Bzz. Bzzzz.

The sun dipped low, casting crimson light across the darkening sky.

A shift came over the movement of the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings buzzing around the prow.

As the sun set, no bees were leaving—only returning.

They could still see in the dark, sure, but flowers don’t bloom after dusk, and so there was no point in going out for nectar or pollen.

Just before the sun vanished entirely, the last returning bee landed at the prow’s entrance.

Its round belly was stuffed full, and clumps of pollen clung to its legs.

The moment it settled down, exhausted, Ranghu fluttered over to land on my shoulder, her wings thrumming with purpose.

Bzzzz.

“They’re all back?”

Ranghu nodded proudly when I asked if everyone had returned.

Just like yesterday, the entire crew had made it back safe and sound.

Well, if they were just normal bees, they might’ve fallen prey to mantises or hornets, but who in their right mind would dare mess with the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings?

Only a martial artist, maybe.

Bzz.

Tsrriiip.

『They’re all back, Dad.』

With Hyang’s confirmation wrapped around my body, I turned to Do Sagong and gave the word.

“Do Sagong, please prepare for departure. The Wasp Kings are all back.”

“Yes, Lord So-ryong! Raise the anchor!”

“Aye, Do Sagong!”

Clink clink clink.

At his command, the crew hauled in the thick rope, dragging the anchor stone from where it was wedged at the ship’s rear.

Once the anchor had been fully lifted, I gave Geumdo her signal.

Time to move again.

“Let’s go, Geumdo.”

Brrrrrrr...

With the familiar bubbling sound echoing from beneath the water, Geumdo rumbled to life and began moving slowly.

“Alright, Ranghu. Time for you to head inside too.”

Bzzzz.

With the ship setting out, I approached the prow and peered into the hive chamber, ready to send Ranghu in.

Inside, the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings were busy organizing and storing the nectar and pollen they'd collected.

Since leaving the Tang estate, the hive had grown—not just in size, but also in stored honey.

Honey’s piling up quick.

Which made sense—these wasps were harvesting daily.

Though Ranghu had prepared some honey and combs for the journey, there was no way they could survive the entire trip on that alone.

Bees store nectar in their bodies and regurgitate it into the hive, but with only a hundred wasps, the initial supply couldn’t have been much.

That’s why we’d stopped the ship during the day to let them gather more.

Someone might’ve questioned why we paused every day, but allowing the bees time to forage didn’t slow us down all that much.

Our ship had its own set of issues anyway.

We were traveling several times faster than usual, but our propulsion system was Geumdo herself—not a diesel engine, but a bio-engine.

Geumdo, being a spirit creature, could go without sleep for days, but she still needed rest.

She was alive, after all.

Usually, when Geumdo slept, we’d rely on wind or anchor near a riverside. But lately, we’d switched day and night—resting during the day so that the bees could collect nectar while she dozed.

“So-ryong, did the Wasp Kings return safely?”

“Oh—Hwa-eun.”

Just as I was about to send Ranghu in, Hwa-eun’s voice caught my ear.

I turned and found her right beside me, slipping her arm around mine.

Ever since her grandfather had given his blessing, she’d grown noticeably bolder with physical contact.

At the same time, a soft lily-like scent wafted into my nose.

She used to smell like roses, but ever since she started spending more time with Sandan, her scent had changed to something more like lilies.

And honestly, it wasn’t entirely a good thing.

I used to enjoy her sweet fragrance—until I found out it wasn’t perfume but rather the faint scent of a toxin.

Most of the time it smelled just like perfume, but when paired with other elements, it had a subtle addictive effect.

One sniff and I’d feel relaxed... until I remembered what it really was. That realization always sobered me up real quick.

Just in case someone from the Dragon Fangs was watching, I glanced around before answering her.

“Yes, they just returned. I was about to send Ranghu in.”

“Dinner’s ready. Come eat.”

“Of course. I’ll just see Ranghu inside, then I’ll join you.”

Smack.

As I nodded and turned to see Ranghu off, Hwa-eun suddenly leaned in and pressed her soft lips to my cheek.

“Don’t take too long. T-Today, Seol is eating with the Dragon Fangs, so tonight... it’ll be just the two of us.”

Flushing a bit, she quickly turned her head and disappeared into the cabin.

Just the two of us?

