Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Of course. Here is the paraphrased chapter:

“You intend to kill him… deliciously?”
“Deliciously?”
My sister and Geol-hwang both stared at me, bewildered by my words. Their confusion was understandable; announcing you will kill someone in a tasty manner is not something a typical person would say.

They didn’t comprehend, but I was certain that using yellow powder worms (Huangfenchong) would let us eliminate the target cleanly, without having to poison his food specifically. If we introduced the powder worm into the food served to everyone at the gambling den on the day he visited, he would be the sole casualty, leaving no reason for anyone to suspect foul play.

It was an impeccable scheme, leaving behind no evidence.

“It will be so delicious, he will eat it and simply perish.”

My confidence in using the powder worm was straightforward. If the man suffered from a shellfish allergy—a reaction triggered by Tropomyosin present in crustaceans—then consuming anything rich in Tropomyosin would kill him. In fact, powder worms carry an even greater concentration of Tropomyosin than shellfish do, meaning eating them would be fatal for him, inducing a state similar to anaphylactic shock.

“Our first step is to acquire the Huangfenchong; we can discuss the details afterward,” I said, smiling inwardly at the plan falling into place.

“Understood, So-ryong.” Gu-Pae, ever prepared to help, departed to fetch the powder worms.

Even though they had acquiesced, my sister’s and Geol-hwang’s questions still hung in the air.

“So-ryong, since you have asked for Huangfenchong, it appears you mean to use it to kill him?”

“Indeed. But what precisely is this Huangfenchong? It does not sound like a venomous insect.”

The woman, Na-ok, also seemed puzzled, likely recalling the beggar’s earlier mention of Huangfenchong.

I couldn’t properly explain without them experiencing it firsthand, so I encouraged them to be patient for a little while.

“When the Huangfenchong gets here, I will provide a full explanation. Please wait, Huaeun.”

“Very well, then.”

“I understand, So-ryong.”

We sat drinking tea in a strained silence until Gu-Pae returned, rushing in with a squirming pouch.

“I have brought them, as you commanded, but…”

He passed me a bag teeming with wriggling powder worms.

“Let me have a look… Ah, they are nicely developed.”

I inspected the bag’s contents, which were full of plump, healthy powder worms.

I could consume them raw, but to improve their flavor, I turned to my sister and inquired, “Where is your kitchen?”

“My kitchen? It is over there…” She led the way with an uncertain expression.

I followed her into the kitchen, promptly boiled water, and briefly scalded half of the powder worms. I then stir-fried them in a wok.

The optimal method for preparing edible insects usually involves drying them—steaming or boiling first, then drying by air or sun.

After a short while, the powder worms took on a glossy, appetizing appearance. I carried the finished dish back to the reception room, ready to offer it to my eager audience.

“Here, this is Huangfenchong. Everyone, please try some.”

“Eat this?”

“Consume this?”

“This… truly?”

While the woman looked utterly baffled, I nudged a visibly uncomfortable Gu-Pae to taste it first.

Naturally, I led by example.

I placed one of the crunchy worms into my mouth and chewed.

*Crunch*

“See? It is quite delicious. Ah, so savory.”

The flavor of the powder worms was distinctive. Eaten raw, they had a taste reminiscent of peanuts and beans, but after being dried and cooked, they developed a flavor like shrimp crackers, becoming even more savory.

In Korea, we referred to them as “Gosoe,” meaning savory insect snacks.

Gu-Pae, despite his clear reluctance, took one and gingerly put it in his mouth. His eyes shot open in surprise, and he quickly grabbed another.

“Why… why is it so tasty? It’s even savory?”

As the others—Geol-hwang, my sister, and finally the woman, Na-ok—sampled the worms, their expressions shifted to astonishment.

“Is it truly that delicious?”

“How can a bug taste this good?”

“This is remarkable.”

They continued taking handfuls and munching away, clearly captivated.

“Well? Is it not quite savory?” I asked, gazing at each of them.

They all nodded in unison.

“Yes, it is very savory, but are you truly going to add poison to it?”

“So-ryong, it is genuinely tasty, but…”

“Yes, So-ryong. It is very savory.”

Now that everyone had tried it, the time for explanation had come.

I looked around at the group and stated, “With Geol-hwang present, I will explain in full. Some substances that are harmless to most can be lethal to others.”

“Is it similar to how Na-eun was susceptible to bee stings?”

“Ah, precisely. Geol-hwang, you noted that the man has a severe reaction to shrimp and crab, correct?”

“Yes, our children surely figured that out.”

“Exactly. It is not only shellfish—this Huangfenchong also contains a component that is safe for most people, but for him, it is a poison.”

