If Ranghu was the spirit beast unsettled by the appearance of a new companion, then among the humans, there was someone else feeling uneasy too.

Well—more accurately, it wasn’t so much uneasy as it was flustered.

Where Ranghu had grown irritated by the arrival of Jeokwol, Father-in-law found himself caught off guard by the influx of new creatures.

“All thanks to you, son-in-law, our Tang Clan’s poison arts are on the verge of a breakthrough!”

“Haha, it’s nothing really.”

“Nothing? You’ve done us a great service!”

“Ah, by the way, Father-in-law, would you mind coming with me for a moment?”

“Go somewhere?”

“Yes. While most of the new ones can live with me, Sunbaek and Baekbaek—our White-Shell Pangolins—need a cold environment to stay healthy.”

“So I’ve found a place that might suit them, but I’d like you to come see it.”

“If it’s something that important, of course I’ll come.”

He’d been thrilled about all the new spirit beasts added to the clan—but the moment he followed me to that place, his smile froze into surprise.

“Th-this place?”

“Yes. Sunbaek and Baekbaek need the cold, and isn’t this the coldest place in the Tang Clan?”

“Even in warmer weather, it stays chilly here. The ice barely melts. It’s the perfect spot.”

Father-in-law, for all his reputation as the cold and ruthless head of the Tang Clan, was known by the title Heavenly Poison Scholar.

Now, you might wonder why a man his age had a title with “Scholar” in it—like he was some gentle academic making his first foray into the world.

But the title had its reasons.

He looked harmless, like a bookish scholar, but underneath that facade he was infamous for unleashing cruel and merciless poison techniques without hesitation.

It had another meaning too—his face always so innocent, unreadable, always hiding his true intentions behind the calm expression of a gentle Confucian.

In short, he was not a man who flustered easily.

And yet, the moment I showed him this location, he stammered.

“W-well, that’s true, but... what about the underground prison?”

He was suggesting that place instead?

Sorry, but there was no way I’d let my spirit beasts live in a former dungeon.

How could I put those snow-white creatures in a dark pit where people were once tortured and dissolved with poison?

The leftover toxins alone were a major concern.

Baekbaek was still basically an infant—what if she licked something down there and got poisoned?

I shook my head firmly.

“That’s up the mountain, isn’t it? Even if it’s guarded by warriors, how can we put such important spirit beasts somewhere like that?”

“Besides, that place was used for poison torture. If any trace of it remains... it could kill them.”

“Hmm... that’s true.”

He trailed off.

This was the same man who once confidently declared he’d support his son-in-law’s ‘hobby’ of raising venomous beasts. Now here he was, hesitating.

What, am I just a “secured fish” now? A caught husband?

“Oh, now that he’s part of the family, let’s stop trying?” Is that it?

The once bold and manly father-in-law who dangled his own daughter as part of the marriage deal had disappeared, replaced by this hesitant shadow of himself.

Maybe it was age. Maybe his estrogen was rising?

As a fellow man, I felt a little disappointed—but I pulled myself together. Time to persuade him.

“I understand you’re hesitant. But there are benefits to putting Sunbaek and Baekbaek here.”

“What benefits?”

“If they settle in here, the whole cave will get colder. That means the shelf life of poisons and herbs stored here will increase significantly. Cold slows decay—you know this.”

“Wasn’t that the exact reason poisons were stored here in the first place?”

“Th-that’s... true. Sigh...”

He still couldn’t make up his mind.

We were standing in the deepest part of the Mandok Hall, even further in than the rooms used to raise venomous creatures or store poisons.

This chamber, always chilly even in summer, had been used to store especially temperature-sensitive poisons and herbs.

I was asking to convert it into Sunbaek and Baekbaek’s new home—and that clearly wasn’t an easy yes for him.

“Even meat can be frozen here for years. Think how much we’d save.”

“Mmgh...”

I’d listed so many good points already. Why was he still hesitating?

Just when I was thinking how difficult this was getting, Hwa-eun—who’d been silent till now—spoke up.

“Father.”

“Yes, Hwa-eun? What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking during this trip... I’d like us to hurry the wedding.”

“The wedding?”

Father-in-law turned to look at me, eyes narrowing slightly.

Clearly waiting for an explanation.

And I was just as shocked.

