Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 147: Fabre in the Four Heavenly Houses

The blue sky soared high, and the blazing sun beat down.

A refreshing breeze blew in from the bow of the ship.

As the salty sea smell flooded my nostrils, an unwelcome sound pierced my ears.

– Uueeek.

It was the sound of Seol, my older sister, hurling up what she had eaten by the bow.

It had been precarious when we came down the river, but now that we were in the sea, my sister, who had never been on a boat in her life, clearly found it unbearable.

Waves on the river only crashed front and back, but out at sea, they were crashing from all directions.

“Are you okay, Sister Seol?”

“Hey, are you alright?”

“Ugh… I-I’m fine…”

Though she insisted she was fine in response to our worried questions, her pale face said otherwise.

After rinsing her mouth with the water I had brought, Seol muttered irritably.

“If this is just a reward for doing you a favor, then shouldn’t the Princess have gone and caught that fish herself?”

It had been amusing all the way to the Akyang region, but now she was feeling annoyed about suffering like this at sea, questioning why the Princess didn’t catch the fiery fish herself if it was truly a reward.

I scratched my head and answered her.

“I only asked the Princess to tell me where to find it. I’m going to catch it myself.”

“What? Why?!”

Seol looked at me as if she didn’t understand my reasoning.

The fact that this trouble was all because of me seemed to shock her.

But there was a purpose behind my actions.

“Well, just between us, we need to feed it to Yeon-du, right?”

“Right?”

“But it’s not just Yeon-du that requires Inner Dan, is it?”

“Oh, right. Hyang is involved too, isn’t she?”

What we needed wasn’t just one Inner Dan.

Though Hyang had claimed she wouldn’t evolve into her adult form because she loved us, we shouldn’t take her promise to live with Dad for life too seriously.

Typically, when daughters say they want to live with their fathers for life, it just means they haven’t fallen in love yet. In Hyang’s case, it meant there hadn’t been an Inner Dan tempting enough for her yet.

Thus, the Inner Dan we needed from this fiery fish wasn’t just for Yeon-du; if it was also something Hyang desired, trouble could arise.

“Yes, and that’s why I said I’d go catch it myself.”

“Still makes no sense. Can’t you just feed it to one of them? Like, for instance, Hyang?”

Seol suggested I should naturally prioritize Hyang, but then again, when Yeon-du wasn’t part of our family, we might have drawn some lines, but now that she was officially family, we couldn’t discriminate against her, even if Hyang was our daughter.

“Otherwise, Yeon-du would feel hurt. She’s already given up on an Inner Dan once.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s why I said I would check the exact location where the fiery fish is. I want to see if there are other fiery fish, and if there aren’t, I’ll carefully check the surrounding areas for similar spots in the Central Plains.

Generally, spirit venomous creatures only live in places where they find it comfortable.”

Right now, we needed two Inner Dans.

I was incredibly lucky and had already found one Inner Dan, and there was a chance to find another one through the Princess’s introduction, but I had heard from adults that finding just one Inner Dan in a lifetime was tough.

So needing another was a fortune I couldn’t guarantee would come soon.

That’s why I decided it was better to search for places with similar habitats rather than mindlessly heading out.

If, by chance, I caught another fiery fish, and even luckier, if it matched up and gave birth to offspring, then I wouldn’t have to worry about Inner Dan for our spirit venomous creatures we’d be feeding to the children in the future.

“Oh, so that’s what you were thinking, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Ugh, but it’s so hard. Uweeek…”

Just then, Seol couldn’t hold back any longer and leaned over the side of the ship again.

Approaching with a face that couldn’t contain laughter, my father-in-law presented something with his hand full to Seol.

“Here you go, Little One.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s dried ginger. There’s nothing better than ginger when you’re feeling queasy.”

“Thank you, Elder.”

I had heard in my previous life that ginger was good for seasickness, so I thought it was a decent remedy. Meanwhile, my father-in-law looked toward the Central Plains and said.

“By the way, the Princess should be hurrying up…”

“Oh, you’re talking about the Blood Cult business?”

“Right.”

The Princess needed to deliver the message to the royal family quickly so the Martial Forest Alliance could attack the Blood Cult’s stronghold, and that way, we could ensure our Tang Clan, as well as the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, would also be safe.

As I nodded along, I suddenly remembered something I had neglected.

“Wait, didn’t you say to make sure to bring a high-level sound cultivator? We should be cautious; it would be a big deal if there was a Gwaemyeonghoja lurking around. And also, besides those guys… oh!”

I had previously advised to bring a sound cultivator as I wondered if the Gwaemyeonghoja that was called a “witch” by the Five Poisons Sect was in the place where the Martial Forest Alliance would invade.

In my thoughts, I remembered the forces of the Five Poisons Sect known as the Chengso Corps, who had chased us before we faced the Gwaemyeonghoja.

“Oh, darn it, I completely forgot to ask that.

Elder, when we met a woman from the Five Poisons Sect last time, the forces that pursued us from there, the Chengso Corps, seemed completely unhurt by the Cho Poison. Do you have any idea why?”

