Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 273

Chapter 273
The abrupt activation of a mental group chat left every member of our group astonished.

It was pure bedlam—every creature I had bonded with using the Beast Mind Art began speaking over one another simultaneously. It was no surprise we were all caught off guard.

However, for everyone else, the astonishment faded quickly.

Yes, the fact that all their thoughts were being broadcast at the same time was somewhat messy, but it also enabled them to converse with each other for the very first time. This single development filled them with utter delight.

Hwa-eun, Cho, Hyang, and Bini were particularly thrilled—they celebrated and immediately plunged into the discussion.

『—So that’s what happened. My dearest Cho, Hyang, Bini… Mommy was completely unaware. I’m so deeply moved.
I never imagined it would feel this wonderful to finally hear my children’s thoughts…
—Trrrt! (Mommy understands us now! This is amazing!)
—Trrt! (Yes! It is!)』

Why this overwhelming happiness?

While the children were all different types of spirit beasts, they could still understand each other. Hwa-eun, however, had never been able to comprehend their language—until this moment.

She had always carried a sense of helplessness, not being able to grasp what her children were saying. Likewise, the girls had been disheartened that their mother couldn’t follow their words.

But now, with me serving as a conduit, they could finally communicate fully.

And since, unlike Cheongwol or Hwayang, these four were a true mother and her daughters, their discussion quickly evolved into a deep, personal exchange.

『—Trrrrrr. (Mom, isn’t this wonderful, talking like this?)
—It absolutely is, my darlings. Mommy is loving every moment of this.』

Initially, I was totally bewildered by the entire situation, but as I listened to their back-and-forth, I couldn’t help but smile.

This was the inaugural genuine conversation between a mother and her daughters—and it was incredibly touching, overwhelmingly sweet.

The more they talked, the more the barriers between them dissolved. pent-up emotions finally found release, and their affection for each other seemed to grow even stronger.

『—I think I finally see why your Daddy always cherished you girls so much. Your voices are utterly delightful.
—Trrrt… (Mom…)
—And Bini, you truly sound like the little one of the family. It’s so endearing.
—Trrt! (I’m—I’m not just cute! I’m beautiful, okay!)
—You are, without a doubt, both.
—Trrrrt. (Mom, what about that time with Dad and—)』

It truly began to feel like we were evolving into a real family.

“This is genuinely wonderful to witness.”

Their conversation stretched on through the evening meal and deep into the night.

They had a vast amount of catching up to do, so many topics left unaddressed. Even after everyone had settled down to sleep, Hwa-eun continued to snuggle with the girls in the darkness, gently stroking them and speaking softly as they fell asleep.

“Alright… this is starting to go on for a while though…”

What had begun as a tender goodnight chat was now feeling like an endless maternal bonding session.

I desperately needed sleep as well, but with the constant murmur of voices resonating in my skull, finding quiet was impossible.

“Well, it is their first night. I suppose it’s acceptable.”

I struggled on until nearly sunrise before finally slipping into a fitful sleep.

***

The next day, their vocal exchange resumed without pause.

Before the sun had even risen, the voices of Hwa-eun and the girls were already echoing inside my head.

『—Trrr. (Mother, where shall we explore today?)
—Let me think… What about near the marshland?
—Trrt! (That sounds exciting!)
—Trrrrt! (I want to go too!)
—Trrt! (Count me in!)』

It was as if my own mind had been converted into their communal meeting space.

And what is the consequence when such relentless chatter takes up residence in a man’s consciousness?

Complete mental overload.

It felt akin to attempting to memorize mathematical formulas while someone relentlessly yells figures into your ear. My concentration was utterly shattered.

One might assume the other venom beasts would be similarly afflicted, but that wasn’t the case—I appeared to be the sole casualty. It turned out I was functioning as the central hub, the relay station for all the others.

They were all linked through me. Consequently, I was the only one who couldn’t disconnect.

No matter how intensely I tried to block them out, their voices persisted clearly in my thoughts.

In that moment, I felt like a lone male teaching assistant suddenly placed in a classroom full of middle-school girls. On the first day, facing that chattering crowd—my spirit felt utterly detached from my body.

