Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 323

Chapter 323
From Sandan’s motions, a sudden understanding sparked within Hwa-eun. It felt like the seed of something unprecedented—maybe an entirely new fighting style. But now was not the moment to ponder or refine it.

The danger was too immediate. She could sense hostile figures drawing nearer.
The attackers likely believed she was pinned down and were now advancing to deliver the final blow.
Hwa-eun turned swiftly to Sandan.
“Sandan, can you continue protecting us if we keep moving!?”
–Piipi!
Answering her question—whether she could still deflect arrows and projectiles while on the run—Sandan gave a confident nod.
Seeing this, Hwa-eun resolved to put her trust in Sandan to guard her rear.
“I’m starting to run again—I’m relying on you.”
–Pii!
As Hwa-eun rose and burst from behind the rock, Sandan instantly shifted to cover her back.
While they sprinted once more toward the house, the whistle of missiles cutting through the air echoed behind them. Yet, none found their mark.
Hwa-eun evaded those coming from the front, while Sandan intercepted everything from behind. Their seamless teamwork allowed Hwa-eun to maintain her pace without interruption.
She had now moved past the start of the trail and cleared the third ridge.
With Sandan’s help, she began to believe that escape might just be possible.
But then, something abruptly seized her leg.
–Chwaaak!
A trap.
A basic snare had closed around her ankle.
It was a trap she would typically never be caught by—but the darkness, combined with evading attacks and running, had left her unable to watch her footing completely.
“Ugh!”
–Pii!
Just as the rope tightened around her ankle and started to hoist her toward the trees—
Her world tilted, but in a flash, Sandan was at her ankle, slicing the rope clean through.
–Sseok.
“Thank you, Sandan!”
Hwa-eun twisted in mid-air, landed on her feet, and instantly resumed her sprint.
She managed only a few steps before another rope snagged her ankle.
Sandan severed this one just as quickly, but Hwa-eun could no longer run freely.
It was now obvious—the route back was riddled with traps.
However, it seemed she had slightly outpaced her pursuers. The barrage of projectiles had dwindled to only a sporadic few.
As Sandan batted away the occasional dart, Hwa-eun gazed toward the house, deliberating.
What was the best way to proceed?
‘The woods are probably trapped as well…’
She knew she needed to leave the path, but she hesitated to make that choice.
Given the volley of darts and arrows that had emerged from the forest, she couldn’t assume the trees were safe.
Furthermore, the enemy might be herding her into the woods—she couldn’t recklessly fall into that trap.
–Kwadududuk.
She couldn’t remain where she was, either.
Just as she resolved to act, the ground farther down the path—the very way she needed to go—swelled upward. Suddenly, snare traps erupted everywhere, snapping taut and breaking.
–Piing. Ping.
The upheaval of earth raced toward her—then burst forth directly in front of her.
“What in the world!?”
Startled, Hwa-eun jumped back on instinct.
From the ground emerged a familiar face.
It was the image of Yeondu—yet more stunning, more brilliant.
It was Orange.
–Skaaaa!
“Orange!”
–Ska!
As Hwa-eun cried out, Orange slithered forward and coiled around her in a protective embrace.
With both Orange and Sandan present, a wave of reassurance washed over her. Together, they could get her home safely.
–Tidik. Tik.
Just as she was about to propose they all head for the house together, several darts ricocheted off Orange’s scales.
Then Orange lifted her tail, gestured toward the house, and propelled herself in the opposite direction—toward the origin of the darts.
–Skaaa!
The meaning was unmistakable: “I’ll take care of them. You go.”
As Orange vaulted into the forest, screams erupted.
“Ughh!”
“A spirit beast!”
“Spread out!”
The path was now clear of traps. Orange had plunged into the woods. The shower of projectiles had ended.
With no more arrows or darts targeting her, nothing obstructed Hwa-eun’s path to the house.
She yelled into the forest and started running again.
“Orange, take care!”
She raced up the trail, arriving near the fifth ridge.
