Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 370

Chapter 370
—Kkuukku. 『Father, what is happening?』
—Kkyuit? 『Grandpa, why are you calling us?』
Seol, Bing, and Dong all peeked out from the collar of Hwa-eun’s robe, their eyes fixed on me.
I had only intended to summon Seol, but since they are a close-knit family, they all emerged together.
“Ah, it’s nothing too serious. I just need you all to direct a little bit of your cold energy toward this friend here.”
—Kkoot? 『Toward the one who is ill?』
—Kkuukkuu? 『Wait, what?』
—Kkyuit? 『A-Are we supposed to strike them?』
The moment I finished speaking, the vertical pupils of all three lizards dilated sharply before gradually settling back to their usual state.
They were all visibly startled, their eyes going wide simply because I mentioned “shoot cold energy.”
It was understandable; it must have sounded like I was asking them to attack a creature that appeared to be on the brink of death using their newly acquired cold beam ability.
Without the proper context, Dong’s innocent question was actually quite accurate—they likely believed I was instructing them to assault a defenseless patient.
‘Oh, come on, kids. Your dad isn’t that kind of cruel person. How could I ever harm such adorable little beings?’
This father has never struck a single spirit beast or poisonous creature.
In my previous life, I never even hit another person. I was practically a model of lawful behavior.
Alright, I’ve had to physically confront a few individuals since arriving in the martial world—but every one of them was a villain, understand?
So how did we end up with this huge misunderstanding?
Just as I was feeling a little wounded, the voice of Sister Seol chimed in.
“Ah! I see—they are suffering from energy depletion due to exhaustion, and the most effective way to aid them is to restore what has been lost.
And since this little one appears to utilize cold energy, you’re suggesting we supplement it with a infusion of cold, correct?”
“Yes, exactly, Sister Seol.”
She grasped my intention right away.
Naturally. That’s Sister Seol for you.
Unlike the younger ones, she comprehended my meaning without any hesitation.
As she provided a clear explanation, Seol, Bing, and Dong all nodded in understanding.
—Kkuu. 『Ah, so that was the plan. I was alarmed. I thought there must be a purpose, but I was concerned it could be harmful for them.』
—Kkuukkuu. 『This is precisely why Mother gets surprised at times. Father, could you please offer an explanation first in the future? Requesting that we blast a sick spirit beast without any warning is naturally going to shock us.』
“R-Right…”
I had been feeling somewhat wronged, but now I felt an apology was in order.
And to be honest, Bing was correct—the fault was mine.
This entire situation stemmed from my professional habits from my past life as a YouTuber.
I always led with the attention-grabbing statement before providing the details.
‘It’s all the viewers’ fault!’
That style of clickbait dialogue was how you captured an audience.
After years of that, altering my communication style didn’t come easily.
Hwa-eun has admonished me about that before as well, but it seems I still haven’t fully learned my lesson.
As I scratched my head with a contrite expression, Sister Seol continued.
“It truly does seem like a sound approach.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. Considering how your little ones function, it aligns perfectly.
Most of the spirit beasts you care for—with a few exceptions like Yeolbi or Jeokwol—consume natural energy in a manner similar to how martial artists cultivate internal energy. And from that natural energy, they only draw in the varieties that are compatible with them.”
Just as she stated—apart from outliers such as Yeolbi or Jeokwol, the majority of the spirit beasts sustain themselves on energy rather than physical food.
Every being in this world requires sustenance to live, and for these creatures, energy is their sustenance.
“Based on how they’ve been freezing their surroundings, it’s evident these ones utilize cold energy. If we provide them with Seol’s energy, they may be able to recuperate.
However, we must ensure the type of energy is compatible.”
“We need to verify compatibility?”
I tilted my head in confusion. Isn’t cold energy simply cold energy?
Sister Seol elaborated.
“You are aware that the energy they absorb is referred to as natural qi, correct?”
“Of course I know that, Sister Seol.”
I nodded promptly.
Back when I was learning martial arts from Grandpa Mandok Shingun, he taught me that the heavens and the earth are saturated with natural qi.
