Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 509

Chapter 509
Cho and Yeondu skimmed just above the water’s surface.
Though they were still moving swiftly, I couldn’t keep the worry from my voice.
“Are you two all right?”
I’d lost count of how many times I had asked.
But I had to ask once more.
Even though the children repeatedly assured me they were fine, their pace had noticeably fallen.
I didn’t have any instrument to measure it, but the wind rushing past my face had gentled considerably.

–Tchrr. 『We’re fine, Father.』
–Shaaa. 『We can keep going, Master So-ryong.』

Their replies were the same as always.
But I knew they truly needed to stop.
They had been flying without rest for more than a full day and night. If they didn’t pause soon, they would crash from exhaustion.
The energy required to sustain such flight comes from the power emitted by their Neidan.
Grandfather Tang Mu-seong once told me that a Neidan functions much like a human’s dantian.
The only difference, he explained, is that spiritual beasts do not directly utilize the energy stored within the Neidan.
In his view, it was more comparable to magnetism.
Humans collect and employ inner energy through cultivation techniques. Even when they use it up, they can recover it quickly because their dantian holds a total reserve.
It operates like a battery—internal energy can be steadily built up, and once charged, it is ready for use.
But spiritual beasts do not tap into the core energy itself—instead, they harness the energy radiating from it, similar to magnetic force.
That is why their energy does not run out, and if a human were to consume it, they could absorb internal energy at an incredible rate.
So then—why would children with limitless energy become weary?
The answer is purely physical.
Even with an endless source of power, their bodies can still tire.
Despite having a physique perfected for using spiritual energy, they are not free from muscle fatigue or mental drain.
If they become completely exhausted, they will fall and be unable to continue. All our efforts would be for nothing.

“That’s enough stubbornness—let’s set down over there and rest.”

I had just spoken with firm intention when a frantic message came through the shared communication.

『So-ryong, forgive me, but can you tell us your current location?』

It was Hwa-eun’s voice.
“We’ve just reached the upper Lanchang River and are heading downstream. Why?”
We had just arrived at the river’s source.
If we followed it from here, we could likely reach our destination within a day.
I answered with that thought—but then Gun Hye-rin’s urgent voice broke through before Hwa-eun could respond.

『I see…』
“Hwa-eun, tell him now! So-ryong, you must hurry! The fourth net has been torn apart, and it’s raining heavily upstream! The water level is rising! If this continues, we cannot stop them!”

The fourth net was destroyed?
I had installed five nets in total.
That meant only one was left.
It was hard to believe—I needed to hear it again.
『What!? Wait, is it truly that dire? What occurred?』
If the Poison Larvae had dispersed and were drifting downstream individually, they should have appeared in scattered groups.
I placed five nets precisely for that reason.

Then Hwa-eun’s explanation came quickly.
『We eliminated one of the initial baby Poison Larvae that arrived. It cried out. That scream carried—and others began gathering. Then the mother appeared!』

Hearing this, I understood these were not ordinary velvet worms.
There must be some kind of collective behavior at the species level.
Even so, the first net was made from Yo-hwa’s silk.
It shouldn’t have been possible.
Unless qi was used, Yo-hwa’s silk is nearly impossible to tear.
Its only true vulnerability is fire—but it was submerged.

『But the first net was formed from Yo-hwa’s silk, correct?』
“The supports and trees were the issue. As the swarm pushed against it, the trees broke, and the net was torn loose.”
That was my error—I hadn’t properly considered the anchoring.
Still, with both Gun Hye-rin and Hwa-eun present, it seemed the fourth net had failed too quickly.
Beyond that—
Even if the other nets were made of bamboo and ordinary cord, there should have been three barriers remaining.
Every warrior from the Martial Alliance and Beast Palace, except those on patrol, should have been stationed to defend the river.

