Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Venomous Insect Valley 1

The weight I felt on my shoulders and waist was intense.

Standing still and contemplating, I knew I had to depart, for otherwise, it seemed unlikely I would ever get to leave today.

Behind me, Mandok God and the Venomous Insect Team were lined up, waiting.

“Hmm… kids?”

– Creep?

– Buzz?

– Squeak?

A series of nonchalant cries floated back, as if to ask why I was calling them.

I slapped my forehead at their preposterousness.

– Snap.

“No, you need to let go; otherwise, Dad can’t go on his trip…”

There was no escaping my sullen face from these little ones acting out.

After days of preparing for the expedition, I had decided on our first destination, passing through the city of Kunming in Yunnan and heading into the rainforest of Aina Mountain.

“Venomous Insect Valley, you say!?”

“Indeed, Venomous Insect Valley.”

‘What’s this? A place named like some heavenly paradise?’

It was said to be a place full of bizarre rock formations that grew like a forest, and records in the Tang Clan spoke of the many mysterious venomous insects and vipers found in the valley.

「The venoms of Aina Mountain are very peculiar, especially one found near the lake in the center of Venomous Insect Valley…」

I simply couldn’t overlook Venomous Insect Valley.

To the Spicy Fabre, the concepts of paradise and Venomous Insect Valley were one and the same.

That’s why we decided to dry out the excess crickets and mealworms produced in the Venomous Insect Garden for snacks or side dishes.

While some were upset about it, half of the Venomous Insect Team decided to remain back at the Tang Clan to manage the garden.

We needed at least half of them to stay for proper management.

The officer was Deputy Commander Song Na-ok.

The reason she received the hat upon entering was that she had to give orders to the team, and without a hat, it just looked odd.

Anyway, with all preparations completed, on the eve of departure, the centipedes had gathered alongside Lizard and Yo-hwa to explain things.

I didn’t want them running around looking for me since I wasn’t there.

“Dad has some outside business and might be away for a few days, so you all need to listen to Mom while I’m gone, okay? Chao, take care of your siblings, and Hyang, don’t make it hard for Mom. Bin, I know you’ll miss Dad, but just hold on for a few days.

Seol and Bin, you both listen to your older sister.”

– Buzz…

– Creep!?

Upon hearing I was going somewhere, the centipedes emitted despondent sounds, already privy to the situation, while Seol and Bin appeared confused.

The centipedes knew, but Seol and Bin looked bewildered, so I explained briefly why I was going out.

“I’m going to pick up some friends. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had friends too? I’ll be back quickly, so be sure to listen to Mom and your older sister, okay?”

– Buzz…

– Creep…

As I made one last request, the centipedes and Seol and Bin reluctantly replied.

It was easy to convince the five, but soon Yo-hwa’s voice came through, sounding as if to ask what about her.

– Squeak?

“Yo-hwa, the remaining members of the Venomous Insect Team will come every morning to give you Yang Energy, so don’t worry. Just for a few days…”

– Squeak!

But before I could finish my sentence, Yo-hwa, disguised as her older sister, crossed her arms and made an exasperated expression.

Clearly not pleased as if to insist otherwise.

Of course, I understood why.

Yo-hwa doesn’t consume Yang Energy every day; she usually only does so occasionally, and when at the Tang Clan, she wouldn’t touch anything else that I didn’t give her.

According to my father-in-law and Mandok God, the records in the Tang Clan stated that Human-faced Spiders would capture people and hang them on trees, sucking their Yang Energy until they died, yet strangely, Yo-hwa was selective with whose Yang Energy she drained.

It seemed she only took from one person when she wasn’t hungry.

I earnestly requested her.

“Could you make an exception this time, Yo-hwa? I really need to go. Please help me out.”

Traveling had always been a distant wish in my previous life.

Back then, the insects, reptiles, or amphibians I kept didn’t need constant feeding, so missing a day or two was fine, but long trips were out of the question.

When I traveled abroad for my 1 million subscribers celebration, I had to arrange someone to care for my creatures before being able to leave.

But even now, it was no different.

It was even harder now, as back then, I didn’t need to get permission from the kids. Asking my soon-to-be wife, who was assured to win, had never been this tough…

In the end, by begging and trying to lighten Yo-hwa’s mood, I managed to secure her approval.

