Fabre in Sacheon's Tang-Chapter 118: Stolen Goods (6)

Both Shintu and I were paralyzed—a mutual loss.

But this was inside the Sacheon Tang Clan’s territory.

Which meant that, practically speaking, Shintu was already caught.

Just as I was inwardly celebrating, I heard Yeondu’s hissing cry.

—Shaaaa!

Yeondu, seemingly alarmed by my sudden collapse, began licking my face and nudging my cheek with its head.

It must have thought I was injured.

Unfortunately, since my pressure points were sealed, all I could do was roll my eyes to indicate that I was fine.

"I want to tell you not to worry, but I can’t speak right now."

Realizing this, Yeondu stopped fussing over me. Then, as if angry, it started whipping the unconscious woman’s backside with its tail.

After giving her a few good slaps, it slithered away, disappearing toward the Main Hall.

Most likely, it had gone to call for Hua-eun and the others.

I considered sending a mental message to Cho or Hyang, but since Yeondu had already left, help would arrive soon enough.

That gave me time to relax and enjoy my victory.

"Three wishes, huh? What should I ask for?"

But then a thought struck me.

"Wait... isn’t this just a fancy way of making me order a thief to steal something for me?"

That made asking for wishes feel a little awkward.

I was still mulling it over when a faint feminine scent drifted from the person lying on top of me.

"Wait... a woman? Hold on. Wasn’t Shintu supposed to be an old man!?"

A sudden realization hit me.

From what Grandfather Mandok Shingun had told me, the previous Shintu was an old man around his age.

Which meant—who the hell was this woman?

"Could it be disguise techniques?"

My first thought was that this was someone using both Bone-Shrinking Technique and Face-Changing Technique to alter their appearance.

Maybe even using some kind of voice modulation technique to fake the gender swap.

But something wasn’t right.

She had already changed from Seol Noona’s face to her own.

And more importantly, she smelled like a woman.

If she had used a disguise technique, then her real form should have returned the moment she lost consciousness.

But her body remained unchanged.

This woman was definitely a woman.

Realizing this, I urgently sent a mental call to Cho and Hyang.

"Hyang! Cho! Bring Mom or someone—come to the Golden Wasp King’s lair immediately! I’m down!"

I was suddenly on edge.

Something felt off.

"Could this woman be bait?"

What if the real Shintu was still out there?

Even though we were inside the Tang Clan, my location had been left unguarded on purpose.

If Shintu were still lurking, they could take advantage of this moment—like a fisherman catching two clashing clams at once.

"Please don’t let me get stolen! Don’t let me become stolen goods!"

As I waited anxiously, I finally heard approaching footsteps.

Thank god—it was the Tang Clan warriors.

From the front gate, I saw Seol Noona rushing over in a hastily thrown-on night robe.

From the Main Hall, Hua-eun arrived, with Hyang and Yeondu perched on her shoulders.

And behind them, my grandfather, my in-laws, and the clan’s warriors all followed.

—Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Just then, the morning rooster crowed.

Everyone froze for a second and turned toward the sound.

"The rooster crowed!"

"Dawn has come!"

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The deadline in Shintu’s challenge had been before the first rooster’s crow.

Whatever the truth behind this woman’s identity, Shintu was supposed to withdraw now.

Because that was the unspoken rule of the martial world.

"Wait... but if Shintu withdraws, do I still get a reward?"

I had been told that capturing Shintu would grant me three wishes.

But what if Shintu simply left?

Did I get nothing then?

And more importantly—who was this woman!?

***

The woman lay unconscious on the bed, having collapsed after being bitten by Yendu.

My grandfather, who had just released my acupoints, briefly examined her before instructing the others to move her to a guest room rather than treating her as a captured thief. In a way, she was being received as a guest rather than a trespasser.

"But who is that woman? At first, I thought Xintu used Bone Shrinking Art and Reverse Shadow Art, but that wasn’t the case, was it?"

I asked while gazing at her curiously. My grandfather approached the bed and took her wrist in his hand.

Then, with a smile, he turned toward us and held up the woman’s wrist.

"It seems that old Xintu has passed down his title to his disciple. That girl over there is likely the new Xintu."

"That woman is Xintu!?"

"That woman!?"

The woman didn’t seem much older than Hwa-eun, yet my grandfather had just declared her to be the new Xintu.

Hwa-eun and I both stared at him in shock, and my grandfather pointed to her wrist again as he spoke.

"Look closely—don’t you see the Heavenly Silkworm Thread wrapped around her wrist? That’s Xintu’s sacred relic. It means this child is Xintu. I wanted to scold that old man myself, but I suppose settling for his disciple will have to do."

Seeing the thin thread wrapped around her wrist, my grandfather confirmed that the woman was indeed Xintu.

As soon as her identity was revealed, Hwa-eun’s expression turned icy.

"Why would a young woman like Xintu try to steal our So-ryong? It doesn’t seem like it was for venomous creatures... Could she have had some other motive?"

"Another motive?"

"Maybe she was interested in So-ryong?"

