Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

I stayed at the Tang Clan for about a month, putting Father-in-law and Mother-in-law through Rebirth Transformation and placing all the remaining children inside the mind-space.

I meant Nanghu the Golden-Furred Wasp King’s swarm, the Azure Steel Immortal Ants, and Baekbaek and Sunbaek.

I put in all the children I hadn’t been able to take with me until now and had left at the Tang Clan.

I also loaded up Dokmul-hyang with the necessary grain seeds and a heap of Cheonggang Stone from the mountain where I’d found the Azure Steel Immortal Ants.

After supplying Dokmul-hyang with those things, I put some workers inside for a while to build living quarters.

Since I wouldn’t be able to enter for some time, it would be a place for my wives and children to live.

After that, I went around saying farewell to the clan members.

I didn’t know how much time I had left, but yesterday a branch by the well where Hwa-eun was broke and almost fell on her, so I decided to hurry.

It wasn’t like a mere branch could actually hurt Hwa-eun, but it felt like some kind of sign.

“Gu Pae, from now on I’m leaving the Venom Garden in your hands. Ah, and congratulations on your marriage to Young Lady Na-ok.”

Gu Pae had fallen in love with Na-ok while they were working together in the Venom Garden.

When men and women work in one place, that kind of thing is common.

They were getting married this year, and as a wedding gift, I treated Na-ok’s burn scars.

After putting her to sleep by feeding her Paralysis Powder, I scraped away all the damaged skin and had Moji and Soji regenerate her skin cleanly.

Na-ok, fully recovered, was definitely a beauty.

Gu Pae had become a man who’d scratched off a winning lottery ticket, and at my farewell, he spoke through his tears.

“S-So-ryong... We will never forget this grace. My family will worship you as an Immortal.”

“Ahaha. There’s no need to go that far...”

“No! We will worship you without fail!”

He said they were going to worship me as an Immortal.

His resolve was so firm that I just told him to do as he liked, and after that, I finished saying goodbye to the other family members and elders of the clan.

The final farewell, after all the others, was with Father-in-law and Mother-in-law.

At the entrance to the Clan Head’s Hall, where they had come out to see us off, I bowed deeply.

“Thank you for granting a worthless man like me your precious jewel of a daughter and taking care of me all this time.”

“What nonsense is that? We’re the ones who should be grateful. Do you know how much what you’ve left us will help the clan?”

I’d left the clan with the know-how for raising venomous creatures, and in accordance with Master’s wishes, the Beast-Heart Technique.

I’d asked that it only be passed down to the clan’s direct line.

Father-in-law was thankful for that.

Father-in-law’s and Mother-in-law’s Rebirth Transformation had gone well.

Mother-in-law, now looking like she was in her late twenties, had a face that fairly glowed with vitality, while Father-in-law looked somewhat more gaunt.

It definitely felt like the Mother-in-law Juicer was running at full power.

Thinking of the future, I and Hwa-eun bowed deeply at the entrance to the Clan Head’s Hall, and the two of them embraced us warmly.

“We won’t cry. Our daughter and son-in-law are becoming Immortals and ascending; it’s a joyous occasion. How could we weep?”

“Yes, Son-in-law. Please take good care of Hwa-eun.”

Receiving their send-off, we took to the air and headed next for the Heavenly Demon Cult.

We had to say farewell there too, so we flew there and informed the Great Elder of our plan to ascend.

“A-ascending?”

“Yes.”

“Th-then...”

The Heavenly Demon Cult was a bit flustered when they heard that I and Gun Hye-rin would be ascending, but Gun Hye-rin settled it with a single sentence.

“Everyone go outside right now and fight each other!”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m ascending, so I’ll pick the next Heavenly Demon before I go. From now on, whoever wins is the Heavenly Demon!”

She put into practice exactly what she’d said before.

She would make them fight one another and set the strongest as the next Heavenly Demon.

After a battle where blood flew in all directions, the one who remained standing alone was the Great Elder.

The oldest of them became the next Heavenly Demon.

In the first place, his realm was second only to Gun Hye-rin’s, so maybe it was the obvious outcome.

It seemed Gun Hye-rin had been hoping he would take charge, since he was genuinely devoted to the cult.

However, simply handing it over wouldn’t have looked right, and this way, she could secure a sense of fairness, so she’d chosen this method.

“From now on, you are the Heavenly Demon.”

“Th-thank you.”

Bleeding from his forehead, the new Heavenly Demon spoke, overcome with emotion.

Clapping him on the shoulder, I said,

“If I can ask just one thing, I’d like you not to be too hostile toward the Central Plains martial world and instead try to live peacefully with them. The Martial Alliance has also agreed not to clash with the Heavenly Demon Cult any further.”

