Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

An oppressive darkness lay heavy under a moonless, cloud-choked sky. The only noise to pierce the silence was the intermittent call of an owl. Along the shallow reaches of the Tang Family River, which curled quietly around the base of Tang Clan Mountain, three shadows flitted over the rocks that broke the water’s surface.

*Tap, tap, tap.*

Dressed head-to-toe in black, their faces hidden by hoods, the three moved with swift and silent purpose. Once on the opposite bank, they immediately took shelter behind a large boulder.

“A final reminder: discovery is not an option. This is why our sect selected us, its finest infiltrators. Is that clear?” the group’s leader whispered, his voice severe.

The other two dipped their heads in a low bow, replying as one.
“The Blood Cult Reborn, Blood Reigns Over the World! Of course, Grandmaster!”
“We understand!”

“Our intelligence confirms the Tang Clan leader and the Heavenly Poison Deity are both away from the estate. Tonight is our best chance. Failure is not acceptable!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Once you have the manual, your sole duty is to deliver it to His Excellency. If you are captured, you must bite the poison concealed in your mouths. Reveal nothing. We cannot risk the martial world’s wrath. Let your spilled blood forge the path for our sect’s supremacy!”
“Blood Reigns Over the World! Understood!”

Waiting for the precise moment the guards changed shifts, the three intruders slipped further into the Tang Clan estate. They began by scouring the Clan Leader’s living quarters but found nothing. Next, they attempted to enter the Heavenly Poison Deity’s main hall, but its powerful defenses made it unassailable. Their information about the hall’s impenetrability was correct.

“We will try the Heavenly Poison Deity’s personal residence as our last resort!”
“Yes, Grandmaster!”

In a final, desperate attempt, they crept into the living quarters.
And there, they discovered it.

“This is it!”

In the faint light, a copy of the Blood-Water Venom Claw manual lay on a small table beside the bed. From the notes and scribbles covering it, it was clear the Heavenly Poison Deity had been studying its contents.

“A copy of the Blood-Water Venom Claw!”
“We failed to recover the original, but to find a duplicate here is a fortune we never anticipated!”
“Heaven truly smiles upon our sect! To the rendezvous point!”

Elated, the three infiltrators exited the residence and made for the mountain range behind Tang Clan Mountain. Having synchronized their entry with the guard rotation, going back across the Tang Family River was too great a risk. However, their deep penetration into the estate now worked against them; the outer security was far more fortified the further out they went.

“There are many more guards than we were led to believe,” one of the masked men noted.
“The absence of the Clan Leader and the Heavenly Poison Deity has likely increased their vigilance,” the leader surmised, his brow furrowed.

The leader climbed onto the roof of the Heavenly Poison Deity’s quarters to survey the area. Just then, a break in the clouds revealed a wide training yard in the distance, connecting to the peak of Tang Clan Mountain. To his astonishment, the yard was completely deserted. No lanterns burned, and the four guards who were supposed to be stationed there—according to their intelligence—were absent.

*‘Why is it unguarded?’*

With no other escape route available, the three masked men decided to head for the training yard. The instant their feet touched the ground, a low, ominous hum resonated through the air, emanating from the hollow of an ancient tree.

*Wooooom!*

“A… mechanism formation?!”

The men jumped back in alarm, realizing they had sprung a trap. But instead of guards swarming them, a thick cloud of Golden Bumblebee Kings descended upon them. The collective drone of their wings was a thunderous roar, signaling the chaos that had begun.

***
“Halt! You villains! How dare you trespass on Tang Clan ground!”
“Stop right there!”

Shouts from warriors echoed in the distance. The bobbing light of torches could be seen moving rapidly toward the mountain. Following the noise, we rushed to the inner training yard reserved for direct descendants—which now resembled a chaotic apiary overflowing with Golden Bumblebee Kings.

“What is the meaning of this!?” my sister demanded as we reached the entrance to the yard.

Gu Pae, the deputy commander of the Venom Blood Squad, rushed over, his expression strained.
“Miss Hwa-eun, intruders! Two managed to flee toward the mountain. The commander has taken the squad to pursue them. One remains here….”

His words faded as he pointed toward the center of the training yard. In the pale moonlight, a figure was visible, collapsed on the ground. A seething mass of Golden Bumblebee Kings circled the body, creating a barrier that kept everyone at a distance.

*‘Why do my insects always get mixed up in these fatal affairs? What strange things have happened since I came to the Tang Clan?’*

Knowing I was the only one who could handle the bees, I sighed, offered a silent apology to the Golden Bumblebee Kings for disturbing them, and carefully approached the body. The person appeared to be already deceased. Holding my breath, I dragged the corpse away from the swarm.

Gu Pae moved in to examine it. While I was anxious that my insects might have killed again, he reached a surprising conclusion.
“The Golden Bumblebee Kings did not do this. He bit into a poison pill and took his own life.”
“A poison pill?”

Relief that the bees were innocent was quickly replaced by a wave of tension as my sister’s face turned to ice at Gu Pae’s words.
Her voice was sharp and clear as she barked orders to the assembled warriors.
“Choosing suicide by poison means they have secrets to protect. Inform Mother to manage the scene. Gather the elders! Mobilize a pursuit team immediately!”
“Yes, ma’am!”

The warriors scattered in every direction to carry out her commands.

