Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 5: A Dream or Reality?

“Is this… a dream!?”

In the forest, my older sister suddenly burst into tears, appearing entirely different from earlier. This must be a dream.

Seeing her cry and refer to me as ‘Lord’ confirmed it was definitely just a dream.

However, my sister shook her head at my words.

Wiping her tears, she replied, “It’s a dream, yet it’s not. Lord, I’ve merely had a brief manifestation.”

What does that even mean?

When I made a bewildered expression, she continued to speak while lying down.

“I am the mother of the three children you saved.”

“Three children?”

Now that I think about it, three little girls were clinging to me.

Looking down, I saw the children sucking their fingers and gazing up at me.

They seemed to be around four or five years old. Such adorable little ones.

For some reason, the familiarity hit me, and I gasped, realizing that if I saved three kids, they could only be the Ogong.

My brain couldn’t comprehend it, yet the only ones I thought of were the Ogong.

“Are… are they the Ogong?”

“Yes, my Lord. I took the appearance of the woman who ate my Inner Dan so you wouldn’t be startled. I am indeed their mother.”

“So, you’re saying you’re the Blue-Spotted Centipede?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

My sister claimed she was the Blue-Spotted Centipede.

No, it was the woman borrowing my sister’s appearance.

And the children staring at the woman with fearful eyes were the Ogong.

Wait, are they all girls!?

Feeling somewhat guilty since I had taken off my clothes during bath time, I decided to ask the woman.

“Why did you manifest here?”

Then the woman, with a very resentful expression, shed tears of blood and answered.

“I was brutally killed, leaving my children behind, and my resentment reached the heavens, causing me to remain in this body with a fragmented soul.

Unable to let go of my grudge, I couldn’t ascend.

While I was cursing this woman whose body absorbed my Inner Dan, a chance for my vengeance arose, bringing me to this dream. It was all because you brought the children.”

“I see.”

The tidings that a mother, left behind her children, held deep resentment.

Reflecting back, I was the one who indicated their location, and sweat trickled down my back.

Then, as if the woman could read my thoughts, she shook her head and replied.

“No, you didn’t know my exact location.

If we were to trace it back, wouldn’t everyone in the world be my enemy? The one who brought me into this world. The one who helped you, my Lord.

For that reason, I am just grateful that you saved the remaining children.

They were destined never to see the light of day.”

“I still did something reckless.”

Though I saved my sister, I felt uncomfortable that, in doing so, I contributed to the destruction of a happy family.

These cute little children were meant to grow up without a mother.

I handed the kids over, placing them in the woman’s arms for a reunion, even if just in the dream.

“Now, kids, it’s Mommy.”

“Th-thank you, my Lord. Kids…”

Then the woman embraced the three children, tears streaming down her cheeks.

As I watched their reunion with unease, after a long moment, the woman wiped her tears and made a request.

“If your heart is troubled, would you do me a favor?”

I nodded at her words.

Though unintentional, I had a part in this.

If there were responsibilities to be faced, I felt I should accept them.

“Yes, whatever you ask, I will surely oblige.”

Then the woman clasped her hands together, looking earnest as she pleaded.

“Could you look after my children until they all grow up?”

“Huh? Don’t centipedes leave their mother’s side after shedding their skin twice?”

I had to ask, given she requested to care for them until they grew up, considering centipedes typically hatch, shed twice, and then leave their mother’s side.

Well, they were to grow up still.

The woman shook her head.

“Not us. We are different from mere creatures. So please… look after all three kids until they grow up…”

Thinking about them growing as big as a house was a bit concerning, but still, they seemed to understand well enough, so caring for them would not be difficult.

Since this was a reasonable adoption rather than illegal gathering, I quickly responded to her.

“Understood. Of course, I will.”

“Th-thank you!”

With the transition from gathering to adoption now fully realized, it felt great that the mother of the Ogong had appeared, and I decided to finally inquire about what I’d been curious about all this time.

What should I feed them, and what should I be cautious of?

“By the way, could you tell me what I should feed the kids and what to be careful of?”

The woman, with my sister’s face, joyfully replied.

“Of course, my Lord. You truly are worthy. Taking care of them.

Before the kids shed their skin twice, they will absorb the energy that flows from their mother’s Inner Dan, and after they shed their skin twice, they begin to eat the energy of everything. They can eat other meats too, of course.

