Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 243

Chapter 243
“What is this trying to say?”
Hwa-eun asked, tilting her head as she indicated the obscure sentence within the journal.
Her expression was one of total bewilderment, which made the heavy sighs that simultaneously escaped both Sister Seol and me all the more pronounced.
The implication was instantly clear to us.
“Hmmm…”
“Oh my…”
Seeing us take turns sighing, Hwa-eun’s eyes darted between our faces before her cheeks puffed out in a pout, her features clouding with a sulky frustration.
“Why is it that I’m always the last to understand anything? I was overjoyed to finally share thoughts with So-ryong… and now I’m left out again… The two of you have your own little secret…”
This—this was the genuine Hwa-eun that lay beneath her typically composed and elegant beauty.
She was utterly endearing, to the point where I felt a sudden, affectionate urge to nibble on her. A powerful warmth squeezed my heart.
But her complaints were edging toward genuine tears, so I needed to reassure her quickly.
“Well, Hwa-eun, you see… this is something you might only grasp if you’ve spent a long time caring for a creature, like Sister Seol or myself.”
“Y-Yes, that’s it. Hwa-eun, this requires a certain kind of personal experience to truly relate to.”
“Even so, don’t shut me out. It hurts my feelings.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll explain it right now, how about that?”
“Yes, Hwa-eun, please don’t be upset. I was just about to tell you.”
Once she was soothed, I indicated the line in the book and began to clarify.
I felt a sudden urgency, worried that a teardrop might actually trace its way down her cheek.
“Look here—it reads, ‘Yesterday, I left it out for the sake of Hwa-seong, but today, Hwa-seong too is gone,’ correct?”
“Yes…”
Hwa-eun’s reply was monotone, her sulkiness still evident.
She was impossibly charming. A glance at Sister Seol showed she was also fighting back a smile.
I cleared my throat and continued, suppressing my own amusement.
“Ahem… The language is poetic, but if you translate its meaning, it comes out to this: ‘I discarded it because Hwa-seong refused to obey. And now, Hwa-seong has also departed from home.’ Ahem.”
“That’s precisely it. It’s truly a sad affair. He undoubtedly disposed of a poisonous being or some other creature his son was nurturing. Such outcomes are inevitable outside a place like our Yaksoo Palace. The attachment must have grown far too strong.”
“Indeed, Sister Seol. A genuinely sorrowful circumstance.”
Seol agreed, her gaze somewhat distant.
Despite the clan leader’s sophisticated wording, the underlying message was straightforward:
he had cast something out—almost certainly a venomous creature—which resulted in the author of the Heavenly Flame Venom Bestiary leaving his home.
Hearing this explanation, the tears that had been welling in Hwa-eun’s eyes vanished immediately.
She then spoke, her voice flustered.
“T-That’s what it means?”
Naturally, she was shocked.
Discovering that her ancestor was essentially driven out—or chose to leave—after a beloved venomous creature was discarded would undoubtedly be unsettling.
This was precisely the sort of story that becomes a stain on a clan’s historical record.
“Yes, that is almost certainly the case.”
“Without a doubt.”
“But why…”
Still not entirely persuaded, Hwa-eun looked perplexed.
So Sister Seol turned to me and inquired,
“Hwa-eun, wouldn’t you be jealous if So-ryong gave all his attention to Bini?”
“Wouldn’t you feel like getting rid of the creatures then?”
“W-What? Simply because he shows them affection? They are our children. I could never discard them!”
It seemed Seol had chosen a poor analogy to make her point.
To us, these creatures were as dear as our own children—who could ever consider throwing their children away?
“Ah, that was a bad example, wasn’t it? Um… alright! Imagine So-ryong suddenly becomes consumed by swordsmanship due to some remark, and the two of you are together constantly because of it—wouldn’t you feel envious and want to cast that aside?
The Tang Clan focuses solely on poison arts, correct?”
“However… if it is my husband’s chosen path, why would I ever stand in his way…?”
