Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 343

Chapter 343
‘How would Shaolin have heard of me…? No, this doesn’t add up.’
My initial flush of pride at being recognized soon gave way to confusion as I tilted my head in thought.
The notion that my reputation had spread all the way to Shaolin was certainly flattering, but the nature of the request was so peculiar that suspicion quickly overshadowed my pride.
‘A Taoist priest? That’s hardly my field of expertise.’
Being called the right person implied they believed I could handle this matter effectively, yet I couldn’t fathom why I would be considered suitable for anything involving Taoist priests.
I recalled learning that every martial artist’s ultimate ambition was to reach enlightenment through their practice and achieve immortality.
「”But why do we train in martial arts in the first place?”
“One might say it’s to attain enlightenment through martial arts and become an immortal.”
“An immortal? Like those beings who visit dreams, bless newborns, and offer wisdom? Maybe even help you find a misplaced axe?”
“Your axe?”
“Oh, that’s just something I heard somewhere.”
“I can’t speak about axes, but yes, generally that idea.”」
Even Taoist priests shared this fundamental goal, though I understood there were differing perspectives among them.
Some believed it was possible to achieve immortality without practicing martial arts at all.
「”So everyone endures all this hardship just to become an immortal through martial arts? Isn’t there a simpler path?”
“Well, actually, there is. Some attempt to ascend to immortality without martial arts.”
“Ah, I knew there had to be an alternative!”
“Indeed, So-ryong. There are those who cultivate Taoist arts and develop their spiritual energy to become immortals.”
“Taoist arts? Like instant transportation? Mystic abilities? That sort of thing?”
“Precisely. But such remarkable powers only exist in ancient tales. I’ve never witnessed a Taoist priest perform genuine Taoist magic myself.”」
‘I got my hopes up thinking there was an easier way, only to feel let down. Seemed rather fraudulent, to be honest.’
Taoist priests generally acknowledged two routes to immortality: one was to attain mastery in martial arts and ascend, as practiced by major sword sects like Huashan, Wudang, Kunlun, and Mount Song.
The alternative was to cultivate spiritual energy without martial arts, as pursued by certain unorthodox Taoists within these sects—the types often referred to as “recluses.”
Naturally, there were also Taoist priests independent of any formal sect.
Some resided in temples, while others lived in solitary mountain retreats, devoting themselves to becoming immortals.
Therefore, if this matter involved Taoist priests, it would likely concern martial arts—particularly swordsmanship, the primary discipline of Taoist sects—or Taoist arts, which meant it probably fell outside my area of knowledge.
I knew little about swords, and Taoist arts always struck me as somewhat deceptive.
Feeling concerned, I addressed my brother with a hesitant expression.
“Brother, I don’t know the specifics of this task yet, but if it’s related to Taoist priests, I’m not sure it aligns with my skills.
If it involves Taoist matters, it’s probably about swords or mystical arts, and I have no expertise in either…”
‘Is this perhaps a tactful way of turning me down?’
I began to suspect this might be his subtle method of refusal, but his response quickly reassured me that wasn’t the intention.
“Hmm… I had similar doubts, but since both the Beggar’s Union and Shaolin made a specific request, there must be a good reason.
Here is a letter from Shaolin. If you bring this to the Beggar’s Union and ask for the information, they will provide it. Will you head there now?”
The fact that the Beggar’s Union was prepared to share their intelligence indicated that both they and Shaolin genuinely considered me suitable for the task.
My brother mentioned that if I was eager to learn more, I could go to the Beggar’s Union right away, but he had just returned after spending several days traveling to Songshan on my account.
How could I possibly ask him to set out again immediately after coming back?
“No, Brother. You’ve only just returned after being away for days. If you leave again so soon, Sister-in-law will certainly give me disapproving looks.
Please, take today to bathe and relax. I’ll visit the Beggar’s Union with Hwa-eun.”
“What? Haha. You’re quite thoughtful. Very well, I’ll leave the letter with you.”
“Then rest well. Ah, and thank you as well, Yang Seong-hu.”
“My pleasure… Feel free to call on me for such matters anytime. I’ll be going now.”
After my brother and Yang Seong-hu departed, I slipped the letter into the front of my robe.
It seemed I would indeed need to make a trip to the Beggar’s Union.
“Time to get going. I need to uncover what this is all about.
Oh, that’s right. I should put the So-ryong’s Compendium of Venomous Creatures away safely.”
