Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 248

Chapter 248
In a state of utter shock, I gaped at the altered shape of the Golden-Crowned Death King, which now possessed the upper half of Cheongyu’s body.
Who wouldn’t be astonished? I had never before witnessed a serpent with the torso of a human.
“This is unbelievable! This isn’t a Lamia at all…”
Initially, the Golden-Crowned Death King’s appearance brought to mind the Lamia from Greek or Roman myths.
True, we are in the Central Plains, but we once even encountered a Kissing Bug from America—so such anomalies aren’t entirely out of place here.
My first impression was that it didn’t seem like a spiritual beast or venomous creature indigenous to the Central Plains, but rather some foreign oddity that had slipped past the borders.
However, the longer I observed the Golden-Crowned Death King, the more evident it became—this form was utterly fitting for a true spiritual and venomous beast king of this world.
“I nearly convinced myself otherwise. But if it is one of the Four Kings, shouldn’t its appearance be exactly like this?”
Precisely. A king of the Central Plains ought to look this way.
This world may mirror ancient China, but it is a peculiar one where martial arts and mystical beasts are a reality, and that is simply the natural order here.
The geography and culture are not so distant from the ancient Central Plains I had learned about, and many of the local legends and tales are almost the same.
That is why the myths of the Sovereign Five Emperors also exist here—and if there is a serpent king in the Central Plains, it naturally would bear a resemblance to Cheongyu’s current form.
This isn’t mere speculation. Within the myths of the Sovereign Five Emperors, there are the stories of Fuxi and Nuwa—known here as Sanghwang and Sanghai.
They were described as having human upper bodies and serpentine lower halves. Therefore, a genuine serpent king of the Central Plains could not possibly manifest in any other shape.
The present form of the Golden-Crowned Death King could very well be called a descendant of Fuxi or Nuwa.
“A traditional, properly recorded Four King, correct in both historical and cultural terms!”

As I stood there appreciating the Golden-Crowned Death King, rather than choosing to fight or set it ablaze, an unusual noise suddenly came from its body.
—Chrrrrk.
My eyes widened as I looked toward the sound. The creature’s scales, which had been raised, began to lie flat again in an orderly fashion.
At first, I assumed the scales were simply drying after its molt. But then something bizarre started to occur.
Beginning at the head, the previously erect scales smoothed down uniformly, and then—astoundingly—they began to reform the very garments Cheongyu had worn in life.
It recalled how Yo-hwa had once recreated Hwanok’s robes, a similar kind of metamorphosis. In an instant, opulent black silk robes enveloped the Golden-Crowned Death King’s form.
Witnessing this transformation, a single thought came to me:
This must be the Golden-Crowned Death King’s final, fully matured state.
Every detail was flawless.
“Incredible… this is the true Serpent King!”
I was utterly mesmerized by the Golden-Crowned Death King in its complete, adult form. I could do nothing but stare, studying it from head to tail.
And then it let out a roar.
—Shaaaak!
Jolted from my trance by its cry, I glanced around. At some point, the screams and moans from the Five Venoms Sect members had ceased, fading away into nothingness.
Only their strongest member had put up some resistance, but his body had taken on a pale, bluish tint, too far gone from the poison to be saved.
Every last one of them in the mountain pass had been eradicated.
“By the heavens.”
Then, as I watched in awe, another strange scene played out.
Answering the Golden-Crowned Death King’s cry, Yeondu and the other serpents nearby began gathering the corpses into a heap. Then, simultaneously, they lowered their heads toward their king.
It was as if they were reporting: “Our task is finished.”
—Sss. Sss.
—Shaaaa!
This was the very image of a true King of Serpents.
“Kyaaaah!”
***

After I had closed Oh Cheongyu’s eyes and was waiting for the others, a voice resonated in my mind.
“So-ryong, we have encountered all the warriors from the Five Dragon Peaks. It appears we missed you—where are you located?”
It seemed the Five Dragon Peaks search party had passed by my location, and Grandfather Tang Mu-seong had found Hwa-eun’s group first.
“Ah, I’m near the valley,” I replied swiftly through my connection to Hwa-eun.
I needed to answer immediately—I was afraid she would become anxious if I delayed.
Sure enough, her next words were laced with worry.
“The valley? By yourself? That isn’t safe. Come to our position. We should regroup.”
“There’s no cause for concern, Hwa-eun. The members of the Five Venoms Sect are all dead.”
A brief pause filled with shock was followed by an astonished question.
“What? They are deceased?”
“Yes. Hwa-eun, simply follow the valley upstream.”
