Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 209

Chapter 209
From her perch above, Cho observed Sister Seol and me, her curiosity evident as she inquired what was happening.

My own curiosity getting the better of me, I instantly called out for Cho to descend.
“Cho! Get down here! Quickly!”
‘Your father is growing impatient! Come down at once!’
Now that the Green-Mane Grasshound’s mane had undergone such a dramatic change, I was burning with anticipation to witness what kind of metamorphosis my firstborn daughter might experience.

Chrrt?
Answering my summons, Cho coiled downward in a helical spiral, winding around me before questioning,
Chrrrt?
“It’s nothing too serious. Your aunt has just shown me a new technique, and I wanted to test it with you.”
Chrrrt?
As Cho pressed for details on what was new, I gave her head an affectionate pat and called out urgently to Sister Seol.
I didn’t possess a single ounce of patience left.
If a simple Green-Mane Grasshound could manifest such a mane, then my Cho was certain to outshine it.
My daughter was, after all, a Ten-Poison Cultivator, a practitioner of the Peerless Venom Art!
‘If a mundane single-poison beast could change so drastically, what wonders await my ten-poison Cho?’
“Sister Seol, this involves more than a single energy infusion, correct? Please, instruct me without delay!”

Yet, instead of providing the immediate answer she had previously hinted at, Sister Seol looked over the Green-Mane Grasshound, whose mane had now withdrawn, and her expression turned hesitant.
“Hold on, So-ryong. Let me make another attempt. I truly did not anticipate a result like this.”
“…What?”
She had been so self-assured moments ago, but now she was wavering.
I gazed at her, puzzled, and she elaborated with a grave tone.
“Ordinarily, this method only grants a minor boost to their speed and power. I never imagined it would produce something as extreme as a full mane sprouting.”
She paused, then continued, “I believe this requires more investigation. It doesn’t appear to be something we should test recklessly. This little one also seems utterly drained.”
Looking at the Green-Mane Grasshound cradled in her arms, I saw its eyes were heavy-lidded.
Moreover, the unmistakable reddening of its eyes signaled intense hunger.
It was both sleepy and ravenous.
As Sister Seol offered a piece of jerky, the creature consumed it in one bite.
It had always possessed a powerful jaw, but this was different. It wasn’t feeding time, yet it ate with the desperation of a starved animal.
“When beasts activate this ability, they are ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) meant to feel slightly weary—but never to this extent. This resembles the total exhaustion martial artists suffer when they deplete their inner energy.”
After a few more pieces of jerky, the creature fell fast asleep right in her embrace.
As she had stated, it seemed to have completely expended its energy reserves.
After ensuring it was snugly wrapped, Sister Seol softly covered its face with a broad leaf.
Then, cradling another creature, she spoke with keen interest.
“This is remarkable. I’ve never seen this before. Is it because they are enchanted beasts? I must test another to understand what is occurring, So-ryong.”
I felt a tinge of disappointment that I couldn’t immediately witness Cho’s potential transformation.
However, proceeding with caution was the wiser course.
“Very well, Sister Seol…”
Noting my somewhat downcast look, she gave a light laugh and channeled energy into the next creature she held.
Just as before, when she placed it on the ground, it shivered and released a sharp cry.
Chiii!
Sister Seol observed with bated breath.
“This time, I must inspect the mane more closely. How sharp did it actually become?”
“Shall we attempt to pull a few hairs?”
“Perhaps we should—Ah! It’s happening again! What?”
However, we both anticipated the mane on its back to regrow.
Instead, an odd change occurred around its muzzle.
Its whiskers quivered before abruptly lengthening and thickening.
“What? Its whiskers are growing?”
“So they are…”
“Are they sharp as well? They don’t appear to be… Let’s see.”
The prior transformation had yielded sharp, threatening spines.
But this one—its whiskers had merely grown longer.
There was no sign they were sharp or held any obvious utility.
As Sister Seol meticulously inspected the whiskers, the creature abruptly twitched its nose.