Just as I was about to leave, I doubled back into the room as a precaution.
I noticed the So-ryong’s Compendium of Venomous Creatures lying open on the desk and rushed over.
It needed to be stored properly.
If left out, the little ones might climb onto the desk and ruin it.
It had happened before—a small paw print had been left right on the cover.
First, I gently touched the surface of the page I had been writing on.
Since I was using ink, it might not have fully dried, and closing the book now could cause smudging on the opposite page.
If it was still wet, I would need to place a sheet of paper between the pages.
“Seems dry enough.”
It must have dried while I was speaking with my brother, so I began folding the compendium to place it on the shelf.
That was when my hand stopped abruptly.
My gaze settled on an empty space amidst the characters I had written.
A square frame, intended for an illustration, looked especially vacant today.
‘I need to add the illustration as well…’
There was a reason that space remained empty.
Although I was reasonably skilled at drawing and had attempted several sketches on separate sheets, not being a professional artist left me unsatisfied with the results.
This was the first book I was writing, and both the text and illustrations needed to be of the highest quality.
But my own drawings never seemed good enough.
This was particularly true because the illustrations were meant to be portraits of my daughters.
Only the finest artist in the Central Plains would do.
If I drew them poorly and made them look unattractive, that would be completely unacceptable.
‘I could never allow just anyone to handle portraits of my daughters.’
As I closed the So-ryong’s Compendium of Venomous Creatures and stepped outside, a thought occurred to me.
Since I was going to the Beggar’s Union anyway, perhaps I could ask them to help me find a skilled artist.
‘Yes, the Beggar’s Union excels at locating people. If I request someone talented in drawing, it should work out, right?
This is me being efficient.’
Is this what they mean by killing two birds with one stone?
Smiling to myself, I turned to the children playing on the floor and said,
“Kids, Daddy and Mommy are heading out for a little while.”
-Skrrrt? 『Where are you going, Daddy?』
-Squee? 『Baap?』
The other children didn’t react much, accustomed to not being allowed to accompany us during the day.
But Hyang perked up like a rabbit at the mention of going somewhere with Mom.
She seemed eager to join, but my answer prompted an unexpected reaction.
“Ah, remember that place that didn’t smell very nice where we went with Mommy before? We’re going back there.”
-Skrreeek!?
Hyang jerked back in dismay at the mention of the Beggar’s Union’s slum.
Right after, she communicated her reluctance.
-Tseureu. “Have a safe trip, Daddy. Hya, Hyang would prefer to stay and rest today. I believe I am tired.”
Hearing Hyang mimic adult expressions with such seriousness was both amusing and puzzling coming from a child.
What kind of child, who relaxes every day, needs additional rest?
And when had she even picked up the word “tired”?
I chuckled softly and nodded.
“All right. Then you rest here with your sisters, Hyang. Oh, would you like to come, Hongdan?”
–Kkii!?
When Hongdan also shook her head right after Hyang, I thought to myself, The odor of the beggar’s den must be truly impressive.
With that in mind, I went to Hwa-eun’s room and knocked on the door.
–Knock knock.
“Hwa-eun, are you in there?”
“Yes, So-ryong. Please come in.”
I opened the door at her response and saw her facing away from me.
Unmirang was in the process of styling Hwa-eun’s hair.
“What brings you here?”
Just then, it seemed she was nearly finished. Unmirang secured the final touch—a hair ornament shaped like a lily—into Hwa-eun’s hair. At that moment, Sandan, who had been perched on the table, fluttered up and settled among the hair accessories.
The instant Hwa-eun turned around—
The sight of her face made my eyes open wide in astonishment.
Without thinking, I stared in awe.
As I stood there blinking, Hwa-eun exchanged a glance with Unmirang, and they both smiled knowingly.
In my captivated state, I heard Hwa-eun’s gentle, amused voice.
“What is it, So-ryong?”
I completely forgot my reason for coming and simply stood there dumbfounded, answering vaguely.
“Ah, it’s nothing… well… you look especially beautiful today…”
Hearing this, she shyly covered her face, her cheeks turning pink.
Unmirang, standing beside her, looked immensely pleased with herself.
The reason she appeared even more stunning today, and why Unmirang seemed so proud—
Although her clothing was somewhat more refined than usual, the change was likely due to her makeup.
Her lips were a deeper red, her cheeks had a rosy tint.
And her complexion—today it seemed even fairer and more luminous.
It was clear she had applied makeup, which she didn’t usually do, and in that moment, I realized why she had recruited Unmirang.
