Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“Yes, Father,” my sister answered from inside the chamber, her voice crystalline and bright, so clear it seemed to ring through the very walls of Gajujeon.

In my previous life, people would often compare lovely voices to strings of jade beads, but I never truly grasped the meaning until this moment. Hearing her speak, I finally understood—it was a sound both flawless and melodious.
Truly pristine and beautiful…

The doors to Gajujeon swung open, and my sister emerged. When she noticed me standing close by, her eyes widened in surprise.

“Soryong! You’re here?”

“Yes, milady. I was walking with Cho, Hyang, and Bin now that they’ve completely healed.”

“They’ve recovered? Show me!”

I pushed up my sleeves, exposing the two centipedes wrapped around my arms. My sister, who had become noticeably more at ease with them, reached out and softly touched one, her face brightening with joy.

She had been nervous around the O-gong at first, maintaining her distance while meditating or performing breathing exercises in the pavilion. But after tending to them during their molting and fretting over their condition like a worried mother, she seemed to have formed a real bond.

“It’s true—they feel stronger. And a little rougher, as well,” she observed.

“They’ve also grown larger, though they’ve flattened somewhat. That’s why they fit so well around my arms now,” I added.

“They’re still very endearing. Oh, that reminds me—Grandfather commissioned the blacksmiths to make gauntlets from their shed shells. Would you like to come with me to see how they’re coming along?”

We were cheerfully talking about the O-gong, which had almost turned into a shared project, when a voice thundered from inside the hall.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Father. Hwa-eun,” my sister replied.

“I told you to bring Soryong. Why are you still outside? Is something the matter?”

It appeared my sister had just recalled why she’d stepped out in the first place. She covered her mouth, slightly flustered.

“Oh! Father wants to see you, Soryong. He has something to talk about.”

“Yes, I overheard. Shall we go in together?”

Since I’d already heard the summons, I accompanied her into Gajujeon. My future father-in-law glanced up, looking mildly startled as I entered.

“How did you arrive so fast?”

“I was already in the area,” I responded.

“Perfect timing, then. Have a seat. Hwa-eun, would you mind preparing some tea?”

“Of course, Father,” she said, quickly moving to do so.

As much as I craved a cool drink, the Tang Clan appeared to have an unwavering tradition of serving hot tea. Biting back my annoyance, I waited calmly to hear what he wanted.

He smiled warmly and started, “I called you here because, although not every clan member has returned, word of your deeds has already traveled far. By now, everyone in the Tang Clan recognizes you as one of our own.”

“Yes, Father-in-law. I’ve heard.”

“‘Father-in-law,’” he repeated, laughing softly. “I never get tired of hearing that. Anyway, I wanted to inform you myself—the medicine you developed for the Lord of Sichuan worked remarkably well. He was so delighted that he sent a substantial reward along with his gratitude.”

So that was it. The treatment for erectile dysfunction had been a success, and he wanted to acknowledge my work.

“I’m pleased it was effective. You did remind him not to overuse it, correct?”

“Naturally. I made sure to instruct him not to take another dose until the previous one had completely worn off,” he confirmed, clearing his throat slightly. “Now, about your compensation. Is there anything you desire?”

When he brought up a reward, I waved my hands politely in refusal.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ve already been given the poison creature facility in Mandokjeon. If you could simply accelerate the renovations I asked for, that would be sufficient.”

The facility had already been promised to me, but it still needed adjustments to suit my purposes. Rather than accepting more rewards, I preferred those changes to be made quickly.

“Haha! Of course, I’ve already instructed them to treat it as a priority,” he said with a robust laugh.

“Thank you, Father-in-law. That is truly all I need.”

“Don’t be absurd. That’s unrelated. I had a feeling you might say something like that, so I took the liberty of preparing a gift myself. What do you think of this?”

“A gift?”

“Yes, I’m thinking of presenting you with an elixir (yeongyak). How does that sound?”

