The Secret of the One-Horned Python

Up until now, I had told myself it was fine because I was too young to do anything anyway. But if this was going to continue, I was in serious trouble.

What was the point of being reborn if I was just going to spend my life fainting? I felt there was no justice in this, yet I had no one to complain to.

I tried to head toward the main grounds of the Shaolin Temple before Great Master Won-hyun could stop me, but the Abbot arrived at the residence before I could leave. He looked considerably startled to see me, as if he hadn’t expected me to be awake.

Noticing that he was alone—contrary to his usual habit of being accompanied by several martial monks whenever he moved—I found his solo visit strange. First, I offered my greetings.

“Sect Leader Abbot.”

“Yes, Sarin. How is your body?”

He seemed to grasp what had happened in a split second—noticing that I wasn’t even properly dressed, having rushed across the yard with only my shoes thrown on.

He naturally approached and placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me back toward the house. It felt as if he was intent on preventing me from going anywhere else. I hadn’t answered his question about my health yet, but he didn’t seem to be waiting for a response.

Great Master Won-hyun approached us.

“The weather may have softened, but the wind is still cold. You mustn’t be out in this. Go back inside at once.”

It felt less like a suggestion and more like a command, so I shuffled back indoors. Once I was inside, the two of them walked away from the residence.

I grabbed my outer robe from the room and opened the door leading to the backyard. I wanted to overhear their conversation, but they had already moved quite a distance away, and no sound reached me.

Peering out, I saw their silhouettes in the distance. No matter how hard I tried, there was no way I would be able to hear them from this far.

Just as I was about to give up and go back into the room, I felt the two of them slowly moving.

‘I felt it?’

I froze, confused by the sensation. I didn’t hear them. I felt them. Through vibrations.

‘That’s impossible.’

At that distance? And yet, the vibrations were clear.

So many things were happening at once on the morning I woke up from my long slumber that I couldn’t keep my head straight. I stood there dazed, trying to make sense of what was happening to me.

Their footsteps were definitely being transmitted to me. I didn’t know why, but it was an undeniable fact.

I moved slowly. I knew it should be impossible to approach an absolute master like the Abbot without being detected, but I decided that if I got caught, I would just make up an excuse.

I had lived nearly thirty years as a member of the Hao Sect. I prided myself on being more adaptable than anyone. Still, I moved with the utmost caution to avoid being noticed.

Fearing their conversation might end at any moment, I even regulated my breathing as I drew closer. Once I reached a certain point, their voices became audible. It was just a murmur for now, but a little closer, and I’d be able to hear their words.

‘They’re going to catch me.’

Despite the risk, I crept forward until their voices finally became clear. I assumed they must have realized I was there by now. The fact that they kept talking suggested they were discussing something trivial.

I listened intently.

“The news from the Chief of the Beggars’ Union ends there. It seems your intuition was correct, Senior Uncle.”

“Then what are we to do, Abbot? There is no way the Lady of the Tang Clan would have willingly consorted with that beast. She must have been violated by it.”

“I believe so as well. That is likely why she is trying to kill Sarin.”

My mind snapped into sharp focus.

Violated? By a beast? And the Lady is trying to kill me?

Cold sweat drenched my body in an instant, but I focused even harder, knowing I might never hear this truth again.

“The Lady’s reasons aren’t limited to that alone. If Sarin is truly a child sired by that thing, she must be terrified of how strong he will become. Seeing him would remind her of that monster, and now imagine him even threatening the position of the Eldest Son.”

Great Master Won-hyun let out a heavy sigh. I listened to their story with a numb mind, unable to process the information properly.

“When they captured the One-Horned Flower-Python (독각화망), the Tang Clan must have thought it would bring glory to the family. Who could have imagined that the beast would violate the Lady and sire a child?”

“Abbot, what do you intend to do? The Clan Leader still doesn’t know, does he? He doesn’t even seem to know that the one who killed the python was his own wife.”

“It is a dilemma. The Clan Leader dotes on Sarin so much. But if he learns that Sarin is not his own blood, but the spawn of the One-Horned Flower-Python, he will not stay still. With his cruel nature, he won’t give that poor child a merciful death.”

“Namu Amitabha… Namu Amitabha… How could this happen? If he only turned into a snake during the winter, we could hide him here at Shaolin, but if it happens at any time now, it will be a problem.”

“Indeed. Regardless, the Chief of the Beggars’ Union has done a great service this time. The matter was so grave that the Chief had to move personally.”

“I suppose so. They couldn’t let rumors of what happened to the Tang Lady spread. Will the secret be kept?”

“Yes, Senior Uncle. You needn’t worry about that. The Chief moved personally to ensure the secret remains buried. Aside from the Tang family, the only outsiders who know this are the Chief of the Beggars’ Union and us.”

“The Abbot has gone through much trouble.”

Without realizing it, my legs gave out. I collapsed to the ground, and the two men, hearing the sound, rushed toward me in shock. I knew they were startled, but I didn’t have the luxury of worrying about their feelings.

The One-Horned Flower-Python. Tang Sarin was a child born between that beast and the Lady.

What was the One-Horned Flower-Python? A massive serpent with a horn on its head—a spiritual creature with lethal poison and scales that no blade could pierce.

And Tang Sarin was the spawn of that thing.

“Sarin!”

Great Master Won-hyun reached me and pulled me up.

The two of them couldn’t even ask me anything immediately; they just exchanged looks. They seemed bewildered, wondering how I had gotten there and how they could have failed to sense me.

“Let’s go inside, Sarin. Abbot, you may head down now.”

“Yes, Senior Uncle. Take care of yourself, Sarin.”

The Abbot clearly wanted to stay and find out what I had heard, but he silently accepted Won-hyun’s quiet dismissal. I couldn’t even offer a farewell to the retreating Abbot. The shock of what I had heard had left me speechless.

Won-hyun held my hand tightly as we entered the room. I had so much to ask, but my thoughts were so tangled that I didn’t know where to start. He sat me down and gave me some water first.

“Sarin…”

He called my name as if he had something to say, but remained silent for a long time.

“Master… what was all that? Is everything I heard true?”

As I asked, tears streamed down my face. Seeing my tears, he bit his lower lip. He still couldn’t understand how I had managed to overhear them.

He gripped my hand tightly with eyes full of concern.

“I didn’t want you to know yet.”

“Am I… am I really the child of the One-Horned Flower-Python?”

He looked at me with an embarrassed expression. He realized that, regardless of how much I had heard, I had correctly understood the meaning of their conversation. It must have been strange to him that a mere child could comprehend words like “violation” or “consorting.”

“Sarin.”

“Master, please tell me the truth. Is that why Mother is trying to kill me? Is that why I can’t go home? And… did I turn into a snake while I was unconscious?”

Won-hyun pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Do not cry. This is not your fault. And we will protect you so the Lady cannot harm you.”

He seemed to think that was my primary concern. Of course, that was a part of it. But the real problem was whether Shaolin could truly keep hiding me now that they knew I was the spawn of the python.

I finally understood why the Abbot had come alone, without any attendants. It seemed he had kept my condition a secret from the rest of the temple.

‘Especially the Head of the Hall of Discipline… if he finds out, he won’t let this slide.’