Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Grandfather Mandok Shingun and I departed from my quarters, making our way toward the renowned Palace of a Thousand Poisons.
To exit the residence, we needed to walk through the rear garden, and as we crossed it, I noticed three familiar figures relaxing in a pavilion, engaged in easy conversation.
It was the clan’s family head—my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and noona.
“Did you comprehend all that Father taught you on this first day?”
My father-in-law, with a kind smile, inquired about the day’s instruction.
Since it had primarily been an introduction, I responded courteously.
“Yes, Fath… I mean, Father-in-law.”
The instant those words left my mouth, all three of them rose to their feet, smiling warmly in my direction.
“In that case, let us all proceed together.”
“To the Palace of a Thousand Poisons?”
“Indeed. As this is your inaugural visit as a member of the Tang Clan, we have all been awaiting you. A first entry into the Palace is a significant event, and it is customary for the entire family to attend.”
This was news to me, but it appeared that one’s initial entrance into the Palace of a Thousand Poisons held great importance.
Grandfather led the way, with my father-in-law and mother-in-law following, while noona and I walked quietly behind them.
As we moved, I found my gaze drifting toward noona’s profile.
‘She is truly beautiful.’
They say that a person’s true beauty is revealed in their profile, and that certainly seemed the case here. Her refined features, seen from the side, drew an admiring sigh from me.
I must have been looking a bit too intently, for a robust laugh sounded from ahead.
“Hahaha! My boy, if you keep gazing so fixedly, you might wear the color right off my daughter’s cheeks. She is yours now—you will have a lifetime to look upon her. You will stumble if you do not watch your step!”
“It seems our new son-in-law is already completely smitten with Hwa-eun. Then again, they are young—it is only natural they get along so well.”
“Why must you tease them so, Clan Leader? You will make them uncomfortable.”
Father-in-law’s jest left me thoroughly flustered. How had he even detected me looking at noona? It was as if he possessed eyes in the back of his head.
My face burning, I stammered an apology. “M-my apologies, Father-in-law.”
Noona, her own cheeks now faintly pink, murmured quietly, “Please keep your eyes on the path ahead.”
“Yes, I understand.”
With my face still warm, I followed them until we arrived at an area behind the Tang Clan’s main compound.
It was built into the mountainside, encircled by numerous courtyards and pavilions.
At the heart of this vast estate was a large cave mouth, barred by a formidable door of steel.
A guard posted at the entrance saluted our approach.
“You have arrived, Clan Leader.”
“Yes. I have brought my son-in-law to see the Palace of a Thousand Poisons. Open the gate.”
“Understood, Clan Leader. Open the gate!”
“Yes, sir!”
With a thunderous reply, roughly ten warriors rushed toward the immense door and took hold of it.
As they pulled with all their collective strength, the steel gate began to groan and creak, gradually swinging inward.
-Kuuugugung…
The door was at least a foot thick, a powerful declaration of the Tang Clan’s immense security.
‘Remarkable. I hadn’t anticipated their defenses would be this extreme.’
Awestruck by the sheer massiveness of the gate, I followed the warriors as they guided us inside.
“Please, proceed, Elder Mandok Shingun.”
“Very well.”
Grandfather entered first, and I stepped in after him, into the cool, damp air of the cavern.
-Tok, tok, tok.
The sound of our footsteps echoed off the smoothly polished stone floor. The cave grew progressively darker and colder as we ventured deeper, until we finally entered an enormous hollowed-out chamber.
The room was packed with shelves, jars, and sealed porcelain containers. A faint scent of herbal medicine lingered, interwoven with an undeniable hint of something poisonous.
“This is the Hall of a Thousand Poisons, located within the Palace of a Thousand Poisons. It is where we store all our finalized poisons. Take care not to touch anything carelessly.”
“I understand. So, this is the Hall of a Thousand Poisons.”
“Yes. Over there, you will find paralytic agents, sleeping poisons, and many others. Some are liquids, others powders or pills. Each has been meticulously categorized.”
It may not have contained precisely a thousand variants, but the shelves seemed to hold thousands of different types. The scope of the collection was breathtaking.
As I marveled at the sheer size of the hall, I became aware of several focused stares. Turning, I saw that all the elders were watching me.
‘What is this about?’
Their eyes were fixed on me, their expressions full of anticipation. Feeling self-conscious, I checked myself and glanced behind me, wondering if their attention was directed elsewhere.
Then my father-in-law spoke.
“Is there nothing you find yourself curious about?”
“Curious? Well… I…”
I lacked the knowledge to form a intelligent query, so I awkwardly searched for a response. The elders’ faces fell with evident disappointment.
Sensing I had committed some error, I stood frozen in place.
Then, noona’s voice whispered softly beside my ear.
[Ask them what the most powerful poison here is.]
Taking her cue, I quickly tried to recover, pretending the question had just occurred to me.
“Ah! I do have one question.”
“Of course! What is it?”
Their tone brightened instantly, as if this was what they had been waiting for.
I glanced at noona and, following her guidance, asked, “What is the most potent poison in this hall?”
The elders exchanged looks and nodded, their expressions now brimming with satisfaction.
“Ah, just as one would expect from someone chosen for the Tang Clan!”
“Indeed, indeed. A direct descendant of the Tang bloodline would naturally wish to know of the strongest poison. Absolutely.”
