Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 351

Chapter 351
A creature with a sleek, dark form that transitioned into a deep red along its length.
Its glossy exterior was made up of countless ring-like sections, each spaced evenly from the next, and its most notable trait—its multitude of legs—was arranged in perfect order along every segment.
And then there was its final endearing feature—the delicate, multi-jointed antennae.
The little being was clutching a piece of cabbage charmingly with its forelegs, eating away with clear dedication.
-Crunch. Crunch.
Don’t millipedes normally consume dead plant matter? But fresh cabbage?!
Could it actually be a spirit beast?
I was completely captivated, watching it eat in a daze.
‘I-It’s adorable!’
I was standing there, utterly entranced by the little thing, when Hwa-eun’s thoughts reached me.
『”So-ryong, might that be the Red Cloud Black Millipede listed among the Twenty-Four Poisonous Extremities, within the Cloud-Rain-Snow-Hail category?”? I can’t be certain because its proportions and coloring are a bit off, but what’s your opinion?”』
Is Hwa-eun actually a thinker by nature?
Why does she consistently interrupt my most heartfelt moments with cold, hard facts?
Can’t I just enjoy the feeling for a bit? Why does she always choose that exact moment to interfere?
I had to pull myself away from the moment to answer her, however unwillingly.
‘But what choice do I have? She’s my partner. They say opposites attract, after all.’
『”I had just arrived at the same thought.”』
Right, I recalled an entry in the Secret Compendium of Venomous Creatures under the Unu Seolbak chapter.
Although, its depicted appearance wasn’t quite the same.
According to the Compendium, it was supposed to be entirely crimson.
It was also recorded as being approximately the width of a man’s thigh.
However, the size discrepancy could be accounted for if the specimen Hwa-eun’s ancestor documented wasn’t fully mature.
Similarly, its coloration might change—starting red in its youth and developing this ombre effect as it aged.
The Secret Compendium wasn’t a complete life history; it was more a set of field notes taken from a brief observation period after each creature’s discovery. Therefore, not every life stage of the venomous beings was captured.
Many poisonous beasts undergo physical changes between their juvenile and adult forms, and such details aren’t always recorded.
I concentrated, pulling up the specifics I’d read.
Red Cloud Black Millipede.
The name signified a Black Millipede that Conjures Red Clouds, and it was documented to emit a toxic red haze.
If I remembered correctly, those afflicted by its venom were said to become flushed before perishing?
Its venom was exceptionally potent, yet its failure to rank within the Top Ten Venomous Beasts was attributed to its lack of speed.
As I was mentally reviewing this, I heard the voice of Hyang-i, who was wrapped around me.
『-Tsururur. (Look, Father, it’s giving off light.)』
“Light?”
“It’s glowing, Hyang-i?”
-Tsurut. (Yes, Father. It isn’t as brilliant as Mother or Sister Cheongwol, but it’s shining. A blueish light.)
-Tsurur. (Yes. It is glowing.)
Cho added her agreement, confirming what Hyang-i had said.
Hearing that, I remembered that certain types of millipedes are known to be luminescent in the dark.
‘Of course! Some millipedes do glow in the dark.’
A number of millipede species produce light in darkness.
Not every species, but a significant few, and just then, as the little creature nibbled on the cabbage, I heard the false monk’s voice.
“My apologies for not visiting more frequently of late.”
-Kyuki.
‘Hm. Is he the one caring for it?’
The monk’s tender tone almost made me believe he was a compassionate person, but then he went on.
“My reason for coming today isn’t without purpose ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) but because… I believe we must relocate once more with the little ones…”
-Tuk. Tutuk.
At his statement, the millipede let the cabbage fall from its grasp.
It appeared genuinely startled, and a distressed sound quickly followed.
-Kyu, Kyukit? Kyu, Kyukyu…
“What is it now? You don’t wish to go through with it again? Is it so difficult to simply listen for once? Have I not made myself clear? I require funds as well, to purchase this cabbage I bring you on occasion, to feed myself and survive. To obtain money, we must work.”
