Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 472

Chapter 472
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
In the hushed silence of the room, the only sound was the rhythmic, gentle tapping that echoed at a constant pace.
It was the noise of Sister Seol’s fingertips drumming against the table—an endless, steady beat—after she had listened to our complete account.
“Um…”
“Just be silent for a moment. I need to process this.”
“O-okay, unnie.”
Hwa-eun, unable to withstand the mounting pressure any longer, attempted to speak but was swiftly interrupted.
She shot me a miserable look, and in my thoughts, I heard Gun Hye-rin’s voice.
『“I am the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, fated to command legions of demons… and here I am, kneeling…?”
“This is a critical situation. Please stay quiet.”
“…Very well.”』
Likely because of the Beast Heart Art’s influence, Gun Hye-rin fell silent at once.
Once she was quiet, Hwa-eun murmured an apology to me.
『“So-ryong… I believe Sister Seol is truly angry. I’m sorry. This is all my fault…”』
“What do you mean, ‘your fault’? Where I come from, we believe that a married couple shares a single soul. A mistake by one is a mistake by both. So don’t say that.
She does appear upset, but Sister Seol is just and fair. She won’t be too severe with us.”
“Thank you… So-ryong.”』
As we waited in silence for her verdict…
Huuuu…
Sister Seol released a long, heavy sigh.
We all jumped in unison.
She started to recount our story again, as though confirming each detail.
“So… you went out to pursue demon cultists and accidentally encountered the Successor of the Heavenly Demon Cult. Then you caught wind of rumors about the Millennium White Serpent and the Millennium Black Serpent residing in her sect’s holy land, and decided to capture them?”
“Yes, unnie.”
“That’s right, Sister Seol.”
“Correct.”
“And then, after capturing them, you grew anxious. You were concerned that if this became known, So-ryong could be branded a traitor to the martial world. So you chose to use the Beast Heart Art to reduce that danger. Is that accurate?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“That’s correct, unnie.”
“The Successor wished to remain on good terms and appeared reliable, but since she leads a major sect, you feared unexpected complications might emerge. So you concluded that binding her with the Beast Heart Art would eliminate any risk.”
“Yes, that was our reasoning.”
“That’s right, Sister Seol.”
Tap tap tap.
The tapping grew faster, the tension rising.
Then, the sound ceased abruptly—and Sister Seol turned to face Gun Hye-rin.
“Young Lady Gun, you may stand.”
“…Me?”
Surprised, Gun Hye-rin pointed to herself, incredulous.
Sister Seol gave a nod.
“Yes. From the story, you seem more like a victim in this affair. Please, take a seat.”
“But I’m… a demon.”
“That is according to the Central Plains’ conventions. The Beast Palace operates beyond their authority—we do not share such biases. We have had no prior dealings with the Heavenly Demon Cult, correct?
There are many unpleasant stories, but those belong to the previous generation, before the cult’s decline. You played no part in those.”
That was Sister Seol—always logical and impartial.
Gun Hye-rin glanced at us with a regretful expression, and I gave a slight nod in return. It seemed she planned to pardon each of us individually.
“Hwa-eun, you as well. Get up now. You acted out of care for So-ryong.”
Gun Hye-rin carefully rose and settled into a chair. Then Sister Seol continued, now speaking directly to Hwa-eun.
Just as I had anticipated—she was forgiving us one by one.
“Thank you, Sister Seol.”
“Hehe. You’ve done well, Hwa-eun. Thank you for always watching over So-ryong so diligently.”
“Oh, it’s nothing, unnie…”
Even though it resulted in this predicament, Hwa-eun was actually receiving praise for her protectiveness toward me.
As she sat down next to Sister Seol, the final ruling was delivered.
“So-ryong.”
“Yes, Sister.”
True to our fair and reasonable Sister Seol.
I smiled and began to get up from the floor, expecting nothing more than a soft admonishment.
But just as I started to lift myself from my knees…
“You, however, require a reprimand.”
In contrast to the other two, she explicitly stated that I needed to be disciplined.
“…What!?”
I was stunned.
Why me!?
She excused both of them, but I was to be punished?
I stared at her in disbelief, and Sister Seol frowned as she spoke.
