Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 316

Chapter 316
I decided to call the new mantis Sandan.
This name comes from the sandanhwa, the wild red lily found in the Central Plains.
To be precise, Sandan wasn’t truly red but more of a pink shade. Still, since I encountered her in the mountains, the name felt right—it signified “a red child met in the mountains.”
Though, honestly, a sandanhwa isn’t purely red either; it tends toward scarlet. And in this day and age, the most common word for pink is yeonhong, so really, nothing matched perfectly.
‘Well, who cares about exact definitions? It’s the feeling that counts.’
“From now on, your name is Sandan. But are you female or male? Ah, earlier, Hyang called you unni, so… you’re a girl?”
– Peep peep.
– Tsss. 『Yes. Dad.』
“Oh ho! Really? Then ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ I suppose the name stays. That means I have another little princess now. Pleased to meet you. Let’s take good care of each other, alright?”
– Piiiii.
Just as I finished naming the mantis Sandan and reached out to gently stroke her head—
– FLASH!
A sudden, brilliant lightning bolt struck loudly outside the door behind me, its fleeting light throwing sharp shadows across the room.
Included in those shadows were the distinct outlines of two people standing just beyond the doorway.
“Wh-Who is it!?”
Alarmed, I whipped around to face the door.
I made out two shapes—and then heard a voice I really hadn’t expected to hear.
“So-ryong. We’ve found you.”
“This is the spot.”
Another flash of lightning lit up the scene, revealing the two figures and two poisonous creatures poised on the threshold.
There stood Hwa-eun and Sister Seol, with Cho and Yeondu at their sides.
All of them were drenched from the rain.
‘Oh my…’
The words slipped out unconsciously as Hwa-eun, her soaked clothes clinging to her form, shook out her wet hair.
It called to mind that iconic scene from a movie—the heroine emerging from a pool with a toss of her hair.
‘No, no. This is definitely not the time for that, So-ryong.’
But then it struck me—this wasn’t a moment for idle admiration.
Hwa-eun wouldn’t have come all this way without a reason.
And the mood felt decidedly tense.
Besides, when we’d last spoken just yesterday, she’d given no indication she planned to seek me out.
‘What’s going on? Did I do something wrong? But there’s no way she could know what occurred here… right?’
“Hwa-eun, how on earth did you find this place? And in this storm?”
I asked, feigning concern. Her reply was icy and sharp.
“You truly had no idea? Three hours ago, Hyang suddenly screamed in the group chat that you’d run out into the thunder and lightning. And. You. Didn’t. Hear? I called for you. So. Frantically.”
“Huuurgh!”
Her speech was clipped and abrupt, every sentence ending like an accusation.
She was undoubtedly furious.
“How did we get here? Because we were worried. So Cho, Yeondu, unni, and I flew here at low altitude. We had to weave beneath the lightning, understand?”
‘They flew here low to the ground?!’
I vaguely recalled Hyang and the others shouting after me earlier when I’d rushed out, thinking I could catch Hwarang. It turned out Hyang had notified Hwa-eun via the group chat.
That I’d run outside during a thunderstorm…
And hearing that, they’d flown here at once, skimming the ground.
Looking back, it was fortunate they didn’t know the entire story.
Why?
Because they seemed unaware of the parts where I’d nearly been hit by lightning or almost crushed by a falling ventilation shaft.
If she’d heard about that, the scolding would have been unimaginable. Thankfully, they only knew I’d dashed out into the storm.
Realizing Hwa-eun was missing key details, I decided to introduce my new companions before she could question Hyang further.
If I started a conversation and welcomed them, I might be able to gloss over the more dangerous parts and avoid a harsher reprimand.
‘Even in a tiger’s mouth, you can live if you play it smart.’
“R-Right. Let’s discuss that later. Hwa-eun, I haven’t introduced them yet, have I? This is Jeokwol-noona, the Blood-Blossom Dream Illusion Butterfly. And over here—this one, I thought would be perfect for you…”
“Eh? A l-lily?”
That’s when it happened.
The instant I held out Sandan in my palm, Hwa-eun’s frosty expression melted into one of stunned confusion.
