Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

---

Chapter 5: The Savory Death

The woman trembled, barely able to muster the strength to answer my question.

“T-Taehwa Gate’s third, Jin Dae-seung,” she stammered.

“The third of Taehwa Gate? Now that I know who he is, we must capture him immediately…”

As I confirmed the person’s identity, I assured the woman not to worry, saying, “We specialize in this sort of thing.”

Shocked exclamations rang out from both sides.

“Taehwa Gate!?”

“Are you certain it’s the third from Taehwa Gate!?”

Looking around at the startled expressions, Gu Pae and my older sister appeared quite flustered, disbelief etched on their faces, mixed with a hint of embarrassment.

‘What’s going on? Is there something off about the atmosphere?’

It felt like an ominous tension hung in the air.

As I scanned their expressions, my sister’s voice broke through.

[We belong to the same White Dao sect. And in Sichuan, our sect, along with the Emei and Qingcheng, holds the largest influence.]

From what I learned from my sister or Mandok God grandfather, the strongest sects in Sichuan were the Emei Sect, Qingcheng Sect, and our Four Heavenly Houses, with the rest considered minions to slowly learn from, but this person was from right beneath that.

The woman nervously asked, “Wh-what’s wrong? Is, is there a problem?”

Gu Pae exchanged glances with my sister, and he immediately comforted her.

“No, it’s just an unexpected identity. Now that we have a name, we’ll look into his whereabouts. Little One, take care of yourself and relax in clean water after a good wash and change of clothes. Rest well with delicious food, and you shall receive good news. We will handle matters with the gambling house’s owner.”

As soon as Gu Pae finished speaking, the woman lowered her head to the ground, expressing her gratitude.

“Th-thank you, Elder! Thank you, Young Lady! Thank you, Young Master!”

She prostrated so much that her forehead bled from splitting open.

Startled, my sister rushed to the alley where the Tang Clan was operating a clinic to get someone to attend to the woman.

Once she had a brief treatment and followed the maid away, Gu Pae sighed heavily.

“Hm… Seems this isn’t going to be straightforward.”

“Yes, we should inform grandfather and father.”

Nodding with her chin resting on her palm, my sister looked serious.

I asked her what had them both acting so grave, and what that important matter she mentioned earlier could be.

“Hua Eun, you said something important was at stake. What does it entail? Is it possible that his clan is a significant one?”

At my question, my sister furrowed her brows slightly.

Yet, despite her expression, she confidently replied about our Four Heavenly Houses.

“It shouldn’t be a problem if he’s merely a third son from a minor clan. We can handle it quietly.”

“Then?”

But the next part wasn’t satisfactory.

“However, in the Martial Forest, oaths and agreements are taken very seriously. Especially oaths sworn in the name of one’s martial prowess, clan name, or alias must be kept.”

‘Oh, so the Martial World is a credit-driven society.’

While I nodded, realizing how steadfast the respect for agreements was in this realm, my sister continued explaining.

“However, our clan has an agreement with the Taehwa Gate.”

“An agreement? With Taehwa Gate?”

“My grandfather, that is, my paternal grandfather once received great help from Taehwa Gate, and hence we agreed to overlook any significant wrongdoings or mortal sins on their part once.”

“W-what!?”

‘C-cancel permission!’

In my past life, there was a cultural concept called ‘cancel permission,’ where if a blunderer had previously achieved something far greater or made significant efforts to atone, they could be forgiven a time or two.

In other words, my sister was explaining that Taehwa Gate held this kind of protective card due to their clan’s past achievements.

‘What kind of mess is this turning out to be?’

Understanding what she said, I quickly asked Gu Pae to take care of the woman and boarded my carriage, heading straight to the Tang Clan.

I figured it was time to discuss this with the matriarchs and patriarchs of the family.

Even protective permissions had to meet limits, and this situation was probably beyond what could be protected.

Arriving at the Tang Clan, I gathered Mandok God grandfather, my father-in-law, and mother-in-law to explain today’s events.

“And that’s what happened. I’m worried about what to do, grandfather.”

As my sister finished, Mandok God grandfather and my father-in-law erupted in anger.

Our gentle mother-in-law was near tears at the woman’s plight.

“Taehwa Gate is a prestigious clan in Sichuan, and the head of Taehwa Gate is a righteous person, but such a vile spawn stands beneath them!”

“Isn’t this too tragic?”

“A foul creature disguised as a human roams Sichuan! So the woman is currently at the Sichuan Tang Clan, you say?”

“Yes, father. I’ve instructed the clan’s doctor to treat her.”

