Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 5: The Stinging Truth

“Haah… Haah…”

I could hear Young Young’s frantic breaths behind me.

Still not completely out of it, I called out urgently to her, “Young Young, don’t panic! Take a deep breath slowly.”

Given her response, it was clear this was anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock, is a severe allergic reaction due to an overreaction of the immune system.

It typically occurs immediately after exposure to the allergen, and time was of the essence.

A misstep could lead to a drop in blood pressure and a blocked airway, potentially resulting in death.

With that in mind, I changed direction from the Medicine Hall and aimed for the Clan Head Hall.

The only ones who could save the struggling child were the Peng Clan Head, my father-in-law, or Mandok God.

And right now, the closest option was the Clan Head Hall.

Usually, the Clan Head or my father-in-law would be there, making it a faster route.

“Haah… Brother… Haah…”

“Just wait a little longer, Young Young!”

I heard her delicate voice calling for me.

As I soared towards the Clan Head Hall, expecting my father-in-law to be inside, I shouted, “Father-in-law! Peng Little One has collapsed!”

– Bang!

The doors of the Clan Head Hall swung open wide at my shout.

Inside, my father-in-law and the Peng Clan Head rushed out, their faces filled with surprise.

“What!?”

“What happened, So-ryong?”

“Young Young!”

It seemed the Peng Clan Head had just so happened to be there.

Thinking it fortuitous, I quickly stopped in my tracks, set Young Young down on the stone floor, and checked her condition.

Her face was pale. Her lips were turning blue.

The wheezing sounds indicated her airway was narrowing.

I quickly removed my outer garment and placed it around her neck to secure her airway while shouting towards the Peng Clan Head.

“She’s having trouble breathing! Peng Clan Head!”

“Got it. Pass her here! I’ll channel my energy into her!”

“Understood!”

Having dealt with similar situations before, the Peng Clan Head swiftly got to work, channeling his energy into Young Young.

As I noticed her pallid face and the red hives suddenly appearing all over her body, along with the cold sweat soaking her, I realized that despite the urgent circumstances, the sight of her color slowly returning was reassuring.

‘Truly, energy healing is incredible, isn’t it?’

Watching Young Young improve rapidly, I couldn’t help but think how amazing this energy healing was.

In my previous life, energy healing had seemed like something only scams would peddle, but here it was genuinely effective.

Treatment for anaphylaxis usually focuses on urgent measures to raise blood pressure and secure the airway.

Since a patient can quickly fall into shock or have their airway swell, epinephrine, steroids, and antihistamines are typically administered along with oxygen support.

But here, everything was resolved with just “energy,” which was truly remarkable.

As the Peng Clan Head began channeling energy into Young Young, moments passed.

My father-in-law stood nearby, checking Young Young’s pulse, “Her symptoms are the same as last time. So, Son-in-law, did you see how she collapsed? You were right beside her, so you must have seen something?”

“Right, did you manage to determine what caused her collapse?”

They were directing their inquiries towards me, having been nearby.

“Yes, elders, I saw everything clearly.”

Nodding at their question about how Young Young had collapsed, I confirmed I’d witnessed the cause.

Then, the Peng Clan Head queried urgently, “So, what was it!?”

Raising Young Young’s reddened left wrist, I replied, “She was stung by a bee.”

“Bee?”

“A bee!?”

The elders tilted their heads at the revelation of a bee.

My father-in-law had a hopeful expression but then slightly deflated as he said, “Hmm… Stung by a bee? Yes, it’s rare, but it could cause this kind of reaction. However, I don’t think it could explain why Little One collapsed previously.”

Initially hopeful, my father-in-law seemed to think the cause would remain elusive after hearing my answer.

If a bee sting were the cause, they would surely have noticed it last time she collapsed.

The child would have yelled out just as she had this time.

So it seemed they thought this incident and the last were unrelated.

“Then, you haven’t figured out the cause. This time, you’re saying it’s just the bee venom?”

“Perhaps that’s it. Some people react exceptionally to bee venom, and Little One may be such a case.”

An expression of pity passed between the Peng Clan Head and my father-in-law.

Smiling at them, I answered, “No, Father-in-law. Since she was stung, I believe I can now ascertain why she collapsed previously.”

Following my father-in-law’s words that the bee sting wouldn’t have gone unnoticed, I felt confident in finding answers.

“Hmm? You believe you can find out?”

“You think you can figure it out!? Then you have some clues! What in the world caused our Young Young to collapse!? Tell us!”

The two looked at me with startled eyes.