Even with the new scenario, Hwa-eun wasn’t providing the reaction Seol hoped for.
Finally, Seol groaned in exasperation.
“Ugh, I give up! This is impossible to explain! So-ryong, you do it!”
With the responsibility handed to me, I took over without delay.
“Okay, Hwa-eun. Picture this: we have a child, and instead of practicing his martial arts as he should, he spends the entire day playing Go.
Wouldn’t you feel the impulse to get rid that Go board?”
It was the classic situation of a parent confiscating a game console because a child neglects their studies.
Using Go—a fair equivalent to a game console in this era—finally seemed to get through.
Hwa-eun’s face lit up with understanding and she nodded.
“Oh… so our ancestor neglected his martial training to raise venomous creatures, and that’s what caused all this?”
“Exactly. The phrase ‘left it out,’ or ‘set it free,’ strongly suggests that’s what occurred.”
“That does seem logical. He did, after all, write the Heavenly Flame Venom Bestiary.”
As Hwa-eun noted, this was an individual who had recognized the value of venomous creatures long before anyone else and journeyed the world to document them.
But what kind of reputation did he have within the clan back then?
Considering how venomous creatures were viewed by the Tang Clan even in the present day,
people likely made comments such as:
“What possible use is there in nurturing such worthless things?”
“Why squander the clan’s assets on such vile creatures?”
In that kind of atmosphere, a father could easily decide:
This has gone far enough. It ends now. And dispose of the creature.
– Flip. Flip.
We eagerly turned the pages, hunting for any additional information—
but from that point onward, nothing of significance was recorded.
Only mundane accounts of daily life.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Ultimately, we found no further clues regarding the Golden-Crowned Four Kings.
The only thing we learned was that the author of the Heavenly Flame Venom Bestiary was, in essence, a youth who ran away from home.
***
The region where the borders of Shaanxi, Zhongjing, and Sichuan converge.
Paeng Gyu-seong of the Earth Dragon, accompanied by the three Dragon Fangs and two Tang Clan warriors, stopped a traveling herbalist they met on the road.
“Pardon us! Might we ask a question? Is that Mount Paltae over there?”
“Yes, young master, it is.”
“Then it appears we have reached our goal. Thank you for your assistance.”
They had spent six days scouring the area in separate teams.
When the herbalist verified that the mountain was indeed Mount Paltae, grins appeared on the faces of the Dragon Fangs.
They were nearly there, and as this was their objective for the day, they could finally take a rest.
Even for skilled martial artists like the Dragon Fangs, six consecutive days of non-stop searching had taken its toll.
They had just bid farewell to the herbalist and continued on their way when his voice called out to them from behind.
“Do you intend to ascend Mount Paltae?”
Hearing this, Paeng Gyu-seong turned back and asked,
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, I merely wished to offer a caution.”
“A caution?”
Paeng Gyu-seong looked puzzled at the herbalist’s words, and the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° man continued, his tone wary.
“You all have the appearance of young nobles out for sightseeing, so I’ll be brief—
in recent years, the snake population there has exploded.
They are now so plentiful that they appear on the walking paths, and their venom is exceptionally strong.
I only meant to advise you to take care.”
“Snakes?”
“Yes. Even I, an herbalist, have ceased climbing that mountain—the risk is too great.
The snakes are everywhere now. Only the trappers are pleased about it.”
“Thank you for the warning. We are grateful.”
“It was nothing, young master. Travel safely.”
As the herbalist continued down the path, the group resumed their walk.
Ji-ryong grinned and said,
“We must be sure to mention this to Young Master So. I have no doubt he will be thrilled by the information.”
After all, news of snakes was certain to excite So-ryong.
The two Tang Clan warriors guiding the party nodded with knowing smiles.
“Haha, without a doubt.”
“Yes, if it concerns Young Master So-ryong, he would definitely be delighted by such news.”
Their understanding of So-ryong’s fondness for venomous creatures was evident.
Anyone who had traveled with him, even briefly, would be aware.
