Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 13

C13

As I passed beneath the immense Gujinmun gate that signaled the threshold of the Tang Clan, a crowd emerged to welcome our party.
They surged forward, offering deep bows to the clan leader and expressing their relief at his safe homecoming.
Because my status within the family was still unofficial, I kept to the rear of Deputy Commander Gu Pae, hoping to remain invisible.
It was then that the guards began to call out in a unified voice.
“The young lady approaches!”
“Make way for the young lady!”
Unable to suppress my curiosity, I peered around the deputy commander’s shoulder toward the mountain path. A woman robed in crimson silk was descending with ethereal grace, as if floating on the air itself.
‘This is unbelievable…’
It seemed like a spotlight from the heavens was following her. Was she generating that glow from within?
In my former life as a moderately popular YouTuber, I had collaborated with countless stunning women. Creatures like snakes and insects reliably drew strong viewership, and many actresses and influencers had sought me out—either to perform acts of courage or to stage exaggerated reactions of fear.
I had even worked with the three most celebrated actresses in all of Korea.
But this woman…
She existed on a whole other plane.
Her very essence, her aura—it felt beyond human.
If she were to stand next to the women I had known before, they would all resemble squid in comparison. No, that was too generous—she would render them mere scraps of garnish beneath a piece of sashimi.
She was a living, breathing divinity.
‘So this is the clan leader’s daughter? The lady of the Tang Clan must be a deity… This family’s future is assured because of her.’
I was lost in admiration for the Tang Clan’s seemingly guaranteed prosperity when the goddess alighted gently before the clan leader.
“Father!”
“Hwa-eun, you are fully recovered?”
“Yes, Father. Please forgive my absence.”
“Think nothing of it. Your health is restored, and that is everything. Ah, there is someone you should meet.”
As she landed, the clan leader gestured in my direction. At his signal, the deputy commander moved, exposing my ragged and thoroughly unimpressive form.
I had gone almost a full month without a proper wash, and it was painfully obvious.
I wished the earth would swallow me whole from shame, but avoiding a formal introduction was impossible for someone in my position.
In the presence of such perfection, I felt insignificant, humble, and completely out of place. I shuffled forward awkwardly, struggling to contain my embarrassment, but the clan leader’s introduction made everything worse.
“Ah, So-ryong, this is my daughter, Tang Hwa-eun. She is the one you referred to as… what was the phrase? A scent of grass? A floral aroma? Ah, yes—Weed Girl! That’s the one.”
“What?!”
“I beg your pardon?!”
The warriors surrounding us went completely still, their eyes wide with shock as they looked from me to the clan leader.
In my previous life, I’d heard endless tales of oblivious CEOs telling awful jokes that devastated their employees’ morale, but I never imagined I would become one of those victims.
I had been painstakingly careful about every detail before coming to the Tang Clan, but I had clearly failed to account for the clan leader’s comedic sensibilities.
‘So this is it—the dreaded “boss humor” that amuses only the boss while everyone else cringes. The clan leader is a natural.’
My first impression on the clan leader’s daughter was now thoroughly destroyed.
Her face was a portrait of bewilderment and offense as she stared at me.
And why wouldn’t she be? What person would ever enjoy being called “Weed Girl”?
Even in my past life, “weed” was a slur used for women considered unattractive.
‘Damn it all! Is my entire life within the Tang Clan destined to unravel over this? Why did I ever say she had a plant-like smell?!’
Desperately, I tried to recall when and why I could have uttered something so foolish.
If I could just remember, I might be able to apologize—or perhaps outright deny it.
「“…It is no empty boast to say my daughter is one of the Three Flowers of the Central Plains…”
“Hold on!”
“What was that?”
“Hm? Oh, though you are young, you are still a man, are you not? Indeed—my daughter, one of the Three Flowers—”
“No, not that part about a weed! What you said just before that!”」
“Ah…!”
‘No… It can’t be. There’s absolutely no way. Right?!’
It was a preposterous situation, one that defied all logic.