『Even so, it feels like they were overrun too fast. What really happened?』

*“Initially, we believed we could manage. But after the mother Poison Larva arrived, everything shifted.
Even when we shattered its skull, it healed rapidly. Hwa-eun’s poison techniques dissolved entire sections—but those parts simply grew back!
And now there are three mothers! One of the Martial Alliance elders cleaved one in two, and it only became two separate beings!
It seems they must be annihilated completely, or it is futile…”*

After listening to Gun Hye-rin’s account, I finally understood the full picture.
Normally, these creatures are cautious—they ambush prey quietly and alone.
They could be considered stalkers, too timid to confront directly.
But now, with their offspring being slain, the mothers were storming forward, ripping through the nets and attempting to overwhelm the river with their young.
‘They mentioned heavy rain upstream, yes?’
If the water rose much higher, the Poison Larvae could surge over the fifth net entirely.
The mothers’ regenerative ability was beyond anything anticipated—they couldn’t be killed.
Bringing Ho-ye had been the right choice.
If their healing was that potent, nothing less than total destruction would work.
To stop regeneration, they needed to be killed instantly—and the most effective method was electricity.
A jolt would obliterate their brains and cells in a moment.
But time was slipping away.
Somehow, I had to gain them more.

『Yo-hwa! Can you weave another net further upstream?』
–Kishishi. (I will attempt it.)
Yo-hwa agreed, but her voice lacked certainty.
I tilted my head and inquired,
“Yo-hwa, what’s the matter? Is something wrong?”
A timid, hesitant reply arrived.
–Kishit. (M-My stomach…)
“Your stomach?”
At that, I tilted my head once more—just as Hwa-eun added.
『Yo-hwa hasn’t consumed anything.』
“What!?”
Then Yo-hwa’s own voice came through.
–Kishishit. (I only want Brother’s yang energy!)
Lately, she had been refusing to absorb qi from anyone else—exactly as I had worried.
Yo-hwa had been fasting, waiting for me.
I couldn’t compel her to take energy from others, so I urged her to do what she was able.
『Very well. Brother will return as quickly as possible. Just do what you can, all right?』
–Kishit. (Yes, Brother. Forgive me. Kiiit.)
“No, it’s all right. Yo-hwa, I am the one who should apologize for not realizing sooner.
Hwa-eun—if the situation becomes desperate, employ Geumdo to barricade the river. Until the water spills over, it should hold.”
I instructed Hwa-eun to use Geumdo to dam the flow—effectively creating a barrier.
If they could block it temporarily, the surrounding land would flood, but at least the current could be slowed.

『Understood, So-ryong.』
“Hwanji, Hwana?”
–Shu. (You called?)
–Shhh. (Yes, Master So-ryong?)
“Yes. Can you two swim upstream? As rapidly as possible.”
–Shua. (We will.)
–Shiii. (We understand, Master So-ryong.)

If I continued flying like this, Cho and Yeondu would certainly be spent.
That was why I intended to meet Hwanji and Hwana and transfer to their backs instead.
Once the communication ended and the full emergency was clear, I had to address my children differently—they had been anticipating landing to rest.
“Children, endure just a little longer. Elder Sister Hwanji and Elder Brother Hwana are coming. Understood?”
–Tchrrr! 『Yes, Father!』
–Shaaa. 『Yes, Master So-ryong!』
With that, Cho and Yeondu mustered their remaining strength and surged forward.