“You don’t even realize what you did incorrectly, do you?”
“Well… the Beast Heart Art, that was Hwa-eu— no, I mean… I am at fault, but…”
I nearly blurted out that it was Hwa-eun’s idea, but caught myself.
After all my talk about shared responsibility in marriage, I couldn’t start pointing fingers now.
Then Hwa-eun leaped to my defense.
“Sister Seol, it was my notion to use the Beast Heart Art. So-ryong argued against it the whole time—why is he the one being rebuked?”
Hwa-eun… thank you. I will treasure you always.
Her words almost moved me to tears.
But then Sister Seol fixed a sharp gaze on me and stated,
“Pay close attention. When any creature—human or beast—is pushed into a corner, they lose the ability to think clearly. At the Beast Palace, we have a proverb:
When hunting a rat, do not trap it in a corner. Even a weak and tiny rat, if cornered, will bite and injure its hunter.
Now consider this.
The instant Young Lady Gun mentioned the presence of venomous spirit snakes in her sect’s sacred grounds, you undoubtedly charged off to catch them without a second thought, correct?
In that moment, Hwa-eun did what she believed was necessary to shield you, and Young Lady Gun became entangled in the situation. That is why you merit a scolding.”
Why does that… make so much sense?
Sister Seol’s reasoning left both of us speechless.
We had no rebuttal.
And then the storm broke—she unleashed a tirade that hammered down on me like a barrage of hail.
“So-ryong, this is not the first instance, and today you have truly…!”
It seemed interminable. My very spirit and my hearing felt on the brink of collapse.
Until Gun Hye-rin intervened.
“Pardon me…”
“…So-ryong, how many times must I—yes? Young Lady Gun?”
Sister Seol halted her lecture mid-sentence and looked in her direction.
Gun Hye-rin met her gaze and said,
“So-ryong was mistaken, that is true. But berating him will not address the fundamental problem. The central issue is that I have now learned the Beast Heart Art, is it not? Instead of assigning blame, should we not concentrate on finding a resolution?”
She was correct.
This entire predicament began because Gun Hye-rin had acquired the Beast Heart Art.
Punishing me would not change that.
The actual dilemma was how we intended to handle it.
Could we rely on her? Hold her at the Tang Clan? Or follow the customary practices of the martial world?
Though, realistically, anything other than the first choice was unfeasible.
If anyone injured the last successor of the Heavenly Demon Cult, her remaining followers, however few, would battle to the end. It was a religious order. They would not yield.
But Sister Seol, upon hearing Gun Hye-rin’s words, did not appear particularly worried.
“There are merely two solutions. Simply select one, and you need not be concerned, Young Lady Gun.”
I assumed we would have to place our trust in Gun Hye-rin—but evidently, Sister Seol had an alternative in mind.
Both Hwa-eun and I regarded her with looks that said she truly is remarkable, just as she started to elaborate.
“First, you could become part of our family.”
“Family?”
Gun Hye-rin tilted her head at the term.
Hwa-eun and I exchanged alarmed looks.
Surely not. She couldn’t be suggesting…
But of course, Sister Seol’s logic admitted no exceptions.
And right on cue, the anticipated response arrived:
“You would become So-ryong’s second wife.”
“W-What!? That’s preposterous!”
Her solution was that if Gun Hye-rin married me, the issue would be resolved.
Every eye turned to Sister Seol as she smiled serenely and said,
“Why is everyone so astonished? Much like the Tang Clan transmits martial arts to a son-in-law, it is logical for the Beast Palace to pass them to a daughter-in-law. Problem resolved.”
Technically accurate—but to be told out of the blue that I would have a second wife!?
Both Gun Hye-rin and I exclaimed simultaneously.
“Th-that’s outrageous, Sister Seol!”
“This is absurd!”
But Sister Seol merely nodded gravely and said,
“Well, then it seems we must resort to the second method… though I truly dislike it…”
“If that entails harming me, I will oppose it with every fiber of my being!”
Gun Hye-rin cried out in alarm, her face etched with tension, when Sister Seol mentioned her dislike for the second option.
