Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

My weakness was an excess of compassion.
Knowing centipedes naturally shun water, I believed that by stepping into the pond, I could coax the creatures off my skin. Once submerged, I watched them scramble upward, away from the water, just as I had predicted.
The plan was straightforward: sink down just enough to let them gather on my head above the surface, and then sweep them into a container.
I was ready to feel relieved, but as the water slowly rose past my ears, I heard the creatures above me begin to weep miserably.
Tsurru.
Tsur.
Tsurururu.
‘Brother, what is this? Why are you treating us like this? Brother, please! We can’t stand the water!’
Naturally, I couldn’t truly decipher the centipedes’ cries.
It was merely the feeling their desperate noises evoked in me.
So, what choice did I have?
‘Maybe if I just wait, they’ll come off on their own. Should I let them stay for a little while?’
That idea began to settle in my mind as I listened to their pitiful calls. It felt like the right thing to do, especially since they had just lost their mother.
Centipedes usually leave their mother after their second molt, and that period is brief. They appeared to see me as their guardian now, and since their venom hadn’t yet developed, they posed no real threat.
It would be somewhat awkward, but having large centipedes coiled around me might be a fantasy for any venom enthusiast.
Insects, spiders, and reptiles don’t acknowledge owners and aren’t the sort of creatures you can truly befriend. That inherent distance makes forming a bond difficult.
Yet, carrying them on my person like this felt almost like keeping a peculiar pet.
“Fine, I’ll let you stay for a bit. But you have to promise not to bite me or cause any trouble, understood?”
Tsurru!
Tsur!
They answered with their unique sounds. After finishing my bath, I quickly moved toward the air ducts.
As I stepped into the duct entrance, I noticed a middle-aged man seated on the stone stairs of the main hall.
He carried himself like the master of a household—a leader of a “Tang family”—and he greeted me with a warm, knowing smile.
“Ah!? Elder?”
“Oh! Young hero!”
His expression brightened with recognition; he seemed eager to thank me for my help in hunting the mother centipede.
He had, after all, promised a reward for the deed.
‘They look prosperous… Perhaps they’ll offer money? Maybe I could ask for some venison—it would be good to have jerky. I am still growing, after all.’
But as the cheerful man drew near, a sudden cold dread shot through me. A powerful blast of wind hurled him backward. He crashed against the stone step, coughing up blood.
Kwak!
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
“Elder! Cough!”
I moved to help him, but a hand seized me by the scruff of my neck, lifting me off my feet. An elder’s voice rang out.
“I heard some of the Tang clan had come to Hainan. And when I arrived, I found Tang Mu-seong’s son here, wounded and alone.
For ten years, I have not forgotten your face, or your father’s. Today, I will send your head as a present to Tang Mu-seong! Hahaha!”
I didn’t grasp the full story, but it was clear this elder held a deep grudge against the Tang family head.
Judging by his title, “Heavenly Poison Deity,” he was likely part of some formidable organization, probably one with a fearsome reputation.
It seemed these people were deeply involved with weapons and violence.
‘Why is this happening to me? They should settle their own problems.’
The bloodied middle-aged man addressed the elder who held me in a vice-like grip.
“Cough! Senior, who are you, to torture this young hero?”
“Hahaha! You don’t know my face and my crimson authority? I am the one Tang Mu-seong made into this—the Blood-Handed Rakshasa, Tak Wonyang!”
His mad laughter and voice dripping with hatred signaled that the situation was turning deadly.
The elder’s resentment was palpable, and the danger was mounting.
Still, the Tang family head spoke again, his tone grave, trying to negotiate.
“That young hero isn’t a martial artist and has no part in our affairs! Will you release him? If you do, I will willingly offer you my neck.”
He seemed to be trying to keep civilians out of their vendetta, to settle the matter within their own circles.
I agreed inwardly, thinking their feud should remain between them.
But the old man, the Blood-Handed Rakshasa, just laughed scornfully.
“If anyone so much as brushes my family’s robes, I will slaughter them! Buddhist teachings say that when garments touch, it creates karma for three thousand lifetimes! Hahaha!”
“Ahhh! Please… spare me…”
Then the elder twisted me to face him and slowly tightened his grip on my throat.
His strength was overwhelming.
