Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 138: At the Four Heavenly Houses

Fabre presented two Silver Silkworms, developed in the abode of the Buddhist Stupa Termites, to the family, and everyone was in awe of their splendid appearance.

“Oooh, so this is the Silver Silkworm?”

“Doesn’t it look like it’s sprinkled with silver dust?”

“It’s like a jewel!”

Indeed, the Silver Silkworms were imagined to glimmer like aluminum metal, but in reality, they sparkled as if coated in shiny silver glitter, reflecting the light like precious gems.

Of course, despite their glittery appearance, they were still larvae, so there was no dust flying around.

It merely looked that way.

To be precise, it felt as if there was some shiny slime, commonly played with by children, inside their somewhat transparent bodies.

As that bodily fluid continued to move, light was reflected, giving an impression of sparkle.

It was also said that they emitted a faint light themselves.

I wondered how such a phenomenon was possible, and it turned out that the sparkle emanating from the Silver Silkworms was due to energy.

Since the Silver Silkworms consumed the Queen Termites, which were packed with a significant amount of foul energy, it was only natural that they would also be imbued with it.

According to Shin Tu, who followed us, curiously enough, the energy contained within the Silver Silkworms coexisted in two forms: dense pure energy and similarly dense foul energy.

At first, I wondered why they described the two alike.

I thought that wouldn’t it just become natural energy if the pure and foul energies mixed?

However, after hearing the explanation, it wasn’t as if they mixed like water. It was more like particles of sand with two distinct types.

Thus, the bright and white energy, which was the pure energy, mixed with the black foul energy, resulting in the Silver Silkworms’ shiny silver color.

“Shin Tu said that pure and foul energies mixed like sand particles to create this appearance.”

When I explained this to the adults, who were amazed by the dazzling sight, their eyes widened.

“What nonsense…”

“Can I take a closer look?”

They nodded at the request to examine them.

The Silver Silkworms were quite docile, after all.

“Of course, Father-in-law.”

It was common knowledge among Martial World practitioners that possessing two types of energy simultaneously is impossible.

Even mentioning that they contained foul energy made Father-in-law and Mandok God Grandfather doubt it as they touched their backs, soon exchanging wide-eyed glances.

Similar energies naturally mix, while opposing energies repel each other. Thus, if similar energies mix, the purity of the energy becomes diluted, and if opposing energies disdain each other, it’s common knowledge that the energy center would explode.

For such a feat to be possible, the two energies within the Heavenly Silkworm would need to be separated and equally divided, yet that wasn’t the case, making it even more miraculous.

“Indeed, it is true!”

“So Shin Tu’s words were correct? What nonsensical situation is this…”

“Heh, so this is the Ten Great Venoms? Is it something that cannot be measured by human standards?”

As Grandfather said, if something defies common sense, that is the essence of the Ten Great Venoms.

Yo-hwa transforms into a human and behaves like a person.

Chao is a centipede, yet it can fly; if the Heavenly Silkworm, part of the Ten Great Venoms, was still just a larva, it should obviously differ in some way.

While I nodded to myself, Mandok God Grandfather’s voice came from beside me.

“By the way, why has it taken so long? Shin Tu followed, but it was delayed too much, and I was worried.”

It was only natural for Grandfather to be concerned.

We had a simple plan to check if the Heavenly Silkworm truly turns into Silver Silkworms after consuming the Queen Termite at a location a little more than two days away from the Tang Clan.

If we had gone according to the initial plan, it would have been a swift affair.

Naturally, he would have expected us to return quickly.

I thought so too.

But the reason it took fifteen days was that it took some time to hatch new ones and turn them into Silver Silkworms.

The last one had consumed the Queen Termite in just one day, but the newly hatched ones, perhaps because they were just born, took five days to devour a single Queen Termite.

Well, aside from that, I spent time on various matters.

“Those little ones clung to the body of the Queen Termite and absorbed her energy for five days?”

“Yes, the larger one that hatched last time absorbed all the energy in a day, but it took about five days for the newly hatched ones to do the same, probably because they were just born.”

“By the way, didn’t you say they wouldn’t hatch due to lack of food? What are you planning for their food? The mushrooms will be cultivated soon, but what about the White Termite? Are you planning to keep going back there?”

As Grandfather mentioned, they hadn’t planned on hatching them at all due to food issues, but the reason for hatching them was for additional research.

What this meant was that if a hypothesis was proven through experimentation, the hypothesis transcended to theory.

A firm conclusion had been reached.

But just because a hypothesis became a theory doesn’t mean the research is complete.

To firmly establish a theory, various studies supporting that theory are necessary.

Thus, since the first one became a Silver Silkworm, rather than returning immediately, I wanted to observe it for a few days.

I needed to confirm its habits and ecology since I also wanted to raise Silver Silkworms.

Then, I discovered an astonishing fact.

What was it? Once they became Silver Silkworms, those that used to eat white ants or mushrooms no longer did so.

The other Ten Great Venoms, Chao and Yo-hwa, only consumed natural energy and Yang Energy, so the change likely stemmed from that, which is why the transformed Silver Silkworms showed no interest in white ants or mushrooms anymore.

After three days of observation without them eating any food, I decided to hatch more.

“Once they become Silver Silkworms, they no longer eat mushrooms or White Termites.”

“Oh! So you had a reason to hatch them after all.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Was there more?

I was a modern person who knew how to efficiently divide my time.

While the Heavenly Silkworms absorbed energy over five days, I seized the opportunity to meticulously study them and discovered various important facts.

First, it was determined that using internal energy to hatch them was not the correct method.

That was a sort of manufactured hatching method.

