Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

-Tak, tak, tak, tak.

As dawn’s first light crept over the mountain ridge, we finally reached the foothills. Just a step behind Paeng Gyu-seong, Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon) pointed toward the distant river and gasped out,

“Huff, huff... That’s it, the Lan Cang River. Once we cross it, we’ll finally be in Zhongyuan.”

“At last!”

“We’re almost there... Hoo...”

The realization that our destination, Zhongyuan, was just beyond that river lit up the eyes of everyone in the group. Paeng Gyu-seong turned to look at me and asked,

“Huff... Huff... So-ryong, are you holding up?”

We had been running for two days straight.

He must have thought I was the weakest in martial arts among our group and assumed my internal energy was running low. But thanks to the royal jelly from the Golden Wasp Kings and whatever boost I had gained from Cho’s evolution, I was still holding on.

‘Besides, if I don’t endure, I’ll die. So I have no choice but to keep going.’

“Yes, brother. Huff, huff...”

I wiped the sweat trickling into my eyes and forced a determined look onto my face. However, Paeng Gyu-seong came to a stop and said,

“The land ahead is flat, so we’ll have to break through in one go. And we’ll have to cross the river as well. Let’s rest for a moment and recover our energy. Hoo... If we run into enemies on open ground, we’ll have no choice but to fight.”

“Understood, brother.”

“Got it, So-ryong.”

I turned my gaze back toward the river. The mountains ended just ahead, and beyond them, a wide-open plain stretched all the way to the water.

In terrain like this, Paeng Gyu-seong’s warning was spot on. Our tracks would be completely exposed, and we’d be at our most vulnerable while crossing the river. We had to push through at full speed.

That meant we needed ample internal energy. Running at full speed using light-footed movement techniques had already drained us, and attempting to cross a plain in that state was a dangerous gamble.

If we encountered enemies, there was a chance we wouldn’t have the energy left to fight.

I glanced behind us. The torches of our pursuers were no longer visible.

For the past two days, the Blood Cult had been relentlessly chasing us, keeping a distance of two to three kilometers as if trying to wear us down.

But for the last two hours, there had been no sign of them.

Since our pursuers seemed to have vanished for now, we agreed to rest and recover our internal energy, following Paeng Gyu-seong’s advice.

“Haa... This is exhausting.”

“Huff, huff... Is everyone alright?”

As soon as Paeng Gyu-seong gave the signal, Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon) and Sword Master Seon-hwa collapsed onto the ground.

I checked on Seol and Tang Hwa-eun, who were sitting side by side on a nearby rock, wiping the sweat from their brows.

“Hwa-eun, are you alright?”

“Yes. What about you, So-ryong?”

“I’m fine. What about you, Seol?”

“I can still hold on. Are you okay, So-ryong? You have the lowest martial arts level here.”

“I’m fine, Seol. What about Yo-hwa?”

-Ki-siit!

I had been most worried about Yo-hwa since we had covered such a long distance. But she had managed to move through the trees using her webs and leaped over valleys with ease, so she seemed to be holding up well.

I checked on the others, making sure everyone was accounted for.

It was crucial to take roll call whenever we stopped.

“Hyang, Bin, are you two okay? Cho?”

-Tssrrt!

-Tsssrrrt!

Hyang and Bin lifted their heads from my shoulders and sent reassuring feelings my way. I scratched their chins playfully.

Then, Cho slithered out of the bushes and shoved his head between my arms.

-Tssssrr.

He let out a contented sound as I stroked his head.

Since the three sisters in O-Gong’s group also seemed fine, I turned to Tang Hwa-eun.

“Hwa-eun, how are Seol and Bini?”

She discreetly lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing two small figures peeking out.

After checking on them, she nodded.

“They seem alright.”

-Kkukku...

-Kkuu...

Despite traveling with us this whole time, they had remained eerily quiet.

Unlike centipedes, which were highly active at night for hunting, lizards had a slow metabolism. As long as they had proper feeding conditions and a place to hide, they didn’t move around much.

While Cho and the centipedes were always in motion, Seol and Bini simply clung to Tang Hwa-eun’s wrists, absorbing energy during our breaks.

That was why they had been so quiet this whole time.

In my past life, lizards were often kept in small drawers called ”racks” for mass breeding. Even the recommended enclosures for them, as suggested by renowned reptile breeders abroad, were only about 450x450x600 in size.

“Alright, everyone. We’re almost there, so let’s hang in there.”

-Tssrrt! -Ki-siit! -Kkukku!

