Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 149

Chapter 149
In a sudden motion, I grabbed the lantern and brought it down near the water. Hwa-eun and Seol, who had been staring in amazement, let out shocked breaths at the sight before them.

“It’s drinking the flame!”
“It’s consuming the fire?!”

Even as they exclaimed in disbelief, the tadpole kept swallowing the shimmering fire without pause. Faint trails of light shimmered over the water, drawn into the tadpole’s mouth with each gulp.

Had I not witnessed it myself, I would never have accepted it.

‘This is unbelievable!’

A tadpole eating fire—it defied all logic.

Watching it, I felt a spark ignite behind my own eyes. Isn’t fire the purest expression of a man’s spirit, after all?

Red, flame, burning—these are the colors and symbols of fervor and resolve.

I didn’t know what this tadpole would become, but if it fed on fire, it was destined to grow into some kind of fire-affiliated frog or toad. The idea alone made my skin prickle.

Not only did it embody masculine vigor, but it clearly held the fire element within it.

‘How could I possibly walk away from this?’

And as I watched the tadpole feast, the nuns’ earlier comments—about how their lamps always ran out of oil—suddenly took on new significance.

They had complained that during their baths, their lamp oil never lasted.

This little creature must have been stealthily absorbing the warmth.

It ought to have been eating flames openly, as it was now, but since the nuns wouldn’t have placed their lanterns near the water, it had subsisted on stray heat from a distance.

A theory began to form in my mind about why it had stayed a tadpole for a full ten years without developing.

If fire was its sustenance, then finding a steady source in the wild would be difficult without volcanoes or wildfires nearby. That suggested it could ingest large quantities of fire when available to speed its growth.

Certain desert toads transform from tadpoles to adults in just ten days after rainfall. This being was likely no different.

‘You’ve been living on scraps all this time, haven’t you? Or perhaps I should say, on borrowed flames?’

Just then, as the tadpole was hungrily swallowing the last of the fire, the light abruptly went out.

I raised the lantern into the moonlight to see—the oil was completely gone.

“You were really hungry, weren’t you?”
“Is the lamp empty?”
“Yes. It seems it was desperate enough to swallow the fire whole.”
“Oh, how sad.”

We were all people who felt a natural connection to poisonous animals and strange beasts.

As Hwa-eun and Seol began hastily collecting sticks, intending to build a fire and properly nourish the creature, I cut in.

“Should I get some oil? Or should we light a bigger fire near the water?”
“What do you think? A large fire might be best.”

Right then, the tadpole, having finished the flames, swam over to me and clumsily hoisted itself onto a rock.

“Look! It’s climbing up on the stone!”
“How sweet. Is it trying to thank us?”
“So it can scale rocks, too?”

I had assumed it only ate fire, but it appeared to have more abilities than I thought.

When I reached out to place it back in the water, I suddenly felt a gluey feeling on my hand.

“What in the—?!”
“What’s the matter?”
“What is it, So-ryong?”

Noticing my surprised reaction, they both looked at me with worry.

I wiped my palm on the rock and told them,

“It’s adhesive. My hand stuck to its underside.”
“It’s sticky? Then… could it have crawled here from another spot?”

Hwa-eun guessed that the tadpole may have climbed from elsewhere.

But I had a different idea.

Shaking my head, I corrected her,

“No. It’s more probable that its parent carried it.”
“It was carried?”
“By a parent?”

This was a new idea to them, but amphibians have many unusual ways of reproducing.

For instance, the Pipa pipa, or Surinam toad, turns in the water as it lays eggs, embedding them into its back. The mother’s skin grows over them, and eventually, small toads push out from pores in her back—a sight that often unsettles people when seen in images.

Likewise, the golden poison dart frog from the Amazon rainforest departs after laying eggs, leaving the father to tend them.

The male carries the newly hatched tadpoles on his back, seeking out water-filled leaves where they can develop safely.

Because the Amazon is so intensely hot, water dries rapidly, so the father must move his young as needed.

