Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

Chapter 44




Chapter 3: The Unexpected Collapse

The clan elder and the head of the Medicine Hall took turns checking the child’s pulse, wearing expressions of complete bafflement.

They couldn’t find any issues that matched the symptoms described by the head of the Peng Clan.

It was just that, aside from the fact that the child liked sweets, she looked too rosy and cute to appear sick.

I had my own concerns, constantly thinking about where all those sweet snacks were coming from; I personally worried a bit about childhood diabetes.

After all, kids shouldn’t be munching on candies loaded with sugar.

Even back in my previous life, there were whispers that sweets were increasing instances of childhood diabetes.

‘How could I have seen three of those already? Where are they all coming from?’

As I was observing the girl happily licking her candy from afar, the discussion among the clan elders continued.

“Sometimes she breathes heavily, and large red rashes appear on her body? If it gets serious, she even loses consciousness?”

“Yes. She sometimes feels weak and experiences palpitations too.”

According to the head of the Peng Clan, the child’s symptoms included large rashes that appeared and disappeared all over her body.

Also, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, low blood pressure, and rapid heartbeats.

Over time, the symptoms gradually eased, and she regained her senses.

The artisan tilted his head in thought and asked the head of the Peng Clan again.

“Is there anything the physicians witnessed?”

“Don’t get me started. Those frauds! The child almost gasped for air several times, yet they couldn’t figure out the reason…”

“Have you consulted with the Medicine Immortal or the Herbal Immortal?”

“They said they’re not available at the moment… But I did have a look with a disciple of the Herbal Immortal, who claimed the child was healthy. However, one of their disciples mentioned something strange… I almost hit him!”

“Strange? What did he say?”

I was curious about what the disciple of the Herbal Immortal could have said that warranted such a reaction, but listening to the elder, it sounded far graver.

“Ugh… It seems to be suspected symptoms of poisoning…”

“Poisoning!?”

The atmosphere inside the Clan Head Hall turned icy with that revelation.

From his last words, it became clear why he had brought his daughter all the way from Hebei.

He probably wanted to get her treated in the Four Heavenly Houses, which were renowned for their expertise with poisons.

This Four Heavenly House was known as the go-to family for anything related to poison.

‘So, you’ve come looking for specialists? But it seems we might be more funeral directors than healers…’

Even though both the Tang family’s medicine and the artisan’s skills were formidable, I had experienced the family’s primary focus on funerals tied to poison.

“Hmm… I understand why you sought us. Based on what you described, it does resemble symptoms of poisoning.”

At the artisan’s reply, the head of the Peng Clan’s eyes widened.

“Y-You’re serious!? Even though I was told the same by the disciple of the Herbal Immortal, I never believed it until now, hearing it from the head of the Tang clan… What a ridiculous thing… This can’t be happening…”

“A poisoning case from the Peng Clan…”

The head of the Peng Clan’s sharp reaction only intensified the already cold atmosphere.

Others in the room also looked distressed, their expressions grave as they murmured.

‘What’s going on?’

If the child was showing signs of poisoning, that would be serious, but the elders’ reactions felt odd.

It wasn’t merely sympathy for the child; it felt like a major crisis for the family.

This atmosphere felt puzzling, but then I suddenly heard my older sister’s voice, clear in my ear.

[If the young lady is showing signs of poisoning, it means there might be a perpetrator within the clan who poisoned her. This is serious, as it implies a potential traitor in the family.]

I looked at my sister, stunned by her explanation.

It seemed like they also referred to their family as a prestigious bloodline, much like us. However, the implication that someone within their own ranks poisoned the child suggested a betrayal from their own relatives.

Indeed, this was a huge issue.

In our family, being part of a clan or bloodline went beyond merely living under the same roof; it signified something much larger, so the idea that one of them might betray was no trivial matter.

The head of the Peng Clan grimaced as if he wished he hadn’t heard that.

“Let’s not speak of that any further! I do not wish to suspect my family!”

“Yes, let’s refrain from jumping to conclusions. Poisoning doesn’t necessarily mean someone intentionally did it.”

“R-Right? If that’s the case…?”

“There could be unknown poisonous plants in your house, or decorations made from toxic wood. So, could you tell us a bit more about the situation?”

Amid the tense atmosphere, the artisan attempted to alleviate the welling tension by asking more questions.

After all, medical inquiries begin with a detailed history.

“Thank you. From the Tang clan. Now, what details should we discuss?”

“Could you tell us when these symptoms occurred and where they took place?”

“Hmm…”

The head of the Peng Clan pondered the artisan’s questions before he began recalling everything he could remember.

“Usually, it happens inside the Peng Clan. In the child’s chambers or within the Four Harmonies Courtyard. She also collapsed in the training hall. It happened a couple of times during the night and about four times during the day.”

“No commonality whatsoever.”

The artisan seemed to have been trying to find a pattern through the inquiries, but there was none to be found.

As the conversation dragged on, the artisan’s expression only grew graver.

Ultimately, by the end of the first day, nothing had come of the consultation, and a small empty courtyard in the Peng Clan was allocated for their family.

This courtyard was close to their territory and offered a beautiful view, but they had only a limited number of guests due to the current overflow of visitors from the Martial Forest Alliance, the Ami’s clan, the Qingcheng Sect, and the Wudang Sect.

Thus, it was decided that the child’s condition would be closely monitored for the time being.

It wasn’t clear whether it was poisoning or a strange disease.

Though we shouldn’t take it lightly, it was agreed that to know something, the symptoms had to first appear at least once.

*

After dinner, my older sister came to visit my room, carrying a few books and a small box of medicines.

-Pong!

Whenever the lid of the box was opened, an enticing fragrance wafted out.

