Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 290

Chapter 290
My initial opinion of Yakseon hadn’t been particularly favorable—yet our rapport deepened with astonishing swiftness.
This was partly due to my possession of venom from a spirit-grade O-gong, but more crucially, because Bini’s toxin proved to be the precise variety he had been seeking for so long.
Although Bini seemed hesitant as she provided a sample of her venom, Yakseon produced several acupuncture needles and carefully deposited a few drops into a small vial.
The instant he examined it, his expression brightened and he cried out with delight:
“This is the very venom I’ve needed! More potent than that of a typical O-gong, and available in far greater yield!”
But that was only the beginning.
I was responsible for a multitude of venomous beings, which meant I had access to a host of unclassified substances that held promise for future medicinal use.
Even more valuable was the knowledge I possessed—information and research findings that would thrill someone of his inclinations.
Most of this was understanding I had acquired in my past life, results derived from genuine toxin studies. Merely discussing a few of these with Yakseon as he worked to isolate Bini’s venom allowed us to form a connection more rapidly than I ever anticipated.
“For instance, Master Yakseon—what is your view on strokes?”
“I asked you to call me Grandpa, remember? But yes, you refer to the condition where one falls suddenly and becomes paralyzed, correct? Typically caused by a burst or blocked blood vessel in the brain.”
“Precisely. When that occurs—there are snake venoms that influence blood. Certain types thin it, while others promote clotting. What if we employed a blood-thinning venom to break up clots within the brain?”
In my previous life, this had been a developing field of study—creating thrombolytic drugs from snake venom. Some had even been approved for actual use.
When I mentioned this, Yakseon’s eyes gleamed.
“Oho! I was aware snake venom could thin blood, but that particular application never occurred to me. Inspired! That is an entirely fresh perspective!”
“And the clotting venom could be applied to trauma medicine, could it not? To halt bleeding from puncture wounds.”
That, too, had been investigated in my former life. When I added this, Yakseon gazed at me with more affection than he ever showed Hwa-eun.
“Astonishing! Absolutely! If it accelerates clotting, incorporating it into a trauma treatment would stop bleeding immediately! I must investigate snake venom with my disciples the moment I return!”
It wasn’t only Yakseon who was becoming captivated—Euisun was as well.
“Ah, Master Euisun—there is a venom that might be beneficial for your work too.”
“For me?”
“Indeed. You mentioned occasionally opening a patient’s abdomen to address internal diseases, correct?”
“I did.”
“Well, I possess a venom that causes paralysis—it renders a person unconscious and completely still. I would think that exceedingly useful for surgical procedures, wouldn’t you?”
The venom I meant was Yeondu’s. It wasn’t as strong as Yo-hwa’s, but it remained a powerful paralytic agent.
It caused loss of consciousness and muscle limpness. Essentially, it was a perfect anesthetic venom.
When I made the offer to Euisun, his face lit up.
“Is that so?!”
“Yes, Elder. And it has very few side effects, even with multiple uses.”
“Ooh! Ma-bi-san has the drawback of confining patients to bed for long periods if applied incorrectly—and it can’t be used frequently. Would you be able to spare some for me?”
“Certainly. It’s also highly stable—it doesn’t break down over time, so it can be stored indefinitely.”
“Remarkable!”
Thus, while Yakseon toiled to extract the active elements from Bini’s venom, we waited a full three days.
With just one week left before the illness became untreatable, the tension was palpable.
After the evening meal, Yakseon inspected the purified venom in his clay jar and gave a satisfied nod.
“I’ve eliminated the contaminants using an oil filtration process. It is prepared for application.”
“At last! So… will it be given by mouth?”
I thought it would be prepared as a pill, since Yakseon had crafted the medicine—but he shook his head.
“No. For the swiftest recovery, injection via acupuncture is optimal. Exactly as you suggested before—venom acupuncture.
It is also the superior technique for observing the medicine’s effect as it happens.”
“To watch its response?”
“Yes. I wish to verify its efficacy. I’ve already neutralized all harmful elements, so I will introduce a very small quantity into the turtle’s lung—specifically the area with the infection and pus—and monitor the result.
Should there be any negative reaction, such a minute amount is unlikely to cause significant trouble.”
“Then let’s proceed that way. And the acupuncture itself…?”
“Naturally, my brother here will perform it.”
