Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 171

Chapter 171
As soon as Yo-hwa called out, I started and reflexively tucked my hands behind my back.
But she wasn’t about to let that slide.
She lunged forward, seized my wrists, and pulled them into full view—positioned directly between her own gaze and Hwa-eun’s.
– Kissit!
My nails shone with a vivid emerald light, and Yo-hwa stared at me with an intensity that felt like she’d just discovered her partner being unfaithful.
‘Of all the luck—why did it have to be Yo-hwa?!’
A cold dread settled over me beneath her sharp scrutiny.
Was this really what it felt like to be exposed?
I squeezed my eyes shut, my expression strained.
The last individual—or more accurately, the last venomous being—I wanted to discover me like this was Yo-hwa.
If Bini or Hyang had been the ones to see, they might have thrown a tantrum, but I could have charmed or pleaded my way out.
Yo-hwa, however, was another matter.
Her fixation on me was profound—she had even tied two crimson threads to my wrist.
She undoubtedly viewed me as more than a simple keeper.
And complicating everything, she had borrowed Hwa-eun’s form, making the entire predicament infinitely more awkward.
Now, her sharp, insistent cry demanded a response.
“…What? What do you mean, Yo-hwa? Maybe your eyes are tricking you?”
Her face instantly contorted with incredulity, and she released a piercing, accusatory scream.
Kishishi!? Kishi!?
Even without a Beast Heart Resonance connection, her body language conveyed everything perfectly.
Her demeanor and gestures were unnervingly recognizable.
They mirrored a line I’d heard over and over again in my previous life.
『Do you think I’m a fool?!』
The very phrase and expression used by actresses in dramas when confronting a cheating partner.
‘Why… why do these tropes persist across worlds?!’
Hwa-eun and Grandfather Mandok Shingun attempted to intervene.
“Yo-hwa, please relax. This isn’t as it appears—”
“Our dear Yo-hwa is angry, is she? Don’t fret, it’s nothing like that—”
But before they could finish, Yo-hwa snapped her head toward them and emitted a furious shriek.
Kissit! Kishishishit!
『This is between us! Don’t interfere!』
Something strange happened.
Despite Beast Heart Resonance not being engaged, I comprehended her perfectly.
‘Crap… what now?’
This was escalating into a full-blown confrontation.
If this were playing out on a live stream, how would I salvage it?
Wait. A stream…
A thought flashed through my mind.
In my past life, my greatest strength as a creator was my ability to think on my feet.
I’d faced countless emergencies—a guest cursing on camera, or someone panicking over a reptile or insect.
And I’d always found a way to recover with fast, creative replies.
Time to use that skill again.
‘Cho, pay attention. I’m going to settle Yo-hwa down, so just play along and act ignorant. Understood?’
Tsrrut!
I took a steadying breath, arranged my features into a calm mask, and looked Yo-hwa in the eye.
Showtime.
“…Well. I meant to surprise Yo-hwa, but it seems I’ve been discovered.”
Kissit?
Her cry was laced with doubt.
I paid no mind and calmly activated the Centipede Poison Fang Claw again, allowing my nails to glow with that brilliant green hue once more.
“Looks like I have no option but to come clean. But Yo-hwa, you should know—I truly wanted this to remain hidden. Even if you’re upset with me afterward, there’s little I can do. You jumped to conclusions, you see.”
Ki, Kishi…?
My self-assured tone made her pause.
But as my nails shimmered brightly again, her eyes flashed with fresh anger.
Kissit!
She likely assumed I was concocting lies despite the clear proof right before her.
I had to press on.
“I genuinely wanted to surprise you. And now you’re angry… alas. But listen, Yo-hwa, this was all done for your sake.”
…?
For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty appeared in her eyes.
This was my opportunity.
With a soft smile, I went on.
“You may not be aware, but the arts I’m training in—Centipede Poison Fang Claw, Venomous Snake Life-Seizing Hand, Scorpion Tail Swift Kick, Lizard Gecko Movement, and Explosive Toad Palm—each symbolize a different venomous being.”
Ki, Kissit?
Yo-hwa cocked her head.
I gave a solemn nod.
“But consider this, Yo-hwa. Among all these disciplines, there isn’t one that symbolizes you.”
“…”
“Centipede. Snake. Scorpion. Lizard. Toad. They all have a place… but not you.”
Kishishit!
The instant she understood, Yo-hwa erupted in indignation.
I nodded as though sharing her outrage.
“Exactly?! It’s utterly unjust! How can there be a style for every other creature but not for my precious Yo-hwa?”
Her fury intensified, and I swiftly continued.
“So I made a decision to change that.”
Kissit?
“That’s correct. I intended to devise a technique in your name. I wanted to astonish you by crafting a martial art that embodies you. Grandfather and I have been collaborating on it.”
When I mentioned Grandfather, I shot a subtle glance toward him and Hwa-eun.
They caught on right away.
Hwa-eun spoke up first.
“Th-that’s right, Yo-hwa. Your brother wanted to surprise you, so I was aiding him as well. But… well, the surprise is ruined now.”
Grandfather added his part.
“Indeed. We’ve even chosen a name—Spider Fang Piercing Claw. What is your opinion, Yo-hwa? A method that emulates the lethal strike of a spider…”
Spider Fang Piercing Claw—now that was a credible name.
As anticipated from Grandfather, I merely hinted, and he immediately produced a martial arts title that suited the moment flawlessly.
By chance, among the five techniques I’d acquired, each emphasized claw assaults, but none involved precise acupoint targeting with finger strikes. That had always seemed like a minor void in my skills.
It was the ideal cover.
A technique that incapacitates a foe by striking pressure points with two curved fingers, representing spider fangs? It sounded entirely plausible.
And Yo-hwa’s venom wasn’t just any poison—it was a neurotoxind that induced paralysis.
A fighting style merging acupoint hits and paralytic venom?
It was almost too perfect to be real.
‘The pieces are falling into place. Fortune is smiling on me!’
Lately, it felt like the cosmos was stacking the odds against me, but perhaps that was all leading to this moment of celestial aid.
Unlike earlier, when I was at a loss, now everything was clicking.
Every element I’d invented—from the scenario to the name to the art itself—aligned as though preordained from the beginning.
Kissit?
Yo-hwa shot me a questioning look, wordlessly verifying the truth.
All of us nodded eagerly.
“Y-yes, absolutely.”
“It’s true, Yo-hwa.”
“Every word.”
But Yo-hwa required more than our assurances.
She looked to Cho—the one creature she trusted to be truthful.
Kissit?
Tsrr!
Ki, Kissit…
Even Cho, deep in his role, offered a decisive nod.
Finally, Yo-hwa’s doubts began to dissolve.
Her face softened into a look of chagrin.
She gazed at me with a remorseful expression, clearly regretful for her anger without knowing the whole truth.
At last, she let go of my hands.
Seeing her so contrite, I gave her shoulder a reassuring pat with a kind smile.
I was, after all, the understanding type of older brother.
“Anyone could have misread the situation, so there’s no need to apologize.”
Touched by my generosity, Yo-hwa nuzzled against my hand, her eyes shimmering with emotion.
I laughed softly and tousled her hair.
“The technique is still in development, so I can’t demonstrate it yet. But I give you my word that I’ll finish Spider Fang Piercing Claw with Grandfather and reveal it to you. Alright, Yo-hwa?”
Kissit…
She gave a timid nod.
‘That was some seriously fast talking.’
And just like that, Yo-hwa’s misconception was cleared up.
I could finally relax.
Now, she wouldn’t mention it again.
And even if she did, I could always explain that perfecting martial arts takes time.
Hwa-eun even commended me through sound transmission.
[“You dealt with that excellently, So-ryong. Just have Grandfather and me prepare a display later, and it’s settled.”]
Disaster avoided.
With the issue resolved and the other creatures stirring, I thought it was time to conclude and depart.
But just as I prepared to leave…
A soft, hesitant sound reached my ears.
Tsrut. Tsrrut?
The three of us turned back to Yo-hwa.
She was demonstrating silk strands emerging from her spinnerets, her face alight with enthusiasm.
Hwa-eun and Grandfather stared at me, completely confused.
They had no clue what she meant.
Sadly, I did.
And I truly, deeply wished I didn’t.
With a rigid face, I ventured cautiously:
“…Hold on. You want me to include silk production in the technique?”
Kissit!
Yo-hwa nodded with excitement.
She desired me to integrate web-spinning into the fighting style.
‘Yo-hwa… people don’t secrete white liquid from their rear ends…’
Spiders produce silk in fluid state before it hardens.
To mimic that… would I have to, what?
Emit white fluid from my…?!
NO. DEFINITELY NOT.
But if I rejected her outright, it might spark another misunderstanding.
Her hopeful, shining eyes were fixed on me.
Damn it.
With a strained smile, I gave a reluctant nod.
“…I’ll, er… try to figure something out.”
I had just managed to recover, yet somehow… I sensed this issue had only grown more complicated.

