Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 431

Chapter 431Gungbong scrambled through the trees, swinging from branch to branch with simian agility, putting distance between himself and the camp with every frantic movement.
He launched himself forward, his momentum carrying him from one limb to the next.
There was no visible flare of inner energy from Gungbong; his powerful arms alone propelled him through the canopy in a display of raw, gymnastic strength.
Watching him flee, Ji-ryong, who had given immediate chase, called out so the entire group could hear his assessment.
“Considering he has taken control of Gungbong’s form, this must be the work of a soul-seizing technique!”
It appeared Ji-ryong had gleaned a vital clue from Gungbong’s earlier cry. I sped up to run alongside him and asked for clarification.
“A soul-seizing technique?”
“The soul-seizing arts are varied—not all of them simply turn people into puppets who obey commands. Certain types permit the user to inhabit and operate another’s body as their own vessel.”
“Is such a thing… truly achievable?”
“It is. Not an impossibility. Typically, it fails against those with greater strength or superior insight. But as we are both aware, Gungbong is…”
“Ah…”
Ji-ryong clarified that Gungbong had most likely fallen victim to a specific branch of the soul-seizing art—one focused on bodily possession.
In the dialect of the Central Plains, “insight” meant wisdom or acute perception.
Therefore, because Gungbong was not blessed with great intellect, he was an easy target for such techniques and had been overtaken without much resistance.
As the rest of us absorbed this information, another person wondered if a master of a different soul-seizing method—perhaps like the woman from the Blood Cult we had faced previously—could be in the vicinity.
“However, this feels less like a complete takeover and more a suppression of the victim’s consciousness, allowing the practitioner to shift between their own form and the host. That means the one responsible is undoubtedly near!”
“Could it be an agent of the Blood Cult or perhaps the Five Venoms Sect?!”
Was it someone who had been surveilling the sealed temple, followed our party, and seized this chance to take over Gungbong when he was isolated?
Or maybe it was someone we had shown mercy to before, who had now repaid that kindness with betrayal?
‘If that’s the situation… wouldn’t the best strategy be to divide our forces? One half to pursue Gungbong, the other to hunt for the practitioner.’
If Ji-ryong’s theory was correct and the practitioner was concealed close by, then splitting up would be the most efficient approach—some could continue the chase while others scoured the area for the culprit.
I was the obvious choice to lead the search party.
I was just about to summon the children when Ji-ryong spoke first, making his appeal.
“So Young Master, your creatures might injure Gungbong if they intervene. I beg you, while we work to recover his body, please take a few of our members and your children to sweep the area. The practitioner cannot have gone far!”
In a straight pursuit, only Cho or Yeondu possessed the speed to catch Gungbong, but should they be forced to physically subdue him, he would certainly be harmed.
Lacking any specialized restraint abilities, they would have to use brute force to stop him, which would likely result in broken ribs at the very least.
“Understood! Then I will take Sister Seol, Hwa-eun, and Hu-gae with me to find the practitioner.”
“Please!”
“Yes!”
“Bring Gungbong back!”
“Halt!”
I stopped the rest of the group from joining the chase, leaving it to Ji-ryong, Elder Brother, Sister-in-law, Eunbong, and Monk Jaheo.
“Hwa-eun, Sister Seol, Hu-gae—we are searching for the practitioner!”
“Understood, So-ryong.”
“Alright, So-ryong!”
“Yes, Young Master!”
I then reached out with my mind to the children who would be essential for the search.
『Cho, despite the cold, can you please rouse the others who are mobile? We must look for a dangerous individual who may be hiding nearby!』
– Tsrrr!? (Understood, Dad!)
Cho would assemble the others shortly. I employed light movement to return swiftly to the campsite.
Upon our arrival, Tenzin and the translator, who had remained behind, hurried over to inquire.
“What is happening?”
“Ji-ryong believes Gungbong is affected by a form of soul-seizing art. As the practitioner is likely close, we have decided to search the area first. Tenzin, Interpreter, please remain here and secure this location. I will leave some of the children with you.”
“O-Of course! Understood, So-ryong! For safety, I will increase the size of the fire!”
Hearing my instructions, Tenzin and the interpreter promptly collected more firewood and threw it onto the flames.
It seemed their intention was to make the fire a large beacon, visible from a distance, to act as a guide for anyone returning from the search.
Just as the new branches caught fire and the blaze roared higher—
The tent flap flew open and the little ones spilled out, all wrapped up in their winter clothing.
– Tsrrr. 『Dad, we are present.』
Along with Cho, those who emerged from the tent in their coats were Yeondu and Orange, Yo-hwa, Bini, Moji, and Soji.
