Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 330

Chapter 330
True to Sister Seol’s words, the contents of Geum Gi-ryung’s letter were exactly as anticipated.
The vessel was finished, and the message was to settle on a place for its delivery.
“Hehe. I’ll draft a response right away and have it sent.”
“So-ryong, you seem incredibly eager.”
“How could I not be? It’s practically like acquiring a new home. I suspect my excitement will keep me awake all night.”
The casing being prepared for Geumdo was, in essence, a suit of armor.
A poisonous creature clad in protective plating?
Was that not similar to a mechanized transformer?
What man could possibly remain indifferent to that?
In my previous life, there were animations featuring dinosaurs or other beasts outfitted with armor and weaponry. Such concepts were not developed without cause.
They existed due to a genuine desire for them.
Noting my elated expression, Sister Seol let out a soft laugh.
“So-ryong, it appears your interests extend beyond just venomous beings?”
“I have many likes aside from toxic beasts. For instance… Hwa-eun.”
“Hwa-eun must be fortunate, then, to be cherished by my younger brother.”
“Unnie, please don’t…”
“Oh dear, Hwa-eun is fleeing.”
Flustered, Hwa-eun hurried away, but returned moments later carrying a brush and paper.
Was it because I had mentioned she was among the things I cherished most?
Sister Seol had called it running away, but it seemed she had merely gone to retrieve the writing implements.
“So-ryong, here you are. Brush, ink, and paper.”
“My thanks, Hwa-eun.”
I prepared to write the letter and inquire about a suitable meeting spot.
‘Hold on, if I dispatch this by messenger…’
However, upon finishing the letter, I understood that merely arranging a location would consume over a fortnight.
At least two or three rounds of correspondence would be necessary just to set the meeting point, and even employing a courier service accustomed to martial artists would be excessively time-consuming.
It would be akin to sending letters from here to Taean and waiting for the reply.
“A letter will be too slow, so I will go myself with Yeondu. By flight, we can arrive in a single day.”
“You are leaving now? You only just returned.”
When I stated my intention to depart immediately, Sister Seol shot Hwa-eun a glance that seemed to say, “You are actually permitting him to leave again?”
There had always been an informal prohibition against me journeying alone.
But this occasion was different; I was not going to engage in combat or hunt venomous creatures, so there was sufficient reason.
Furthermore, Hwa-eun had become considerably more tender since the last incident, and I gazed at her with hopeful eyes.
She straightened my garments and said,
“Please be cautious, alright? Inform us of anything via the group message.”
“Yes, Hwa-eun.”
“You are truly allowing him to depart…?”
Perhaps it was the effect of me naming her as a favorite earlier.
Even as Sister Seol wore a look of disbelief, Hwa-eun changed me into clean clothes and discreetly drew me into the kitchen to bid me farewell with a kiss.
“Do not give me cause for concern this time, understand? *Chup.*”
“I—I won’t!”
‘Incredible.’
Now that I had her approval, I explained the situation to the children, coiled Hyang-i around myself, and launched into the sky with Yeondu, bound for Taean.
Geum Gi-ryung was typically found at his inn within Taean.
We departed around midday and reached our destination as the sun was dipping below the horizon.
Drawing near the window of Geum Gi-ryung’s room, I observed him inside, seated at his desk and meticulously sorting documents by the light of a lamp.
The very image of an exemplary merchant.
Smiling, I called to him.
“Brother Geum.”
“Hm?”
We had agreed to consider one another friends upon parting, so I used the term a younger friend would employ for an older one.
He glanced toward the door, then shook his head as if believing he had heard incorrectly.
Stifling a laugh, I called once more.
“Here. Over here.”
“Wha—! Little Brother So!”
His first instinct was to look at the door again, but after I called repeatedly, he turned to the window and rose in astonishment.
He came to the window, then promptly retreated a step, saying,
“Y-you gave me a start. Please, come inside, So-ryong.”
Once I had entered, he peeked outside briefly before clasping both my hands warmly.
“Arriving unannounced… Nevertheless, it is wonderful to see you.”
“I was on the verge of writing a response to your letter, but realized that corresponding by post would require far too much time to finalize a meeting. So I came in person.”
“Ah, yes, you are quite correct. I am simply glad you are here.”
“So, where is the ship?”
“Ah, the ship has already left the shipyard and is currently en route here—”
*Growl~*
At that moment, my stomach voiced its protest.
Geum Gi-ryung glanced down at it mid-sentence.
“Hehe… I have not yet eaten.”
“Then let us converse over a meal.”
Rubbing the back of my head in slight embarrassment, he arranged a late supper for us.