I had a fleeting worry that they might try to dress me in women’s clothing again—but no. It seemed she hadn’t brought Unmirang onboard to transform me, but to enhance her own beauty.
If she could make someone like me look presentable, imagine what she could achieve with someone as naturally beautiful as Hwa-eun.
In my previous life, copying celebrity makeup styles was common, but in this world, the techniques of palace attendants were likely the gold standard. The most sought-after skills.
She must have seen me in disguise and concluded Unmirang was exceptionally talented.
“So-ryong, really… Unmirang is right here… So, what did you want to talk about?”
Her question brought me back to reality, and I replied promptly.
“Oh, right. I wanted to see if you’d like to go somewhere with me…”
“Really?”
When I mentioned going out together, her voice brightened with delight. I nodded and explained.
“Yes. My elder brother has returned from Shaolin Temple, and it seems they’ve given me a task. Shaolin requested some information from the Beggars’ Union about it, so I plan to go collect it. Would you like to join me?”
Hearing my reply, Hwa-eun glanced down at her dress.
Then she sighed quietly.
She had taken care to dress elegantly, and now I was proposing an outing—which must have pleased her initially—but the destination was the beggars’ enclave?
What a disappointment.
Dressing up to visit the beggars’ den?
Why did it have to be there of all places?
I was struggling to think of a way to improve the situation when Hwa-eun asked softly—
“What about the children, So-ryong?”
“Oh, the moment they heard we were going to the Beggars’ Union, they all declined…”
“Really!?”
Bipolar disorder involves unpredictable shifts between high and low moods. Here, Hwa-eun’s tone shifted from disappointment to sudden excitement, as if entering a high-energy phase.
She quickly came over and took my hand.
“Let’s go, So-ryong. Before the children reconsider. Chances like this don’t come often.”
She appeared genuinely delighted by the prospect of us going out alone, so I smiled and made a suggestion.
“Then why don’t we go somewhere else first and leave the Beggars’ Union for last? When we arrive, I’ll go into the enclave by myself.”
Hwa-eun’s smile widened as she nodded. She clearly liked that idea.
It seems past experience does help in understanding a woman’s feelings somewhat.
No, come to think of it, there’s no way I could mishandle things with Hwa-eun.
‘Naturally. Hwa-eun is one of the venomous creatures under my care. I couldn’t possibly fail with her.’
After all, venomous creatures are my specialty.
***
It wasn’t anything elaborate—just browsing the market stalls and sharing a simple candied fruit skewer—but it noticeably improved Hwa-eun’s spirits.
As she offered me a piece, she inquired:
“So, what is this actually about, So-ryong?”
“Well… I wasn’t given the full details either.”
“That’s unusual. Typically, Shaolin handles their own affairs.”
“From what I understand, they sought information from the Beggars’ Union, and the Beggars’ Union believed I was the best person for the task.”
“Hm. I see. Well, I guess we’ll know more once we arrive.”
We shared the candied fruit skewer piece by piece, and just as Hwa-eun finished the last bite, we reached the area under the bridge.
Under the bridge, Elder Punggae was deep in conversation with several beggars. One by one, the beggars started to disperse, hurrying past us.
They seemed very busy.
I approached Elder Punggae and bowed respectfully.
“Elder.”
“Ah, you’re here? I expected you around this time. Someone, retrieve the documents Shaolin asked for.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
One of the beggars ducked into the makeshift shelters under the bridge, and Elder Punggae let out a heavy sigh.
“You’re working me to the bone, you know. I haven’t had a proper sleep in three days!”
“Is everything proceeding as planned?”
“Yes, yes. No need to worry. We’re preparing to strike all targets simultaneously.”
It sounded like the operations against the Five Venoms Clan and the Blood Cult were progressing well.
I nodded and pressed further.
“So what exactly is this task you suggested me for?”
“Ah, that…”
Just then, several beggars returned hurriedly from under the bridge.
They addressed Elder Punggae, interrupting our conversation.
“Young Master, the Haomun faction says they need another ten days.”
“Well, it is quite a distance… Ah, wait. Young Master, I’m too swamped to explain thoroughly. It involves millipedes, so I believe you’re well-suited for it. The person who went in earlier will bring the gathered information. Review it when you can.”
When Elder Punggae said this, Hwa-eun looked at me with curiosity and asked,
“Millipedes?”
Millipedes, indeed.
Sounded like it was connected to those.