Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 321

Chapter 321
Having attained the stage of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, Hwa-eun continued her breathing exercises.
This was necessary to stabilize and solidify her new breakthrough.
Her inner energy, once a placid stream, now coursed through her like a powerful river, and her physical form required time to adjust.
She maintained this meditative state until the sun started its descent. As the setting sun painted the mountain ridges a deep crimson, three ethereal flower buds were pulled into Hwa-eun’s body.
“Hwa-eun! Congratulations! You’ve truly reached Three Flowers Gathering!”
The moment the blossoms disappeared and Hwa-eun’s eyes fluttered open, Seol rushed forward and embraced her tightly in celebration.
Achieving Three Flowers Gathering signified she had transcended the peak level.
It was a monumental accomplishment, truly worthy of joy.
“Thank you, unni.”
“Three Flowers Gathering… I suppose I’ll have to be extra nice to you now, won’t I?”
“You as well, unni…”
Hwa-eun offered a slightly embarrassed smile at Seol’s teasing comment about currying favor with a newly established master.
While her cultivation had progressed, in everyday terms, nothing felt different.
Seol’s tone suggested she was only joking.
“How long was I meditating?”
The first thing Hwa-eun did after waking was to ask how much time had elapsed since she began her breathing exercise.
It didn’t feel like a long duration, but she wanted to be certain.
“Ah, it’s nearly evening. I believe roughly half a day has passed.”
“And So-ryong… is he still not awake?”
“No, not yet…”
She glanced over her shoulder as she asked, but just as Seol confirmed, So-ryong remained lying there, completely still.
She had nurtured a hope that when she opened her eyes, So-ryong would be awake too, but that desire had not been fulfilled.
A faint pang of disappointment touched her.
Had So-ryong been conscious, he undoubtedly would have celebrated with her just as Seol had.
She missed his comforting presence.
That playful, younger-brother grin of his, and the moments he would discreetly hold her hand, away from the children’s noticing.
It was at that moment she felt it.
A distinct sensation of being observed.
When Hwa-eun turned her head, she found the children staring at her, flinching and freezing under her gaze.
Normally, they would have charged over without a second thought—this hesitation was unusual.
Their eyes shone with eagerness to leap forward, yet their bodies were rooted in place.
“?”
Noticing her confusion, Seol’s voice provided an explanation from beside her.
“Ah, I instructed them not to disturb you during your meditation. That is likely the reason.”
Since an untimely touch could interrupt her focus and potentially lead to Qi deviation, Seol must have strictly warned the children not to make contact.
Even now, though she was awake, they seemed uncertain if permission to approach had been granted—thus, their motionless hesitation.
Hwa-eun beamed and held her arms open wide to them.
They looked far too endearing, standing so still.
“Come here, everything is fine now.”
As Seol moved away, the children who had been holding back surged into Hwa-eun’s waiting embrace like an incoming wave.
–Tzrrrk!
–Tzrr.
–Kiiiii!
–Pipii.
Cho, Bini, Seol, Bing, Dong-i, Hongdan, and Sandan.
The children clambered over one another to get into Hwa-eun’s arms.
Perhaps they had been deeply concerned by the internal disturbances caused by Sandan’s venom—their cries were filled with palpable anxiety.
–Tzrrrk!
–Pipi.
Clutching her, nuzzling her face—their intense worry was plain to see.
Hwa-eun softly patted and comforted each of them in turn.
“It’s all right now, everyone. Everything worked out. You were all so worried for me, weren’t you?”
After she had soothed the smaller ones, Sandan clambered onto her and let out another sound.
Then, Hwayang, who had been dozing on So-ryong’s leg, opened her eyes wide and glanced about.
–Pipi.
–Bii? Bipipi?
Hwayang only behaved this way for a single reason.
She had heard the word.
‘Food.’
This meant… Sandan must have just said “food.”
As Hwa-eun considered this, she realized she had forgotten to give Sandan her meal today.
She typically fed her around midday, but had missed it during her meditation.
Startled, Hwa-eun petted Sandan apologetically and said,
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, Sandan. Did Mommy forget your food? Just one moment. Now that I think of it, it’s nearly dinnertime—we should begin preparations. You must be hungry as well, unni, since I didn’t make any lunch, correct?”