She looked like a deer startled by a sudden light.
Beside her, Sister Seol made a face that said, “Oh~?”
‘Huh? What’s with this strange atmosphere?’
While I was glancing around, bewildered by the odd shift, I noticed Hwa-eun’s cheeks flushing red in the glow of the fire.
Then Sister Seol, still smiling, gently took Hwa-eun by the shoulders and said,
“My little sister is quite fortunate, isn’t she? But So-ryong? What was your intention in giving that to her? Surely, as a man, you meant that particular meaning, correct?”
“?”
I tilted my head, completely puzzled. Sister Seol explained with a cunning smile.
“The character hap (合) in baekhap (lily) means ‘to unite,’ you see? So if a man gives it to a woman, first—it’s a confession of love. Second—if they’re already engaged, it’s an invitation to the wedding chamber. Since you two are betrothed, I assume it’s the second meaning, yes?”
‘Wait, lilies mean that?’
I had no idea lilies carried such a romantic—and bold—implication.
“The firs—”
The second meaning sounded rather appealing, and I was tempted to claim it.
But I caught myself and was about to say “the first one” instead—when I noticed Hwa-eun’s face suddenly fall.
Behind her, Sister Seol gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake of her head.
‘Wait, it’s not the first?’
I had assumed it must be the first, but… it was the second?
I swiftly corrected myself.
“The first meaning, wrapped within the… s-second one.”
At that, Hwa-eun hid her face in her hands for a moment and stammered in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Th-Then… I will speak to Father as soon as we return to the Tang Clan about moving the wedding forward…”
Her tone, once sharp and staccato, had now softened into the gentlest dolcissimo.
***
Hwa-eun was so overjoyed that I missed my chance to clarify.
If things continued this way, she would eventually realize it wasn’t a real lily, and then she’d understand I hadn’t actually meant to give her one. The outcome would be catastrophic.
‘I should have found a real lily to give her instead of Sandan!’
– Peep peep.
It didn’t take long for everyone to discover that Sandan was a Soft-Pink Twin-Flower Mantis.
Perhaps because she was so well-mannered, she almost immediately made a sound to greet the newcomers.
“Huh? That flower just chirped.”
“Oh? Wait, this isn’t a flower!”
“What? You’re right!? This is a mantis!?”
“That’s unmistakably the Soft-Pink Twin-Flower Mantis, one of the Twenty-Four Poisonous Types!”
‘Damn it!’
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, then opened them and spoke to Sandan.
“Sandan, uh… that’s your mother. Go on and say hello. She’ll be your mom from now on. And the lady next to her is your aunt.”
“So there was another new arrival?”
I was certain I was in for even more trouble now—first for presenting a mantis instead of a flower, and second for the fact that the lily gesture had been unintentional.
But strangely, Hwa-eun only seemed happier.
All because of what Sandan did next.
She suddenly leaped and attached herself to the side of Hwa-eun’s hair.
Hwa-eun’s face lit up like a blossom as she looked at Sandan nestled there.
“Oh my, she’s so affectionate! Your name is Sandan?”
– Piii.
“Do you like it there?”
– Peepee.
It turned out Sandan had flown to Hwa-eun’s hair because of the flower ornament pinned there.
Hwa-eun always wore at least one floral decoration, and since Sandan originated from a field of flowers, she must have been drawn to it, mistaking it for her natural home.
In the end, there were three wild lilies in Hwa-eun’s hair.
Two were real flowers, and the third was Sandan.
Hwa-eun had taken one of the real lilies and placed it nearby so Sandan would feel more comfortable.
“It’s lovely. It truly looks like a hair accessory.”
“I like it even more than a real lily. So-ryong, I must buy a lily-shaped hairpin for Sandan. This living one will eventually wilt.”
As Sandan nestled gently in Hwa-eun’s hair, Sister Seol watched with a hint of envy.
Hwa-eun, gazing out the window and already contemplating where to purchase a new ornament, linked her arm with mine and said,
“Let’s head back now, So-ryong. It seems the rain is finally stopping.”
Just as she said, the downpour outside was easing, and the first light of dawn was breaking.
