Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Based on the talk of another proposal and the discussion of the Five Venoms, it appeared there could be a link to the Five Venoms Returning to the Origin Technique I had studied,” I remarked.

Mandok Shingun gave a nod, affirming my thoughts.
“Your perception is keen, So-ryong. The Five Venoms Returning to the Origin Technique is, at its core, built upon the Five Venoms: the centipede (O-gong), the snake (Sa), the scorpion (Heol), the lizard (Seok-cheok), and the toad (Seom-seo). These five poisonous beings are the foundation of the art.”

This was not a shock to me, but it was fascinating. The knowledge that two of the Five Venoms were already part of the creatures I was nurturing sparked a thrill within me.
Admittedly, my companions were of a lower rank or not classified at all, but they were mine. The Ten Great Venomous Beasts had their illustrious reputations, but what were they compared to my own? It was the distinction between a distant idol and a close partner. My creatures were personally significant to me.

Nevertheless, the presence of lizards within the Five Venoms was confusing. Poisonous lizards are uncommon in Asia, and my Seol and Bing lizards were not venomous. I was about to question this when Mandok Shingun went on.
“Within the Tang Clan, poisonous creatures are divided into two types: ordinary creatures (Beom-mul) and spiritual creatures (Yeong-mul).
Ordinary creatures are common varieties such as snakes, centipedes, and lizards, whereas spiritual creatures possess exceptional capabilities, intelligence, or internal cores. Even spiritual creatures are classified as lower, middle, or higher grade.”

It was evident that a creature’s intelligence and powers defined it as a spiritual creature. By that measure, the companions I had captured were spiritual creatures. Eagerly, I inquired, “So does that mean the Golden-Eyed Peak King, Bing-Seol Lizard, Blue-Banded Centipede, and Inmyeon Spider I have all qualify as spiritual creatures?”

Mandok Shingun nodded. “You are right. Every creature you have captured falls into the category of a spiritual creature. That is the reason we thought to present an alternative proposal to you.
The Five Venoms Returning to the Origin Technique was initially created to merge the venom of the Five Venoms. However, because ordinary creatures possess weaker venom, the technique was later adapted by the Tang Clan to include other toxins, like poisonous plants, mushrooms, or manufactured poisons.”

“Then…” I prompted.
“The original form of the technique is called the Five Venoms Divine Origin Technique (O-dok Gwi-won Shin-gong).”
The name itself, with the inclusion of “divine,” made the technique sound immensely more powerful. The prospect of learning such a superior method was exhilarating.
“With the venom of the centipede and lizard already available, you would only need the venoms of a snake, scorpion, and toad at the spiritual creature level. Then, you could achieve mastery of the Five Venoms Divine Origin Technique in its true form. We wished to ask if you would be willing to follow this path.”

Hearing this, I understood I was being offered the chance to practice the original, pure technique—one designed for merging the venom of high-grade spiritual creatures, not the weakened version modified for average practitioners.
However, a problem remained: my Seol and Bing lizards were not poisonous.
“But Grandfather, the Seol-Bing Lizards do not produce venom,” I stated.
Mandok Shingun shook his head. “I examined them thoroughly. While they lack venomous fangs, the lizards you brought carry a cold toxin capable of freezing a person solid.”
“Is that true?” I asked, amazed.
“It is. The freezing energy they emit is a form of venom,” he confirmed.
It appeared that while I had been unaware of this fact, Mandok Shingun’s expert eye had uncovered a hidden trait of my lizards.

“Now, you stand at a crossroads,” Mandok Shingun continued. “The first path is to accept the venom of the Blue-Banded Centipede and Seol-Bing Lizards to pursue the Five Venoms Divine Origin Technique, striving for perfection with the venoms of high-grade spiritual creatures.
The second is to absorb the venom of the Inmyeon Spider, one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts, and gradually advance toward mastering the Ten Venoms Twin Origin Technique (Ship-dok Ssang-won Gong).”

His explanation was clear: I must choose between the Five Venoms path, centered on the venoms of spiritual creatures, or the Ten Venoms path, which involved a slow accumulation of the venoms from the Ten Great Venomous Beasts.
“Picking a skill tree, huh? Why is this never easy?” I muttered under my breath.
In the RPG games from my past life, selecting the right skill tree was what turned a feeble character into either a champion or a disappointment. This felt just as momentous—a choice that could define my future in this world of martial arts.
It was like being made to choose between the endearing centipedes and lizards I had raised and the formidable prestige of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts. Both were appealing, and I could not risk choosing poorly.

Sensing my uncertainty, Mandok Shingun provided more detail. “We initially intended to suggest the Five Venoms Divine Origin Technique because you already possessed the Blue-Banded Centipede and were returning with lizards. The technique is a phenomenal masterpiece, and encounters with the Ten Great Venomous Beasts are a matter of exceedingly rare luck.
However, even if you choose the Five Venoms path, it does not preclude you from incorporating the venoms of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts later. The sole restriction is that until you finish the Five Venoms, you cannot integrate any additional venoms.”

This meant that choosing the Five Venoms path would not completely block the Ten Venoms path. But there was a disadvantage: I would have to sacrifice integrating two of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts’ venoms, as my body would not support more than ten.
“Can’t the Five Venoms be completed using only the venoms of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts?” I asked, hoping for a way around it.
Mandok Shingun shook his head. “The Ten Great Venomous Beasts include no lizard, So-ryong. Finishing the Five Venoms requires integrating venom from a lizard, which the Ten Venoms alone cannot supply.”
His words confirmed the inevitable compromise. I had to decide between the Five Venoms and the Ten Venoms.
“The Five Venoms or the Ten Venoms… that is the question,” I murmured, feeling the pressure of the decision settle on me.

