Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

On the wide, flat golden rock—

The kind of place snakes would love to sprawl across and bask in the sunlight—

Human Cheongyu and the Golden-Crowned Serpent King Cheongyu, whose upper half was human but whose lower body remained serpent, both looked down at me.

I was a little startled by the appearance of human Cheongyu, but I offered a greeting and approached the rock.

“Uh... Lady Cheongyu, it’s been a while.”

She had greeted me first, and while we weren’t exactly on greeting terms before, at least things hadn’t ended badly between us.

Then Cheongyu, wearing a bright smile unlike any I’d seen from her before, quietly laughed.

“Huhu...”

The Cheongyu I knew only smiled like that right before stabbing someone—or like a deranged lunatic completely out of her mind.

But now, released from brainwashing, her smile was clear. Warm.

It felt like I was seeing her true self for the first time.

If the old Cheongyu was “Cheongyu of Darkness,” this was “Cheongyu of Light.”

“I’m glad... She doesn’t look sad.”

The last image I had of her was her dying so brutally, and that had stuck in my heart ever since.

But seeing her with such a bright face... I felt a little bit relieved.

Just as I was beginning to relax at the sight of human Cheongyu’s smile, the Golden-Crowned Serpent King Cheongyu suddenly leapt down from the rock and flung herself into my arms.

—Sia!

“Whoa!”

She wrapped her arms around my upper body and coiled her lower snake body around my waist, exhaling in relief.

—Siaaa...

We’d gotten close over time, sure, but the intensity of this physical affection surprised me.

Human Cheongyu smiled and explained.

“She was a little startled when you got pulled into the mental realm so suddenly.”

“Ah, yeah... I couldn’t really explain anything, so I just went ahead with it... I’m sorry, Cheongyu. Did I scare you?”

Even though she’s a spirit beast and understands speech well, I hadn’t been able to explain what a mental realm was or how the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Technique worked, so I’d skipped the details.

She must’ve been really startled.

Now that I thought about it, Hwa-eun and Cheongwol had both been pretty shaken up the first time they got pulled into a mental realm.

It wasn’t surprising that Cheongyu would be just as surprised.

“I ended up scaring you. Sorry about that.”

As I apologized, human Cheongyu jumped down from the rock and gently stroked the Golden-Crowned Cheongyu’s head.

“I told you there was nothing to be scared of, didn’t I? It’s because So-ryong connected with you using the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Technique.

He came just like I said he would, right?”

—Sia-ya.

The Golden-Crowned Cheongyu nodded at her words, finally relaxing again.

Then human Cheongyu smiled and said,

“That aside... I said it’s been a while, but... did you know we’ve actually been seeing each other every day?”

“Every day? Oh... I guess we have?”

I assumed she meant she had been watching from inside the Golden-Crowned Cheongyu’s body.

I gave a sheepish laugh and looked toward the Golden-Crowned Cheongyu—both of them nodded at the same time.

—Sia.

“Yes. I’ve been watching you every day from within her.”

“That’s why I really wanted to thank you. I’m so glad I get to say it to you in person like this.

For laying my body to rest in such a peaceful place, and for taking care of her just like you promised. Thank you, truly.”

She bowed her head respectfully as she spoke.

I shook mine.

Anyone would’ve done the same, seeing her clear eyes and knowing her circumstances.

“No need to thank me. I only did what any decent person would’ve done.”

“I figured you’d say that. Honestly, it really feels like I entrusted her to the right person.”

—Sia!

As soon as she said she’d entrusted Cheongyu to me well, the Golden-Crowned Cheongyu rubbed her cheek against mine again.

Guess she liked me too.

With this level of trust, the mental realm link was bound to go well.

As I stroked Cheongyu’s head, human Cheongyu spoke again.

“So-ryong Sohyeop, you drew her into your mental realm with the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Technique because you intend to accept her, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct, Lady Cheongyu. So you know about it?”

“I studied the technique too. I even tried to accept a spirit beast once—Gwaemyeonghoja—but I failed.”

