Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 377

Chapter 377
Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter, adhering to all the specified requirements.

***

“You’re detecting a spirit beast? Ryong, you’re normally so meticulous—are you certain you aren’t being hasty?”
Sister Seol appeared confused by my assertion that I could smell a spirit beast’s presence.
I had a history of never leaping to conclusions, always demanding concrete proof before making a judgment. My immediate suspicion this time, based solely on a story, was what had taken her by surprise.

“I have my logic for it, Sister Seol.
Whirlpools typically develop where powerful currents clash. For them to appear in placid lake waters? And to be strong enough to overturn vessels? That is profoundly unusual.
Furthermore, if they are emerging in numerous locations rather than one fixed point, that defies any natural explanation.”
Whirlpools require conflicting flows to spin into existence—such as where a river empties into a lake. But in the middle of a calm, still body of water? It simply doesn’t occur.
If whirlpools are forming there, the cause could be a tremendous school of fish agitating the depths… or perhaps a collapsing cavity in the lake floor.
But several whirlpools? Scattered everywhere?
There was only one plausible answer: a spirit beast.
Yet, even if my deduction was correct, it was no cause for celebration.
Because if the whirlpools originated beneath the surface, the creature was undoubtedly water-dwelling.
The most probable culprit? The Huali—the Fire Carp.
This legendary freshwater spirit fish is known in tales as the Golden Huali, the Centennial Huali, the Millennial Huali, and even the Ten-Thousand-Year Huali.
This was a lake, not the sea. Therefore, the odds favored a spirit akin to a carp or a goldfish.
In the best possible circumstance, it might be a water serpent.
“The fact it’s underwater really dampens the excitement, doesn’t it…”
Before Jaheo could conclude his discussion, I sent him a silent, urgent message.
[Master Jaheo, could you inquire why they are convinced this is the Dragon King’s work? Did a witness see something, or is this an assumption because the events are happening in the water?]
[Understood.]
The locals were adamant this was the Dragon King’s anger. But was that conviction based on a sighting, or was it just the default superstition of the age—that any strange aquatic phenomenon must be the Dragon King?
I had to find out. The smallest hint might help us identify what we were truly facing.
“…What in the world is the governor considering?”
Jaheo then posed my question to the men exactly as I had asked:
“We grasp that there are whirlpools and sunken boats. But what specifically makes you attribute this to the Dragon King?”
They hesitated, exchanging looks with one another.
Finally, one of them offered a reply:
“Well, isn’t it self-evident?”
“Self-evident?”
“Ah, of course. You are newcomers.”
“Self-evident? What sort of answer is that?”
The man nodded as if it were common knowledge and gestured toward a district of Akyang.
“If you travel over there, you will come across a site known as Yoo Uijeong Well.”
“Yoo Uijeong?”
“It is a well on Yongok Mountain’s eastern slope. Every visitor to Akyang sees it. It is quite renowned; you ought to view it yourself.”
“I understand. But what connection does that well have with the Dragon King?”
“Ah, that is the tale. It is a local legend.
During the Tang Dynasty, a scholar named Yoo Ui failed the imperial examination in Chang’an and was journeying home when he traveled through Gyeongyang.
There, he witnessed a man mistreating a woman. Taking pity on her, he intervened to offer aid.
It transpired the man was her husband—and the woman was the third princess of the Dongting Lake Dragon King.
Yoo Ui assisted her in fleeing, but feared she would only be abused again after his departure. So he resolved to inform her family.
He traveled to a spring where Yoo Uijeong Well now stands and knocked on the mandarin tree beside it. This granted him entry to the Dragon King’s palace under the lake, where he reported the third princess’s plight.
She was saved, and in time, she and Yoo Ui fell in love. They lived out their days in happiness.
Consequently, we boatmen say that any storms or whirlpools on Dongting Lake are a sign of the Dragon King’s fury.”
“Ahh, now I comprehend.”
“…Seriously? That is the entire reason?”
I had expected someone to have witnessed something. Or that there was some tangible evidence.
But it was merely a folktale.
Because the fishermen regularly perform rituals for the Dragon King, the instant boats began sinking, they instinctively blamed him.
The myth of an underwater Dragon Palace beneath Dongting Lake only reinforced the belief.
I concluded we would have to await more reliable information from the Dragon Fangs who had gone toward the city center and the magistrate’s offices.
Just then, a man from a neighboring table abruptly interjected.
“I do not mean to intrude, but I heard it was due to an enormous snake.”
“Wait, what!? A snake?!”
My attention was instantly captured.
