Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 418

Chapter 418
The events that unfolded before me were too staggering to comprehend fully.
Yes, witnessing a master martial artist being nearly consumed in one bite was startling enough.
But what truly unnerved me—what sent a cold tremor through my very core—was the unimaginable size of the being now towering over us.
Its scales.
They were unmistakably serpentine, without a doubt.
Yet each individual scale was as large as a ping pong ball.
Such a thing should not exist.
Even the biggest snakes in the world have scales no larger than a fingernail.
But here it was: a gleaming tapestry of red and white scales, each one spherical, catching the flickering light from the enemies still burning from my Explosive Palm.
I gradually raised my gaze.
My entire view was consumed by nothing but those immense, overlapping scales.
“Have I died… and ascended to paradise?”
It was a foolish idea, but…
What other name could there be for a realm containing serpents of such splendor?
Perhaps I had indeed been killed by the Black Snake Commander’s blade, and this was the world that comes after.
To check, I gave my own cheek a light tap.
—Tap.
Right. Not paradise. Still among the living. That actually hurt.
Struggling to regain my focus, I studied the enormous being more intently.
First, the flames from the bodies illuminated the shimmering red and white scales once more.
—Clatter. Rustle.
I traced the line of scales upward and noticed something odd: fragments of what looked like stone were breaking away from the coiled serpent form that had been wrapped around the headless statue.
Wait.
That wasn’t stone?
I peered more closely at a piece that had fallen nearby.
It wasn’t rock.
It was desiccated, peeling skin.
“That… that was a shed skin!?”
The understanding struck me with the force of a lightning bolt.
This creature had just molted—shedding directly from around the statue. What I had mistaken for ancient, weathered stone was actually its old skin, clinging tightly to its colossal form.
Then—
Still holding the Black Snake Commander and one of his elites in its twin jaws, the great serpent turned both heads in our direction.
And it spoke.
—Ssssshhhhh… 『What is your will concerning these, O Queen?』
—Shiiiiii… 『What is your will concerning these, O Queen?』
The twitching bodies of the Commander and his subordinate were still barely alive—but now they were merely helpless quarry caught in the serpent’s grasp.
It had addressed her — Hu — a title of royalty. In the ancient language of the court, it signified Queen or Empress.
That could mean only one thing.
This spirit beast served the Golden Crown Snake King.
Everything clicked into place now—the respectful tone, the clear reverence, the sheer magnitude of the beast. Only one of her divine guardians could possibly match such a description.
And then the complete picture finally assembled itself in my mind.
That headless statue I’d seen before, the one with two serpent heads resting upon its shoulders…
I had thought it an odd artistic decision.
Now I knew.
This was no sculpture.
It was an exuviae. A molted skin.
The enormous body had been coiled around the statue in a state of concealment—until this very moment.
Now it had revealed itself, fangs and all.
“Th-this is unbelievable! It’s a… a two-headed serpent!”
This was no common snake.
It was a Twin-Headed Serpent, dwarfing the mature Blue-Spotted Centipede I had encountered before—even larger than Bini’s mother, or Hyang in her true form.
I could feel a scream building in my chest—soundless, ancient, filled with awe.
‘Gyaaaaaaaaaaah!’
For there it stood.
Looming over me…
A two-headed, primeval spirit serpent…
Living. Conscious.
And allied with us.
***
A two-headed serpent is a rare mutation that sometimes occurs among snakes.
It happens approximately once in every million births.
Its origin is similar to that of twins, but due to irregularities during embryonic separation or genetic mutation, the embryos do not split completely, resulting in one body with two heads.
Typically, when this occurs in the wild, the creature perishes at a young age.
This is because the two heads often attempt to move in opposing directions, perpetually straining the shared body.
Consequently, they cannot travel effectively and usually succumb to starvation.
But this one—this one had to be a spirit beast.
As the heads could work together to coordinate and control the body, it must have managed to survive into the present.
In my previous life, I had wanted to keep one myself, but you cannot simply purchase a two-headed snake.
It isn’t prohibited; they are just so exceptionally rare that no owner wishes to sell.
They are beyond value.
If an image of a newly hatched two-headed snake is posted, prospective buyers appear in droves—even from other countries.
And this one? This one was exceptionally massive.
‘This… this is no moment for such behavior.’
Without even realizing it, I had embraced that thick, powerful body.
