Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After tending to Tang Cheolsan for roughly two days, just as he had predicted, the warriors of the Tang family arrived.
I had assumed it would take them weeks to recover from their injuries sustained while capturing the centipedes, yet they appeared after only two days.
The warriors, spotting the cloth-draped body at the entrance to the air duct, were alarmed, fearing it might be Tang Cheolsan, but I led them into the hall where he was recuperating.
“Master! What happened?!”
“His internal injuries are grave!”
The warriors were shocked by Tang Cheolsan’s ashen complexion and the deep shadows under his eyes. As I assisted him into a sitting position, he started to recount the events of the past few days to his men.
“Blood-Handed Rakshasa, Tak Wonyang, appeared.”
“What!? Tak Wonyang, the Blood-Handed Rakshasa!? The man who was beaten by Lord Tang Mu-seong and fell from the Qinzhou coastal cliffs over a decade ago?”
“Correct.”
“Ah! Then… the body outside is…?”
“It was nearly a catastrophe. He had been in seclusion, wholly dedicated to his martial practice, and had attained a level nearing my father’s.”
Hearing this, the three warriors exchanged glances of disbelief, but their expressions soon brightened into wide smiles as they offered their congratulations.
“Then!? Master! If you defeated a foe of that caliber, it means you have reached the level of the Master of Venoms. Our congratulations!”
“Congratulations!”
They evidently believed that vanquishing such a powerful opponent signified his skills had ascended to new heights. They seemed to be celebrating a great personal achievement.

‘Though it was really my pets that did it…’

Tang Cheolsan shook his head.
With a slight smile, he gestured toward me.
“No. It was not I who killed him. It was this young hero… He is the one who saved my life.”
“What!? This young hero?”
“This hero killed Tak Wonyang!?”
Well, it wasn’t precisely me, but my pets were responsible. Since they belong to me, it wasn’t a complete falsehood.
After all, an owner is accountable for the actions of their pets.
However, the warriors appeared to misinterpret the situation and bowed to me deeply in the formal style of the Central Plains, showing profound respect.
“We thank you for saving the head of the Tang family.”
“Our gratitude!”
“Uh… Was this… some form of resurrection?”
They inquired if I had somehow returned from the dead.

‘What are they talking about? I really should have watched more martial arts films in my previous life to understand this kind of dialogue…’

Observing their reaction, Tang Cheolsan couldn’t suppress a soft chuckle. As his eyebrows lifted, a cold shiver traveled down my spine, and I heard a faint rustling sound emanate from within my chest.

‘No, not now…’

*Tsurru!*

That noise was a warning from my pets when they were agitated.
Abruptly, my three centipedes shot out from my chest like serpents, shaking their heads menacingly as they fixed their gaze on Tang Cheolsan.
“Ah! What… is that!?”
“The centipedes!?”
The warriors stared, wide-eyed, at the three yellow centipedes.
A moment later, once the cold sensation subsided, the centipedes slowly retreated back beneath my clothing.
“What… what are those!?”
Startled by the appearance of the centipedes, the warriors had taken a step back.
Tang Cheolsan answered on my behalf.
“They are the offspring of the Blue-Spotted Centipedes. We discovered eggs in the den where we captured the Blue-Spotted Centipedes. This young hero hatched them, and those little ones are what brought down Tak Wonyang.”
“Truly!? But are they… safe?”
“He… He tamed the Blue-Spotted Centipedes!?”
Tang Cheolsan then demonstrated how the centipedes could be provoked to emerge, which was the culmination of the information we had pieced together over the previous few days: the specific trigger for my centipedes’ attacks.
We had deduced the precise circumstances that prompted them to strike.

‘They react to hostility. Incredible, isn’t it?’

The day after we defeated Tak Wonyang, the centipedes had been completely inactive. It was normal for young centipedes to remain largely motionless until after their second molting, so this was expected. But Tang Cheolsan was deeply curious about their prior inertia and their sudden assault on Tak Wonyang.
He had asked me about it from his sickbed.
“Why are they so quiet now? Do you understand why they attacked Tak Wonyang?”
“Well… I’m not entirely certain.”
“Can you remember anything specific?”
Knowing they were venomous and that a bite could be fatal, I tried hard to recall the event.
If I had misstepped and been bitten, I would have died as well.

