Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 267

Chapter 267
I felt a slight pang of regret over Yeolbi’s escape, but as I observed the children scouring the area for him, a thought persisted: Is a runaway ever truly simple to recapture?
Yo-hwa had thrown herself into a fervor, coordinating the search party with intense focus. Nevertheless—unless Yeolbi was a total fool—he would have put a significant distance between us by now. If he had managed to burrow underground, locating him would be hopeless.
Truthfully, my desire to retrieve him wasn’t particularly strong.
Even if we succeeded in catching him, I had serious doubts about our ability to truly domesticate him again.
These divine beasts are intelligent. They comprehend human language and are capable of independent thought.
If he had been harboring dreams of freedom while feigning docility right under our noses… then could a creature like that ever be fully tamed?
This wasn’t unfamiliar to me; even in my previous life, attempts to raise wild-caught animals didn’t always end well.
Just as people have distinct personalities, so do venomous beings.
There’s invariably the odd one out that simply cannot adapt.
Some would outright reject any offered food. Others, once taken in, would stop eating entirely, as if consumed by a yearning for their natural habitat.
The ones who refused prepared feed were the simpler cases. You could always provide live food, like small mealworms or crickets.
Some creatures have a natural preference for live prey, so it wasn’t a major issue.
However, there were those stoic, “philosopher” types whose entire demeanor seemed to declare, “I was born wild and will never acknowledge your authority,” or “I would prefer death to accepting sustenance from you.”
Occasionally, you might attempt force-feeding or rush them to a veterinarian, exhausting every possible method to save them—only to stand by helplessly as they perished anyway.
Most originated from places like Africa or South America, making repatriation to the wild impossible. You could do nothing but watch.
Therefore, once Yeolbi fled, I concluded there was no sense in dragging him back to potentially die in confinement.
I had completely abandoned the notion.
But then, near lunchtime—just as the group was beginning to disperse—Cho’s voice resonated in my mind.
—Tsrrr! “Dad! We got him!”
I was startled and responded with sheer incredulity.
A beetle like Yeolbi could conceal itself almost anywhere. If it went subterranean, finding him would be out of the question. He didn’t strike me as foolish enough to be captured so readily.
“You caught him?”
—Tsrr! “W-well… not exactly us. It’s difficult to explain… just give us a moment!”
Her confusing message left me perplexed, and I was still turning it over in my mind when I spotted them.
Yeondu and Cho were flying toward me from across the sky.
—Tsrrr.
—Shaaa.
They circled above the swamp, then descended, swooping repeatedly between my position and a dense thicket, acting as if they were guiding someone.
Subsequently, Bini, Hyang, and Hwayang emerged from the thick foliage, one by one.
Behind them, all the snakes that had joined the search were also returning.
It appeared the entire search party had regrouped—except for the individual they were supposed to be returning with.
Naturally, I assumed Yo-hwa must be bringing up the rear, likely hauling a captive Yeolbi bound in her spider silk, trussed up like a packaged prize.
‘Yeolbi must have had a rough time, huh? But… what am I supposed to do with him now?’
If he was captured, what was the next step?
He seemed unlikely to ever settle down. Perhaps I should simply release him.
‘One final proposal—if he rejects it, I’ll set him free.’
That was the resolution I reached.
—Rustle. Rustle.
The brush shifted again—and Yo-hwa crawled out, moving in my direction.
But Yeolbi was not in her grasp.
I peered behind her, thinking she might have him tethered on a thread like a fly in a web—but there was nothing.
No sign of a silken string, no struggling beetle.
“Yo-hwa, excellent work. Um… but where is Yeolbi?”
—Kisit.
At my question, Yo-hwa gestured back toward the bushes she had just exited.
I tilted my head, confused.
Everyone else was already back. Runaways do not typically return of their own volition.
—Rustle. Rustle.
Then the brush moved once more.
A divine beast I had never before seen burst from the vegetation.
The instant I saw it, my mind flashed to a creature from my past life.
“Wait, hyung? What on earth are you doing here!?”
Scales of red, an orange crest, and orange horns.
It was slightly smaller than Yeondu, but its appearance was otherwise nearly identical to hers.
This had to be the one I had been seeking all this time.
The Ji-yeong Snake.
Even Hwaun, who had been watching the others return, let out a shocked gasp.
“Th-that’s the Ji-yeong Snake, isn’t it? So-ryong?!”
“That is the Ji-yeong Snake?”
“I—I believe so?”
The snake emerged from the foliage and halted, seeming startled by the reactions from Hwaun and Seol-nui.
It emitted a soft sound, as if posing a question to the other children.
—Ska?
—Tsrrr.
—Kisit.
—Shaya.
Cho, Yo-hwa, and Yeondu all nodded in unison.
Then the snake turned its head to face me.
Its long tongue flicked out, sweeping across its face.
Its movements were unmistakably proclaiming, “Notice me! Am I not charming?”
It then slithered directly up to me, raised its head in a dramatic fashion, and once I looked up, it promptly lowered its body to my eye level and offered a courteous bow.
—Ska.
It seemed to be a greeting, so I instinctively bowed back.
I was still reeling from its sudden appearance, but its actions were undeniably friendly.
It clearly seemed to be striving to make a positive impression.
“Uh, y-yes. A pleasure to meet you. I’m So-ryong.”
—Skaya.
It bowed again, then appeared somewhat sheepish.
And then… it extended its tail toward me.
—S-ska.
I was puzzled—until I noticed what was entangled within its coils.
Yeolbi.
He looked disoriented and somewhat stunned, completely ensnared by the Ji-yeong Snake.
That’s when Cho’s earlier words finally made sense.
She had said they didn’t catch Yeolbi themselves—someone else had.
Ah… so this individual is the one who apprehended him?