I explained it in terms they could all grasp, and they nodded in understanding.

“So, the Huangfenchong will affect him like shellfish, producing the same deadly response?”

“Yes, precisely, Elder.”

Everyone appeared fascinated by my explanation, but Geol-hwang held up a powder worm and asked,

“But how will you feed this to him? It does not look like something that would be simple to give him; it seems far more difficult than sneaking him shrimp or crab.”

He had a valid point—the worms looked much more repulsive than shrimp or crab.

After a moment’s thought, I instructed Gu-Pae, “Go and borrow a pestle from the apothecary. We are going to grind them up.”

Soon, I had pulverized the powder worms into a fine dust and showed it to Geol-hwang.

“We do not need to feed him the worms whole. If we grind them into a powder and blend it into food, it will only enhance the food’s flavor. The more we use, the more certain his death becomes.”

“Oh, I understand. Grinding them up? That should be effective.”

The severity of an allergic reaction can differ from person to person, but our objective was simply to administer a large enough dose to guarantee his death.

My sister then had an inspiration.

“Ah! I have a wonderful idea, So-ryong!”

I looked at her, curious, as she called out toward the door.

“Is anyone out there?”

A voice answered from outside.

“Yes, Miss, I am waiting.”

“Perfect. Go out and fetch me some Lye-tagon, both with and without filling.”

“Lye-tagon?”

At my sister’s request for donkey rolls, I tilted my head in confusion. Na-ok, the woman, clarified.

“It is a kind of snack. Made from glutinous rice, sometimes with red bean paste inside.”

“Ah, I see.”

‘Is it similar to rice cakes?’

A short time later, a servant entered with two varieties of rice cakes: one rolled in yellow soybean flour and the other plain.

My sister took the plain ones and, while coating them in the powdered Huangfenchong, said,

“Lye-tagon, named for the dust kicked up when a donkey rolls, is a simple, common food perfect for a gambling house. If we roll them in yellow soybean flour that has been mixed with the Huangfenchong powder, it should work flawlessly.”

“Ho-ho…”

I had been contemplating whether to add the powder to a soup or another dish, and now I discovered this ideal vehicle for assassination.

This was truly a dish crafted for murder.

A sticky rice cake dredged in Huangfenchong powder.

And on top of that, a sticky, syrupy coating?

As the cake slid down his throat, it would surely cling to the sides. What would happen to the airways nearby?

A primary cause of death from anaphylactic shock is suffocation due to a blocked airway.

I looked at my older sister with deep affection and thought to myself,

“Ah, so this is the meaning of ‘husband leads, wife follows’?”

Just then, I heard the voice of Geol-hwang, who seemed to find it all very amusing.

“The final meal of a martial artist, a rice cake covered in insect powder? Is this not the perfect death for a trashy bug like him? Rolling on the floor, covered in dust, and perishing—this meal is truly suited to his circumstances. Hehe. I am glad I came to witness this.”

Considering it, this was the region known for its “Lazy Donkey Roll,” a form of punishment often scorned here.

From what I had heard, dying in a fight and ending up rolling on the ground was seen as deeply shameful. Viewed in that light, if a martial artist died from eating this rice cake, it would undoubtedly be a dishonorable death.

“Hey, have you heard how the third son of Taehwa Mun died?”

“No, I have not. How?”

“He died suddenly while eating a rice cake.”

“A martial artist killed by a rice cake? Pfft!”

I wondered if rumors like that would begin to circulate.

Just as we decided on the dish, Na-ok, the spirit who had been fairly quiet until then, spoke up.

“I know how to prepare the rice cake! Please, allow me to make it!”

Her words revealed a desire to exact revenge with her own hands.

Since everything was arranged, the people in the guest house nodded their agreement.

“Well, revenge is most satisfying when delivered by one’s own hand.”

“Indeed.”

“Thank you so much!”

The detailed plan started to take shape.

“Then, let us ask the owner of the gambling house to permit us to work in the kitchen for a day in exchange for bringing a woman. If we suggest the man will be drawn to us after we work in the kitchen, that should suffice, correct?”

“Ah, that will work.”

“As a precaution, let us also gamble with that man at the den that day. If he collapses…”

“Hehe. Merely listening to this is thrilling and enjoyable! Ah! It is such a pity I can no longer enter the gambling house!”

The plan was set in motion, and it was one from which the man would certainly not escape alive.

***
When Taehwa Mun’s third son, Jin Dae-seung, arrived at the top floor of the gambling house, which catered exclusively to high-stakes players, the individuals waiting for him were not who he expected.

