Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 227

Chapter 227
Being a devout woman, the grandmother invoked the term “paradise” and pleaded with me to bring Ho-ye to the Poison Garden.
Her meaning was unmistakable: she was convinced that if Ho-ye remained, it would be seized and executed by the authorities—so she wished for it to go with me, to find a joyful life.
‘Well, isn’t this a blessing straight from the skies?’
For a moment, though, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I came across like some dubious sect leader.
I wracked my brain trying to recall what I had said to provoke such a powerful response.
I was fairly certain I hadn’t made any grand promises.

“So you’re telling me you’re establishing a refuge where spiritual beings such as these can exist free from human persecution?”
“That’s correct. It’s named the Poison Garden.”
“Poison Garden?”
“‘Poison’ for venomous beings, and ‘garden’ meaning a haven.
Outwardly, it merely suggests a gathering place for toxic creatures.
But its intended significance is much greater—
A sanctuary where they won’t be hunted, driven away, or forced to hide in terror.
A domain where venomous beings can dwell in safety and contentment.”
“Ohhh… Now I understand!”
‘Ah… so I actually managed to convince her of all that…’
In retrospect, I had indeed said those things—likely just to establish rapport.
But to a spiritual figure like the shaman grandmother, it must have resonated like a message from the divine.
And the timing was impeccable.
With Ho-ye facing imminent capture and death, suddenly I appeared—the so-called “savior of all poisonous spirit beasts.”
The son of the previous leader of the Beast Palace’s venom enthusiasts.
The son-in-law of the renowned Tang Clan.
An individual who commanded more poisonous creatures than anyone else in the region.
Even an ordinary person might see it as destiny.
But a person of faith?
Without a doubt. This was precisely that.
‘To an outsider, I must truly seem like the Messiah at this moment.’
It was partly an amusing thought, but the grandmother’s subsequent words erased any doubt—
She genuinely saw me as the chosen one to lead the oppressed Ho-ye to paradise.

“It can only be the work of providence that So-ryong has come to us now! I implore you, please!”
At that point, how could I refuse the role of Messiah?
In my previous life, they said dogs regarded their owners as deities.
Perhaps these creatures viewed me in a similar light.
And most importantly…
I was on the verge of acquiring an Electro Giant Salamander at no cost.
Under those circumstances, messiah or not—I was certainly going to accept.
‘Very well, so be it. I’ll be the Messiah.
Oh, you oppressed spirit beasts and venomous creatures from every corner—come to me!
I, the Spicy Fabre So-ryong, will guide you to a realm abundant with sustenance and serenity!
A place named… the Poison Garden!’
I drew a deep breath and held those words close.
Then, tightening my fist and meeting the grandmother’s gaze, I spoke with conviction and resolve.
“Given the circumstances—
As the son of the Beast Palace, the son-in-law of the Tang Clan, and the guardian of the Poison Garden—
I will naturally assist you!”
“Ohhh! This is undoubtedly the Spirit’s guidance!”
The grandmother appeared deeply moved.
The Black-Clad men accompanying her also bowed their heads, their faces filled with gratitude.
“…Our gratitude! The Black-Clad Tribe shall forever remember this grace!”
Adopting a suitably valiant expression, I turned to the helmsman and issued my order.
“Helmsman, reverse our course. We will be remaining here for several more days.”
“At once, So-ryong! Hoist the anchor! Raise the anchor stone!”
The anchor was retrieved, and the vessel swung around, making its way back toward Seochang.
Returning for Ho-ye. No—returning to save Ho-ye.
Admittedly, the more I postponed my return to the Tang Clan, the greater the repercussions I would face.
But if it meant rescuing Ho-ye, a reprimand was a small price to pay.
‘Let’s do this! It’s not like they’ll execute the son-in-law, right?’