Then, abruptly, I felt a peculiar cold shudder through my body.
Tsurruru!
Kwadduk!
The centipedes concealed in my clothes suddenly stirred, hissing aggressively. They erupted from my sleeves and collar, sinking their fangs into the elder’s strangling hand.
“Cough!”
The elder’s eyes shot wide open in stunned disbelief, and his shocked gaze filled my sight.
Gradually, the force in his hand weakened.
I broke free from his grasp and watched as he crumpled to the ground, his skin rapidly darkening to a profound black.
Thud.
‘Wait! They aren’t supposed to be venomous at this age, are they?!’
I stared in complete shock at my pets, which had just killed a man.
I turned slowly to the middle-aged man.
“Uh… this person… was he evil? I think he’s dead…”
I was fairly certain he was a villain, but witnessing a person die for the first time left me disoriented.
Except for when it happened to me, of course.
Yet, despite the circumstances, the middle-aged man actually appeared pleased.
He was smiling after a death had just occurred.
‘Is he a psychopath?’
***
The realization that the centipedes possessed venom, and that it was potent enough to kill a person, sent a cold wave through me. But I steadied myself and rushed to offer aid.
One man was already dead; if I delayed, the other might perish as well.
The middle-aged man had vomited copious amounts of blood, and it was clear that without swift action, his condition would deteriorate.
Of course, I couldn’t assist him directly.
I feared the centipedes might strike again.
So, I helped him into the inner part of the hall where I normally resided.
It was the only structure with a usable bed and was still relatively intact, the building most distant from the air ducts. It was the best place for him to rest.
Although the door had been slightly damaged from his impact with the stone step and flying debris, the interior remained undisturbed.
“Please, lie down here.”
“Cough, thank you, young hero.”
“The village is far, and we can’t summon a doctor, but if you tell me where your companions are, I can fetch them. Actually, I can’t leave you in this state…”
I was anxiously pacing, uncertain what to do, when the man smiled calmly and said:
“I will be fine, so don’t trouble yourself. A few days of rest, and I’ll recover.”
For someone vomiting blood, internal injuries were likely—a ruptured organ or a severe internal wound—and yet he claimed a few days of rest would suffice.
As a non-physician, it was strange to hear him speak so lightly of his state.
I looked at him gravely and replied:
“Don’t say that. You’ve lost a great deal of blood. Your situation is critical!”
But the man merely smiled and answered casually:
“I am a martial artist. This is nothing.”
“A martial artist?”
“Yes, a martial artist.”
That phrase brought back his earlier words, when he’d said I wasn’t a martial artist and should be released.
Recalling that, it reminded me of the martial arts movies from my previous life.
‘It can’t be…’
I asked again, my expression doubtful:
“Wait… by martial artist, do you mean the kind who can soar through the air and project energy beams?”
“Not all can, but yes, that is the idea.”
Considering it now, the way the middle-aged man was thrown back earlier was likely due to some kind of energy attack.
‘No wonder! This explains why there are giant centipedes here!’
I began to understand why this place felt so unusual.
It appeared I had landed not in the past, but in a different world entirely.
Just as I was trembling with the revelation of being in such a strange realm, the man, looking thankful, said:
“Young hero, you have saved my life. I am in your debt. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Tang Cheolsan, head of the Sichuan Tang family.”
“Ah, I am Wei Su Long.”
Though I lacked a true name in this world, I recalled a famed martial artist from my past life and quickly chose this name.
When I introduced myself as Wei Su Long, the man nodded.
“Little dragon. A fine name.”
“Thank you, Elder. Given your condition, should I go to the village and bring others from your family? What should we do about that old man?”
We had exchanged introductions, and I was now considering fetching other Tang clansmen. However, the man shook his head.
“That won’t be necessary. My father and the other fighters have already departed for Sichuan. The clansmen remaining in the village will arrive in a few days.”
“Oh, then what can I do? Do you need water? No, I shouldn’t give you water after you’ve vomited blood… Some broth? I can’t give you that either…”
I was at a loss, my face showing my concern, but the man smiled and asked:
“A few days of rest will see me recovered, so don’t fret. If I need sustenance, I will tell you then.”
“Understood, Elder. Then… would you like me to wet a cloth to clean your face?”
