Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

After three days, Hyang finally started to show signs of life.

It had been fasting for three whole days, and just as it was sneaking toward the kitchen, Seon-hwa and I happened to pass by and caught it red-handed.

“Hyang, where exactly were you going?”

With her hands on her hips and a dangerous smile I’d never seen before, Seon-hwa interrogated it.

Squeak... Squeak...Hyang averted its eyes as if nothing had happened, but we weren’t letting it go that easily. “You were heading for the kitchen, weren’t you?”

“Trying to sneak into the kitchen, weren’t you?”

Squeak?!It furiously shook its head, insisting it wasn’t, but come on—it had been starving for three days. Since the saying goes that even a brat gets an extra treat, I explained that the color of the stone would return, then asked Seon-hwa to feed Hyang another Fire Crystal.

As expected, Hyang didn’t look for fire again for about two days.

It really seemed like Fire Crystal contained a more concentrated form of fire energy.

For Hyang, fire must be like plain rice, whereas Fire Crystal must be more like premium beef.

Once consumed, it was enough to keep Hyang full for several days.

It’s like how, when people eat meat, they don’t feel the need to snack much afterward.

“This confirms it.”

“So... what Yang Seong-hu gave me was Fire Crystal? I’ve heard of it before, but I never imagined...”

Hearing that her engagement token was actually Fire Crystal, Seon-hwa’s eyes widened in surprise.

When I casually asked Grandfather about its value, I learned that Fire Crystal was just as rare and expensive as Ice Crystals.

It was no wonder Seon-hwa found it hard to believe that she had received such a valuable gift.

“Yangrang, thank you... for something so precious...”

“No, Seon-hwa. It’s really nothing...”

“Yangrang...”

“Seon-hwa...”

Locking eyes, their gazes grew increasingly intense before, as if they couldn’t hold back any longer, the two of them suddenly clung to each other like a pair of live octopuses.

Their public display of affection once again left the rest of us groaning.

“Seriously, you two, knock it off!”

“At this rate, I should hurry up and find a lover too.”

“First Ji-ryong, now Yang Seong-hu... This is just unfair.”

The voices of frustration came from Kyu-seong, Geom-ryong, and Kwon-ryong, the trio of still-single warriors.

“Well, one of the three of you is still left, so maybe you should hurry up too?”

I glanced at Gungbong, suggesting that one of them should make a move.

But the moment I did, the three warriors froze and immediately spoke in unison, their faces dead serious.

“D-Don’t even say that, So-ryong. You have no idea what you’re suggesting.”

“Seriously, just thinking about Gungbong gives me a headache.”

“So-ryong, if you think of me as your brother, never say something like that again.”

When I had met Gungbong before, she had given off a slightly airheaded vibe.

But apparently, in the world of Murim, she wasn’t considered an ideal match.

‘Maybe in this era, intellectual women like Seon-hwa are more popular? That would explain why she was chosen as one of the Three Blossoms of Murim.’

It seemed like someone with Seon-hwa’s intelligence was the kind of woman people admired in this time period.

Feeling somewhat victorious, I turned my attention to Yang Seong-hu, who was still entangled with Seon-hwa, and asked:

“Yang Seong-hu, would you be able to tell me exactly where you found the Fire Crystal? I feel bad for asking, since it’s where you found a treasure, but I need to see if I can get some for Hyang.”

I gestured toward Hyang as I spoke.

Without hesitation, Yang Seong-hu nodded, and Seon-hwa also smiled.

“Of course! If not for So-ryong, we wouldn’t have found it in the first place.”

“Not only did you save our lives, but you also played the role of the Old Man Under the Moon, bringing us together. You don’t have to ask—we’ll just give it to you.”

I had only asked for the location, but now they were offering to give me their Fire Crystal outright.

It was a generous offer, but the first time Hyang ate it, it lasted for three days. The second time, only two.

Its color had also started to fade a little.

