Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 276

Chapter 276
Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter, adhering to all the specified requirements.

***

“Is the flow of the lower Yellow River not as powerful as I imagined?”
My first impression upon reaching this part of the river was that it was far less imposing than the Yangtze.
The Yangtze’s force was immense, but this? Perhaps only a fraction of that strength?
Do Sagong nodded in agreement with my observation.
“Indeed, this is the lower reaches. The Yangtze is perpetually full, while the Yellow River only runs high during the rains.”
“I had worried I might need the children to pull the vessel, so that is a relief to hear.”
If the current had been similar to the upper Yangtze, I’d considered hiring two dedicated rowboats for the journey upstream. Failing that, I would have enlisted Cho and Yeondu’s aid.
The murky water would have concealed most of their forms during daylight; they could have surfaced just their snouts and towed us from the front, making swift progress.
Cho’s affinity is for water, and Yeondu is serpentine, so both are excellent swimmers—hauling a boat would be a simple task for them.
However, with the water this calm, it appeared we could proceed without any such measures.
“Cho, Yeondu, it seems your services won’t be required today.”
— Tsruru.
— Shaaa.
I walked out onto the deck and gave a pat to the two heads positioned on either side of the boat. Do Sagong gave a warm smile and a nod.
“Yes, Master So-ryong. There’s no cause to bother the young mistresses. The wind is favorable as well. Should we encounter any trouble, I will inform you. Ladies, you may retire inside.”
— Tsrut.
— Shaaaa.
Cho and Yeondu indicated their understanding of Do Sagong’s words.
Witnessing this, Do Sagong’s expression softened like a kindly old grandfather’s.
While ordinary people might be unnerved, his frequent exposure to them had led him to find them endearing.
It was precisely the attitude one would expect from a captain of the Spicy Fabre.
“They say they understand and thank you, Do Sagong.”
“Heh heh. They are so intelligent, it brings me happiness just to see them.”
Thus, we entered the lower Yellow River and journeyed upstream for two days.
We were taking in the sight of the villages along the bank when a lofty mountain began to rise in the distance.
It was a magnificent spectacle, a great stone massif with sporadic clusters of trees—undoubtedly the most striking mountain I had yet encountered.
“Incredible! That mountain is huge!”
“That, Master So-ryong, is Mount Tai.”
“So that is Mount Tai?”
I uttered the words with reverence, and Do Sagong supplied the answer.
My sister Seol, who had also come out on deck, cried out in amazement.
“That is Mount Tai? It’s truly that colossal? So-ryong, perhaps we should visit on our return trip?”
“Should we?”
‘Ahh… Was it “Heaven is high, and Mount Tai is low”? Or perhaps “Mount Tai is high, yet still beneath heaven”? No matter—so that is the famous Mount Tai.’
It was a brief, peculiar sensation to behold the very mountain so often cited in verse.
As my sister and I were absorbed by Mount Tai’s grandeur, our flotilla began to slow as we neared it. Shouts from the lead boat carried across the water.
“Attention ahead! The passage constricts!”
“Acknowledged! Proceed with caution! The river narrows ahead!”
“Thank you! Be careful…”
The crews on the following boats relayed the warnings back from the front.
As the calls continued, I approached Do Sagong to inquire.
“What is happening?”
“Ah, it is a standard alert. The river becomes narrower there, so all are cautioning each other. We always do this when potential hazards lie ahead.”
“I understand…”
‘It’s like using warning signals on the road.’
Nodding, I reflected that river etiquette in the Middle Plains was quite commendable. Meanwhile, our own crew members, heeding the forwarded warnings, stood watchful at the prow.
Concerned about potential collisions, each vessel increased its distance from the others and carefully moved past the port before Mount Tai. There, in the mid-channel just before the port, was a sizable island.
Craft were cautiously navigating passages on either side of it.
The river was not especially broad, and the island—roughly the size of our own ship—was positioned directly in the center, compelling traffic to divert around it and creating a choke point.
