Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Runaway 2

As I pondered how to mend Hyang-i and Bin-i’s hearts, I decided to wait for Chao’s molting to finish first.

Invertebrates like centipedes and spiders are most vulnerable right after molting, so it was crucial to protect them during this time.

Their new exoskeleton begins weak and soft, filling with body fluid and hardening. If they are crushed, bent, or shocked before fully solidifying, they remain in that state.

This means they would have to live with that malformed condition until their next molt.

If they recover during the next molt, it’s a relief, but there’s a high probability of issues arising then as well.

Parts that are deformed or crumpled can get stuck in the exoskeleton, leading to a high chance of “molt failure,” where they can’t shed their skin properly.

Since an invertebrate’s body is structured like a can, if it’s crumpled, it’s difficult to get the contents out.

Therefore, if they can’t completely shed their skin, the accumulated exoskeleton can slow fluid circulation, leading to decay. They could end up in a similar situation as Seol once was, nearly dying from molt failure, so it was imperative to keep watch.

Moreover, as their bodies grow larger, the chances of molt failure increase.

-Drip.

Although two legs had fallen off, I was a bit worried, but Chao had successfully emerged fully from her shell.

Chao’s legs had indeed regenerated after leaving the transparent shell behind.

Her body felt noticeably larger.

With each heartbeat, her chest bulged, and with every breath, her body swelled rhythmically.

When I lightly stroked her body, the texture felt more like soft and moist rather than the hard and elastic shell of a centipede.

Now, she just needed to dry off.

It seemed I would need to step away for a bit, so I decided to ask Yo-hwa to stay by her side.

Generally, it takes about a day for a regular centipede to molt and dry off. Since Chao is a spirit creature, it might take longer, so I planned to spend the night here.

As I watched Chao begin to dry off in the grass, I asked Yo-hwa.

“Yo-hwa, I’ll go prepare a place to rest, so please keep an eye on Chao for me.”

-Kishishi!

Then, I headed straight to the quarters where Seol and Hua Eun were lying down.

I wanted to inform them that I would be staying the night while also checking in on them.

Also, I planned to share the whereabouts of Hyang-i and Bin-i.

I had slept with Hyang and Bin the night before, and they suddenly disappeared. Hua Eun sent someone in the morning to ask if they were with me.

And if possible, I would discuss how to cheer up the two upset girls.

After all, doesn’t a woman understand another woman’s heart better?

‘But I really don’t know how to mend their upset hearts…’

“Seol, I’m coming in.”

Upon arriving at Seol’s quarters and announcing my presence, a welcoming voice echoed back.

“Yeah, come in, Long.”

“Come in. Wei So-ryong.”

Once I entered Seol’s quarters, I found her and Hua Eun comfortably seated at the table, drinking tea in relaxed clothing.

I had expected them to be resting in bed for a few more days, but apparently, they were already up.

-Quack!

-Coo!

As I approached the table to greet them, Seol and Bin jumped into my arms, clutching the Ice Orbs.

“Oh, hey there, you little ones. Have you been well? You haven’t been a bother while your mom was sick, have you?”

-Coo coo!

The plump little tails of the creatures wagged like puppies.

Seol’s tail had only recovered to about half its previous state, but it was only a matter of time before it returned to normal.

As I tickled the chins of the little ones clinging to my chest, I asked them.

“Are you two doing alright? Already up and about?”

“Yeah, well, it’s an internal injury. I can still hear a ringing in my ears.”

“I’m fine too. It’s not a big injury, just a larger bruise on my wound.”

It seemed they could manage their everyday life with no major issues.

Feeling relieved, I took a seat and informed Hua Eun that Chao had made a full recovery.

Since Hua Eun had also been worried about Chao, she would surely be happy to hear this news.

“I just came back after regenerating the legs that had fallen off Chao.”

“You regenerated them?”

“Yeah, it seems the Flying Heavenly Snake had a bit of Inner Dan left, so I used that to induce a molt. Legs regenerate when they molt.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried when her legs fell off. Honestly, I was more heartbroken to see her hurt than when I got hurt myself. That must be what a mother feels when her child gets hurt, right?”

“I need to become stronger as a mother from now on. If I can’t protect my children, I’ll be an unfit mother.”

Hua Eun briefly expressed her joy at Chao’s recovery before pouring out her distress, determined to strengthen herself as a mother.

It seemed that she felt the need to protect everyone since she was a mother.

“Unfit…?”

“No! A mother must be strong!”

‘I think she’s too caught up in this role-playing thing…’

Initially worried that Hua Eun might be too engrossed in the mother-and-father game, as she followed up with her next words, I thought perhaps immersing herself in the role wasn’t such a bad idea.

Actually, I thought fully investing in it might be a good thing.