Then, without any warning, it scampered over to the rock where I had been seated.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
Chii!
It began digging frantically into the soil under the rock, unearthing several fat, squirming grubs.
“Oh? Were you searching for those?”
The Green-Mane Grasshound breed was known for its keen sense of smell, but this?
It had managed to locate grubs buried deep underground.
This was astounding.
An upgrade to its olfactory senses?
It had to be.
It had found food hidden deep under a rock, and the sudden growth of its whiskers supported the idea.
“Sister Seol, is it possible this one’s sense of smell has been heightened?”
“Scent? Let’s discover the truth!”
Sister Seol must have issued a mental command, for it began to scour its surroundings.
In a flash, it uncovered more grubs and even located two snakes, dropping them at Sister Seol’s feet.
“So-ryong, you were correct!”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Its method of combing the area and extracting hidden creatures was impressive.
After roughly thirty minutes of hunting, its whiskers began to recede.
Like its predecessor, its eyes reddened, and it voraciously ate the snakes and grubs it had gathered.
The instant it swallowed the final grub, its eyes cleared, and it fell down, spent.
“It truly depletes their energy…”
Sister Seol set it down next to the other sleeping one, then spoke with fascination.
“Normal beasts gain a slight edge in speed and strength, but enchanted beasts… They are entirely different! Even among the same species, their transformations are unique! And the duration of their abilities differs too!”
Her Green-Mane Grasshound had demonstrated a phenomenal power, and its varied changes made her eyes sparkle with exhilaration.
No longer able to contain herself, she brought out the final one, her voice full of excited expectation.
“I wonder what form this last one will take!”
One had evolved razor-sharp mane spines.
Another had gained a superior sense of smell.
I, too, was immensely eager to learn what change this last one would undergo.
What could it possibly be?
As the creature curled up, shaking from the influx of energy, Sister Seol and I watched its back and snout, expecting a shift there.
Once more, our expectations were mistaken.
This time, the change happened in a completely new area.
Its tail.
“This time, it’s the tail!”
The creature’s tail expanded in girth, its hue intensified, and its length almost multiplied threefold.
Even Cho was so astonished that her antennae stiffened upright.
Chrrk!? 『Impossible!?』
“Indeed, Auntie mentioned that since you’ve absorbed your father’s energy, you might also demonstrate an incredible power like that.”
As Cho glanced at her own tail, briefly taken aback, the Green-Mane Grasshound swung its tail like a whip.
Swish! Crack!
Sister Seol could not hold back a murmur of awe at the display.
“Incredible! It’s exactly like a whip!”
She was correct—the creature’s tail had morphed into a whip-like appendage.
Its strikes were powerful enough to scar the surface of the rock.
The creature sustained this form for approximately ten minutes before reverting to its original state.
Following the pattern of the others, it then hurriedly consumed its food before dropping into a deep sleep on the spot.
One with a enhanced mane.
One with enhanced scent.
One with an enhanced tail.
Though all were Green-Mane Grasshounds, each had experienced a totally distinct transformation.
Sister Seol, who had been admiring them, finally spoke after a careful study of the creatures.
“So-ryong, this is not acceptable. We must wait a few days. I need to ascertain if their enhancements are permanent traits or if they alter with each use. Understood?”
She meant that she had to determine if the enhanced attribute was fixed for each individual or changed every time the ability was activated.
“And I also need to verify how long it takes for them to recuperate fully after employing this ability. If we wait a few days, I can provide you with a definitive answer.”
She intended to monitor the time required for the creatures to recover their strength.
It appeared this process would require some patience.
As I clicked my tongue, contemplating how I was expected to simply bide my time—
Chrrrkt!
Beside me, Cho, who had been attentively listening to Sister Seol’s explanation, eagerly projected her emotions to me.
She was overflowing with expectation.
She wished to attempt it immediately.
Just as expected of my eldest daughter.
It seemed Cho and I shared very similar mindsets.
***
Sister Seol, who had been supervising my training daily, vanished without a trace the following morning.