So this cure would be an ideal fusion of my concept, Yakseon’s medicine, and Euisun’s acupuncture—a powerful trio, a treatment representing the pinnacle of Murim!
‘Incredible, what a team.’
Before commencing, I proposed we wait until nighttime, simply as a precaution.
“Let’s delay until full dark, to prevent startling Elder Geumdo or triggering a coughing fit. It is best if the fewest possible people observe this.”
“Agreed.”
We ate an early supper, then everyone retired for the night.
We would rise at midnight to start the procedure.
And for the alarm?
Hyang was assigned that duty.
“Hyang-ah, Daddy and the elders are going to sleep now. When it is completely dark and the moon is at its highest point, please wake us, alright?”
—Tsruruu! 『Okay, Daddy!』
I sent Hwa-eun and Sister Seol back to the inn to sleep, then drifted into a deep slumber myself.
Some time later, I felt a damp, tickling feeling on my cheek.
As I raised a hand to brush it away, my fingers met Hyang’s sleek, polished exoskeleton.
It was the alarm.
“Alright, alright, I’m awake.”
—Tsrut!
Evidently, her method of waking me was to lick my face. My skin was damp, but I dried it and sat up.
By the light of the Night Pearls, I could make out two figures further ahead, both seated in the lotus position.
Euisun and Yakseon, immersed in silent meditation.
‘Even if I become a martial arts master someday, I am definitely still sleeping lying down.’
Even the Heavenly Poison Deity slept that way. Really—eating and sleeping are fundamental pleasures. Having to sleep sitting up? No, thank you.
I walked over and spoke to them quietly.
“Elders, the moon is high. It is time.”
It seemed they weren’t truly asleep, as both opened their eyes the moment I spoke.
They glanced out the window, nodded, and stated:
“The hour is late. We should commence.”
“I will ready the medicine. Brother, maintain your concentration.”
“Understood.”
Though they argued incessantly, they were utterly professional when it came to healing. Yakseon rose and went to prepare the medicine, while Euisun stood and stretched his arms and legs.
Likely preparing himself for the task ahead.
Shortly, Yakseon came back holding a small gourd flask.
“The medicine is prepared.”
“Then I shall require the acupuncture needles.”
Euisun opened a wooden case—something he had fetched from the inn—revealing an array of gleaming needles inside.
They varied in color and size, and under the Night Pearls’ glow, I could tell they were fashioned from gold, silver, and other valuable metals.
“Considering the patient’s size, I will use the longest needle.”
He selected the largest one—at least thirty centimeters long, and the most substantial of the set.
Well, the patient was enormous.
“So-ryong, would you uncover the wound?”
“Yes, Elder. Just a moment.”
I retrieved one of the Night Pearls suspended from the ceiling and cleansed my hands with strong liquor.
Then I carefully removed the oil paper seal from the wound, and a sharp, foul smell reached my nose.
Inside, I could see the dark red, swollen flesh where the pus had extended.
The infected zone did not appear to have grown.
I moved back and spoke to Elder Euisun.
“It is ready, Elder. Ah—could someone please inform Elder Geumdo that we are starting the procedure? It may cause some discomfort, so ask him to endure it patiently.”
—Tsrurut!
—Tsrut!
—Tsh!
All three of them replied at once, then exchanged a look—before scrambling away in a frantic rush, as if competing.
The smallest, Hyang, darted deftly through a gap in the bamboo and disappeared into the dark.
—Brrrrgle…
Not long after, a low, gurgling sound returned to us—indicating the message had been successfully delivered.
I nodded, and Elder Euisun filled a tiny gourd bottle with the venom-acupuncture mixture.
He then sealed the open end of the specially crafted needle and gently inserted its tip into Elder Geumdo’s inflamed tissue.
With the Night Pearl illuminating the site, he moved his hand with great care toward the infected area.
“I will insert the needles in three sites, as we decided.”
“Yes, Elder.”
The injection points had been chosen beforehand: the very center of the infection, the outer boundary, and a midpoint between them.
If we only treated the edge and the effect was subtle, we might not notice a change—so we had agreed to treat all three areas to better gauge any progress.
The center, where inflammation was worst; the edge, where it was spreading; and a spot where the infection was just starting.
Euisun’s hand went to the center first.
The lung tissue twitched at the needle’s insertion—but after it penetrated about a centimeter, it soon grew still.
He paused for a moment, then withdrew the needle.
After the other two points were treated, the test was complete.