She said she’d tried to nurture one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts, Gwaemyeonghoja—also called Hoja for short—and I perked up at that.

It was the first time I’d heard of someone actually failing to bond with one.

“Hoja... Right, that one. ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Wait, you can fail?”

She nodded like it was obvious.

“Of course. If it’s not one of the Five Poisons, the chances of failure are high. And if the spirit beast is extremely hostile, it’s even worse.

In my case, it was both.

At the Five Poisons Clan, they thought I could just suppress Hoja’s will, but inside the mental realm, it was a completely different story.

In the end, I got kicked out.”

“Ah...”

“The technique was originally made specifically to accept the Five Poisons—centipede, snake, scorpion, gecko, and toad.

You, on the other hand, have the original form of the technique—the Beast Heart Technique—so you can probably handle other beasts too.”

“I see. That’s very helpful to know.”

“I’m glad it helps.”

It might’ve seemed like a casual conversation, but everything she said was golden.

Even if she’d been brainwashed before, she had once been the core of the nun branch of the Five Poisons Clan—the creators of the technique I now used.

Every little detail she gave me was precious information.

It told me the purpose of my martial arts and what to be careful of.

As I mentally filed away her every word, she suddenly made a request.

“Oh, and... Hoja is a poor creature. Please save him if you can.”

“Of course.”

Even if she hadn’t asked, I’d already planned to welcome him with open arms, so I nodded.

And since we’d met face-to-face like this, I figured now was a good time to ask everything I’d been curious about.

Stuff from Hwa-eun’s ancestor’s notes, the way Cheongyu’s personality emerged through the Serpent King... there was a lot I’d wanted to ask.

Now that we were face to face, it was the perfect chance.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Things like the Five Poisons Clan’s location—

And why they were collecting all the Five Poisons in the first place.

“Ah, and I had a lot I wanted to ask...”

As soon as I started to speak, human Cheongyu nodded.

Seemed like she already had a good idea of what I wanted to know, since she’d been listening to our conversations through Cheongyu.

“You’re wondering about the Five Poisons Clan’s location? And why they’re collecting the Five Poisons?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Well, shall we sit down to talk? It’s going to be a long story. Especially after that whole arm-biting thing earlier.”

“Ah, right. Of course.”

The conversation had been flowing naturally when she asked the question first.

Was the reason I brought Golden Crown Snake King Cheongyu into the inner realm because I wanted to accept her?

I nodded, and she led me up the golden rock, sat down with a soft thud on the stepped ledge, and the story began.

“You and the Tang Clan don’t know the true secret behind the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art, do you?”

“The secret?”

“What happens when it reaches its highest stage...”

“Is there some big secret I don’t know about?”

A secret to the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art?

I asked again, curious, but she only smiled.

“Before that, I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“I know you’re not a bad person and that you seem to really like venomous creatures, but could I ask—why are you gathering the Ten Great Venomous Beasts? What do you plan to do with them?”

She must’ve overheard a lot while inside Cheongyu’s body, but it seemed like she hadn’t heard the reason I was gathering the Ten Great Venomous Beasts.

‘Ah, well, the reason is kind of...’

Honestly, it was just because I liked them.

And what did I plan to do with them? Live a happy life? Just enjoy my hobby?

Would that even count as a proper answer? But there was no need to lie or make up something dramatic.

So I scratched my head and gave her the honest truth.

“There’s no grand reason. If I had to give one, it’s just... I like venomous creatures. You said you know I like them, but I probably like them even more than you think. Like, a lot. An absurd amount.”

“An absurd amount?”

“Yes. I love raising them, helping them breed, that kind of thing. Think of it like how normal people keep dogs or cats. You know those folks who treat pets like their own children? It’s kind of like that, only worse. To me, these kids are family. I call them my companion venomous beasts.”

“Companion venomous beasts?”

“It means we stay together for life. Even after I gather them all, I just want to find a place where we can live in peace and be happy until the day I die.”

“I see.”

