Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 246

Chapter 246
“Urghh!”
A Tang Clan warrior, who had been braced against the wall to hold the line, was sent flying backward after being struck by a spiked mace wielded by a Five Venoms Sect disciple.
His companion had already been dragged back into the defensive semicircle formation.
“Brother Ma! Are you hurt!?”
“D-damn it… Ignore me, hold the formation… If it fails, we’re all dead.”
Do-ryong shot a glance toward the fallen Tang warrior, then spun around and yelled at Gungbong, his voice thick with fury.
“Damn it all! What’s the delay!? Gungbong, fire another Guardian Shot!”
“We’re out! All three have been used!”
Within the half-ruined inn, the Tang warriors resisting the Five Venoms Sect assault were pushed to their absolute limit.
Do-ryong’s face was scorched, a deep gash from a blade stretching to his lips. Yang Seong-hu’s left arm hung rigidly, likely broken. Seon-hwa’s long hair was now uneven, partly shorn off.
None of them were unscathed.
“Khh…”
“Their center has fallen! They resisted, but it’s finished!”
Just as Do-ryong’s left knee, having borne the main force of the enemy’s offensive, sank onto the blood-soaked floor—
Abruptly, a figure emerged from behind the inn’s shattered wall, face uncovered, and cried out in urgent warning.
“Pull back! The Sichuan martial artists are flooding in! Everyone, scatter!”
Simultaneously, the sound of pounding drums and distant cries echoed through the air.
–Doom doom doom!
“Drive them out! Exterminate the Five Venoms scum!”
“What is this!?”
The Five Venoms Sect disciples dispersed like a retreating wave, and Sichuan martial artists poured in to fill the void.
Eight of the defenders dropped where they stood.
***
The clash at Mount Paltae concluded when the Sichuan martial artists arrived at the critical moment, just as the Tang warriors were about to be overwhelmed by their wounds and utter exhaustion.
As the Sichuan forces spread out, the Tang warriors also split into smaller groups to chase down the retreating Five Venoms Sect members.
Some time later, those who had stayed in the village to tend to their injuries joined the pursuit—and unexpectedly encountered a specific group.
The Five Venoms Sect Master’s daughter and her guards.
They hadn’t come directly through the battleground, but to avoid sparking a new fight or alerting the Sichuan martial artists, Do-ryong decided to shadow them discreetly.
With Gungbong, their skilled tracker, among them, they opted to follow silently and ambush the enemy when they eventually met the Sichuan forces.
However, the group containing the Sect Master’s daughter managed to evade the Sichuan region completely and was now approaching Tang territory.
“What’s the situation?”
“It seems they’ve paused to take shelter in a cave up ahead…”
Huddled under a tree in the rain-soaked forest, unable to light a fire, the Five Dragon Fangs communicated in low whispers.
「Ji-ryong, what’s the plan? This was supposed to be straightforward, but I never thought they’d bypass the Sichuan martial artists so effortlessly.」
「The search turned into a fight, and everything became disordered. It couldn’t be helped. But don’t fret, Do-ryong. It appears they’re skirting close to the Tang base to throw off pursuit—but that tactic only works if no one is actually following them.」
「Eunbong, you have the best speed here. Go to the Tang base and secure a messenger hawk. We will encircle them. If the young hero moves, we can coordinate signals and set a trap ahead of their path.」
「Understood!」
「Then go, now!」
「Yes!」
Eunbong acknowledged the order but didn’t immediately depart.
Ji-ryong looked at her, puzzled by her hesitation. She suddenly darted to him, gave him a swift kiss, and muttered as if justifying the action.
「For luck.」
As Eunbong sped away, Kwon-ryong and Geom-ryong started to complain.
「Honestly, we should demand she gives back her Five Dragon Fangs badge.」
「Right? At this rate, the elders will be calling us the Four Dragons and a Cloud. One of us is even named Gungbong.」
「What are you implying?!」
「Ah—no disrespect intended, Gungbong.」
Those without romantic partners grumbled, saying they no longer wished to be part of the Five Dragon Fangs. Amid this, Do-ryong looked over with concern at Yang Seong-hu’s arm.
