Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 2: The Four Heavenly Houses

“Wow, they weren’t kidding when they said the Central Plains are vast; experiencing it firsthand just proves how huge it really is.”

We traveled by boat from Hainan to Qinzhou port, and then headed towards Nanning. After a journey of nearly a month and a half, we finally arrived in Sichuan.

Despite using lightness skill, it was still a tremendous distance to cover.

It seemed like the clan head was worried about his daughter and was rushing like a madman, leaving me nearly in rags by the time we reached Sichuan.

We couldn’t even stop at an inn halfway through and had to practically sleep on the streets, often being carried by either the deputy commander or the clan head, which left me throwing up everything I ate in the morning.

I suggested we take a break since I was exhausted, but could a newcomer really show signs of fatigue?

I tried to say I was fine, but the Tang Clan members praised my tenacity without getting the hint.

“I’m okay! A man can handle this much!”

“Indeed, you seem to be lacking nothing as our family member. Such tenacity!”

Thus, I arrived at the foot of the mountain looking unkempt and skinny.

We crossed a bridge over a river, finally reaching the foot of the mountain.

Suddenly, there it was, nine gates called the Nine Entrance Gate, along with a plaque hanging above it.

Sichuan Tang Clan.

“Why on earth is there a big gate and plaque at the mountain entrance?”

Startled by the appearance of the Nine Entrance Gate and the plaque, I turned around, and the deputy commander, Uncle Gu Pae, smiled as he explained.

“This is the Sichuan Tang Clan, Junior Hero.”

“This is the Sichuan Tang Clan? But this is the foot of a mountain.”

“This entire mountain is the Sichuan Tang Clan, Junior Hero. That’s why we call it Tang Clan Mountain.”

“Wow!”

Looking closer at the mountain ridges, I noticed the separated chambers and terraced fields dotting the landscape.

It turned out this small village wrapped around the mountain was the mighty Sichuan Tang Clan!

I had thought it was just a trivial clan in some remote corner of Sichuan, but it was far more formidable than I had imagined.

Though they had mentioned the clan was among the Eight Great Families of the Martial Forest during our journey, hearing them speak so grandly about themselves was a tough pill to swallow.

After all, having seen more than my fair share of lunatics online in my past life, I was disinclined to believe anything without proof. But nothing could prepare me for the reality of what I was witnessing.

“This… is truly the Sichuan Tang Clan…”

As I stared in awe at the clan’s grandeur, Uncle Gu Pae extended his hand towards the mountain and said,

“Yes, Junior Hero. This is our Sichuan Tang Clan. Soon, it will also be your Sichuan Tang Clan.”

‘Us and our Sichuan Tang Clan? Well, that’s nice!’

Becoming a part of such a place made me feel a sense of pride swelling in my chest.

With this, I could strut around with some dignity anywhere!

Then, upon our arrival, things started to get lively at the top of the hill, and people began rushing or flying toward the Nine Entrance Gate.

*

When I opened my eyes, I found the face of my tear-stained mother staring back at me.

“Mother… What happened?”

“You’re alive! Hua Eun!”

And there, exhausted and covered in cold sweat, was my grandfather.

“It’s time.”

“Grandfather…”

Having passed beyond the realm of the Ten Poisons, I rushed to ascend to the Hundred Poisons realm, desperately hoping to recover from the Enthralled by the Fire condition.

I thought I had met my end from the poisoning symptoms that came after not surviving that last hurdle…

But instead, I saw my mother and grandfather looking down at me.

“Sniff…”

The momentary joy of being alive faded quickly, and tears poured down Tang Hua Eun’s cheeks.

Recovering from Enthralled by the Fire meant losing all martial arts skills.

Or, it meant becoming a cripple, as far as I could tell.

From what I’d seen, martial artists who went through the Enthralled by the Fire condition typically lived out their lives like that, and I had seen many such cases since childhood.

I had watched martial artists come to the Tang Clan trying to heal their condition with poisons and medicines, but their endings had almost always been the same.

Despair gripped her heart.