“Hwa, Hwa-eun sojeo?”

“Who are you?”

“Oh, I am Jin Dae-seung, the third son of Taehwa Mun.”

“Oh, you are the great Jin of Taehwa Mun?”

A boy who seemed entirely out of place in a gambling den and Tang Hwa-eun, a direct descendant of the Tang family, were seated at the gambling table, playing Tuba, a dice game that was always underway whenever Jin Dae-seung visited.

He had heard they arrived a few days prior, but he never expected to find them here today.

“Ah! I was correct!”

“Wow, So-ryong, you are amazing!”

“Ha-ha, truly?”

Tang Hwa-eun, one of the Three Blossoms of the Martial World, sat beside the young boy, behaving in a coquettish manner.

When Jin Dae-seung asked a guard who the boy was, the martial artist whispered quietly.

[The Poison Master has a fiancé, and I believe this is him.]

[Fiancé? That little runt?]

[Yes, my lord.]

The thought that someone as breathtakingly beautiful as Tang Hwa-eun was betrothed to such a frail-looking boy made Jin Dae-seung burn with anger.

He had never been with a woman of such beauty.

And it seemed increasingly unlikely he ever would.

The only woman Jin Dae-seung could recall was a girl from Songgachon several years earlier.

But because he was caught by his older brother that day wearing bloodstained clothes, he was forbidden from leaving the family compound alone. The gambling house became his only permitted destination, and the only women he could be with were the prostitutes who worked there.

“Damn it.”

He sat down, filled with regret that the older sister, who was rumored to be even more beautiful than the younger, was not present.

But as he rested his arm on the table, his focus entirely on Tang Hwa-eun, his gambling was doomed.

Being so thoroughly distracted, it was little wonder his luck turned sour.

For an hour, Jin Dae-seung did nothing but lose.

He lost nearly half the money he had brought with him, and he was thinking he needed to regain his focus when he overheard voices from a nearby table.

“Why is this so savory?”

“This rice cake is exceptionally delicious today.”

“It is far superior to the ones sold by the street vendors!”

From a table close to the gambling area, Jin Dae-seung heard people relishing their food and remarking on how good it tasted.

“Is it truly that good?”

“Yes, my lord. Why not try it? It is strangely savory and tasty.”

Feeling somewhat hungry and never one to refuse food, Jin Dae-seung took a rice cake from the plate a guard offered him and took a large bite.

The savory taste was immediate.

Just as they had said, the rice cake was surprisingly delicious. Enchanted by the chewy, savory flavor, he quickly swallowed the first bite and took a second.

“Ugh… Ugh. Cough… cough.”

A strange sensation formed in his throat.
A coughing fit seized him.

His hands and feet began to grow numb, and soon he was gasping desperately for air.

It felt exactly like when he had eaten a spoiled crab as a child.

“Help… help…”

“My lord! My lord!”

As he collapsed, his guards rushed to his side, but as he fought for breath, they attempted to aid him by transferring their internal energy into his body.

Then, a woman’s voice reached his ears.

“What has occurred?”

“My lord has collapsed!”

“Oh no, allow me to examine him. I am from the Tang family.”

As his vision blurred, he made out the faces of Tang Hwa-eun and the young boy.

Members of the Tang family were renowned for their medical skills.

Tang Hwa-eun’s hand pressed against Jin Dae-seung’s chest as he lay on the floor.

Then he heard her speak.

“I will attempt to use my internal energy to clear his airways.”

“Yes, thank you!”

The guards expressed their gratitude to Tang Hwa-eun and waited for his breathing to ease, but the internal energy seemed to have no effect.

Instead, as the energy failed to enter his body, a cold, venomous voice echoed in his mind.

[Did you believe you would survive? You are fated to die today, choking on this rice cake and rolling in the dirt like a donkey.]

Abruptly, a chilling voice, saturated with murderous intent, assaulted his consciousness. Jin Dae-seung’s eyes widened in terror, but the final words he heard were:

[Songgachon]

“Ughhh!”

Though he did not fully comprehend what was happening, he felt a dreadful certainty that everything he had done was known to these people.

Convinced the Tang family was there to claim his life, Jin Dae-seung struggled with his final vestiges of strength, hoping to gasp out a warning to the guards nearby.

But then, the young boy’s voice reached his ears.

“If a sick person continues to struggle, we cannot properly channel internal energy into him. Everyone, hold him down!”

And just like that, his last hope for assistance became a force of restraint. Soon, Jin Dae-seung’s vision was entirely consumed by darkness.

The final, savory taste of the rice cake lingering in his mouth became his last memory.