So, you don’t need to worry about feeding them.”

It meant I wouldn’t need to prepare specific food for them.

I thought it would be a problem if something big started munching away at food, so I felt relieved.

But there was an issue: I had no Inner Dan.

“Um, but I don’t have an Inner Dan…”

The woman, borrowing my sister’s appearance, patted her chest and replied.

“That’s alright. This woman has an Inner Dan. Since she ate mine, she can absorb the energy that flows from her body.”

“But that means I have to get close to you…”

I would have to be near my sister after having her energy flow into the Ogong, but our relationship was currently ambiguous.

I grimaced, pondering if that would be difficult, when the woman, with my sister’s face, smiled and said,

“I have a means, which allows you to repay the courtesy while feeding the children and gaining the affections of this woman. Would you like to hear it? Surely this woman would also be grateful to you, my Lord.”

Eating plenty, keeping the children fed, becoming close with my sister, and knowing she would be happy too—now that sounded like a deal where everyone could be happy.

With that honeyed path, I couldn’t resist asking, especially since I thought my sister was pretty.

“Is there really such a good plan!? ”

“Of course, my Lord. I am thinking of telling this woman…”

After listening to the Blue-Spotted Centipede mother’s tale, it turned out my sister was under a curse from the Blue-Spotted Centipede, causing a foul smell to emanate from her body.

The wrath of a mother who died leaving her children was so immense that no male could approach her, bearing the curse.

To prevent a male from approaching, intending to ensure she could never give birth again?

“So, by breaking the curse, if I make her mine, it means that if I stay close to her or share a bed with her, the children can naturally receive the energy from my Inner Dan, right?”

“Correct, my Lord.”

Hearing this didn’t sit well with me.

It felt like I was exploiting a weakness to leverage my sister.

“This… it doesn’t feel right. It feels like I’d be taking advantage of my sister’s predicament for my benefit.”

A man trying to exploit a weakness and then asking for something; this was not a course my righteous heart could permit.

“I’d rather make her fall for me genuinely.”

After all, I was a romanticist.

The woman nodded at my response.

“You truly are a righteous person, my Lord.”

“No, it’s not righteousness… I’m just a bit foolish, that’s all.”

“This woman desires a strong man, but even if I wanted to give my Inner Dan to you, it has already been absorbed within her body…”

“That Ten Poisons Body is making it hard for her to gain strength.”

“I can’t gather the Inner Dan of those Ten Great Venoms either…”

Ten Great Venoms?

As the two pondered, the mention of the Ten Great Venoms sparked a light in my mind.

“I have a good idea. Would you entrust it to me?”

“A good idea, you say?”

“Just trust me. I have a plan that will keep the kids fed and is good for me.”

I really felt I should have a deal with my sister tomorrow.

*

Yesterday, after realizing he had a Ten Poisons Body, Wei So-ryong, who had been gloomy, was taken by surprise to hear that I had requested to see him.

He didn’t seem to show it at the mealtime, but I thought he might’ve been quite pensive since then.

Yet, he sought me out right after breakfast, which was unexpected.

“You said you’ll be waiting in the pavilion?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Okay.”

With a guilty heart, I headed toward the pavilion.

Regardless of the reason, I had caused him distress, so it was uncomfortable for me.

While So-ryong wasn’t yet a martial artist, I had seen the expressions of those who came to the Tang Clan hoping to become martial artists, facing their own limitations.

It’s because of my greed that I’ve only caused this poor boy pain…

As I approached the pavilion, I saw So-ryong sitting there, just like yesterday.

Spotting me from afar, So-ryong smiled and greeted me.

“I apologize for calling you out here.”

“Ah, no, it’s fine, So-ryong. I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“All I did was state the facts. There’s no need to apologize.”

“Still…”

He might only be five years old, yet there was something about him that could genuinely fluster me.

I took my seat at the pavilion, just like yesterday, and asked So-ryong,

“By the way, why did you call for me?”

What came from So-ryong surprised me.

“Did you feel any strange odor emanating from your body after consuming the Blue-Spotted Centipede’s Inner Dan?”

“Uh, how do you know that!?”

That was certainly something only my grandfather and a few others knew about.

I doubted my grandfather or father would have shared my flaws, so I stared at So-ryong in disbelief.

“H-how do you know that!?”

“Don’t you want to treat it?”