She stared at me with a blank expression, then suddenly let out a giggle.

“Pfft... hehehe...”

She laughed for a while, covering her mouth, then smiled and said,

“They say that gathering all Ten Great Venomous Beasts could let you unify the martial world or even found a nation... I had a feeling, but wow, that really is your reason. That’s so you, So-ryong.

Now I think I understand why none of your inner realm contracts with the spirit beasts ever failed.”

“I’ve never failed?”

“Yes. Back when I was trying to form contracts myself, I didn’t get it. But inside the Golden Crown Snake King, I could feel it. Just how genuine your feelings are. Just how much you love these creatures—it comes through so clearly.”

“It comes through?”

“Yes, because you’re connected to them in the inner realm. Ah, it’s not a perfect connection, but it seems like it lets them understand human emotions. Whether someone’s lying, whether they’re sincere...

I think it’s because the technique originates from the Beast Heart Art, which values love for animals.”

Hearing that the kids knew my feelings made me feel unexpectedly embarrassed.

She nodded as I blushed.

“That answer’s enough. If—just if—you were hiding something dark in your heart... well, I see now there was nothing to worry about.”

Then came the questions I’d been waiting to ask: the location of the Five Poisons Sect, the Blood Cult, and the mysteries that had been piling up.

“So, the location of the Five Poisons Sect is...”

She began pouring out information.

Could I even remember all of this? I didn’t know, but I tried my best to absorb every word.

Not just the Blood Cult or the Five Poisons Sect, but where their key agents were hiding. Invaluable information.

“They even have people inside the court?”

Apparently, they did—even in the imperial court.

“The Five Poisons Sect has a unique kind of ‘go’—a prosthetic made from venomous creatures that can replace ruined parts of the body. They save people from death, then make them loyal in return.”

The intel was amazing, but it was also overwhelming.

So many names, ranks, and roles.

Even though I’d strengthened my memory through martial training, this was on another level.

I voiced my concern, and she nodded sympathetically.

“Yes, it’s a lot. I’m not sure I can remember everything either.”

“Maybe if we’re lucky...”

“If we’re lucky?”

“You mentioned how the soul bonded to the Golden Crown Snake King was able to push through and appear outside, right?”

“Oh... right.”

That had happened before—Cheongyu’s human soul surfacing through the body of the Golden Crown Snake King.

If that happened again, she could write it down with human hands.

But I couldn’t count on that, so I just stayed in the inner realm as long as I could, memorizing as much as possible.

I even saw flashes of the hippocampus, as if my brain were physically lighting up to help retain it.

And then, just as she was about to reveal the ultimate secret of the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art—

Cheongyu’s human form smiled that dark, dangerous smile I remembered.

“I think I’ll keep that part a secret.”

“...What?”

“You’re kidding. That’s the most important part!”

“If I told you now, it would ruin the fun. But don’t worry—it’s something you’ll like. It’ll help you.”

“Still, that’s no excuse—”

I stared at her with a helpless expression, and she turned to the Golden Crown Snake King version of herself.

“You remember what So-ryong said, right?”

The Golden Crown Snake King Cheongyu slithered over and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

It felt like she was sending me out of the inner realm without telling me the secret.

But even though she kissed my cheek, nothing happened.

Normally, that’s all it took to exit the inner realm.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

I looked at both versions of Cheongyu in confusion.

They looked just as confused.

Thinking maybe I had to do it, I leaned in and kissed Cheongyu’s forehead myself—but again, nothing.

‘What the hell?’

Just then, a voice came from the side.

“...Don’t tell me.”

When I turned, Human Cheongyu had a deeply embarrassed look on her face, her cheeks flushed red.

I didn’t get why until she started fanning herself and walking over to me.

“I can’t believe I count as one of your venomous creatures now...”

“Wait, what?”

Then, in one swift motion, she leaned in and kissed my forehead.

Chok.

And just like that, my vision was washed in golden light, and Cheongyu’s voice echoed in my ears—

“So does this make me a companion venomous beast too...?”