? It felt like I’d cracked open a treasure chest.

Still, I was a little concerned.

The fewer people knew Elder Geumdo was a golden turtle, the better.

If word got out, people would lose their minds trying to rip off his shell.

‘What to do... This is tricky.’

When it came down to choosing between money and a spiritual beast—the answer was obvious.

Money could be earned later.

But a spiritual beast like this? That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

As I hesitated, Hwa-eun’s voice echoed in my mind.

‘So-ryong, you’re wondering whether to tell him about Geumdo or not, aren’t you?’

‘Yes. It doesn’t feel right to spread it too widely.’

‘You’re right. Then let’s only tell Geum Gi-ryung and let him handle negotiations with the others.

We’ll keep it secret that we’re involved at all.

And we’ll tell him it’s ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) related to our clan’s martial arts—something that absolutely must be kept confidential.

He’ll understand. People know what happens when martial family secrets get leaked.’

Her idea was solid:

Only inform Geum Gi-ryung. Let him handle the terms.

Tell him that Elder Geumdo’s involvement was related to the Tang Clan’s secret martial techniques, and that leaking it was forbidden.

Clan secrets were protected with one’s life.

Given the situation, Hwa-eun’s plan was the best.

I nodded and looked at Geum Gi-ryung.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Then I’ll explain in detail. Could you return here at midnight tonight?”

“Midnight?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm... understood, Sir So.”

Though he seemed puzzled about the late-night request, the offer to remove the island was too good. He nodded without further questions.

During the day, I strolled through the town with Hwa-eun and Lady Seol, enjoying the sights of Tai’an. When evening came, we rested, and just as the temple bell rang to mark midnight, I heard Geum Gi-ryung’s voice outside.

Deng. Deng.

Punctual as always.

“Sir So, it’s me—Geum Gi-ryung.”

“Come in.”

The door opened and Geum Gi-ryung stepped inside.

The moment he entered, I asked without delay—

We Koreans are all about speed, after all.

“Master Geum, are you afraid of heights?”

“Heights? No, not really.”

He looked a little confused at the sudden question, but answered that he wasn’t particularly scared of heights.

In this era, how many commoners had ever even been up high? Still, since he said he wasn’t afraid, I nodded.

And quickly called for Yeondu.

“Yeondu.”

—Shaaa!

Yeondu, who had been standing by near the window with Cho, quickly approached.

I decided to ask Yeondu to handle Geum Gi-ryung.

Cho definitely wouldn’t go along with it.

“Yeondu, could you carry Master Geum into the air?”

—Shaaa!

“F-Fly?”

At the word fly, Geum Gi-ryung’s startled voice rose. But Yeondu responded affirmatively, and I immediately told him,

“Master Geum, this creature will wrap around your body. There’s nothing to worry about—just stay relaxed and don’t resist. Cho, you’re with me.”

“W-Wrap around me?!”

—Tssrrr.

At my command, Cho quickly coiled around me.

Even before I gave the word, Yeondu slithered over and wrapped himself around Geum Gi-ryung.

“Hiiieeek!”

Geum Gi-ryung let out a high-pitched cry as Yeondu coiled around him, but I smiled and said calmly,

“It’s fine. Just relax your body.”

“U-Um, excuse me, this is...”

His voice sounded like a broken machine. I looked at him—he stood stiff as a scarecrow, arms out, eyes shut tight.

To him, I relayed the conversation I’d had with Hwa-eun earlier.

“From this point forward, this involves the Tang Clan’s martial techniques. You must keep everything absolutely secret. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yes, I understand.”

Though startled with eyes shut tight, once I mentioned the Tang Clan’s martial arts, Geum Gi-ryung’s eyes shot open and he nodded firmly.

“Let’s go, Cho. Yeondu.”

—Tssrrr.

—Shaaaa.

At my signal, Cho and Yeondu lifted off smoothly into the sky, and Geum Gi-ryung’s shocked voice followed.

“Huh? Uwahhh—”

“Please remain quiet.”

Dangling in the air, kicking his feet, Geum Gi-ryung immediately clapped his hands over his mouth when I told him to be quiet.

As Cho and Yeondu calmly flew us across the flowing Yellow River, I began to speak.

“What you’re about to see must never be revealed to anyone. Even when you persuade the other merchants about removing the island, you must not speak of it.

I wouldn’t show you this under normal circumstances—but I trust you, Master Geum.”

“A-Alright.”

We reached the island and descended to where Elder Geumdo’s head rested.

“Cho, call Elder Geumdo.”

—Tssrrr! Tssrr!

—SHAAAAA.

Cho gave a few chirping calls, and with the rush of water, that massive head surfaced.

“W-What is that!?”

Geum Gi-ryung’s eyes widened so far, I worried they might actually pop out.

***

Once I explained that the turtle had stopped moving due to illness—and would die there permanently if left untreated—Geum Gi-ryung sprang into action.

He gathered dozens of laborers to begin constructing a bamboo shelter right away, and he promised to get decocted herbal medicine from the local pharmacy in Tai’an.

He also volunteered to negotiate directly with the other merchants.

While the shelter was under construction, we decided to stop by the grain storage first.

Today was the day we’d confirm the results of the weevil extermination.

“You’re here, Young Master?”

“Yes, Steward Ha. Shall we begin?”

“Understood. Remove the seals!”

“Yes, Steward!”

Rrrrip.

At his command, workers tore away the paper seals that had sealed the doors for the past three days.

Creaaaak.

The dry wooden doors moaned open—and immediately, the air was thick with the scent of alcohol.

The evaporated alcohol was overpowering.

“Let’s wait a bit for the alcohol fumes to settle before going in.”

“Yes, Sir.”

After a moment, we stepped into the storage room. The smell of alcohol still clung to everything.

Pushing through the sharp odor, we approached the grain jars. It was clear that nearly a quarter of the liquor inside had evaporated.

I scooped a handful of grain from the floor—and, just as expected, everything had been annihilated.

“This is...! All of the rice weevils are dead!”

“The barley moths and flour moths are all dead too!”

“How could just liquor do this!?”

“Amazing, Sir So.”

Both Steward Ha and Geum Gi-ryung looked astounded and satisfied.

But since the extermination wasn’t yet complete, I explained the next steps.

“It hasn’t been fully eradicated yet.”

“Not fully? But didn’t you say three days would do it?”

I had indeed said everything would die in three days—but that only applied to the adult insects.

It’s possible some eggs laid inside the grains hadn't hatched yet.

“The ones that died are already-grown adults, crawling about.

But their eggs—still inside the grains—could hatch later.

Rice weevils, in this weather, take five days to hatch, twenty days as larvae, and five days as pupae before emerging as adults.

That’s nearly a month-long cycle.

And once they emerge, they begin laying eggs after just three days.

So—if you air the storage for two days, then reseal it for two days, and repeat that cycle over a month, you’ll eliminate them entirely.”

This was how to truly achieve total extermination.

Usually, ten days would suffice—but since I was being paid, I provided the most thorough method.

Geum Gi-ryung looked genuinely impressed.

“To think there was such a precise method...

I understand now. Thank you, Sir So. I can finally breathe easy!”

One job handled.

Now, it was time for the second.

“Well then, shall we take care of the second worry tonight?”

The bamboo shelter was set to be completed today, and the herbal medicine was ready.

It was time for Spicy Fabre the vet to go to work.