Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

After two days of travel on the Zhongjiang River near Chengdu in Sichuan, the waters abruptly expanded into a vast, open expanse. The vessel rocked vigorously as it met the stronger currents of the wider river.

— Splash!

Icy spray dashed against the wooden hull.

“The flow is intense! Everyone, stay alert!”

“So-ryong, watch your step!” Gu Pae’s voice rose above the groaning of the ship.

“Understood, Deputy Gu,” I answered, bracing myself. Though the others gripped the rails with nervous hands, my sister stood poised beside me, serenely gesturing toward the broadened waterway.

As a high wave lifted and then steadied the boat, her bright tone cut through the unease.

“So-ryong, this is the Yangtze River—the greatest river in the Central Plains.”

‘So this is the Yangtze,’ I reflected, ‘one of the longest rivers on earth, the heartblood of these lands.’

It was awe-inspiring to actually be sailing its waters, something I had longed to do in my past life. Not for any grand purpose—only because this was where the Yangtze River dolphin lived, a creature declared extinct in the world I came from.

There was also the charming “river pig,” or finless porpoise. Even as someone who preferred insects and reptiles, I could appreciate dolphins. Being here now filled me with wonder.

“It’s incredibly wide,” I observed.

“Indeed. If we follow this current, we will reach Wuchang,” my sister replied.

We were bound for Anhui, home of the Namgung family. But first, we had to make a stop in Wuchang at the Murim Alliance. My master had asked us to deliver more venom from the Hobanyu snake to the military.

“We’ll disembark at Anqing after pausing in Wuchang, is that correct?”

“That’s right, So-ryong.”

I had assumed we would travel by carriage or by light footwork, but the boat proved surprisingly swift once we entered the main channel of the Yangtze. It moved smoothly and rapidly, slicing through the wide waters.

“At this pace, we’ll arrive much sooner than I thought,” I remarked, impressed by the speed.

My sister smiled gently at my excitement. “Even so, it will still take us half a month to arrive.”

“I see.”

The sheer scale of the Central Plains was still astounding. Gazing out at the river with my sister, I decided to voice a concern that had been lingering in my thoughts.

‘I can’t shake this feeling of doubt…’

We had set off with my master’s blessing, but the farther we went, the more I wondered: would the Namgung family truly part with the Ice Jade so easily? If it was as precious as my sister suggested, it seemed unlikely they would surrender it without strong incentive.

“Lady Hwa-eun,” I began cautiously, “now that we’re on the boat, I’ve been thinking… if the Ice Jade is truly that rare, will the Namgung family simply hand it over? It’s hard not to worry.”

“Do you not trust me?” she asked, feigning offense.

“N-No, it’s not that.”

Though I said I trusted her, I truly had my doubts. And with good reason.

Before we boarded, my sister had confidently promised she would manage the negotiations. But once we were underway, she made a casual remark that unsettled me.

As though sensing my anxiety, she pointed toward my chest and reassured me lightly. “We have that, so they will certainly agree. From what I know, the Ice Jade is of little use to her. What we offer will be far more valuable. After all, the Ice Jade can’t be eaten, but this can, correct?”

“Well, yes, but… are you certain?”

Absentmindedly, I touched the object tucked inside my robe. My sister smiled and nodded.

“Of course. Don’t fret so much, So-ryong. What is trivial to one may be priceless to another. And besides, this doesn’t seem trivial at all.”

“This… is significant?” I asked, still unsure.

“Yes.”

‘Surely this won’t lead to trouble… will it?’

I fumbled with the item inside my clothing, still uneasy, when another question came to mind.

“By the way, Lady Hwa-eun, when you said we needed something with ‘cold Yin energy,’ what does that mean exactly? It sounds like some kind of chilling aura, but I’m not certain. Grandfather once tried to explain Yin and Yang, but it was difficult to follow.”

As a caretaker, it was essential to understand what my charges required. Feeding them something unknown was irresponsible—especially for someone like me. Not knowing their dietary needs would make me unfit for the role.

“A good question. This is related to martial cultivation, so listen closely and remember,” she began.

“Yes, Lady Hwa-eun.”

“Yin energy is a type of Qi that causes Yin transformation—the opposite of Yang energy. It is the energy in nature that sinks and gathers, often suppressing vitality. Dark, cold, and heavy sensations are all forms of Yin energy. Though I said ‘cold Yin energy,’ it is essentially a type of Yin energy.”

“So does that mean Yin energy is harmful?” I asked. The idea of something suppressing life sounded negative.

She shook her head. “Not at all. Yang energy, its counterpart, rises and expands, governing natural cycles and encouraging life. But too much Yang energy is also dangerous—it hastens aging and drains one’s vitality. As for Bing and Seol, their bodies are designed to absorb Yin energy. It helps them grow. That’s why they need it.”

‘Ah, like recharging a battery?’

Her explanation was still complex, but far clearer than Grandfather’s had been.

“Does that help?” she asked with a smile.

“Yes, though I have another question. I’ve always heard that Yin and Yang must balance, like man and woman forming a pair. If Bing and Seol are entirely Yin, how does that balance work?”

Her face flushed instantly, and she stammered, “W-Well… I suppose we’ll have to see how they balance their Yin and Yang later…”

“What?” I blinked, confused.

‘Wait, balancing Yin and Yang? Does she mean… Surely she isn’t thinking that?’

The more I considered it, the more certain I became. My sister’s flustered look gave her away—her thoughts had clearly drifted somewhere improper.