She must have assumed that the only alternative to marriage was some form of harm directed at her. Hwa-eun, wearing a guilty expression, quickly interjected.
“Unnie, isn’t there another option? If not, then we will both accept the punishment in his place.”
But even if we were punished, it wouldn’t alter the fact that the mnemonic chant of the Beast Heart Art had already been transferred to the Successor of the Heavenly Demon Cult. That was irreversible. So there truly was no “other way.” Sister Seol shook her head.
“You are all misinterpreting something. It is not what you imagine.”
“It’s not?”
“You don’t mean that, Sister Seol?”
“I do. You are all envisioning something dire, but that is not the case.”
“Then what is it?”
The three of us exchanged puzzled glances. Then Sister Seol rested her hand gently on Gun Hye-rin’s shoulder and spoke with a hesitant expression.
“I dislike it… but I believe we will need to place a leash on you.”
“A… leash?”
“A leash?”
The unexpected term made us all blink, and Sister Seol turned to me with a reproachful look.
“There is a component of the Beast Heart Art that I did not teach you, So-ryong. It is a forbidden method, reserved solely for the direct lineage of the Beast Palace. It is a psychological constraint used on wild beasts with intense aggression or animals mistreated by humans. Even after forming a bond through the Beast Heart Art, they remain hostile to everyone except the caster.
It is a means to implant a mental directive—such as ‘do not bite humans.’”
“It has never been employed on a person, but since Gun Hye-rin is registered, it should still be effective. We can implant a command like ‘never disclose or teach the Beast Heart Art to others.’”
“Ohh… so such a technique exists?”
So, there existed a method to impose a mental restriction via the Beast Heart Art—though the Beast Palace despised compelling it upon beasts and had prohibited its use.
That meant it could function without the need to punish anyone, and we could all feel at ease.
Gun Hye-rin nodded slowly.
“Similar to leashing a tamed animal, I suppose. If that is the extent of it, I agree.”
It was a relief to see her accept the term, though a correction was needed—and Sister Seol spoke up just as I was about to.
“You misunderstand, Gun Hye-rin. We do not place leashes on the beings we nurture.”
“She is not a wrongdoer. That is a dreadful thing to say. We never leash our companions, Miss Gun.”
The notion of leashing a reared creature? It was inconceivable.
At our words, Gun Hye-rin’s face contorted into a peculiar expression.
***
As directed by Sister Seol, I rested my hand on Gun Hye-rin’s head and summoned the forbidden chant of restraint from the Beast Palace’s teachings.
My sight grew hazy—and the mental realm materialized.
I heard her astonished voice beside me.
“This place…!?”
When my eyes opened, I found us back in that well-known underground cavern—the one I had previously entered alone. This time, however, Gun Hye-rin was with me.
“I was not informed of this. This is my mind.”
Sister Seol had omitted this detail. Perhaps because Gun Hye-rin was being treated akin to a spirit beast, the ritual was taking place within her own consciousness.
“Astounding. All the registered creatures are recorded here?”
“Yes. I come here frequently.”
She paused before a stone slab inscribed with her own name and Hwa-eun’s, then turned to me.
“So… what do we do now?”
It differed from Sister Seol’s description—but I assumed only the location had changed. The procedure should remain the same.
“Let’s simply follow the instructions. It should be alright.”
“Very well. Let’s proceed.”
Placing my hand back on her head, I activated the forbidden aspect of the Beast Heart Art and spoke.
“You must never reveal or transmit the Beast Heart Art to another soul.”
“I accept.”
I had been informed that typically, such a restriction required subduing the spirit to enforce compliance. But if the other party consented willingly, that was unnecessary.
The moment she uttered the words, a silvery leash materialized visually around Gun Hye-rin’s neck.
Oddly, the leash and collar bore a striking resemblance to those used for a dog.
And the opposite end was clutched in my hand.
‘Seriously, why a dog leash…?’
It felt bizarre, but I had already secured both Heukhwa and Baekhwa. The primary issue was settled. This was a trivial matter.
***
Three days later.
With the matter resolved, I decided to compensate Gun Hye-rin with a gesture of goodwill.
She had, after all, accepted a significant condition.
“You expect me to ride this?”