“Phew… This is more stressful than my first time treating a human patient.”
“You as well, Brother? I feel the same.”
Their first time treating a non-human—it was no wonder they were anxious.
“You have both performed excellently. Let us seal the wound and observe it later.”
“Yes. Two days should suffice to show us the outcome.”
Just as I moved to fetch the oil paper and salve to re-cover the wound, the light from the Night Pearl revealed something unexpected.
A vivid crimson dot had formed at the very center.
‘Huh? Did something get in there?’
My first thought was that I was seeing things. Or that a foreign particle had fallen into the wound.
But then I saw another spot to the side—and I observed a healthy pink color slowly diffusing outward, like dye in water.
“Wh-what is this?!”
The words escaped me before I could stop them. The elders heard my surprised cry and called out:
“What is it, So-ryong?”
“Has something occurred?”
“Look at this!”
They hurried over and gazed into the wound.
Their faces registered utter amazement.
“This—the reaction is already happening this quickly?!”
From each point where the needle had entered, that bright crimson hue was spreading outwards, permeating the surrounding tissue.
“Is it because the venom is from a spirit-grade creature?”
“I never anticipated such rapid results!”
“And not merely the speed, Brother—the dosage was microscopic. That indicates extraordinary potency!”
Indeed—Bini’s venom, originating from a spiritual being, was producing an almost miraculous effect.
—Tsrut?
Noticing the excitement, Bini tilted her head in puzzlement, and I impulsively gathered her into my arms.
“Aaahhh! Bini, you are amazing!”
—Tsruru. 『Daddy, what are you doing…?』
As she wriggled to get free, I could see the area of healing visibly expanding from the wound in Elder Geumdo’s shell.
***
By morning, Elder Geumdo’s lungs—formerly cloudy and ash-gray, like those of a lifelong smoker—had transformed into the clear, healthy pink of a child’s.
I wondered if the deeper tissue had also healed completely, but the children conveyed that Elder Geumdo’s state had improved dramatically.
He still could not move, however—so I asked Euisun to insert the needle a bit deeper and give a second application.
Three days later, he was wholly recovered.
The active treatment had taken only two days. The additional day was for regaining strength.
—Brrrrgle…
That evening, we received communication from Elder Geumdo that he had tested his limbs and felt his full mobility return.
—Tsruru. 『He says he can move now.』
“He is completely cured.”
“Wonderful news.”
“I am so relieved, So-ryong. Everyone performed magnificently.”
As Cho relayed Elder Geumdo’s words, everyone celebrated.
Our combined, multi-field miracle treatment had been a resounding success.
But…
There was one minor complication.
“So-ryong, what should we do about that?”
Sister Seol gestured toward the riverbank on the Taeyan side.
A multitude had assembled—a huge crowd of people gazing at the island.
Only three days remained until the agreed-upon departure date.
Clearly, rumors had circulated, and interested spectators had come to witness the fate of the enormous floating island.
The riverbank was thronged.
We had intended to depart secretly at night for the Ak Clan, but this… this was problematic.
“Perhaps they will return home at night to sleep?”
I held onto that hope.
But even at midnight, the riverbank was still full of people.
The crowd maintained a continuous vigil on the island—making a discreet escape impossible.
As I worried about what to do…
—Brrrrgle…
We turned toward Elder Geumdo’s head, where the sound had originated.
Cho looked at me and said,
—Tsruru. 『Geumdo says not to be concerned! He will take care of it.』
“Take care of it?”
Just as I stared in bewilderment…
Mist began to form around Elder Geumdo.
Now restored to full health, the fog billowed out more rapidly than ever—enveloping everything within moments.
Soon, visibility was reduced to barely a meter.
“…Wait. Isn’t this that sleeping mist?”
Indeed. The same mist that had rendered me unconscious when we first met.
Back then, I had attempted to cover my nose and mouth, but it was ineffective—a toxin that worked through the whole system.
I prepared for drowsiness as I lay down on the bamboo mat…
Yet, oddly—I felt no urge to sleep.
It seemed Elder Geumdo could now regulate the mist’s strength.
Then, it occurred.
—Ppop.
His aged joints emitted a soft creak as he began to move once more—and we started to glide forward, enveloped in fog.
With the mist hiding us and muffling all sound, the great turtle embarked.
That was the moment Spicy Fabre became the proud proprietor of a stealth-capable, amphibious battleship.
“Gyaaaaaaah!!”