Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 320

Chapter 320
[Over there, Commander.]

Nanhwa approached the area where the house was supposed to be and gazed toward where her warriors indicated.

Yet all that met her eyes was an unremarkable stretch of woodland crowning the cliff.

It was a thick forest, seeming even denser beneath the moonlight.

A scattering of rocks broke through here and there, but the foliage was so abundant and dominant that it was difficult to imagine a dwelling had ever stood in that place.

The same doubt resurfaced in Nanhwa’s thoughts—could they have the wrong place?

[How did you determine it was a formation?]

[Right here.]

Guided cautiously by the warrior, Nanhwa was led to a point where the cliff’s edge met a jumble of stones and trees.

They stopped before a boulder sizable enough to hide a person behind it. The warrior gave a short nod and lifted his hand toward the rock.

—Ssshhh.

Then, his hand simply passed into the stone.

Nanhwa’s eyes widened in astonishment.

A hand vanishing into solid rock—it was just as she had feared. This was unmistakably an advanced formation.

Such illusory arts represented some of the most sophisticated forms of formation magic.

Still watching in disbelief, Nanhwa extended her own hand into the rock. Her fingers met not stone, but empty air.

[Let’s… we should move back.]

Alarmed by her own impulsive action, Nanhwa retreated hastily with the warrior, one hand pressed to her chest as she tried to steady her breathing.

She hadn’t intended to do that—certain formations were rumored to drag intruders inward with just a touch.

Luckily, this one did not appear to be one of them.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, waiting for her racing heart to calm, Nanhwa’s expression darkened.

[This… this means we cannot enter, and we cannot loose arrows either.]

[That is correct. In all likelihood.]

Prior to their departure, Nanhwa had been briefed by the head of the Five Venoms Sect about Wei Su Long’s collection of spirit beasts.

The centipede, the toad, the scorpion, the gecko, and the snake.

It was said each one possessed strength sufficient to eradicate an entire unit from the Blood Cult or the Five Venoms Sect on its own.

Their described power was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

But Nanhwa was not so foolish as to confront them directly.

Her strategy had always been a long-range assault—a silent strike using arrows or thrown projectiles.

The beasts may be formidable, but Wei Su Long himself was not reported to be a significant martial artist. This was the Bloodshade Unit’s way—precision over sheer power.

However, with their objective entirely concealed behind an illusion, that approach was now futile.

You cannot attack what remains invisible.

[What are your orders, Commander?]

[Hmm…]

Nanhwa turned back to face the illusory woods.

Even with a formation in place, they at least needed to verify if their target or his associates were inside.

Just then, the sky began to pale—dawn was arriving.

And then—

Faint, feminine voices started to filter out from within.

“Hwa-eun, were you up all night again? You should have gotten some rest.”

“No, I only just awoke. Ah, is it morning already? I’ll go prepare the morning meal.”

Their clear voices cut through the quiet of the early dawn.

[That sound—!?]

[It is coming from inside, Commander.]

Confirmation came more swiftly than Nanhwa had anticipated—people were definitely within.

As day broke, the signs of habitation began to emerge from the forest.

Women’s voices. And now, smoke started to curl up through the trees—someone was cooking.

[They are undoubtedly in there.]

[Yes, Commander. It sounds like two women.]

From the voices, it seemed two women were inside.

Whether Wei Su Long himself was present remained unclear, but the woman from the Tang Clan and the one from the Beast Palace were certainly there.

Unable to confirm Wei Su Long’s location, Nanhwa resolved to shift her objective.

She would seize one of the two women and draw Wei Su Long out.

Intel reported that one of them had already descended to the village twice for provisions.

That meant they would likely need to emerge again soon.

It was improbable the house had its own garden—this was a rented property. Staples like grain might keep, but perishables like meat and vegetables would not last.

No matter how potent the spirit beasts were, they would be hampered if she held a human hostage.