“Since it is the will of you two, I will see that it is upheld for the next hundred years without fail.”

“Very well.”

The Heavenly Demon promised to honor our will and keep that promise for the next hundred years.

After finishing our farewells with him, we headed for the imperial palace.

“Heh...”

The Emperor was delighted to see me appear, but when I told him we had to ascend, he lamented deeply.

He’d apparently thought I’d been persuaded and come to tell him I would accept the kingship.

“I am overwhelmed by your imperial grace.”

Feeling guilty for upsetting his expectations, I bowed my head, and the Emperor’s expression turned dissatisfied for a moment before he shook his head.

“You stole my daughter away, and now you’re leaving for a place where I’ll never be able to see you—of course I am overwhelmed. But who could stop you from becoming an Immortal? Ji-ryeon, I hope you will be happy.”

“Your Majesty...”

“No, how can you call me Emperor on our last farewell? You should call me Father.”

“F-Father...”

As Ji-ryeon collapsed in tears, the Emperor came over and embraced her.

“My daughter. Born as the Emperor’s daughter, you’ve been trapped in this stifling palace and never got to spread your wings, did you? Now, just as you wished, # Nоvеlight # soar toward the sky with all your strength.”

“Huhuuk. Father...”

“How can you cry on such a fine day? An Immortal has arisen from the imperial palace; is that not a joyous occasion?”

From what I’d felt until now, the Emperor wasn’t exactly a sage-king.

But he did seem to have been a good father.

As he told Ji-ryeon to call him Father one last time and hugged her, everyone watching was in tears.

We stayed at the imperial palace a few days for his sake and asked the palace to help us further supply Dokmul-hyang with various things.

Then, lastly, we headed again for the Beast Palace.

I had to say goodbye to Sister Seol one last time.

***

“Sister. Sister Seol.”

“Please wait. I’ll go in and see.”

Sister Seol’s quarters in the Beast Palace.

It was the day we were setting out, but no matter how much I called, there was no answer.

A few days ago, when we arrived at the Beast Palace and told them we had to ascend, Sister Seol had burst into tears and shut herself in her room, refusing to come out.

“What!? I’m going too!”

“No, Sister, you have to guard the clan.”

“I don’t care, I’m going too! Gungbong is going, and even your exclusive maid is going! Why can’t I go!”

The fact that we were all going away together was one thing, but the fact that Gungbong and my exclusive maid Mi-rang were going too while she couldn’t made her throw a fit and burst into tears.

Mi-rang, having nowhere to go because she’d originally been a palace maid, had decided to follow us.

We also needed someone to help with and teach things like cooking and laundry, and Mi-rang had said she wanted to come with us.

“So-ryong! Can’t I go with you too?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just spend the rest of your life at the Tang Clan?”

“I’m your and Hwa-eun’s exclusive maid! How could I leave the two of you? So please take me with you. Neither of you knows how to cook or do laundry. What are you going to do? I went in there and came back out, and the three of you were just holding roasted meat in your hands.”

Indeed, Hwa-eun, Gun Hye-rin, and the princess’ weakness was that while they were beautiful and strong, they didn’t know a single one of the skills women of this era were “supposed” to have.

Things like cooking, laundry, and sewing.

So we needed someone who could teach or help with those things.

“S-So-ryong, let’s take Mi-rang.”

“That would be best. She used to be a palace maid, so we get along well.”

“I’ve been learning various things from her.”

So Mi-rang joined Dokmul-hyang.

“Fine. Then come with us.”

“Kyaa! Ascension! If I’m at So-ryong’s side, that makes me at least a fairy, right?”

“W-well...”

As for Gungbong’s joining us, that had been something I hadn’t expected; it got decided in a rather strange way.

Some people from Gungbong’s family had come here, and I’d released him so he could go and be with them, but after going to say goodbye and coming back, he returned to us.

“Why did you come back?”

The day after I’d released him, Gungbong came looking for our quarters again.

I’d thought Gungbong’s family was leaving today and that he’d just go back with them, but he showed up again.

“You told me to go say goodbye, didn’t you?”

“No, I just said I was letting you go.”

When I told him I’d just released him, he made a very flustered face and said,

“I already said my goodbyes.”

“Goodbyes?”

“I told them I was going to become an Immortal too. That I’d been following So-ryong around and... was going to become something like his right arm...”

“Your right arm?”

Who said you could be my right arm?

As I stared at him in disbelief, Gungbong watched my expression and said,

“Right leg? Um... right toe? T-toenail? T-toenail g... grime...”

As he kept shrinking the scope until he was about to say toe-jam, I sighed and said,

“No, just stop and go back.”

He hadn’t been like this when Soto was there, but as soon as I separated Soto, he became completely unable to read the room.

He’d clearly failed to realize I’d actually set him free.

