Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 474

Chapter 474
The final look on Yohwa’s face before everything went dark sent a shiver through me.
My mind had been occupied with wedding night customs, consummation, and my Great Dragon transformation, causing me to overlook how deeply Yohwa felt about me.
There were times when her emotions seemed to go beyond the boundaries of species, and it made me anxious—what would happen if we were truly alone within her mind?
After all, I was currently in the role of Tang Hwa-eun’s officially pledged husband.
If Yohwa were to declare her love, I would have no choice but to turn her down—but doing so might make her stubbornly refuse to complete the bonding ritual, trapping us longer in the mental realm.
Even though time passes more slowly in the mindscape, if I lingered too long, the actual wedding day could come and go.
But it was too late for regrets.
Before long, my awareness slipped away, and when I regained it, I found myself somewhere entirely unfamiliar.
“A forest?”
Yohwa’s inner world was a woodland.
And not an ordinary one—these trees soared at least a hundred meters high, packed closely together.
Enormous trunks and leaves as large as a person’s head surrounded me.
The memory of Yohwa licking her lips returned, stirring unease, but my immediate task was to locate Yohwa herself.
That was the only way out.
“Still, this won’t be easy to explore…”
One glance at the dense woods told me it would be challenging.
Previous mindscapes I’d encountered felt like open plains, and even when they weren’t, they never had trees this immense—making it simple to spot where the host might be.
Here, the closely-growing giants greatly limited my view, complicating the search.
Nevertheless, I resolved to climb the tallest tree near the forest’s edge.
Surveying the area always comes first, doesn’t it?
“This is going to be a tough climb.”
I usually depend on Cho or Yeondu to reach high places, so scaling something this tall using only light footwork and my own strength was demanding. After considerable effort, I pushed through the huge leaves and finally saw the sky.
Luckily, the tree was sturdy and didn’t sway much, so I held on near the summit and scanned the horizon.
What stretched before me was an expanse of treetops spreading in every direction.
I searched for anything unusual—and to my relief, despite my concerns, I saw something.
A tree that dwarfed all the others.
It rose grandly above the endless green canopy.
Its sheer scale and the awe it inspired gave it an almost mystical quality.
In the fantasy games I loved in my previous life, there were often trees known as World Trees; this one may not have been exactly that, but it felt like an ancient tree descended from such a seed.
“That has to be the place.”
If Yohwa was anywhere, it would be there.
It didn’t seem too distant, but navigating the landscape would take time.
To reach that tree, I’d have to weave around countless obstacles.
Each detour would alter my direction slightly, so I’d need to climb again periodically to recalibrate.
In such a thick forest, even a small error in direction could lead me far astray.
In short, I’d have to repeat the arduous climbing process multiple times.
I sighed and prepared to climb down and make my way toward the great tree—when an idea occurred to me.
“Wait—wouldn’t it be quicker to travel from treetop to treetop?”
If I could move in a straight line using the canopy as a path, I could save a lot of time.
It was risky, but I engaged my light footwork without hesitation and leaped toward the nearest tree.
–Thud.
I sailed through the air as planned, landing securely on the next treetop.
From there, I sprang to another.
Then another, and another.
I raced above the verdant expanse as if it were solid ground, stepping only on the highest branches.
“Not bad! My light footwork has really improved.”
I hadn’t trained rigorously in martial arts, but because I used this skill frequently, it had developed more than others.
Buoyed by confidence, I continued jumping from tree to tree.
Hwa-eun once told me that true mastery of light footwork allows one to practice Grass Leaf Glide—moving as if walking on grass blades. This felt similar.
Eventually, I arrived at the largest tree.
From up close, its size was even more staggering—too vast to comprehend fully at once.
I landed on one of its massive branches and began descending from limb to limb.
–Thud. Thud.
Brushing past enormous leaves, I worked my way downward.
–Shhhk.
Parting the foliage, I spotted a grassy clearing below.
This appeared to be the lowest branch.
As I landed, I noticed a figure beneath me.
A woman with jet-black hair, accented by crimson streaks, glanced upward at the sound of my arrival.
She was dressed in a flowing crimson silk gown, her face partly hidden behind a golden veil.
Her eyes alone revealed a striking beauty.
It could only be Yohwa. Just as I leaped down to join her, she sprang up toward me.
We moved toward each other in mid-air.
“Yohwa! Be careful!”
Worried we might crash, I shifted my posture and called out—but Yohwa swept her long sleeve around a large leaf, using it to pivot gracefully.
Hanging from the wrapped sleeve, she reached out with her free arm, caught me, and drew me into an embrace.
Even in this mental realm, a faint, sweet fragrance lingered.
Yohwa held me tightly, smelling of fresh dew.
As though she never intended to release me.
With some discomfort, I managed to say,
“W-Wow, so this is how our Yohwa really looks?”
Just as I’d worried, it was an… overwhelming embrace.