She opened two bottles among many and asked me if I could discern the differences in scent.

“Do you know the difference between this scent and that one?”

“Hmm… Aren’t they the same fragrance?”

“No, this one has the scent of green apples. This one has the scent of ripe apples.”

Both were apple fragrances, but she insisted on differentiating between unripe and ripe.

The reason we were unexpectedly smelling these fragrances was that she had started my training to become a poison sommelier.

‘A poison perfumer? Either way…’

To become a master in poisons, distinguishing their scents was a required exam.

That’s why I was receiving personal tutoring from my sister, who had already passed the exam with flying colors.

“Can you detect any differences?”

“No, not at all…”

All apple scents were still just apple scents to me; what’s the deal with green apples or ripe apples…?

I awkwardly smiled, looking apologetic as my sister raised a finger, an intense expression settling over her face.

“It might be hard to understand why we practice such scent distinctions in our clan, but you’ll see why once I explain. Listen carefully, So-ryong.”

“Yes, So-jo.”

“The reason for distinguishing apple fragrances is that the paralysis poison used by the Black Dao has the scent of green apples. But the scent of ripe apples smells like Dispersing Power Poison. That’s why this is the first aroma we learn to identify.”

“And the sense of smell within the Tang Clan is often used as a sign of belonging to our family. While one can forge privy seals, they can’t replicate our clan’s scent.”

Outsiders who doubted if So-ryong belonged to the Tang Clan could be proven by our unique scent.

‘Oh, so that’s the meaning behind it?’

The ability to identify scents serves as proof of belonging to the Tang Clan when one claims affiliation.

I felt determined to pay close attention from that moment on.

Just then, things beyond the Four Harmonies Courtyard seemed rather chaotic as a servant girl rushed in the direction of the artisan’s quarters.

“What’s going on?”

My sister approached the window and asked.

The servant girl, her expression frantic, replied, “Miss, it’s said the young lady from the Peng Clan has collapsed.”

“Little Young-young?”

The little girl named Peng Young-young was reported to have fainted.

My sister looked at me and said sharply, “So-ryong, let’s go!”

“Understood!”

We left the room and headed towards the quarters where the Peng Clan’s family was staying.

I was curious about what was happening since the little girl had collapsed.

Moments later, we arrived in the spacious courtyard, a large zelkova tree standing tall.

Under the lantern-lit pavilion, the girl lay there with ashen cheeks, while the head of the Peng Clan was administering energy through her clothing.

It was much like the scene when the artisan revived the granddaughter of the village head from Hainan Island.

“What has happened!? Head of the Peng Clan?”

The elder had just arrived, followed closely by the heads of the Medicine Hall.

The head of the Peng Clan shook his head, answering, “I don’t know. She was sitting in the pavilion, coughing when she suddenly collapsed.”

“Let me check her pulse.”

The artisan received the child from the head of the Peng Clan to feel her pulse.

After a moment, he spoke, his face reflecting confusion.

“How bizarre… The symptoms are quite similar to those of poisoning…”

-Slap! Slap! Slap!

Suddenly, the head of the Peng Clan began slapping his own face like a madman.

“G-Head of the Clan!”

“Peng Clan Head!”

“What on earth are you doing!?”

People were aghast at his sudden antics.

He slapped himself so hard that blood streamed from his nose.

Spitting out a tooth, he said, “Ugh! Forgive me! I doubted my family for a moment, and I simply could not forgive myself!”

“C-Clan Head…”

His words implied that he had briefly suspected those who accompanied him.

Even though he had come with trusted individuals, the fact that his daughter had collapsed due to poisoning led him to briefly consider that his companions might be involved.

‘Well, that’s understandable; it’s his own daughter at stake.’

With his child’s fainting and only people from the Peng Clan residing in the courtyard, it seemed inevitable that the head of the clan would suspect his own men, especially if the poisoning incident stemmed from within the family.

A serious mood hung in the air as his words sank in.

At that moment, the hulking Peng Clan warriors began tearing up, then started to act out bizarrely.

-Slap! Slap! Slap!

The Peng Clan warriors, in unison, dropped to their knees and began slapping their own faces in the same manner as their leader.

“It’s our grave sin that we couldn’t prevent the young lady from being poisoned!”

“It truly is a grave sin!”

Even with just one patient, the Peng Clan seemed to be producing a whole host of self-inflicted wounds.

The artisan, shocked by the warriors’ sudden display, shouted, “Head of the Clan, stop them! Calm down! This hasn’t even been confirmed as poisoning yet!”

But the warriors wouldn’t relent.

They continued to slap their faces, creating a chaotic scene of distress.

“What should we do, So-ryong?” My sister’s voice trembled with panic.

I thought, these warriors from the Peng Clan were indeed peculiar characters.

Recognizing their behavior as truly perplexing, I raised my voice.

“Everyone, please calm down! We need to determine whether the symptoms So-young is showing are from a strange disease or poisoning! I know a way to prove that everyone is innocent!”

At that, their slapping came to a halt.

In no time at all, the Peng Clan members, who had turned the situation into a verbal brawl, turned their gazes towards me.

Then, the head of the Peng Clan leaned in, urgency clear in his voice, “What do you mean by that?!”

Though I wasn’t a medical expert, this was a method I used to treat sick pets, so I spoke with confidence.

This was surely the best way to locate the root cause of the problem.

“First, we must take off all of Peng Young-young’s clothes… Huh?”

“What on earth did you just say?!”

The head of the Peng Clan grabbed my collar before I could finish my sentence, eyes wide with disbelief, while my sister stared at me in utter shock.

‘No, this isn’t what you think it is!’

I felt incredibly wronged.


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