Once their angry shouts subsided, Mandok God grandfather and my father-in-law seemed to have pieced together why we had come to share this with them at this late hour.

With grave expressions, they asked, “You mentioned helping the woman avenge her grievances, yet you came because of the agreement our ancestors established with Taehwa Gate, didn’t you?”

“Yes, grandfather.”

They exchanged looks before sinking into deep thought.

Grandfather was a great elder, but it was the patriarch who made decisions concerning clan matters.

After a moment of contemplation, my father-in-law looked at my sister and me with a solemn voice.

“The previous agreement ties directly with the clan’s honor. If we allow an exception for the woman’s predicament, how could anyone trust the Tang Clan in the future to uphold our deals? Even if her situation is sympathetic, the clan’s poison and bloodline must not support her!”

“Father-in-law! Grandfather! Please reconsider once more…”

Is this the law of the land?

No matter how much they value a credit-driven society, I never expected such a swift cut-off.

Naturally, I felt compelled to demand they reconsider, but my sister held my hand tightly and sent me a thought transmission.

[I’ll handle it. The situation has clear outcomes.]

“?”

“Under the Tang Clan’s orders, I, Hua Eun, will abide by our clan’s honor.”

My sister bowed in respect to my father-in-law, and even as she complied, she led me out into the courtyard, bewildered by the unfolding events.

Then she pulled me toward where our carriage was parked and spoke.

“We need to move quickly. It seems helping the little one will require quite a bit of work ahead.”

Although my sister mentioned that there were many things to be done to aid the woman, the father-in-law explicitly forbade helping her.

I questioned her, “But Hua Eun, didn’t you say your father explicitly stated we couldn’t help her?”

My sister smiled brightly and replied, “While father said our clan’s poison and bloodline must not assist her, Wei So-ryong isn’t part of our clan, right?

If he helps without making it look like the clan is getting involved, it seems he’d be permitted to do so.

That might have been part of the previous agreement with Taehwa Gate, agreeing that their bloodline would not intervene on behalf of that clan’s member.”

“!”

So, they call it a credit society, but it seems to also have loopholes that allow this kind of tricky negotiation?

However, what’s perceived as dirty when others do it turns solid when we engage.

Isn’t the biggest compliment in gaming ‘what a dirty game you play’ so to speak?

I was beginning to like our Sichuan Tang Clan more and more.

Yet there was lingering concern about my role in all of this.

‘As I’m officially part of the clan now, are they expecting me to do something basic to prove myself?’

Traditionally, initiation into an organization often involves proving yourself in some small way.

*

Morning dawned the next day, and I called Gu Pae to explain the results of my conversation with Mandok God grandfather and my father-in-law.

“…So that’s how it went down.”

Gu Pae nodded.

“While we’ve secured permission, they likely advised against revealing our clan’s affiliation, which greatly limits our options.”

“Still, it’s fortunate that we now have a path to assist her.”

“Indeed. I’ll investigate the scoundrel’s tracks through the beggars’ network.”

“Yes, Gu Pae, I leave this to you.”

The first step was to confirm his past actions and the patterns in his movements.

Gu Pae suggested that since he used to be part of the Extinction Poison Squad, such information gathering was vital.

I worried a bit about leaving this to such a motley group.

‘Wait, why are we trusting a bunch of beggars for information?’

In the afternoon, as Gu Pae went to gather inquiries from the beggars, I called the woman over to check on her.

“Did you manage well yesterday?”

“Yes, thanks to your care…”

After washing, changing clothes, and styling her hair, the woman looked far better, her face much brighter than before.

It was daytime, and the crickets were silent, bringing a sense of clarity.

She still bore several burn scars across her face, but while time in the clan had passed, they mentioned that they’d support her with ointments good for burns, so I thought we ought to monitor her recovery.

Just then, we were inquiring about when she started keeping crickets as pets when we heard Gu Pae’s voice announcing an arrival.

“Ah, ma’am. A guest has arrived…”

“A guest? Please come in.”

When I allowed them to enter, Gu Pae walked in, leading a scraggly old beggar into the reception hall, rather than a dignified guest.

Gu Pae’s nervousness was evident.

‘Why does he look like a private standing beside their general?’

Gu Pae had gone to gather information but brought a beggar instead.

While I raised an eyebrow in confusion at his anxious demeanor, my astonishment grew when my sister stood to honor the beggar.

“I, Hua Eun of the Sichuan Tang Clan, greet Elder Geolhwang. How do you come to our Sichuan…?”

“Beggar Elder?”

The woman recognized him, seemingly recalling him from her earlier stories.

