Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 485

Chapter 485
The hospitality extended by the Dianchang Sect was truly remarkable.

Naturally, the accommodations were more understated than opulent—this was, after all, a place for Daoists—but the elegant simplicity possessed a tranquil charm. They were exceedingly considerate in their arrangements, providing Tang Hwa-eun and me with a private building separate from the main guest quarters, recognizing our status as a married pair.

—Ssshhh.

The soft whispering from the bamboo grove behind our lodging suggested that a little noise would hardly be an issue.

It crossed my mind that if we put Hyang and Hongdan to bed early in the adjacent room, we could potentially have a very enjoyable night to ourselves.

It was just what one would expect from experts in thrusting—they had selected an ideal location for “training.”

But above all else—the food was extraordinary.

They had recruited a celebrated chef from Dali. To my delight, my favorite dish, sweet and sour pork—Tangchuricheok—was served, and it was utterly sublime.

Even in my previous life, Chinese restaurants operated by the diaspora were regarded as quite good. But this? Prepared by a native from the homeland—it was in a class of its own.

—Crunch.

The crackling exterior, the succulent meat that released a burst of flavor with a single bite.

Paired with that rich, sweet sauce, it instantly earned a place among the finest versions of the dish I had ever tasted.

A truly delicious meal always stirs up memories. I found myself thinking about my 1-million-subscriber mukbang celebration stream from my past life—which also featured sweet and sour pork—and felt a gentle pang of nostalgia as I ate.

“Ahh. I’m completely full.”

It had been some time since I’d enjoyed a meal this much. I felt I might have indulged a bit too much.

“Shall we go for a walk?”
“Let’s.”

A walk seemed like the perfect idea, just as Tang Hwa-eun suggested. The moment we were done eating, we made our way to the rear garden we had been shown before.

A pavilion stood there. I thought lying back with my head resting on Hwa-eun’s lap would be excellent for digestion.

—Chirp. Chirp.

As the sun vanished below the horizon, the insects started their evening chorus.

Just as these sounds rose around us and we approached the pavilion—

A figure was already there, waiting in the dim light.

Sharpening my focus, I peered at the pavilion—and recognized the outline.

“Chang-ryong?”

It was indeed Chang-ryong. The instant he lifted his head and noticed us, both Tang Hwa-eun and I started back.

His expression was gloomy and sullen—as if all the life had been leeched from it.

A shadow darker than the gathering dusk lay across his features.

Now that I considered it, I hadn’t spotted him at dinner either.

Now that I thought about it, he hadn’t been present for the meal.

I ventured cautiously,
“Chang-ryong, has something occurred?”

He was courting the idol of the Dianchang Sect—there was no chance the “fans” among her brothers, uncles, or grandfathers would have received that well.

And he’d been taken aside by the sect leader himself—nothing positive could have come from that.

Were they demanding he end things with her?

Even without knowing the specifics, I could imagine. Still, I pretended not to know and asked—which is when Chang-ryong suddenly rushed forward and embraced me.

“Young warrior! I beg for your help!”
“W-Wait! Release me first and then explain!”

I shrank back from the clutch of a large, melancholy furball. As I pushed him away, Tang Hwa-eun seized me protectively with an alarmed expression.

“Yong-nang, are you alright?”
“No. Not alright. Ugh, that gave me the shivers.”
“M-My sincerest apologies…”

After settling my own nerves, which was more pressing than consoling Chang-ryong, I asked,
“What precisely happened? What do you need my help with?”

On the verge of tears, Chang-ryong finally started.
“I was feeling so desperate, and the moment I saw you, everything just poured out… You’ve always been there to aid me in difficult times…”
“Yes, yes—but first explain the situation. I can’t assist if I’m unaware of it.”
“R-Right! Well, earlier—you recall how Elder Merciless Sword instructed me to remain behind?”
“I do.”
“He stated he wished to assess my suitability for Geombong. He told me that if I felt prepared before our departure, I should seek him out so we could cross blades.”

I had suspected something was afoot, but a direct challenge to a duel?

Perhaps he was already mentally shattered, just anticipating the thorough beating he would receive.

Then I heard Tang Hwa-eun murmur softly:
“Could this be… a martial arts contest for marriage?”
“A contest for what?”

Seeing my puzzled look, she elaborated.
“Typically, it signifies something along the lines of, ‘The one who defeats me may wed my daughter,’ or ‘I will accept as a husband whoever can best me in combat.’”

