Chapter 97: The Crescent-Faced Creature in the Cave

Shortly after, the commotion settled in the village of the Palace of Southern Beasts in Nanman.

"Is this all? There’s nothing else weird, right?"

Before I forgot, I confiscated Ilhong’s Hundred-League Incense.

Even if there's such a thing as privacy, secretly attaching a tracking device like this—your boss here can’t let that slide.

"…Of course."

Ilhong answered while avoiding my gaze and staring off at a faraway mountain.

I gave her a highly suspicious look.

"Why would you even do something like this in the first place?"

A successor of the Hao Sect, gifted with excellent insight, using a costly tracking tool gained through the Yin-Yang Parasite technique… to secretly follow someone like me?

I couldn't fathom why.

"Well, it’s because you keep bewitching people…"

Apparently, she’d heard me mumbling to myself. Ilhong murmured something in a crawling voice.

"What was that?"

"You know, Tang Yeo-hyeop and Juwol-a too… Anyway, this is your fault, Boss."

She suddenly began blaming me as if I bore some responsibility.

I was dumbfounded by the random accusation, but Tang Yeo-hye nudged me with her elbow from the side.

"Hey, hey, people keep staring at us."

I suppose it was rare for four outsiders to visit.

The people of the Palace of Southern Beasts peeked out from their homes, curiously observing us.

"Maybe it’s because our skin is too fair?"

"Could be our short stature."

Thwack.

As the price for my joke, I got smacked on the butt.

But unlike before, the hit had no force behind it—it barely hurt.

At some point, she’d stopped radiating that signature fierceness when dealing with me.

"Anyway, so what’s the situation…? You came ahead, met with the Palace Head, and explained everything?"

When I said I’d wait here, Tang Yeo-hye tucked the crumpled map back into her coat and asked again.

"Yes. Once I mentioned we were here to eliminate the Human-faced Spider, he agreed to actively cooperate. Seems he has some grudge."

"…Well done. We’d already lost the bridge marked on the map and were so disoriented while drifting down the river that we forgot the way. You saved us some trouble."

A rare compliment from her.

"You need to be quick on your feet during a job. I am a Troubleshooter, after all."

"Well, you're better than those scummy unorthodox thugs who only think about money."

"Now, now. You can’t lump me in with those kinds of Troubleshooters."

Five-hundred percent customer satisfaction. Service that brings people back. Touching kindness.

To compare Dan Mujin Troubleshooter to those riffraff? That was absurd—an outright linguistic atrocity.

"To think I’d see a Tang Clan girl all the way out in Nanman. One really lives to see all kinds of things."

Just then, Palace Head Maeng Hogon approached us, mounted on a massive wolf.

Behind him were guides and martial artists of the Palace of Southern Beasts.

"That’s Palace Head Maeng Hogon."

His entrance practically radiated primal energy.

Following my introduction, the group offered a formal clasped hands greeting in unison.

"Our Palace has suffered much at the hands of Poison Valley, so we’re sick of poison-wielding martial artists. However…"

Maeng Hogon's intense gaze briefly swept over Tang Yeo-hye.

"Since our goals align, at least for today, you're most welcome."

His tone carried an odd note of anticipation.

It wasn’t just about pulling a rotten tooth—it felt like something deeper was weighing on him.

"Seems you have a personal grudge."

"…I do. At the very least, this is my chance to soothe the resentment of those kids’ mother."

Ah, no wonder. In this tightly-knit community, I had noticed those kids were the only ones without a mother in sight.

Maeng Hogon continued, saying the mother had gone missing in that creature’s territory and there’d been no news since.

"Let’s make sure we catch the bastard."

"Naturally."

The members of the Palace of Southern Beasts wore grim, determined expressions.

Thus, the Human-faced Spider Subjugation Squad was formed.

On the way to the Human-faced Spider’s lair.

Having lost the convenience of the bridge, we now had to ascend the treacherous slopes of Mount Evil Spirit through far more brutal terrain.

We climbed places that barely qualified as trails, slipped multiple times on steep inclines, and continued this perilous mountain trek with dogged determination.

Fortunately, we had experts familiar with this mountain at our side, so with grit and stubbornness, we managed to push through the increasingly thickening mist.

After two full days of climbing, just as we neared the monster’s den—

We decided to take a break and conserve our strength for the final battle.

Chomp, slurp, belch.

The sound of voracious eating as food piled high before us disappeared into mouths with astonishing speed.

These were the preserved rations the people of the Palace of Southern Beasts had generously provided, insisting we must win, along with fresh meat the guides had hunted nearby.

"Boss, can you even move after eating all that?"

"Most people fast before a fight to stay light on their feet… You're really something."

Expecting to dance with death multiple times thanks to some kind of poison again, I figured it was best to stock up on nutrients in advance.

But clearly, the Central Plains women didn’t get it—they just shook their heads.

"Wow, Hyung, you’re amazing."

"You’re like a bottomless pit. Honestly, the more I watch you, the more you remind me of a Blood Panda."

The little ones sat beside me, staring in fascination as I inhaled food like a human vacuum cleaner.

I’d wondered why they were brought along on such a dangerous path, but Maeng Hogon explained that as successors of the Palace of Southern Beasts, they had to be present at the site of vengeance.

And naturally, wherever they went, the Palace’s mascot—the Blood Panda—followed.

"Why is the Blood Panda here in this place instead of Sichuan…?"

She mumbled in disbelief, staring at the towering creature before her.

"That’s no ordinary Blood Panda. It’s more like… something else, merely shaped like one."

Having observed it for several days now, I explained as such.

It had absorbed the energy of the heavens and earth for a very long time, and like the Human-faced Spider, it had developed a strange spiritual presence—an actual spiritual beast.

