Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 202

Chapter 202The fighters of the Five Venoms Sect were dispersed across the dunes, forming a circle around me.
Even through their trousers, their powerfully built thighs and lower halves were unmistakable.
Given my knowledge of the Five Venoms Sect’s methods, these men were undoubtedly from the Blood-Tailed Swift Kick branch, a group dedicated to maximizing speed and leg power.
Their physical form left no room for another interpretation.
Hyang and I were completely encircled.
And at the heart of them all stood Oh Cheong-yu.
She radiated a strange and menacing aura, as if carved from the sinister light of the moon itself.
Bathed in that lunar glow, her gothic appearance was deeply unnerving—truly frightening.

“Well, well… if it isn’t you! It feels like an age, Miss Cheong-yu. What an incredible coincidence. Meeting you way out here in this desert… what are the chances?”
I put on a strained grin, making a weak attempt at humor as I addressed her.
All the while, my eyes were moving rapidly, surveying everything around us.
My internal energy was almost gone, but I had to know—was there any way out?
A steep drop? Flowing water? Anything that could provide an escape?
But there was only empty desert.
Under the moon’s light, no cliffs or rivers were visible—just an infinite expanse of rolling sand in every direction.
‘Nothing but dunes… I must have been taken far into the wasteland. Even if Hwa-eun tries to find me, it will take ages… and with this many enemies, fighting free won’t be simple… Damn, is this the end?’
As I absorbed the bleakness of the landscape, the truth sank in.
I was caught.
Not only had the camel spider dropped me right into their grasp, but I was also in the most unfavorable place possible for a getaway.

Oh Cheong-yu’s smile remained as she spoke again.
“Oh Yeon-un, you came in such a hurry after getting my invitation to deliver So-ryong to me. Just as I anticipated.”
“An… invitation?”
I was bewildered by the term.
She motioned toward the camel spider.
Then, with a threatening smile, she clarified.
“I predicted that if the Beast Palace heard the news, So-ryong would hurry here. And just as my father foresaw—he was correct. You appeared so swiftly. We didn’t need to lift a finger; you came right to me. Fufu… Did you appreciate my invitation that much?”
It finally became clear.
The intelligence that leaked from the Beast Palace was done on purpose.
It was all a lure.
A snare designed specifically to draw me in.
‘Wait… So, to catch me, they revealed secrets about their own covert mission?’
It seemed illogical.
Why endanger their operation for the sake of one person?
Then again—knowing Oh Cheong-yu’s twisted perspective, this kind of madness wasn’t entirely unexpected.
After all, here I stood.
Once more, it appeared they had predicted my actions perfectly.
An invitation crafted just for me.
‘Damn it. How could I possibly have ignored something like this…’

I produced another uncomfortable smile and replied.
“So… this was your invitation, Miss Cheong-yu. Well, well… It seems you understand me far too well. How awkward…”
“Naturally. You will belong to me soon. I made sure to learn everything. Fufu.”
The obsessive tone in her voice made me shudder.
I quickly looked away from her devouring stare and turned my attention to the camel spider.
“But… Your valuable invitation appears to be… destroyed.”
I pointed toward the deceased camel spider, pretending to be remorseful.
Oh Cheong-yu simply shook her head.
“It’s unimportant, So-ryong. I intended to have it slaughtered regardless.”
“Sl-slaughtered?!”
I recoiled at her statement.
Camel spiders aren’t farm animals.
Hearing it was bred only to be killed took me by surprise.
She indicated the round object I was still holding.
“I wished to see how large the Neidan had become.”
“A… Neidan?”
“Indeed. Now that you will join the Five Venoms Sect, I suppose it’s fine to tell you. Using the Grand Method of the Five Venoms, we have been artificially increasing the size of creatures. A unique feature of the Five Venoms Explosive Severing Art—we are experimenting to see if these beasts can produce a Neidan, similar to natural spirit beings.”