The bamboo splint meant to support it was hanging loose.
「Yang Seong-hu, how is your arm?」
「It’s manageable. Probably not fully shattered.」
「Even so, it should be rebound.」
「Yes… perhaps it should.」
「I’ll take care of it.」
As Seon-hwa moved forward to rewrap the splint, Do-ryong sat down to cycle his internal energy.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed.
Rainwater seeped into the burn on his mouth, sending a sharp, stinging pain through the wound.
Do-ryong flinched, his eyes snapping open as he broke from his meditative state.
His energy circulation was complete; he had regained some strength. Judging by the persistent rain and the feel of the air, roughly two shijin had elapsed.
A glance around showed the others were asleep, curled up. Only Gungbong remained on watch, his gaze fixed in the direction of the cave.
–Ssshhhhh.
Then.
After two full days of relentless downpour, the rain began to fall even harder.
Do-ryong looked up at the sky, wiping a drop from his face—and in that instant, Gungbong dropped down and called out in a rushed, tense voice.
“The rain is too heavy, I can’t hear or see well, but that woman just bolted from the cave alone and is now fleeing through the forest! What’s her game?”
“Is it a diversion? Is she drawing attention so the others can slip away?”
“Regardless, we must pursue her!”
There was only a moment’s hesitation at this sudden turn.
The seven awakened members immediately gave chase using their lightfoot techniques, racing after the daughter of the Five Venoms Sect Master.
She came into view almost immediately—but her speed was breathtaking.
She was dashing down the valley, and the distance between them wasn’t closing. Ji-ryong shouted, his voice strained with urgency.
“At this rate, we’ll lose our primary target. We’re out of options.
Gungbong, can you shoot to halt her? In this rain, she won’t detect the arrow.”
“Understood!”
“Remember, she is the Sect Master’s daughter—we need her alive! And didn’t the young hero mention she was a tragic figure who had suffered terribly…?”
–Sssiiing!
Before Ji-ryong could finish his sentence, an arrow drove directly into the woman’s back. She was caught by the rushing waters of the swollen stream and vanished from sight.
“…”
Everyone turned to stare at Gungbong, their expressions utterly blank and stunned into silence.
***
–Ssshhh.
The Five Dragon Fangs hurried along the bank of the flooded valley stream, the relentless rain continuing into its second day.
–Splash. Splash. Splash.
As Do-ryong advanced, he could hear the discontented muttering of the others nearby.
“She’s the Five Venoms Sect Master’s daughter, and before the words ‘capture her’ were even out of our mouths, you put an arrow in her—”
“If you shoot, it should be a kill shot, shouldn’t it?”
“You were supposed to hit her leg to impede her!”
“N-no! I aimed below the chest—just under the Shan Zhong point. It restricts breathing, which would slow her down. If we find her and treat it, sh-she will live.”
Gungbong, visibly agitated, defended himself under the intense questioning from Do-ryong and Ji-ryong about why the shot had struck her chest.
Everyone sighed at the scene.
They recognized their own error—they should have given Gungbong explicit instructions to aim for the leg and conveyed clear orders.
They soon reached the rock where the woman from the Five Venoms Sect was last seen.
Paeng Gyu-seong peered downstream from the rock—now washed slick and tinged red by the rain—and murmured,
“The current has taken her downstream… You don’t suppose she’s dead?”
“She is not some fragile novice. If her martial arts are as advanced as reported, she will survive such a wound.”
“The Tang Clan reinforcements should be here soon. For now, we must search the downstream area ourselves. Move out!”
With that, Do-ryong and Paeng Gyu-seong leaped down alongside the raging stream, the other six close behind them.
***
“Haah… haah…”
In a small cave nestled among the rocks lining the valley.
The faint, musky scent of wolf lingered—it had likely been a den once. Now it was empty, and Cheongyu sat inside, struggling for breath.
–Snap.
Unwilling to aggravate the bleeding, Cheongyu broke off the arrow’s fletching and head, leaving the main shaft lodged in place.
Fighting to steady her breathing, potentially due to a pierced lung, Cheongyu reached into her pouch and carefully withdrew Sayang.
“A-are you unharmed?”
