Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 380

Chapter 380
“Eeeek!”
Just as the Chief of the Eighteen Dongting Camps shrieked at the sight of the children and seemed on the verge of collapsing—

“Attack!”
“Attack!”

Cries abruptly broke out, yelling for an assault.
Simultaneously, torches burst into flame throughout the reed forest.
‘What in the world!?’
As bewilderment spread from the sudden pandemonium, my vessel underwent a transformation.
It shifted into a battle boat equipped with crab-like claws.
Confronted by the approaching pirates, Cheongwol leaped up from her position and extended her enormous pincers wide.

Grrrrng. 『I knew it! I said we couldn’t rely on parasites that steal the prey of others!』
Earlier, when Cheongwol had inquired about pirates, I described them in terms she would grasp: beings that live by taking what others have hunted.
She had responded intensely to that, stating such creatures were not to be trusted.
In the natural world, a hunter that steals another’s kill isn’t merely stealing—it is taking the hard-won energy another creature fought for.
To lose that energy in a harsh ecosystem could easily mean death.
Back then, I had assured her that Lee Tae was at least dependable—but evidently, Cheongwol had never let go of her doubts.

Abruptly, Cho, Yeondu, Sister Jeokwol, Moji, and Soji levitated, poised for battle, while Yohwa and the others hurried to form a protective circle around me.
The members of the Dragon Fangs all gripped their weapons.
Then came the icy tone of Cheongyu Sojeo.

Shiaa. 『I suspected something like this could occur, so I made arrangements.』
Curious about her meaning, I looked toward the stern of the boat—
and saw that the river behind us was now half water, half snakes.
Somehow, she had summoned a horde of serpents, gliding soundlessly in our wake.
She had clearly made her own preparations, aware we were entering pirate waters.
It was a volatile confrontation poised to ignite.

But at that instant, the pirate chief gripped the ship’s rail and screamed out to his men:
“Halt! You fools! When did I order an attack?! I said to pay respect to the man my brother is sworn to!”
The moment he shouted, the children froze mid-air, and Cheongyu Sojeo—her hand partially raised to command her snakes—halted and looked at me, puzzled.

Shiaa? 『Respect? What?』
Sssrrrk. 『Daddy, what is “respect”?』
Pii? 『Food?』
As confusion washed over the deck, the pirate chief scurried forward, nervously clasping his hands and offering an embarrassed smile.
“M-My deepest apologies! I instructed my men that this is the man my sworn brother serves, to remain concealed, and then to emerge and demonstrate proper respect… but these imbeciles must have heard ‘attack’ instead. They are so accustomed to daily plundering, they likely became confused… Ha ha… fools, aren’t they?”
“Confused?”
“Yes, well, you see, the words for ‘respect’ and ‘attack’ sound quite alike, do they not?”
It did seem peculiar, but… he had a point.
In the Zhongyuan dialect, the word for respect (gonggyeong) is pronounced similarly to *gongjing*, while attack (gonggyeok) is *gongjiyi*.
If one says ‘attack’ rapidly, it could resemble ‘respect’, and saying ‘respect’ slowly might still sound like ‘attack’.
“You blockheads! What are you doing!? Line the passage with torches for Lord So-ryong’s voyage! Do you not understand respect?! Respect! Not attack!”
As the chief yelled from the railing, the boats remained suspended awkwardly.
Seol-noona gazed with open skepticism.
“This seems suspicious. It appears they were not prepared for this reception at all. Perhaps they intended to attack but reconsidered upon seeing those frightening creatures.”
Her doubt was evident.
The pirate chief responded with a dramatic screech.
“Eeeek! W-Watch your tongue! That is a perilous insinuation! I vow, it is merely a misunderstanding! They misheard! They were assembling for a formal greeting, not an assault! Heavens, how do I command a pirate fleet with such simpletons!”
Sweat streamed down the pirate chief’s face as he offered excuses.
The children orbited him cautiously, their eyes filled with mistrust.

