Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 249

Chapter 249
The parchment was ancient, yet the script glowed as if inscribed with fresh ink.
Every gaze was captured by the shimmering, golden characters.
“What… what is this?”
“These are likely the words of our ancestor,” someone remarked. “The calligraphy matches that of Tang Hwa-seong, the youngest son of our third-generation leader, Tang Mun-ryong, the very man who assembled this text.”
“So-ryong, come forward. If these words are fleeting, you should be the one to read them. Your understanding of venomous beings surpasses all of ours.”
“Even so…”
“Now!”
Grandfather summoned me, cutting short his discussion with my father-in-law. He declared this could be a monumental blessing and urged me to examine the contents.
Naturally, I had no objection. As I moved closer, I heard Hwa-eun’s encouraging voice in my thoughts, soon joined by my mother-in-law’s.
“So-ryong, hurry!”
“You are a son to me in every way. Hesitating because you married into this family is foolishness.”
“Go ahead, son-in-law.”
Touched by my family’s kindness and encouragement, I bowed my head in gratitude to everyone and approached Grandfather.
“Thank you, all of you.”
I then looked down at the book. The light dancing on its surface revealed a script of breathtaking radiance.
However, instead of an immediate incredible discovery, the opening lines were perplexing. The writing started against a misty backdrop, filled with a tone of deep inquiry.
“If you are reading this, you must have obtained a Four King.
You require one to be present to read words written in a Four King’s venom.
To think another has emerged within our clan who shares my obsession with venom. Is this a fortunate event, or does it herald a calamity?”
…A sense of foreboding settled over me.
But the subsequent words were truly staggering.
“Tell me, has your Four King ingested a soul? Or has it not?”
“A soul…? You mean… a spirit?”
The word ‘soul’ took me by surprise, and I cocked my head in confusion. Grandfather provided an explanation.
“So-ryong, you are familiar with the term ‘honbi baeksan’, correct?”
“Yes, Grandfather. It means someone has gone mad, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed, but its true meaning is more profound.
A person consists of spirit and form. The form, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) is, of course, the physical body. The spirit, or yeong, is the source of our consciousness and feelings.
Upon death, this spirit divides into hon and baek.
Hon, bearing yang energy, rises to the sky, while baek, the yin element, returns to the earth. This is the nature of death.”
It was complex and difficult to fully grasp, but I understood the essence—it was a type of soul.
Then a memory surfaced.
When Cheongyu died, I had sensed something pass from her lips into the mouth of the Golden-Crowned Death King.
“Hold on… did the Golden-Crowned Death King devour Cheongyu’s soul?!”
I hadn’t witnessed it clearly, but my entire being had sensed it.
It wasn’t a conclusion reached by reason—it was pure instinct.
A chill ran down my spine, and my arms prickled with goosebumps as I read on.
**”If the soul has been consumed, you may find yourself in agony, depending on who that soul belonged to.
This is especially true if it was someone you cherished.
But take heart—you are not alone in this experience.
Even I… felt a small comfort knowing another had endured a pain like mine.
I do not know whose soul your Four King has taken,
but mine consumed the soul of my maidservant.
Or rather… the woman who was once my maidservant.
We had been together since we were young.
She was like an elder sister… a younger sister… a mother… a beloved. I failed to recognize her worth until she was gone. Why are we so blind?
Ah, I am digressing.
If your Four King has not yet taken a soul, consider yourself fortunate.
If it has not occurred, you must release the Four King immediately.”**
The caution was stark.
For those struggling to comprehend, the author provided a clarification:
**”Allow me to explain.
The Golden-Crowned Death King must ingest a human soul to develop.
But be at ease—it does not murder to claim a soul.
It typically absorbs the soul of an individual who perishes unexpectedly nearby.
It is the soul of one already deceased, so it may seem inconsequential.
However, not every consumed soul disappears entirely.
At times, the person remains—trapped within the Four King.
You likely cannot comprehend this.
My maid died suddenly during an epidemic.
The Four King consumed her soul and began to resemble her.
Years later, the clan arranged a marriage for me.
Whenever I looked upon the Four King, I saw her.
I agreed to the betrothal regardless.
The night I informed the Four King of my impending marriage, I discovered it weeping alone near the dressing room.
Beneath the moonlight… it was not the Four King I saw.
It was her.
The same expression in her eyes—one I had witnessed countless times before.
In that moment, I knew she was still present, inside the creature.
Yet no one in the clan believed my words.
They were convinced I had been enchanted.
This belief was strengthened when I was discovered… sharing an intimate moment with the being.
Eventually, alarmed by my actions, the clan released the Four King in a location unknown to me.
I then spent years wandering, seeking her.
But our paths never crossed again.
Now you see why this book contains no image of the Golden-Crowned Death King.
I have illustrated every other venomous creature—but this one I left empty.
I could not permit it to be possessed by another.
I could not allow the visage of my beloved to be recorded and studied.
Perhaps… perhaps if it is a Four King from a future generation… then maybe.”**
“Good heavens.”
So this was why this ancestor was erased from the clan history… he was concealing this truth.
I am not typically one for tragic romances, but—
“Amen.”
I offered a silent prayer for Tang Hwa-seong’s eternal rest, when another voice interrupted.
“So you believe that woman, Cheongyu, is… present within the Golden-Crowned Death King? Not alive—she has passed. You mean her soul resides inside it?”
“That appears to be the situation.”
“Lady Cheongyu, can you hear me?”
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Hwa-eun called out to the Golden-Crowned Death King as if seeking the human Cheongyu, but the creature only inclined its head in bewilderment.
