Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Grandfather Mandok Shingun and Hwa-eun stared in a daze at the exquisite Neidan, their faces blank with wonder. However, the instant I saw the being that had coughed it up—now shrunk to a miserable one-meter length—a shriek erupted from my throat.

“Aaaaaaah!”

My legs buckled beneath me.

—Thump.

“What is it?! What’s wrong, So-ryong? Are you injured?”
“What happened, So-ryong? Were you struck by falling rock?”

Grandfather and Hwa-eun spun around in alarm, fearing some disaster had occurred.
I remained seated on the ground, staring with vacant eyes at the sorry figure of the Bi-cheon Shin-sa.

“My… my Bi-cheon Shin-sa…”
“What about it?”
“What’s the matter?”
“It looks… so wretched… After everything I went through to capture it…”
“…Well…”
“…Ahem.”

—Sssss?

The glorious six-meter beast, adorned with brilliant sapphire scales and crowned with proud, emerald-green hexagonal horns—

Was gone.

What lay before me now was a pitiful, one-meter-long serpent.
Its once-lustrous cobalt scales had dulled to a pale sky blue.
Its magnificent twin horns had disappeared, replaced by two small, stumpy protrusions that looked like goblin nubs.

Memories of every hardship I had suffered to catch this thing flooded back, and a wave of absolute despair crashed over me.
Days of battling with a party made up only of thieves and hunters, managing its aggression, learning its attack patterns, pursuing it without rest—

And now, my Bi-cheon Shin-sa had shriveled up like a balloon losing all its air.
A magnificent Rare-grade entity had been demoted to something scarcely Uncommon.

“That gorgeous form… I never ordered it to consume its Neidan! Why would it do this!?”

‘If it had just waited a little longer, I could have won Grandfather over! Even when I told Hwa-eun I would think about it, I was really searching for the right argument to persuade them! You foolish creature!’

“Haaaah…”

I heard Hwa-eun sigh behind me. A warm hand came to rest softly on my shoulder.
She gave me a comforting pat.

“So-ryong, isn’t this actually for the best? The Neidan is out, and the Bi-cheon Shin-sa is now a size you can raise properly. You can simply nurture it back into something great. The Tang Clan’s ponds are full of young Hwalis—perhaps you could feed it those.”

“…I suppose…”

Hwa-eun wasn’t wrong. It would be easier to care for now, and it would likely consume less food.
But still—

A six-meter-long colossal serpent was a rare find that might only happen once in a lifetime!
I continued to stare blankly at the diminished creature, consumed by disappointment.

Just then, Seol swiftly turned to Yo-hwa.
“Yo-hwa, can you retrieve that orb from the pouch?”

—Kish!

There were only two methods to cut through Yo-hwa’s tough, elastic silk: burn it or have Yo-hwa retrieve the item herself.
At Seol’s request, Yo-hwa used her forelegs to puncture a small hole in the silk pouch and pulled out the radiant blue orb.
Then she neatly sealed the hole back up.

—Kisit!

Yo-hwa passed the Neidan to Hwa-eun, who held it up in front of me.
The Neidan, approximately the size of a Cheongshimwon pill, shone with an even more intense light now that it was free from the pouch.
Hwa-eun offered it to me gently.

“Look, So-ryong. If you ingest this, you might not just reach my level—you could exceed it. And then, catching creatures like this will become much simpler. For now, let’s entrust it to Grandfather and get some rest.”

She turned to Grandfather.
“Grandfather, please take this. Examine it and decide how much internal energy So-ryong can safely draw from it.”

“Yes, of course. We must naturally ensure he benefits from it as much as possible. But truly… why do you look so heartbroken? From your scream, I thought you were wounded. Hah. Just take him to bed now.”

“Yes, Grandfather. Come on, So-ryong.”

Hwa-eun gently guided me toward the resting area the warriors had set up.
I followed her, feeling utterly depleted.

‘This is so unjust…’

For a brief moment, a thought flashed through my mind.
Had I been punished for even thinking about eating the creature?
Had fate chosen to teach me a lesson for entertaining that idea, even for a second?

