Fabre in Sacheon's Tang-Chapter 138: Silver (5)

When I presented the two newly evolved Silver Silkworms, which had undergone their transformation in the habitat of the Queen of the Flame Veil, my family members were awestruck by their radiant appearance.

"Ohh, so these are the Silver Silkworms?"

"They truly look like they’ve been dusted with silver powder, don’t they?"

"They almost look like gemstones."

And they weren’t wrong. I had initially imagined that the Silver Silkworms would resemble polished aluminum or some kind of metal, but in reality, their bodies shimmered as if they had been sprinkled with silver glitter. The way they reflected light made them look almost like jewels.

Of course, even though they appeared to be covered in glitter, they were still larvae, so it wasn’t as if they were shedding powder everywhere.

It was simply how their bodies looked.

To be precise, they had a slightly translucent body, giving the impression that they were filled with the kind of glittery slime kids often play with.

As their internal fluids moved, the light refracted off them, creating that sparkling effect.

In fact, they even emitted a faint glow of their own.

I had no idea how something like that was possible, but according to Xintu, the shimmering substance inside the Silver Silkworms was actually a form of energy.

Since the Silver Silkworms had devoured the Queen of the Flame Veil, which was saturated with nature’s energy, it made sense that they, too, would be brimming with it.

But Xintu pointed out something peculiar.

Rather than simply containing natural energy mixed with impurities, the Silver Silkworms held two distinct and highly concentrated types of energy—one of pure refinement and the other of heavy stagnation.

At first, I thought he was just repeating himself.

After all, if refined energy and stagnant energy were mixed together, wouldn’t that just be natural energy?

But after listening to his explanation, I realized that they weren’t mixed like a liquid solution. Instead, they were layered like grains of sand with two different types of particles.

That meant the bright, white refined energy and the dark, murky stagnant energy were interwoven, creating the Silver Silkworms' dazzling silvery hue.

"According to Xintu, the refined energy and stagnant energy are intertwined like grains of sand, which is why they appear the way they do."

When I explained this to the elders, their eyes widened in shock.

"That... that makes no sense..."

"May I take a closer look?"

Hearing their request, I nodded.

The Silver Silkworms were incredibly docile, after all.

"Of course, Father-in-law."

It was a well-established truth in the martial world that no living being could simultaneously hold two opposing types of energy.

Even more so if one of them was stagnant energy.

As my father-in-law and Grandfather Mandok Shingun touched the silkworms’ backs, their disbelief grew even stronger.

Similar energies blend together, while opposing energies repel each other.

If the two energies were of similar nature, they would mix and become impure. If they were opposites, they would repel each other so violently that the danjeon could rupture, a fundamental truth every martial artist understood.

For the Heavenly Silkworm to sustain both energies without them separating into distinct halves was an extraordinary anomaly.

"This... this is real!"

"So Xintu was telling the truth? What an unbelievable phenomenon..."

"Hah! So this is why it’s considered one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures. It defies the logic of martial arts itself!"

As Grandfather Mandok Shingun had said, if it followed conventional wisdom, it wouldn’t be one of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures.

It was a creature that shattered the norm.

Yo-hwa could transform into a human and even behave like one.

Cho, a centipede, could fly.

So it was only natural that the Heavenly Silkworm, another member of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures, would have its own unique anomaly—even if it was still in its larval stage.

As I nodded in understanding, Grandfather Mandok Shingun asked,

"But why did it take you so long? Even though Xintu accompanied you, I was worried because you were gone for too long."

His concern was understandable.

After all, the original plan had been simple: travel to the Queen of the Flame Veil’s nesting grounds, verify whether a Heavenly Silkworm could evolve into a Silver Silkworm by devouring the queen, and then return.

It was a straightforward mission that should have taken only a couple of days.

I had also assumed we’d be back quickly.

However, it had ended up taking over two weeks.

The reason was that I needed time to hatch and raise new specimens to observe their evolution into Silver Silkworms.