Grrrrng. 『This seems underhanded.』
Shiaa. 『I concur.』
Guoo. 『It just feels dishonest.』
Pii! 『Food! Food!』
As they hovered near him, the chief squeezed his eyes shut and shook intensely.
He was unable to speak—only flapping his hands in a desperate gesture of denial.
“Ugh…”
It was then that Lee Tae intervened to vouch for his brother.
“Lord So-ryong, my sworn brother undoubtedly intended to welcome you with correct ceremony, and it appears his crew misconstrued his instructions.
I give you my word—he is not a person who would commit such a deed.”
“Is that true?”
Hearing this, I instructed the children, who were readying for flight again, to stand down and allowed the tense guards around me to relax.
Truthfully, I had begun to feel somewhat doubtful as well.
But even if an ambush had been their initial plan, they were now far too terrified to attempt anything.
‘I believed this was some sort of synchronized suicide mission.’
“Alright, children, come here. These uncles say it was an error. You are safe now, so settle down. Cheongwol, you too. And Cheongyu Sojeo, please withdraw the snakes.”
Shiaa. 『I shall recall them somewhat, then.』
Sssrrrk. 『Okay, Daddy.』
As the children retreated, the chief’s face brightened with obvious relief.
“Th-Thank you!”
Radiating gratitude, the pirate chief dashed back to the ship’s railing.
He had been scrambling back and forth all evening—and now he bellowed over the water once more:
“Move quicker, you oafs! This is Lord So-ryong, son-in-law of the Sichuan Tang Clan and associate of the Dragon Fangs! His ship is occupied by spirit beasts that even the Dragon Fangs could not confront singly, so make haste!”
He seemed to be explaining quite explicitly, yet the pirates remained motionless.

Sssrrrk.
Shaaa.
Pii?
Bubububurururu.
But then the children lined up beside him, and even Geumdo thrust his head out to gaze at them—and finally, the petrified pirates sprang into action.
“Uwaaaah! A… a turtle?!”
“A g-giant turtle!”
In moments, the boats dispersed around us arranged themselves in an orderly line along the waterway, and torches illuminated the path like a luminous carpet spanning the river.
Now that—That resembled a genuine display of respect.