–Shiah.
She had asked because Sayang had been carried along with her in the torrent. The insect emitted a soft chirp, as if to reassure her it was fine.
Though Sayang still appeared partially paralyzed and unable to move fully, being swept away had not caused serious harm.
It looked up at her with an expression that seemed worried.
Cheongyu returned its gaze and whispered gently,
“…Do not fear. I will not die—not until I have delivered you to the Tang Clan. I wish to repay a kindness at least once before my end.
We only need to rest briefly. I believe I will grow accustomed to the pain soon.”
After setting Sayang down, Cheongyu took stock of her injury.
As anticipated, the wound was not immediately fatal.
But it was severe.
Removing the arrow would cause severe bleeding and necessitate sealing her meridians. However, due to its proximity to her dantian, doing so would sever her internal energy flow. Leaving it in would allow her to use her energy, but her breathing would remain labored and her energy circulation unsteady.
She was still weighing her options.
Then, the pattern of raindrops at the cave entrance shifted—followed by the distinct sensation of an approaching presence.
Cheongyu and Sayang both turned to look.
If the newcomer was one of the Central Plains martial artists who had fired the arrow, there was still a chance.
She could invoke the name of the Tang Clan and try to negotiate—hand over Sayang to them in exchange for their aid.
But if it was a member of the Blood Talon—
Cheongyu began to pray silently, to the ancient deity she had worshipped in her childhood with her mother.
Please… do not let it be him.
Yet, perhaps it was retribution for all the atrocities she had committed while brainwashed—
For the one who appeared was the very person she had most dreaded seeing.
A shadow fell across the cave entrance.
“Hahahaha. You fled only to end up in this state?”
–Clang!
Cheongyu released a surge of her inner energy in a desperate blast—but the Blood Talon merely ducked back and laughed from outside the cave.
“Now you are a trapped animal. If you yield peacefully, you will not be harmed. You will return to the Sect Master as his devoted daughter.”
Hearing his words, Cheongyu’s vision darkened.
If she was taken back and subjected to brainwashing again, she would be compelled to kill—to once more harvest the blood and flesh of innocent people.
The slaughter.
It was unendurable. She would prefer death here to living that nightmare again.
“No!”
She screamed, her eyes wild as she looked at Sayang.
Then she seized the arrow protruding from her chest—and wrenched it out.
–Snap!
Dark crimson blood welled from the open injury.
–Shiah!
Sayang shrieked in alarm, clutching at her collar.
But Cheongyu, with a trembling smile, plunged her fingers into the bleeding wound.
“I will not allow them to claim either of us.”
When her hand emerged from the gash—it held a softly glowing orb.
“If… if you consume this, your strength will return. Then you can flee… to So-ryong of the Tang Clan. Without me, they will be unable to capture you…”
–Shiaaah!
Sayang resisted fiercely—but Cheongyu, enduring the agony, forced the orb into its mouth.
And then, light erupted.
–BOOM! BOOM!
The small cave exploded apart in a thunderous detonation.
***
Drenched and on the verge of collapse, Eunbong finally reached the Tang base with the hawk—and the compound erupted into frantic activity.
–Crash!
“What!? The Five Venoms fiends came through this area!?”
“Mobilize every Tang warrior! We will capture them without fail!”
The entire Tang Clan sprang into action: all available fighters, the Heavenly Poison Deity grandfather, Jangil, Hwa-eun, and even Sister Seol—all charged into the rain, following Gungbong’s guidance.
I flew through the storm, enveloped by Cho’s familiar scent.
For some reason, Yeondu was adamant about accompanying me despite the weather.
–Shhhhhhh.
As I traveled in the direction Eunbong had indicated, I noticed movement inside my robe.
Yeondu was turning her head—directing her nose toward a specific direction.
“Hm? That way? Do you sense something?”
It was slightly off from the path Eunbong had described, but Yeondu only behaved this way when something was amiss.
–Cho, go that way.
–Trrrp!
The instant I instructed Cho to change direction—
–BOOM! BOOM!
A thunderous explosion ripped through the air from the direction Yeondu had indicated, and a brilliant pillar of light erupted into the sky from its source.