Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

Hwa-eun blinked, clearly not understanding what I meant.

But from the side, a horrified voice cut in.

“W-Wait... So-ryong, are you serious? No, no way... right?”

Turning my head, I saw Sister Seol with her hand over her mouth, staring at me like she’d just witnessed a crime.

Apparently, the others hadn’t caught on yet—she was the only one who understood what I meant.

Which honestly felt like a bit of an overreaction.

‘Come on, Sister Seol, it’s not that big a deal.’

I figured she was being overly dramatic.

Honestly, sucking on an ant’s butt was far less awkward than making eye contact and sharing from the mouth. No eye contact meant less psychological pressure.

It was the same when I accepted royal jelly from Ranghu—if it hadn’t been mouth-to-mouth, it would’ve been a lot easier.

Some might say the rear end is worse, but they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Think about fish—plenty of people can’t eat the head because of the eyes, but they have no problem gobbling up the tail.

Same idea.

Also, mouths trigger associations with kissing, which can feel intimate. But a mouth and a butt? That’s got nothing to do with anything.

Besides, there was that childhood rumor that sucking an ant’s butt tasted sweet.

Didn’t everyone try it once?

Sure, these ants were bigger, but if you tapped into those nostalgic memories, it wouldn’t feel weird at all.

So I nodded without hesitation.

“No, Sister Seol. That’s exactly what I meant.”

As soon as I said it, her eyes grew even wider and she grabbed my arm, pleading.

“S-So-ryong, think about this again, please. That’s just... Hwa-eun’s a girl, isn’t she?”

“This is the only way. Sister Seol, it’ll be quick and efficient. And I don’t think it has anything to do with her being a woman.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Hwa-eun blinked. “Is it really that shocking if it’s not through the mouth?”

Clearly, she still didn’t get it.

Behind her, the Five Venoms, Jaheo, even Hu-gae were glancing at each other with blank looks.

Sister Seol, eyes locked on Hwa-eun, gulped and started explaining.

“Hwa-eun, listen carefully—and don’t freak out.”

“O-Okay...?”

“How many openings does a human body have?”

“That’s... seven. Seven orifices.”

“Right. Now think about which ones food goes in and out of...”

She didn’t even get to finish before gasps erupted from the group.

“Hiiik!”

“W-Wait—!”

“So So-hyeop! Are you serious!?”

Their horrified voices met my completely calm expression.

“What are you all so surprised about? Didn’t everyone try sucking an ant’s butt at least once when they were little? Was it just me?”

“Why would anyone do that!?”

“You sucked an ant’s butt!?”

“So-ryong, I don’t think any child would’ve done that...”

Was I really the only one?

Looking around at their reactions, I frowned in confusion. Then Hu-gae scratched his head and muttered,

“I... kinda did, actually...”

Suddenly, every eye turned toward Hu-gae.

He gave a sheepish laugh.

“Haha... There was this rumor that ant butts tasted sweet... I was craving sugar as a kid... though it mostly tasted sour...”

That made it all click.

Hu-gae came from the streets. I was dirt-poor, too.

But the others? They were born into noble clans or great sects—Silver Spoon babies.

No wonder they couldn’t relate.

‘Silver Spoon kids just don’t get it.’

While I was thinking about how hopeless nobles were, I noticed Hwa-eun staring at me in horror, her eyes wide and her throat trembling as she gulped.

“S-So-ryong... You’re not serious, right? I-I misheard, right?”

I turned. Hwa-eun was in full denial mode.

Sigh.

Now that I remembered—right. She was a noble, too.

A silver spoon. No childhood experience sucking ant butts.

Of course she’d hesitate.

But this was the only method. What choice did we have?

I shook my head.

“There’s no other way.”

Hwa-eun began shaking hers in return, quickly listing her doubts.

“C-Can you be sure, So-ryong?”

“Sure about what?”

