Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

Our group rode in a single file line across an endless plain covered in soft grass.

There were no landmarks, no roads—only the guidance of the nomads leading us.

The reason we were crossing this vast plain on horseback was simple—we were finally heading home.

My body had fully recovered, and I had achieved my original goal: obtaining Cheongwol, the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion.

There was no longer any reason for me to remain in Kunlun.

And so, a few days ago, we had bid our farewells and set out on our journey.

“I will be taking my leave now, Sect Leader.”

“I see. Taeha has already informed me. Your body is fully healed now, is it?”

“Yes, thanks to your care, I have no lingering issues.”

“That’s good to hear. Travel safely. Ah, before you go, take these three letters and this small bundle of medicinal herbs. They are gifts meant for the Tang Clan and the Beast Palace.”

The word gift was understandable, but I tilted my head in confusion at the sudden mention of letters.

“And these letters?”

“You said you were moving under the command of the Martial Alliance, did you not? One letter is for the Martial Alliance, while the other two are for the Tang Clan and the Beast Palace.”

“For the Tang Clan and Beast Palace, it’s a letter of gratitude. As for the Martial Alliance, it’s to inform them that thanks to you, we have resolved the crisis in Qinghai. Now, we can allocate more of our disciples to assist the Martial Alliance.”

“Ah, I see.”

Kunlun had been tied down in Qinghai due to the Wind Tunnels, but now that the issue was resolved, they could send more of their disciples to support the Martial Alliance.

That was excellent news.

And aside from the gifts that the sect leader had provided, there was another gift I received.

“Also, for leaving Qinghai, you may use the nomads’ horses. Some of them wished to repay the favor and insisted on escorting you.”

“Oh, that works out well.”

Which was precisely why the others were riding horses right now.

I recalled the day of our departure as I lay sprawled across Cheongwol’s back, resting my head on Hwa-eun’s lap and enjoying the serene beauty of the plains.

Whoooosh.

The wind blew over the grasslands, sweeping through the fields like ocean waves.

Ah, this is nice.

Just as I was getting lost in the peaceful atmosphere, a woman’s grumbling voice disrupted my moment of leisure.

“Ugh, my butt hurts...”

Women in the Central Plains were incredibly shy about mentioning certain body parts.

Since this was an ancient era, it was understandable, but the range of what they considered improper was quite extensive.

They avoided mentioning feet, calves, thighs, necks, ears, and of course, the chest.

Actually, it was best to avoid bringing up any part of a woman’s body.

There were hardly any areas they weren’t embarrassed about.

For example, if a woman got injured in battle and her chest was wounded—

You couldn’t just ask, “Did you hurt your chest?”

Instead, you had to subtly glance at it and say, “Ahem... is that area alright?”

Personally, I thought beating around the bush like that was even more perverted and embarrassing, but that was just how things worked here.

And yet, here was someone boldly complaining that her butt hurt.

Hwa-eun and I immediately exchanged looks.

Then, we both turned toward the source of the voice.

And there she was—Gungbong, pouting in discomfort while sitting atop a horse with nothing but a thick cloth draped over its back.

Hwa-eun frowned slightly and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

[So-tong, this feels a bit awkward. Maybe I should’ve just ridden a horse like the others...]

I chuckled and replied.

[There’s nothing we can do. Cheongwol refused to let anyone except you and Seol ride on his back.]

Gungbong, a martial artist, grumbling about her sore rear—

Sure, it might actually hurt, but she was clearly saying it to be funny.

After all, while I, Hwa-eun, Seol, and even Bini were reclining comfortably on Cheongwol’s back, she was stuck riding a horse without a saddle.

It was only natural for her to feel envious.

Cheongwol moved so smoothly that there was no comparison to the constant jolting of a horse.

She had been dying to try riding on his back, but Cheongwol had completely refused.

When we were preparing to depart, I had even asked if we could take on a few more passengers.

“Cheongwol, can we bring a few more people?”

Krurrr. “I am not some common beast that carries just anyone!”

His rejection was so firm that it actually startled me.

“...M-my bad. I guess there’s nothing we can do. Cheongwol really doesn’t want to.”

“Huh!? But why?”

“He said... he’s not some ordinary beast that carries just anyone.”

“...Just anyone?”

