Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 324

Chapter 324
“Hah… hah… hah…”
—Swish.
Nanhwa, staggering down the hillside, lost her footing on the damp grass.
Missing her right arm, she had no way to steady herself on the decline.
“Kkh.”
Sprawled on the ground, Nanhwa gazed at the ruin of her arm.
All that was left was a ragged remnant just below the elbow.
For any practitioner of the martial path, the loss of a limb should bring utter hopelessness—yet in this moment, Nanhwa could only feel a grim gratitude that she had escaped with even this much.
It occurred when that crimson dust exploded without warning.
In that split second, she recalled the sect leader of the Five Venoms Clan cautioning her that venomous beasts held bizarre powers, and she threw herself backward on pure instinct.
And because of that, every other martial artist from the Blood Cult—each one besides herself—had been completely obliterated.
Yes, obliterated. No other term fit.
Trembling, Nanhwa remembered the horrifying sight she had seen only moments ago.
The red powder whirled violently, and wherever it touched her followers, they disintegrated as if they too were made of dust.
It was a nightmare she couldn’t forget.
—Skreeeech!
The cry of a venomous creature rang out from high up on the Fifth Ridge.
Jolted back to the present, Nanhwa pushed herself up desperately.
If she were discovered, her fate would match that of the others.
Just then, blood began to seep from the makeshift bandage she had fashioned from torn fabric.
It must have loosened when she fell.
Crouching down, Nanhwa clamped one end of the knot between her teeth and seized the other with her left hand, yanking it taut to stem the flow.
“Kkhhk…”
A burning agony erupted from the wrapped stump, so intense it was nearly impossible to bear.
It defied all reason.
She had perfected the Blood Cult’s inner arts—she ought to have been capable of stanching her own bleeding through force of will.
But the injury dealt by that butterfly continued to seep relentlessly, resisting all her efforts.
To make it worse, she could no longer even sense the flow of blood within her arm.
Her only option was to keep it bound tight with cloth.
Once she had retightened the bandage, Nanhwa resumed her descent.
As she arrived at the Third Ridge—
Abruptly, she heard muffled cries.
“Grkk… grkk…”
“Ggrkk…”
Startled by the sudden noise, Nanhwa looked toward its source.
The full moon, unveiled from behind shifting clouds, cast its glow—illuminating something round and shifting in the darkness beneath the trees.
Drawing nearer, she saw it clearly.
It was a Blood Cult fighter.
One of the warriors she had positioned here at the Third Ridge to exhaust that woman from before.
But now, one of them was embedded face-down in the earth, with nothing but the tip of his nose protruding.
“Wh-what in the world…?”
Nanhwa’s eyes widened in shock as she scanned the surroundings.
Almost every warrior she had stationed on the Third Ridge was in an identical state.
Only their noses were visible above the soil.
Their eyes begged for help.
But Nanhwa, struggling to process what she was seeing, was suddenly haunted by the memory of her subordinates turning to dust just a short time ago.
Without a second thought, she spun around and fled.
If she remained, she would share their fate—or that of the ones who were erased completely.
She dashed past the half-buried fighters, and just as the mountain’s base became visible—
A figure materialized directly in her path.
“H-how!?”
Nanhwa’s eyes nearly started from her head.
That woman from the Sacheon Tang Clan—the one they believed they had trapped—had somehow reached this spot ahead of her.
Nanhwa stood frozen, staring vacantly at the woman.
It seemed her life was over.
But in that instant of locked eyes, Nanhwa detected something odd.
The woman cocked her head slightly upon seeing Nanhwa, her features completely blank.
She resembled a doll—devoid of emotion, devoid of life.
No wings sprouted from her back.
No flower adorned her hair.
‘It can’t be…!’
She appeared to be alone.
And for some reason, her awareness seemed clouded.
Nanhwa didn’t understand how she had arrived here so quickly—but perhaps, there was one last chance to retaliate.
No. She refused to die here.
She reached into her robe and withdrew the Blood Shadow Spirit Darts.
A hidden device capable of launching twelve slender, blood-red projectiles that moved like shadows to pierce their mark.
She had carried them for emergencies—and now was that moment.
These were the very arms that had caused numerous masters to vanish without explanation two decades prior.
Shifting quickly to the side, Nanhwa leveled the Blood Shadow Spirit Darts at the woman.
“Die!”
Without pausing, she activated the mechanism.
The fine darts, whispering through the gloom like a cicada’s wing, flew directly toward the woman’s face.
—Shhhk. Shhk.
The darts made their distinctive sound as they streaked forward—yet the woman didn’t even blink.
She simply stood, expressionless, making no move to respond.
