Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 69

Chapter 69

“No… It’s probably nothing. Yeah, just a fluke.”

I drew a slow breath, willing my racing heart to settle. As I reconsidered, I remembered how pet owners often overinterpret things—believing their animals comprehend them when it’s really just chance.

It’s an easy pitfall: seeing your pet as the cleverest, most extraordinary being alive. They might do something arbitrary, yet the owner reads intention into it, persuaded their companion is brilliant.

But I’m not that kind of person. I’m logical, careful, and level-headed.

Even so, it couldn’t hurt to check. Perhaps it was random. I resolved to try once more. Shutting my eyes, I directed my thoughts to O-Gong.

‘O-Gong, climb onto my head.’

-Chrrr!

Once again, O-Gong chirped in reply as if he’d understood. A moment later, I felt him glide up and settle neatly atop my head like a living cap.

“What in the world…”

Without a single word uttered aloud, O-Gong had followed my mental instruction.

Any lingering uncertainty vanished. Still, who was I if not Spicy Fabre, the venomous creature YouTuber who kept countless toxic pets in my past life? A rigorous examination was essential.

I gently placed O-Gong down and instructed him aloud, “O-Gong, wait here. Don’t move. Stay until I call you, understand? When you hear my voice, come to me.”

-Chrrr!

I moved out of sight, concealing myself behind the front gate, and tried again, this time in silence.

‘O-Gong, Dad is hiding behind the gate. Come here.’

A short time later, O-Gong peeked around the edge of the gate as if playing hide-and-seek, his antennae quivering as he hurried over.

A thrill ran through me.

Once could be chance. Twice might be luck. But three times? That’s proof.

Having verified it three times over, I had no reason left to doubt.

“Whaaat!? Seriously! Is O-Gong… a psychic centipede!?”

Shifting from calm analysis to pure exhilaration, I couldn’t suppress a shout. Who could? O-Gong and I could share thoughts—it seemed nothing short of miraculous.

Even though I couldn’t hear O-Gong’s thoughts, he could clearly grasp mine and act on them.

I lifted him, holding him close. “How did you get that, O-Gong? How did you know?”

-Chrrr?

Despite having understood perfectly before, O-Gong now tilted his head innocently as if he knew nothing.

This little rascal really knew how to play with my emotions. He was going to shatter the hearts of every male centipede one day—a natural at push-and-pull and a mind-reading genius, my O-Gong.

“Maybe after molting twice, he’s unlocked some spirit beast talent? Can the others do it too? O-Gong, can your siblings understand like you do?”

-Chrr?

Again, he cocked his head, pretending ignorance. I hugged him tightly and hurried off to find my sister. I needed to test this with the other creatures.

I bolted from the Venom Hall and sped toward the Tang Clan’s inner courtyard, where the direct descendants lived. Sprinting past the open gate and across the central yard, I reached the backyard and found my sister. She was seated in a pavilion, encircled by the other venomous creatures, interrogating them sternly.

“Where has O-Gong been disappearing to? Your mother has been worried sick! It’s hard enough trying to keep up with you all,” she sighed, her irritation plain.

As I approached, I caught her words. She’d apparently been reprimanding the creatures for straying—especially O-Gong, who seemed to have slipped away to find me without her knowledge.

-Chrrr?
-Coo? Coo?

Her tone and stance, one hand on her hip, made it clear how much trouble these creatures had been stirring since their second molt.

And there was O-Gong, having somehow given everyone the slip, sneaking off to wait for me at the Venom Hall’s entrance.

“Hwa-eun!” I called out, dashing toward her.

At first, she looked concerned, but when she saw me, her face softened into a warm smile. Noticing this, she quickly straightened up and regained her poise, rising to greet me.

“So-ryong… Are you feeling okay?” she asked gently.

“Yes, completely fine. See? I’m back to normal. Thank you for your concern,” I replied with a reassuring smile.

“And… O-Gong?”

Her gaze fell on O-Gong, now perched comfortably on my shoulder. She immediately turned her attention to scolding him.

“O-Gong, didn’t I tell you not to run off? You’ve been worrying your mother to death! If you’re going somewhere, you have to tell me first!”

At her stern tone, O-Gong’s antennae drooped, clearly remorseful.

To save him from further scolding, I quickly intervened to share my news.

“That’s not the important thing right now, Hwa-eun. O-Gong can understand human speech!”

She tilted her head, puzzled. “O-Gong has always been good at understanding speech. Why is that surprising now?”

‘Ah, she’s right,’ I realized. I’d been so thrilled that I’d skipped the crucial detail.

“No, I mean he can understand what I’m thinking. Without me saying a word out loud!”

“What?”

“Watch this.”

I set O-Gong on the pavilion and mentally gave him an order. ‘O-Gong, do a circle and then jump back onto Dad.’

O-Gong chirped, spun in a tight circle, and leaped from my sister’s shoulder onto mine. Her eyes widened in shock.

“Did you… just think that?”

“Yes!” I exclaimed, beaming with pride.

“How is that even possible?”

“Isn’t it amazing? It’s incredible, right?” I couldn’t contain my excitement.

