Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 186

Chapter 186
— Kii-kii.
Holding the infant Black-Clawed Red Earwig as it wept pitifully for its mother, I hurried through the lava tube and into the connecting tunnel. Despite the distance we covered, its desperate cries never ceased.
It continued to squirm restlessly in my grasp.
If I returned directly to the village now, the others would instantly swarm us, giving the little one no space to mourn. It would be drowned in attention before it could even begin to comprehend its loss.
So, I settled against the passage wall and spent some time speaking softly to it.
“Well then… Hello there. I am So-ryong. Shall we have a little chat? Though I’m not quite sure where to begin…”
I started with my own introduction, then did my best to clarify why its mother was left with no other option.
This little one had been the sole recipient of its mother’s deepest affection, yet its siblings would have perished had she not made that ultimate sacrifice.
I also shared that, honoring its mother’s final wish, I would raise it until it reached adulthood.
By the time I finished, the infant seemed to have settled somewhat and was gazing up at me.
I gently rubbed its head and inquired,
“Are you feeling a bit more at ease?”
Its carapace had hardened somewhat since hatching, but it was still pliant.
Peering into its luminous, damp eyes, I went on,
“From today onward, we will be sharing our lives… so you will require a name. What might be a fitting one… Let me think…”
The first necessity for any new member of the family is a name.
As I soothed the little creature, I pondered a suitable name for it.
Then, a rather endearing one came to me.
Hongdan.
In the life I led before, that might have conjured the image of a red flower tile from a game, but here in the Central Plains, its significance was altogether different.
I explained my thinking to the little one.
“Ah! There we are! Since you were the only one to receive your mother’s devoted love, I will use the character Dan (單), meaning ‘alone,’ and name you Hongdan. How does that sound?”
This name carried a profound meaning.
The one who alone received a mother’s greatest love.
The one who alone awakened its intellect.
Hence, Dan (Alone).
The little one paused briefly, as if in contemplation, then gave a nod of acceptance.
— Kii.
Having consumed its mother’s Neidan, it displayed remarkable intelligence.
I gave its head another pat and said,
“When we ascend, your sisters will be there to greet you. Let us go.”
— Kii?
Hongdan tilted its head at the mention of sisters welcoming it.
I referred to them as sisters because Hongdan was female.
A male would have developed pincers, but the twin sharp blades on its tail confirmed its sex.
It made me ponder—was this mere chance, or did the Tang Clan’s focus on poisons and stealth, practices steeped in yin energy, somehow influence even the venomous creatures in my care to be predominantly female?
‘Now that I think of it, Bing is the only male.’
Naturally, it was likely just coincidence.
Moji and Soji remained unconfirmed, so they were not counted, but Cho, Hyang, and Bini—the three eggs that survived—were all female by happenstance. Yo-hwa had simply been assigned to me.
Even Yeondu and Hyang were female.
This time, it was entirely the choice of the Black-Clawed Red Earwig mother.
For her, bestowing her Neidan upon a female rather than a male was the more advantageous decision for perpetuating their lineage.
After all, the survival of a species is far more assured if a female, capable of laying eggs, grows powerful and matures rapidly.
To make the climb up the well, I carefully nestled the startled infant inside my robe.
It peeked out from between the layers of fabric.
“Shall we go, then?”
Seizing the vines dangling from above, I scaled the well and emerged outside, where several people were waiting.
True to expectation, Hwa-eun and Sister Seol were the first to extend their hands and pull me up.
“So-ryong, is everything alright?”
“Ryong, what occurred down there?”
They must have noticed Hongdan peeking from my robes, yet they continued to question me.
Glancing down, I saw Hongdan had retreated back into the folds of my clothing, only its antennae visible, as if startled.
I gestured toward my chest and murmured to them both.
[We will speak of it later. A new member has joined our family.]
I could not discuss the mother’s death or how Hongdan’s siblings had consumed her—not in Hongdan’s presence.
First, introductions were in order.
As I brought Hongdan out from within my robes, both Hwa-eun and Sister Seol’s eyes grew wide.
Hongdan’s large, inquisitive eyes made it appear incredibly endearing.
“Good heavens!”
“And who is this?”
“This little one is named Hongdan.”
“Hongdan?”
“A lovely name. It suits its adorable appearance.”
I opened my robe a little more, fully revealing Hongdan’s head.
Its eyes shone with reflected light and a captivated fascination with the new faces surrounding it.
I made the introductions properly.
“Hongdan, you must greet everyone. This lady will be a mother to you alongside me, and the one beside her is your aunt. You likely do not understand these terms yet, so simply know they are the people who will help me care for you.”
— Kii.
