Fabre in Sacheon's Tang-Chapter 219: Cheongwol (1)

Tsrut!

Upon hearing my answer, Hyang, thrilled, urged me to hurry along.

Hyang had always liked Cheongwol. His head even stretched forward, poking out in front of me in excitement.

The reason I was bringing everyone along today was to familiarize Cheongwol with them.

Normally, I would take one or two of them with me during training so that Cheongwol could get used to them gradually.

But since today was a rest day, I had brought everyone.

When we arrived at the training ground, which was located at the outermost area of Kunlun, the first thing that caught my eye was a white cloth.

Underneath it lay a massive boulder.

The white cloth was draped overhead, partially blocking the sunlight and shielding the area from the wind.

It was Yo-hwa’s handiwork.

And just as I was about to approach, Yo-hwa, the owner of this work, leapt down from somewhere and landed beside me.

Chiiik.

“Yo-hwa, have you been keeping an eye on Cheongwol?”

Kishii!

At my request, Yo-hwa had been watching over Cheongwol.

Of course, Cheongwol didn’t really need protection, but I couldn’t just leave him alone at night when I had promised to stay with him.

Besides, Kunlun’s residences had narrow entrances, making it impossible for Yo-hwa to come inside.

Since Yo-hwa loved the outdoors anyway, he was the perfect companion for Cheongwol.

There was also another reason I had arranged for them to be together.

Although scorpions and spiders seemed like completely different creatures, they were actually very close relatives, which meant they might be able to communicate well.

Scorpions belonged to the class Arachnida, just like spiders.

From a taxonomic perspective, they were practically cousins.

As a token of appreciation, I thoroughly stroked Yo-hwa’s head before moving closer to Cheongwol.

Standing before the spot where his face was likely buried, I called out to him.

“Did you sleep well?”

Kududuk.

The sound that followed wasn’t that of a creature moving but rather the grinding of stone.

A massive claw slowly lowered, revealing what appeared to be a piece of rock shifting.

And then, from within that stony surface, a pair of smooth, gem-like eyes emerged and locked onto me.

Krurr.

The thought that reached me was: “You’re here?”

A short, curt greeting—typical of Cheongwol.

He never showed any wariness toward me, but his communication was always brief.

The Cheongwol I had seen within my heart had reflected his personality and temperament perfectly.

I responded just as briefly.

“Yeah.”

Keeping my smile intact, I answered, and Cheongwol’s gaze shifted toward the creatures behind me.

Then, his massive rocky body shifted slightly, as if he were sighing.

Another thought came through.

Krur.

"It’s going to be noisier than yesterday."

“...Ahaha... I-Is that so?”

I laughed awkwardly at his blunt remark.

And right on cue, Hyang, who had been wrapped around my body, uncoiled and scurried toward Cheongwol.

Tsrurrr! “Big sister, have you been well?”

Hyang immediately began chattering away, bombarding Cheongwol with words.

She went on and on about how Moji and Soji had grown, how they had started emitting light, and all sorts of other things.

Hongdan, who had run over beside her, eagerly chimed in.

Tsrurrr! Tsrurrr!

Kiii!

Cheongwol’s large body shifted again, as if sighing once more.

But he didn’t seem too bothered—he even responded to Hyang and Hongdan’s ramblings with short replies.

Tsrurrr. “...So then, Hwayang did that...”

Krur. “Is that so?”

Tsrut! “I was so upset because of it!”

Khot. “I... see.”

As the conversation continued, Cho, Bini, and the rest began gathering around to listen, forming a small audience.

‘Hyang really is sociable, huh?’

Aside from her excessive attachment to me, she was actually quite a charming daughter.

As I stood there, awkwardly watching the lively conversation, Yo-hwa quietly approached me and nudged me onto his back.

Kishi.

“You want me to sit? Thanks. Like this?”

I sat down in a proper princess riding position, my legs tucked together.

Now seated on Yo-hwa’s soft back, I watched as the chatter between Hyang and Hongdan continued.

After that, I observed as they slid down Cheongwol’s body like a playground slide, and some even clung to Cho and took to the air.

By the time I was done watching all their antics, I felt completely drained.

Watching over children really wasn’t easy.

Just watching them run around had sapped my energy.

Eventually, as Cheongwol had predicted, after making all that noise, the little ones tired themselves out and fell asleep atop his body.

At last, the training ground had quieted down.

Now that the commotion had settled, I decided it was time to test my training progress.

‘I hope I get it right this time...’

Sliding down from Yo-hwa’s back, I slowly crept toward Cheongwol.

A slight tension crept into me.

It was only natural to be nervous—after all, mental combat wasn’t something visible.

There was no clear way to confirm whether my training had been successful or not.

I didn’t know how much longer I had to keep training, and to make matters worse, Cheongwol had been giving me occasional glances as if wondering when I was going to leave.

His body had already fully healed.

There was still some leeway since we’d be leaving together when the time came, but I couldn’t tell when Cheongwol might suddenly ask when I planned to go.

As I slowly ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) approached him and reached out to place my hand on his claw—

A sudden wave of thought washed over me.

Krur... “Hmm...”

