Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 430

Chapter 430
Gungbong, who was known for behavior that stunned people into silence, was now venturing into territory that was downright strange.
Watching her charge ahead on her hands and feet, I was so astonished that I glanced at Yeondu—and from her expression, she was equally shocked. This was likely her first time witnessing a human being move in such a manner as well.
Her bewildered voice resonated in my head, filled with incredulity.
—Shaaa? 『So-ryong, is it normal for humans… to run using all four limbs? I believe I have never witnessed such a thing… What is that?』
“Generally, no. But… well, I can’t say it’s completely impossible either…”
What sane individual runs on all fours?
Whatever Gungbong was up to, it was undoubtedly a peculiar display—something no ordinary person would ever do.
Yet… we were seeing it happen right before our eyes. So outright dismissing Yeondu’s question felt incorrect.
After all, there was a person—at this very moment—running on all fours.
For all we knew, perhaps there were others like her somewhere.
No… probably not, right?
I was debating whether to correct my earlier statement to keep Yeondu’s perception of reality from bending too much when a memory surfaced.
Sister Seol practiced a fighting style that treated her hands as if they were feet—almost like a wild creature.
That’s right, Sister Seol also has a method that mimics an animal’s movement.
The techniques of the Beast Palace, such as Houquan—the Monkey Fist—frequently involve using the hands like legs.
Their martial arts emulate beasts, so employing one’s hands as additional legs is not uncommon.
With that thought, perhaps Gungbong’s actions weren’t just a bizarre spectacle. Maybe it was a form of martial arts practice?
Running on all fours without employing any lightness skill?
That had to be for training—there would be no other logical reason to move in such a way.
So… is she refining a new skill? Right after getting over a fever? Perhaps she is a true martial artist to her core.
Just as I was beginning to accept that Gungbong’s strange behavior might be combat training, Yeondu made an observation.
—Shaaa. 『Oh? She has stopped. That female has ceased running.』
“She stopped?”
I looked down and saw Gungbong leaning against a large boulder, one hand pressed to her chest, breathing heavily.
The yellow and black ribbon in her hair drew my attention.
She must have tired herself out from running like that. I requested that Yeondu take us lower for a better look.
“Yeondu, let’s go down and investigate.”
—Sha. 『Understood, So-ryong.』
Just as we began our descent above Gungbong—
—her voice floated up to us.
It’s said that those with a simple mind often talk to themselves. True to that, there she was, muttering quietly against the rock.
“Whew… I need to get my breath back. At least I made it this far… just a short rest…”
I called down to startle her.
“Gungbong!”
“Yikes!”
She jumped as if she’d seen an apparition, then spun her head around wildly in a panic.
Chuckling, I called out once more.
“Kekeke. Gungbong, we’re up here. Look up!”
She went completely still, gazing at me with an amazed look, as if I had appeared out of thin air.
“Let’s land, Yeondu.”
—Shaaa. 『Yes, So-ryong.』
As we touched down, Gungbong stuttered, still in a state of shock.
“H-How did you… how did you arrive here?”
She was asking, “How did you pop up out of nowhere?” But the instant I landed close to her, a scent reached my nose.
A faint, disagreeable odor.
Yeondu spoke with a tone of distaste.
—Shaaa. 『So-ryong, are you detecting that as well?』
“Now that you mention it… yes.”
—Sha… 『How unpleasant…』
Back when we were in northeastern India, everyone would wash in the river at night. But since we resumed our journey, bathing had become nonexistent.
The water here was frigid—runoff from the Himalayan glaciers—so merely rinsing our faces was difficult.
A full bath? Out of the question.
Most of us just wiped our faces like cats.
And Gungbong, who had been ill for days, hadn’t been able to properly clean herself at all. She had also been sweating profusely.
So that odor?
Yes, it was most likely coming from her.