***
On my way back from speaking with the two elders, heading to the Four Harmony Courtyard, I heard Hwa-eun’s soft voice behind me.
“So-ryong, I don’t want you to feel obligated to choose the Ten Venoms because of the promise you made to me. From the texts I’ve seen, though the records are incomplete, the Five Venoms Divine Origin Technique still appears to be a remarkable and potent martial art.
Even if the Ten Venoms path only leads to mastering eight or nine, it’s acceptable. I want you to choose what you believe is best for you.”
Her reassurance, telling me I was free to choose, demonstrated how much her demeanor had softened since she had formally declared me as her own.
“You have already accomplished so much, So-ryong, and the Ten Venoms path may be too arduous. I simply don’t wish for you to feel any pressure.”
One benefit of our engagement was that I no longer had to call her “young lady” and could use her name. I looked at her and said, “Thank you for your consideration, Hwa-eun.”
“It-It’s nothing…” she stammered, a blush coloring her cheeks.
Though her words were meant to ease my mind, the choice remained difficult. Selecting the Five Venoms path would mean relinquishing one of the ten great venoms, which felt like an unfinished accomplishment. But opting for the Ten Venoms meant abandoning the Blue-Banded Centipedes and the Seol-Bing Lizards, which felt like a betrayal to the companions I had raised.
And let’s be frank—Ten Venoms sounded majestic. But Nine Venoms? That just brought to mind calls for “likes and subscriptions.” Not quite the same impression.
Still, the Five Venoms path had its own attraction. I found myself profoundly conflicted.
“It’s a hard choice… Haah.”
Master Tang and Mandok Shingun had clarified that no matter which path I selected, the initial preparations for the technique would be identical, and only the final selection of venom would differ. Consequently, the preparations for the Grand Method were already underway.

As days went by, I remained stuck in uncertainty. Then, two days later, Hwa-eun rushed into my room, her voice full of excitement.
“So-ryong, the centipedes look like they’re going to molt again!”
I followed her to the pavilion where the Blue-Banded Centipedes were indeed undergoing their second molting.
From the second molt onward, they would adopt the same coloring as their parent. As with the first molt, the centipedes’ heads emerged first from their old skeletons.
“They’ll finally resemble true Blue-Banded Centipedes, won’t they?” Hwa-eun asked.
“Yes, soon their bodies will be covered in those distinct blue markings,” I replied.
The Blue-Banded Centipedes had black bodies with blue patterns, similar to Dalmatian spots. Recalling the image of their parent from my dreams, I pictured how charming they would look, and Hwa-eun seemed equally curious.
But then I realized something concerning.
“Wait a moment… This could be a problem.”
It occurred to me that the centipedes might not finish hardening in time for the start of the Grand Method.
Even ordinary centipedes require a full day to harden after molting, and judging by their first molt, the Blue-Banded Centipedes would likely take longer. If the preparations for the Grand Method concluded before they were ready, I would be unable to use their venom.
Handling them while their bodies were still soft could cause deformities or other issues. And since the medicine for the Grand Method could not be stored indefinitely, I could not wait for the centipedes to finish hardening.

Two days later, the Grand Method commenced in the Grand Ritual Chamber of the Mandok Hall without the Blue-Banded Centipedes.
After I explained the situation to Master Tang and Mandok Shingun, the ritual preparations were accelerated. Soon, everything was in place.
The process started in the Mandok Hall’s medicine chamber, where numerous cauldrons were used to boil hundreds of herbs. The essence from these herbs was drawn out and gathered into one large central cauldron.
Once this base solution was ready, a few powerful venoms and the blood of poisonous creatures were added. The mixture was then left to settle for a day. Finally, I was called to the Grand Ritual Chamber.
“So-ryong, all is prepared. Let’s proceed,” Master Tang said.
“Yes, sir,” I replied.
By then, I had braced myself for the possibility of severe pain. Thankfully, I had been told that the Inmyeon Spider’s venom was paralytic rather than painful.
The ritual chamber contained a flat stone platform in its center, upon which sat a massive cauldron filled with the prepared mixture. The strong scent of herbal medicine rose from the cauldron as Master Tang and Mandok Shingun spoke to me.
“Now, So-ryong, remove your clothing and sit in the cauldron with only your neck above the liquid,” Mandok Shingun instructed.
“Understood,” I said.
I undressed in a private corner and quickly immersed myself in the warm liquid. It felt strangely like being in an herbal bath—nothing particularly extraordinary.
Just then, Hwa-eun entered the chamber with Yo-hwa and the other creatures.
“So-ryong, the centipedes have woken up!” she exclaimed.
“Really?” I asked.
Following behind her were Yo-hwa, perched elegantly on her shoulder, and Seol and Bing, clinging to her arm. At her feet, the three centipedes hurried toward me.
They now looked exactly like their mother, with yellow bodies decorated with vivid blue spots. However, their unusual coloring made me wonder if something had gone slightly wrong.
Before I could ponder it, the centipedes raced to the edge of the cauldron and peered down at me with curiosity.
“Be careful! Go back to your mother,” I warned, concerned they might fall in.
At that moment, one of the centipedes, Cho, accidentally dipped its antenna into the liquid. Startled, it thrashed about wildly.
“Cho got some of the liquid on its antenna! Hwa-eun, wash it off quickly!” I shouted.
“Cho! Come here!” Hwa-eun called, gathering the centipede up.
As she reached for Cho, a single drop of venom fell from its mouth into the cauldron.
-Ttok!-
The instant the venom touched the surface, the cauldron began to bubble fiercely.
-Bwooooosh!-
What had I been struggling with for days? It was clear my daughter had made the choice for me—she wanted her father to follow the Five Venoms path.