—Shaaa?
“What? Could it be that Senior Hwa-seong was mistaken?”
Hwa-eun questioned whether our ancestor had been deluded.
Yet I did not believe it was a falsehood.
Who would dedicate their entire life to searching for a creature, forsaking marriage and a settled life, out of mere love for it?
Unless they were utterly insane or gripped by delusion.
Although, admittedly… there was a certain intensity to his devotion.
“Perhaps Cheongyu has not yet fully developed into her adult state.”
“Oh, so she is still immature?”
“Correct.”
Hwa-eun nodded thoughtfully at my response.
“If Lady Cheongyu’s soul is truly within the Golden-Crowned Death King, she might provide clues to the whereabouts of the Five Venoms Sect—or reveal their intentions.”
“An excellent point.”
“Absolutely.”
Even the elders concurred.
It seemed our path was set: we must pursue the Earth-Swimming Divine Serpent.
‘An impressive name…’
With the soul already consumed, the final step to mature the Golden-Crowned Death King fully is to locate the Cheonji Twin Generals.
And I must confess, I was deeply intrigued to witness the outcome of that transformation.
***
The following day, within the inner training grounds of the Tang Clan.
Grandfather and I convened there for the ceremony to achieve the long-awaited Four-Poison Realm.
—Shaaa.
Naturally, the Golden-Crowned Death King—Cheongyu—accompanied us.
Seol, Tong, and Bing were to be registered last, so we began with Cheongyu to attain the Four-Poison Realm first.
The fourth poison—’sa’ meaning four also resembles ‘sa’ for snake, so logically, the fourth should be a serpent.
As blood wasn’t required, I merely held my fingertip near Cheongyu’s mouth and withdrew it swiftly to initiate the bond.
“Here we go, Four-Poison Realm!”
Shutting my eyes, I began to circulate the Beast Heart Art.
I hoped for a swift registration.
But after some time… there was nothing.
The Beast Heart Art elicited no response.
I opened one eye slightly to look at Cheongyu—who was yawning widely with her elongated mouth.
Normally, the Beast Heart Art connects immediately, but Cheongyu showed no reaction.
Moving closer, I even felt a faint ache in my abdomen.
“Why isn’t it working? Should I attempt the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art instead?”
This was the art that originally classifies poisons, including those I register via Beast Heart Art.
With the Beast Heart Art failing, I had no alternative.
I tried employing the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.
But again—nothing.
It was unresponsive.
Frowning, I turned to Grandfather, who was observing intently, possibly wondering if I could manage this world’s power structure. I tilted my head and inquired,
“This is strange, Grandfather. It won’t register.”
“It will not?”
“No.”
“Even with the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art?”
“That failed as well.”
“What in the—? Summon Lady Seol at once!”
A flurry of activity ensued as Grandfather called for instruments and shouted towards the training ground entrance. Seol arrived, glancing our way.
“Wait, the Beast Heart Art cannot form a connection with the Golden-Crowned Death King?”
“Indeed, Sister Seol. I intended to register Cheongyu first for the Four-Poison Realm, then proceed with Seol, Tong, and Bing for the complete Five-Poison Realm. But the Beast Heart Art is simply not reacting.”
“And the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art was also ineffective?”
“No. I attempted multiple times.”
After verifying this herself, she frowned and stated,
“Senior, please conduct your own examination as well. A joint assessment from both perspectives would be ideal.”
“Agreed.”
Thus began a detailed joint inspection by Seol and Grandfather.
Their conclusions eventually pinpointed a single problem: the issue was not with me—it was with Cheongyu.
Unlike Seol, my Beast Heart Art is intrinsically tied to Poison Arts.
To advance its mastery, I require an actual poison to interface with.
But Cheongyu possessed none.
There was no poison within her.
She had fangs, certainly—but no venom.
Therefore, they concluded, registration was not possible.
“But why does she lack venom? Did the golden text not state the page was written in the venom of the Golden-Crowned Death King?”
“She must not have reached full maturity yet—thus, she produces no venom.”
This was logical… yet it still did not clarify how Hwa-eun managed to form a link, despite also lacking her own venom.
That part remained puzzling.
“Then how was Hwa-eun able to connect?” I asked.
Both Grandfather and Seol pondered, stroking their chins.
After a moment’s reflection, Grandfather spoke.
“You have cultivated the Beast Heart Art, true—but your version is fused with poison.
Lady Seol’s practice is somewhat distinct.
Regarding Hwa-eun—while she lacks innate venom, she has ingested poisons to train in the Poison Arts.
Here in the Tang Clan, our cultivation method involves absorbing assorted poisons to create a unique personal venom foundation.
Hwa-eun’s venom was not fully formed, so her cultivation level remained stagnant,
but she harbored some poison within her—sufficient to register via the Beast Heart Art.
The Golden-Crowned Death King, however, contains none. This is likely why a connection cannot be made.”
“…That does seem to fit…”
All the pieces now fell into place.
“So what is our course of action?”
At my question, Grandfather smiled.
“Locate the Earth-Swimming Divine Serpent and assist Cheongyu in reaching full maturity.”
“As I suspected—we must help her grow to adulthood. There is no alternative.”
“Precisely.”
And so, we gained yet another compelling reason to hunt the Earth-Swimming Divine Serpent—now with the entire family’s backing.
‘Earth-Swimming Divine Serpent, await my arrival. I am on my way. I hope you are striking in appearance, for I am eager to discover whom Yeondu will choose.’