Sure, we had talked about getting married once I returned, but I didn’t expect her to come out with it like this.

As Father-in-law and I exchanged awkward blinks, Hwa-eun continued, trying to explain.

“Yes. So-ryong is always putting himself in danger gathering spirit beasts. I think it’s time we held the wedding—soon, if possible.”

“And beyond the formalities, I’d really like him to stay in the Tang Clan more often. If he’s going to become attached to the clan, we need to help him build ties here.”

Her face was flushed, but her voice was firm. She must’ve worked up a lot of courage to say that.

And all those words boiled down to:

“Let’s get married quickly, so my fiancé stops running off on dangerous errands and stays home, doing his hobby in peace.”

Supporting his spirit beast breeding was better than letting him die outside.

And really, who could win against their daughter’s plea?

Father-in-law scratched his head, then sighed with a “screw it” look on his face.

“Agh... alright. Hwa-eun. Fine. So-ryong, we’ll use this place. I’ll speak to the elders myself.”

Even if he said it like he was giving up, permission is permission.

I gave a broad smile and bowed deeply.

“Thank you! Truly, Father-in-law!”

“Th-thank me? This place, this clan... it’s all yours now, isn’t it?”

“Now that’s the Father-in-law I know. Bold as ever.”

It seemed like he had finally come to terms with it.

With that signature swagger back in his voice, it hit me—

At this rate, if I just keep expanding slowly like this...

The Tang Clan will soon become So-ryong’s Giant Spirit Beast Sanctuary.

And honestly? That day isn’t far off.

***

With Sunbaek and Baekbaek’s new residence finally decided, construction began immediately.

We couldn’t keep them cramped in the ship’s tiny space any longer.

The sooner we finished, the sooner we could move them into a proper home.

Thankfully, the project wasn’t complicated.

The deepest section of Mandok Hall was already outfitted with ventilation, drainage, and basic structural divisions. All we had to do was insulate the door and clear out any stored materials to reorganize them elsewhere.

Cooling the interior could be easily handled—Seol and Bing would take care of that.

“Put that over there. Move the temperature-sensitive poisons to the adjoining room.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Once Father-in-law had mobilized people to clear the space, he summoned the craftsmen from the Tang Clan’s main workshop.

Not himself—I mean the actual craftsmen, not my father-in-law.

“...So I leave it to you to ensure the cold stays locked in.”

After I explained the basic requirements, the artisans nodded with confident expressions—then asked one unexpected thing.

“Don’t worry, Lord So-ryong. We Tang craftsmen are top-tier. Ah, and... may we use some of Yohwa’s silk?”

“Yohwa’s silk?”

“Yes. Since it can retain heat, we suspect it may also retain cold.”

“Ohhh.”

Now that they said it, it made perfect sense. Yohwa, after all, is a spirit beast that produces silk impermeable to infrared radiation—commonly called heat rays.

If it blocks infrared, it’s highly thermally insulative. That same property should apply in reverse: trapping cold just as well as it traps heat.

“Go ahead and tell Yohwa I said it’s okay. Just let her know it’s for the construction.”

“Understood, Lord So-ryong.”

“How long will the whole thing take?”

“We’ll finish within two days.”

“Perfect. Let’s go, Hwa-eun.”

“Yes, So-ryong.”

With the timeline set, I now considered Sunbaek and Baekbaek’s housing problem solved.

Lightheartedly walking out of Mandok Hall, I ran into Mandok Shingun—Grandfather.

He’d been away in Sichuan’s capital city for a few days, so I hadn’t seen him since returning.

“Grandfather.”

“Grandpa!”

We both greeted him cheerfully, and he opened his arms to hug Hwa-eun, chuckling.

“Back safely, have you? My, my. My little granddaughter’s grown so much—we could hold the wedding any day now.”

“...!”

Hwa-eun just flushed scarlet.

She reacted to what he thought was a joke as if it were the literal truth, and the old man blinked in surprise.

“Oh-ho? I was teasing, but it seems you really do want the wedding soon?”

“Yes, Grandpa. I’ve already spoken with Father about it.”

“Haha! Well, So-ryong may not have held a proper coming-of-age ceremony yet, but that’s just a number. He’s already mature and wise. Holding the wedding early wouldn’t be a bad thing. I’ll speak with your mother and father and see it done.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

“Thank you.”