It seemed spirit beasts had their own sense of pride, and Cheongwol absolutely detested the idea.

Gungbong’s complaints made the others—especially Gyu-seong and the other Five Dragons—awkwardly look off into the distance, as if pretending they hadn’t heard anything.

Seeing that, Eunbong stepped in to try and stop Gungbong.

“Gungbong, a lady shouldn’t—”

“But what’s wrong with saying my butt hurts when it hurts!?”

That made Eunbong’s face flush bright red.

“...Why is she acting like saying butt is such a scandalous thing?”

Gungbong was definitely a bit unrefined, but still—this was a bit much.

Seriously, was butt supposed to be some shameful word?

If we were going to talk about butts, shouldn’t it be the soft, squishy Hwayang’s butt next to me?

I glanced over and playfully smacked Hwayang’s jelly-like rear.

Smack. Smack.

The startled creature woke up and blinked at me in confusion.

Biiie?

“Oh, nothing. You’re just cute.”

Biiie?

Hearing that, Hwayang wiggled his butt and stuck it out toward me as if to say, Go ahead, pat it more!

“See? This is the right attitude.”

Satisfied with Hwayang’s reaction, I continued patting him until he was fully pleased.

But no matter what I did, Gungbong’s complaints about her sore rear continued—

All the way until we finally left Qinghai.

“My butt hurts, I tell you!!!”

***

Dozens of warriors knelt on the training ground, where five venomous creatures were engraved into the stone floor.

Among them, the leader of the Galhyeon Unit stepped forward and reported.

”Galhyeon Unit Leader, Wi Cheong, has returned!”

Wi Cheong’s voice rang out with strength, but the sight behind him was far from triumphant.

The warriors were in a terrible state—many lay bleeding, unable to move, while those who remained standing were visibly injured. Blood and grime clung to their worn-out figures.

The Master of the Five Venoms Sect observed the scene and motioned with his chin toward Oh Cheong-yu, who lay unconscious on the ground.

”I don’t see what you were supposed to bring... and why is Cheong-yu in that condition?”

Oh Cheong-yu’s complexion was pale, her body stiff as if frozen, and her lips were dry and cracked, showing clear signs of severe exhaustion.

”A-Ah... The young lady was on the verge of breaking through, but Shadow Master suppressed her pressure points. As for the item we were to retrieve... due to certain circumstances, Shadow Master handled it—”

The Master of the Five Venoms Sect frowned, deep wrinkles forming on his forehead at the mention of her breakthrough being interrupted.

His face twisted as he spoke.

”Not long ago, Shadow Master’s Yin-Yang Twin Gu died.”

Wi Cheong’s eyes widened in shock.

”Sh-Shadow Master’s Yin-Yang Twin Gu? That... that’s impossible!”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The high-ranking warriors of the Five Venoms Sect all carried a Gu within them—not for crude purposes like coercing captured martial artists but for a far more specialized reason.

The Gu they received allowed them to rapidly increase their internal energy, a rare privilege considered an honor. Once they accepted the Gu, their martial prowess would grow exponentially, marking their complete integration into the Five Venoms Sect.

These Gu always came in pairs, and the sect called them Yin-Yang Twin Gu, managing them with extreme caution.

The advantage of this special Gu was the ability to accelerate internal energy growth, but there was also a severe drawback—no matter how far apart they were, if one Gu died, the other would perish as well. If one suffered pain, the other would experience the same agony, often driving its host into a frenzy.

Because of this, one of the pair was always kept inside the host’s body, while the other remained under the sect leader’s direct supervision.

For Shadow Master’s Yin-Yang Twin Gu to have died meant that Shadow Master himself was dead.

He had gone to Kunlun to take care of Tang Clan’s son-in-law, yet it was now evident that the mission had failed.

Though it was hard to believe, Wi Cheong, still reeling from the revelation, muttered in disbelief.

”Shadow Master... the situation didn’t go as we expected. He went to Kunlun to eliminate Tang Clan’s son-in-law, but... then that must mean... the Kunlun bastards—”

The Master of the Five Venoms Sect, his mood worsening, cut in sharply.

”Report in detail. From the moment you arrived in Qinghai until now.”

”Y-Yes, my lord!”

Sensing the sect leader’s irritation, Wi Cheong immediately prostrated himself and began his report.