A triumphant shout burst from Nanhwa’s lips.
“Yes!”
If she ran now, survival was possible.
Even if Wei Su Long learned of it, he might not punish her harshly for slaying his betrothed.
But then—Nanhwa’s eyes flew open in stunned disbelief.
—Tik-tik-tik.
All twelve darts struck the woman’s face, only to drop to the ground with a series of sharp, metallic clicks.
It was like striking forged steel.
“What!? Body-Protection Qi!?”
Could her vacant expression mean she had ascended to a higher plane of power?
As Nanhwa stood shocked, the woman’s face twisted in fury.
Then she lifted her hand and negligently flicked a finger toward Nanhwa.
—Kssch!
“Gkk—!”
Abruptly, her throat constricted.
“Wh-when did she—?! Gkkk!”
Clawing at her neck with her one remaining hand, Nanhwa felt something slender coiled tightly around it—hoisting her up into the branches above.
Her windpipe was immediately compressed, and her sight dimmed.
She kicked and struggled, trying to pry the thread away.
But her movements grew sluggish.
Then her body fell still.
***
The day had been one unexpected event after another.
From the butterfly powder of Jeokwol noona to the strange skills of Orange—each thing was astonishing.
After Jeokwol noona eliminated the bulk of the foes, Cheongyu Sojeo mentioned that Orange had apprehended some prisoners further down the slope, so I went to see.
What I discovered was—Orange had transformed the captives into what resembled rows of freshly pulled radishes.
The hillside was covered with radishes seemingly ready for ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) harvest.
‘Or maybe they look more like watermelons?’
Gazing in bewilderment at the radish-like prisoners, I asked:
“Wait, Orange is responsible for this?”
—Skaaa.
He nudged his head against me as if seeking approval.
I patted his head appreciatively and inquired,
“How did you manage it?”
In answer, Orange clamped onto the head of one of the planted warriors and hauled him out exactly like a root vegetable.
—Splurch!
“Gyaaahhh! Spare me, I beg you! Please!”
The warrior—or rather, the “radish”—who had been uprooted by his head, collapsed to the ground and pleaded for mercy. But Orange, who had tunneled into the dirt, seized the man’s ankle and dragged him straight back under.
I was aware Orange could make earth soft, but the surprising part was how he would draw someone down into the loosened soil and then solidify it again—returning the captive to his state as a freshly sown radish.
“Mmph! Mmph mmph!”
“That’s really something.”
I’d never considered that enemies could be detained in such a manner.
As I watched, impressed, I glanced at Jeokwol noona resting on my shoulder and pondered her capability as well.
‘It’s basically a sandblaster, isn’t it?’
I had a general understanding of how her power functioned.
There’s a tool used in manufacturing called a sandblaster, or sometimes a sander, which her ability appeared to mirror.
The way it operates: it expels a mix of high-pressure air and abrasive particles.
The resulting friction can scour away corrosion or coatings from a material.
Naturally, noona’s version is somewhat distinct, but although sandblasters are typically used for cleaning, if you amplify the pressure or substitute something like diamond grit for sand, it can strip apart people as well.
That’s why safety equipment is essential when operating one.
From what I observed, the airflow itself wasn’t especially powerful earlier—but the dust from Jeokwol noona’s butterflies clearly possessed unique properties.
Perhaps it was harder than diamond, or perhaps, based on her manipulation, it could break down anything around it.
—Skaaa.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
I was examining some of the butterfly dust when Orange’s sound made me turn. Cheongyu Sojeo, who had accompanied me, asked:
『–Shiaa (What is your wish for these individuals?)』
‘Ah, can you collect them all together and replant them in one spot?’
—Shia. (Understood.)
We could simply turn them over to the same officer who received the Blood Cult squad leader previously.
It would be an easy way to earn favor, so he would likely be grateful.
“Gyaah! Have mercy, please!”
As Orange started methodically relocating the captives like garden plants, a mournful cry arose from nearby.
—Ksss!
I looked toward the sound.
Approaching from the lower path was Yo-hwa, coming up the trail.
“Oh, Yo-hwa. I suppose you and Hwa-eun didn’t cross paths?”
—Ksss.
Now that I considered it, I had directed Yo-hwa to go ahead earlier—so they must have missed one another.
Hwa-eun mentioned she hadn’t encountered Yo-hwa.
Yo-hwa was holding a lunch container and a basket, likely the ones Hwa-eun had forgotten. But she was also pulling something behind her.
“What is that, Yo-hwa?”
—Ksss.
In reply, Yo-hwa held it up like a freshly caught fish.
It was a woman, enveloped in silky threads like a cocoon with only her head exposed, utterly insensible.
“Huh? A person?”