***
*Crunch! Crash!*

The earth beneath my feet suddenly gave way, collapsing into a pit of loose soil as I practiced my lightfoot techniques.
“Ahhh!”
“So-ryong! Take my hand!”

I screamed as I fell. Just as I sank in up to my knees, Gu Pae shot forward and grabbed me.
“Thank you. I thought that was the end,” I said, breathing out deeply.
“Are you injured? You must be cautious. Miss Hwa-eun would be devastated if you came to harm,” he replied, helping me out.

But as I was pulled free, a sinister sound hissed up from the hole.
*Ssshhhh… Ssshhh!*

It was a noise both chilling and faintly recognizable. I went still, turning to look into the pit.
“This…!”

The hole was too deep to climb out of unaided, and inside, countless snakes were knotted together in a seething, horrifying ball.
“A snake pit?”

Gu Pae, his hand still on my shoulder, peered down and confirmed my fear. A snake pit—a gathering of snakes, often in a burrow or crevice, typically for shared shelter. I had seen such things in my previous life, but this felt different. This darkness seemed malicious, radiating a sinister energy that made my skin crawl. It felt alive, like the open jaw of some great beast waiting to feed. The snakes within were unusually aggressive, hissing and thrashing as if enraged by our presence.

*Rumble!*

As if agreeing with my dread, thunder cracked overhead and storm clouds gathered, heralding the coming rain.
“Something about this feels… unnatural,” I said.

Gu Pae nodded grimly. “It must be a death pit, a place where yin energy collects. Snakes are sometimes drawn to such spots, and their venom grows more potent. We must be wary.”

I didn’t know what a death pit was, but resolved to ask later.
“I see. That would explain their abnormal aggression. Even flower snakes shouldn’t act this way.”
The snakes below were primarily Tiger-Striped Vipers, commonly called flower snakes, which were not normally hostile. Their fierce hissing suggested otherwise.

“We should keep moving. I’ve already delayed us, and the rain is coming,” I said.
“Understood, So-ryong,” Gu Pae agreed.

We resumed our hunt for the thieves who had broken into the Tang Clan. The chase was now on its second day. One thief had killed himself with a poison pill after being cornered by the Golden Bumblebee Kings on the first night. The other two had escaped into the mountains, and we were committed to catching them.

Though I had little personal investment, I had joined the pursuit to accompany Hwa-eun; our mother-in-law was handling internal affairs, and I refused to let my sister go alone. During the search, we had split into smaller groups to cover more area. Now, Gu Pae and I were leading a team of ten warriors, tracking the thieves through the rough landscape.

It wasn’t long before a shout rang out from ahead.
“Over there! Get them!”

Our group immediately sprinted toward the sound. We arrived at a clearing beneath a low cliff. The two thieves, trapped by a group of Tang warriors, were trying to scale the cliff face using lightfoot skills. Each attempt was blocked by the warriors, who hurled projectiles to force them back down.

*Ting! Ting! Ting!*
“Your escape ends here!” a warrior yelled.
“Tch!” one thief spat in frustration, ducking behind rocks scattered at the cliff’s base.

With our arrival, their chances of getting away vanished completely.
“Close the circle and advance, now!” Gu Pae commanded.

With our reinforcements, twenty warriors now surrounded the thieves. Following Gu Pae’s order, they tightened the encirclement. When the circle was closed, the real battle started.
“Attack!” Gu Pae shouted.

At his signal, the warriors lunged, throwing daggers and striking with lethal precision. Almost immediately, one thief was struck down and collapsed. But the other proved far more skilled.
“Be on your guard! His movements are peculiar!” Gu Pae warned.

This thief expertly evaded the warriors’ assaults, countering with deadly efficiency. Two warriors fell, clutching their injuries.

*Crack!*

*Patter… patter… pour.*

Rain began to fall, swiftly becoming a downpour. The sound of the rain merged with the clash of combat. Despite the thief’s ability, the sheer number of Tang warriors drove him back against the cliff face. The moment his back touched the stone, Gu Pae gave the signal.
“Fall back! Three Illusionary Kills!”

The warriors parted as Gu Pae launched a throwing dagger at the thief.
*Clang! Clang!*

The thief managed to parry two of the dagger’s trajectories with his own twin blades, but the third found its mark, embedding itself in his shoulder.
“Gah!” he cried out, blood streaming down his arm. The rain diluted it, turning the earth around his feet a muddy red.

“If not for this rain, the poison on my dagger would have finished him,” Gu Pae muttered.

Even so, the injury had made him vulnerable. Just as we believed the fight was over, a new figure abruptly arrived.

*Boom!*
“Ha ha ha! Make way!”

A middle-aged man in a red martial robe landed between the wounded thief and the warriors, his hand striking out.
*Slash!*
“Urgh!”

A Tang warrior fell, his chest ripped open by the man’s claw-like strike. Blood misted the air before the rain washed it away.
“Retreat! He is a master!” Gu Pae yelled.

The man, his hair tied back and his gaze piercing, exuded a palpable killing intent. He ignored Gu Pae and turned to the injured thief.
“Do you have it?”
“Yes! It’s here. It appears to be a copy made by the Heavenly Poison Deity himself.”
“Not the original, but it will serve. You have done well.”

The thief handed over a red book bound with yellow thread—a book I recognized instantly.
“That’s the manual for the Blood-Water Venom Claw!” I exclaimed.

Every eye turned toward me.