NOVEL NEXT Chapter 171
Chapter 171: Fabre in the Four Heavenly Houses
I was startled by Yo-hwa’s voice and quickly hid both hands behind my back.
But Yo-hwa dashed over and grabbed my hidden hands, pulling them out in front of us.
“W-What’s wrong, Yo-hwa?”
I struggled, pretending not to know, but with her Ten Great Venoms, Yo-hwa was incredibly strong. There was no way I could overpower her!
With a simple display of strength, she seized my hands and placed them between her pedipalps and Hua Eun’s.
—Kissit!
Fixing my hands in our line of sight, she wore a mischievous expression, as if to say, “Go on, try again.”
It was the same look as catching a cheating boyfriend red-handed, and she was glaring right at me.
‘Damn it. Of all people, why did it have to be Yo-hwa…’
An unknown emotion welled up under her gaze.
‘Is this what it feels like to be caught cheating?’ I thought, squeezing my eyes shut in despair.
After all, the fact that my nails were now tinted emerald green made it obvious that she was the last person I wanted to get caught by.
If it had been Bin or Hyang, sure, there would be jealousy but also an opportunity to ease things over with some sweet talk. But Yo-hwa had a fixation on me that filled my arms with two red threads.
It seemed that she liked me in a rather uncomfortable way.
Since we were from different backgrounds, it was even more complicated.
And given that she was borrowing the form of Hua Eun, it made handling the situation even trickier.
That’s why I answered her pointedly, my expression serious as if I was about to tell her to try again.
“Uh? W-What’s what? Are you sure you saw something wrong, Yo-hwa?”
Her face turned incredulous as she let out a sharp cry.
—Kissit!? Kiss!?
Yo-hwa hadn’t connected with the Beast Heart Technique yet, so she couldn’t understand my words exactly, but judging by the rich expressions and actions of the pedipalps transformed into Hua Eun, I had a general sense of what she was trying to convey.
It was all too familiar, resembling the expressions actresses use in dramas from my previous life when they pressured their boyfriends.
‘Why does it feel like some things never change, no matter how much the world does!’
“Yo-hwa, it’s not like that…”
“Looks like our Yo-hwa is really angry. Yo-hwa, it’s not like that…”
With Yo-hwa’s fuming expression, Hua Eun and the Mandok God grandfather tried to intervene, but with a sharp look from Yo-hwa, they fell silent with her laser focus.
—Kissit! Kississsit!
『I’m talking to my brother right now, okay!?』
Despite not understanding Yo-hwa’s words due to the Beast Heart Technique, a magical occurrence had my mind automatically translating her words.
‘Huh… What do I do? If this were a broadcast… Aha! That’s it! A broadcast!’
It was at that moment, a brilliant thought crossed my mind amidst the pressure from Yo-hwa.
If there was one thing I excelled at from my previous life’s internet broadcasts, it was quick-wittedness, right?
I thought maybe this was the time to put that skill to use.
During live shows, guests sometimes threw out curse words or acted unexpectedly out of fear of snakes or insects. In such crises, I had always been quick on my feet, and now I could draw upon that skill in this very moment.
“Ah! Shit, shit, shit!”
“Yes! When catching snakes, remember to pay attention to your shoes! Wear long rubber boots; you wouldn’t want to get bitten on the ankle!”
—Fabre’s quick reflexes were legendary!
—Who knew an idol would talk about shoes!
—Good shoes are acknowledged!
—We’re all definitely talking about shoes here!
Thinking about it, my experiences using quick-wittedness were vast.
‘This is the only way. Life and death are on the line!’
As I mentally vowed to navigate through this crisis somehow, I quickly sent a message to Chao.
“Chao, for now, you just act like you don’t know what’s happening while I calm down Yo-hwa. Got it?”
‘Churrrtt!’
Then, I adjusted my somber expression back to something more normal, looking at Yo-hwa with a tone full of regret.
Even though I absolutely didn’t want to, I had to express that the situation had turned out this way, leaving me with no choice.
“Ha… I wanted to surprise you, but I guess I got caught!”
