Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

On the road to Mingsha Mountain in Gansu Province.

I was currently facing two problems.

First, we weren’t moving as fast as I had anticipated.

“We might need to come up with a solution.”

I said this while watching the slowly fading terrain below, my tone clearly implying that this wouldn’t do. Tang Hwa-eun shook her head while stroking Cho’s head.

“But we can’t go any faster. Because of the kids.”

Then, in a small apologetic voice, Cho chimed in.

—Tsrrrt. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

“It’s not your fault, Cho. It’s just because it’s winter.”

—Tsrrt. “Still...”

“Yeah, Cho. Like your mom said, it’s not your fault. It’s just cold because it’s winter. You’re doing great.”

The reason for the reduced speed was the season and the weather.

Even if they wanted to fly faster, the cold made it impossible.

It was my mistake for not factoring in that it was winter.

I’d roughly estimated our destination to be about 1,500 kilometers away.

I vaguely remembered hearing that the distance from one end of China to the other was about 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers, so I’d made a loose calculation.

It sounds like a huge distance, but if Cho and Yeondu flew at just 50 kilometers per hour, it would only take 30 hours.

I figured three days round trip would be enough, but in this winter weather, Cho and Yeondu couldn’t speed up.

The moment they ascended, freezing winds would slice through them, and flying fast only made their body temperatures drop faster. Naturally, their speed kept declining.

I rushed into this and didn’t even think of a proper cold-weather plan.

Cho, Yeondu, and Cheong-yu Sojeo were all wearing clothes made from Yohwa’s threads for insulation, but even with those, this was the limit.

To be honest, I was cold too. So how cold must the kids be?

At this rate, the journey was going to take longer.

My plan to get things done quickly was faltering right from the start.

What now? Should I just accept the longer journey and check how long the Heavenly Demon Cult warriors can hold out?

I turned my head to look at Gun Hye-rin, flying next to me, and asked.

If we were going to be delayed, the first thing I needed to confirm was how long the warriors playing this deadly game of tag could endure.

“By the way... Little Heavenly Demon. How long do you think the Heavenly Demon Cult warriors can last?”

Gun Hye-rin turned her head toward me, responding to the sudden question.

“Why do you ask?”

“I think our journey might take longer than expected... and if we end up dragging this out and they ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ get caught by the Murim warriors in Sichuan, that’d be disastrous...”

“You don’t need to worry about that. They’ve all staked their lives on this. If they get caught, they’ll end themselves.”

“They’ll... kill themselves?”

“Yes.”

Her answer stabbed me right in the chest.

Sure, I’d ordered them to play a game of hide-and-seek with their lives on the line—but I meant for them to show themselves and run well, not get captured and die.

This wasn’t what I intended...

At that moment, Cheong-yu Sojeo, who was flying with Yeondu wrapped around her, spoke in a sorry tone.

—Shiaa. “So-ryong, I’m sorry... I’m getting cold.”

The sun had already set, and the cold felt even worse at night.

Cheong-yu Sojeo wasn’t as physically strong as the other kids, so it seemed she was more sensitive to the cold.

Even though she was wearing a thicker fur-lined coat made from Yohwa’s silk than the others.

“I’ll bring us down for a bit and light a fire.”

I quickly descended and started a fire in the forest below.

There was no way we could keep going like this. I had to warm everyone up.

—Whoosh.

The moment Hwa-eun lit a fire using Sammae True Flame, all of our group instinctively gathered around it.

As everyone began warming themselves by the fire, the second problem began blaring in my head.

Not as a vague thought—actual voices.

—Tsrrt! (“Again, Dad only takes big sister Cho...”)

—Tsrrrt! (“Right! It’s always her! Every time he says next time it’ll be different! Bini wants to fly too, seriously!”)

—Baaap!

Lately, everyone had been refraining from using the group chat for the sake of my mental health, but today, they didn’t hold back. The chatter came nonstop.

