Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 281

Chapter 281
“Is there something beneath the water?”

When I asked, Bini and Cho both nodded rapidly, their antennae quivering with keen interest.

—Tsrur. 『It kept repeating, “It hurts. It hurts.”』
—Tssrut. 『Yes. It said, “It hurts. It hurts.”』

I had assumed it was merely the sound of bubbling water, but if the children comprehended it, that meant it was speech.
That could only indicate one thing—a spiritual beast was below the surface.
Spiritual beasts, regardless of type, appeared to share a common language. So, one was undoubtedly concealed under the water.

“Seriously? Wait a moment!”
The sudden appearance of a spiritual beast meant I had to act quickly. But first, I leaned out the window to survey the area.
It was the deep of night, and Taean was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by a handful of lanterns. To investigate properly, I needed to understand the surroundings.
Especially because Cho’s appearance would undoubtedly frighten ordinary people—discretion was essential.
We had traveled here covertly, flying under the blanket of night to escape the notice of any townspeople.
Upon arrival, Cho had ferried Bini and Hyang through the windows one at a time.
I swiftly leaned out, checking the roads and the harbor area. Almost no one was about; just a few guards nodding off near the harbor lanterns.
People in this age retired early. By modern reckoning, it was roughly midnight—the heart of the night.
‘The coast seems clear.’
After assessing the vicinity, I tilted my head back to look at the sky.
A half-moon hung there—not as luminous as a full moon, but it provided ample light. I bided my time for the ideal moment to move.
I recalled seeing clouds drifting by earlier while I was stargazing with Bini.
If one of those clouds obscured the moon, it would create the perfect cover.

Channeling my Myoa Am-ya Technique, I scanned the heavens—clouds were indeed amassing from the left.
I called out to Cho without delay.
“Cho, coil around me. We’re going to check it out together!”
—Tsrur. 『Understood, Dad.』
In a flash, Cho wrapped herself around me.
I gazed upward, waiting for the clouds to dim the moon’s glow, poised to give Cho the signal—when I felt a slight movement on my ankle.
Glancing down, I saw Hyang making her way up my leg.
—Tsrurrrt! 『I’m coming as well!』
The thing was in the water and might have already moved on—but Hyang was adamant about joining.
“Hyang, I’m only going out for a short time with Cho. Can you stay here with Bini?”
—Tssrut!
When I asked her to wait with Bini, Hyang defiantly crossed her antennae into an X shape.
She was mimicking the X I had recently taught her.
‘Is my daughter a prodigy?’
That moment of pride was fleeting.
I was pressed for time, but then Hyang spoke with resolve.
—Tsrurrrt! Ts-ts! 『No! Mom said that if Dad ever tries to slip away without telling Aunt Seol, I must go with him!』
“She did!? When?”
—Tssrut! 『Right before we left!』
‘Hwa-eun… your thoroughness is terrifying.’
So that’s what she had instructed Hyang before our departure?
I believed it was merely a passing comment to me, but she had already enlisted Hyang as her own personal spy.
Resistance was futile—there was no dislodging Hyang now.
I allowed her to cling to me like a second skin, and then had Cho coil around us both.
There was no time for debate.
“Fine, you can come. Bini, you’ll be alright by yourself for a bit, won’t you? We can’t all go—just wait here for us, okay?”
—Tsrur.
Bini gave an obedient nod.
Thankfully, Bini didn’t decide to put up a fight too. That was a relief.
With Hyang and Cho securely in place, I looked up. The clouds had already swallowed half the moon.
If I let this opportunity pass, I might have to wait much longer—and whatever was in the water could be gone by then. I called out immediately.
“Cho, let’s move!”
—Tsrurrrt!
At my command, Cho took off.
We slipped out of the window into the darkened sky, moving silently over the inky waters of the Yellow River.
“Cho, take us to that island first!”
—Tsrur.
We flew toward the river’s center, where the island was situated near the earlier bubbling.
If the creature was still close by, Cho could leave us on the island and then search the area.
The island grew larger as we approached, and my feet sank into the deep sand as I stepped onto it.
The sand had unmistakably been deposited there by the Yellow River’s flow.
I promptly asked Cho to begin her search.
“Cho, go see if anything is down there.”
—Tsrurrr!
Cho plunged directly into the water.
And the instant she did—
—Blub-blub-blub-blub.
—Rumble-rumble.
Bubbles erupted once more from the same location, and the island began to shudder as if shaken by an earthquake.
“W-what in the world!?”
Stunned, I struggled to maintain my footing—then, abruptly, a white smoke started seeping up from beneath the sand.
It wasn’t river mist—it was emanating from right under my feet.
Alarmed, I hastily used my sleeve to cover my mouth and nose and warned Hyang.
“Hyang, don’t inhale this—it seems dangerous.”
—Tsrurrrt!
Simultaneously, I reached out to Cho with my thoughts.
Whatever this smoke was, we needed to evacuate. Immediately.
‘Cho! Get back here, now!’
—Tssrut!
The seconds waiting for Cho seemed to stretch endlessly.
The white smoke intensified.
It soon became as thick as a dense fog, beginning to cloud my vision.
At that point, a sense of deep foreboding settled over me—this was not a safe place to remain.
It appeared to be an ability of a spiritual beast—but if this smoke was toxic, the consequences could be severe.
‘Hyang, we’re jumping into the water. You need to hold your breath, understand?’
—Tsrur! 『I will, Dad!』
I sprinted across the sandy ground and launched myself toward the harbor.
The moment we left the island, the white smoke dissipated.
While still in the air, I glanced back—oddly, the smoke clung only to the island itself.
But then, as I sailed above the river, a sudden wave of dizziness overwhelmed me.
Even without directly breathing the smoke, I had clearly been poisoned.
‘Damn… what sort of toxin is this?’
As I hurtled toward the water, I tried to activate my poison resistance technique and evaluate my condition—but my awareness began to fade rapidly.
A powerful drowsiness crashed over me.
My eyelids felt impossibly heavy as my body struck the water.
—Splash. ROARRRR.
The impact with the river sent sediment-rich mud scraping across my face.
That was typical of the Yellow River—always full of silt.
My utterly limp body, incapable of the slightest movement, started to be carried away by the current.
I had hoped the cold water might revive me—but even fully submerged, the overwhelming urge to sleep persisted. I was teetering on the edge of complete unconsciousness.
Whether because my body had gone completely slack or thanks to Hyang’s efforts, I bobbed slightly to the surface.
My head broke through the water—and through the murky, yellow water, I saw Cho speeding toward me.
—Tsrurrrrr! 『Dad!』
Cho’s desperate cry resonated in my mind.
And then, I succumbed to the darkness.