—Sha. 『Her scent is somewhat similar to Yeolbi’s…』
Yeolbi? That little pest? No matter how long it had been since Gungbong had bathed, equating her to Yeolbi was rather extreme.
Certainly, Yeondu was a venomous serpent—but her words carried a real sting.
If Gungbong had heard that, she would have been heartbroken.
Telling a woman she has an odor? That’s a comment you only make if you’re prepared for a fierce confrontation. Or something even more final.
“U-Um?”
The smell dissipated with the wind, and Gungbong spoke again, awkwardly.
She still wore that expression of “how did you get here.”
I offered her a smile.
“Well, Yeondu had a question earlier. And to be honest, I was concerned about you going out alone when you’re clearly not at full strength. But it seems my worry was unnecessary. You’re dashing around on all fours, so you must be fit enough for training.”
“F-Four…!? Ah, yes! Martial practice! Absolutely! Haha…”
She scratched her head and produced a laugh so strained it sounded like a criminal who had been discovered.
I laughed softly and added:
“Even so, don’t push yourself too hard. If you overexert yourself and fall ill again, that will cause more problems.”
“R-Right. I understand.”
She looked somewhat thankful for the concern.
I gestured toward the forest ahead and made a proposal.
“In that case, shall we proceed?”
“P-Proceed where?”
She blinked at me, looking from me to the trees and back.
Her reaction made me think she believed I was implying something… untoward?
I mean, honestly. I am practically betrothed. What did she think we were doing out here?
We came out to hunt. That is all.
If anything, my interest was more in capturing insects or reptiles.
Besides, we weren’t by ourselves—Yeondu was here with us.
“Where do you think? Hunting. Let’s find something worthwhile while we’re here. You’ve recovered enough to run like that, so let’s put it to good use. That monkey from a few days ago had a terrible smell and was even worse to eat.”
“M-Monkey…? Oh… Y-Yes… That one…”
Her jaw tightened almost imperceptibly as she replied.
Perhaps because she had put effort into catching it?
But in truth, it was a male, and it reeked. The meat was tough and foul.
I thought about apologizing for a moment—but then I recalled that the person who had protested most loudly about the smell and taste was Gungbong herself.
“You were the one who said it was unfit to eat, remember?”
She flinched.
It seemed she had forgotten her own complaint.
“R-Right… I did say that, didn’t I?”
“So this time, let’s find something actually good to eat. Dinner is likely being made already. Let’s find something for tomorrow.”
“Y-Yes. Hunting. Let’s do that. Ha… hahaha…”
Still hesitating, her laugh was a bit steadier now, though she hadn’t completely relaxed.
Once she seemed more composed, I turned to Yeondu.
“Yeondu, fly up and look for any animals in the vicinity.”
—Shaaa. 『Understood, So-ryong.』
As Yeondu rose into the air, I faced Gungbong.
“You take the lead.”
“O-Okay.”
Her yellow and black hair ribbon streamed behind her as she moved in front of me.
“Heh…”
She passed by me with a strange, quiet laugh, like someone compelling themselves to move forward against their will.
Every step seemed hesitant, burdened.
…Am I just seeing things that aren’t there?
***
—Ppudeudeudeuk.
The bowstring, pulled taut, emitted its distinctive straining sound.
The arrow set on Gungbong’s bow was directed at a yak—a shaggy, ox-like animal native to the Himalayas. Yeondu had located a herd along the mountain ridge, and now Gungbong had her target in sight.
She held her aim for a long time, not breathing. Finally, she released her hold.
And then—
—Thunk. Tick.
—Dududududu.
The arrow dropped feebly at her feet, hardly having left the bow at all.
The string vibrated with a hollow snap, and the spooked yaks bolted, vanishing over the ridge.
The arrow hadn’t even been launched—it just tumbled to the ground in front of her.
I gaped at Gungbong, completely perplexed, and she gave an embarrassed grin while rubbing her head.
“Huh? Wh-What happened?”
As if she couldn’t understand the event, as though she had executed everything perfectly and the world had malfunctioned.