I could barely comprehend half of what they were discussing. I was completely swamped.

『—Ugh… my head is spinning…
—Did you say something, So-ryong?
—Oh, it was nothing. That was meant for someone else. Please continue, Hwa-eun. My apologies.
—Trrt. (Mother, regarding what I mentioned before—)』

I had been complaining to myself internally, then instantly regretted it and tried to backtrack.

I couldn’t possibly interrupt a precious moment between my wife and daughters, could I?

As their ongoing discussion persisted within my «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» skull, I detected Sister Seol’s voice close by. She had been feeling my pulse to assess the condition of my Beast Mind Art and now spoke with a slight, discouraged shake of her head.

“There is no documented case of anyone achieving this stage, so I’m afraid I can’t provide much guidance. A communal psychic space for dialogue? It’s difficult for me to even conceptualize.

If you ever have the opportunity to speak with Cheongyu again, you should inquire with her. You have practiced the Beast Mind Art, that is true, but we cannot be certain what influence the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art may have had on you.”

I had explained this new group chat ability to Sister Seol, hoping for some insight. But she was equally without solutions.

She suggested that my best option would be to ask the human Cheongyu… but there was no telling when I might encounter her next.

“It seems I’ll have to discover my own method for handling this.”

Nevertheless, I hadn’t surrendered all hope.

At the moment, everything was fresh and thrilling. They were simply exhilarated by the ability to converse. I reasoned that after a few days, they would exhaust their topics of discussion. Perhaps then things would settle down.

They were merely venting everything that had accumulated over time. Once they were fully caught up, there surely wouldn’t be much left to say.

I could withstand it for a little while longer.

“Yes… this can’t go on permanently. It’s not as if anyone has an infinite supply of topics to discuss every single day…”

『—Trrrr. (Mother, should I go fishing again today?)
—Oh, Cho, would you? Mommy adores the fish you bring back. They are always the most delicious.
—Trrt… (I would like to try catching fish as well…)
—The very thought is enough to make Mommy happy, Hyang.』

Despite a nagging sense of doubt, the mother-daughter dialogue continued ceaselessly.

“It will surely settle down in a few days. Won’t it?”

***

I had been laboring under two significant misunderstandings about women:

First — that they eventually exhaust their capacity for conversation.
Second — that women do not fixate intensely on interpersonal connections.

What does this imply?

It means I anticipated the noise would diminish after a few days… but instead, it intensified.

Why? Because it seems there is perpetually another subject to discuss.

『—Trrt? (Mother, what is the name of this flower?)
—Oh, that is a Rosa rugosa.
—Trrrrt? (Rosa rugosa?)
—Indeed! It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it? It has a lovely fragrance as well. Here, smell it.
—Trrt! (Oh! It does smell wonderful!)
—Trrr. (I am fond of this one. What is this flower called?)
—Ah, that one? Well, allow me to explain…』

When I became aware that they had been discussing a single type of flower for two entire hours, I truly believed I was on the verge of insanity.

It commenced with one flower. Then it branched out into preferred flowers. Then to favored colors, then the symbolism of flowers, and before I knew it, the culminating question was:

“Did Father ever give Mother flowers?”

Two. Full. Hours. Originating from one flower.

I had profoundly misjudged Hwa-eun and the girls.

“Good heavens…”

To exacerbate the situation, even the beings who had not participated initially were now fully engaged.

『—Trrr. (Father’s embrace is the coziest spot, correct?)
—Yes, I believe so too.
—Shiaa? (Excuse me… might I be permitted to join?)
—Trrt! (Look! It’s Sister Cheongyu!)
—Cheongyu, please do join us! Now that you mention it, we know very little about your past. Did you reside alone in the mountains before joining our family?
—Shiaaa… (Well… it’s a bit of a story…)』

The instant anyone showed interest, the girls would warmly welcome them, and just like that—another participant was added to the group chat.

