Fabre in Sacheon's Tang

The moment my question ended, Ji-ryeon’s baffled voice came through the group chatroom.

["That? Right now, of all times?"]

Ji-ryeon’s words were full of confusion.

In the middle of a blind martial matchmaking tournament, suddenly teaching someone a way to put a woman into peak condition—of course it wouldn’t make sense.

But it was absolutely necessary.

At this rate, it didn’t look like any miraculous reversal was going to happen, and if the two of them kept fighting like this, Yubing was bound to lose.

It was obvious Yubing would just get pushed back like this and be defeated.

Which made sense, because those bastards normally made up one body, but in the end, there were four of them.

It was Yubing alone facing four.

Ordinary small siphonophores may be four in one body, but they cannot split their bodies apart.

But maybe because it was a spirit creature, this one could divide its body like separate clones.

Which meant that although they were usually attached together as one, in an instant it could unleash the firepower of four individuals, so even Yubing with Defense upgraded twice couldn’t gain the upper hand.

But if Yubing could land even a single strike on that thing with what I had taught, this duel would be Yubing’s victory.

Because I had tried this once—no, twice—and it was a method with insane effects.

It had been not long ago.

After the journey where I accepted Yo-hwa as my wife had ended.

So that the wives I already had wouldn’t feel slighted, we had decided to take turns sharing dual cultivation in order.

And on Ji-ryeon’s turn,

Ji-ryeon came into the room looking delighted, practically floating, and spoke with the face of a teacher.

"So-ryong, this time I learned something very good from my masters. I’ll teach it to you now."

"Something good?"

"Yes, yes. It’s a way to make a woman’s body heat up."

"D-do we need that?"

Maybe it would be needed for a frigid woman who couldn’t feel anything, or who simply had no interest in men to begin with.

But all my wives were women like blast furnaces.

If I called the fire department and said my body was on fire right now, it wouldn’t even sound strange.

And now she wanted to set fire on top of that?

Was there any need for me to become suicidal?

This was like opening a gas valve beside a burning house.

So it didn’t seem necessary for me at all, but Ji-ryeon answered with a look that said I just didn’t get it.

"Of course. Dual cultivation has the greatest effect when both bodies are fully prepared, and this puts a woman into a ready state in a single blow."

"A ready state?"

After learning it from Ji-ryeon, I tried using it myself and immediately understood what "ready state" meant.

'Thought an oil field had blown.'

After that, I used it on Yo-hwa once too, and confirmed that both humans and spirit creatures alike fell into an aroused state from it.

I already knew it worked perfectly well on spirit creatures, so I was trying to teach it to Yubing.

["There’s no time to explain. If Yubing wants to win, this is absolutely necessary."

"Well, I learned it in order to pass it on to you anyway, So-ryong, and they said it was fine to teach it to someone trustworthy, so it’s all right, but..."]

At Ji-ryeon’s words, I immediately decided to recite the mnemonic verses to Yubing.

'Yubing, can you hear me?'

'T-this is!?'

'This is the secret art you get when you register on the slate. A way to converse mind to mind no matter how far apart you are.'

'I-I see.'

-Kwaang!

'Kgh.'

Maybe because attention had been pulled away by me, Yubing was blasted back with an explosion.

But maybe because Defense had been upgraded twice, Yubing didn’t collapse.

Only skidded back several steps.

I let out a breath of relief and spoke again.

'Listen carefully while keeping your defense tight.'

'Got it, Oppa!'

'I don’t think you can win like this. You know that too, right? So if you want to win, this is the only way. Hold out as much as you can, and then land the energy you raise exactly once, following the mnemonic verses I recite.'

'Got it!'

No sooner had I finished speaking than Yubing drew the legs in as tightly as possible and began shielding the head with the claws.

"Oh my, our little young master got scared and curled up?"

"Even if you stall for time, you won’t be able to beat us, so just give up."

"Y-yes, exactly."

The Venomous Water Crab was in the middle of taunting Yubing.

I immediately began reciting the mnemonic verses.

'Bring up the fire of the dantian into both palms.

By igniting the spark in the dantian and gathering it into both palms.

Its energy is like a red bud just beginning to bloom, and before it even touches, the fragrance spreads first.

That energy is like a single red flower bud; even before it touches, its fragrance spreads ahead of it.

At the touch of a fingertip, like spring rain seeping into parched soil, the energy follows the skin’s grain and sinks deep into the meridians.