—Kshi. Kshishi.
Cheongyu Sojeo translated for Yo-hwa:
『–Shia. (She identifies her as the woman who launched an assault.)』
‘Another member of the Blood Cult? Instruct Orange to plant her with the rest.’
—Shiaa. (Yes, So-ryong.)
It seemed the woman had made an attempt on Yo-hwa, who then captured her in anger.
I directed them to include her with the others and started for home.
I was feeling hungry, and Orange could manage the situation here.
We could station a few snakes to keep watch.
“Alright, we’re heading back. Once Orange finishes planting, have him place a few snakes around for guard duty.”
—Shia. 『Acknowledged.』
We returned home, leaving Orange and the snakes behind.
As Jeokwol noona drew her dust back in, the illusion dissipated, showing our house once more.
And from within the fading illusion, Seol noona noticed me.
“Oh, So-ryong.”
“Where is Hwa-eun?”
“She’s taking a bath. Said she needed to cleanse herself.”
Apparently, the tension had made her perspire, so she wanted to wash.
‘Maybe I should prepare a meal while I wait?’
Considering what to do, I decided to cook.
I hadn’t eaten properly in days and was ravenous.
Having lived by myself in a past life, I at least knew the fundamentals of cooking.
I prepared rice in a pot, broiled the fish Hwa-eun had purchased, and dressed some fresh vegetables.
We also had radish, so I used the beef she brought to make a soup with radish and beef.
“You can cook, So-ryong?”
“Yes. I resided on my own in Haenam.”
“Is that so? It smells wonderful.”
I was nearly done when I heard her voice.
“So-ryong? Sis? What’s happening?”
Hwa-eun, newly bathed and radiant, came in and looked at us with surprise as we were setting the food out.
“Oh, I just put together a small meal.”
“You did? I should have been the one…”
Hwa-eun seemed slightly regretful that I had done the cooking, but I guided her to the room and we began to eat.
It was immensely popular.
And for good reason—here in the Central Plains, rice is usually steamed, but I had prepared it in a pot.
The difference was remarkable.
“This is so good!”
“It truly is. Even superior to my own…”
After we ate, Hwa-eun questioned me,
“So-ryong, what took you so long?”
She was likely referring to my extended stay in the mental realm.
Hearing this, Cheongyu Sojeo added her own query.
『–Shiaa. (So-ryong, which venomous beast did you select?)』
“Select?”
Hwa-eun looked puzzled at Cheongyu Sojeo’s words.
I grinned and responded,
“O-gong.”
A voice tinged with mild disappointment followed.
『–Shia… (I thought so… but it’s not as if this was the final opportunity. When the time comes, it must be me, agreed?)』
She appeared a little offended that I had chosen a centipede over a snake.
But in truth, that was all it was.
My decision had been correct.
That small regret was insignificant.
‘Good choice. Hold on—next time?’
Just as I felt relieved, Cheongyu Sojeo’s final remark gave me pause—but before I could inquire, Hwa-eun spoke up.
“What does that mean? Could someone explain so I can follow?”
“Well, within the mental world…”
I related to Hwa-eun the events that had transpired inside.
Then she turned to Cheongyu Sojeo and asked,
“So, what is the outcome of choosing O-gong?”
“Right, I’m curious too. I am an O-dok now, so you can disclose it, can’t you?”
I shared her curiosity, so I nodded along with Hwa-eun.
Cheongyu Sojeo tilted her head and answered.
『–Shii. (Eh? You ought to be sensing it by now.)』
“Sense it?”
『Shia. (Shut your eyes and concentrate.)』
I closed my eyes and focused.
At first, there was nothing—but after a few heartbeats, something substantial came into awareness.
‘Ah, is that Hwang’s energy?’
It was a vast, crimson aura emanating from where Hwang rested in the room.
As I concentrated further, I started to detect Cho and Bini outside the room as well.
It felt like I could pinpoint their locations.
Then, I began to perceive faint signatures above the ceiling, below the floor, and all through my surroundings.
They were much smaller than the brilliant, solar auras of the others—more akin to little flames—but they were undoubtedly present.
And then, they started to advance toward me.
Seol noona and Hwa-eun exclaimed in alarm.
“S-So-ryong!”
“So-ryong!”
When I opened my eyes, I saw dozens of common centipedes converging on me.
They encircled me, lifting their heads in a gesture of familiarity.
『–Shiaa. (From now on, every centipede in existence will regard So-ryong as a companion.)』
Hearing Cheongyu Sojeo’s explanation, I couldn’t suppress a cry.
“Gyaaaaaaaaah!?”
For an enthusiast of venomous creatures like myself, could any present in the world be more wonderful?