And so our discussion commenced over food.
He detailed that the ship was fully complete, had departed the shipyard, and would arrive here within a day or two.
“…It is presently on its way. Ah, and as a precaution, I had it constructed a little larger than the final measurements provided.”
“Oh, it is preferable to be too large than too small. A poor fit would be a significant issue.”
He had even taken the initiative to make it somewhat more spacious, just in case it did not accommodate Geumdo’s size perfectly.
Selecting another dumpling, I inquired about the delivery point.
“These dumplings are excellent. Ah—where should we take possession of the ship? It must be a secluded location. We also need to cleanse the accumulated grime from Geumdo’s shell.”
As I planned to wash away all the filth and moss that had gathered on Geumdo’s back, a tranquil spot was essential.
Even if we worked at night, it needed to be a place free from onlookers.
Geum Gi-ryung responded as if he had already considered the matter.
“I have a location in mind. There is a small lake, thick with reeds, a short distance from here in the direction of Beijing. It is deserted. Quite distant from any settlement. And if we obstruct the entrance with a vessel, no other boats can gain access. It is ideal.”
His thoroughness was precisely what one would expect from a merchant.
Smiling, we settled on a time and the location.
“Then we will use that spot. Shall we convene there ten days from now, at first light?”
“That suits me. It is agreed.”
Hyung’s party was likely to return in approximately five days.
I went back, waited a few days, and soon the Five Dragons and Three Peaks were reunited. A few days after that, the appointed time to receive the ship arrived.
*Screeech. Screeech.*
A dawn shrouded in mist.
Through the thick fog, something enormous approached the lake from the direction of Taean.
“So-ryong, there is something approaching up ahead.”
Shortly, a single ship materialized from the haze.
It was Geum Gi-ryung’s ship, and trailing behind it, tethered by ropes, was a considerably larger craft.
“Ooooooh!”
An involuntary cry of awe escaped me the instant I saw the ship.
And with good reason—it was utterly splendid.
The two-level deck included a space expertly fashioned to transport Cheongwol, and in place of standard railings, both sides were fitted with ropes to facilitate the children’s boarding.
Four ships entered the lake, with Geum Gi-ryung’s vessel blocking the passage connecting to the river.
Work began without delay.
The first order of business was to bathe Geumdo.
The plan was to scrub Geumdo thoroughly before having him submerge beneath the ship.
We disassembled the bamboo shelter and poles covering Geumdo and secured them to our own ship, then pushed the sand heaped on Geumdo’s back down onto the lake floor.
*—Swish, swish.*
As the sand was cleared and I scoured Geumdo’s shell with a brush, a lustrous golden color started to show through.
After I cleansed his head, tail, and the folds of his body, Geumdo wriggled with pleasure, causing the water around him to bubble.
*—Bubblblblbl.*
“Feels wonderful, doesn’t it?”
Our entire ship’s crew, the Five Dragons and Three Peaks, and even the children assembled to assist in brushing off the muck and scraping away the moss. As the fog dissipated and the sun emerged, Geumdo’s form glittered with a golden radiance.
“Oooh, so this is the true appearance of the Thousand-Year Golden Turtle!”
“Indeed.”
“It is magnificent.”
Once the entity that had resembled a moving refuse heap was cleansed, its authentic shape was unveiled.
A colossal golden idol.
It was a breathtaking sight.
As it was drying its shell for the first time in many years, the majority of its carapace was visible, and it truly resembled a gigantic piece of statuary.
The sole imperfection was the mended section of its shell.
A copper plate had been fitted over the damaged part and sealed with adhesive and lacquer—a minor flaw on an otherwise immaculate form.
Still, this would ameliorate with the passage of time.
After allowing it to dry for a few hours,
It was time to affix the ship.
“I believe a shallow dive will be fine, so let us attempt to align it with his back.”
*—Bubblblbl.*
We verified again that no water could seep into the repaired section, then directed Geumdo to swim under the ship.
Geumdo submerged seamlessly, and the ship settled into the contour of Geumdo’s shell and head, lifting gently with a buoyant motion.
*—Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!*
The noise of hammering wood ensued.
We had fashioned wooden fasteners around the ship’s base to grip Geumdo’s shell, and now the artisans who had accompanied the ship were affixing them one after another.
*—Thunk!*
Once the final clamp was secured, Cho wound himself around the ship to check the fit against Geumdo’s shell. I observed the eye-socket-shaped opening crafted into the ship’s prow for his head and saw Geumdo’s eyes glinting from within.
The head and body appeared to be a perfect match.
“Is it causing any discomfort?”
*—Bubblblbl.*
*—Tsrut.* ‘Daddy, he says it is comfortable. He can remain afloat without any effort.’
