Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 191

Chapter 191
Our party advanced along the riverbank, mixing periods of swift travel with brief halts, undeterred by the previous night’s disturbances.
If we followed this waterway and then took the primary eastern route, it would eventually bring us to Qinghai Lake, the central plains’ greatest salt lake. Continuing from there on the main road toward the northwest would lead into the Kunlun Mountains and the heart of their range, Kunlun Mountain itself.
Kunlun Mountain was our initial goal.
The purpose of our journey there—
Was to locate the Kunlun Sect, counted among the Nine Great Martial Sects.
We were certain the Five Venoms Sect and the Blood Sect were active somewhere in Qinghai, yet their precise whereabouts were still unknown.
The Blood Sect disciple we had taken at the Beast Palace was only a minor follower, knowing nothing of value.
Therefore, we planned to seek intelligence from the Kunlun Sect, our allies on the righteous path.
However you considered it, the Kunlun Sect’s own inquiries and the Blood Sect’s activities appeared connected.
Since they were looking into the vanishing of merchants and their camels, their discoveries would probably align with the clues we were pursuing.
‘What sort of sect chooses to base itself in a place this isolated, though?’
The majority of the Nine Great Sects had established themselves in coveted locations throughout the central plains, but the Kunlun Sect resided alone deep within the barren lands.
Even the Songshan Sect, though also situated remotely, at least held a commanding post in the southern territories. This made the Kunlun Sect’s choice seem all the more peculiar.
We hadn’t even reached Qinghai proper when a huge stretch of grassland, not quite desert, started opening up to the east.
A wide sea of green.
Lying on my back atop my gliding sword, I looked down at the expansive flatlands below.
I briefly debated whether I should point out to Ji-ryong that we were now over a grassland.
It wasn’t the desert yet, but the landscape was shifting. Should I say something?
‘It isn’t Qinghai, so maybe it can wait? Then again, I should probably tell him.’
We hadn’t been traveling long since our last stop, but just as I resolved to mention the changing view to Ji-ryong—
—Kishi!
An abrupt sound from my side made me turn.
I saw Yo-hwa, suspended from a silken cord, drawing herself near to us with a fluid, graceful motion.
Her long silk thread wavered in the breeze, making the fine hairs of Hwa-eun’s pedipalps sway gently.
She seemed to have something to communicate, but as she wasn’t fully synced with my Beast Spirit Technique yet, her thoughts remained unclear.
I answered based on instinct alone.
“Yeah, Yo-hwa, this is nice, isn’t it? Gliding along together like this is pretty enjoyable, right?”
I gave a general reply, unsure of her exact meaning, and her pedipalps curved into a charming smile.
—Kishishi!
Perhaps it was due to her long absorption of my yang energy, or maybe another cause, but Yo-hwa’s emotional expressions felt increasingly vivid.
I was on the verge of turning my attention back to Ji-ryong when his voice called out before I could.
“We’ll pause for a short break! Ji-ryong, could you come down?!”
‘So soon?’
It felt early to stop again after such a short stretch of travel.
Nonetheless, I descended to where Ji-ryong stood.
He came over and pointed toward the east.
“Ji-ryong, have you noticed? A broad grassland has emerged already.”
“Ah, yes, I saw it.”
I looked where he indicated and saw the same boundless plains I had observed from above.
This area was largely open flatland, dotted with only a few scattered trees, so Ji-ryong had likely gotten a clearer, ground-level view of the plains stretching into the distance.
He acknowledged my response and made a suggestion.
“Right. It’s still a little early, but I think we should make camp here for the night.”
“Now?”
Judging by the sun’s position, it was only mid-afternoon.
It was decidedly early, so I tilted my head, a bit puzzled. Ji-ryong elaborated while gazing out at the plains.
“We need to stock up on provisions before we venture into the desert. The grasslands are nearly as poor for hunting as the desert will be. Since the woodland here hasn’t completely faded yet, today and tomorrow are our final good opportunities to gather food.”
Observing the river’s edge, the trees were indeed becoming more sparse.
