After reaching the stage of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, Hwa-eun’s breathing exercises still continued.

It was because she needed time to settle and consolidate what she had achieved.

The flow of internal energy had transformed from a gentle stream into a rushing river, so her body needed to adapt to it.

The breathing exercise continued until the sun began to dip toward the horizon. Just as the mountain ridges were being dyed red by the sunset, three flower buds were drawn into Hwa-eun’s body.

“Hwa-eun! Congratulations! You've already reached Three Flowers Gathering!”

As the flowers vanished and Hwa-eun opened her eyes, Seol came running over and hugged her tightly in celebration.

Three Flowers Gathering meant she had gone beyond peak level.

It was something truly worth celebrating.

“Thank you, unni.”

“Three Flowers Gathering... Now I really have to stay on your good side, huh?”

“You too, unni...”

Hwa-eun gave a sheepish smile at Seol’s playful remark about needing to impress her now that she’d become a proper master.

Her cultivation had advanced, but in reality, nothing had changed.

Seol’s words seemed to be in jest as well.

“How long was I out?”

The first thing Hwa-eun did upon opening her eyes was check how much time had passed since she entered her breathing meditation.

It didn’t seem like that much time had gone by, but better to be sure.

“Ah, it’s just before evening. I think about half a day has passed.”

“And So-ryong... still no sign of waking up?”

“Yeah, not yet...”

She glanced back while asking, but just as Seol said, So-ryong was still lying there, unmoving.

She had hoped that when she opened her eyes, So-ryong would be awake too, but it seemed that wish hadn’t come true.

A slight twinge of disappointment.

If So-ryong had been awake, he surely would have congratulated her just like Seol did.

She missed his warmth.

That mischievous younger-brother smile, and the times he would quietly hold her hand away from the children’s view.

That’s when it happened.

She sensed someone watching her.

When Hwa-eun turned her head, she saw the children flinch and freeze while staring at her.

Normally, they would’ve rushed in without hesitation—this was odd.

Their eyes sparkled with the desire to jump in, but their bodies remained stiff where they stood.

“?”

At her puzzled expression, Seol’s voice explained from the side.

“Ah, I told them not to touch you while you were meditating. That must be why.”

If someone touched her during breathing meditation, it could disrupt her and cause Qi deviation, so Seol must have warned the children not to touch her body.

Even now, despite her being awake, they seemed unsure whether it was okay to approach—hence, their frozen stance.

Hwa-eun smiled brightly and opened her arms to the children.

They looked far too adorable standing there like that.

“Come here, it’s okay now.”

As Seol stepped aside, the children who had been waiting burst forward into Hwa-eun’s now-open arms like a rising tide.

–Tzrrrk!

–Tzrr.

–Kiiiii!

–Pipii.

Cho, Bini, Seol, Bing, Dong-i, Hongdan, and Sandan.

The children tumbled over one another to get into Hwa-eun’s embrace.

Perhaps they had been quite anxious due to the internal turbulence caused by Sandan’s venom—there was a deep sense of worry in their cries.

–Tzrrrk!

–Pipi.

Clinging to her, licking her face—it was obvious how worried they had been.

Hwa-eun gently patted and stroked each of them, one by one.

“It’s okay now, everyone. It all went well. You were really worried, huh?”

After soothing the little ones, Sandan climbed up on her and let out another cry.

Then, Hwayang, who had been napping on So-ryong’s leg, opened her eyes wide and [N O V E L I G H T] looked around.

–Pipi.

–Bii? Bipipi?

Whenever Hwayang acted like this, it was for one reason.

She had heard that word.

‘Food.’

Which meant... Sandan must have just said “food.”

As Hwa-eun thought about it, she realized she’d forgotten to feed Sandan today.

She usually fed her around lunchtime, but had skipped it while meditating.

Startled, Hwa-eun petted Sandan apologetically and said,

“Oh my, I’m sorry, Sandan. Mommy forgot to feed you? Just a moment. Come to think of it, it’s around dinnertime now—we should get started. You must be hungry too, unni, since I didn’t make lunch, right?”