Huayang seemed to be tagging along just to join the fuss, but the most furious ones were clearly Hyang and Bini, upset about being left behind for a few days.

They never got jealous of the other sisters, but when it came to Cho—who was born from the same egg—they couldn’t help it.

They didn’t even mention the others. Their complaints were entirely focused on Cho.

—Tsrrt-ts. (“You could’ve wrapped me up and taken me too... but you only took big sister Cho.”)

—Grrrr. (“Didn’t So-ryong say he had urgent business? Let’s try to understand...”)

—Tsrr! (“Tch! Cheongwol always takes Dad’s side!”)

—Tsk! (“Right!”)

—Tsrrrrr. (“I’m not playing with Cheongwol anymore!”)

—Grrng. (“What’s with these two today...”)

It wasn’t like I hadn’t anticipated this.

That’s why before we left, I’d asked Cheongwol, Hwanji, Hwana, Ranghu, Yohwa—and especially Hyang and Bini—to help me smooth things over.

They were always the most sensitive when it came to this stuff.

But I guess the message didn’t get through. The two of them kept storming out of the group chat, only to come back in and continue scolding me.

Ugh, my head hurts.

To clear my chaotic mind, I decided to speak again in the group chat and apologize.

“Daddy was wrong. I’m sorry, kids. I really didn’t have a choice because of work.”

—Grrrrng. (“See? He said it was because of work. So-ryong even apologized, now let it go.”)

—Tsrrt! (“Dad, you dummy!”)

—Tsk! (“A dummy who only loves big sister Cho!”)

Then came the insults—both of them yelling that I was an idiot.

“If you say things like that, you’re gonna get scolded. Dad only brought Mom along because it was urgent, you know.”

Finally, Hwa-eun stepped in—but Hyang and Bini didn’t respond.

The moment she spoke, they vanished from the group chat.

It was like I could hear it in my head: “Hyang and Bini have left the group chat.”

I was probably going to need to sit down and soothe them once we got back.

Just then, Gun Hye-rin’s voice rang out beside me.

“Hmm... I’ve been wondering. Can I ask you something?”

“You’re curious?”

“Yes.”

When I turned my head, Gun Hye-rin truly had a curious expression on her face.

Since the kids had quieted down for the moment, I decided to answer her question.

She must’ve been holding it in since we left.

Ordinary people would’ve already bombarded me with questions like, “Where on earth did you catch such spirit beasts?” or “Don’t they bite?” So it wasn’t surprising that she had something on her mind.

“What is it?”

I tilted my head, wondering what she might be curious about, and what she asked next was unexpected.

“How exactly are the two of you communicating? Judging by the way your expressions keep changing, it’s clear you’re having a conversation, but I can’t figure out how.”

“I’ve always had sensitive hearing, but ever since I ascended to the Flower Realm, that sense has grown even sharper, to the point where I can eavesdrop on transmitted sound. And yet, I still can’t hear a thing.”

So it was a significant secret, then. Maybe she told me about her enhanced senses first because she intended to ask about a martial technique and offered her own information as payment?

The Flower Realm refines the body to match one’s martial arts, so it seemed Heavenly Demon’s heightened hearing came as part of her advancement.

When I glanced at Hwa-eun, her voice echoed in my mind.

“I also developed a stronger sense of smell. I can tell from someone’s scent if they’re tense or happy. But it looks like she’s enhanced her hearing.”

Wait, not just the heart? She had other enhancements too?

So just reaching the Flower Realm had sharpened Hwa-eun’s sense of smell to the point she could detect someone’s emotional state from their scent alone.

I realized I could never lie to her again—and at that moment, she nodded.

That must’ve meant I was allowed to explain to Gun Hye-rin.

I smiled and answered her question.

“Oh, Hwa-eun and I know a martial technique that allows us to communicate heart-to-heart.”

“Heart? You’re saying you’re talking through your hearts?”

I didn’t mention what the technique was exactly, only explained what Beast Heart Art was capable of, and her eyes widened.

She’d probably never heard of people communicating directly through their thoughts.