Taking a cautious step back, I replied, keeping my wits about me.

I couldn’t afford to be rough-handled like last time.

“First, I should examine the Little One’s clothing. Is that alright?”

At that, I saw a twitch of anger rise in the Peng Clan Head’s expression.

He took a deep breath and asked, “Huh… so this is why? Could you explain beforehand what you intend to do? With my daughter collapsing every time, it wouldn’t hurt to believe it’s for a valid reason. But when you say to remove her clothing…”

“Of course not!”

I waved my hands frantically at the startled look on the Peng Clan Head’s face.

“I need to check her thoroughly!”

– Thud.

With a fist clenched, the Peng Clan Head gloomily replied, “Didn’t I tell you to explain first?”

I felt like I might get hit, so I quickly answered, “I’m searching for something!”

“Something? What?”

Blinking at the mention of “something,” the Peng Clan Head looked perplexed.

*

– Click.

The door to our quarters creaked open, and my sister stepped out.

However, her expression was void of the usual cheer.

Unable to gauge the results from her expression, my father-in-law and the Peng Clan Head rushed towards her, firing questions.

“So, did you confirm the Tang Little One? Was she really there?”

“Right, Hua Eun, did you check? Was So-ryong’s claim true?”

At their questions, my sister looked at me, smiled brightly, and nodded.

“Yes. Indeed, there were clear signs, just as So-ryong said.”

“Oh! Is that true!?”

“Is it real?”

“Yes, though there were many spots making it hard to distinguish, there were certainly a couple of old marks, and one recent mark was found on her back.”

The two elders beamed at my sister’s news, delighted that she had found something.

In the midst of their excited chatter, my mother-in-law’s voice echoed from inside.

“Please keep it down; the child hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

“Ah, yes. My apologies, my lady.”

“Yes, understood, ma’am.”

The reason for the elders’ excitement over my sister’s finding was due to confirming the traces I instructed them to look for on Young Young’s body.

While my suspicions sufficed, this was the process of confirming solid evidence.

“Just as you mentioned, there were indeed traces. Now, enough delaying—tell me why my daughter has been collapsing all this time. You did say you’d explain once we verified her bodily traces, did you not?”

The Peng Clan Head’s expression was one of barely contained frustration.

Having noted the hidden signs on Young Young, it was now my turn to reveal the truth.

Stealing a glance at where Young Young lay asleep, I stated, “Yes, it’s certain that Young Young is indeed suffering from bee venom poisoning.”

“Bee venom?”

“Bee venom, you say?”

The three looked puzzled at my response.

The Peng Clan Head questioned, “But, I distinctly remember our Clan Head mentioning earlier that it couldn’t possibly be bee venom… If she’d been stung, surely we would have noticed it. There are no flowers here in our courtyard, only stones, making it impossible for bees to wander near.”

They rightly pointed out that they hadn’t seen a bee sting, and if she had, certainly, they would have identified it.

Nodding in understanding, I replied, “Yes, that’s certainly true. However, the venom is valid, but it wasn’t from a bee, so it might have been hard to determine.”

“Huh? Bee venom but not from a bee?”

“Bee venom, but not from a bee?”

They blinked in surprise at the notion that the venom was real but the source wasn’t a bee.

I nodded, smiling. “While the others in our clan might know, it’s essential to note that not all venoms affect everyone in the same way.

For some, just a drop from a needle is enough, while others might withstand ten times that with no effect.”

My father-in-law chimed in, “He’s right, the young one speaks well, Peng Clan Head.”

“Now I get that. But please, lay it out straight and stop making me anxious. You certainly have a talent for keeping us on edge.”

Continuing with their urgency, I revealed, “Young Young has a body that is more sensitive to bee venom than others. Surely you noticed that earlier?”

“Indeed, that appears to be the case.”

“Yes, while it may not pertain to other issues, it’s clear that Young Young has a peculiar weakness to bee venom. Hence, it’s the cause of her collapses. However, she hasn’t been stung at home, for she was stung by a cousin of the bee—a branch family member, so to speak.”

“A cousin of the bee? A branch family?”

“Are there even cousins or branch families of bees?”

The elders looked taken aback.

Pointing towards the direction of the Four Harmonies Courtyard where the Peng family was staying, I suggested, “Then shall we go capture the branch family member that nearly killed Young Young?”

After all, discovering those branch families was more of my specialty, wasn’t it?

Whether it was from the Tang, or the bee’s branch family, once Fabre appeared, they wouldn’t stand a chance.