Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 364

Chapter 364
When our gazes connected, Orange offered me a look of distinct embarrassment.
My initial reaction was one of brief surprise that I could actually hear his voice.
I hadn’t detected him using the Beast Heart Art at all, yet his speech was reaching me perfectly.
Upon reflection, however, it began to make sense.
After I had opened the Gate of the Centipede, I gained a partial understanding of their communication, even though centipedes have incredibly vague and imprecise ways of expressing themselves.
Therefore, having opened the Gate of the Snake, it was logical that I would understand a spirit snake’s speech with even greater clarity.
Snakes are reptiles, which makes them far more intelligent than insects. Their expressions would naturally be more defined, and Orange was a spirit snake besides.
‘Orange is a spirit beast. He’s intelligent and fully capable of communication. If opening the Gate of the Snake simply amplified that ability… then yes, it tracks.’
But then—I noticed something even more astonishing.
‘Wait a minute!? I can read his expression?’
That was the true shock.
I could clearly see that Orange, who was still holding eye contact with me, was wearing a thoroughly sheepish expression.
I had raised numerous venomous animals in my past life as well.
Whenever the smaller ones fell ill or started acting unusual, I could always tell immediately.
Animals don’t use language, so recognizing sickness in them isn’t straightforward.
Of course, symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting are obvious—but when there are no visible signs, it requires genuine expertise to identify.
However, with sufficient time and hands-on experience, you learn to pick up on the subtle shifts in behavior, posture, or general vitality that indicate a problem.
Even if a turtle is just lying motionless on a rock, I can typically tell if it’s simply soaking up the sun—or if it’s lying there because it’s unwell.
The same principle applies to snakes or insects.
But deciphering the facial expression of a perfectly healthy snake?
That should be an impossibility.
I mean, even if I can diagnose illness from behavior, interpreting emotions is a different matter. Facial expressions require control over facial muscles, and snakes lack the complex facial musculature that humans possess. They can’t form varied expressions based on their feelings.
‘This is irrational. Reading emotions from a snake’s face?’
This is the very reason I consistently describe Cheongyu’s face as expressionless.
She was once a gigantic black serpent. Even though she now has a human form, as a snake she likely had very few facial muscles for conveying emotion.
Therefore, she isn’t accustomed to showing her feelings, which accounts for her rigid countenance.
But Orange doesn’t even possess a human face. There is no conceivable way I should be able to interpret expressions from his reptilian snout.
‘And yet, I can?’
It was unmistakable—I could see his emotions written plainly on his face.
He looked at me, first with embarrassment, then offered a clumsy, slight smile.
As we continued to stare, Orange fidgeted under the weight of the silence and finally spoke up:
– Skah. 『Hehe… Bro, what’s up? Did I mess up…?』
– Shaa. 『Orange Orabeoni, So-ryong can’t understand what we’re saying, remember?』
– Skaaah. 『Ah… right, Bro can’t hear me. Oops, I forgot.』
Just as Orange used his tail to scratch the back of his head, clearly having forgotten I wasn’t supposed to comprehend him—
I answered without thinking.
“It’s nothing, Orange. Don’t worry about it.”
– Skaah? Skat. 『Hold on… you heard that? I thought you couldn’t… Hehe.』
“It’s really nothing.”
The exchange felt completely natural—until both Orange and Yeondu went perfectly still, their eyes wide open.
They gaped at me, utterly astonished that I had understood their words.
– S-Skaaat? 『What!? Bro, you understood me!?』
– Shaa? 『So-ryong, you can hear us!?』
“Yes… It seems I can now.”
– Ska. 『Wow.』
– Shaa. 『A-Are you serious!?』
Orange’s voice carried a rough, almost thuggish quality, while Yeondu’s was like that of a clever, refined assistant.
I hadn’t anticipated that—these two had unexpectedly unique personalities.
Just as I was musing on how amusing their contrast was, my Sojeos also responded.
Since I had been talking with Orange and Yeondu, it was now obvious which gate I had opened.
“So-ryong… you opened the Gate of the Snake, is that it?”