—Kissit?
It seemed like she was questioning me with that sound, but maintaining a calm demeanor, I drew the energy of the Centipede Poison Tooth Claw into my hands and continued.
“Well, it can’t be helped now. I have to tell the truth. But I wanted it to be a secret from you, Yo-hwa. If you end up feeling upset later, there’s nothing I can do. You misunderstood, okay?”
—Kiss, kiss…?
Speaking boldly had her flinch slightly.
But when my hands turned emerald, she widened her eyes in shock.
—Kissit!
It was clear to her that there was undeniable evidence, yet she thought I was saying otherwise. If I didn’t maintain my calm composure, this could very well be the end.
“I wanted to surprise you but if you’re going to be upset… please listen carefully, Yo-hwa. This was for you! I practiced my martial arts!”
“?”
With a calm demeanor, I declared that the training was solely for her, prompting confusion to flicker in Yo-hwa’s eyes.
I smiled and carefully explained what I meant.
“Though you might not know, I’ve learned and am going to learn martial arts like the Centipede Poison Tooth Claw, Viper’s Life-Seeking Hand, Scorpion’s Quick Kick, Lizard’s Wall-Clinging Steps, and Toad’s Explosive Palm. That makes five martial arts!”
—Kiss, kiss!?
“Now think about it. That’s five techniques, but there’s no technique that symbolizes our Yo-hwa the Spider, right?”
Centipede (蜈蚣), Viper (毒蛇), Scorpion (蠍), Lizard (蜥蜴), and Toad (蟾蜍) are represented, but not the Spider.
—Kississit!
Yo-hwa flared up at the thought of not having a technique dedicated to her.
I nodded solemnly, resonating with her frustration.
“Exactly! I’m upset about it too. No, it’s not fair that all the other kids have their own, but there’s none for you, Yo-hwa. It just doesn’t add up, right? That’s why I quietly practiced!”
—Kissit?
“Yes, practicing. I aimed to create a martial art representing Yo-hwa with Grandfather’s help, to surprise you!”
I whimsically added, gesturing toward Hua Eun and the Mandok God Grandfather, who caught on quickly and nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, Yo-hwa. Your brother wanted to surprise you, so I was helping him. But he got caught!”
“That’s right! It’s called the Spider Fangs Technique (지주견아지)! What do you think, Yo-hwa? It’s a martial art, using the Spider’s fangs…”
The idea of the Spider Fangs Technique sounded pretty cool.
Grandfather, being a master himself, casually dropped the name, but it flowed so perfectly.
There’s a similar technique using nails among five forms, but there isn’t one that uses fingers to seize another’s blood vessels. That part was a bit lacking.
It worked perfectly as an alibi.
The technique of paralyzing by capturing and immobilizing the blood vessels with two bent fingers symbolizing spider fangs made perfect sense.
Moreover, Yo-hwa’s venom was no ordinary poison; it was a paralyzing poison.
A martial art that immobilizes enemies by targeting their blood vessels ideally suited the situation.
‘Wow! How did it all fit together like this? The heavens are helping me!’
Just when I thought I had been unjustly treated not too long ago, it turned out to be the heavens’ guidance.
Unlike before, when I was oblivious, I felt clarity rushing in.
This time, everything fit together seamlessly, suggesting that the heavens were on my side.
Everything I improvised, including the situation and names, gelled perfectly, making it seem genuinely plausible.
—Kissit?
With a look that seemed to question the legitimacy, Yo-hwa’s friend and I nodded together rapidly.
“Y-Yes.”
“Right, Yo-hwa.”
“Exactly.”
Then Yo-hwa, just to be thorough, turned to confirm the truth with Chao, an ordinary human who couldn’t lie, assuming.
—Kissit?
—Churrr!
—Kis, kis…
But when Chao wobbled her head in agreement too, Yo-hwa, who had been skeptical until now, finally showed a shy expression of apology.
Her expression clearly conveyed that she felt bad for being angry without understanding.
Finally releasing my hand and lowering her head, I placed a hand on Yo-hwa’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly.