I recalled what Lady Cheongyu had told us—about the guardian serpents that protect the Golden Wasp Queen.
Besides Bi-cheon Shin-sa and the Ji-yeong Snake, three others remained.
Could one of them be here?
A thrill of excitement rushed through me. My hands grew damp, and my mind buzzed with anticipation.
I sent another quick message to Jaheo.
[Master Jaheo, please press him for more information!]
[Of course, Little Sir.]
Immediately, Jaheo turned to the man who had spoken of the snake and began questioning him—with a speed and precision that reminded me of a character I might control in a game.
“A snake, you say? Would you elaborate further, good sir?”
“Yes, Master.
This area, Akyang, was once named Parung. In the ancient eras of Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, a gigantic serpent known as Ba-sa dwelled in the gorges of the Three Gorges along the Yangtze River.
It was of such immense size that it could consume elephants in a single mouthful.”
“Ah, I recall that story. Emperor Yao commanded Hou Yi to slay it with his bow, is that not correct?”
“Precisely, Master.
The legend states that the carcass of Ba-sa transformed into the eight hills that now encircle Dongting Lake.
Some folk believe the current disturbance is caused by a new snake born under the lake—spawned from the residual energy of Ba-sa’s remains.
They think this snake is generating the whirlpools and capsizing the boats.”
Jaheo evidently knew more of the history than he had initially shown, as he began to contribute to the narrative.
“Yao and Shun? That is… profoundly ancient. That would be before even the Xia Dynasty.”
“That’s it? That is the entire explanation?”
All my eager anticipation abruptly evaporated.
I mean, truly? We are delving into legends older than the tales of Ungnyeo and her bear that ate mugwort?
I had hoped to at least pinpoint a primary location where the whirlpools consistently formed, but…
The lake was far too expansive.
[Master Jaheo, could you please ask if the whirlpools appear more frequently in one particular area?]
[Certainly, Little Sir.]
“Do you know if the whirlpools favor any specific part of the lake?”
“Favor one? It is difficult to say. They emerge randomly all over.”
“We have only observed them in Eastern Dongting, near Akyang.”
“We know little of the situation in Southern or Western Dongting.”
“Have those regions been closed off as well?”
“Have you received any news?”
“Hmm, I doubt the blockade extends that far.”
It was apparent that Dongting Lake was enormous. Beyond the Akyang region, these boatmen had no knowledge.
For now, our best course was to wait for the Dragon Fangs to return from the city and the government offices. We required factual intelligence, not myths.
***
“Wait, where did they all go?”
“Yes, where is everyone? Did we lose them?”
“Oh? So-ryong, look over there!”
We were still meandering through the market, attempting to locate the Dragon Fangs who had ventured further in… when we finally saw them.
There they were, nonchalantly eating roasted duck at a food stall as if they hadn’t a care in the world.
“Brother?”
“Ah, So-ryong. Come, join us. You discovered us, excellent.”
“Little Sir So, please, have a seat.”
The Dragon Fangs were gathered around a generous meal of roasted duck and various accompaniments, dining like royalty.
“Are you quite serious? We have been scouring the entire city for you…”
We had rushed all over trying to find them, and here they were on a culinary outing?
I must have conveyed my irritation, because Brother Gwiseong lifted an eyebrow and inquired:
“I instructed our crew to inform you we would be waiting here. Did the message not reach you?”
“No, we were searching further within the market.”
“The hour grew late, and people stopped speaking with us, so we could learn no more. We decided to have a meal before returning, but it seems our paths did not cross.”
That was reasonable. It was acceptable.
So I took a seat among them, seized a duck leg, and began eating as I asked:
“Brother, did you discover anything of value? We shared drinks with some boatmen. They said the whirlpools are preventing any travel on Dongting Lake.”
“Yes, I heard the same. The whirlpills have been wrecking boats, prompting the Governor of Akyang to prohibit all voyages onto the lake.”
I didn’t know who his source was, but it matched what we had learned.
Then Ji-ryong added:
“I heard that as well. The Governor has apparently decreed that anyone daring to sail on Dongting Lake will forfeit their head.”
“Forfeit their head?!”
A shiver ran down my neck just hearing it.
But then Ji-ryong continued with a smile:
“Ah, but that is only for Eastern Dongting Lake.”
“Only Eastern Dongting?”
“Yes. Dongting Lake is so massive it is split into East, West, and South. The prohibition applies solely to Eastern Dongting—the portion around Akyang. They could not seal the entire lake. If they tried to block access to Changde or Yiyang, the governors of those cities would have protested fiercely.”
