Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 466

Chapter 466
On the route toward Mingsha Mountain in Gansu Province.
I found myself dealing with two pressing issues.
First, our progress was slower than I had hoped.
“We may need to find a way around this.”
I made the remark while observing the gradually receding landscape below, my voice making it clear the current pace was unacceptable. Tang Hwa-eun shook her head gently as she petted Cho’s head.
“We can’t push any harder. It’s because of the children.”
Then, in a soft, regretful tone, Cho added her own comment.
—Tsrrrt. “Sorry, Dad.”
“It’s not your fault, Cho. It’s just winter.”
—Tsrrt. “Even so…”
“She’s right, Cho. Like your mother said, it isn’t your doing. The cold is only because of the season. You’re doing wonderfully.”
The drop in speed was due to the time of year and the conditions.
Even if they tried to fly faster, the chill made it unbearable.
I had made an error by not accounting for winter.
I had roughly calculated that our goal was some 1,500 kilometers away.
I had a hazy memory that the span from one side of China to the other was around 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers, so I’d done a quick estimate.
It sounds immense, but if Cho and Yeondu maintained a speed of just 50 kilometers per hour, it would take only 30 hours.
I thought a round trip of three days would be sufficient, but in this winter weather, Cho and Yeondu were unable to accelerate.
As soon as they gained altitude, icy winds cut into them, and flying quicker only drained their body heat faster. Their speed naturally kept dropping.
I had charged into this without a real plan for the cold.
Cho, Yeondu, and Cheong-yu Sojeo were all insulated with clothing spun from Yohwa’s threads, but even that had its limits.
Truthfully, I was cold as well. So the children must have been suffering far more.
At this rate, the trip would take much longer.
My intention to handle this swiftly was already crumbling at the outset.
What to do? Should I resign myself to a longer travel time and verify how long the Heavenly Demon Cult warriors could last?
I turned to Gun Hye-rin, flying beside me, and posed the question.
If we were delayed, I needed to know first how long the warriors engaged in this lethal game of pursuit could survive.
“Speaking of which… Little Heavenly Demon. How long do you believe the Heavenly Demon Cult warriors can hold out?”
Gun Hye-rin turned her head at the abrupt question.
“Why do you ask?”
“It seems our journey may take more time than I thought… and if we draw this out and they’re captured by the Murim warriors in Sichuan, it would be a catastrophe…”
“There’s no need for concern there. They’ve all pledged their lives to this. If caught, they will take their own.”
“They’ll… end their own lives?”
“Correct.”
Her reply felt like a direct blow to my heart.
True, I had instructed them to play a life-or-death game of hide and seek—but I meant for them to be seen and escape skillfully, not be captured and die.
That wasn’t my plan at all…
Just then, Cheong-yu Sojeo, who was flying with Yeondu coiled around her, spoke up in a remorseful tone.
—Shiaa. “So-ryong, I apologize… I’m growing cold.”
The sun had long since set, and the nighttime cold was even more biting.
Cheong-yu Sojeo wasn’t as robust as the other children, so she seemed to feel the cold more acutely.
Even though she was dressed in a heavier, fur-lined coat woven from Yohwa’s silk than the others.
“I’ll bring us down for a moment and start a fire.”
I swiftly descended and lit a fire in the woods below.
Continuing like this was impossible. I needed to warm everyone up.
—Whoosh.
The instant Hwa-eun kindled a flame using Sammae True Flame, our entire group instinctively huddled around it.
As everyone began to warm themselves by the fire, the second problem erupted loudly in my mind.
Not as a faint notion—but as distinct voices.
—Tsrrt! (“Once again, Dad only brings big sister Cho…”)
—Tsrrrt! (“Exactly! It’s always her! Every time he promises it will be different next time! Bini wants to fly too, for real!”)
—Baaap!
Lately, everyone had been avoiding the group chat to spare my sanity, but today, there were no restraints. The comments poured in incessantly.