“No, there is something I wish to know. May I ask you a few questions?”
“Shouldn’t you be resting?”
“This is fine.”
The man was insistent, so I halted my move for the cloth and sat back down beside him.
Then, as if he had been waiting, he began questioning me rapidly.
“That poisonous creature coiled around you—are they centipedes? Where did you find them, and how did you tame them? Also, I noticed many venomous beings in your room while I waited—do you raise them all?”
“Well… ”
I resolved to answer his queries earnestly.
The centipedes were the brood of the Blue-Spotted Centipedes his people had taken, and the other poisonous creatures indoors were ones I had been cultivating.
“Ah! You hatched them from eggs!?”
“Well, they were nearly ready to hatch…”
“You can tell when that will occur?”
“Uh, more or less.”
“Remarkable!”
The man praised my breeding skills, and since I’d had no one to share this with, I felt a surge of pride and decided to boast a little.
“Wait a moment, Elder.”
I swiftly retrieved one of my proudest achievements, a Bawangling Cave Gecko, and presented it.
Typically, Bawangling Cave Geckos have yellow stripes on their bodies and white stripes on their tails, but this one displayed only two colors—a yellow body and a white tail.
It was the crowning achievement of my breeding efforts, and in my past life, it would have been immensely valuable.
“Ahem. It’s possible to breed them like this, too.”
I showed it off casually, but the middle-aged man blinked, seemingly unaware of its worth. So I decided to elaborate by bringing out another.
‘I suppose I’ll have to explain it simply.’
“Well… this is a common type of lizard. From among them, I selected the larger specimens with yellow stripes on the body and white stripes on the tail. I bred them over several generations to produce this two-tone creature.”
“You… bred them for their coloration!?”
Finally, the man was astonished by my feat. He urgently asked:
“So, wait—could you choose the more venomous ones and breed them to create even deadlier poisonous beings?”
In theory, it was possible, but without a way to gauge venom potency, it wasn’t practical.
I shook my head and replied:
“If I could identify which ones had stronger venom, it might work. But it’s difficult to determine…”
“Truly!? Is that really possible!?”
“Ahh! You startled me!”
Just as I was shocked by his loud exclamation, the man seized my hand, his eyes burning with intensity, and said:
“You… you must become part of our family!”
“Pardon me!?”
It seemed he wanted me to join his family, as a member or perhaps a retainer tasked with breeding.
Soaring through the skies and launching energy blasts was appealing, but given the nature of the “martial artists” I had encountered, it also seemed perilous.
The madman who had just attacked made it seem unwise, so I hesitated. But then the man started listing incentives.
“First, if you join us, I will teach you all our martial arts. You will have elixirs, rare medicinal herbs, and any poisons you require.
With your skills, you could even capture or raise the Ten Deadliest Venoms of the Central Plains, you know?
Also, I don’t mean to boast, but my daughter is one of the Three Flowers of the Central Plains…”
“Wait, stop!”
I cut him off quickly, unable to believe what I was hearing.
“What did you just say!?”
“Huh? Oh, I see you’re still young, but you are a man, yes? Well, my daughter is one of the Three Flowers of the Central Plains…”
He continued with this talk about his daughter, which held no interest for me, so I shook my head and pressed him.
“No, not that. Before that…”
“Hmm? The martial arts?”
“No, the part after that.”
“Elixirs and rare herbs?”
“Not that either…”
“The Ten Deadliest Venoms of the Central Plains?”
The mention of the Ten Deadliest Venoms of the Central Plains resonated deeply with me. In my past life, I had died pursuing the world’s most lethal snakes, so this term struck a powerful chord.
I gripped the Tang family head’s arm and asked:
“Are they as remarkable as the Blue-Spotted Centipedes?”
The Tang family head grinned broadly and answered:
“Of course! The Blue-Spotted Centipedes are considered a minor venom compared to the Ten Deadliest Venoms of the Central Plains. There are scorpions as large as houses and frogs the color of gold… Whatever you can envision, they are even more perilous.”
Hearing about the Ten Deadliest Venoms of the Central Plains made me think that joining his family could be a worthwhile venture.
‘Should I take the chance?’
Isn’t the pursuit of the most deadly poisons a dream for every man?
Or perhaps it was just my own?