During their recent journey to the volcanic areas of Yunnan and Qinghai, the Dragon Fangs had witnessed the depth of So-ryong’s enthusiasm for such beings.
But was it merely a ‘liking’?
The mental picture shared by all five of them was of So-ryong rushing to examine every insect or poisonous creature they came across,
then enthusiastically describing what it was—not even the spirit beasts nurtured by the Tang Clan were spared.
“Hyung-nim! Look at this! This is a Pyeon-gyeol! (Whip-knot)”
“Pyeon-gyeol?”
“Yes, it’s a type of whip, but unlike others, it doesn’t carry hereditary features.
Watch—if you prod it like this, see how it responds?”
“Ugh? Ack! What is that odor? Similar to vinegar?”
“Hahaha. Correct. The Pyeon-gyeol emits a vinegar-like spray.”
“You are knowledgeable about the most unusual things, aren’t you?”
Simultaneously, smiles found their way onto all five of their faces at the recollection.
But then, they all remembered the last update they had received from the Tang Clan—
the incident involving So-ryong.
They had attempted to visit him before setting out, just to see how he was faring,
but they were denied entry to his quarters entirely.
They had begged, but Elder Seol So-chan had been unwavering in his refusal.
Some among them owed their lives to So-ryong, having been pulled back from the brink of death,
so hearing that something grave had occurred—and being barred from seeing him—caused them significant anxiety.
“I hope he is recovering…”
Paeng Gyu-seong muttered quietly, his face lined with concern.
Geom-pung and Cheong-ryong heard his remark.
“Didn’t Elder Seol assure us he would be fine? It surely can’t be that serious—”
“Right, it’s impossible that anything major happened?”
“Well, it’s just that they both fainted at the same time. I was concerned it could be poison or something similar…”
“Oh, don’t be absurd. Worrying about that—members of the Tang Clan succumbing to poison? That would be laughable.”
Talking about So-ryong and the snake-infested mountain, the ten eventually arrived at a tiny village nestled at the mountain’s base.
It was a tranquil spot with little activity, but due to Mount Paltae’s presence,
a small inn was available.
“Is anyone here?”
Upon entering, the dilapidated inn was silent—it likely hadn’t hosted guests for many days.
A layer of dust covered several tables.
After a short wait, a bearded man came out from a back room and welcomed them.
“Welcome, guests.”
Typically, Paeng Gyu-seong was the group’s leader,
but when interacting with shopkeepers or innkeepers, Ji-ryong assumed command.
Ji-ryong moved forward and spoke to the man.
“We need three rooms and a meal.”
“Will you be staying the night or merely taking a break?”
“We aim to climb Mount Paltae, so just for one night.”
“You’re climbing Mount Paltae?”
“That’s correct. We were told the scenery is magnificent, so we came as a group to witness it.”
“Understood. Then I will begin preparing your meal.
All I can offer are dumplings filled with venison. Is that acceptable?
For drink, we have Heukgeunju.”
“Heukgeunju? ‘Black Root Wine,’ I see. Sounds like a first-press variety.
Very well, bring enough dumplings for ten people and three bottles of that wine.”
“At once.”
The innkeeper did not appear to be a very sociable man—
he didn’t escort them to their seats before disappearing again.
The ten of them settled around two tables and awaited their food.
“These tables could do with a wiping.”
They weren’t dirty, but it was clear they hadn’t been cleaned for some time.
One of the Tang Clan warriors called toward the back.
“Innkeeper! These tables need cleaning!”
A brief time later, the bearded innkeeper returned with a wet cloth.
He cleaned the tables, set down a teapot and cups, gave a silent bow, and left once more.
“Not much of a talker, is he?”
“Certainly not.”
The group started pouring tea and lifting their cups—
when abruptly, just as one of the Tang warriors was about to drink, another yelled:
“Do not drink that! It’s poisoned!”
“What?!”
– Shiiing! Shiiing! Eeeing!
And in that very instant—blades shot toward all ten of them from every conceivable direction.