-Kyuki. Kyukyu…
Hearing the monk’s words, the millipede retrieved the cabbage and offered it back to him.
Silently, I asked Hyang-i through our mental connection.
『”Hyang-i, what is the Millipede saying?”』
My initial impression was of a benevolent caretaker relationship, but the more I listened, the more it seemed exploitative.
My suspicion grew that this despicable man was profiting from the creature and squandering it all in gambling dens, only appearing once a month to toss it some cabbage.
I wasn’t yet sure of the creature’s exact nature, but if the monk was employing something like a millipede matriarch, several scenarios came to mind.
It might have been corrupted by the monk’s influence, or it could be an innocent being unaware that its actions were harmful.
But given the context, it felt overwhelmingly like psychological manipulation.
Hyang-i, her own emotions simmering with anger, sent me the translation.
『-Tsururur. Tsurut. Tsururur. (But he promised the previous time that it was the final occasion! This time, again, so many young ones perished… I despise it. I don’t require a hundred bodies anymore, I beg you. That is what it said!)』
“What!?”
“It said that!?”
Both Hwa-eun and I were taken aback by Hyang-i’s reply.
Although Hyang-i herself was furious, she was imitating the millipede’s voice, which was full of desperate appeal.
It certainly sounded like severe manipulation.
And it was profoundly harsh.
“If we’re discussing the Millipedes again, Millipedes are beings whose purpose is to be food for birds or crushed underfoot… Why concern yourself with their destiny?”
Hearing that, even the divine beasts in our mental group erupted in outrage.
『-Tsururur! (He seems like a truly terrible person, Father.)』
-Shia! Shiiiii. (So-ryong, that man does not sound virtuous! It is as if he is saying the snakes I call upon are disposable!)
-Biii! Bab! Baap bab!
Cheongyu, in particular, who summons serpents, was incensed.
She calls upon snakes to serve and protect her, so the monk’s words struck a deep chord—implying that the deaths of her snakes were insignificant.
“If you continue to behave this way, it will be difficult to remain companions! Did we not vow to be friends? How can a friendship persist if you constantly reject my requests?
Who else would ever befriend an odorous thing like you besides me?
Should I depart, you would be forced to return to the woods, hunted by humans—you are aware of this, correct?”
-Kyu… Kyuki…
When their exchange concluded, the meaning conveyed by Hyang-i’s whisper pierced my mind, shattering my composure.
『-Tsururut (Alright, very well… I implore you… Simply not that again…)』
To manipulate a guileless spirit beast so cruelly!
Blinded by rage, I emerged from behind the gravestone where I’d been concealed.
I approached the disheartened being and yelled with a voice hot with fury.
“Hey! If you don’t wish to participate, you shouldn’t have to! In fact, you must not engage in such acts! And a person who forces you to commit misdeeds is no friend of yours!”
The millipede’s antennae shot up rigidly, and the monk’s eyes bulged as he stared at me from the shadows.
***
“Who— who are you!? Huh? A child? This little brat has the nerve to frighten a full-grown man!?”
The monk, shocked by my abrupt arrival, yelled once he saw I appeared to be by myself.
I shouted back at him.
“I am the son of the Beast Palace, dispatched by Shaolin, and the son-in-law of the Tang Clan, here to apprehend you for deceiving an innocent spirit beast into harming local people and swindling them! I am So-ryong, the World’s Venomous Creature Papa!”
The monk blinked at that and said,
“Papa what? What sort of title is that? Ah, wait— Shaolin!?”
‘This wretch! How dare he make fun of my title!’
Not only was he psychologically abusing a spirit beast, but he was also ridiculing my name.
My anger intensified another notch as Kwon-ryong, Geom-ryong hyung, and Hwa-eun caught up to me in the clearing.
“So-ryong, why did you rush off without a word?”
“Indeed, Ryong-ah. You should inform us before you act.”
