Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 129: Heavenly Silkworm (Part 3)

There was a brief stir, but as Shin Tu began distributing the gold nuggets, most of the silkworm craftsmen agreed to return home with the gold that Shin Tu had generously provided.

However, a few refused to return — it was Old Man Baek and two artisans.

Having seen Yo-hwa’s thread, they appeared almost enchanted and fervently requested to me, rejecting even the gold.

“You’re saying you want to make silk out of this?”

“Yes! We saw the finest silk in the thread that you showed us, Your Highness!”

“No, the finest silk comes from the Heavenly Silkworm…”

“The Heavenly Silkworm is too tough! It requires considerable skill to weave it into cloth, which is impossible for ordinary folks like us.”

“Moreover, turning it into another garment won’t be an easy task. Besides, the Heavenly Silkworm doesn’t shine as much, so even if we manage to weave it, it would resemble something more like cotton than silk. But…”

I had wondered what it would be like to weave proper fabric from Yo-hwa’s thread, so the trio’s suggestion was certainly appealing.

However, I hesitated to give an answer, feeling I needed to consult the clan elders first.

Then came a determined voice.

“The thread that His Highness showed us stretches smoothly yet is incredibly sturdy, and it shines more beautifully than any thread I’ve ever seen! It can create the finest silk imaginable!”

“Fifty years as a silkworm artisan! If I die without having woven that thread into fabric, I will never be able to rest peacefully, even in the afterlife!”

“That’s right! We don’t even need compensation! Just please, let us weave it for you, Your Highness!”

‘Are they seriously this obsessed with silk? Wait, is that—could it be!? Could it really be?’

As I pondered their fixation on silk, I recognized a similar ardor within myself — the spirit of a fanatic.

If someone showed me an enticing venom, would I not exhibit such enthusiasm?

“Please, let us have a piece of it. No, I’d be willing to be a slave if I could just raise it!”

I pictured myself becoming part of the Tang Clan just to care for venomous creatures.

In my previous life, I would have dashed to acquire new species right when they were introduced, even pleading with shopkeepers just to touch them.

After all, the end goal of every hobby is to create something yourself.

I had aspired to breed various patterns of lizards, so I could empathize with their fervor.

If I was a venom enthusiast, then these three artisans were silk fanatics.

‘All enthusiasts respect and support each other’s passions.’

Recalling the unspoken rules of the hobbyist world, I nodded in understanding.

It was about respecting their preferences.

Thus, I gave them a thumbs up.

“W-what does that mean?”

The three blinked at my thumb.

I winked at them and replied, “It means I respect your preferences — no, your determination.”

“Th-then!?”

“Alright, I’m fine with it! But you must weave the most beautiful and exquisite silk in the world!”

“Of course! Your Highness! I, Baek, will stake my life on crafting the finest masterpiece!”

“Thank you! Your Highness!”

With that, I brought the three silkworm artisans into the clan, and the elders gazed at me in shock.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

“So, So-ryong brought back silkworm artisans?”

“Yes, they wanted to weave silk with Yo-hwa’s thread. W-will that be alright?”

I had brought them back quite boldly, but now faced the elders’ reactions while those outside waited.

Expecting to be turned away with disdain, I was surprised to hear praises instead.

“Oh, really? That kid truly is a blessing, isn’t he?”

“Oh my, silkworm artisans are not easy to find, right?”

“Indeed, my lady. Finding distinguished artisans is quite a rare feat. Well done! I thought my son-in-law only had a knack for catching venomous creatures, but it seems he also excels at bringing valuable talents home!”

Acquiring skilled operators for our silk business was no trivial task, as it was both a lucrative export and a valuable enterprise.

However, I had some slight concerns since Shin Tu had brought home rogue artisans, but when I mentioned this, the elders reassured me that such worries were to be handled by the artisans themselves.

“It’s hard to find craftsmen willing to relocate. If they intend to stay with our Tang Clan, don’t worry about it, my son.”

“Is that so?”

“Then we can negotiate regardless of their affiliations.”

Now that I had permission from the artisans, it was time to introduce them to Yo-hwa.

They would be working closely together, so I wanted to ensure they recognized each other’s faces.

“Just so you don’t panic, the thread(絲) is not derived from silkworms.”

“Eh? Not from silkworms? Then what?”

As we exited the Clan Head Hall and headed towards the well, I informed them that the thread was not obtained from silkworms, causing the three artisans to blink in confusion.

“Yo-hwa!”

-Crash!

Upon shouting this near the well, Yo-hwa leaped right in front of me.

“Eeek!”

“L-Lord!”

“A-A human body… a spider! A-yo-kai!?”

The three craftsmen gasped in shock upon seeing Bin, who was clinging to Yo-hwa’s body.

“Don’t worry, okay? Yo-hwa is a human-faced spider. She can take the form of a human and she understands human language. As long as you don’t threaten her, she won’t harm anyone.

And she can also create as much thread as you need.”

As I finished introducing Yo-hwa, I noticed the three artisans were still in stunned silence.

They seemed to have not yet recovered from the shock, and oddly enough, all their gazes were fixated on one spot.

When I looked where their eyes were glued, it was to the red thread fastened around Yo-hwa’s ankle.

‘What’s up with the thread?’

Suddenly, the gazes shifted between my ankle and Yo-hwa’s, and then the three artisans raised their thumbs at me, exclaiming loudly.

“W-We respect you, Your Highness!”

“Eh?”

I felt a wave of misunderstanding sweep over me as I sensed the mixture of sentiments in their admiration.

‘No, that’s not it! She’s not my girlfriend, she’s a pet!’

*

“Are you really taking them all with you?”

“I have no choice, do I? It’s already happened. Plus, they will prove to be helpful.”

