Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 136

Chapter 136
I took the Chronicle of Heavenly Venomous Beasts from Hwa-eun and studied it intently.
Silver Silkworm Moth.
The name was written with three characters: Silver, Silkworm, and Moth.
A direct translation would be Silver Silkworm Moth.
‘It must be identical!’
Having devoted half of my past life and all of my current one to the study of venomous beings, my intuition was roaring in confirmation.
This is the one!
“Silver Silkworm Moth.
A moth adorned with a luminous silver gloss. At full maturity, its body measures roughly half a foot long, with wings extending to three feet.
Typically peaceful, it will, when provoked, emit a shimmering silver powder from its scales.
Skin that contacts this dust is afflicted with an intolerable itch, causing the sufferer to scratch down to the bone.
If breathed in, the psychological torment of the itch invades the mind, pushing the victim into a maddened state where they tear at their own flesh until they perish.”
Reading the entry, I looked back at the silver chrysalis I had recently repaired and the gleaming silver cocoon beside it.
A silver cocoon and a silver chrysalis.
If both were silver, then the moth developing inside was almost certainly silver, too.
My pulse quickened.
If this was indeed the beast described in the Chronicle of Heavenly Venomous Beasts, then the cocoon and chrysalis before me had to be from the Silver Silkworm Moth.
‘Stay calm. It isn’t verified.’
Naturally, I could still be mistaken.
This period lacked modern scientific classification—names were often assigned capriciously, based on outward appearance rather than genuine relation.
Furthermore, moths experience a full metamorphosis.
In this process, the caterpillar dissolves into a fluid within the chrysalis before reassembling into a completely new shape.
This meant that even with a silver cocoon and chrysalis, the emerging insect might be entirely different.
Consider butterflies—a crawling, worm-like larva can become a magnificent, winged creature of vibrant color.
Yet, despite my efforts to remain logical, my deepest feeling insisted they were one and the same.
And that feeling was never wrong.
If the instincts of Spicy Fabre—the foremost expert on venomous creatures across both my lifetimes—were this powerful, then I was certain.
This was it.
A moth listed among the Ten Great Venomous Creatures.
The mere thought made me smile.
A moth so lethal, it was counted among the most deadly beings alive.
A moth… and it was charming.
‘Good heavens… a moth of supreme adorableness! And it’s one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures!’
My thrill wasn’t solely from discovering something rare.
It was because, even after raising O-gong, the three sisters Yo-hwa, Seol, and Bing, the Golden Wasp Kings, and Yeondu—all exceptional in their own ways—if I had to choose the single most endearing insect in existence, my answer would be immediate.
It would be a moth.
From an objective standpoint, moths are the unquestioned rulers of cuteness.
People glorify butterflies, naming them the harbingers of spring and flower sprites.
But moths? They are grievously undervalued.
Women who coo over butterflies shriek in fear at moths.
People reject them as unattractive, worthless, and unsettling.
But that is simply a lack of understanding.
Moths are the genuine sprites of the insect realm.
‘I can’t fathom the widespread dislike for moths. Butterflies receive all the affection, and moths get all the scorn—it’s absurd!’
It was identical in my previous life.
Any time I featured moths on my live streams, the comments would flood with disdain.
People objected to their dusty scales, their attraction to lights, and called them revolting.
“Okay, everyone! Today’s highlight is the world’s most charming insect—moths!”
‘Moths? Seriously… moths? What?’
‘Spicy Fabre has lost his mind. First it was poisonous snakes, then spiders, now he’s pushing moths as cute?’
‘This guy truly needs to get a grip.’
‘Someone stage an intervention. He’s officially lost it.’
‘No chance, man. Absolutely no way.’
But then, I displayed one single picture.
And the conversation shifted entirely.
‘…Hold on. Is this… actually possible?’
‘I NOW RESPECT SPICY FABRE’S JUDGMENT!’
