Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 367

Chapter 367
By the time we made it back to the woods near the moored vessel after collecting details in the village, visibility had dropped to nothing.
Ji-ryong’s prediction had proven accurate.
The fog that had been shadowing us since the village finally overtook us, enveloping everything completely.
Trapped between the clouds spilling down from the mountain’s slope and the vapors rising off Lake Poyang, the landscape resembled an ocean of soft, billowing white.
“Is it over here? Whoa!”
As we groped blindly toward the boat, the earth under my feet abruptly crumbled, and I was pulled down suddenly.
– Splash!
“So-ryong!”
I could hear the noise of soil and stones plunging into liquid below.
– Splash, splash!
Just as I expected to follow the debris into the water, something yanked hard on my sleeve.
It was Hwa-eun—she had caught me in the nick of time, still clutching my sleeve as we had been doing to avoid losing each other in the dense fog.
Glancing downward, I could just discern a faint, wavering reflection of water beneath the churning mist.
That had to be Lake Poyang.
Hwa-eun drew me nearer and whispered,
“So-ryong, try not to struggle. It’s impossible to see anything. We must proceed with caution.”
“Understood. Thank you, Hwa-eun.”
She helped me back onto a grassy spot, and as I brushed the cold perspiration from my forehead…
I abruptly became aware of the heat from her body beside me.
Then her fragrant aroma, intensified by the damp air, wound its way around me.
Hwa-eun had shifted closer and was now seated directly against me.
So near that I could feel her warmth through our garments.
“I-it’s only because I can’t see a thing… I thought we might… l-lose each other…”
She rushed to justify herself before I could even speak.
It was endearing, really, how she was using the circumstances to her advantage.
That was typical Hwa-eun—always seizing the moment.
‘Now that I consider it, it’s been some time since we last kissed or embraced, hasn’t it?’
Reflecting on it, Hwa-eun and I hadn’t enjoyed any real physical closeness lately. The children had been occupying all our attention.
As that thought crossed my mind, Hwa-eun edged even nearer.
Near enough that I could sense her heartbeat, not just her body heat.
It seemed she was experiencing a severe case of So-ryong Deficiency.
Indeed. She required a recharge.
And what type of recharge?
A So-ryong recharge, naturally.
If we’d been lacking in intimacy, it stood to reason that her So-ryong reserves were critically low. The sole remedy was a top-up.
‘Without a doubt.’
Yet, I found myself pondering why this deficiency struck today. She had been perfectly fine just yesterday. Then it came back to me.
‘Ah… that’s right, yesterday, with Ji-ryong and Eumbong…’
Even if Hwa-eun usually disregarded such matters, witnessing them must have sparked some thoughts.
One might question, “Does observing others really inspire that desire?”
But the concept isn’t entirely without foundation.
Consider the huaung, for instance.
Huaung is one of the numerous names for a panda in the Central Plains—it translates to “flower bear.” In my previous existence, pandas were nearing extinction.
Loss of habitat, environmental contamination, and rampant hunting had all played a role.
The people of the Central Plains were anxious to encourage their reproduction—especially since species like the Yangtze River dolphin and the giant softshell turtle were already vanishing.
But pandas were uncooperative.
They showed no interest in breeding. Even when it was mating season, they would not couple.
All those confounded pandas desired was to chew on bamboo and sleep throughout the day.
Thus, their population dwindled, and reproduction efforts stalled.
Then an individual proposed a clever solution.
“Let’s expose them to pornography!”
The rationale was: if you present pandas with a stimulating video, perhaps they’ll be inspired to mate?
It seemed ludicrous—yet it succeeded.
Once they began screening videos of pandas mating, the animals actually started to reproduce and produce offspring.
The “porn,” naturally, featured pandas, not humans.
In any case, if Hwa-eun required a So-ryong recharge, it was only proper to comply.
I softly placed my arm around her shoulders and drew her nearer.
“W-what is it, So-ryong?”
She had clearly been anticipating it and feigned surprise nonetheless.
I responded in a tender, affectionate tone.
“It occurred to me that we haven’t had any time to ourselves recently, because of the children. I apologize, Hwa-eun.”
“So-ryong…”
As I set the atmosphere, Hwa-eun leaned her head against my shoulder.
Now, a mere turn of my head would allow a kiss—the most effective method for a So-ryong recharge.
My heart accelerated—it had been too long.
I gradually turned my head.
And then—swish! A shadowy figure darted between us.
“Ugh.”