She also remembered she hadn’t prepared anything for Seol.
“It’s alright. A martial artist can manage without a single meal.”
“Please, wait just a short while. I will have dinner prepared very quickly. Come along, Sandan.”
“There’s no need to hurry.”
Hwa-eun quickly left the room with Sandan and made her way to the kitchen.
Among the children, only Sandan and Yeolbi consumed ordinary food—specifically, meat.
Yeolbi was currently guarding the boat, so Sandan was the only one needing to be fed.
“Sandan, Mommy will prepare the flour dough first and then feed you, alright?”
–Pipi!
“Let me see… the flour…”
Upon entering the kitchen, Hwa-eun opened a storage jar.
She had intended to make meat dumplings, preparing the dough first before cutting the meat—giving Sandan her portion during the process.
–Clatter.
She lifted the lid to check the flour they had purchased previously, but found it was almost gone.
“Perhaps I should simply cook rice?”
She then checked the rice jar, but it, too, was nearly empty.
“Oh no, I should have checked sooner… I will just get some meat for Sandan first.”
She reached for the meat, which had been wrapped in paper and hung from a hook in the kitchen.
As she unwrapped it to cut a piece for Sandan—
Maggots wriggled on the meat’s surface.
Startled, Hwa-eun examined the wrapping and found a small tear on one side.
The meat itself did not appear rotten, but evidently a fly had gotten inside and laid its eggs.
“This will not do…”
Flustered, she looked down at Sandan.
The little creature seemed utterly crestfallen.
–Piii…
So-ryong had mentioned that mantises like Sandan would only eat fresh meat, so this likely was not acceptable to her.
Hwa-eun had never planned to offer it to her anyway.
Calling herself “Mommy” meant she wanted to provide them with the finest food and the best clothing.
Even if she could not sew garments, she could certainly ensure they ate well, could she not?
“I am sorry, Sandan. Let us go to the market together. Mommy will buy you some fresh meat, and we can also get some side dishes.”
–Pii!
Having visited the market twice before, the instant she heard “market,” Sandan emitted a bright, happy cry.
Leaving the kitchen, Hwa-eun called out to Seol, who was stretching in the overgrown yard that now resembled a wild grassland.
“Unni, my apologies. I did not realize we were out of rice and flour. I will take a quick trip to the market.”
“Really? It is almost sunset…”
“If I am swift, I should reach the market before the vendors pack up for the day.”
“Shall I accompany you?”
“You should remain here to watch over So-ryong.”
“Ah, that is true.”
“I will return shortly, so please wait here.”
“Very well. Take care.”
“Yes, unni.”
Hwa-eun had just arrived at the front gate with Sandan settled on her head when it occurred.
As she reached for the door, tracing her memory of its mechanism—
A sound came from the thicket.
–Shia.
The grass rustled and parted, and Cheongyu emerged.
She had always remained close behind So-ryong, but for the last few days, she had been appearing and disappearing sporadically.
Apparently, she had been staying in the vicinity, and now she positioned herself directly in Hwa-eun’s path.
“What is it, Cheongyu?”
–Shiaaa.
She opened her palm and moved two fingers across it in a walking motion, mimicking a person’s stride.
“You are asking my destination? I am planning to go to the market.”
But Cheongyu shook her head with a soft cry.
–Shiaaa.
She seemed to be attempting to communicate something, but Hwa-eun could not decipher it.
If So-ryong had been awake, he would have understood instantly through their shared connection—but without him, it was frustrating.
Then Cheongyu signaled for her to wait, raising her palm, and soon returned with a large leaf from somewhere. She started to draw on it.
The image was slightly uneven, but it unmistakably depicted a human form.
“Oh, has someone appeared nearby?”
–Shia!
Cheongyu nodded vigorously, and Hwa-eun felt a sudden understanding.
“This is the mountain behind the village, so people could indeed come up here. You are advising me to be cautious, just in case?”
–Shia!
“Understood.”
With that, Hwa-eun stepped out through the main gate with Sandan.
Cheongyu watched the direction where Hwa-eun had vanished.