Unknown to me, it turned out she really liked being held in her fake body.

I awkwardly hugged her fake form when she adamantly refused, and she shyly consented.

“Yo-hwa, I’m begging you here.”

– Bee, squeak!

An exclamation as if to say she understood yet wanted to be let go.

Anyway, after the chaos yesterday, I finally secured permission, and as we set to leave with the expedition team today, the little ones came rushing to me as soon as we reached the Nine Entrance Gate.

– Buzz!

– Squeak!

– Creep!

Just as I was about to step out of the Nine Entrance Gate, Seol and Bin and the centipedes all charged toward me in a flurry to snuggle up to me.

The centipedes and the Lizard normally had such a rivalry shoulder to shoulder with me or my sister, but today, they strangely swapped places, with the centipedes settling on my right shoulder and the Lizard on my left.

And behind me, Yo-hwa was hugging me.

At first, I thought it was a farewell gesture since we would be apart for a while.

“Looks like the kids are going to miss you, So-ryong.”

My grandfather and the team from the Venomous Insect Team and Poison Blood Team wore smiles of delight.

Yet, despite having plenty of time to bid their farewells, those little ones refused to let go of me.

“Hmm… kids? No, you need to let go; otherwise, Dad can’t go on his trip…”

After pleading again, Yo-hwa lifted me onto her back in a princess-style hold and set the pace for the expedition.

– Squeak!

Pointing across the river, she was leading us, like she was declaring, ‘I’ll be at the front!’

My sister had a bewildered look on her face as she spoke.

“So-ryong, it seems like they want to join us after all?”

“W-wait, no way! I thought I had made that clear… I assumed everyone understood?”

Surely they wouldn’t follow their dad on a business trip?

It appeared these little ones were genuinely determined to tag along.

*

Despite my persuasion skills, I couldn’t separate these kids away, so I had no choice but to take them along.

For that reason, our expedition team would inevitably have to adjust our schedule and team members, yet I couldn’t bring everyone with me.

It mattered not for other kids, but the issue was with Yo-hwa.

Others could easily hide in pockets or in boxes I prepared for any Venomous Insects they caught, but what could I do about Yo-hwa?

Carrying a huge spider with a human body would surely draw all sorts of attention.

No, it wouldn’t just draw attention, it would cause quite the scene.

I heard from my sister that tales of youkai legends were widespread, and it’s possible some might think she was one.

Moreover, it was rooted in the fact that twins were regarded as ominous beings in the Central Plains, leading to a rumor of these beings causing ruckus that could spark the formation of a hunting party.

Being a Human-faced Spider made things all the more dangerous.

Causing unrest among the populace could draw suspicion from regional authorities and invite inspections.

For that reason, I had to hold onto Yo-hwa and sway her once more.

“You know, the other kids can hide, but it’s hard to take you with us as you’re too big. If I bring you and someone sees, they’ll be shocked.

Of course, I want to take you with me; how could I not want my pretty Yo-hwa? But I must tell you that if they think you’re a youkai, they could throw stones at you.

Just the thought of you being pelted with rocks makes me dizzy!”

Though disheartened, there was no choice but to explain in detail, whereupon Yo-hwa, listening silently, turned her head to check on her disguised sister’s body.

As if confirming her form.

‘Can she even see that?’

I’d presumed her eyes were nothing but functional appendages, yet this seemed different.

At that moment, when I thought she might have been persuaded by her self-survey, a strange sound echoed.

With a bizarre noise, it seemed as if Yo-hwa’s form was being erased like chalk marked with an eraser.

“Wha—!”

Moments later, other than her Pedipalps disguised as my sister, her entire body completely vanished.

“What the heck!? Yo-hwa, what did you do!? Where did our pretty Yo-hwa go!?”

In shock, I ran to the empty space where her body had been and felt a fluffy, fuzzy form beneath my fingers.

Fortunately, it hadn’t completely disappeared.

It was just invisible to the eye.

“Whew, that startled me. But wait, Yo-hwa, you can hide your body like this?!”

With her spider form now out of view, she seemed to be floating slightly above the ground as I now understood why people claimed someone resembling a fairy had appeared when people lost their Yang Energy to Yo-hwa.