“Then… what became of this one’s parents?”
“It’s difficult to say. Usually, species that carry their offspring do so until they become frogs or toads. But since this one was left alone, its parents may have perished in a storm or another accident.”
“How awful… We should at least give it a good meal today.”

As the tadpole repeatedly clambered out of the water, Hwa-eun and Seol got ready to collect more wood.

But I held them back.

“Wait. Let’s not give it any more today.”
“Why not? It’s gone hungry for ten years!”
“Exactly! So-ryong, let’s feed it more!”

They were insistent, feeling sorry for it.

However, if we overfed it and it suddenly grew limbs, we might not be permitted to remove it from Bota Monastery.

“Some types of frogs and toads can become adults in mere days if they have sufficient food. If this one develops too quickly, the monastery may refuse to let us take it.”

If it were only a frog, that would be one thing. But if it proved to be a toad, the Buddhist nuns would surely see it as holy.

“Oh… That’s true. If it’s a toad…”

In Buddhist tradition, toads are sacred, even if not celestial.

There’s a teaching that a toad lives free underwater like a fish, but once it comes onto land and is observed by people, it must take on duties and purpose.

In Buddhist art, toads are occasionally shown as divine protectors of the Dharma.

And more importantly—

In common tales, the three-legged toad is said to cough up coins, representing riches and good fortune.

So if everyone learned this was a toad, Bota Monastery would never willingly surrender it.

Even if the princess asked for it, the monastery legally owned it.

“Oh… If it’s sacred, the nuns will never release it…”
“Yes. Even monastic followers can be tempted.”
“You’re right… If it’s a toad, the monastery will hold onto it.”

Hwa-eun and Seol nodded in agreement.

I gently patted the tadpole’s head as it climbed onto the rock again, as though pleading to be taken away, and promised,

“Just hold on a little longer. I’ll come for you soon. I give you my word—I’ll feed you all you want when we go. Understood?”

The tadpole gazed at me briefly, then slipped back into the water and vanished.

“Did it understand?”
“Most likely. It’s clearly an intelligent being.”
“So-ryong, we have to save it as quickly as we can.”
“Yes… We absolutely must.”

Having resolved to rescue the small being that had endured a decade of deprivation, we noticed the sun beginning to crest the eastern horizon.

***

“We’ll Take Huali as Soon as the Boat Is Ready.”

At first light, we went directly to Sword Mistress and told her we intended to take Huali without delay.

She gave a simple nod, as if she had planned to give it to us all along.

“Naturally, Ji-ryeon gave her word, so I must uphold it. How will you transport it?”
“Our vessel is anchored at the main island of the Zhoushan Archipelago. One of us will go to bring it here. Will you allow it to moor at your dock?”

Our strategy was simple. Once our ship arrived, we would use Cho to move Huali, carrying it inside a leather pouch filled with water, much like a bucket carried by a firefighting helicopter.

Sword Mistress agreed easily but set one rule.

“Very well. However, ensure no men come ashore. I fear my disciples may become unsettled by their presence.”

I had wondered why men were barred from the island, but it seemed the nuns were concerned their students might become distracted or agitated.

It reminded me of a time in my former life when I visited an all-girls school to return an umbrella for my neighbor’s sister. The older students had completely lost their composure.

‘A man! There’s a man here!’ they had shrieked.

I had been totally bewildered at the time.

“I understand. Also, I need to gather water from the Moonlit Spring on Yongbong Peak. May I bring my daughters along for that?”

With the ship arranged, I now required approval for Cho to land on Yongbong Peak.

Sword Mistress seemed confused by my words.

“Your daughters? If they are not male, it should be acceptable. But how old are they?”

Given my age, she probably thought my daughters were very young.

“Oh, they’re youthful, but they aren’t human, so it’s alright.”
“…Not human?”
“Correct, they are O-gong. I only ask that you warn your disciples in advance to prevent alarm.”
“O-O-gong? Your daughter is an O-gong?”
“Yes, she is approximately twenty spans in length and capable of flight.”
“What are you talking about?”

As I provided more information, Sword Mistress only grew more perplexed, her eyes blinking in confusion.