“Why is it necessary for EVERY single one of them to be involved in this?!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

『—Piii! (Foooooood?)
—Why does Hwayang only ever think about eating?
—Trrrrt. (That is simply her nature, Mother.)
—Grrrng. (Hwa-eun, I realize I’ve never heard the story of how you and So-ryong first encountered one another. I am interested.)
—Shiaa! (I am as well!)
—Well then, should I recount the tale for you all?』

“GYAAAAAH!”

I had reached my absolute limit.

I couldn’t just intrude and demand silence when they were so clearly enjoying themselves. Therefore, I resolved to seek an alternative.

I went to find the Dragon Fangs—my dependable martial arts older brothers.

I required other perspectives. Counsel. Assistance.

“You’re telling us you’ve been seizing up during conversations because the Tang Lady and a host of venom beasts are perpetually talking inside your head?!”

“You have seven females in your mind, and they never stop talking?!”

“This… this sounds like a punishment from Buddhist mythology! Imposed upon your very soul!”

The hyungs were clearly aghast at my plight. Their levels of sympathy skyrocketed.

『—Yes! Hyungs, it is absolute torment!
—Trrrt? (Torment?)
—What was that, So-ryong?
—Ah—it’s nothing! Pay no attention to that!』

My mind was so saturated that even my private thoughts began to leak into the communal chat.

As I sat there, once again frozen mid-sentence, the hyungs exchanged worried glances. It was then that Ji-ryong’s expression brightened, as if he’d just had a brilliant idea.

“Ah! What about this, Young Master?”
“What are you thinking?”
“You have a notion, Ji-ryong? We must extract our little brother from this horror.”
“You are familiar with those martial arts that divide the consciousness, correct?”
“Divide the consciousness?”
“Ah! Precisely! Splitting the mind! Of course!”

Hyung-nim Gwiseong smacked his fist into his palm, his face illuminating with enthusiasm.

He began to elaborate:
“There are two such arts practiced in the Central Plains, So-ryong. One originates from the Wudang Sect—the Twin Intent Mind Technique. It permits the user to employ two separate internal energies and combat styles concurrently.

You know—wielding a sword with one hand and executing a palm strike with the other. That sort of capability.”
“But don’t you perform that routinely, hyung?”
I tilted my head, confused. I had witnessed him do similar things before.

Ji-ryong laughed softly and provided clarification.
“I believe his explanation was slightly off. Envision executing a sword technique with your right hand and a distinct palm technique with your left—at the exact same time, but each directed at a separate opponent. That is the core concept.”
“Ah… similar to sketching a circle with your right hand and a square with your left simultaneously?”
It reminded me of coordination exercises from childhood.

Even so, I remained skeptical.
“Would that actually resolve my problem?”
“Well, the Twin Intent Technique likely wouldn’t be of great benefit to you,” Ji-ryong conceded. “One portion of your mind would still be subjected to the noise, and all the accumulated strain would overwhelm you once the technique concluded.

But there is another one.”

Right. They had mentioned there were two.

As Ji-ryong looked toward Hyung-nim, I did the same. He gave a slow nod and continued.
“The other is known as the Hunwon Mind Technique. It divides your awareness into two separate parts—one half is emptied, retaining only pure combat instinct, while the other half maintains complete clarity and reason.

It was created to invoke raw fighting impulse in one segment, while the other segment stays observant and controlled.”

In essence, one part enters a battle frenzy, the other remains冷静 and focused.

This… this could potentially work for me.

I could relegate the noisy group chat to the blank portion of my mind, and preserve the clear portion for my everyday existence.

My hopes soared.
“This is perfect! Exactly what I need!”
“Hyung, which clan does that technique belong to?!”

Hyung-nim smiled.
“It is a technique of the Peng Clan.
I am not permitted to instruct you in its entirety myself, but given that you saved both Yeong-yeong and me, my father will not deny you. Even if you do not learn the complete art, he will certainly teach you the consciousness-splitting segment.
We are already scheduled to visit the Ak Clan in the near future—we can proceed to the Peng Clan directly after.”

It turned out a journey near his family’s estates was already planned. A visit to the Peng Clan was practically on the way.

And truthfully, hyung had been inviting me to accompany him for some time now.