Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 420

Chapter 420
I had just steeled myself to bear any difficulty when it occurred.
The two of them—positioned on either side of me—launched into a full-scale argument.
Their forked tongues shot out like lashes, striking one another with sharp, venomous words.
-Shuuu! 『You are utterly infuriating!』
-Shiii! 『You’re one to speak!』
-Shuuuuu! 『Nine years ago! Do you recall? I requested you shift on the rock, yet you kept the warmest part entirely for yourself!』
-Shiii? 『What, from nine years past? That instance? I repaid you for that eight years ago, did I not?!』
-Shuuuuuuu! 『You most certainly did not!』
-Shiii! 『I did! And then twelve years ago—that rainy day? I begged you to move because the rain was dripping onto my head, and you refused to shift even slightly!』
Nine years ago? Twelve? Were they truly unearthing complaints from almost a decade prior?
This was no mere squabble between spirit beasts—it was a clash of monumental, long-held resentment.
They weren’t simply hissing. They were actively conjuring up old memories like necromancers resurrecting the departed.
Initially, their impressive size and regal demeanor had given them an air of dignity, like distinguished guardian knights. But in private?
They were bickering, meticulous young women. The sort who recalled every single offense, every missed opportunity, every sun-warmed stone.
Likely because they were twins.
I’d known a twin in my previous life. He mentioned that twins could be the closest of allies… but also feud more fiercely than anyone.
Even if one was nominally “older,” they entered the world together. Thus, their conflicts lacked hierarchy—they were between equals, which made them all the more potent.
Now envision sisters who not only shared a birth date—but also a single form?
Yes, there was absolutely no way I was inserting myself into this.
I was on the verge of cautiously retreating when the intense hissing and arguing began to agitate everyone nearby. The alarmed voices of Hwa-eun and Sister Seol interrupted.
“Hm? What is happening? Why are they suddenly arguing?”
“So-ryong, are they truly… fighting? Explain!”
“Yes, regardless of the reason, just attempt to soothe them!”
Being the only one who could comprehend their dispute, the abrupt conflict must have appeared utterly strange to the others. They didn’t realize it was all centered on names.
I had just decided to remain uninvolved a moment before—and now they were pleading with me to step in.
And I desperately did not want to.
The rule is universal: never intervene in an argument between women.
But how could I refuse? I was the sole person who could communicate with them. And I couldn’t possibly appear cowardly in front of Hwa-eun and Sister Seol.
Haa…
I let out a sigh, opened my hands, and reached out to softly separate their snouts.
At the very least, I needed to make an effort.
“Alright, alright, everyone just relax—”
-Shuu? 『But So-ryong-nim, you must listen! She constantly demands the warmer section of the rock when we rest. Every time! And there is more!』
-Shiaa? 『Oh, I beg you, So-ryong-nim, do not believe her falsehoods. She is distorting the truth! I assure you, I have always been the patient and sensible one. Just hear—』
-Shuuu! 『No! She is dishonest! You need to listen to my account!』
Just as predicted, they instantly pulled me into their disagreement—each attempting to secure my support.
I couldn’t actively participate, so I offered them both ambiguous nods, striving to pacify them equally.
They were both crucial to me. I couldn’t show preference to one and cause the other to feel slighted.
“Y-yes… that must have been irritating.”
-Shuuu? 『Correct? You comprehend, do you not, So-ryong-nim?』
-Shii. 『No! She is distorting it again! Allow me to clarify—this is what truly occurred…』
“I-I understand… that seems reasonable.”
-Shiii. 『So you concede that I was the one more wronged, yes?』
“Uh? Uh… certainly…”
And that is when everything fell apart.
I had attempted to remain impartial—but in doing so, I had led both to believe I was supporting the other.
-Shuut? 『Wait—So-ryong-nim, are you now siding with her?』
“N-no, I wasn’t choosing a side, I merely intended—”
-Shiaa? 『Oh my… So-ryong-nim, I am wounded. I believed we had an understanding. True, our acquaintance is brief, but I took Hu’s words seriously. I vowed to myself I would serve you faithfully. Yet now you are not supporting me? You are on her side?!』
Oh heavens. This is the absolute worst outcome.
Their tongues flicked with anger on each side of my face, grazing my cheeks as they hissed and snarled.
I was trapped directly between two disputing serpent heads—each vying for my approval, each growing more aggrieved by the second.
Then, deliverance came.