***

My senior sister arranged for a ferry to return us to our ship, and in the meantime, we made our preparations.

First, we set up the large water jars we had borrowed from Bota Monastery at the dock, then, with assistance from the nuns, filled them with water.

Cho was originally meant to collect the water, but Sword Mistress chose to have her disciples transport it as a training exercise.

“Is the water from the Moonlit Spring unique? Is that why you’re collecting it?”
“Ah… Yes. Something along those lines.”

We kept our actual motive—taking Huali—concealed.

Sword Mistress, knowing how attached her disciples were to Huali, advised us to take it swiftly when the time came.

Around noon, our ship finally came into view far off.

From the deck, Cho launched powerfully into the sky, heading straight for us.

Having been apart for several days, it seemed anxious to see me again.

Attached to its body was the leather pouch I had ready beforehand.

— Tsrururur!
“Yes, I missed you too. Now, go over there.”
— Tsrru?

I directed it toward Yongbong Peak, but when I referred to myself as dad in my thoughts, Cho cocked its head and eyed my clothing with doubt.

I started and rushed to explain.

“L-Look, men aren’t permitted here, so I had to wear Mom’s clothing.”

After swiftly resolving that confusion, I guided Cho to Yongbong Peak, where Huali was already waiting for me at the water’s edge.

Had it sensed from the water-gathering that today was the day?

“Cho, this is Huali. Greet them properly. This is your… well, new elder sibling? Older brother? Whatever the case, they’re senior to you, so show respect.”
— Tsrur.

Huali appeared younger than Cho, but actually, Huali was ten years old, while Cho was just one.

As the two observed one another, we moved Huali into the water-filled leather pouch.

“Okay, let’s move out!”

We hurried toward the pier.

But just as I was about to carry out my plan to take Huali back and support its growth, I stopped short at the sight that met us at the dock.

“Waaah! Huali…!”
“Master, are you truly giving Huali away…?”
“Sniff… sob…”

It resembled a funeral procession.

The disciples of Bota Monastery were crying uncontrollably at the pier.

Plainly, they were crushed that I was taking Huali away.

It was only reasonable. Even when parting with a pet dog, people often weep. These young women had cared for Huali for ten years, so their grief was understandable.

Sword Mistress stood before her weeping disciples with an uncomfortable expression.

The senior disciples were coping, but the younger ones were weeping openly.

“What is all this…?”

As I stepped off the boat, confused by the intense display, Seol hurried to my side and whispered in my ear.

[“You said this would be okay. Fix this.”]
‘I didn’t expect it to be so intense…’

I drew a deep breath and whispered back.

[“Seol, tell them:”]
[“What?”]
[“Say that… Huali is male.”]
[?!]

Seol’s eyes went wide.

She then turned to the mourning disciples and announced.

“L-Ladies! Miss Tang So-eun has just shared with me a crucial reason we must take Huali with us!”

At that, the crying disciples lifted their heads.

“What reason?!”
“Yes! Why must you take Huali?!”

Seol paused briefly, then continued,

“Well… you see… it seems Huali is male. And… isn’t it true that males are not allowed on Yongbong Peak?”

Silence fell.

The young nuns stood motionless, looking stunned.

Then, one asked doubtfully,

“How can we know that’s true?”
“Yes! How can we believe you?!”

If they wouldn’t accept it, there was only one method to convince them.

I whispered to Seol again.

[“Tell them we’ll verify Huali’s gender right now.”]
[“What?!”]

What other choice did we have? If they required proof, we had to provide it.

Seol took a hard swallow, then declared,

“Then… we will show you! We’ll confirm whether Huali is male or female!”
“W-What?! Show us?!”
“Wh-What will you show?! Kyaaah!”
“Aaaaah!!!”

I had fully intended to conduct a proper examination.

But before I could even start, the nuns cried out in alarm and ran from the dock.

Watching them flee in panic, Seol turned to me, astonished.

“…Was that your strategy? But… is it actually true? Is Huali male?”

If I could determine the gender of a tadpole, I would have been immensely wealthy in my past life.

I just grinned and shrugged.

“Who can say?”