The first Heavenly Silkworm we had tested consumed a queen and transformed in just one day, but the newly hatched ones took five whole days to completely absorb the queen’s energy.

And, of course, there were various other factors that prolonged our stay.

"So they latched onto the Queen of the Flame Veil’s body and spent five days absorbing its energy?"

"Yes. The first one we hatched completed the process in a single day, but the newly hatched silkworms needed five days to do the same."

"But weren’t you originally hesitant to hatch them because of the feeding issue? What do you plan to do about their food supply? The mushrooms will soon be cultivated, but what about the Flame Veil queens? Are you planning to keep traveling back and forth?"

Grandfather Mandok Shingun was right. I hadn’t planned to hatch them due to their specific dietary needs.

However, I ended up doing so for further research.

Once a hypothesis is validated through experimentation, it ceases to be a hypothesis and becomes a scientific theory.

But does that mean the research is over?

Absolutely not.

To establish a theory properly, supplementary studies must be conducted to support it.

That’s why, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) instead of returning immediately after the first successful transformation, I stayed behind to observe the new specimens.

After all, I needed to understand their habits and ecology if I was going to raise them properly.

And that was when I discovered something remarkable.

Once a Heavenly Silkworm evolved into a Silver Silkworm, it no longer consumed termites or mushrooms.

Just like other Ten Great Venomous Creatures—such as Cho or Yo-hwa—Silver Silkworms only fed on nature’s energy and pure yang energy.

That was likely the reason why, after evolving, they showed no interest in eating termites or mushrooms at all.

Even after three days of observation, they refused to eat, which prompted me to accelerate their hatching process.

"Silver Silkworms no longer eat mushrooms or the Queen of the Flame Veil after evolving."

"Oh-hoh. So that’s why you decided to hatch them despite the feeding concerns."

"Yes, Grandfather."

But that wasn’t all.

As a modern man, I knew how to make efficient use of my time.

While the Heavenly Silkworms were taking five days to absorb energy and evolve, I took the opportunity to conduct a thorough examination of their biology.

And in doing so, I made several discoveries.

First, artificially hatching them by infusing them with internal energy wasn’t the proper method.

It was a form of forced incubation.

We found multiple eggshell fragments inside the termite nest that we hadn’t noticed before, and after discussing with Xintu, Hwa-eun, and Sister Seol, we concluded that in nature, the eggs likely absorbed the energy emitted from the mushrooms over a long period before naturally hatching.

And then, I stumbled upon something truly frustrating.

If the food issue had been solved, I should have been able to bring back the first Silver Silkworm we hatched.

But I couldn’t.

Because it had become incredibly aggressive.

Sure, it was still just a larva, so its aggression wasn’t dangerous, but I had thought the scent it emitted from its horns was just a pleasant fragrance.

As it turned out, it also released a noxious energy—much like a swallowtail caterpillar.

It continuously radiated heavy stagnant energy, making it impossible to bring back.

According to Xintu, silkworms incubated with internal energy tend to bond with the person who hatched them.

But since this one had been left in the wild for so long, it had essentially reverted to a feral state.

Thankfully, the ones I had personally incubated and raised from birth remained tame.

"...And that concludes my findings."

After I finished explaining all my findings, both Grandfather Mandok Shingun and my father-in-law looked at me with satisfied smiles.

The two of them remained silent for a moment before Grandfather turned to my father-in-law and spoke.

"Patriarch, give it to him."

"Yes, Father."

"...?"

At Grandfather’s words, my father-in-law walked over to a bookshelf in the Lord’s Hall and retrieved an exquisite-looking book.

With a single smooth motion, he slid it toward me.

"What’s this?"

The book was bound in red silk, about the same size as the Records of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures that I had seen before.

A catalog, perhaps?

My eyes sparkled with curiosity as I glanced at the book and asked.

"May I take a look?"

"It’s yours to examine. See if it suits your taste," my father-in-law replied, gesturing toward the book.