Ah… so that’s why it’s termed a contest to make a relative.

If the victor becomes your spouse, it does technically create a family connection—yes, I understood now.

Then Chang-ryong, his voice quavering, asked:
“S-So it truly is a contest for marriage? But I’m absolutely going to lose… Does that mean I must abandon hope for Geombong? Ugh…”

He was clearly on the brink of weeping.

Naturally—he knew his chances of victory were nonexistent.

Just then, we heard voices approaching from behind—Ji-ryong and Eunbong.
“Young warrior?”
“Dokhwa?”
“Is that Chang-ryong?”

We turned—and sure enough, it was Ji-ryong and Eunbong.

They appeared to be out for a stroll, much like us. Ji-ryong even had a faint smudge of lipstick on his cheek.

Despite his ordeal last time, his fondness for kissing remained undiminished.

Honestly—what is a man to do, if not meet his end with a kiss, even on his deathbed?

Now that my own restrictions were lifted, I completely understood the sentiment.

“Ah, Ji-ryong. Eunbong.”
“Young warrior, what a surprise to meet you here.”
“Taking a walk? But wait… Chang-ryong was absent from dinner earlier… wait—are you crying, friend?”
“Crying? Chang-ryong?”

As we exchanged pleasantries, Ji-ryong and Eunbong stared in astonishment at Chang-ryong’s state.

Isn’t Ji-ryong the intellectual of our group?

Apparently unsatisfied with my aid alone, Chang-ryong attached himself to Ji-ryong as well.
“Please—you must help me too!”
“Hey—hey! Unhand me and then we can talk!”

Just like me, Ji-ryong recoiled as the large, despondent figure clung to him.

A short time later—

After hearing the entire story, Ji-ryong gave a nod.
“You will never defeat Sect Leader Merciless Sword in a straight duel. He is likely evaluating your character or your sincerity. Simply demonstrate your resolve—you should be fine.”

His assumption was that since winning was impossible, the elder was measuring something else entirely—probably accurate.

But my perspective was slightly different.
“Ji-ryong, I have another interpretation.”
“What is it?”
“I believe the duel is merely a pretense—a tool to rationalize rejection. To the sect, Geombong is a treasured granddaughter. Regardless of whom she selected, he would inevitably be displeased.”
“…That is a valid point.”

No matter what, he was destined to disapprove of the suitor. The duel simply furnished a excuse to deny him.

There was no incentive to go easy on someone like Chang-ryong.

Despite sharing the nickname Chang-ryong, he operated on a different level from me or Ji-ryong.

I had been acknowledged as a prodigy in the venomous arts and personally chosen by Tang Cheolsan as a son-in-law. Top-tier talent.

Ji-ryong hailed from a similarly esteemed background, but possessed the intellect to claim the title of genius.

Both of us had exceptional qualities—we already had merit.

But Chang-ryong? He was the first son of the Yang Clan, known for their spearmanship.

It was ranked beneath the Seven Great Noble Clans. Rumors said he’d been nourished on elixirs since childhood, concocted by his clan in their bid to rise in status.

Naturally, he was rated below us.

“S-So what should I do now? Wahhh…”

Now he was crying outright.

I patted his shoulder and said,
“Do not worry. A solution always exists.”
“There is a solution!?”

He gazed up at me as if beholding a savior. I smiled and stated:
“If I assist you yet again, that makes multiple times now I’ve saved you.”

Seriously—what would this fellow ever do without me?

***

Three Days Later.

After dinner, I was reclining with my head on Tang Hwa-eun’s lap when word came that several men peddling the counterfeit medicine in Dali had been quietly captured.

A disciple of the Dianchang Sect reported this to me personally, adding that they were currently being transported back to the sect.

“We are bringing two of them in at this moment.”
“That is welcome news. My thanks.”
“It is nothing. However, from what I understand, those men were merely the distributors. We will need to conduct a more thorough interrogation.”
“Understood.”

It appeared the sellers and the producers were likely different individuals. When we reached the Sect Leader’s office for the questioning, a pair of braziers illuminated the entrance brightly despite the late hour. The Three Peaks of the Five Dragons were already seated.

They looked as though they had come for a spectacle.

I first greeted Elder Merciless Sword, then went over to the Three Peaks.
“You all are here early.”
“Well, with fools being ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) hauled in, how could we miss it?”
“You believe we would pass up this sort of occasion?”