The way she emphasized those words made me reflexively touch my cheek.

I turned to Ranghu.

“Alright then, Ranghu—time for bed.”

I needed to send her off quickly and catch up with Hwa-eun.

Just the two of us, she’d said.

Bzzzz.

She nodded right away.

But just as she lifted off to return to the hive, she paused, turned, and did something completely unexpected.

Smack.

She fluttered forward and brushed the other cheek—opposite the one Hwa-eun had kissed—with what could only be described as her own tiny kiss.

Then, seemingly shy, she darted into the hive and vanished.

Which left me standing there with one terrifying thought:

If I ever kiss Hwa-eun for real... Ranghu must never find out.

Because if she did?

The consequences didn’t even bear imagining.

I’ll have to be sneaky about it.

***

Though Hwa-eun had eagerly welcomed the news that Seol-nui would be absent tonight, what greeted us instead was the sobering reality: even when Seol wasn’t around, we were never truly alone.

Just the two of us?

That was a fantasy that had never stood a chance.

“Sigh... I was kind of looking forward to that.”

—

Tsst.

『So-ryong, we’ll be arriving soon—who are you planning to leave on the ship?』

After finishing our slightly disappointing meal, I stepped out onto the deck and was immediately met by Cheong-yu Sojeo’s question.

We were nearing our destination, and she wanted to know who would be staying behind to guard the ship.

Our current destination was near Litang, upstream along the Jinsha River (金沙江).

The shortest waterway to the Maerli Snow Mountains would’ve been Nujiang (怒江), but the terrain was filled with massive canyons, making it impossible to bring Geumdo through.

According to Seol-nui, that route was steep and too treacherous. So we’d opted to anchor Geumdo at a suitable upstream spot on the Jinsha and continue on foot from there.

Which meant we’d need to leave both people and spirit beasts behind to guard the ship.

“I’m leaving behind Kwon-ryong, Geom-ryong, Geom-pung, and Cheong-ryong. Geumdo and Heukjeom will stay too, obviously. Ranghu and the Wasp Kings can’t come, so they’re staying... I think even Hwayang will stay behind as well.”

Tssst.

『I see. Then I’ll stay too.』

Cheong-yu’s reply took me by surprise.

I tilted my head. “Huh? Why? I thought it'd be good to have you along so I could observe your martial arts.”

She gave a slightly apologetic smile.

Tsssst.

『I’d like that too, but... the body of the Golden-Crowned Snake Emperor isn’t built for long treks.』

“...What?”

Up to this point, she hadn’t mentioned any such issue, so my confusion was justified.

Then she explained more.

Tssst.

『This body’s relatively sturdy, but it has poor stamina. So traveling long distances on foot is really hard for me.』

“...Seriously?”

I’d assumed Cheong-yu, along with Yeondu and Orange, had transcended their original serpent forms. They were spirit beasts now, after all.

But apparently, some of their natural weaknesses still lingered.

And she was right—snakes have notoriously poor endurance.

It’s due to their physiology: with such long bodies, their hearts have to work harder to circulate blood, and during sustained activity, they tire quickly.

If they were mammals, they could generate body heat and maintain energy better. But snakes are cold-blooded, meaning their energy efficiency is abysmal.

That’s why—even though they may be venomous and capable of explosive bursts of speed—they still get outmatched by small mammals like mongooses, which have far superior stamina.

Tssst.

『If we were traveling by boat or wagon, I’d be fine. But this trip on foot... it’d be too much for me.』

Thinking about it, I realized she had always traveled using either Yeondu, a wagon, or the boat. She’d never actually walked long distances.

She usually relied on Cheongwol’s help when movement was needed.

That’s probably why I’d never noticed—or why she’d never said anything.

“Wow... I had no idea. Should I leave a few more of the others behind, then? What about Orange?”

Since Cheong-yu would be staying, I felt bad leaving her alone. The other spirit beasts were more self-sufficient and independent. But she had a human soul—and humans are social creatures.

Besides, Yeondu and Orange were both referred to as the “Heaven-Earth Twin Fangs”—guardian serpents of the Golden-Crowned Snake Emperor.

Tsssst.

『It’s fine. I’ve got Cheongwol, Hwayang, Geumdo, and Heukjeom with me. Don’t worry, So-ryong.

The Wasp Kings are good scouts. They’ll detect intruders early, and I can lay down defensive formations too.