His answer was classic Grandpa—bold, cheerful, decisive.

As joy lit up Hwa-eun’s face, I turned to ask, “Were you heading to Mandok Hall, sir?”

“No—I came looking for you two.”

He must’ve heard we were back and went to find us personally. I looked apologetic.

“If we’d known you returned, we’d have gone to you first. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head.

“No need. I came because I missed you, yes, but also because when I returned and greeted your father-in-law, he shared some shocking news!”

“Shocking news? About a spirit beast?”

“No, not that—he said the two of you entered the Three Blossom Refinement Realm! That’s something you should’ve told me the moment you arrived! Come, I’d like to assess your cultivation myself.”

Ah—so that was the surprise. He must’ve spoken to Sister Seol upon his return and heard about our breakthrough.

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, Grandpa.”

Both of us had intended to ask him for a checkup anyway. Since reaching the Three Blossom Refinement Realm, we’d hoped he could assess our condition.

Sister Seol and Cheongyu had helped, but Grandfather was the Tang Clan’s supreme elder—no one better to verify our internal flow.

“Let’s start with Hwa-eun. It’s nearly dinnertime, so let’s finish quickly. I told them to prepare something special since the whole family’s together.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

And that’s how we followed him to the Training Grounds by the Ancient Tree.

By the time we arrived, the sun was beginning to set.

I noticed the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings were returning with the last rays of light—perhaps Nanghu was sulking along with Ranghu, because neither responded to our presence.

Grandfather told Hwa-eun to sit and begin breathing meditation.

“Let’s see your Qi circulation.”

“Yes.”

Cross-legged on the stone floor, she activated her inner energy, showing her breakthrough.

Grandfather took her pulse and smiled with clear pride.

“This is the venom of a spirit beast, yes?”

“Yes. From Sandan, the Double-Blossomed Orchid Mantis.”

“You mastered it on your own? Remarkable. Your Qi is stable—you’ve done well. Keep refining it.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

He praised her for reaching the realm solo, enduring the pain of venom integration.

“Now you, So-ryong.”

Like Hwa-eun, I finished my Qi circulation routine and Grandfather nodded with satisfaction.

“Excellent. Your energy is well-honed. Keep at it.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Well then, shall we eat?”

Just as we turned to leave, something surfaced in my mind.

The fusion of Cheongwol’s ability with Iron Turtle Art—I’d meant to ask him about it.

“Oh! Grandfather, something strange happened.”

“Strange?”

“It’s... Cheongwol’s ability—somehow fused with my Iron Turtle Art...”

“Hoho... that is interesting.”

I lifted my robe to show him the result, and he examined the transformation carefully.

After a moment of thought, he asked,

“So-ryong, aside from the Five Venoms Techniques, what other martial arts have you learned?”

“Hmm... Dagger arts? Throwing knives?”

“No, I mean internal energy disciplines.”

“Ah—aside from Five Venoms and Iron Turtle Art, I’ve also learned the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Technique, and... oh! One more from the Beast Palace. Myoa’s Secret Night Technique—it lets me see clearly in darkness.”

“Is that so? Try activating it.”

“Huh? Why?”

“If Cheongwol’s powers affected one of your techniques, maybe others have changed too.”

Leave it to the top master. Grandfather’s insight was on another level.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t used Myoa’s Secret Night Technique recently.

I activated it with anticipation—my vision lit up.

But... nothing seemed different.

“Hmm. Doesn’t seem like anything changed?”

“Maybe not. It’s almost dinnertime anyway. We’ll look into it tomorrow. Don’t want the food getting cold. The servants are waiting at the entrance.”

I turned and, just as he said, saw servants standing awkwardly—unable to enter because of the wasps.

“Shall we go?”

I took a few steps, a bit disappointed I hadn’t discovered a new power... when suddenly—

Hwa-eun, walking beside me, secretly slipped her hand into mine.

The bold gesture made me blink in surprise—and in that moment, my vision blacked out.

I instinctively pressed my temples, blinking, and then—

A completely different world unfolded before me.

Everything was bathed in red, blue, and green hues.

A world defined solely by temperature.

“Gyaaaah! Infrared vision!?”

The cheeks of the hand-holding Hwa-eun beside me were burning bright red—literally.

There was no mistaking it.

Myoa’s Secret Night Technique had awakened infrared sight.