[Now that we have confirmed occupants, we will change our target.
They took the house for two months, and have already come out twice to stock up?
Then they must emerge again shortly. That is when we act. We capture one of the women—and if Wei Su Long is present, he will be forced to reveal himself.]

[Understood, Commander!]

The Blood Cult warriors started to fan out, forming a perimeter around the cliff.

***

Four days had now elapsed.

Four days since Seol, Bing, and Dong had awakened.

This meant Hwa-eun was consumed with anxiety.

In the past, when Cho, Hyang, Bini, or even Hwayang had been registered, So-ryong always awoke soon after the children.

But this time, despite the long wait, So-ryong remained unconscious.

Her older sister had offered reassurance—tonight was the full moon, and Cheongyu would also awaken. Perhaps she would know what was happening.

But Hwa-eun could not quiet the fear eating away at her heart.

What if even Cheongyu had no answers?

What if something had gone terribly wrong with So-ryong?

What if he became like a wall-clinging lizard, perpetually scaling stone surfaces?

This was the frightening thought that monopolized her mind.

“Hwa-eun, you must calm yourself. You’ll fall ill.”

“Yes, Unni…”

Seol looked at Hwa-eun’s anxious face with worry.

Heeding her sister’s gentle admonishment, Hwa-eun went into So-ryong’s room and sat facing him in a cross-legged position.

So-ryong’s face was visible within Bini’s form.

Her first impulse had been to march over and pinch his cheek in irritation for causing her such worry again.

But then a second thought followed—what if she caused him harm?

The idea of So-ryong feeling pain was more unbearable to her than any pain of her own.

Her mind then began to wander.

She was Tang Hwa-eun, of the Sacheon Tang Clan.

Only a year ago, she had vowed to depend on no man and to become so formidably skilled that even the clan elders would be stunned.

How had she arrived at this point?

Staring at So-ryong, she reached a resolution and lifted a hand to take Sandan from her hair—the gift he had given her.

Yes. Remaining idle and waiting simply was not in her nature.

—Peep?

Sandan cocked its head, curious.

Hwa-eun looked at her and asked, her voice soft,

“Could you give your mama just a single drop of your poison?”

—Pii!?

Sandan let out a shocked squeak. Then, Seol, Bing, and Dong—who were already awake—and even Bini, who was coiled around So-ryong, all hurried over and tugged at Hwa-eun’s sleeve.

They were pleading with her not to undertake anything risky.

Such kind-hearted children.

Even without the connection of So-ryong’s group chat, she could perceive their emotions vividly.

Smiling gently, Hwa-eun patted their heads and explained:

She wasn’t seeking out danger—this was something she felt compelled to do because a certain someone constantly plunged himself into it.

That man sitting right there with his eyes serenely shut.

Irritating and endearing, if she wished to stand beside him, this was necessary.

Although she phrased it slightly differently for them:

“I’m not being reckless. It’s just… Daddy worries us all so much, so Mommy is going to become stronger to protect Daddy too.”

At her words, the children all turned to look at So-ryong, sitting cross-legged with closed eyes.

Then, in perfect unison, they turned back to Hwa-eun and released a collective, exaggerated sigh.

Their small chests heaved dramatically, as if they were all sighing as one.

And Hwa-eun could sense it—their emotions communicated clearly.

“Mom has a difficult job.
We understand.”

That was the feeling they conveyed.

Hwa-eun couldn’t suppress a laugh. She gazed at them with overwhelming affection—and in that moment, it seemed they reached a silent agreement. As one, they nodded their permission to Sandan.

—Tsrut.
—Ggukguuu.

They were telling Sandan it was alright to provide what was asked for.

Sandan wavered, then finally raised its rear and produced a single drop of poison from the center of its flower-like body.

A tiny, lucid bead of venom glistened amid its pale red lily petals.

“You needn’t fret, children.”

Hwa-eun closed her eyes and swallowed it without a second thought. A clean, floral aroma blossomed within her nose.

It was like reclining in a meadow of lilies.