***
By nightfall, we had arrived at West Dongting Lake, led through the waterway by the pirates.
As the tight channel opened up, a huge body of water, as broad as an ocean, spread out before us.
“This is West Dongting Lake. We frequently refer to it as Yunmeng Swamp.”
“It appears far more extensive than I anticipated. How long is the journey from here to East Dongting Lake?”
“Approximately half a day’s travel?”
“That far, is it? I suppose I should survey the area first. Since we must search regardless, it is logical to observe the territory from a high vantage.”
“From above? Um… from where, precisely?”
The instant I saw the horizon stretching boundlessly across the lake, I summoned Cho to my side.
They had mentioned that most whirlpools were emerging near East Dongting Lake. I wished to gauge the distance we needed to cover and the true immensity of the lake.
“Cho!”
Chrrr! 『Understood, Dad.』
Enveloped by Cho’s coils, I ascended above the misty water into the heavens.
As we climbed higher, clouds entered our view.
Chrrr. 『Dad… higher?』
“Yes, Cho.”
Chrrr… 『Truly…?』
Her voice quivered with unease.
She typically avoided flying above the clouds, though I was not entirely certain why. Being asked to ascend further seemed to unsettle her.
But to obtain a complete view of the lake, we had no alternative. From this altitude, I still could not see its entirety.
“Do not fear. I am with you. Let us ascend just a little more. We still cannot see the entire lake.”
Only after rising above the clouds, where the air grew cold, did the lake’s full form become visible.
And when I saw it—
I could not conceal my astonishment.
The lake was utterly unlike what I had pictured. It was immensely larger than any Dongting Lake I recalled.
I had visited China multiple times for research, so I possessed a general idea of the lake’s size.
In that time, it was about 2,600 square kilometers. Certain records from the Qing dynasty suggested it expanded to 6,000 square kilometers.
But this… this was nearly a sea.
‘Seoul is roughly 600 square kilometers. I assumed it would be ten times that. But this? This seems even larger.’
I could not calculate exactly, but it appeared vastly bigger than ten times the size of Seoul.
Searching this entire area would not be simple.
Just then, Cho’s shivering voice reached my ears.
Chrrr… 『Dad… I’m cold…』
We had ascended too high. As a centipede-type spirit beast, Cho was clearly susceptible to the cold.
I promptly enfolded her in my arms.
“My girl is cold? That is unacceptable! Let us descend immediately, Cho.”
Chrrrt. 『Okay, Dad.』
We returned to the boat and sat by the firepit, with Cho nestled in my embrace, and I pondered—reflecting on the enormous lake we had just viewed from above.
Given its scale, the search would be challenging.
Boats were prohibited on East Dongting Lake, meaning Geumdo could not be utilized.
Therefore, the sole choice was aerial reconnaissance using Cho and Yeondu.
Their visibility would surpass that from a boat, but… if our quarry was also beneath the water, this would be akin to seeking a needle in a haystack.
“Is something concerning you, Young Master?”
At the sound of Ji-ryong’s voice, I turned my head.
He had been waiting for breakfast to be ready and was now observing me intently.
“Oh, I was merely reflecting—after viewing the lake from above, it is far larger than I expected. Locating the whirlpool will require significant time.
Even charting it with Cho and Yeondu could take days. I had no conception it was this vast.”
“Yes, I comprehend.”
Ji-ryong nodded, then smiled.
“But do not fret. We have assistance.”
“Assistance?”
He glanced in the direction of the Chief of the Eighteen Dongting Camps.

***
“So… you are suggesting we deploy all our boats onto East Dongting Lake tonight?”
“Yes. We will require your aid.”
Ji-ryong’s strategy was to dispatch all the pirate vessels onto East Dongting Lake under cover of night, while I observed from above.
If a whirlpool materialized, I would descend swiftly.
Essentially, he proposed using the pirates as lure.
We did not know the nature of the spirit beast we pursued, but apparently, if boats were sent out, it would emerge and attempt to overturn them.
Thus, we would deploy as many as possible—like casting out numerous baits when fishing.
“B-But if we launch boats on East Dongting Lake, will we not be executed if discovered?”
The chief blinked, perplexed by Ji-ryong’s proposition.
To this, Ji-ryong smiled and answered suavely,
“That only occurs if you are apprehended, correct? And do not all scoundrels of Dongting Lake face beheading if seized by the authorities? Surely men of the water would not be intimidated by that.”
In other words:
“You are already outlaws. Why exhibit fear?”
The chief’s expression stiffened.
Despite the polite phrasing, the meaning was transparent:
“You are criminals. What is the issue?”
Are you frightened?
“W-Well, even so, I mean…”
As the pirate chief faltered with an uncomfortable look, Ji-ryong suddenly adopted a solemn expression and muttered to himself.
“Huh… And here I presumed, since you all professed such profound respect for us, you would risk your lives to assist. So what transpired last night… was that genuine respect, or was it indeed an attempted assault?”
If they failed to demonstrate proper respect now, he implied, then the previous night’s event might be reinterpreted as an ambush.
The chief panicked and exclaimed,
“N-No! That is not my intention! I merely paused for a second, that is all! Of course we will assist! How could the Dongting Eighteen Camps possibly decline a request from the man my sworn brother serves!”
So… a brief hesitation, but they are committed.
Ji-ryong winked at me with a cunning smile.
The bait was prepared.
‘Very well… time to prepare the fishing equipment.’
We had an entire fleet of fresh bait.
Time to commence fishing.
‘I wonder what we will hook.’