“Eek!”
Taken aback, we tumbled apart—and a very well-known voice called out.
– Tsrururuu. 『Dad! Mom!』
The disruptor was, unsurprisingly, Bini.
『”O-oh, B-Bini! How did you locate us in this dense fog?”』
– Tsrut. (Aunt Seol worried the fog was too heavy and asked me to search for you. I detected familiar tremors, so I followed them. When it’s dark and visibility is poor, only Bini, Sister Ranghyang, and Uncle Orange can identify who is close by, recall?)
It was true; Bini, Ranghyang, and Orange the Ji-yeong Snake were all creatures of the earth.
They could perceive vibrations through the ground.
Similar to submarines employing sonar to locate foes, these beings could interpret motions and positions via seismic signals.
So Bini had traced us that way.
It was thoughtful, but… the timing was unfortunate.
Dad desired a kiss as well, you know.
Gyaaah!
『”O-our daughter arrived to find Mommy and Daddy~?”』
“Y-yes. That’s very thoughtful, Bini.”
– Tsrururu. (So… what were you both up to?)
“N-nothing at all?”
“We were merely, uh… awaiting the fog to lift.”
– Tsrut. (Understood. Let’s return, Dad, Mom.)
Bini used two of her numerous small limbs to take each of our hands.
Thus, with strained smiles, Hwa-eun and I allowed her to guide us through the haze back to the boat.
[We’ll seize another opportunity when we ascend the mountain later.]
[Agreed!]
We exchanged quiet whispers as we proceeded.
Managing children while attempting to steal moments of affection felt like executing a secret mission.
***

Upon returning to the ship, we promptly assembled a search party.
The reality that the fog obscured our vision also implied our children could navigate it with ease.
From our intelligence, the typical mist began just above the mountain’s midpoint.
That indicated the higher elevations would be free of climbers—allowing our children to roam the upper trails without restraint.
“Did you verify the position?”
It was Ji-ryong, inquiring as we readied for the climb.
“Affirmative. They mentioned that the mouth of the flying dragon-shaped rock on Flying Dragon Peak is a cavern, now encased in ice.
Initially, among the seventeen caves, the six closest to Yeo Mountain’s peak started freezing sequentially, as if the ice was journeying. Now, they report, the entrance at the dragon-rock on Flying Dragon Peak is frozen.”
When I relayed the herbalist’s account, he nodded, his face etched with skepticism.
“There’s unquestionably something unusual happening.”
“Correct?”
“It genuinely appears as if something is shifting from location to location.”
“My impression exactly.”
I was aware of only one explanation for a cave freezing in that manner.
In my former life, a site named the Ice Valley existed in Miryang, where air chilled while traversing rock strata within a mountain, leading to condensation and expansion in fissures that produced ice.
Barring that, ice forming in the fairly mild autumn was illogical.
And ice appearing alternately in various caves?
That was even more implausible.
Those caverns were probably not linked.
Therefore, the deduction was: near the summit, something had likely been traversing those seven caves.
Following the conversation with Ji-ryong, Hwa-eun entered carrying a parcel of provisions. Sister Seol, now accustomed to this lifestyle, had two slender blankets rolled tightly and slung over her shoulder like a soldier’s pack from WWII.
“For the present—Cho, Yeondu, Jeokwol-nim, shall we accompany one another? The fog is quite dense. Will you manage?”
—Chii!
Seemingly restless, Jeokwol-nim fluttered down and settled on my shoulder. Cho and Yeondu advanced behind her.
“Hyang will remain with Dad. Seol, Bing, and Dong, you’ll join us. We’re uncertain if the target might employ ice attacks.”
If the adversary was an ice-aligned spirit beast, then those with comparable abilities would be ideal for defense.
And Hyang, with her fire affinity, would serve as an excellent countermeasure.
That group would suffice for now.
“My apologies to the others. The fog makes navigation challenging, so we must travel by air—and I cannot bring everyone. We will return shortly.”
—Tsrurur. 『I’m always the one remaining behind.』
—Kisit.
Bini murmured discontentedly, and Yo-hwa rattled the bells on her legs, but they were accustomed to it by now. No significant protest.
So we took off directly from the deck.
The haze and fog blended above the deck, creating the illusion that we were ascending into a world of fluffy clouds.
“Everyone, fly upward until we escape the fog. Understood? Jeokwol-nim, you as well.”
—Chii.
—Tsrurur.
—Shaaa.
The atmosphere was moist and thick as we climbed.