–Shiaaa.
Her cry lingered softly in the air.
Then, from the doorway of the house where So-ryong rested, the Ji-yeong Snake, Orange, swiftly slid over to Cheongyu.
–Ska?
Cheongyu pointed toward the path Hwa-eun had taken.
After a single nod, Orange surged forward and vanished into the earth, beginning to follow Hwa-eun from below.
***
–Cuckoo. Cuckoo.
The call of a cuckoo bird resonated along the mountain path.
To any outsider, it would have sounded like a normal birdcall.
But for the members of the Blood Cult, it carried a different meaning.
It was a signal—the target had emerged.
Nan-hwa, commander of the Bloodshade Unit, quickly moved from her resting spot to the warrior she had posted on watch.
[Has she appeared!?]
[Yes, Commander. She is coming down the mountain trail by herself. Do we move in now?]
Just as she anticipated, the target had revealed herself.
They could not yet see her, but Nan-hwa glanced up at the sky and then shook her head at the warrior.
[No. If she is only going to the market, she will probably return within an hour or two. By then, the sun will be completely down—we will strike at that time.]
Perfection layered upon perfection—that was the creed of the Bloodshade Unit.
Since daylight remained, they would bide their time a little longer.
Tonight was the full moon, but after sunset, it would be a more opportune moment to attack. Particularly if she returned carrying purchases in both hands.
Even a highly skilled martial artist would find it challenging to respond to a sudden ambush at twilight while burdened with supplies.
Nan-hwa rubbed her lower abdomen and smiled.
If this operation succeeded, she intended to request further nurturing for her larva.
Those who had sworn allegiance to the Five Venoms Sect had been implanted with larvae. She had initially felt revulsion at the idea of swallowing a worm—but this one was exceptional.
Though she had once suffered a Qi deviation while cultivating the Blood Cult’s martial arts and lost most of her internal energy, her acute talent for intelligence gathering and analysis made her the ideal leader for the Bloodshade Unit.
She had always been scorned by other commanders for her weak martial prowess. But the parasite had not only instantly cured her Qi deviation—it had granted her access to internal energy even greater than before.
“Wait just a little longer. I will help you become even stronger.”
***
The realm I entered belonged to the Sect of the Centipede—O-gong’s gate.
Cheongyu Sojeo would probably forgive me in time, and Hwayang would be content with a good meal.
Seol, Bing, and Dong-i were gentle enough not to hold a grudge for long.
Cheongwol possessed a forgiving disposition as well, so I could find a way to make amends.
But Cho, Hyang, and Bini…
Especially Bini, whose jealousy could reach the heavens—there was absolutely no chance I could endure her fury again.
The last time, she fled simply because I remarked that Cho noona was beautiful. If that repeated, it would be catastrophic.
Furthermore, Cho, Hyang, and Bini had been with me since the very start, so selecting the Centipede Gate was the correct decision.
The instant I leaped into the gate, I found myself within another hidden chamber.
As I stood at its center, a phantom image of a gigantic centipede erupted from the depths of my mind and crashed into my chest.
“Haaah!”
Taken aback, I gasped aloud—and then came the rhythmic throbbing.
–Thump-thump.
I sat down and closed my eyes, and an peculiar sensation washed over me.
Even with my eyelids shut, I could perceive light. In the midst of the darkness, I was aware of everything surrounding me.
It felt as though I had transformed into a centipede.
A hard exoskeleton, venomous fangs, innumerable legs, body segments, and connecting joints.
It seemed to be a process of comprehending the centipede from the centipede’s own point of view.
From minuscule, ordinary centipedes to colossal spiritual beasts.
I experienced existence within countless centipede forms, and when I finally opened my eyes, I recognized a familiar setting.
It was the house we had rented for two months. Having finalized the connection with Seol, Bing, Dong-i and achieved a breakthrough in the Five Venoms arts, I had returned to reality.
Just then, I heard a voice.
“How is it you two always advance together? I never expected to witness two Three Flowers Gatherings in a single day.”
Before me stood Sister Seol, her expression one of utter amazement.
From her words, it appeared I too had ascended to the realm of Three Flowers Gathering.