Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 464

Chapter 464
Locating the Sacred Fire Bell proved to be a straightforward task.
It resided within Mingsha Mountain in Gansu Province.
The ultimate challenge for a Young Heavenly Demon to be recognized as the full Heavenly Demon was to journey to the sacred site at Mingsha Mountain, acquire the Sacred Fire Bell, and sound it before the assembly of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
This was not an assessment of ability or might—it was a ceremonial ritual.
Furthermore, Gun Hye-rin’s great-grandfather had documented the site and the rites, and this knowledge, along with upkeep instructions, had been handed down to her. Her only task was to go and collect it.
“Then we make for Mingsha Mountain.”
Once the decision was made to retrieve the Sacred Fire Bell, Gun Hye-rin verified the alignment of the moon and stars with her elders and departed for the place her great-grandfather had described.
And then, when the night of the full moon arrived—
At the site identified as the sacred ground, she commenced channeling the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The records stated that on a night of the full moon, drawing upon the Heavenly Demon’s power atop this hallowed earth would cause the entrance to the sanctuary to materialize under the moonlight.
“We begin now. The writings mention a sandstorm will arise, though its scale is unknown—everyone must be careful.”
“Yes, Young Mistress!”
“To imagine we will behold the sacred grounds of the Heavenly Demon Cult!”
A desert night, illuminated as if it were day by the full moon.
As Gun Hye-rin called out while surveying the area, she summoned the Heavenly Demon energy—and oddly, that power was pulled down into the sands below.
Shortly after she started, a wind began to stir, precisely as the records had indicated.
—Swaaaaa…
The gale strengthened, the air whirling into a mournful howl befitting a mountain named for its weeping sands. As the sandstorm subsided—
A enormous cave opening became visible in the distance. Undoubtedly, this was the passage to the sacred ground of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
“That has to be it! The sanctum!”
“Let’s move!”
“Yes, Young Mistress!”
Hearts racing, Gun Hye-rin and the elders entered the cave.
It was an extended passageway carved from sandstone. After a considerable walk through the tunnel, they reached a vast cavern.
A natural hollow brimming with stalactites, stalagmites, and stone columns.
Golden sand, sparkling like starlight in the torchlight, sifted down from the ceiling like gentle snow.
As Gun Hye-rin and the elders, captivated by the mystery, moved forward cautiously—
A shadowy altar gradually came into view along the cavern wall ahead.
Upon the altar glowed the sacred flame emblem, the symbol of the Heavenly Demon Cult. And there, resting on the altar, was a radiant golden bell—
The Sacred Fire Bell.
Exactly as the records portrayed—a bell shaped in the likeness of a divine flame, the sacred fire.
Despite resting here for untold years, its luster remained undimmed.
It gleamed with a golden light, akin to a living fire flickering in the darkness.
“T-That is the Sacred Fire Bell!”
As the elders gazed in devout wonder and Gun Hye-rin stepped closer—
Abruptly, an odd noise reverberated through the chamber.
—Kiiii-shaa!
—Sha-kkiii!
“W-What is that sound!?”
“I have no idea! This was not in the records! Stay alert!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The sound was absent from her great-grandfather’s notes.
Gun Hye-rin and the elders scrutinized their environment, tense and ready.
The peculiar shrieks echoed off the stone walls, obscuring their origin.
—Puhak!
—Thud! Crash!
While the group stood nervous and alert—
Something erupted from under the sand, hurling two elders against the cavern wall.
“Khuhh!”
“Ghk—!”
The two elders were smashed into the rock before they could comprehend the attack.
Only after three of the five elders had been struck down did Gun Hye-rin finally see what they were up against.
In the dancing torchlight over the sand, she discerned shimmering white and black forms slithering across the ground.
Sharpening her focus, she identified them—
“A White Serpent and a Black Serpent!? Audacious pests!”
Given their strength, they were unmistakably spirit beasts. Regardless, Gun Hye-rin was incensed.