Before I could decide how to navigate the awkwardness, she suddenly turned the tables.

“So-So-ryong, you ask the most shameless things without even blinking!”

“Me?” I stared at her in disbelief. She was the one whose imagination had wandered, yet I was the one being accused.

Eager to shift the subject, she pointed toward the water and exclaimed, “L-Let’s talk about something else. Look, So-ryong! Over there! It’s a Baiji!”

“A Baiji?”

I followed her finger and saw something leap from the water. A closer look confirmed it was a dolphin.

“Wait, is that—?”

It was the Yangtze River dolphin, a creature I had always wanted to see. In my previous life, they had gone extinct, but here they were, alive and thriving.

The dolphins drew nearer to the boat, arcing gracefully through the air and sprinkling water as they jumped. For a moment, the awkwardness faded, replaced by pure wonder at the sight before us.

***

In the foothills of the Huangshan mountains, a night wind stirred, carrying with it petals from blossoms that had already bloomed and faded.

— Whoosh.

The breeze swirled around the hill, lifting the petals in a spiral toward the sky.

Just as they seemed ready to climb higher into the night, a blade gleamed under the moonlight.

— Shing!

A single sword stroke traced a long arc through the air. The petals, lifted by the wind, were abruptly swept back to the earth.

The strike dispelled the breeze and scattered the petals back to the ground. Watching them settle, the woman who had wielded the sword released a sigh.

“Haa… It’s still not enough…”

The technique she had executed was the third form of the Imperial Sword Style: Imperial Suppression Strike.

Its essence lay in merging the first and second forms, channeling inner energy into the blade to amplify its weight and force. By the third form, that accumulated power was released in a crushing wave meant to overwhelm any opponent.

Yet the woman sighed because her performance was still imperfect. Had it been flawless, the petals would have been pulverized under the sword’s pressure. Instead, they only bled color and retained their shape.

Though not yet twenty, the woman had already mastered the Boundless Azure Sky Sword Technique of the Namgung family and had begun studying the Imperial Sword Style. She could even wield its third form. Still, her expression was one of deep dissatisfaction.

To an outsider, her discontent might seem excessive, even obsessive. But she trained late at night, far from the family estate, on the slopes of Huangshan, for a deeply personal reason.

“Eonni, please, let’s return. If we stay much longer, we’ll be caught. If Father finds us again, I’ll be scolded for not stopping you. Swordsmanship is important, but you are the eldest daughter of the Namgung family. You must take better care of yourself.”

The speaker was her younger sister, perched on a rock and holding a lantern. The eldest daughter of the Namgung family, Namgung Seol, also called the Floral Monarch Peony, nodded with a faintly apologetic look.

“Very well, I understand, Eun-ah.”

Namgung Seol had come to this secluded hill at night to practice swordsmanship because training within the family compound had been forbidden. More precisely, sword training itself was prohibited. So she slipped away, accompanied by her sister, to practice in secret.

“Eonni, I’m so worried I could die from the stress. Can’t you pause until Uncle returns with the miraculous medicine? If you collapse again, I’ll be blamed for not preventing it.”

Eun-ah’s tone was exasperated. Namgung Seol could only offer a bittersweet smile in return. The reason for her secret training and her sister’s anxiety was the same—her illness.

Keimak Syndrome.

That was the name of her condition.

At first, her family believed it was a blessing rather than a curse. Her veins and meridians were extraordinarily open, allowing her to accumulate internal energy quickly and circulate Qi without obstruction. Her body seemed to transform, as if reborn.

A physique seemingly made for martial arts—a Heavenly Martial Constitution.

That was what everyone, including Namgung Seol herself, had initially believed. But by her fifteenth year, they realized it was no blessing.

Her rapid development had raised concerns, prompting her family to summon a famous physician. After checking her pulse, the physician’s face grew solemn.

“The pathways in her body are too open. It is the opposite of blocked meridians—we might call it Keimak, overextended veins. Her innate Qi, which should remain dormant, is being excessively consumed to maintain her body’s perfect state.

“The child’s beauty is a result of this innate Qi preserving her physical form. If this continues, her life will be shortened.”

Innate Qi, the life force one is born with, gradually depletes over time, leading eventually to death. In Namgung Seol’s case, this Qi was being used up far too quickly, sustaining her flawless appearance.

Her snow-pale skin, dark brows like ink, lips the shade of pale peaches—all the traits that earned her the title Floral Monarch Peony—were the result of this excessive consumption of innate Qi.

If blocked veins were a curse that stifled life, overextended veins were a curse of excess, burning through the life force that ought to have been preserved.

Her father had asked the physician, his voice shaking, “Is there no cure, Physician?”

“Her beauty is sustained by Yin energy. To counter this, her body must be supplied with pure Yin energy. Even if she practices the Heavenly Thunder Imperial Divine Art, which enhances Yang energy, it will not affect her internal condition. The only solution is to saturate her body with Yin energy. Otherwise…”

The physician left the rest unspoken.

Namgung Seol was pulled from her thoughts by her sister’s voice.

“Eonni, promise me you’ll stop for now.”

“Yes, I’ll listen. Forgive me.”

“Do you really promise?”

“Yes,” Namgung Seol replied with a nod, and her sister smiled in relief.

But it was a lie.

As she followed her sister, who carried the lantern, Namgung Seol saw herself as the flame within it—shining brightly, but destined to vanish once the oil was spent.

Before her own light faded completely, she was determined to perfect the Imperial Sword Style.