The moment the fingertips touch the skin, like spring rain soaking into dry earth.

The energy rides the flesh and flows deep into the vessels.

Warmth first blossoms in the abdomen.

The heart’s fire slowly rises, and the qi and blood of the whole body open one by one like flower petals.

Warmth first blooms within the belly.

The heart’s fire rises little by little, and the qi and blood of the whole body open one by one like flower petals.

If forced, the flower falls.

If quietly awaited, it opens of its own accord.

If you try to force it open, the flower will wither,

but if you wait in stillness, it will open on its own.

With one touch, spring arrives; when two breaths join, the river swells.

At a single touch, spring arrives; when two breaths align, the river naturally rises.

This is the profound mystery of dual cultivation.

The one who gives qi is calm as a deep pool, and the one who receives qi naturally blooms in full.'

No sooner had I finished speaking than a strange energy bloomed from Yubing’s side.

The mnemonic verses of a dual cultivation art differed from Dao arts or Law Arts, but they were similar to a kind of classical poem.

It had seemed there would be no problem learning it, and sure enough, from Yubing’s 몽 there immediately rose the energy of the technique called the Harmony Blossom Formula.

"Hmm? Looks like some final trick, but it won’t work, little young master."

I didn’t know which part of its body handled which function, but the voice that had taken a liking to Yubing mockingly taunted while pouring on attacks.

-Peong. Peobeong!

But Yubing answered none of it and blocked everything with claws and back shell.

Each attack was heavy enough to send boulders on the riverside flying, but Yubing clenched down and endured.

Deep in the center of that body, Yubing kept drawing up the energy of the Harmony Blossom Formula, while only the eyes peeked slightly out, waiting for a chance.

'That’s it, just hold on a little longer! The chance will come!'

It was while I was trying to bolster Yubing’s spirit.

Suddenly I heard Yubing’s flustered voice.

'O-Oppa, but this feels kind of strange?'

'Strange? What do you mean?'

'I-it feels... Hngh.'

At the end of the reply was some strangely lewd sound.

Tilting my head, I checked on Yubing, and Yubing’s legs were trembling.

'What is this?'

Could it be exhaustion at last?

No, just now Yubing said something about how it felt.

Just when I couldn’t understand the reason at all,

Ji-ryeon slapped her palm as though something had just occurred to her.

-Slap.

"Ah! My masters said that when a woman uses it, the gathered energy has to be delivered to the other party quickly!"

"What!?"

At Ji-ryeon’s words, I thought I understood what was happening to Yubing.

This was a dual cultivation technique meant from the start for a man to put a woman into peak condition.

In other words, it was a method only used on women.

A kind of dopamine that only worked on women, you could say.

So if the energy was raised and held inside, it seemed even Yubing would have a hard time escaping its effects.

'No, Yubing! You’re male!'

Yubing was male by nature, but since the body was completely a woman’s body, it was obvious the effect was coming through anyway.

The sure-kill move I had passed on so Yubing could win had turned into a self-destruct move.

I shouted quickly.

'Yubing, it’s because you’ve been holding onto it too long. Either land it on that bastard, or disperse it first and gather it again.'

I gave Yubing two pieces of advice, but I knew full well that realistically, landing it on that thing would be difficult.

That was why dispersing the energy and gathering it again was the best method.

But Yubing chose the first option.

"Kghhh!"

With the claws gathered in front, Yubing shot forward.

-Peobeong!

Then came the explosion.

Yubing tried to close in while they were in one body, but got the back pounded and, apparently deciding it wouldn’t work, spat the energy out through the mouth.

"Kheuk..."

As the energy was exhaled almost like a moan, pink energy flowed out from Yubing’s body.

Maybe they thought blood had been coughed up, because two voices urged surrender.

"P-please give up. I-I don’t want to hurt you badly."

"Yes, little young master, I like you, but the other children don’t, so there’s nothing I can do."

There was pity mixed in those voices.

The ease of something that already considered itself the winner, and the arrogance of looking down on a weaker opponent.

This time Yubing shouted instead of keeping quiet.

"S-shut up! The one moaning now won’t be me, it’ll be you, bitch! O-of course, in bed!"

At Yubing’s words, I glanced sideways at Ji-ryeon.

As if asking when she had taught that too.

Ji-ryeon shook her head hard.

"I only taught the basics."