I dispatched the fliers first—Cho and Yeondu, Moji and Soji—to initiate a systematic aerial search, circling clockwise for the practitioner.
“From this point, ascend and circle to the left. Look for anyone concealed in the vicinity! Cho, you will partner with Moji. Yeondu, you are with Soji.”
I paired Moji and Soji with Cho and Yeondu because, in the chilly air, Cho’s ability to detect heat and Yeondu’s infrared sight offered the best probability of discovering something.
Moji and Soji, with their moth-derived vision, possessed eyes designed to absorb maximum light, making them ideal for searching in the dark.
The eyes of moths absorb light with minimal reflection, granting them superior night vision.
However, in these cool conditions, Cho and Yeondu were the most dependable—any source of warmth would appear clearly within their field of view.
– Tsrrr. 『Acknowledged, Dad!』
– Shaaa. 『Understood, So-ryong-nim.』
– Myu myu.
– Myuu.
Once I confirmed all four were airborne, I gathered the remaining members on the ground.
“Everyone, to me!”
We formed a line a short distance away and prepared to move in coordination with the children above, rotating in unison to conduct a thorough sweep.
The strategy was to cover the area meticulously from both the sky and the earth.
“We will follow the aerial team and search this zone. There may be danger, so Hwa-eun, you will stay with Bini. Sister Seol, you are with Yo-hwa. Hu-gae, you partner with Orange. I rely on you all.”
– Kishit!
– Skaaa. 『Have no concern, Hyung-nim.』
“Understood, So-ryong.”
“Understood, So-ryong!”
And so, our combined aerial and ground search commenced.
Above, Cho, Yeondu, Moji, and Soji scrutinized the terrain with keen eyes, while below, Yo-hwa, Bini, and Orange meticulously sensed every trace of movement from living beings.
***
After completing a second full circuit, Hwa-eun returned and shook her head to report.
They had not discovered a single person—or anything that seemed even slightly out of place.
“So-ryong, we found nothing. Bini even focused on vibrations beneath the soil, but she detected nothing.”
“Yo-hwa attempted the same, but she also felt nothing unusual.”
Sister Seol, who had arrived just after, also gave a negative report.
This indicated that despite their heightened sensitivity to tremors in the ground, neither Bini nor Yo-hwa had picked up anything abnormal during their careful examination.
Nearly half a si-jin had passed since the operation started, and there was still no indication of the practitioner’s whereabouts.
We had meticulously covered a radius of 1.5 kilometers around the camp—approximately 50 jang by Central Plains reckoning—and found absolutely nothing.
From the sky, Cho, Yeondu, Moji, and Soji had surveyed the land with piercing gazes, and on the ground, Hwa-eun, Sister Seol, Bini, Orange, and Yo-hwa had combed every inch. The lack of results was perplexing.
We needed to locate the practitioner before the Dragon Fangs managed to retrieve Gungbong. The sense of urgency was intensifying.
Perhaps—if the Dragon Fangs had not yet apprehended Gungbong, then capturing the practitioner first had become our priority.
Maybe they were hesitant to use full force, worried about causing injury to Gungbong, which would explain why they hadn’t already subdued him.
“…Should we increase the range of the search?”
Ji-ryong had been certain the practitioner was nearby, but with no success, perhaps expanding the radius was necessary.
I was contemplating this when the entrance to the children’s tent shifted, and Cheong-yu Sojeo looked out.
– Shiaa. 『Young Master, what is occurring?』
She had probably been woken by the commotion outside.
Cheong-yu Sojeo appeared weary and even yawned—understandable, as she needed to sleep at this hour so her other self, the Golden-Crowned Queen Cheong-yu, could be alert during the daytime.
Their existences were balanced; one was active while the other rested. If one remained awake for too long, the other required sleep to recuperate.
Normally, I would have advised her to return to her rest, but her appearance was fortuitous. I resolved to seek her assistance.
If Cheong-yu Sojeo summoned her serpents, we could conduct a far more exhaustive search.
“Ah, your timing is excellent. The fact is… there has been an incident with Gungbong… and Ji-ryong asked for our aid…”
After I finished explaining the circumstances, Cheong-yu Sojeo tilted her head, puzzled.
– Shia. 『A soul-seizing art?』
“Yes.”
– Shiiiii. 『But that is peculiar. To my knowledge, neither the Five Venoms Sect nor the Blood Cult employs that specific kind of soul-seizing technique. I am aware such methods exist, of course.』
“Is that so?”
If Cheong-yu Sojeo was correct, then the practitioner was likely not affiliated with the Blood Cult or the Five Venoms Sect.
So who, then, had stolen control of Gungbong’s body?
