Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 471

Chapter 471
“Ugh…”
“So-ryong, are you awake?”
As my vision cleared, Hwa-eun’s voice reached me.
The first thing I did upon waking was check how long I’d been unconscious.
“Yes, Hwa-eun. How many days have passed?”
This time, when Hwa-eun attained the Flower Realm, my mastery of the Beast Heart Art deepened, and beyond the initial bonding ritual, I finally learned how to move in and out of the mindscape freely.
It was during that breakthrough that I realized time moves more slowly within the mental realm—which made it the perfect place to conduct the registration.
But because Gun Hye-rin was hesitant while we were inside, I worried that far more time might have slipped by than we intended.
If it had taken nearly half a month, like when I first bonded with the other spirit creatures, the Tang Clan would be in an uproar.
They’d likely assume Hwa-eun and I had been ambushed or killed pursuing demonic cultivators. They might have already mobilized search parties.
“Luckily, it’s only been two days.”
Her answer washed over me with profound relief.
Even with Gun Hye-rin’s hesitation stretching things out internally, we were still within a manageable window.
To be certain, I sent a quick message to Cheongwol in our group.
『“Cheongwol, is everything calm at the clan?”
“If by ‘calm’ you mean the obvious, then you already know. Hyang and Bini are in a full-blown pout.”
“Right… anything beyond that?”
“No. Oh, except Sister Seol mentioned that those who lost their minds are now scattering, so they’re tougher to hunt down.”』
It seemed Gun Hye-rin’s followers from the Heavenly Demon Cult were performing their duties better than expected.
Feeling reassured, I turned back to Hwa-eun.
“If we head back now, everything should be fine.”
“The others are already ready. We were only waiting for you to wake before setting out.”
“Um… are you feeling okay?”
Just as I started to get up, I heard Gun Hye-rin’s tentative question.
She must have roused before the rest of us. Her voice was a bit flat, likely an effect of the Beast Heart Art bonding, but the worry in it was unmistakable.
“I’m fine. I’ve been through this enough times that it’s familiar now.”
It wasn’t as if this was my first mental connection.
As I got to my feet and stretched, Gun Hye-rin walked over, her face lined with concern, and went on.
“I talked with Hwa-eun before you woke. She mentioned you’ve bonded with quite a few spirit creatures, hasn’t she?
That could put a serious strain on your heart. If you feel anything unusual, you have to speak up. You must be cautious.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. In any fusion of soul and flesh that involves blood or essence, overpowering another’s spirit places a tremendous burden on the core of one’s being.”
“Ah, so that’s what Sister Seol meant when she warned me not to be overwhelmed by the beasts’ minds?”
“Sister Seol?”
Gun Hye-rin looked puzzled at the name.
I nodded and explained.
“She’s my sister—well, adopted sister. She’s from the Beast Palace.”
At that, Gun Hye-rin asked, her expression perplexed.
“But why do you talk about your own clan as if it belongs to someone else?”
“It’s complicated, but the short version is… I was adopted.”
“Ah…”
“Anyway, that’s not what matters. This art is called the Beast Heart Art. It’s the ultimate martial discipline of the Beast Palace. Its fundamental principle is to evolve together with the beasts you bond with, sharing a path of growth.
That’s why both Sister Seol and my adoptive father cautioned me. If I bond with too many, their collective consciousness could consume me.”
“That warning was correct. Even so, this is an incredible advancement. To think someone refined it to this level… The founder of this Beast Heart Art must have been either a peerless lunatic—or a visionary genius.”
Gun Hye-rin spoke as if she genuinely understood the underlying mechanics of the Beast Heart Art.
Now that I considered it, hadn’t she sounded knowledgeable back in the mindscape as well?
My curiosity got the better of me.
“Have you encountered something like this before? You seem to know a surprising amount about it.”
When I asked how she was so familiar, Gun Hye-rin nodded and replied.
“Have you forgotten? The Blood Cult was originally a splinter faction from the Heavenly Demon Sect.
They grew fixated on draining blood to empower the body, but true bloodline arts aren’t so crude. Using blood as a conduit, one can dominate others—it’s a truly fearsome branch of demonic cultivation. Most of that knowledge is lost to our sect now, however.”
“Ah… I see.”
If the Blood Cult’s roots were in a discipline similar to the Beast Heart Art, her expertise made sense.
Then she added, her tone full of real awe.
“To transmit mnemonic chants through a bond of souls and spirits… it’s truly astounding…”
She was clearly impressed by the Beast Heart Art. But then I heard a sharp gasp from Hwa-eun beside me.
“Oh no…”
I turned to see her staring at me, her face ashen.
The instant our eyes met…
Hwa-eun, frozen in place, stammered,
“So-So-ryong, what do we do? I think we made a huge mistake…”
“A mistake?”
Hadn’t we already crossed that line the moment we bonded Gun Hye-rin?
I thought it was far too late for regrets—but Hwa-eun continued.
“We forgot… that the Beast Heart Art registration also shares the mnemonic chants! What are we going to say to Sister Seol!?”
In that moment, I went just as still.
It was equivalent to gifting a secret Tang Clan martial art to the very Successor of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
If I tried to deflect and say, “But I told you not to,” it would only wound Hwa-eun.
It felt slightly unjust, but we were soon to be wed—shouldn’t we face the consequences together?
Shutting my eyes tightly, I said,
“Well, it can’t be undone. For now, I suppose we’ll have to… uh…”
“Uh?”
“…apologize on our knees.”
Since Hwa-eun was involved too, perhaps a sincere bow of contrition would help earn forgiveness.