"Well, that bright red fur… It certainly looks strong. That’s reassuring."

"It really does look dignified."

They say red is three times faster and stronger than other colors. Still, even so…

"Ahem, how can you say that about a lady… Mind your words. She’s actually quite sensitive, you know."

I gestured at the Blood Panda, who was now standing on two legs and making some strange movements.

The Central Plains women gave me that look reserved for lunatics.

Honestly, this Central Plains place—it’s just cold and lacking in compassion.

Shwwk! Thwack! Thwack!

Meanwhile, even as we were chatting, Pibao was off to the side, stretching his hands and feet in utter focus.

Chewing on rabbit meat roasted over the campfire, I silently observed.

But as time passed, I started seeing something strange.

It was as if the creature was minimizing wasted energy and orchestrating its body movements with optimal efficiency...

"Wait… isn't that martial arts?"

Like a master of outer arts, its movements were fluid yet brimming with strength. The Blood Panda was unleashing attacks so systematic that its massive frame seemed irrelevant.

"Palace Head, did you teach it something?"

"Ah, I taught it the martial arts of the Palace of Southern Beasts. Tweaked a bit to fit its quadrupedal stance."

"……."

Papapap!

It slashed its massive claws with fierce momentum and then assumed an awkward quadrupedal stance, cornering its opponent with a two-way choice.

It looked just like one of those fighting game bears.

"Whoa... Huh, damn."

So martial arts-selling pandas were real.

Should I be calling that the Panda Divine Fist?

It was the most astonishing moment since coming to the Central Plains.

Eventually, we arrived at a large cave emitting a sinister aura and poisonous miasma.

Even before entering, the martial artists of the Palace of Southern Beasts were already stepping back and covering their noses, unable to bear the aura wafting from inside.

But unlike usual, they didn’t retreat completely—perhaps because they all recognized this as their chance to eliminate the creature once and for all.

"From here, there's nothing more we can do, Young Hero Dan Mujin."

Palace Head Maeng Hogon spoke with genuine regret.

He clenched his jaw tightly, clearly wanting to rush in for his wife’s revenge, but his children weighed heavily on his mind.

"It’s not much, but I’ll send the Blood Panda with you—she’s resistant to poison."

"Oh, that suddenly makes me feel a whole lot better."

I glanced at the Blood Panda, who was chomping down on poison creatures and feed tossed to her by the children.

She looked slightly hyped for the upcoming battle, but the kids were doing a good job calming her down.

"Oppa and Unnie, don’t just stand there—say something nice about our Panda!"

"Just praise her a bit, like how pretty she is or how soft her fur looks."

Our group tilted our heads at the sudden request to praise a beast.

To think we were supposed to compliment that crimson, savage-clawed animal...

"Why the hell should we?"

"You need to praise her face before the fight—so she remembers it."

"If not, once she gets excited, she’ll tear apart anything nearby—friend or foe."

Right then, the Blood Panda finished her meal and stood up with a thud, stomping on two feet.

The sunlight vanished as her massive shadow loomed over us.

"A-Ah… How pretty…"

"So, so adorable… how can she be… this cute…"

Clearly intimidated, everyone began desperately showering the Blood Panda with compliments.

"Snort."

Squish, squish.

The sight ahead was dark and ominous.

We tread across decaying soil as we entered deep into the cave.

A noxious space where demonic energy and miasma seeped from every crack.

The only warriors to set foot here were myself, Tang Yeo-hye, and the Blood Panda.

"Grk… blurgh…"

"It’s not that bad yet. Take the Poison Expelling Pearl out of your mouth to talk."

Tang Yeo-hye, who had taken an antidote and stuffed a Poison Expelling Pearl in her mouth just in case, made a weird noise beside me.

She then resumed speaking with the pearl slightly removed.

"What's that round thing?"

"Hmm. If I had to name it… a Mini Thunderburst Bomb."

"……?"

"Ilhong gave it to me at the entrance. Said it might help."

I recalled that moment.

She'd reached into her now baggy robes—made puffy to disguise herself as a man—and pulled something out.

It was a small iron sphere, about the size of a stone.

I asked what it was.

‘It’s black powder condensed into a steel bead.’

The description sounded just like a Thunderburst Bomb—except the size was significantly smaller.

‘When the creature shows itself, throw this right away.’

‘Why? It looks too small to do any real damage.’

It looked like it could barely be tossed from a person's palm.

‘When you go inside, you’ll first see a round, white face that draws your eyes. According to the Hao Sect’s Spiritual Bestiary, that face bewilders the mind and steals your reason.’

Was she talking about the lure light of an anglerfish?

‘So even if it’s weak, this thing will break the creature’s spell with its bang and blast.’

‘You’re like a walking general store, seriously.’

Anyway, it was another one of Ilhong’s helpful tools that ended up in my stash.

I had no idea what kind of mess the imperial palace was in lately, leaking black powder all over the place.

Though from the looks of it, they were all too busy fighting amongst themselves.

"Mujin, something’s moving."

The unmistakable skittering of multiple legs—an arthropod’s signature sound.

Tang Yeo-hye, the Blood Panda, and I began raising our momentum, bracing for the incoming fight.

Tsst, tsst…

In the pitch-black cave, the Dog-Beating Staff flared up like a torch, glowing with radiant energy.

The kids had packed it for me when they pulled me from the river.

"Hey. Hey."

Then Tang Yeo-hye urgently tapped my arm.

I turned to her, and she was pale, pointing somewhere inside the cave.

"What’s wrong…"

I had to stop mid-sentence, catching my breath in disbelief.

From within the thick darkness of the cave, a face floated silently—like a crescent moon—watching us without a word.

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