I immediately asked back,

“Wait—did you just say venomous creatures exist?”

After all, I was the one who had already collected every one of the Twenty-Four Venoms of the Central Plains, even mastering the ten top-tier poisonous creatures above them.

I had completed every possible achievement one could accomplish with venom in the Central Plains.

If I wanted to collect more, I would have to head to Europe or the American continent.

Since such mystical spirit beasts existed here in the Central Plains, it was only natural that Europe or the Americas would have strange ones of their own.

‘Ah right, there’s also Africa, isn’t there?’

But instead of Europe or America, hearing that there were new venomous creatures above, I couldn’t help but ask.

Because that meant there were new achievements to pursue—and new trophies to collect.

Frankly, here I could bring my children along only because I had the background of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Even if they were discovered by someone, I could simply say, “We’re from the Sichuan Tang Clan,” and most people would back off.

But if I went as far as Europe, a feudal lord might bring an entire army to hunt us down.

So even if there were spirit beasts, actually going there wouldn’t be easy. But the Immortal Realm—that was a place where immortals lived.

Wouldn’t that mean freedom?

‘Oh, this is something I have to collect.’

At my question, Zihwa replied with one of her own.

[ Of course. Do you happen to know the Classic of Mountains and Seas? ]

“The Classic of Mountains and Seas? Ah, that thing? The ancient book that recorded the geography and creatures of old China, but not a single thing in it is accurate? Just full of absurd stories, right?”

The Classic of Mountains and Seas was said to have been written during the Qin dynasty of China—a mixture of geography and mythology.

But not a single thing in it was true.

The locations were all wrong, and most of the creatures described were things no one had ever seen.

I had skimmed through it once before, curious how it described venomous creatures, and even fox spirits showed up in it.

Looking back now, I can’t help but think it must have been written by some ancient “settings-obsessed” nerd.

An otaku who wrote out his own world and lore, published it, and back then people’s imaginations were so poor that they hailed it as some grand work. But compared to the lore maniacs of the modern age I came from, he wouldn’t even make the cut.

It was all so clumsy.

If you’re going to write pure imagination, it should either make it clear it’s a different world, or if it’s set in the Central Plains, it should be built on real foundations. But this one claimed to be the Central Plains while using completely °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° unknown places and unseen creatures, so the immersion just fell apart.

A complete lack of internal logic.

Which is the most important thing in writing, after all.

‘You could call it a total flop.’

At my words, Zihwa shook her head and said,

[ Humans may call it a book of fantasies and false records, but it is not that kind of book. ]

“Not? Then you’re saying it’s real?”

[ Yes. It must have been left behind by one who, like me, fell from the Immortal Realm to the lower world. The Classic of Mountains and Seas describes the First Layer of the Nine Heavens—the lowest tier of the Immortal Realm. ]

“The Nine Heavens?”

[ It means the nine lower skies of the Immortal Realm. The very bottom of those is the place spoken of in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. ]

Nine Heavens, huh?

The structure sounded complicated, but in short, the Classic of Mountains and Seas was a geography of the Immortal Realm.

Though I had already decided my future was to live happily here with my wives, I couldn’t help thinking—it might be a fun hobby to sometimes pass through that so-called Ascension Platform and go spirit-beast hunting.

It sounded way more interesting than Europe or the Americas.

If memory served, the Classic of Mountains and Seas had loads of truly bizarre creatures.

Catching unknown, mysterious ones would surely be more fun than the ones I already knew.

‘This is it!’

My interest spiked a hundredfold.

I immediately asked Zihwa.

Having reached the Life-and-Death Stage and gained a longer lifespan, it seemed I’d found a new source of excitement for life.

“Then if I just find that Ascension Platform or whatever it’s called, I can go back and forth freely?”

I remembered her saying earlier it was like a kind of gate—so I asked with hope.

But what I heard was not the answer I wanted.

[ I have not yet found it, but as you said, if you find the Ascension Platform, you can ascend. You have the qualification. But though one may go up, coming back down is no easy thing—unless one falls. If you fall, then you can return. ]

“Fall?”

[ It means to be punished by Heaven or cast out as a sinner to the lower world. If one’s cultivation is low, one dies; if high, one survives but may lose most of one’s power and even memory. ]

“Yikes. That’s terrifying. Wait—hold on.”

Zihwa had clearly said she herself had fallen.

Eyes widening, I looked at her.

‘Wait, does that mean the kid’s mom is a criminal?’

Well, not that we were married, but still—it was that kind of look.

She hadn’t disclosed that part in advance.

Not that it would have made a difference; when your body is melting, you can’t afford to be picky.

Zihwa shook her head and said,

[ No, it is not that I committed any crime. I cannot speak of the details, but... ]

It sounded like there was some story she couldn’t tell.

I decided not to pry.

“Alright. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine.”

Then Zihwa, who had been watching me quietly, spoke softly.

[ Thank you, you. ]

“Thank me? Come on—well, you’re not a person, Zihwa, but still... everyone has one or two secrets they don’t want to talk about, right?”

Zihwa didn’t seem like a bad sort at all.

From experience, I knew criminals don’t talk like her.

They’ve got a particular mindset—always blaming someone else.

They’ll say they were framed, or the victim provoked them, or something stupid like that.

A pickpocket will say, “If the bag hadn’t been so easy to grab, I wouldn’t have stolen it.”

A rapist will say, “If the woman’s clothes weren’t so revealing, I wouldn’t have done it.”