“Oh, even its voice is delightful.”
“Truly, what a charming little cry.”
With Hwa-eun and Sister Seol thoroughly pleased, we proceeded to our lodgings.
Inside, I observed:
Cho, asleep and floating near the ceiling.
Bini, lifting its head from the floor as we entered.
Seol, Bing, and Dong, feeding from the ice crystal on the table.
Yeondu, coiled around a pillar.
Moji and Soji, motionless near the ice crystal.
Hyang, sitting in a daze beneath the bed.
And finally, Yo-hwa entered behind us, completing the assembly of the family.
I summoned all the children to the middle of the room and set Hongdan down on the floor.
“Now then, everyone. This is our newest family member, Hongdan. She is the youngest, so all of you must look after her well.”
For now, Hongdan was only about the size of a small pup.
Not very large—roughly the size of two clenched fists together.
As I placed her among the others, a variety of reactions ensued.
— Tsrrt?
— Gukku?
— Kisit?
They all observed her with curiosity, as if wondering, What is this thing?
But, as anticipated, the eldest daughter was the first to approach.
Cho flew over, gently touching Hongdan with its antennae, causing her to startle.
Then, one after another, the rest offered their greetings in their own unique manners.
Cho and Bini made contact with their antennae.
Seol, Bing, and Dong answered with chirping noises.
Yo-hwa, in her Hwa-eun form, waved her pedipalps.
Yeondu offered a slight nod.
Hyang… merely stared vacantly.
Just as the introductions seemed to be concluding, Hwa-eun suddenly clapped her hands.
— Clap!
“Oh, we overlooked Hyang!”
Hwa-eun checked the folds of her skirt, searching carefully, before finally grasping a pleat and extracting a sleeping Hyang, placing her before Hongdan.
Earlier, when I’d rushed into the cave, I had inadvertently left Hyang behind. It appeared she had been slumbering within the folds of Hwa-eun’s skirt the entire time.
“Hyang, you must say hello. This is your younger sister.”
Hyang, still drowsy, blinked blankly for a moment. Then, seeing Hongdan, she flinched and turned her head in surprise.
— Tsrrt?
“This is your new little sister.”
— Tsrrt!?
Hyang seemed astonished by the word ‘sister,’ but after examining Hongdan, she seemed to inflate slightly, possibly feeling a sense of superiority due to Hongdan’s smaller size.
Wearing a somewhat self-satisfied expression, Hyang circled Hongdan once before stepping forward with a cheerful hop. Then, as if staking a claim, she tapped Hongdan’s forehead gently and emitted a soft cry.
— Tsrrr.
‘Is she attempting to say, ‘I will look after you, just rely on me’?’
It appeared Hyang was immensely pleased to finally have someone smaller than herself.
***
Three Days Later
After a few days had passed, I went back to the cave.
There were still matters that required my attention.
I needed to give Hongdan’s mother’s remains a proper burial, retrieve the Fire Crystal, and ascertain what had become of Hongdan’s siblings.
I intended to complete all of this today and then seal the tunnel leading to the well, as I had vowed to the village chief.
— Tsrrr.
With Bini guiding the way, I reached the place where the Black-Clawed Red Earwig had been.
None of Hongdan’s siblings were to be seen.
They had either dispersed or crawled away seeking light—not a single one remained.
Then, my gaze fell upon what was left of Hongdan’s nest.
In the gloom, the lifeless remnants of Hongdan’s mother lay scattered.
All the soft tissue of her body had been devoured, leaving behind only the toughened shell of her wings and the pincers on her tail.
‘Just as I thought, only these portions remain.’
When a mother earwig offers herself to her young, these final fragments are all that is left.
I had brought Hongdan here to bid a final farewell, and upon seeing the remains, she released a mournful cry.
— Kiii…
Her soft lament echoed quietly through the cavern.
“Wait here a moment.”
I set her down gently and started collecting the dispersed remains, placing them beneath where the Fire Crystal was embedded.
I planned for them to be covered by the earth that would fall when I extracted the crystal.
After meticulously gathering all the pieces against the wall, I called for Bini.
“Bini, extract it.”
— Tsrrt!
At my command, Bini scaled the wall and clamped her mandibles onto the Fire Crystal, wrenching it free.
The instant the crystal was dislodged, the surrounding wall gave way with a low rumble.
— Rumble!
I swiftly moved back, shielding Hongdan from the shower of dust.
Then, Bini appeared, crawling down the wall with an enormous crystal held in her mandibles—larger than a person’s head.
— Tsrrrt.
‘Wait… This isn’t all of it!?’
The last time I inspected it, it had seemed no bigger than a fist. But evidently, what I had seen previously was merely the very tip of the crystal!