I figured that after a few days, the color would return, but since the Fire Crystal was small, it probably took longer for its energy to regenerate compared to a larger one.

Even with Ice Crystals, which Seol, Bini, and Dongi ate, the surrounding Yin Qi was absorbed differently depending on size.

The bigger the Ice Crystal, the stronger its absorption.

The smaller ones took longer to replenish.

It seemed like Fire Crystal, which had the opposite properties, would also need to be bigger.

The one Seon-hwa had was only about the size of a thumb.

“Thank you, but I think this one might not be enough for Hyang. I’ll probably need a bigger one.”

“In that case, let’s do this, So-ryong. The location is a bit tricky to describe, so I’ll personally guide you there. And if we can’t find a bigger one, we’ll give you this instead.”

That was more than generous.

I nodded in agreement.

Then, Seon-hwa suddenly spoke up.

“Huh? Yangrang, we’re going back there?”

“Yes.”

“It brings back memories... Yangrang, you brought me this red stone, saying it was as red as my lips and... that we should get married...”

“Seon-hwa...”

“Yangrang...”

Mid-sentence, the two once again morphed into a pair of clinging octopuses.

At this point, everyone around them just stared in silent disappointment.

‘Seriously, get a grip already.’

***

When I explained our travel plans to the elders, mentioning that we’d be heading to Yunnan Province, they immediately voiced their concerns.

The initial plan was to stay within Sichuan, but now we were going much farther.

Sichuan was relatively safe, but Yunnan was a different matter entirely—it was practically the front line in the war against the Blood Cult.

Even more concerning was that Tengchong, our destination, was near the border of Yunnan.

“Yunnan? That place is far too dangerous.”

“With the Blood Cult patrolling the region, the only ones we could send with you are the Venom Blood Squad. Sending you off on your own is out of the question.”

“Yes, son-in-law. You can always get food from another kitchen. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until things stabilize in the Central Plains? I can’t help but worry.”

Surprisingly, even Mother-in-law, who usually didn’t meddle in external affairs, chimed in with concern.

Normally, she was all about doting on her ”adorable son-in-law,” but now she was openly objecting.

‘Wait... even Mother-in-law is against it?’

Fortunately, thanks to Elder Sister Seol and the Five Dragons of Wulong, we managed to secure permission.

The elders were reassured because Elder Sister Seol, as the de facto ruler of Beast Palace, wielded considerable influence over the various tribal groups in Yunnan.

‘Well, I guess that’s my hometown now, huh?’

Additionally, the Five Dragons of Wulong were recognized for their skills, even though they were part of the younger generation. Their presence further eased the elders’ worries.

Their reason for coming along was simple—none of them had fully recovered yet, so they planned to use the hot springs as an excuse to rest and recuperate.

“Technically, it’s in Yunnan, but it’s quite far from the Blood Cult’s stronghold in Dai Viet. The regions of Myanmar, Siam, and Nanzhang lie in between, so the Blood Cult wouldn’t be able to cross over so easily. They’d have to cross two borders just to get close.”

“And the nearby tribes are friendly with Beast Palace, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Yes, elders. Besides, we’re going to a hot spring to recover, so there’s really nothing to be concerned about.”

“The Five Dragons of Wulong are all going as well?”

“Yes, we’re planning to take a break at the hot spring, too.”

“Well... if that’s the case...”

My father-in-law exchanged glances with Mother-in-law, reluctantly nodding in agreement.

It seemed we had barely managed to secure permission.

But just as I thought everything was settled, Father-in-law suddenly spoke again.

“All right, everyone else may leave, but you stay behind. We need to talk.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you—my son-in-law.”

‘Wait... did I do something wrong?’

His unexpected request made me nervous.

As everyone else left, I found myself alone with Father-in-law, Grandfather, and Mother-in-law, all three of them looking at me with concerned expressions.

After exchanging silent glances, Father-in-law finally spoke.

“Do you know why we asked you to stay behind?”

“Uh... no? Not really?”