She instantly began guiding the poison downward to her core energy center—her dantian.

As the new venom integrated with her inner energy, her dantian started to throb—more powerfully than ever before.

—Thump, thump.

Initially, it felt as if her dantian were inflating, distended by the pressure.

Until now, her venom arts and the Neidan of the Blue-Spotted Centipede had filled her like a water-filled vessel. With the addition of Sandan’s venom, that vessel was now overfull.

Her internal force swelled, spilling out from her dantian.

She hadn’t even begun formal energy circulation, yet the power was already rushing out uncontrolled.

Feeling this wild torrent erupting from within, Hwa-eun made a silent vow.

When So-ryong returned home, she would give him her answer regarding the lilies he had gifted her.

She would ensure he could not run away.

Even if it meant he must perish in her embrace.

Ultimately, this choice—to incorporate Sandan’s venom—was entirely because of him.

It was the gentlest poison among the children, and it had been his present.

That was why she absolutely had to make it part of her cultivation.

Not in this manner—so impulsively—but still…

The notion made her cheeks flush with embarrassment, yet she swiftly dismissed the thought.

This was a pivotal instant. A stray feeling could trigger a Qi deviation.

And what use would she be if she suffered a Qi deviation the moment So-ryong awoke?

—Tsururur!
—Gyuit!

The children cried out in encouragement.

The spiritual beast’s venom she had just ingested was like a violent deluge.

If her previous venoms were calm creeks, this was a torrential river bursting its banks.

The intense venom exploded upward from her dantian, rushing through the perineum, then along the foundation of her spine.

From there, it charged upward through the life gate, the great vertebra, the mute gate, and the jade pillow—

Then downward along the front through the heavenly prominence, the chest center, the solar plexus, and the sea of qi, before cycling back once more to the dantian.

Even the Neidan energy that had been dispersed through her secondary meridians now flooded back into her core.

—Boom!

This time, a surge even more potent than the first erupted from her dantian and raced back along the same route.

As this cascade repeated its circuit over and over, Hwa-eun began to drift into a daze.

—Ah…

Just as the energy flow crested—

—Rumble.

Sister Seol opened the door and entered, her eyes widening at the sight of three red flower buds hovering above Hwa-eun’s head.

The blossoms of the yuejie. Her symbol.

The Tri-Bloom Crown — the Three Blossoms Gathering at the Crown.

“Sohwa!”

Sister Seol’s astonished cry reverberated through the house.

***

Do you know what the most difficult thing in existence is?

It’s choosing.

From the eternal dilemma of black bean noodles versus spicy seafood noodles, to the cruel question of “Do you prefer Mom or Dad?”—decision-making is a torturous load for a person like me, afflicted with perpetual indecisiveness.

Why am I mentioning this?

How long had I been sitting cross-legged in the middle of the stone chamber?

I remained there, still incapable of reaching a decision.

Why? Because this entire arrangement felt like a martial path specialization event.

It seemed that whichever door I selected, my skills would become aligned with that specific beast.

Naturally, I was paralyzed with indecision.

Choosing the centipede door would feel like a slight to Hwayang, Cheongwol, Cheongyu, Seol, Bing, and Dong.

Selecting Seokcheok’s door would make the others resentful.

Opt for the toad or scorpion, and the remainder would still be displeased.

For someone like me—who adored all venomous creatures without favor—this was pure agony.

“Heavens, I’m going insane. This is worse than choosing between jajangmyeon and jjamppong. This is precisely why ‘half-and-half’ options were created! Why can’t I choose more than one—hold on!?”

As I writhed on the floor and complained in the chamber’s center, a terrifying realization hit me:

What if time was moving faster outside this place?

“GYAAAAHHH!”

Who could say how many days had passed in the outside world!

As if my crippling indecision wasn’t bad enough, now I had a time limit!?

There was no alternative.

In situations like this, there is only one course of action.

What is it, you ask?

Do what you always do.

I chose the door I always fell back on—and dashed inside.