Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

When my elder sister told me to observe Eun-kyung, I was confused at first—why was she asking me to look into the mirror? But the next morning, as I steadied myself to wash my face, her meaning became clear.

The water in the basin reflected my face back at me, and it was unmistakably not the same as it had been the day before.

“What’s going on? Something’s different.”

The lines of my face appeared more defined, and the very quality of my skin had changed. After drying off, I pressed the back of my hand against my cheek and found it smooth and supple, with a soft, bouncy resilience. Remembering my sister’s suggestion, I asked the attendants to bring Eun-kyung. Gazing into the mirror confirmed it—my skin had been utterly transformed.

It was as if I’d received an expensive professional treatment from an upscale clinic. In my past life, this body had belonged to a boy from an isolated village in Hainan. Constant exposure to sea wind and humid jungle sun had left the skin tanned and spotted with freckles. Now, it was clear and bright, almost as if I were wearing makeup.

“Can royal jelly really do this? What happened to that sun-darkened country boy from Hainan?”

The golden royal jelly from the King of Golden Bumblebees, ranked as a mid-grade venomous substance, was indeed extraordinary.

But as I admired the change, a worrying possibility occurred to me.

‘Wait, this skin… it feels strangely delicate. Almost feminine.’

Royal jelly, by its very nature, is the substance that transforms a common bee into a queen.

A sudden fear gripped me. I urgently checked inside my trousers, afraid my sister might have overlooked some drastic side effect.

‘Thank goodness… everything’s still there. I was genuinely worried.’

I breathed a sigh of relief. My most important assets were safe. The idea that the jelly might have changed my gender had been terrifying.

With that anxiety gone, I began to see my sister’s earlier behavior in a new light.

‘Hold on. Was she blushing because of me? Could she actually be… attracted to me?’

Even I had to admit I looked much better now. If I was impressed, surely others would be too.

Recalling my sister’s flushed cheeks, I wondered if this was a sign of her approval. With that thought, I made my way to the dining hall where the direct descendants of the Tang family gathered for breakfast after their morning practice.

I’d missed training due to being unconscious, but I was determined not to miss the meal.

Walking through the rear courtyard toward the hall, I noticed the faint early light just cresting the mountains, leaving the world in a soft gloom.

‘Why does everything have to start at such an ungodly hour?’

Adapting to life in the Tang Clan had been challenging, and the hardest part—beyond the mental strain—was adjusting to their predawn schedule. Martial artists slept little, training from first light. Keeping up had been exhausting, but that changed after yesterday.

Now, with a decade’s worth of internal energy flowing through me, my body felt incredibly light. My sister had said I wouldn’t struggle with early mornings anymore, and she was right.

As I entered the dining hall, my mother-in-law, who was directing the servants, greeted me with a warm expression.

“Oh, our son-in-law! You look so much better! Are you feeling well?”

“Yes, Mother-in-law. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Don’t be. Congratulations on your fortunate encounter. Just look at your complexion!”

She seemed genuinely pleased by the change in my appearance.

Looking further in, I saw my sister already seated in her usual spot.

“So-ryong.”

“Hwa-eun. You must be tired after watching over me all night…”

Even after staying up with me, she had arrived before I did. I sat beside her, my regular place, and muttered an apology. Her gentle smile surprised me.

“It’s fine. I recently learned I can go several nights without sleep.”

“Ah… haha, right…”

I laughed awkwardly, still feeling guilty. It was my fault she’d been put in that situation—running off after a queen bee hadn’t been part of any plan.

‘I hope she isn’t too upset with me…’

As I settled in, my father-in-law and Grandfather Mandok Shingun arrived, signaling the start of the Tang family breakfast.

The meal was modest: steamed lamb dumplings, a warm soup, and a few dishes of stir-fried vegetables and meat.

‘These dumplings are unbelievably delicious.’

Just as I reached for one, my father-in-law’s voice interrupted.

“So-ryong, are you fully recovered?”

I set the dumpling down and answered promptly.

“Yes, Father-in-law. My apologies for causing concern.”

“No need to apologize. We’re glad you had such a fortunate encounter.”

His congratulations reminded me I hadn’t yet thanked my grandfather-in-law. I turned to him immediately.

“Grandfather, thank you for looking after me. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Not at all. Hwa-eun gave me a rough account, but what exactly happened?”

The entire family looked at me with keen interest, eager for the story.

Reluctantly leaving my dumpling untouched, I recounted the previous day’s events.

“It seems the bees took a liking to me. They led me to their hive and offered me the royal jelly directly. It felt like they were repaying a kindness.”

“Even mid-level venomous insects understand gratitude… remarkable.”

“How extraordinary that such creatures would return a favor.”

“Yes, truly astonishing.”

The elders nodded, satisfied with my short explanation.

I was just about to return to my breakfast when the questions started again, this time about the jelly itself.

“So-ryong, do you believe more could be acquired? If it’s as you say, it would be a great asset to the Tang Clan.”

“Father-in-law is right. Even a small amount of honey from the Golden Bumblebee King would be immensely valuable.”

“Exactly. Son-in-law, is it possible to get more?”

“Hwa-eun, what’s your opinion? Can it be done?”

Their interest was clearly piqued. A single dose had given me ten years of internal energy—a temptation no martial artist could easily ignore.

I knew, however, it wouldn’t be simple.

While regular beekeepers harvest royal jelly from artificial queen cells, the Golden Bumblebee Kings were intelligent and wouldn’t fall for such tricks. Furthermore, though worker bees produce royal jelly, it was the queen herself who gave it to me. If it came only from the queen, obtaining more would be nearly impossible.

Even if I could, revealing such a miraculous substance would cause chaos—like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

I needed a convincing reason to dampen their expectations.