“So-ryong, so it was the Snake’s gate after all?”
– Shiaa. 『You kept your promise, didn’t you?』
From Hwa-eun’s quiet demeanor, I could tell she grasped the situation—but to be safe, I observed her carefully and chose my words with caution.
“Yes… I truly wished to choose Hwa-eun’s gate, but it could be risky, and I still need to practice my martial arts. Besides, I gave my word.
As I mentioned before, once I have a better grasp of Hwa-eun’s gate, I will attempt it then.”
“I understand, So-ryong.”
“Right. Even if Hwa-eun’s name was on it, that wouldn’t have been the correct decision. You did well.”
– Shiiii. 『Thank you, Senior.』
Since I had already provided a sensible explanation, the matter was settled smoothly.
As the three of them acknowledged my response, Orange came forward with an eager expression and asked excitedly:
– Ska. 『Bro! Bro!』
“Yes? What is it?”
He sounded extremely pleased.
When I focused on him, he moved his head close to my ear and whispered softly.
– Skaaah. 『Now that we can actually talk… How about we have a private chat, just us men, after dinner?』
“Huh? Oh, alright.”
A little man-to-man discussion, was it?
I gave a nod, and Orange slid the door open and made his way toward the deck.
– Skaaah. 『I’ll be waiting for you out on the deck. Come find me after you eat, Bro.』
To be honest, I’d always considered him a bit of a charmer—but it appeared Orange was far more outgoing than I had imagined.
After the evening meal, I walked out onto the deck into the night air. By the crates piled near the ship’s bow, I spotted two shining points of light.
They were the gleam from Orange’s eyes, pointed directly at me.
– Shaa. 『Bro, this way!』
As I drew nearer, I heard Orange’s voice once more—exactly as anticipated.
I went over to the bow, and he welcomed me with a bright look.
– Shaai. 『Bro, I hope I’m not interrupting your rest time?』
“No, it’s perfectly fine. Really. So, what did you want to discuss?”
– Sha. 『Well, the thing is…』
The instant I asked what he wanted to talk about man-to-man, his expression changed from uncertain to utterly desperate. He swiftly coiled his powerful body around me and cried out.
– Shaaaa! 『Bro! You have to help me!』
I was immediately constricted by his thick coils, fighting for air.
And with a masculine voice speaking directly into my ear, it genuinely felt like being hugged by another man. A shiver went down my back.
This was especially true given he had the muscular strength of a monstrous fitness enthusiast.
A snake’s muscles aren’t bulky like a bodybuilder’s, but the raw power and constricting force are tremendous.
“Ghk… Help you? With what? Of course I’ll help—just ease up a bit first, okay?”
I rapidly tapped on his body like I was knocking on a door.
He released his grip and, with a regretful expression, brought up a very familiar name.
– Shaa. 『S-sorry, Bro. It’s about Yeondu.』
“Yeondu? What about her?”
I had realized from the very start—even when we couldn’t understand each other—that Orange had been smitten with Yeondu from the first moment he saw her.
Furthermore, during our mission to rescue Ranghyang, the two of them had seemed very close. There hadn’t been much reason to discuss it since then—they were nearly always together.
They seemed to be in a constant honeymoon period, so I assumed it was only a short time before she would be laying eggs.
But I tilted my head in question, and Orange answered, sounding a little dejected.
– Ska. Skaa. 『I’m not sure… it just feels like our relationship isn’t moving forward. She still calls me “Orabeoni.” Whenever I try to sleep beside her, she shifts away.
Bro, you’re an incredible man with three women by your side! Please, you have to advise me!』
‘Wait, what? Where did he get three from? Does he include Hwa-eun and Cheongyu? Then who is the third?’
Orange was clearly operating under a major misapprehension, so I tilted my head and inquired,
“Three?”
He nodded with great enthusiasm.
– Shayah. 『Yes, Bro. Lady Hwa-eun, Elder Seol, and Lady Cheongyu.』
“That’s… incredibly perilous talk, you realize.”
