Fabre in Sacheon's Tang-Chapter 62: Spiderweb (5)

The elderly man began his farewell to Yo-hwa, entrusting the spider to my care. With trembling hands, he gently stroked the spider’s head and spoke.

"Yo-hwa, you must follow this young master now. Your father is old and can no longer care for you. Do you understand? Cough! Cough! If you cannot resist your hunger and start taking yang energy from others, people might harm you. Please, go with him and live a long, peaceful life."

Tears began to well up in the old man’s eyes, and to my amazement, tears also started falling from the spider’s pedipalps, which still mimicked Namgung Seol’s face. It was astonishing to see not only that the mimicry extended to expressing tears but also that it could convey emotions like sadness.

This touching display made it clear how much care the old man had poured into raising Yo-hwa. For an animal to respond so deeply to a human’s emotions meant there had been a strong bond forged during years of interaction. Intelligence and emotional connection in creatures like Yo-hwa often reflected the time spent with their owners.

‘He must’ve practically raised it like his own daughter.’

Seeing this made me a bit greedy. A creature this rare and well-trained was invaluable. I hesitated before asking the old man a cautious question.

"Sir, would you consider coming with us to Sichuan? Rather than parting ways here, why not join us and continue caring for Yo-hwa?"

Despite his age, anyone who had raised Yo-hwa for twenty years surely had a wealth of knowledge I could learn from. However, the old man smiled through his tears and shook his head.

"Young master, I’m grateful for the offer, but I’m too old to endure such a long journey. Besides, my family’s graves are here. How could I leave this place? Cough!"

It was true; the man looked frail and sickly, and traveling such a long distance by boat would likely be too much for him. Moreover, with his family buried here, it was only natural that he would want to stay.

Though disappointed, I nodded in understanding and decided to ask him something else. "Then, could you share some of your knowledge about raising Yo-hwa? This is the first time I’ve encountered a creature like this."

The old man wiped his tears and nodded enthusiastically. "Ask me anything. I’ll share everything I know."

Gaining insights from someone with such extensive experience was like receiving a holy text on the subject. I decided to start with the question that had been bothering me the most.

"Ahem. What I’m most curious about is... how exactly do you provide yang energy?"

Feeding was, of course, the most critical aspect, and my curiosity about how to sustain Yo-hwa had been gnawing at me. His response, however, left me stunned.

"You just let it suck on you."

"S-suck on me!?"

The bluntness of his answer caught me off guard, and I reflexively flinched. The old man held up a finger to clarify.

"Yes, let it suck on your finger. Or, let it lick your palm. Any contact with your skin will do. Sharing a bed also seems to transfer yang energy, though." He tilted his head at me. "Why are you so startled? Are you not ready to touch it yet?"

‘Oh... of course. He meant fingers or hands.’ Embarrassed by my overreaction, I quickly composed myself and answered, "No, I can handle it."

I crouched beside the cage, cautiously reaching out to stroke Yo-hwa’s real head. The old man watched me with a satisfied smile.

"I knew it. You have the right instincts," he said approvingly.

"Then, which mouth does it use? Is it the real one?" I asked, pointing toward the spider’s true head.

The old man shook his head, then demonstrated by inserting his finger into the mouth-like structure on Yo-hwa’s pedipalps—the ones mimicking Namgung Seol’s face.

"No, not the real one. That mouth is used for paralyzing prey. It takes yang energy through this part."

It made sense. Pedipalps often served various functions, from hunting to mating, so using them to absorb energy wasn’t far-fetched.

"Watch closely," the old man said. "When you insert your finger here, it will quickly transform into the image of the person the donor finds most beautiful."

As he explained, the pedipalps began to shimmer, and the mimicry shifted, rippling down from the top of Yo-hwa’s head.

-Srrrkk.

The new appearance was that of a middle-aged woman with a simple, rural charm—not someone you’d typically call beautiful. Judging by the old man’s wistful expression, I guessed it was the face of someone he held dear.

"Yes," the old man said, tears in his eyes. "It’s my late wife. I wanted to see her face once more before I died, and Yo-hwa has granted me that. Cough! Cough!"

I realized the old man must have poured the last of his strength into providing Yo-hwa with yang energy, even at the cost of his own health. As his coughing grew more severe, beads of sweat appeared on his brow.

"Are you all right!?" I asked, alarmed.

The old man gave me a weak but reassuring smile. "Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I only gave a small amount. Why don’t you try it yourself? Cough!"

Following his suggestion, I hesitantly inserted my finger into the pedipalps. A faint sensation, like the drain of energy after a sprint, spread through me. Then, Yo-hwa’s form began to change again.

-Srrrkk.

But this time, the transformation didn’t produce a human face. Instead, Yo-hwa took on the appearance of a red, faceless mannequin.

"What is this!?" the old man exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock.

Even Yo-hwa’s real eyes reflected our surprised faces as we stared at this strange result.

"How could this happen? It’s supposed to mimic the most beautiful person you imagine!" the old man muttered, clearly baffled.

I didn’t know what to make of it either. It felt less like Yo-hwa was transforming and more like the mimicry was breaking down. This was apparently a form it had shown only once before, according to the old man.