She had secluded herself, dedicating all her focus to studying how to imbue enchanted beasts with the energy of the Beast Heart Art.
She didn’t appear for meals. When I inquired with Taeheo, he informed me she had traveled to a remote area within Mount Kunlun.
“Occasionally, we permit the use of locations for secluded cultivation.”
“I understand.”
I hoped for Sister Seol’s swift return.
As this thought crossed my mind, Taeheo, who was administering a medicinal salve to my injuries, adopted a solemn expression and stated,
“Incidentally, your wounds are nearly healed now.”
Initially, I had been skeptical of Kunlun’s Golden Wound Ointment. It reminded me of the tiger balm my family used in my previous life.
But to my surprise, it proved highly effective.
Save for a few faint scars, all the lacerated tissue had mended within a mere fifteen days.
“I have already performed the necessary healing procedures, so provided you avoid further injury, you will make a complete recovery.”
“I am deeply indebted to Kunlun.”
“You consistently say that, yet we are the ones indebted to you.”
As we were engaged in a courteous debate over who owed whom, I suddenly heard Sister Seol’s voice from outside.
“So-ryong, are you present?”
It had been five days since her departure to research the Beast Heart Art’s effects on the Green-Mane Grasshounds.
“Yes, Sister Seol! One moment, please, I am just completing the medicinal treatment.”
“Certainly, there is no rush.”
Once Taeheo finished applying the bandages, we opened the door and exited.
Sister Seol was waiting there with the Green-Mane Grasshounds, a radiant smile on her face.
“Let’s proceed! I have resolved all the details flawlessly!”
“Truly!?”
“Without a doubt!”
It seemed she had addressed all uncertainties and potential risks before her return.
I hastened to Huaon’s dwelling, cautiously sifting through the scattered young ones inside to locate Cho and summon her outdoors.
I took care not to disturb the others.
Bini would not pose an issue, but if Yo-hwa or Hyang became aware, complications could arise.
‘Cho, your aunt says she is prepared! Emerge quietly. Your father awaits outside.’
Chrrrt!
Cho carefully slipped out through a gap in the door.
Chrrt?
“Let’s go! It is time to discover what kind of transformation you will experience now!”
We had only taken a few steps forward when—
My vision was abruptly swallowed by darkness.
My face struck the earth as Sister Seol’s alarmed cry reverberated in my ears.
“So-ryong!”
***
Hyang was passing a tedious moment in the chamber with her mother and siblings.
Just as she turned over on her mother’s soft abdomen, she spotted Cho sneaking towards the doorway.
Chrrt? 『What is this?』
Something felt suspicious.
Tracking Cho’s tail, she peeked outside—
And saw Dad.
Hyang was on the verge of clicking her tongue to reprimand Cho for attempting to sneak off when—
The words she heard rooted her to the spot.
“Let’s go! It is time to discover what kind of transformation you will experience now!”
Chrrrt! 『Another… transformation?!』
Hyang had never transformed even once, yet Cho was on the verge of another change?
Her antennae shot upright.
But almost immediately, they sagged.
Dad had promised he would find a method for her to become stronger…
Yet here he was, assisting Cho with yet another transformation.
A wave of disappointment washed over her as she turned around and went back inside.
Chrrrt, chrrp.
Hearing a noise behind her, she glanced back.
What she saw—
Was Hwayang, applying cosmetics.
Hyang stared at her vacantly.
A smoldering flame kindled within her heart.
Now that she considered it—
Dad certainly made many promises.
But he only ever indulged her sister and Bini!
She could endure it no longer.
Hyang dashed forward, launched herself into the air, and pushed Hwayang’s face away, latching onto the Fire Crystal instead.
Biiieeek!
The instant Hwayang released a shocked scream—
Flash!
“A-Ah! What is this!?”
With her mother’s astonished cry filling the air, a dazzling conflagration burst from the Fire Crystal.
As Hyang’s awareness dimmed, a single thought persisted in her mind—
Please, just don’t let me get any bigger…