“An elixir?”

I’d heard of such things from Mandok Shingun. They were said to boost one’s inner energy, a crucial element in mastering martial arts. While it sounded helpful, accepting it so directly felt awkward. I glanced at my sister, concerned she might view it as taking a shortcut. I had, after all, promised to help her saturate her Ten Poisons physique with toxins from the Ten Great Poisons.

To my relief, she simply nodded in agreement, her expression indicating she saw no problem with a little assistance.

“What kind of elixir?” I asked.

“There are many varieties, but this one is honey from the Golden-Haired Bee King (Geummo Bongwang),” he said, with a touch of self-consciousness.

“Golden-Haired Bee King’s honey?”

I wasn’t entirely certain what that meant, but “bee” and “honey” sounded simple enough. Before I could thank him, my sister spoke up.

“Father, why are you giving him honey from the Golden-Haired Bee King? What Soryong accomplished was significant. Even though the Golden-Haired Bee King is a mid-grade poison creature, its honey is one of the lowest-grade elixirs. Shouldn’t you offer him something more fitting? At least a year’s worth of internal energy—not just two months’.”

Her tone was thick with disapproval, as if she couldn’t believe he would propose such a modest reward.

While I’d been worried about appearing dishonest, my sister was more offended that the reward wasn’t grand enough.

My future father-in-law looked at her, his face a blend of irritation and disbelief.

[So this is what having a daughter is like…]

He muttered something under his breath before raising a hand to quiet her. In a slightly wounded tone, he explained,

“No, no, it’s not that I’m being cheap. There’s a reason…”

“What possible reason could there be for offering such a… such a basic…” My sister caught herself before continuing, “…no, the most basic-grade elixir?”

“Will you just listen for a moment?”

The exchange was rapidly turning into a dispute, as though the two were about to argue over the honey of the Golden-Haired Bee King. Interested, I cut in,

“What is this honey from the Golden-Haired Bee King that’s causing such debate?”

“Well, you see…” My father-in-law seemed reluctant, but my sister broke in with an exasperated sigh, eager to clarify.

“I’ll explain, Soryong.”

With a look of clear contempt, she began,

“The Golden-Haired Bee King is a mid-grade poisonous creature—a large bee sometimes spotted in the jungle. It’s nearly the size of a small dog. Its honey is said to provide two months’ worth of internal energy, equal to sustained meditation.”

“Two months?”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” I thought to myself. If it could spare me two months of tedious meditation, it was almost a miracle. Given that I already struggled to sit still and cultivate my inner energy during breaks, this seemed like an ideal boost.

However, based on my sister’s reaction, it was clear that while the honey had some effect, it fell far short of her expectations. Hoping to prevent further disagreement, I quickly expressed my thanks.

“Thank you, Father-in-law. I’m truly grateful.”

But before I could bow, my sister lifted a hand to stop me, shooting a disapproving look at her father.

“No, Soryong, wait. Honey from the Golden-Haired Bee King? This is insulting. I’m offended for you!”

Her words visibly stung him, and he responded with increased agitation.

“That’s not it! Do you really think I’d cut corners like this? I had my reasons… I thought Soryong might want to observe a mid-grade poisonous creature up close!”

A mid-grade poisonous creature?

The instant he mentioned seeing the Golden-Haired Bee King personally, I forgot all about the honey’s value. My curiosity instantly shifted to the creature itself.

“Wait… You mean I’ll get to see the Golden-Haired Bee King?”

“Yes, exactly. I recently bought information from some travelers who said they located its hive nearby. I intended to invite you to join me in gathering the honey. You see, Hwa-eun—”

As my father-in-law explained further, I began to see his point of view. After my sister had suffered her Qi Deviation, the Tang Clan had publicly sought information on poisonous creatures from across the land.