"Oh, come on. She’s never even met me before."

I scoffed at Hwa-eun’s suggestion, finding it absurd, but she simply wagged her index finger.

"A woman or a man could see someone from afar and fall for them. Kidnapping them wouldn’t be out of the question. Think about Yang Seong-hu. So-ryong, if Yang Seong-hu had slightly more malicious intentions, wouldn’t he have done something like this?"

She was basically saying that if Yang Seong-hu ever went down the wrong path, he’d be capable of doing the same.

It was a ridiculous idea, but when she mentioned Yang Seong-hu, I found myself nodding unconsciously.

After all, Hwa-eun had also said she’d never actually spoken to Yang Seong-hu before.

‘Wait... now that I think about it, both the only daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan and Xintu seem to admire me? This... doesn’t sound bad at all?’

As I found myself lost in thought, staring at the unconscious woman and wondering if Hwa-eun’s words might actually hold some truth, an annoyed voice suddenly cut in.

"If she really is Xintu, then even better! A so-called hero of the Central Plains dares to press my acupoints and strip me? Just let her wake up! I—I’ll challenge her to a duel!"

The reason Sister Seol was so furious was quite simple.

When we arrived at the training grounds where the Golden Wasp Kings resided, the woman in question had looked exactly like Sister Seol—her face, her body, even her clothes.

At first, I had been confused as to why she was wearing the distinctive Beast Palace attire, but the truth soon became apparent.

Apparently, she had subdued Sister Seol and the Beast Palace warriors who had been traveling with her by striking their acupoints, knocking them unconscious. Then, she had dragged Sister Seol into the bushes and stolen her clothes...

Unlike the women of the Central Plains, who typically wore multiple layers, including undergarments beneath their outerwear, the Beast Palace's attire was more similar to the clothing worn by the ethnic tribes of Yunnan—a short skirt paired with a light top.

This meant that when Sister Seol was stripped, she was left practically bare, aside from a thin undergarment. In other words, she had been left completely exposed in the bushes, which explained her seething rage.

To make matters worse, Xintu had left behind clothes that didn’t even fit properly, adding further insult to injury.

As Hwa-eun and Sister Seol's piercing glares bore down on her, Xintu, still unconscious on the bed, suddenly began to sweat profusely.

It seemed that even in her dreams, she was experiencing some kind of nightmare under the weight of their cold, unforgiving stares.

***

The next day, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Tang Clan.

I was resting after lunch when I heard the sound of the gong at the entrance of the Nine-Tiered Gates.

Hwa-eun and I rushed over, only to find a ragged-looking beggar grinning at us.

It was Geolhwang.

"Have you all been well?"

"Elder Geolhwang!?"

"We greet Elder Geolhwang."

The old man smiling at us was Elder Geolhwang, someone who had helped us once before.

I immediately bowed politely and cautiously asked,

"What brings you to the Tang Clan, Elder? Have the warriors escorting you been negligent in any way?"

"Has anything been lacking, Elder?"

Although Hwa-eun and I phrased it respectfully, the real meaning behind our words was: Are you out of Huangfen Bugs?

As one of the three strongest figures in the martial world, we couldn’t just outright send him bribes, so we had been discreetly providing him with Huangfen Bugs as snacks—something that wasn’t quite a bribe, yet not not a bribe either.

We had received a report that the warriors were regularly delivering them, but we wanted to make sure there weren’t any issues or unmet needs.

Geolhwang let out a hearty laugh and patted my shoulder.

"Heh heh, what nonsense! The warriors are doing an excellent job. And your kindness hasn’t gone unnoticed. Today, I simply came to see you."

"You came to see me?"

I blinked in surprise at his sudden words. Then, a voice rang directly in my ears through Transmitted Sound.

[I heard you captured Xintu’s disciple.]

"Disciple?"

My grandfather had claimed that the woman lying unconscious after Yendu’s bite was the new Xintu, yet Elder Geolhwang had just called her Xintu’s disciple.

According to Hwa-eun, the Beggar’s Union specialized in intelligence gathering.

That meant Elder Geolhwang’s information was likely even more accurate than my grandfather’s.

Which could only mean one thing—this woman was not Xintu herself, but rather Xintu’s disciple.

"Uh... well, that is..."

[Don't respond—just listen. That bastard is hiding nearby.]

"...?"

At the mention of something lurking nearby, I stiffened. Then, the transmitted voice continued.

[I sent Xintu’s disciple in my stead to assist you. But do you know how surprised I was when the techniques flared up before I even gave you a heads-up?

I simply observed since things seemed to be falling into place naturally, but I never expected you to actually capture her. Keh-heh-heh.]

His voice was brimming with excitement.

It turned out that Xintu himself hadn't come—his disciple had. And that was all due to Geolhwang’s scheming.

He was now taking credit, proudly claiming that the disciple’s arrival had been orchestrated by his information manipulation.

[No need to be overly grateful. I wanted to reward you for helping Na-ok anyway. My disciple may be a thief, but a skilled one. Those three gifts will be of great help to you.]

