Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 259

Chapter 259
A column of smoke continued to climb into the sky behind us, a lingering testament to the harbor still being aflame.
Even at this distance, the sharp, bitter odor of smoke reached us on the wind, faint yet distinct enough to prick at my nostrils.
‘The smell of fire carries further than I imagined.’
–Chak.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Cheongwol shoved aside the dense undergrowth ahead, allowing a clear, fresh wind to finally sweep toward us.
As the breeze filtered through the thicket, I heard the relieved sighs of Sister Seol and Hwa-eun from behind.
“Ah, finally. The smoke isn’t as strong here.”
“Isn’t it? I feel the same, sister.”
They appeared to be in much brighter spirits now that we had escaped the smoke-choked woods.
However, my own concern wasn’t the air quality, but our speed.
‘Isn’t he moving… a little too quickly?’
Free from the worry of encountering pirates, Cheongwol was now charging forward, beating down the vegetation with far more force than he had on our journey to the harbor. It was, frankly, rather rapid.
While Cheongwol was clearing a path, his height when he reared up was comparable to a full-grown man.
This meant the tall grasses he passed over still posed a significant obstacle for those following behind, like the Dragon Fangs. Not very helpful for them.
‘Cheongwol, we have people trailing us. Let’s moderate the pace a little.’
–Krrhk. 『Understood.』
I had inquired of Cheongwol once more before we departed, just to be certain.
Was he able to carry another person?
Traversing this kind of landscape is difficult, after all.
But although he had permitted his companions, like Cheongyu or the Silver Ringed Snake, to carry others when I asked, Cheongwol remained adamant in his refusal to allow another rider.
『…Grrr. 『You must promise! Never ask me to carry anyone else again!』』
‘Okay, okay. I promise. My mistake.’
This time, I was compelled to give my word that I would never ask again.
‘Then again, now that I consider it, Cheongwol is also female. I suppose it wouldn’t be comfortable for her to have unfamiliar men riding on her back. What about women, though…? …Well, I’m not sure myself…’
Keeping the Dragon Fangs in mind, I regulated Cheongwol’s speed as we pressed on toward the boat.
Seated on Cheongwol’s back, holding the reins, I turned to Cheongyu, who was amusing herself with the Silver Ringed Snake.
“Cheongyu, would you be able to sense if the Ji-yeong Snake was close by?”
–Sight.
Since Yeondu had detected Cheongyu’s approach, I wondered if Cheongyu could similarly perceive the presence of someone like Bi-cheon Shin-sa or the Ji-yeong Snake. Cheongyu, however, shook her head.
“Does that mean we must go to him?”
“We will need to cover as much ground as possible, So-ryong.”
“Yes. It appears that is our only option.”
Yeondu had sensed Cheongyu’s arrival, so the Ji-yeong Snake, the other half of the Heavenly Earth Pair, would likely become aware of us as well.
We reasoned that if we traveled through enough areas, he might notice and seek us out.
Apart from that, our more immediate priority was to identify what that “watermelon” entity actually was, so we resolved to investigate that first.
“Let’s determine the nature of this ‘watermelon’ thing before we do anything else.”
“Yes, So-ryong.”
“Agreed. I’ve grown curious about it myself, since they used that name.”
Just as everyone indicated their agreement with my proposal—
–Jwaaak.
Cheongwol slashed through the last of the tall grass, unveiling a broad, open area.
And there, directly ahead of us, was the riverbank—our destination.
The boat visible up ahead was slightly off from our initial plotted course.
Above us, Cho signaled our direction, confirming we had arrived.
“Cho, well done. You’ve worked hard. Come on down now, sister.”
–Tssrrrk. 『Alright, Daddy.』
And so, we arrived back at the boat.
Cho and Yeondu had attached silk threads and were towing the vessel. After another half a shichen had passed—
A rough-hewn wooden building, shrouded in a thick blanket of tropical vines, came into view.
“So-ryong-nim, I believe this is the place.”
“They claimed it was only a few years old, but it seems as if it’s been deserted for decades.”