***

Behind the shimmering gold veil was a face without expression.
A cool beauty with a mole near her lips.
Yohwa held onto my arm as we sat together on the grass.
As if she needed to replenish her “So-ryong energy.”
“Y-Yohwa, shouldn’t we head back now?”
Sensing the growing tension, I proposed leaving, but Yohwa gazed at me and wordlessly shook her head.
“You don’t want to go?”
She nodded.
I replied with concern,
“But if we take too long, everyone will be anxious…”
In answer, Yohwa pinched a small space between her thumb and forefinger.
Likely meaning, “Just a bit more.”
“A little longer like this?”
She nodded again.
If this mood continued and she suddenly confessed, it would be problematic.
There was still time, but if she got carried away and admitted her feelings…
I couldn’t allow this to continue indefinitely—yet there wasn’t much I could do.
If I tried to force an exit, she would certainly resist.
Finally, I chose to honor Yohwa’s request.
I would monitor her closely, and if matters seemed headed the wrong way, I would insist on leaving immediately.
Stay vigilant…
For now, it wasn’t too uncomfortable, and if I imagined her as a younger sister, perhaps this proximity was acceptable.
Except—wait—I’d never be like this with my actual younger sister…
The notion repeatedly surfaced, but I convinced myself: Yohwa is just a little sister who admires her oppa greatly.
You know, like those brother-obsessed characters in Japanese visual novels?
But my mind continued to wander.
If she’s a brocon, doesn’t that make her a heroine? This isn’t good. Amitabha. Amitabha…
Perhaps because I was often called the Heavenly Master at Podarlap Palace, I instinctively began chanting.
How long had I been reciting “Amitabha”?
–Tap, tap.
Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Huh?”
Oh no.
I was meant to be monitoring the situation, but I’d become lost in thought and neglected Yohwa.
Was she about to confess, swept up in the emotion?
I looked at her nervously—only to find her pointing toward the sky.
Don’t say… she’s had her fill?
“You want to go now?”
I asked with hope, and Yohwa nodded.
Th-Thank heavens.
A hug and some time sitting together—that was all. I felt relieved, even thankful.
“Alright, let’s leave!”
I promptly reached for Yohwa’s hand to kiss its back.
But even after agreeing, Yohwa withdrew her hand.
Her expression unchanging, she shook her head.
I gave her a puzzled look—and Yohwa crooked her index finger.
What was she planning now?
“Why, Yohwa? Didn’t you say we should go?”
When I asked why she pulled away after agreeing to depart, Yohwa pointed to her own forehead.
“You want me to do it on your forehead?”
It seemed clear she wanted something on her forehead, but Yohwa shook her head again.
Then she lightly touched my forehead with her finger.
Wait, is she saying she wants to be the one?
“You… want to do it yourself?”
It appeared she wished to take the initiative—so I rephrased, and finally, Yohwa nodded.
“Well, I suppose… it’s fine if you do it, Yohwa.”
Inside the mindscape, a kiss sealed the bond.
Who performed the action didn’t truly matter.
I leaned forward, bringing my forehead near hers.
Then Yohwa took off her veil, folded it, and placed it over my eyes.
She must have been feeling shy.
Even after embracing me so boldly, she now seemed embarrassed by this—or so I thought, when—
A soft, damp feeling met my lips.
“Wh—?!”
Surprised, my eyes flew open. Through the veil, I saw Yohwa’s sly, smiling curve of lips.
It was the very smile she’d given me just before we entered the mindscape.
This was no small price!
I thought I’d gotten away lightly—but no, the cost was far steeper than expected.
This… this was Yohwa’s true aim all along. And at that moment, my sight gradually faded once more.