These vile creatures had the temerity to dwell within the sacred ground of the Heavenly Demon Cult—to obstruct her path to the Sacred Fire Bell.
“You will not be forgiven! I will make your corpses the foundation for the cult’s resurgence!”
True, the spirit beasts were formidable. True, their assaults were erratic.
Yet, this was not a wholly negative development.
If she could conquer them, they would likely possess Neidan within—and with one of those, she might achieve the Profound Realm her great-grandfather had so desired.
Now that she was the sole combatant remaining, it was evident she would be the next focus of their attack.
This afforded her a clearer opportunity to counter than previously.
Shutting her eyes in the gloom, she concentrated. She detected the presence of something soaring toward her.
A straightforward, head-on assault.
Even if they are spirit beasts, they are ultimately just animals.
She delivered a rapid blow—first form!
—Boom!
“Grhhhhh!”
The initial technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Fist, perfected through endless practice for the revival of the cult.
She was certain that no spirit beast, however powerful, could withstand that strike.
But when the air cleared—
What met her eyes was the stunning impact mirrored in her own quaking fist… and her own body forced back twelve full steps.
Gun Hye-rin’s eyes opened wide in shock.
“Th-That was… Inner Force?!”
Her hand shook violently.
The mere fact that a spirit beast could employ Inner Force was astonishing.
But what utterly devastated her was being driven back twelve steps. It signified a complete and total overpowering.
She had written them off as simple beasts, yet they wielded inner force… and easily dominated her.
What in the world were these entities?
Before she could fully process the shock—
A devastating impact connected with her jaw.
—Crack!
“Khak… Ugh…”
Her sight swam.
Is this… is this the pathetic end of our Heavenly Demon Cult…?
She needed to restore the cult.
And yet, to be defeated in this manner?
Consumed by resentment and hopelessness, Gun Hye-rin’s awareness swiftly dwindled.
—Swaaaaaa…
An immeasurable amount of time seemed to pass.
As the chill of the dew and the desert breeze stirred her, Gun Hye-rin found herself and all her companions lying scattered upon the desert sands.
***
“I cannot recall how many attempts I have made. I formed suppression teams, advanced to the Flower Realm, and tried once more. But it was all for nothing. I could force one into a deadlock, but confronting both at once… I was utterly powerless.
You understand, the one emanating demonic energy was manageable. However, the white one radiates spiritual energy, which completely neutralizes demonic power.”
Gun Hye-rin explained with a look of acrid defeat—but internally, I was elated.
‘Gyaaaaah!’
It was undeniable now—the spirit beasts she described were precisely the two serpent spirit beasts we had been seeking.
The same pair Cheong-yu Sojeo had spoken of—the Five Venoms Commander duo tasked with her protection, and also the guardians of the Black and White Thrones among the Twenty-Four Venoms.
The Thousand-Year Black Serpent and the Thousand-Year White Serpent.
The colors matched—black and white—and their use of inner force? No other creatures fit that description.
And they were serpents. It could not possibly be anything else.
『“So-ryong, they truly are the Thousand-Year Black and White Serpents, correct?”』
“Yes, Hwa-eun!”
She concurred, though her subsequent thought conveyed worry.
『“So-ryong, you intend to rescue them… is that right?”』
Was she concerned I would dash off to save them before our wedding even took place?
I knew the children would not wander off, and truthfully, I had no desire to delay our first night together any further. I comforted her with a steady tone.
『“Set your mind at ease, Hwa-eun. We will have our wedding first. From where I originate, newly married couples often take a tranquil journey together. So let us go—just the two of us!
With the children present, well… the wedding night might be somewhat, ahem, complicated. So—what is your opinion?”』
“Just us two? But the wedding night?”
“Ahem. I am referring to… the Flower Candle Night.”
“F-Flower Candle Night?! Yes! I—that is, no, wait… that is not my meaning…”
“You do not wish for it?”