***

“Young Master? Young Master?”
Hearing the voice from the hallway, Sister Seol rose from her bed.
It was a servant from the inn, standing outside So-ryong’s door, apparently looking for him.
‘What is it this time?’
She hurriedly pulled on her outer robe and opened her door. Outside, a servant stood holding a tray of food.
Sister Seol addressed the servant, “What is the meaning of this at such an hour?”
“Ah, honored guest. The Young Master requested a late meal, but he does not answer his door… I suspect he may have fallen asleep…”
A faint ripple of concern passed through Sister Seol’s thoughts.
It was possible he had ordered food and then dozed off—but that notion was quickly dismissed.
This was, after all, So-ryong.
The final warning Hwa-eun had given before sending Sister Seol and So-ryong on this trip echoed in her memory.
‘Unni, you must keep a very close watch on So-ryong. Even with the two of us present, he finds a way into the most unbelievable predicaments. I dread to think what he might attempt without our supervision.’
‘You needn’t worry. My eyes will remain wide open.’

Without a second thought, Sister Seol reached out to the servant.
“Is that so? In that case, please hand it to me. I will take it in.”
“Oh? Ah, certainly.”
One tray bore a roasted duck, its aroma rich and savory. The other held a cool jug emitting a sweet, fruity scent of plum.
Once she was sure the servant had departed, Sister Seol turned to the door and spoke in a hushed tone,
[Cho? Bini? Hyang? It’s Auntie. Unlock the door.]
After a brief pause, the sound of tiny footsteps came from within, followed by a click—the door was unbolted.
—Dodododo.
—Tssrut?
A small black form peeked out from the shadows—it was Bini.
“Bini, is your father asleep?”
—Tsururu!
“Hmmm. So you claim he is sleeping?”
Bini nodded, her antennae twitching with clear unease.
But Sister Seol could discern from that nervous twitch—So-ryong was not asleep. It was a lie.
Bini, Cho, and Hyang all adored So-ryong far too much. If he wished to do something impulsive, they would assist him without a second thought.
Even if Hwa-eun had recruited Hyang as a lookout, that only applied when Sister Seol was absent. Her instruction had simply been to follow him unconditionally.
“Well then. Auntie will just place this food inside quietly and be on her way, alright?”
—Chu, Churut!?
As Sister Seol attempted to enter, Bini moved to block her path, visibly agitated.
Sister Seol offered her a gentle smile.
“Your father isn’t here, is he? If you move aside now, I won’t inform your mother that you aided his escape. But if you refuse… I will tell her everything. And when Hwa-eun is angry—hoo, even I find it frightening.”
Hearing this, Bini’s antennae trembled intensely, followed by a petulant little whine.
—Tssrut!
It sounded like a complaint of ‘that’s unfair,’ but she reluctantly stepped aside.
Entering the room, Sister Seol found it deserted. So-ryong was not in the bed. He was nowhere to be seen.
The window stood wide open.
He had unquestionably exited through it.
—Clatter.
She placed the food tray on the table and went to the window, peering out as she inquired,
“Where did he go, Bini?”
—Tsst.
Maintaining her sulky demeanor, Bini pointedly turned her head away.
Sister Seol chuckled softly and gave Bini a reassuring pat.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. I won’t tell your mother. Don’t be cross. I was merely concerned your father might be engaging in another risky venture.”
Finally, Bini, with an air of great reluctance, directed one antenna toward the window.
“So he did go out…”
Just as Sister Seol looked out in the indicated direction—