***

As I hurriedly returned from the mindscape, I was met by a torrent of energy.
An immense power gathered in my dantian erupted outward the instant I awoke.
The force rushed through my meridians, reaching even the smallest capillaries.
I swiftly steadied my startled mind.
I recalled Grandpa’s advice—never allow your thoughts to drift or become distracted.
Then, a sensation began at my fingers and toes, as though they were dissolving.
This feeling spread inward from my extremities and gradually gathered toward my dantian.
Soon, everything melted into nothingness—until only emptiness remained.
And from that void, as if a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, my sense of self began reconstructing.
First, the dantian formed.
Then organs, bones, muscle, and blood.
As I gradually felt each part reassemble, I finally regained control of my renewed body.
Energy flowed freely from my dantian to my fingertips and toes.
Once that circulating power settled back within my core, I heard a tentative voice.
“So-ryong, can you hear me?”
Opening my eyes, I saw Hwa-eun before me.
Something dark and viscous coated her skin, much like during her own transformation.
It was likely impurities expelled from my body.
That meant my bone-shedding and marrow-cleansing had been successful.
I still needed to verify whether I had truly become a “Great Dragon,” but first, I tested my fingers and asked Hwa-eun,
“How long was I unconscious?”
“Two days.”
Yohwa had caused some delay, but learning that two days remained until the wedding eased my mind.
Yet the memory of what happened in the mindscape resurfaced, and my eyes widened.
In my startled state, I saw Hwa-eun gazing at me with rosy cheeks.
I offered an uneasy smile, remembering the mindscape events, and Hwa-eun flushed to the tips of her ears.
Then Grandpa’s voice sounded nearby.
“So-ryong has grown up quite well, hasn’t he?”
“Our Hwa-eun looks absolutely delighted.”
“I-It’s not that! He just—completed his transformation successfully!”
From Grandpa’s joking, Sister Seol’s remark, and Hwa-eun’s response, I guessed I had fully matured into an adult form.
I still needed to inspect myself during a bath to confirm I was a Great Dragon, but first I glanced toward Yohwa.
I was concerned—what expression would she be wearing now?
But something unusual was taking place.
Yohwa sat with her head lowered, completely still.
As if asleep.
Yet her limbs were splayed outward.
I called her name, but Hwa-eun replied that she hadn’t awakened.
“Yohwa?”
“She hasn’t come to yet.”
“Still not?”
That was strange.
Typically, spirit beasts bonded to me woke long before I did.
But just then—
“Wh-What is that?!”
“Golden light?!”
Abruptly, a brilliant gold radiance shone from Yohwa’s form.
She glowed intensely, then her body tipped forward into a bow—directed at me.
Or more precisely, her outer shell did.
Simultaneously, a new Yohwa emerged from her back.
“She’s molting?!”
Her back had split open, and the Yohwa who climbed out had a spider’s face shimmering with gold.
From behind me, I heard Grandfather Mandok Shingun’s amazed exclamation.
“C-Could it be?! The Golden-Faced Spider Queen is real?!”
At the same time, I heard Yohwa’s voice for the first time.
‘-Kisit. “Oppa~?”’
Despite her calm appearance, her tone held a teasing lilt.
That brief kiss in the mindscape hadn’t stirred anything in me—but now, hearing her voice, my heart beat loudly.
–Thump thump.
A perilous instant.
Wait—am I?! Am I developing feelings for Yohwa?!
The thought flashed through my mind—but no, it had to be a mistake.
I needed to justify my racing heart to avoid misunderstanding.
Heart, listen. You’re pounding because we just heard the name Golden-Faced Spider Queen. That’s all. Don’t misinterpret.
They say that when men and women exert themselves together, they can easily mistake physical excitement for attraction.
So I made it clear—my heart was beating fast because of the name Golden-Faced Spider Queen, not because of Yohwa.
Golden-Faced Spider Queen.
–Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Repeating the name, my heart raced even more.
Yes. That was definitely it.
Phew… that was close.