Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

Bzzz. Bzzzz.

The buzzing of the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings filled the air above me, their movements lively and incessant.

Until yesterday, they had been busy inside their new hive, constructing wax chambers. But today, it seemed they were finally heading out in earnest to collect nectar.

Some flew toward Tang Mountain, while others flitted between the large lotus flowers blooming in the pond.

Weeeeeng. Weeeeng.

”Alright, keep up the good work.”

A few of them seemed to have spotted me sitting in the pavilion by the pond and buzzed over to greet me.

I waved at them in response, and they flapped their wings excitedly before veering off toward the mountains.

While a bee’s buzzing always sounds the same, today their hum seemed especially cheerful—as if they were truly pleased with their new home.

I had checked inside the pavilion yesterday to see how their hive-building was going, and the moment I entered, they had swarmed me in gratitude.

They had all been eager to exchange nutrients with me as a show of appreciation, which had been... a challenge to decline.

The pavilion was five stories tall, spacious, and well-ventilated—compared to their old tree, it was practically a luxury estate.

”Hah... dealing with dozens of flicking tongues was exhausting.”

Honestly, their old home couldn’t even compare.

No matter how large and ancient a tree was, it could never match the size and ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) comfort of a human-built structure.

Trees were inherently dirty, attracting all kinds of pests, and their ventilation was poor. When it rained, water seeped through cracks.

But the five-story pavilion I provided them?

It had a roof to block direct sunlight, open windows for ventilation, and far more room than their previous hive.

Not to mention, the wasps were smart. Once I showed them how the windows worked, they began using them perfectly.

”They really love their new home. Even the way they flap their wings sounds joyful.”

”Of course they do. It’s a five-story pavilion, after all...”

A pointed voice chimed in beside me—Tang Hwa-eun.

Oddly enough, Grandfather Mandok Shingun hadn’t made a fuss about me giving the wasps a pavilion.

He had just cleared his throat and muttered:

”Ahem... Well, matters of the household... are for the Clan Head to decide...”

That was it.

Hwa-eun, however, was less than thrilled.

It turned out she liked this pavilion a lot.

It was rarely used—maybe once or twice a year—but when she wanted to clear her head, she would come here to relax.

To make amends, I had formally introduced her to Ranghu, ensuring she would always be welcome inside.

Still, she seemed a little sulky.

I smiled, gently taking her hand.

”Are you still upset, Hwa-eun?”

”N-No. Not at all. Like you said, now when I visit, I’ll have plenty of friends waiting for me.”

Hwa-eun didn’t have any real friends, so I figured giving her some would be nice. But now she was pouting over it?

Luckily, I was a broad-minded man.

Squeezing her hand a little tighter, I murmured in a low voice:

”This place is truly beautiful.”

”Yes... The view of the lotus pond from the top floor was always breathtaking...”

”No, that’s not what I meant. There are flowers, bees, and now all we need is a butterfly, and this place would be a true paradise.”

”W-What...?”

Hwa-eun, realizing I had just called her the flower, blushed fiercely, fanning herself with her sleeve.

She had been planning to scold me for taking over her pavilion.

Too bad.

I crushed that plan before she even had the chance.

As we were enjoying our peaceful moment in the pavilion by the pond, a sharp sound suddenly echoed through the air.

—Fweeeee! Fweeeee! Fweeeee!

A signal from the Nine-Tiered Gates of Tang Mountain.

Three consecutive calls.

A summons for the direct family.

Hwa-eun and I exchanged glances before immediately leaping into the air, using qigong movement to race toward the gates.

It seemed a guest had arrived.

”Looks like we have visitors.”

”Let’s go.”

As we sprinted along the main road leading downhill, the great river flowing at the base of Tang Mountain came into view.

And finally—the gates of the Nine-Tiered Entrance stood before us.

But as we reached the first gate, I realized something unexpected.

This wasn’t just any guest.

It was my father-in-law, Tang Cheolsan, returning home.

”Welcome back, Father-in-law!”