“No, it is not that I do not wish for it… I mean, I do wish for it—not that I… oh, never mind… I do wish it. But that is not why I mentioned it!”
“Oh? Then what was the reason?”
Hwa-eun’s frank confession that she desired the wedding night made me smile.
But her apprehension was different than I had assumed—it was not about the wedding itself.
“Gun Hye-rin is likely to request that you persuade the Thousand-Year Black and White Serpents to vacate the sanctum. Should anyone discover you aided her in this, you could be labeled a public enemy of the martial world.”
“And if I decline?”
“You would decline… only to then sneak away to retrieve them regardless?”
“…Yes.”
“If you bring them back, Gun Hye-rin will obtain the Sacred Fire Bell, meaning the cult will be restored, correct?”
“Correct…”
“Then you would be the individual responsible for the cult’s return. If that is uncovered, you will be proclaimed a public enemy.”
“That… also applies?”
“Yes!”
The more I heard, the more I recognized her accuracy.
Even if I retrieved them covertly, the outcome would be identical—the Heavenly Demon Cult would be revived, and I would be held responsible.
Aiding Gun Hye-rin directly would yield the same result: I would be viewed as conspiring with a demonic cult.
Regardless of my method for returning the Thousand-Year Serpents, my fate as the martial world’s public enemy was sealed.
‘Honestly, what kind of absurdity is this?’
My sole intention was to save a pair of spirit snakes suffering in the desert’s severe environment—how does that constitute a crime?
‘The world is simply conspiring against me!’
I was complaining to myself when Gun Hye-rin suddenly spoke again.
“You also inquired about the demonic invaders, correct?”
We moved to the subject that had precipitated all this disorder—the demonic cultivators who had almost transformed our wedding into a slaughter.
For the moment, I set aside my irritation with the world to hear the actual events.
“Yes. What precisely transpired with the demonic cultivators?”
“Are you familiar with the Blood Cult?”
“Yes. I am aware they were formerly a division of the Heavenly Demon Cult.”
“Right. They were initially adherents of the Blood Arts within our cult. But upon succeeding in creating the entity known as the Blood Demon, they rose in rebellion.”
“Blood Demon?”
“In their terminology, ‘the Sovereign of Blood.’ A being purported to resurrect from a single drop of blood, even if its physical form is annihilated.”
What in the world—is this a tale of vampires now? Just when I believed I had encountered every conceivable being, Hwa-eun posed the next question.
“Then how is the Blood Cult connected to the demonic invaders who assaulted our wedding?”
“Because those so-called invaders were filth from the Blood Cult.”
“The Blood Cult?”
Hwa-eun and I exchanged glances, the same understanding dawning on us both.
Because the emergence of the Blood Cult typically implies the involvement of a certain superior organization.
『“The Five Venoms Sect!”』
“The Five Venoms Sect!”
Naturally. We had been puzzled about why a demonic cult would target Sichuan of all places, but if the Five Venoms Sect was orchestrating it, everything made sense.
‘After all, we have exchanged enough taunts. I expect nothing less from you fools.’
Just as Hwa-eun was about to mentally convey a sentiment along the lines of “those scoundrels deserve to be incinerated,” the narrative continued.
“Recently, the Blood Cult was located near our concealed village. They had been crippled by a devastating strike from the Central Plains and had lost the majority of their remaining strength to the Five Venoms Sect. They then pleaded for readmission, claiming they wished to return.”
“And you accepted them?”
“Half of the cult wished to deny them. The other half argued we required every ounce of strength available. Ultimately, we permitted them entry. They then began offering us elixirs—so-called miraculous potions they had been developing.
I cautioned against it. I distrusted them and advised everyone to refuse. But some believed the power might be sufficient to assist in reclaiming the Sacred Fire Bell—and they consumed it.
This is the consequence.”
In summary: the Five Venoms Sect utilized the Blood Cult to ensnare the Heavenly Demon Cult, attempting to disrupt our wedding.