As Ji-ryong described it, Dongting Lake was shaped like a crooked “V,” with the left side considerably thinner than the right.
Only Eastern Dongting Lake—the section linked to Akyang—was officially closed.
“But what does that matter? If the entrance is barred, we cannot enter.”
Exactly. What good does that do?
If the primary point of access is sealed, we cannot get onto the lake to investigate.
Certainly, I could dispatch Cho and Yeondu to scout… but this entity was likely a huge aquatic spirit beast. If I was correct, Geumdo would also need to enter.
Sending Cho in by himself concerned me. He is an excellent swimmer, but what if a whirlpool caught him?
It was then that Hwa-eun spoke:
“So-ryong, there are other paths into Dongting Lake.”
“Other paths?”
“Yes.”
Wait—if that was true, why hadn’t she said so before?
I shot her a puzzled glance. Ji-ryong then nodded and elaborated:
“There are the Songzi Estuary, the Ouchi Estuary, and the Taepyeong Estuary. They are smaller rivers that feed into the lake. One would need to navigate through reeds and marshes, but it is possible.”
Three alternative routes?!
I rose to my feet, the half-eaten duck leg still in my grip, and exclaimed:
“You should have told me that sooner! Why are we waiting? Let’s depart!”
Ji-ryong appeared uncomfortable.
I tilted my head, and he explained the complication.
“There is an issue. Those territories are under the control of the Eighteen Forts of Dongting.”
“The Eighteen Forts?”
The name sounded familiar.
I frowned, and Hwa-eun helped me remember.
“So-ryong, Lee Tae spoke of them once. They are river bandits—similar to the gangs that command the Yangtze River crossings.”
“He did?”
“Yes.”
To be frank, if I had spare mental energy, I would use it to memorize the names of venomous creatures or spirit beasts. Not random bandit factions.
What exactly were the Eighteen Forts of Dongting?
“Is this some kind of fraternity for Dongting men?”
Regardless, it meant we would have to cross through bandit-controlled land.
So, we had two choices.
Either crush them as we have before… or pay a fee.
“So, our options are to defeat them or to pay them off.”
If we chose the first, we would cause another commotion. I would have to summon the creatures.
“Perhaps we should simply pay and be done with it?”
Hwa-eun offered this milder suggestion.
Everyone nodded in agreement—but I felt a pang of discontent.
In my past life, I resided in a nation governed by laws. Here, people pay off bandits as if it is routine. It irritated me immensely.
Especially when they were insignificant bullies demanding payment. I was on the verge of contemplating putting the Eighteen Forts in their place when—
“Pardon us… are you Sir So-ryong of the Sacheon Tang Clan?”
Everyone turned.
Two men with rugged appearances stepped cautiously from a darkened alley and bowed in my direction.
“I am. And who are you?”
They looked like ruffians, yet they knew my name. Their faces were unfamiliar to me.
As I regarded them with confusion, one answered respectfully:
“We are under Fort Chief Lee Tae. We have heard much about you!”
“Lee Tae’s men? I do not recognize you. How did you even identify me?”
They stated they served Lee Tae, but I didn’t know them.
One of them scratched his head.
“We are recent additions. We overheard a mention of Lee Tae and Sir So-ryong, so we ventured to ask.”
“Ahh, that clarifies it. A pleasure to meet you. But what brings you two here?”
I asked because I was taken aback that river bandits were moving so freely in a respectable city.
However, their answer surprised me.
“Fort Chief Lee Tae dispatched us to look into the whirlpools on Dongting Lake.”
“The whirlpools?”
“Yes, sir. Previously, you reprimanded us for not fulfilling our duties. As this area is near the Three Gorges, he commanded us to investigate personally. Since we are not widely recognized, we were sent.”
“Ahh…”
Yes. I had given him a stern lecture before. I labeled him indolent and said his only work was gathering coins and submitting late reports.
“Well, it seems he has finally gotten his act together.”
Sending men to verify information directly was a definite improvement.
Then the two men inquired tentatively:
“Um… we were not intentionally listening, but… it sounded as if you intend to enter Dongting Lake?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“And you were discussing payment? There is no need for that, Sir So-ryong. The leader of the Eighteen Forts is Lee Tae’s sworn brother.”
“Truly?”
Even something worthless can prove valuable at the right time. It seemed these bandits had their advantages.
If he is Lee Tae’s sworn brother, and Lee Tae serves me… Then he effectively serves me as well.
I smiled and said:
“In that case, would you care to guide us?”