The forest would likely disappear altogether very soon.
After that, there would be nothing but open grassland.
While the desert would be tough, tracking down game on these open plains wouldn’t be simple either.
Any animals here would likely spot us from far off, making a successful hunt difficult.
Ji-ryong was correct— securing our supplies within the next two days was a smart strategy.
It was clear more creatures would be found in the remaining woodland than on the exposed plains.
“Ah, I understand… But to be safe, let’s consult someone knowledgeable about this area.”
“Understood.”
“Has anyone here journeyed through Qinghai before?”
I called out, hoping to find someone with local experience.
It was improbable that the plains held much game, but asking cost nothing.
After a short pause, a martial artist from the Martial Alliance stepped forward.
“I’ve been through here several times on official business. I know a bit about the region. May I ask what you need to know?”
“Excellent. Can any animals be found out on those plains? We need to secure food.”
“Ah, animals… Well—”
The martial artist explained that the plains were primarily inhabited by wolves.
You might occasionally find wild donkeys or horses, but they were very uncommon.
Wolves, however, meant wolf meat.
While people in the central plains were known to eat dog meat, wolf meat was supposedly less tasty.
Still, it appeared many locals in these parts raised wolves.
“Then we’ll adhere to Ji-ryong’s plan and use the next two days for foraging. Let’s establish camp by the river and begin.”
“Understood, Ji-ryong.”
With my agreement, Ji-ryong turned to address the group, calling out toward the plains.
“We halt early today to prepare our food stores! Dok-hyeol, Ryu, and Geom-ryong, please form a hunting party! Everyone else, fish the river and gather any useful items from its banks!”
“Understood.”
“Got it, Ji-ryong.”
“Understood!”
The warriors from the Beast Palace and the Martial Alliance divided into teams; some began setting up camp while others set off to hunt for fish and fowl.
As Gyu-seong and the other hunters departed, I remained at the campsite, pondering my strategy for the impending nighttime conflict.
We still had those thieves to handle.
Even though we had put significant distance from our last camp, past experience indicated a high probability they would strike again tonight.
My decision was already made to capture them—though not to kill them outright.
I planned to take them alive, ensure they were fully incapacitated, and then determine their fate based on what we learned.
If they were venomous creatures, they might even be to my liking.
Just as I was lost in these thoughts—
“A huge fish!”
“It’s massive!”
“It must be over two feet long!”
Our group was still debating how best to safeguard our provisions when exclamations from the warriors broke my concentration.
I turned to see an enormous catfish already impaled on a warrior’s spear.
‘Of course!’
A brilliant idea suddenly came to me.
What if we placed the remaining food inside a pouch spun from Yo-hwa’s silk and hung it above the center of the river?
A pouch made from her silk was incredibly tough and couldn’t be torn, so I could secure a long silk thread to both riverbanks and suspend the food over the middle.
The river would serve as a natural first defense, and the magically reinforced strength of Yo-hwa’s silk would guarantee its safety.
‘Good. We’ll conceal the real food over the water, and use the pile of leftover bones and scraps… I’ll collect it all in one place to use as bait.’
With the genuine supplies safely hung above the river, the discarded fish guts and bones would act as a lure for our pilferers.
They were fast, a fact I had to account for in my trap.
‘Cho or Bini won’t be quick enough to catch them.’
Cho and Bini weren’t suited for speed, rendering them ineffective against such swift targets.
I could attempt to corral the intruders, but directly matching their velocity was impossible.
Hyang was even slower, and Hongdan, being small; if the thieves were mammals, her venom might be too strong, killing them instead of capturing them.
Hongdan was still too young, and Moji and Soji were clearly not options.
Among my companions, Yeondu and Yo-hwa were the most fitting for catching live prey.
Their venom had a paralyzing effect, and both possessed innate hunting instincts.
However, Yeondu was still small, leaving Yo-hwa as the optimal choice for this task.
“Yo-hwa, do you think you can manage this? What I need is…”
—Kishi!
