Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 96

Chapter 96

With a cry of pure delight, I let out an excited scream, earning an exasperated look from my sister Seol.

“Well, it’s unfortunate about the Neidan, but… I suppose the result is just as good as if you had taken it yourself.”

Seol seemed genuinely disappointed that Cho had been the one to consume the Neidan. But whether it was 120 years old, 1,200, or even 12,000 years old—the Neidan itself didn’t matter anymore. Seeing how magnificently Cho had transformed, nothing else held any importance.

I rushed forward and wrapped my arms tightly around Cho.

“Cho! You’ve grown into such a beautiful form! Your father is so proud! Were you upset I didn’t recognize you? But Cho, you’ve become so breathtaking, how could I have known?”

Isn’t it a father’s role to rejoice in his daughter’s growth? Especially when she has become something so extraordinary—celebrating a thousand, even ten thousand times would still not be enough.

*Ts, tsrurrut…*

Making a soft, shy sound, Cho pressed herself into my embrace. I could feel the smooth, solid texture of her chitinous shell filling my arms. Yet, it wasn’t just hard and unyielding. Within that firmness was a strange flexibility unique to centipede bodies—a perfect balance of strength and elasticity that allowed her to slip through the narrowest of spaces. This was Cho’s new form.

It reminded me of the time I held the fully matured Cheon Pan O-Gong in my dreams.

‘Yes! This is it! This is what I was waiting for!’

A powerful wave of emotion washed over me, similar to what I had felt in my past life while raising large snakes. The overwhelming sense of strength that only massive creatures possess was now radiating from Cho’s body.

‘This… it’s like going from petting a house cat to holding a tiger!’

In my past life, I had filmed at zoos on numerous occasions. As a YouTuber focused on venomous creatures, zoos were common locations for my work. During my final shoot—as my channel was nearing one million subscribers—I was granted the chance to interact with a variety of animals, not just venomous ones. The sensation of holding Cho now brought back the memory of touching a 100-day-old tiger cub.

When humans encounter something new, we instinctively compare it to past experiences. Before I ever touched a tiger, I had imagined it would feel like a large dog or cat. But that was a foolish assumption. The moment I felt the leg of that young tiger, I was struck by its sheer power—the solid bones and dense muscles packed beneath the skin. To think of a tiger as just a big cat was an insult. Dogs and cats have a certain soft fragility to their limbs, but a tiger’s leg speaks of raw, overwhelming strength. It is a creature of an entirely different caliber.

That was exactly how I felt now, holding Cho. She wasn’t as massive as her mother, the fully grown Cheon Pan O-Gong, but at six meters long, she was enormous. Gone was her previously frail body; she now radiated the formidable might of a true apex predator. Though not as thick as Bi-cheon Shin-sa, the sheer power emanating from Cho far surpassed it. Her powerful legs and the solidity of her body exuded an intimidating pressure. My chest felt ready to burst with emotion.

‘This is a Ten Great Venomous Creature! And I raised one with my own hands!’

Of course, I already possessed one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures—Yo-hwa—but this was different. Yo-hwa had been given to me, but Cho? I had personally nurtured a creature recognized as one of the most powerful venomous beings in the Central Plains. To have raised a being of such overwhelming strength to a near-fully mature state with my own hands—it was impossible not to be deeply moved.

I had cared for her since she was an egg. I had believed she was just a low-grade creature, but she had evolved. Cho was now my pride, my treasure.

“Oh, my beautiful Cho. Your father doesn’t regret losing a single Neidan. You did so well! You ate well!”

*Ts, tsrr…*

As I nuzzled my face against Cho in delight, I heard worried voices nearby.

“So-ryong, you need to calm down.”

“They say that being bonded to a Ten Great Venomous Creature can affect your mind! Is this what Father meant when he said it could influence your consciousness!?”

“No, I… I think this is just how he normally is. He’s always been like this.”

“He’s always been like this!?”