In a sudden realization, I turned to see my sister addressing the beggar, and panic hit me as I heard her urgent thought transmission.

[Wei So-ryong, show proper respect. Geolhwang is a Martial Forest Leader among the Three Emperors. He is one of the strongest in the martial world.]

‘Wait, not just a king of beggars but a beggar emperor?’

Although shocked to learn that a beggar held such status in the Martial World, I bowed as instructed, just as my sister suggested.

After all, he claimed to be one of the strongest in this realm.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Wei So-ryong.”

Geolhwang nodded, his curious expression catching my attention.

“Hehe. I was curious about the mysterious one who inherited the skills of Kwonhwang, who allegedly never took on disciples. You really are a curious one, wrapping your body in such hideous creatures.”

The old man seemed to know about the Ogong clinging to my body just like the Martial Forest Leader.

Seeing the gleeful smile he wore as he spoke, I felt slightly caught off-guard.

“Hoho. You’ve just stepped into the Martial Forest, haven’t you? You should hear about me from your fiancée later.”

[Geolhwang is the previous head of the beggar faction and is said to know all the events and rumors of the world.]

As the old man spoke, more thoughts from my sister reached me.

Initially, I was skeptical about going to a beggar for information, but knowing he was so well-informed and seemingly aware of my circumstances brought me some reassurance.

“Do you know why I came to see you?”

His next question sent chills down my spine.

“Is it because of Taehwa Gate?”

Nodding his head, the beggar settled into a seat and spoke in a playful tone.

“Indeed. That’s why I’m here.”

“Are you perhaps here to interfere?”

He shook his head, “Of course not. I lack the proof to take action, but I cannot turn away at the tales of that child’s distress. I’ve come to lend my assistance since you act with justice.”

“Yes?”

Suddenly offering help, both my sister and I blinked in surprise while Geolhwang tapped his head.

-Tap tap.

“Need information, don’t you? I’m quite curious how the disciple of Kwonhwang will resolve this situation.”

‘So, you’ve come to watch, have you?’

Though I was surprised by the unexpected spectator, it was clear he would indeed be useful.

“Ah, over two cases in the outer additions of Chengdu and the slums, I’ve got five instances where I suspect the scoundrel.”

“There are that many?”

“I found that child in Sichuan and became curious about her situation, so I delved into years’ worth of info through our folk. Recently, the scoundrel has been cautious; his tracks seem to have erased.”

So, the scoundrel was more vile than expected, and he had a firm understanding of those watching.

“So, he’s not left the Taehwa Gate, except for gambling once every three days?”

“Right. After the incident at Song Village, I’m not sure why, but he’s lying low. Thus, I urged that child to use poison.”

“I see.”

It made sense that we’d have to deal with him inside that gambling house now.

Then, the question came up about whether we should also use poison while there.

However, there was a complication.

Inside the gambling house, patrons were served drinks and meals to coax them to gamble longer, and while we could use other poisons—even if they weren’t the clan’s—how could we pinpoint the specific drink or food for him among the crowd?

If I approached and directly handed him a cup or food, he would certainly be the first to suspect poison once he collapsed.

As I pondered this, I turned to Little One, who I knew had worked in the kitchen, asking how she had managed to poison his dish.

“Little One, how did you manage to put poison in the dish, or should I say, the item you thought was poison? You mentioned working in the kitchen?”

When I queried her, she nodded and replied.

“Whenever a major customer comes, they usually make specific requests that filter down to the kitchen.”

“Specific requests?”

“You see, they’d ask to leave out shrimp or crab from the dishes. So, I added poison to that food.”

“You took out crabs and shrimp? Does he dislike them?”

I wondered if he had some high-brow tastes, but beside me, Geolhwang answered.

“He’s quite allergic to crustaceans; he’s notorious for suffering hives just by tasting them.”

“Ah, I see!”

‘Gotcha!’

So, he was indeed allergic!

With a flash of inspiration for our plan, I couldn’t help but reflect on how I, too, had become embroiled in the tangled web of this clan.

With bittersweet realization, I asked Gu Pae respectfully, “Gu Pae, could you please head to the clan immediately and bring me what I ask for?”

“Lord Wei, aren’t our clan’s toxins forbidden for use?”

Gu Pae hesitated at the thought of bringing poison.

With a smile, I explained, “I mean, bring the Yellow Powder Bug instead.”

“The Yellow Powder Bug?”

“Yes. I plan to offer him a provokingly savory death.”

“?”

At my declaration, they all blinked in confusion, unable to grasp my intentions.