***
The instant we made port, my first priority was to locate a specific individual:
Officer Ye Masahun, the deputy commander based at Seochang’s government office.
If anyone was informed about the status of the Ho-ye hunt, it would be him.
Judging by the troop count on the vessels we saw earlier, the mission was likely already underway. I needed to ascertain how much time we had.
“I will head to the office and consult with Officer Ye Masahun. I’ll discover the current situation.”
“Understood, So-ryong.”
At the entrance of the government office, which I had prior occasion to visit, I approached an unfamiliar guard.
“Might it be possible to have a word with Officer Ye Masahun?”
“And who are you to be requesting him?”
“If you inform him that So-ryong of the Sichuan Tang Clan is here, he will know.”
“T-The Sichuan Tang Clan!? Y-Yes, sir, young master.”
The guard’s initial demeanor was dismissive, expecting little from a youth. But the moment I disclosed my affiliation, his eyes bulged, and he scrambled inside, visibly astonished.
Shortly after, Ye Masahun himself rushed out, slightly breathless.
“Young master, to what do I owe this return visit?”
“I intended to depart tomorrow or the next day, so I thought I would bid you farewell.”
“Someone of your stature… coming to say goodbye to me?”
The notion that I had come specifically to express my gratitude personally seemed to overwhelm him.
His eyes grew moist with feeling—so I decided to enhance the effect slightly.
“There’s no need for such modesty. The commander of Seochang is a person of significance. I have a feeling I’ll be returning to Seochang frequently, so I wished to pay my respects properly.”
“You… you would extend such courtesy…? But if I may ask, what brings you back so often?”
“Ah, the Tang Clan is considering establishing an apothecary here.”
As I spoke, I smiled and discreetly passed a small pouch into his hand.
He glanced at it, his eyes widening, and exclaimed,
“Oho! A Tang Clan apothecary! I shall ensure there are no impediments, you have my assurance!”
Perfect. The bribe was accepted, influence secured—time to pose the question I’d been saving.
“Thank you, Officer Ye. Speaking of which… I observed three naval ships at the dock. They sailed past us this morning. Is there some activity underway?”
Affecting casual curiosity, I inquired. Immediately, he divulged the entire account.
“Ah, it’s nothing of great concern. You remember how the young lady of the Tang Clan aided with the examination of those recovered bodies?”
“Yes, distinctly.”
“Well, she determined that they weren’t poisoned, but had likely succumbed to drowning—probably from paralysis. Since it wasn’t a lethal toxin but a paralyzing agent, the magistrate believed coordinated soldiers could manage it. So he sought reinforcement from the military garrison at Yaksan.”
‘Wait… so that’s how it transpired?’
So the entire situation had escalated simply because Hwawon identified it as a non-lethal agent?
Astonishing how events can unfold.
I continued. “And… when is the operation scheduled to commence?”
“Ah, the troops are currently recuperating from their voyage. The eradication begins three days hence.”
‘Three days. Understood.’
I had obtained all the necessary information. After exchanging a few more courteous remarks with Ye Masahun, I returned to the ship.
In the cabin, Hwawon, Sister Seol, the shaman grandmother, and several members of the Black-Clad Tribe were awaiting news.
“Ryong, what did he say?”
“So-ryong, what is the situation?”
I went directly to the heart of the matter, seeing their anxiety.
“They intend to start the hunt three days from now.”
Hearing this, Hwawon and Sister Seol noticeably eased.
They had presumed we would have a minimum of two days to secure Ho-ye—and two days was sufficient.
In truth, a single day would have sufficed.
“What a relief. That gives us two full days.”
“Precisely. Two days is ample time, So-ryong.”
However, the others did not appear as comforted.
“Merely two days… isn’t that rather constrained?”
“True. The Spirit of the Lake seldom reveals itself. Can we truly draw it out in just two days…?”
I turned to the shaman grandmother and the Black-Clad members and inquired with a slight smile,
“How had you planned to capture the Spirit of the Lake?”
All eyes shifted to the grandmother. She paused before answering.
“Well… provided we exercise caution regarding the electrical discharges… we intended to place nets in its most frequented areas.
We hoped to ensnare it using those.
You did mention it was safe to make contact with a stick, after all.”
“Ah, I understand.”
With a strategy like that, their sense of urgency was understandable.
I looked toward Cho, who was resting quietly in a corner of the cabin.
“Cho, it seems you’ll be taking a dip tonight.”
—Zzzzzrrrp!

These beings were too clever to be trapped by basic nets.
But if Cho were to agitate the waters somewhat?
Well… this could prove to be quite entertaining.