Only one side of the river was practical for passage, as the other was congested with ships moored at the port.
From Do Sagong’s explanation, an island of that nature suggested the surrounding waters were probably shallow.
“Hm… That was not present before. It must be a recent formation from deposited silt. We should keep near the river’s edge. That zone is likely shallow as well.”
Considering it, the Bamseom back in the Han River from my previous life also expanded from sediment accumulation.
I had once visited there with a biologist researching local snakes, so I nodded in recognition.
Just as Do Sagong stated, there had been significant silt build-up there, too.
Our boat featured a flat hull, so running aground on a sandbar was a concern, but capsizing was not—though becoming stuck would be a genuine nuisance.
“We will proceed with care.”
“Nevertheless, it is unusual. This location was formerly quite deep.”
Do Sagong stared at the island with a frown, visibly unsettled.
But as he said, the Yellow River is heavy with silt. It is renowned for the very color imparted by its sediment load.
“Well, the Yellow River is silt-laden, and nature is unpredictable.”
“That is so.”
‘Yet… why does this seem so familiar?’
Even while conversing with Do Sagong, the notion of an island facing Mount Tai nagged at a corner of my memory.
Since I could not recall why, it was likely insignificant.
Besides, this was my first time in this region.
‘It is probably nothing.’
After passing Mount Tai and continuing a short way upstream, a sizable, picturesque village beside a lake came into view.
Dozens of homes were arranged along the shoreline in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Small boats drifted on the lake, their occupants fishing in silence—a tranquil, peaceful scene of a village by the water.
“This is Dongpyeong Lake, Master So-ryong.”
“So this is Dongpyeong? I see it is lakeside. The view is stunning.”
“Yes, this entire region is named Dongpyeong. It is celebrated for its beauty. You can still perceive Mount Tai from this vantage point.”
Just as Do Sagong stated, Mount Tai remained visible far away.
As I admired the placid scenery, Do Sagong called toward the cabin.
“Master Gwiseong, we have arrived!”
My hyung must have requested to be informed upon reaching our destination.
At Do Sagong’s call, a stir came from within the cabin, and then Hyung-nim Gwiseong hurriedly emerged.
He had been sleeping poorly recently, and it was evident—his eyes were deeply hollowed, shadowed by dark circles that seemed to reach his cheekbones.
“Haah… We are here?”
“Yes, young master.”
“Dongpyeong… we have finally reached it…”
Gwiseong hyung’s gaze over the lake was filled with a poignant sadness. A moment later, he gestured toward one section of the lake and spoke.
“That direction. Please.”
“Understood, young master.”
Following his instruction, we traversed the lake that way, and soon a collection of elegantly constructed pavilions came into view, nestled within a recess of the shoreline.
And before those imposing buildings—
A flag bearing the character **Ak** fluttered above the grand gate.
That could only be the estate of the Shandong Ak Clan.
“A vessel I do not recognize is berthed there?”
Just as I was observing the Ak Clan’s compound, Gwiseong hyung’s voice drew my attention—he was staring at two large ships already secured at the clan’s docks.
One was a standard military craft, bearing the Ak Clan’s standard, that I had seen often. The other was a garish, multi-colored ship decked with streaming banners.
The sort wealthy individuals use for pleasure excursions on the Yangtze—a lavish party barge.
The type they fill with courtesans and pretend to be celestial beings?
Whenever one appeared, Hwa-eun would shield my eyes, so I never got a proper look at the activities on deck.
—Whoosh.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew, causing the flags on the ships to flutter. On the most ostentatious banner, I glimpsed a single character: **Gold**.
“Gold?”
I tilted my head, about to ask hyung its meaning, but our boat had already reached the dock.
“Dropping anchor!”
At Do Sagong’s shout, the anchor splashed into the water.
An instant later, hyung turned toward the cabin. His face grew stern, and he spoke in a frosty tone.
“Bring out Jin-gyu, the Strangling Lust Demon.”
“Yes, young master!”
Hearing this, I knew it was not the moment for questions.