I wasn’t a mind reader—how was I supposed to know?

Blinking in confusion, I saw Father-in-law let out a deep sigh.

“Hwa-eun told us what happened in the Three Gorges.”

“Wait... what?”

I paused, trying to recall what incident he was talking about.

Then it hit me—he was referring to when I had Hyang undergo its final transformation.

My eyes darted around as my mind raced.

‘I might be in trouble for this...’

Diving into a forest fire while airborne had definitely been reckless, even by my standards.

Even I had to admit that I might have pushed the limits a bit too far.

But did Hwa-eun really have to snitch on me?

After all that scolding from Elder Sister Seol, now this?

‘I mean, scolding me is one thing, but did she really have to report me?’

Tensing up, I braced myself for the inevitable lecture.

Instead, Father-in-law stepped forward, placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and gave me a warm smile.

It seemed they had decided not to scold me but to console me instead.

“I understand why you did it, but do you plan on turning Hwa-eun into a widow before you’ve even spent your first night together?”

“W-What?!”

“At the very least, shouldn’t you let her have your first night together?”

All three of them—Father-in-law, Grandfather, and Mother-in-law—smiled mischievously at me.

Had they completely seen through me?

At that moment, I knew I had to be more careful.

‘From now on, I absolutely have to be more cautious.’

***

Fortunately, our journey to Yunnan involved traveling by boat.

We set sail from Shuangliu, near Chengdu, and traveled upstream along the Yangtze River.

Eventually, we would have to disembark at Ninglang, a border town between Sichuan and Yunnan.

But this was still a better alternative than sneaking through the Central Plains under cover of night.

At least in Yunnan’s dense jungles, we wouldn’t have to worry about running into people even if we traveled during the day.

“Damn, Yunnan is hot as hell.”

Returning to Yunnan after so long, the oppressive heat was almost unbearable.

“So-ryong, I’m jealous.”

“I know, right? So unfair.”

The others shot me envious glances as we pushed through the jungle.

Even Elder Sister Seol and Hwa-eun were getting the same looks.

“I’d love to help, but these guys are really picky...”

As I spoke, the three little Ice Beasts—Seol, Bini, and Dongi—perched on our shoulders, letting out their usual cries.

Kkuukku! Kuuu! Kkuyt! It wasn’t that they were fussy, but they absolutely # Nоvеlight # refused to let anyone else get close to them.

The reason for everyone’s jealousy was simple: carrying an Ice Beast on your shoulder meant you could avoid Yunnan’s scorching heat.

Apparently, Seol, Bini, and Dongi had grown since our last visit.

Unlike before, they now functioned as portable air conditioners.

The moment they sat on our shoulders, our body temperature instantly dropped.

Unfortunately, they only tolerated Elder Sister Seol, Hwa-eun, and me.

To everyone else, they were completely off-limits.

As the others continued to complain, Elder Sister Seol chuckled and reassured them.

“Well, we’re almost there. We should reach the village by tonight. It’s the closest settlement to Tengchong Volcano, so starting tomorrow, we’ll also have access to the hot springs.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

“Oh, is this the same village we stayed in last time?”

“If my father introduced you to it, then yes.”

Encouraged by her words, we pressed on.

After a few more hours, a peculiar-looking mountain range appeared in the distance.

Although the area was covered in lush subtropical vegetation, wisps of white steam could be seen rising from the valleys and ridges.

“That’s Tengchong Volcano, So-ryong.”

“Oh... so that’s it?”

I had expected something more dramatic—lava spewing everywhere—but Yunnan’s volcanoes had a unique aesthetic.

It was a blend of mountains, jungle, and natural hot springs, creating an otherworldly atmosphere.

As we arrived at the village, a large crowd suddenly rushed out to greet Elder Sister Seol with cheers.

“Oh! The Lady of Beast Palace has come personally! Now we’re saved!”

“...?”

I had no idea what was going on, but from the way things were unfolding, I could already tell...

‘This feels oddly familiar...’