‘Sigh, I really do worry about who in the world is supposed to take care of this guy.’

I was genuinely worried about Gungbong’s future, but then he grabbed hold of my pant leg and pleaded.

“P-please take me with you! I can’t go back like this! If I go back again, everyone will think, ‘There he goes again, of course he did.’ I can’t stand being treated like a half-wit anymore. I’m good at hunting too! Pleeease!”

“No, we’re not going on a tour of the Central Plains here. Once we go, we can’t come back.”

“I know. We have to find a new body for Soto too, and there’s no body as good as mine. Please, I’m begging you. Okay? Pleeease.”

Gungbong was utterly desperate.

From what he said, Gungbong’s family was quite famous for being smart.

He was the odd one out in that family.

Because of that, he hadn’t been treated very well by people around him or by his family since he was little, but once Soto attached to him, he’d been happy at last.

When Soto spoke smartly with his voice, everyone listened to what was said, and he got to puff his chest out—that’s what he said.

Well, since there would be all sorts of arts and spells in the Immortal Realm, I decided I’d just take him and think of it as turning one kid into a proper person.

“All right. Let’s go. I’ve been using you like a subordinate all this time, so I guess I’m responsible for you. Let’s think of it as my karmic debt in the lower world.”

“Kyaruk! Thank you, So-ryong!”

As I called for Sister Seol and thought about Gungbong, one of the maids who couldn’t stand watching anymore went inside, but she soon came back out and shook her head.

“She’s under the blankets and won’t come out.”

“I guess there’s nothing we can do.”

It was time for us to leave.

Looking toward the room, I spoke.

“Sister Seol, this So-ryong... Though we are not bound by blood, I have sincerely respected and followed you. It seems our bond ends here, but I, So-ryong, will never forget the memories I share with you for the rest of my life.”

As I finished my farewell and turned to go, I heard a voice from behind me.

–Scrrr. 『Dad, take me with you!』

Hyang came scurrying out from Sister Seol’s quarters.

“What? Hyang, when did you go to Auntie’s room?”

–Scrt. 『Um. To s-say goodbye.』

Because she was a linked venom, Hyang could come out of Dokmul-hyang without my noticing at any time; she must have come out at night.

She’d been the one who followed Sister Seol the most, so it seemed she’d gone to say her last goodbye.

“I see. Good job. Then go back in now.”

–Tch! 『Okay!』

After putting Hyang back in, Cho and I rose into the air in front of the gathered heroes outside the Beast Palace, and all the people watching us brought their fists together and saluted.

“May fortune smile on the hero of the martial world as he goes forth!”

“May fortune smile on him!”

At the Alliance Leader’s shout, a thunderous shout echoed in response.

***

–Ahh.

At the entrance of an old, crumbling, abandoned Taoist temple, where a fine drizzle was falling.

Into that abandoned mountain temple, half-covered by wild tropical trees, a man stepped.

A head taller than most, long-limbed.

Under the white moonlight that would soon seep in, his well-shaped face would stand out even more clearly.

And on his lips, a smile with something mischievous about it.

That man was me.

I lifted my face to the sky, where the sun had completely set, leaving only storm clouds behind, and murmured softly,

“This really brings back that day.”

The sky reminded me of the day I first met Father-in-law.

The day Father-in-law appeared here to find the inner core of the Azure Half-Ring Millipede, which he needed as medicine for Hwa-eun.

The day my adventure began, when rain had been pouring down just like this.

Because of the rain, the sky was filled with dark clouds, but tonight was the full moon.

I waited until midnight for the rain to stop, but since it didn’t, I finally just headed toward the central clearing of the main hall.

“He said to pour energy into it.”

Standing on the stone engraved with the Taiji diagram in the exact center of the clearing in front of the main hall, I slowly, very slowly drew up my inner energy and poured it down into the ground.

–Wuuung

The Taiji Stone at the center began to glow blue, and in an instant, the whole clearing was dyed with a jade-like radiance.

At the same time, the black clouds above began swirling, opening a hole at the center.

In that instant, a huge full moon appeared, as if someone had drawn back a curtain.

The moon rippled, and as if the very space was melting, a faint wave spread out.

At the same time, the damnable lightning began rumbling in the sky.

–Rumble.

–KWA-ruuum!

Taking one bolt of lightning as the signal, the energy I’d poured into the ground turned into blue light and wrapped around me.

At the same time, my body began to rise slowly.

My body slowly floated upward.

The thunderous energy flowing through my whole body was so hot it felt like it would melt my bones and tear my flesh, but I only laughed.

So this was the very scene of a dragon’s ascension from the legends.

The ancients had probably seen a master at this level ascending from a distance, then distorted the story and spread it.

–Rumble! KWA-ruuum!

