Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 103

Chapter 103
“This is odd.”
“It truly is. Sister Seol, they should have been here by now.”
Staring up into the vast darkness above the cave, Seol and I shared a look of confusion.

It was indeed strange. The main party, led by my foster father and grandfather, had still not reached this spot, even though we had arrived two days ago.
By all reasoning, they should have been trailing us by only an hour or two at most.
When we first descended through the opening, Yohwa had marked our route with a strand of her web. Even with potential delays, they should have caught up long before now. Yet after two full days, there was no trace of them.

“Yohwa? Do you still sense nothing?”
— *Hiss!*
In reply to my question, Yohwa emerged from the shadows overhead and shook her head.
Concerned the cave might be a maze, Yohwa had laid an incredibly fine thread of silk along our entire path. When she climbed back to investigate, she found the web completely still, detecting no vibrations whatsoever.
Spiders possess a remarkable sensitivity to vibrations through their webs.
In my past life, the Darwin’s Bark Spider was famed for spinning webs up to 25 meters long—roughly 250 times its body length. Though it measured barely a centimeter, it could sense the faintest struggle of an insect trapped in its web from the farthest edge.
Considering Yohwa’s significantly larger size, her range of detection should easily cover two to three kilometers. And as an enlightened being, it was likely even greater.
If she could sense nothing, it was possible they hadn’t even managed to enter the passage.
Reflecting on it, the main group should have reached us before we even found the tunnel’s end.
We had moved with extreme caution, blind to what lay ahead. But Grandfather and my foster father knew we were ahead of them. There was no reason for them not to have closed the gap.

“What could be keeping them?”
“Hmm… Is it possible they missed the markings I left?”
“But I wrote it in two large, clear spots on the wall. They couldn’t have overlooked it.”
As Seol and I debated the main group’s absence, Hwa-eun, who was seated atop Cho’s coiled form, spoke up cautiously.
“Perhaps…”
“Perhaps what?”
“Now that I consider it… I have a growing suspicion about the mechanism formation.”
“The mechanism formation?”
“Yes, So-ryong.”
Her mention of the mechanism formation made me frown thoughtfully.
“Ah, you mean… it might have failed after a century?”
A hundred years was certainly long enough for something to break down.
I nodded, considering it a reasonable assumption, but Hwa-eun shook her head.
“No, it’s not just age. It’s the energy that concerns me. The inscription outside spoke of the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art. What if the door doesn’t open with just any energy, but only responds to internal energy cultivated through that specific method?”
“Ah!”
Of course! A secret door would be pointless if just anyone could open it. That would make it little more than an automatic gate.
Since it was created by the Five Poisons sect, it stood to reason it would only activate for energy cultivated via the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art, exactly as Hwa-eun suspected.
“But Grandfather is also familiar with that technique, isn’t he?”
Grandfather had even arranged for the Daoist master Jinggi to personally instruct me in the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.
Surely, he should be able to get through as well.
Hwa-eun shook her head again.
“Of course, Grandfather knows the art. But he did not build his foundational internal energy solely with it. You, however, developed your entire internal energy base through that method.”
That was a valid point.
Grandfather knew the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art, but it served only as a base. His primary cultivation was the Ten Poisons Twin-Origin Art.
In contrast, my entire system was aligned with the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.
If that distinction was what kept them from opening the passage, it was a logical explanation.