***
Binghyeol Nanhwa, Commander of the Bloodshade Unit, had entered Beijing in Hebei disguised as a courtesan.
Her target appeared to be heading toward the Peng Clan, so she followed them to the city where the clan was headquartered.
She had confirmed the target’s movement from Shandong to Hebei, but having lost contact with the local Bloodshade Unit long ago, she couldn’t determine their precise location.
“Commander Binghyeol! You’ve come yourself!?”
“There is crucial business I must handle, so I came personally. Was the letter I sent received?”
Beijing was the largest city in Hebei, and the Blood Cult’s agents had managed to build a considerable presence there.
They ran the Huaxiang House, a renowned courtesan establishment in the city.
It was operated entirely by agents without martial arts training, minimizing the risk of exposure during government raids. However, the Five Venoms Sect had already discovered it and quickly assumed control.
“We have reestablished links with the northern Bloodshade Unit. They’ve accepted that submission is currently their only path to survival.”
She had informed the master of the Five Venoms Sect of her plans to enter the Central Plains for two reasons.
First, to demonstrate her value and rapidly secure her standing within the sect.
Second, to rebuild the shattered intelligence network of the Bloodshade Unit, which had been driven underground or scattered following raids by the sect and the government.
Once the intelligence arm of the Blood Cult, the Bloodshade Unit was now in disarray—only a few major branches remained functional.
“Well done. What is the situation in the south?”
“But the south…”
The owner of the courtesan house—also a member of the Blood Cult—hesitated, wearing a concerned expression.
Seeing this, Nanhwa tilted her head slightly and inquired,
“You can’t mean we’ve lost contact with the south? Ah, that’s right. That region is under the direct management of the subcommander, correct? I suppose I will have to attempt contact using the secret method myself.”
Southern Hebei was a vital hub, receiving detailed intelligence from Hwang Bo-se in Shandong—covering the Taesan Sect, the Shandong Ak Clan, as well as reports from Shaolin and the Beggars’ Union in Henan.
It was personally overseen by the subcommander.
This meant even Nanhwa would find it difficult to reach her through ordinary channels.
That subcommander shared the same name as the commander—she was her “shadow.” A double, designed to act as the commander’s proxy.
So if the true commander attempted contact personally, it might work.
But at Nanhwa’s words, the courtesan house owner responded with a grave expression.
“The southern Bloodshade Unit… seems to have been completely eradicated.”
“E-Eradicated!?”
“Yes…”
Her eyes widened in shock.
The subcommander, her “shadow,” had been in charge of the southern Hebei unit, and now she was being told they were wiped out?
“What kind of absurdity is this!? Are you certain they didn’t simply go into hiding?”
It had to be nonsense.
That subcommander had even mastered the Soul-Consumption Technique—she was the most skilled operative in the entire Bloodshade Unit.
She had never failed a mission before.
“According to local villagers, government forces captured them all and put their heads on public display. The subcommander’s head was among them.”
“That’s impossible! She had mastered the Soul-Consumption Technique!”
How could anyone who had learned such an advanced technique be exposed and executed by common government soldiers!?
Seeing her total disbelief, the house owner elaborated further.
“The villagers said someone known as the ‘All-Venom Grandpa’ rooted out all the Blood Cultists and turned them over to the authorities.”
“All-Venom Grandpa? What kind of absurd title is that? Who is he?”
A nickname she had never heard before.
Swallowing her anger, she asked—and received an unexpected name in reply.
“That would be Wei So-ryong. The son-in-law of the Tang Clan in Sichuan.”
– CRACK.
Driven by fury and empowered by the techniques of the Five Venoms Sect, Binghyeol’s grip tightened on the table.
It splintered into pieces.
Veins bulged and pulsed, her blood circulating with such violent intensity it seemed to whirl like a storm beneath her skin.
A moment later, having steadied her energy, she spoke in a voice cold and lethal.
“Now I have one more reason to ensure he dies.
Mobilize every Blood Cult agent we can reach in northern Hebei and Beijing!”
“Yes, Commander!”
At her command, the agents of the Blood Cult scattered throughout Hebei, and the remnants who had survived there, began to gather in Beijing.