That kind of twisted reasoning is exactly how criminals’ minds work.

But Zihwa said she hadn’t done anything criminal.

And besides, criminals don’t want children.

They love themselves more than anyone else, see everything in terms of their own gain, and hate doing anything hard.

So a criminal wanting to have a child? Impossible.

Not to mention, the link was already formed—I couldn’t exactly undo it now.

And anyway, wasn’t there a more pressing matter?

You could go up, but you couldn’t come back down.

With regret, I said,

“Then that means I can’t go to the Immortal Realm. I can’t just leave my wives and kids behind.”

At my disappointed tone, Zihwa told me a way—how to bring everyone along.

[ There is a way to go together. First, you must find something called the Peach Garden Map, one of the storage artifacts that can hold living beings. ]

“The Peach Garden Map?”

[ Ah, think of it as a tool like the one you used to take me with you—a space that can hold living things. ]

Sounded like a fantasy-style dimensional storage bag.

But I’d never heard of such a thing around here.

“Never heard of it before.”

[ Of course not. Only higher beings can create them. ]

So if I ever wanted to go on an adventure to that Immortal Realm, first I’d have to find the Ascension Platform.

And if I wanted to bring my wives and kids, I’d have to find this Peach Garden Map and store them inside it.

Sounded impossible.

“Well, guess that’s that then.”

At my words, Zihwa gazed out the open window and said,

[ Still, if by chance you ever do ascend, please take me with you. There is something I have yet to do. ]

Something wistful in her voice.

Smiling, I said,

“Of course. If I go, you’re coming with me.”

She was a venomous spirit beast bound to me—if I went, she’d naturally go too.

When I said that with a laugh, Zihwa looked at me and said quietly,

[ You are a truly strange man. ]

“I get that a lot. Haha.”

Knowing she had a human form somehow made me feel much more at ease.

While I was joking around, Zihwa suddenly stiffened and looked down.

[ Hm!? ]

“What? What is it?”

[ It moved! ]

“Already!?”

Wait—hadn’t it only been a few hours since we started brooding?

Startled, I looked at the egg, but it didn’t even twitch.

“Maybe you imagined it?”

I’d heard something like this before.

When it’s your first child, people sometimes make a fuss over nothing, saying the baby kicked when it didn’t.

So I asked if maybe she was mistaken, but Zihwa lowered her head toward the egg and said,

[ Put your ear to it. ]

Thump. Thump. Thump.

When I carefully pressed my ear against it, I could hear a faint pulsing from within the egg.

Life was stirring inside.

“Ohhh! It’s beating! The heart is beating!”

Just as I rejoiced at the tiny heartbeat coming from the egg, Zihwa’s voice came.

[ My dear, you were too busy talking again. Quickly decide on the child’s name. Its heart is already beating, is it not? ]

“Ah, right.”

Because of all the talk about venomous creatures, I had completely forgotten I was supposed to name the child.

I hurried to think, and perhaps because the egg’s heartbeat had begun, a faint glimmer of light appeared within.

The egg was dark purple, nearly black, yet slightly translucent; I could see inside just enough to notice a little light flickering in the center.

The moment I saw it, a name came to mind.

Jayo.

It meant “to shine in purple.” Shine with violet light.

“Let’s call it Jayo.”

[ It means to shine with purple light? ]

“Yeah.”

[ I like it very much. ]

Our child’s name was Jayo.

***

My wives were gathered around the egg, fussing excitedly.

“Oh my! The heartbeat is so much clearer now.”

“And not only that—look here. You can see the eyes.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Kyah! The eyes are so cute!”

“So cute...”

From the day the heartbeat first began, fifteen days and nights passed.

The life inside the egg grew steadily.

The egg was translucent violet, and as the baby grew inside, we began to see it.

At first it looked like a tiny plucked chick.

Now it had sprouted fine feathers and was clearly a baby bird.

Sometimes it would even open its eyes and look at us, those eyes shining so brightly that it drew everyone’s affection.

[ I am grateful that everyone cherishes me so. ]

“They said it’s the Lord’s child, right? It’s a bit strange that it’s not human, but...”

“Well, even if it’s not human, something this cute is perfectly fine.”

“Yes, yes.”

While we were admiring Jayo inside my wives’ quarters, Sister Seol’s voice came from outside.

“So-ryong! Come out quickly!”

“Yes?”

At her urgent tone, I rushed outside. Sister Seol grabbed my hand and pulled.

“Come to the main hall right now. Someone’s arrived from the imperial court.”

“From the court?”

At her words I hurried to the main hall, where a middle-aged civil official was waiting.

“Imperial Son-in-Law, it is an honor to meet you for the first time. I am So Pung-baek, Vice Minister of Rites, here as the Emperor’s envoy.”

“An honor to meet you.”

“Haha, to see the young hero of the martial world with my own eyes—So Pung-baek truly feels his eyes opened today.”

“You flatter me. But what brings you here?”

I wanted to get back quickly to see Jayo, so I cut off his polite talk and got straight to the point—then he said something absurd.

“I come bearing the imperial decree! His Majesty, in recognition of your slaying the leader of the Blood Cult and your great service in quelling the Second Blood Cult Uprising, has appointed you King of Dai Viet!”

“...What?”

The imperial envoy had come bearing news that the Emperor was conferring upon me the kingship of Dai Viet.

It was truly unbelievable news.