“Long also needs to be strong. You’re a father, after all. Next time, we’ll definitely protect the kids together.”

‘Is this not so bad for me?’

So engrossed in the role that I didn’t even notice she called me “Long” instead of “Yang.”

Long is a term similar to “dear” or “honey.”

Honey!

A form of respect for a husband, and hearing it from such a beautiful woman made me instinctively respond, like information encoded in my DNA.

Even if she’s not technically my honey right now, it feels like a reflex to respond.

“Understood. W-Wife.”

Seol looked at me with a bewildered expression from the side.

“Huh?”

*

Upon witnessing Seol’s surprised reaction, I quickly realized what Hua Eun and I had just said and turned beet red.

Hua Eun, still blushing, asked about the whereabouts of Hyang-i and Bin-i.

Since she sent someone to ask this morning after they suddenly disappeared, she was curious if I had found them.

“By the way, what happened to Hyang and Bin? Wei So-ryong. It doesn’t look like you found them since they didn’t come back with you?”

“I found them, actually. They went to see Grandfather.”

“Grandfather? Hyang and Bin are with him?”

I was puzzled as to why they would be with Grandfather.

Scratching my head at Hua Eun’s question, I began to explain.

“Yeah, it seems they were upset with us. They probably figured out that we were lying about the ‘killing intent.’”

“R-Really!?”

Hua Eun’s eyes widened at the realization that Hyang and Bin had uncovered the truth.

I imagined this was what a mother would feel when her children discovered that Santa didn’t exist.

“Yeah. Last night, I tried launching killing intent towards the beasts at the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, and since nothing happened, they realized we had lied.”

“T-That’s bad. The kids must be so upset.”

Upon hearing that the children had realized the killing intent was a lie, both Hua Eun and Seol looked flustered.

“I wonder if there’s some good way to smooth things over? Last time, I promised to find Inner Dan, and that managed to ease their hearts, but this time, I’m at a complete loss for how to do it.”

“Hmmm…”

Hua Eun rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

“Maybe if we leave them alone, they’ll get over it?”

“And if they don’t? Seol?”

“Surely they can’t stay upset forever, right? Right now, they’re probably just a bit hurt.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

While Seol casually suggested that they would get over it if left alone, wouldn’t the hearts of mothers and fathers be so easily mended?

I rephrased my inquiry.

“What does Seol do when you’re upset? Oh, wait, what did Father do to cheer you up when you were upset?”

“Uh? Me? Well, I don’t know… It probably depends on the person. For me, a delicious piece of meat made me feel better…”

“Meat? Food…”

We were exchanging this when we suddenly heard a voice from outside.

“Miss! A guest has arrived!”

“A guest?”

Seol asked the outside, questioning who the guest could be.

It appears there are no visitors for my sick sister.

And then, an unexpected name came from outside.

“Flying Dragon has come to visit.”

“Flying Dragon?”

Seol and Hua Eun exchanged glances, and Seol furrowed her brows slightly.

“It’s rude to visit a woman’s quarters. I should have mentioned this.”

Since Seol wasn’t close with Flying Dragon, it was inappropriate for him to enter her quarters.

Moreover, it could be because the Sword Phoenix had put herself at risk to save Flying Dragon, and she might have thought he still harbored feelings for her.

‘Seriously, does that fool still not realize?’

He seemed to have dragged his ailing body to visit me, and when I thought he might still not notice how Sword Phoenix felt, I heard Flying Dragon’s voice from outside.

“W-Wei So-ryong! Please help me! I came because I heard you were here!”

Hyang and Seol’s gazes turned to me, and at an unexpected plea for help, I blinked.

It sounded like an urgent matter.

I felt I had to go out after all.

As I opened the door and stepped outside, I found Flying Dragon waiting for me with a pale face.

Holding onto my pant leg, Flying Dragon said in a desperate voice.

“I-I need your help! Wei So-ryong!”

He had a crack in his neck after wrapping it with Yo-hwa’s spider web, causing him to appear stiff as he clung to my pant leg.

“Calm down, Flying Dragon. First, I need to know what’s going on…”

Before I could unravel the reason, Flying Dragon looked at me as if he couldn’t believe what was happening.

“W-Wait! Sword Phoenix! Sword Phoenix!”

“Where is Sword Phoenix? Is she in bad shape!?”

I had heard that she had serious injuries, which meant she wasn’t in great condition, but this sudden revelation threw me off balance.

Thinking he might be losing consciousness, I helped him stand.

“If it’s serious, I could ask Mandok God and the healers of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace…”

But then came his unbelievable reply.

“S-Sword Phoenix says she loves me!”

“?”

“She, she said she loves me! What am I supposed to do, Wei So-ryong?!”