“A-ah, m-my apologies. I simply became too enraged…”
“We are here to arrest you on behalf of Shaolin. Surrender peacefully!”
Hearing the name Shaolin and seeing the others appear, the monk became frantic.
He immediately yelled at the millipede next to him.
“I was only attempting to earn money for your sake! Quickly, hinder them! Why are you idle!? If they take me, we will be separated forever!”
-Kyu, Kyukit!?
At his command, the millipede looked at me, its expression one of shock.
“No. You are being deceived by that—”
The nervous quivering of its antennae suggested it was uncertain.
I tried to clarify that it was being manipulated, but the millipede swiftly moved to shield the monk and released a billowing red cloud.
Evidently, the manipulative hold had not yet been broken.
They must have shared a long history. Naturally, it would still place more trust in the false monk than in a stranger like myself.
Confronted with the approaching red mist, I warned the others.
That cloud was exceedingly dangerous.
“Everyone, do not inhale! The smallest amount could lead to suffocation!”
“Suffocation!?”
“S-suffocation!?”
At my caution, Hwa-eun asked with a startled voice, and the rest swiftly moved back.
Their faces seemed to question how I knew this, but the explanation was straightforward.
From the red mist it produced and its fluorescent glow.
Certain millipedes discharge highly toxic compounds accompanied by a strong smell.
One can identify a millipede bearing such a lethal toxin by its ability to glow in the dark and if the substance it releases has a reddish effect on its environment.
The African giant millipede, which secretes a red fluid, is one such instance.
“Yes! Get back!”
Now, what was the specific poison this millipede possessed?
It was cyanide.
Referred to by various terms—potassium cyanide, cyanogen potassium, and others.
In essence: cyanide.
A tremendously deadly compound, with a fatal dosage as low as 50 to 200 milligrams.
And that was its weapon.
Hence the danger of suffocation.
Cyanide, infamous for its use in homicides, is often mentioned in news reports.
People believe cyanide is lethal simply because it is a strong poison—but the actual mechanism is different.
Cyanide obstructs cellular respiration. Upon poisoning, cyanide binds to the electron transport enzymes within cells, preventing oxygen from doing so.
Consequently, the cells are unable to respire and effectively suffocate.
It is a powerful inhibitor of cellular respiration.
This is why individuals poisoned by cyanide often exhibit a red flush initially before turning entirely blue upon death.
“What sort of toxin is it?”
“It is the same type present in the seeds of fruits such as peaches, apples, apricots, and pears.”
You’ve likely heard the advice against eating apple seeds—that is due to their cyanide content.
“Ah! I understand now!”
Hearing my explanation about naturally occurring cyanide, Hwa-eun nodded.
As anticipated from a direct heir of the Sichuan Tang Clan—she was well-versed in toxins.
As we were talking and stepping back—
-Rustle rustle rustle.
The sound of grass being crushed. The monk had taken off running.
Observing his retreating form, I said to the millipede,
“He is fleeing and has left you here.”
-Kyuki!?
The millipede, alarmed, looked behind itself but then swiftly turned back to me with a defensive posture.
I asked it,
“Are you determined to stand in my way?”
-Kyu, Kyuki!
Its antennae shook as it replied, but they immediately sagged when I continued.
“You claim you would give your life to obstruct me for your ‘friend,’ yet that ‘friend’ has just deserted you and run off.”
The millipede became completely still, crushed by the understanding that the monk had abandoned it.
While it was paralyzed by despair, the young ones who had been with Hwa-eun assembled behind me one after another.
Witnessing this, the millipede’s lowered antennae gradually rose, and once all the youngsters were present, they shot up in astonishment.
The timing was ideal.
I spoke to Cho in my mind with a voice of cold fury, and then offered a gentle smile to the millipede, speaking softly.
『’Cho, apprehend that wretch.’』
-Tsururur! (Understood, Father!)
“We do not desert our companions. Would you care to become friends with us?”
-Kyu… Ki?
The millipede’s antennae and entire form started to tremble intensely.