And then I felt it—the coolness of the snake’s skin.
A shiver ran through me.
And then came its query.
—Shuu? 『Hm? What is this?』
—Shii? 『Hm? What is this?』
Still retaining the Black Snake Commander and the Five Venoms Sect warrior in its mouths, the gigantic twin-headed serpent cocked both heads in curiosity.
Cheong-yu Sojeo responded with a flustered tone.
—Sia. 『That individual, d-do not be concerned with him. Simply handle those two. S-So-ryong?』
The two heads looked at one another and smiled.
—Shuuuuu? 『Ah, as you command.』
—Shiiiii? 『Ah, as you command.』
Then, one of the heads partially released the Five Venoms Sect warrior from its maw, clamped down on his neck, and began battering him repeatedly against the earth.
—Crack.
—Thud! THUD!
Like a ruined plaything, the warrior was tossed, limp and contorted, onto the grass near the pond.
The head that had discarded him then seized the flailing leg of the Black Snake Commander.
And now the Commander was trapped between the two heads—each biting down on either side of his waist.
‘It can’t be… what happens next isn’t what I’m imagining, is it?’
Appalled by the scene materializing in my thoughts, I shut my eyes instinctively as the serpent’s muscles tightened.
And then—
The sound of ripping muscle.
And a piercing shriek.
“Gyaaaaaaaaah!!”
When I looked again, the bisected body of the Black Snake Commander was convulsing beside the body of the Five Venoms Sect warrior.
‘By the heavens!’
He had been torn cleanly in two at the torso, writhing and screaming.
I recalled what Hwa-eun had once told me.
In the Central Plains, those who commit grave offenses are sometimes sentenced to yocham-hyeong—a punishment where the waist is cut through with a massive blade.
She said the victims do not die instantly. They shriek and twist in agony for hours.
That was precisely what the Black Snake Commander resembled in that moment.
—Shuu? 『He is making noise. Shall we conclude this? Please move away.』
—Shii? 『He is making noise. Shall we conclude this? Please move away.』
Cheong-yu Sojeo drew me back from the serpent’s tail.
—Sia 『So-ryong, compose yourself.』
“I-I’m alright.”
—Siiii. 『I anticipated your enjoyment, but I did not foresee a reaction of this intensity.』
As we retreated, the massive twin-headed serpent elevated its heads and expanded its hoods.
The coloration made me think of a Scarlet Snake or a Milk Snake.
But in its structure, it was unmistakably a type of cobra.
Cobras extend their ribs when agitated or defensive, creating a hood.
And this hood—
It was the definitive emblem of a cobra.
Snakes that possess hoods are categorized as cobras.
‘You must be joking… it’s a twin-headed cobra!?’
As the hoods reached their full span, I was utterly captivated.
Then the serpent oriented itself toward the still-convulsing Black Snake Commander.
‘S-surely not?’
It couldn’t possibly be a spitting cobra, could it?
There was no chance this fantastical being could also do that, right? That would render it too ideal.
But—
As if affirming it was precisely what I dreaded (or longed for), four streams of venom shot from its twin mouths.
The twin-headed serpent projected its venom like a spitting cobra—directly onto the still-living Commander.
Owing to the creature’s immense size, the volume of venom discharged was enormous.
—Splat!
—Sssssss!
Before another scream could escape him, the Black Snake Commander was dissolving—flesh and bone alike.
‘Incredible. That… that’s unbelievable.’
It resembled a potent acid or bleach. The venom possessed astonishing corrosive properties.
I was still mesmerized by the creature’s magnificence when a shout came from the direction of the pond’s entrance.
“L-Little Hero! Are you unh… H-HUUUH!?”
I turned to see Monk Jaheo rooted to the spot, gazing at us in utter disbelief.
He must have sensed trouble with Bini’s group and hurried over. But the sight of the twin-headed serpent brought him to an immediate standstill.
As Jaheo stood paralyzed, one of the serpent’s heads looked toward Cheong-yu Sojeo and inquired:
—Shuuuu? 『Shall I dispose of that one as well?』
—Sia. 『No, he is one of ours.』
—Shuu. 『Understood. It appears the present generation’s Queen is quite amicable toward humans.』
Then Bini, Hu-gae, Ji-ryong, and Ranghyang emerged behind Monk Jaheo.