Yubing was full of soft pretty energy, but maybe some kind of aggressive energy still remained inside after all?

In other words, Yubing had improved by leaps and bounds all alone.

I was proud of Yubing.

But separate from that, the situation was clearly bad.

Yubing’s stamina had dropped too much from blocking all those attacks, and on top of that Yubing had been exposed to the energy of the Harmony Blossom Formula, so it looked hard to keep enduring any longer.

Those thin legs were trembling on the water’s surface.

Maybe some aftereffect of the energy still remained inside, because even the breathing was disordered.

'Do I need to find another way?'

Ripples spread around Yubing’s body.

Just as I was thinking it really might be too difficult.

After hesitating for a moment, right when I was about to tell Yubing to give up,

something exploded with a bang, and foam surged over the surface of the water.

-Kwaang! Swaaaaaa.

Water droplets poured down like rain.

When the water column and foam vanished, Yubing came into view, pushed all the way to the riverbank and gasping for breath.

There hadn’t originally been any such rule, but the Venomous Water Crab had said that if Yubing lost today, it would not fight again anymore.

Just as I was thinking we would have to find some other method, the creature, now merged back into one, began to approach Yubing, who was trembling and pushing up from the riverbank.

Its steps were leisurely.

As if there were no need to hurry.

They were leisurely steps full of the composure of a victor.

A smile rose on the Venomous Water Crab’s face.

Yubing squeezed out the last of that strength and tried to raise the claws like a boxer bringing up a guard, but maybe the energy was spent, because only the arms trembled.

"Little young master. Go to sleep now. Then come find me again after you’ve grown a bit more. If you do, I’ll fight you one more time."

The one good thing, at least, was that the voice that liked Yubing was granting one more chance.

In a frustrated voice, Yubing apologized through the private chatroom.

'I-I’m sorry, Oppa.'

'No. You worked hard.'

I wanted to punish those cheating bastards right now for being four in one body while pretending to be one opponent, but since there would be one more chance, I decided to save it for next time.

We would lose today, but I intended to restore Yubing’s realm with spirit stones and then challenge again.

I needed to raise the other children’s realms first, but Senior Sister’s treatment was urgent.

I was just about to answer that I understood and tell Yubing to surrender.

'Then let’s stop here—'

A moan burst out from the Venomous Water Crab’s side.

"Keuheung."

It crossed the legs like someone who desperately needed to pee and cried out in a flustered voice.

"W-what did you do!? Why am I in heat at a moment like this!?"

"I-I don’t know either! Haeung. W-why is this happening!?"

Even though it hadn’t been touched, the Venomous Water Crab seemed to be turning into a body in peak condition.

Startled, I looked at Yubing.

'What did you do, Yubing?'

'A-ah, no? I thought Oppa had done it.'

'Hey, I wouldn’t do something that underhanded.'

We were both flustered, but a moment later I understood the situation.

The place where the Venomous Water Crab was standing was the very spot where Yubing had been struck earlier and spat out pink energy.

That energy must have been fairly dense, because it was still spread faintly over that place.

The Venomous Water Crab must have either inhaled it or touched it there.

'Yubing, this is your chance!'

The moment I shouted quickly to Yubing, Yubing, who shouldn’t have had any strength left, squeezed out the last of it and hurled the body toward the Venomous Water Crab.

And then shot in and struck once with the claw.

With the energy of the Harmony Blossom Formula raised inside the body.

-Peok.

The attack was blocked by the arm the Venomous Water Crab had raised, but pink energy burst out.

Pink energy in the shape of peach blossoms burst and scattered all around.

The Venomous Water Crab was engulfed in it, clutched at the chest, and collapsed, and after a moment,

the begging voice of the defeated could be heard.

"Haaak. Haaak. I-I lost. D-do something with me, l-little young master."

"W-what are you saying. S-surrendering? Ngh."

"That thing is selling all of us out! Hngh."

"F-fast, faster."

I hurried over and stuffed both Yubing and the Venomous Water Crab into Dokmul-hyang.

Because Yubing too was half out of it from the Harmony Blossom Formula.

A little while later.

Ji-ryeon, who had gone inside to check on things, came running back out with round eyes and said,

"T-the Harmony Blossom Formula turned into the Twin Blossom Formula."

Two blossoms.

At that moment, one thought came to me.

'What am I supposed to say to Bulsiho? Come to think of it, she did say one or so would be fine. But this is four...'

This was kind of a serious problem.