Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 185

Chapter 185
Enduring the daily requirement to relax in the hot springs was its own form of difficulty.
The water drained a significant amount of energy, inevitably leaving one feeling ravenous afterwards.
“Wow, I’m absolutely famished.”
“So-ryong, shall I prepare the leftover venison from yesterday on the grill?”
My stomach was growling naturally after coming back from the morning’s hunt for the Fire Crystal.
The moment I mentioned my hunger while rubbing my belly, Hwa-eun was quick to suggest grilling the meat.
“Yes, please do.”
“Right away, So-ryong.”
In no time, Hwa-eun had grilled the ribs from the deer Gungbong had caught the previous day.
The rich, savory aroma of cooked venison filled the air.
Thinking about it, my own bond with Hwa-eun had started over venison as well, which brought a rush of memories.
It was over venison that I’d first spoken properly with my father-in-law and my grandfather—that was where everything began.
I was lost in these thoughts and had just taken a bite of the venison she offered me; rich oils seeped out, covering my tongue, and the deep, savory flavor was on the verge of bursting in my mouth.
‘Venison is truly delicious, every single time.’
Just then, Ji-ryong erupted from the well using Qinggong, his tone full of urgency.
“Huff, huff… So-hyeop! They’re hatching! I saw something like threads moving inside the eggs!”
He was soaking wet, water dripping from his hair—he must have sprinted here non-stop straight from the well.
Both Ji-ryong and I were equally drenched, looking like we’d just come from the springs.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes! You have to come see for yourself!”
A full month had passed since we’d made our home in this remote ethnic village near the volcano in Yunnan.
And finally, the long-anticipated hatching of the Giant Black-Clawed Red Earwig was commencing.
The main goal appeared almost out of reach, but at the very least, I needed to record the hatching and secure one of the newborn creatures.
The search for the Fire Crystal had been nothing but frustration.
For an entire month, I had combed the waterways above and below the valley, following the flow of the hot springs, but found no sign of the Fire Crystal.
I’d even meticulously searched the rock formations and large boulders lining the valley and had discovered nothing—not a single clue.
By now, I had nearly abandoned hope of finding the Fire Crystal.
Then again, since something as miraculous as the Ice Jade was discovered purely by chance, perhaps it wasn’t that we were unlucky—just that Chang-ryong was uniquely fortunate.
Regardless, since my search had failed, I had already made arrangements to get Chang-ryong’s portion, which gave me some peace of mind.
I hadn’t wanted to accept it initially, but for Hyang’s benefit, it felt necessary.
“Thank you! Let’s move, Bini, Cho! Hwa-eun, please look after Hyang!”
— Tzrrrr!
— Tzrt!
Gripping the venison rib in my teeth, I tossed the orange potato-like creature in my arms toward Hwa-eun.
— Piiik!
It flew through the air with a startled expression.
Hwa-eun caught Hyang as if he were a ball and promptly cradled him.
“Understood, So-ryong.”
The reason I was leaving Hyang behind—
I was concerned that bringing him might lead to another incident.
I still hadn’t determined why Hyang had previously gone into a frenzy, treating the Black-Clawed Red Earwig as prey.
It was probably connected to its fiery energy or perhaps an internal Neidan. That was my strongest hypothesis.
The reaction of Bini and Cho upon seeing the Neidan of Bicheon Shinsa’s pet, Yeondu, was strikingly similar.
If that were the case, then Hyang’s sudden fit of aggression made perfect sense.
Even the typically gentle Cho, Hyang, and Bini had turned into ferocious beasts at the mere sight of a Neidan.
Now that Hyang was safely with Hwa-eun, I rushed toward the well where the hatching was occurring.
I had anticipated this moment for so long—there was no chance I could delay any further.
“I’m going!”
“So-ryong, hold on! I want to see it as well!”
— Tzrrrr!
— Tzrrt!
Bini and Cho hurried after me.
And Seol was also there, eager to observe the hatching.
— Splash!
I dropped into the well, water rising to my thighs.
I pulled a Night Pearl from my pocket, illuminated it, and quickly slipped through the tunnel entrance.
— Tack, tack, tack.
“So-ryong, wait for me!”