I’m the ‘older brother’ with a heart broader than the sea.
“It was a situation that could lead to misunderstanding, so you don’t need to apologize. No problem!”
Then, with a deeply moved expression, Yo-hwa rubbed her face against the hand that rested on her shoulder.
As I ruffled the hair of the teary-eyed girl, I said, “It’s not ready to show you yet, but I promise I’ll finish the Spider Fangs Technique with Grandfather and show it to you. Got it, Yo-hwa?”
—Kissit…
‘Wow. That was brilliant!’
Yo-hwa, embarrassed, nodded in response, and the tension of Yo-hwa’s misunderstanding was finally alleviated.
Internally, I felt relieved, thinking I narrowly avoided a disaster.
Now, I thought she wouldn’t bring this up again.
Well, if she decided to double-check, I could just say it takes time to create martial arts.
Hua Eun praised me mentally.
[Well done, Wei So-ryong. Later, just whip up something with Grandfather and the boys to present it.]
With that, the situation was managed, and since it was time for the other kids to wake up, I decided to wrap things up and move on.
Just then, I heard Yo-hwa’s soft voice.
—Churrr. Churrt?
Turning to look back at her with the others, she was sending me a joyful expression while pulling the threads of her silk.
And it seemed that Hua Eun and Grandfather were looking at me, at a loss about what that meant.
Since it seemed they didn’t grasp what Yo-hwa meant, I was puzzled as to why I, of all people, suddenly understood her words…
All I could do was ask, bewildered, “Surely, you’re not asking me to put your thread-pulling in the martial arts, are you?”
—Kissit!
Seeing Yo-hwa beam with joy, bobbing her head in agreement, it seemed she indeed wanted the ability to use her silk technique in her martial art.
‘No, Yo-hwa, a person can’t just pull out white liquid with their butt…’
Spider silk originally starts as a liquid.
To produce silk, one must extract the liquid, but how could a human produce white liquid from their behind?
Yet, it felt like the atmosphere wouldn’t let me refuse her request.
With her sparkling eyes and my reluctance, I begrudgingly said, “I-I’ll try doing it… somehow.”
Just when I thought I had managed to contain the situation, it felt like things had escalated.
*
When we returned to our quarters after training, the kids were still fast asleep.
But there was one little one who had woken up, and above, Yeon-du was sliding down a pillar from the ceiling.
—Shaaah.
She hadn’t been visible when I checked if they were asleep, so it seemed she had been sleeping up there.
“Hey Yeon-du. Did you sleep well?”
As I placed her on my shoulder and balanced Hyang, who was still asleep on my other shoulder, a sudden sense of emptiness washed over me.
‘What’s going on?’
Unsure why I felt that way but sensing something was amiss, I decided to check if anyone had left for a drink.
As I surveyed the room’s corners, I noticed an empty spot.
It didn’t take long for me to confirm that Hwa-yang wasn’t in the room.
“Hey, where’s Hwa-yang? Guys, have you seen Hwa-yang?”
The children who woke up with my question gazed at the spot where Hwa-yang had been.
—Gookku!
—Churrr.
However, everyone shook their heads with puzzled expressions.
“Where on earth did that little rascal go?”
Just as I pondered where she could have wandered off to with those short legs, a servant girl, Si-bi, appeared at the entrance.
“Sir Wei So-ryong, you need to come to the kitchen right now! Quick! We might end up skipping breakfast for everyone!”
In wealthy households like the Tang Clan, they didn’t run out of rice, so I followed Si-bi, puzzled as to why we would skip breakfast.
The scene in the kitchen was absurd.
Hwa-yang had stationed herself by the stove, devouring everything that fell into the fire.
“Ah, you sure can sniff out food. Come on, you little rascal.”
I pulled her out, who had been reluctant to come out, placing her on my head, and as I left the kitchen, a commotion at the distant Golden Hair Bee King’s house caught my attention.
—Buuumm.
—Buuumm.
‘What’s going on? Is something happening?’
It seemed like something was amiss, and I thought it had been a while since I paid a visit to the Golden Hair Bee King’s residence.