‘But this… this punishment is far too severe…’

***

I awoke the next morning, still troubled by the previous night’s events.
But the news that met me was even more crushing.

“So-ryong, it appears the Bi-cheon Shin-sa has lost the ability to fly.”

The shocking update came from Squad Leader Gu Pae.

“What!? It can’t fly!?”

“Correct. It has been entirely motionless all night.”

“Maybe it’s just being well-behaved?”

Yesterday, I had observed it was more timid than I had anticipated.
Perhaps it had simply settled down after its near-death experience?
I clung to that fragile hope—

But then Grandfather, walking past, shattered that illusion with harsh truth.

“Its flight was dependent on Surging Qi Reversal, powered by the energy stored within its Neidan. Now that the Neidan is removed, it naturally can no longer fly.”

His words hit me like a physical blow.
The creature had used its two-Gapja Neidan to perform Surging Qi Reversal and propel itself through the skies.
But now its power source was gone.
Which meant…

It would never fly again.

“Gyaaaaaaah!!!”

“So—So-ryong! What’s the matter!?”

Another scream tore from me, and Gu Pae hurried over, concerned.
Meanwhile, Grandfather merely chuckled and continued on his way.

“Haha. Let him be. It’s nothing critical. That boy…”

My once-cherished premium asset had plummeted to worthless levels.
‘What I believed was a blue-chip investment has revealed itself to be a junk stock…’

I stared numbly at the creature, whose rank had fallen so low it could barely be classified as Uncommon anymore.

It was then that Hwa-eun, having heard everything, came over to me.
She placed the pouch holding the Bi-cheon Shin-sa into my hands and spoke kindly.

“So-ryong, don’t be so disheartened. If you care for it like you did for me and the O-gong, it will become powerful again. If we feed it well, it will grow larger, and perhaps it might even fly again someday. Now, please lift your spirits. We must depart soon.”

A fiancée who not only accepted my interests but also consoled me when they went awry.
Because of Hwa-eun’s supportive words, I compelled myself to carry on.
The Bi-cheon Shin-sa—no, now it was merely a snake with unusual coloring, since it could no longer fly—was accompanying us to the Beast Palace.
It was a shock, but there was no alternative.
We needed to continue our journey.

Not long after we started moving, Seol approached.
Yo-hwa had resized the pouch once more, making it smaller for easier carrying.
Seol, now able to hold the pouch with one hand, looked at it incredulously and asked:

“Wait… this is the Bi-cheon Shin-sa? What in the world occurred last night?”

—Ssssha!

The creature shuddered inside the pouch, glancing upward with nervous eyes.
Hwa-eun nodded and explained.

“It expelled its Neidan and turned out like this.”

“It… expelled its Neidan?”
“Yes, sister. It actually comprehends human speech. When we began discussing cutting it open, it became frightened and spat the Neidan out at once.”

Seol’s eyes grew wide.
“You’re serious!? What became of the Neidan!?”
“We left it with Grandfather. I’ll let you see it when we arrive at the Beast Palace. It’s exceedingly beautiful—it even radiates light.”
“It radiates light? And it’s beautiful?”
“Yes.”

As Seol fired more questions at Hwa-eun about the Neidan, she finally turned back to me, as if noticing I was there only then.
She tilted her head.

“But So-ryong, why do you seem so unhappy? You should be delighted.”

She must have detected my sour mood.
Hwa-eun glanced at me, then leaned close and whispered something into Seol’s ear.
A moment later—

Seol exploded into laughter.
“Really? Ahaha! That is so typical of you, So-ryong.”
“Don’t laugh! Sister, So-ryong is truly upset about this.”

Seol struggled to contain her smile, then suddenly pulled me into a playful headlock.
“So you just agreed with everything we said, hm? Weren’t actually paying attention? You little—!”
“Ack! No—! Sister, stop—!”

And so, the scolding from Seol and Hwa-eun began all over again.

***

—Fwoooosh.

As Grandfather Mandok Shingun set the Neidan on the table in the Beast Palace’s main hall, a dazzling blue luminescence spread through the room.
The entire hall was immediately filled with its radiant glow, and every person present looked on in silent reverence.

