After channeling cold energy for quite a while, Seol looked up with a worried expression and asked,

— Squeeze. “Are we doing this right? This one doesn’t seem to be getting any better...”

“Sister Seol said the Neidan is somewhere around there, so it should be the right spot. Hmm... is the cold maybe too weak?”

The area Seol was focusing the cold energy on was the creature’s chest—soft-looking and exposed where the armor didn’t cover.

Since no one knew exactly where on the creature the cold energy would be most effective, they were aiming for the area closest to its Neidan, where spirit beasts usually concentrate their energy.

Sister Seol had earlier confirmed that the Neidan was located in its chest.

But even after a while, the creature hadn’t come to its senses, so Seol was beginning to question whether they had chosen the right spot.

After thinking for a moment, I made a suggestion to Seol.

“Should we try making the cold a bit stronger?”

— Kuuuu. “Okay, Father.”

I was beginning to wonder if the cold had simply been too weak. Since the creature couldn’t absorb Seol’s energy at full strength, maybe the output was too mild, and that was slowing its recovery.

The light from Seol’s tail brightened slightly in response to my words.

It began blinking faster, flashing with renewed intensity.

Crack. Crackle.

Then, ice began to form on {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} the creature’s chest.

Until now, the cold hadn’t been strong enough to actually freeze anything. But once Seol increased the intensity of her cold-infused light, ice began forming rapidly across the chest.

“Hold on, Seol!”

I quickly stopped her.

If the creature were absorbing the energy properly, there shouldn’t be any ice, or at least not that quickly. The rapid freezing might mean it wasn’t absorbing the energy at all.

“Good stop. Maybe it’s the wrong spot?”

Apparently having the same thought, Sister Seol came over and began inspecting the creature more closely.

“The exposed chest seemed the most likely since it’s not covered in armor, but...”

Thinking it over, I suggested something to Sister Seol.

“What if we try aiming it at the back shell?”

“The shell?”

“Yeah, think about it—when animals sunbathe to absorb warmth, they usually lie on their stomachs, not their backs. So why don’t we try the back, not the chest?”

“Ahh...”

In the natural world, most creatures sunbathe.

While reptiles do it to warm up, the real reason is something else.

Most vertebrates—including reptiles—absorb UVB rays (290–315nm) from sunlight to synthesize what’s commonly known as “sunlight vitamin”: vitamin D.

This ability is critical. Without vitamin D3, no amount of dietary calcium matters—because the body can’t use it.

Without it, calcium deficiency can lead to metabolic bone diseases, severely impairing bone formation and causing serious issues.

Like osteoporosis, rickets, osteomalacia—all that.

Since these key processes happen through the skin, I figured it made sense to aim the cold energy at the back shell—where the skin was exposed.

“Hm... worth a shot?”

“Seol, if you would.”

— Kuu. “Understood, Father.”

Sister Seol and I carefully turned the creature onto its stomach, and Seol began directing her cold energy once again.

As the beam of cold-infused light hit its back, signs began to show that I might have been right.

The scales on its back started to shimmer in rhythm with the pulses from Seol’s tail.

Almost like wireless charging had just activated.

“Oh, I think that’s it!”

“Seems like it.”

The back shell was definitely responding.

— Baaaae.

Startled by the sight, the baby let out a cry. But when Dong gently licked its forehead, it burrowed into Dong’s chest like it was seeking comfort.

Even though it was almost too big to fully hide there.

— Baaae.

— Kkyut. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

Just then, as Dong comforted the baby, it began sucking on her finger.

— Smack. Suck.

Probably famished from near-exhaustion.

Seeing it latch onto her finger, Dong looked flustered.

— Kkyu-oot. “That’s not food. That’s your sister’s foot. Gross.”

— Baaae.

— Kkyut. “No, I mean it... that’s not—”

The baby whined like a stubborn child, and Dong reluctantly let it continue sucking on her finger.

Hwa-eun, Sister Seol, and I couldn’t help but smile at the adorable scene.

“Dong, let’s hang in there a bit longer. And don’t worry too much. Mom’s going to be okay.”

As we watched the two of them cuddle, time passed—about  two hours.

The mother creature’s tongue, which had been hanging out, slowly retracted back into her mouth, and her body began to twitch.

She was slowly coming to. Her heavy panting eased, and when I checked her eyes, I saw the light starting to return.

Unlike before, her pupils were reacting normally.

“She’s moving, So-ryong.”

Just as I stepped back after confirming her pupils, the creature stirred. She wasn’t fully conscious, but she was trying with great effort to look toward her tail.

She must’ve been trying to check on her baby as soon as she came to.

Dong and I brought the baby over to her.

“She probably collapsed from spending too much energy. The baby’s doing fine. You don’t have to force yourself to move. We’ll take care of everything until you’re better. Look—see? Right here.”

Still lying down, her eyes shifted from the baby to me.

I smiled at her.

I needed to show her that I wasn’t a threat.

Slowly, she reached her front paw toward the baby.

“You want her back? You sure about that?”

“You really shouldn’t... if she starts nursing again, you might collapse. Actually, I’m not even sure if you’re producing milk yet.”

She definitely wanted the baby back, but I hesitated.

In these situations, it’s normal to keep the baby separated if the mother is too weak to nurse—lest she pass out again from exhaustion.

Given how the baby had been sucking on Dong’s finger, she’d definitely start nursing again. That could be dangerous.

And just like Sister Seol said, there might not even be any milk yet.

— Bbaeu.

As Sister Seol and I debated, the mother let out a weak cry while still lying flat.

Right—this was maternal instinct.

Just like Hongdan’s mother had given her all for her baby, this one would do the same.