Seol and Hwa-eun were clearly trying to pull me back to my senses. Their conversation concluded with Seol staring at me in disbelief, and Hwa-eun guiding me to sit down.

“So-ryong, please try to relax. Now that you’re awake, we must examine your condition. Just sit for a moment.”

“Oh, that’s right. Ryong’s excitement made me forget we need to check on him. I’ll go bring Father and Mandok Shingun.”

“Yes, sister.”

As Seol mentioned fetching the elders, I quickly reached out and caught her arm to stop her.

“My body is fine. I was only unconscious for a short time. There’s no need to trouble the elders…”

I had only blacked out briefly, and I felt perfectly normal. I was simply overwhelmed with emotion. But Seol held up a firm finger and fixed me with a look that brooked no argument.

“You’ve been unconscious for fifteen days, Ryong. We have to check your body.”

“F-Fifteen days?”

My eyes widened in shock, and both Hwa-eun and Seol nodded. Seol immediately hurried out to summon the elders, while Hwa-eun sat down beside me.

“The moment Cho consumed Bi-cheon Shin-sa’s Neidan, you collapsed. Then Cho wrapped herself around you as she grew, and now, after fifteen days, you’ve finally woken up. Cho awoke after ten days, but you remained unconscious for another five. We were terribly worried.”

“…Is that so?”

I had thought it was only a brief moment, but fifteen days had passed. Still struggling to believe it, I turned to look at Cho again.

Then Hwa-eun spoke again, hesitantly.

“So-ryong, um… there’s actually some bad news.”

“Bad news?”

The sudden mention of bad news gave me pause. But considering Cho had evolved into a Ten Great Venomous Creature, how bad could it possibly be? Great joys always make small misfortunes seem insignificant.

I waved a dismissive hand.

“I don’t know what it is, but Cho has grown into this incredible form, so whatever it is, it can’t be that—”

Before I could finish, Hwa-eun sent me an urgent telepathic message.

[It’s not minor, So-ryong! You need to be careful with your words!]

“…?”

I blinked at her in confusion, and she sent another message.

[T-There are two very angry children right now. I think you should deal with them first…]

‘Angry children?’

At first, I didn’t understand. Then I saw them. Hyang and Bin, crawling up onto Hwa-eun’s shoulders.

*Tsrrr!*

*Tsrrrrrrr!*

Their chittering was unmistakably filled with fury. Only then did I realize who she meant, and why they were so angry.

That skirmish on the table had been a battle for the Neidan—a competition. But due to my interference, only Cho had benefited. I had essentially jumped into a fight between three daughters and helped only the eldest.

「“Whoever wins will become the Bi-cheon O-Gong!”
“Got it! Sister, I won’t go easy on you!”
“I’ll eat it and monopolize Dad’s affection!”
“Eh? D-Dad, this isn’t fair!”
“Sister, that’s cheating!”
“My dear sisters, this is fate.”」

The memory played in my mind. I had never been in a situation where I had to calm down an upset girl before. Now, I had to figure out how to appease two at once.

‘Damn. Hwa-eun was right. This is a disaster.’

***

“Daddy Was Wrong, Hyang, Bin, Please Forgive Me!”

I was pleading desperately with Hyang and Bin, trying to soothe their anger.

*Tsrrt!*

*Tsrrrrt!*

But despite my efforts, they remained sulky, sharply turning their heads away while perched on Hwa-eun’s shoulders.

According to Hwa-eun, before I woke up, they had been sulking but still came out to check on my condition whenever she visited. However, now that they saw me, all their buried emotions resurfaced. Their resentment was clear—I, their father, had shown favoritism to their older sister, Cho. And on top of that, they had witnessed me holding Cho in joy, which only made them feel more left out.

“No, that’s not true! Daddy loves you both just as much—”

*Tsrrt!*

“It’s the truth!”

But before I could finish, Hyang and Bin let out sharp, warning cries, cutting me off.