As Shin Tu posed the question, I surveyed my surroundings.

On my shoulders were Seol-i and Bin.

Above my head was Hyang.

On my sides were Yo-hwa and Chao.

Finally, entwined around my neck was Yeon-du.

Having previously separated only to return from a distance, they followed me closely this time.

With Shin Tu’s plan to sneak out entirely derailed, adding Hua Eun, Older Sister Seol, and even Shin Tu’s disciple, Yeongryeon — the group could no longer be considered a small party, so we decided to take it easy with our outing.

After all, we were only using the mountain paths, and they had said it wasn’t too far from here.

Moreover, I briefly considered how to shake them off, but a strong feeling, a reflex honed by Fabre, insisted this time we would need everyone on board.

“Help will be necessary, huh?”

“Yes, in case any dangerous venoms show up, these kids can protect us.”

Two defensive weapons I discovered in the Heavenly Silkworm await — the potent thread and the odorous Osmeterium.

Given that something strong might prey upon the Heavenly Silkworm, it was entirely possible we’d definitely need Chao and Yo-hwa at that moment.

‘What if I stumble upon another one of the Ten Great Venoms?’

If the enemy turned out to be one of the Ten Great Venoms, the best approach would be to fight fire with fire.

If it were one of the Ten Great Venoms, both Chao and Yo-hwa would be indispensable.

After all, having encountered the fearsome Gae-myeong-ho-ja, I was well aware of how both of them barely managed to handle the situation back when they were younger.

With our Tang Clan’s departure, we headed toward a forest located at the boundary between Sichuan and Qinghai.

After pushing through a dense grove of towering trees, a rather peculiar landscape revealed itself.

At the edge of a massive basin were tightly packed trees, but the basin itself was devoid of any vegetation, scattered with red-soiled rocks rising sharply in various sizes.

The stunning sight of the red peaks, towering approximately thirty to forty meters high, reminded me a little of the Stone Forest I had briefly visited in Yunnan, Older Sister Seol’s hometown.

“What a sight! Is this really the place?”

“Indeed, the previous Shin Tu discovered the cocoons and the eggs of the Heavenly Silkworm here.”

“Here, huh… but it seems larger than I imagined.”

“Of course!”

From the vantage of above the basin, my impression revealed an unexpected expanse.

This place, dubbed the Red Rock Forest, seemed to be as large as half of Yeouido from my past life.

There were dozens, no, possibly hundreds of peaks.

Realizing the vastness around me, I felt certain that thinking I could casually drop by was decisively misguided.

Moreover, while I knew Shin Tu had discovered the Heavenly Silkworm here, I was uncertain of its precise location.

There seemed to be an ordinance against passing down such information, along with some sort of unwritten rule about not keeping records.

It felt similar, like a thief not wanting to leave a trace of his exploits. In any case, due to such reasons, information about the exact location was only passed down through folklore, rendering it inaccessible.

Ultimately, it seemed I would have to thoroughly search this area to find food for the Heavenly Silkworm.

“This won’t be easy to find at all.”

I thought that perhaps experts would perceive it differently, but all I could see were the red stone mountains.

If we wanted to find anything here, I had a feeling we would have to scour each of the countless peaks one by one.

*

Clap! Clap!

“What a strange rock!”

We descended into the basin to begin the search and faced the first peak.

Hua Eun picked up a stray stone and tapped it on the rock, causing it to reverberate through the basin.

Indeed, the red peak was strikingly unusual.

It was sizable enough to encircle dozens of people, and its surface was incredibly smooth.

The massive rock appeared to have been melted down by something.

It felt almost like concrete, or perhaps that a red skyscraper was rising in Yeouido?

“Did you discover anything above?”

When I used my lightness skill to ascend the peak and asked Shin Tu, who was surveying the area from the top, he shook his head.

“Nothing noteworthy.”

When I looked down from the basin, the ground appeared barren, void of any plants, filled only with red soil weathered from the rocks.

The view from above didn’t seem to differ significantly.

“So-ryong, I may not know as well as you about the Silkworm or the Venoms, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much for the Heavenly Silkworm to feed on here.”

Even Hua Eun, who usually deferred to me in matters involving venoms, was expressing doubt about what kind of nourishment such a desolate environment could possibly provide.

No matter how much of a spirit creature the Heavenly Silkworm was, it would certainly struggle to lay its eggs without suitable food.

“Still, since Shin Tu says this is the right place, let’s investigate thoroughly.”

“Understood.”

“You all need to help your mom and dad thoroughly check as well. We’re looking for… round red eggs or venoms, perhaps?”

-Keek!

-Gok guku!

-Tsururu!

Upon hearing my instruction, Chao took to the air while Yo-hwa climbed up to the top of the peak.

Yeon-du clung to my head, while Bin and Seol-i kept watch from my shoulders like lookout towers.

-Tsururu!

Following that, Hyang crawled down my body, eager to search herself.

“Be careful, Hyang! Don’t wander too far! Yeon-du, you keep an eye on Hyang. It could be dangerous.”

-Shya!

Just in case, I assigned Yeon-du to follow Hyang, but she adorably brought back a round red rock, crawled onto the pillar, and continued her diligent search.

-Churud?

“No, that’s not it. That’s just a pebble.”

Hyang tilted her head at me while holding a red pebble she found.

This was already the fifth time she brought something like it to show me.

-Tsurut?

Not long later, I heard another prompt from Hyang about whether this was right.

I smiled, assuming she had found another stone, and crouched down to follow the sound.

Beneath my shadow, a bug was wriggling in Hyang’s mouth.

I jumped back in surprise and shouted.

“Whoa, Hyang! Where did you get that!?”

While everyone had found nothing, Hyang suddenly came back with a creature about the size of an egg, flailing helplessly in her jaws.