That explained why a Neidan had dropped from the dead camel spider’s mouth.
The Five Venoms Sect had been conducting trials in artificial Neidan production.
No—it was more than that.
They were engineering artificial spirit beasts.
Then, she revealed something even more dreadful.
“As I suspected, feeding them humans proved most efficient. It’s larger than I hoped. My father will be satisfied. Next, we should attempt to feed them martial artists.”
“Y-you’re out of your mind…!”
• Thud.
The Neidan fell from my grasp.
It had been created using human energy.
The revulsion was so intense I let it go immediately.
Oh Cheong-yu didn’t react.
Instead, she simply motioned toward me.
“Retrieve the Neidan. And bring So-ryong as well.”
“Yes, my lady!”
The warriors beside her started moving toward me.
If they seized me, they would block my pressure points and take me directly to the Five Venoms Sect.
I needed to do something now.
“Wait!”
I yelled before they could reach me.
Oh Cheong-yu tilted her head.
“Hm? What is it, So-ryong?”
The casual way she used my name made my flesh crawl.
I lifted Hyang onto my shoulder, ensuring she was in plain sight.
Tsrrrt.
“This little one is still with me. I’d prefer if your warriors weren’t harmed. I’ll come willingly.”
Hyang had exhausted all her venom.
But they were unaware of that.
Oh Cheong-yu might be resistant to poison, but her warriors were not.
By cooperating, I might still find a chance to break free.
If they sealed my pressure points, I would be taken to the Five Venoms Sect with no hope of escape.
“Hm… That’s accurate. You do have that small companion.”
Oh Cheong-yu gave a nod.
Then, she signaled her warriors to retreat and began walking toward me.
“Both of you, move aside. I will handle this personally.”
“N-no, there’s no need for—”
Before I could complete my sentence, she was already beside me.
She took my arm in hers, smiling.
“Simply be cautious with your tiny friend. If I am bitten, it will be painful.”
Her inner energy was immense.
A level surpassing that of masters.
Nearly comparable to Grandfather Mandok Shingun.
I was ensnared.
Searching for a way out, I spoke quickly.
“Alright… But do not harm Hyang. She is like a daughter to me.”
I needed to ensure Hyang’s safety.
Oh Cheong-yu nodded as if it were a given.
“Don’t be concerned, So-ryong. I won’t interfere with anything that is yours. I will raise her properly…So you can consume her when she matures.”
“What?!”
Tsrrrt!
Hyang jerked, her antennae standing straight up.
I was equally stunned.
I had explicitly referred to her as my daughter—
Yet she believed I intended to eat her?!
‘How in the world did she reach that conclusion?!’
But before I could respond—
Oh Cheong-yu’s next statement disoriented me even further.
“You stated she is as dear as a daughter. Therefore, I will ensure she can reside within you permanently.
After all, is that not a daughter’s role?
A daughter ought to sacrifice her body for her father’s benefit.”
‘Wait… Did I hear correctly?’
There was something deeply distorted about her words.
As if reality itself had twisted in an incomprehensible way.
An intense desire to flee this place immediately overwhelmed me.
And then—
As Oh Cheong-yu took my arm and led me forward, the moonlight revealed a glimmer along the edge of her forehead and hairline.
‘Is that—?!’
A silver needle.
Identical to those implanted in the skull of the Ghost Howling Tiger, the Army Centipede, and the Camel Spider.
Now that I considered it—
I had noticed something similar when she appeared with the Ghost Howling Tiger.
The understanding washed over me like an icy tide.
Her earlier statements suddenly connected in a terrifying way.
“With the Five Venoms Explosive Severing Art, we are testing whether these creatures can create a Neidan like spirit beasts.”
“A daughter should offer her body for her father’s sake.”
Oh Cheong-yu had named this the Five Venoms Explosive Severing Art, but she never detailed its mechanics.
If it was a technique to artificially grow a Neidan within living things…
Then it was possible that Oh Cheong-yu herself was being used to nurture an artificial Neidan.