Bini’s eyes went wide as she asked:
—Tsrrr. 『Dad! Huh!? That unni… or should I say unnies? So, who is that?』
“So-So-Little Hero, what is that thing?”
“A-A snake of that size…?”
Everyone was visibly astonished.
But before I could provide an answer, the sound of beating wings came from the direction of the cliff.
—Frrrrrrrrrrr.
It was the sound of Changcheon’s wings.
All heads turned toward the noise.
By this time, the battle had devolved into a disordered melee with no clear lines.
“Be wary of the spirit beasts!”
“Gyaaaaa!”
“Cursed Five Venoms Sect scum!”
“Sis, be careful!”
With spirit beasts engaged, the Five Venoms Sect warriors attempted to shatter formations to evade poison strikes, creating a tumultuous brawl.
Sister Seol and Hwa-eun stood back-to-back, repelling the attacking warriors.
Cho swooped from above, seizing assailants and casting them off the cliff one after another.
My hyung and sister-in-law fought in unison, while Yohwa clung to the cliff face, ensnaring Five Venoms Sect fighters in her webs.
Beads formed from Elder Jeokwolle’s scales ricocheted around, hitting Five Venoms Sect combatants.
But since she had to prevent harm to allies, she could not make them too large, limiting their effectiveness.
“To the cliff! Everyone, to the cliff!”
This was no time to stand here, captivated by a serpent.
If anyone was injured in this disorder, the responsibility would be mine.
As I got ready to move, Cheong-yu Sojeo turned to the twin-headed serpent with a request.
—Siiii. 『Please carry us over there!』
—Shuu! 『Understood!』
—Shii! 『Understood!』
Before she had even finished speaking, the serpent had lifted both of us by the backs of our garments into the hoods at its neck and began to advance.
Despite its bulk, it moved with incredible swiftness.
The snakes of Sajin slid aside to clear a path.
The cliffside was somewhat raised, normally requiring a climb.
But the serpent merely raised its body—and we had arrived.
—Shuuuuu!
—Shiiiiii!
Without any instruction, the serpent released a deep, warning hiss that seized the attention of everyone present.
The combat ceased.
Everyone spun around, astounded, to gaze at the twin-headed serpent.
Dread washed over the expressions of the Five Venoms Sect fighters.
They looked at one another in frantic disbelief, their fear escalating.
Sensing the shift, I yelled:
“All who wish to live, get down on the ground and lower your heads! Do this, and your lives will be spared!”
And one by one, the Five Venoms Sect warriors began to surrender.
Most other spirit beasts were not much bigger than a man—but this entity?
This entity was a monstrosity.
And confronted by that sheer size, terror took root.
“I-I implore you, show mercy!”
“Please, let me live!”
This mission, which had begun as a search for locusts, was now concluding with an astonishing prize.
***
As the Dragon Fangs were securing the area, Sister Seol and Hwa-eun came over.
They observed the twin-headed serpent now resting calmly beside me and Cheong-yu Sojeo, and asked:
“So-ryong, who is this… person?”
“So-ryong, honestly… where did you come across this one?”
They were plainly overcome by the sudden arrival of a gigantic two-headed snake.
“I’m not entirely certain myself. Ahaha. It more or less appeared? I believe the snake figure coiled around the big statue by the pond—actually, it wasn’t a statue after all.”
Then the two heads opened their eyes and spoke, with a hint of sheepishness.
—Shuu. 『I was scraping against the statue to shed my skin, and I fell asleep. I believe I have been asleep for roughly two new years.』
—Shii. 『Only because you fell asleep first. I grew drowsy as well…』
Snakes lack hands, so to shed, they rub their bodies against trees or rocks to peel off the old skin.
They meant that they had been shedding against the statue, found it comfortable, and dozed off—for two or three years.
That outer coating that resembled stone? It must have been the hardened exterior of their shed skin.
I was on the verge of asking how a snake could possibly sleep for years when Ji-ryong came running up from the lower slope.
He passed me a book and a folded document.
“So-So-hero, look at this.”
“What is it?”
“It was recovered from one of the corpses. Based on the prisoners’ accounts, he was a squad leader within the Black Snake Unit.”
Belongings of a Black Snake Unit squad leader?
Intrigued, I unfolded the paper.
It was a map.
A single location was indicated.
A map discovered on a Black Snake Unit squad leader, marking a specific site?
The instincts of Spicy Fabre began to stir.
“I sense it… there’s something there.”