This news reached various groups—whether the Beggars’ Union, Hao Gate, or even the black market. Due to slow travel and communication in this era, some reports arrived belatedly. Moreover, since they couldn’t openly announce that Hwa-eun had recovered, opportunists like the two suspicious men I’d encountered earlier had come to sell outdated tips.

Originally, my father-in-law hadn’t planned to buy this particular information, since the Golden-Haired Bee King was only mid-grade, produced no Neidan, and its honey was considered bottom-tier. However, he said he decided to purchase it thinking I might enjoy seeing the creature myself.

“Wait… You mean we’ll be harvesting the honey ourselves?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“What? We’re going on a mokcheong hunt?!”

The term mokcheong referred to wild honey gathered from hives built inside tree trunks. Honey from rock hives was called seokcheong, and both were long revered as medicinal treasures.

Wild honey taken from trees or rocks was known to become more potent with age, growing sweeter and richer in vitamins over time. Since bees in such hives often gathered nectar from medicinal plants, the resulting honey was highly prized as a natural remedy.

“This is incredible—a mokcheong expedition!”

I’d gone on a mokcheong trip once in my former life for content purposes. It had been tiring, but I vividly recalled the satisfaction of tasting freshly harvested honey.

And now, I was being offered the chance to see a bee as big as a small dog? How could I say no?

“Let’s go, Father-in-law! Bees are right up my alley,” I said, hardly able to contain my excitement.

“I knew you’d be eager!” he replied, clearly delighted by my response.

My sister looked back and forth between us, let out a deep sigh, and murmured under her breath as though surrendering to the absurdity.

***

Sichuan Province was made up of eastern plains and western mountain ranges. The Tang Clan’s fortress, Tanggasan, sat in a basin within Sichuan’s western highlands. To collect the honey, we traveled southwest, passing through Chengdu and heading toward Muli (木里), an area near the border with Yunnan.

This tropical forest was where the Golden-Haired Bee King had supposedly been sighted.

“But what if we can’t locate it easily? Or what if the information was false?” I asked, a hint of doubt in my voice.

“Don’t worry, milady,” one of the Venom Blood Squad (독혈대) commanders assured me. “The intelligence came from the Red Blood Faction after it dissolved. While black-market dealers aren’t always reliable, the Red Blood Faction built its reputation on selling accurate information throughout Sichuan.

“And besides, who would be foolish enough to sell fake information to the Tang Clan? With Soryong here, we’ll find it quickly.”

Father-in-law had originally intended to join us, but his plans were disrupted. Between his duties to the clan and Grandfather Mandok Shingun’s insistence—supported by the branch elders—that he couldn’t justify another long absence, he was forced to remain behind.

So the mission fell to our smaller group: me, my sister, and the Venom Blood Squad. Even though the Golden-Haired Bee King was classified as a mid-grade poisonous creature, it wasn’t especially dangerous alone. Its power came in numbers, but given our group’s skill, it was considered a manageable task—especially since we were still within the Tang Clan’s domain in Sichuan.

We reached a forest near a cliff close to Muli, and to our surprise, we located the Golden-Haired Bee King’s hive faster than anticipated. However, waiting for us there wasn’t just the honey—but also an unexpected complication.

“We arrived first, so the honey from the Golden-Haired Bee King is ours!”

“What rubbish! We bought the information legitimately, so it belongs to us!”

“You bought it? We purchased it too!”

The argument escalated when someone from the other group pointed at the informant.

“Wait, was it a shabby-looking man with a large mole on his left cheek?”

“Yes, that’s the one!”

It turned out that although the information about the Golden-Haired Bee King was accurate, the scoundrel who sold it had double-crossed us, selling it to several groups.

“Those fools dare disrespect the Tang Clan like this!” growled the commander of the Venom Blood Squad, his fury evident.

The other band of treasure hunters, realizing who they were facing, went pale and gasped in alarm,

“S-Sichuan Tang Clan!”

It seemed no matter where we went, there were always mischief-makers ready to cause trouble.