Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 454

Chapter 454
As a radiant aura began to emanate from Tang Hwa-eun’s meditating form, I likewise settled into a lotus posture and focused my internal energy. I still needed to neutralize the refined blue stone oil and Azure Steel Centipede venom I had held in my mouth, which could yet cause harm. Though not a deadly poison, even a small amount of toxic energy must always be expelled without fail.

After circulating my inner force to drive out the lingering toxins, I opened my eyes to see three blossoms hovering above Hwa-eun’s head—the recognizable sign of Three Blossoms Gathering Essence. Yet it was different from her normal energy cycles. These were not mere buds. Typically, the technique manifested as three closed flowers, but now one of the triangular formation had started to unfurl, a single petal peeling backward to begin its bloom.

‘Ah! She truly is advancing. Could my hope become reality? Heh…’

I had heard that when all three flowers of the Three Blossoms Gathering Essence open completely, one ascends to the next stage: Five Energies Returning to Origin. The unified qi divides into five streams and achieves perfect harmony.

While I observed the blossoms with satisfaction, Sister Seol’s voice reached me from outside the stone room.

“So-ryong, may I enter now?”

Though I had promised to summon her, she had apparently been waiting just outside. There was a reason for this. The earlier kiss was a private matter between Hwa-eun and me—too intimate even for fellow martial artists to observe—but the process of refining the elixir and breaking through required expert supervision. That was why I requested Sister Seol’s guidance.

While her inner strength was not equal to mine or Hwa-eun’s, her mastery of martial theory exceeded ours. Should anything go wrong, her knowledge would be essential.

“Please come in, Sister Seol.”

I spoke gently toward the entrance, and she entered. The instant she saw the flowers above Hwa-eun, her face brightened with unrestrained joy.

“Oh! Is it because the elixir contained so much energy? Her qi is already circulating, and the blossoms have started opening? Normally, this wouldn’t happen until the final sealing stage. If it’s beginning now, we might truly witness a rebirth! The first flower is already blooming!”

“It’s really happening? Do you believe she will be reborn?”

“Absolutely!”

Once all the flowers fully open, she will enter the state of Five Energies Returning to Origin, a transformation that coincides with Rebirth. Seeing Sister Seol so thrilled—clutching my hands and nearly jumping—convinced me that Hwa-eun would succeed in blooming entirely and ascending.

I too was anticipating a more beautiful Hwa-eun and the additional advantages that would follow, but after nearly an hour, simply watching began to feel monotonous. There was little for me to do.

Then it happened.

—click, click.

A soft clicking noise came from the corner.

It reminded me of the Azure Steel Immortal Ant worker still stationed there.

—click.

‘Ah, that’s right. He’s still here. I should return him.’

While Sister Seol monitored Hwa-eun, I decided to carry the shrunken ant outside. Since Rebirth would still take time, I could bring this little worker back to his queen in the meantime. I had nearly forgotten the hardworking creature.

“Sister Seol, I’ll return this ant to the queen. Please watch over her for a moment.”

“Of course. By the way, he’s gotten smaller, too.”

“Has he?”

“Yes. The one outside also shrank back down.”

As she mentioned, I looked more closely at the Azure Steel Immortal Ant worker and saw that its abdomen had indeed shrunk. It had returned to the size of a typical worker, just as she said. The first one resembled a collapsed balloon, and normally, once storage ants expand, they remain enlarged for life. This was surprising.

“Oh! You’re right!”

Ordinarily, a storing ant would stay inflated permanently. But perhaps because this was a spirit beast, it possessed greater regenerative ability and had returned to its original form. It still seemed weak, unable to move on its own. I lifted it onto my shoulder and spoke as I walked out.

“Sorry you had to go through that. I’ll bring you back to your mother.”

—click.

Stepping outside, I found the others resting around a campfire. A pot hung over the flames, simmering with what looked like porridge. They even had blankets wrapped around them—where had those come from? Our spirit creatures were also huddled nearby, warming themselves under blankets. At least these weren’t woven from Yo-hwa’s threads.

“Wait, where did you find firewood, a pot, and blankets?”

When we first arrived, we carried only preserved rations—dried meat, hardened flour, that sort of thing. We hadn’t known how long we would stay and could only bring so much. Our supplies for fire were limited to torches and lamp oil. We certainly hadn’t brought cooking pots or firewood, yet here they were, making porridge.

At my question, Ji-ryong pointed toward a section of the wall.

“We discovered a passage leading outside, Young Hero So.”

“Really?”

I looked where he indicated and saw a stairway that hadn’t been there previously.

He continued, “Didn’t Elder Yeoncheon say the door would only open once the sword was drawn?”

“Yes, and that the chamber would collapse…”

“Exactly. But perhaps because the blade shattered, the door opened and these stairs appeared. I climbed them—you can now come and go freely. The tomb did not collapse.”

Maybe it was because the broken tip remained stuck in the mechanism.

As I considered this, Brother Gwiseong called over.

“So-ryong, it will be some time before Dokhwa awakens. Why not eat something?”

“Oh, maybe I should. But what about Sister Seol?”

I was certainly hungry and wanted to eat, but I thought of her as well.

Just then, Sister-in-law offered me a bowl of porridge with a kind smile.

“Do not worry, Young Master. I will save a portion for her.”

“Thank you, Sister-in-law.”

“It’s no trouble.”

With her handling it, I had no concerns.

I sat where Brother Gwiseong indicated, and the children quickly scampered over.

—slurp. 『Daddy, is Mommy alright?』

“She’s doing well.”

—sluuurp. 『When will she be finished? Daddy?』

“Your aunt said it should take about three days.”

—tsk? 『Three days means three nights?』

“Yes. Three nights.”