Flustered, I stammered at the idea of grouping someone like Elder Seol in such a context, as if I had violated every known moral and familial code. Orange, however, tapped my chest lightly with his tail.
– Shaa. 『Bro, there’s no need to be so humble.』
This fellow genuinely believed that Hwa-eun, Elder Seol, and Cheongyu were all my partners. I attempted to set him straight, but he interrupted me and exclaimed.
“No, it’s not humility, I—”
– Shaaa! 『Bro! Even if you had ten women, it wouldn’t be shocking! It’s only natural for strong males to attract females! But that’s not what I need to talk about right now!』
“Uh, alright, alright. Just take a breath and tell me what’s happening.”
His booming voice was overpowering, so I decided to just hear him out.
Orange gazed up at the sky, then spoke with a sorrowful light in his eyes.
– Shayiii. 『Yeondu has always called me Orabeoni… and she still does, even after we rescued Ranghyang.
When I try to rest close to her, she pulls away firmly and avoids me.
It’s painful, Bro. It truly hurts.』
So it emerged that after their brief moment of connection in the stream during the Ranghyang operation, Orange had believed their relationship had intensified. But nothing had developed further—no change in what she called him, no new closeness.
I had assumed they were already a mated pair, but it seemed that incident was merely the beginning of his courtship.
So this was the root of his worry: time had gone by, yet their relationship remained stagnant.
‘I guess they weren’t officially a pair yet. Perhaps it’s because they’re spirit beasts?’
Usually, once a pair bonds, it’s permanent. I was on the verge of asking for more details when he added miserably:
– Shaa. 『Maybe… she only thinks of me as her Orabeoni. Nothing more.』
The poor guy looked completely heartbroken, so I resolved to offer some encouraging words first.
“Orange, the ancient sages once declared…”
– Shai? 『What did they declare?』
“A good older brother makes a good husband.”
– Shaaa? 『…What is that supposed to mean?』
“If she calls you ‘Orabeoni,’ that means you’re already more than halfway to your goal.”
His face brightened and he asked again, looking hopeful.
– Shaa. 『R-really?』
“Without a doubt. The older brother becomes the father.”
Orange’s eyes shone as if he had discovered the secret of life itself.
– Shayii. 『Naturally! The brother becomes the father! The sister becomes the mother! Now it all clicks into place!』
‘No, hold on, that’s not exactly…’
He persisted in mentally coupling me with Elder Seol.
Regardless, it seemed I would have to speak with Yeondu myself to get this sorted out for him.
“Okay, I’ll discreetly ask her about her feelings. You just behave as if everything is normal.”
– Shaaa. 『You got it, Bro!』
I sent Orange on his way and took to the skies with Yeondu, using the excuse of surveying the water currents.
Once we were airborne, I gently asked her why she was still reluctant to fully accept Orange.
Her answer took me by surprise.
– Shaa. 『Well… it’s because he hasn’t actually said that we will be a pair.』
“A pair?”
– Shaaa. Shaa. 『Yes. He needs to say the words. He keeps attempting to slip into my nest without making any promises…』
I had thought that for snakes, mutual attraction was sufficient—but that must only be true for ordinary snakes.
These were spirit beasts. Their nature is closer to humans. They required a formal commitment.
‘So playing matchmaker for spirit beasts is more complicated than I thought.’
***
A few days later, we approached the mouth of Lake Poyang.
On the right-hand side, an enormous mountain rose into sight.
Its slopes were adorned with autumn colors—a breathtaking view. But even so, there was no possibility of verifying Lady Eunbi Ruju’s statement from this distance.
She had claimed the peak was frozen over, but from here, we could discern no evidence of ice.
“That’s Mount Lu, correct?”
“Yes, So-ryong. That is Mount Lu. However, despite the rumors of ice at the summit, we cannot see any trace of it from here.”
“Then we have no choice but to ascend it. We’ll investigate tonight.”
Hwa-eun appeared to be thinking along the same lines.
If we wanted to confirm the presence of ice up there, we would need to climb it ourselves.
‘Whatever you are… just wait. I’m on my way.’