“It is!” she agreed, clearly captivated.

“We should test the others too,” I said eagerly.

“The others?”

Hearing my plan to check the other creatures, my sister’s eyes shone with curiosity. She readily agreed and helped line up the three creatures to see if they would respond like O-Gong.

‘Alright, everyone, lift your heads!’

I repeated the test several times to be sure, but none of the others showed any reaction. Despite individual trials, they remained unresponsive.

Even my sister, determined to prove she could communicate with them, attempted commands. To her dismay, not even O-Gong responded to her. She looked visibly let down, murmuring about why she couldn’t reach them.

Eventually, the two of us sat down in front of the creatures, trying to deduce why only O-Gong could understand me. A small brainstorming session began.

“Maybe it’s because O-Gong molted twice and moved past the larval stage?” I proposed.

“Then what makes O-Gong different from the others?” she wondered aloud.

“Hmm…”

As we pondered, my sister’s eyes suddenly brightened as if she’d had a revelation. “Ah! O-Gong does have one thing that sets him apart!”

“What is it?” I asked, leaning in.

“The ritual!” she exclaimed.

“The ritual? Oh, right! The ritual!” It struck me like lightning.

The link between O-Gong and me had to originate from the grand ritual. After all, I had directly absorbed his venom during the ceremony.

“We need to check this with Grandfather right away!” I declared.

“I’ll come with you, So-ryong!” she said, springing to her feet.

The two of us hurried to the Venom Hall, where we found Grandfather just as he was exiting. Holding up O-Gong, I eagerly shared our finding.

“This—this is astonishing!” Grandfather exclaimed, his eyes wide.

“It’s amazing, right? He can read my thoughts! I think it’s because of the ritual. Is that it?” I asked.

“Since the other creatures don’t respond the same, it seems likely. Grandfather, were you aware this could happen?” my sister added.

The news sent the Tang Clan into a frenzy, leading to an emergency gathering of the direct lineage in the main hall. A few hours later, the family heads assembled for a private discussion.

“Is it true the ritual caused this?” I asked, breaking the quiet.

Grandfather shook his head. “No.”

“No? But Grandfather, there’s no other explanation for this bond between O-Gong and me…” I argued.

My sister joined in, “Exactly! If not the ritual, what else could it be?”

Despite her words, Grandfather held firm. “Many people in the history of the Tang Clan have absorbed spirit beast venom through the ritual. Although it’s not the norm, there have always been attempts to research this. However, there’s never been any record of something like this occurring.”

“Really?” my sister asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“Yes. Most spirit beasts were killed for their venom and Neidan. Still, there were efforts to raise them, so if a phenomenon like this had been observed, it would’ve been documented. But I’ve never seen or heard of it, which means it must come from something else.”

“I agree with Father,” said my father-in-law, nodding. “There’s another factor involved.”

I reluctantly conceded that their logic was sound. “Then what could be the cause?”

Grandfather’s expression turned grave as he answered. “It must be the Five Poisons Returning Divine Art.”

“That’s right,” my father-in-law added. “The ritual is merely a method to accept poison. But So-ryong is the only person who has absorbed the venom of a spirit beast while practicing the Five Poisons Returning Divine Art.”

“So, it’s the Divine Art…” I murmured, taking it in.

My father-in-law continued, “I reviewed records from a hundred years ago. The Five Poisons Returning Divine Art and the Five Poisons Martial Arts caused considerable debate when they were first incorporated into the Tang Clan.”

“Incorporated? By whom?” my sister asked.

“The Beast Palace of Southern Barbaria,” Grandfather replied.

“Ah, the Beast Palace…” I muttered, recalling the history of the Five Poisons Sect. It was formed by blending the Tang Clan’s poison techniques with the Beast Palace’s methods of controlling beasts.

Grandfather explained further, “You may not know this, but the Beast Palace is famous for commanding beasts as if they were their own limbs. It seems their secrets are deeply woven into the Five Poisons Returning Divine Art.”

“So understanding why this is happening will be… difficult, won’t it?” my sister asked hesitantly.

Grandfather nodded. “Most likely. Their secrets aren’t something they’d share freely. And if they were to learn their techniques were inherited by the Tang Clan, who knows how they’d respond.”

Considering the Beast Palace’s relentless hundred-year pursuit of the Five Poisons Sect, I understood their point. Their obsession with martial arts was beyond anything I could imagine.

Still, I couldn’t shake my disappointment. The idea of forming a telepathic link with all my creatures—O-Gong, Xiang, Bin, Xue, Bing, and the Golden Wasp Kings—had filled me with visions of creating a venomous creature orchestra, like Bremen’s town musicians.

Unable to relinquish the hope, I turned to Grandfather and asked, “Isn’t there any way to make it work? Perhaps we could trade or offer payment…”

Grandfather smiled wryly and replied, “Perhaps, if you could stop the Beast Palace from being wiped out.”

I sighed at his sarcastic comment. Grandfather’s humor could be sharp.

The disappointment remained, but I knew this secret wouldn’t be solved easily. For now, I could only treasure my unique connection with O-Gong and dream of what might one day be possible.