It felt like a reward—something given in recognition of my discovery regarding the Silver Silkworm.

Excitedly, I reached out and opened it.

Flip.However, when I turned the first page, I was met with... nothing.

No title.

Now that I thought about it, the cover hadn’t had a title either.

Perplexed, I flipped through several more pages, but each one was just as blank.

"What... What the hell?"

Why was I being given an empty book?

Feeling confused, I looked up at my father-in-law, who was still smiling.

"What did you think of the Records of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures I showed you last time?" he asked.

"Well? It was a great book, of course. But... it was pretty old," I replied honestly.

The book had been useful, but it was so worn out that it looked like it needed re-binding.

Many of the illustrations and texts had faded or disappeared entirely.

At my response, my father-in-law nodded and turned to Hwa-eun.

"Hwa-eun, could you prepare some ink?"

"Yes, Father."

As she ground the inkstone, the only sound filling the Lord’s Hall was the rhythmic motion of her hands.

Grandfather Mandok Shingun, my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law all sat silently, watching her work with contented smiles.

Swish, swish.There was something ceremonial about the whole process.

"Wait... Is this...?"

A red book.

Ink preparation.

A sudden, terrifying thought flashed through my mind.

"No way... Is this some kind of marriage contract!?"

After all, red was an auspicious color symbolizing weddings in the Central Plains.

They had always said I couldn’t officially marry until I became an adult, but what if they were trying to at least formalize our marriage in writing because of my achievements?

I wasn’t sure about the first night’s arrangements, but...

"D-Does this mean I have to start calling Hwa-eun my wife starting tomorrow!?"

My heart pounded at the thought.

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And so, with my nerves stretched taut, I waited.

Finally, Hwa-eun’s voice broke the silence.

"It’s ready, Father."

The ink preparation was complete.

Now all that was left was for Grandfather Mandok Shingun to say a few words of blessing, followed by my father-in-law writing some kind of marriage declaration.

Then Hwa-eun and I would sign it, right?

That’s what I thought—until my father-in-law handed me a brush and said,

"So-ryong, my father and I thought about this long and hard, and we came to a decision. Your knowledge and wisdom surpass even our clan’s Records of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures. So how about writing your own book? Something to pass down to future generations?"

"...Huh!?"

Not a marriage contract.

A writing project.

A personal catalog of venomous creatures.

It wasn’t for publication, of course—it would be stored in the Tang Clan’s archives.

But after glancing at Hwa-eun and back at the empty book, I realized...

This offer was, in some ways, even better than a marriage contract.

"Wait, this might actually be a better deal?"

They were telling me to create my own compendium—one containing everything I knew and everything I would discover in the future.

The Records of the Ten Great Venomous Creatures had disappointed me.

It had been more of a reference book, listing names without providing much substantial information.

I had wanted something deeper, richer in knowledge.

And now, I was being given the chance to write that book myself.

"Father-in-law... You truly are a terrifyingly sharp man. You know me too well."

Not only had he given me a daughter perfectly suited to my tastes, but now he had handed me the exact kind of project I couldn’t refuse.

Still reeling, I asked again, just to be sure.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. But only if you’re willing," my father-in-law said.

There was no need for hesitation.

"I—I want to do it!"

My enthusiastic response made the elders nod in approval.

"Then, start by writing your name on the final page. If you have a title in mind, you can write it now, but that’s something worth giving careful thought."

He was suggesting that I title it whenever I felt ready.

But did I need time to think about it?

Of course not.

I already had the perfect name in mind.

"No, I already have a title," I said firmly.

"As expected of you. Hwa-eun, give him the brush."

Following my father-in-law’s request, Hwa-eun dipped the brush in ink and handed it to me.

And with it, I carefully inscribed the title on the red silk cover.

One stroke at a time.

With all the reverence it deserved.

《So-ryong’s Venomous Creature Chronicles》

After all, when people hear the name "Fabre," they think of The Life of Insects.