I required assistance to recover Cheongyu’s body, so I directed her up the valley, but her unease did not lessen.
“So-ryong… you didn’t undertake anything reckless, did you? So-ryong? So-ryong?”
“I am unharmed. Just approach with caution.”
A short time later, I detected people coming from down the valley.
I heard confused exclamations—people alarmed by something. Then I felt Hwa-eun’s presence once more.
“We’ve arrived at the valley where the Five Dragon Peaks were searching, but something ferocious is obstructing the path. Do you know what this is about?”
“Ah, one moment. Do not engage the snakes. Remain there. I will request they clear a way.”
“Huh? Clear a way? So-ryong? What are you talking about?”
The area dominated by these snakes stretched at least three meters in every direction.
From my vantage point, it was hard to see clearly, but it seemed Hwa-eun’s group had reached the valley’s entrance. I turned to face the Golden-Crowned Death King, which had been watching me for some time.
“What should I name you? Every individual deserves a name, you know.”
—Shaaa?
“Yes. A name. I cannot keep referring to you as ‘you’.
Therefore, if you agree, I would like to call you Cheongyu—in memory of Oh Cheongyu. Since you have adopted her form.”
—Shaaaa.
The Golden-Crowned Death King gave a nod at my words. It appeared to approve of the idea. I decided to confirm once more, just to be certain.
“You truly like the name Cheongyu? I omitted the ‘Oh’ because that was a name given to her by the Five Venoms Sect. Is that acceptable?”
—Shaaa!
It issued a loud cry, as if declaring “Without a doubt!”
Smiling at its response, I addressed the snakes and asked them to create a passage for the group.
The mirage-like domain had not yet expanded, so a path was necessary for them to reach me.
“My companions are downstream. Can you provide a way through for them? They report that the snakes are preventing their advance. They are likely here to recover the body of the departed Cheongyu. When a person dies, we lay them to rest—in the ground or a peaceful place.”
—Shaaa.
As anticipated from a spiritual beast, the Serpent King comprehended perfectly.
In reply to my request, the Golden-Crowned Death King directed a commanding cry toward Yeondu.
—Shaaaaaaa.
—Shaaa!
Then, responding with the discipline of a seasoned soldier, Yeondu moved through the wall of snakes.
As Yeondu advanced, the serpents divided to both sides, creating a pathway as if the sea itself were parting.
Snakes of black, blue, and dappled patterns slid aside to the left and right.
Soon, Hwa-eun’s group emerged through this passage.
The instant they arrived and saw Cheongyu, their eyes shot open in disbelief.
“What… what is that!?”
“Is that… Nuwa!?”
“W-What in the world is that!?”
“That woman—who is she!?”
“So-ryong, what is happening here?”
“So-ryong, what is that creature, and what occurred?”
Just as I predicted, upon seeing the form of the Golden-Crowned Death King, everyone’s immediate thought was of Nuwa.
Any inhabitant of the Central Plains would naturally link that image to the ancient legend.
I chose to introduce Cheongyu and request help retrieving the body.
“This is Cheongyu, the Golden-Crowned Death King. I have given my word to look after her. A fuller explanation will wait until we return to the clan. For now, could you assist me in gathering her remains?”
“What sort of foolishness is this, speaking as if you understand what that being is?”
Grandfather Tang Mu-seong seemed to be alluding to how the snakes had disgorged the bodies of the Five Venoms Sect men, but his gaze remained locked on Cheongyu.
“Cheongyu, would you step back so we may retrieve the body?”
—Shaaa!
As Cheongyu the Golden-Crowned Death King shifted aside, the human body of Cheongyu was exposed.
Seeing the terrible condition of the corpse, Hwa-eun inhaled sharply and covered her mouth.
“This woman… what happened?”
“It seems she regained her memories after being freed from the grand formation and tried to escape. I was told she used her own hands to remove her Neidan.”
“T-That’s…”
A profound silence fell over the area, as though time itself had frozen.
My father-in-law came forward and addressed the warriors.
“Have the women retrieve her body with care.”
Several warriors promptly cut wood to construct a stretcher.
A few female martial artists bowed their heads respectfully, approached Oh Cheongyu’s body, straightened her garments, and lifted her gently onto the stretcher.
Behind them, the corpses of the Five Venoms Sect fighters—bound like mere cargo to poles—were hauled away toward the Tang Clan grounds as if they were refuse.
***

Upon our return to the Tang Clan, I relayed everything I had witnessed and learned.