I flinched and hesitated, but then another thought followed.

It seemed that since the little ones were asleep, he was speaking to me through our mind link.

And what he said was enough to make me freeze.

It was the question I had been dreading the most.

Krurrrr... “Has your body fully healed?”

“...Oh? Oh... uhh, yeah, I suppose it has...”

Since I couldn’t lie, I simply nodded and answered through my thoughts.

Cheongwol turned his gaze toward the distant desert.

And then, the next question came.

Krut. “I see. So, when are you leaving?”

Of course, now that I had answered that my body was fully recovered, the follow-up question was obvious.

I could only respond with an awkward expression.

“Ah... I guess I’ll have to leave soon...”

Krumm. “I see... Hm?”

Just then, Hyang, who had been sleeping atop Cheongwol’s head, slipped off.

I quickly rushed forward and scooped her up, placing her back onto Cheongwol’s body.

‘I’ve got her.’

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Cheongwol had flinched at the sensation, tilting his body slightly as if to catch Hyang.

But when he saw that I had picked her up, I felt a sense of relief emanate from him.

After that, however, there was a long silence.

It left an awkward air between us.

‘What’s with this atmosphere...’

I broke the silence, directing my words toward Cheongwol.

Now that I had admitted I was leaving soon, he could start asking me about it every day.

I figured it would be better to just be honest and buy myself a little more time.

“Cheongwol, the thing is... I want to continue training for a bit. So what I wanted to say is...”

Krur. “I know.”

“...You know?”

Krurrr. “You’ve been doing it right in front of me every day. It would be strange if I didn’t notice.”

“Oh, right, that makes sense.”

Since I had been training right in front of him every day, it would indeed be odd if he hadn’t figured it out.

Just as I was about to continue explaining, I heard something unexpected—

A low chuckle from Cheongwol.

Krurrr. “Training to take me? You must have been scared.”

I hadn’t even mentioned my goal yet, but Cheongwol already knew my purpose for training.

For a creature that disliked long conversations, this was the most he had ever spoken to me.

I widened my eyes in surprise.

“How... how did you know?”

He let out an amused snort.

Krur. “Your woman said so. That you’ve been training hard to obtain me.”

‘My woman’—he was referring to Seol.

Rather than bothering to argue that she wasn’t my woman, I hurriedly tried to explain myself.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant...”

If he thought I was training just to capture him, that wouldn’t exactly sound good.

But before I could clarify, his next question left me completely stumped.

Krurut. “So... are you saying you don’t want me?”

“Wha—no! Of course, I want you!”

I absolutely, completely, definitely wanted him!

Khot. “Heh.”

Hearing my hurried response, he chuckled.

Well, since it had come to this, I had to push my plan forward.

It didn’t seem like Cheongwol was particularly against the idea, so I might as well ask for more time.

And if I was lucky, I could even succeed today in one go.

They say that if you’re perceptive, you can even get extra meat at a banquet—

And judging from Cheongwol’s mood today, he didn’t seem particularly displeased.

“So... about that. Can I try it again today? The technique where I transfer my energy to you—like last time.”

But before I could finish, Cheongwol’s response cut me off.

Krur. “Don’t.”

His tone was firm.

I was completely caught off guard.

What, did he eat a rock of stubbornness today or something?

He sounded ridiculously resolute.

‘Damn... Did I mess this up?’

If he had figured out that I was training to take him, he might feel like his will was being forcibly influenced.

Naturally, that would make him uncomfortable.

It would be no different from brainwashing.

Of course, he would reject it.

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But then, he said something I hadn’t expected.

Krut. “No need to be disappointed. Living somewhere else doesn’t sound so bad. But... your quiet days are over.”

I processed his words—

And when their meaning fully sank in, my eyes widened.

I stared at him in disbelief, and for the first time, he seemed slightly embarrassed.

“...Huh!?”

Krurrr. “After seeing how hard you worked for so many days, fine. I’ll allow it.”

“You—really!?”

But instead of answering, he simply closed his eyes.

For so long, I had wondered when I would reach a level where I could finally take Cheongwol with me.

But it seemed that my effort and persistence had impressed him.

And now, he had chosen to come with me on his own.

The anxiety that had been gnawing at me—the fear that I might fail—completely disappeared.

A powerful thrill coursed through my entire body.

Now, I had one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts under my command.

A Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Armored Scorpion, a creature capable of withstanding even the qi attacks of martial artists, with a unique Petrifying Poison.

It was officially mine.

“YEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Krur?! “W-what was that?!”

My sudden scream made Cheongwol flinch in shock.

The noise also startled all the other creatures awake, and they quickly perked up, staring at me in confusion.

My little ones seemed utterly bewildered—Dad had just suddenly lost his mind and screamed like a lunatic.

Tsrurrrr?

Kishat?

Kyak kyak?

But I couldn’t stop myself.

I sprinted forward, flung myself at Cheongwol’s claw, and hugged it tightly.

“Thank you, Cheongwol! I’ll treat you like royalty for the rest of my life!”

I swore to myself—

I would polish his shell every day until it gleamed, build him the best home, prepare the best meals—

Everything he could ever need, I would provide.