Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 490

Chapter 490
‘These wretches… granting them a swift death is far too lenient. I require a punishment more severe. One that guarantees their souls endure torment, even after death.’

In the heart of my rage, I desperately searched my mind for a suitable retribution.
A simple death seemed an act of mercy.
It was true that the brutal slaughter of a spirit beast was a transgression punishable by execution on its own—yet an even greater crime existed: these vermin had disrupted my personal quest for the Twenty-Four Venoms.

The very purpose that sustained my life in this world was the hunt for the Ten Great Venomous Creatures and the Twenty-Four Venoms. Obstructing that was an unpardonable offense, worthy of the ultimate penalty.
‘Even in my previous life, whenever I neared the finish line of a collection, some misfortune would inevitably strike and destroy it. That accursed timing.’

From the Ten Great Venomous Creatures of the Central Plains, I had successfully acquired seven:
Cho, the Flying Centipede.
Yo-hwa, once mistaken for the Human-Faced Spider but truly the Golden-Faced Spider King.
Hwayang, the Azure Fire Magma Toad.
Cheong-yu Sojeo, the Golden-Crowned Serpent King.
Jeokwol, the Blood-Blossom Dream Illusion Butterfly.
Moji and Soji, the Silver Silkworm Moths.
Cheong-wol, the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion.

Three yet remained:
Hoja (Shrieking Tiger Cub), presently in the possession of the Five Venoms Sect.
Zimjo, the poisonous bird, had been sighted in Hainan, though I was uncertain if it was merely migrating or had taken residence there.
And one creature’s whereabouts were still a complete mystery.

I was achingly close to my goal and had already formulated a strategy.
After I located the final unknown creature, I would take Hoja from the Five Venoms Sect. That would bring my total to nine. Finally, I would pursue Zimjo to complete the set.
A perfect, circular conclusion.
As Zimjo was the being that first introduced me to the concept of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures, was it not appropriate for it to be the last?
‘Every dedicated collector understands that you begin and end with the same card. It is the principle.’

But the heavens, perhaps deeming ten insufficient, had presented me with an additional pursuit—the Twenty-Four Venoms.
The concept is comparable to the twelve-hour zodiac of the Central Plains. In the same way each hour pairs with a creature, the Tang Clan had categorized 24 venomous beings—not as formidable as the Ten Greats, but exceedingly dangerous nonetheless.

They were organized into 24 symbolic “positions”:
Heaven–Earth–Mysterious–Yellow
Sun–Moon–Star–Quake
Cloud–Rain–Snow–Hail
Gold–Silver–Water–Fire
Red–Blue–White–Black
Flower–Tree–Grass–Fruit

The ones already in my possession were:
From Heaven–Earth–Mysterious–Yellow:
Heaven: Yeondu, the Flying Divine Snake.
Earth: Orange, the Earth-Swimming Divine Snake.
Mysterious: Bini, the Ink-Black Ghost Centipede.
Yellow: Geumdo, the Millennium Golden Turtle.

From Red–Blue–White–Black:
Red: Hongdan, the Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
Blue: the Azure Steel Immortal Ant.
White: Baekhwa, the Millennium White Snake.
Black: Heukhwa, the Millennium Black Snake.

From Flower–Tree–Grass–Fruit:
Flower: Sandan, the Twin Orchid Mantis.
Tree: Changcheon, the Blackwood Locust King.
Grass: Yeongryeon, the Blood-Eyed Green-Furred Shrew.
Fruit: Yeoncheon and Yeonji, the Crimson Poison Harpoon Snails.

This left only six unaccounted for:
Quake from Sun–Moon–Star–Quake.
Rain and Hail from Cloud–Rain–Snow–Hail.
Gold and Silver from Gold–Silver–Water–Fire.
And finally…
Water, which was meant to be the Exploding Jade Water Beetle.

Now? Discovered deceased.
An uninformed observer might comment, “Simply locate another.”
But such individuals do not comprehend. In the culture of collecting, to lose something just as it is within your grasp casts a curse upon the entire endeavor.
The same occurred in my past life. On the verge of obtaining a rare item, disaster always struck: the creature would perish, or the dealer would renege.
And those were the pieces I could never find again.
If I were to somehow finish the Ten Greats and the remainder of the Twenty-Four, but this single beetle was absent?
I would find no peace. Not in this life, nor the next.
How could that not be a capital offense?
‘Without a doubt.’