If she passed out again trying to protect her child, that would be bad, but... we had to let her try.

“Alright. Hold on. Seol, let’s amp up the cold a little more.”

Of course, we wouldn’t just hand the baby over.

I decided to increase the cold even further—to prevent another collapse.

But just as I said that, Seol responded with a slightly worried tone.

— Kuuu. “Okay, Father... but I don’t have much energy left.”

When she uses weaker cold, Seol can sustain it longer. Stronger cold drains her faster.

But I wasn’t too concerned—I could replenish her energy.

She didn’t need much, and I’d already recharged her once earlier during training and again just now. I still had enough to do it three or four more times.

“Okay, Seol, hop onto my lap. I’ll channel Beast Heart Qi into you, and you keep the cold going for her.”

— Kuuu. “Yes, Father.”

With that, we began the energy relay—from me to Seol to the mother creature.

First, the baby.

“Dong-a, let’s give the baby back now.”

— Kkyut. “Okay, Grandpa. Let’s go see Mama, little one.”

We carried the baby over to the mother. As soon as we approached, the baby let go of Dong’s finger and rushed to its mother.

It burrowed into her arms and began nursing immediately.

— Smack. Suck.

The loud, desperate sounds made it clear how hungry it was—nothing like when it had been sucking Dong’s finger.

As the baby latched on, the mother’s chest began to heave dramatically.

I sat in lotus position and pulled Seol onto my lap, sending Beast Heart Qi into her.

“Let’s begin, Seol.”

— Kuu. “Yes, Father.”

As the cold-infused light pouring from Seol’s tail grew even stronger, the mother’s previously erratic breathing gradually began to stabilize.

Watching the energy flow from me to Seol and into the mother, a strange thought crossed my mind.

“Wait a second... does this make me type O?”

Since the energy at the core of each child’s being was like an elemental blood type, and I could inject my Qi into all of them, it kind of felt like I was the universal donor.

Just like type O blood.

***

Looks like it worked, the creature bowed its head, expressing gratitude.

— Bbaeu.

After three full days of channeling cold energy until we were nearly drained, the white pangolin had finally recovered.

— Kuuuu. “Father, she says thank you. She says she owes you a great debt.”

Relaying the message, Seol translated as I lay flat on the icy floor and waved weakly.

I had been drawing on the energy of the Beast Heart Technique for three days straight, pouring it into the creature—and I was nearly at my limit.

“It’s nothing. If a spirit beast is sick, you help it. That’s just being human, isn’t it? How about you, Seol-i? You doing okay?”

— Kkukkku. “I’m fine. All I did was pass on the energy you gave me.”

I was barely holding on, but thankfully, Seol seemed okay.

That’s when I heard something unexpected from Seol, who was translating the creature’s thoughts.

— Bbaeu bbaeu.

— Kuu? “She says she wants to repay the favor?”

Wait, what? She’s not a magpie or something—the white pangolin suddenly wanted to repay her debt?

“A favor?”

“That’s unusual for a spirit beast.”

“Yeah, she’s awfully polite.”

I’ve helped plenty of spirit beasts, but none had ever talked about repaying a favor.

I mean, if she wants to repay me by living together, sure—but I was genuinely curious what she had in mind.

“So, what exactly do you mean by repay?”

— Bbaeu.

Without hesitation, she bit down on the scales along her own side.

She didn’t even have teeth, but she was clearly trying to rip one off.

“Whoa-whoa-WHOA!”

Startled, I rushed in to stop her.

I had a bad feeling and now I was sure—I knew exactly what she was trying to do.

She was trying to offer me one of her own scales.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

I cried out, shocked. She hesitated and replied faintly.

— Bba... eu...

— Kuuu. “She says... she wanted to give you one of her scales, Father.”

As I thought.

Apparently she knew humans valued the scales of pangolins, and she wanted to give me one.

But that was extremely troubling.

Once a pangolin loses a scale, it never grows back. Those scales are determined at birth and never regenerate.

“You know your scales don’t grow back, right? You need them to protect your baby. Don’t worry about the favor. You don’t owe me anything—just let it go.”

— Bbaeeuuuu.

She bowed deeply again, seemingly moved by my words. Then I asked her gently:

“Well... if you really feel grateful, how about coming with us...?”

— Bbaeu?

She tilted her head, not quite understanding.

I wiggled my fingers as I explained.

“I mean, you said you'd have to stay in a cave until winter, right? I did restore your energy, but this place isn’t exactly inaccessible to humans. If you move again, you might collapse before winter.

But if you come with us, Seol could help you if anything goes wrong. And you could raise your baby together with her.”

— Kuuuu. “Yeah! Father helped me when I was hurt too, and he’s helping raise Dong as well. He protects us from people, too. Let’s go together. There are lots of spirit beasts like us, and the people there are really kind.”

As Seol added her own encouragement, the creature seemed to think it over.

— Bbaaaaee.

— Kkyuit. “That’s her foot, not a pacifier...”

Right then, her baby hugged Dong’s leg and began sucking on her front paw—and that’s when the white pangolin made up her mind.

— Bbaeu! Bbaeu!?

— Kuuuu. “She says yes, Father! She’s fine with it, but for her baby’s sake, she’s asking if there’s a cold place available?”

“Oh! Really? Don’t worry—we have a cold and safe spot at home.”

Overjoyed, I scooped up Dong and the white pangolin’s baby and began dancing in celebration. That’s when Hwa-eun asked,

“Wait, there’s a cold place at the Tang Clan? Were you planning to dig a new cave, So-ryong?”

She was asking if there really was such a place in the Tang residence.

There was.

The Hall of Ten Thousand Poisons.

With just a bit of work, it would be perfect.