But that was the sort of error only a complete novice would make.
In my previous life, I had trained in Korean traditional archery, and this type of failure only occurred when the arrow was incorrectly placed on the string—a mistake made by beginners.
“Gungbong, what was that? You’re handling that bow as if it’s your first time.”
“I-I agree! I don’t understand what’s happening with me today…”
“Are you certain you’re alright?”
“N-No, truly! I’m fine. Completely well! Hahaha… Haah… I’ll… I’ll succeed next time.”
She collected the fallen arrow and vowed to improve “next time.”
But that “next time” did not arrive.
The sun was already descending. It was time to return.
“No, we should go. The sun is setting, and everyone will begin to worry.”
“R-Right. Okay…”
We had gone hunting with Gungbong, who was famed for her unerring aim—and we were returning with nothing.
It was nearly unbelievable.
Is she truly still unwell?
Earlier she had been galloping on all fours like a beast. She appeared fine. But now she couldn’t even shoot correctly.
Today, Gungbong was more puzzling than ever.
I turned quietly and began walking back to camp with Yeondu and Gungbong moving alongside me without any particular order.
Then I observed something.
As Gungbong stepped forward, the black-and-yellow ribbon fastened in her hair came into view once more.
Wait, did she always wear a ribbon like that?
Black, with a knot dyed yellow. An unusual gradient of color that seemed out of place in this time period.
***
Later, we all gathered around the campfire, toasting jerky, and someone posed the inevitable question—why we had returned with no game.
Because when Gungbong went hunting, she never came back without something.
So I clarified.
Everyone’s faces showed sheer disbelief.
“Gungbong missed?”
“Yes.”
“Come now. There’s only so much one can bungle.”
“Even experts make mistakes, right?”
“Well, this is Gungbong we’re talking about…”
“She probably isn’t fully well yet.”
Regardless of her recent illness, the idea that Gungbong—renowned as the most lethal archer in the Central Plains—had failed to hit a mere animal? It was difficult to process. But because it was Gungbong, they found a way to rationalize it.
As everyone chattered about how even Gungbong had failed a shot, I overheard her voice—she was seated just to my left, beside Hwa-eun, addressing Tenzin.
“Excuse me, Tenzin?”
“Yes? Are you speaking to me?”
“Yes. I wanted to ask… how many days remain until we reach Podarlap Palace?”
“Hm… Initially, crossing the mountains was projected to take approximately a month. But we lost four days due to your sickness, and we have already been traveling for six days…”
Tenzin started counting on his fingers, visibly calculating the numbers.
It wasn’t a complex sum—simply twenty days left. But just as I was going to intervene and provide the answer, Gungbong spoke first.
“So that means we have roughly twenty days to go, correct?”
And in that instant—
—the vibrant conversation around the campfire died instantly.
—Tadak. Tak. Tadadak.
Only the sound of the burning firewood persisted.
I glanced around, bewildered by the abrupt quiet.
Then, without a sound, my brother, Ji-ryong, Eunbong, Hu-gae, and Monk Jaheo gradually rose and encircled Gungbong.
What… what is going on?
Ji-ryong spoke, his voice cold.
“Who are you, truly? What have you done with the real Gungbong…? Gungbong performing arithmetic—and correctly? That cannot be!”
Wait, is that serious? They’re suspicious because she did simple math? Just what kind of person is Gungbong supposed to be…?
It was such an absurd charge, I could only look on in amazement.
Then, abruptly—Gungbong leaped up with an unnatural movement, landing on a tree branch above us, and yelled:
“Curse it. I’ve been discovered! Of all the vessels I could have inhabited—why did it have to be this imbecilic woman?!”
The reality that basic math involving numbers in the tens was the irrefutable evidence she wasn’t the genuine Gungbong… served as one more sign of how ludicrous our situation had become.
And yet—the suspicion of the Five Dragons was perfectly accurate.