Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 120

Chapter 120
Both Shintu and I were locked in a state of paralysis—a standstill of mutual defeat.

However, we were deep within the territory of the Sacheon Tang Clan.
This simple fact meant that, for all practical purposes, Shintu had already been captured.
Just as I was privately savoring this victory, I heard the distinct hiss of Yeondu.
—Shaaaa!
Alarmed by my sudden collapse, Yeondu began to anxiously lick my face and nudge my cheek with its head.
It must have believed I was seriously hurt.
Sadly, with my pressure points sealed, my only way to communicate was a frantic rolling of my eyes to signal that I was alright.
“I wish I could tell you I’m fine, but I can’t form a single word.”
Understanding my silent message, Yeondu ceased its worried ministrations. Then, in a flash of anger, it turned and began whipping the unconscious figure on top of me with its tail, striking her backside.
After delivering several sharp lashes, it slithered away at high speed, heading in the direction of the Main Hall.
It had undoubtedly gone to fetch Hua-eun and the rest.
I thought about sending a mental summons to Cho or Hyang, but since Yeondu was already on its way, reinforcements would arrive shortly.
This left me with a moment to unwind and bask in the glory of my success.
“Three wishes… What should I demand?”
A sudden, cynical thought then interrupted my celebration.
“Hold on… isn’t this essentially just a roundabout way of hiring a thief to steal for me?”
The idea made the prospect of making wishes feel somewhat improper.
I was still pondering this when a delicate, feminine fragrance wafted from the person sprawled across me.
“Wait… a woman? That can’t be right. Wasn’t Shintu supposed to be an elderly man?”
A jarring realization dawned on me.
From the stories told by my grandfather, Mandok Shingun, the previous Shintu was an old man of similar age.
So that could only mean—who in the world was this?
“Could it be an illusion technique?”
My immediate assumption was that this was an expert employing both the Bone-Shrinking Technique and the Face-Changing Technique to alter their form.
Perhaps they were even using a voice-altering skill to mimic a different gender.
But something about that didn’t add up.
She had already shifted from Seol Noona’s appearance back to this one.
More convincingly, she carried the distinct scent of a woman.
If this were a disguise, her original form should have been revealed the instant she lost consciousness.
Yet her body had not changed at all.
This person was unquestionably a woman.
Grasping this, I sent out a desperate mental cry to Cho and Hyang.
“Hyang! Cho! Get Mother or anyone—come to the Golden Wasp King’s nest now! I’ve been immobilized!”
A wave of urgency washed over me.
The situation felt wrong.
“Could this woman be a decoy?”
What if the real Shintu was still hiding in the shadows?
Even though we were inside the Tang Clan grounds, my location had been intentionally left vulnerable.
If Shintu was still out there, he could exploit this exact moment—like a fisherman seizing two clams locked in combat.
“Please, don’t let me be stolen! I can’t become stolen property!”
As I waited in tense anticipation, the sound of rushing footsteps finally reached my ears.
Thank the heavens—it was the warriors of the Tang Clan.
From the direction of the front gate, I saw Seol Noona sprinting toward us, her night robe thrown on hastily.
From the Main Hall, Hua-eun arrived, with both Hyang and Yeondu perched on her shoulders.
Behind them came my grandfather, my in-laws, and a host of the clan’s fighters.
—Cock-a-doodle-doo!
At that precise moment, the rooster announced the dawn.
For a heartbeat, everyone stopped and turned toward the sound.
“The rooster has crowed!”
“Daybreak is here!”
The terms of Shintu’s challenge had specified a deadline of before the first rooster’s crow.
Regardless of this woman’s true identity, Shintu was now honor-bound to withdraw.
Such is the unspoken code of the martial world.
“Wait… but if Shintu withdraws, do I still get my reward?”
I had been promised three wishes for capturing Shintu.
But what if Shintu simply vanished?
Would I receive nothing?
And most pressingly—who was this woman!?
***