“T-That... that it’ll actually flow well from that side? I mean, from the mouth it barely trickles. Just flipping it around—there’s no guarantee more will come out, right?”

She had a point. But I could say this °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° with absolute confidence:

It would all come out at once.

“That’s not something you need to worry about, Hwa-eun. It’ll all come out in one go.”

“H-How can you be so sure!? What if it doesn’t!?”

If we tried the rear end and it didn’t work any better than the mouth, it’d be a total loss—Hwa-eun’s concern was valid.

But there was something she didn’t know.

When humans consume honeypot ant nectar, they don’t take it from the mouth.

Nope. The standard method is from the butt.

If you look up videos from my past life—biologists in the desert collecting honeypot ants? They all suck from the rear.

So no, she didn’t need to worry about the amount—it always came out fast and full from the rear.

There’s even a biological reason for this.

But I decided to explain it in martial arts terms she’d understand.

“To put it in Murim terms... think of the ant regurgitating the nectar as using the Reverse-Heaven Technique.”

“R-Reverse Heaven!?”

Being a martial artist, Hwa-eun flinched at the name alone.

I smiled, trying not to scare her further.

“Yes. Normally, everything we eat goes in through the mouth and out the back, right? That’s the natural order. People, insects, beasts—we all digest and expel that way.

That’s why we call it the Flow of Heaven.

But vomiting? That goes against nature. That’s Reverse-Heaven.

That’s why ants can only spit out a small amount. They’re going against the flow.

But when they release from the natural direction—as anyone who’s ever had food poisoning can tell you—it all gushes out at once.”

“Okay, okay, I get it! Please stop there!”

Nutrient exchange among ants involves regurgitating stored food.

So they’re reversing the process—of course the quantity is limited.

But releasing it from the other end follows nature’s path. No reason to worry.

It’s anatomically accurate, too.

Everyone’s had a bout of food poisoning at least once, haven’t they?

The kind where everything comes pouring out in a single wave?

Yeah. That.

As I explained all of this, Hwa-eun stared blankly, half her spirit gone.

Her brain understood, but emotionally? Not so much.

Then came the last line of defense.

“I-I understand... But still, So-ryong. I’m your woman. How can a woman... offer her body to... an ant, a male one at that...”

“That’s not good for you, either!”

Even with an ant—yes, even an ant—Hwa-eun had started rambling on about how sucking a male ant’s rear would be a violation of a pure maiden’s dignity.

I stifled a laugh and said plainly,

“Hwa-eun, there’s no need to worry. Ants are all female.”

Aside from the males used for nuptial flights, all ants are female.

An ant colony is a queendom.

“Th-That can’t be...”

Flustered, Hwa-eun’s eyes darted around as if hoping someone might save her. Naturally, she turned to Sister Seol for help.

But I figured it was time to give her a nudge in the right direction.

“Hwa-eun, with this much energy... it might even be that.”

“Huh? That what?”

“You remember what your grandfather, Mandok Shingun, said? That you were originally capable of reaching the Thousand-Poison Realm, but lacked the insight? But after you accepted Sandan’s venom, you broke through to Trifold Flower Purification, right?”

He’d said that while insight was important, overwhelming internal energy could itself lead to enlightenment. If she drank this, the next path might open naturally.

Grandfather had explained it to me once: enlightenment was usually needed to climb the highest realms, because there was a limit to how much internal energy a human could accumulate naturally.

So enlightenment made that limited energy more efficient.

But if you somehow gathered enough energy to exceed human limits, your body would change—and that change would guide you to enlightenment.

He said something about “post-infusion” and “pre-infusion,” but I couldn’t remember the details.

“Hnnng...”

That was the first time I ever heard Hwa-eun let out a whining little cry like that.

Her ambition for martial arts was too great—she clearly couldn’t resist what I’d said.

And yet... she looked utterly distraught.

‘Hwa-eun is kind of cute today.’

I hid my smile and stepped closer, knowing she was almost ready to accept it. Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, I coaxed her further.