‘I was definitely washing them off… I was grabbed by the neck… They didn’t react then… so…’

“Well… I tried to remove them by washing with cold water, but that doesn’t seem to be the cause. Ah! I remember now, when Tak Wonyang seized my neck, I felt a chill down my spine, and I began to sweat… Could it have been the sweat?”
It’s common for insects or animals to react to human sweat.
I wondered if they had been triggered by its scent, but Tang Cheolsan seemed to have a different idea.
“Eh? A chill down your spine? Could it be…?”
Tang Cheolsan looked as if he had experienced a sudden revelation.
Then, mimicking the moment Tak Wonyang had tightened his grip on my neck, I felt that same icy shiver run down my spine.

*Tsurrururur!*

Intriguingly, the centipedes emitted a warning sound and emerged from my clothes, staring intently at Tang Cheolsan.
“To hostility…?!”
“Eh? Hostility?”
Tang Cheolsan seemed tremendously excited by this realization.
After he explained, I learned that hostility, or “killing intent,” is a form of energy perceptible from a person’s expression or demeanor. It is a force that can intimidate or even cause harm.
However, for martial artists, it is different. A martial artist’s “killing intent” is an invisible energy that can overwhelm or even kill a person.
Tang Cheolsan explained that the centipedes appeared to react to this specific type of energy.
That chill I felt earlier, that shiver down my spine… was that killing intent?

‘Wait, if that’s true, then that’s dangerous, right? It’s like being targeted by an invisible weapon!’

Even though I was curious, the notion of being shot with killing intent was unsettling. Tang Cheolsan assured me it had been only a very weak emission.
After some additional experimentation, we managed to pinpoint the exact mechanism behind the centipedes’ attacks.
According to Tang Cheolsan, killing intent can be employed in two ways: diffused generally around a person or focused directly on a target. The centipedes, however, reacted solely to killing intent aimed specifically at me, not to the ambient atmosphere.
They functioned like automated sentry turrets.
I remained apprehensive that they might bite me, but it was also comforting to know they were acting as my guardians.
We decided that this secret regarding their attack mechanism would remain solely between Tang Cheolsan and me.
It created a strange feeling, as if we were secret allies.
Just as I was reflecting on this, I overheard a snippet of conversation.
“…So he intends to recruit me into his family.”
“Eh!? Family? Does that mean… the beautiful young lady, the ‘Yuejie’…?”
“Yes. The young hero hasn’t given his answer yet, but…”
“Ooohhh!”
The discussion had shifted, and it seemed Tang Cheolsan was proposing that I join his family. I had requested a few days to consider it, as it felt like being offered a lifelong commitment, and I couldn’t decide something so important rashly.
But the term “Yuejie,” which was new to me, piqued my curiosity. It seemed connected to joining the Tang family.
“If I may ask, what is Yuejie?”
Everyone looked at me with surprise.
Tang Cheolsan and the warriors stared, and the eldest warrior, with a knowing smile, answered:
“Young hero, you’ve never heard of ‘Yuejie’?”
“Eh? No… Is it one of the Ten Deadliest Venoms?”
At my continued questions, their smiles widened even further.
The warrior continued his explanation:
“No, no. Yuejie is a flower. It bears thorns, but it is a beautiful red flower. Have you never seen one?”
“Ah! Now I understand.”
Yuejie appeared to be the Central Plains term for a rose.
Given that it was described as red and thorny, it was most likely a rose.
“Yes, exactly. People call the peony ‘The King of Flowers’ or ‘The National Beauty and Fragrance,’ but that is merely the opinion of the uninformed. The greatest flower, without any doubt, is the Yuejie. The peony blooms for only a season, but the Yuejie blooms throughout the year, bringing joy to all. Of course, it is the finest flower. How brilliantly red it is!”
The warrior, clearly an enthusiast, delivered a lengthy speech.
I felt slightly embarrassed, but since I couldn’t fault a man for his passion, I chose to smile and respect his preference.
“I also like Yuejie the most.”
Suddenly, the members of the Tang family became very excited.
“Oooh! Truly!?”
“You favor Yuejie above all others!?”
“Yes? Yes… I was taught that the thorns on the Yuejie represent nobility and pride, so no one dares to pick it lightly.”
“Oooh! You understand its essence!”
The warrior, so passionate about roses, nearly reached for my hand before hesitating, remembering the centipedes.
He looked toward Tang Cheolsan and said:
“Then, it is decided. I hear you haven’t made your choice yet, but if you do, Master will present to you the most beautifully bloomed Yuejie from our Tang family.”
“Eh? For me?”
‘Oh, is this some kind of welcome gift?’
I knew that people of the Central Plains held red flowers in high esteem, considering them auspicious.
It seemed they wished to offer me a red flower as a token of welcome.
But even if I did join the Tang family, I saw no need to have a flower picked unnecessarily.
“Elder, even if I decide to join the Tang family, there is no need for you to pick a Yuejie for me. Flowers are living things, after all. Should they not be respected?”
But then something odd occurred.
The Tang family members all began grinning at my response.
And Tang Cheolsan, wiping the smile from his face, said with seriousness:
“No, young hero. You misunderstand. I will give you the Yuejie as a gift. But you will have to pick it yourself. Do not worry, however. You may think it unnecessary now, but when you come to Sichuan, you will wish to pick it yourself. Just be mindful of the thorns.”
“Eh?”
They were saying strange things.