The woman lay unconscious on a bed, having succumbed to Yendu’s venomous bite.
After unsealing my acupoints, my grandfather gave her a brief examination and then instructed that she be moved to a guest chamber, not a prison cell. She was being treated more like an unexpected visitor than a captured intruder.
“But who is she? I initially thought it was Xintu using Bone Shrinking Art and Reverse Shadow Art, but that doesn’t appear to be true, does it?”
I asked, studying her with intense curiosity. My grandfather walked to the bedside and took her wrist in his hand.
Then, smiling, he turned to us and held her arm up.
“It seems the old Xintu has passed his title to his student. That young lady is most likely the new Xintu.”
“That woman is Xintu!?”
“That woman!?”
She didn’t look much older than Hwa-eun, yet my grandfather had just proclaimed her to be the new Xintu.
Hwa-eun and I both gaped at him in stunned silence. My grandfather pointed again to her wrist as he continued.
“Look carefully—do you see the Heavenly Silkworm Thread coiled around her wrist? That is the sacred relic of Xintu. It means this girl is Xintu. I had hoped to scold that old man personally, but I suppose his disciple will have to suffice.”
Seeing the slender thread wrapped around her wrist, my grandfather confirmed her identity as Xintu.
The moment this was revealed, Hwa-eun’s expression turned frosty.
“Why would a young woman like Xintu try to steal our So-ryong? It didn’t seem to be about venomous creatures… Could she have had another reason?”
“Another reason?”
“Perhaps she was taken with So-ryong?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s never even seen me before.”
I dismissed Hwa-eun’s idea as absurd, but she merely waggled her index finger.
“A person, whether man or woman, can see someone from a distance and become infatuated. Kidnapping isn’t beyond the realm of possibility. Consider Yang Seong-hu. So-ryong, if Yang Seong-hu possessed slightly darker intentions, don’t you think he might do something like this?”
She was essentially stating that if Yang Seong-hu ever turned to villainy, he would be capable of such an act.
It was a preposterous notion, yet when she invoked Yang Seong-hu’s name, I found myself nodding in agreement without thinking.
After all, Hwa-eun herself had admitted she’d never actually conversed with Yang Seong-hu before.
‘Now that I consider it, both the sole daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan and Xintu appear to hold me in high regard? This… doesn’t feel unpleasant at all.’
As I became lost in these thoughts, staring at the unconscious woman and wondering if Hwa-eun might be correct, an irritated voice suddenly interrupted.
“If she truly is Xintu, then all the better! A so-called hero of the Central Plains dares to seal my acupoints and strip me bare? Just let her wake up! I—I’ll demand a duel!”
The source of Sister Seol’s fury was quite straightforward.
When we had arrived at the training grounds housing the Golden Wasp Kings, the woman had been the spitting image of Sister Seol—her face, her figure, even her clothing.
At first, I was confused why she was wearing the distinctive attire of the Beast Palace, but the truth quickly emerged.
It turned out she had ambushed Sister Seol and her accompanying Beast Palace warriors, striking their pressure points and rendering them unconscious. She then dragged Sister Seol into some bushes and stole her garments…
Unlike the women of the Central Plains, who wear multiple layers with undergarments beneath their outer robes, the Beast Palace’s clothing is more akin to the dress of the ethnic tribes in Yunnan—a short skirt matched with a light top.
This meant that when Sister Seol was stripped, she was left wearing little more than a thin undergarment. Essentially, she was left nearly naked and exposed in the bushes, accounting for her boiling anger.
To add insult to injury, Xintu had left behind ill-fitting clothes that were entirely unsuitable.
Under the combined weight of Hwa-eun and Sister Seol’s icy glares, Xintu, still unconscious on the bed, began to perspire heavily.
It seemed that even in her dreams, she was suffering a nightmare under the pressure of their chilling stares.