“Hmm… That does sound plausible. But what should we do now?”
If Hwa-eun was correct, Grandfather would never appear through that opening.
That left us with two choices: press on with our search alone, or make the journey back to Namna Mountain on foot.
Or perhaps to the Beast Palace.
Seol, standing near the cold campfire, picked up a piece of charcoal and pointed upward.
“We can’t wait here indefinitely. Let’s leave a message on the cave wall saying we’ve returned to the Beast Palace, and then go back to wait for them.”
“Members of the Blood Cult could still be in the area, right? It’s too risky for just the three of us to continue alone. If the elders can’t open the entrance, they’ll have to turn back eventually. Once we reach the Beast Palace, we can send word to Namna Mountain. What do you think?”
Seol was right. Remaining here served no purpose.
Continuing the search on our own?
If my foster father and Grandfather couldn’t even get in, waiting here or venturing further would be equally dangerous.
After all, remnants of the Five Poisons sect might still be nearby, not to mention the Blood Cult.
Seol’s proposal to return to the Beast Palace and send a message to Namna Mountain seemed the safest course.
‘But going back won’t be simple either.’
The danger wasn’t limited to waiting here; the return journey would be perilous as well.
The fact that warriors from the Martial Alliance and other elite sect members were gathering intelligence here suggested a strong likelihood of a Blood Cult stronghold nearby.
Returning would be difficult, and as I hesitated over Seol’s plan, Hwa-eun suggested another option.
“Instead of heading straight back to the Beast Palace alone, why not meet up with Do-ryong’s group and move toward the rendezvous point together?”
“The rendezvous point?”
“Yes. From what I heard, they are conducting a thorough search of the area, so they should know the safest routes.”
“If they’ve found any traces of the Five Poisons sect, we might also learn something from them.”
“With a potential Blood Cult base nearby, wouldn’t it be safer to travel with them rather than just us three? Sword Master mentioned they planned to return to the rendezvous point if they found anything, so we could meet them and go back together.”
It was a sound idea.
If we went to the designated meeting point, we might acquire vital information from the search parties.
And returning with them would allow us to travel based on the intelligence they had gathered—making for a safer journey.
As I nodded in agreement, Paeng Gyu-seong, who had been listening quietly, clapped me on the shoulder.
“Good, let’s do that, brother. You can rely on me, Paeng Gyu-seong, to see you three safely back to the central plains.”
“Alright. Then we’ll go with that plan.”
Our decision made, I acknowledged Gyu-seong’s words.
It was then that Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon), who had been silent until now, spoke up cautiously.
“So-ryong, sir… May I ask, do you know how to hunt? Or find water?”
“Hunt? And water?”
An unexpected question.
Thinking back, for the past two days, Azure Dragon had been solely responsible for all our meals.
I had wondered why he was handling all the hunting and gathering like a servant. Now, as he asked, both Sword Master and Gyu-seong exchanged looks in the dim cave.
*Ahem…*
*Hmm…*
Their reaction, combined with Azure Dragon’s question, struck me as very peculiar.
“Well, yes, of course. Seol does, and Hwa-eun does too.”
I had once lived in the jungles of Yunnan, so catching and eating snakes was no issue. More importantly, I had Yohwa, which made hunting effortless.
And it wasn’t just me—Hwa-eun, with her paralyzing poison darts, never missed a visible target, and my sister Seol was from the Beast Palace.
For the people of the Beast Palace, hunting was a fundamental survival skill.
“R-really?!”
Azure Dragon’s face brightened as he grabbed my hand, his expression almost tearful.
“In that case, since we’re comrades now and not just guests, could you please lend a hand?! Please!”
From our first meeting, he had seemed a bit out of his depth, and I had suspected the others were taking advantage of him.
“Well, of course we should help.”
“Then let’s go hunting right away! If we’re heading for the rendezvous point, we’ll need provisions. Our food is already gone, and we can’t stop to hunt constantly along the way.”
With my agreement, Azure Dragon immediately raised the need to gather supplies now that our group had expanded.
Given that Blood Cult members might be lurking nearby, frequent hunting stops weren’t practical.
Since the area around this cave was relatively secure, it made sense to stock up on food before leaving.
We only had enough dried meat and rice cakes for about a day, so I nodded at his logic.
“Understood.”
“The trouble is, I’ve only managed to find rabbits around here.”
Azure Dragon sighed, concerned about the lack of larger game.
But his worry was short-lived.
“Oh! Yohwa, you caught a deer?”
— *Hiss!*
I hadn’t specifically asked her to, but trusting her capabilities, I had suggested Yohwa find something.
She soon returned with a large deer.
Without hesitation, Seol set to work, skillfully skinning and preparing the animal.
“For dinner, we’ll wash and grill the heart, intestines, and liver over the fire. The meat we’ll smoke to carry with us. The organs spoil too fast otherwise.”
As Seol efficiently processed the deer, Azure Dragon stared in amazement.
“H-holy! You can not only butcher an animal but also smoke the meat!?”
“Well, of course. If you live in the jungle, that’s just a basic skill.”
“Y-you’re amazing!”
As Seol replied matter-of-factly, Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon) glanced triumphantly at Sword Master, who responded with a pout.
“What! What’s that look for?!”
It seemed Azure Dragon had been forced into a servant’s role for nearly two months while traveling with Gyu-seong and Sword Master.
As we went to wash the organs, Azure Dragon, behaving like a man finally freed from servitude, followed along.
When I bent to drink from the clear, gently flowing stream, Seol caught my hand.
“So-ryong, don’t drink that. Have this instead. The stream water could make you sick.”
“Sick?”
“Yes. A dead animal might have fallen in upstream. Better to be cautious.”
Saying this, she climbed a nearby tree, cut a vine, and handed it to me with a smile.
“This?”
“Yes, water will drip from it.”
As she finished speaking, drops of water began to trickle out.
I took a sip; it had a faintly sweet taste, reminiscent of gorosoe sap from my previous life.
“A-amazing!”
Azure Dragon gazed at Seol with something beyond respect.
No… it was more than that.
‘Is this guy the type to fall in love instantly?’
Judging by the look in his eyes, it seemed Azure Dragon was prone to quick infatuations.