Right after passing a substantial boulder and stepping into a broader clearing, she came to an abrupt halt.
In the clearing before her, dozens of warriors had arrows trained directly on her.
Then, from the tall grass on her left and right, additional warriors rose into view.
And behind her, too—an equal number of warriors unveiled themselves.
She was completely surrounded.
She had thought she had lost most of them and that Orange was handling the remainder. But it was apparent they had set a final ambush here.
“Damn it…”
As Hwa-eun’s face hardened with frustration, one of the archers moved aside—and a woman stepped forward.
“To think you’d make us show ourselves. But your journey ends here. You should cease your resistance. We have no desire to kill you. At least… not at this moment.”
“You!? Nanhwa!?”
The woman urging her to surrender was not unknown to her.
It was Nanhwa—the one Cheongwol had left mentally shattered, and whom the commander had led away for execution.
The deputy commander of the Blood Cult’s Bloodshade Unit.
She had been dragged off, and both the Immortal of Medicine and the Immortal of Herbs had stated her mind was beyond recovery.
So how could she be here, speaking with such clarity?
“It seems you know me. That means you’ve encountered the deputy commander before. Which implies… you had a hand in her demise. That is a debt which will be settled shortly.”
From her words, Hwa-eun started to piece it together.
Based on her tone, she appeared to hold a rank superior to a Blood Cult deputy commander.
Was she one of the commanders who worked exclusively within the cult?
It wasn’t unusual for intelligence operatives to employ duplicates or proxies with identical faces. Maybe the deputy commander who had died was one such substitute.
Understanding this woman’s true identity, Hwa-eun began assessing her choices.
The crucial question was whether Sandan could deflect every arrow launched at once.
Dying here was one thing—but being wounded and captured would be a far worse fate.
Their motive for trying to capture her was transparent.
So-ryong.
They were unequivocally targeting So-ryong.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to demand her surrender.
Even if it meant her death here, she could not let So-ryong be endangered because of her.
Hwa-eun’s eyes moved from the aiming warriors to Sandan, positioned on her left shoulder.
But Sandan shook her head.
Perhaps she could manage assaults from one or two directions—but from the front, back, and both flanks? That was beyond even her capabilities.
If only Orange would return—but that hope was futile.
Then, a gentle fluttering noise sounded above her head.
–Flap. Flap.
As Hwa-eun glanced up, the air wavered, and Jeokwol—So-ryong’s “big sis” butterfly, the Blood-Blossom Dream Illusion Butterfly—descended elegantly onto her other shoulder.
“Jeop? This one wasn’t in the Lord’s briefing. It doesn’t appear powerful, but to be safe—shoot it down.”
–Shiiing. Shiiing.
At the direction of the woman who shared Nanhwa’s face, several arrows flew toward Jeokwol.
But Jeokwol avoided them with graceful flutters and alighted gently on Hwa-eun’s shoulder, taking a slender form Hwa-eun had never witnessed before.
Normally, she possessed a fluffy, cloud-like softness. Now, however, her body and legs were fine and slender, much like those of an ordinary butterfly.
The instant she landed, her antennae began to lash with clear anger.
As Sandan deflected a few arrows that had veered too close to Hwa-eun, a voice shouted from the other side.
“Stop! Did I not say she is not to be killed here?”
The onslaught of arrows ceased.
And suddenly, the whole vicinity was illuminated in red.
The ground around them started to gleam with a scarlet radiance.
“Wh-what is this…!?”
“What’s happening—!?”
–Flap.
While the Blood Cult warriors were bewildered by the light, Jeokwol moved behind Hwa-eun’s back and started beating her wings.
It looked as if Hwa-eun herself were the one flapping them.
With every motion, a soft red luminescent powder drifted into the air.
–Flap.
Once more, Jeokwol’s wings beat—and the glowing red dust surrounding them began to whirl, spiraling inward toward Hwa-eun.
–Swaaaahhh.
A storm of crimson dust.
