Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

“Now that I’ve explained the various poisons we use, do you have any questions?”

“Hm. So, you generally don’t use deadly poisons that lead to immediate death? I assumed you relied on that Golden Poison because you showed it to me.”

“Haha, that’s only for irreconcilable enemies or targets that must absolutely die. Could anyone use such a heinous thing casually?”

“Indeed, that makes sense. For now, I don’t have any particular questions.”

The poisons of the Tang Clan followed strict rules.

For fellow martial artists within the righteous path (Baekdo), the strongest poison allowed was a paralytic toxin.

However, if a member of the Tang Clan were harmed, the level of poison permissible rose. If one of the clan’s warriors was killed, they were permitted to use deadly toxins on up to a hundred individuals.

This policy wasn’t about punishing one to warn a hundred (il-beol-baek-gye, 一罰百戒). Instead, it was more like punishing a hundred to issue a harsh warning to the survivors (baek-beol-baek-gye, 百罰百戒).

A ruthless standard.

“What a troublesome family…”

As I was reflecting on what I’d just learned, I heard a question directed at me.

“Hm... If you have no questions, may I ask one? Since you claimed to know a lot about venomous creatures, I’m curious.”

“Ah, yes. Please, go ahead.”

“Is the next lesson about venomous creatures? This is my area of expertise!”

“In the Tang Clan, we don’t frequently use venoms derived from venomous creatures. Do you know why these venoms are not a mainstream choice here?”

The Tang Clan’s curriculum was divided: mornings were for physical martial arts training, while afternoons covered theoretical knowledge about martial arts and poisons.

That morning, I’d been introduced to Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art (O-dok-gwi-won-gong, 五毒歸元功), the fundamental technique for harmonizing with five specific poisons. Now, during the afternoon session, Grandpa—known as Mandok Shingun, the Heavenly Poison Deity—was asking why venoms from venomous creatures weren’t a primary weapon for the Tang Clan.

“I think I have an idea, but I need to answer carefully, considering how assassins think.”

Venomous creatures, such as snakes and spiders, are broadly classified as dokmul. While I understood their characteristics, simply reciting the facts like a textbook wouldn’t suffice.

Humans are creatures of adaptation. If I failed to fit in here, the result wouldn’t just be rejection—it’d be my Golden Death (Geum Sal, 金殺). So, I decided to adapt to survive in this unforgiving world.

“Besides, my sister is beautiful…”

And, well, I’d already committed to this path. My childhood dream of owning countless venomous snakes and insects had been overtaken. At the top of my wishlist now? My sister.

“I’m an assassin. I use poisons. I’m a psychopath.”

I started mentally rehearsing, steeling myself to think like these assassins. It wasn’t enough to understand venomous creatures; I had to think about how the Tang Clan would use them to kill.

In my past life, I used my knowledge to help people survive venomous bites. Here, it was the opposite. I needed to think about how to apply venom to kill effectively.

It was like being handed an apple. Instead of focusing on its species, taste, or harvest season, I had to discuss recipes: apple pie, apple jam, apple tart. Of course, in this case, the recipes were methods of poisoning.

After psyching myself up, I cautiously responded.

“Well... there are several reasons, but the primary one might be that using them is too cumbersome.”

“Cumbersome? Elaborate,” Grandpa said, his curiosity piqued.

I began explaining my thoughts in detail.

“For example, take snake venom. Whether it’s in powdered form or a liquid, there’s really only one way to use it.”

Snake venom is one of the most complex natural toxins, containing over a hundred components such as proteins, enzymes, polypeptides, nucleic acids, and more. It’s stable and doesn’t easily degrade; research has shown that snake venom stored at room temperature for 80 years still retains its toxicity.

However, its biggest drawback is that it must be injected subcutaneously—directly into the bloodstream—to be effective. Snake venom doesn’t work if ingested.

“In my past life, this was a benefit, not a drawback…”

I explained the downside in this context, tailoring my answer to the perspective of an assassin clan.

“So, to poison someone with snake venom, you’d need to coat it on a knife or needle and ensure you stab them with it.”

In the past, if someone was bitten by a snake, the typical response was to cut the wound and suck out the venom. This was possible because snake venom, primarily composed of proteins, isn’t usually harmful if ingested—unless there are open wounds in the mouth or digestive tract.

I continued, “Also, even if you coat a blade or needle, the amount of venom is too small to reliably kill someone. Snake venom doesn’t dry well, so storing it on a weapon is also challenging.”

In the modern world, we used terms like lethal dose 50 (LD50) to measure the toxicity of substances—the amount of poison required to kill 50% of test animals. Using a blade would deliver less venom than a direct snakebite, making it less effective.

Grandpa nodded thoughtfully, a smile playing on his lips.

“Ah, you truly do know your venoms. Yes, snake venom is impractical because it requires direct injection. Unless one is highly skilled with concealed weapons or short blades, it’s difficult to use effectively.”

Gulp.

“Looks like I got it right.”

Even though he was praising me, it didn’t feel good. It was as if he was congratulating me for being a talented psychopath assassin-in-training.

Grandpa noticed my awkward smile and raised an eyebrow.

“What’s with that face? Do you dislike being praised?”

“No, no. I’m happy, of course. But how could a man express such feelings so easily?”

“It’s fine to show your happiness around me.”

“Understood, Grandpa.”

I forced another awkward smile.

But the questions didn’t stop.

“Then, what about the venom of dokjiju—venomous spiders?”

