Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The fact that the bees had swarmed into the cavity of the old tree did not signal the end of the task. Becoming careless at this point would have been a serious error. The most difficult part was just getting underway. So, what was the next step?

These bees had traveled for days to get here, sustained by the honey they had consumed. Ordinarily, bees cannot survive more than a day without food. These were clearly high-level venomous insects, but they were also pushed to their limits, visibly fatigued and starving. Observing the guard bees at the entrance, I saw their abdomens were shrunken and their movements were lethargic. The rapid expansion and contraction of their bodies was a clear indicator of extreme exhaustion.

It’s often said that food can alter a person’s disposition. Providing nourishment now would undoubtedly make them less suspicious of me. They might even begin to see me as their keeper—or, at the very least, their hostility would diminish.

“This was always the strategy,” I told myself. “I will offer them sustenance and shelter when they are at their weakest.”

I hurried to my father-in-law to make my request.

“Father-in-law, I require something immediately. Can you assist me?”

“What is it you need?” he inquired, his interest piqued.

“Feed for the weary bees… honey, or… a substitute. It’s a sweet liquid produced by pressing large herbs, a substance similar to sugar…” I struggled to articulate it clearly.

Overhearing this, my grandfather questioned, “Are you referring to white sugar or brown sugar?”

“White sugar? Brown sugar? What are those?”

“White sugar is refined granulated sugar, and brown sugar is the reddish, sandy kind.”

“Ah, then white sugar is the one.”

White sugar was essential; brown sugar would not do. While brown sugar might appear more natural and richer in minerals, it is hazardous for bees. Sugars such as molasses or brown sugar contain complex carbohydrates like dextrin, which bees cannot digest and which causes fatal diarrhea. For bees already on the brink of collapse, diarrhea would be a death sentence.

“Go to the storehouse and bring out every bit of white sugar we have!” my father-in-law ordered.

“At once, master!”

The warriors promptly left for the storehouse to retrieve the sugar while I got the water containers ready and waited for their return.

As I stood there, a sudden thought of my sister struck me.

“Oh no! Hwa-eun!” I cried out.

I turned to ask my father-in-law of her whereabouts, but he simply gave me a baffled look.

“Now you recall? I instructed you to take her to your mother so she could recover. What exactly happened to that girl? Did she use her light-body technique to run all the way here with those bees chasing her?”

I gave a guilty nod. “Yes, she only slept for two hours last night… she spent the rest of the time running.”

“Ha…” my father-in-law uttered, a sound of pure astonishment.

Just then, my grandfather also seemed to recall something and asked with deep concern.

“Where are the Deputy Commander and the other warriors? Did they not come with you? Have they all been… killed by the Golden-Fur Bees?”

His voice grew more anxious as he spoke, clearly dreading the answer.

“Ah…” I mumbled, feeling ashamed.

I had finally remembered my sister, but the others had completely left my mind. I scratched my head awkwardly and replied.

“Uh, they are most likely collapsed somewhere along the path… I believe we should send someone to collect them…”

“Ha…”

Both my grandfather and father-in-law could only laugh in stunned disbelief at my oversight.

My father-in-law soon commanded warriors to retrieve the fallen soldiers.

“Dispatch the Poison Fog Squad down the trail to locate and bring back the fallen members of the Venom Blood Squad!”

“Yes, master!”

The warriors rushed down the mountain path to search as others returned with the sugar, water, and sacks of supplies.

After explaining how to make the feeding solution, I demonstrated the mixing process.

“Combine sixteen pounds of white sugar with two buckets of water to create the solution.”

“Understood, So-ryong! Everyone, pay attention!” one of the warriors called out.

“Yes!” came the unified response.

As they mixed, I reflected on how, in my past life, this type of feed was used when bees couldn’t forage during rains or after the autumn honey harvest. It helped them survive the winter. If they converted it into honey, it was often labeled as artificial, though its composition was nearly identical to the real thing.

The sole difference was that true honey contains no maltose or sucrose, whereas the fed honey has trace amounts.

“The solution is ready, what is the next step?” a warrior asked once the preparation was complete.

“Move everything to the training grounds,” I instructed.

We arrived at the entrance to the training grounds, a area restricted to the Tang family’s direct descendants, and I cautiously peered inside to check on the bees. They remained listless, still worn out from their long journey.