“We have chosen our son-in-law well.”
‘Wait… that’s what they wanted?’
Apparently, it was an unspoken test. In a place like this, failing to ask about the ultimate poison was practically a transgression.
“Well then, allow me to show you the most powerful poison in our possession…”
Father-in-law moved toward one of the shelves, ready to elaborate, but he halted mid-stride, turning to noona with a playful grin.
“Hwa-eun, perhaps you would like to explain this part?”
“Me?”
“Yes, I believe So-ryong would prefer to hear it from you. Hahaha.”
What a shrewd man. If I could, I would have given him a good-natured poke for that comment.
Blushing slightly, noona nodded shyly. “Very well, Father.”
She approached the shelf, gracefully selecting a thin rod. She tapped one of the jars lightly and began her explanation.
-Ting!
“Now, I will describe the most formidable poisons of the Tang Clan. Listen carefully, as this is most important.”
How could I possibly forget a single word noona said? My head nodded of its own accord as she continued.
“The jar I am tapping now contains Scattering Qi Poison (San Gong Du, 散功毒). Inhaling even a minute quantity will instantly prevent one from utilizing their internal energy, so extreme caution is required.”
I knew that martial artists relied on internal energy to perform their extraordinary feats, like soaring through the air. It was a resource built up through meditation and breathing exercises.
This poison, therefore, severed their power source completely—a terrifying concept.
I nodded again, asking, “So, this is the strongest poison?”
But noona shook her head and moved on, tapping the next jars in sequence.
-Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
“This is Intestinal Dissolving Poison (Dan Chang Du, 斷腸毒), which causes your intestines to liquefy, resulting in an excruciating death. Next is Soul Extinguishing Poison (Myeol Hon Du, 滅魂毒), which inflicts such unbearable agony that your very soul feels torn from your body. Then we have Seven-Step Soul Severing Poison (Chil Bo Dan Hon Du, 七步斷魂毒), lethal within seven steps of contact. Lastly, Blood Incineration Poison (Hwa Hyeol Du, 化血毒), which makes the victim feel as though their blood is boiling.”
Despite the horrifying nature of her descriptions, noona added, “However, none of these are the most powerful poison.”
“Not even these dreadful poisons?” I asked, stunned by her composed delivery of such lethal information.
Smiling warmly, she reached into another jar and retrieved something. Walking over to me, she placed it gently in my palm.
Her touch was soft and elegant—especially so today. Looking down, I saw what looked like a seed or a small bean.
“This,” she said, “is the fruit of the Castor Plant (Pi Ma Ja, 萆麻子), a plant symbolic of our Tang Clan. Excluding the Ten Great Poisons, this is the most potent poison currently known to exist. Does it not appear to be a harmless bean?”
I stared at the seed in my hand, struck by its resemblance to a tiger bean from my previous life. Its appearance was almost inviting, as if it begged to be eaten.
But when she said the name “Castor,” a cold shiver traveled down my spine.
‘No way! These people are mad! I thought the leaf embroidered on their clothing was a maple leaf, but it’s actually a castor leaf?’
I had completely misinterpreted the Tang Clan’s emblem. From the first moment I saw noona and every other family member, I had assumed the design on their chest was merely decorative. Now I realized it symbolized the origin of one of humanity’s deadliest poisons.
The seed in my hand contained ricin, a toxin so powerful it ranked among the top deadliest substances in the world. Only botulinum toxin and tetanus toxin, both microbial in nature, were more lethal.
As a former YouTuber focused on venomous creatures, I knew enough about poisons to understand the implications. Ricin, derived from the castor bean, was tens of thousands of times more toxic than cyanide and 150 times deadlier than VX nerve gas.
I recalled my old broadcasts, where viewers often asked, “How can something used in castor oil be so deadly?”
The answer was simple: castor oil itself was safe, but the ricin within the bean was a concentrated, relentless killer.
Noona’s calm explanation continued.
“Even a tiny amount of ricin will kill a person with certainty, leaving almost no trace behind. This is why those who bear a grudge against our Tang Clan inevitably face the wrath of this poison. It is known as the Golden Poison (Geum Du, 金毒), and employing it to eliminate someone is called Golden Execution (Geum Sal, 金殺).”
‘G-golden execution…’
Her words carried a chilling finality, while her radiant smile created a stark contrast with the deadliness of her subject.
“This poison aligns perfectly with our clan’s philosophy of creating agents that are colorless, odorless, tasteless, and formless. Subtle yet absolute. For this reason, the castor bean is regarded as the most precious poison in existence.”
Her explanation concluded, and the elders, looking profoundly satisfied, addressed me.
“So-ryong, did you hear that? Engrave the essence of our Tang Clan deeply into your bones. You are one of us now.”
“Of course, that is how it should be.”
“See how well he fits in.”
The juxtaposition of noona’s angelic demeanor, her deadly explanation, and the elders’ proud smiles felt more hazardous than any poison in the room.
I couldn’t help but think, ‘Damn it. If I try to back out of this marriage, I’ll end up a victim of this Golden Execution. Can I truly survive as a son-in-law in this family?’
Swallowing hard, I inwardly cursed my impulsiveness and my failure to properly evaluate the situation before becoming entangled with such a dangerous clan.
The saying about roses having thorns? Forget thorns—this family was an entire minefield.
-Gulp.