Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 455

Chapter 455
—Thump.

“So-ryong! So-ryong! What’s happening to him? Ah! It must be because of Hwa-eun’s evolution! Didn’t Cheong-yu Sojeo mention that whenever one of So-ryong’s spirit beasts advances, it allows him to unlock another gate?”

Just as Sister Seol grasped the cause of my sudden collapse, my awareness began to fade gradually.

When I awoke again—as anticipated—I found myself once more within that well-known stone room.

The instant my senses returned, I cried out,

“Hold on, I haven’t even decided what to pick next!”

This wasn’t my initial trip into this inner sanctum, so the setting itself wasn’t a shock—but there was a dilemma.

I had not yet made up my mind about which spirit beast to select for the next stage.

When the First Gate opened, circumstances were tumultuous, but the choice was straightforward. There was no alternative but to select my daughters.

Then, for the Second Gate, even though I paused for a moment before the stone slab marked with Hwa-eun’s name, I ended up choosing Cheong-yu Sojeo without any real difficulty—because of the pledge we shared.

However, the unexpected arrival of the Third Gate took me entirely by surprise. I had not spent any time considering my next selection.

I had believed it would be much longer before I reached this stage—so the possibility hadn’t even crossed my mind.

“This is troublesome…”

As I gazed upward with a concerned look, I noticed something was unusual.

Something that ought to be present… was missing.

“Wait, what happened to all the stone tablets!?”

The slabs that represented Cho, Hyang, and Bini—embodying the centipede and the snake—along with the one for Cheong-yu Sojeo had disappeared.

The two that had previously glowed like stars upon the ceiling were now gone without a sign.

Alarmed, I scanned my surroundings and saw that the entire chamber had been utterly transformed.

“What in the world? Why has everything changed so dramatically?”

From my last memory, the room had a domed ceiling carved with the images of Cho, Hyang, Bini, and Cheong-yu Sojeo, while the walls were inscribed with Cheongwol, Hwayang, Seol, Bing, Dong, and Hwa-eun.

But now, the interior had been completely rearranged.

The stone room now featured six tablets spaced evenly along the circular wall: Cho, Hyang, Bini, Cheong-yu Sojeo, Cheongwol, and Hwa-eun—symbolizing the centipede, snake, scorpion, lizard, toad, and human, in that order.

Even the two tablets that had earlier ascended to the ceiling had come back down and were now set into the wall alongside the others.

Below Cheong-yu Sojeo’s tablet, the names Yeondu, Orange, Hwanji, and Hwana were freshly carved.

“What’s going on? Why such a drastic change?”

Among the six tablets, those for Cho, Hyang, Bini, and Cheong-yu Sojeo were radiating light from their eyes.

Cho, Hyang, and Bini glimmered in their unique body hues—blue, red, and black—while Cheong-yu Sojeo’s tablet shone with golden eyes.

Beneath hers, Yeondu, Orange, Hwanji, and Hwana were also emitting light in corresponding colors.

The tablets with illuminated eyes probably indicated which entities had activated their gates.

It seemed as though everything had been restructured to present this information more clearly.

“Ah, that’s right… I registered Yeondu, Orange, Hwanji, and Hwana. That must be why Cheong-yu Sojeo’s tablet was updated. As for the other changes… perhaps the layout shifted because the Third Gate opened? Or maybe because of Hwa-eun?”

Originally, the Five Poisons Returning to Origin Art concentrated on five kinds of poisonous beings.

But what I had achieved was not just the flawed version of the Beast Heart Art contained within it—it was the full Beast Heart Art.

That was probably why Hwa-eun was also registered.

Normally, you could not register more than five.

So perhaps that was why the tablet arrangement and groupings were modified. Still, the new configuration was far simpler to interpret—so I resolved to simply go along with it.

“If the operating system received an update, well, I’ll just have to get used to it, right? Let’s check if anything else is different.”

I carefully inspected the area but found no other alterations.

So now the decision remained: who to select for the Third Gate?

The choices left were Cheongwol, Hwayang, Seol, Bing, and Dong.

First, I turned my attention to the previously chosen centipede and snake—represented by the tablets of Cho, Hyang, Bini, and Cheong-yu Sojeo.

Their eyes were shining brightly.

I nodded, feeling content.

‘Selecting the snake and the centipede… was definitely the correct decision.’

Seeing those two tablets filled me with a deep sense of fulfillment.

After all, I could now interact with snakes and centipedes without harm. Their powerful venom greatly enhanced my fighting strength. I had no second thoughts about those picks.

In actual use, the snakes had been extremely useful for reconnaissance, tracking, and even battle—and hadn’t the centipedes been vital during the events at the imperial palace?