From what he was saying, this was a reward for aiding Na-ok.

Since he had told me to just listen, I saved my thanks for later and decided to escort him inside.

After all, I was grateful for his consideration, and I couldn’t just leave him standing outside.

"Elder Geolhwang, please come inside the clan grounds. Since you've come all this way, you should at least have a meal and take a look around..."

Just as I was about to lead him in, Geolhwang suddenly turned around and shouted.

"What are you doing, you brat?! Are you just going to keep hiding instead of fetching your disciple?"

At his bellow across the river, a sudden breeze blew past.

And then, a sturdy-looking old man appeared behind Geolhwang, scratching his head.

"Nice to meet you, young hero. I’m Xintu’s second disciple, Galjihong."

Wait... this so-called infamous master thief of the martial world—why did he have the physique of a cattle thief?

If I hadn’t known better, I’d have assumed his surname was Peng, not Gal.

The burly old man greeted me, and I responded immediately.

"It is an honor to meet you, Elder Xintu. I am So-ryong."

Wait... so this is the second disciple? But wasn’t he supposed to be a master thief? Did they mean he was literally a cattle thief?!

As soon as I finished my greeting, Geolhwang frowned slightly and asked a question, finding my introduction odd.

I realized that not mentioning my surname must have seemed strange.

"So-ryong? Wasn’t your surname Wei?"

"Ah, I was adopted by the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, so my name changed."

"The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace!?"

Geolhwang’s eyes widened in shock.

Galjihong nudged his side and muttered,

"Brother, you never mentioned anything about this?"

"You fool, how could I have? I only just found out myself. I heard he visited the Southern Barbarians, but I never imagined he got adopted while he was there! Damn, what kind of absurd brat is this? First, they say he’s the successor to the Venom Sovereign, and now he’s the adopted son of the Beast Palace?"

Geolhwang stared at me in disbelief.

I was about to explain that becoming the adopted son of the Beast Palace wasn’t that difficult if one was devoted enough to venomous creatures.

But before I could, a question came from beside me.

"By the way, did Yeongryeon get hurt at all? If that old Venom Sovereign mistook her for me and struck carelessly, that would have been bad. That old man must have improved his martial arts again... I was certain that even if his techniques activated, he wouldn’t get caught so easily. So, Yeongryeon was captured by the Venom Sovereign, right?"

It seemed he thought his disciple had been captured by my grandfather, Venom Sovereign Tang Mu-seong.

I called forth the others in my mind, summoning them.

"Hyang, Seol, Bini, Yendu."

—Tssrrr?

—Kukku?

—Shaaa?

As the named creatures emerged from mine and Hwa-eun’s embrace, their calls echoed in the air.

Galjihong blinked in surprise.

Given his martial prowess, he must have sensed something in my robes.

But seeing them respond to human words had clearly left him astonished.

Then, a shadow loomed overhead as Cho emerged.

I turned to Galjihong and spoke.

"Your disciple was captured by them, Elder."

"...!"

"...!"

The beggar and the thief’s eyes widened in shock.

***

"Hngh... I’m sorry, Master."

"It’s fine. Against those creatures, not getting caught would have been even stranger... To be honest, I doubt even I could guarantee escaping unscathed..."

"Hngh..."

Since Galjihong wanted to check on his disciple first, I had led him to the room where she was being kept.

By the time we arrived, the disciple had already regained consciousness.

After allowing them to have their reunion, I moved to the Clan Leader’s Hall to greet the elders and listen to Galjihong’s explanation of why they had tried to abduct me.

"...So, in short, you wanted to ask for my help."

"That’s right! We need to raise spirit silkworms to harvest their cocoons, but we’re struggling. We need your assistance."

"I see. In other words, you want my help with spirit silkworm cultivation?"

"Exactly! And since you captured Yeongryeon, I’ll grant you three wishes—so don’t worry about repayment. Just help me with this task, and I’ll reward you separately!"

Spirit silkworms, huh...

From his explanation, I understood the situation.

They needed to raise a special breed of silkworm, but they were struggling due to a lack of knowledge.

I nodded thoughtfully and asked,

"You said there aren’t many eggs left?"

"That’s right. Only three remain."

"Oh, and about those three wishes for capturing your disciple—are there any restrictions?"

"Of course not! As long as it doesn’t go against my principles, I’ll steal anything you desire and even erase any life you want gone! Just say the word!"

Galjihong pounded his chest, sounding as if he was ready to pluck the stars and moon from the sky for me.

Smiling, I looked at him and said,

"Then... hand over those eggs—I mean, would you be willing to give them to me?"

"Hm? You want to see them first? So, you’ll help?"

He beamed in excitement, but I immediately responded,

"Of course, I’ll make sure you get your cocoons. But my first wish is those eggs."

"...?"

Why is he looking at me like that? The eggs are confiscated, obviously.

Moths are venomous creatures too.

So, naturally, the first step was seizing them.

He did say he’d grant any wish, after all.