Behind me, I could feel the piercing stares of the Venom Blood Squad warriors. To them, Namgung Seol’s beauty was unrivaled in this region, and they likely assumed the same would apply to me. The fact that Yo-hwa didn’t transform into her image would surely be considered treasonous in their eyes.

‘It’s probably because I haven’t truly experienced my sister’s presence firsthand,’ I thought, trying to rationalize the anomaly. But if my sister found out about this...

Desperate to save face, I hastily offered an explanation. "It must be because it’s still paralyzed and can’t transform properly!"

"Ah, that might be it," the old man agreed, coughing weakly.

After asking the old man a few more questions and arranging for Gu Pae to escort him home, I sprinted straight to my sister.

There was only one solution: I needed to internalize her presence in a way that left no doubt. Whether through proximity or interaction, I had to embed her image in my mind. It was the only way to ensure Yo-hwa would transform correctly next time.

Finding her in the Namgung Clan’s pavilion, I grabbed her wrist as she conversed with Namgung Seol and blurted out, "Sister, I need to talk to you. It’s urgent."

"So-So-ryong, wh-what’s going on?"

"Oh my!"

Both women blushed at my sudden, wild actions. My sister looked startled, but she didn’t pull away. Reluctantly, she allowed me to lead her by the wrist to a secluded patch of grass within the Namgung Clan’s estate.

When we stopped and I confirmed that no one else was around, my sister, her expression tense, asked nervously, "So-ryong, w-what is this about?"

I lowered my voice, speaking carefully. "I hope you won’t misunderstand me. Actually, even if you do, it might not be so bad."

"What?" she asked, her confusion evident.

Well, since things had come to this, maybe it was better to let her misunderstand. "Lady Namgung, this may sound sudden, but... would it be all right if I held you for a moment?"

"W-what!?" My sister was visibly shocked, her face turning bright red.

But this was an emergency. Yo-hwa needed to transform into her likeness for both of our sakes. Staring at her intently, I watched as her fingers twitched nervously, and, in a voice as faint as an ant’s whisper, she replied, "Ah, so you’ve figured it out..."

Her words made no sense, and as I blinked in confusion, she quickly began explaining, "I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure! I only read about it in books, so I didn’t know if it was accurate. I was planning to confirm it with my grandfather or father once we returned to the clan..."

‘What is she talking about?’

Her cryptic response only puzzled me further. But before I could question her, she shut her eyes tightly and nodded resolutely, as though preparing herself.

"Yes, that’s correct. The spider is called an Inmyeon Spider, one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts."

‘What?! I adopted one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts?!’

I had suspected the spider was extraordinary, but I didn’t think it would be one of the legendary creatures. My sister, uncharacteristically flustered, dug at the ground with the tip of her shoe as she continued.

"I wasn’t trying to deceive you, truly! I just didn’t know its abilities could extend to mimicking entire bodies. I wanted to confirm everything first, so..."

As I listened to her, it dawned on me why she seemed so embarrassed. Our agreement had been clear: if I caught one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts, she would become "mine." It must have felt too sudden for her, given how quickly the conditions of our contract had been fulfilled.

Still, a deal was a deal.

Saying nothing, I simply looked at her. Closing her eyes tightly again, she spread her arms as though offering herself. Was this supposed to be a reward?

After a moment, I committed her image firmly to memory, repeating in my mind a million times over that she was the most beautiful person I knew. Then, I returned to the training grounds, where Yo-hwa, slightly recovered, lay waiting.

While my sister’s warmth lingered on my hands, I gently inserted my finger into Yo-hwa’s mouth. Slowly, the spider began to transform, shifting into my sister’s likeness.

‘Finally!’

Seeing this, the Tang Clan’s Venom Blood Squad gazed at me with renewed admiration and respect.

‘Nothing in life is ever easy, is it?’

***

Yo-hwa fully recovered in about two days.

"I’ll let you out tomorrow, so stay quiet for one more day," I said.

Ksshh!By now, I had discovered that Yo-hwa was surprisingly docile. Without yang energy, it became irritable and hungry, but as long as it was well-fed, it was remarkably obedient. Spiders weren’t exactly active creatures to begin with, and Yo-hwa spent most of its time resting quietly.

When the time came to leave the Namgung Clan and release Yo-hwa from its cage, it shattered the wooden bars on its own, proving it wasn’t weak or timid.

On the day of our departure, however, bad news awaited Yo-hwa.

When we went to bid farewell to the old man, we found him lying peacefully in his family’s embrace—he had passed away.

Kssshii...Yo-hwa clung to the old man’s lifeless body, weeping for a long time. For his burial, instead of a traditional shroud, we wrapped him in silk spun by Yo-hwa. Following Yo-hwa’s guidance, we laid him to rest beside his family’s graves.

"May you find peace in the afterlife, sir. I promise to care for Yo-hwa for the rest of my life. Yo-hwa, will you come with me, as your father wished?"

Ksshht!After a simple funeral for the old man, we hastened our journey to the nearest port, Ankyung. Convincing the ship’s captain to allow Yo-hwa aboard was no easy task, but with a hefty bribe, we managed to secure passage.

As soon as we boarded, the ship began its journey upriver, heading toward Sichuan, where the Tang Clan and its venom masters awaited us.

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