***
“So-ryong, sir, it’s incredible. I can’t believe those little creatures have grown so much. And one of them can even fly now.”
As we moved through the thick undergrowth, Azure Dragon pointed at Hyang and Bin on my shoulder, then stared in disbelief at Cho, who was now a distant speck soaring in the sky.
He had seen them before when they were much smaller. He was astonished by how much Cho, in particular, had developed.
And he wasn’t wrong.
Cho had matured rapidly, not just in size but also in her ability to fly.
Back when we traveled with Bi-cheon Shin-sa, she could only manage short flights. But now, whether because she was one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures or because she had fully absorbed the Neidan she consumed last time, she could remain airborne for three to four hours at a stretch.
She also recovered swiftly, needing only a brief rest before flying again.
At this rate, she would likely be able to fly all day soon.
Seeing my girl thrive filled me with pride.
Just as I was about to smile and reply—
— *Tsssssk!*
— *Tsssk!*
Hyang and Bin suddenly hissed at Azure Dragon, their eyes blazing with anger.
For a moment, I was confused.
Then I understood.
He had compared them to their “big sister.”
‘Oh no. Comparing someone’s growth to their sibling’s is always a bad idea…’
As I hesitated, unsure how to defuse the situation, Cho and Bin’s antennae twitched violently.
— *Tsssssk!*
I could sense their thoughts.
“We can’t ignore this.”
It wasn’t exactly murderous intent, but their displeasure was clear. Their antennae quivered as if calibrating their level of hostility.
Seeing their obvious aggression, Azure Dragon flinched and turned to Hwa-eun in confusion.
“What!? W-why are they acting like this!? Huh?!”
Hwa-eun merely nodded, her expression cool.
Then, wordlessly, she seemed to convey a message through mental transmission.
Azure Dragon’s eyes widened in horror.
Then, as if struck by an invisible force, he collapsed to the ground, writhing dramatically.
“Agh! I’m dying! The pain is unbearable!”
It was clearly an act, but I understood what was happening.
Hwa-eun’s voice echoed in my mind through telepathy.
[I told him to pretend he was hit by a killing intent. So-ryong, step in and “stop” them at the right moment. Honestly, comparing them to Cho’s size and calling them small? How insensitive can he be?]
I, a lover of venomous creatures, hadn’t even caught the slight at first.
But this…
This was a mother’s protective instinct in action.