“It seems they are still exhausted,” I murmured to myself.

Taking one container of the feed, I entered the training grounds. The low buzzing of the bees inside was audible. They were clustered near the walls, too drained to fly.

I approached slowly, offering a gentle smile and speaking in a calm, reassuring voice. “Here, I have some food for you.”

I carefully set the container down in front of them.

Though wary, one bee broke away to sample the solution, only to be promptly tugged back by the others.

I smiled again, encouraging them. “It’s alright. This is for you. Go on, try it. Mmm… it’s sweet.”

Another bee crept forward, cautiously sniffed the liquid, and then began to drink eagerly.

“Now they will settle down,” I thought, watching as their defensiveness melted away and they crowded around to feed.

I withdrew quickly and started distributing the remaining solution with the help of the other warriors.

Soon, more bees emerged to drink. Their numbers grew from three, to ten, then thirty, until a hundred were gathered outside, consuming the solution. A sense of accomplishment washed over me.

“Good, drink up and produce plenty of honey.”

‘Perhaps I could go into the honey business on the side?’

If this succeeded, selling honey could become a lucrative enterprise.

***

The bees regained their strength swiftly after drinking the syrup.

Starting the next day, it became a normal sight to see them gathering nectar from the many poisonous flowers blooming in the mountains of the Tang Clan.

Perhaps because they were honeybees and naturally less aggressive, they did not attack people they encountered while foraging—unless, of course, they were directly threatened.

As a result, the familiar sight of the golden hornet queen buzzing through the mountains became a part of daily life for the Tang Clan.

“We met members of the Amipa along the way?”

In a matter completely separate from the golden hornet queen, my sister, who had finally awoken after three days, had no memory of encountering any Amipa members during our journey. The brutal race to safety must have been too traumatic for her to retain.

“Yes, her Buddhist name was Yeonsu? I believe it was something like that. She seemed to know Lady Hwa-eun…”

“Yeonsu?”

“Yes, when Lady Hwa-eun asked for water, she was the one who gave her a bottle. Does that sound familiar?”

“…”

My sister’s eyes opened wide in shock.

Just as I was attempting to help her remember, a voice calling for me from outside interrupted.

“Master So-ryong, you must come out immediately. The golden hornet queens are behaving oddly.”

“Oddly?”

Now that my sister was awake, I returned O-gong and the others to her care and rushed outside to see what was the matter.

The warriors were all pointing toward the sky. Looking up, I saw several golden hornet queens swirling in complex patterns overhead. It appeared as if they were searching for something.

“What is happening?”

To look into their strange behavior, I hastened toward the training grounds where the hornet queens were gathered. Suddenly, I heard the sound of beating wings behind me.

-Whoooosh.

I turned to find the source of the sound and saw one of the hornet queens land directly in front of me.

The flapping of wings continued.

-Whoosh.

-Whoooosh.

‘What is this?’

In a matter of seconds, I was encircled by no fewer than ten hornet queens.

Alarmed, I raised my hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s me. I’m not your enemy.”

But the hornets seemed to have been seeking me out. One after another, they attached themselves to my body and began to fly upward. I felt my body slowly being lifted, and before I could process it, I was being carried away.

“W-wait!”

“Master So-ryong! Inform the clan leader! Someone alert the leader!”

The warriors were frozen in shock. As they scrambled toward the clan leader’s quarters, I was hauled directly to the hornet queen’s nest.

The hornets pushed me into the hollow tree at its entrance.

“Alright, alright. I’m going in, I’m going in.”

Inside, the small artificial hive I had built earlier came into view. A bee that was slightly larger than the others flew out of it and hovered right in front of my face.

-Whoosh. Whooosh.

It hovered there, examining me intently from different angles. After looking left and right, it appeared to give a signal to the others. Soon, more bees swarmed around me, fastening themselves to my arms and legs. One even landed on the back of my head.

Immobilized, I watched as the queen bee climbed onto my chest and began a slow ascent.

“Stay calm, everyone. What is happening…?”

The queen bee crawled all the way up to my face. Her mouthparts gradually moved closer to my own.

“Huh? Huh? What are you doing?”

Her multifaceted eyes dominated my view, mirroring my own startled expression. Before I could do anything, her mouth met mine.

Her proboscis slipped into my mouth, and simultaneously, something with a sour taste began to trickle down my throat.

It was my first kiss.