***

After practice, I went back to my room.
The others were still sound asleep, utterly worn out.
But one was awake—
From above, Yeondu coiled down from a pillar.
Shaaah.
I hadn’t seen him earlier when I checked on the rest, so he must have been napping up there.
“Ah, Yeondu. Did you rest well?”
I set him on my shoulder, then carefully lifted the drowsy Hyang and placed him on my other shoulder.
That was when I noticed an odd void.
‘…What’s this?’
Something felt absent.
I couldn’t identify it immediately, but the sense of missing something made me wary.
I looked around the room, considering if someone had strayed during the night.
Then, I saw it—
A gap in the corner.
It took me only a moment to recognize—
Hwayang was missing.
“…Has anyone seen Hwayang?”
The others, now rousing, sleepily turned toward Hwayang’s normal place.
Kwookku!
Tsrrr.
They all shook their heads.
“…Where could he have gone?”
Hwayang’s legs are stubby.
Where might he have toddled off to?
I was still looking when—
A servant girl hurried into the room, appearing panicked.
“So-ryong-nim! You must come to the kitchen immediately! If this continues, breakfast will be ruined for everyone!”
“…What?”
The Tang Clan wasn’t destitute—there was no chance we’d depleted our rice supply.
So why was breakfast in jeopardy?
Bewildered, I accompanied her to the kitchen.
Upon arriving—
I encountered an absurd scene.
Hwayang was seated inside the hearth, inhaling all the flames.
“Naturally you’d be here, tracking down a meal like a bloodhound. Get out of there, you greedy thing.”
I pulled him from the fire and dropped him onto my head.
As I was exiting the kitchen—
I noticed Golden-Furred Bee King’s residence in the distance.
It was uncommonly loud.
Buuung.
Buuuuung.
“…What’s happening over there?”
Something was clearly going on.
Perhaps it was a good moment to stop by.