***
That evening, I gathered a specialized team and set out to apprehend Ho-ye.
The team consisted of myself, Cho, and Yohwa.
For a capture operation, there were no more capable allies than these two.
Our objective was the cliff base along the lake—
the exact location where we had previously had the clearest view of Ho-ye.
Cho, are you prepared?
—Zzzrrrp!
When I mentally posed the question to Cho, he responded with a tranquil sense of confidence—all is well.
Gazing upward, I noted that roughly two weeks had passed since our initial sighting of Ho-ye.
Then, the moon had been complete—
Now it had diminished to a new moon, rendering the night profoundly dark.
Yohwa and I waited together, nestled against the cliff face, observing the water’s surface below.
Cho was affixed to the cliff near the waterline, awaiting my signal.
Our strategy was straightforward:
The moment Ho-ye emerged, Cho would attack from the surface and seize one.
Once Cho constricted around a target, escape was impossible.
There was no concern that Ho-ye might be swifter underwater.
I had already verified—Cho was even more agile submerged than in flight.
Cho’s aerial movement depended on spiritual energy for levitation and propulsion—a method known as riding the energy currents.
But in water, that energy wasn’t necessary for buoyancy. His submerged speed was significantly greater.
I also had no fear of one Ho-ye escaping while the other was captured.
A bonded pair like that—so deeply connected—would never abandon one another.
So, how would we secure the second one?
“What… are you suggesting you’ll coerce it?”
“Not coercion—more accurately… negotiate.”
I possess your partner. Comply, and no harm will come to you. Operation: Ethical Leverage.
Honestly, it was for their benefit.
—Hoo-hoo.
An owl’s call echoed from somewhere above the cliff as I returned my attention to the lake.
Let us hope we succeed tonight.
We still had another day, but a successful first attempt is always preferable.
Failure tonight might make Ho-ye more wary.
I was positioned on Yohwa’s back, as we were in a concealed posture—
her form was in its Myoikdang state, optimized for agility and assistance.
Looking over her shoulder, I monitored the area of the surface where we had last seen them.
The owl’s call faded, and the moon was veiled by clouds.
Then, faintly—almost inaudibly—
—Plop.
Something broke the water’s surface and vanished instantly.
Is it here!?
Possibly a fish. I heightened my senses and employed Yangmanyangong to probe below—
then heard additional splashes.
—Plop. Plop.
Two distinct sounds.
Then, from below the water, two Ho-ye surfaced and began to swim and frolic.
—Wae-waaee. Wae-waaee.
Their lineage tied to giant salamanders was evident even in their prolonged, mournful calls.
They occasionally lifted their heads toward the moonlight, moving through the water with the grace of otters.
So unlike Cho’s deliberate, stealthy motions—
These two radiated vitality and exuberance.
They swam together for some time, then abruptly dove beneath the surface and disappeared.
Just then, a sharp, urgent message from Cho pierced my thoughts.
『Zzzrrp!? ⟨Dad, now!?⟩』
Guided by Cho’s signal, I looked downward—
There they were.
The two Ho-ye had resurfaced near the cliff’s shadow, precisely where Cho lay concealed.
They emerged, oblivious to the threat.
Cho, the supreme predator of the arthropod realm, had intuitively identified the ideal moment to attack.
This was it.
Now!
I issued the command silently within my heart—
And Cho sprang into action.
The Ho-ye cried out and thrashed in alarm.
—Waeaaee! Waeaaee!
Startled, they separated.
As intended, Cho pursued one of them.
Sparks crackled around it—it was terrified, releasing electrical bursts.
One of them was flailing at the surface, and正如 the grandmother had stated, within a thirty-meter radius, fish began to float lifelessly all around.
Incredible.
Meanwhile, the one pursued by Cho couldn’t escape, and its partner couldn’t bring itself to flee alone.
It trailed behind, skimming the water as Cho advanced.
Back and forth—above the water, below again—a relentless pursuit ensued.
But ultimately, Cho prevailed.
An arthropod like Cho did not fatigue as an amphibian like Ho-ye would.
Eventually, Cho secured one and brought it to the surface, screaming.
—Waeaaee!
With one captured, only the “negotiation” with the other remained.
But just as Cho began to emerge with its prize—
An unforeseen event occurred.
—WaeaaaEEE!
The other Ho-ye, which had always appeared so timid, suddenly screeched and hurled itself at Cho.
It struck and brushed against Cho, emitting electrical sparks.
—Zzzrrrp?
Cho hesitated, momentarily taken aback—then ensnared the second one as well.
The creature had essentially surrendered itself.
—Zzzrrrp?
Cho emitted a puzzled sound, as if questioning, “Wait, is this part of the plan?”
But I comprehended perfectly.
Electric eels, when assaulting larger prey, press close and rub to maximize discharge.
This one, witnessing its companion in distress, had instinctively moved closer, attempting to aid or soothe it.
Regardless of the intent—
We had them both.
Excellent. A flawless two-for-one outcome.