Huayang appeared to be following along just to participate, but the most visibly upset were Hyang and Bini, angry over being left behind for several days.
They rarely showed envy toward their other sisters, but when it came to Cho—who hatched from the same egg—they couldn’t restrain themselves.
They didn’t even bring up the others. Their grievances were solely directed at Cho.
—Tsrrt-ts. (“You could have bundled me up and brought me too… but you only took big sister Cho.”)
—Grrrr. (“Didn’t So-ryong say it was urgent business? We should be understanding…”)
—Tsrr! (“Tch! Cheongwol always sides with Dad!”)
—Tsk! (“Yeah!”)
—Tsrrrrr. (“I won’t play with Cheongwol anymore!”)
—Grrng. (“What’s gotten into these two today…”)
It wasn’t as though I hadn’t seen this coming.
That’s why before departing, I had specifically asked Cheongwol, Hwanji, Hwana, Ranghu, Yohwa—and above all, Hyang and Bini—to help keep things calm.
They were always the most touchy about these matters.
But apparently, it didn’t fully register. The two of them repeatedly exited the group chat in a fury, only to return and continue reprimanding me.
Ugh, my head is throbbing.
Hoping to settle my disordered thoughts, I spoke into the group chat again to apologize.
“Dad made a mistake. I’m sorry, kids. I truly had no other option because of the mission.”
—Grrrrng. (“See? He said it was the mission. So-ryong even apologized, so drop it now.”)
—Tsrrt! (“Dad, you dummy!”)
—Tsk! (“A dummy who only loves big sister Cho!”)
Then came the name-calling—both of them shouting that I was a fool.
“If you keep talking like that, you’ll be in trouble. Dad only brought Mom because it was an emergency, you know.”
Finally, Hwa-eun intervened—but Hyang and Bini didn’t reply.
The moment she spoke, they disappeared from the group chat.
It was as if I heard it in my mind: “Hyang and Bini have left the group chat.”
I would likely have to have a proper talk and comfort them when we returned.
At that moment, Gun Hye-rin’s voice sounded next to me.
“Hmm… I’ve been thinking. May I ask you something?”
“Curious about something?”
“Yes.”
When I looked over, Gun Hye-rin genuinely wore an expression of curiosity.
Since the children had quieted down for now, I chose to address her question.
She must have been saving it since we departed.
Regular people would have already flooded me with queries like, “Where did you find such spirit beasts?” or “Aren’t you afraid they’ll bite?” So it was natural she had wondered about something.
“What is it?”
I tilted my head, curious about what she might ask, and her next question took me by surprise.
“How precisely are the two of you speaking? From your shifting expressions, it’s obvious you’re conversing, but I cannot detect how.”
“My hearing has always been acute, but after reaching the Flower Realm, it became even more refined, to the level where I can intercept transmitted sound. Yet, I still cannot hear a thing.”
So it was a important secret, then. Perhaps she shared her own sensory upgrade first because she wanted to ask about a martial technique and offered her knowledge as trade?
The Flower Realm harmonizes the body with one’s martial arts, so it appeared the Heavenly Demon’s enhanced hearing was a benefit of her advancement.
When I glanced at Hwa-eun, her voice resonated in my mind.
“My sense of smell improved as well. I can detect from someone’s scent whether they are nervous or joyful. But it seems she enhanced her hearing.”
Wait, beyond the heart? She gained other upgrades too?
So merely attaining the Flower Realm had honed Hwa-eun’s sense of smell to where she could perceive emotional states from scent alone.
I understood I could never deceive her again—and at that moment, she gave a nod.
That likely meant I had permission to explain to Gun Hye-rin.
I smiled and answered her question.
“Well, Hwa-eun and I are versed in a martial technique that lets us speak heart-to-heart.”
“Heart? You mean you converse through your hearts?”
I didn’t specify the technique itself, only described the capabilities of the Beast Heart Art, and her eyes grew wide.
She had probably never encountered the idea of people communicating directly through thought.