If my memory served me correctly, this goddess—no, the clan leader’s daughter—was supposed to be part of the reward the clan leader had hinted at for aiding the family.
‘Get a hold of yourself, Wei Su Long! Yes, she is breathtaking, and any man would naturally fantasize about marriage upon seeing her. But this is insane! She is the clan leader’s daughter! There has to be some mistake.’
It was ludicrous to think a prestigious family like the Tang Clan would offer someone of her standing to a mere orphan like me.
I drew a sharp breath to steady my nerves and offered a deep bow to cut through the tension.
“C-Clan Leader, your jest is truly one of a kind. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, young lady. I am Wei Su Long. I was deeply concerned to learn of your illness, and it brings me immense joy to see you looking so well.”
“…Oh. A pleasure to meet you. I am Tang Hwa-eun, also known as Poison Blossom (毒華). I am eternally in your debt for the kindness that saved my life. This Poison Blossom will never forget your grace.”
Once the strained pleasantries concluded, the clan leader smiled warmly.
“Hwa-eun, you must repay this debt for the rest of your days.”
“Yes, Father. As a member of the Tang Clan, I will carve this grace into my very bones. I will honor this young warrior as our savior and treat him with the highest respect.”
“That is my daughter,” the clan leader said, his beam widening.
With that, the introductions were over, and the clan leader threw his arms around both his daughter and me, guiding us up the steps and into the core of the Tang Clan’s estate.
As we walked, the clan leader’s voice resonated directly inside my skull.
[Well? What is your opinion of the rose? Do you wish to pluck it?]
The clan leader had used Transmission, a martial technique for sending thoughts mind-to-mind. I had learned of it during our journey and had seen Deputy Commander Gu Pae use it, so I recognized it at once.
When I looked up at the clan leader’s face, I was met with a deeply mischievous smirk.
‘W-Wait, is he being serious? Is the rose… actually her?’
My hand shot up to cover my mouth in shock, and my head began to bob up and down of its own accord, as if nodding in agreement.
It wasn’t intentional, but my nerves had gotten the better of me.
This was undoubtedly going to be a very long road.
The uncomfortable introduction, sparked by her father’s ill-timed joke, had finally concluded.
When Hwa-eun first learned of the “mysterious young warrior,” she had pictured someone imposing and heroic. The reality, however, was a stark contrast—he looked so wretched that she felt a pang of sympathy.
The boy appeared gaunt—thin, clothed in rags, and clearly exhausted. Perhaps the voyage had been too difficult, or maybe he had not eaten properly. Her grandfather had mentioned he survived in the wilderness by eating snakes and lizards, and now she understood.
Yet, for all his rough exterior, his manners were refined. Hwa-eun found this quite admirable. It comforted her that he wasn’t some uncouth ruffian.
Feeling reassured, she decided to think of him as a younger brother and vowed to look after him. He had, after all, saved her life—repaying that debt was only right.
She immediately ordered the servants to prepare hearty meals for him and to supply new garments and a proper bath. She resolved to personally oversee his comfort.
With this in mind, Hwa-eun walked with her father and the young warrior to the Four-Courtyard Pavilion (Sahapwon), the private residence reserved solely for the direct lineage of the Tang Clan.
At the entrance, her mother and grandfather were already waiting, their faces bright with happiness at the clan leader’s return.
“You are home?”
“I am home, Father.”
“Well done. And young warrior, it is good to see you again. Please consider this your home and rest well.”
“It is good to see you too, Elder. Thank you for your generous welcome.”
“You have returned, my lord?” Hwa-eun’s mother asked softly.
“Yes, my lady. I hope you have been well? You have borne much during my absence.”
“Oh, it is nothing compared to your burdens. But is this the young warrior who saved Hwa-eun? Thank you, young warrior. The Tang Clan is forever in your debt.”
“Not at all. I did nothing worthy of such thanks, but your kindness is greatly appreciated.”
After the greetings were exchanged, Hwa-eun’s mother made to guide the young warrior to the guest quarters.
