Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

I’ve always loved stories where the mouse defeats the elephant.

It might sound absurd at first, but I’ve always been drawn to the idea that even the smallest creature can overcome the largest if it has enough courage and cunning.

Most people, however, think those kinds of stories are just fables—fabricated to highlight bravery and wit. After all, it’s a mouse versus an elephant.

The elephant, after all, is a beast that people in the animal kingdom call the God-tier Big Bro. A monster capable of flinging lions with its trunk and tossing rhinoceroses like toys.

Even a lion that’s just drunk its fill will quietly step aside when an elephant appears.

On the other hand, a mouse is physically at the very bottom. It wouldn’t even be a contest.

Mice are basically mass-breeding starter feed for other predators. Nothing more than a fundamental resource in the ecosystem.

If we translate that to the world of Murim, the elephant would be like a martial artist in the Flower Realm, and the mouse just an average person. How could the mouse ever win?

It’s a matter of birth—just like the people of the Peng Clan, who are born with massive, powerful frames. Their lineage is different from the root.

But out in the wild, things don’t always go the elephant’s way.

It may not be about mice and elephants directly, but look—badgers, for instance, can fight off tigers to the death with sheer bravery. And tiny mongooses have been known to kill king cobras.

Size or background isn’t always what matters.

Even small creatures have their own survival strategies. Over time, they’ve developed techniques to resist or even defeat their apex predators.

Which is why, even if Hoja is ranked second among the Ten Great Venomous Beasts, claiming victory outright would be foolish.

I turned to Tang Hwa-eun and Gun Hye-rin, who were fending off the charging leader of the Five Venoms Sect, and spoke:

“You might not get it yet, but this is a story where the mouse takes down the elephant. The point is—we’re about to land a solid hit on that bastard’s face.”

And then came the delighted responses through our group chat.

“Now that’s an enticing story.”

“Sounds fun. What’s the plan?”

Gun Hye-rin wasn’t one to be pushed around so easily, but Hoja’s interference had gotten to her. She was itching to strike back.

And Hwa-eun had just been hit herself. In the way of Murim warriors, she was probably desperate to return the favor with a hit of her own.

That’s how this world works.

You take a hit? You give one back. That’s the culture here.

All that “love thy enemy” talk from the church? Completely incompatible with this culture.

Here, a foe beneath the same sky is unforgivable.

Turn the other cheek? No. Make them regret slapping the first one—that’s the real sentiment here.

So the moment I said we could hit back, the elation in their replies made sense.

We were about to beat him senseless.

And if we died trying?

Even better.

Smiling darkly to myself, I responded to their eager question.

“We lure him downstream. Stay just out of reach, make it look like we’re about to get caught. You two can handle that, right?”

“Too easy.”

“So, we just have to act like we’re getting chased while letting him think he’s close to catching us. Got it.”

Realizing what I was saying, Hwa-eun, who had been running toward me, suddenly yelled in panic.

“So-ryong! At least you need to fall back! We’ll hold him off somehow!”

Gun Hye-rin also shouted as she charged again toward Hoja.

“Yeah, do it! Master! Leave this to us—we’ll deal with it!”

Since it was all a bit theatrical, I followed their lead and acted like I was in a drama academy.

“No! I can’t! We must escape together!”

Then, in my heart, I quickly called out to Cheongwol.

“Cheongwol!”

Grrrr! (I... I was waiting! I’m on my way! Hold on!)

Kishit! (Brother! I’m coming! Is it upstream? I’ll head that way!)

Siiiiia! (So-ryong, I’m going! Just hang in there! Hwanji, Hwana, round up the orange snakes! We’re erasing the Five Venoms Sect today!)

Kuuuuu! (Father! I’m coming! Hang on!)

BEEEEEP! (VAAP!)

As soon as I called, their panicked responses poured in—Cheongwol’s voice leading them all.

Even Cheong-yu Sojeo was awake, despite it not being night.

Usually, when something breaks out far away, the rule is silence.

Speaking in a rush could only get in my way, so everyone watches the chat and waits for me to initiate.

It looked like they’d been waiting for my signal since the battle began.

“Were you all worried?”

Grrrr! (Of course! We’re coming—all of us!)

Kishishi! (Brother, just follow the water route, right?)

Sia! (What do you mean ‘worried’? Of course we were! These Five Venoms pests—no, animals! How dare they lay a finger on So-ryong!)

They were all coming. Everyone.

Which was... a problem.

I didn’t need all of them.

Even Cheongwol alone would be enough. The moment she appeared, the Five Venoms Sect would bolt.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion is a nightmare matchup for martial artists.

Just the sight of her would send them fleeing.

It’s simple: martial artists rely on internal energy to produce force that breaks physical limitations—channeling it into weapons or bodies for enhanced damage.

But Cheongwol?

She could nullify that completely.

No matter how hard they hit, it wouldn’t leave a scratch—and she, in turn, had a body that radiated power and a venom that petrifies.

There would be no fight. Just a brutal, one-sided beatdown.

If the Five Venoms Sect knew who she was, they’d run the instant she appeared.

And rightly so.

In my heart, I urgently tried to stop the kids.

“No, don’t come yet. We’re still okay. Even if we don’t catch this bastard now, we have to inflict some serious damage. But if you all show up, they’re definitely going to flee.”

Then came a chorus of distressed voices.

Grrrr! “What are you talking about?! Hwa-eun looks hurt! It’s chaos over here. Just now, Yo-hwa tried to rush out and got grabbed by Jeokwol, and Hwayang tried to swim over secretly and got swept away and caught by Heukjeom!”