She also recalled she hadn’t fed Seol either.

“It’s fine. A martial artist can skip one meal.”

“Please wait just a bit. I’ll have dinner ready in no time. Come on, Sandan.”

“No rush.”

Hwa-eun hurried out of the room with Sandan and headed to the kitchen.

Among the children, only Sandan and Yeolbi ate food—specifically, meat.

Yeolbi was on the boat guarding it now, so Sandan was the only one who needed to be fed.

“Sandan, Mommy will knead the flour dough first and then feed you, okay?”

–Pipi!

“Let’s see... the flour...”

Upon arriving at the kitchen, Hwa-eun opened a storage jar.

She had planned to make meat dumplings, knead the flour first, and then trim the meat—giving Sandan her share while preparing.

–Clatter.

She opened the lid to check the flour they’d bought earlier, but it was nearly empty.

“Maybe I should just cook rice?”

She then checked the rice jar, but that too was scraped nearly clean.

“Shoot, I should’ve checked earlier... I’ll just get some meat for Sandan first.”

She reached for the meat that had been wrapped in paper and hung on the kitchen hook.

As she unwrapped it to cut off a portion for Sandan—

Maggots crawled on the meat.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Startled, Hwa-eun inspected the wrapping and noticed a hole torn on one side.

The meat itself didn’t seem spoiled, but apparently a fly had gotten in and laid eggs.

“Oh no...”

Flustered, she turned to look at Sandan.

The little thing looked utterly dejected.

–Piii...

So-ryong had said that mantises like Sandan only ate fresh meat, so perhaps it wasn’t good enough for her.

Hwa-eun hadn’t planned to feed this to her anyway.

Calling herself “Mommy” meant wanting to feed them only the best and dress them in the best.

Even if she couldn’t sew clothes, she could at least make sure they ate well, couldn’t she?

“I’m sorry, Sandan. Let’s go to the market together. Mommy will buy you fresh meat, and we’ll pick up some side dishes too.”

–Pii!

Since they had gone to the market twice before, the moment she said “market,” Sandan let out a bright, cheerful cry.

Leaving the kitchen, Hwa-eun called out to Seol, who was stretching in the overgrown yard that now looked like a field of grass.

“Unni, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize we were out of rice and flour. I’ll make a quick trip to the market.”

“Really? It’s going to be sunset soon...”

“If I hurry now, I should make it to the market before the merchants close up for the day.”

“Should I come with you?”

“You should stay and keep an eye on So-ryong.”

“Ah, right.”

“I’ll be back soon, so please stay here.”

“Alright. Be careful.”

“Yes, unni.”

Hwa-eun had just reached the front gate with Sandan perched on her head when it happened.

As she reached for the door, tracing her memory to open it—

A voice came from the thicket.

–Shia.

The grass parted, and out emerged Cheongyu.

She had always stayed right behind So-ryong, but for the past few days, she’d been going in and out sporadically.

Apparently, she’d been staying nearby, and now she stood in Hwa-eun’s path.

“What is it, Cheongyu?”

–Shiaaa.

She opened her palm and moved two fingers on it like walking legs, mimicking a person’s stride.

“You’re asking where I’m going? I was planning to head to the market.”

But Cheongyu shook her head with a soft cry.

–Shiaaa.

She seemed to be trying to say something, but Hwa-eun couldn’t understand.

If So-ryong had been awake, he would’ve easily understood through the group chat—but without him, it was frustrating.

Then Cheongyu gestured for her to wait, lifting her palm, and soon brought back a large leaf from somewhere. She began drawing something on it.

It was a little crooked, but it clearly resembled a human figure.

“Oh, someone showed up nearby?”

–Shia!

Cheongyu nodded emphatically, and Hwa-eun felt a rush of clarity.

“This is the mountain behind the village, so people could come up here. You’re saying I should be careful, just in case?”

–Shia!

“Got it.”

With that, Hwa-eun stepped out the main gate with Sandan.

