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Chapter 09
The energy condensed within the ginseng was pure and balanced—cleaner and more refined than that of any other herb.
There were rare cases like the Snow Ginseng, but… this wasn’t a land where snow fell year-round, and finding such a thing would be harder than it was worth.
After using the energy of the Puppet Ginseng to scan my body once, I gathered my inner energy toward my core (naedan).
Unlike before, the energy of the ginseng was powerful, so I had to focus carefully to absorb it without shocking my naedan.
Soon, the energy began to flow smoothly into my core.
It felt as though a soft drizzle was falling upon parched earth—my body, starved for energy, slowly regained stability.
“Grrr.”
I opened my eyes slowly. The fox must have noticed the change in me too.
“S-Sangun…”
[That should be enough, don’t you think?]
[I agree. Are you finally going to start learning now?]
The fox glanced at Sehwa, then turned back to me. I followed its gaze and spoke through thought.
[It’s fine to show Sehwa.]
[Are you sure about that?]
[You wouldn’t have assigned her to me unless she was trustworthy. And besides, having at least one human who knows my true identity will make things much easier.]
If I still possessed my full strength, this wouldn’t even be a problem.
But given my current vulnerable state, I needed a human ally—someone who could understand the ways of humans and assist me as I regained my power as a spirit beast.
[Sehwa is reliable enough. But Sangun, what’s your plan from here?]
The fox’s casual tone didn’t surprise me. I chose my words carefully.
[My first priority is to recover my naedan and grow stronger—strong enough to move freely in the martial world without restraint.]
The Blood Cult may have been vile, but it was still a sect made up of martial artists.
To oppose them, I’d need to be powerful enough to blend into that world—certainly not stuck in the body of a small human child.
[After that, I’ll turn my attention to the Sichuan Tang Clan.]
[The Tang Clan? Why them?]
[Because one of the main ingredients for the drug that controls spirit beasts comes from the Tang Clan’s elixirs.]
Just thinking about that damned drug made my teeth grind.
The Blood Cult had slaughtered countless spirit beasts—foxes, ravens, and many others—yet never revealed themselves publicly.
The first time they appeared in the martial world was after they had found a way to control me.
That’s why I intended to destroy that drug at its source—so that no other spirit beast would ever be enslaved as I was.
The fox turned to look at Sehwa.
Her eyes were wide with shock at my sudden change.
“Sehwa.”
“Y-Yes, yes, Master.”
“Follow me.”
Though startled, Sehwa obediently followed behind the fox, who carried me in his arms—no longer a mewling cub, but a lively young tiger.
Judging from the way he avoided places with people, I could tell he didn’t want anyone sensing my presence.
“Now then, Sangun.”
The fox stopped in one of the most secluded rooms deep within Cheonwolru and set me down.
[I’ll teach you how to perform transformation magic. But judging by your current state, even if you take human form, you’ll likely appear as a young child.]
[How young are we talking?]
[…Around ten years old, give or take.]
[Not ideal, but I’ll take it. What about an adult form?]
[It’s not impossible, but…]
[Fine. Just teach me first. I’ll think about the rest later.]
The fox explained the technique in detail.
Spirit beasts rarely had reason to take human form.
A few eccentric ones might wander into the human world for amusement, but human affairs were messy, and getting entangled with them usually brought nothing but trouble.
Still, the method itself wasn’t particularly difficult.
[Let’s give it a try. Hmm… okay.]
As soon as the fox set me down, I began channeling the transformation spell.
In an instant, my perspective shifted upward—I’d succeeded on the first try.
“Ah…!”
Sehwa gasped in surprise, but that didn’t matter.
“Oh, oh! I did it!”
I clenched my tiny fist triumphantly—even if it was still small, it wasn’t a paw anymore.
My heart pounded with exhilaration.
My body felt lighter than ever. I tested my limbs, bouncing in place, spinning around, waving my arms—each new motion filled me with excitement.
Perhaps it was because this body was younger, but I couldn’t help feeling a surge of joy.
The light blue sleeves of my robe fluttered gently as I moved—apparently, the transformation spell even created clothes automatically.
“Finally! Human form! The view’s higher than I expected!”
“Wait—Sang—”
Why hadn’t I tried this in the past thousand years?
The best way to adapt to my new perspective was, of course, to move.
“Hey! Stop right there!”
“Sangun!”
Ignoring the fox’s shouts behind me, I threw open the door and dashed out.
Compared to my cub form, my stride was so much longer—this body felt amazing.
‘Still far from my true form, but…’
To go from a tiger cub to a human child—it was an incredible change.
I couldn’t help but grin in pure delight (after making sure no one was around, of course).
Even so, I was still Sangun. I couldn’t make a fool of myself in front of humans—
“Whoa—!”
Before I could finish that thought, my unfamiliar robe tangled around my legs, and I went sprawling forward—face-first.
“Ow…”
I rubbed my stinging nose instinctively—and froze. Wait… my hands? They were… shorter again?
Blinking, I looked down—gone were the smooth, delicate fingers of a human child. In their place were thick, furred paws.
“Rrrrraaaagh!”
What—why was I back in my cub form?!
There’s no greater humiliation in this world than having something snatched away mid-bite.
And turning back into a cub right after tasting human form—this was infuriating.
“Raaaghhhh!”
I stomped my paws against the ground in frustration, but not even a satisfying thud came out. That only made me angrier.
“Sangun!”
“Grrr!”
I darted away before the fox could catch me, mortified that my transformation had failed so quickly.
Fueled by frustration, I poured energy into my legs and ran as fast as I could.
Anywhere would do—so long as it wasn’t here.
And as I ran wildly through the halls, something strange suddenly came into view.
Cheonwolru was not a place just anyone could enter.
You had to prove your martial ability first.
Which, of course, meant that it often attracted those who wanted to prove themselves.
“Ahem! Excuse me, I wish to visit Cheonwolru…”
One of the guards at the entrance eyed the newcomer with a look of mild disdain.
A man in his early twenties, dressed in fine silk robes with a jeweled sword hanging at his waist.
“Are you a martial artist?”
“I’ve trained a little.”
“Then prove it.”
The guard’s curt, businesslike tone didn’t bother the young man. If anything, he looked pleased, resting his hand on his sword hilt.
“Shall we duel here, then?”
“No one enters Cheonwolru without permission. If you’re not going to prove your skill, leave.”
“Ha! Did I say I wouldn’t?”
The guard sighed wearily. Another arrogant youth—Cheonwolru’s reputation attracted them like flies.
‘Another spoiled brat from a rich family who’s dabbled in martial arts and thinks he’s invincible.’
His stance was sloppy, his inner energy weak. The guard clicked his tongue as the young man dramatically unsheathed his sword.
“Looks like I win this round.”
“Tch. Fine, fine. I’ll buy you a drink later.”
“I’ll get the side dishes.”
“Sounds good.”
Despite losing the wager, the other guard didn’t seem upset.
After all, challengers like this were common, and their little bets were just an excuse for drinks afterward.
As the two guards chatted casually about their plans, the young man’s face flushed red with anger at being ignored so completely.