-Shiiiii! 『Cease! This ends now, both of you! This is beneath you. Sisters should not behave in such a manner!』
I had overlooked—there was one other who could comprehend them.
Cheong-yu Sojeo.
She intervened like a stern matron, her voice clear and authoritative.
Instantly, both heads grew quiet and drooped low, sulking but submissive.
After all, when the queen commands, even serpents obey.
-Shuuu. 『Very well… as you say, Hu-shi.』
-Shii. 『Fine. Hmph.』
It occurred to me then that Cheong-yu Sojeo’s word was law among serpents.
And she was not merely a mediator—she was also the ideal arbiter for assigning the names.
If I were to make the final decision, the one who didn’t receive her chosen name would merely reignite the conflict. But if their queen decreed it?
They would accept it without dissent.
Please, Cheong-yu Sojeo—bestow the names. You will manage it far better than I.
『Shia. “Ah, I understand.”』
She gave me a perceptive nod, then turned to face the two with a resolute, stern expression.
Placing her hands on her hips, she looked between them, and proclaimed:
-Shii. 『The head on the right is Hwana. The head on the left is Hwanji. It is decided.』
She delivered it as an irrevocable edict.
The two shared a quick glance, puffed their cheeks in a pout, and gave reluctant nods of acceptance.
-Shuu… 『We hear you, Hu-shi.』
-Shii… 『Understood. Hmph.』
And so, the Twin-Headed Red-Flamed Sunring Serpent was formally named:
Right head: Hwana.
Left head: Hwanji.
***
Once the turmoil subsided and Hwanji and Hwana had completed their introductions to the group, Hugae came dashing from the cave interior toward me.
“So So-hyeop, your presence is required inside. Ji-ryong and the team discovered a facility of the Five Venoms Clan. Ji-ryong indicated it was something for your eyes only and requested I fetch you.”
“Oh? Understood.”
It seemed they had found one of the Five Venoms Clan’s installations further within. I assumed they needed my knowledge regarding it.
Truthfully, after all the serpent-related theatrics, a shift in focus was welcome. It was time to go inside.
There was a quality to the poisonous beings surrounding us—it seemed to amplify the cave’s yin energy. I required fresh air, or at least a different environment, before it sapped my strength further. So I quickly followed Hugae into the cavern.
-Tsrurur. 『Daddy.』
Just as I began to move, I heard Hyang’s voice.
I turned toward the sound—she had detached herself from Hwa-eun and was now scaling my leg.
“Hyang? What is it?”
-Tsrut. 『I will accompany you.』
“Of course. We’ll go together.”
I had genuinely been anticipating a respite from the yin-saturated atmosphere for some masculine warrior discourse, but when your darling daughter wishes to join, what choice is there?
A father perseveres.
We had only moved a few paces when Hyang started probing my body with her legs, and inquired:
-Tsrurur? 『Daddy, you are unharmed, correct? I heard you were in a battle, and it frightened me. You must not be injured, okay? I would be deeply saddened.』
I hadn’t anticipated combat during this mission, so I’d instructed Hyang to remain with Hwa-eun and guard her. But evidently, she’d learned of my skirmish and had been anxiously concerned.
She likely wasn’t merely joining me—she wanted to personally verify my condition.
Heavens. Is this the sensation of a father’s love?
I believed I had my fill of the draining yin energy—but if it was this variety of yin? I embraced it wholeheartedly.
Her words washed over me like a surge of deep emotion.
My daughter… caring for me in this way…
I could scarcely breathe from the powerful rush of tenderness.
You’ve matured so much, Hyang. Daddy is immensely proud of you.
With a gentle smile, I replied.
“Naturally. Daddy is perfectly fine. And you, Hyang?”
-Tsrut. 『I sustained one blow from a villain while protecting Mommy, but I am alright.』
“You were struck!? Where!? Show me!”
Now, Hyang’s physique is harder than steel—she can deflect blades and qi strikes without a mark.
But still—she mentioned being hit. That triggered full parental alarm.
“Here? Is this the spot?”
-Tst. 『Mhm. Precisely there.』
“You monstrous fiend!! Shoo shoo—away with the pain! Shoo shoo—away with the pain!”
I exaggerated my actions, blowing warm air onto the area like an excessively fervent healer, when I suddenly sensed I was being watched.
Turning my head, I saw everyone observing me.
Cho, Bini, Yohwa, Sister Jeokwol, Dong, and the others.
“…Huh?”
And one by one, they gradually drew nearer… each extending a limb.
-Chiiii.