Cheongyu watched the direction Hwa-eun disappeared into.

–Shiaaa.

Her cry echoed softly.

Then, from the doorway of the house where So-ryong lay, the Ji-yeong Snake, Orange, quickly slithered over to Cheongyu.

–Ska?

Cheongyu pointed toward the direction Hwa-eun had gone.

Nodding once, Orange leapt forward and burrowed underground, beginning to tail Hwa-eun.

***

–Cuckoo. Cuckoo.

The call of the cuckoo bird echoed through the mountain trail.

To outsiders, it would’ve sounded like any ordinary bird call.

But to the members of the Blood Cult, it meant something else.

It was a signal—the target had appeared.

Nan-hwa, commander of the Bloodshade Unit, swiftly moved from her resting place to the warrior she had stationed for surveillance.

[Has she appeared!?]

[Yes, Commander. She’s coming down the mountain trail alone. Should we strike now?]

As she expected, the target had shown up.

They couldn’t see her yet, but Nan-hwa looked up at the sky and then shook her head at the warrior.

[No. If she’s just headed to the market, she’ll likely return in one or two hours. By then, the sun will have fully set—we’ll strike then.]

Perfection upon perfection—that was the way of the Bloodshade Unit.

Since the sun hadn’t yet gone down, they would wait a bit longer.

Tonight was the full moon, but once the sun set, it would be a better time to attack. Especially if she came back carrying goods in both hands.

Even the most skilled martial artist would find it difficult to react to a surprise ambush at dusk while carrying supplies.

Nan-hwa rubbed her lower belly and smiled.

If this went well, she planned to ask for her larva to be nurtured further.

Those who had pledged themselves to the Five Venoms Sect had been implanted with larvae. She’d felt disgusted at first, knowing she had to swallow a worm—but this one was extraordinary.

Though she had once suffered Qi deviation while practicing the Blood Cult’s martial arts and lost most of her internal energy, her brilliance in intelligence gathering and synthesis made her the perfect leader for the Bloodshade Unit.

She’d always been looked down on by other commanders due to her poor martial skill. But the parasite had not only cured her Qi deviation instantly—it allowed her to access internal energy even stronger than before.

“Just wait a little longer. I’ll help you grow even stronger.”

***

The place I entered was the Sect of the Centipede—O-gong’s gate.

Cheongyu Sojeo would forgive me eventually, and Hwayang would be happy with a meal.

Seol, Bing, and Dong-i were kind enough not to stay upset for long.

Cheongwol had a tolerant nature too, so I could smooth things over somehow.

But Cho, Hyang, and Bini...

Especially Bini, whose jealousy could pierce the heavens—there was no way I could handle her wrath again.

Last time, she ran away just because I said Cho noona was pretty. If that happened again, it would be a disaster.

Besides, Cho, Hyang, and Bini were the ones who had been with me from the very beginning, so choosing the Centipede Gate was the right call.

The moment I leapt into the gate, I found myself in another secret chamber.

As I stood in the center, a phantom of an enormous centipede surged from within my mind and slammed into my chest.

“Haaah!”

Startled, I cried out—and then came the pulsing.

–Thump-thump.

I sat down with my eyes closed, and a strange sensation overcame me.

Even with my eyes shut, I could feel light. Within the darkness, I sensed everything around me.

It felt as if I had become a centipede myself.

Hard chitinous shell, venomous fangs, countless legs, segments, and joints.

It seemed to be a process of understanding the centipede through the centipede’s own perspective.

From tiny, insignificant centipedes to enormous spiritual beasts.

I passed through countless centipede bodies, and when I finally opened my eyes, I saw a familiar place.

It was the house we had rented for two months. Having completed the connection with Seol, Bing, Dong-i and ascended in the Five Venoms arts, I had returned to reality.

Just then, I heard a voice.

“How do you guys always level up together? I never thought I’d see two Three Flowers Gatherings in one day.”

In front of me stood Sister Seol, looking astonished.

From what she said, I had apparently also reached the realm of Three Flowers Gathering.