“I’ll wait just outside the passage!”
“Ah, alright!”
Bent over to avoid the low ceiling, I ran a short distance—
Soon, the tunnel widened into a large cavern.
After a momentary wait, Bini and Cho scampered in, followed by Seol, who landed and grabbed her throat.
“It feels more difficult each time.”
The height of the passage was clearly a struggle for a grown woman like her.
I smiled and spoke.
“Let’s go, Seol.”
“Yes, we should hurry.”
We ran for a time, halting at a spot where, even a month later, residual odors still hung in the air.
A damp, moldy smell hit my nostrils.
From this point onward, we needed to move with extreme care.
The cave walls created echoes, meaning even our footsteps could be dangerously amplified.
I put away the Night Pearl and, alongside Seol, activated the Beast Palace’s Cat’s Night Vision Technique.
A ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) prickling sensation concentrated in my eyes, and the environment became more distinct.
When I looked at Seol, her pupils had dilated, appearing almost as if she wore tinted contact lenses.
[We need to proceed silently from here.]
[Understood.]
I breathed the words softly near her ear.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Then, mentally, I commanded Bini and Cho to remain quiet before advancing.
As we pressed on, a heap of collapsed stone pillars came into view—the wreckage from a prior cave-in.
Beyond that lay the nesting ground of the Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
Moving stealthily with Seol, Cho, and Bini, we concealed ourselves behind the debris.
And there, in the deepest corner, we saw it—the Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
Sharpening my focus, I could see yellow eggs under its abdomen—no, they were no longer just eggs. They were newborns, freshly hatched, squirming beneath their mother.
Just as when Cho, Hyang, and Bini first emerged, these hatchlings were a yellowish color, wriggling under their parent.
[Whoa… So-ryong, there are so many of them.]
Seol whispered in amazement as she took in the sight.
I too watched, thrilled, as the newly hatched creatures moved about.
Then, Seol posed an odd question.
[Wait… So-ryong, why don’t the babies have pincers?]
As she noted, the young earwigs lacked pincers on their tails, possessing instead two long, hair-like structures.
There was an explanation for this.
The so-called “pincers” on an earwig’s tail aren’t truly pincers. They are actually modified cerci—appendages that have evolved for specific uses.
Cerci—also referred to as tail filaments.
In English, they are simply called cerci.
They are identical to the twin filaments found on the tails of dragonflies and cockroaches.
And those are cerci as well.
This is why the newborn earwigs only have lengthy cerci instead of pincers.
After several molts as they mature, these cerci will develop into fully formed pincers.
[Following a few molts, those long filaments will become proper pincers.]
[Ohh, is that so?]
[Yes, Seol.]
[Insects appear so much more enigmatic than beasts.]
Seol’s eyes shone with interest at my clarification.
It felt rewarding to instruct someone so keen to learn.
Then, my brilliant student asked another question.
[But So-ryong, something has been on my mind—why is this being called a Black-Clawed Red Earwig? The pincers on its tail look more like swords or blades than actual pincers. Shouldn’t it be named something like Twin-Sword Red Earwig or Twin-Blade Red Earwig?]
Damn. That was an excellent question.
Just what you’d expect from a sister deserving of this Spicy Fabre.
The character 鉗 originally meant shackles fastened around a criminal’s neck, but the mother earwig’s pincers weren’t shackles—they were distinctly shaped more like blades or scissors.
Even so, there must be a reason this species is named Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
While most female earwigs possess sharp, scissor-like pincers like this, the males usually have hook-shaped pincers, reminiscent of an executioner’s shackles.
This variation in pincer shape between males and females is a defining feature of earwigs.
[Ah, the males of this species actually have hook-shaped tails, whereas the females have blade-like ones. The individual who named them likely only encountered the males.]
[As expected of our So-ryong. You truly know everything.]
For the first time in a long while, Seol gazed at me with respect.
Feeling a sense of pride, I gave her a look that said, You really ought to boast about having a little brother like me.
But then, Seol abruptly shifted her attention back to the Black-Clawed Red Earwig, and her face stiffened.
“!”
An expression of alarm crossed her features as she suddenly seized my shoulder, gripping it tightly.
I blinked in confusion at her unexpected move.