I’d always thought it was a trick of the mind.

When a lovely lady appeared to float, she really did look like a celestial being.

“You all are messing with my head here.”

As I calmed my racing heart, I heard Yo-hwa’s voice.

– Squeak?

With her arms crossed and her chin lifted, it almost felt like she was judging my reaction.

Showing off her ultimate move, she proclaimed her firm will to follow.

At her seemingly unwavering expression, I could only nod.

No doubt, she was adamant about coming along.

“Alright, let’s go. Let’s…”

*

Two days later.

There was no choice; my sister had to join our expedition team.

With no one else to take care of the kids other than my sister and me, she had to be involved since they all insisted on coming.

I simply couldn’t care for them all by myself, so my sister’s participation was essential.

“Looks like I have to go after all.”

“Well, it seems that way. Hua Eun.”

“Since they’ve all thrown a tantrum and not listened to Mom, they must obey during the trip, okay?”

With an apologetic expression, my sister scratched her head, gathering the children to scold them.

In response to her reprimanding, the kids nodded their heads in understanding.

– Buzz…

– Creep!

Thus, our party, comprised of half from the Venomous Insect Team and Poison Blood Team along with Mandok God, was joined by my sister and the insects, setting off toward Yunnan.

With eager hearts, we were ready to catch numerous venomous creatures.

The first destination was Banji-hwa, a town on the border of Sichuan where we had previously gathered Golden Hair Bees.

From there, we planned to go through Kunming, Yunnan’s largest city, and head toward Aina Mountain.

We hurriedly crossed through Sichuan Province toward the vicinity of Aina Mountain.

As we reached a checkpoint resembling an inspection post, several female disciples of the Emei Sect emerged as we arrived.

“Are you from the Tang Clan in Sichuan? Oh my, it’s Mandok God!”

The female disciples were astonished by our appearance.

Wondering why an unexpected inspection post had sprung up, I learned it was set up after the emergence of the Blood Cult.

They were conducting inspections at checkpoints along the roads between the individual factions.

“We’re heading toward Yunnan on business. May we pass through?”

“Of course. Mandok God, elder.”

With Mandok God accompanying us, the inspection was a mere formality, but as we were passing through the checkpoint…

The leading female disciple, eyes wide, exclaimed, “N-Nungong He-do! It seems Poison Flower has learned some skill!”

At her words, the other disciples gasped in shock.

What was that all about? It turned out it was a remark made upon seeing Yo-hwa, who walked behind us with her spider’s Pedipalps.

Dressed like my sister and barely floating in mid-air, they must have thought she had mastered some extraordinary lightness skill.

This misunderstanding arose from a superstitious belief in the Central Plains that twins had ominous implications, leading Yo-hwa, traveling alongside my sister, to wear men’s attire and completely mask her face.

So naturally, these disciples mistook the marvelous sight for my sister and hadn’t realized.

Later, my grandfather explained that the so-called ‘ground flight’ was the finishing touch of a lightness skill that allowed one to move almost ghost-like, and so I believed that was likely the case.

Even though we had a few similar commotions during our journey, arriving in Yunnan went smoothly, and we ultimately reached a place called Yemun near Aina Mountain.

“Is that Aina Mountain? I’m really looking forward to Venomous Insect Valley.”

Before us stood Aina Mountain.

If Venomous Insect Valley existed, it would indeed feel like paradise to me.

With my heart racing in anticipation for Venomous Insect Valley, the moment we arrived at Yemun, something eerie washed over us.

As we entered the area called Yemun, there were no sounds of grasshoppers chirping at night, no cicadas buzzing during the day, not even the cries of birds or the howls of beasts anywhere.

While moving around, I continuously kept collecting specimens of insects, but none appeared in sight.

No creatures existed beneath the stones, within crevices, or even among the trees.

It was as if everything had been meticulously disinfected by someone.

“Strange. Why does it feel just like when we went to capture the centipedes?”

Mandok God’s remark elicited serious nods from Deputy Commander Gu Pae and the head of the Poison Blood Team, but that was no grave deal; that was promising news.

‘No, that’s not ominous news; it’s a sign of good fortune!’