It is the vital force that nourishes all existence, typically categorized into yin and yang. More precisely, it is divided into the Five Elements—metal, water, wood, fire, and earth.
“And you are familiar with the Five Elements, yes?”
“Naturally, Sister Seol. I’ve reached the Three Flower Gathering Essence stage.”
“Oh, that’s true. Our So-ryong is a Three Flower boy now. But why does your aura still seem like Late Qi Gathering to my perception?”
“Pardon?”
“Hehe. Regardless, just listen.”
“Alright…”
She brushed me off lightly, but I could comprehend her reasoning.
For the average person, achieving the Three Flower stage demands decades of arduous training, elixirs, and specialized methods.
I, however, reached it by treating it as a pastime, absorbing toxins from venomous creatures as if it were a simple game.
Naturally, she finds it difficult to accept that I attained this level in such a short period.
Still, in terms of foundational knowledge, I am well-versed.
So I nodded along, and Sister Seol went on.
“I discovered this through caring for your beasts—each child absorbs only the elemental energies that are suited to them. And occasionally, they aren’t limited to just a single element.”
“They aren’t?”
“Yes. Pay attention. Seol, Bing, and Dong absorb cold energy from Ice Jade, but that cold is composed of water and metal qi. Metal corresponds to late autumn, early winter, and dusk. Water corresponds to winter, the north, water, and night.
Conversely, Hwayang absorbs pure yang fire energy from the Fire Well.
As for Cho, Hyang, and Bini—they initially absorbed general natural energy. But after they matured, each began to prefer specific types.
Cho intakes water and metal, Hyang absorbs fire and wood, and Bini draws in earth and metal.”
I had previously believed it was merely a question of yin and yang, so I hadn’t anticipated it being this intricate.
Now I understood why Sister Seol insisted we check for compatibility.
If a spirit beast’s preferred qi is akin to its blood type, then supplying an incompatible type—no matter how similar—could prove ineffective.
‘Phew… I hope this works.’
It seemed even within cold energy, there were numerous subtypes. This gave me cause for concern.
Then, a question occurred to me.
“But hold on, didn’t you say that Cho, Seol, Bing, and Dong all absorb the same types—metal and water?
Then why has Cho never shown any interest in Ice Jade?”
According to her, they all absorbed metal and water qi.
Yet Cho had never displayed the slightest interest in Ice Jade.
To this, Sister Seol nodded and replied.
“Ah, that’s because even within the same elemental categories, the ratio they absorb differs. Cho takes in approximately seven parts water to three parts metal. However, Seol, Bing, and Dong absorb five parts of each.”
“Ahh…”
Hearing about the differences in qi ratios, I glanced at the creature lying there, breathing heavily.
If we miscalculated this, the qi might not be harmonious, and we wouldn’t even be able to attempt the healing.
“Ah, it must be compatible.”
“Wait a moment. I will check it now.”
“Understood, Sister Seol.”
Sister Seol placed her hand on the panting creature’s body to sense its qi, while I used that time to transfer qi from the Beast-Heart Art into Seol.
If the qi Seol possessed matched the creature’s, we would be prepared to commence treatment immediately.
“Seol, come here. It’s urgent, so I will transfer qi to you now. If Sister Seol confirms a match, we will begin the treatment right afterward.”
—Kkuuoo. 『Okay, Father.』
Seol slipped out of Hwa-eun’s embrace and hurried across the chilly floor into my arms.
Even though they utilize cold qi, Seol, Bing, and Dong do not actually enjoy the cold.
“Alright, here we go.”
I placed my hand on her chest and closed my eyes.
As I had done before, I concentrated and channeled qi from the Beast-Heart Art into Seol.
After some time passed, I sensed a slight resistance through my hand.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Hwa-eun watching me with a worried expression.
She had likely approached in case I collapsed again, as happened previously.
“Are you alright, So-ryong?”
“I’m fine.”
As always, Hwa-eun was the first to inquire after my well-being.
After I nodded to assure her, Sister Seol smiled and spoke.
“It’s a match. If Seol, Bing, and Dong are fifty-fifty in water and metal, this one feels approximately fifty-five percent water and forty-five percent metal.