Dozens, hundreds of bolts of lightning crashed down toward me.

Receiving all that thunder with my whole body, I was sucked into the rippling gate of moonlight.

Spicy Fabre’s martial-world adventure comes to an end here,

and a new story in the Immortal Realm is about to begin.

Wrapped in blue current, I shouted at the top of my lungs one last time.

“Gyaaaah! Let’s gooo!”

Blue flames burst from my whole body, and I finally vanished into the pillar of light.

The End.

To all the readers who have loved Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang until now, thank you.

Hello, this is Erhut.

First, I’d like to express my thanks to all the readers who stayed with me to the end.

–Bow.

I started writing Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang on September 15, 2023, and brought it to a close on November 20, 2025, so it’s a work I spent 797 days on.

That’s two years and another two months.

When I was in the army, my service was two years and two months, so I guess I wrote this for about the same length of time.

Once again, I want to thank all the readers who stayed with me for over two years.

Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang is a work where I took a structure I thought would be fun even before I started writing and actually tried putting it into words, and it received more love than I expected, which honestly surprised me a bit.

Are there more people with unusual tastes than I thought?

I’m joking. Turns out there are more people who like reptiles and venomous creatures than I imagined.

While writing this work, I ended up raising two crested geckos with my son, and became the owner of two lizards; lizards seem to be pets with a very peculiar charm.

You don’t feel warm body heat from them, and you can’t really “communicate” with them, but if you just feed them properly, they suddenly grow so much that you’re startled every time you look at them—they’re fascinating little guys.

If you get the chance, I recommend you give it a “churai” and try it yourselves, dear readers.

Anyway, I’ve gone on rambling, but the reason I started babbling like this is—

To explain what’s going to happen with my future serialization.

First of all, the short prologue of Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang has finally come to an end.

Now the story in the martial world is over, and the main story in the Immortal Realm will continue.

Its name: Fabre in Immortal Heroes.

At this point, some of you might be going, “Just how greedy for money is this Erhut guy, if he’s going to keep serializing like this?!”

Right?

What I just said was something I threw out there for fun; Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang is complete as of today.

Some readers have said they’re sad and have asked me to serialize the later story as a Part 2, but to briefly explain why I can’t do that—

Back then, when the webtoon came out all of a sudden, I ended up having no choice but to slap a “Part 2 Serialization” label on it, and some readers got incredibly angry.

I think they’d assumed the ending was close, but once they saw the “Part 2” label, they thought I was going to serialize it as long as Part 1.

Back then it was around chapter 800, so they must have thought, “So that’s 1,600 chapters?”

What I found a bit unfair was that it wasn’t like that; because of the webtoon production there were, well... let’s just call them adult circumstances.

I’d only attached the name like that.

So at that time, I resolved never again to do a so-called Part 2 serialization, and that’s why Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang ends cleanly here.

Of course, I imagine there are readers who are curious—what happens to Cho, Hyang, and Bini, whether Ranghu ever finds love, whether So-ryong’s wives have children, and so on.

So instead of a Part 2, I have prepared a small plan in the form of side stories for readers who feel it’s too sad to say goodbye.

In other words—

If you feel, “Fabre will live on forever in my heart,”

then this is a beautiful ending.

If you feel, “I want to know more of what happens afterward,”

then there’s another option: the side stories.

Their name: the side stories,

Fabre’s Immortal-Cultivation Tales.

For readers who are curious about what happens after the main story, I plan to spin out the tale a little further.

I did think about sending him off to Europe or Africa, but then I’d have to consider the culture and such of those regions at the time, and if he goes to Europe it’ll probably turn into a fantasy.

I thought it would be better to aim for the Immortal Heroes side, where I can maintain the wuxia atmosphere, so I chose that direction.

Come to think of it, Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang has always been closer to Immortal Heroes than to pure wuxia anyway.

Things like his mother’s soul appearing, or Blood Demons using some kind of abilities rather than pure martial arts.

You might say, “How is that any different from a Part 2!”

And I suppose that’s understandable, but it is strictly a side story.

Absolutely.

However, before we move on to the side stories, there is one thing I’d like to ask of you.

From here on is the Immortal Cultivation World.

A world that is an Asura field.

A world where people refine others into spirit pills and do not hesitate to do anything in order to become stronger.

They even undergo “double-eyelid surgery” to become stronger, apparently?

I have no idea what that even is, though.

They call them Immortal Heroes newbies.

So I ask that only those readers who are prepared pull down their underwear (I mean this in the sense of getting into a comfortable position to read. I absolutely don’t mean anything else. I personally find it uncomfortable when I can feel the waistband of my underwear on my waist) and step in.

Then I’ll see you again on Monday with the side stories.

With respect,

Erhut.