She had wanted to show the elders of her clan that she could be acknowledged for her outstanding beauty and, even as a woman, achieve great things in martial arts.

“Sniff… I’m so sorry, Mother.”

As the legitimate wife, her mother had not given birth to any children after having Hua Eun.

But her father, despite family pressure, had not taken a concubine, and her grandfather acknowledged that.

The other branch families and elders disapproved, but…

Thus, Hua Eun wanted to prove her worth.

She wanted to show that she could greatly benefit her clan without being a man.

That was why she aimed to attain the level of a true master beyond excellence at the Hundred Poisons realm.

Yet now she had become a cripple and turned into someone utterly useless, causing endless tears to stream down her face.

At that moment…

Her grandfather firmly grasped her hand.

With his warm voice, he said, “Child. Are you feeling sorry for making your father and grandfather worry? But you’ve attained the Hundred Poisons level you always desired. You may stop crying and rejoice.”

“Wh-What?”

Hua Eun took a moment to absorb her grandfather’s words about having reached the Hundred Poisons level.

At first, she couldn’t comprehend it.

Thus, she turned back and forth to glance at her grandfather and mother, both smiling at her.

As she blinked and processed everything, she began to check her physical condition.

Sure enough, her body felt completely normal, and every finger and toe was moving fine.

If it were true that she had been Enthralled by the Fire, she shouldn’t have been able to move at all or feel a thing.

Even before she could fully process this, Hua Eun quickly closed her eyes and circulated her inner energy.

Smoothly flowing true energy.

And the mighty force felt at her dantian.

After there was no interruption in completing her small cycle of internal energy, she pushed herself further to complete the larger cycle.

When she opened her eyes wide, her grandfather gently patted her head and said,

“Are you satisfied now? You’ve accumulated sufficient power to reach the Thousand Poisons level you’ve long craved. With just a bit of realization, you could ascend to the realm of Thousand Poisons any time now.”

“Wh-How?”

I clearly collapsed from Enthralled by the Fire…

Yet somehow, I had amassed a staggering amount of inner energy.

As she widened her eyes in shock at what it meant to have enough power to reach the Thousand Poisons level, her grandfather chuckled and said,

“Naturally, since you consumed that precious Inner Dan of the Blue-Spotted Centipede.”

“Th- The Blue-Spotted Centipede?”

“Yes, Hua Eun. Your father and I almost died trying to catch it. Sigh, I feel my age more than ever; this long journey took a toll on me.”

According to the Tang Clan’s Record of Venomous Creatures, the Blue-Spotted Centipede mentioned was indeed an enormous centipede.

The kind that lived for centuries and was likely to elevate one’s standing even while suffering from Enthralled by the Fire.

It was then that Hua Eun realized how she had been able to recover fully and gain such incredible inner energy.

“Thank you, Grandfather!”

Jumping up from her lying position, she embraced her grandfather.

He smelled of sweat and had an odd odor from not having bathed, but she didn’t care.

“Haha, does that make you happy?”

“Yes! But what about Father?”

It dawned on her that her father was nowhere to be found.

She had heard he was with her grandfather when they went to catch the Blue-Spotted Centipede.

“Only now do you notice your father’s absence?”

At her grandfather’s words, Hua Eun felt a bit embarrassed.

After checking her pulse and once again confirming her state, her grandfather started to recount the journey to catch the Blue-Spotted Centipede.

“Your father will be a bit late.”

“He will be late? Why didn’t he come back with you?”

“Ah, perhaps he just needs a moment to rest. Should I tell you the story? I went to the Hainan Island in search of the Blue-Spotted Centipede.”

“Y-You went all the way to Hainan Island?”

“Indeed. A few years back, we got information about the Blue-Spotted Centipede and rushed there. Upon arriving, we confirmed the location with the herbalist who claimed to have seen it, yet we failed to find the Blue-Spotted Centipede despite searching for several days. That’s when we encountered a mysterious Junior Hero…”

The tales of the mysterious Junior Hero brought astonishment to every listener.