“Y-yes? Is there a way!? Of course, I want to treat it!”

“It’s not that there’s no way, but… it’s complicated…”

“Eh?”

So-ryong hesitated, creating an apologetic expression, making me cautious.

“Are you perhaps asking something in return for the treatment?”

I thought maybe he would ask for me somehow.

Seeing my reaction, So-ryong shook his head in surprise.

“Oh, no. Little One, what do you want? I’ll simply treat you.”

So, he meant he was going to treat me for free.

I found myself more surprised than I had anticipated, as my eyes widened.

“R-really? Why?”

Then So-ryong smiled brightly.

“I can’t become a despicable person by exploiting a woman’s unfortunate situation, can I?”

Thump.

So-ryong’s words made my heart race again.

This was the third time.

Despite my rudeness, he smiled at me and comforted me, expressing he wouldn’t lie.

Even as a five-year-old boy, he made my heart race.

That’s why I cautiously apologized.

“I’m sorry, So-ryong… You are so righteous, and I misjudged…”

“No, it’s my words that caused the misunderstanding. I hesitated because the treatment was a bit unusual.”

“Unusual?”

I blinked, staring at him and he glanced into his own cloak.

“Hey, Ogong?”

Slurp.

Suddenly, three long, yellow worms popped out.

They looked cute because their colors were pretty, and I had already known that they were the offspring of the Blue-Spotted Centipede.

As I stepped back in alarm, So-ryong awkwardly smiled and explained.

“The smell coming from you is because you consumed the Centipede’s Inner Dan. It’s as if these little Blue-Spotted Centipede offspring feed off the energy that flows from their mother’s body. So, if you keep them on you, they’ll naturally absorb that power, which will help disappear the smell.

Oh, but you won’t need to do it forever; just keep them on you for a few days and let them absorb the energy until they shed their skins twice.”

“This, you want me to keep them?”

“Yes.”

They lightly shook their heads while looking at me.

If this was indeed treatment, I could see why he would hesitate to propose such a thing.

I gazed at So-ryong.

He was someone who tried to comfort me despite my rudeness, looked at me as a good person, and gave me such kindness.

He helped me save my own life and even my father’s.

Feeling the weight of gratitude and his consideration, I stammered,

“U-um, I understand what you mean. I’ll do it. However, I can’t just receive this without giving anything in return.

If I may, um…

You seem like a truly good person. I’ll take my father’s advice seriously. Seeing you gave me such thoughts. Maybe there are things that are more valuable than mere talents…

So, could you guarantee that I can believe in and follow you, even if my abilities are lacking?”

Then, So-ryong, with a gentle smile, stood up.

He took a step closer, standing right before me.

Looking up at me now, he said, “Well, it’s a good time. I was thinking something similar.

So, will you give me a chance? Then, I will provide confirmation to Miss Hua Eun.”

“A chance?”

“Yes, a chance.”

“What kind of chance are you talking about?”

With sudden opportunity in the air, I tilted my head in confusion, curious where this conversation was heading.

So-ryong gazed toward the distant mountains and continued.

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Since I have a Ten Poisons Body, I can only accept ten poisons. Isn’t that the highest a talentless commoner can reach?”

“That… well…”

“So, if I can only accept ten poisons, why not fill those ten with the poisons of the Ten Great Venoms?”

“The Ten Great Venoms!?”

“Yes, if I promise to fill my poisons only with the poisons of the Ten Great Venoms, would that give you confidence in Miss Hua Eun?”

If I could fill just those ten poisons with the Ten Great Venoms, it was said that someone who reached the peak of being a master could rival the mighty poisons.

No, it would undoubtedly be more powerful.

Theoretically, achieving that Ten Poisons Body level using the poisons of the Ten Great Venoms could even surpass the heights of mastery.

That meant, with a Ten Poisons Body, surpassing the pinnacle of mastery.

Imagine declaring I could be the greatest in the world!

A confession to say, “To be the greatest for you!”

It was a heartfelt confession directed to her, who was known as the “Poison Flower Moon Anemone” in the Martial Forest.

A presence who only saw a foolish boy, seemingly stammering and blushing in front of her.

That’s why this was the first time she had ever received such a declaration directly from a boy so much younger than her.

So, while his words were foolish and empty, my heart began racing.

Receiving a confession like this, realizing it was embarrassing to feel my heart flutter because of a mere five-year-old.