I encouraged the creatures, then settled down for a brief rest.

We took about an hour to recover.

We restored our internal energy through breathing exercises and found a nearby stream to drink from.

Since we had abandoned all non-essential belongings to lighten our load, we had no food left. We simply had to endure.

“Hoo...”

Paeng Gyu-seong finished his meditation and opened his eyes.

Everyone did one final check of their weapons, and then he spoke.

“Let’s move out.”

Just then—

“Wait a moment, So-ryong.”

Seol suddenly spoke up.

“What is it, Lady Seol?”

Paeng Gyu-seong tilted his head, and she explained,

“Before we leave, I want to try calling the beasts again. If the Blood Cult continues their pursuit into Zhongyuan, we’ll need the Beast Palace’s support. If my father and Mandok Shingun are still in Namsan, they might be able to meet us.”

Since we had gone south before heading east, Namsan was now a distant silhouette in the northwest.

If they were still searching for us, she wanted to signal them to meet us here.

“That’s a good idea, Lady Seol.”

Paeng Gyu-seong nodded.

-Whiiiik.

Seol let out a sharp whistle, piercing through the valley.

-Whiiiik. Whiiiik.

She repeated it three times.

But despite her efforts, there was no reply.

Just as she was about to give up—

-Bwoong. Bwoong.

A deep hooting sound echoed from somewhere.

A large Eurasian eagle-owl swooped down and landed on Seol’s arm.

“You came!”

She gently stroked its head, tore a strip from her skirt, and tied it to the bird’s leg.

Then, she whispered urgently,

“Find the Beast Palace warriors. Search that mountain first, understand?”

-Bwoong.

The owl flapped its wings and took off, soaring toward Namsan.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Just as we stepped onto the open plains—

A figure emerged from behind a rock at the boundary between the mountain and the plain.

“Your escape ends here! I, Blood-Wind Flying Serpent Mae Chogwi of the Blood Cult, will deal with you myself!”

A deafening explosion rang out.

-BOOM!

Paeng Gyu-seong was sent flying into the bushes.

“Ugh!”

“Brother!”

“So-ryong!”

And then, Tang Hwa-eun’s urgent voice rang out—

“They’ve caught up to us!”

At the sound of Hwa-eun’s voice, I turned my head. Unlike the crimson robes of the Blood Cult we had seen before, a group of men in brown leather garments were rapidly approaching from the ridge.

A so-called elder was keeping us occupied, and now the pursuers were closing in.

“Are you alright?”

“Damn... they’re fast!”

Paeng Gyu-seong wiped the blood from his lips, stood up with Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon)’s support, then gripped his sword and dashed forward, shouting—

“Dok-hwa, use it!”

The reason he could charge at the Blood Cult elder without hesitation—

It was because we had a poison that worked exceptionally well on them.

As long as we landed a single hit, we could handle him.

Hearing the order, Sword Master Seon-hwa and Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon) followed closely behind Gyu-seong, while Tang Hwa-eun began preparing Nine-Ringed Assassination, a technique that launched nine deadly needles in succession.

Meanwhile, I called out to Cho, ordering him to intercept the men in brown leather.

‘Cho, I’m counting on you!’

Judging by their speed, even if we managed to shake off this so-called elder, they would catch up before long. We needed to take care of them first.

As Paeng Gyu-seong, Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon), Sword Master Seon-hwa, Tang Hwa-eun, and Seol clashed with the Blood Cult elder, Cho unleashed a venomous spray at the warriors rushing toward us from behind.

—Swaaah.

From above, Cho spewed a fan-shaped arc of venom.

“Dodge it!”

But the warriors in brown leather swiftly scattered at their leader’s command, avoiding the spray with incredible reflexes.

Even those who were hit showed no severe reactions.

‘What the hell!?’

Cho tried two more times, spraying venom in quick succession, but they dodged with ease. I could sense his frustration through our bond.

And then, from behind, the sound of victory came sooner than expected—

“How dare you, mere post-realm juniors! Die, you worm!”

—Crunch!

“Urgh! D-Dok-hwa!”

“I got it!”

Despite having his side pierced, Paeng Gyu-seong seized the enemy, allowing Tang Hwa-eun to embed two venomous needles into the elder’s shoulder.

But things weren’t looking good.

Yang Seong-hu (Azure Dragon) was coughing up blood and had collapsed, while Sword Master Seon-hwa had fallen nearby, gripping his broken sword.

At least the poison had taken effect.