I adjusted my mindset again, preparing to answer.

“Spider venom is generally weak, and since spiders are small, collecting sufficient venom is labor-intensive.”

While spider venom can cause significant pain, it rarely threatens human lives due to the small amount injected. Most dangerous spiders are found in South America or Australia, not here. Considering this world’s context, I tailored my response accordingly.

Grandpa nodded again, satisfied with my reasoning.

“Yes, that’s correct. Spider venom can cause pain but isn’t effective for killing. If we aim to capture rather than kill, we use paralytics instead. Using spider venom would only make the target writhe in pain and scream, which would be inconvenient.”

The lesson in poison theory was abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice from outside.

“Grandfather, could you come outside for a moment?”

The voice belonged to none other than my sister. It felt as though my self-hypnosis to adapt to the assassin clan was finally paying off.

“You rascal, look at how your face brightens up when Hwa-eun calls for you.”

“Ahem…”

Was it really that obvious? I quickly walked to the door and opened it.

There she stood, dressed in a radiant red gown. My sister resembled the rose she was often compared to—noble, striking, and untouchable.

Though we shared meals in the same quarters as the direct descendants of the Tang Clan, seeing her never got old. Her beauty was mesmerizing every time.

“They say looks fade with time, and you shouldn’t choose a partner based on appearance. But just looking at her is enough to fill me up like a miser hoarding treasure.”

Noticing my gaze, my sister hesitated briefly before I greeted her politely.

“You’ve arrived, my lady.”

“Ah, yes, So-ryong. Have you been diligently practicing your martial arts and studies?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Grandfather observed our exchange with a knowing smile, and once our pleasantries seemed complete, he stepped forward to ask, “So, Hwa-eun, what brings you here?”

“Father seems to be in a bit of a predicament. I think you should go to Hyeonmu Hall.”

“Hyeonmu Hall?”

Hyeonmu Hall was the clan leader’s office, where most administrative matters were handled. At her words, Grandfather furrowed his brow. My sister’s expression darkened slightly as she added, “The clan elders...”

“The clan elders? Could it be...?”

Judging by her tone and the look on her face, I recalled the story she’d told me a few days ago about certain elders who had been making her life difficult.

As if confirming my thoughts, Grandfather’s face twisted with irritation.

“What are they up to now?”

“Well... there are two issues. One involves the medicine we sent to the Governor of Sichuan. It didn’t work as expected, and he sent a letter filled with complaints.”

My sister paused mid-sentence and glanced at me. When our eyes met, she continued.

“The other issue is... about the Mandok Hall and its venomous creatures.”

“Mandok Hall? What about it?”

A bad feeling crept up my spine at the mention of Mandok Hall.

“It’s about entrusting the venomous creatures of Mandok Hall to So-ryong. The elders are opposing the decision.”

“Are these people trying to pick a fight with me?”

I had envisioned a life of unlimited resources, supported by the clan’s wealth, to pursue my hobbies. Yet, these branch family elders were trying to sabotage that.

This wasn’t just opposition; it was a declaration of war.

“Let’s go, my lady!”

“What? Wait!”

Before my sister could respond, I stepped outside. Grandfather followed without hesitation, and together, we headed to Hyeonmu Hall.

Chaos at Hyeonmu Hall

When we reached the entrance, chaos was already brewing inside.

“How could the clan leader make such an important decision alone?”

“Exactly! Why weren’t we consulted before this was decided?”

“Not to mention bringing in some orphan with no lineage to be paired with our precious Hwa-eun!”

-Bang!

“Orphan? No lineage? Are you insulting my son-in-law?!”

“Clan leader, it’s not an insult if it’s the truth!”

Their heated voices spilled out of the hall, even touching on matters about me.

Unable to hold back, Grandfather threw the doors open with a thunderous shout.

“I made that decision! Do you have a problem with it?”

“T-Tae-sang Сhieftain...”

“Elder, you’re here!”

The elders, who had been arguing fiercely just moments ago, froze and turned pale at Grandfather’s entrance.

My sister and I stepped inside, taking our places behind the clan leader.

Though they lowered their voices, the elders continued to express their dissatisfaction.

“Elder, this is no way to handle such matters. Mandok Hall is the most critical part of the Tang Clan. The venomous creatures there are treasures of our clan. How can we entrust them to an outsider who hasn’t even married into the family yet?”

“Yes, Elder. Even if he claims to know about venomous creatures, he has yet to prove himself capable enough to convince the clan.”

It was clear they intended to use me as leverage to undermine both the clan leader and my sister.

“In my past life, as the eldest grandson of a family, I had to deal with strangers causing trouble during family gatherings. Seeing this nonsense now makes my blood boil.”

Though I was not one to step forward easily, this time, my hobbies were at stake. Staying silent was not an option.

I stepped out from behind the clan leader, cupped my hands respectfully, and spoke.

“Pardon my interruption, but since it seems my lack of ability is causing this commotion, wouldn’t it be best if I proved myself capable enough to satisfy the elders?”

All eyes turned to me.

[So-ryong, what are you doing?]

My sister’s startled voice rang in my head through our silent communication, but I simply smiled and picked up a letter from the clan leader’s desk.

“If I resolve this matter to your satisfaction, will you acknowledge my abilities?”

“So-ryong, are you sure about this?”

The clan leader looked up at me in shock, his face pale with worry.

“This must be the letter from the Governor of Sichuan.”