It wasn’t exactly high-minded entertainment, yet they all wore expressions of mild expectation—as if observing an interrogation was a diverting way to spend the evening. It was then I noticed Chang-ryong’s expression.

I sent him a sound transmission to inquire how things had progressed.
[How did it go?]
[Ah… still nothing. Do you truly believe that plan will succeed?]

It had been three days since I instructed him, and he hadn’t even made an attempt. I sighed inwardly.
[Well, if you lack faith in me, that is your decision.]
[N-No! It isn’t that I distrust you… It’s merely, I—I haven’t managed to gather my courage…]
[Then in the future, refrain from asking for my help.]

He looked stunned. When I stated that if he didn’t believe me, he should cease seeking my assistance, Chang-ryong’s face became flustered. Then, hesitantly, he turned toward Elder Merciless Sword and began to speak.
“Um… Elder Merciless Sword…”

The elder, who had been seated at a desk between the two braziers, looked up at Chang-ryong.
“What is it?”

Just moments before, when greeting me, he had seemed so genial and warm—but now, with Chang-ryong, he was fully returned to his “Merciless Sword” persona.

Chang-ryong spoke nervously, stammering.
“T-The preparation you spoke of… I have completed it.”
“Is that so? We cannot delay the interrogation indefinitely—let us see your skill before the prisoners arrive. However, there is quite an audience. Are you comfortable with that?”
“O-Of course.”

—Srrrng.

The two of them, faces taut with tension, moved into the clearing before the office and unsheathed their weapons. Geombong reacted with shock.
“Chang-ryong, what is this? Master? Master! What is going on!?”

But her senior brothers promptly drew her aside.
“Junior sister, as he claims to be your beloved, our master merely wishes to see if he is qualified. Do not overreact.”
“Qualified? For what?”
“To be the partner for our Dianchang Sect’s future Number One Sword. Naturally, if a marriage is to occur, we must know the man. And for those who practice martial arts, prowess is revealed through combat. He is simply testing that.”
“W-Wedding? I-I hadn’t truly considered that so soon… B-But… Chang-ryong, please give it your all…”

Perhaps the notion of marriage felt like a distant prospect to her—but now, it was suddenly a present reality. Her bewildered expression as she anxiously cheered for him was telling.

And with that, the atmosphere turned frigid as the duel commenced.
“I ask for your instruction! Here I come! Haaah!”

—Clang!

The fight unfolded exactly as predicted.

Chang-ryong brandished his spear, executed a few techniques, and was then promptly knocked down. Again and again.

Each time he charged forward, Elder Merciless Sword swept his blade with no mercy, and Chang-ryong would crash onto the earth with a heavy thud.

—Clang!
“Guhhhh…”

Around the tenth time Chang-ryong was sent rolling across the ground, Elder Merciless Sword spoke with unmistakable displeasure.
“You are deficient in many aspects. Scarcely deserving of our Geombong.”
“Ghh… I am not done yet.”

At the words *you’re not good enough*, Chang-ryong went pale and looked toward me.

As if holding me responsible for the plan’s failure.

And then came the elder’s next question.
“Determination alone cannot resolve all. But tell me—why do you employ only thrusts?”

He was speaking of spear techniques—Chang-ryong had utilized nothing but thrusts throughout the entire duel, and now the elder was curious.

That was when Chang-ryong looked at me with gleaming eyes and began to recite the lines I had provided.

He was selecting from the two options I had prepared.
“Well… that’s because…”
“Yes?”
“B-Because thrusting is the most powerful technique.”

Option one: persist with thrusts, and when questioned, declare “Thrusting is the strongest.”
Option two (if not interrupted): “I have never used anything but thrusts. I hold that thrusting is the ultimate technique. How can a man who believes this not be worthy of your sect’s Number One Sword?”

The instant he uttered those words, the tense atmosphere transformed entirely.

And understandably so—the warriors of the Dianchang Sect were fanatics about thrusting. Obsessed with the thrust technique.

Trying to take their princess? Of course they would oppose it.

But if you demonstrated you were one of them?

I am not an outsider.
I am one of you.

That is how the mood reverses so completely.

Elder Merciless Sword slid his sword back into its sheath and declared in a satisfied tone,
“Geombong has selected a rather fitting man.”

All streams eventually return to the source.

As ever, while people may venerate different things—fundamentally, their hearts are the same.

It unfolded precisely as anticipated.