Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

---

Chapter 6: The Ants’ Revelation

As dusk fell, we commenced our group insect collection.

Young Young entered the room she had been staying in, lit a lantern, and looked around.

Inside, the clothes and pastries that had been confiscated from Young Young were still laid out on the dining table, and perhaps due to the lack of human presence, ants were eagerly wrapping themselves around the pastries.

My older sister let out a sigh at the sight.

“Ha… I guess we’ll have to get the servant girls to clean this up. There are ants everywhere. It seems the servant girls couldn’t keep an eye on things with so many guests around.”

Ants, known as “ma-ui” in the Central Plains language.

I quickly approached to confirm the gathering of ants.

I was sure that the ones I was looking for would be there.

‘Let’s see, where are they hiding?’

Just as I inspected the ants, my sister’s voice chimed in beside me.

“So Ryong, were you looking for the ants? Are the ants related to the wasps?”

Unlike my sister’s quirky classification that claimed centipedes turn into dragons, scholars from my past life categorized ants as insects belonging to the family Formicidae.

Thus, it wouldn’t be wrong to describe ants as some remote cousins of wasps.

But the ones I was searching for were no ordinary ants.

I requested my sister to shine the lantern in my direction.

“The ants are indeed cousins to the wasps, but what I’m looking for isn’t that. Could you shine the lantern a bit closer to the table?”

“Got it!”

With a curious expression, my sister brought the lantern closer to the table.

As I closely examined the surface, amidst the swarm of black ants, I spotted a peculiar ant darting about, skillfully hunting down the others.

‘Aha, there you are!’

I quickly reached out and gently pinched its body.

It squirmed, flicking its sting around like a tiny whip.

I held up the caught creature towards my sister and the Peng Clan Head, proudly announcing, “This is the one!”

“Is this the cousin of the wasps? Oh!? It really has a sting on its rear!”

“Hmm? Do ants have stings?”

I pointed to the sharp sting visible on the rear of the creature I held.

Everyone looked surprised by the fact that ants could possess stings.

Honestly, when would ordinary folks take a close look at an ant?

Most would just swat it if it happened to crawl nearby.

Nodding at everyone’s queries, I explained, “This is the one that knocked Young Young out! It’s called the ‘Royal Stinging Ant.’ Young Young fainted after being stung by this.”

“Royal Stinging Ant!”

“Royal Stinging Ant… That seems quite fitting for the pastries, doesn’t it?”

“Is this really!?”

The ant I was holding was indeed an ant, but it looked peculiar, with a sting similar to that of a wasp or a honeybee.

Its defining feature was the sharp sting jutting out from its rear, known in Korean as “Wangchimgaemi.”

While hard to find in our country, it is quite common in China, and if someone were to trigger anaphylaxis from an ant sting, this would likely be the culprit.

“Is it true that Young Young fainted because of this ant?”

“Yes, I’m certain of it.”

“Is this the cousin of the wasps?”

There’s a reason these ants can induce anaphylaxis; it’s because they are relatives of the more venomous ones.

“Yes. Specifically, they are a branch of the yellow wasps.”

“Yellow wasps?”

“Yellow wasps” refers to the wasp family in the Central Plains language.

Indeed, these stinging ants are relatives of wasps.

“Oh! So because they are related to yellow wasps, you realized this was the culprit after Young Young was stung by the yellow wasp earlier!?”

“Exactly, Hua Eun.”

My sister, ever the intuitive one, connected the dots when she saw Young Young fainting after being stung by a ground wasp.

The “Royal Stinging Ant” (Pachycondyla chinensis) belongs to the order Hymenoptera and family Formicidae, subfamily Ponerinae.

You might wonder how ants have stings, but the reason lies in their evolution, having diverged from ancestors similar to wasps and retaining many wasp-like traits.

Hence, when we look into their classification, it’s evident that wasps and ants branched off from a common ancestor about 100 million years ago during the Mid-Cretaceous, according to scientists’ general consensus.

Recent studies analyzing the genetic data of ants and wasps have also confirmed that they are closely related.

Thus, a study regarding the venom of Royal Stinging Ants noted that patients experiencing anaphylaxis from stings showed the same reactions to wasp venom as well.

I made sure to explain carefully so as to avoid being stung.

“These ants are peculiar in that they feed on their own kind; they probably came here, attracted by the fallen pastries, and ended up stinging Young Young.

The stings looked like the marks left on the body; at the time, it’s likely they couldn’t determine what had stung them, and when Young Young woke up days later, she might’ve thought it was just a leftover mark.”

“Oh wow! Is that really true!?”

“Yes, Elder.”

As I proudly showcased the culprit behind Young Young’s peril, the Peng Clan Head exclaimed with joy.

He grasped my hands tightly, asking, “So it was because of this insignificant little creature! Thank you! Now that we know the cause, will we be able to make an antidote?”

He turned to my father-in-law, seeking affirmation for the antidote.

However, my father-in-law shook his head.

“There are antidotes for wasp venom, but in cases like Young Young’s, where she is highly sensitive, the antidote may not work well.”

“This… So my daughter will have to live in fear of these little nuisances for the rest of her life? How could this be!”

The Peng Clan Head lamented, surely expecting an antidote to work wonders for his daughter, only to discover it was ineffective.

Anaphylaxis is a hypersensitive reaction to an allergen.