Then, her voice shaking, she whispered into my ear.
[H-Hyang!]
[Hyang?]
Hyang should have been asleep inside my robes.
I reached into my clothing—and found nothing there.
My eyes widened. Had I dropped him somewhere during the run?
Before I could process this, Seol took my head in both hands and forcefully turned it toward the Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
At first, I didn’t understand what she wanted me to see—
Until I saw it.
Behind the earwig, attached to the cave wall…
A small, yellow form with blue spots.
‘H-Hyang!? What in the world are you doing over there?!’
At some point, Hyang had slipped out of my clothes and affixed himself to the cave wall behind the Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
The sight made my mind go completely blank.
And then, his guileless little voice echoed in my head.
‘Tzrrr! Dad, there’s a thing here! Hyang found a thing!’
The instant I tried to call him back, Hyang suddenly bit down on something lodged in the cave wall and began pulling on it.
Then—
Pop!
A loud sound ruptured the silence of the cave.
— Clatter.
— Thud. Thud-thud-rattle…
The item Hyang had just pulled loose fell to the ground, its impact resonating through the quiet cave like a clap of thunder.
And then—
The Black-Clawed Red Earwig gradually turned its head.
Its eyes fixed on Hyang.
The clicking noise from its pincers intensified.
— Scritch. Scritch.
And then, abruptly—
— CRACK!
The earwig’s tail snapped forward, hitting the cave wall.
Hyang was trapped.
“Hyang!”
“Ahhh! Hyang!”
— Tzrrr!
I surged forward.
Hyang was clamped in the earwig’s pincers, flailing, attempting to bite them to get free.
If I left him like that, he wouldn’t be Hyang anymore—he would be finished.
I sprinted forward and yelled.
Because rescuing your child is a father’s responsibility.
“W-Wait!”
The Black-Clawed Red Earwig slowly directed its gaze at me.
I didn’t know if it could comprehend me, but I raised my hands, attempting to show I meant no harm.
“Calm down, please, calm down. I understand what you’re feeling, but don’t do it. My child was just curious about you. He intended no harm to you or your young.”
— Trut?
For the first time, the giant earwig made a sound.
As befits a spirit beast, it seemed to grasp at least a little.
It even looked… perplexed.
“Yes, I know it sounds strange, but he truly is my child. These two here are also my children.”
I gestured for Bini and Cho to approach.
They immediately crept toward me.
Seeing them, the Black-Clawed Red Earwig started and instinctively covered its babies with its body.
“We mean no one any harm. You don’t need to be anxious.”
The earwig remained vigilant, but it seemed to be listening.
So I proposed a deal.
“You know your time is limited, right? If you let my child go, we will ensure your offspring survive after you’re gone.”
“As a parent myself, I understand. I am willing to assist. So, what do you say?”
If it harmed Hyang, Bini and Cho would rage and destroy the entire nest.
But what was needed now wasn’t a battle—it was an agreement.
— Tzrrr!
— Tzrrt!
Bini and Cho added their sounds, as if contributing to the discussion.
For a moment, the Black-Clawed Red Earwig’s gaze changed.
And then—
Gently, cautiously, it opened its pincers and placed Hyang on the ground before its head.
The negotiation was a success.
“Thank you. I will honor my promise. And I will visit occasionally to check on you, so please don’t be alarmed. I just need to know when you are nearing your end.”
At my final words, the Black-Clawed Red Earwig gave a slight nod.
Hyang scampered over and climbed into my embrace.
I swiftly examined him for any wounds, but he appeared to be unhurt.
With Bini, Cho, and Seol, I cautiously retreated, moving back toward the well passage.
As we walked, Seol turned to me, her face still ashen.
“…Did you see it?”
I nodded.
I knew precisely what she meant.
“Yes.”
The cave wall—where Hyang had been attached—had split open from the force of the earwig’s strike.
And set within the broken rock, glowing faintly—
Was a Fire Crystal.
Moreover—Hyang’s antennae and the ends of his feet were dyed a profound red.

TL Note: Qinggong is a technique in Chinese martial arts (including Wushu) that allows fighters to move with incredible speed, effortlessly jump long distances, and run on walls or water.