I was elated, but I reserved that joy for later.
This was, first and foremost, a funeral.
Once the dust had settled, just as I had anticipated, Hongdan’s mother’s remains were interred beneath the collapsed rock and soil.
I turned to Hongdan.
“Come, Hongdan. Bid your final farewell.”
— Kiii…
She leaped from my arms and scampered over to the mound of stones.
She paused for a moment, seeming hesitant—perhaps because the grave was so sizable. Then, noticing the tip of her mother’s pincer protruding from between the rocks, she used her tiny mandibles to nudge a stone over it, completely covering it.
Then, without a backward glance, she turned and hurried back to me.
A short, yet sincere, goodbye.
***
— Biiii!
As I labored to haul the massive Fire Crystal into our room, Hyang suddenly launched into the air.
Literally.
I had no notion how her short legs could produce such force, but she leaped directly at me, colliding with my chest as I held the crystal.
— Thud!
The impact threw me off balance, and I landed heavily on my backside, still clutching the crystal.
Instantly, a lapping sound filled the air.
— Sluurp. Slurp.
Hyang, clinging to the Fire Crystal more like a lizard than a toad, began enthusiastically licking its surface.
Wherever her tongue passed, the crystal’s glow would dim momentarily before flaring back just as brightly. It truly seemed as though she was absorbing its energy.
Hwa-eun and Sister Seol, who had been sipping tea quietly inside, looked completely astonished.
It was the first instance they had ever witnessed Hyang exhibit such clear emotion.
She wore the most joyful expression I had ever seen on her face.
“Wait… has she ever been this demonstrative before?”
“Absolutely not.”
They both shook their heads in disbelief.
More than the shock of me returning with such an enormous crystal, they were far more perplexed by Hyang’s conduct.
But ultimately, Hyang was content, I was content, and no one had truly suffered any loss on this excursion.
As I considered concluding our affairs here and discussing our journey back, I began to speak.
“Well then, I expect it is time we made our return to the Tang Clan—”
Before I could finish, a commotion arose from outside.
“Are you from Beast Palace?”
“Yes, we received your request for aid. What is the situation?”
From the voices, it seemed the village had indeed summoned reinforcements from Beast Palace, and now, those reinforcements had arrived.
Hearing a familiar voice, Sister Seol jumped to her feet and hurried outside.
“Captain of the Eagle Claw Squad!?”
“Young Lady!? What are you doing here? You should be at the Tang Clan!”
Hwa-eun and I trailed after her, stepping out to find a larger contingent of people than anticipated.
And curiously, not all appeared to be from Beast Palace.
From the insignias on their chests, I discerned that some belonged to the Martial Alliance.
The moment we emerged, the man identified as the Captain of the Eagle Claw Squad looked completely stunned.
“So-ryong! And even Lady Hwa-eun, your intended!?”
“Hwa-eun?”
“Hwa-eun… You mean the Venomous Moonflower?”
“There are members of the Tang Clan here!?”
“Master Gu?”
“What? Ji-ryong? Even the Five Dragons of Wu Mountain are here!?”
Amid the sudden clamor, I moved nearer to Sister Seol, examining the so-called Captain of the Eagle Claw Squad.
I recognized him.
I had encountered him a few times at Beast Palace and had even collaborated with him when I went to retrieve Yeondu.
‘But this is far too many people for a simple village matter. The Martial Alliance is here as well?’
As I took a moment to survey the crowd behind him, I heard Sister Seol question him.
“What brings you all here? We were merely passing through on personal business. The village’s trouble has already been settled, so you need not concern yourselves with that. But… I see many unfamiliar faces. Why such a large force?”
“Ah… Just as one would expect from the Young Lady. That is a relief. This means we can proceed without delay. Ah, the reason for our numbers is that, after addressing this situation, we intended to journey to Qinghai.”
“Qinghai?”
That word instantly seized my ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) attention.
Qinghai was one of our planned destinations.
I focused on the conversation, and what I heard next was startling.
“Yes, we recently apprehended a Blood Cult member who was spying near Beast Palace. During his interrogation, we learned that both the Blood Cult and the Five Venoms Clan are plotting something in Qinghai.”
The Five Venoms Clan.
A connection sparked in my thoughts.
“Plotting something? What exactly?”
“Well… from the intelligence we gathered, it pertains to a gigantic venomous creature.”
“A gigantic venomous creature?”
“Yes.”
“The captive claimed it was as large as a house.”
Hearing this, I swiftly approached the captain of the Eagle Claw Squad and gripped his shoulder.
“As a member of Beast Palace, it is impossible for me to disregard this.”