“So… what should I pick now?”

Shifting my focus to the remaining four tablets—

Aside from Hwa-eun’s, I was looking at those representing the scorpion, lizard, and toad: Cheongwol, Seol, Bing, Dong, and Hwayang.

But even after studying them for some time, I couldn’t settle on a choice right away.

Each of them possessed unique advantages, making the selection challenging.

If I picked Cheongwol, I would probably gain the ability to communicate with scorpions.

Based on this venom-expert Fabre’s guide, there were five families and fifty-three types of scorpions in the Central Plains.

From the commonly found Buthidae to the Isometrus varieties in Hainan, and the Lychas kinds in Yunnan and Shanghai—all would fall under my control.

Scorpions prefer concealed spots, often making homes in yards or gaps in walls.

The Tang Clan would appreciate this. They are ideal for stealth eliminations.

Since they inhabit human dwellings, even if someone is stung, it would raise no suspicion. You couldn’t wish for a better instrument for covert killings.

Not many scorpions possess lethal venom, but that could be addressed by choosing the most poisonous types and cultivating them—so there was no cause for concern.

“If I could command venomous insects, centipedes, and scorpions… I could certainly elevate the family’s status a bit higher.”

Conversely, if I selected the lizards—Seol, Bing, and Dong—the benefit would be their vast numbers.

With that choice, I might link with 12 families, 44 genera, and 230 species of lizards.

This information came from my past life, where habitat loss had already eradicated many varieties. There were likely even more yet to be found.

Although the lizards in the Central Plains are not poisonous—which was a pity—they offered one significant advantage: observation.

It was common to spot a lizard or two moving about inside residences.

So if I released a few to monitor someone, it would be simple and inconspicuous.

People would instantly kill a snake or centipede if seen, but lizards? Most people pay them no mind.

Moreover, considering that the Five Venoms Clan and the Blood Cult had gone into hiding and ceased operations in the Central Plains, there was a good justification for choosing lizards for intelligence gathering.

“Since the Five Venoms and Blood Cult are both lying dormant, I could deploy these creatures throughout the woodlands to watch them.”

Finally, regarding toads—

There were three families, eight genera, and ninety-four species of toads in the Central Plains.

In terms of classification, toads and frogs weren’t strictly separated even in the modern world I came from, so if the category broadened to all amphibians, I would gain three families, ten genera, and 346 species.

Types like poison toads and fire-bellied frogs are venomous, meaning they count as toxic beings—so the absence of venom, as with lizards, wouldn’t be a problem here.

The only disadvantage? Amphibians can only live in damp conditions.

So their usefulness would be quite limited.

Their scope of movement and suitable living environments were too narrow.

I pondered for a considerable time before finally stepping toward the tablet engraved with Seol, Bing, and Dong.

Selecting Cheongwol would not have been a poor choice, but I genuinely needed to monitor those wretched Five Venoms members.

“If it weren’t for those cursed Five Venoms vermin, I would have chosen Cheongwol without a doubt. They won’t even allow me to choose freely. Ugh—may they all perish and come back as cockroaches—no, as rats—to be fed to my children!”

After hurling every curse I could think of at the Five Venoms Clan, I set my hand upon the tablet.

—Grrrind.

The stone started to vibrate, and then, beginning with Seol, the eyes of the three carved lizards ignited one after another.

Once all three were alight, a sharp coldness—a glacial blue radiance—shone in their eyes.

“Lovely.”

I hadn’t chosen them completely by preference, which was somewhat regrettable—but still, witnessing their eyes ignite after my decision felt wonderful. I lingered before the tablet, anticipating the next phase.

Normally, after making my selection, I would be returned to the real world.

But nothing occurred.

“What’s this? Why aren’t I going back?”

Usually, fulfilling the reason for coming here would expel me from this inner domain. Yet everything remained stationary.

Was there something more I needed to do?

As I surveyed the room once more—

—FLARE.

The depictions of the children carved into the tablets started to gleam.

More accurately, the outlines of their forms on the stone slabs began to emit light.

Cho, Hyang, Bini, Seol, Bing, Dong, Cheongwol, Cheong-yu Sojeo, and Hwayang—all of them were surrounded by a brilliant luminescence.

“What now?”

I stepped back from the wall and took in the entire scene. Every image on the tablets was edged with glowing energy.

After a moment’s thought, I approached the tablet of Cho, Hyang, and Bini—my choice for the First Gate.

Just as I had done before, I placed my hand upon the slab.

But it did not respond at all.

I wondered if the lights indicated that I could touch the tablets again to initiate some new procedure—like unlocking another gate or an improvement—but there was no reaction.