Do you know when a collector is driven to the brink of madness?
When they are missing only one piece.
It is that single absence that consumes you. Just one, and everything would be perfect. But it remains elusive.
It is akin to lottery fanatics who win the second prize. They grow fixated. One additional number and they would have won everything.
It is the same breed of insanity.
‘Heavens. I can already feel the madness approaching.’

Just as the storm of anger and sorrow was about to crest—hovering between thoughts of a dozen executions and spiritual collapse—Geombong and the Commander of the Venom Elimination Unit addressed me.
“So-ryong, might you know this spirit beast’s name?”
“Y-Young Hero, what should this one be called?”
They were likely wondering about the creature’s true nature.
I drew a breath and clarified.
“It is most likely a member of the Twenty-Four Venoms. The Exploding Jade Water Beetle.”
“Exploding Jade Water Beetle?”
“Exploding Jade Water Beetle?”
The two of them looked down at the deceased beast once more.
Geombong appeared contemplative, but the Commander of the Venom Elimination Unit bore the look of a man hearing the name for the very first time.
“You have not heard of it either, Commander?”
“No, So-ryong. I was assigned to the Venom Elimination Unit the day I joined the Tang Clan. My focus has never been on venomous creatures.”
Damn. What manner of lethal instrument must one be to be placed directly into the Venom Elimination Unit and never transfer out?
Dismissing the thought, I turned back to him.
“Regardless, let us bind the individuals Hwa-eun captured and prepare for questioning. Dawn will be here soon.”
“Oh! Yes, So-ryong! Are there any other instructions?”
The commander smiled, eager to begin an interrogation.
At his question, I looked at the two men behind him and issued an order.
“You two—go to the boat and retrieve a full jar of strong baijiu.”
“Baijiu, sir?”
“Correct. An entire jar.”
“Understood, So-ryong!”
They departed with the speed of loosed arrows.
Once they had left, the commander tilted his head in curiosity.
“So-ryong, if you will permit the question… why the sudden need for baijiu?”
Baijiu—a potent, distilled spirit.
His confusion at my sudden request was understandable.
To explain, I gestured toward the corpse of the Exploding Jade Water Beetle.
“The body requires preservation. If not, it will decay.”
Baijiu possesses a high alcohol content. In this age, it is the most accessible method of obtaining a disinfecting agent.
Having already dissected the creature, it would soon putrefy. I needed to sterilize and desiccate it.
In my former life, it was common practice to preserve rhinoceros beetles or stag beetles—creating specimens for memory’s sake, as forming an emotional bond with insects was impossible anyway.
But now?
Now I nurture beings like Hongdan, Cho, Hyang, and Bini.
I could never reduce one of their kin to a static display piece.
Out of respect for them, I would not preserve this one for exhibition.
However, the remains of spirit beasts are frequently utilized as materials for armor or weaponry. This was an uncommon and precious resource.
Therefore, burial was also not a viable choice.
I am, after all, a member of the Tang Clan.
“All that belongs to the Tang Clan is mine, but conversely, what is mine also belongs to the Tang Clan.”
This is why I needed to transport it back and first deliberate with the elders.
“Then maybe you should use salt? For the head as well—is salting not the customary method?”
Following my explanation, the Commander of the Venom Elimination Unit proposed his suggestion as if it were the ideal solution.
Why not simply preserve it in salt?
“No, salt could harm the shell with its acidic properties. Baijiu is superior.”
“Is there any way I can assist?”
“No, I believe I will manage on my own.”
“I see. Then, as you will be attending to this, I will continue preparing for the interrogations!”
“I entrust it to you.”
“Yes, So-ryong!”
I was somewhat taken aback to learn that salting heads was standard practice for preservation.