The harbor was so thoroughly engulfed by creeping vines it was nearly indistinguishable.
Sister Seol remarked that it looked decades old, but tropical vines grow with such speed that a structure can be entirely consumed within a year or two.
I instructed Do Sagong to steer the boat closer to the harbor’s edge, where the very top of the structure peeked through the foliage.
“We’ll moor the boat first.”
“Understood, So-ryong-nim.”
“Everyone! Over here!”
–Tssrrrk!
–Shhhhh!
After directing Do Sagong, Cho, and Yeondu to guide the boat toward the harbor, we carefully drew near.
–Creak. Thump.
Once we were secured at the makeshift dock, I disembarked and said,
“Cheongwol, remain with the boat. I will assess the structure’s stability. If it is unsound, we will disembark directly onto the bank.”
–Grrr.
The vines had encroached right to the harbor’s edge.
It was clear we needed to deal with them first, so I looked down from the boat and addressed Do Sagong and Ji-ryong.
“Do Sagong, have the sailors disembark and clear the area around the harbor first. Ji-ryong, would you and the Dragon Fangs provide protection for the sailors while they work?”
The pirates were said to have been expelled, but if that so-called watermelon creature still considered this its domain, the sailors could be at risk. Merely a precaution.
They said it attacked at night, suggesting it is nocturnal and troublesome—but it is always better to be cautious.
“Understood, So-ryong-nim.”
“Understood, young sir.”
–Jwaaak! Jwaaaak!
The sailors who followed me down began hacking away at the jungle with large blades.
The vines were unnaturally thick and pale, almost bleaching the landscape, making everything indistinguishable. But after roughly half a shichen of clearing, the rough shape of the pirates’ construction began to emerge.
“It is quite sizable.”
“They said all the remaining pirates lived here together. It seems they built it on a fairly large scale.”
There was one finished building and a rudimentary docking facility.
The rest gave the impression of being half-constructed, thrown up in haste, perhaps not even ten percent complete. Sister Seol observed the stockpiled timber nearby and commented that saying the pirates were driven out was likely just a face-saving story.
After all, they had left behind such valuable, worked lumber.
Only when we stood before the completed building did we see its true state of disrepair. Vines had forced their way inside through gaps and broken windows.
Nevertheless, it seemed sturdy enough to provide shelter for the night.
I turned to the others and instructed them to inspect the surroundings further, to ensure the building was secure.
“We will rest here for today. The search for the creature will begin tomorrow.”
“Understood, young sir.”
“Understood, So-ryong. Gungbong, let’s hunt.”
“Okay.”
Senior proposed a hunt to Gungbong.
I offered a warning to the Dragon Fangs.
“Exercise caution. Hunt downstream, the way we came. And if you see anything that might be that watermelon creature, retreat at once. They said it is venomous.”
“Understood, So-ryong.”
With that, brother, Gungbong, Cheong-ryong, and Geom-pung vanished in the direction of the downstream area.
The boatmen were visibly delighted.
“With Geom-pung on the hunt, it seems we’ll have meat tonight.”
“Shall we get a fire ready for grilling, then?”
“There is a great deal of wood stacked over there we can use.”
The prospect of Gungbong and the Dragon Fangs hunting meant meat for dinner—a notion that clearly thrilled them.
The sailors enthusiastically gathered the piled wood and began preparing for a cookout, though not everyone shared this excitement for meat.
“Hwa-eun, shall we try to catch some fish from the river? I am somewhat tired of red meat.”
“Shall we? Sister? Truthfully, I have never eaten only meat for so many months consecutively. It remains somewhat… overwhelming.”
“Cho, would you like to join us? Lend a hand.”
–Tssrrrk.
Perhaps because their diet had consisted of nothing but game meat since Qinghai, Hwa-eun and Sister Seol, taking Cho with them, headed off to fish.
Once the three of them had disappeared toward the dock where the boat was tied up, I found myself with little to do.
There was not much that required my attention until the evening meal.