“What, is that not it?”

As I gradually withdrew my hand, my fingers grazed Hyang’s image—specifically her feet—and a concept flashed into my thoughts.

Speed.

With that single word, I immediately knew: this would boost Hyang’s velocity.

Taken aback, I shifted my hand to her antennae, and another term surfaced in my mind.

Perception.

It appeared to extend detection range—probably amplifying the sensory capabilities of her antennae.

Touching her head brought another word:

Awareness.

That indicated it would heighten her intelligence.

And there was more.

When I touched her carapace, I saw:

Shell.

This would fortify the hardness of her outer shell.

Touching her fangs revealed:

Fang.

This would intensify the strength of her venom.

“S-Selective enhancement?! Ohhhhh my goooood!”

Evidently, with the opening of the Third Gate, I had gained access to a new function—the ability to enhance specific attributes of my children. I promptly began investigating all the areas I could improve.

From what I could determine, the fundamental zones—legs, antennae, shell, fangs, and abdomen—were common enhancement areas for all of them. The abdomen, in particular, seemed to boost physical stamina and resilience.

Beyond that, I found something even more fascinating: it appeared I could develop distinctive characteristics by engaging with two or more zones at the same time.

Although I didn’t know the precise mechanics yet, contacting two enhancement areas simultaneously activated what felt like a “combined enhancement.”

“Incredible—selective enhancement and combined enhancement?”

Additionally, a technique for entering and leaving the inner realm was also embedded in my consciousness.

Up until now, I hadn’t been able to access this place voluntarily—but now the method for departure became intuitively obvious.

‘To be honest, picking which attribute to enhance immediately would be difficult, so this is actually perfect.’

Selective enhancement was fantastic, but deciding which one to improve first was not a simple task.

I didn’t know if I could reinforce more than one area. If I chose impulsively, I might forfeit the opportunity to enhance others.

Besides—my children are clever.

They might have their own preferences about what they desire.

So it would be wiser to go out and consult with Sister Seol, Hwa-eun, Cheong-yu Sojeo, and the rest.

Learning how to exit the inner realm was a significant advantage.

“I should head out and talk it over with everyone. The kids will want their mother’s opinion too—wait… Hwa-eun?”

Just as I was about to leave quickly and start discussions, it hit me—

I had not even touched Hwa-eun’s tablet.

I had instinctively steered clear of it, regarding it as off-limits.

I had suspected that engaging with her tablet might activate some profound emotional attachment to humans or rouse an overpowering sense of devotion—so I had avoided contacting it entirely.

But upon reflection, I could still examine her enhancement options—even without unlocking her Gate.

So I cautiously approached the tablet bearing Hwa-eun’s likeness and gently touched her foot.

The word that emerged was:

Leg.

Her sprinting speed would improve, her legs would become more powerful, and she would be more skilled in movement techniques.

But there was a drawback.

“Stronger legs are good, but… does that mean she’ll develop more muscle? I can’t have my Hwa-eun ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) becoming Thunder Thighs, so that’s not acceptable.”

If she were a spirit beast, muscular growth wouldn’t be an issue.

But she is human, and looks do matter—so leg enhancement was out.

Next, I touched her thigh.

Skin.

This would increase skin resilience.

But this, too, had a downside.

The essence fluids from Yeoncheon and Yeonji appeared far superior to this.

Thicker skin wasn’t desirable—for women, that kind of toughening could be a cosmetic concern.

“Don’t they say female martial artists steer clear of external techniques because the skin becomes coarse? Yes, this one is no good.”

Then I touched her hand.

Claw.

Her nails would harden, and she could exude venom from them—similar to me.

But again, this presented an issue.

If we ever married and had a disagreement during our honeymoon, a mere scratch on the face could become deadly.

‘Far too risky. Not that Hwa-eun would ever do such a thing, but… better to be cautious, correct?’

There were other enhancements available—greater intelligence, better vision, enhanced smell—but her mind was already quite acute.

If she became even more perceptive, she might begin to detect all my minor deceptions—and that would not turn out well.

What if I told a small, harmless falsehood while gathering poisonous creatures? She would uncover it immediately.

I’ve seen experienced fishermen exposed on YouTube for similar things.

‘That would definitely mean domestic warfare.’

Eyesight? Unnecessary—she would gain that naturally through Rebirth.

Her sense of smell was already excellent.

Finally, I cleared my throat and resolved to inspect one final area.

“Ahem.”

No hidden intention—purely for verification.

I lightly passed my hand over that region.

The concept that came to mind was:

Beauty.

“Her natural scent becomes more enchanting, her looks become more striking, and her chest…”

—Snap.

A selection made in the interest of household harmony.