“Yes, distance is irrelevant. We can perceive each other’s thoughts.”
“Heh… Astonishing. Is it a form of mental martial art? The martial world is truly boundless. I never knew such a technique existed.”
From a vague description, she deduced it involved the mind—demonstrating again that reaching the Flower Realm was no mere title.
Her next question came quickly.
“So, the reason for our delay—was it truly because those children are affected by the cold?”
“Ah, yes. That’s the heart of it.”
“Then if we address that, we can increase our speed?”
“You have a method?”
“I do.”
“Excellent!”
A solution to the cold problem?
I exclaimed happily, and Gun Hye-rin turned to Hwa-eun to explain.
“By modifying the method used to form a Qi Veil, you can generate a barrier that repels wind and external cold. If you imbue it with yang energy, the interior will grow warm.”
“You possess the strength to sustain a veil large enough for yourself and one spirit beast. I will instruct you.”
“Thank you.”
“No thanks are needed. The faster we travel, the sooner I receive the aid I require. I will demonstrate once—sense the movement of my qi.”
“Understood.”
Using an adaptation of the Qi Veil technique, the Little Heavenly Demon showed Hwa-eun how to deflect the wind—and when Hwa-eun implemented it, Cheong-yu Sojeo, seated within the barrier, noticeably eased.
—Shiaa. “It’s truly warm. It feels like spring in here.”
With that, we were now able to quicken our journey.
I was just on the verge of ordering us to move again when—
“Alright, let’s continue—”
“However, regarding the Tang girl…”
The Little Heavenly Demon cast a look toward Hwa-eun and inquired offhandedly.
“Yes?”
“Judging by the capacity of your middle dantian, you’ve practiced a martial art that compresses qi and discharges it explosively. Why didn’t you employ it during our previous fight?”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Might it be a fatal technique, intended solely for killing? I would like to witness its full power at least once.”
At her words, Hwa-eun glanced down at her chest, then looked at me and offered a tender smile.
As if to say, only one person will ever see that power up close.
Ahem.

***
Once the cold was no longer an issue, our pace increased dramatically.
Previously, we had to match the speed of the group on the ground, and the cold had been a hindrance—but with both obstacles removed, Cho and Yeondu could devote themselves entirely to velocity.
And true to form, they were incredibly fast.
In merely a day and a half, we passed the northwestern border of Sichuan and moved into Qinghai Province, with Qinghai Lake now beneath us.
“So-ryong! It’s as if the entire world has turned blue!”
The moment we flew over Qinghai Lake, Hwa-eun exclaimed with delight.
Below us lay the rich, cobalt blue of Qinghai Lake.
Above us stretched the clear, open winter sky—a profound azure.
Blue above, blue below—the entire world seemed an ocean of blue.
“It truly does.”
“So-ryong, look! It’s Qinghai Lake. Being here makes me remember when you were taken by the Camel Spider… That frightened me so much…”
“That did happen, didn’t it?”
We recalled the time I was carried off by the Camel Spider as we glided over Qinghai Lake.
The following day, after traversing vast barren lands and desert—
A crescent-shaped lake emerged before us.
The instant it came into view, Gun Hye-rin called out brightly.
“That is called Crescent Spring!”
It was likely named for its resemblance to a crescent moon. Probably an oasis.
Then she pointed past it and continued.
“And that mountain behind it—that is Mingsha Mountain!”
I had imagined Mingsha to be a stone mountain in a desert, given its name meaning “Singing Sand Mountain,” but it was, in reality, a massive dune—composed entirely of sand.
Gun Hye-rin motioned toward the area between Crescent Spring and Mingsha Mountain.
“That is our destination! That is where we are going!”
As soon as we touched down where she indicated, she gathered her demonic energy—and a whirlwind started to swirl.
And then, the great sand mountain truly began to sing.
—Ssshhhaaaaaa…
It was the ideal backdrop for the majestic arrival of the Five Tiger Generals.