Oh—and take Orange with you. If you leave him here, he’ll get depressed waiting for Yeondu to return.』

“Really? But shouldn’t at least one of them stay? I mean, they’re both supposed to protect you, right?”

Tsssst.

『That’s true. But I’m not alone—I’ve got others here, too.』

She was telling me to take both of the Twin Fangs.

It made me a little uneasy, but between the Dragon Fangs, Cheongwol, and Hwayang, our defenses were solid.

So I nodded.

“Alright then. Shame you can’t come along.”

Tssst.

『Hehe. I’m sure there’ll be another chance.』

Just as we wrapped up our conversation—

“So-ryong-nim, we’ve arrived,” came Do Sagong’s voice.

“Geumdo, halt!”

Brrrrrrr.

We had reached our destination. Time ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ to move.

***

Over several days of westward travel, the terrain began to rise sharply.

We passed ridge after ridge, where only short grasses could survive, until finally, we were climbing up and down through mountainous paths.

It made sense—we were entering the Himalayan range.

If we kept heading west, we’d eventually reach Everest.

And sure enough, complaints about the thin air started coming in.

“I’ve never been this far out before, but yeah... breathing is definitely tougher here.”

“I agree, Lady Seol. You can feel the difference with every breath.”

“Same here.”

Bhutan wasn’t far from where we were, and the altitude here reached close to 2,000 meters.

Our party was made up of seasoned martial artists, so we were mostly fine, but I still gave a word of caution.

“These mountains are high. Let me know immediately if you feel light-headed or get a headache.”

“Got it, So-ryong.”

“How about you guys? Feeling alright?”

Tsst.

Hisss.

Chirp chirp.

With everyone in good condition, we pressed onward.

When the snow-covered peaks finally came into view beyond the vast canyon of the Nu River, Makgok from the Hu-gae group approached me.

“We’re getting close. Just beyond that mountain—locusts were first sighted in that area.”

Our translator, who was doubling as a guide, pointed to the western ridgeline.

It was time.

“Alright, let’s begin scouting. I’ll sweep the area from above with the kids.”

“Understood.”

If the last swarm had appeared over that ridge, it was possible some of them had crossed into this side already.

“Yeondu, Cho—let’s go.”

Tsst! 『Yes, Dad!』

Shaaa. 『Got it, So-ryong!』

With both of them flying beside me, we soared into the sky. The air thinned noticeably as we climbed higher.

Thanks to my internal energy training, I could manage my breath well—but I stayed alert.

Then, something below caught my eye.

Or more specifically... a strange color stood out.

“Hey, let’s check that out.”

We descended toward a plain of dry, brittle grass—except for one patch, which had a distinct reddish tint.

When we got closer, I saw crimson sprouts poking up through the soil.

“...Whoa. Jackpot.”

That word hit me immediately—jackpot.

I came searching for locusts and stumbled into this treasure trove?

I stepped carefully out of the patch, drew a dagger, and began gently digging one of the sprouts from the earth.

What emerged was a slender red stalk attached to something deeper beneath the soil.

Yeondu and Cho leaned in beside me, curious.

Tsst? 『Dad, what is that?』

Shaaa? 『What is it, So-ryong?』

Grinning, I answered like I’d won the lottery.

“This? This is Cordyceps.”

That’s right—I had just stumbled upon a full wild Cordyceps field.

Come to think of it, the Himalayan region is one of the richest natural habitats for Cordyceps in the world.

And this field? It was packed with them.

And they’re worth a fortune.

Tsst? 『Cordyceps? What’s that?』

Shaaaa? 『Cordyceps? Really?』

“Yup. Hang on—I’ll show you.”

To give them a proper explanation, I needed to clear the soil around the base.

Carefully, I brushed off the dirt clinging to the lower part of the sprout.

Rustle rustle.

“Let’s see... what kind of insect was the host?”

Cordyceps look like herbs on top, but their base is the preserved body of an insect.

As more soil fell away, a set of round eyes and a hardened jaw came into view.

The legs were gone, but I could tell immediately what it was.

“A locust?”

I turned to survey the rest of the field.

Sprouts poked up everywhere like sharp little needles.

It wasn’t hard to guess what was buried beneath them all.

Some of the missing swarm was right here—dead, underground, and now growing Cordyceps.