It’s not merely the poison that’s the problem; it’s the hypersensitive response caused by antibodies like Immunoglobulin E (IgE) or Immunoglobulin G (IgG) within the body.

So it’s not the poison attacking Young Young, but rather her own body’s antibodies being alarmed by the intruding substance and retaliating against her.

“Well, knowing the cause is already a relief. We’ve avoided the danger of suddenly collapsing without knowing the reason.”

“Is that so… Speaking of which, I’ve yet to express my gratitude. Thank you, Junior Hero.”

Although I had uncovered the reason behind Young Young’s illness, the lack of a cure left the Peng Clan Head in a sullen mood.

My older sister wouldn’t sit idly by.

I asked the Peng Clan Head in a cautious tone, “There is one method to treat Young Young…”

His eyes widened in surprise as he clutched my arms.

Shaking me with immense strength, he demanded, “W-What is it!?”

“It’s called desensitization therapy…”

“Desensitization!?”

“Desensitize meaning to remove sensitivity…”

“Are you saying she’ll have to be stripped down again!?”

“N-No, that’s not it…”

The Peng Clan Head flinched, startled at the thought that Young Young would face any such treatment.

I had to explain carefully to clarify.

Desensitization therapy involves immunotherapy that many anaphylaxis patients like Young Young receive.

Anaphylaxis occurs only when a specific substance surpasses a certain concentration, hence treatment involves gradually introducing small amounts of the allergen in increasing quantities to lower sensitivity.

It’s about reducing Young Young’s hypersensitivity to wasp venom.

By slowly administering tiny doses of the wasp venom, we ensure that she won’t react sensitively to it.

“That means initially it will be once every seven days. After some time, it will change to once a month, allowing her body to gradually adapt to the poison.

It will take about three to five years of treatment, but it’s not entirely hopeless.”

“So they will reduce her hypersensitivity to the poison? That certainly sounds like a viable method. The Tang Clan also has a way of gradually introducing venom to help one overcome it.”

While a lengthy treatment indeed, just doing enough to ensure she’d no longer react dramatically to the stings would allow her to live worry-free.

My explanation was received with endorsement from my father-in-law, and when the Peng Clan Head rejoiced, he shouted, “Thank you! Thank you! You’ve saved my daughter!”

Clasping my hands, he was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Unable to contain his excitement, he proposed, “Having received such help, it wouldn’t do to overlook it! What is it that you wish for? I shall grant anything you desire!”

In response to his blank-check offer, I smiled and replied, “Young Young is now like a little sister to me; I wouldn’t dare seek a reward for helping her.”

“No, but still! You must say something! Humility has no place in the Peng Clan!”

I feigned rejection of his offer, but the Peng Clan Head insisted earnestly.

Covering his hand with mine, I smiled and added, “Then since you’ve come all the way to Sichuan, shall we take a look at the famous mountains together?”

“Famous mountains?”

“Yes, Gongga Mountain in Sichuan is incredibly beautiful, known for its stunning scenery and the magnificent lizards that inhabit it…”

After all, isn’t it customary to tour famous mountains when visiting a foreign land?

*

With the Peng Clan Head and the Peng Clan’s martial force accompanying us, there was no way they would refuse.

As the Peng Clan was formidable, no one had to fear danger wherever we went, making it easy for my father-in-law and grandfather to grant permission without hesitation.

“Still, you must be cautious. They say you possess enough strength to dismiss military officers.”

“Understood, Grandfather.”

Young Young had to stay back to undergo desensitization treatment at the Tang Clan, while my sister, the Peng Clan Head, the Peng Clan’s warriors, and the Venomous Insect Team set off towards Gongga Mountain, reaching a waterfall visible after five days.

– KWA-AAAA!

A cascade of water crashing down, spraying foam and mist.

The Peng Clan Head pointed across, calling out.

“Is that it!?”

“Yes! Elder!”

“Come, come this way!”

He beckoned me closer from the water’s edge.

Swallowing hard, as I approached, he placed my feet atop his large hands and declared, “Since you don’t know how to use the technique ‘Treading the Waves and Soaring Swallows,’ I will throw you across. Ready! Go!”

And with that, he hurled me toward the opposite cliff.

‘Is this guy for real!?’

Though I was never afraid of any terrifying amusement park rides in my past life, as the cliff rapidly approached, I couldn’t help but scream.

Gathering my wits, I managed to rotate my body and land vertically against the cliff face.

‘I’m alive.’

Turning back after landing on the cliff’s rock, the Peng Clan Head descended gracefully beside me as if he were a balloon.

“Ha-ha! You’re quite nimble!”

“T-Thank you.”

Then came my sister, fluttering like a red flower petal against the backdrop of the waterfall as she crossed the river.

I noticed the Peng Clan’s warriors stood there agape, dumbfounded.

After my sister crossed the river, several members from the Venomous Insect Team who could perform lightness skills followed us, and our journey continued upward along the cliff.

Climbing for quite some time, we reached a small cave atop a boulder resembling a fist, as mentioned by the martial officer from the Martial Forest Alliance.

“Must be this way.”

As we crawled inside the cave as directed by the martial officer, we soon emerged into a vast chamber.

Until now, the officer’s directions hadn’t been wrong; however, the cavern entrance differed vastly from his description.

“This seems a bit off? He wouldn’t have lied to us, would he?”

“Surely not.”

Seeing my confusion, my sister wore an equally perplexed expression.