-Kisit.
-Tsrurur.
-Ggyut!
“Wait… even Sister Jeokwol?!”
They anticipated I would perform the same for each of them.
As I exhaled breath after breath, a thought crossed my mind:
Grandfather often said a man’s breath contains yang energy…
If I continue this, I will be utterly depleted.
And with all this yin energy already present?
Would I even… endure the wedding night with Hwa-eun later?
I silently repeated a plea.
Grant me immense power! Power like a serpent! A lizard! A centipede!
I required strength.
***
“Are you quite well, So So-hyeop?”
Hugae regarded me with concern.
After all the theatrical blowing, my legs were beginning to feel unsteady.
“Y-yes, I’ll manage. Simply need to regain my wind.”
-Chwaruruk.
Changcheon beat its wings softly on my left shoulder, expressing worry.
It appeared concerned that we might discover the remains of its kin deeper within.
As Changcheon had been adamant about joining specifically to verify this, the wing movement seemed to inquire after my condition.
“I’m alright.”
Still concerned, Hyang unwound from around me and secured her legs around my knees, offering support to stabilize me.
Immediately, walking felt less burdensome. As my breathing evened out and the shaking ceased, I noticed a light ahead.
“Is that the place?”
“Yes, So So-ryong.”
Upon entering, we arrived at a spacious chamber within the cave.
There, lit by torchlight, stood a breeding enclosure—built from a mesh-like fabric.
Waiting nearby were Ji-ryong and the Dragon Fangs.
As I drew closer, I observed that the pen was utterly vacant—no locusts remained inside. They had probably been released recently, leaving the structure empty.
It seemed all breeding had been managed from this one site—not several facilities as I had initially thought.
-Chwaruk.
-Tsrut. 『That is a relief.』
Changcheon seemed to express gratitude that no corpses of its kind were present.
We had, after all, dispersed venom from Bini and Ranghyang here earlier—with Changcheon’s consent.
Once a locust changed into a Yellow Locust, it ceased to heed Changcheon. We had sought permission beforehand to use poison on them.
Changcheon had consented—stating that those unnatural beings, artificially altered by the Five Venoms Clan, merited peace. Yet, I could discern it had been anxious.
They were, ultimately, its relatives.
Surveying the area, I asked Ji-ryong:
“I don’t observe anything particularly unusual. What did you need me to see?”
“Look more carefully, So So-hyeop.”
Ji-ryong brought a torch closer to the ground—and then I saw them.
Minute creatures were hopping on the floor.
“What in the—!?”
They were infant grasshoppers—newly hatched.
I knelt for a closer inspection. From the dense soil layer covering the cave floor, miniature young grasshoppers were beginning to appear.
They must have been eggs concealed in the earth—sheltered from the poisonous gas. Now, they were hatching.
-Chwarurur!
Changcheon fluttered in alarm.
I addressed it with urgency.
We could potentially rescue these relatives it yearned to protect.
“Changcheon, can you prevent them from gathering? They are not Yellow Locusts yet—but if they congregate now, they will transform!”
Whether these newborns stayed solitary or became swarmers was influenced by their surroundings—primarily how crowded they were.
The shift in locust behavior originates more from environmental conditions than inherited traits.
Left like this, they would transition from a solitary phase to a gregarious one—becoming a full swarm.
I ripped open the mesh of the breeding pen and cautiously began relocating the hatchlings outside.
“If they remain together, they will change. We must disperse them. Can you manage that? Separate them as widely as possible!”
-Chwarurur.
-Tsrurur. 『We can handle this, Dad! They comprehend you.』
Soon, the small green specks started to move—distancing themselves from one another and hopping outward under Changcheon’s guidance.
With Changcheon leading, they progressed out of the cave.
Most could only manage a tiny hop, but they advanced steadily toward liberty.
At the entrance—the edge of the cliff—daybreak had just arrived.
A favorable wind swept across the stony outcrop.
“Changcheon, disperse them! Scatter them in every direction!”
-Chwarurur!
The morning air swirled around.
The tiny green dots propelled themselves over the cliff’s brink—jumping into freedom.
Borne on the wind, they spread out in all directions.
And at that moment, Hyang twitched her antennae and murmured to them—probably recalling my earlier teachings.
-Tsrurur. 『We shall meet again… when autumn comes, for the harvest time.』
Not as horrors—Yellow Locusts bringing hunger and disease.
But as symbols of abundance—common grasshoppers promising a plentiful yield.