“It’ll be over quickly, Hwa-eun. I drank the Golden-Furred Wasp King’s honey straight from the source, remember? You can do this too.”

“B-But... hngh... ah... ah? Ah!”

Then, all of a sudden, her face lit up.

Grabbing my arm, she shook it excitedly.

“That’s it! The mouth!”

“...The mouth?”

She was shouting “the mouth” like she’d found some kind of divine revelation.

Was she suggesting... just drinking a big mouthful directly from the Azure Steel Immortal Ant?

Did she mean she’d settle for half the liquid?

But before I could explain that we couldn’t afford to waste the other half, she looked up at me and beamed.

“So-ryong! Please hold it in your mouth and pass it to me quickly—twice!”

“...What?”

I gave her a confused look, and she explained rapidly.

“You take the Azure Steel Immortal Ant’s secretion into your mouth, hold it there, and pass it to me.

Then you quickly get the rest, and after I swallow the first, you pass me the second! That way we won’t lose a drop!”

“Ah... so you want me to suck it out from the ant’s rear and then pass it mouth-to-mouth...”

“Yes! You can do that, right? Please?”

So she wanted me to act as her black knight... in a very literal way.

Now that I was the one directly involved, I found myself hesitating.

“Uhh... well...”

‘How did it come to this...?’

***

Not doing what your bride asks on the eve of your wedding? That was basically a breakup.

In the end, I had no choice but to become her black knight.

But more than obligation, it was the way Hwa-eun persuaded me. I had to admit—it got to me.

“Well... I guess even just half wouldn’t be so bad—”

“No. We shouldn’t waste a drop. Think about it! Azure Steel Immortal Ant nectar is already a legendary elixir. But mixed with its venom? That’s a double boon for me. It might even lead to total physical transformation!”

“Transformation...? You mean that thing...”

“Yes! The Recasting of the Bones—Hwagyeong. When your body reshapes itself to match the martial arts you’ve mastered. If I reach that stage, I won’t age anymore. My body will remain in its prime.”

“You won’t age?”

“Yes. My skin will stay smooth, my waist slim... and if there’s any part of me you’re dissatisfied with, it might improve, too.

I’ll be beautiful forever, by your side.”

Now tell me—how is a man supposed to say no to that?

His wife, keeping her perfect youthful body forever?

Even if I died trying, I had to make this work.

‘First it was a magical bee’s lips. Now it’s a magical ant’s butt. My life really is... extraordinary.’

Everyone cleared out of the stone chamber for privacy, leaving only me, Hwa-eun, and one Azure Steel Immortal Ant.

“Ready, Hwa-eun?”

“Yes!”

Her voice rang clear and determined.

I closed my eyes tightly and pressed my mouth to the ant’s rear.

A warm stream immediately flowed out.

The nectar, perhaps affected by the ant’s venom, tasted more like a potent spirit—hot and intoxicating. It burned the inside of my mouth.

As soon as I had a full mouthful, I pulled back and leaned toward Hwa-eun.

Her soft lips met mine, her faint fragrance brushing against me as I transferred the liquid to her mouth.

We didn’t have time to savor it. With the venom mixed in, holding it too long could be dangerous.

The moment the transfer was complete, I turned right back to the ant and sucked out the remaining liquid.

Once I had it, I looked to Hwa-eun.

Gulp. Gulp.

She nodded and swallowed.

Just as she finished, I passed her the second mouthful without letting the flow break.

When the last drop entered her, she sat down and began to circulate her internal energy.

A soft glow began to emanate from her.

...But one curious thought suddenly came to me.

‘She said “any part that’s lacking.” So then... does that mean... her chest...?’

I hadn’t really gotten a good look—women in this world wore looser clothes. Not that there was anything wrong with it now, of course.

I was fully satisfied.

But still—just out of pure curiosity.

If her body transformed to best suit her martial arts... would they get bigger?

Hey, I’m a guy. I’m allowed to wonder.