I was mulling this over when Cheong-yu Sojeo’s snakes began to hiss alerts in reaction to her next statement.
– Shiiiii. 『Regardless, we must find this practitioner to restore Gungbong’s body. Let us commence the search.』
– Ssshhk. Sssk.
– Shaaaak.
In spite of the cold, the snake species adapted to this climate answered her summons and started to assemble. Only two varieties appeared.
Gloydius himalayanus—the Himalayan Pit Viper,
And Anguiculus dicaprioi—a species newly identified in 2024, named for the American actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Gyaaah. No, no—this is not the moment for excitement.
I felt a brief surge of enthusiasm at seeing a novel species in the flesh, but I swiftly regained my focus. The snakes fanned out to investigate the area.
Yet, after a full si-gyeong of searching, the practitioner remained elusive.
– Shiaa. 『Young Master, there is nothing within fifty jang of this spot.』
“So they are further away than we thought…”
It seemed Ji-ryong’s conviction that the practitioner was nearby was mistaken.
Since the snakes’ range did not extend beyond 1.5 kilometers, I was pondering our next step when Eunbong came running toward us out of the dark.
Huff, huff. “Young Master, the practitioner?”
“We conducted a complete search of the entire fifty jang radius. We found no one.”
She had come to see if we had captured the practitioner—which we had not.
I replied with a look of regret, and Eunbong then made her request.
“Then we require your assistance. We have Gungbong contained, but we cannot safely secure him. We need the help of Lady Yo-hwa.”
“Understood.”
For the time being, it seemed prudent to focus on subduing Gungbong and deal with the practitioner later, so I accompanied Eunbong along the mountain path under the night sky.
We reached the fringe of the forest.
A number of trees in the vicinity had been felled, and beneath one large, still-standing tree, Elder Brother and Sister-in-law stood guard with their spears at the ready.
Ji-ryong and Monk Jaheo were positioned nearby.
They looked as though they had endured a difficult struggle chasing Gungbong—Monk Jaheo’s robes were shredded, and he bore scratches on his face.
Gungbong had scaled the tall tree, and from the appearance of the clearing, Elder Brother had likely cut down the surrounding trees to eliminate any platforms for Gungbong to leap to.
A necessary measure against someone who moved with the agility of a monkey or flying squirrel.
At that moment, Gungbong’s shrill voice cried out from the treetop.
“Release me!”
“Do not be absurd. Return the body and then you may leave!”
While Eunbong and Gungbong exchanged words, I approached the tree and called to Elder Brother. He turned and greeted me with an expression of relief.
“Elder Brother!”
“You have arrived! What news of the practitioner?”
“We searched a radius of fifty jang in all directions, but found no trace.”
“Is that the truth?”
“Yes, Ji-ryong.”
Hearing my report, Ji-ryong briefly showed disappointment, but quickly regained his composure and stated,
“Then we are left with no alternative. We must subdue Gungbong. He is highly combative in his current state… may we request the aid of Lady Yo-hwa?”
“Of course.”
I immediately summoned Yo-hwa, Yeondu, and Cho to begin the capture operation.
The plan was thus:
Yo-hwa would weave a square net from her threads. The others would position themselves to hold it open below, and Yeondu would strike the tree to shake Gungbong loose so he would fall into it.
We could not ask Yo-hwa to climb up and retrieve him directly—Gungbong was far too hostile. We needed to secure him without causing harm.
We could not risk Yo-hwa being injured.
“This is what we will do.”
After outlining the strategy, we moved into position. Gungbong, observing from above, shouted down nervously.
“W-What are you planning!?”
But regardless of his protests, Yo-hwa’s silken net was stretched taut beneath the tree.
Without a word, Yeondu charged into the trunk.
Gungbong swayed precariously at the top, lost his hold, and dropped directly into the waiting net.
– Thud!
– Fwump.
“Gyaaah!”
Just as we moved in to secure him—
A putrid odor violently erupted.
“Ugh! What is that?!”
“What is that terrible stench?!”
Everyone released the net and recoiled in disgust, but Gungbong, ensnared in Yo-hwa’s web, was unable to break free.
“Curse it! This spider-silk!”
He appeared to be thoroughly caught.
After a period of frantic struggling within the net, Gungbong finally grew still and collapsed, breathing heavily.
“Has he surrendered?”
Just as someone posed that question, seeing Gungbong lying motionless as if defeated…
Abruptly, his black-and-yellow headband began to twitch.
No—it was not an illusion. It was genuinely moving.
The ribbon squirmed as if alive, and then—
A long, slender leg abruptly extended from it.
Ohhh!
They were legs I recognized instantly—legs I adored.
And then, the creature writhed its way out of the spiderweb and fled.