***

We escorted Gun Hye-rin back to Sichuan.
Thanks to Cho and Yeondu, the journey took only a day and a half.
We had a little time to spare, but the weight of our guilt kept us moving quickly.
—Beeep.
Upon reaching the rendezvous point, Gun Hye-rin sent out a signal.
Not long after, the masked leader appeared.
He bowed deeply to her and inquired,
“What is the situation?”
Without a word, Gun Hye-rin drew the Sacred Fire Bell from her robe and rang it.
—Jingle.
An ethereal chime resonated from the bell.
“By the heavens! The Sacred Fire Bell!”
I’d tried shaking that bell myself on the journey back, but for some reason, it had remained silent in my hands.
It wasn’t as if this age had DNA locks; I couldn’t fathom how it operated.
The man tore off his mask and exclaimed, his face filled with emotion.
“May the Heavenly Demon live a thousand years! Let us depart! Now that the Sacred Fire Bell is recovered, every last follower of the Heavenly Demon Cult will rally to the Successor!”
He was prepared to leave immediately, to unite the cult under Gun Hye-rin and proclaim her the Heavenly Demon.
Gun Hye-rin passed him the Sacred Fire Bell and commanded in a grave voice.
“I have unfinished business here. You must take the Sacred Fire Bell and gather our followers!”
“As you will!”
The man accepted the order, still bowed low.
Just as he was about to leave, he glanced back at the Successor of the Heavenly Demon Cult and asked,
“But… what exactly occurred?”
At that, Gun Hye-rin’s face took on a peculiar expression—and she turned to look at me.
Because she, too, would have to come and kneel in apology with me.