And given the distortion in her speech—
It seemed she genuinely believed it was her responsibility to sacrifice herself to her father—the leader of the Five Venoms Sect.
She wasn’t merely breeding spirit beasts for their Neidan.
She might have been raised to be devoured by him.
‘These… these lunatics from the Five Venoms… They’re completely deranged!’
I had assumed they were only feeding people to create spirit beasts.
But they were pursuing something much more extreme.
They were orchestrating something far more horrific than I could have conceived.
“Why do you appear so ashen, So-ryong?”
Oh Cheong-yu gave me a sweet smile.
Until now, I had viewed her as nothing but a crazed fiend.
But now—
A horrifying idea occurred to me.
What if she, too, was a victim?
My heart raced uncontrollably.
“A-ah, it’s nothing.”
I stepped forward, but my legs wavered from the shock of the realization.
I lost my balance.
Oh Cheong-yu caught me at once, her voice full of worry.
“Oh? My… You are in a dreadful state.”
She was correct.
My body was shattered.
After being pulled behind the camel spider, my chest was lacerated, my clothing was in tatters, and my skin was marred with abrasions from the harsh ground.
Sand was lodged in every fold of my garments.
Additionally, I had internal wounds from being thrown against the earth, and I had expended almost all my inner energy using Iron Defense just to stay alive.
I was damaged on the surface, and my insides were equally ruined.
Oh Cheong-yu released my arm and knelt before me.
“Climb onto my back.”
“…What?”
“I said, climb on. You are in no state to walk.”
“I… But…”
“Because of the Qinghua Centipede, I cannot allow my warriors to carry you. I will do it myself.”
As she pressed, I wavered.
But then—
Just as I prepared to get on her back, I noticed another silver needle embedded at the top of her head.
This was the moment.
A risk, but one I had to take.
With unsteady fingers, I gradually reached toward her head.
And then—
She spoke once more.
“So-ryong, once we reach the Five Venoms Sect, you must eat heartily. Your body is still too frail. But rest assured—I will arrange ample nourishment for you… an abundance of…”
I tightened my hold around her neck—
And grasped the silver needle in her head.
Then I shouted.
“Everyone stay back! If anyone moves, I will tear this needle from her head!”
I had to attempt to use her as a hostage.
If she truly had a Neidan developing inside her, then the Five Venoms Sect’s ultimate objective was likely centered on her.
Removing the needle would ruin their plans.
It was my only opportunity for freedom.
But then—
Oh Cheong-yu laughed softly.
“That’s an amusing jest. A silver needle? As if such a thing would be in my head—”
“It is in your head! Those monsters are growing a Neidan inside you! Listen to me—!”
“A Neidan? Within me? What are you speaking abo— H-huh…?”
Her voice halted mid-sentence.
Then—
Her face twisted into a mask of agony.
“A… ah… aaaaaaAAAAAAAAAH!”
She let out a sudden scream.
The shrill cry tore through the night.
“My lady!”
“My lady!”
The warriors surged forward in alarm.
And then—
A frigid, bone-chilling voice whispered into my ear.
“For my lady’s well-being, I intended to make you another puppet. But it seems… you are too perceptive for that. I guess…I will have to eliminate you here.”
Stab!
“Khuhh—!”
A searing pain shot through my side.
Tsrrrrrrr!
Hyang leaped forward, responding to the lethal intent—
But something hit her in mid-air, hurling her into the sand.
“H-Hyang…”
Despite the unbearable pain, I reached for her, drawing her close as I collapsed.
Her distress call echoed in my ears.
Tsrrr! 『Dad! Dad!』
Her panicked voice flooded my thoughts.
And then—
The very ground began to quake.
Rumble…
The earth trembled fiercely beneath us.
And Hyang’s last words resonated in my dimming awareness.
Tsrrt… 『So… bright…』
My sight grew hazy.
And then—
All went dark.