The difference is minor, so it should be acceptable, correct?”
Fortunately, the qi was sufficiently similar.
Feeling relieved, I turned to Seol.
“Seol, you are able to release your qi gently, correct?”
—Kkuu. 『I have never attempted that before, so I will need to practice.』
“Ah, right.”
She had only emitted cold beams once previously during a test, so this would be her first attempt at a gentle release.
Seol climbed down to the floor to practice aiming her cold qi somewhere else first.
“Wait a moment!”
—Kkuu? 『Yes, Father?』
Her tail had begun to glow just as she was about to release her qi, but she halted when I called out.
I swiftly removed my outer robe and spread it on the floor.
“Practice on this, Seol.”
The little ones dislike standing on the cold ground. I couldn’t risk them catching a chill from the floor.
Seol immediately expressed her thanks with a soft, appreciative voice—then suddenly turned and chastised Bing.
—Kkuu. 『Oh my, Father, thank you very much. Just as one would expect.』
“It’s nothing. It’s a father’s duty.”
—Kkuukkuu. 『Are you going to take notes or not?』
—Kkoot? 『Me?』
Bing blinked in confusion, taken aback by the unexpected criticism.
While Seol began gently practicing her cold qi, Bing sent me a private mental message.
『—Kkuukku. Father, could you please consult with us about these matters beforehand? If you continue like this, I will be the one facing difficulties later…』
Even in the realm of spirit beasts, married life doesn’t differ much from that of humans.
I recalled how in my past life, whenever a # Nоvеlight # celebrity couple appeared on a variety show being affectionate, half the viewers would end up arguing with their own partners.
‘I made a mistake again.’
***
After fully discharging her qi once, Seol finally mastered the technique.
Instead of a laser-like beam, she now produced a soft, consistent radiance—similar to a heat lamp used for reptiles.
—Kkuu. 『Father, is this sufficient?』
“Yes, Seol, that looks perfect.”
After replenishing her qi once more, we made ready to start the treatment.
“Okay, I am going to transfer more qi to you now.”
—Kkuu. 『Alright, Father.』
I charged her up again and positioned her in front of the white-scaled creature.
Then, Bing jumped down from Hwa-eun’s arms, took my outer robe, and spread it out neatly before the creature.
Her drooping tail seemed to indicate she wasn’t particularly pleased about this task.
Once my robe was properly laid out, Seol stepped onto it wearing a very content smile.
“Let’s hope this proceeds well.”
Bing was shooting me a disgruntled look, so I chose to pretend I didn’t see it.
Then Sister Seol spoke up.
“Wait, should we not move that little one away first?”
“Oh, correct.”
I had completely forgotten, as it was clinging so tightly to its mother.
But yes—it was better to separate them.
That little one wasn’t yet prepared to absorb qi directly and was still nursing.
If we exposed it to energy now, it would be akin to serving a grilled steak to an infant who cannot yet eat solid food.
“Good point. Okay, little one, come to Grandpa for a moment. We are only going to help Mama, alright?”
I tried coaxing it away gently, but it refused to leave its mother’s side.
It is likely too young to comprehend speech.
And if we forced it, we risked causing it emotional distress.
“What should we do?”
“Yes… should we simply detach it by force?”
—Bbaaaeeh!
As we all wore expressions of concern, the little one suddenly let out a cry.
Then, with a soft thud, Dong leaped down from Hwa-eun’s arms.
—Kkyut! Kkyukyut! 『Grandpa is trying to help your mother, understand? So come over here and remain with me.』
At the sound of Dong’s voice, the little one finally raised its head and looked at her blankly.
—Churp
Dong gave its face a single lick, and the baby—which had hidden its head again—peeked back out and slowly extended a paw toward her.
Young ones have a way of understanding each other.
Soon, it was clinging to Dong.
They were nearly the same size, and the sight of the two of them snuggling together was so overwhelmingly adorable it felt like a physical ache in the heart.
—Kkyutkkyut.
As Dong gently licked the younger one, Seol’s tail began to emit a soft glow.