“Yes. Return by air on Yeondu and sound the sacred bell from the heavens. Will that not leave everyone in awe? And bring Heukhwa and Baekhwa along—let them deal with anyone who dares to speak out.
Besides, owing to those two serpents, your followers’ loyalty may be uncertain, correct?”
“Th-thank you!”
Now that the defiant snakes had yielded, the remaining cult members would be satisfied. And should anyone resist, Baekhwa could overwhelm them with her demonic energy.
As Gun Hye-rin beamed with delight, I handed her the orb I had persuaded Yohwa to part with that morning.
“What is this?”
“Try sensing the energy within.”
Gun Hye-rin held the orb in her palm and, upon detecting its aura, gasped in shock.
“T-this!? How can an elixir like this possibly exist!?”
As anticipated, the demon pill had a profound effect on demon cultivators.
I retrieved the orb from her grasp—she clearly had no intention of relinquishing it readily—and said:
“It appears valuable, doesn’t it? I might be inclined to give it to you… if you agree to a request.”
“W-what request!?”
“Well… since you will be spending time with us, I would like you to assist in feeding the children.”
“…What?”
“You see those two large moths attached to you? Those are Moji and Soji. They consume demonic energy—so they require demon cultivators.
But most cannot conceal their energy as you do, so we cannot bring them here. You are ideal for the task.
And naturally, you will not be able to depart from the Heavenly Demon Cult for extended periods, so if you need to visit, I will dispatch Yeondu to retrieve you.”
Technically, due to the leash, she could not outright refuse me—but she seemed devoted and dependable, so I desired a fair arrangement.
She hesitated, then inquired:
“F-for how many years?”
I wished to say indefinitely, of course—but she would reject that.
“Twenty years?”
“Hmph. That is excessive. Ten.”
“Fifteen. You will not find another elixir like this anywhere.”
“Grr… very well. Fifteen.”
And so, we formally designated Gun Hye-rin as the children’s caretaker and sent her off to manage affairs at the Heavenly Demon Cult.
As we bid her farewell and made our way down Tang Mountain, we heard a sound.
Whumph. Whumph.
The noise of a large staff slicing through the air.
We traced the sound and discovered Gwiseong practicing with a massive club in the training yard below.
Nearby stood Kwon Ryong and Geom Ryong—both had returned only yesterday, and yet here they were, already training.
“Already at it, hyungnim?”
“Ah, So-ryong. My body craves combat. We had such difficulty against that frenzied demon—it is time to train more intensely.”
Clearly, he was still displeased with the outcome of the last battle.
“Do not overexert yourself, hyungnim. And let us share a meal later. All three of us.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Certainly.”
“That sounds good, So-ryong.”
I advised them to moderate their efforts, then began to depart—when the brothers called out.
“Kwon Ryong, that item!”
“Ah, correct! So-ryong, come here for a moment.”
“Yes?”
They gestured me over with a confidential manner. Kwon Ryong reached into his sleeve and presented me with a small paper package.
Inside were several medicinal pills.
“What is this?”
I tilted my head in confusion. I was not ill.
Their response was… suggestive.
“Your wedding is merely days away. Which implies… the wedding night, correct? These are for men. We acquired them specifically for you during our time in the capital. We are brothers, are we not?”
“Ahaha… why would you bother… I mean, honestly. My name does contain ‘Ryong’—Dragon—after all. I could perform ten times a day if I wished!”
I laughed, moved by their thoughtfulness.
But their subsequent words carried a note of warning.
“Certainly, we know your name includes ‘Ryong’. But it also contains ‘So’—Little. Your physique is not yet fully developed. These pills will help you become a ‘larger’ man.”
These two truly… fret over everything.
Still, their kind fraternal concern nearly brought a tear to my eye.
Not that they needed to be concerned.
I had everything under control.
Yesterday, Grandfather inquired if I wished to advance to the Sixth Poison Realm before the wedding.
If I registered Yohwa and attained the Sixth Poison, I would undergo a complete metamorphosis—and acquire the physique of a fully grown adult.
The ceremony would appear even more dignified that way.
So yes, I intended to register Yohwa tomorrow—and ascend to the Sixth Poison Realm.