Naturally, I wouldn’t send her in unprepared.
I carefully outlined the details of my plan, ensuring Yo-hwa comprehended the specific technique we would employ.
She listened intently, and after a moment, her pedipalps curled into a smile that seemed touched with concern.
—Kishishi!
***
Night arrived after the evening meal.
Since we were staying here through tomorrow to forage, I intended to remain awake the entire night.
I had no pressing duties during daylight hours, so I could devote all my energy to catching them tonight.
As arranged, our food supplies were already suspended above the river’s center.
Meanwhile, all the leftover bones and fish offal were heaped under a large tree to serve as bait.
“So-ryong, are you certain this is going to work?”
Hwa-eun, standing within view, looked up at me with a worried expression.
“Yes, I’ll be up in the tree with Yo-hwa. The strategy is sound, and we’ve rehearsed it thoroughly.”
“Even so…”
Hwa-eun’s frown showed her lingering anxiety.
Just then, Seol waved a hand casually from nearby.
“Really, Hwa-eun, who would dare trouble So-ryong when he’s accompanied by the Ten Great Venoms? If you’re that concerned, just sleep close by and be ready to assist if needed.”
“So-ryong, good luck. We’ll be nearby, so don’t worry. If anything happens, we’ll come at once.”
“Alright, Seol.”
With that, Seol led a hesitant Hwa-eun away, leaving me to my preparations.
I positioned myself on a sturdy tree branch, hanging upside down with only my head visible from the cocoon Yo-hwa had woven for me.
Time drifted by quietly.
—Chirrr, chirrr.
The chorus of insects filled the night, lulling me toward sleep.
Then—
—Rustle.
A faint sound from below snapped me to alertness.
‘Are they here?’
I glanced sideways and saw Yo-hwa moving into her assigned position, exactly as we had practiced.
Tensing, I raised myself slightly to peer down toward the tree’s base.
A mist creeping in from the river made everything blurry and indistinct.
At that moment, a small, familiar noise came from near my shoulder.
—Tsswit?
—Kii!
Startled, I turned my head to find Hyang and Hongdan clinging to my shoulder.
‘Wait, how did you two get here?’
The little mischief-makers must have slipped away from Hwa-eun and trailed after me.
I’d have to reprimand them later for sneaking around at night.
Just as I was about to scold them—
—Rustle.
Another sound from below.
Had something followed Hyang and Hongdan here?
Then, within the deep shadows and thick fog, two glowing points of light appeared.
Red eyes.
Moving slowly toward us.
‘They’re here!’
The river mist hid its full shape, but I was certain it was the same creature that had been robbing our supplies.
Yo-hwa masked her presence, climbing down the tree with careful stealth.
Full of tension, I got ready to execute our special technique as the shadowy figure below reached the pile of fish remains.
The instant it bent down toward the bait—
—Snap!
A net woven from Yo-hwa’s silk fell from above, spreading wide to envelop its head.
It was hard to see clearly in the darkness, but the web copied the hunting method of net-casting spiders.
—Chiii!
A sharp, piercing cry erupted.
“Did we get it?!”
Confident we had succeeded, I ripped out of my cocoon and dropped down to inspect our captive.
Just as I neared the form thrashing within Yo-hwa’s web—
—Kishi!
A urgent warning cry came from Yo-hwa.
A sense of danger shot through me.
I leaped backward on instinct—just as a streak of red eyes shot through the space I had just occupied.
“Another one?!”
A split-second slower, and it would have struck me.
I had assumed there was only one, but it seemed these creatures operated in pairs.
One was already tangled in Yo-hwa’s silk, while the other now confronted me.
I started to turn, to instruct Yo-hwa to ensnare the second one—
—Whoosh!
Sensing motion from my side, I threw myself into a roll to dodge.
Another set of red eyes lunged at me, its passage tearing through my sleeve.
As I pushed myself back to my feet, a new shape entered the fray.
Another one?!
“Three of them?!”
What I had believed was a solitary thief…
Was in fact a whole band of raiders.