I rushed forward to greet him warmly.

He smiled upon seeing me.

”Ah, my son-in-law! I see you’ve arrived before me.”

”Father!”

”Hwa-eun, you’ve returned safely as well?”

Currently, the entire Central Plains was conducting a massive crackdown on the Blood Cult under imperial orders.

Martial artists and imperial troops were stationed throughout the cities, performing random blood circulation tests—since Blood Cult techniques made the pulse flow abnormally fast, it was an effective way to root out their members.

Tang Cheolsan had been leading Tang Clan warriors to assist in these operations in Chengdu.

Now, he had finally returned.

”...Wait. Wouldn’t this also mean they’re mistakenly arresting people with high blood pressure?”

I had my doubts about the accuracy of this method...

But then again, the Central Plains I had learned about in history was always like this.

”Oh well. I’m sure my father-in-law handled it properly.”

With that thought, I stepped forward, ready to escort him inside.

”Come in, Father-in-law. I’d love to hear about your mission. Oh, and by the way, Hwayang has—”

Before I could finish, he raised a hand to stop me.

”Hold on, son-in-law. I have guests with me. You both should greet them first.”

”Guests?”

”Did you say guests?”

As he stepped aside, the warriors flanking him split apart, revealing three men walking toward us.

A fat man in official robes.An elderly man in imperial armor.And someone I actually recognized—an elder from the Qingcheng Sect.The third man was the Sect Leader of Qingcheng, someone who had once come to aid the Tang Clan. The other two were clearly high-ranking figures.

I immediately bowed and introduced myself.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

”It is an honor to meet you. I am So-ryong of Beast Palace and son-in-law of the Tang Clan.”

”I greet you as well. I am Tang Hwa-eun.”

Tang Cheolsan introduced them.

”This is Lord Ho Gwan-yu, the Governor of Sichuan. And this is General Maeng Gyu-seong of the Imperial Iron Cavalry. And of course, you already know Bai Hezi, the Sect Leader of Qingcheng.”

Just as I expected—these were some of the most powerful people in Sichuan.

”Oh! So these are Tang Cheolsan’s daughter and son-in-law? I’ve been meaning to meet you! It’s an honor to see my benefactor in person!”

”Hoho, so this is the Tang Clan’s son-in-law?”

”We’ve met before, haven’t we? Good to see you again, young man.”

So Tang Cheolsan had returned from his mission bringing these esteemed guests with him.

Seeing Hwa-eun and I looking surprised, my father-in-law chuckled.

”We caught five Blood Cult members and dismantled one of their recruitment centers. I figured we should celebrate properly—so I invited them for a drink at home!”

...Didn’t he just bring home surprise guests without telling my mother-in-law?

As expected, he turned to Hwa-eun and said:

”Hwa-eun, be a dear and tell your mother to prepare a banquet in the Poisonous Flower Pavilion. The lotus blossoms should be in full bloom—it’ll be a perfect setting for our guests.”

Hwa-eun turned to me, her expression screaming:

”WHAT NOW!?”

...Yeah, I really hadn’t planned for this.

”I mean, how was I supposed to see this coming? Seriously, the timing...”

They say life is all about timing.

And mine?

Mine was a masterpiece of terrible timing.

***

Weeeeeng. Bzzzzzz.

As the guests drank, the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings curiously buzzed around, briefly pausing to observe the scene before flitting away.

Seeing the massive wasps hovering nearby, the guests visibly tensed.

”I-I’ve never had drinks in an atmosphere quite like this.”

”I must say, this is... a rather unique experience.”

”I saw them before, but still... these creatures are fascinating.”

When my father-in-law suddenly decided to hold the banquet in the Poisonous Flower Pavilion, I had been caught off guard.

But what could I do?

We needed a convenient location, and this pavilion by the pond was the closest suitable option.

Although the Golden-Furred Wasp Kings were sensitive to vibrations, the banquet was held on the top floor of a wooden pavilion across the pond, far enough that their behavior wasn’t too disturbed by human footsteps.