Tang Hwa-eun shouted toward Seol—

“Seol, we have to finish this! The Blood Cult bastards were hit with poison that blocks their internal energy—they won’t be able to use a single ounce of it soon!”

“Got it!”

Unlike the previous elder, this one hadn’t absorbed a large quantity of poison directly, so Hwa-eun kept throwing her needles to confirm that the toxin was spreading.

Then, as the elder dodged her attack, he pulled a small ceramic bottle from his robe.

With a sinister grin, he swallowed the contents and sneered—

“Did you really think we would keep falling victim to Ho-ban Yusa’s poison? Hahaha! The antidote has already been perfected—you are as good as dead!”

“A-a-antidote!?”

“They actually developed one!?”

The Blood Cult had succeeded where even the Tang Clan had failed.

Even in my past life, the only cure was blood serum—there had never been a true antidote.

The elder assumed that our expressions would be filled with despair upon learning this.

Instead, Hwa-eun and I exchanged glances—

Then burst out laughing.

“Hahaha!”

“Heh... hehe...”

The elder scowled.

“What the hell is so funny!? Have you lost your minds before death!?”

He had no idea why we were laughing.

I smirked and taunted him—

“Death is closer to you than us. Why don’t you try circulating your internal energy now?”

His confident expression remained as he tried to circulate his energy.

A moment later, his face twisted in horror.

“W-what!? I—I took the antidote!”

Of course, he would be shocked.

Even after consuming the antidote, his internal energy was completely sealed.

***

Before setting out across the plains, everyone had checked their weapons.

At that time, Paeng Gyu-seong had muttered in frustration—

“Damn, we’re out of that poison.”

“You mean the poison?”

I tilted my head, unsure what he meant.

He explained—

“The poison that stops the Blood Cult bastards from using internal energy—it’s all gone.”

“Oh, that poison.”

“Well, we do have Dok-hwa, so maybe she has some left. Dok-hwa, do you have any?”

They had planned to coat their weapons with it before heading out, just in case.

But Tang Hwa-eun shook her head.

“We used up the last of it throwing needles.”

A troubled look spread across everyone’s faces.

“Guess we’ll have to go without it.”

Gyu-seong prepared to set off, but I stopped him.

“Brother, we may not have that poison, but we can get something similar.”

“Something similar?”

He looked at me doubtfully, but Hwa-eun backed me up.

“That poison the Blood Cult fears? So-ryong made it.”

“So-ryong, you...?”

“S-So-hyeop!?”

“You’re telling me you created that!?”

Clearly, the Martial Alliance had done a good job keeping information under wraps—everyone looked stunned.

“I’ll be back soon! Yo-hwa, come with me!”

I left the group and rushed toward the stream we had passed earlier.

Near the water, I pointed at something and instructed Yo-hwa—

“Yo-hwa, wrap that up with silk.”

-Kiisii!

She obeyed, quickly encasing the object in silk.

I plucked it from the tree and shook it like a bartender preparing a cocktail, then hurried back.

When I returned, I smashed it on the ground and announced—

“Alright, I’ll need your help. Just squeeze their butts before they wake up.”

“You want us to squeeze what?”

“Yes, before they regain consciousness.”

What we were squeezing—

Yellow hornets.

Also known as Yellow Hornet, Asian Giant Hornet, and Common Wasp.

Sword Master Seon-hwa blinked in confusion.

“This... is the same poison?”

“No, not exactly.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s stronger.”

The quantity was small, but if measured equally, hornet venom was more potent than Ho-ban Yusa’s poison.

Unlike other poisons, this one didn’t just block internal energy.

Hornet venom tore apart red blood cell membranes, causing them to rupture and induce internal bleeding.

***

‘They must have been so proud of their antidote—only to end up in this situation?’

Since we had only enough venom to coat Hwa-eun’s needles, it felt as if fate itself had aligned things in our favor.

I grinned and called out to Tang Hwa-eun and Seol—

“Hwa-eun, Seol, finish him off!”

Hwa-eun moved first, preparing to launch her most lethal poisoned needles, but Seol stopped her.

With a chilling smile, she said—

“So-ryong, let me show you what the Beast Palace’s Leopard Fist is really like.”

Until now, I had thought only bears were good at tearing things apart.

But then—

The Blood Cult elder was shredded apart by Seol’s claws.

He gasped in disbelief.

“Urgh! H-how...?”

If someone is curious, it’s only natural to explain, right?

I hit him with a line I had used before—

“Why do Blood Cult elders always ask the same thing? It’s because I’m your natural predator.”

‘Didn’t I tell you? I’m your predator.’