As I kept watch over the dead Exploding Jade Water Beetle, the commander returned to inform me that the preparations for interrogation were finished.
“So-ryong! All is ready!”
“Understood.”
Since the baijiu had not yet arrived, I walked outside. Before the building, several captives were kneeling.
They had evidently been cured of Hwa-eun’s paralysis toxin—they were now awake.
This meant Hwa-eun must have personally expelled the poison. It is said only a master of the Flame Realm could counteract such a venom.
“Kgh…”
“P-please, show mercy…”
Standing before the structure, I gazed down at the prisoners, now completely broken—some were even weeping.
They must have presumed their fate was sealed the instant the Tang Clan apprehended them.
‘Did you truly not anticipate this?’
If you engage in counterfeiting Tang Clan medicine, this outcome should not be surprising.
Had they not slain the spirit beast, a fragment of pity might have remained. But the second they meddled with my collection, any compassion I held vanished.
I stood before them with an icy demeanor.
“Ahem.”
At that moment, Hwa-eun approached and subtly passed me an object.
“So-ryong, take this. Conceal it from the juniors.”
“What is it?”
She gave me a blue bead—irregularly shaped, like a malformed natural pearl.
After handing it over, she whispered.
“This was found inside the woman. It appears to be the spirit beast’s Neidan.”
So that was what it was—the internal core of the deceased spirit beast.
‘These scum did not merely kill it—they plundered it completely.’
They had extracted its venom for medicine and had even taken its Neidan. Fury welled up inside me once more.
I contained it and commenced the interrogation.
“Let us begin with introductions. You, there.”
I indicated one of the men captured last. He glanced around, then answered uncertainly.
“M-me?”
“Yes, you. An operation of this size must have a name. Tell me who you are.”
Was the woman of higher rank?
Instead of replying, he looked in her direction and stammered.
“W-we are…”
But the woman seemed half-insane, likely because I had killed her sect leader.
As the silence persisted, the commander rolled up his sleeves and advanced, compelling the man to speak hastily.
“Must I encourage you?”
“W-we are from the Dark Poison Sect.”
“Dark Poison Sect?”
I had never heard of it, but judging by the reactions of the others, I was alone in my ignorance. They all seemed astonished.
Hwa-eun, at my side, inquired with narrowed eyes.
“Why would the Dark Poison Sect manufacture and sell counterfeit Tang Clan medicine? You are aware of the martial world’s laws.”
When no further answers were forthcoming, I turned to the commander.
“What is the Dark Poison Sect, precisely?”
“They are a minor faction aligned with the Unorthodox Path. They employ toxins from venomous creatures to produce medicines or envenom weapons—somewhat similar to our methods, but undoubtedly smaller and of lesser standing.”
Unorthodox Path—those who pursue power by any means necessary. They are not regarded highly in the martial world.
So they were essentially an inferior reflection of the Tang Clan.
I spoke coldly, irritated by their resistant silence.
“You killed a spirit beast—one of the Central Plains’ most uncommon treasures—and used its venom to replicate my own Jidamhwan formula. That is a grave crime. And you will not cooperate? Perhaps I should begin by removing two heads.”
The commander cracked his knuckles.
“A superb notion. Seize two of them!”
“Yes, Commander!”
As his subordinates moved forward, the man suddenly shrieked at the woman.
“Senior Sister! We must tell them! Our master is dead—if we remain silent, we will all perish!”
Then he swiveled to face us and yelled.
“V-very well! I will speak! I will tell you all of it!”
“Junior!”
The woman screamed, but the commander had already struck her pressure point.
He clearly suspected she would silence the man if she remained conscious.
The instant she fell, I stepped forward.
“Good. Now elucidate everything we wish to know. Where did you discover the spirit beast? And why use it to produce fake Jidamhwan?”
The man nodded and responded.
“Understood. However… we did not capture the spirit beast.”
“You did not?”
“No, we came upon it when it was already dying.”
“You found it?”
At his words, I looked back toward the building housing the corpse.
Only three reasons exist for a fully matured insect to be near death.
First — Advanced age.
But the one we discovered was not elderly. Beetles approaching death from age display signs: missing segments on their legs, body hairs worn away. This one was pristine.
Second — Sickness.
But it showed no indications of disease. Its shell was unblemished, its organs whole.
Its color had diminished slightly, certainly—but otherwise, it seemed healthy.
This left the third possibility — The aftermath of reproduction.
The creature may have laid its eggs just prior to dying.
And the moment that realization hit—
“Wait… it cannot be!”
“So-ryong!”
“So-ryong?!”
I sprinted back into the derelict building where the corpse of the Exploding Jade Water Beetle lay.
That third possibility felt overwhelmingly likely.