At that moment, Seol returned to the palace chamber with Mandok Shingun and my adoptive father, the Beast Palace Lord.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

“So-ryong, you’ve woken up?”

Both of them hurried over and seized my hands.

“Let’s see!”

“Let’s see!”

“Huh?”

With those words, my arms were suddenly held fast. I glanced between my adoptive father and Mandok Shingun, watching as they awkwardly hesitated, each waiting for the other to proceed.

“I- Elder, please, you should go first.”

“No, no, the Palace Lord should go first.”

Though they were politely yielding to one another, neither was actually letting go of my arm. It was like two people arguing over who should pay the bill at a restaurant, each reaching for their wallet.

In the end, Mandok Shingun was the winner. After closing his eyes and examining my body, he nodded in approval.

“Your poison arts have undoubtedly advanced. It seems related to Cho’s strengthened venom. We’ll confirm the details once we return to the Tang Clan.”

As he said, my internal energy had risen significantly. I could circulate my Qi much more smoothly, and the poison I had absorbed from Cho had grown far more potent. The Tang Clan’s poison arts functioned like an alchemical process—internal energy served as the fuel, while poison acted as a powerful additive. For instance, if using internal energy alone was like generating a gust of wind with a fan, then incorporating venom was like adding extra force to create a storm. The number of venoms within one’s body and their potency were crucial factors.

According to Grandfather, the efficiency of my venom had increased three to four times compared to before Cho’s evolution.

“Yes, Grandfather. I understand.”

As soon as I responded, my adoptive father spoke up.

“Then, is it my turn now? Come here.”

He had been waiting impatiently, and now it was finally his chance. Just like Mandok Shingun, he examined my body thoroughly, and after a moment, his face brightened.

“Your Beast Heart Arts have reached a realm even I don’t fully understand. This is incredible.”

“Really? I can’t tell any difference.”

He seemed to notice something, but to me, nothing felt particularly different. My connection with Cho was the same as before, and I felt no change in my interactions with the other creatures. I even wondered if my realm had truly advanced.

Sensing my skepticism, my adoptive father turned to Mandok Shingun.

“Elder, would it be acceptable for So-ryong to remain at the Beast Palace for a time so we can examine his condition in greater detail?”

“Of course. So-ryong is also part of the Beast Palace.”

“Thank you, Elder.”

Just when I thought the discussion was over, my adoptive father’s expression turned serious.

“Oh, Ryong, have you experienced any hallucinations?”

“Hallucinations?”

His question took me by surprise. I tilted my head, and he continued.

“Yes. If someone with a lower mastery of Beast Heart Arts absorbs too many beasts’ consciousnesses, they can become overwhelmed by the collective instinct. Since you’re linked to a Ten Great Venomous Creature, I wanted to be certain you aren’t experiencing anything unusual.”

As Cho was capable of understanding human speech, her consciousness was likely stronger than that of ordinary beasts. Not to mention, spiritual creatures were rare enough, but a Ten Great Venomous Creature existed on an entirely different level.

“If you ever see anything strange, come to me at once. Understood?”

“Yes, I understand.”

His words made me slightly uneasy, but I quickly reassured myself. Cho would never harm me. If anything, she had saved me. Thinking back to the vision of the blue-haired woman I saw while unconscious—that was clearly Cho. Rather than consuming my consciousness, she had healed me.

‘No way. Cho wouldn’t do something like that.’

Once my condition had been thoroughly checked, the two elders exchanged glances and nodded.

“Now that So-ryong is awake, we should resume what we’ve been postponing.”

“Yes, it’s time.”

“Postponed…?”

From their tone, it was clear something important had been delayed because of me. As I muttered to myself, my adoptive father nodded.

“The Five Venoms Clan. We’re going to investigate the remains of their base, which was destroyed a hundred years ago.”

So that was why my adoptive father hadn’t joined our raid. He had remained behind to investigate the Five Venoms Clan.