“Servants, draw a bath for our guest and ready the best chamber in the guesthouse—”
“My lady,” the clan leader interjected, “assign him one of the rooms on the eastern wing instead.”
“What?! The eastern wing chambers?”
The unexpected order stunned Hwa-eun’s mother, and even her grandfather’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“You wish to house him on the eastern wing? Those rooms share the inner courtyard with the family. They are far too private for a guest, no matter how honored.”
The eastern wing rooms were situated deep within the Four-Courtyard Pavilion, beyond the inner gates. Access was strictly limited to direct family members. Placing a guest there was unprecedented, particularly since it was also where Hwa-eun’s own quarters were located.
“Father,” Hwa-eun said, “I recognize this is a grand gesture, but is it not excessive?”
Her grandfather added, “Even for a most honored guest, this is too much. And Hwa-eun is still unmarried—”
The clan leader smiled and answered with calm authority.
“Allow me to explain. After we went our separate ways, there was an incident at an abandoned Daoist temple where I very nearly died.”
“What?!”
“You were almost killed?!”
The family gasped in unison.
To illustrate his point, the clan leader produced a book and laid it on the table.
“This… this is?”
“The martial manual of the Blood-Handed Rakshasa! How did you come to possess this evil text?”
Hwa-eun remembered the Blood-Handed Rakshasa was a dreaded foe who had once fought her grandfather to a standstill before being bested.
“Tang Mu-seong left him for dead, but it appears he survived and concealed himself on Hainan Island,” the clan leader explained.
“That monster… But how could you have possibly defeated him alone?”
The clan leader shook his head.
“I did not. The young warrior is the one who defeated him.”
“What?! That boy defeated the Blood-Handed Rakshasa?!”
The family listened in stunned silence as the clan leader recounted how the young warrior had cultivated a brood of Blue-Spotted Centipedes and used them to overwhelm the Rakshasa.
He detailed the boy’s phenomenal gift for handling venomous creatures and detecting poisons, and how he had even pinpointed the cause of a lethal sickness on Hainan—a parasitic infestation from the Kissing Bug.
“His skills are not merely good; they are exceptional. A genuine treasure,” the clan leader said, smiling.
Finally, he disclosed the most astounding part of the tale:
“In the Rakshasa’s hideout, we discovered something we believed was only a myth—the Zhenbird.”
With that, he opened a small wooden box. Inside lay a single, magnificent feather.
“This is a feather from a Zhenbird.”
The feather’s iridescent sheen radiated a toxic energy so potent it left the family speechless, awed by its lethal beauty.
“Hwa-eun?”
Her father’s gentle voice drew her attention from the feather. She met his gaze, and his next words left her utterly astounded.
“It is my wish to accept this young warrior as my son-in-law. What are your thoughts?”
“Son-in-law?! Are you proposing that this boy… that he and I…?”
Her father’s intention was unmistakable—he was offering her hand in marriage to the young warrior.
Hwa-eun sprang to her feet, a storm of disbelief and indignation.
“I comprehend your logic, Father, and I know how precious the young warrior is to the clan. But if he is to be my husband, I must be the one to determine if he is truly worthy of me!”
With that, she swept out of the room and marched directly toward the eastern wing.
‘I will evaluate him completely—from his skills to his nature!’
Her resolve burned fiercely as she crossed the inner courtyard.
She found the young warrior seated in a pavilion, his hair still wet from his bath. He looked up, startled, as she arrived.
“Pardon me, young warrior. I have an urgent matter. Would you permit me to take your hand for a moment?”
She planned to check his pulse, a straightforward method to assess his martial foundation.
The boy seemed hesitant, clearing his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem… I am uncertain why this is so pressing, but should we not become better acquainted before we engage in something so… personal?”
Hwa-eun froze, suddenly aware of how her request must have sounded. Her cheeks flushed a brilliant red.
“I mean, I would not necessarily object if—”
“Certainly not!”
Her sharp retort echoed through the courtyard, causing nearby servants to jump in surprise.
It appeared the young warrior was not quite as innocent as she had presumed.