Still, their sheer presence was intimidating enough.

Some of the wasps, intrigued by the unfamiliar gathering, hovered close to the table, causing the guests to hesitate before reaching for their drinks.

”Please, don’t worry. My wasps do not sting people without reason.”

I smiled reassuringly, but the guests merely laughed awkwardly.

”Ahaha... I-I see.”

”R-Right, of course.”

”Ahaha...”

Then, I heard my father-in-law’s urgent voice through sound transmission.

[You fool! If this was the situation, you should have told me earlier! Why on earth did you arrange the banquet here?]

[We are trying to strengthen our ties with the Governor of Sichuan and the Imperial Iron Cavalry to expand our business. Do you understand how important this is?!]

So that’s why he invited these high-ranking figures.

Tang Clan operated numerous businesses across Sichuan, exporting medicinal herbs and other goods.

Hosting the Governor of Sichuan and the Commander of the Imperial Iron Cavalry was likely a strategic move—to secure official backing and new trade routes.

”Ah, so that’s the plan.”

If that was the case...

As the dutiful son-in-law, I couldn’t just sit idly by.

I leaned in and whispered.

[Then leave it to me.]

[Hmm? To you?]

Father-in-law blinked in surprise, but I simply grabbed a bottle of wine and turned toward the guests.

”May I have the honor of pouring a drink for you all?”

The guests exchanged glances before nodding slowly.

”Y-Yes, of course.”

”This situation is certainly strange, but I have been through war—I won’t be shaken by a simple drink. Go ahead.”

After receiving their approval, I stood up—but instead of pouring the wine, I tilted my head back and shouted.

”Ranghu!”

My voice echoed across the pond, cutting through the soft hum of the night.

The buzzing from the five-story pavilion quieted—and soon, a sleek, golden-furred head peeked out from a high window.

Ranghu.

”Come over here for a moment!”

Normally, a queen wasp never left her hive.

But since this was still a newly established colony—and given how close we’d become—I figured she’d come if I called.

Sure enough, after tilting her head curiously, she shot out of the window, streaking across the night sky.

With an elegant glide, she landed right in front of me.

Bzzz?

She tilted her head, silently asking why I had summoned her.

I leaned in and whispered very, very carefully.

[Can you drop a tiny bit of that thing you let me taste before? Just a little. Something mild. I won’t drink it myself.]

Would she do it?

I wasn’t sure.

But recently, we’d been getting closer, and I even gave her a name—surely, she’d be willing to help.

I held up the wine bottle, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Ranghu tilted her head... then flew above it.

With perfect precision, she let a single golden drop fall into the liquid.

Nice.

If she had refused, I would have just used honey instead.

But this?

This was far better.

Plop.

The moment the golden droplet hit the wine, it spread like ripples in a pond, releasing a deep, piercing aroma.

The guests stared wide-eyed, their expressions shifting in silent awe.

I gently petted Ranghu’s head before sending her off.

”Thanks, and sorry for calling you out. You should get some rest—you’ll be busy soon, preparing to lay eggs.”

She buzzed softly, seemingly satisfied, before flying off toward her lofty hive once more.

With that settled, I spun the wine bottle like a bartender and smiled.

”The liquid I just added... is a rare essence that only a Golden-Furred Wasp Queen can produce—one single drop every ten years. It is a treasure with the properties of a mid-grade elixir.”

...Of course, I completely made up the ‘ten-year’ part.

I had to set a limit—otherwise, these officials might start demanding more.

But for powerful martial artists, even a single drop of elixir-infused wine was an irresistible offer.

As expected—

The moment I finished speaking, the four esteemed guests hurriedly presented their cups with both hands, each competing to be served first.

”T-Thank you very much!”

”Tang Clan truly knows how to treat its guests!”

”This level of hospitality is simply outstanding, isn’t it?”

The Golden Wasp Royal Nectar Wine—a drink made from royal jelly, infused with the power of a Golden-Furred Wasp Queen.

Tonight, for the very first time, it was served.