***

The following day, a surprise guest appeared at the Tang Clan.
I was taking a rest after the midday meal when the sound of the entrance gong at the Nine-Tiered Gates echoed through the compound.
Hwa-eun and I hurried to the entrance and found a ragged-looking beggar smiling at us.
It was Geolhwang.
“Have you been keeping well?”
“Elder Geolhwang!?”
“We greet Elder Geolhwang.”
The elderly man beaming at us was Elder Geolhwang, an individual who had aided us in the past.
I promptly offered a respectful bow and cautiously inquired,
“What brings you to the Tang Clan, Elder? Have the warriors assigned to attend to you been lacking in their duties in any way?”
“Has anything been insufficient, Elder?”
Though Hwa-eun and I worded it politely, the underlying meaning of our questions was: Are you out of Huangfen Bugs?
As one of the three most formidable figures in the martial world, we couldn’t openly offer him bribes, so we had been discreetly supplying him with Huangfen Bugs as treats—a gesture that walked the line between a gift and a bribe.
We had received updates that the warriors were making regular deliveries, but we wanted to confirm there were no problems or unfulfilled requests.
Geolhwang released a robust laugh and clapped me on the shoulder.
“Heh heh, what foolishness! The warriors are performing splendidly. And your generosity has not been forgotten. Today, I came simply to see you.”
“You came to see me?”
I blinked in surprise at his unexpected statement. Then, a voice resonated directly in my ears via Transmitted Sound.
[I heard you captured the disciple of Xintu.]
“Disciple?”
My grandfather had insisted the woman lying unconscious from Yendu’s bite was the new Xintu, yet Elder Geolhwang had just referred to her as Xintu’s disciple.
According to Hwa-eun, the Beggar’s Union excels in gathering intelligence.
This implied that Elder Geolhwang’s information was probably more precise than my grandfather’s.
Which led to one conclusion—this woman was not Xintu herself, but rather the disciple of Xintu.
“Uh… well, that is…”
[Do not reply—only listen. That scoundrel is concealed close by.]
“…?”
At the mention of a lurking presence, I tensed up. Then, the transmitted voice continued.
[I dispatched Xintu’s disciple in my place to aid you. But you can imagine my surprise when the techniques were triggered before I could even warn you?
I merely watched as events unfolded naturally, but I never anticipated you would actually capture her. Keh-heh-heh.]
His voice was full of glee.
So, Xintu himself had not come—his disciple had. And this was all a result of Geolhwang’s machinations.
He was now boasting, proudly taking credit for orchestrating the disciple’s arrival through his manipulation of information.
[There is no need for excessive gratitude. I wished to repay you for your help with Na-ok in any case. My disciple may be a thief, but a highly capable one. Those three gifts will serve you well.]
From his words, this was a reward for assisting Na-ok.
Since he instructed me only to listen, I held my thanks for later and decided to usher him inside.
I was appreciative of his thoughtfulness, and it was improper to leave him standing outside.
“Elder Geolhwang, please come inside the clan grounds. Since you’ve journeyed all this way, you must at least share a meal and allow us to show you around…”
Just as I was about to escort him in, Geolhwang suddenly spun around and shouted.
“What are you up to, you rascal?! Are you going to keep hiding instead of retrieving your disciple?”
At his yell across the river, a sudden gust of wind swept past.
Then, a stout, robust old man materialized behind Geolhwang, scratching his head in a sheepish manner.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, young hero. I am Galjihong, the second disciple of Xintu.”
Wait… this legendary master thief of the martial world—why did he have the build of a cattle rustler?
If I didn’t know better, I’d have guessed his surname was Peng, not Gal.
The brawny old man introduced himself, and I responded without delay.
“It is an honor to meet you, Elder Xintu. I am So-ryong.”
Wait… so he is the second disciple? But I thought he was a master thief? Did they mean he was literally a thief of cattle?!
The moment I finished my introduction, Geolhwang frowned slightly, finding my lack of a surname peculiar.
I realized that omitting my family name must have seemed strange.
“So-ryong? Was your surname not Wei?”
“Ah, I was adopted by the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, so my name has changed.”
“The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace!?”
Geolhwang’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Galjihong elbowed him and muttered,
“Brother, you never said a word about this?”
“You idiot, how could I have? I only learned of it now myself. I heard he had visited the Southern Barbarians, but I never dreamed he was adopted there! Good heavens, what kind of remarkable youngster is this? First, he’s the successor to the Venom Sovereign, and now he’s the adopted son of the Beast Palace?”
Geolhwang stared at me, utterly dumbfounded.
I was on the verge of explaining that becoming an adopted son of the Beast Palace wasn’t so difficult for someone deeply committed to venomous creatures.
But before I could, a question came from beside me.
“Incidentally, was Yeongryeon injured in any way? It would have been terrible if that old Venom Sovereign mistook her for me and struck without restraint. That old man must have refined his skills further… I was sure that even if his techniques activated, she wouldn’t be captured so easily. So, Yeongryeon was apprehended by the Venom Sovereign, correct?”
He seemed to think his disciple had been captured by my grandfather, Venom Sovereign Tang Mu-seong.
I called out mentally, summoning the others.
“Hyang, Seol, Bini, Yendu.”
—Tssrrr?
—Kukku?
—Shaaa?
As the named creatures emerged from within mine and Hwa-eun’s robes, their distinctive calls filled the air.
Galjihong blinked in surprise.
Given his martial arts prowess, he must have sensed their presence earlier.
But witnessing them respond to a human summons clearly left him astounded.
Then, a shadow fell over us as Cho descended.
I turned to Galjihong and stated.
“Your disciple was captured by them, Elder.”
“…!”
“…!”
The beggar and the thief stood with their eyes wide open in shock.

***

“Hngh… Forgive me, Master.”
“Do not trouble yourself. Facing those creatures, avoiding capture would have been the true miracle… To be frank, I am not certain I could have escaped unharmed myself…”
“Hngh…”
As Galjihong wished to see his disciple first, I led him to the room where she was resting.
By the time we arrived, the disciple had already awakened.
After allowing them a moment together, I proceeded to the Clan Leader’s Hall to pay my respects to the elders and hear Galjihong’s explanation for the attempted abduction.
“…In essence, you sought to request my assistance.”
“Precisely! We must raise spirit silkworms to harvest their cocoons, but we are failing. We require your expertise.”
“I understand. So, you need my help in cultivating spirit silkworms?”
“Exactly! And since you captured Yeongryeon, I will grant you three wishes—so do not concern yourself with compensation. Merely aid me with this task, and I will reward you handsomely on top of it!”
Spirit silkworms, I see…
From his account, I comprehended the predicament.
They needed to nurture a special type of silkworm but were failing due to a lack of understanding.
I nodded thoughtfully and asked,
“You mentioned there are very few eggs remaining?”
“That is correct. Only three are left.”
“I see. And regarding those three wishes for capturing your disciple—are there any limitations?”
“None whatsoever! Provided it does not violate my code, I will pilfer any treasure you desire and eliminate any life you want gone! You have but to name it!”
Galjihong thumped his chest, proclaiming his readiness to retrieve the stars from the sky for me.
Smiling, I looked at him and said,
“Then… hand over those eggs—that is to say, would you be willing to entrust them to me?”
“Hm? You wish to examine them first? So, you will help?”
He grinned with excitement, but I responded immediately.
“Of course, I will ensure you receive your cocoons. But my first wish is for those eggs.”
“…?”
Why does he look at me so? The eggs are to be confiscated, naturally.
Moths are a form of venomous creature, after all.
Therefore, seizing them is the logical first step.
He did promise to grant any wish.