Hwa-eun inhaled sharply, covering her mouth in astonishment, while the warriors encircling her started to shriek.
“Aaaagh!”
“Ghhkk—!”
As if trapped in a horrific dream, the Blood Cult warriors began to disappear—no, dissolve.
Those caught in the storm—wherever the glowing dust made contact, their skin, their flesh, their bones—were ripped apart and obliterated.
It was like painting a figure in white ink on black paper, then washing over it with pure black—exactly like that.
Against the night’s darkness, the path traced by the glowing dust showed vanishing arms, heads, bodies—until absolutely nothing remained.
***
The moment I learned Hwa-eun was under attack, I raced down the mountainside frantically with the kids.
Yeondu bore me along, Hwayang perched on my head, Hyang fastened to my chest, Seol and Bing holding onto my shoulders.
Right behind us came Cho carrying Sister, and farther down the incline, Cheongyu descended accompanied by a multitude of snakes.
At the very back was Bini, with Hongdan and Dong-i riding on her head.
『‘Hwa-eun! Hwa-eun! Hwa-eun!’』
We desperately called for her in the group chat, but received no answer.
She must have signed out due to the crisis—sending a private message was also impossible.
If she was locked in a desperate battle, an unexpected mental message could break her concentration at a crucial instant.
I knew that sensation all too well—the chaos when you’re focused on a critical task and notifications begin flooding in.
Then Cheongyu Sojeo’s voice reached me.
『–Shia! (Do not fret excessively, So-ryong. The Golden-Crowned Death King discreetly had Orange follow her. That should provide some time.)』
‘Is that true?’
–Shii. (Yes. Sandan went with her as well.)
A sense of relief washed over me at the news that Sandan and Orange were accompanying her.
Sandan was still youthful, but even if she couldn’t prevail in combat, she could cause confusion with her venom in an emergency.
And Orange—as the Ji-yeong Snake—could unquestionably stall for time.
‘Just hold on a little longer, Hwa-eun. I vow, the Blood Cult will regret this!’
As we approached the fifth ridge—
A red detonation flashed along the path ahead.
The entire zone was swallowed by a crimson glow.
“Jeokwol sister!? Yeondu, ascend!”
“Shaaa!”
I knew butterfly powder was dispersed around the house’s vicinity—but to witness such intense light here?
When we lifted into the air, the scene below became visible—Hwa-eun, immersed in red, with luminous wings spreading wide.
“Hwa-eun!”
I yelled out, but the distance was still too great—she didn’t appear to hear me.
Then, her radiant wings beat once more, and a flood of light exploded skyward.
Sandan was settled on her head, and Jeokwol sister was attached to her back.
She resembled a fairy from a mythical tale.
As the red light intensified, it truly seemed as though she was illuminated by an unearthly magic.
Her wings beat again, and the shimmering dust transformed into a tempest that consumed the surroundings.
“Wh-what in the world!?”
When the storm of light faded, the entire area had been scoured clean—completely eradicated by the butterfly powder.
–Tzrrrk!?
–Shaaa?
Even Hyang and Yeondu, entwined around me, appeared astonished.
As I touched down in front of Hwa-eun, she rushed directly into my embrace.
“So-ryong!”
“Hwa-eun…”
While she held onto me, finally secure and breathing heavily with relief, I gazed over her shoulder and met the eyes of Jeokwol sister.
I asked her,
“Sister… what was that? Why didn’t you ever use it against me before…?”
She had possessed such power all along—so why had she kept it hidden? Why hadn’t she employed it when I was trying to capture her?
My question was filled with bewilderment.
–Chiii.
With Hyang translating, the reply arrived:
She had no wish to harm anything unless it struck first. And this ability… it didn’t only annihilate foes—it also erased the flowers, the trees, the tiny insects nearby.
She believed it was… too sorrowful.
So she refrained from using it.
I had always considered her the least powerful of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts—but I was wrong. She had been concealing her ultimate technique the entire time.
And then it struck me—
I had been extremely fortunate.