After a moment’s thought, I decided to tell them the truth—a truth I knew would shock them.

“It will be difficult.”

“Difficult? Why?”

“Yes, son-in-law, why do you say that?”

They leaned in, their curiosity evident.

“Well… even if someone could get it, I doubt they would willingly consume it.”

“Is the taste that unpleasant? Or the smell?”

I shook my head.

“No, it’s not that. The issue is… the royal jelly is delivered directly by the queen bee, and it requires… well… a mouth-to-mouth transfer.”

“W-what?! Mouth-to-mouth with the queen bee?!”

“An exchange of mouths with the Golden Bumblebee King?!”

Their stunned expressions were priceless. Even for me, who didn’t mind insects, the experience had been unsettling. Expecting anyone else to do it was unimaginable.

“In that case, we should consider it unattainable,” my father-in-law concluded.

“Yes,” my sister added. “Unless one is favored by them as So-ryong is, kissing the queen bee is impossible.”

Relieved their ambitions were curbed, I finally reached for my dumpling, but a soft thud from my sister’s direction made me turn.

She sat perfectly still, her hand resting limply on the table. Her eyes were distant and shadowed, as if she had just uncovered a deeply forbidden truth.

‘Oh no! I didn’t consider how this would sound to her!’

It hit me then—by revealing how I got the jelly, I had indirectly confirmed that I was the one who’d done it. The “ultimate possibility bug,” as it were.

The look on her face—a mix of shock and something like despair—suggested she now saw me in a completely new, and likely disturbing, light.

***

After breakfast, I expected to join training, but my grandfather forbade it, explaining that my body needed time to adapt to the sudden influx of internal energy.

“No training today—or for a while. Rest well and take the medicine Hwa-eun prepares for you,” he instructed.

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Your body must harmonize with the energy that has flooded your meridians.”

For now, this was a period of adjustment—a time for my body to synchronize with its new power.

‘This is perfect,’ I thought.

However, I couldn’t skip the Tang Clan family meeting that followed. The agenda was to decide the punishment for those who had sold information about the Golden Bumblebee King to outsiders.

The meeting was held in the main hall of the family estate, attended by the elders and the clan leader.

“Clan Leader, you’re saying there are individuals who sold information from our clan to outsiders?” an elder asked.

“Yes, that is correct,” my father-in-law confirmed.

I initially expected the elders to criticize him for his carelessness—for buying unverified information and bringing shame upon the clan. Wasn’t this situation his fault?

‘How could he make such a purchase without verifying it? This will damage the Tang Clan’s reputation!’

Based on past meetings, I was sure the discussion would head that way.

To my surprise, the reaction was the complete opposite.

The elders, who were usually strict and critical about internal affairs, spoke with one voice when it came to external threats.

“How dare they tarnish the honor of the Tang Clan?”

“If we let this slide, what will the martial world think of us? They must be made an example of!”

“We’ve been too forgiving. This kind of insolence cannot be tolerated.”

Internal squabbles were one thing, but an affront to the clan’s reputation from the outside was met with unified, fierce resolve.

The punishment for the informants was decided in classic Tang Clan fashion.

“We’ve already enlisted the Beggar Sect to track them down. Once we have their location, I will deal with them personally,” my father-in-law declared.

“Indeed, the clan leader should handle this himself. Demonstrate the principle of 百罰百戒—punish one to warn a hundred,” an elder stated.

“And how will you carry out the punishment?”

With a mild smile, my father-in-law replied, “Using a combination of Soul-Destroying Poison, Blood-Igniting Poison, and Gut-Severing Poison. They will experience burning blood, dissolving organs, and soul-crushing agony before the Seven-Step Soul Severing Poison finishes them.”

‘A cocktail method…’

In my previous life, cocktail therapies were used to save lives. Here, they mixed poisons to end lives in the most painful way possible.

The scammers were sentenced to die by a blend of more than three poisons—a decision made with cold, efficient finality.

As the mentally draining meeting concluded, I was on my way back when I heard coughing behind me.

“Ahem!”

“Ahem!”

I turned to see the clan elders standing at a distance, staring off at the horizon.

‘What is this about?’

I stopped and bowed respectfully. “Wei Su Long greets the esteemed elders of the Tang Clan.”

One elder stepped forward, glancing around cautiously before speaking in a hushed tone.

“Ahem. So… we hear you’ve had a fortunate encounter?”

“Yes, elder,” I replied, puzzled.

‘Is this about the royal jelly?’

I wondered if they were about to ask for some.

Hesitantly, the elder continued. “Ahem. It’s not that… We have a small request.”

“A request? Regarding the Golden Bumblebee King’s…?”

“No, no, not that,” he said, shaking his head.

He looked uncharacteristically embarrassed before clearing his throat again. “As you know, rare treasures and miraculous substances always have destined owners. We would never covet such a thing…”

“Yes, of course,” the others murmured in agreement.

“Then what is it?”

“Well, it’s about… that medicine… the Geodanhwan. Since you created it, you control its distribution…”

“Ah, the Geodanhwan! I understand.”

The Geodanhwan was an aphrodisiac made from cantharidin, derived from blister beetles. While dangerous—even lethal—to ordinary people, members of the Tang Clan, with their poison resistance, would see it as a miraculous boost to their vitality.

I smiled. “As I am still adjusting to life here, I would value the elders’ guidance and support. I would be happy to provide the medicine.”

In other words: help me, and the medicine is yours.

The elders beamed with delight.

“Of course! You are one of us—a true member of the Tang Clan!”

“Yes, yes! Don’t worry about a thing. You have our full support!”

In that moment, I felt my life within the Tang Clan was about to become much, much easier.