Silhouetted against the large moon, So-ryong came flying toward them, enveloped within Cho’s coils.
“Where exactly were you planning to go in the middle of the night?”
She initially assumed he had merely gone for a nighttime flight—and since it would worry Hwa-eun, she intended to offer a mild reprimand.
Then she noticed something was wrong.
‘Wait… why is Cho flying with such urgency?’
Focusing on So-ryong, she saw his body was completely limp, slumped within Cho’s grasp.
“So-ryong!”
Her cry cut through the quiet night air of the Taean riverside.
Sister Seol turned to Bini and exclaimed,
“You mentioned there is a group way to contact your mother! Reach out to her, immediately!”
At her urgent command, Bini nodded vigorously.

***

“Ahh… that was a refreshing sleep.”
I awoke feeling pleasantly rejuvenated—only to bolt upright in shock at the sight of an unexpected person in the room.
“Hmph!”
“WHAAAT!?”
I scrambled backward, pressing against the headboard, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.
‘Why is Hwa-eun here!?’
My eyes darted around the room—Cho was curled up beside the bed, watching me anxiously. Bini sat next to her, equally tense. Hyang was asleep, her head pillowed on Hwa-eun’s lap.
And standing just behind Hwa-eun was Yeondu.
It was still nighttime outside.
Then it all came back to me: I had lost consciousness after falling into the river.
The children must have retrieved me and, in a panic, reached out to Hwa-eun.
Naturally, she and Yeondu had flown here at once.
‘I am in serious trouble!’
Profoundly so. I steeled myself for the inevitable reprimand.
But instead, Hwa-eun’s voice reached me, slightly unsteady.
“So-So-ryong… a-are you quite well? You—you were unconscious for an entire day…”
Her voice trembled with each word.
‘A whole day!? Is she trembling with anger!?’
My first thought was that it was rage.
But in the soft lantern light, I saw her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink—her expression one of shyness.
‘What in the world…?’
Bewildered, I answered and dipped my head in a bow.
I hadn’t intended to be careless, yet I had nearly been injured again. An apology was the least I could offer.
“Y-yes, I’m f-fine. And I’m s-sorry, Hwa-eun.”
Her blush deepened as she responded,
“Ah, no. I—I was told it was a sudden mishap. S-such accidents… they occur…”
She spoke softly, her tone warm and forgiving.
It was… deeply confusing.
I cautiously queried Cho with my thoughts,
‘Cho, is Mommy not angry?’
Cho’s mental reply was equally perplexed.
—Tsrur. 『She was very angry when she first arrived. But after she changed your outer layer, she became calm.』
‘Outer layer?’
She likely meant my clothing.
Which meant… she had changed me out of my wet clothes…
‘Gyaaaaaaah!’
The realization that Hwa-eun had undressed and redressed me sent a flush of heat to my face—but at that very moment—
—Blub-blub-blub.
From the distance, the distinct sound of bubbling broke the silence of the night.
Hearing it, Cho looked at me and said,
『Dad, that one wishes to say it is sorry—it was frightened before and did not intend to cause harm. It asks if you are awake now.』
‘An apology?’
Cho had spoken aloud, so everyone heard.
Pushing my embarrassment aside, I moved to the window. Cho flew ahead, hovering over the spot where the bubbles had appeared previously.
Then, gradually, something began to emerge from the water—a large, rock-like form coated in wet sand.
As water streamed off it and the moonlight caught its surface… a golden sheen became visible.
No.
It was not a rock.
It was the enormous, golden head of a turtle.
“Gyaaaaaaah!”
So that mysterious island?
It was never an island at all.
It was a gigantic turtle, blanketed in sand.