What I initially thought was a serious situation turned out to be a ridiculous romantic advice request.

I had to restrain my instinct to kick him for a soccer kick.

‘What should I even say to this fool?’

However, as I pondered what to tell him, the door swung open and Seol stepped out with an excited expression.

“Great timing! Of course, we have to help him!”

“N-No! I was asking Wei So-ryong for help!”

Before he could finish, Seol, still flustered, dragged Flying Dragon inside.

It seemed she was curious about someone else’s love story.

*

“S-So, after I heard that Sword Phoenix woke up, I stopped by her quarters to check on her condition, and I couldn’t help but ask why she took the hit for me.

But Sword Phoenix looked at me with utter disappointment and sighed!”

What I expected to be a fun love story felt like eating mashed sweet potatoes from the start.

My heart felt heavier, and I endured the discomfort to ask again.

“And what did Sword Phoenix say?”

“After taking a deep sigh, she asked me in return.”

“Why does Flying Dragon seem that way?”

“Is it as a friend? Or as a comrade with a secret mission?”

-Swish!

“Ugh! Why are you throwing pillows?!”

I barely asked what I was thinking, and a pillow landed squarely on my forehead.

As Flying Dragon rubbed his sore forehead, Sword Phoenix, ashamed, replied.

“D-Dolt! It’s obvious! I can’t bear to see someone I like die…”

“Like? Who? Sword Phoenix likes me?”

His baffled question elicited an angry outburst from Sword Phoenix.

“Get out! You idiot! I should have just let you die! Ugh…”

“So you were kicked out, huh?”

“Y-Yeah.”

The story took a chilling turn.

Hua Eun and Seol began to curse at Flying Dragon.

“How pathetic. How could our Wei So-ryong be so different? Instead of a pillow, it should have been a Flying Dagger to put him out of his misery.”

“Right, he should have been smeared with poison.”

As they expressed their disdain, I tried to calm down both of them before asking.

I wanted to add my thoughts but held back.

“Can you both please calm down? Let’s wait until the end of the story. So, what exactly do you want help with? You’ve already gotten the confession. Is there really nothing I can do for you?”

Hesitantly, Flying Dragon finally answered.

“I’ve never received such a confession before… What should I do? Help me, Wei So-ryong!”

So, he received a confession but had no clue what to do, it seemed.

I prodded him further.

“Do you like Sword Phoenix though?”

At my question, Flying Dragon, clearly puzzled, took a long moment before shaking his head.

“I-I don’t know.”

The sudden confession had clearly caught him off guard.

I decided to lead him back.

Since we had crossed perilous situations together, it felt wrong to ignore it.

He felt like a brother lost in confusion.

“First, let’s figure that out. Okay?”

“C-Check?”

I led Flying Dragon to the place where Yo-hwa was watching Chao’s shell dry.

I cautiously made a request to Yo-hwa.

“Yo-hwa, I know you might not want to do this, but can you taste a bit of Yang Energy for me? I want to see who this gentleman thinks is the most beautiful woman.”

-Kishit!? Kishishishishi!

She clearly displayed her reluctance, but after a few requests, she reluctantly pressed her mouth against Flying Dragon’s hand.

Slowly, Yo-hwa’s shape shifted from Hua Eun to that of Sword Phoenix.

Perhaps because she falls in love easily, just one confession had already caused her image to change.

“This…”

I explained to the startled Flying Dragon.

“Yo-hwa can transform into the most beautiful woman a man thinks of after tasting their Yang Energy. Since she transformed into Sword Phoenix after tasting yours, we can assume you must like her.”

“N-No way! I-I must be in love with Sword Phoenix!”

The way he was talking made it sound like he was discussing someone else.

I slapped his back.

-Slap!

“Now, a man has received a confession! You need to go respond to it, don’t you?”

Flying Dragon nodded, and as he made his way toward her quarters, I called out after him.

“You’ve been saved three times.”

Flying Dragon nodded and seemed grateful as he sped off.

‘But still, isn’t this the last thing I should be doing right now?’

As Flying Dragon disappeared, I recalled Hyang-i and Bin-i.

I had briefly forgotten about Hyang-i and Bin-i during his intrusion.

“I should check with Grandfather first and see how the kids are doing.”

After giving Yo-hwa a taste of Yang Energy to turn her back to Hua Eun, I thought about visiting Grandfather when something caught my foot.

Looking down, I noticed Chao’s discarded molting shell and recalled what Seol had mentioned.

‘Well, food makes me feel better…’

The shell certainly seemed to have residual energy from the Flying Heavenly Centipede.

I wondered if it might contain some of the energy from the Flying Heavenly Centipede. I realized I could potentially absorb energy by eating it.

That’s because centipedes often eat their shells after molting.

‘Could this be…?