“Yes, distance doesn’t matter. We can read each other’s thoughts.”

“Heh... Incredible. Is it some kind of mind-based martial art? The world of martial arts is vast, indeed. I never imagined such a technique existed.”

Just from a vague explanation, she picked up that it had to do with the mind—proving once again that reaching the Flower Realm wasn’t just for show.

Her next question followed.

“So, the reason we’ve been delayed—was it really because those kids are sensitive to the cold?”

“Oh, yes. That’s exactly it.”

“Then if we can solve that, we’ll be able to move faster?”

“You mean you have a way?”

“I do.”

“Ooh!”

A way to solve the cold issue?

I shouted in joy, and Gun Hye-rin turned to Hwa-eun to explain.

“If you adapt the technique for forming Qi Veil, you can create a barrier that blocks wind and external cold. If you channel yang energy into it, the inside will warm up.”

“You’re strong enough to maintain a veil that covers the person behind you and one spirit beast. I’ll teach you how.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. The sooner we move, the sooner I get the help I need. I’ll show you once—feel the flow of my qi.”

“Understood.”

Using a variation of the Qi Veil technique, the Little Heavenly Demon taught Hwa-eun how to block the wind—and when Hwa-eun put it into practice, Cheong-yu Sojeo, sitting inside the barrier, visibly relaxed.

—Shiaa. “It’s really warm. It feels like spring inside here.”

With that, we could now speed up our journey.

I was just about to give the command to resume travel when—

“Alright, let’s get going—”

“But, about the Tang girl...”

The Little Heavenly Demon glanced over at Hwa-eun and asked casually.

“Yes?”

“Judging by the size of your middle dantian, you’ve trained in a martial art that condenses qi and releases it in bursts. Why didn’t you use it when we fought last time?”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Could it be that it’s a lethal technique meant only for killing? I’d like to see its true power at least once.”

At her words, Hwa-eun looked down at her chest, then glanced at me and smiled sweetly.

As if to say, there’s only one person who’ll get to see that power up close.

Ahem.

***

Once the cold issue was resolved, our speed skyrocketed.

Until now, we’d had to pace ourselves with the ground party, and the cold had been holding us back—but with both issues gone, Cho and Yeondu could focus entirely on speed.

And as expected, they were fast as hell.

In just a day and a half, we crossed the northwestern edge of Sichuan and entered Qinghai Province, with Qinghai Lake now below us.

“So-ryong! It feels like the whole world turned blue!”

As soon as we flew above Qinghai Lake, Hwa-eun cried out in excitement.

Below us, the deep cobalt blue of Qinghai Lake.

Above us, the clear, cloudless winter sky—deep azure.

Blue above, blue below—the whole world felt like a sea of blue.

“It really does.”

“So-ryong, look! It’s Qinghai Lake. Being here reminds me of when you were dragged away by the Camel Spider... That moment scared me so badly...”

“There was a time like that, wasn’t there?”

We reminisced about the time I was dragged away by the Camel Spider as we soared past Qinghai Lake.

The next day, after crossing endless wasteland and desert—

Ahead of us, we saw a crescent-shaped lake.

The moment it came into view, Gun Hye-rin shouted brightly.

“That’s called Crescent Spring!”

It must’ve been named for its crescent-moon shape. Likely an oasis.

Then she pointed beyond it and continued.

“And that mountain back there—that’s Mingsha Mountain!”

I had assumed Mingsha was a rocky mountain in a desert, given its name meaning “Singing Sand Mountain,” but it was, in fact, an enormous dune—completely made of sand.

Gun Hye-rin gestured between Crescent Spring and Mingsha Mountain.

“That’s where we’re heading! That’s our destination!”

As soon as we landed in the spot she pointed to, she gathered her demonic energy—and a whirlwind began to stir.

And then, the great sand mountain truly began to sing.

—Ssshhhaaaaaa...

It was the perfect setting for the grand entrance of the Five Tiger Generals.