“Astounding, Mandok Shingun. What exceptionally pure energy.”
“So this is the Neidan of the Bi-cheon Shin-sa…”
“Remarkable!”
“With energy of this caliber, it’s no surprise it held two Gapja of internal energy.”

Grandfather nodded at their praises and offered an explanation to the Beast Palace Lord.
“It is as one would expect from a creature named the Bi-cheon Shin-sa—it contained the very essence of the sky.”
“The essence of the sky?”
“Indeed.”
“Hm… what a pity.”
“I suppose it is…”

The mood had been one of awe, but the word “pity” made me tilt my head in confusion.
It was then that Seol’s voice reached me via a subtle sound transmission.

“Not all internal energy is identical. Most of the Beast Palace’s internal energy techniques are aligned with the earth element.”
“The Tang Clan’s poison arts also fall under earth energy, as poisons generally come from the ground. That is why they say it’s a shame—it signifies we won’t be able to absorb its full potential.”

I had been unaware that internal energy possessed elemental attributes.
The Neidan from the Bi-cheon Shin-sa, true to its name, was aligned with sky energy. This meant it was not well-suited to the internal energy techniques I was presently cultivating.

“So… at most, I can only absorb about half of it?”
“That appears to be the situation.”

After days of relentless lecturing and attention from Seol and Hwa-eun, my mental fortitude had greatly improved. The news was slightly disappointing, but it was not a major issue.
Sixty years’ worth of internal energy remained an enormous boon.

“It’s fine. Even that is a tremendous windfall.”

Grandfather smiled with approval.
“Haha, have you finally regained your composure? You’ve been moping around for days like a child who lost everything.”
“…Ahem.”
“Well, since it belongs to you, you should keep it for now. I will investigate if there is a method to enhance your absorption rate.”
“Understood, Grandfather.”
“So-ryong, you have gained a rare chance. That Neidan will enable you to progress in the Beast Heart Technique much more rapidly.”

Ordinarily, when two factions collaborated to secure a Neidan, the division would be handled with utmost exactness. But in this instance, no one disputed my ownership.
The Beast Palace had relinquished any claim because I had saved them, and the Tang Clan acknowledged my efforts—as their future son-in-law—in obtaining it.
Besides, since I was part of both factions, it was as if both sides would profit from it regardless.

With that, the glowing Neidan, now secured inside a medicine box, was slid toward me.
I reached out and picked up the box from the table.

—Ssssh!
—Sshhh!

Abruptly, three figures shot out from my sleeve.
The three Golden Wasp Kings—Cho, Hyang, and Bin—hurried toward the box, circling it warily as they assessed one another.
They were typically very obedient, so this was odd.

“Hey… what are you three doing?”

I was bewildered by their behavior.
Seol stood and reached her hand out toward them.
“Cho, Hyang, Bin, mind your manners. There are elders present. Return here at once.”

—Ssh!
—Sshhh!

But instead of complying, the three creatures gnashed their mandibles at her, as if cautioning her to keep her distance.
Startled, Seol swiftly withdrew her hand.

Then, suddenly, they began to fight among themselves.
“Hey! What has come over you!?”

—Sssh!
—Sshhh!

I sighed.
“Daddy is becoming angry. What do you think you’re doing, brawling in front of company?”

It was normal for them to have occasional disputes, but why did their first serious fight have to occur here, in this place?
More importantly, they had always been so affectionate—what was happening?
Thinking I ought to separate them, I grabbed two of them, one in each hand—

And in that precise instant, the last one, Cho, darted forward.

—Gulp.

And swallowed the Bi-cheon Shin-sa’s Neidan whole.

“…Cho?”

I gazed in stunned silence at the empty space where the Neidan had been.
Cho also looked at me, as if suddenly aware of what it had just done.
The moment our eyes connected—

Something within my head seemed to swell, as if expanding.
A peculiar sensation shimmered through my mind.
I could perceive the blue energy that had just vanished inside Cho.
Except…

The glow wasn’t emanating from Cho’s body.
It was emanating from my own vision.
A second later, my consciousness cut out—like a switch had been flipped.

“So-ryong!”

Seol’s alarmed voice echoed faintly as everything went dark.