When they heard the dreadful account of her removing her own Neidan during her flight, everyone was filled with both fury and profound sorrow.
“This is too brutal.”
“Those monsters from the Five Venoms Sect!”
Consequently, Chang-ryong, Geom-bong, and Brother Gyu-seong took responsibility.
The human Cheongyu was tenderly washed, clothed in fresh garments, and placed in a coffin.
This stood in sharp contrast to the other Five Venoms Sect men, whose bodies were incinerated like waste after a quick examination.
—Shaaa…
Under the sorrowful watch of the Golden-Crowned Death King, she was interred in a warm, sunny spot amongst the graves of the ordinary Tang Clan citizens.
When I explained that her final journey was to see the Original Celestial Immortal, a Taoist priest from the Cheongseong Sect—who had joined the search—performed her funeral rites.
The Five Dragon Peaks grieved her death with somber hearts.
“If only I hadn’t requested that favor from Gungbong… She only ran because her memories returned.”
“I should have modified the formation… ngh…”
Was the arrow in her chest one that Gungbong had fired?
Ji-ryong had been the one to issue the order.
But in the end, the fatal wound was not the arrow. It was her act of extracting the Neidan from near her heart with her own hands.
If one considered it fairly, the entire blame lay with the Five Venoms Sect.
“Please, do not hold yourselves responsible. It was not your doing. The fault is entirely theirs. If you sincerely wish to atone to her, then aid me in carrying out her last request.”
“Her last request?”
“She begged us to obliterate the Five Venoms Sect from this world. So that no one else must endure suffering as she did.”
The members of the Five Dragon Peaks gave solemn nods to my words.
Each of them drove their weapon into the earth before her grave and spoke with grave voices.
“We, the Five Dragon Peaks, will accept responsibility for this death and commit all our strength to fulfilling her final wish.”
“Should we fail to eradicate the Five Venoms Sect as she desired, not one of us will find peace.”
And so, Cheongyu’s funeral came to a quiet close.
However, the Tang Clan grounds descended into a [N O V E L I G H T] state of commotion—because of the Golden-Crowned Death King.
Not the King itself, but the multitude of snakes it had brought along.
Evidently, due to Cheongyu’s plea—and perhaps because it had taken a liking to me—the King began to follow me without any opposition.
But the issue was the scores of snakes it had summoned.
And not only them. On the journey back to the Tang Clan, more and more snakes had joined the throng, and by our arrival, hundreds were dispersed across the estate.
Naturally, people began to panic.
“You can ensure they won’t bite anyone, correct?”
—Shaaa.
Naturally, I asked the Golden-Crowned Death King to instruct them not to bite people.
Furthermore, now that Yeondu had reached full maturity, she could relay commands just as the King did. So the danger of anyone being bitten was minimal.
Even so, with poisonous snakes moving about freely, it was simple for someone to be startled. Therefore, I made certain to repeat my request multiple times.
Once all necessary precautions were taken, we convened a private family council.
Only the direct lineage of the Tang Clan and members of my poison sect were present.
Since Cheongyu was now part of our household, we wished to formally welcome her and make introductions.
I led her before the assembled family and presented her.
“This is Cheongyu, now a member of our family.”
“Cheongyu, these are your new kin. Greet them.”
—Shaaa!
At my words, Cheongyu pressed her hands together and inclined her head in a bow.
Seeing her polite salutation, Grandfather beamed with happiness.
“Ohh, splendid. May you be well.
So this is the form of the Golden-Crowned Death King. I find no description of it in the Venomous Creatures Compendium—it is truly remarkable that it bears a likeness to Nuwa.
And So-ryong, now that you have assembled all five poisons, you should be capable of completely mastering the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.”
“Yes! At long last!”
Just as Grandfather and I were rejoicing over this achievement, Cheongyu, who stood beside me, suddenly showed a keen interest in the book he held.
She clambered onto the table and began moving toward him.
In a flash, she was at the forefront, resting her chin and gazing intently at the Compendium of Venomous Creatures lying open before him.
Startled, I pulled gently at her sleeve.
“Ch-Cheongyu? You cannot climb up there… Please come down, alright?”
To behave like this at your first introduction?
Still rather untamed, I see?
But as I grasped her sleeve, Cheongyu used her hands to turn several pages of the book.
Then, a golden mist streamed from her slightly parted lips.
The mist spread across the Compendium of Venomous Creatures, and abruptly the book began to radiate a golden light.
“Wh-What is happening!?”
Letters of gold started to materialize on the freshly revealed page.
It was precisely the page dedicated to the Golden-Crowned Death King.