“Cho Poison?”

“Yes, the ones who called themselves the Chengso Corps. They didn’t suffer any damage despite the Cho Poison being sprayed.”

In the Tang Clan, I had been researching the poisons I had collected, and my father-in-law, as the clan head, was as knowledgeable about poisons as Madok God, my grandfather.

He rubbed his chin, deep in thought before suddenly striking his palm with his fist.

“Ah! Did they apply something to their bodies?”

While they were all clad in leather armor, I couldn’t say for certain if they had done anything.

I shook my head and replied.

“I’m not sure. They were wearing leather armor that covered them completely, but I couldn’t tell what they might have applied.”

“Leather? Did they carry torches?”

“No. Now that I think about it, although it was getting light, it was still dark around, and they weren’t carrying torches.”

As I answered, my father-in-law nodded in understanding.

“We might have to check back in the clan, but it seems those guys applied Chansayu to their leather.”

“Chansayu?”

Chansayu is thick toad oil.

Seeing my puzzled expression, my father-in-law explained.

“Normally, the Earwig and the Toad are the absolute opposites. So, it’s plausible that the ones calling themselves the Chengso Corps applied Chansayu on their bodies to block the Earwig’s poison.

It is known that the Earwig’s poison does not affect toads.”

“Really? So, that means we need to be cautious if our kids encounter Toads and the Chengso Corps?”

‘Wait!? I thought my daughters were invincible!? Just because of some toad…’

I spoke nonchalantly, but deep down, my heart was shaking, realizing that my daughters might be weak against toads.

My father-in-law shook his head at my words.

“Not at all. The concept of absolute opposites means that both can’t coexist.

The Toad, known for devouring anything, could die if it swallowed an Earwig, so both need to be cautious of each other.”

So, in the end, they wouldn’t lose, but they wouldn’t win either.

Better safe than sorry, but I knew I had to keep my daughters vigilant if they ever encountered a Toad.

And just as that conversation with my father-in-law wrapped up…

Seol, munching on the dried ginger, piped up.

“Slurp… So, Ryong, where exactly is that fiery fish?”

“Oh, it’s said to be at the Spirit Peak of Botam Mountain.”

At that, Hua-eun and Seol blinked in surprise, exchanging looks.

“Spirit Peak?”

“Is that so? I’ve heard from Father that Botam Monastery is originally a women-only area, so men are banned, but if absolutely necessary, they allow guests. Yet I’ve heard no one can ascend Spirit Peak unless they’re female. How do you plan to get in? Are you asking the nuns to fetch it for you?”

‘What? This isn’t some martial arts high school for girls…’

When I heard the Princess’s words, I thought only Spirit Peak was off-limits for males, but it turned out the entire Botam itself felt like a martial arts school for girls.

Since I hadn’t yet mentioned that I had to disguise myself as a woman, both my sister and Hua-eun were looking at me with expressions that were clearly asking what my plan was.

“Isn’t that fiery fish only the size of a human head? How on earth will the nuns transport it alive? They’ve probably never moved a living fish. The only ones capable of that might be our Tang Clan. It’s impossible in other places.”

The location of the fiery fish was near Spirit Peak of Botam Mountain.

Sure, Tang Clan has occasionally caught pufferfish for gathering poisons, but there was certainly no way to safely transport it from a place like Botam.

It’s not like we have water carts in this era, and who knows how fish breathe underwater.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Yeah, what’s your plan, So-ryong?”

Turning the question back at me, they insisted on hearing an answer before pushing me to say anything else.

Closing my eyes tightly, I gave my response.

“T-The Princess said I need to dress as a woman… and that I would send a letter to the head nun of Botam…”

“Dress as a woman?”

“Dress as a woman?”

Seol and Hua-eun exchanged looks with wide eyes at the word “woman disguise”.

Their gazes turned on me, sweeping over my entire body.

And then, almost in unison, they exclaimed.

“Now, that sounds like it could be really fun!”

“It sounds fun indeed!”

‘Why!?’

I was absolutely baffled by what they found amusing in all this.

*

After docking at the harbor of the largest island in the Jusan Archipelago, we headed toward a smaller island where Botam Mountain was located by a small rowboat.

“That’s Botanak Mountain over there.”

“Botanak Mountain? You mean Botam Mountain?”

“Botanak Mountain is what it’s called here, blending both names of the two islands.”

An unusual structure where two islands were connected.

The height seemed around three hundred meters, and as we neared the island, the lady steering our boat looked me, Hua-eun, and Seol over again, laughing softly.

“Don’t tell me there’s a man among these three girls. If a man was caught on board, it would cause quite a scene. Haha, but I’m sure you’re all lovely enough for that not to be the case!”

At the boatwoman’s words, Hua-eun and Seol exchanged satisfied glances.

It seemed they were pleased with my appearance, which was the outcome of trying on countless outfits this morning and tying my hair in the style of a woman.

The boatwoman was completely oblivious to my true identity.

