Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“That’s the major dark sects from Chengdu: the Fengyuan Sect (風原門), the Yuanhou Sect (元侯門), and the Paeryong Pavilion (覇龍閣), along with the White Jade Ghost-Slaying Sect (白玉鬼殺派) from Mianyang. That wretched informant truly sold the same information to everyone,” stated Deputy Commander Gu Pae, his eyes scanning the crowd assembled in the clearing.

This was worse than a simple double-booking—it was a five-way disaster. The scoundrels who had sold us the intelligence had already peddled it to four other major sects across Sichuan. The outcome was five separate groups, each believing they had sole claim to the Golden-Haired Bee King’s honey, now staring each other down in mutual disbelief near the enormous dead tree that supposedly housed the hive.

“The Tang Clan of Sichuan… is here?” one of the rival leaders stammered.

“It can’t be… Did those lunatics actually sell the same information to the Tang Clan as well?!”

“This is insanity! Who would ever dare to sell falsified intelligence to the Tang Clan?!”

My sister’s lips quivered with a rage she was barely holding back, her expression so fierce it made me shudder inwardly.

“Those two fools who sold us this are certainly finished. A peaceful retirement is no longer in their future,” I thought, offering them a silent moment of pity.

As I contemplated the sellers’ impending fate, my sister stepped forward with her typical sharp demeanor, addressing the deputy commander of the Venom Blood Squad.

“Whoever they are, they must have nerves of steel. Selling information to us, the Tang Clan, and then hawking it to others? Sheer madness.”

Her words felt like an opening move, laying the foundation to declare that we had purchased the information first. Yet, it was obvious that her mere presence was already causing a commotion among the competing sects.

“Wh-what?! The Poisonous Flower of the Laurel Clan!”

“Are you telling me a direct descendant of the Tang Clan, the Poisonous Flower herself, has come here?!”

“This… this is unacceptable!”

I hadn’t fully appreciated it before, but my sister’s notoriety was formidable. The leaders of the other four factions exchanged frantic looks, clearly feeling trapped.

“So, this is what it means to belong to a Central Plains assassination family. But… what exactly did she do to earn such a fearsome reputation?”

Setting aside my curiosity about her past, the scenario felt like a rental scam where multiple tenants had all been leased the same apartment, only to discover the truth on moving day. Naturally, I needed to find a way out of this predicament. I turned to Deputy Commander Gu Pae for counsel, keeping my voice low.

[“What’s the protocol for a situation like this? Do we split the honey?”]

Gu Pae shot me a look that clearly said, “What kind of question is that?” He shook his head and grumbled in irritation.

[“That damned informant has created a real problem, but split it? Who would be bold enough to suggest that to the Tang Clan?]

[“Fortunately, they’re all dark sects, so they’ll back down without too much argument. If these were righteous sects, we’d be stuck in tedious negotiations. However…”]

[“However?”]

[“We probably haven’t seen the last of them. They’ll pretend to withdraw, but they won’t go far. These dark sects are like rats—they’ll hide nearby, waiting to swoop in if we fail. They’re maggots drawn to a corpse.”]

I winced, understanding his meaning. Gu Pae’s words carried a palpable contempt for the assembled sects, and he appeared to be correct.

Meanwhile, my sister took charge of resolving the standoff, her voice calm yet icy.

“So, what will it be? Do you intend to compete with the Tang Clan for the Golden-Haired Bee King’s honey?”

Her tone was heavy with the unspoken challenge: “Do you truly believe you can oppose us?”

The leaders looked at one another, weighing their options, before responding one by one.

“If the Tang Clan is involved, the Fengyuan Sect will withdraw,” said the first.

“This is a catastrophe. We cannot afford to cross the Tang Clan. The Yuanhou Sect retreats,” said the next.

“The Poisonous Flower herself? We have no cause to fight over such a low-grade elixir. Paeryong Pavilion will step aside,” declared the third.

“Damn it! The bastard who sold us this is a dead man. The White Jade Ghost-Slaying Sect will also withdraw,” spat the final leader.

With resentful expressions and muttered curses, the groups retreated back the way we had come, leaving the clearing to us alone.

Once the dark sects had vanished, we set up a temporary camp to plan our next move. We observed the Golden-Haired Bee King’s hive from a safe distance and began discussing our approach.

“Two of you prepare the evening meal while another two keep watch. Those sect members may not have truly left,” ordered the squad leader. “Gu Pae, scout out their positions and report back.”

“Understood.” Gu Pae activated his lightness skill and disappeared into the forest while the rest of the group busied themselves with camp.

I then approached my sister, who was seated on a rock, her gaze fixed on the retreating sect members with a look of deep displeasure.

“Pardon me, Lady Hwa-eun. May I ask you something?”

“Of course, Soryong. What is it?” She offered a warm smile, her earlier irritation momentarily set aside.

“What exactly is the Black Path? The dark sects? From what the deputy commander said, they don’t seem like honorable people.”

“Ah… It seems Grandfather omitted some essential lessons in his focus on practical training,” she noted, gesturing for me to sit beside her. “I will explain. This is important, so listen carefully.”

How could I ever forget anything my sister taught me? I focused all my attention as I sat down next to her.

“To understand the dark sects, you must first learn the concepts of chivalry (俠), righteousness (義), and compassion (仁),” she began.

“Chivalry, righteousness, and compassion?”

“Righteousness refers to the moral duties one must uphold as a person. Compassion is a heart that is kind and caring. Chivalry is the combination of these principles, symbolized by the character meaning ‘to protect someone under one’s arm.’ In its essence, it is the duty to defend the weak…”

She continued her explanation, but the core of it was this: Those who adhered to chivalry, righteousness, and compassion belonged to the White Path, while those who rejected these principles belonged to the Black Path. The Tang Clan, though a White Path family, prioritized practicality, balancing moral ideals without becoming dogmatic.