My ears pressurized during the ascent, but eventually, the fog lessened, and brilliant light started to penetrate.
“We’re through!”
The voice of Seol-nui, still coiled around Cho, came from beside me—she must have maintained close formation.
As the herbalist had indicated, only approximately a third of the peaks protruded above the mist.
Given the mountain’s expansive base, summits and stone structures emerged like isolated islands from a foggy sea.
“Let’s see… the five large rocks shaped like elderly men are the Five Elders Peaks. Oh, that glittering section must be water? Then that is the Great Heavenly Pond.
Beyond the Five Elders and the Great Heavenly Pond, the smaller pond in that direction is the Little Heavenly Pond…
That direction, everyone. Cho, Yeondu, over here. Jeokwol-nim, stay with me.”
—Chii.
Passing the Five Elders, their elder-shaped stones clustered like a screen, a vast marshland became visible.
From above, the view was breathtaking.
The sunlight gleamed on its surface like a looking glass.
“It’s stunning.”
“We saw nothing last night. But this location… it’s remarkable.”
“I’m told many visitors come here for the views.”
While conversing, we flew past the Great Heavenly Pond toward the Little one, and I noticed a shadowy grotto near a rocky projection.
“Let’s descend and investigate that. Yeondu, lower us there.”
—Shaaa. 『Acknowledged, So-ryong-nim.』
There were believed to be seven caves around seventy percent up the mountainside, and ten further down—this was one of the seven.
A cave that had previously been frozen.
After landing and examining the vicinity, it was evident this cave had been iced over.
The majority of nearby plant life had perished.
Presumably from frost injury due to abrupt cold.
There were even signs of human activity near the opening.
“This was indeed one of the frozen caves, correct?”
“Yes, it appears so. Jeokwol-nim, could you illuminate your wings? I wish to inspect the interior.”
—Chii.
With Jeokwol-nim resting on my shoulder, I carefully examined the inside.
Naturally, we intended to verify the Flying Dragon cave shortly, but I wanted to ensure the caves weren’t interconnected—or if there was any cause for ice formation here.
It wasn’t particularly deep, and the rear was sealed.
That alone verified the ice had formed unnaturally.
I was nearly ready to exit when—
—Chiiiii!
I turned to her. She was indicating with her antennae.
Looking where she pointed, I saw a stone positioned against the wall—and three deep gouges scored into its face.
They were unmistakably created by something sharp and hard, like claws.
Not from a wolf or fox. Not a bear, leopard, or tiger.
I had acquired the fundamentals of tracking from Sister Seol as part of the Beast Palace.
But this—I had never encountered or heard of anything similar.
It resembled a scene from a film in my previous life—like the result of a hero slashing with claws extending from his fists.
I brought Seol-nui over for consultation.
“I’ve never witnessed anything like this. If these are claws, we must exercise extreme caution.
They are nearly dagger-like. One strike could tear through your torso.”
I still didn’t know what being made those marks—but I sensed we would discover shortly.
Time to reassemble and proceed to Flying Dragon Peak.
“Let’s move out.”
After a brief flight, the crest of a rocky mountain emerged before us.
It curved and twisted like a soaring dragon amidst the clouds.
That had to be Flying Dragon Peak.
“There it is!”
At the ridge’ distant end.
The dragon’s head inclined toward the valley below, and正如 the herbalist had described, a cave opening sat where its jaws would gap.
—Drip. Drip drip.
Water seeped from the stony “mouth” like saliva.
“It truly resembles drooling.”
“Unsettling…”
We touched down a short distance from the entrance and advanced warily.
What we encountered inside the cave was… peculiar.
Merely five meters in, the entire tunnel was blocked by solid ice.
Although water dripped continuously from outside, the dense ice barrier within remained wholly undisturbed.
As I looked more intently into the opening—
The faint light permitted me to discern something through the translucent ice.
“Wait, what is that!?”
Abruptly, my thoughts blanked.
Within the gloomy cave, behind the ice, something white lay fallen.
I couldn’t distinguish details through the frosted ice wall, but a crimson form was visible near what seemed to be its mouth.
A tongue?
If its tongue was partially extended like that, its condition was grave.
—Bang! Crash!
I hammered the ice with my fist and palm, but it didn’t yield.
I shouted instantly.
“Cho! Fetch Bini!”
I didn’t know what it was, but I was certain of one thing:
We had to rescue it.
The form rose and fell as if panting—yet it remained unconscious.
The circumstance was urgent.