Yeolbi tried to flee, and this snake captured him and brought him back?
But… how did this one know we were searching for Yeolbi?
It was then I noticed something else.
Even as he presented Yeolbi to me, the snake kept stealing glances at something else.
Huh? What is he looking at?
I tracked his gaze—those wide, vertical pupils were locked onto a figure standing among the group.
Yeondu.
Understanding dawned on me immediately, and I turned to Cho.
‘Cho, how did this snake and Yeolbi actually meet?’
—Tsrrr. “It wasn’t me. Yeondu unnie spotted him first. From what I gathered, Yeolbi swaggered in looking very pleased with himself, bragging that he had brought his Big Brother, and then the snake just said, ‘No,’ and coiled around him. That’s how we recovered him.”
Aha!
Cho’s explanation finally connected all the dots.
In essence, Yeolbi apparently viewed this newcomer as a sort of older-brother figure.
I wasn’t an expert on divine beast social structures, but among males, there’s always that inherent dynamic—a pecking order.
Age, time, and setting seem irrelevant—it’s a natural occurrence in male groups.
Judging by the events, Yeolbi probably sought him out in a fit of frustration after being picked on by the others, appealing to his hyung for retaliation.
But the moment this individual saw Yeondu, he immediately changed allegiance and essentially handed Yeolbi over.
There was no doubt—his pupils were utterly captivated by Yeondu.
Perhaps this was a character flaw, but honestly—it’s not as if he committed treason against his nation or clan.
He merely sacrificed a troublesome younger brother for the attention of a female.
And considering the “younger brother” in question was a deserter like Yeolbi? Entirely pardonable.
“Well, these things happen. A captivating girl appears, and a fellow acts accordingly.”
—Thump.
While I was digesting this, the snake gently deposited Yeolbi beside me, tapping him twice with his tail.
The moment Yeolbi touched the ground, he seemed to regain his senses and bowed his head deeply in a gesture of apology.
—T-tski…
Likely attempting to apologize for his flight.
The entire scenario was so absurdly humorous that I couldn’t suppress my laughter.
He had fled, only to be captured by another and delivered back to us. That was a clear victory for our side.
“Well, uh, Yeolbi. What in the world happened here…? Hahaha. This is just too perfect.”
Yeolbi lowered his antennae even further in humiliation.
Then the Ji-yeong Snake gave Yeolbi a light tap on the head with his tail.
—Ska!
As if chiding, “Display some proper respect, will you?”
Observing the two of them, a sudden realization struck me—this might be far simpler than I had anticipated.
It’s like in detention; if you win over the most formidable individual, the others comply.
It’s the same in primary school—gain the favor of the most influential boy, and managing the rest becomes effortless.
I had been agonizing over how to handle Yeolbi… but evidently, that was unnecessary.
I simply needed to secure the allegiance of this Ji-yeong Snake, and Yeolbi would naturally fall in line.
So I approached the snake and draped an arm around his shoulders.
—S-ska?
The snake was visibly startled by the gesture—humans don’t typically act this way—but perhaps because of Yeondu, he neither shied away nor retreated.
While he was still off-balance, I leaned closer and inquired quietly:
[“Tell me, do you know her name?”]
—Ska?
He tilted his head at the unexpected question, confused.
I smiled and elaborated.
[“The green serpent you can’t stop looking at. It seems you’re quite taken with her.”]
—S… ska…
I asked because it was plainly obvious.
He flinched and shot a furtive glance toward Yeondu, clearly embarrassed and caught off guard.
I gave him a gentle tap below the neck—roughly where a human’s shoulder would be—and explained.
[“Look, I may not be human myself, but Yeondu is like a younger sister to me. You understand what a sister is, right? Someone considered family—sharing origins from the same… well, not exactly the same source, but similar.”]
—Skaat?
[“I mean, we aren’t biologically related, but we are very close. That’s what’s important. Anyway, I’ve been contemplating finding a partner for her. And observing you… I believe you could be suitable.”]
—Skaaat!?
He jerked his head toward me, eyes wide with astonishment.
No way… is this proceeding so effortlessly?
Frankly, I had already determined there was no better candidate for Yeondu.
Divine beasts don’t appear to have preordained, “soul-bonded” destinies like in myths.
Smiling, I continued.
[“If you’re agreeable, I could support your cause. What is your opinion?”]
—S-skatchi…
[“I mean, you’re distinguished, you possess a commendable character, and I sincerely approve of you. If you’re willing, I’ll sing your praises to Yeondu, set things up favorably, perhaps arrange an opportunity for you to impress her.
No hidden agenda—I simply believe you would be an excellent match.”]
He looked back and forth between Yeondu and me, likely metaphorically biting his nails if he had them.
Then… with a hint of shyness, he nodded.
—Ska…
And that settled it.
I offered him a broad, approving smile.
[“Excellent. A wise decision. You require a name, however. You have that distinct orange coloration, so what about Orange? It signifies ‘Vermilion-Yellow.’ I chose it to complement Yeondu’s name.”]
—Skaaat!
He was visibly moved.
With matters progressing so well, I allowed my tone to adopt a slightly more authoritative note.
[“Alright, from this moment forward, you address me as Big Bro. And ensure you properly oversee your juniors.”]
—Ska?
[“You know, like Yeolbi over there.”]
He seemed momentarily puzzled, then I pointed directly at Yeolbi.
Immediately, he thumped his chest with his tail as if declaring “You can count on me!”
—Ska!
He then approached Yeolbi and delivered a firm warning.
—Ska-yat!
—T-tski…
And just like that, the matter was resolved.
The only remaining task was to retrieve Cheongyu the Golden Crown Four-Eyed King from the boat and assist him in reaching his adult form as well.
Everything was coming together perfectly.