As I answered Cho, Hyang, and Bini between spoonfuls of porridge, I noticed Brother Gwiseong’s somber expression.

‘He still seems troubled.’

Earlier, he had been deeply affected by the loss of a legendary martial art from his own tradition—even if it wasn’t one he could practice—due to the destruction of the sword. He hadn’t shaken off that disappointment.

The black iron blade was destined to be melted and forged into matching daggers for Hwa-eun and me. But perhaps I should offer Brother Gwiseong a fragment as a memento.

As I reflected on this, a voice sounded beside me.

[Benefactor.]

“Yes, Senior Yeoncheon?”

Turning, I saw Senior Yeoncheon and Senior Yeonji resting on Yo-hwa’s hand. They clearly had something to discuss.

Yeoncheon gestured subtly with his eyes toward my brother.

[That man, your sworn brother.]

“You mean Brother Gwiseong?”

[Yes.]

When I said his name, both Brother Gwiseong and Sister-in-law glanced over curiously. But Yeoncheon focused back on me and asked,

[Is he trustworthy?]

Though he spoke directly, my brother and sister-in-law showed no sign of hearing—he had addressed the question only to me. So I replied using sound transmission.

[Without a doubt, he is a man of honor. Why do you ask?]

Brother Gwiseong was completely reliable, so I answered confidently. Yet Yeoncheon’s continued questioning felt almost like an investigation.

[What of his family and background?]

[His family?]

[I must know. It is important.]

[Hmm.]

Such questions from a person might seem impolite, but Yeoncheon was a snail. Though well-versed in human customs, he was not perfect, and I sensed no suspicion behind his words. Since he emphasized it was important, I explained my relationship with Brother Gwiseong in full.

[We have faced life and death together. I also saved his friend and younger sister from plague, and aided his wife when she was nearly forced into another marriage. Because of this, he and his entire house see me as their benefactor. He would never betray me—even under threat of death.]

Truthfully, I had done so much for Brother Gwiseong that betrayal would make him less than human. He is a man of profound loyalty. I rescued his sister Yeong-yeong and his wife. There is no chance he would ever turn against me.

‘If he did, he would be worse than a beast—lower than an insect.’

As I firmly assured him of Brother Gwiseong’s loyalty, Senior Yeoncheon nodded and finally explained his purpose.

[Thank you for answering without taking offense, Benefactor. I asked because of Hwamu-jin’s martial technique.]

[Hwamu-jin’s technique? I thought it was lost?]

I hadn’t seen for myself, but I understood it was destroyed—the legendary sword art of Hwamu-jin. So I wondered why he brought it up now, but then he said something unexpected.

[Hwamu-jin developed that technique by observing the movements of my wife and me. His sword style, particularly its emphasis on weight (jung) and deliberateness (man), was inspired by our way of moving.]

[And so?]

[After learning the technique was lost, my wife and I revisited our memories. We were both here when he devised and recorded it, so we retain a fair portion of the content.]

[Oh! Then it might not be completely gone?]

A human martial artist would have kept such things secret even while working—but these were snails. I suppose Hwamu-jin must have demonstrated much of it openly. If so, perhaps the art wasn’t entirely lost. I smiled with hope—but Yeoncheon responded regretfully.

[No. I wish it were so, but it was not a priority for us. Even combining all that my wife and I recall, we recovered only about eighty percent.]

[Ah. Still, that is quite significant.]

Even incomplete, eighty percent was far better than nothing. I praised his effort, but Yeoncheon swayed his eyestalk and gestured toward my brother.

[No. At eighty percent, it is practically useless. That is why…]

It was true—even one wrong phrase could cause Qi deviation, so it wasn’t entirely safe. Still, it was not nothing. Just as I meant to say so, he continued.

[Your sworn brother is renowned in Daoist arts and trained from childhood. So, what if…]

[What if?]

[What if we let him study the incomplete art—and if he can complete it, he returns it to you, the benefactor? We could bind him to an oath that he may only pass it down to one child.]

‘Ah.’

So that was why he had asked such personal questions—he was considering this kind of arrangement.

Honestly, I believe in leaving a task to the expert. Even if the Tang Clan possessed the sword art, we had no idea how long restoration would take. After all, the Tang Clan does not specialize in sword techniques.

But if Brother Gwiseong and the Peng Clan could help reconstruct it, that would be an excellent solution. And truthfully, I don’t use a sword. Hadn’t I once thought how nice it would be to show it to him? Now I could grant that wish legitimately.

I happily accepted Senior Yeoncheon’s proposal.

[Let’s proceed that way.]

[Then I will convey your wishes to him.]

[Please do.]

Just as our discussion ended and I placed my empty bowl down…

Sister Seol’s voice cried out from the stone chamber.

“So-ryong! Come quickly!”

At her urgent shout, I rushed inside.

The moment I entered, I saw it—

Three golden lotuses had fully bloomed above Hwa-eun’s head, and from them, five colored lights began to radiate.

“Is this Rebirth?”

“It is not certain yet. This is the crucial moment. The light aura must fully form. Hwa-eun! Stay strong!”

Sister Seol said it was still too early to know if Rebirth would be achieved.

Then abruptly—my sight began to haze.

‘A mental shift?’

It was unmistakable—the sign of entering an inner mental realm. I had experienced it enough to recognize it clearly. As I wondered what prompted it this time, the reason came to me.

Cheong-yu Sojeo once told me that when a registered venomous creature under my command grows stronger, it unlocks the next gate in the Five Venoms progression. Since Spirit Beast Martial Focus considers Hwa-eun a spirit creature, her advancement now likely triggered the opening of the third gate—Gate Three.

Sister Seol might still be uncertain, but from my perspective—Hwa-eun’s evolution was already assured.