‘Is there some deeper meaning to this rose that I’m not aware of?’

***
Following the conversation with the Tang family members, the news that came next was somewhat unexpected.
“You’re saying you will search Hainan Island?”
“Yes. The moment I have recovered enough to move, we will begin immediately. I do not believe we have the luxury to wait.”
“Why? Is there something left to find here?”
I had assumed Tang Cheolsan would depart for Sichuan as soon as he was well, but instead, he stated his intention to search Hainan Island the instant he could stand.
When I asked for the reason, Tang Cheolsan replied with a grave expression.
“It concerns that Blood-Handed Rakshasa, Tak Wonyang. He was living in seclusion, diligently advancing his martial prowess. I wish to locate his hidden lair.”
“His lair?”
I gave him a puzzled look, questioning the need to search for the dwelling of a deceased man, and he elaborated.
“His martial art is known as ‘Blood Water Poison Claws,’ a horrific and vile technique. To increase his skill, he must immerse his hands in human blood and marrow and absorb them.”
“Human blood and marrow?”
“Yes. The technique requires him to steep his hands in them and draw them in…”

‘What kind of insane martial art is that?’

“So then?”
If this individual practiced a martial art that necessitated human blood and marrow, it almost certainly meant he had committed mass murder to advance his power.
I looked at Tang Cheolsan with dawning horror, and he nodded grimly.
“Correct. If he left behind any secret manuals or has disciples, we must deal with them and eliminate the threat. We cannot allow such a cruel technique to resurface in the martial world. Furthermore, if there are any captives remaining, we must aid them.”
It made perfect sense. If someone else had learned a technique that turned them into a serial killer, as Tang Cheolsan described, it was absolutely imperative to find and eradicate it.
I nodded in agreement, my opinion of Tang Cheolsan’s righteousness rising higher than I had initially thought.
He then asked for my assistance.
“Will you aid us? You are familiar with the jungles of Hainan, after all.”
As Tang Cheolsan said, I knew the area around Hainan well.
I did not hesitate before nodding at his request.
“Understood. I will help as soon as you have recovered.”
My immediate agreement was simple: this felt like a decision that would shape my future, so I thought I might as well participate and treat it as a form of internship.
When you apply to a company, you often take an internship to understand the culture and evaluate your potential boss, right?
Besides, don’t people always say you truly learn about someone’s character during challenging times?
Therefore, I planned to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Tang family throughout this journey.

‘Just wait. I’ll evaluate you thoroughly.’

After all, capable individuals are the ones who conduct reverse interviews.