The fit was impeccable.
Perhaps owing to the wood’s natural buoyancy, he found it even simpler to stay on the surface.
‘Now this is a turtle ship. Admiral Yi Sun-shin, are you observing this? Your descendant has constructed a turtle ship here in the heart of the Central Plains. *Sniff.*’
I permitted myself a moment of sentimentality, then issued the command to proceed.
“Excellent! Let us transfer the cargo!”
“Yes, So-ryong!”
Cheongwol was relocated first, then the planks, followed by all our belongings.
In the interim, I went to my cabin.
I had a few personal items to move.
Inside, I saw the two cocoons suspended in opposite corners.
Two silver cocoons, still hanging without movement.
By my estimates, they should have hatched by now, yet there was no indication of activity from Moji and Soji.
“When do the two of you intend to emerge?”
I grumbled, irritated, but they remained inert.
Since this ship was to be turned over to Geum Gi-ryung, I drew my blade and started carefully prying the cocoons loose.
I could not sever their silk with the blade, so I scraped them from the wood of the wall. Moji and Soji tumbled into a small box lined with straw, and I could sense them stirring within.
They seemed to be in good condition.
“Very well, simply take your time and emerge with strength. Endure well.”
I offered them some words of encouragement and rehung them in the most secure corner of the new cabin using Yohwa’s silk.
Then, after a short wait, the relocation was finished.
I gave the signal to the helmsman, who now commanded a gigantic vessel.
“Let us set sail!”
“Understood, sir!”
*—Tsrururu!*
At Cho’s signal to Geumdo, the enormous ship moved out from the lake and started its journey upstream along the Yellow River.
Bound for the capital of the Central Plains, Yeongcheonbu.
***
The voyage up a tributary of the Yellow River to reach Yeongcheonbu required two days.
As the capital of the Central Plains, Yeongcheonbu was truly magnificent.
A vast canal cut through the city’s heart, crossed by broad bridges.
Its banks were lined with tall, elaborately decorated structures.
It was the most opulent and impressive city I had yet encountered.
“Astounding. So this is Yeongcheonbu. But are people not staring at our ship a little too intently?”
“It is merely due to its unusual appearance. Larger ships than this pass through regularly. Their curiosity will be brief, So-ryong-nim.”
Indeed, we attracted some attention upon docking at the port, but as the helmsman predicted, interest waned quickly. After all, no one could possibly suspect a turtle lay beneath.
The following day, the elder from the Ak family, whom Sister-in-law had contacted for assistance, came to our ship.
“The cult has established a foothold here in Yeongcheonbu!?”
“Yes, Uncle.”
He appeared to be Sister-in-law’s uncle, and when we informed him that the cult had set up a base in Yeongcheonbu, he first looked utterly astonished, then his expression transformed into one of fury.
“Inconceivable! An outrage! Where is it!?”
“Please examine this.”
Ji-ryong presented the materials we had prepared, and as the uncle reviewed them, he identified an inconsistency.
There were certain discrepancies from the intelligence we possessed.
“This gisaeng house has combined with this restaurant and is now ranked among the top five establishments in Yeongcheonbu.”
“It seems the circumstances shifted while we were not monitoring them.”
The cult’s gisaeng house had merged with the Odo sect’s restaurant and reopened. Its popularity had soared, elevating it to one of Yeongcheonbu’s five most prominent venues.
This had apparently occurred three months prior.
That would have been around the time the female commander of the cult’s Bloodshade Division had departed to pursue me, so she was likely unaware of this development as well.
A sense of foreboding began to grow within me, and it intensified when Sister-in-law’s uncle, while reviewing the list of associated individuals, spoke with an expression of stunned disbelief.
“Huh? Eunuch Heo was the proprietor of the restaurant and a follower of the Odo sect!?”
“Eunuch? You are acquainted with him?”
It seemed the elder had been unaware that the cult had been assimilated by the Odo sect, but that was not the primary concern—the issue was the title.
We had been informed he was a eunuch of low rank.
But “Tae-gam” denoted a chief eunuch.
Ji-ryong and I stared wide-eyed in shock as he continued.
“Naturally I know him. Eunuch Heo is presently the chief eunuch of the Imperial Attendant Bureau.”
“The Imperial Attendant Bureau?”
“They oversee the emperor’s personal chambers. They determine which concubines are sent to his quarters. He is among the emperor’s most intimate attendants. Two months ago, for reasons unknown, His Majesty elevated him to that post.”
A puppet of the Odo sect had been raised to a high office within the palace.
This was not merely unfortunate.
It was a dire situation.