Kishit. “Big brother...”

Sia! “So-ryong, things don’t always go according to plan. If something goes wrong, someone could get seriously hurt!”

They were clearly panicking over there too.

The fact that Hwayang, who usually only thinks about food, had tried to swim over genuinely surprised me.

I tried to calm them again.

“It’s really, really okay. I’ll be careful. I will need your help, but if you all come charging in now, they’ll definitely run. So send someone else first.”

Grrrr... “Someone else? Who?”

Sia. “Who exactly?”

Kishit. “Me? Big brother, should I go first?”

BEEP! “BAAAP!”

As they all volunteered at once, I gave a single name.

“Ask Ranghu to come and bring the others.”

Kishit. “Huh?”

Sia. “R-Ranghu?”

Grrrr... “What?!”

“Wait... So-ryong, you mean the Golden-Furred Wasp Queen?”

“Hold on, you said we could land a heavy blow, but aren’t those Golden-Furred Wasp Kings considered mid-grade as a group but low-grade individually...? How are they supposed to take on Hoja?”

Even the kids—and Hwa-eun and Gun Hye-rin, who were clashing with the leader of the Five Venoms Sect—didn’t seem to understand why I was calling in them, of all creatures.

By reputation, the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings were only mid-tier spirit beasts, and individually, they were closer to low-grade.

Meanwhile, the opponent was Hoja, second among the Ten Great Venomous Beasts.

The gap really was like a mouse versus an elephant.

I smiled faintly and told everyone:

“Don’t worry. They’ll win. Definitely.”

***

Once the conversation ended, everyone turned their gaze in the same direction.

Then, among the spirit beasts riding on Geumdo’s back, those who hadn’t been formally registered by So-ryong turned to the ones who had been and asked:

Chii. “What did my little brother So-ryong say? Did he ask us to hurry over?”

“What did our savior say?”

Kyuki. “Is... is So-ryong okay? I-I’m worried about Ranghyang...”

It was Jeokwol, Yeoncheon, and Ranghyang—each voice laced with urgency.

They had just heard that So-ryong’s voice came through earlier.

Everyone seemed to be staring in one direction, assuming the chat had ended.

But none of them were saying anything—they were all just frozen, gazing at the same spot.

The unregistered spirit beasts followed their line of sight and saw what they were looking at: Ranghu, hovering mid-air.

Chii. “Why is no one answering me?! Why are you all just staring at Ranghu? Someone say something! I asked what my little brother said!”

Jeokwol fluttered her wings impatiently, finally snapping Cheongwol out of it.

Grrrr. “He said if we all go, the enemy might run. So... he asked for just one to go. No—one species.”

Chiii. “Ah, I see? Then I’ll hide myself and go!”

If multiple spirit beasts would cause the enemy to flee, Jeokwol logically thought it was her job to go alone.

She hadn’t been able to follow during the rain since it would’ve exposed her trail, but now that it was clear, she could fly unseen and get there quietly.

But Cheongwol didn’t reply to her offer. Instead, she turned again toward that same direction.

Jeokwol, growing agitated, suddenly realized something.

CHIIIII! “Wait—So-ryong’s in danger, why are you stopping mid-sentence like that... D-Don’t tell me...?”

Cheongwol nodded solemnly.

Grrr. “That’s right. We’ll head out later with you, Jeokwol. But for now... So-ryong asked Ranghu to bring the others.”

And then came the eruption of laughter.

With a great flutter of wings, Ranghu burst into haughty laughter.

BWOOOOONG. “Ahahahaha! Of course! In times like this, who else but me? This proves it again—So-ryong likes me best after Hwa-eun!”

“It’s only natural to call the one you trust most in a crisis!”

All around her, the spirit beasts scowled.

Most of them found Ranghu’s personality unbearable.

Unlike Cheong-yu, the Serpent ★ ★ Queen, who was gentle and mild, Ranghu, Queen of the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings, was smug and domineering. Everyone immediately imagined just how unbearable she’d be after this was over.

She constantly bragged about how So-ryong liked her the most after Hwa-eun—even when no one brought it up.

What made it worse was her claim that she and So-ryong had once kissed.

Since humans placed such importance on kissing, she’d go around flaunting how she was “definitely second place,” which only made the others more irritated.

Ignoring everyone’s reactions, Ranghu beat her wings dramatically and called out.

BWOOOOONG. “Children! So-ryong is waiting for me! All of you, gather now!”

BWONG. BWOOOOOONG. BWONG.

BWOOOOONG!

At Ranghu’s command, the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings burst from the ship’s deck.

Since arriving in warm Yunnan, their numbers had grown to over two hundred, and now they all swarmed into the air, forming a golden storm above the boat.

Then, Ranghu turned to face upstream and released a burst of scent.

BWONG! “Let’s go! Let’s save So-ryong, who so desperately needs me!”

The perfume resembled the sweet scent of flowers—but it was a command for an all-out assault.

Like a golden cloud, the wasps surged forward with Ranghu at their head.

Watching this, Hwayang muttered bitterly.

BEEEEP. “Ugh. What an eyesore.”

At first, no one noticed, but once the wasps had all disappeared—

Everyone’s eyes went wide.

S-Sia?! “Hwayang... did you just say something that wasn’t about food?”

Kyut. “It’s the first time I’ve seen Hwayang say anything that wasn’t about meals!”

Realizing her slip, Hwayang’s face twisted in panic, and she quickly blurted out her usual line.

BEEP. “F-Fooood...”