The sailors would manage the bedding and cooking. The Dragon Fangs had divided the responsibilities of hunting and sentry duty.
‘So… what should I do with myself?’
“Ah, I should request Cheongyu to monitor the area.”
While pondering my options, I thought of Cheongyu.
I decided I could ask her to establish a sajin and keep watch over the vicinity.
I made my way to the cabin, exchanging places with the sailors who had just come from the boat. There, curled up and asleep on my bed, was Cheongyu.
Surrounding her were ten Silver Ringed Snakes, positioned like vigilant guards, exactly as I had instructed.
I reached out to one, and it slid gently around my wrist, its movement leaving a faint mark on my skin.
‘Ahh… This is true contentment! It feels like I’ve been courting a viper for two days and am completely smitten.’
Cheongyu had initially refused, pleading with me not to allow the snakes to bite—but when she issued her command, the snakes became as docile as lambs.
They were a species I had always desired to keep in my previous life. Merely looking at them filled me with a warm delight.
Then I heard a sound beside me.
–Shaah?
Turning, I saw Yeondu gazing at me with an expression of pure disbelief.
A look that plainly said, What in the world are you doing?
“W-Well, I just… find them endearing, is all. Yeondu.”
–Shaah? Ah?
“Yes. Just look at them. They are charming.”
I softly stroked the head of the one coiled near the fire, and as I placed it next to Cheongyu, it quivered with pleasure.
I briefly worried our conversation had disturbed Cheongyu, but a glance confirmed she remained fast asleep, curled up as she was before.
Even with Yeondu and me speaking nearby, she did not stir.
Since I would need to wait for her to wake before asking about the sajin, I began considering what else I might do.
‘Ah… My skills are so specialized, I have nothing productive to contribute at a moment like this.’
I thought briefly of playing with the creatures, but whether from yesterday’s battle or simple exhaustion, they were all asleep, scattered throughout the cabin.
Then something shifted in front of me.
Startled, I crouched down—and Yeondu tilted her head, observing me with curiosity.
–Shaah?
“Ah, I was merely contemplating what to do with myself.”
–Shaaaah.
“Hm? Oh? You wish to go outside?”
Yeondu affirmed my words, then approached and coiled around me, guiding me out of the cabin.
Once we were on the deck, she launched into the air—lifting me up with her.
“So you thought a stroll would be good if I was idle?”
As Yeondu ascended, holding me securely, I surveyed the landscape below.
Beneath us, I could see Cho, Hwa-eun, and Sister Seol fishing, while further downstream, Gungbong and the others were in pursuit of some game.
A campfire’s smoke drifted up from the pirates’ hut.
The sun had not yet set.
Taking in the view, I reasoned,
‘Certainly, we agreed to begin the search tomorrow, but there is no harm in surveying the area from the air now, is there?’
We had decided on a proper search the next day, but conducting an advance reconnaissance of the local terrain and environment would be beneficial.
All exploration begins with preliminary investigation.
“Yeondu, let us examine that area. But do not fly too low.”
–Shaaaah.
Enveloped in Yeondu’s coils, I began by inspecting the zone near the pirates’ hut.
To the south, where Hyung-nim had gone to hunt, was dense tropical rainforest. To the west, the river. To the east, more jungle and mountains.
But when we moved northward, a different landscape became visible in the distance.
Beginning about five hundred meters away, I could make out scattered pools of water and irregular clumps of vegetation.
The vines did not spread beyond a specific boundary, creating a strong impression of a change in territory. Looking closer, I recognized the type of terrain.
The northern area possessed all the characteristics of an inland marsh.
“A textbook example of an inland marsh.”
–Shaah?
Yeondu tilted her head inquisitively, so I elaborated.
“It is also known as a lowland—a place where water does not drain well and the earth remains perpetually damp. Like that area there.”
The distance from the pirate base to the edge where the vines began was approximately five hundred meters.
Between the huts and the marsh lay a transitional area of dense plant life. When the water was high, it would become a swamp. When lower, it would simply be soft, wet ground.
A combination of marsh and aquatic flora.