And within that turmoil, the intelligence regarding the Thousand-Year Serpents inadvertently came into my possession.
‘Oh, Five Venoms Sect… was this your wedding gift? Pfffft.’
Their scheme to ruin the wedding was intercepted, resolved, and ultimately delivered spirit beasts to me.
I imagined they would be suffocating with fury if they ever learned of it.
And then, perfectly timed, came Gun Hye-rin’s formal appeal.
“That is the entire account. Now, if you truly can communicate with serpents—could you convince those two to depart the sanctum? Should you grant this request, the Heavenly Demon Cult will forever be in your debt.
Even though you are a man from the Central Plains.”
Exactly as Hwa-eun had foreseen.
She looked at me with an anxious expression, and I communicated with her mentally.
『“Hwa-eun, I have a brilliant notion.”』
“A brilliant notion?”
“We will address the Five Venoms later. For now, I have a strategy for retrieving the Thousand-Year Serpents.”
“What sort of strategy?”
“We impose a few terms. Execute it swiftly and discreetly. Simple, yes?”
“What if you are discovered?”
“Then I will simply ensure I am not discovered.”
“I mean, what if despite…”
“Even then—I will not be.”
“…Haaah. So regardless of what I say, you are determined to proceed quickly and in secret, is that it?”
‘Precisely!’
Everyone was still occupied handling the demonic threat, making this the ideal opportunity.
We would reach a confidential agreement with only those present here, without notifying the elders, and resolve it promptly.
We would ride Cho and Yeondu and return within a few days.
Rapid. Exact. Neat.
Naturally, I intended to stipulate conditions. So I adopted a solemn demeanor.
“Upon reflection… I believe I recognize the nature of those spirit beasts.”
“Oh! Truly!?”
“Yes. They are called the Thousand-Year White Serpent and the Thousand-Year Black Serpent. They acquired these names because, once they establish themselves in a location, they remain there for a full millennium.”
“Whaaaaat!”
“A… A thousand years?!”
This was an outright fabrication.
Their names were merely inventions of the Tang Clan ancestors.
But the cult members stared at me, astounded, completely accepting the notion of them remaining stationary for a thousand years.
Time to amplify it.
“Naturally, I can devise a method to… move them.”
“Really!? How!?”
“However.”
“However?”
“There is a condition.”
“Whatever it may be! I will agree to anything!”
Gun Hye-rin, predictably, began offering unconditional promises.
Smiling, I presented my terms.
“Should the Heavenly Demon Cult be restored, you must pledge not to invade the Central Plains for the next hundred years. Furthermore, everything we discuss here today—only the eight individuals present and my four venomous companions will ever be aware of it. It remains with us until our deaths.”
This seemed like a fundamental precaution.
But Gun Hye-rin hesitated.
“We will naturally maintain secrecy. But a hundred years…”
She evidently considered this excessive. But then—an unanticipated voice interjected.
“Young Mistress, simply agree.”
One of the masked adherents urged her consent.
But for a subordinate to endorse when the leader wavered?
Smiling, I continued.
“You may be considering that you can consent now and renege later—but that would be an error. I can indeed remove the Thousand-Year Serpents.
But that also implies… I can return them.
You will not simply be able to wait for my demise, either.
I could always leave directives for my offspring—if the Heavenly Demon Cult ever invades, they are to return and establish a nest at the cult’s entrance. I might even bequeath a few larger specimens…”
I indicated Yeondu.
One of the masked cultists recoiled in dread.
Gun Hye-rin swiftly interjected.
“I have no plan to violate the agreement. Very well! A hundred years!”
These demonic cult sorts… bestowing spirit beasts and ratifying peace accords?
They were unexpectedly reasonable individuals.
I have heard that those with a rough exterior often possess a tender interior once acquainted.
Perhaps this group was precisely like that.
‘Huh. They are actually rather agreeable.’