As she spoke, I realized this system was essentially a scale of moral alignment: White for good, Black for evil, and the Tang Clan occupying a pragmatic middle ground.

“A code of chivalry focused on protecting the weak under one’s arm, is it?”

I glanced at my sister’s arm and thought, “For now, she is stronger than I am. I suppose I can enjoy being protected by her a while longer.”

To be sheltered under her care… it wasn’t such a terrible fate.

I made a silent vow to myself: “I will become a true chivalrous hero—worthy of this legacy!”

***

[There it is, the Golden-Haired Bee King (金毛蜂王)!]

Roughly twenty meters from the ancient tree housing the beehive, I crouched alongside the squad leader and my sister behind a small rock. We had come to scout the area after establishing camp, with the squad leader and my sister accompanying me.

The Tang Clan possessed a specific method for harvesting honey from the Golden-Haired Bee King, but I had insisted on inspecting the hive myself to formulate a more precise strategy.

The giant bees hummed around the old tree, confirming this was tree honey, not rock honey—still an immensely valuable prize.

[It’s far larger than I pictured. Truly remarkable,] my sister said with awe.

Indeed, as she had previously described, the Golden-Haired Bee King was as big as a small dog—a truly extraordinary sight. It resembled a traditional honeybee in some ways, but was covered in thick, fluffy fur like a bumblebee. Its golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, living up to its majestic name.

[They’re rather adorable, don’t you think?] I remarked.

[Adorable? You find that thing adorable?] my sister countered.

[Round and fluffy—is that not the very definition of cute?]

[Well… I suppose beauty is subjective,] she conceded, though she still seemed skeptical.

As someone who had always held an admiration for bees, I found their plump, golden forms incredibly endearing. Dangerous stingers notwithstanding, they were undeniably charming.

[The colony doesn’t appear to be very large,] I observed. [Perhaps a few hundred bees? That makes sense, given their size.]

[Colony?]

[Ah, the term for the population of bees in a hive. A normal honeybee colony can have anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 individuals.]

[You can estimate that without even entering the hive?] my sister asked, impressed.

I nodded and explained, [Bees lead highly organized social lives. Worker bees spend their first two weeks inside the hive, cleaning, tending to the queen, and maintaining the nest. Once their wax glands develop, they begin building and repairing the hive. After that, they venture out to collect nectar and pollen. Watching them return at dusk gives a good estimate of the hive’s population.]

Our observations were cut short by the squad leader’s sharp warning.

[Someone’s coming, my lady.]

We all froze, our eyes locked on the direction of the approaching intruder. Soon, Deputy Gu Pae emerged, walking straight toward us from the direction of our camp.

[Quick, send him a voice transmission! He’s about to walk right into the open!] I whispered urgently.

The squad leader immediately sent the message. Gu Pae halted just at the edge of the clearing, realizing his error. Activating his lightness skill, he swiftly joined us behind the rock.

[There you are,] Gu Pae said.

The squad leader got straight to the point. [What’s the situation?]

[Just as we predicted. Those damned sect members made camp on the opposite side. They’ve positioned themselves to stay hidden, but I confirmed their location.]

[Damned rats!]

The squad leader slammed his fist against the rock in frustration, dislodging a small stone that clattered down the side.

The worst possible thing happened.

A low, ominous sound erupted from the direction of the tree.

Buzzzzzz!

Though we were a good thirty meters from the hive, the vibration from the falling stone had disturbed the bees. Their droning, which sounded like a propeller engine, grew intensely louder. A few scout bees emerged from the hive and began flying toward our position.

[Retreat!] I shouted.

We hurried back to camp and collapsed onto nearby rocks, catching our breath.

“That was too close,” I said. “As I suspected, they are extremely sensitive to vibrations.”

“Vibrations?” my sister asked.

“The Golden-Haired Bee King appears to embody the traits of its kind. Ground-nesting bees, like bumblebees or hornets, are incredibly sensitive to vibrations. Though these bees live in a tree, their reaction suggests a similar sensitivity,” I explained.

“So stepping into the clearing triggers them?” the squad leader asked.

I nodded. “That seems to be the case.”

The squad leader stroked his chin thoughtfully before proposing, “In that case, let’s proceed with the Tang Clan’s standard method tonight.”

The Tang Clan’s method involved burning mugwort to create a smoke that would drive the bees away. Mugwort was known for its soothing and insect-repelling properties—a effective and traditional tactic.

“Let’s do it,” the squad leader decided. With the dark sects lurking, acting quickly was our best option.

But Gu Pae raised a concern. “Sir, the wind…”

“The wind?” the squad leader echoed.

“The wind is blowing from the hive directly toward us.”

The squad leader’s face fell. “Damn it! Of all the luck…”

If the wind carried the smoke toward us instead of the hive, the plan would be useless. I suggested an alternative.

“What if we light the mugwort on the opposite side?”

“That would place us directly between the dark sects and the bees,” Gu Pae replied. “While those sect members wouldn’t attack us outright, it would leave us exposed. Having them at our backs would be… unsettling.”

We debated the idea of sending someone to confront the sects and demand they leave, but the squad leader dismissed it. If they scattered or pretended ignorance, it would only complicate matters further.

Frustrated, my sister growled, “I wish I could just wipe them all out!”

I couldn’t help but think, *My sister would make an exceptional housekeeper after she marries… she certainly knows how to clean house.*