‘But why do I feel so gloomy?’

After eating the Royal Jelly from the Golden Hair Bee King last time, my skin had improved, so just changing my clothes and tying my hair made me look like Hua-eun’s younger sister, even in my eyes.

As soon as the boat reached a small dock, two nuns with long hair soared over using Lightness Skill and joined their palms in greeting.

“Guanyin Bodhisattva. Who are these little ones and where have they come from?”

“We are Ah Tang Hua-eun and Ah Tang So-eun from the Four Heavenly Houses. And this is Seol-pyo, the Little One from the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.”

“Oh, sisters from the Tang Clan and a Little One from the Beast Palace? What brings you here?”

Thanks to Hua-eun’s plan of introducing me as her little brother, our ruse was passing smoothly.

‘Should I be happy about this or not?’

While I was wrestling with my identity confusion, Hua-eun handed the letter I received from the Princess to the nun.

“The Princess has sent a letter. Could you pass it along to the head nun?”

“The Princess!?”

At the mention of the Princess’s letter, the two nuns perked up.

Upon Hua-eun’s nod, one of them took the letter and leapt off to Botam Mountain, while the other one instructed us, still on the boat.

“Please wait for a moment. The head nun will be here shortly.”

It wasn’t just that men couldn’t enter; everything felt super strict, almost overly so.

After waiting for around a meal’s worth of time, the earlier nun dashed back and gave us permission to enter.

“Guanyin Bodhisattva, the three of you are permitted to enter. Please disembark and ascend to Botam Mountain. The head nun is waiting for you.”

Thus, arriving at one of the chambers of Botam Monastery.

Inside awaited a stern-looking middle-aged woman with an expression that was anything but pleased.

“Uh, it seems that kid is up to something again…”

Her face showed clear signs of a headache.

She pointed to the letter and said,

“Uh, I suppose we should greet each other first. Amitabha. Sisters and Junior Heroes, I’m a bit flustered over here; can I ask a question first? Is the content of this letter true? Since it mentioned your assistance, then let the Junior Hero share.”

I was about to answer the head nun’s inquiry, but she was looking at Seol instead.

Seol placed a hand on her chest, acting as if to confirm it was her.

The head nun nodded.

“Right, that’s the Junior Hero talking.”

Seol’s expression became one of utter disbelief at the situation.

Seeing her, the head nun offered an apologetic smile.

“Because your legs are showing, I mistook you for a man. Ahaha! So, then, you must be the Junior Hero.”

The head nun’s attention shifted to Hua-eun.

Seol and Hua-eun’s earlier excitement turned into a frown upon realizing my presumed identity.

‘But why does that irritate me too?’

Before I knew it, my mood soured as well.

*

The letter detailed how the Princess planned to enter a marriage disguise and how she would become the successor of the head nun.

It was obvious that this was my first time learning about this plan through her.

Today, I truly realized that even the high-level martial experts could succumb to stress.

When I nodded, the head nun swayed slightly.

“What nonsensical…”

But already, the water had spilled.

Seemingly reconciled, the head nun spoke resignedly.

“Is this… fate?”

Yes, I suppose accepting that may be the best course of action.

Placing a hand on her forehead and taking a moment to calm herself, the head nun finally spoke to us.

“Regardless, I appreciate your help to my disciple. You’ve saved my heir after all, so gratitude is in order. However, I owe you an apology.”

“Why is that?”

I felt a jolt of panic thinking she might be saying we wouldn’t get the fiery fish, but the news that followed was rather bewildering.

I heard that the fiery fish lacked an Inner Dan.

“Jiryeon is incredibly grateful and wishes to pass it on, thinking it might have an Inner Dan, but it turns out she doesn’t have one, being still too immature…”

– Shyaa!?

‘Wait, I even dressed as a woman for this!’

Inside my pocket, Yeon-du’s shocked wails echoed in resonance with my own disbelief.

This was like saying we ordered a bun without red bean paste, or a fish-shaped bun without fish inside!

Despite going through all that trouble of disguising myself as a woman, discovering there was no Inner Dan was utterly shocking, yet I quickly composed myself and replied.

“It’s okay. It’s not due to the Inner Dan. I simply wanted to raise spirit venomous creatures, so I was hoping to receive one.”

Even if it lacks an Inner Dan, checking for its habitat and possibly taking a younger one along could possibly lead to acquiring an Inner Dan. Maybe I could even do a little trade-off…

The head nun nodded at my response.

She then called out to the outside.

“Is that so? Then it must be fine? Since I don’t think you can take it immediately, do please go check it at least. Choa, accompany them to the Moon Reflecting Pond.”

“Understood, Head Nun.”

Thus, we followed the young nun up to the vast Moon Reflecting Pond known as Spirit Peak.

I wasn’t too hopeful, realizing the earlier news of missing an Inner Dan seemed to have dampened Yeon-du’s spirit as well, but when we arrived at the pond, the fiery fish swimming around was enough to completely astonish me.

‘This… this is the fiery fish!?’

This was definitely not just any fiery fish!