With time running out to leave Hainan Island, my grandfather and father were practically in flames with anxiety, when, hidden among the mountains to escape the rain, they met a solitary mysterious Junior Hero.

Once that Junior Hero learned of the Tang Clan’s plight, they directed them to a place where the Blue-Spotted Centipede could be found, and miraculously, it did appear from beneath a rock.

“So that Junior Hero is my benefactor?”

Even though it was my grandfather and father who risked their lives to obtain the inner dan, they wouldn’t have caught the Blue-Spotted Centipede if they hadn’t known where to find it.

That Junior Hero was undeniably both a benefactor of the Tang Clan and of Hua Eun herself.

“Yes, Hua Eun. So we’re thinking of inviting that Junior Hero to become a guest of our Tang Clan. Your father is still in Hainan.”

“Grudging Blood and Gracious Stone. The Tang Clan never forgets a favor. If that Junior Hero comes as a guest, I will treat them with utmost respect as my benefactor.”

“Exactly, that’s how it should be. That’s how our Tang Clan daughters are.”

Hua Eun swore to treat the Junior Hero with all the warmth of a true sister since they not only made her dream possible but also saved her life.

*

“Ah…”

The joy of having attained the Hundred Poisons level and been able to reach the Thousand Poisons level came only briefly.

Drenched in the water, Hua Eun appeared lost in thought.

Petals of the wilting flowers floated in the water, and various aromatic herbs dissolved beneath the surface, releasing their fragrance.

It was not even evening; since the day after shaking off the Enthralled by the Fire condition, Hua Eun had been soaking in this scented water several times a day.

For some unknown reason, ever since she regained her senses, a peculiar stench had begun emanating from her body if she didn’t clean herself throughout the day.

It was even worse than sweat—Plus, she wasn’t even sweating!

This strange odor was starting to irk everyone around her as it wafted from every inch of her body.

When she consulted her grandfather and the doctors, they would only tell her that there was nothing physically wrong with her and, unfortunately, the cause of this dilemma remained a mystery.

Moreover, as the stench intensified, she couldn’t help but feel deeply troubled.

Having achieved the Hundred Poisons level, she needed to rapidly progress to the Venomous Power level, yet instead of that, it seemed she was just scrubbing her skin day after day.

And just then, while she was wallowing in distress during her soak, she heard the servant girls outside making a commotion.

“Miss! The Clan Head has arrived! Hurry out!”

“Father is back!?”

After nearly a month since her grandfather’s arrival at the Tang Clan, hearing that her father had finally returned made Hua Eun quickly rinse off and put on her clothes.

Then, using her lightness skill, she raced toward the Tang Clan’s Nine Entrance Gate.

She burst out of the Nine Entrance Gate, her father’s exhausted face came into view.

“Father!”

“Hua Eun! You’re alive!”

“Father! I’m sorry!”

“It’s alright. You’re alive, and that’s what counts. I’m just relieved.”

As she leaped into her father’s embrace, tears brimmed with gratitude and guilt; it was a heartfelt reunion laden with both joy and regret.

Once they finished that emotional moment, her father stepped aside with a smile and said,

“Hua Eun, I have someone to introduce you to.”

Thinking that the person her father would introduce her to was the mysterious Junior Hero her grandfather mentioned, Hua Eun hastily dried her tears and adjusted her posture.

Even a child-sized Junior Hero deserved her respect, and she resolved to greet them sincerely.

And so she composed herself as a scruffy boy appeared hesitantly behind the deputy commander.

He looked thin and pitiful, shuffling nervously forward.

That was when her father’s introduction rang out.

“Oh, So-ryong. This is my daughter, Tang Hua Eun. What was it you called her again? The smell of grass? Fragrance? Ah! That’s right. Grass Fragrance! Yes, this girl is Grass Fragrance.”

“Y-Yes!?”

“Yes!?”

Her father’s peculiar words caused a strange smile to form on his face, while both the Junior Hero and Tang Hua Eun stared at each other in disbelief.