”Upon arriving in Qinghai, we joined the warriors of the Five Venoms Sect, who were raising the Venom Blood Hounds. As we waited, word quickly spread, and soon enough, Tang Clan’s son-in-law appeared.

He had been hunting when he was captured. He was bound by the Silk Thread of the Human-Faced Spider and was being dragged along in its wake.”

”Hoo... He was tied to the silk and still managed to follow behind?”

”Yes, my lord. And with a single move, he subdued the Venom Blood Hound and extracted its Neidan.”

”A single move?”

”Yes! He crawled under its belly and took it down in just one strike.”

”We’ve always considered the Venom Blood Hound a monster, yet he defeated it in a single strike?”

The sect leader’s displeasure turned to intrigue.

It was already impressive that he could keep up with the Venom Blood Hound’s speed using a movement technique, but to subdue it so effortlessly?

As the sect leader pondered, Wi Cheong continued.

”Yes, my lord. Tang Clan’s son-in-law subdued the Venom Blood Hound and extracted its Neidan in an instant. That was when we surrounded him.

When we attempted to capture him, he seemed slightly injured from chasing the hound. But the moment he climbed onto Young Lady Cheong-yu’s back, he touched the Mouth Gu and immediately realized that she was being raised as a Grand Venom Master—”

”He figured it out?”

”Yes!”

The Master of the Five Venoms Sect closed his eyes, deep in thought.

After a brief moment, he nodded to himself and murmured.

”So, he possesses not just strength but intelligence as well? No wonder the breakthrough nearly failed.”

”Yes, my lord. At that moment, Shadow Master moved to seize him, pressing the young lady’s pressure points to prevent the breakthrough, but then... suddenly, a massive venomous creature appeared out of nowhere—”

”A massive one?”

”Yes! It looked like a gigantic scorpion, but its entire body was made of stone—”

The sect leader’s eyes widened momentarily before his expression turned indifferent.

Then, in an eerily calm voice, he muttered,

”So... Tang Clan has obtained the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion.”

”Th-That...?”

”Yes. If it was a massive scorpion made of stone, it could only be the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion. So, they’ve even acquired that?”

”What happened next...”

As Wi Cheong continued his report, the Master of the Five Venoms Sect listened in silence.

The moment the report concluded, he snapped his fingers.

Snap!

At his signal, four figures in black robes flew into the hall and knelt before him.

With a detached voice, he ordered,

”Take Cheong-yu and oversee her breakthrough.”

”Yes, my lord!”

The four warriors lifted Oh Cheong-yu and prepared to leave.

Just as they turned to go, the sect leader spoke again.

”The next leader of the Blood Shadow Serpents... is you.”

”Y-Yes, my lord!”

As the black-robed warriors left, the sect leader pressed his hands together and began counting on his fingers.

”The Five Sky Venoms, the Cold Ice Parasite, the Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion, the Azure Rock Venomous Gu... That makes four out of the Five Venoms already gathered.”

Tang Clan’s son-in-law had already secured four of the legendary venoms needed to complete the Five Venoms Returning to the Origin Divine Art.

Lost in thought, the sect leader rolled up his left sleeve, revealing a bracelet with two crimson bells dangling from it.

A sinister smile spread across his lips as he shook the bells.

Jingle.

From deep within the Sect Leader’s Hall, something trembled violently.

Rumble!

The tremor was so intense that the entire hall seemed to shake.

Wi Cheong turned deathly pale and prostrated himself before the sect «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» leader, joined by the three deputy leaders, all of whom had gone completely pale.

”Y-Yes, my lord!?”

As they trembled on the ground, more warriors poured into the training ground, their faces drained of color.

”My lord, you summoned us!?”

”We await your command!”

The Master of the Five Venoms Sect coldly surveyed the warriors now gathered before him.

”Tang Clan has already gathered four of the Five Venoms. We cannot allow them to uncover the final secret of the Five Venoms Art.

We will use the recently subdued Blood Cult to throw the Central Plains into chaos.

And while the world is in disorder... we will find the one we’ve been pursuing.”

Everyone waited in tense silence.

Then, the sect leader spoke the name.

”The Serpent King.”

”Yes, my lord!!”

At his words, the warriors scattered in all directions.