***

Gun Hye-rin vowed with her life to guard the secrets of the Beast Heart Art and never disclose them to another soul.
Now that she was bonded within it, she couldn’t truly betray me or act against me even if she wanted to.
Even so, we had to confess to Sister Seol—so I brought Gun Hye-rin, the very person who had unintentionally learned the art, back with us to the Tang Clan.
“Young Lady!”
“The Young Lady is back! Alert the household!”
“We are grateful for your hard work.”
“Thank you for your service.”
As we approached the Nine-Tiered Gates of Mount Tang, the clan warriors came out to welcome us.
Hwa-eun stepped forward and asked them,
“Where is my father?”
“The Supreme Clan Head and the leader of the Martial Force Unit are both out directing the search party.”
So Grandfather Tang Mu-seong and my father-in-law Tang Cheolsan were still out searching.
In the past, the two would never be absent simultaneously unless it was critical, but now that our spirit beast daughters were there to defend the clan, they must have felt secure enough to both take action.
“We have already tracked down and eliminated all the demonic cultivators. Please recall them at once.”
“Understood!”
Just as Hwa-eun and I finished reporting that the threat was neutralized and the search could end…
We heard Sister Seol’s voice calling out from further up the mountain as she hurried toward us.
“Hwa-eun! So-ryong!”
“Young Lady Hwa-eun! Lord So-ryong!”
As a marital relative, Sister Seol had stayed behind at the Tang estate. She had insisted that an honored guest shouldn’t be exposed to danger.
Her personal maid, Unmirang, was running close behind her.
“U-unnie…”
“Sister…”
Burdened by our guilt, we couldn’t even offer a proper greeting and stood there with strained expressions.
Sister Seol tilted her head, studying our odd behavior.
“What’s wrong with you two? You look like children who got caught misbehaving.”
Did our sister-in-law have some kind of second sight?
Just as her words left us speechless, Unmirang spoke.
“Forgive my interruption, but… that unfamiliar lady behind you… is she a guest of the clan?”
Unmirang was looking at Gun Hye-rin, who stood silently behind us.
She naturally assumed that since we’d brought her, she was a guest—and as Hwa-eun’s personal maid, it was her duty to arrange accommodations and hospitality.
“Ah, please have bath water prepared for her. As for her room—she will be staying in my quarters, so no separate arrangements are needed.”
“In your quarters, Young Lady?”
“You’re having her stay with you?” Sister Seol repeated, clearly astonished.
Both Unmirang and Sister Seol seemed shocked at the idea of a guest sharing Hwa-eun’s personal space.
With a remorseful look, Hwa-eun turned to her sister and asked,
“Yes, unnie. There’s something important I need to discuss. Could we talk in private in my room, after we’ve greeted Mother?”
“Of course. I’ll wait for you there.”
Sister Seol agreed easily.
After paying our respects to Mother-in-law, we went to Hwa-eun’s room and found Sister Seol already inside—along with our spirit beast girls, Bini and Hyang.
—Tsk. 『Hmph.』
—Snort. 『Tch.』
They must have rushed over after hearing we were back. The moment we entered, they turned away from us and snorted loudly.
A transparent display of their displeasure and a bid for affection.
But this wasn’t the moment—we had more pressing issues. I decided I could make it up to them later.
Since they’d sought us out instead of hiding, their sulking was likely just for show. It wouldn’t take much to appease them.
I moved closer, and though the girls tried to shy away, I gathered them both into my arms and spoke earnestly.
“I’m sorry, but I need to speak with your aunt right away. I’ll make it up to you properly later. Can you give us a little time?”
“Please. This is urgent,” Hwa-eun added.
Sensing the tense mood between me and Hwa-eun, Bini—with Hyang on her back—replied.
—Snnrk. 『You’d better mean it! Hmph!』
With that, they left the room.
Now it was just me, Sister Seol, Hwa-eun, and Gun Hye-rin.
Hwa-eun and I swiftly knelt down before Sister Seol, while Gun Hye-rin remained standing quietly behind us.
“What is this? Why do you two look like that? And with a guest here?”
Sister Seol, who had been making tea, stopped what she was doing.
We both dropped to our knees right there.
“We… we apologize, Sister Seol.”
“I’m so sorry, unnie.”
As we bowed our heads low, Sister Seol blinked in bewilderment at our abrupt show of remorse.
She took a second to compose herself, then hurried over and pulled at our arms, asking with concern,
“Wh-What’s happening? Seriously, what did you do? Why are you two acting like this out of nowhere?”
I glanced at Hwa-eun, who gently guided Gun Hye-rin to kneel beside her and started to explain.
“Unnie… forgive me. I asked So-ryong to register this young lady with the Beast Heart Art… and… when he did, the knowledge of the art was transferred to her!”
“…What!?”
She skipped the context and went straight to the crucial point.
Hearing Hwa-eun’s words, Sister Seol’s face became a mask of shock.
But then—her reaction swerved in an unexpected direction.
“Ahahahaha! Really? That scoundrel So-ryong… Taking another wife before the wedding, and a foreign beauty at that? Not bad at all. And you, Hwa-eun, being so accepting as the first wife? I’m truly impressed. I admire you even more now.”
She laughed warmly.
“You two dropped to your knees as if the sky were falling. But it’s alright, it’s fine. If Hwa-eun has given her approval, how can we refuse someone who will become family?”
Sister Seol had entirely misread the situation.
She started scrutinizing Gun Hye-rin from head to toe, then asked,
“She’s as lovely as Hwa-eun. So—which noble house does the young lady hail from?”
“…”
“Um, well… unnie…”
“You see, Sister Seol…”
As Gun Hye-rin hesitated, Hwa-eun and I attempted to answer for her—but she spoke first.
“Tian—”
“The Tian family? Oh, that’s a respected lineage, isn’t it? Weren’t they known for their scholarly pursuits and mountain estates?”
“Heavenly Demon Cult.”
“…?”
The smile vanished from Sister Seol’s face. Gradually, her expression contorted into one of pure dread.
“W-What did you just say!?”
Hwa-eun and I clasped each other’s hands tightly.
After all… we were in this together.