Today was the day that wretch would finally meet his end—and for hyung, it was certain to be a day of powerful emotions.
A day of reunion with a beloved, but also a day to reopen scars from the past.
“I hope all proceeds well…”
Somehow, that garish boat gave me a sense of foreboding. Perhaps I was beginning to resemble Hwa-eun, but it felt deeply ominous.
***
The moment we were secured, warriors of the Ak Clan hurried toward us.
They were martial artists, yet clearly possessed military discipline—their formation was tight and orderly, and as rumor suggested, every one was armed with a crescent moon blade.
Our Tang Clan was not lacking, but we did not maintain such a precise, blade-sharp formation. Their drills must have been rigorous.
One of the warriors advanced to the pier and demanded,
“Do you seek an audience with the Ak Clan?”
“It has been some time. How have you fared, Commander Bang?”
Evidently, Gwiseong hyung knew him—he stepped forward and offered the greeting, which clearly stunned the man.
“Y-Y-Young Master Peng!? W-What is the reason for your sudden arrival!?”
It was not merely surprise at an unexpected reunion. It was the expression of someone discovered in the midst of a misdeed.
Now beside me, Hwa-eun quietly projected the same sentiment through our mental connection.
“Something is amiss. They appear as those caught in a dishonorable act. Similar to when you met Lady Suyu in secret and I discovered you.”
“What!?”
“Fufu…”
“You are fortunate I adore you.”
I looked at Hwa-eun in astonishment—why bring that up now? But she merely offered a sweet smile.
That smile was so authentically lovely that I let it pass. Then I recalled the gold banner and resolved to ask her.
She would likely know.
“Hwa-eun, that ornate ship nearby flew a banner with the character ‘Gold.’ Do you know which faction it represents?”
“Gold? If it is gold, then it is not a faction—it is a merchant guild, So-ryong.”
I had assumed it was a sect, but she corrected me.
Hwa-eun went on.
“It is the Geumjeok Merchant Guild—one of the three largest in all the Central Plains.”
As I pondered what business such a guild had with the Ak Clan, hyung spoke to the Ak Clan commander in a voice quaking with emotion.
“I… I have come to see Soso.”
As anticipated, the commander looked utterly dismayed.
“T-That is, well…”
“Do not say… she is absent?”
“N-No, she is present, young master.”
“Then take me to her.”
“T-That is…”
For some reason, the man addressed as Commander Bang faltered, and hyung turned to speak to those behind him.
“Yang Seong-hu. Bring him forward.”
“Understood.”
It seemed hyung meant to clarify his purpose for coming. At his command, Geom-ryong hyung and Yang Seong-ha hauled a man forward by his arms—Jin-gyu, the Strangling Lust Demon.
The commander looked bewildered at the wretched figure being presented.
“And this is…?”
“Jin-gyu. The Strangling Lust Demon.”
“Jin-gyu? The Strangling Lust Demon—Jin-gyu!?”
The moment hyung icily pronounced the name and title, the commander’s confused tone transformed into one of shock.
The Ak Clan warriors’ astonishment rapidly morphed into lethal rage, and they began to yell, brandishing their weapons.
They looked prepared to cleave Jin-gyu in half with their crescent moon blades on the spot.
“So this is the Strangling Lust Demon, Jin-gyu!”
“Tearing his heart out would still be too merciful!”
While the Ak Clan warriors seethed with anger, the commander asked in a voice thick with disbelief,
“C-Could it be… the pledge made to the young lady…?”
He must have been aware of the vow between hyung and the Ak Clan’s young lady—and the realization that hyung had spent years capturing this man to honor that promise visibly shook him.
“Yes,” hyung responded.
“I-I cannot believe it…”
At his reply, the commander glanced urgently toward the Ak Clan’s inner grounds.
Then, in a desperate voice, he said,
“Young Master Peng, if you intend to save the lady, you must make haste. There may yet be time!”
Hearing this, hyung’s eyes flew wide open.
“Save her? W-What has befallen Soso!?”