While sifting through the ant nest, I found several eggshells I hadn’t noticed last time, and after discussing it with the expert Shin Tu, as well as Hua Eun, Older Sister Seol, we concluded that natural hatching probably absorbs energy from the mushrooms over an extensive period.

Additionally, I uncovered a regrettable truth regarding the last one I hatched.

If the food problem was solved, bringing it along should be a given, but the reason I couldn’t bring it was this: it was incredibly ferocious.

Well, however fierce a little creature may be, it’s still just that, but initially, I thought it only emitted a pleasant scent from its horn, only to find it also released foul energy, much like a butterfly larva.

It unleashed a torrent of foul energy, rendering it impossible to carry.

According to Shin Tu, hatching them with my internal energy made them comply well with the person who infused it, but since they had spent a long time in the wild, it felt like they had returned to a more feral state.

The ones I had hatched with my energy were fortunate enough to be very tame because I had raised them on my shoulder right after hatching.

“…This is everything I’ve found out.”

After summarizing the information I had gathered, the two people looked at me with beaming smiles.

Among the two, Mandok God Grandfather, who had been silently watching, turned to Father-in-law and said:

“Clan Head, that.”

“Yes, Father.”

“?”

At Grandfather’s instructive words, Father-in-law retrieved a very exquisite book from a shelf in Clan Head Hall.

He slid the book he had taken into my direction.

“What is this?”

It was a book nearly the same size as the Tang Clan’s Secret Record of Venomous Creatures, which had a cover made of red silk.

Wondering if it was some sort of reference book, I looked at it with sparkling eyes, but Father-in-law gestured and said:

“Take a look. See if it pleases your heart, my son-in-law.”

It felt like a gift for unveiling the secrets of the Silver Silkworms.

With anticipation, I quickly reached for it.

-Flap.

However, even as I unfolded the first page, there was not even a title written in the book.

Now that I recall, the cover had no title either.

Could it possibly be a secret book? I turned numerous pages consecutively, but they bore no writing whatsoever.

‘W-what’s this?’

I looked at Father-in-law with a confused expression, having received an empty book as a gift, and he continued to smile widely.

“How did you find the Tang Clan’s Secret Record of Venomous Creatures from the last time?”

“Yes? Well, it was a good book. Although it was a bit old.”

As I mentioned, it was a good book, but it felt so old that it seemed to require rebinding.

There were many places where illustrations or text had faded.

Hearing my reply, Father-in-law nodded and then turned to Hua Eun, handing her a grinding stone and ink, instructing her:

“Hua Eun, can you grind some ink for me?”

“Yes, Father.”

Soon, the sound of ink grinding filled Clan Head Hall.

Mandok God Grandfather, Mother-in-law, and Father-in-law smiled as they watched Hua Eun grind the ink.

-Swish, swish.

It felt as though there was significant meaning behind this action.

‘What does it mean? Oh!? C-could it be!? Is it a marriage vow!?’

The thought that crossed my mind was of the red book.

And the fact that he asked Hua Eun to grind the ink.

This couldn’t possibly be a marriage vow or something like that.

In the Central Plains, red symbolizes a fortunate color for marriage.

It was said that one cannot conduct a marriage ceremony until they reached adulthood, but since I was achieving results, perhaps they were thinking of legally making us a couple pro forma.

I had no idea what would happen on the first night, though.

‘S-so, from tomorrow on, should I call Hua Eun “my wife”?’

Setting everything else aside, the thought that I would have to call Hua Eun “my wife” from tomorrow made my heart race.

I waited with bated breath when Hua Eun’s voice reached me.

“Everything is ready, Father.”

It seemed that the ink preparation had finished.

Now, would Mandok God Grandfather give some well wishes, and then Father-in-law would randomly scribe something like a marriage vow for me and Hua Eun to sign? I was still pondering when Father-in-law handed me a brush and said:

“Son-in-law, your father and I have been considering this matter deeply, and we believe your wisdom and knowledge surpass that of our Tang Clan’s Secret Record of Venomous Creatures. How about we compile it into written form to be passed down to future generations?”

“Eh!? A book!?”

This wasn’t a marriage vow but a proposal to write and publish.

I mean, since it would be added to the clan’s library, it couldn’t quite be published, but I looked at Hua Eun and then back at the empty book.

The realization that it wasn’t a marriage vow was a suggestion that felt like a sealed deal.

‘No, perhaps it might be a better option than a marriage vow?’

They were suggesting I create my own documentation of the venomous creatures I was learning and discovering.

That Tang Clan’s Secret Record of Venomous Creatures, which I had longed to see, was only briefly skimmed through and seemingly contained relatively short information with illustrations, serving merely as a reference and not something truly helpful.

Thus, the suggestion to write my own was a perfect shot at my preferences.

‘Father-in-law, this formidable man… You’ve hit your mark…’

He seemed to know me too well, from my interests to my preferences.

Surprised, I responded, “Are you serious!?”

“Of course, if that’s what you desire.”

A question I asked while considering twice felt tiring.

“I-I want to!”

With my loud exclamation, the adults nodded.

“Then, write your name on the last page. If there’s a suitable title you have in mind, you can write that down now, but it might require some careful thought.”

The instruction was to write my name and record my findings in the book.

Though they suggested I take my time with the title, I, of course, already had a title in mind.

“Ah, but may I go ahead and write the title now since I’ve thought of one?”

“Really? As expected of you! Then, Hua Eun, dip the brush in the ink and give it to So-ryong.”

At Father-in-law’s request, Hua Eun dipped the brush in ink and handed it to me. I started writing the title I had in mind on the surface of the brilliantly red silk-bound book.

Each letter, carefully crafted.

So very precious.

The title read: Record of Little Dragon’s Venoms.

Since when one thinks of Fabre, it’s all about insects!