‘UNBELIEVABLE. I WON’T ACCEPT THAT A MOTH CAN BE THIS CUTE!’
‘I… I apologize. I atone for every moth I’ve ever harmed. I was ignorant!’
‘YOU FIEND! How could you hurt such delightful creatures?!’
In that instant, they understood the reality.
Moths are not hideous.
They are not repulsive.
They are treasures.
Viewed from above, some might find them disconcerting.
But the instant you meet their gaze, everything is different.
Their gentle, furry forms.
Their fuzzy, bunny-like antennae.
Their big, circular eyes.
Bumblebees are frequently hailed as the height of insect charm, but that is only because moths are not properly appreciated.
In my view, anyone who can gaze straight into a moth’s eyes and still strike it with a swatter is a true antagonist.
‘Completely inexcusable.’
As I was immersed in these thoughts, Hwa-eun’s voice brought me back.
“So-ryong, do you truly believe it’s the same species?”
I had been so absorbed picturing this moth’s cuteness that I nearly forgot to respond.
Slightly sad to leave my reverie, I consoled myself that if my hypothesis was right, I would see it for myself soon.
I nodded, raising the mended chrysalis.
“See this. Does it not look like the Silver Silkworm Moth could have come from here?”
“Oh! So this is what kept you so occupied? It truly appears lifelike. And you’re correct… it does seem to be the same species.”
Hwa-eun concurred with my assessment.
Now, only one question remained.
How did a celestial silkworm become a silver silkworm moth?
***
To discover why the celestial silkworm changed into the silver silkworm, I needed the Tang Clan’s assistance.
And for that, I had to get my father-in-law’s consent.
He had invariably been encouraging of my interests.
“It appears the celestial silkworm evolves into one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures, the Silver Silkworm Moth.”
“What!? That is astounding news! And… evolution (進化)? You mean it advances and turns into something completely new?”
Recalling the events with Cho and Bini, it was logical.
For a common celestial silkworm to change into a silver silkworm, it must go through evolution.
There was no other answer.
As I explained my reasoning and discoveries, my father-in-law nodded along, finding the argument sound.
“Yes, Father-in-law. The Blue-Spotted Centipede was a low-grade venomous being, but it evolved into much stronger forms—the Heavenly Venom Centipede and the Black Phantom Centipede. That means we can certainly use the idea of evolution here.”
“So, you think the celestial silkworm evolves into the silver silkworm?”
“Yes, that is my current suspicion.”
“Hm… Considering what occurred with those two, your idea is sensible. Nevertheless, finding how it evolves will not be simple…”
“True, but we already have two instances. That suggests it won’t be as hard as it appears.”
“Do you have a strategy?”
“Naturally. I will need to journey outside Tang Mountain briefly. May I borrow some warriors?”
“Warriors?”
My father-in-law tilted his head, wondering why I required them.
But my logic was straightforward.
I wished to scrutinize the two known cases of evolution that had already occurred.
By comparing what Cho and Bini shared, I might find hints about the celestial silkworm’s transformation.
One case—Cho’s evolution—I already comprehended.
But the exact trigger for Bini’s evolution was unknown.
Hence, I needed the warriors.
To determine what started Bini’s change, I had to return to the spot where she had concealed herself before evolving.
“I want to explore the cause of Bini’s evolution and contrast it with Cho’s.”
“Ah, so you intend to trace Bini’s hiding spot?”
“Yes, Father-in-law.”
“Agreed. Take the Venom Blood Squad and your Venomous Creatures Squad with you.”
“Thank you!”
As anticipated, my father-in-law understood my purpose at once.
With his approval, I promptly exited the main hall to locate Bini.
“Bini!”
I discovered her relaxing in the courtyard, soaking up the sun with the others.
She drowsily lifted her head at my call, her look half-asleep.
By now, she had matured into a sophisticated young lady—one who knew precisely how to win over her father.
— Tssrr?
“Bini, Daddy needs to ask you something.”