***

Splash, splash.
Water inundated the nearby land.
The sound of warriors sprinting over the water’s surface echoed from every direction.
Yo-hwa’s extra net could not withstand the increasing flow.
Baby Poison Larvae had begun slipping through, forced by the water’s pressure.
Hwa-eun acted decisively.
She directed Geumdo to obstruct the channel with his own form.
“Geumdo! Now!”
–Brrrrrr.
Geumdo shifted his shell and angled his body into the stream, transforming into a living dam.
That granted them a brief respite—but it also made the water rise over the banks.
And that threw the battlefield into disarray.
At first, the baby Poison Larvae had been easily impaled with spears from the river’s edge.
But with the water rising, the warriors found themselves sloshing through flooded ground to engage them.
“Barricade that flank!”
“Yes, commander!”
“Everyone, to this position!”
Baby Poison Larvae poured in from both sides of the central net.
As greater numbers converged on Geumdo, Ji-ryong sent additional fighters.
But before the warriors could solidify their lines, one of the mother Poison Larvae emerged and charged into their formation.
–KIEEEEE!
“A mother!”
“Retreat!”
The mother’s flailing form tossed warriors aside like straw in a gale.
Gun Hye-rin soared in and struck its abdomen with her palm.
“Haaah!”
–BOOM!
A powerful blast echoed as the creature’s midsection ruptured—but the mother’s divided flesh rapidly regenerated.
A wound like that could only delay it briefly.
“Damn it all!”
A curse escaped Gun Hye-rin’s lips.
She possessed the strength to demolish it entirely if she unleashed her full power—but for some reason, she could not, and it infuriated her deeply.
“Huaaah!”
“Pierce it!”
–THUD!
–KIEEEEEEE!
While the beast was briefly stunned, Chang-ryong and nearby warriors thrust their spears into it—but with a fierce writhe, the monster shattered their weapons like dry twigs and hurled them away.

Glancing aside, Hwa-eun was containing a mother Larva together with the Lord of Beast Palace.
Another mother was being restrained by the elders of the Martial Alliance.
And the last was being engaged by the Five Dragon Peaks.
Yes—there were now five mothers.
One of Master So-ryong’s spiritual beasts—a giant scorpion—had tried to aid.
But when its tail struck a mother and split it into three pieces, each piece became a new living mother.
Because of the venom, the other spiritual beasts could not intervene, and the great scorpion was the sole helper. Yet with one blow, it had unwittingly multiplied their troubles.
The warriors, now combating the mothers while infant Poison Larvae climbed their legs, were utterly overwhelmed.

And then—
–SHHHHRAK!
A milky-white sticky thread splashed across Gun Hye-rin’s form.
In a moment of distraction, one of the mothers had coated her with adhesive fluid.
Startled, Gun Hye-rin tumbled backward.
When she regained her feet, her expression was wholly transformed.
“To think it would make me, Gun Hye-rin, tumble like a common fool!”
Rolling on the ground to break free felt deeply shameful.
No one nearby spoke—but her fury was at a boiling point.
It was then that Gun Hye-rin noticed something.
“You two! Descend at once!”
Observing from the scorpion’s back, too venomous to enter the fray, were So-ryong’s spiritual beasts.
Now, she summoned a pair of them.
She called for Moji and Soji—and indeed, all those feedings had not been in vain, for they flew down promptly and perched on her shoulders.
The instant they landed, Gun Hye-rin murmured softly.
[Release your demonic energy.]
She intended to conceal her own energy within the demonic aura of the two creatures.
At her command, Moji and Soji emitted surges of demonic power.
Immediately, Hwa-eun sent a mental message.
[W-What are you attempting!? Have you lost your mind?]
Hwa-eun had discerned that Gun Hye-rin was veiling her own qi within theirs.
But Gun Hye-rin only offered a twisted grin and responded.
[If I do not do this, I will never be content!]
As Moji and Soji’s vast demonic energy poured forth, astonished looks turned toward Gun Hye-rin.
And as if she wished them to overhear, she cried out in a strained tone:
“A-Aaah! What is this bizarre power…?”
Then she delivered a palm strike to the mother Poison Larva before her.
–KWAANG!
The mother detonated upon impact.
Witnessing the creature’s body shredded apart brought her great satisfaction—but in the very next instant—
The fragmented pieces began twitching and stirring.
“What in the—?!”
Gun Hye-rin was briefly speechless, stunned by the incredible sight.
It was then that a voice called from above.
“Everyone—clear the water!!”
It was the voice of their Master.