— Tss, tsrr? 『A… a favor?』
“Yes. I want to learn where you transformed into this lovely form.”
— Tss, tsrrr… 『W-Well, if you insist…』
She behaved somewhat tsundere, muttering softly but obviously delighted.
It seemed she had cultivated a more grown-up demeanor after her evolution.
Still, she consented without much delay.
“Is it distant? Can we go and come back in a day?”
— Tssrr… 『…Yes…』
And so, with Bini guiding us and a team of warriors escorting me, I headed for her former hiding place.
The destination was totally unforeseen.
I had never thought it would be this nearby.
Bini led us to a location where I had once nearly died for the Tang Clan—the Blood Cavern.
More precisely, she had hidden in a Blood Pool—a place where dark energy had pooled.
However, it was strikingly different from before.
Previously, the cavern was enveloped in a dense black mist.
But now?
It was merely a huge, hollow cavity.
The sinister energy had disappeared entirely.
“So… Bini was concealed in a place like this?”
Goo Pae, captain of the Venomous Creatures Squad, bowed his head apologetically.
“I profoundly regret this. We combed this area multiple times, but we could not locate her.”
“No, it’s alright. If she was buried underground, it would have been undetectable.”
I dismissed his worry.
Besides, it was likely better that they hadn’t discovered her.
I gazed down into the vacant cavern.
“Something is different.”
“Yes… The yin energy that once saturated this area has totally dissipated.”
It was unquestionably there before.
But now?
Not a shred remained.
Just as I prepared to climb down for a closer look, Bini communicated through our link.
— Tssrr. 『I… consumed it all.』
“…You consumed it?”
— Tssrr.
She had eaten all the yin energy that had gathered there.
I paused to reflect.
‘Cho evolved after eating the Inner Core of the Heavenly Sage. Bini evolved after absorbing all the yin energy amassed in this cavern.’
In other words—
Both of them evolved by ingesting something.
‘If so… then did the celestial silkworms also eat something to become silver silkworms?’
Both the Inner Core and yin energy were power sources.
Therefore, if celestial silkworms evolved into silver silkworms, they must have consumed something saturated with a potent energy.
That implied…
There had to be something in the termite mound that we missed.
I needed to go back to the basin housing the White Termite Towers.
As I rushed back toward the Tang Clan, moving past the entrance to Mandok Hall, a familiar voice called to me.
“So-ryong, why are you rushing about so urgently?”
“Ah, Grandfather.”
It was Mandok Shingun.
He came out of Mandok Hall, holding an object in his hands.
“I was going to see Father-in-law. But… what is that?”
“Oh, this?”
He held up a small mushroom, approximately the size of a thumb.
It was one of the mushrooms I had collected from the termite mound—the same type I had requested the Tang Clan to grow.
I knew they had begun trial cultivation, but this wasn’t a newly cultivated one.
It was one I had gathered myself.
“Why do you have it?”
Grandfather laughed lightly.
“You retrieved something quite intriguing.”
“Intriguing? How?”
He fiddled with the mushroom, then clarified.
“It’s feeble compared to real spiritual herbs, but this mushroom holds a slight whisper of natural energy.”
“…What?”
I gaped at him, astonished.
“So… it’s a spiritual herb?”
“Well, marginally. It’s too erratic for martial artists to use directly. And for some reason, the mushrooms hold tainted energy, rendering them improper for internal cultivation.”
“Wait… then why were the termites eating it?”
“Venomous beings and animals are naturally more receptive to natural energy than humans. Possibly that is why the termites eat it.”
Grandfather offhandedly proposed it could serve as food for my creatures.
But in that moment, a realization struck me.
Wait.
If the queen termite—the one consuming these mushrooms for fifty years—had been taking in natural energy all that time…
And the celestial silkworms ate the termite queen…?!
I inhaled sharply.
These little scoundrels weren’t merely passive parasites in the termite mound…
They were expert thieves who sometimes ate their hosts!